The God Who IS God - Part 2

Q: What does the Bible say about God's sovereignty?

The Bible affirms that God is sovereign, ruling over all creation according to His will (Daniel 4:35). Scripture clearly teaches that God is sovereign, as illustrated in passages such as Daniel 4:35, which states that God does according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. His sovereignty encompasses every aspect of life, and nothing escapes His authority. This means that God's plans cannot be thwarted, and all events occur under His divine providence. The reality of God's sovereignty assures believers that He is in control, even in challenging circumstances, and it offers comfort in the knowledge that no matter what happens, God reigns supreme.

Q: How do we know total depravity is true?

The doctrine of total depravity is supported by scriptures like Ephesians 2:1, which states that we are dead in trespasses and sins. Total depravity, often misunderstood as merely being sinful, is a biblical teaching that posits every part of man is affected by sin, rendering him incapable of achieving righteousness or turning to God without divine intervention. Ephesians 2:1 explicitly states, "And you hath he quickened, that means given spiritual life to, who were dead in trespasses and sins." This clearly indicates that prior to God's work in our lives, we are spiritually dead and unable to respond to God on our own. This doctrine underscores man's complete dependence on God's grace for salvation, emphasizing that no human effort can merit favor with God.

Q: Why is the finished work of Christ important for Christians?

The finished work of Christ assures us that our redemption is complete and that we are fully saved (John 19:30). The finished work of Christ on the cross signifies that all the requirements for our salvation have been met, encapsulated in His cry, "It is finished" (John 19:30). This means Jesus fully paid the penalty for sin, breaking the power of sin and ensuring that believers are justified before God. If Christ's work were incomplete, we would face uncertainty regarding our standing with God—could our actions invalidate His sacrifice? Thankfully, Scripture affirms that salvation is a completed act. Believers can rest in the assurance that, through His sacrifice, they are redeemed and secure. The knowledge that salvation is finished empowers Christians to live confidently in their faith without the burden of striving to achieve righteousness.

Q: How does election relate to salvation?

Election teaches that God sovereignly chooses certain individuals for salvation (2 Thessalonians 2:13). The doctrine of election emphasizes God's sovereign choice in the salvation of individuals, as articulated in passages like 2 Thessalonians 2:13, which states, "God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation." This doctrine assures believers that their salvation is rooted in God's eternal plan, rather than dependent on human efforts or decisions. This is profoundly comforting, as it reminds us that our faith is a product of God's grace and initiative. The assurance that God has chosen His people from eternity brings security in their salvation, as they can trust that He will not lose any of those He has called. This foundational truth underscores the absolute grace of God and the joy of belonging to His chosen ones.

Bear with me back to Exodus chapter 3. Exodus chapter 3. We are picking up here where we just left off in the Bible study. And for those of you who were not able to be in the Bible study, our text is Exodus 3 verse 14, which says, God said unto Moses, I am that I am.

And he said, thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I am hath sent me unto you. Moses asked the Lord, who should I tell the children of Israel that you are? And he said, this is what you tell them. You tell them I am God. You tell them I am God.

We are looking today at the God who is God. And again, we started this in the Bible study. That was our part one. This message is our part two. And we're looking at the God who is God by way of six statements. Six statements that God's word confronts head on. and deals with head-on to the point that a fine line is drawn on what is the truth or a lie concerning God and concerning man and concerning salvation. And for a recap, in the Bible study a moment ago, the first statement was this, either God is sovereign or He is not. Either God is the absolute ruler and controller of all things or He's not. And we looked at many scriptures to prove that He is.

I'll just quote one of them to you. Daniel 435, it says, all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing. And He, God Almighty, the Sovereign of all, He doeth according to His will in the army of heaven. And almost every time I quote this verse, I point out that everyone assumes that He does His will in heaven. Everyone assumes He's in control in heaven. Everything in heaven is just doing whatever He tells them to do. But that's so hard to fathom for earth, isn't it? But exactly how it is in heaven, that's how it is in earth. He doeth according to his will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay his hand or say unto him, what doest thou?

None. None. That is a sovereign. God Almighty is sovereign, like it or not. You know, some people like that. And some people don't. But like it or not, God is sovereign. He's sovereign. All right, here's the second statement we looked at a moment ago in the Bible study. Man by nature is dead in trespasses and sins, or he is not.

We speak of men and women being sinners. And I was just talking to somebody in the hallway and this came up and I thought, well, that's a good illustration to prove what I'm trying to say right here. Okay, everybody has sinned and people think of it as a disease. We're filled with a loathsome disease. You think about a leprosy, a spot of leprosy. You think about a cancer located somewhere. And what people think is, I need to cut that out. That's what we need. This is what we need to cut it out.

There's a big difference in having a cancer and being dead. There's a big difference in having a spot of leprosy and being dead. Total depravity means dead. foul, vile, rotten, ruined. Either man is dead or not. There's a big difference here. There's a big difference here.

Either man possesses some spiritual life in his fleshly nature and he can do something before God. I've got cancer, but I can still do something to help out. Either man has the ability to do something before God because there is already life in him, or man is a corpse before God Almighty and can do nothing because of his deadness. It's one or the other. It's one or the other. In the Bible study a moment ago, we looked at many scriptures to prove man is dead. I'll just quote a couple of verses to you here. Ephesians 2 verse 1 says, And you hath he quickened, that means given spiritual life to, who were dead in trespasses and sins. Ephesians 2 verse 5 says, Even when we were dead in sins, he quickened us together with Christ. By grace, you are saved.

Mankind is naturally, spiritually dead before God. Man is a corpse, a spiritual corpse. Like it or not, like that or not, man is dead. All right, here's our third statement that we looked at a moment ago in the Bible study. Either God Almighty chose particular sinners to save or He did not. Either Christ died to save everybody or He did not die to save everybody. And I'm going to repeat what I said a moment ago, that if he did die to save everybody, then his death was a failure.

Because there are people in hell right now. That's what God's word says. And if his death was a failure, then you and I have no hope. We have no hope because even if He died for us to save us, there's no guarantee that His death will keep us out of hell. Thank God Christ did not die for everybody. Our hope is built on this. Our foundation stands on this.

The Father chose exactly who He would save. And to them specifically, 2 Thessalonians 2 13 says, we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God had from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth. In John 15 verse 16, our Lord said, you have not chosen me. I've chosen you. I ordained you.

So God is sovereign. Man is dead. And God in his sovereignty chose exactly who he would save. Those are three truths. that we are confronted with by God's Word. When you get into God's Word and see what it says, those are three truths that we're confronted with. And our hope is that God will cause us to believe those things and bow to those things, because they are so. All right, now we move on to our fourth statement.

When Christ died on the cross of Calvary, He either redeemed his people. And that means paid their debt in full. That's what redeemed means. Saved them completely. That's what redeemed means. He either redeemed them or he didn't. Either salvation is finished or It is not. All right, it's one of the two. You tell people the truth of God's word and all of a sudden an issue comes up and here we're confronted with it. All right, either salvation is finished and God's people are redeemed or they are not. Which one is it? Turn with me to John 19. John 19, this is our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary.

Verse 28, after this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. Now there was said a vessel full of vinegar, And they filled a sponge with vinegar and put it upon Hyssop and put it to his mouth. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, it is finished. And he bowed his head and gave up the ghost. It is finished.

False religion lies to men and women by telling them that Christ died to save us, but we're not quite saved. If you want to know whether or not you're hearing a false religion, a false message, this is what it sounds like. Christ died to save us, but we're not quite saved. They say he saved us, but we're not quite saved unless we do something to make ourselves saved. We're not quite saved unless we finish what he started. It's a lie to say that he cried from the cross.

It is started. They say we're not quite saved unless we add our work of salvation to His. That is not true. That is not true. That is a lie because it's not a possibility. If we have to finish what He started and add our work to His, then He did not save us. He just did not save us.

If we were in a burning building, You know, Calvin's a fireman. We're in a burning building and Calvin runs in and picks all of us up and carries us to the front door. Still inside the burning building. Sets us down just right there at the front door. And leaves us there. He did not save us. He did not say if we're still inside the burning building, he did not save us. Charles Spurgeon said, if I were standing at the very threshold of heaven itself and the last step was up to me, I would never make it in. Why? Why is that? It's because by nature we are dead in trespasses and sins. Do you see how important it is that we understand our sin to be our deadness? We are dead. What can a dead man do? Lay a dead man at the very threshold. What can a dead man do? What can a dead woman do? If Christ did not finish the work of salvation, then the work of salvation is not going to be finished.

That's all there is to it. Thank God, he cried. Are you not so thankful that he cried three words? There are three other words he cried. Father, forgive them. But aren't you so glad he cried so sovereignly, so powerfully, so dogmatically, lovingly, compassionately.

It is finished. Salvation is finished. Here's what I want to. Here's the point I'm trying to make. There is no gray area on this. There is no gray area on this. Salvation is finished. Men stand and tell people salvation is possible. Salvation is finished. It's finished.

Look at John 17. John 17, verse 3. This is life eternal that they might know thee the only true God in Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth. I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do." I finished the work. What was the work? It was the work of saving his people. Turn with me to 2 Timothy 1. This is one of my favorite portions of Scripture. And I know I say that about a lot of portions of Scripture, but this is one of my favorite portions to preach from. Let me say it that way. I love this.

2 Timothy 1 verse 8. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord. nor of me his prisoner, but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God." Speaking of God Almighty, verse 9 says, who hath saved us, past tense. Who hath saved us and called us within holy calling not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began." That's good news, isn't it? I love preaching sovereignty. I love sovereign preaching, and I love preaching sovereignty. Turn over to Titus 3. Just go a few more pages to Titus 3. Verse 5.

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost. which he hath shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Saved, washed, regenerated, renewed, justified, made heirs, it's a done deal. It's a done deal. Look right here at Hebrews 1. God, who at sundry times and in divers' manner spake in time past according to the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds. Verse 3 says, Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, he sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high." Purged. That's it. They are purged in the blood of Jesus Christ. Turn over to Hebrews 9.

Verse 11, but Christ being come and 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." What a God this is. He obtained eternal redemption. Look at Hebrews 10 verse 11.

Every priest stands daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices which can never take away sins. But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God, from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.

For by one offering he hath perfected forever Them that are sanctified. God's people are already perfected. They're already perfected. Forever. By the offering, by the finished work offering of the Lord Jesus Christ. Colossians 2 verse 10 says, You are complete in Him.

In Christ, there is no gray area in salvation. There is no yay and nay. It is only yes and amen. Yes and amen. All right, here's the fifth statement. And these last two are gonna be quicker. Either God's Holy Spirit quickens God's people to complete and total faith in Christ alone. And salvation is made known through faith alone. Meaning, this is what that means. Faith alone is the evidence.

Or, it's not. This is a big one. What does every man and woman on this earth naturally think the evidence of salvation is? Good works. So the truth of God comes out and it has to be confronted. Either faith alone is the evidence or something has to be added to faith in Christ for the evidence of salvation. All right, which one is it? Look right here at Hebrews 11 verse 1.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Well, what about works? Isn't works the substance? Isn't works the evidence? No. Faith is the substance. Faith is the evidence. We keep reading verses that say, not by works. That got your attention, didn't it? Not, I got my attention, it scared me. Not by works. We keep reading it, not by works. Ephesians 2, 8 says, by grace are you saved through faith, that not of yourselves, it's the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. Cause that's what all men do when it comes to works.

They boast, we boast. Romans 5 verse 1 says, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Faith looks to Christ. Faith hopes in Christ. Faith casts its all on Christ. You could just say Christ. We could say in Ephesians 2 verse 8, by Christ are you saved through Christ and that not of yourselves, it's the gift of Christ. Romans 5, 1, being justified by Christ, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 4, verse 3 says, Abraham believed God. It was counted to him for righteousness. Acts 13, 48 says, as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

That is the evidence. That is the evidence. Turn with me to John 10. John 10, verse 24, it says, then came the Jews round about him. And, and, you know, the Jews were devout works, religion. I mean, these were, these were workers, workers in the church. All right. Then came the Jews round about him and said unto him, how long does thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.

Jesus answered them, I told you and you believed not. The works that I do in my father's name, they bear witness of me. But you believe not because you are not of my sheep. As I said unto you, he didn't say you're not my sheep because you don't believe. He said you don't believe because you're not my sheep. Faith is not of yourselves.

That's a gift of God. He said in verse 27, 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. Never. every dead sinful soul that the Sovereign Father elected to save, and the Sovereign Son redeemed in full, and the Sovereign Spirit has called to life, every single one of them will believe on Christ alone. They will cast their all on Christ alone, not their works, but his blood alone, his cross alone. They will follow him alone.

That's just the truth. That's the truth. We're either going to have to bow to that or reject it. But either way, it's so. There is no way that a quickened child of God can be content to continue sitting under the lies of idolatry. Someone who has come to know the truth, and they're just gonna, well, I kinda like it here, and I'll just keep listening to these lies. No way, it's not a possibility. They will come out from among them. They will follow Christ, they will hear Christ, they will believe on Christ. All right, the last statement, number six.

Either every single one of God's chosen, redeemed, called people will make it all the way to glory according to the certain promise of his covenant or they won't. Either his covenant promise will stand forever or it won't. And if it doesn't stand forever, it won't stand at all. Either it will stand for all of God's people or it will stand for none of God's people. It's one or the other. Which one is it?

Turn to John 17 again. John 17 verse 12, while I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name. Those that thou gavest me, I have kept and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition that the scripture might be fulfilled. The Lord Jesus Christ said, Father, every single soul that you have placed in my hands, I have saved. None of them are lost. None of them are lost. Not one slipped through the cracks. Not one was forgotten. Every single soul is accounted for. Peter said, all of God's sheep are kept by the power of God.

People say, you better be careful. You're going to lose your salvation. No, you won't. Sometimes I can't help but think, you know, I hear, I argue with myself, argue the other side. How can you be so dogmatic on that? How can you give people so much rest in that? Can't you see people are sinners going about committing sins? How can you tell them that if the Father chose them and Christ died for them and the spirits called them, they're not going to lose their salvation? Because they're not. They're not. If He saved you, you are saved. And you're going to fall in love with Him for that. And you're going to need to be near Him because of that. You're going to say, oh, wretched man, that I am. You're going to cry, why me? Why would you do this for me?

I keep failing you. I just keep failing. You know, do you mind if I confess something to you? All I do is fail him. All I do is fail him. I'm a failure. All he is is faithful. That's all he is. Faithful. I do not keep myself in good standing with him. I do not. I do not keep giving him reasons to love me and bless me. I do not. And be gracious to me. I do not. But he does it anyway. Because that's who he is. And his promise will not fail. I'm not going to, I was going to turn to Romans 8. Everybody on the internet, read Romans 8, 31 to 39. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trials, tribulations, sword, peril? God, He that spared not His own Son. He spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all. Who? Who He foreknow, who He foreknew, and called, and justified, and glorified, His elect. How shall He not with Him freely give us all things? Nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

You are so bad. You're such a terrible sinner. You're not a good person. You're not a good person. And thank God, if he did this for you and me, I'm not a good person either. And thank God if He did this for us, nothing will separate us from the love of God Almighty. If He loved us while we were yet sinners, He will love us forever. There is no gray area on this. Aren't you glad? All right, now God loves you, okay, but there's a little gray area here. You better not stand in the gray area. There is no gray area on this.

If He loved us, He said, I've loved you with an everlasting love. And guess what you're gonna do? Everlastingly sin on this earth until He removes you from this earth. But God. But God. God is sovereign. Thank God. Man is sinful. But God chose, He lovingly chose particular sinners to redeem. Who did He choose? The worst ones. He's worse than me. Well, God probably chose Him then. Paul said He came to save the chief sinners.

God is sovereign, man is sinful, but God chose particular sinners to redeem, and Christ redeemed them in full. And the Spirit of God will call every single one of them to faith in Christ. And not only to faith in Christ, but all the way to glory with Him. That is the absolute truth of God, and by His grace we bow to it. We bow to it. To him be all the glory, the praise, the honor, the thanksgiving, everything. Amen.

The God Who IS God - Part 2

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about God's sovereignty?

How do we know total depravity is true?

Why is the finished work of Christ important for Christians?

How does election relate to salvation?

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The God Who IS God - Part 2

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about God's sovereignty?

How do we know total depravity is true?

Why is the finished work of Christ important for Christians?

How does election relate to salvation?

Sermon Transcript

About Gabe Stalnaker

Comments

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