I grew up hearing a message which
was purported to be the gospel. In this message we were told
that the Lord wanted everybody to be saved from the pit of hell
and had basically done all he could to provide a means whereby
men could escape that awful place if they would just avail themselves
of it. A good deal of effort was made to try to persuade men
to just let God save them, or at least give God a chance. Quite
often, great crusades and revival meetings were held. Eloquent
men, well-versed in the latest soul-winning techniques, were
brought in to ply their trade and reap a big harvest of souls,
which was accomplished by convincing them to walk forward at the end
of one of these meetings while the music played, and they were
reminded that they might not have another chance to be saved. Not much has really changed over
the years as these puppeteers and soul merchants exercise themselves
and woo their listeners with modern technology at their fingertips.
Many of them can even tell us in dollars and cents exactly
what it takes to win a soul for Christ. They can pass sea and
land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, they make him
twofold more the child of hell than themselves. It is not within
man by nature to know the Lord. They are only able to see and
embrace the truth of God as the Lord sees fit to show it to them.
When the Lord Jesus rose from the dead, had He wished to reveal
Himself to all men, He could have simply appeared in the temple
or in the Sanhedrin on the third day. Every day thereafter He
could have gone about the city and countryside showing men that
He was risen from the dead. but he only showed himself to
his disciples. Men desire to usurp the glory
of God in whatever way they can. Well-meaning but mistaken men
think that they can assist the Lord, and in doing so become
in their minds a vital part in the salvation of the Lord's elect.
Man plays no active role in his or anyone else's salvation in
any sense, but the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord.
He is their strength in the time of trouble. The true sons of
God find a great delight in this fact. The Lord Jesus Christ is
the absolute Savior of His people. He has known them. He has loved
them. He has purchased them. He has
triumphed over death in their behalf. He has imputed His righteousness
to them and their sin to Himself. He is presently revealing Himself
to them. He is calling them. He has sent
His Spirit to guide and comfort them, and He shall return to
gather them unto Himself. All of the glory belongs to Him.
We have no time nor interest in hearing or speaking any message
other than that one which speaks of an accomplished salvation
for the sons of God in the person of Jesus Christ the righteous,
who are those to whom the arm of the Lord is revealed. to those
whom the Lord is pleased to reveal it. All things are delivered
unto me of my Father. And no man knoweth the Son, but
the Father. Neither knoweth any man the Father,
save the Son. And he to whomsoever the Son
will reveal him. If any man gains a knowledge
of the Lord, and the salvation wrought by his hand, it will
be because he alone intends to open that man's eyes, and he
shall accomplish exactly what he intends to do. The fact that
he has been pleased to show men his salvation and give them an
interest in it is evidence of his great mercy. What has or
can any man do to deserve or earn it? The arm of the Lord
is revealed to those whom the Lord is not hardened or blinded.
Very few doctrines stir the ire of religious men any more than
the doctrine of reprobation. Paul gives the example of this
with Jacob and Esau saying, 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. On the one hand, reprobation
is an active work by the Lord to deny any of those whom He
has rejected any sort of access into His knowledge. On the other
hand, it is accomplished passively by allowing them to go on in
the way which their very nature causes them to desire to go.
We see this clearly in the Scriptures when the Lord said that He hardened
Pharaoh's heart, yet at the same time Pharaoh hardened his own
heart. The arm of the Lord is revealed unto men according to
the time appointed by Him. But when it pleased God, who
separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by His grace
to reveal His Son in me, to everything there is a season, and a time
to every purpose under heaven. O Thou lovely, loving Savior,
bless us with a solemn frame. Teach us now, henceforth, and
ever to adore Thy matchless name. Give us, blessed Jesus, give
us a sweet glimpse of Thy sweet face. From all carking care relieve
us, fill us with Thy boundless grace. For a free CD containing
15 of these radio broadcasts, send an email to forthepoor at
windstream.net.