Go ahead and be turning with
me to 1 Samuel chapter 12, if you would, please. 1 Samuel chapter
12. You know this scripture, you've
heard it many times, but it's a declaration of God's sovereignty
in the matter of salvation. It says, for the Lord will not
forsake His people. Why? For His great name's sake. Because it hath pleased the Lord
to make you His people. I believe this verse proves 100%
that salvation is of the Lord and it has nothing to do with
what the sinner does. The first three verses of the
verse should be our first clue for the Lord. Salvation always,
always begins with the Lord. For the Lord will not forsake
his people. You see, the Lord is faithful
that promised. If he says he'll do something,
he'll do it. And if he says that he won't do something, you can
be assured that he won't. That's why I love the God of
the Bible. He does whatsoever He wills.
And no one can cause Him to do what He won't do. What won't the sovereign Lord
do? Well, here we're told by Samuel whatever He says that
He won't do. He will not forsake His people. People will forsake Him. But
if you're one of God's, He won't. And that's not referring, when
it says His people, that's not referring to everyone in the
world. You know that. Everyone in the world does belong
to Him as His creation, but that's not talking about every one of
them. It's talking about those that
He's made His. His people. A specific people,
a distinguished people. A redeemed people. the sinner
that he was pleased to save by his grace. He saves and He keeps. That's pretty simple, isn't it?
This is not a hard message to understand. It's impossible to
believe apart from God's mercy and grace and revelation to us.
And Isaiah, by inspiration of God, wrote in Isaiah chapter
14, verse 24, the Lord of hosts has sworn, saying, surely as
I had thought, so shall it come to pass. and as I have purposed,
so shall it stand." Do you believe that? Isaiah continued in verse
26 by saying, this is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole
earth. And this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the
nations. In other words, God is in control
of everything. Every single thing. Do you believe
that? Well, most everyone says they
do. I heard a local pastor, quite popular in the community, say
that God is sovereign. And my jaw dropped. But then he said he's in control
of everything except salvation. Well, if that's so, then God's
not sovereign. And if man has to let God save
him, if man has to choose God, if man has to give God his heart,
It's man, if man has to make Jesus Lord, then man is sovereign
and he's in control of God, right? Isaiah went on to say, for the
Lord of hosts has purposed and who shall disannul it? And his
hand is stretched out and who shall turn it back? That sounds
like a sovereign, omnipotent, almighty God to me. How about
you? How could anyone say that God
is in control of everything and not believe the salvations of
the Lord? Our Lord Himself said, you have
not chosen me, but I've chosen you. God says, I'll have mercy
on whom I'll have mercy. So that kind of thinking cannot
be. And our text declares two things
here in particular about this matter of salvation. First, it's
the Lord who makes some his people. And it's the Lord who will not
forsake those that he makes his. He saves us and he keeps us.
It's the sovereign God's purpose to save some, and who can disannul
what He's promised? Who can turn His hand back from
doing what He's purposed to do? Nobody, no one, nothing. For the Lord will not forsake
His people. Are there any in hell from whom
God made His? Will any perish that Christ died
for? No, if there are any in hell
that God made His, if there are any who perish for whom Christ
died for, then God is an imposter and He's not God. And man is
his own God making salvation of man. But that's not what the
book teaches. Salvation is of the Lord. Five words that declare a multitude. People say that, salvation's
of the Lord, but, but you gotta give him your heart, you've gotta
make him Lord, so on and so forth. You know, when you ask the question
of an inquiring child, especially in their learning years, they'll
bombard you with the question why. I will, in this message, by the
grace of God, ask you that question many times today and answer it
with the same answer. Why? Because. The mother says, it's time to
brush your teeth. And the child says, why? The
mother responds, well, because we need to brush our teeth at
least twice a day. And then the question follows,
why? And the parent again answers, because I want you to have healthy
teeth. And the child again says, why?
Well, because I want you to be able to chew your food. And that
three letter question is once again asked, why? Because you
need to eat in order to live. Why? Because I love you and I
want you to live. Why? I don't have any more answers.
Because I said so. I can't tell you how many times
my mother said that to me, because I said so. Whatever the Lord
is pleased, friends, He does. Why? Because He says so. He says
so in this word. He's the Father and we are the
children. Romans 8 tells us very plainly, all things work together
for the good of them that love God, to them who will be called
according to His purpose. And then he goes on to tell us
why. For whom God foreknew, He did predestinate, He predetermined
to be conformed to the image of His Son. God purposed in eternity
past to make His people That's who we're talking about, His
people, not the world, His people conformed to the image of Christ. Every single one that believes
and trusts in the Lord Jesus is one day going to be just like
Him. Well, we're just like Him now in the eyes of God. Moreover,
Paul wrote, in addition and on top of that or because of that,
whom He did predestinate, predetermined to believe, them He also called. You and I didn't call on God
until he called us. No man can come. No man can call. Why? Because we're dead in trespasses
and sin. And those whom God called, he
justified and one day he'll glorify. Why? Because it pleased him to
do so. Because that's what he says in
his word. What do we say to these things? If God be for us, who
can be against us? It's God who freely gives us
all things in Christ. These verses describe God as
He is. Sovereign, omnipotent, almighty. And folks say, well, there you
go again. I had a man one time not very long ago say, why do
you have to qualify God as sovereign? Doesn't God mean sovereign? It
does to me, but to a lot of folks it doesn't. And we have to distinguish
the God of the Bible from the God of men's imaginations by
declaring Him to be God Almighty. God is Almighty. We're not. Hannah was barren. She couldn't
produce life within herself. You remember that story. What
a picture that is of us. We can't produce life within
ourselves. And you remember what she said.
Well, we're right here close. Turn back a few pages to 1 Samuel
1. Hold your place. 1 Samuel 1. Verse 18. She said, Let your handmaid find grace
in thy sight. And you know what happened? The
Lord showed her mercy and He gave her grace. Look down at
verse 20. Wherefore it came to pass, listen,
all things come to pass because God brings them to pass. When
it came to pass, when the time was come about, God's the one
who brings things to pass and about. After Hannah had conceived,
And she bare a son and called his name Samuel. You know the
name Samuel means asked of the Lord. Why did the Lord give a son to
one who was barren? Hannah tells us, she goes, because
I have asked of the Lord. Because I have asked of the Lord. You see, it's the discretion,
it's the choice of the Lord to give. And it's the pleasure and desire
of the Lord to save whom He will. Why? Because it pleased Him to
make you His people. And because of that, He'll never
forsake us for His name's sake, for His own glory. But like children,
some, most, keep asking why. Well, we shouldn't. Why? Because whatever the Lord pleased,
that did He. David said in Psalm 115.3 that
our God's in the heavens and He does, what does He do? Whatsoever
He pleases. He's God Almighty. Whatsoever the Lord pleased,
that did He. Not just in heaven, but in earth
and in the seas and all deep places. You can look into the
galaxies above at night and stars that are millions and millions
and millions of light years away, light years. He's in control
of each one. Not one falls from the sky that
God does not purpose to fall. None can stay His hand. None
can ask Him why. We're reputed as nothing, Daniel
says, and he does all things according to his will. That word
according means it's specified by, or in compliance with, or
in agreement with. What are we in compliance with?
Who God is. If you never see God as sovereign,
omnipotent, and almighty, then you've never seen the true God.
Now that's just a fact. Not trying to ruffle feathers,
not trying to upset anyone. It's just the truth. He's God
and there is none other. The Lord, He is God. There is
none else beside Him. What does that mean? Just what
it says. That's what Hannah said after
the Lord blessed her. He said, there's none holy as
the Lord, for there is none beside thee, neither is there any rock
like our God. And then she said, talk no more
exceeding proudly. Let not arrogance come out of
your mouth, for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by Him actions
are weighed. And friends, there is nothing,
I mean nothing more arrogant than when a sinner thinks that
they can and have saved themselves. That is an attempt to rob God
of the glory of salvation. She said, the bowels of those
who think themselves mighty are broken, but they that stumble,
the weak and the meek, those who God saves, are what? Girded
with strength. It's the Lord that killeth and
maketh alive. It's the Lord that brings down
to the grave. It's the Lord that bringeth up. It's the Lord that
maketh poor and maketh rich. It's the Lord who raises up beggars,
mercy beggars from the dunghill to set them among princes. And
he makes them to inherit the throne of glory. My mom made
me brush my teeth. But He makes me to inherit the
things of glory. Why? Because the pillars of the
earth are the Lord's. He does what He wills with His
own. He will keep the feet of His saints. You need not ask
why, because God says so. For by His strength shall no
man prevail. Man can't prevail by his own
strength, by his own will. Man don't pick themselves up
by the bootstraps. If they're lifted up, it's the
Lord that lifts them up. That's what Hannah said. Now
back in 1 Samuel chapter 12, in verse 20, Samuel said, fear not. What do
we have to fear when God Almighty has us in His hand? Verse 20, and Samuel said unto
the people, fear not, you've done all this wickedness, yet
turn not aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord
with all your heart. You see, we've done all the wickedness.
The only thing we can truly call our own is sin. We did the sinning,
God did the saving. Yet we must serve Him with our
whole heart. We must not turn aside from following
the Lord. It's a vain thing to think that
we can save or keep ourselves. Works is a vain thing that cannot
profit or prosper. What a vain thing to think that
we can provide ourselves with a perfect righteousness by the
works of our own hand and our own heart. If you're honest with
yourself, you know you can't. Listen to what God says about
Himself. He said, I'll dwell among the children of Israel,
and I will not forsake My people Israel. 1 Kings chapter 6, this
is speaking of true Israel, not the nation Israel. This is speaking
of every true believer. All that are Israel are not Israel,
not Jewish people. David said, for the Lord will
not cast off His people, neither will He forsake His inheritance. Isaiah said, when the poor and
needy seek water and there is none, and their tongue faileth
for thirst, I, the Lord, will hear them. I, the God of Israel,
will not forsake them. God does what He wills, and God
doesn't do what He doesn't want to do. But He will not forsake
His people. Isaiah said, and I'll bring the
blind by way that they knew not. I'll lead them in paths that
they have not known. Speaking for God, Isaiah said
this. I will make darkness light before
them and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them
and not forsake them. That's exactly what God has done
for us. He leads us in the path of righteousness. He turns darkness into light. He makes a crooked thing straight,
and He will not forsake us. Jeremiah said in Lamentations
3, 2, it is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, because
His compassions fail not. His love fails not. So what does
the believer have to fear? Jeremiah went on to say, the
Lord will have compassion according or because of the multitude of
his mercies." That word according means to grant, it's an agreement,
it's a treaty, it's a covenant, it's a promise that cannot be
broken. It can't be broken because of
who it is that promises it. You and I make promises, sometimes
we're unable, sometimes we're unwilling. I can't tell you how
many times over the years, and I'm not proud of this, but somebody
said, hey, can you help me move? Well, yeah, I'll help you move.
And then not answer my phone, you know, the day they're going
to move. I didn't want to do it. That's a lot of work. I know
you've never done anything like that. Now hear me when I say that if
the Lord saves us, we're saved forever. Why? because of His
mercies. His mercy, His loving kindness
endures forever. David said, although my house
be not so with God yet, He hath made with me an everlasting covenant. It's ordered in all things and
sure. For this is all my salvation. There's no salvation apart from
the Lord's covenant, ordered in all things and sure. God has
an abundance of mercy. The songwriter wrote, depth of
mercy can there be? Mercy still reserved for me?
Yes, he's plenteous. He's got more than enough. He's a multitude of mercy. Psalm 5, 7, but as for me, I'll
come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy. And in fear, not
fear of hell, as we discussed in the first hour, but fear of
looking anywhere but to Christ. And in fear will I worship toward
thy holy temple. Have mercy upon me, O God, according
to thy lovingkindness, according unto the multitude of thy tender
mercies. Blot out my transgressions. Now I want you to turn with me
to 1 John chapter four. You can let your place go in
1 Samuel 12. Look at 1 John 4, verse 9. Talking about the love, compassion,
mercy, and grace of God. And here John wrote in verse
nine, in this was manifested the love of God toward us. Why? Because that God sent his only
begotten son into the world that we might live through him. And
here in his love, not that we love God, but that he loved us and sent
his son to be the propitiation for our sins. Why and how is
God's love manifested to us? Because God sent His only begotten
Son into the world that we might believe through Him. That's what
substitution is. Living life through Him. Salvation
is in, it's by, and it's through the Lord Jesus Christ. In the
book of Ephesians, it says that over and over. In Christ, by
Christ, through Christ, in Christ, by Christ, through Christ, time
and time again. Here it is love. You see, my
love is fickle. It's conditional, but not His.
It's sure and it's unconditional. Hearing is love, not that we
love God. We don't talk about our love
for God. Don't talk about your love for God. We preach and declare
His love for us. He loved us and did what? He
sent His Son to be a propitiation for our sin. As you know, propitiation
means a mercy seat. His blood was shed upon the altar.
Jesus Christ is our altar. He is our sacrifice. And He's
our high priest. Jesus Christ is our expiator. Expiator means atonement. Atonement,
one with Him. That's why my sins are put away.
He's my atonement. Our sin is expiated by His sacrifice
for us. That word means to make amends. Christ has made amends between
us and God, whom we have offended. He made recompense for our sins. He paid the sin debt by His own
debt. It means compensation, restitution. It even means reward. Now, a
lot of people talk about rewards in heaven. There is one reward
in heaven. Jesus Christ is our reward. It
means to make up for, that's what expiate means. It means,
recompense means satisfaction. God is satisfied. God who was once angry with us
every day is now perfectly satisfied with his people in Christ. Why do religious men and women
think they can do something to save themselves when the Scriptures
are so clear on the matter? I love to say it because it's
true. Salvation's of the Lord. Salvation is all about what Christ
has done for sinners, not what sinners do for Him. Look back,
you may not have to turn the page, 1 John 3 verse 1. Behold, what manner of love the
Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the
sons of God. Therefore the world knoweth us
not, because it knew him not. Now that word bestowed, that's
a wonderful word. It means God's love is granted
to us. It's donated and entrusted to
us, freely given without a cost. I love the story of Joseph. When
we went through that in our study of Genesis, I just was amazed
at how much he pictured Christ. He was thrown in the pit by his
brothers. Men and women in this world hate
him without a cause. They'd do away with him if they
could. If they could get their hands on God, they'd do away
with him. The Ishmaelites got him and they
sold him into slavery and he was brought into Potiphar's house.
But you know what the scripture says in all this? And the Lord
was with Joseph. Because of the lies of Potiphar's
wife, he was thrown into prison. And the man over the prison said,
I'm going to make you over all the prisoners. Why? Because all
that which he did, the Lord made to prosper. Why? Because the Lord was with Joseph.
It's He who makes things to prosper. Joseph then was called to interpret
Pharaoh's dreams, and then was exalted to second in charge over
all Egypt. From the pit to Potiphar's house,
from Potiphar's house to the prison, from the prison to Pharaoh's
throne, The Lord was with Joseph. The Lord was with him. All because
the Lord was with him. What a picture of us. We were
in the pit of despair. We were sold into the slavery
of sin. We were thrown into prison by the law. We were delivered
and made to sit among princes. All because the Lord is with
us. It pleased the Lord to make you His people. That's the only
reason. Why? Because it pleased the Lord. Who made us to differ? God, the
only one that can. Don't declare it was your doing.
Don't proclaim it was the work of righteousness that you did. It simply pleased the Lord to
do all these things. And I'm so thankful for that.
Not as I should be, but I am thankful. You ever stop and think
about why we go through tribulations as Joseph did? Hated by his brothers,
loved by his father, hated by his brothers. Why do we go through tribulations?
Because the Lord chastens those whom he loves. Thou shalt also
consider in thine heart that as a man chasteneth his son,
so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee." Deuteronomy 8, 5. Solomon
said in Proverbs 13, verse 24, he that spareth his rod hateth
his son, but he that loveth him chastens him betimes. And that
simply means early and immediately. Boy, I'm telling you, I've seen
that belt come off quickly before. when I needed chastening. And
now I see it was because my parents loved me. For whom the Lord loveth, he
chasteneth, and he scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
If you endure chastening, God dealeth with you as what? Sons
and daughters. For what son is he whom the Father
chasteneth not? Hebrews 12, six and seven. So
we don't cry over our chastening. We rejoice because of it. Because
God chastens those whom he loves. If you're going through a trial
right now, You love the Lord Jesus Christ, it's for your good. It's for your good. Chastening
never goes to waste for the child of God. It gives us assurance
that God is teaching us and weaning us from the things of this world.
So let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering.
Why? Because he is faithful, the promise. You know that word, hold fast,
means to cling. Have you ever clung on to something? Held on to it with all your might? We hold fast and we cling to
Christ. We must not falter. We must not
tremble. We must not fear. We don't hesitate
to trust the Lord Jesus. We don't think twice or fluctuate. We're steady and we press onward.
That's what Paul said. Press on to the mark of the high
calling that's in Christ, knowing that it pleased Him to save you.
And He'll never forsake you for His great name's sake, for His
own glory. Those two blind men, they said,
have mercy on us. Have you asked the Lord to have
mercy on you? The Lord said, believe ye that
I'm able to do this? Do you believe that the Lord
can show you mercy and save you by His grace? Well, the two blind
men said, yay, Lord. Yes, Lord. And His answer is always the
same. He said, according to your faith, be it unto you. Now, it's
not our faith that saves us. It's who our faith is in that
saves us. So in closing, I want you to
Look at Ephesians chapter 3 with me, verse 12. Ephesians chapter
3, verse 12. Who are we talking about? We're
talking about the Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 3, verse 12
says, That's a person. That's Christ. We have boldness and access with
confidence by the faith of Him. Friend, we have access to the
very throne of God, and there's no need for us to be fearful
to come into His presence as Israel was at Mount Sinai. You
remember that? Oh, they trembled and quaked. They said, Moses, you go talk
to God for us. But as a child of God, we can
approach and come into the very throne of God to find mercy and
help in time of need. We, through our mediator, have
access to the very throne of God. And we have it with boldness
and confidence, not cockiness. We've been made acceptable and
saved because our salvation doesn't depend upon our faithfulness
to Christ, but His to us. Therefore, we come with boldness,
not presumptuously, but with confidence in His finished work
of righteousness for us. I'm so thankful for that. Verse
13, wherefore I desire that you faint not at my tribulations
for you, which is your glory. And this goes back to what I
told you earlier about tribulations and trials. The apostle Paul
suffered many trials, tribulations, and persecutions, afflictions,
not as an evildoer, but as a minister of Christ. He took pleasure in
them. I'll show you that. Lord, teach
us to do that, to take pleasure in our firmties. Are you crazy? There's a song we sing, Lord,
send grief and pain. Who would ask for that? A child
of God, knowing that God chastens and sends those things to those
that he loves. Paul took pleasure in them. Why?
Because the Lord was with him. He expected them, so should we.
Because we are children, always asking why, and God taught Paul
to glory in his tribulations, and God will cause all his children
to do the same thing. In Romans, I'll read this to
you, you don't have to turn to it. In Romans 5, chapter 5, verses
3 and 4, Paul wrote, and not only so, but we glory in tribulations
also. Knowing that tribulation worketh
patience, and patience experience, and experience hope. The hatred
of this world, the temptations of Satan, our own corruptions
within are all the will of our heavenly Father. And it's through
them that our Father teaches us patience and we gain experience
and we have hope that all things are working together for our
good. It is with much tribulation that we enter the kingdom of
God. Paul's tribulations all came
in his work as the apostle of Gentiles, as a minister to the
Gentiles. His work was the means that God
used to make them heirs of glory. And I'm so thankful for the work
of those that went before me. I wasn't at the time, but I am
now. I think about Brother Montgomery,
Brother Mahan, Brother Fortner, Brother Richardson, Brother Reibenbach,
Brothers Gruver, Walter and Cody Bohm. I wish I could tell them
again. Of whom the whole family in heaven
and earth is named. That's the reason. That He would
grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened
with might by His Spirit in the inner man. Why? That Christ may
dwell in your heart by faith. that ye being rooted and grounded
in love." I want to be rooted and grounded in love. Why? Verse
18, that we may be able to comprehend, understand, be taught with all
saints what's the breadth and length and depth and height.
Why? That we might know the love of
Christ, which passeth understanding. Why? That we might be filled
with all the fullness of God. That's why Paul bowed his knees
in reverence to God and thankfulness. And now look at verse 20, Ephesians
3, now unto him, to God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, that is able
to do exceeding abundantly above all that we could think or ask,
according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the
church by Jesus Christ throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. Now why are we to give
God all the glory? Because the Lord hath done great
things for us, whereof we are glad. That's why we're glad.
The Lord's done great things for us. So the next time If you
question the Word of God and you ask yourself why, know that
it's because it pleased the Lord to do this. It pleased the Lord
to reveal this to you. It pleased the Lord to save you
by His grace. No other reason. No other reason.
Well, may God be pleased to do so for His glory, our good, and
for Christ's sake.