From Nothing To Everything

Q: What does the Bible say about total depravity?

Total depravity means that every part of man is affected by sin, rendering him unable to turn to God without divine intervention. The concept of total depravity asserts that every aspect of humanity is tainted by sin, beginning at birth. Scripture emphasizes that we are born in sin, as stated in Psalm 51:5, and this condition leaves us spiritually dead and helpless. Just as a newborn cast out in the field cannot care for itself, we, by nature, have no ability to seek God or cleanse ourselves from sin. The law condemns us, and justice awaits its due, illustrating the profound need for divine mercy and intervention to bring us to life in Christ.

Q: How do we know that God chooses us?

God's choice of His people precedes our existence, as seen in Ephesians 1:4, affirming His sovereign election. The doctrine of God's sovereign choice is rooted in Scripture, notably Ephesians 1:4, where Paul writes that God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. This choice is not based on any foreseen merit or action on our part, but solely on His love and purpose. The example of Abram, who was called from a life of idolatry, represents God's initiative and grace in choosing individuals to fulfill His covenant promises. Thus, our election is a reflection of His mercy and sovereign will, affirming that our salvation is not dependent upon us but entirely on Him.

Q: Why is grace important for Christians?

Grace is vital as it signifies God's unmerited favor, enabling salvation and spiritual growth. For Christians, grace is foundational, as it represents God's unmerited favor toward sinners. In Ezekiel 16, we see a vivid depiction of grace at work, where God transforms those who were once unclean and pollasted into something beautiful and precious. It is through grace that we are justified and sanctified, as noted in Ephesians 2:8-9. This grace empowers us for spiritual growth, allowing us to live out our faith and grow in the likeness of Christ. As believers, our whole existence revolves around this grace, as it instills hope and assurance in the believer's heart of God's continual love and acceptance.

I want you to open your Bibles
this morning to the book of Ezekiel, Ezekiel chapter 16. I call this message, the title
of the message, From Nothing to Everything, From Nothing to
Everything. While you're finding Ezekiel
16, let me make a couple of comments. The great and powerful and glorious
nation of Israel that rose to such splendor and such glory
and beauty in the days of David. No nation on earth quite like
Israel in the days of David and Solomon. a glorious nation, a
splendid nation, a powerful nation. It's like the Queen of the South
said, the half has never been told. But that nation, by the power
and grace of God, started with one man, one lone man. And the thing about this man
is he didn't know God. He was older than I am, in his
seventies, and he didn't know God. And he lived in a land of
pagan, heathen idolatry. Did you know that his name was
Abram? Abram and his fathers worshipped
strange gods on the other side of the flood, idolaters. This
man was, he was married, but he was over 70 and his wife was
over 70, past the age of bearing children, and he didn't have
any children. He was an idolater. He didn't
have any children, didn't have any seed. And God called him, and that's
the beginning of Israel from nothing. to all the glory and
splendor and power and magnificence and beauty in the days of David
and Solomon. And the nations of the earth
stood still and wondered at how such a humble, poor beginning
from nothing could come to such riches and wealth and powerful,
powerful nation as Israel was. But I tell you this, two things
about it. Number one, it was by the power
of God. It was not by their power. It
was by the power of God. You hold that chapter there,
and let me read you something God said about them over here
in the book of Deuteronomy. He said, He said, Thou art a
holy people unto the Lord thy God. But the Lord thy God hath
chosen thee to be a special people unto himself above all people
on the face of the earth. But the Lord did not set his
love upon you, nor choose you, because you were more in number
than any people. You were the fewest of all. But
because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath
that he sworn to your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out
with a mighty hand." That's it. And then the second thing is
this. He took, the Lord took Jeremiah
down to the Potter's House. Let me read you that. Don't turn
to it. Let me just read it quickly and turn to it for you in Jeremiah
chapter 18. He took, the Lord took his prophet
down to the Potter's House, and he said, the word of the Lord
came to Jeremiah and said, Arise, go down to the Potter's House,
and there I'll cause you to hear my words. I went down to the
Potter's House, and behold, he wrought a work on the And the
vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hands of the potter,
so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter
to make it. And then the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? Behold, as the clay is in the
potter's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. Israel
rose from nothing to everything, from one lone pagan, heathen,
whom God called, to a nation of splendor and power and beauty,
but by his choice and by his power. And this is evident, this
is evident that everything they had was by the grace and power
of God. This is evident when we see it
taken away. when they departed from the living
God. When Israel departed from Him, the blessings were gone.
But our chief business this morning is not with Israel. I didn't
come to tell you about Israel. Our chief business this morning
is ourselves and how this Scripture relates to us. Spiritual Israel. You see, everything God did to
and in and through national Israel is a picture and a type of God's
dealing with you and me. So let's turn, if you will, to
Ezekiel 16. Let me read this. Just going
to read 14 verses, and then point out some things for you. In Ezekiel
16, you see, the Scripture is bifocal. There's a first primary Get this now, and you'll see
this in the first two or three verses, but as the Scripture
deals with its primary purpose, it also deals with other blessings
of God and work of God toward us. You see, the Passover, Israel
killed the Lamb, put the blood on the door, but Paul said, Our
Passover is Christ's sacrifice for us. So that deals with them,
but it points to us. When the rock was smitten in
the wilderness, it gave Israel water, but it points to Christ,
our rock, smitten, who gives us water and blood. Justification,
sanctification. All right, watch this now. So
the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Son of man, call
Jerusalem to know her abominations, and say, Thus saith the Lord
God unto Jerusalem. Your beginning, your birth and
nativity is of the land of Canaan, cursed be Canaan, under a cursed
judgment. Your father was an Amorite, your
mother a Hittite. That's what you started. And
as for your nativity, in the day you were born, your navel
was not cut, neither was thy washed in water to suppled thee,
thy was not salted at all, nor swallowed at all. None and I pitied thee to do
any of these things unto thee, to have compassion upon thee,
but you were cast out into the open field to the loathing of
your person in the day that you were born. And when I passed
by thee, and I saw thee polluted, trodden underfoot in your own
blood, I said to thee, when thou wast in thy blood, live. Yea, I said to thee, when thou
wast in thy blood, live." I have caused thee to multiply as the
bud of the field, and thou hast increased and waxen great, and
thou art come to excellent ornaments, thy breast are fashioned, thy
hair is grown, whereas thou wast naked and bare. Now when I passed
by thee and looked upon thee, behold, the time, thy time, was
a time of love. And I spread my skirt over thee,
and covered thy nakedness, under thee, and entered into a covenant
with thee, saith the Lord God, and thou became mine. Then washed
I thee with water, yea, I thruly, thruly washed away thy blood
from thee. I anointed thee with oil. I clothed
thee also with brooded work, and shod thee with badger skin,
and girded thee about with fine linen, and covered thee with
silk. I decked," that word is adorned, A-D-O-R-E, and I adorned
thee also with ornaments. I put bracelets on your hands
and a chain on your neck. I put a jewel on your forehead
and earrings in your ears and a beautiful crown on your head. Thus was thy deck with gold and
silver, and thy raiment was of fine linen and silk, and brought
it work. Thou didst eat fine flour and
honey and oil, and thou wast exceeding beautiful. and thou
didst prosper into a kingdom, and your renown went forth among
the heathen." Isn't that what I said? Nations were astounded. The hath has never been told.
And your beauty, your renown, went forth among the heathen
for your beauty, and it was perfect through my comeliness which I
had put upon thee, saith the Lord God. Now, you see, Israel That's Israel. But that's us, too. That's spiritual
Israel. Everybody here who knows Christ,
who loves Christ, who's going to be one day in the very image
of Christ, your story's right here. Right here. Now, three
things. Number one, what we were. What
we were. I'm told, I can't verify this,
but I'm told that back here among some of these heathen when a
baby was born and it was deformed or had some problem or unwanted
on their journeys and so forth or wherever they were, they just
threw it out in the field. They just took the baby when
it was born. They didn't wash it or salt it
or swaddle it or do anything for it. Just threw it out in
the field, matted in blood and and left it there for the animal
steed, or the birds, the fowls of the air, or whatever. Just
left it there to perish. And this is the story. This is
our beginning. We were born in sin. We were
born of sinful parents. Your mother was a Hittite and
your father was an Amorite. We're born in sin. We didn't
come into this world as those who might stand or fall. We came
into this world fallen. Scripture says, In sin my mother
conceived me. I was shapen in iniquity, as
brought forth speaking lies. The wicked are strained from
the womb. They go astray as soon as they're born. That's the way
we were born. Total depravity. You know, when
you see this baby lying out here in the field, you want a picture? I'm supposed to go down to Myrtle
Beach, South Carolina, and preach in a couple of weeks. There's
a pastor down there who's preaching grace. Your pastor may have told
you about him, but he's been preaching the grace of God for
several months. He came out of a denomination,
and I'm going down to preach for him. And I heard from another
pastor down there, and he said, I'm coming to hear you and bring
my whole congregation to hear you. He said, I'm a Southern
Baptist, but I'm trying to preach grace, and we're coming up here
to hear you. And he said, I'm coming on a Thursday night, and
if you don't mind, would you preach on total depravity? My
folks need to learn that. Well, let me tell you something.
Here's total depravity. Here's a baby born, brought into
the world, cast out in the field. There's nothing that baby can
do but cry. He can't help himself, cleanse himself, wash himself,
walk. There's nothing in this world
as totally, completely helpless as a little baby in that condition.
And that's the state in which we're born, spiritually dead,
unwanted, unwashed, unclean, polluted in our blood, in an
open field, left to all the dangers about us. That's right. No outside help. None I, he said
here, none, verse 5, none I pitied thee. to do any of these things
for you, to have compassion on you. You were cast out into the
open field to the very loathing of your person in the very day
you were born. The law condemns me. Holiness
is offended by me. Justice bears its sword. The
birds fly around waiting to devour The beast began to creep around
and smell that smell. Truth will soon testify against
me. What a loathsome sight. Isaiah
described it. He said, from the sole of your
feet to the top of your head, you're nothing but open running
sores that have not been mollified, neither cleaned up. Sinful all
the way. If there's any help, it'll have
to come from him. If there's any help, it'll come
from him. Paul said, O wretched man that I am. And that's what
we are by nature, by birth. That's total depravity, total
inability. Well, let's see. That's what
we were. Now, verse 6, let's see what
God did. And he said, I pass by thee.
I pass by thee. He came where we are. We didn't,
we didn't turn our eye to him. We couldn't see. We didn't cry
out for help. We didn't know what we needed.
The baby, that baby doesn't have any understanding of what it
needs. We didn't cry. He said, I pass
by you. I pass by you. When did he pass
by us? Well, back yonder in the everlasting
council halls of eternity. He thought on you. He thought
on me. before we were born. That's what,
that's what Paul said to the Ephesian church. He said that,
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places,
according as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the
world. He passed by us way back yonder before the world began,
in his covenant mercy. "'Tis not that I did choose thee."
Lord, that could not be. This heart of mine would still
refuse thee, but you chose." I came by. You see, before God
comes by anywhere, He purposes to come by. We go by places accidentally. He goes by on purpose. That's
right. Everything He does, He does on
purpose. He works in all things after
the counsel of His own will. Have not I purposed this? Shall
I not? I do it. So He said, I'll pass by you.
I passed by you. Long years ago I came by you."
And then he passed by us secondly when he came into this world.
You see, he left heaven's glory. He came down here on purpose
to save us. He said, the angel said to Joseph,
call his name Jesus. He'll save his people from their
sins. That's why he came. He came to
save sinners of whom I'm He came to seek lost sheep. I passed
by you. He said, I passed by you back
in the Council Halls of Eternity. I passed by you when my son came
into this world. And one day I passed by you by
my spirit, by my word preached to you. I came where you are. You think it's an accident that
woman came to the well that morning when Christ was sitting on that
well? He didn't sit on that well ever again. Never again. He came that well one time. She
came. You think it was an accident
that Lydia met Paul down there by the river? He didn't go down
there by that river every day. That's the first time he went
there and the last time he went there, in Philippi. You think it was an accident
old Jackie used to hook that tree that day when Christ passed
on to him? That's the only time he ever passed on that tree. And I'm telling you this, everything
my God does. He said, I passed by you. I came your way. I came your
way. Oh, I remember. I was pastor
of a little church in Chattanooga, Tennessee, 24 years old. Didn't
know the gospel from a hole in a donut. And you know that this pastor
up in Kentucky invited me to come up there and be his assistant
pastor. And I resigned my church in Chattanooga,
Tennessee, and was going up there to be his assistant. People asked
me, said, What on earth are you doing? I don't know. I just feel
led to go that way. You're going to be an assistant
to a fellow, and you've got a church down here. You're a pastor. You're
moving back up out of that cold country out of the good old deep
south down here in Chattanooga. up at those Yankees, you know?
I don't know why. I know why now. I walked in that
church the first day I was there, and there was a man in the pulpit
holding a meeting called Rock Barnard, and he preached the
gospel, and me sitting right down on that front row as a young
assistant pastor who wasn't dry behind the ears, didn't know
anything about the gospel. God crossed my path. He said,
I passed by you polluted, polluted. I, listen, I passed by you, listen,
when you were polluted in your blood. That's just like you were. I saw you. I saw you, polluted
in your blood. You didn't see me. I saw you.
I don't have to see him at that time, he has to see me, come
where I am. I saw you pollute, I saw you just like you were,
and loved you anyway. God committed his love toward
us, and why were we yet sinners? Christ died for us. But God,
who is rich in mercy, for his great love, wherewith he loved
us, even when we were dead, dead, trespasses and sin, he raised
us with Christ. I love that picture there. I
passed by you, I saw you, I saw you. What a sight! What a sight! Look, boy, that would, that would
turn us away, wouldn't it? That baby, crusted blood, unwashed, unwanted, uncared for,
dying or dead. I saw you, I saw you, and I said
something. Lord, you say, Lord, I said unto
you, remember this, don't you forget. It wasn't when you were
seeking me. I said to you when you were in your blood. I said
to you when you were polluted. I said to you when you didn't
say anything to me. I said to you, live. Live. That's the first thing, live.
A man's not going to hear until he lives. A man's not going to
see until he lives. not going to look to God till
he lives." I said, live, live, live. And let me remind you,
I said to you when you were in your blood. He keeps saying that.
I said to you, live. I said live. The Son quickeneth
whom he will. As our sovereign Lord stood that
day by the grave of Lazarus, Lazarus Four days dead, his sister
said, don't move that stone, he's stinking. Our Lord stood
in front of that grave, and he said, Lazarus, live. Live. And brethren, I'm telling you,
that's what you and I have got to pray for, for our friends,
that God will say live through this preached Word. You see,
the Spirit of God is the Spirit of power, and the Word is the
seed of life. He hath, according to his own
will, by his own will, he hath, he hath made us to live by his
word. That's what he said. By his will,
we live by his word. And I cause thee, verse 7, to
multiply as the bud of the field. Thou hast increased in wax and
grape. Thou comest to excellent ornaments,
thy breast a fashion, thy hair is grown. Where were you? You
were naked and bare. I've made something beautiful
out of you. Can you imagine? From that crusted, polluted nothing,
here stands a beautiful woman. Beautiful, made beautiful by
God. I did that. I pacify you. I said,
Leo, death gives way to life. Inability gives way to strength.
Darkness becomes light. Mourning becomes joy. Enemies
flee away. All the enemies flee away. All
those birds and beasts waiting to devour that baby, flee away. She's a beautiful queen. And then he says in verse 8,
I'm going to tell you what you are now. Now, when I pass by
you, that's what we were. This is what God did. Now look at verse 8. And I passed
by you, and I looked upon you, and behold, a time, thy time,
was a time of love." My friends, we don't love Him.
He loved us. We love Him because He loved
us. Herein is love. Not that we love God. He loved
us. His love is personal. We love Him because He loved
us. Now watch this. And I spread my skirt over you,
and covered your nakedness. I covered your nakedness. That's
his righteousness, his holiness. You know, turn with me to the
book of Jeremiah, chapter 23. I'm sure you've seen this before,
but let's look at it again. Chapter 23 of Jeremiah. The hymn writer said, With his
spotless garments on, with his garments on, we're as holy as
his But his righteousness is our righteousness, and our righteousness
is his righteousness. It's not ours, it's his. And
here in Jeremiah 23, verse 5, Behold, the days come, saith
the Lord, I raise unto David a righteous branch, a holy, righteous
branch, and a king shall reign and prosper. and shall execute
judgment and justice in the earth, and in his days Judah shall be
saved, Israel shall dwell safely." That's spiritual Israel now.
That's king-priest Judah, king-priest. And this is his name, whereby
he shall become the Lord, our righteousness. He said, I spread
my skirt over you. I covered your nakedness. Now
wait a minute. Turn to Jeremiah 33. Now, you
can remember, that's found in Jeremiah 23. His name, the name
of our Lord Jesus Christ, the name of the righteous branch,
the name of our King, the name of our Redeemer, is the Lord
our righteousness. But you know what? That's your
name, too, now. Look at Jeremiah 33, verse 16.
It says almost the same thing. In those days shall Judah be
saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely, and this is the name
wherewith she shall be called, the Lord our righteousness."
I spread my skirt over you. I covered you with my robe of
righteousness. Oh, and look back at the text,
Ezekiel 16, verse 8, And I swore unto thee, and entered a covenant
with thee, I said, the Lord God, you became mine. You know, the
most foolish arguments and debates and discussions that a man can
engage in in this day is whether a saved man can be lost. That
is utter stupidity. Now, a religious man can be lost,
a false professor can be lost, but he said, I said, I entered
a covenant with you. You became mine. You're mine. You're mine. Your pastor is my
son. I'm his father. That'll never
change. Nothing'll change that. You're
God's child. He's your father. Nothing'll
ever change that. I entered a covenant with you.
And God said, I swear by myself. I can't swear by any greater.
I can't swear that I ain't greater, I swear by myself. You're mine. You're mine. You know, if he saw me polluted
like that, what would ever change his mind? I can't look any worse
now than I did then. If he loved me before I was born,
why would he stop loving me after I was born? He knows what I am. He remembers my He knows I'm
dust. What else did he do? I washed
you, verse 9, I washed you with water. I thoroughly washed away
your blood and anointed you with oil. I washed you with water
and blood. Listen to Augustus' top lady.
Rock of ages, clap for me. Let me hide myself in thee. Let
the water and the blood from thy riven side which flow, be
of sin double cure." Justify me and sanctify me. Double cure,
save from wrath and make me pure. We're sanctified by his blood,
by his cross, and we're sanctified by his word. Wherewithal shall
a young man cleanse his way by taking heed to the word of God.
Sanctify them through thy word, thy word is truth. So we're cleansed
twofold, by the blood and by the water, by the blood and by
the Spirit. There are three that bear record
on earth, the water, the blood, and the Spirit. That's right. I washed you. I thoroughly washed
away your blood. I anointed you with the Holy
Spirit, with the oil. Listen, I clothed you with brotherhood
work. What is this brotherhood work?
Well, this was the work wrought by the skilled needles of the
Jewish women. Oh, in the tabernacle, they had
these veils and tapestry. And these women sat with their
needles and the purple and the red and the blue and the white
linen, and they embroidered it. And this is the graces and fruits
of God's Spirit, which he gives you. He gives you love. and joy
and peace and gentleness and meekness and kindness. And that's
that broadered work. You look at that broadered work,
you know, and it's just beautiful. And you look at a believer as
he grows in grace and the knowledge of Christ, and it's beautiful,
the grace of God manifested in his life. That's right. Beautiful. He said, and I shod you with
badger skin. Badger skin is what they made
the tabernacle out of. It's the toughest and the softest
and the most durable of the skin. And when we get shod, when he
shods these feet of mine that must walk through this world,
there are a lot of stones, aren't there? There are a lot of thorns. There are a lot of briars. There
are a lot of rough places. But he shods me with badger skin. It's durable. It'll last. His
grace is sufficient. And you know something? It's
soft. That's right, it's soft. I don't
know how unbelievers cope with trouble and heartache. I don't
know how. I don't guess they do. But a
believer, as he walks, he expects tribulation. He expects trial.
He expects these things. That's kind of par for the course.
In this world, you'll have tribulation. But I tell you, His grace makes
it, makes it all right, doesn't it? It'll be all right. I shod
you with badger skin, I girded you with fine linen. You know,
who wore the fine linen? That priest did, and he went
in the Holy of Holies. White, fine linen, holiness. I clothed
you with my holiness. I covered you with silk. Who
wears silk? Our Lord said you find silk in
kings' houses. That's right, we're royal. We're
royal priesthood. We're king-priests. He's made
us kings and priests our God. We'll reign with him forever.
I'm a king-priest. I wear the white linen, and I
wear the silk. Not only that, but watch this
now.

From Nothing To Everything

What does the Bible say about total depravity?

How do we know that God chooses us?

Why is grace important for Christians?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

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From Nothing To Everything

What does the Bible say about total depravity?

How do we know that God chooses us?

Why is grace important for Christians?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

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