Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church,
located at 905 Yadkin Street in Kingsport, Tennessee, would
like to invite you to listen to a message of sovereign grace
by their pastor, Gabe Stoniker. And now, Pastor Gabe Stoniker. I invite you to turn with me
this morning to Ephesians chapter 2. Ephesians chapter 2 verses
1 through 7 are going to be our text. There was a man many years
ago whom the Lord God revealed the Scripture to, and He calls
that man to preach. And He gave that man the outline
of Scripture. And He showed that man that all
Scripture says the same thing. And that man's name was John
Calvin. John Calvin didn't come up with
anything new. He did not invent a doctrine. The doctrine of Christ was just
revealed to him. I agree with my brother John
Calvin, I really do. I love that man. I agree and
believe that all five of those points are set forth in the scripture.
But a man or a woman can cling to a doctrine and not cling to
the Christ of that doctrine. I believe in the five points
of Calvinism. I preach them. And the reason
that I do is because that's what the Scripture sets forth. All
I'm doing is preaching the Word of God. And as a person preaches
the actual Word of God in truth, in context, as he wrote it, a
person will preach what the world calls Calvinism. Because John
Calvin didn't come up with anything. All he did was set forth what
the Word says. Now with all that being said,
the Lord did give our brother John Calvin the clear outline
of truth. And the title of this message
this morning is called TULIP. That's the five point outline
that John Calvin wrote down. TULIP. T-U-L-I-P. And this is what TULIP stands
for. Total depravity. Total depravity. What that means
is, man by nature is completely, totally depraved. It means man
is born into the world with no good in him. no good, nothing
but sin. Man, outside of Christ, by nature,
is totally depraved. Every scripture says that very
thing. The U stands for unconditional
election. We know what the word unconditional
means, don't we? We know what the word election
means. The L stands for limited atonement. And what that means
is, Jesus Christ didn't die for everybody. Irresistible Grace. Grace means free gift. And then the last one, P. T-U-L-I-P. P stands for Perseverance of
the Saints. That means all that God the Father
gave to God the Son, every person that God the Father gave to God
the Son, they're all going to be with Him in glory. Every one
of them. Now this is what false religion
preaches. This is the message of error. A message that goes against the
Word of God. It says, depravity is not total. It's in some, but it's not in
all. And if it is in all, then there's
a little bit of good in everybody. It's not total. There's a little
bit of good in everybody born into this world by nature. That's
not what the Word of God says. False religion preaches that
election is conditional. God will choose you. God does
the choosing, but you have to do this or that first. It's conditional. That's a false
message. False religion preaches that
the atonement, the bloodshed of Jesus Christ, was universal. Christ died for everybody. Well, that's not what the scripture
teaches. A person's going to say, well,
what about John 3, 16? And then verse 17, it says, for
God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting
life. For God sent not his Son into
the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him
might be saved." What about that? Well, our Lord clarified what
He meant in Revelation chapter 5. He said He's going to redeem
a people out of every tribe, kindred, tongue, nation. He's going to do it out of every
generation. But he's not doing this for the
whole world. Because John 3 verse 18 says,
He that believeth on him is not condemned. But he that believeth
not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name
of the only begotten Son of God." Some are going to be condemned.
That's not the whole world, is it? False religion preaches that
grace, grace can be resisted. They say Jesus Christ wants to
save you if you let Him. If you'll let him, you have the
ability to resist him. Not according to God's Word.
He said, I will work and who shall let it? Who's going to
stop me? False religion preaches that
man can fall away. Man can fall away if he doesn't
keep himself. You know, the Lord helps those
who help themselves. That is not what the Scripture
teaches. That's not what the Scripture teaches. If the Lord
will open our eyes to the Word of God, He will reveal to us
the true outline of Scripture, just like He did to our brother
John Calvin. All right, now let's look at
this outline. Ephesians chapter 2 is our text. Verse 1 says,
"...and you hath he quickened." Quickened. Saved. Made alive. Regenerated. Redeemed. Who did he do this
for? You! Is that you universal? Is everybody you? Well, turn with me over to John
17. Let's look at John chapter 17 together. Verse 1 in John 17 says, These
words spake Jesus, and lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said,
the hour is come glorify thy son that thy son also may glorify
thee as thou hast given him power over all flesh that he should
give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him." Verse
6, I have manifested thy name unto
the men which thou gavest me out of the world Thine they were,
and thou gavest them me, and they have kept thy word. Verse
9. I pray for them. I pray not for
the world, but for them which thou hast given me, for they
are thine. Verse 12. While I was with them
in the world, I kept them in thy name, those that thou gavest
me I have kept, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition
that the scripture might be fulfilled." Judas was not you. He was not a you. Verse 20 says, Our Lord said,
Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall
believe on me through their word. He said, I came not to call the
righteous. I didn't come for them. Romans
8 says, Whom he called, that's who he justified, and that's
who he glorified. So our text says those whom he
did save, that's who he's talking to. That's who he's saying you
to. Back over in Ephesians 2 verse
1 says, and you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and
sins. Total depravity. dead in trespasses
and sins." Total depravity. Total means complete. All of it. All of it. You hath he quickened who were
dead. Dead. You know, we understand
what that means physically, don't we? We see something dead and
we understand perfectly what dead means, physically. But for
some reason we have the hardest time understanding what that
means spiritually. What does it mean to be dead
spiritually? It means the exact same thing
as it does to be dead physically. Dead, lifeless, total depravity,
dead. stinking, rotting, dead. Depravity means morally bad,
total, morally bad. Ephesians 2 verse 2 says, wherein
in time past you walked according to the course of this world,
according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit
that now worketh in the children of disobedience, among whom also
we all had our conversation in time past, in the lust of our
flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind,
and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. Can
any of us deny that? Can we? We may put up a front
to everybody else, but as we get honest with our minds and
our own hearts, not speaking out loud, just honest before
God, in ourselves, can any of us deny what Ephesians 2 verses
1 through 3 is saying about us? Our Lord God said that He looks
on the heart. He said to think it, in His eyes,
is to do it. It's the same as committing it.
It is to commit it. If that's the case, are any of
us better now than we used to be? false religion is built on, I'm
not what I used to be. I used to be bad, but I've changed. And the Spirit of God in a person
does cause a change, it does. But here's the question, if in
the eyes of God thinking sin and evil is the same thing as
doing it, are any of our thoughts right now Better than our actions
used to be? Really? Really? Search deep. Let's be
honest. Let's get honest. We have to
get honest. Do you know what the true honest
answer is? Total depravity. Total depravity. If I get honest
with myself and with God concerning me, I have to acknowledge to
him and to myself and I acknowledge it to you right now. Total depravity. That's what I am. Totally depraved. How can a person like that be
saved? You could see how a good person
could be saved, a person worthy of it could be saved. How can
a person like me be saved? When the scripture says that
the only ones who will be allowed to stand in His holy place are
those that have clean hands, and a pure heart who hath not
lifted up his soul unto vanity nor sworn deceitfully." How can
a totally depraved sinner like you and me be saved? Would you like to hear how? Here's
the answer. Here's the true answer based
on the Word of God. Unconditional election. Isn't that wonderful? UNCONDITIONAL
ELECTION. Our text in Ephesians 2 verse
3 says, "...among whom also we all had our conversation in time
past in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the
flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath,
even as others." Verse 4 says, "...but God." That is SALVATION. That is salvation. But God, who
is rich in mercy, for his great love, wherewith he loved us. Us. We've already established
that he's not talking to everybody. He's talking to us. Look back
at chapter 1, verse 4, "...according as He hath chosen us in Him before
the foundation of the world." He chose us. He elected us. And that's what an election is.
You choose. When you vote, you choose. He
chose us. Elected us. before anybody or
anything was created. He did it before the foundation
of the world. Therefore, his election was unconditional. Unconditional. If every man and woman is totally
depraved, if every man and woman is in the exact same boat If
every man and woman is dead, then it has to be unconditional. It has to be. Turn with me over
to Romans chapter 9. Romans 9 verse 10 says, And not
only this, but when Rebekah also had conceived by one, even our
father Isaac, for the children being not yet born, neither having
done any good or evil, that the purpose of God, according to
election, might stand. not of works, but of him that
calleth. It was said unto her, the elder
shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have
I loved, but Esau have I hated. What shall we say then? Is there
unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses,
I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion
on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that
willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy."
The Lord said in John 15 verse 16, you have not chosen me. you have not chosen me." False
religion has to acknowledge that election is in the Word of God.
It plainly, plainly says that God chose election. But here's
where they get it wrong. They say, God cast a vote for
you and the devil cast a vote against you. Now you decide. You're the deciding vote, election. That's not election. That's not
what election is. God said, you have not chosen
me. I'm totally depraved. If that
was the truth, I wouldn't choose God. I'm totally depraved. The gospel is, the Lord said,
you have not chosen me, but I have chosen you. That's election. This is a sovereign God. He does
as He will with whom He will. And election is simply this.
It's Him choosing to save whom He will. If He saves a person,
then that person was one of His elect. Now, if He elected to
save me, how did He save me? I was in the same boat with everybody
else, totally depraved. How did he save me? Well, our
text back over in Ephesians chapter 2, verse 5 says, even when we
were dead in sins, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened
us together with Christ. Even when we were dead in sins,
He caused us to live with Christ. Live with Him. Romans 5 verse
6 says, For when we were yet without strength, in due time
Christ died for the ungodly. Verse 8 says, But God commendeth
his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died
for us. Who gets all the glory in this?
Christ does. Verse 10 says, For if when we
were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son,
much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. What that means is, when He arose,
all of His elect arose. Everyone. Romans chapter 6 verse
4 says, Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death. that like as Christ was raised
up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also
should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together
in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness
of His resurrection." What that means is if we died in Him, we
live in Him, quickened together with Him. He died. He made an atonement He paid
the price. But here's the truth. This atonement
was not universal. It was not. If he did not choose
to save everybody, why would he pay the price for everybody? And if he paid the price for
everybody, how could God put anybody in hell? If Christ paid
the price for everybody, how could God put anybody in hell? If their price had been paid,
that's injustice. Think about it. What if we read
in the newspaper, or what if we saw on the news, a man was
found not guilty, but the judge sentenced him to life in prison
anyway? That's injustice. That's wrongful judgment. That's
punishing an innocent man if his price has been paid. This
atonement that Christ made is for his elect and only his elect. It is his limited atonement. This atonement was not limited
in strength. He did not save everybody because
he couldn't save everybody. No, no. This atonement was not
limited in measure. You know, he did the majority,
now the rest is up to you. No, it's not. It was not limited
in ability at all, but it was limited. Not one drop of his
precious blood was wasted. Not one drop. It was limited
to and used only on his elect. That's it. Now, if we're totally
depraved, Why would He choose us and die for us if we're totally
depraved, if there's nothing in me that drew Him to me? Because in my flesh I'm a wretch,
a wretch. Why would He choose me and die
for me? Why would He do that for us?
Here's the answer. Grace. Grace. Our text over in Ephesians 2
verse 5 says, the end of it says, by grace ye are saved. My margin for that portion says,
by whose grace ye are saved. He's a gracious God and a merciful
God. The Lord is good. Grace means
gift, free gift. He did all the giving. We did
all the receiving. It's the gift of His Son and
the gift of His blood. Do we have the ability to take
that or leave that? Do we have the ability to accept
it or just reject it? No! We're dead. We're dead. We've got to go back
to the beginning. The Lord called his apostles,
Peter and Andrew. He said, follow me. Matthew,
leave the money. Follow me. He didn't ask them. He told them with authority,
follow me. He met with Abraham. Abraham
hit the dirt. He met with Moses. Moses hit
the dirt. He said, take the shoes off your
feet. The place where on you stand is holy ground. He met
with Isaiah. Isaiah hit the dirt. He cried,
woe is me, I'm undone. He met with Saul of Tarsus. Saul
hit the dirt. He said, what would you have
me to do, Lord? He met with John on the Isle of Patmos. John hit
the dirt. Authority comes. He said, I am
the Lord, and beside me there is no Savior. Yea, before the
day was, I am He, and there is none that can deliver out of
my hand. I will work, and who shall let it? Who's going to
stop me? That's grace. God's wonderful
grace. Thanks be to God. It's irresistible. And the precious blood of Christ
given to a sinner makes that sinner irresistible to God. Irresistible. Well, let's close with this question.
The Lord began the work. He had to. We were totally depraved.
dead in our trespasses and sins. The Lord began the work, do I
have to finish it? Must I keep myself in his good
grace? Well, we just heard him say,
there's none that can deliver out of my hand. Hebrews says
he is the author and finisher of our faith. Philippians says,
Be confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good
work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Ephesians
2 says, even when we were dead in sins, He quickened us together
with Christ, by grace you're saved, and hath raised us up
together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ
Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches
of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
That's called perseverance of the saints. If we persevere,
if we make it, It's only going to be because of Jesus Christ.
It's not because of anything we did. Verses 1 through 3 right
here tell us what we did. Verses 4 through 7 say, But God,
for His great love, He loved us. He quickened us together
with Christ. By His grace we're saved. He
raised us up. He made us sit together that
He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness. All of it is through Christ Jesus.
That is the outline of God's Scripture. May He teach that
outline to us. Until next Sunday morning, may
the Lord bless His Word. You have been listening to a
message by Gabe Stoniker, pastor of Kingsport Sovereign Grace
Church in Kingsport, Tennessee. If you would like a copy of this
message or to hear other messages of Sovereign Grace, you can write
to our physical mailing address at 905 Yadkin Street, Kingsport,
Tennessee 37660 or log on to our website at kingsportsovereigngracechurch.com. If you would like to come and
worship with us, our service times are Sunday morning Bible
study at 10 o'clock a.m., worship at 10.45 a.m., and 6 o'clock
p.m. Wednesday evening at 7.30 p.m. Please tune in next Sunday morning
at 8.30 for another message of God's free and sovereign grace.