Thy mercy, my God, is the theme
of my song. But most churchgoers and professed
Christians assume that they are indeed among the saved, because
most believe that their salvation is procured by an act of their
own free will. Salvation has been reduced to
a simple formula by many preachers of the present day. They tell
us that God is anxious to save every man on the earth, and that
if men will just let Him save them, He is more than willing
to do so. The God which is preached from most pulpits is more of
a beggar than a sovereign. Multitudes cram into churches
which feed them a steady diet of how much the Lord needs their
service, money, and souls. All the Lord asks for is a little
bit of cooperation and for folks to accept what He has provided
for them, get a positive attitude, and show the world how much faith
they have. They are assured that they have within their own hands
the golden key that can unlock the shackles on the hands of
the Lord's blessings. Thus it seems rather an outdated
idea to ask, are there few that be saved? It seems obvious to
the religious rank and file that there are vast multitudes who
will be, since it is considered a matter which is left up to
men. After all, who wouldn't choose heaven and immortal bliss
over a pit of destruction? A companion error which goes
hand-in-hand with this easy-believe-ism is the equally erroneous notion
that men can be saved by fulfilling certain requirements and meeting
certain conditions. Those who set forth these conditions
and requirements scoff at the notion that mere belief in Christ
is enough. They say that men must be baptized
in water, speak in other tongues, wear their hair a certain way,
adhere to some particular theological order or confession of faith,
etc. Both of these errors share the same root, which is the belief
that men are the ones who can determine their eternal destiny
by their own choice and obedience. The Lord plainly destroyed this
notion when He said, Many will seek to enter in, and shall not
be able. He said the same thing when He
told the Pharisees, Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me. And where I am thither ye cannot
come. Yet of all the scriptures which
lay the axe to the root of man's notion that he has the power
to bring about his own salvation, none is any more disturbing than
this parable from Matthew's Gospel. And when the king came in to
see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding
garment. And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither,
not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said
the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him
away, and cast him into outer darkness. There shall be weeping
and gnashing of teeth, for many are called, but few are chosen.
The Lord painted a word picture of the kingdom of God, which
he likened to a wedding feast which a king had prepared for
invited guests, who not only refused his overtures, but slew
his servants. Then he destroyed those original
invitees and sent his servants into the countryside to compel
men, good and bad, to come to the wedding feast. Many came
into this feast, but there was one who had gotten in with the
rest who was not clothed in the proper garment and was cast out. The salvation of sinners is not
based on whether or not men choose the Lord, but rather on whether
or not a man is chosen by God. As David said, Blessed is the
man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he
may dwell in thy courts. We shall be satisfied with the
goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple. This kingdom
is one in which the grace of God alone is magnified, and men
are emptied of all hope except that which is based upon the
finished work of Christ for sinners. The work of the Spirit of God
in the sons of God causes them to flee from any other foundation
than that which is laid by Christ. The true children of God can
find no comfort in their own actions, decisions, prayers,
and devotions, nor do they find any solace in the words of the
physicians of no value, who try to encourage men not to doubt.
The true sons of God are made to cry out constantly for sustenance,
not having confidence in their own ability to believe, knowing
the deceitfulness of their own heart, and understanding that
they are full of unbelief and wickedness. Peter confessed,
Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal
life. So the sons of God are driven to Christ and are compelled
and enabled to strive to enter in at the straight gate. Yet
they often find themselves in a dry and thirsty land where
no water is. The thought of the preciousness
and rarity of true faith in Christ is ever upon their mind, and
they have no rest in any except Him who is truth itself. They
cannot be satisfied with substitutes for that faith, which is the
gift of God, nor with platitudes spoken by the angels of light,
who would deceive the very elect if it were possible. In what
do you trust? If you would like a free transcript
of this broadcast, email us at forthepoor at windstream.net.