Good morning, everybody. It was
good to see everybody yesterday, and it's good to have David and
Elizabeth and Levi and Evan with us this morning. I'm thankful that God, I'm thankful
for these men who've allowed me to stand up here and speak.
I'm just a lowly servant. That's all I am, a minister.
And I need you to judge me on the gospel of Jesus Christ and
Him crucified. If you would, please turn to
2 Timothy 2, verse 19. 2 Timothy 2, verse 19. I'm just going to
read one verse. Nevertheless, the foundation
of God stand ashore, having this seal. The Lord knoweth them that
are his, and let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart
from iniquity. I want to start this by asking
a question. And I want to say up front, the
answer to this question means much more than the question itself,
which I hope to show. But the question is this, can
an Armenian be saved? Some who hear this immediately
respond with something like this, God does not save men with lies. With this statement, I wholeheartedly
agree. but it's really not answering
the question at hand. It's also been said that someone
who says an Armenian can be saved, that they who say that are not
saved either. They say this is preaching peace,
peace where there is no peace. And this just brings a couple
of passages to mind. Proverbs 18, 13, it says, He
that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and
shame unto him. And then the other one that comes
to my mind is, wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man
be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. James 1, 9. I
want to look at scripture as it relates to the question and
in light of our passage in Second Timothy 219 to see what scripture
says about who can be saved. And then I want to look at how
and when they are saved. Can we know who can be saved?
I want to look at God's word to see what it says about salvation
and the recipients of that salvation. First, who will be saved? whom God chose will be saved. God the Father, God the Son,
and God the Holy Spirit, before the foundation of the world,
purposed to choose a people in Christ. Think about this. God is eternal and never has
a new thought, so he has always chosen his people in Christ.
Ephesians 1, 4 through 7 says this. 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, having predestinated
us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according
to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of
His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved. in
whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of
sins, according to the riches of his grace. So, those to whom
God chose are the same ones Christ died for, and those will be saved. So those for whom Christ died
for will be saved. Who are those that Christ died
for that will be saved? In Romans 5, 6, we read this.
For when we were yet without strength in due time, Christ
died for the ungodly. And again in Romans 5.8 it says,
but God commendeth his love toward us in that while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us. So we see Christ died for the
ungodly and sinners. But again we see in 1 Timothy
1.15 it says this, This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation
that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom
I am chief. So ungodly and sinners will be
saved. But we also read those who will
be saved will be those whom God calls. God Almighty has been
pleased for those whom he chose and for whom Christ died to call
them unto himself. In Acts 2.39 it says this, for
the promise is unto you and to your children and to all that
are far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
In Matthew 9.13 it also says, but go ye and learn what meaneth.
I will have mercy and not sacrifice, for I am come to call the righteous,
I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Now,
Who are these sinners that God chose, Christ died for, and are
called of God? What are some of the characteristics,
you might say, of them who God calls? Because these are they
who will be saved. Those of a contrite spirit. God will break these people down
so much so that they have nowhere to go, nowhere else to turn,
and they will come to the end of their self. In Psalm 34, 18,
it says this, the Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken
heart, and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. So those
of a broken heart and contrite spirit will be saved. What do
those who have this characteristic do? They call on him. And we read those who call on
the Lord will be saved. Those who call on Him, Psalm
55, 16. As for me, I will call upon God,
and the Lord shall save me. Psalm 86, 5 says this. For thou, Lord, art good, and
ready to forgive, and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call
upon thee. Again, in Psalm 145, 18, we read,
the Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon Him, to all that
call upon Him in truth. In Acts 2.21 it says this, and
it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call on the name of the
Lord shall be saved. Again in Romans 10.13 we read,
for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be
saved. So we see that whom God chose,
whom Christ died for, whom he calls, whom are sinners, whom
are of a contrite spirit, whom call upon the name of the Lord,
will be saved. So now let's look at those who
we have seen from scripture that will be saved. Now look at how
and when they are saved. It's not too much different from
what I've already given you. Those who are the recipients
of salvation are made so by the same God who has and who will
carry out that salvation. And he will do it for whom he
is pleased to do so. So first, when Christ died on
the tree, they were saved. In Hebrews 9.12, it says this,
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. So he obtained redemption for
us. Redemption is salvation. So when
Christ died for those whom he chose, they were saved. When
were we chosen in Christ? And why do I say this? Because
we were chosen in Christ before the world began. But scripture
also tells us this, that Christ is the lamb slain from the foundation
of the world. In Revelations 13, it ends that
verse, 13a, it says, of the lamb slain from the foundation of
the world. In God's mind, when he thinks
something, it is as good as done. His thoughts are eternal and
they never change, so we were saved in eternity. Can you imagine
that? That's hard to understand, hard
to wrap your mind around. However, we are not God and our
thoughts are not like His. We are altogether become unprofitable
and have everyone turn to his own way, so we have to be revealed
this glorious thought of God in time. Just as God was pleased
to send forth his son in time to actually die for us. He was
a man just like me, flesh and blood, skin and bones. But also
in time, when the gospel is preached to them, the ones he has chosen,
he sends them the gospel and it comes to them in power and
much assurance. Second Thessalonians 2.13 says
this, 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
and belief of the truth. So salvation is by sanctification
of the spirit and belief of the truth. And last of all, we read
when Christ returns. Hebrews 9.28 says this, So Christ
was once offered to bear the sins of many, and unto them that
look for him shall he appear the second time with sin unto
salvation. How do we know that these are
those whom I've been speaking? Well, in Revelation 7.14 we read
this, These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall
overcome them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings. and
they that are with Him are called and chosen and faithful. Last
of all, we read in 1 Peter 1.5, it says, who are kept by the
power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed
in the last time. Someone might say you have people
being saved several times. No, God has saved me and He does
this for all those He chose from the foundation of the world.
He has, He is, and He shall save me to the uttermost. He has utterly
saved my soul from hell and the grave so that I will one day
awaken His likeness. He saved me, He is saving me,
and He will save me. Again, can you imagine that?
So, God has determined who will be saved as well as proved or
shown us in His word the how and when they are saved. Now,
let me ask a few more questions and forget about what our natural
mind thinks about it and consider what God has said about the matter.
Can a harlot be saved? I know of at least three in scripture
and one is still called a harlot to this day. Can a Catholic be
saved? I know one right here. Can a
Baptist be saved? I know several of those who have
been. Can someone under sovereign grace be saved? I know several
of them that have, but have all? Can a Pharisee of Pharisees be
saved? Turn with me to Acts 9, please. Acts 9. And I want you to pay
attention here to this one little word It's been said here before
this one little word in the first verse and saw yet Breathing out
threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord went
unto the high priest and desired of him letter letters to Damascus
to the synagogues that if any be found in this way and whether
they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.
And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus, and suddenly there
shined round about him a light from heaven. And he fell to the
earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest
thou me? And he said, who art thou, Lord?
And the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest. It is
hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling
and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And
the Lord said unto him, Arise and go into the city, and it
shall be told thee what thou must do. And the men which journeyed
with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. And
Saul rose from the earth, and when his eyes were opened, he
saw no man. But they led him by the hand
and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without
sight, and neither did he eat or drink. And there was a certain
disciple at Damascus named Ananias. And to him said the Lord in a
vision, Ananias? And he said, Behold, I am here,
Lord. And the Lord said unto him, Arise,
and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire
in the house of Judas, for one called Saul of Tarsus. For behold,
he prayeth. and hath seen in a vision a man
named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him that
he might receive his sight. Then Ananias answered, Lord,
I have heard by many of this man how much evil he hath done
to thy saints at Jerusalem, and there he hath authority from
the chief priests to bind all that call upon thy name. But
the Lord said unto him, Go thy way, for he is a chosen vessel
unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and
the children of Israel. For I will show him how great
things he must suffer for my name's sake. The answer only comes from God,
and if he is willing, because all we like sheep have gone astray,
and we've turned every one to their own way. so much so that
our iniquity had to be laid on Him. He must turn us before we
will be saved. But who He turns is up to Him. Just think about this in Psalm
80, you don't have to turn to it, but three times in Psalm
80 it says this, turn us again. The first time it says, oh God.
The second time it says, oh God of hosts. And the third time
it says, O Lord God of hosts, turn us again, O Lord God of
hosts, cause our face to shine, and we shall be saved. Now I
want to come back briefly to the statement where some say
that saying an Armenian can be saved is preaching peace, peace,
where there is no peace. Peace can only be found in Jesus
Christ. If I tell a man, that peace is
found in Jesus Christ, I am telling him the truth whether he is Arminian
or otherwise. But what is speaking peace, peace
where there is no peace? Speaking peace, peace where there
is no peace is telling someone that they are okay who has no
idea who Christ is. That they can walk after the
imaginations of their own heart and no evil will come upon them.
you can look at Jeremiah 23, 17 to see if what I'm telling
you is true. But that is speaking peace, peace
where there is no peace. But if I tell them that the only
place where they can ever find peace is in the face of Jesus
Christ, I am telling them the truth. Christ is our peace. Christ made peace. God almighty
tells us to go and preach the gospel of peace to all who will
hear. If a man or a woman has been given life from God and
God sends them the truth, even yet while they are breathing
out threatenings against God and against his people, if he
gave them life and they hear this message, they will be saved. His arm is not so short that
it cannot save. This world does not have anything
that can stand in his way. He can get the gospel to them
regardless of what obstacle you or I might think is in the way.
His gospel will knock down any wall of rebellion against Him,
causing them to lay down their arms against Him. God knoweth
them that are His, and He will if He has chosen them, sending
Christ to die for them, and then causing them to come to the end
of themselves, Arminian, Harlot, Pharisee, or whoever they might
be. You know, I may never see this happen, but God sometimes
allows us to see His work being done and seeing someone turn
to Christ and it being manifest in them believing God about who
He is and what He has done. And they take sides with God
against themselves, knowing what a wretch they are. So, can an
Arminian be saved? The answer is no, if God did
not choose them in Christ before the world began, Christ not dying
for them, and they never being sent the gospel in power and
much assurance, so then not believing him and bowing down to him, thinking
themselves to be in control of their destiny, those will not
be saved. But the answer is yes, if they
are chosen in Christ before the world began, Christ having died
for them, and him sending the gospel to them with power in
his spirit, causing them to believe him and bowing down to him in
his gospel, causing them to take sides with God against themselves,
then these are saved. I have to answer this question
this way. I don't know if an Armenian can be saved for sure
or not, but nor do I know if a Catholic, Baptist, Pharisee,
harlot, Sovereign Grace Assembly attendee, or anyone else can
be saved. But I can say with scripture,
the foundation of God standeth sure, having the seal. The Lord
knoweth them that are his. And what is this foundation?
Therefore, thus saith the Lord God, in Isaiah 28, Behold, I
lay in Zion for a foundation of stone, a tried stone, a precious
cornerstone, a sure foundation. He that believeth shall not make
haste. That precious cornerstone is
Christ. He will in His own time bring
them to know His Son. My prayer is that if there's
someone here or someone that might hear this, that this sovereign
almighty God who does show mercy will be pleased to show mercy
to another sinner such as I am. Because if he does for you what
he did for me, being an Armenian at heart, If he does this for
you, you will be saved, and Christ Jesus the Lord has made it so
by taking your sins to himself so that you might be made the
righteousness of God in him. He has for his people given them
life so that they hear this glorious gospel of his dear son so that
he has saved them to the uttermost. What answer are you looking for?
Amen. Dear, glorious, merciful God
the Father, thank you for your son and your glorious gospel
that we can hear of him, that we might be bowed down to him
and serve him. Oh, dear Lord, help us to continue
to look to Christ, to love one another, to support each other
in the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
In all these things we ask, amen.