The Lord Is Able

Q: What does the Bible say about God's ability to save us?

The Bible teaches that God is able to save to the uttermost all who come to Him through Christ. Scripture emphasizes God's sovereignty and ability to save His people. As stated in Hebrews 7:25, 'He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him.' This underscores the point that it is God's power, not our own, that secures our salvation. Indeed, Christ's intercession ensures that all who trust in Him are faithfully kept and presented faultless before God's glory.

Q: How do we know God is able to provide for us?

Scripture assures us that God is able to supply all our needs according to His riches in glory. The Bible reassures believers of God's provision, as seen in Philippians 4:19, which states, 'But my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.' This promise reflects God's ability to supply every need we encounter as we faithfully serve Him. His resources are infinite, and His willingness to provide stems from His character as a loving and faithful God who cares for His children.

Q: Why is trusting in God's ability important for Christians?

Trusting in God's ability reinforces our reliance on Him for salvation and daily living. For Christians, trusting in God's ability is foundational because it shifts the focus from our limited strength to His infinite power. This is crucial in our walk of faith, as we acknowledge that everything, from salvation to our daily needs, relies on God's abilities rather than our own. Jude 24 emphasizes that 'He is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless,' which reassures us that our security and perseverance rest in God's hands.

when I began studying for this morning's message out of Jude 24, and I came to those words where Jude declares that God is able, God is able, able to keep you and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory, my mind began to just sit back and contemplate a little.

You know, sometimes you study hard and you search and then you just sort of kick back and look it over and mull it over in your mind. And I've got some of those new computer programs. Lindsay was saying a little bit ago, when we're long lazy preachers, we'll just punch it in and have the sermon kicked out. Well, I didn't quite just punch it in and kick it out, but that's close to what you're going to get this afternoon.

I looked up those words showing how that God is able to do various things for us. And I was just elated, just delighted with the things that I found in the scriptures. And so I want to talk to you this evening about the subject the Lord is able. This business of salvation, everything involved in it, everything involved in salvation from beginning to end, Everything involved in our serving our God, believing our God, and walking with our God, and everything involved in our being accepted of God in the last day, depends totally not upon our ability, but His ability.

Aren't you glad? Everything depends on this fact. He is able. He is able. And with that in mind, let's turn to 2 Chronicles 25. We're going to begin here. I know these afternoon services, you're a little groggy and I am too. And I have observed over the years that folks generally stay awake a little better when they're moving through the scriptures. So we're going to move through the scriptures this afternoon.

And I'm not going to present anything heavy at all. I just want you to see how this term is used in the scriptures with reference to our God. So if you folks who were raised in those churches where kids played religious games and played games with the Bible, y'all remember when you had sword drills? Well, we're not going to have a sword drill today, but just keep the Word of God in your lap, and we're going to go through some scriptures, and I'm going to do the best I can to get done in 30 minutes. I'll do my best.

Here in 2 Chronicles 25, Amaziah was a young king, 25 years old, who reigned in Judah. And he did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not with a perfect heart. That means simply that he kind of half-heartedly served God, and half-heartedly didn't. So that he did things in a religious manner, and he did things in a manner, outwardly at least, to give the appearance of worshiping and serving God.

And he went out to do battle. He was going out to fight against the enemies of Judah, and the man of God came to him. In verse 8, But if thou wilt go, do it. be strong for the battle, God shall make thee fall before the enemy." That's not much encouragement, is it? You go ahead, if you're determined to go, go ahead, God will make you fall before the enemy. For God hath power to help, and God hath power to cash down.

And then Amaziah said to the man of God, but what shall I do for the hundred talents? That's about $195,000. That's a pretty good investment. That's a pretty good investment these days. But back those days, he said, what am I going to do for this $195,000 that I've invested in these soldiers, which I've given to the army of Israel?

In other words, Amaziah is saying to the man of God, now you're telling me what God would have me to do. I understand your words, but I have got this much money and this much effort invested in this army What am I going to do? How am I going to recoup my losses?

Look what Amaziah, or what the prophet of God says to Amaziah. And the man of God answered, The Lord is able to give thee much more than this. Now, the simple lesson of that text of Scripture is this. Whatever it costs to do the will of God, Whatever it costs to do the will of God, God will supply it. I wonder if we can happily believe that. Whatever it costs you, whatever it costs me to do the will of God, God will supply it, whatever it is.

I'm sure I've told you this before. You may not remember it. Now, you know I'm not a Sabbatarian. I don't teach Sabbath-keeping, don't believe in Sabbath-keeping. But I do recognize that believers must arrange their lives and want to arrange their lives for the worship of God. When I was in school, I had to change jobs because I simply was not able to make enough money selling shoes to keep food on the table. Just couldn't do it. Couldn't work enough hours to do it.

And go to school as well, so I went and applied for a job at McLean Trucking Company, loading freight. And it was the best paying job in town for manual labor. And so the fellow took one look at me, and he figured a fellow my size could do this and pray. He said, well, we'll hire you.

And I said, well, I can't work on Sundays. He took my application and threw it in the trash can. He said, well, all of our part-time help works on Sundays. I said, now, you don't understand. I'm not suggesting that it's wrong for folks to work on Sundays. I'm not suggesting that at all. I'm just telling you, I've got to be free to worship God and preach the gospel. I've just got to be free to do so. I'll work any hours you want me to work. Anytime you want me to work, but I can't work on Sunday. He said, you mean you'll come in whenever I call you? Come in whenever you call.

He reached and got an application out of the trash can. He said, well, we'll give it a try. Either I don't let you work, or we'll give it a try. And God graciously supplied the need. Now, what's the point? The point is just this. Whatever it cost you, and whatever it cost you, whatever it cost me, I know you're In various fields of employment, some of you are in school, some of you are involved in various things in school, some of you are involved in various things in business. I'm a preacher, a gospel preacher. Whatever it costs us to do what we know God would have us to do, to do what's clearly revealed in God's Word, whatever it costs, it'll cost you nothing. It'll cost you nothing. God's able to supply you more than that.

$195,000, what's that to God? What's the significance of that? He owns everything. He owns everything. So, you who know the will of God, just do it. Amaziah looked at his investment, they looked at his losses, and they said, well, what am I going to do with this? And the man of God says, do what God says. God's able to supply your needs. He's able to take care of this. All right, let's look at the next place where this phrase is used in reference to God. Daniel chapter 3, right along the same lines.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had been brought before the king because they would not bow down and worship the golden image which the king had set up. And the king said, who is God? Who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands? And in verse 16, Sadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said unto the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we're not careful to answer thee in this matter.

This is not something we have to have business speaking about. He said, if it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning, fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thy hand, O king. But if not, Be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up."

We won't do it, no matter what it costs, no matter what the difficulty. If God's pleased to, He's able to deliver us. But if God is pleased not to deliver us, we're still going to worship God, and we will not bow down and serve your God. What Lindsay said this morning, as you, he knows, you all know, I fully wholeheartedly concur. Can't worship false gods. Can't do it. No matter what it costs. No matter what it costs family, no matter what it costs financially, no matter what it costs us emotionally, we cannot give ourselves to anything that compromises the gospel of God's grace. We will worship our God. And he's able to deliver us. Now the simple meaning of that text is this.

God has, for purposes known only to himself, chosen us in the furnace of affliction. If you're God's, you're going through the fire. You're going through the fire. If you're God's, you're going to pass through the deep waters of trouble. God has chosen us in the furnace of affliction, but he's able to deliver us out of the furnace.

And he will. He will, whatever it is. If you're in the furnace, it's because God put you in the furnace. And God will see to it that the flames shall not kindle upon you. And in God's appointed time, he'll bring you out of the furnace. He's able to deliver us. Turn over a page to chapter four of the book of Daniel.

Nebuchadnezzar learned a lesson that was hard for him to learn. This man, Nebuchadnezzar, was a proud pagan king. And God set himself in determination to make Nebuchadnezzar understand that the heavens do rule. And as you know, God sent upon Nebuchadnezzar a spirit of judgment that caused him to lose his sanity, and he became as a wild beast and was driven from his throne for seven years. And then Nebuchadnezzar's sanity returned to him, and he understood that the Lord in the Most High God ruleth in heaven and in earth.

He has his way in the armies of heaven and the armies of the earth, and none can stay his hand or say unto him, What doest thou? And then in verse 37, Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all whose works are and his ways judgment, and those that walk in pride, he is able to evoke.

When God sets himself to save a sinner, he's going to bring him down. He's going to bring you down. Pride must be stained in every soul that God And he knows how to do it. He knows how to do it. Brother Bob mentioned downstairs, he said, Satan uses our sin to destroy us, but God uses Satan to bring us down to seek him. He sure does. He sure does.

Never to measure in his haughtiness is brought down. in God's providence he's brought down to be just as a beast of the earth until his sanity is taken from him altogether, and now Melchizedek learns that God knows how to abase a man. Solomon Carstens, that proud self-righteous, persecuting, hard Pharisee is brought down to Damascus Road before God Almighty so that he is laid in the dust and made to see that God has absolute dominion over him and can do with him what he will.

Peter, in his haughtiness, said, Do all these other disciples forsake you, not me, Lord? The Lord Jesus said, Peter, Satan's desired to have you, and he's going to run you through his sieve. But I prayed for you." And God graciously used Satan's malice to bring his servant down, and Peter finally goes out and weeps in bitterness.

In Psalm 107, we read of God's providence, how that men in their haughtiness rebel against God, and he sends this affliction, that affliction, this trial, and that trial, this adversity, and that adversity, until he brings them down, and they call upon him.

And the psalmist, as he goes through that psalm—come back there for a moment, Psalm 107—as he goes through that psalm, he says, this is the way of God. This is God's way in the earth. In the very last verse, verse 43, "...whoso is wise will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the Lord." The whole of God's providence, the whole of the affairs of the universe, is arranged and governed by God Almighty in lovingkindness to bring us down, that he may bring us up.

To abase us, that he may exalt us. And I promise you, before God will ever exalt you with his grace, he will abase you and bring you down. When Zacchaeus was up in the sycamore tree, the Lord Jesus came to him and the Lord looked up to Zacchaeus and he said, Zacchaeus, come down. Come down.

And that's exactly where we must come. Down from our high opinion of ourselves, down from our imaginary goodness, down from our imaginary self-righteousness, down from our haughtiness, down in the dust as sinners, naked, helpless, and undone, doomed, and damned, justly, unless God has mercy on us, and he knows how to abase those that walk in pride, he is able to abase. Now turn to Matthew chapter 3. Matthew chapter 3. Stay with me now. Matthew chapter 3 and verse 9. The Pharisees and the Sadducees and the scribes came out to be baptized with John. John the Baptist wasn't a real polite preacher. He hadn't been to the school of etiquette yet.

He said, O generation of vipers who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come, bring forth therefore fruit, meat for repentance. And he could just kind of read their minds. They were saying to themselves, what are you doing calling us a generation of idlers? Don't you know who we are? What are you doing talking to us like that? We're good religious folks. We're as Abraham's seed. We've been in the cradle row from our youth up. We've been in Sunday school all our lives. What are you doing talking to us like that?

And John said in verse 9, think not to say within yourselves we have Abraham to our father, for I say unto you that God is able of these stones." Now, I don't care whether you say the stones are the literal stones by the River Jordan, or whether John was pointing to the Gentiles standing around him, which I think is certainly the implication. But either way, he said God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham.

John is telling us that God Almighty is able to take such things as he finds in the offscouring of the world, depraved, degenerate Gentiles of the world. And from these, he raises up children to Abraham, chosen sons and daughters of faith. Gives them faith, and causes them to walk in faith, and to walk in righteousness. God, in his grace, is able to take such things as he finds in the defrayed masses of fallen humanity, and raise them up to be the sons of God. O beloved, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God."

Look at the next one, Matthew chapter 10. Verse 28, Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul, but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. God Almighty, the God of judgment, He has got a wrath, he has got a justice, and he will destroy the wicked in the fierceness of his anger in the day of judgment. And if you had any idea, any idea who God is, if you had any idea the strictness of God's justice, if you had any idea of the terror of God's wrath, You'd walk before God with fear. He's able to destroy body and soul forever in hell.

I don't know what the torments of hell are. I don't know what hellfire is. Folks talk about preaching hellfire and brimstone. I don't have any idea what it is. I don't have any idea what it is. But I know this, whatever hell is, whatever the terror of hell is, God Almighty will sustain your physical body and He will sustain your soul in His wrath to endure the terror of His wrath forever. He'll do it.

And the only way to escape the wrath of God is to trust the Son of God, to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, to be washed in His blood from your sins, robed in His righteousness and accepted through His Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, and through Him alone, we are able to stand before God accepted, accepted, accepted forever.

Now look at Romans 11, 23. Here's some encouragement, a word of hope for sinners, for you who are yet without Christ. You say, well, can God save me? Can God graft me in? Can God make me to be one of those who are in Christ, accepted with Him forever? Look here, Romans 11, 23.

The apostle was talking about the Jews who have been cast off, but the word is certainly applicable to you here who are yet without Christ. And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, if you won't just make up your mind, if you won't just continue in your unbelief, I'm going to hell, I'm going to continue my unbelief, I will not believe God, if you will not continue to abide in unbelief, look what it says, if they shall not abide still in unbelief, if today you'll hear his voice, if today you'll believe on Christ, they shall be grafted, for God is able to graft their mission. What does that mean? That means just that.

If right now you believe on the Son of God, You have been grafted into Christ by God's holy grace. If right now you believe on him, God has grafted you in to the living tree, Jesus Christ the Lord, as we have been put into the vine, as branches grafted into him. Because God is able to do it, we're grafted into him. Our faith in him, our believing in him, is not because of God grafted. Our believing in him, our faith in him, is the fruit of God having grafted us into the vine, and we now live in him.

Look in verse 14, or verse 4 of chapter 14, Romans 14, 4. Larry brought an excellent message to you from this passage a few weeks ago. Who art thou that judgest another man's to his own master he standeth or falleth, yea, and he shall be holden up, for God is able to make him stand up. Once in Christ, in Christ forever, none from him my soul can sever, for God's able to make with all our ups and downs, all our faults and tickleness, all our share and depravity. Thank God our standing, our acceptance, our preservation depends not on us, but on Him who is able to make us stand.

Look in chapter 9 of 2 Corinthians 9. Second Corinthians, chapter 9. As you know, this whole chapter is dealing with the grace of giving. And the apostle is encouraging these folks to be cheerful givers. Give every man according as he purpose within his heart, so let him give. Not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loveth a cheerful giver.

And you think to yourself, well, how can I do that? How can I cheerfully, cheerfully take my hard-earned money? How can I cheerfully take the money with which I buy my food and clothe my family and pay my bills? How can I cheerfully take my money and give it to a man or give it to a missionary, or give it to a cause, or give it to a needed family, or give it to someone in the name of God. How can I do that? Give it to God. How can I do that cheerfully?

Now, I can understand the folks doing it if they're beat to death through the law and God's going to take it out of their hide. I can understand them doing it if they think by doing this God's going to just heap riches on them. But how can a man take his money and cheerfully give it, just give it to God?

Look at verse 8, 2 Corinthians 9 verse 8. God is able to make all grace abound toward you. that you always, having all sufficiency in all things, may abound in every good work." Now this is just what it means. God is able to supply you with grace to do what he has set before you to do, and he's able to supply you with the means of doing what he gives you the opportunity to do.

We get a lot of mail I get a lot of mail that comes across my desk, preachers and various groups begging for money, people asking, send money, send money. Anybody ever sends you anything with my name on it and says, send some money, you didn't get it, I didn't sign it, I didn't approve it, I didn't have anything to do with it. And you can count on it, the folks who ask it in my name are liars. I didn't have anything to do with it. God's servants don't beg. They don't beg. I bring to this congregation whatever needs we have, and I just Here they are. God provides our needs through the free gifts of his people.

But if I have to send out a letter and ask folks to help keep this ministry going, and I promise you, should the time ever come, I just read one yesterday, and Shelby said, I hope we never have to do that. I said, it ain't going to happen. It ain't going to happen. If God's in this thing, he'll keep it going. And if I have to beg, I'm not God's servant. I'm not going to do it. I'll quit preaching before I beg and dishonor God's name. It's not going to happen.

God's able to supply your needs. As we give, God's able to supply us with the means of giving. As we serve Him, God's able to supply us with the means of serving Him. God's servants go out in His name and serve Him freely, and His people give freely, and His clothes are maintained as God continues to supply your needs.

You remember what the Apostle wrote to the Philippians in Philippians 4, 9, 10? They had sent him out of their necessity. I don't know what they sent. Probably wasn't much. Maybe some blankets, maybe some cookies and things in the wintertime to keep them through the winter in the prison there in Rome. But whatever it was, they out of necessity sent it to the Apostle.

And Pharaoh thanked him. He was so thankful for it. And then he said, but my God shall supply all of your needs. according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. God will supply your need to serve his interest and his kingdom. He'll do it. He'll do it.

I've been at this thing for a little while. Thus far, I have never groveled before a man as one who's in dire poverty and can't possibly function without somebody giving God a little tip. I haven't done it, not going to do it. And thus far, in all the years I've been at this business of preaching, I have never, never, never put my hand to do anything in the name of God. He didn't supply the need. Not one time. Not one time.

He continues to do it in this congregation day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, God graciously supplies the needs because he's able to give you all sufficiency to abandon every good work. Look in Ephesians 3, Ephesians chapter 3, verse 20. The apostle gives this doxology.

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly Above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, God Almighty is able to do for us infinitely more than we can ever imagine. Our minds have not yet been capable of tapping the resources of his omnipotence. Oh good to God we just defeat him, just a little, just a little. He's able to do exceeding, abundantly above all that we ask to think.

Now look at Philippians chapter 3. Philippians chapter 3. Sometimes as you, as you look through the scriptures and you see things like this in the scriptures, these descriptions of God's ability, it almost looks as though the Holy Spirit has placed these things in the canon of scripture, even though they were written at perhaps different times, he's placed them in the canon of scripture so as to build up to something. And he'd been building up to something. Look at verse 21 of Philippians chapter 3. All this God's been able to do. He's able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask to think. He's able to supply all your needs. He's able to give you all of this and much, much more. Now then, what about this thing of resurrection glory. What about the state of these bodies being raised up from the grave?

Boy, you folks, surely you don't believe that's literal, do you? You don't really believe that after a man's body has been laying in the grave for three, four thousand years, been laying in the grave, and the dust, his bones have just degenerated. Everything's gone back to the dust and Maybe some wild animals came along and ate parts of his body, and he'd been scattered here and there. Maybe he was burned at the station, and his ashes scattered to the four winds. Surely you don't really believe that God's going to raise him up, do you? Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. I sure do. Because, you see, this thing doesn't depend on science, and it doesn't depend on man's ability or man's wisdom or man's understanding.

Look at verse 21 in Philippians 3. Who shall change our vile body? This thing, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able, even to subdue all things, even the very elements of nature, unto himself. One of these days, all creation, all providence, all things, all creatures, all events, shall be subdued to Him, and give glory to Him." Look in 2 Timothy now, chapter 2, 2 Timothy chapter 2, and verse 12.

The apostle Paul is about to be offered on the altar of sacrifice because of his faith. And he says in verse 12, I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I've committed unto him against that day. Is my life in danger? He's able to keep my life in danger. Is my heart tempted and tried, he's able to keep my heart in faith. Here's my body going to the grave, he's able to keep my body in the grave. Here's my soul alive in him, and he's able to keep my soul in life. Now look at Hebrews chapter 2. I've got to hurry. I promised I'd get done in 30 minutes. I'm going to almost make it. Hebrews 2, 18. Hebrews 2, 18. Talking about the Lord Jesus Christ and his humiliation. for in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted."

That word, succor, we usually translate to mean aid or help, but it means more than that. One who succors, the word that's translated for succor here, it's one, it describes one who runs to the assistance of one in need. He runs to the assistance of one in need. What a description of our sin. Here we are in need, and he's been picked. And knowing us in temptation, and knowing our temptation, he being one with us, rushes to our aid as a mother would run to the aid of a fallen child. He runs to the aid of his children and is able to succor those that are tempted.

Look in Hebrews chapter 7 verse 25. Wherefore, because the Lord Jesus is a living priest with an unchangeable priesthood, he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come to God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. James says, Wherefore, lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save your souls." Will you receive with meekness this word from God? He's able, Jesus Christ is able to save to the uttermost all who come to God by him. Now, back to our text this morning, Jude 24. unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy.

To the only wise God our Savior, be glory, majesty, dominion, and power, both now and ever. Whatever it is, whatever it is your soul needs from God, whatever it is your life demands, whatever it is that your situation calls for. Will you listen to me? I got a letter from Brother Mahan last week, I guess it was, referring to Becky's illness.

He said to God's able, if he will, he can heal for our joy and his glory, but he's able. He's able to cast down, he's able to lift up, he's able to give life, he's able to bring death, he's able to deliver you, or he's able to sustain you when he will not deliver you at present. He's able. God help us to trust his great ability. and this faithfulness. Amen.

The Lord Is Able

What does the Bible say about God's ability to save us?

How do we know God is able to provide for us?

Why is trusting in God's ability important for Christians?

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The Lord Is Able

What does the Bible say about God's ability to save us?

How do we know God is able to provide for us?

Why is trusting in God's ability important for Christians?

Sermon Transcript

About Don Fortner

Comments

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