Good Doctrine

Q: What does the Bible say about good doctrine?

Good doctrine, or teaching, is essential for true gospel preaching, as emphasized in 1 Timothy 4:6. The Bible highlights the importance of good doctrine, which refers to sound teaching and instruction. In 1 Timothy 4:6, Paul instructs Timothy that nourishing the brethren in the words of faith and good doctrine is essential for being a good minister of Jesus Christ. Paul mentions doctrine frequently in both letters to Timothy, indicating that proper teaching must underpin a sound ministry. Throughout Scripture, doctrine is explicitly linked to faith and practice, emphasizing that a proper understanding of God’s word is pivotal for both spiritual growth and effective ministry.

Q: How do we know sovereign grace is true?

Sovereign grace is affirmed in Scripture, particularly in Ephesians 1 and Romans 9, which articulate God's divine choice and election. The doctrine of sovereign grace asserts that salvation is entirely dependent on God's will and choice rather than human effort. This is fervently supported by passages such as Ephesians 1:4-5, where Paul writes that God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, emphasizing that our salvation was initiated by God's sovereign grace. Romans 9 further illustrates that God's election is not based on human deeds but solely on His purpose and calling. Thus, the scriptural evidence consistently supports the truth of sovereign grace, establishing the notion that only God’s sovereign will determines salvation.

Q: Why is the concept of total depravity important for Christians?

Total depravity teaches that humanity is completely dead in sin and unable to save themselves, underlining the necessity of God's sovereign grace. Total depravity, a foundational aspect of sovereign grace theology, emphasizes that because of Adam's fall, all humanity is spiritually dead and incapable of seeking God or contributing to their salvation. Ephesians 2:1 states that we were dead in our trespasses and sins, highlighting our absolute inability to choose God on our own. This doctrine serves as a necessary backdrop for understanding the need for divine grace in salvation. Without the recognition of our total inability to save ourselves, the depth of God's grace in choosing and saving unworthy sinners would not be fully appreciated. Therefore, acknowledging total depravity is crucial for grasping the magnitude of grace that God extends through Christ.

Q: What does the Bible say about unconditional election?

Unconditional election teaches that God chooses whom He will save without regard to any foreseen merit, as seen in Ephesians 1. Unconditional election is the teaching that God sovereignly chooses certain individuals for salvation without any conditions based on their actions or decisions. This doctrine is rooted in Scripture, particularly Ephesians 1:4-5, which states that God chose us in Christ 'before the foundation of the world,' indicating that His choice is not based on our deeds but purely on His grace and purpose. Additionally, Romans 9 reinforces this by stating that God's election is according to His divine will. This understanding underscores the centrality of God's sovereignty in salvation and the assurance that those chosen will ultimately be saved, emphasizing that it is God's work from beginning to end.

Q: How does limited atonement relate to the doctrine of sovereign grace?

Limited atonement asserts that Christ's death effectively atones for the sins of the elect, aligning with the principles of sovereign grace. Limited atonement, a key tenet within sovereign grace theology, posits that Christ's sacrificial death was specifically intended for His chosen people, providing true and effective redemption for their sins. This is supported by passages such as John 10:15, where Jesus states, 'I lay down my life for the sheep,' indicating a particular focus on those whom He has chosen. The connection to sovereign grace is profound; it reinforces the idea that salvation is not a universal offer but rather depends solely on God's election and the effective work of Christ specifically for those elected. Recognizing limited atonement ensures that God receives all the glory for salvation, as the efficacy of Christ’s atonement rests on His sovereign choice to redeem.

And open your Bibles with me
to first Timothy. Chapter four first. Timothy. Chapter four. First Timothy four I want to
read one verse with you that will. The title of this message
was taken. And will serve as a. a text,
springboard, which I'll say other things. Verse six, 1 Timothy
four, verse six, if thou put the brethren in remembrance of
these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished
up in the words of faith and of good doctrine. whereunto thou
hast attained. Good doctrine. Good doctrine
is the title of this message. I'm going to bring you good doctrine. Do you know what the word doctrine
means? Doctrine means teaching. It means instruction. Don't be
afraid of that word. The scripture word And all it
means is teaching or instruction. Now, the first epistle or letter
to Timothy, the first and the second, were written by an older
man, an elder man, an apostle, Paul. He was writing to a young
preacher, perhaps who was about my age. I don't know how old
he was. But he was a young preacher young
pastor he pastored. A church. And Paul an older faithful gospel
preacher was writing to this young man under the inspiration
of the Holy Spirit. And giving sound advice to a
young minister of the gospel. And in these letters in these
two letters first and second Timothy Paul uses the word doctrine. No less than. Thirteen times. Four times in chapter four alone. Thirteen times he talks about. Doctrine to this young preacher
and here in our text he said if you put the brethren in the
members of these things you'll be a good minister. Good minister. That tells me that doctrine must
be essential to true gospel preaching. To tell you that of a sound ministry
of a good ministry doctrine must be essential then to true Gospel
preaching now turn back to the first one will begin there and
read what led up to Paul saying that he said in verse one chapter
four. Now the spirit the Holy Spirit
speak of expressly a word expressly means very clearly you know God's
word I don't know if it you think it is hard to understand or not, but
you know it's not really hard to understand the face value
of it. Proverbs 8, it says this in verses
8 and 9, all the words, God is speaking, he says, all the words
of my mouth are in righteousness, that is they're right. There's nothing forward, froward
in them. God says there's nothing froward,
or that word froward means wreathed or hidden. Hidden, you can't
see. No, it's right there. God says
everything right there for us to see. There's nothing hidden
or perverse in them. There's nothing twisted, so you'll
get a wrong meaning. They're all plain. He says this, Proverbs 8, verses
8 and 9, they're all plain to him that understand it, and right to them that find knowledge.
God is very clear in his word about who he is, how he is, very
clear. He's very clear in his word about
what we are, what man is. He's very, very clear in his
word about how God deals with man. Very, very clear. Scriptures are very clear. Now, the problem is man confuses
things. God does not confuse the issues. We do. Old Scott said one time,
he said, I don't want to confuse you here. But he said, the fact
is, you're confused already. We're the ones that are confusing
things. The Spirit speaks expressly.
God speaks very plainly, very clearly in his word. My pastor
always said, it's not that men don't see these things or can't
understand them, really. It's not that. It's right there
in black and white. The problem is men won't have
it. I won't have that. All right
go on verse one he says the spirit speak is very plainly very expressly
that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith. And when you depart from something
what does that mean you leave it. You leave you you you go
elsewhere right you you you reject you you refuse you believe other
things you're talking about the faith. He says, some shall depart
or reject the faith. One Lord, one faith, right? The faith, not this man believes
this way, this believes that way, and it all has some truth
to it. No, no, no, the scriptures does
not teach that, does it? There's one Lord and one faith,
one hope of your calling. The faith. There's only one way
to believe. There's only one. to believe. And men depart from that faith,
the faith, and give heed, read on, they give heed to seducing
spirits, or preachers that is. He said in another place, evil
men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving people and
being deceived. That's clear, we see that on
TV in marriage places evil men false preachers and so forth.
And some depart from the faith giving heed or listening to and
believing these seducing preachers and doctrines of devil you see
that first one you see that doctrines of devil. Now these very preachers
are saying that what I'm preaching this morning is doctrines of But if you want the meaning of
doctrines of devils you go back to the devil himself don't you
you go back and see what he said what he said well in the garden.
In the garden Satan said this here's the first thing that Satan
did in the garden. He cast doubt on the word of
God. You remember that everybody knows
story Adam and Eve was in the garden alone there and And Satan
came to her, Lucifer, and came to her and said, Hath God said? Hath God said? Is that what?
Did God say that you were not to eat of that tree? Hmm? Is that what he really said?
Oh, yes, God said. Is that really what he meant?
That's not what he meant. No, no, I know it says that,
but. You see, now there's the doctrines
of the devil. Any time you cast a doubt on
any part of God's Word and start twisting it and shaping it and
making it say what you want it to say, there's the doctors of
devil. Right? God said, Jacob have I loved,
Esau have I hated. Now I know it says that, these
seducers say, but is that, God, do you really mean love and hate? Do you really mean hate? I think
you mean love less. That's really what God meant,
love less. Why didn't he say it then? Well. Some the part. Give heed the doctrines of devils
and you could go on and on. You know Satan said to Eve there
in the garden. She said no. He said no. Now
you have your will. You have your free will. God's.
Yeah God's sovereign but you have your free will and you can
exercise. He has no right to withhold. You can you know. And
have what you want. You don't have to make your decision.
Well and they speak lies verse to speak lies and hypocrisy. All that they do to do in the
name of God don't it is not a man on the TV that said I'm coming
to you bring in doctors the devil. God told me God told me God said
to me this morning right there tells me he's a liar. God said
the time anybody says God say it to me unless it comes from
this book. Speaking lies and hypocrisy,
a conscience seared with a hot iron. You know, these fellows
really believe themselves. It's unbelievable. They really,
I quoted that to you, you said they're deceiving and being deceived. They really believe themselves. And they come in the name of
God. The name of Jesus, the name of Christianity, supposedly for
the glory of God. Turn over to 2 Timothy 4, 2 Timothy
chapter 4 with me. 2 Timothy 4, and it says they
preach lies, preaching lies. Why would a man, why would a
man get up, get up and preach an out and
out lie? Why would a man do that? Why would a man reject God's
word and twist it and corrupt it and withhold it and not preach
it and teach contrary to it? Why? Well, I'll tell you one
reason. It's because the plain and bold
dogmatic preaching of True Bible doctrine is despised and rejected
by most people. Most people just don't like it,
won't have it. Like I said, you just read Romans 9 to most people
and they don't like it. I did that one time, I read Romans
9 to a fella, a preacher. Didn't read it, I was quoting
it to him. And he said, I don't like that, I won't have that.
I said, what? It's the Word of God. But most people don't like
it, you see, and they reject it. And the only reason a man
would have or only reason a man would withhold it or not preach
it like it is or twist it or reject it or whatever, preach
a lie, is because it won't get you a big crowd, you see. That's
the only reason I could possibly think of why a man would preach
a lie. Not preach the Word of God, because
you preach the truth and it won't get you big crap. Never did.
Noah didn't get a very big congregation day. Judgment's coming. God's angry. God hates all workers
of iniquity, Noah said. Unless you're in the ark, you're
going to die. How many souls did Noah win for
the Lord? There were seven people other
than him. He preached 120 years. And I tell you what, Christ the
Lord had only 12 men, didn't He? Oh, He had a vast number
of people. You know, His church left Him even in the end. When
He was preaching it like it was in John 6, talking about eating
His flesh and drinking His blood, you know, and it said many departed
from Him who can't hear this. And He turned to just 12 left
and said, Are you going to go too? It's despised and rejected by
most look at second Timothy four verse three says the time will
come when they will not endure sound doctrine. What did you
say? Did you say election preacher?
Well, yeah, I was just reading Romans eight there. It said election. Did you say election? Well, yeah,
I said, no, God said it. I was just repeating it. I don't
have that. Did you say the P word? Did you
say the word? You didn't say that, did you?
Predestination? No, I didn't say it. God said it. I'm just
repeating it. I'm just reading it. You read it, and it's right
there in your Bible, unless you've got a new International King
James, perverted, new Greek-Hebrew apostate version. And it doesn't
say that. It's taken it out of there. He
says the time will come when they won't endure that. Sound
doctrine. And after their own lust, they'll heap to themselves.
Teachers have it. Don't just... Buddy, we're going to pay you
a big salary. We're going to give you a little
parsonage over here. Nice little parsonage, you know.
And we're going to pay you a big salary. We're going to give you
a car. We're going to give you all that you need. Give you a
nice little church building here. Everything will be fine. Just
don't. Just don't be preaching that election. You can have all these things.
Now, if you'll just fall down and worship the doctrines of
devils, we'll give you all these things, right? We'll give you
all these things. And they say, and they make a
choice. That's what they said Jerry Falwell did, you know.
He started preaching a little truth at the beginning and his
deacons came up to him and said, now you better quit preaching
that or you're out of here or we're out of here one. And he
said, he made his choice. I want a big ministry. So I'll
just kind of pair it off a little bit. You know, I'll just cut
corners and I'll make it a little more palatable. I won't say what
people don't want to hear. And so they heap to themselves
teachers having itching ears. Scratch my back, I'll scratch
yours, you know. Tell me what I want to hear and I'll give
you what you want to have. And they'll turn away their ears
from the truth and turn unto fables. I don't like that. But
I like our church creed. Am I telling it like it is? You
know, the truth hurts. I told that to a man I worked
with on the railroad one time. He said, no, truth will set you
free. I said, before it sets you free, it hurts because you're
in bondage and to rip chains asunder. You know, I had a tooth
that was bothering me. And before I could be set free
of that tooth, there had to be some pain involved,
right? An extraction. There was no nice
way about it. Blood was shed. Jerk that tooth. Get it out of there. It's causing
me all kinds of trouble. The truth, to buy your freedom,
it's got to hurt. Listen here. The truth, doctrine,
Doctrine kills idols you know you know it said man is an idolater
by nature he makes him a little God. The way that seems right is a
God that men like you know love by nature and they make them
a little God a little Jesus or whoever the way they want it
an idol and when the truth comes along it kills it slays that
idol. You know the truth destroys false
refuges too. Now here's a man who's been trusting
in his religion all his life. The fact that he's good and attended
church and all that. And the gospel comes along and
says that don't account for nothing in poor English. That does not
account for anything with God Almighty. Your religion, your
morality, anything. God's not paying any attention
to that. It won't get you anywhere but hell. self-righteousness,
what it's called. And then the truth comes along
and it exposes that and denounces self-righteousness. And the truth
will bring you down before it lifts you up. The truth. Do you
know that God's Word is not designed to make you feel good about yourself? I don't care what Robert Shuler
says. I do care what God says. And he said he'll, the only people
that are going to be exalted are them that he abases. He said
pride comes before destruction, but exaltation comes after humiliation. God's Word is designed, first
of all, to make a man or woman feel bad about themselves, bring
them down into the dust. Why? That's what we are, before it brings us. Now, I want
to preach this with as much feeling and compassion as I can. You
know, human nature doesn't like it, won't have it, and they get
offended. This is what we call the offense of the cross. Not, and I don't preach with
high and mighty and great profundity of speech and language that you
can't understand and ambiguous terms so that nobody can understand
what I'm saying. Not with wisdom of words. Lest
the cross of Christ be made of no effect and nobody understands
what I'm saying. Now when the scriptures call
the man a worm so does a preacher of the gospel. Cheap C. H. Spurgeon. Said this
he said four things about the offense of the cross. Or things
that the preaching of the gospel the offense of the cross. Does
the man or thing listen to the number one the offense of the
cross The preaching of the truth offends man's dignity. It offends his dignity. The gospel comes and calls us
worms, calls us sinners. It says from the top of our head
to the bottom of our feet, there's no sound of sin in it. Well, I'll have you know, the
man says, I'm just not that bad. And it offends him. is dignity. Gospel even says that the Scriptures
comes and says vanity. Nothing less than that. Grasshoppers. Isn't that what
the Scriptures calls man? Grasshoppers. And that offends
man's dignity. The Gospel comes, the truth comes,
and it offends man's wisdom. You see? If you know, I've got
a master's. I studied at Cambridge. Well, I've got a B.S. That's
obvious. I've got a doctorate. I'll have
you know, I've studied for twelve years at the finest universities
and you're telling me that I can't figure this thing out for myself? You're telling me that that laborer
down there, that farmer, that truck driver can know this and
I can't? I'm smart. This gospel comes
and says in 1 Corinthians 2, 10, 11, these things are revealed
unto us by God's spirit, that the natural man can't understand
them, apart from God's spirit, unless God Almighty just chooses
a man and says, I want to reveal this to you and I want to hide
this thing from this university professor. That offends a man's wisdom,
he says. I'm smarter than that man, I can figure it out. The
fact that you say that means you haven't got a clue. Thirdly,
the gospel comes and offends man's pride, especially his religious
pride. The gospel says Christ is all,
that man is only saved by the person and work of Christ. And
a man says, nothing that I do counts for anything. God won't
accept all of my sacrifice, all of my labors on the mission field.
God won't accept my My this, my that and the other. No, only
Christ. And that offends his pride. And
the gospel, he said, comes and offends man's love of self. Love
of self. See, men and women by nature
think they have rights, don't they? I want what's coming to me. I
mean, I've got my rights. I don't know much, but I know
my rights. You spoke a mouthful there. You don't know much. Man
doesn't have any rights. We forfeited all those in the
garden, didn't we? You see, Christ is Lord now.
The only one who has any rights is God. He has all rights. Christ says all authority is
given unto man in heaven and earth. He said the kingdom of
earth is with God, and he gives it to whomsoever he will. You
see, man's a beggar now. Man's a beggar now. Man's a recipient
of everything. Man's a charity case. You know,
man's a charity case. People don't like to be a charity
case, do they? Even believers. Oh, don't do that. I wish you
hadn't have done that. Why? Man's a beggar. He's second now
in everything. And consequently, if you preach
the truth clearly and boldly enough, folks will not come hear
you. But some will. And I take comfort in this. God's
sheep will, every last one of them, will come here and sit
there while you call them a worm and just say, that's right. And 2 Timothy, turn over there
again, chapter one, look over chapter one. Paul says, if I
yet seek to please men, I'm not serving Christ, he said. True
preacher of the gospel is not trying to please men. I don't
know what this thing is all about. Do I get sick to persuade men?
Or God? Am I trying to win friends and
influence people? Or am I trying to just tell the
truth about God? Now, there's a test of a true
preacher. 2 Timothy 1, he says to young
Timothy here, verse 7, God has not given us the spirit of fear,
that is, fear of men. Power! We don't have to resort
to all sorts of tricks and gimmicks and all that if the gospel won't
say, if the word of God's not good enough for anybody, I'm
sure not going to try my little tactics on him. If he doesn't
want to hear the word of God, I don't want him around here
anyway. Let me just be real plain about the matter. I don't want
the troublemaker in my congregation anyway if he doesn't want to
hear the word of God. I want people who are seeking,
people who really want some answers, people who really are interested
in worshiping God, seeing what God says. And so, Paul said to young Timothy,
God's not giving you the spirit of fear. Don't worry about men.
If you fear men more than God, you're not a preacher of God.
Power, the gospel, preach the gospel. And of love, do it in
love and a sound mind. Verse 8, Don't be ashamed of
the testimony of our Lord, the sovereignty of God, nor of me,
his prisoner. Be a partaker of the afflictions
of the gospel. according to the power of God.
What's the afflictions of the gospel? It's preaching the gospel
boldly and dogmatically and plainly so that people say, you say an
election? Yeah, I'm saying an election. I don't like that.
I won't support you. I'll leave here. You'll go hungry.
Fine. I got to tell it. God said it. And that's what he said to Young
Timothy. You tell it. Be a partaker of the afflictions.
Everybody's ever preached the gospel in its purity as being
a partaker of the affliction. They've been hated, they've been
killed, in the name of God, too. It's been that way from the beginning
of time, ain't it? Christ said, no marvel, brethren,
if the world hates you, they hate Me, the Son of God, who
has come with the truth of God Himself. And don't y'all worry
about people that won't believe this. Weep over them and pray
over them, but don't worry about it. His sheep will hear His voice.
And don't go out there and started to use the wrong term. Don't try to corner them and,
you know, do all kinds of tactics and all that to bring them in.
Just tell the truth. If everyone of God's sheep, God
will prick their ears, their heart, and they'll come in here
and they'll hear it, and they'll believe. He said in 2 Timothy
4, verse 16, boy, I like this verse. I'm sorry, 1 Timothy 4,
16. He said, If you take heed unto yourself
and unto the doctrine and continue in them in doing
this, you're going to save yourself and you're going to save everybody
that hears you, too. Now, I'm a young Timothy here,
and the Word of God has come to me this morning. God told
me something this morning, Roberta. Not at home. He just now told
me something. You ready? Well, he told you
something, Roberta. But you're not allowed to come
up here and tell it. I am. I'm a man. And I'm telling you, God
told me something. Did he tell you? He told me,
if you take heed under the doctrines, because if you're doing so, you're
going to save yourself, and you're going to save everybody that
hears you. All right? Now, the Scriptures
clearly teach. Now, I won't preach this to where Britain ain't about understanding.
Our youngest children, we preach and boldly, unashamedly, preach
what is called sovereign grace here. Sovereign grace. That term
comes from, you don't have to turn, but it comes from Romans
chapter 5, verse 21. It says this, sin reigned unto
death, but even so grace reigns through righteousness. Sin reigns, you see, unto death.
It killed everybody. Every man. In Adam, all died.
But now, in Christ, grace reigns. Sovereign grace. Sovereign grace. The salvation of men, women,
boys, and girls is completely dependent on the sovereign grace
of God. Reigns. Grace reigning. Not an
offering, but reigning. There's no gospel apart from
the preacher. What do you mean by sovereign
grace? What do you mean by sovereign grace? Well, we can. Some people
have kind of summed it up in five points for ease of remembrance. OK, five points. There's so many
more, but five points ease of remembrance. Some of nickname
it. I hate to use the term because
so many misinterpreted, but some of nickname it. Calvinism. Because there was a man long
time ago a great preacher who dared and boldly proclaim these
things and he systematized it and it just sums up what we believe
in systematic terms. But it's sovereign grace is what
it is and some people have even coined this way to remember it. I forget what the term is but
tulip they've used five letters to help you remember what sovereign
grace mean. All right? A child can understand
it. Tulip. Tulip. Each point, every point
in this speaks of sovereign grace. Every point. Sovereign grace.
Now I'm going to give you good doctrine. Sound doctrine. It's
able to save me and save you here. Number one, sovereign grace
starts with a T, total depravity. Total depravity. You don't understand. Man is dead. If you miss what
happened in the garden, you're going to miss it all. And that's
what people are doing. Spurgeon said, you're wrong on
the fall. You're going to be wrong in it all. What happened
in the garden? Did Adam just, there's just some
mitigating circumstances and he just fell into bad company.
And, uh, Aiden, God got a little angry with him and kicked him
out and said, it's really okay. You're going to be sick a while
though, but if you'll improve your circumstances and you'll
make your decision and and sad to come back to me some day you
will be all right no it's not what it said that man died you
know he died he died in the garden dead to God unable to do anything
unable to do anything. Ephesians chapter two says it
says you were dead in trespassing sin. 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 works in the children
of disobedience Among whom also we all had our lives in times
past, lust of the flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and
the mind, were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
And here comes the gospel. But God, there's a dead man. Here comes along Christ. There's
a dead man in the grave. His name's Lazarus. He can't
make his decision. He can't decide for Jesus. He's
dead. He's stinking. People say he's
stinking, and that's us. We're stinking. State to God
in the day in the grave and here come here along comes like Christ
to his life. How that may go away. When God
says so when Christ is Lazarus come on out of there. He had
no choice in the matter. He's totally dead or depraved
unable to do anything for the second point is Second point
you know God you know can do this for whomever whoever he
pleases. See man is dead and eternal if
eternal life if he's going to have eternal life God's going
to have to give it. And who does God give it to.
Who does God give eternal life to. Whoever he wants to. Whoever he decides to. Right. Whomever he pleases. And that's
what we call With a you unconditional election that we're just not
based on God looking down so well she's a pretty good little
girl you know Sherry Anderson she looks like she'd make a fine
Christian so it looks like she's going to believe on me someday
so I'll choose her that's ridiculous that's blasphemous what that
is unconditional election in other words it's not based upon
your choice it's totally based on God's choice. God's choice. Now we already established that
man's dead didn't he's dead he can't do anything that he can
make a choice can. You see all these points stand
or fall together don't you can't have one or can't have four and
not have five it's all stand and fall together if man's dead
he can't make a choice then whose choice is it is only one left. God. God. And in Ephesians 1, I do want
you to turn there and look at it with me. Ephesians chapter
1, look at this. It actually uses the word election.
Ephesians 1, verse 1, look at this. Ephesians 1, verse 1, Paul,
an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God to the saints
which are Ephesus to the faithful in Christ Jesus, grace be to
you. and peace from God, our Father,
from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as he hath
chosen us." Choice, it is, in Christ. When did he do it? Before
the foundation of the world. Why did he do it? That we should
be holy and without blame before him in love. before him in love
look at verses look at Romans nine we read Romans nine here's
where the word election is used Romans nine look at verse eleven. Romans nine said children being
not yet born either having done any good or evil at the purpose
of God according to election my stand. Election as used in
other places but I'll not turn to is this essential the preaching
of gospel. Must we preach election. If you
don't God will require it at your hands. Must a man understand it to be
saved. Let me tell you this. There's no salvation unless God
does the choosing. If you let him lead a man to
believe that it is his choice to save him, he's lost. He's
going to hell. God says it 27 times in the New
Testament, some form of the word election. 27 times. God, and here's the chief reason
why it's essential, God must have the glory in all things. He must have the glory in all
things, all things. So men and women must hear and
understand that if they're going to be saved, God gets all the
glory in it. God's going to have to do it.
That's the only way a man or woman will cry out for mercy. The only way a man or woman or
young person will cry out for mercy, for grace, for a handout,
is when they see they haven't got anything coming to them.
No rights. It's not their choice. It's of
God there that show us mercy. And, you know, people may that
don't believe this, they may accept Jesus as their personal
savior, as their fire escape from hell. It's sugar daddy named
God, you know, to give them everything they want. And they may make
all sorts of decisions for that. But you'll never cry out for
mercy until you see God's the only one that's got it. He doesn't
have to give it. I don't deserve it. And I'm going to have to
ask him for it. Right? No real praise and thanksgiving
either until you see that. No real worship apart from that.
Lord, if you will. You know the way the leper worshiped
God? If you will. You say, well, I
don't know if I'm an elect or not. Now, wait a minute. Don't bother about that. Don't
worry about that. You leave that in God's hand.
Let me ask you this. Do you feel your need of the
mercy of God? The grace of God? Do you see what you are? A sinner? Can't help yourself? Can't do
anything for yourself? Do you see that? Do you see that
God's sovereign in control? He's the only one that can give
it? Do you see that God said Jesus Christ is the only Savior?
Do you believe Him? Do you see that? Well, if you
see that, I believe you're an elect. I
called upon Him for that mercy. Peter said to the elect according
to the foreknowledge of God through sanctification or set apart,
coming out of the Spirit of God. Number three, that ale and that
tulip is limited atonement. Limited atonement. I wish I had
more time, but Romans 6.23 says this, and people quote this,
the wages of sin is death. But the gift, the word gift means
grace, doesn't it? Sovereign grace is everywhere.
The gift of God is eternal life where? In your decision, in your
religion, and you accepting Jesus as your personal Savior, and
you joining the church through our Lord Jesus Christ. The wages of sin is death, but
the gift of God is eternal life through, totally by the means
of, the Lord Jesus Christ. Man has sinned against God. God
says the wages of sin is death. You've got to die. You know that?
You have to die. God's angry with you. You have to die. And
without the shedding of blood, there's no remission of your
sins. You know that? No remission, there's no forgiveness,
no justification, no salvation, no matter what we do. I don't
care how good a life we live, if I give my body to be burned,
if I give all my earthly goods to the poor, it doesn't matter.
No blood, no salvation. No salvation. God says it's the
blood that makes atonement for the soul. Isn't it? Not your
sincerity, not your faith. It's the blood. It's the blood. There never has been one kind
of atonement, but one kind of atonement. We talk about atonement,
we talk about when the blood was shed to put away sins. There never has been but one
kind of atonement, and that is particular for God's people. Right? You theologians? Let me
stimulate your minds here a little bit. For God's people, certain
individuals, Not all people. When God first gave the atonement
to Moses back then, all the instructions for the high priest to kill the
lamb and go into the Holy of Holies and offer that lamb's
blood on the mercy seat, who did he do that for? Who was that
for? Why, anybody that wanted it.
He just threw it out there and said anybody that wants it can have
it. Is that right? Is that right? No, that's not right. Aaron had
some names. on his breastplate, didn't he?
The high priest. Everybody whose name was under
that particular tribe written on his breastplate, that's who
that atonement was made for. And some who were purchased by
those particular people by God's purpose and will. No names on
the breastplate, that atonement wasn't for you. Who did Christ
die for? The world? I mean, every single
individual? No. The name's on the breastplate. The name's in the book of life.
Right? Jesus Christ, our great high
priest, the scripture says in Hebrews 9, with his own precious
blood entered into the holy of holies, the holy place, heaven
itself, having obtained eternal redemption for us. Who's us? Who's us? Christ said, I lay
down my life for the Jews. Is it necessary to believe that?
Is it necessary to believe particular redemption to be saved? Christ
said, you don't believe because you're not my sheep. As I said unto you, my sheep
hear my voice. I know them. They follow me.
They believe everything I say. What did you say, Christ? I said,
I lay down my life for my sheep. I didn't spill my blood in vain.
You see, if the blood of Christ did not effectually accomplish
the forgiveness of sins for everybody it was shed for, Sammy Park,
then the blood of Christ ain't worth a nickel. Is it? And that's the most blasphemous
doctrine in the world. I've got to scream here so that
the world can hear it. If there's anybody in hell for
whom Christ died, then the blood of Christ is no good to anybody. I don't need it, and I don't
want it. But thank God we have redemption
through His blood, not my faith. Paul, you better thank God it's
not your faith, because one day you believe pretty good, and
the next day you don't, right? What's your hope of eternal life?
It's blood before the Lord. You don't always see it. You
don't always have faith in it. The people in those houses in
Egypt couldn't see the blood on the doorpost. But God said,
this is salvation. God said, when I see the blood,
I'll pass over you, you rotten, no good, worthless sinner. That's this sinner's only hope,
who sins from dawn till dusk. that when God sees the blood
of the Lord Jesus Christ, he'll pass over my sins. Redemption! I like that even
the term means paid for, doesn't it? Redemption! You know, when
I go in the store one day, and I've got some money, and I see
something I want, and I lay down, it costs ten bucks, and I say,
there, that's ten bucks, give me what's coming to me. And the
clerk says, no, no, no, no, no, you'll have to wait a little
while. You better give me that or else I'll pay for it. Hard-earned
money, that's mine. She gave me a receipt, you know.
Here's the receipt, I paid for this, it's mine, it's not yours,
it's mine. Right? Redeemed, I redeemed that,
it's mine. Christ said to some sinners,
you're not your own. You fought with the Christ. And
when Christ comes for his people, he said, give them to me. Deliver
him from going down into the pit. I got the price paid. I paid the price. I've got receipts
to prove it. Paid in full. Give him to me,
Satan. Give him to meself. Cough him
up, world. He's not of the world. He's mine.
I'll have him. I'll have you know. I'll have
him. That's this old sinner's only hope, more than a doctrine,
isn't it? I'm not just pressin' people
to believe particular redemption, I'm pressin' people to believe
a sublime Savior and blood that actually saves. Not makes an
attemptment, an atonement covers. They're all, did you hear what
Jesus Christ said to me? They're all taken away. Your
sins are pardoned and you're free. They're all taken away. And anybody that dares to tell
me otherwise, I'll brand him as a heretic. There's no gospel without this
particular effectual, finished, final redemption, price paid,
blood. And it wasn't an offer. You know
what? Let me go on here. You see, Christ
is called the messenger of the covenant. Anybody just read the
scriptures. These fellows call themselves
theologians. You say you're getting mad. I know it. I'm sorry. These
fellas call themselves preachers, claim to believe the Bible and
read and all. They hadn't read a lick. They certainly had to
read the book of Hebrews. You know, the Scriptures calls
what Christ did, calls it a covenant redemption. Covenant. And Christ is called the messenger
of the covenant. He's called the mediator of the
New Testament, isn't he? Mediator. It's called the blood
of the testament. Christ is called a surety. You
see, if Christ, Jesus Christ, made this agreement with God
Almighty, God set his love on a people, elected them, chose
them, and gave them to Christ, now the blood had to be paid
to purchase their redemption, because they sinned, all sin
comes short of the glory of God, and God says, I love a particular
people, I've chosen them, putting their names down here, And I've
given you every name, and you know who they are. You go down
there, and you pay for every one of the sins of every one
of those people. You get the job done, you come on back, and
I'll sit you right here, and I'll send somebody called the
Holy Spirit to make sure that everybody you paid for comes. It's called a testament, you
know? Last will and testament? That's God's last will and testament.
Everyone you've died for, Christ, my beloved Son, they will come
to me. And him that cometh, I'll in
no wise cast out. All that the Father giveth man.
All right? So Christ came down here, laid
the price down. Blood, death. Right? And rose
from the grave, went back and sat down at the right hand of
God, and God Almighty sent the messenger of the covenant to
pick him out. The Holy Spirit, and he uses
this term called irresistible grace. He's on the trail of his
sheep. Say, I don't believe that. I'm
not talking to you. You're a goat. I'm looking for sheep. Anybody
believe this? I do, I do! Cheap! Get in here! That's what the Holy Spirit said,
doesn't it? God chose the people. Anybody believe that? I do, I
do! Cheap! Arrest that man. The Holy Spirit
said, you got it. Come on, come on. Come on a little
bit further. You're dead, aren't you? Yeah, I am dead. God had
to choose you. You can't choose Him. Right,
that's right. The blood of Christ is the only thing that'll save
you. I believe that. Come on. Oh, I want to come. I want to
come, but I don't think I can. Yeah, you can. I'm giving you
the power to do something. I've commanded you to do it.
Come unto me. Stretch out your hand. I can't
do it anyway. I did. I came. I believe. How'd you do that?
Irresistible grace. Spirit of God. He uses grace.
Preaching. What I'm doing this morning.
The world says, that foolish thing. You say, this is the glory
of God. This is the greatest thing I've
ever heard. This is the power of God. I hear God talking. Other men say, that's just an
old man, a young man, an uneducated man, a person screaming. You
say, this is the greatest news I've ever heard in my life. That's
irresistible grace, grace of preaching, grace of praying.
He says, call upon me. I'll hear you. Call upon me. Who calls? Who calls? Who God
first calls. Who calls? If God didn't call
on me, if God hadn't called on me, Henry, you know this is so,
don't you? If God hadn't called you, you
were headed down that old road as fast as you could, breakneck
speed for hell. If God hadn't said, stop, old
boy, hear the gospel. If God hadn't said that, you'd
have never called on him. You'd have never done it. And men today, these false preachers
are calling on people to do something they can't do. We need to be
calling on God to do something He can do, He does do. Don't beg people first, beg God
first. Beg God first. and the grace
of faith, the goodness of God, leads thee to repentance. And
every single person whom God chooses and Christ died for and
the Holy Spirit calls through the preaching of the gospel,
like I'm doing this morning, he grants repentance. Oh, Lord,
forgive me. And faith in Christ, to seek
Christ as his only hope, the blood of Christ, the righteousness
Christ worked out. Every single one of those people
that believe this gospel, He said, Paul said, I'm confident
of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work, the author
of it, he will finish it. He's the author and he'll finish
it. He started, God, you started this thing. I say that all the
time, not with disrespect, not flippantly, a lot of us say,
Lord, you started this and you're going to have to finish it. You
say that? Lord, save me or I'll perish.
Lord, if you don't save me from start to finish, I'm a goner.
There's times, Joe, when I feel pretty good about myself, don't
you? And walk along and say, hey, I am making some strides
here, aren't I? Like a baby learning to walk,
you know? Hey, I got it now. Leave me alone, Dad. You know,
poof, fall on your nose, bust your teeth, start crying, Lord,
Daddy, help me, pick me up again. Lord save me or I perish. Salvation
is of the Lord, isn't it? From start to finish. But he
said, every one of them is going to persevere. There's the P in
two of them. Every one of them. Every one of them. We just studied
first Thessalonians this week and the last several weeks, and
he said this about the Thessalonians. He said, Brethren, I know your
election of God. You do, Paul. Well, our gospel
came to you. Deborah Huff, you heard the gospel
this morning. Could be a member of your family or people you
work with. They're not here at this moment.
You are. Gospel came to you. You may be elect. Let's go on.
Not in word only, but in power. In other words, it touched you.
It touched you. Power. You see, it's the power
of God, the gospel, the power of God, not just the sermon,
the power of God. Not the Holy Spirit anointing
all this foolishness they're talking about today, but meeting
the need within you. The need. And in the Holy Ghost,
and the Holy Ghost bears witness with your spirit, your sinner.
God's holy. You need pride. And in much assurance,
you say, I believe that. You believe that, Barbara Ross?
You believe this gospel I'm preaching? God, I know your election. You're
elect. Go ahead, shout. I don't care.
You're elect. And what manner of men we were
among you, you know you hadn't got a money-hungry preacher up
here in front of you who's telling you what you want to hear and
all that. No, you got somebody that's telling you like it is
from God's Word. And you became followers of me. Why on earth? The power of God, that's why.
How do you follow this uneducated railroader? Power of God is what
it is. And you receive the word in much
affliction. Neighbors hate you. The churches
hate this place. I don't like that, but it's an
assurance to us. That's what he said. That's what's
going to happen. Don't marvel at this happening. And with joy
of the Holy Ghost. And you were examples to all
that believed. And from you sounded out the
word. Some of you have gotten on soap boxes, you know, and
preached this word. Much of the chagrin of people
that hear you, and you turn to God from idols. You left that
false religion to serve the true and living God. And let me tell
you this, brother, you're going to make it in the end, all the
way. God's going to take you all the
way. You're going to persevere. Why? I know your election. The
gospel came to you. You're not worried about power
and the Holy Ghost, much here and so forth. Plain to me. Plain to me about somebody. And
let me close by giving you these words from the Scripture concerning
doctrine, okay? I preach a doctrinal message.
Doctrinal. Is that better? Listen to these
words concerning doctrine. Paul said, I'm not ashamed of
the gospel of Christ. Oh, people, this, you know, How
can I say this? I'm not trying to make a Calvinist
out of anybody at all. I'm not trying to prove points.
The fact of the matter is, I love this. I love this salvation. There is no salvation in any
other. This is the way it is. This is
what God's Word says. If anybody's going to be saved,
that's the way they're going to be saved. And I like it that
way. I love the fact that God's on
the throne. I don't want on the throne. I'd make a mess of it. I don't want my faith, my decision,
all that to account for anything. I don't want it to. I want Christ,
His faith to account for everything. Don't you, John Davis? I want
Christ to account for everything. I'm not ashamed of the gospel
of God and Christ. It's the power of God and the
wisdom of God. Everyone that believes. Listen
to this. Solomon said, I give you good doctrine. This is good
doctrine. What I've told you this morning,
good doctrine. Good news. More than doctrines, good news.
Sound doctrine. Sound speech, it can't be condemned,
Paul said. The doctrine of Christ, John
said, if any man bring any other doctrine, don't let him in your
house. Why? He messed up your hope.
Apostles doctrine I'm continuing steadfastly by God's grace in
Apostles doctrine Right right Charles Apostles doctrines what
I've given you I didn't make this up the doctrine which is
able to save me And everybody in here who heard my voice able
to say It does say Sovereign grace, you know, it's the sinners
doctrine Hey, you can come to call the
righteous in the religion. Sinners don't. You know, sinners like
to suffer grace, don't they? So you proud of the fact you're
a sinner? No. I'm very much shamed of it. Very much shamed of it. And I want to be holy before
God. I want to be just like the Lord Jesus Christ. But I tell
you what, I'm sure proud or glad, whatever word you want to use,
happy about the fact that he came to save sinners. And that's that's the only people
he says and bless God Burgess and I'm glad he didn't put my
name in there. It's faithful saying where they've all said
that's the patient Christ Jesus came in the world to save Charles
Spurgeon. He said I just know there'd be another Charles Spurgeon
out there. He was talking about. But I tell you who Christ died
for. Godly. And God bless me. So bless God. Jesus Christ died for me. Christ
came in the world to save sinners. There's my name, Joe. There's
my name. It's written all over the Bible in my name. Sinners.
It's a sinner's doctor. Good doctor. Good news for sinners.
Peace on earth. Goodwill toward you. Christ died. Christ died. All right. Stand with me and I'll dismiss
this in prayer.

Good Doctrine

What does the Bible say about good doctrine?

How do we know sovereign grace is true?

Why is the concept of total depravity important for Christians?

What does the Bible say about unconditional election?

How does limited atonement relate to the doctrine of sovereign grace?

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Good Doctrine

What does the Bible say about good doctrine?

How do we know sovereign grace is true?

Why is the concept of total depravity important for Christians?

What does the Bible say about unconditional election?

How does limited atonement relate to the doctrine of sovereign grace?

Sermon Transcript

About Paul Mahan

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