be about as basic a gospel message
as you will hear. We need to stick to basics. Fundamentals of the faith. You sports fans, any of you,
like football. A good football coach will always
stress the basics, the fundamentals, blocking, tackling. If those
things are stressed, everything else will take care of itself.
Back to basics. The fundamentals I speak of are
found here in Romans chapter 8. Why we are here this morning? what we should be concerned with,
the fundamentals of what this is
all about, why this little building is set up, and what we're doing
here. Fundamental reasons, fundamental
things to know God. This is a place of worship, to
worship God. That's why we're here this morning,
not just so we can—this is not just a poor man's country club.
This is not just a religious gathering. Everybody gets religious
on one day of the week, so we gather together and be religious.
That's not what this is all about. This is a place of worship. Christ
said, My house shall be called a house of prayer, a house of
worship. We're here to know God, hopefully. I believe there are some who
are, to worship God. We've got great many reasons
to worship God, to be here this morning. We're here to worship
God, find out what salvation is. If you're from God's Word,
to look into God's Word, see what God says. Are you interested? Is that why you're here? Are
you? Are you interested? You want
to know God? There's only one place you're
going to find out God, know God. talking about faith. Faith cometh
by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. And how shall they call on him
in whom they have not believed? How shall they believe in him
in whom they have not heard? How shall they hear without a
preacher? You're going to have to hear the true God preached.
If you're going to worship God and know God, you're going to
have to hear the true one. Somebody's going to have to declare God
as God. There are a lot of places meeting to go this morning who
might as well not have met, because the man's not standing up declaring
God. And if you've met to worship God, you're going to have to
hear God preached. God's going to have to be preached.
There's only one God. That's what this is all about. That's why this building exists.
Gathering of people is here. One God. What is salvation? There's
a salvation to be had. What is it? This is how you find out. It's how you obtain it. Faith comes by hearing. Hearing
by the Word. How is somebody saved? There's only one way.
And you're not going to be saved unless you hear it. One way. Not many ways. There's one way. One Lord. One God. One faith. the Scripture says in Ephesians
4. I will give you some basic words this morning, words that
describe God. I'm going to declare God this
morning, and I hope the Holy Spirit does, but I'm going to
describe God, his person. I'm going to describe how God
saves people. Are you interested? Basic words. Bible words. Words that a lot of people just
aren't concerned with. Words that make a lot of people
mad. Words that make believers glad. Basic words. Bible words. Peter said, this
is the word we preach unto you, which by the gospel. The gospel. All right? Romans 8, verse 28.
Everybody like this is the funeral. This is the funeral verse. what
everybody reads at the funeral. But I'm telling you, this doesn't
apply to everybody that dies. Somebody that dies outside of
Christ, that death didn't work together for their good. They're condemned forever. This
is not a funeral verse. This is a verse for life. Verse
28 says, all right, verse 28, And we know. And we know that
all things work together. Who's the we here? All things
work together. Who knows this? Turn back to
Romans 1, all right? I want to have you turning through
the Scriptures, and I hope you're interested enough to follow along.
Romans chapter 1. Who's the we? Paul says, and
we know that all things work together. Everything's working
together. We know this. Who's the we, Stan?
Well, Romans 1 says it, verse 1. Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ,
called to be an apostle. Alright, Paul says he's one of
the we. Paul, down to verse 6, among
whom also you are called. Paul says, I was called, you're
called. Verse 7, all that be in Rome,
beloved of God, called to be saved. Beloved, loved, beloved,
for love, loved of God, called. Loved and called. We know that all things work together.
We know. All who are called of God know
this. John said, Behold what manner
of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called
the sons of God. Sons of God know this. All things
work together. John 6.45, Our Lord said they
shall all be taught of God. Who's the all? He was quoting
Isaiah 54. All thy children shall be taught
of the Lord. And we're not. All God's people
know this. All God's true people, sons,
every one of them, without exception, know this, that all things work
together. How? All right, turn over to the book
of Isaiah. Isaiah, chapter 44. How is it
that things are not happening randomly, or by chance, or by
accident, or by happenstance, or by luck? or my scope, you
know, just whatever. How is it that things are working
together? We know this. You know this,
Barbara. How do you know this? You know who's doing it. That's
how you know. We know. that all things work
together. How do you know? Verse 6, Isaiah
44, Thus saith the Lord, the King of Israel, his Redeemer,
the Lord of hosts, I am the first, I am the last. Beside me there
is no God, who as I shall call, shall declare it, set it in order
for me. Since I appointed the ancient
people, and the things that are coming and shall come." You hear
that? You know this. You know this,
Deborah. You know this. Why? He said it.
I am the Lord. I appointed all things. I appointed
all people. Things that are coming, things
that shall come, things that have come. All things work together
because I'm the one working them, God said. Look over a page, Isaiah
45. Do you know this? All God's people
know this. They all are taught this. That
God's God. That God's God. Not Satan, not
man. God's God. I am the Lord of the
universe. I am doing it all. Verse 5. Do you know this? All God's people
do. This is the fundamentals of the faith. If you don't believe
this God, you've got another one. Men who aren't preaching this
God literally are preaching a false God. Is it necessary a man believe
in a sovereign God? He ain't got one if he doesn't. Verse 5, Isaiah 45, I am the
Lord, there is none else. God says this so many times.
There is no God besides me. God, a capital G. Absolute ruler,
controller, sustainer, provider of all things. King! In whom
we live and live and live. In whom are all things. Who's
controlling? In whom is life? In whom is death? Takes it away. Read it. I guarded
you. I put your clothes on even though
you don't know me. See that? You don't know me.
Doesn't matter. I'm still God. I'm still God,"
he said. Though men don't acknowledge
him, doesn't matter, he's still God. And they'll go to their
death not acknowledging him, he'll still be God. Someday we'll
acknowledge him. Verse 6, that they may know from
the rising of the sun and from the west that there's none beside
me, I'm the Lord, there's none else. I form the light, I create
darkness, I make peace, create evil. I, the Lord, do all these
things." And we know all things work together. Why? Because God's the one that's
working. Look at chapter 46. Do you know
this? You just read it. If you don't know and believe
it, then you're just flat out the man or the woman who does
not know this and believe it. They're just a rebel. They're
just an unbeliever. That's all it is to them. You're willingly
ignorant of it. If you don't know it, you're
willingly ignorant because we just read it. It doesn't mean that. No, it doesn't mean what most
preachers say it means, but it means exactly what God said.
It says what it says. Read on. Isaiah 46, verse 9. Remember the former things of
old. I am God. There's none else.
I am God. There's none like me. This is what God teaches everybody
that he's going to say. First thing, I'm God. I'm God. See, that's fundamental,
isn't it? Fundamentalists out there, they
call—the Southern Baptists call themselves fundamentalists. They
ain't. Because they say, God wants this, God wants that, let
God, let God. That ain't God. Is it? The fundamentalhood, God
says, I'm God. I'm the creator, you the creature.
I'm the prophet. You are what? Clay. Clay has no say. Huh? I tell you, this thing's about
glorifying God, but if people ain't going to glorify him as
God, God's not going to have them. Look, we don't. Declaring, verse
10, I'm glad, declaring the end from the beginning. How can he
do that? Because he does it. He declares
it because he's the one that decides it. He's the one that
works it. The end from the beginning. Are
you reading the same thing I'm reading? From ancient times,
things that are not yet done, say, my counsel shall stand. I will do what? All you let him. That's what preachers are saying,
aren't they, Terry? They're lying on God. God says,
I will do all my pleasure. Now, I'm not getting mad. I'm
just, boy, thank God! Huh? I never get tired of thinking
about this, hearing a man preach from it, reading in the Scriptures. I am God, and we know that all
things are working together. It's your only hope, John Sheasley. The only peace of mind you're
going to have in this world that's just falling apart. It ain't
falling apart. God has it in His hands. It's
all working together according to his purpose, and we'll get
to that in a minute. Read on. Verse 11 says, I call a ravenous
bird. That's a man named Cyrus that
was an evil, wicked man. God said he called him and sent
him to Israel to do what he did to them. The man that executes
my counsel, I told him to do what God told him to do. Huh? Saddam Hussein did what
God... The king's turn is in the hands
of who? The Lord. Now what's that? This is Bible. This ain't Sodom
after doctrine. This is Bible. It was at one
time, wasn't it, Ian? They actually have this in their
confessions of faith. They sure ain't preaching it. Well, you ain't preaching unless
you're preaching to Him. God as God. This is fundamental. God's God. You don't let Him. You don't tell Him. You don't
prevent Him. You don't do nothing. God's God.
Read it. I've spoken it, verse 11. Whatever
God says, He said, I'll bring it to pass. I've purposed it. I'm gonna do it. I just, I just like, I'm enjoying
myself right now. That's my God. That's your God. That's everybody's God, whether
they know it or not. This is all my peace, all my comfort. Let all things, all right, back
to the text, work together for good to them that love God. For my good, there's nothing
that will happen to me if I'm one of God's own. But what is
the absolute best? God's too wise to err, too good
to do evil, too sovereign for anything to be out of His control.
He's God. And He says, when I set my love
on somebody, they're loved. When I got a hold of somebody,
they've gotten a hold of us. And he does all the things we
know. We know this. I tell you, if you know this,
it'll give you some peace. This is where all peace starts,
that God is God. Thou wilt keep him in perfect
peace, whose mind is stayed on thee. All right, read it again. Romans
8, verse 28. We know that all things work
together for good to them that love God. All things to them
who love God that are called according to his purpose. This is what started it all,
God's purpose. And this is what God will impress
upon your mind and your heart. when he first begins to work
on you. That God does all things on purpose. My pastor was a pitiful seminary graduate Southern
Baptist religionist like so many of these preachers are, you know.
Preaching a God he didn't know. And a preacher dared to get up
one day and just preach Romans. And say this, God does all things
on purpose. You learn that, you'll learn
who God is. Purpose. Purpose. Not accident,
not chance. Purpose. That opened my pastor's
eyes, and it opened so many people's eyes. It'll open your eyes that
God does everything on purpose. No accidents. No chance. No luck. Nothing out of purpose. You read that? Romans 8, 28.
Everybody reads it. How many people believe it? We
know. And we know that all things work
in according to His purpose. Listen to this, Acts 15, 18. Acts 15, 18 says, Known unto
God are all His works from the beginning. See some people turning. Why?
Police do. Look it up. Acts 15, 18. Known
unto God are all his works from the beginning. Ephesians 1, 11
said God worked with all things after the counsel of his own
will. All things. And we know all things work together. It's God who's working, God who's
conserving. For good be them that love God.
All right? Who loves God? Who loves God? Whoever decides
to love him one day? No. No. That means God's waiting around,
so we're going to love him. That means chance. That means hope.
That means something's out of his control. Herein is love,
listen to it, 1 John 4, 10. Herein is love, not that we loved
God, but that he loved us. Verse 19 says, We love him because,
why? He first loved us. Anybody who
loves God because God first loved them. We'll see that here in a moment. No man, no woman, will love the
only true God. There may be somebody in here
right now, after having heard me preach this God, high and
lifted up, and all the things in his hands, who is good in
their teeth, who does not like this. There may, may not, may
not be, maybe there is though. Somebody who objects to this.
They don't love this God, you see. There's a million of people
out there. Millions of people out there
in the world who do not love this God. This sovereign God
who's God. Go out there and tell them. Just go out and declare it. Well,
you have, and you've run into them, haven't you, John? They
don't love this God, do they? They hate him. Who loves God, John? Those God
decides to make them love him. No man will ever love this God
unless God first loves them and causes them to love him. The
carnal man, Romans 8, 7, says, the carnal man is immaterialist
God. The natural man does not have
this God reign over him. I won't have that God. Don't
they, John? They won't have Him. They will
if God has them. If God says, yes, you will, you'll
be made willing. You will have me as God. You
will bow your knee to me. You will love me as God. Someday
you'll really love me as God and wouldn't have me any other
way. There was a time you didn't believe this, wasn't there, John?
That even a fatherly man who said this, that God's, you know,
that God's what they're preaching today. God wants to and can't,
but God loves everybody without exception. You'd have fought
a man who said, no, no, no, God doesn't love everybody. There's
nothing out of God's control. God does exactly everything according
to His will. You'd have fought him, wouldn't
you? Now, shoes on the other foot. The gospel shoes shot. But some do love God. Who loves
Him? Those who first love. Who are the called? See that? Who are the men that
love God? The called. Romans 8, 28. We know that all things work
together. Why? God's working. To them that
love God. Who loves Him? Those that He
first loved. To them who are called according to His purpose.
Not who calls Him. That comes later. Turn to it. Over in Acts chapter
2. Turn over there. Peter was preaching
this. Acts chapter 2. And these soul
winners like to take you down the Roman's road. They use Romans
chapter 10. Verse 13, "...whosoever shall
call on the name of the Lord shall be saved." All right, Peter
used this when he was preaching. In Acts chapter 2, look at it,
Acts chapter 2, Peter was preaching and he said in verse, let's see
if I can find it, Acts chapter 2 verse, where is it, 39. Acts chapter 2 verse 39 says,
"...the promise is unto you and to your children, to all that
are far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call."
As many as the Lord our God shall call. He's quoting Joel chapter 2,
verse 32, and that's what Paul is quoting. Whosoever shall call
on the name of the Lord shall be saved, or who will? Acts 2.39 says, Even as many
as the Lord our God shall call. Look at verse 47. So these people
did. They praised God, having favor
with all people, and the Lord added to the church daily, such
as should be saved. Look over at Acts 13. Acts chapter
13. Turn over there quickly. Acts
13, verse 48. This is another time when many
people were saved. Verse 44 says, "...the next Sabbath
day came almost the whole city to hear the word of God." All
right, down at verse 48, "...when the Gentiles heard this, they
were glad..." You got it? Acts 13, 48. "...when the Gentiles
heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord,
and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed, as
many as the Lord our God shall call." You remember reading that in
Romans 1? Did you remember reading that in Romans 1? The call of
God? Called to be saved? Called of
God? Turn to 2 Timothy, chapter 1.
Turn over there. 2 Timothy, chapter 1. We know
that all things work together for good to them that love God,
He first loved who are the called according to his purpose. 2 Timothy
chapter 1. A man is not saved because he
calls on God. That'd make salvation conditioned
on us calling, wouldn't it? Wouldn't that be work? Wouldn't that be work? That stands
on the front of me unless I come. So stand. I did that, didn't
I? I did that. You didn't come until I did that. That's my work, isn't it? I get
some credit for you coming, don't I? Man's not saved because he
calls. He calls because God decided
to save him. That's why. Because God calls
him, he calls on God. Look at it, 2 Timothy 1, verse
9, God who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling,
not because we're good little boys and girls, according to
our works, but according to his own purpose, which was given us when? In Christ
Jesus, before the world began. God decided to do this before
the children were yet born. We read it in Romans 9, didn't
we? Before the children were born. It was said unto her, who having
done any good nor 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. Jacob
hath I loved, and he shall have I hated. It is not of him that
willeth, but he that willeth of God that showeth mercy. Call it out. Here's some more
words, aren't there? More words. Words. Salvation's in the Word. Salvation's in the Word. This
is the Word of faith. Called. Called. Your salvation, Joe, is because
God called you. Right? Called you. Purpose. All your foolish plans gonna
come from this purpose. That's a good word, isn't it?
Huh? Good word. Back to the text now. Listen. Hey, y'all. Be a Berean. Be a Berean. We're searching
the Scriptures. Be more noble than these Jewish,
these religionists out here. And let's search the Scriptures
and see if these things are so. All I want you to do is see the
Scriptures this morning. I'm not trying to prove anything.
I want you to see what God says about Himself and what God says
about how He saved. All right? Turn to Ephesians
1, Ephesians chapter 1. You be a believer, you search
the scriptures. Peter says you need to be ready to give every
man an answer. What kind of answer? Well, I
think, I think. Oh no, that's not, that's no
answer. Everybody's got their opinion.
Like a certain part of the anatomy, everybody's got one. Everybody's got an opinion. One woman told my wife the other
day. She's a Sunday school teacher,
too. She said, I don't know much about the Bible. Well, then you
don't know much, period, then, do you? Oh, God forbid that anybody in
here should ever say that. Don't you ever go out to say
that. It's a terrible reflection on what's being preached here.
I want you to know something about the Bible, Deborah. I want
you to know what I think, what Southern Baptist religion think,
what our denomination think. I want you to know what God says.
You better know something about the Bible. You don't know anything.
Right? Put it a different way. State
it a different way. I don't know everything I ought
to know, but I know this. We know it's one thing I do know. All things work together, because
God's God. That's what I do know. Tell you
what else I know. Whoever Christ died for, he saved.
You know some things, don't you, Joe? Now, come on, John, Steve. You better. You better know something
about the Bible, or I quit. The Bible didn't live for six
years. I quit. Let somebody else come
in here to teach you something. Ephesians chapter 1 says this. Paul said in 1 Thessalonians,
2 Thessalonians, he said, He called you by our gospel. called
you by our gospel. Ephesians 1 verse 3 says this,
Blessed be God who blessed us with all spiritual blessings
in heavenly places in Christ, according as God chose us in
Christ before the foundation of the world. Who's the us? Look at verse 1. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
by the will of God, He chose you. Accordingly, He
chose us. If you're chosen, He chose you.
You didn't choose Him. He chose you. When did He do
it? Before the foundation of the
world. Why did He do it? Verse 5, predestinated us under
the adoption of children by Jesus Christ through Himself. Why did
He do it? Accordingly, to the pleasure
of His will. Verse 6, to the praise of the glory of His grace.
To praise His grace, not your decision. To praise His power,
not your will. Praise His will, not your will.
To praise His grace, not your works. To praise His name, not
your denomination's name, not your preacher's name, His name.
To give Him glory, not share it with anybody. That's why He
did it. Look at verse 7. in whom we have
redemption, through his blood." How do you have redemption? Through
his blood. The forgiveness of sin, according
to what? Works in grace? No, grace. Grace. Verse 9, He made known unto us
the mystery of his will. How does anybody know this, God?
He makes it known. He reveals it. Natural man doesn't
understand things of God. They decay old, and they finish
the same thing. They're revealed. Why does anybody understand? Because God chooses to let them
understand. Verse 9, according to the good
pleasure of his will, which he purposed in himself. Verse 11, in whom also we have
obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the
purpose. Words, more words, aren't there? More Bible words. Predestinate. The most despised name in religion
today. And the most despised word in
all of religion. The p-word. Read this tonight. Used four times. I bet most of
them that despise it don't know where it's at. Romans 8 twice and Ephesians
1 twice. Man says, I don't believe that. Man says, I'm a Bible believer.
You believe predestination if you're a Bible believer. Right? Predestinate according to the
purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of your
will, his own will. What good feet
planter? Well, Proverbs 8 says this, all
my words, he says in Proverbs 8, and I can look it up real
fast, but he says there's nothing forward or hidden or perverse
in them. This is Christ talking. Proverbs
8 is a picture of Christ. He says there's nothing, wisdom
of speaking, he says there's nothing forward or perverse in
them. They're all plain to them that
understand it. He said, it doesn't mean that. No, it says it. What could be poignant? Seeing
we have such hope, one hope, only one hope, that God is God,
and He decides to save you, and you'll be saved. That's the only
hope. Therefore, seeing we have such hope, we use great plainness
of speech." Plainness of speech. Who he did foreknow, read it
in Romans 8. Back to Romans 8 now. Romans
8, verse 29. We looked at words like purpose,
didn't we? Called. How does he call? He
calls by the gospel. That's what 2 Thessalonians 2,
who he called you by your gospel. What I'm preaching right now,
this is how God calls. The first thing he says is, the
first way he calls is, is, Dickie, I'm God. The first thing you know is the first
thing you hear from God's Word. I'm God. You're nothing. You're a sinner. I'm holy. I'm righteous. I'm just. I'm sovereign. You're
nothing. You're sinful. Right? These are the fundamentals. Romans
8, verse 29, "...for whom he did foreknow." What's that mean?
Well, God, this is what they say. Jill, this is what these
fools out there say in religion. God got him a telescope. This
is the illustration they use. God got him a big telescope and
looked down through time to see who's going to believe on him. And therefore, he chose them.
Hey, there. Hey. All right, old Pete. No, he didn't.
Too bad. I wish it. Hey, that man's going
to choose me. He did. He made his profession.
Well, I'll write his name in this book of life. Isn't that
absurd? That's the most ridiculous thing
I've ever heard of. Number one, the Lamb's book of
life was written before the world began. You know what it says? Huh? The Lamb's Book of Life
before the world began, it says it was sealed. And over in Revelation it says
that John, that the Lamb takes the book and opens the seals. In the end, when it's all over,
he's going to open the seals. It's been sealed ever since.
How do you put a name in a book that's been sealed? For-know. For-know means for-loved. To know, literally. I'll first
mention, when Adam knew his wife Eve, it's the first time knew
is used in the Scripture. The word knew means, for-know
means to join together. To for-know. To know. I know my wife. I love my wife. We are one. These
two have become one, literally. mind, heart, soul, flesh, one,
to become known. God entered in a relationship
with His people. He foreknew them. He chose them. He foreloved them. He said in
Jeremiah 31, 3, I have loved thee. I have foreloved thee.
I have loved thee with an everlasting love. Therefore, for whom he
did foreknow, not who sought that he just to know things beforehand. Sure he does. How does God foreknow
everything beforehand? He does it. We know that all
things work together according to his purpose. To him that loved
God. Why did he love God? He first
loved him. Whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate, predetermine. Everything about it. Predestination. To be conformed to the image
of his Son. And that's what salvation is
all about. The gospel. God comes calling
in the gospel. Read it, verse 30. Moreover,
whom he did predestinate, them he also called. Paul, I already
quoted, who calls you by our gospel. He calls you to see his
glory, to see yourself, to see his Son. He calls you to faith
in his Son. Well, who believes? Ephesians
2.10 says, 2.8 says, By grace are you saved through faith. Where does that come from? It's
not of yourself. It's the gift of God. According to the working of his
mighty power in him to believe. Right? He makes them believe.
Faith's even his work. That's his purpose. He comes
calling one day and says, you're going to believe I'm God. You
haven't liked it up until now, but now you're going to love
me as God. You're going to bow your knee
to me. You're going to bow your knee.
You're going to see yourself. You're going to love yourself.
You used to love yourself and hate God. Now you're going to
hate yourself and love God. And you're going to call for
mercy and grace at the hands of a sovereign Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ. You're going to call at His hands
for mercy. You're not going to get it otherwise.
You're going to call. You're going to call. Because I'm calling
you. And you're going to call. And
what does the person do that God called? They call. Whosoever
shall call shall be saved. Who will call? As many as the
Lord our God called. They shall be saved. Predestined.
He called. Has God called you? He called
on Him. And who He called, He justified. Justified. Declares righteous. innocent of any wrongdoing, holy,
righteous. Why, why, Lord, why? Anything
to do with you? Everything to do with that Christ
you called on. Everything. He justified you. Revelation 17, and I'll quit,
all right? Turn over there, and I'll quit
with this. And really, well, you know what the gospel call
is? It's a call to repentance, yes. Christ came preaching repentance
toward God in faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. You know what it
is, though, really? It's a declaration by God to
tell you that he justified you. That's what the Gospel call it. God coming to you and declaring
to you from his Word, I've justified you. I've forgiven you of all your
sin. Because, look there. You see that? See that man hanging
on that tree? I've justified you because of
him. That's the call. That's the call. Glorified. Whom he justified,
he glorified. And that's glory. Isn't that
glory? Glorious to have your eyes, your ears, your heart open.
Revelation 17, salvations of the Lord. That's what I've been
trying to say through this whole message. That He is Lord and
salvation is in His hands. you're in his hands. Salvation
is his choice. Salvation is his calling. Salvation
is his work. Salvation is in his son's blood
in Rochester. Salvation is in him keeping you,
not you keeping yourself. Revelation 17 describes the people
that are with him in the end. Verse 14, it says, These shall
make war with the lambs, talking about false church, and this
and that and the other. These shall make war with the
Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them. For he is Lord of lords,
and King of kings, and they that are with him are three things, God, and faithful. Faithful because He's faithful,
and they're kept by His power. We know. We know. I'm more persuaded of this than
ever before. I know this. Ain't a shadow of a doubt in
my mind that all things work together.
Why? Because God's God, that's why.
And they're working together for good to them that love God.
There's a damnation to the people that don't. But there'll be the
eternal glorification of them that do. The only reason they
love God is because he first loved them. To them who are called,
or who are just called in the name of the Lord shall be saved.
The only reason they're called is because God called them. To them
that are called according to his purpose, and he didn't do
it by accident. He did it on purpose. And that purpose was
to glorify himself and for you to behold his glory. Now, have
you beheld his glory this morning? That's what we're called for.
That's the only reason for our existence, to behold his glory. For whom
he did foreknow, he did predestinate to be conformed to the image
of his Son. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, he called whom
he called. He justified whom he justified.
He glorified. What do you say to these things?
Henry Sowell, what do you say to these things? Well, if God
be for us, hope. That's my God. If God be for me, I'm not worried
about a thing. If you don't have that kind of
God, you've got a lot to worry about. Don't worry about whether
or not you remain faithful. Don't worry about whether or
not he might send you to hell someday, even though he does
love you. That's not my God. That's not
the God of the Bible. That's not what he teaches his
children. He teaches them all the same thing. Same thing. Same
one. Okay, stand with me. Stand with
me. John Caesar, would you please
dismiss this and clarify?