Who makes you differ from another?
Frank Hall. Who makes you differ from another?
1 Corinthians 4 7. What made the difference between
Cain and Abel, between Esau and Jacob, between Judas and Peter? What makes the difference between
believers and unbelievers, between the righteous and the wicked,
between the elect and the reprobate, between the godly and the ungodly,
between one who has saving knowledge of God and a heathen infidel? It is not what, but who. Who makes you differ from another? It is the God of all grace who
makes one man to differ from another. Contrary to popular
opinion, men do not make the difference in salvation. God
does. He loves some, but hates others. He chooses some, but passes by
others. He blesses some, and curses others. He saves some, but destroys others. This is God's sovereign right
as God. Has not the potter power over
the clay of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour and
another unto dishonour? Romans 9.21 God always does with men, as
he pleases. Who are men to reply against
God? Shall the thing form, say to
him who formed it, Why have you made me thus? Romans 9, 20. Will not the all-wise God do
what is best, just, and good? How dare fickle ignorant men
call the Most High God into question? Woe to him who quarrels with
his Maker, to him who is but a potsherd among the potsherds
on the ground! Does the clay say to the potter,
What are you making?—Isaiah 45.9. Why do you strive against him?
for he gives not account of his matters—Job 33.13. It is we who must answer to Him,
not He to us. He is on the throne, and we are
but His footstool. He is the potter, and we are
the clay. He is the Creator, and we are
His creatures. He is God, and we are not. The God of all grace made the
difference between his people and the reprobate from eternity.
Before the foundation of the world, God the Father justly
elected some of humanity to salvation and passed by all the rest. The
Lord Jesus made the difference between His church and the world
at Calvary, where He laid down His life, poured out His blood,
and effectually redeemed all whom the Father elected to salvation. The Sovereign Spirit makes the
difference between the souls of His people and the souls of
the ungodly in regeneration, effectually calling chosen redeemed
sinners to life and faith in Christ. The triune God does this
not because His people are better, more deserving, or more worthy
of salvation, but because He will, because He is pleased to
do so. In all things, God makes the
difference, not us. There is no difference between
God's saints and the wicked by nature, for all have sinned and
come short of the glory of God. Romans 3 23 The only difference
is the difference that God makes by His distinguishing grace.
We, as God's elect, have nothing to boast of, nothing to be proud
of, and no reason to look down on others as being inferior to
us. We were born just like everyone
else, dead in trespasses and sins. By nature we lived in rebellion
against God, just like everyone else. We walked according to
the course of this world, according to the prints of the power of
the air, living to fulfill the lusts of our flesh, and were
by nature children of wrath even as others. We have nothing to
brag about, but much to be thankful for. In sovereign grace, He loved
us, He chose us, He blessed us, and set His affection on us,
and He saved us. In distinguishing mercy, our
Savior was born for us, lived for us, suffered for us, bled
for us, and reigns for us. In discriminating love, He sought
us out, chased us down, subdued our hearts, gave us spiritual
life, and blessed us with the gift of everlasting salvation. Thank God for His sovereign,
discriminating grace.