Typically, I have one passage of scripture that we look at as a text. This morning, I have a number of texts I would like for us to turn to. The title of the message is Seven Stubborn Statements. Seven Stubborn Statements. And it's likely a familiar title. It's a message that needs to be declared a message that needs to be told often, clearly, without apology, told boldly.

So I'd encourage you to follow along with me in your Bibles this morning. And listen, we have no interest in man's opinion. Let's not look at man's opinion, not what man thinks. or even what men have to say, but rather let's look to the word of God. Here's the first statement.

God is absolutely sovereign. He's absolutely sovereign in all things, or He's not. Is He dependent upon man? Now think about that. Is God dependent upon man? Is he in any way dependent on man's way? In any way dependent on man's will? Man would try and convince us of that. That God is somehow reliant upon man.

In Psalm 50 verse 12, the Lord speaks and He says this, He says, if I were hungry, truly, if I were hungry, I would not tell thee. He said, the world is mine and the fullness thereof. The world and everything in it belongs to God. He created it. It's His. It's for His glory. Turn with me to Psalm 115. Psalm 115. Look at verse three. Go back to verse one.

It says, not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy and for thy truth's sake. Wherefore the heathens say, where is now their God? Verse three, but our God is in the heavens, and he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. whatsoever he hath pleased." In Psalm 135 verse 6, just a few chapters over, it says this, 135 verse 6, whatsoever the Lord pleased. That did He. Whatever He pleased to do, that's exactly what He did.

In heaven, in earth, in the seas, and in all deep places. God is absolutely sovereign in all places. God is absolutely sovereign in all things. He's sovereign in creation. In the beginning, in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. He spoke this world. Think of the power. He spoke this world into creation.

He's sovereign in providence, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, my counsel shall stand. I will do all of my pleasure. I'll do it all. He doeth all things after the counsel of his own will. He's sovereign in salvation. Salvation is of the Lord. Almighty God is gonna save whom he will save. He said this, he said, I'll have mercy on whom I will have mercy.

Romans 9.21, hath not the potter Hath not the potter power over the clay to make one vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor?

We were at a market the other day and there was a man there and he had this little wheel and he'd throw that piece of clay on there. He didn't make what I told him to make. He didn't make what anybody else there told him. He made what he wanted to make. Is God, is He absolutely sovereign? The word of God says He is. Look with me in another scripture. Turn to Isaiah 46. Isaiah 46. Isaiah 46, look at verse 10.

Again, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times, the things that are not yet done, saying, my counsel shall stand. I will do. He will. I will do all of my pleasure. Calling the ravenous bird from the east, the man that executes my counsel from a Far country. He said, I've spoken it. I've spoken it. I'll bring it to pass. I have purposed it. I will do it.

God is absolutely sovereign. Second, here's another stubborn statement. Man is totally depraved. Man is totally sinful. Man is without God, without hope, without life, or he's not. This was in a bulletin I read recently. It says this, with regard to what happened in the garden.

It said if man's nearsighted, he just needs some corrective lenses. But if he's blind, He needs the miracle of sight. If a man is sick, he just needs some medication. But if he's dead, if he's dead, he needs the miracle of life. If a man's just kind of strayed from the way, he needs some directions. But if he's completely lost, then he has to be found.

Here's the question. Here's the question. What happened in the garden? What happened in the garden? What is the condition of a sinner? Did he just stomp his toe? That's not the case, is it? Listen, if he was just wounded in that fall, he just needs somebody to help pick him up. But if he's dead in sin, then he needs life, and only one can give life.

Again, to the word of God, listen to just a few verses. Back there in Genesis, before God destroyed man, this is what he said about him. This is what God said about man. Genesis 6-5, God saw the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart were only evil continually." In Romans, we read this, all. It doesn't say some, it doesn't say a few, it says all.

All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Man is depraved. Man is corrupt. He's an image of corruption, of depravity, of disease. And when Adam fell, he wasn't just slightly wounded. He's dead. In the day that you eat thereof, thou shalt surely, what's the word? Die. He's not just lame. He's not just limping around, needing some help. Totally lame. He can't see God, he can't hear God, he can't love God, he can't know God, he can't serve God. He's without hope. He's without God, without help in this work. Simply said, he is dead. Sometimes we use this term, he's graveyard dead, right? Is that true? Is that true? Am I just standing up here making these things up? Scripture says this, in Adam all died.

We read this in Scripture, the whole head is sick, the whole heart faint from the sole of the foot to the top of the head. There's no soundness in it. Nothing but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores. They haven't been closed, they haven't been bound up, neither mollified with ointment. Man is dead in trespasses and sin.

Third, here's another one. Either God chose his own elect in Christ from before the foundation of the world, or he has no people at all. That's a bold statement, isn't it? Turn with me back to the book of Ephesians. Ephesians 1. Ephesians 1. Look at verse 3. Ephesians 1 verse 3, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as he hath chose us in him.

When did he do that? Before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestinated us under the adoption of children by Jesus Christ 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 Did he? Did he choose his own elect in Christ before the foundation of the world?

Now those that hate the gospel, they would say contrary. They hate, men hate the doctrine of election. They hate the word election. You bring that up in conversation. And they'll say things like, that's not what that means, or I just don't believe that. Well, it's what the word of God declares. 27 times in scripture, the word elect, elected, or election. What did we just read there in Ephesians?

It says he. Who's that? God. What did He do? He chose us. Who's us? It's His elect. He chose us in Christ from before the foundation of the world. That's simply what God's Word declares. Paul writing to the church at Thessalonica there in 2 Thessalonians 2.13. Let me just read it to you. He said, We're bound to give thanks always to God, 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. Well, let's move on. Here's the fourth statement. Here's the fourth stubborn statement. Either God in Christ affectionately redeemed all of his elect by the death of his son or he failed to do so. Now I ask you, did he redeem his people? Did he redeem his people or did he fail?

The Word of God clearly declares, he shall not fail. Well, which is it? Which is it? In Matthew 121, that angel of the Lord appeared unto Joseph, appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take to thee Mary for thy wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. Are you listening? Listen to what else he said here.

She shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sin. That doesn't say he might. It doesn't say he wants to. It doesn't say, if you let Him, He will. What does it say? He shall. He shall save and He shall save His people. And He shall save His people from their sin. Our Lord Speaking in John 10, 15, he said, just listen to these words. He said, I lay down my life for the sheep. They're his sheep. And he's not going to lose one of them. Was he successful? Was he successful? Did he redeem his sheep? Or did he fail?

Turn back to Isaiah. 42. Isaiah 42. Isn't it amazing what's revealed in God's word when we just quit listening to what man has to say and just simply listen to the word of God? Isaiah 42 verse 1, behold, that word behold, that means to look, that means pay close attention. Behold my servant whom I uphold, mine elect and whom my soul delighteth. I put my spirit upon him.

He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not cry. He shall not lift up his voice, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall he not break. A smoking flack shall he not quench. He'll bring forth judgment unto truth. He shall not fail or be discouraged. To accept judgment in the earth, and the hour shall wait. for His law. He's not going to fail. He shall not fail.

Fifth, the Spirit of God irresistibly calls sinners by His grace and power or He doesn't call them at all. You know there are those that say that the Spirit of God can be resisted. That the power of God, the gospel of God can be defeated. A false god can be defeated. An idol can be defeated. My friends, the spirit of God cannot be defeated. The idea that the grace of God can be resisted by the sinner's will.

That man is, I don't even know what this means, that man is a free moral agent. I have no idea what that means. And that all he needs to do is make a decision. I struggle to decide what I'm going to eat for lunch at times. They say this, that it's up to you. It's up to you to walk an aisle. That salvation is somehow a choice.

They say God cast His vote. And I wonder, where are these things in Scripture? It leads me to believe that men are making these things up. Somehow God cast his vote and Satan cast his vote and now it's up to me to cast mine. Can't we just get away from what man has to say and focus on what the Word of God clearly declares? It's the Word of God. That's where comfort is found, that's where hope is found, that's where the truth is found. And the Word of God declares this, it says, thy people shall be willing in the day of God's power, His power. In Psalm 65 verse 4 it says, Blessed is the man whom thou choosest and causes to approach unto thee.

Salvation is not by the power of sinful man. I ask, how much power does a dead man have? Can a dead man do anything other than lay in the grave and decay? Salvation is of the Lord. It's by the power of God. It's by the purpose of God. It's by the grace of God. Salvation is of the Lord. And think about this. God, the Holy Spirit, speaks in power and he calls a dead sinner to himself. He says, live. And that man or woman, they have life in Christ. And they come to Christ. That call is, it's irresistible. It is irresistible.

Think about this, this example given in the scriptures, but our Lord, He stood there in front of the tomb of a dead man. He'd laid there for a number of days. His body began to decay and smell. And our Lord in power speaks. And he says, Lazarus, come forth. Lazarus. Come forth. And he that was dead, what did he do? He came forth. He came forth from the grave.

The Spirit of God irresistibly calls sinners to Christ. And he gives them faith. He gives them life. Here's the sixth statement. Either all of God's elect will persevere to the end, or they won't. Turn with me to John chapter 10. John chapter 10. Look at beginning with verse 27 of John 10.

Our Lord speaks and he says this, he said, my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me and I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish. Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father which gave them me is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.

His elect, His sheep, His church, His bride, they are going to hear the Word of the Gospel. They're going to hear His voice, not just with this ear, but with the heart. God who is absolutely sovereign gives them life, gives them spiritual life, in Christ. He gives a hearing ear.

And the believer's salvation, it's not in our doing and dying. It's not in the creature. The believer's salvation is in Christ, in Christ alone. And we are secure in Him. He's going to save. He will keep. He will preserve to the end. This passage we just read here, it says this. They're His sheep. They're His. They follow Him. They have eternal life. They're kept in His hand, the hand of Christ. God the Father gave them to the Son. He gave them to Christ. And we're not just in His hand, we're in the hand of God Himself. No man, no man can pluck them out of the Father's hand.

That's double secure, isn't it? I'm in His hand, I'm in God's hand. You know, to suggest anything other than that, to suggest for a moment that one of his sheep could be lost, that's to blaspheme the Word of God Himself. He said, no man is going to pluck them out of my hand. I believe God, do you? I believe what God said is true. Will God's elect persevere? Again, just listen to the words.

Listen to the words of our Lord. He said, this is the Father's will, which has sent me, that of all which he hath given me, I shall lose nothing. Not one, not one. Not one will perish, not one will be lost, not one will be ruined, not one will be destroyed. I shall lose nothing." But he said, I'm going to raise them up again at the last day.

Like that one lost sheep we read of. Remember that man, he had one lost sheep. What did he do? He went out and he searched until he found it. Looked everywhere. He found it. And when he found it, he took it up, he laid it on his shoulder, and he brought it home. He wanted everybody to know about it, too, didn't he? Told his neighbors and his friends, rejoice with me. Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep, which was lost. Well, last, here's the seventh statement.

Either salvation, is altogether by the grace of God, or there is no such thing as salvation." You know if salvation was in any way dependent upon the works of man, all would perish, all would be lost. But no man can do that which pleases God. God requires perfection. A man's not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ. We're justified by the faith of Christ, not by the works of the law. Scripture says this, for by the works of the law, by the deeds of the law, there shall no flesh be justified in His sight."

Romans 3.20, deeds of the law, there shall no flesh be justified by any sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. If salvation is dependent upon the will of man, all will perish. Our Lord said, He said, you will not. You will not come to me that you might have life."

Aren't we thankful that salvation is all of grace? It's God who saved us. It's God who called us with a holy calling. Not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace given in Christ Jesus before the world began. It's not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us. I want you to listen to this scripture from Romans 9. It says this, it's not of him that willeth, it's not of him that runneth, but it's of God that showeth mercy. Salvation, it's not by man's works, it's by God's grace, by God's purpose. Salvation is not by man's will, it's by God's will. Is it by grace? Is it all of grace?

Turn with me to just one more passage of scripture. Turn to Ephesians 2. Ephesians 2. Look at verse 8. It's a man saved by the grace of God. Here we read, for by grace. Ephesians 2.8, for by grace are you saved. Any objections to that? That not of yourselves. It's the gift of God. Not by works, lest any man should boast, for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works. which God hath before ordained, that we should walk in them. It's not because I repented. It's not because I believed. It's not because I prayed. It's not because I did anything.

But it's according, it has nothing to do, nothing to do with our works in any shape, form, or fashion. It's by grace. He saved us and He called us according to His purpose. He saved His people. How? By His free and sovereign grace in Christ Jesus. Any objections? Any objections to those statements? We rejoice in them, don't we? We rejoice in them. All right. Isaac Cummings, lead us in a closing hymn.