Sovereign Grace Chapel, located
at 135 Annabel Lane in Beaver, West Virginia, invites you to
listen to a gospel message concerning Jesus Christ our Lord. I do not have a particular text
this morning, so just follow along, take notes of some of
the scriptures that I reference. We often give a message on subjects,
and we might mention or use certain terms that maybe not all of the
hearers understand what is being said, or what the term means,
or where it comes from. I will give you a for instance.
I have done a message before called, Can an Armenian Be Saved? I did not think about the fact
that there might be someone hearing me that did not know what I meant
by Arminian. So let me start with this word
and clarify what I am talking about when I say in an Arminian.
I am referring to those who have an imagination that says man
has a free will. I said imagination because that
is what it is and it is not taught in scripture anywhere. That is
that man has a free will. This, of course, seems to have
first been started as an outward teaching by Jacob Arminius. Although
it may have not been taught as the hordes teach it today, in
its outright perversion of scripture, but it was set forth as a doctrine
taught by men by him first, as far as I can tell. Although men
throughout all ages think they have free will. This so-called
free will, as one preacher said, is self-will disguised as free
will. And God condemns self-will. Scripture
tells us there is nothing new under the sun. So man is no more
corrupt in his outward rebellion against God and his word by openly
professing he has free will than he has been throughout the ages.
We just see it more openly now. If God's word says otherwise,
Then Jacob, Arminius, or anyone else coming up with a doctrine
is just a perversion of what God's word says. If God says
in his words that man cannot do just one thing, then if there
is just one thing he cannot do, it means he does not have a free
will, as purported by thousands today. Having free will means
you can do anything you want. Why play the lottery if you have
free will and just will to be rich? Let me know how that works
out. Free will is a lie on God and
it is perverted doctrine for which God hates. Now the scripture
teaches us that God is in the heaven and hath done whatsoever
he hath pleased. It also says that Jesus Christ
is the word. It also says he is the truth,
the life, and the way. So whatever God says is right
because it is God's word and he knows all because he purposed
all. Now if you do not believe this,
scripture is just proved to be right. If you say I cannot believe
that, then scripture is just proved or confirmed to be right.
If you say I will not believe that or anything else from God's
word, then scripture is proved to be right. If you can, will,
and do believe these things, then scripture is proved to be
right. So now we know what the term
Arminian means or is used for when it is said. Those who believe
the lie of free will. There was also an acronym which
also started around the time of Jacob Arminius. That acronym
was T-U-L-I-P, TULIP. I do not know if those who oppose
these doctrines started this, or those who believe these certain
doctrines started this, and it really does not matter who came
up with this specifically. There are those who are called
Calvinists, and they are today associated with this acronym
TULIP. I want to give you what this
acronym stands for. Total depravity. This is talking
about the corruption of man or the degradation of man or perversion
of man. Unconditional election. This
is being chosen by God just because he wanted to choose some and
not others. Not based on man in any way. Only based on the will of God.
Limited atonement. This is an atonement that was
not made for everyone, but only for those who God chose. This
atonement was for them a complete saving atonement. Irresistible
grace. Grace given that cannot be resisted
by the recipient or refused. Perseverance of the saints. This
can be said better as preserved saints. God preserving those
whom he chose until he takes them home or he returns to get
them. Those who hold to these doctrines
are often called several names, depending on who is doing the
name-calling. Calvinist, Calvinistic, Hyper-Calvinist,
Hardshells, or at least some of the ones I can think of. I
will gladly take on any of these names as these doctrines are
taught in God's word and are truth. So let's go through these
points briefly, showing from scripture that they are taught
in his word. So I have five points. T-U-L-I-P, total depravity, unconditional
election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, and preserved
saints. The English word for depravity
is not in the scripture. The meaning of this word is taught
all throughout scripture. The word depravity means corruption,
degradation, or perversion. We see from the very beginning
God telling Adam in the day he eats of the fruit, he would die.
Meaning this day would come for sure. It did not take long. This was not a surprise to God. God is absolute righteousness,
life and truth. So death is corruption in the
sight of God. There is no doubt in scripture
of this. Being dead, man cannot see God. He cannot hear what God is telling
him. Why? Because he is dead. There are none that are dead
that can see or hear anything. You may see or hear physically,
but spiritually you have no ears or eyes to hear or to see. That which is born of the flesh
is flesh, and that is all it will ever be. Therefore, man
knows not how to please God. He is, in fact, incapable of
doing this because he is dead. That is, separated from God because
God is spirit. Romans 5, verses 12 says, Wherefore,
as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin,
and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. That's very clear. Romans 3 verses
9 through 12 says, what then, are we better than they? No and
no wise, for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, and there
are no other people, just Jews and Gentiles, that they are all
under sin. As it is written, there is none
righteous, no, not one. There is none that understandeth.
There is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of
the way. They are together become unprofitable. There is none that doeth good.
No, not one. There are plenty of other scriptures
that tell us of the depravity of man. We know that which is
born of the flesh is flesh, and nothing but corrupt flesh. Ephesians
4.22 says that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old
man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lust. So the
old man is corrupt. That is how all men and women
are born with the old man, and some always only have this old
man. This old man is corrupt, or that
is, totally depraved. This old man will never please
God, never. But there are those whom if God
is pleased, he will create in them a new heart. That being
a new creation, or a new man. This new man now having the ability
to see and hear. Second Corinthians five and verse
17 says, Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away. Behold,
all things are become new. Those who have been created new
still have this old nature, and this old nature will never love
God. So the new man is a new creation
by God. Who are those that are created
new? This leads me to the second point, unconditional election. Now let's be clear. First of
all, the one doing the election is God. There is nothing in man
that would even give God a reason to choose him. There is no condition
that any man could ever meet if God did condition his choosing
on that, which he did not condition his choosing on man doing anything. The only condition that had to
be met was met by Christ when he died on that tree. This was
not a condition of the choosing, but rather a covenant made by
God Himself that He would do this to secure those for whom
He chose in salvation. It was in Christ that God Almighty
chose man, and nothing of what fallen sinful man would meet
as some kind of condition. Romans 9 verses 11 through 13
says, for the children being not yet born, neither having
done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election
might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth, it was said
unto her, the elder shall serve the younger. As it is written,
Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. Jacob and Esau
here represent those whom God chose and those whom God rejected. I'm not here to debate that.
Neither Jacob or Esau had done either good or evil, but God
chose Jacob to love him and Esau he hated. That is what it says
and that is what it means. This was all done that God's
purpose according to election might stand. Election is choosing,
and it was God's purpose for it to be this way. God had a
purpose in choosing certain individuals. What he based it on, we are not
told. We are only told what it was
not based on. That is, it was specifically
not based on anything man would do, good or evil. Ephesians 1-4 says, According
as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. And
then Revelation 17 says, and this is in the negative, the
beast that thou sawest was and is not and shall ascend out of
the bottomless pit and go into perdition. And they that dwell
on the earth shall wander whose names were not written in the
book of life from the foundation of the world when they beheld
the beast that was and is not and yet is. He also had a purpose
in bringing about the one seed, which is Jesus Christ. Meaning
God purposed certain individual men and women come together,
and God would bring about the birth of the elect, Jesus Christ
the Lord. First Peter 1.20 says, talking
about Jesus Christ, who verily was foreordained before the foundation
of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you. God's word is full of doctrine
of God choosing a people for his namesake. So God unconditionally
chose a people and he did this for that one seed, the elect. First and foremost, it was for
his glory. Salvation is of the Lord. But
he chose this people unto salvation. He accomplished this through
atoning for their sins. him dying on that tree. This
atonement was limited to those he chose. It was not limited
in its efficacy, or that is, its power. It got the job done. This brings me to my next point,
limited atonement. Atonement, this word means to
cover or purge, make reconciliation, that is, bring together that
which was separated previously. It also means to cover with pitch.
The blood of Jesus Christ covered those for whom it was shed for.
Holy, W-H-O-L-L-Y, holy and complete. Jesus Christ being the righteousness
of God, since he has covered us by his blood, God sees those
for whom he died as righteous before him, Christ reconciling
them together. Or that is bringing them into
union with one another. God sees them as his son. God's
people are the body of Christ. He is the head, and his people,
as the bride of Christ, are the body. God sees the head in which
the body is a part of, or that is, unioned with Christ. His
atonement was in no way limited in its effectiveness. It was
only limited in scope. That is, it was only for those
whom were chosen in him from before the foundation of the
world. God did not die for everyone. Had he died for everyone, then
everyone would be saved. Because he said, it is finished. Hebrews 9 and 11 and 12 says.
but Christ, being come in high priest of good things to come,
by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands,
that is to say, not of this building, neither by the blood of goats
and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy
place, having obtained eternal redemption For us, that is perpetual
deliverance from the penalty of sin. That is what eternal
redemption means and Christ has obtained it. If this makes you
mad, I completely understand. It made me mad at one time. But
if it does, maybe you were not a part of that atonement. It
could be that he has just not revealed himself to you yet.
I hope that is the case. But scripture is quite clear
that Jesus Christ raised victorious. His offering being accepted by
the Father because it says He is seated at the right hand of
the Father on high. Having secured salvation for
his chosen people, and now seated at the right hand of the Father
on high, the only thing left is to let those who have been
chosen in Christ know about their salvation. That salvation being
Jesus Christ. This leads me to my next point,
which is God moving on an individual in grace, bringing them to know
him in love. those who are the enemies of
God, irresistibly drawn into the fold or his body in love. Now God is the God of all grace.
Grace comes from no other. John 1 14 says, and the word
was made flesh and dwelt among us. And we beheld his glory,
the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace
and truth. John 1 17 says, for the law was
given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is God. If you are
to have grace, then it must be Him that gives it. We being born
dead to God cannot nor will not look for grace from God. Grace
must be bestowed or that is given to us before we can ever see
God. Scripture says there is none
that seeketh after God. So we are not looking for grace
from God because we are not seeking God at all. We do not even know
we have a need of God. We are dead, therefore we cannot
do anything toward God. So in time, God has purpose for
those he chose to move on them in grace. They have no power
to resist this grace, for they are dead and could do nothing
to prevent it. God is all powerful, nor can
they ask or get grace if he is unwilling to give it because
they are dead. God, for his great love wherewith
he has loved us, will come to us when he has been pleased,
giving us life. With that life, we then having
the ability and not only that, the will to seek God. He sends
the gospel to those for whom he has chosen. We then hearing
the gospel in life, we then in love bow down to him in sweet
adoration. We do not love God, then he loves
us. Scripture says in 1 John 4, 19,
we love him because he first loved us. This is cause and effect. Because he sheds his irresistible
grace on us, we cannot but help and love him. God forces us to
bow down to him. This he does in love towards
his own. They all gladly and willingly
do this at his appointed time. You can mark this down. If you
never bow down to this God in this life, then you are not one
of his. Hear what God says to us, 2 Thessalonians
2.13. But we are bound to give thanks
always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because
God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification
of the spirit, that's life, and belief of the truth, the gospel
being sent to you. We being chosen of God were chosen
unto something, that is salvation. Now Jesus Christ being God satisfied
the justice of God, bringing us into union with himself, by
himself, that is salvation. That atonement wrought by Christ,
we in time come to be shown this. Our eyes being opened by God,
we are in our hearts and minds given by God, now able to enter
into that salvation. Believing God, which then leads
me to preserve saints. God then continues, and it must
be him that does so, and he promises it to his own. but he will keep
them until the day of Jesus Christ. Those to whom God chose are sinners
by nature. In that time of irresistible
grace, he, that is God, that is Jesus Christ, that is the
Spirit, makes them saints. Saints are those who are holy,
made so by God, meaning he sets them apart for his use. This
sovereign almighty God who has all power keeps those whom are
his. In fact, he keeps them that are
his always, even before he reveals himself to them. If he does not
do this, he first is not all powerful. But it would mean he
would leave things up to someone else or something else, and they
would not last. But it's more than him just directing
his own. He controls every man or woman.
The scripture says in Proverbs 16, 33, the lot is cast into
the lap, but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. For those
that are his, he continues to teach them of himself. He comforts
them concerning himself, taking them through many full tribulations,
trying their faith, that faith which is his gift in regeneration.
but it keeps them always, causing them to continually look to Him
and believing Him until they lay down this body of flesh,
or He returns one day. 2 Timothy 1.12 reads, For the
witch calls, I also suffer these things. Nevertheless, I am not
ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that
he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against
that day. And Jude 24 reads, now unto him
that is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless
before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. The same
God who shed his grace on you giving you faith in living to
God is the same God who keeps you in that same grace giving
you faith. That same faith he gave you in
regeneration until you die or he returns. So with that being
said, the doctrines that I have spoken to you about all involve
one cause. The cause of all these doctrines
is one man, that man Jesus Christ our Lord. This leads me to my
conclusion. Jesus Christ is the God of all
these doctrines. He purposed that men end up totally
depraved to show forth his glory in saving a people for his name.
If it happened, it was God's purpose. If it happens, it is
God's purpose. If it does not happen, then it
is God's purpose. He does whatsoever he hath been
pleased to do in the armies of heavens and in the inhabitants
of the earth. And none can stay his hand or
say unto him, what doest thou? He is the Christ who chose some
unconditionally. He is the Christ who atoned for
those whom he chose. That atonement limited in scope,
but not in power. He is the Christ who in irresistible
grace draws men to himself. He is the Christ who preserves
all of his until the day. I am looking, or you can say
preaching to those who are seeking salvation. If you are not seeking,
then what I have to say to you is of no value. To those who
are seeking, I'm telling you where salvation can be found.
Now do not misunderstand me because of everything I've just went
through. Salvation is not in Tulip. Salvation is not in knowing
Tulip. There was a time long ago when
God first started to open my eyes, someone asked me, do you
know what Tulip is? I thought for a minute, and the
only thing I could think of, it's a flower. We got a little
chuckle out of that. Jesus Christ, who is God, is
the only place salvation can be found. We may speak to individuals
about doctrine, and doctrine is important and must be taught.
You will have knowledge in knowing Christ. But Christ gives to every
man and woman the measure of faith he is pleased to give.
He gives to them the measure of love he is pleased to give
them. He gives to them the measure of knowledge he is pleased to
give them. No matter what you or anyone else does will change
that. He is in absolute sovereign control. But we follow a person, that
person being the person of the doctrine. It is that person that
gives the doctrine or makes the doctrine. So it is that person
we adore and not just the doctrine. That doctrine describes to us
who God is. But it is God we trust. because
we do not know all the doctrine. Doctrine cannot save you. Jesus
Christ saves you. Doctrine teaches us of that one
who does save us. Jesus Christ is the giver of
life and everything that pertains unto that life. He will sustain
it all. You may know some doctrine, but
you will not know it all. God gives to every man the measure
of everything he is pleased. This is a good reason to be quick
to hear, slow to speak, but also a good reason why we should search
the scripture daily to see if these things be so. Try the spirits. How do we do that? By his word. He gives the treasure and he
sustains the treasure. You must look to him, the one
that giveth to all of his whom he chose, that is Jesus Christ
the Lord. He will guide you into all truth,
1 John 4 and 2 says, Hereby know ye the Spirit of God. Every spirit
that confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God. Confessing that Jesus Christ
is come in the flesh, what does this mean? It means God himself
came down to save sinners and he accomplished what he came
to do. Knowing Christ is salvation to a man or a woman because Christ
actually secured salvation for them. In God's eyes, we are in
Christ. But he does not just leave us
there not knowing these things. It is not just knowing about
Christ. It is knowing him intimately. It is knowing him so that you
do not want to be without him because he is your life. This
is all because he first knew you if you were one of his. You
may not know much about him at first. We all will be like the
queen of Sheba when we start to learn. The half was not told
me. I do want to tell men and women
the doctrine of Christ, but I tell them these things hoping they
know the Christ of the doctrine. Just a reminder, at 12 noon on
WVVACW, you can tune in to hear a portion of one of our Sunday
morning messages. Or come and be with us just a
little bit past Little Beaver State Park. We start at 10.30
on Sunday morning. Come hear Jesus Christ and Him
crucified proclaim.