What prompted the message this
morning was a call I received from my brother-in-law the other
night. He's the husband of my sister
who died last week. And he's been dealing with those
issues that these times force us to deal with. And I could tell that he was
troubled on the phone. And after a little bit of conversation, he
just blurted it out and he said, do you believe in heaven? And
I said, well, absolutely, I believe in heaven. Heaven is spoken of
throughout the Word of God, Old Testament and New. Back in the
Old Testament, it said God looked down from heaven to see if there
was any righteous, see if there was any good, see if there's
anybody seeking after God. And there was none. He looked
down from heaven. I don't know what heaven is.
I've never been there. I don't think any picture that
was ever drawn, any artist's conception of it is accurate.
But whatever it is, it must be glory. It must be glorious. But I said, absolutely, I believe
in heaven. And he said, well, I was shocked
to find out that a lot of my relatives and friends don't.
They believe in an afterlife, but not heaven. He said, why do you reckon that
is? And I said, well, I can tell you exactly why it is. Because
if you believe in heaven, you have to believe in hell. If you
believe in heaven, you have to believe in the God of heaven,
who is the judge of all mankind. But I said this to him, I said
years ago when the Lord first began to deal with me, I don't
I don't even know that that's an accurate description. I don't
know. The Lord's been working with
me and about me since I was born. We can't put our finger on it.
We want to. We want to go to this pot, put your finger down. But I'll just say when he began
to disturb me and I began to think on these issues, vital
issues, Issues of life and death and heaven and hell and salvation
and judgment. All of the things that I'd been
taught were just full of holes. Just full of holes. And rather than answer any of
the questions, they just generated more questions. What I thought was my hope offered
no hope to me at all. Those who had preached peace
and hope to me when I asked them about these things were totally
ignorant of them. They had no basis for their hope
either. They just hadn't thought about
it. And I was struggling to understand
these things. I was wrestling with these things,
trying to find something that seemed right, something that
seemed to fit. And nothing fit. And during this time, a man of
God, who later became my pastor, I heard him say this in a message.
He said, go over to Romans chapter 3 and verse 4. Now Paul was dealing with his
kinsmen, the Jews, and he was pointing out to them what great
advantages they had over the rest of the world. The chief
thing was this, they had the oracles of God. They had in their
possession the written, inspired, revealed word of God. God spoke to them. He didn't
leave them in their fallen concepts, but he spoke to them through
the prophets. When Paul wrote his letter to
the Hebrews, here's how he opened it. He said, God, who at sundry
times and in divers manners spake in time past unto our fathers
by the prophets. God spoke to him. He spoke to
him through Moses. He spoke to him through David,
through Isaiah, through all these men of God. And then Paul makes
this suggestion in Romans 3, verse 3. For what if some did
not believe? What if some of these privileged
men did not believe what the prophets declared? What if some men, renowned men,
men of reputation, took it upon themselves to teach the word
of God? That's what I read to you back
up there in Romans chapter 2 a while ago. He said you're fully persuaded
that God has put you here to teach, to be a teacher, a guide
to the blind, all of these things. What if some men, renowned men,
men of reputation, took it upon themselves to teach the word
of God but had no understanding of it? What if those who did not believe
began to introduce some new traditions and ceremonies and introduce
these things to the people? Some sayings. Cleanliness is
next to godliness. Huh? What if some of these old
men who had no understanding of the prophets, what if they
began to say things like that? Cleanliness is next to Godliness. It's not God's will for anybody
to perish. God wants everybody to be saved. Smile. God loves you. God loves everybody and he died
for everybody. And one of these men introduced
some new ceremonies, like Christmas and Easter, St. Valentine's Day, wrinkling of infants. Don't eat
meat on Good Friday. Whatever that is. Foot washing. And the list is endless. And what if these men who did
not believe began to introduce some doctrines? Walking down
the aisle. You know that's preached as a
doctrine? Yes, it is. Yes it is, and the whole message
geared to it. Mourners benches. I'd like to go burn every one
of them. The signing of pledge cards.
Look that up on your computer someday, you'll be shocked. universal redemption, free will,
accepting Jesus as your personal savior. There's no end to the
doctrines that unbelieving men have introduced. What if some
did not believe? Shall their unbelief make the
faith of God without effect because some of them didn't believe,
because some of them had no understanding, because some of them were false
prophets? Does that make the faith of God
to let, huh, shall their unbelief make the faith of God without
effect? God forbid. Now listen, let God be true,
and every man a liar. Now that's what that old preacher
told me. Why don't you find out what God
says about this thing? Why don't you quit listening
to these preachers? Why don't you quit listening
to your relatives? Why don't you quit listening
to these men who never donned the door of a church but just
like a waterfall with their opinions? Endless speculations. Why don't you go to the book
of God and ask God to show you these things? Huh? Why don't
you find out what God says? He said, where's that at? I said,
Romans chapter three, verse four. Can you do that? Are you willing to do that? Are you ready, come what may,
to say in your heart, God is true, and everybody that opposes
him is a liar? Isn't that what I read to you
a while ago back in the Sunday school lesson over there in 1
John 5? He that believeth not God is a liar. He makes God to
be a liar. Are you ready to believe God's
testimony concerning all things, creation, providence, salvation? And here's what I told my brother-in-law.
I said, the Bible, as far as I know, is the only information
we have about God. You got another source? Pentecostalism
trying to teach men another source, teach them that this invisible
spirit will tell them things, and tell them things contrary
to the scriptures. Oh, my soul, are you ready to
believe God? Believe His testimony concerning
all things? Without question. Without question. Huh? God created the world. In the beginning, God. Huh? You believe that? Yeah, but what, no, ain't no
what abouts. You either believe it or you
don't. Ain't no gray area there. I wanna give you five things
this morning that I believe sum up the vital issues that separate
believers from the religion of this world. And I want to begin
where Paul begins to expound in Romans chapter five, with
God's testimony concerning the fall of man. Romans chapter five,
verse 12. Now, there's endless speculations
about this. But what I'm saying to you this
morning, are you ready to let God be true in every man of life? Including yourself. Including
your own thoughts, your own speculations. You're ready to set all that
aside and say, I want to know what God says. All right, here
it is. Romans 5 verse 12. Wherefore,
as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death
passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. Adam is the federal head of all
mankind. His wife was called Eve. Her name was called Eve, Genesis
3.20, because she was the mother of all living. Every son and daughter she brought
into this world was given to her by her husband, Adam. Sin
entered by Adam and death was passed by Adam. It was passed upon all his children. So that the results of Adam's
fall is a nature of sin. That's not too hard to understand,
is it? And I think that's taught pretty
clearly here in Romans chapter five. I think these are words
that a 12 and 13 year old ought to be able to understand. Now
go back to Romans chapter three. For all the Jews' advantages,
for all the advantages that they had over the Gentiles, were they
better people than the Gentiles? No. They were just as big as
idolaters as the Gentiles, except their images was in their imagination
and not in outward figures. Were they better people? Were
they any closer to God? Let me bring us a little closer
to home. Some of you in this building today, you've had great
advantages over your classmates at school, perhaps even your
own neighbors and relatives. Does that mean you're closer
to God than they are? Hmm? Does that mean you're better
than they? I want you to listen to the word
of God. Romans chapter 3 verse 9. What
then? Here's the summation of everything
he's been talking about. What then? Are we better than
they? No. In no wise. For we have before
proved, both Jews and Gentiles, that they're all under sin."
Huh? They're under the condemnation
of it, they're under the presence of it, they're under the nature
of it, the curse of it. They're depraved sons of Adam
and there's none righteous among them, none that understandeth,
none that seeketh after God. They are by nature, Paul tells
us in Ephesians 2, the children of wrath, even as others. And
sin, apart from the work of God in redemption, and in the heart,
reigns unto death. There's no cure for it. Those who are born unto sin,
that sin that was passed through their father Adam, that nature
of sin will reign in them. under day apart from an intervention
of god you believe that that's what god says that's what god
says if something's not done oh they might get a little religion
conscience might be predicting and they'll accuse themselves
or excuse themselves as all men do They might get a little religion,
they might go down there and totally reform their lives. They
might be the biggest drunk in town and all of a sudden they
don't drink anymore. They might get them a good job
and hold that job down. They might go down to the church
and sign that pledge card and give 10% until they die. They might cut their hair a little
different. They might get them a dress that goes clear down
to the ground and wear that summer and winter. might not put on any makeup.
They might get a little religion, but sin still reigns unto death. You hear what God's saying? Let
God be true and every man a liar. This is the truth. Sin is spiritual death. It's an inability of nature and
it leaves those who are born with it with no fear of God before
their eyes. They live out the days of their
lives as though they're going to live forever. Men live out their lives as though
they're ten foot tall and bulletproof. Take a little piece of plastic
and tie it on their back and jump off a cliff and sail through
the air. Never a thought about leaving
this world and going out to meet God. Ain't no fear of God before
their eyes. This is spiritual death. Death
past. Ignorant men talk about children
as though they're innocent and sinless to the age of accountability,
whatever that is. Where decisions are made and
a course is chosen and their will is exercised. But God says,
and this is what I'm telling you, let God be true and the
rest of mankind a liar. Here's what God says about this.
We go astray as soon as we be born, speaking lies. Not at age
12 or 13, as soon as we be born. Those of you who got children,
you ever had one cry and you go over there and it's not wet,
it's not soiled, Not thirsty, it's not anything. But it'll
just cry like it's dying in the crib. And you go over there and
find out all it wanted was some attention. Huh? Beacon lies. Beacon lies. Oh, my soul. Men say that man has a free will. He got everything he needs in
his makeup to make a rational decision concerning his soul
and concerning God. God says there's none that understand
it. Who you gonna blame? Who you gonna blame? I'm telling
you, I've been here, I've wrestled with these things. And what that
man told me, all the way across the board, fit like a brand new
shoe. Huh? Let God be true and every
man a liar. Men say that man has everything
he needs to turn himself to God. God says there's none that seeketh
after God. So here's the first thing. Believers
say let God be true and every man a liar. And God's testimony
of man is that he fell in his father Adam into a state of total
depravity and must be saved by God or not saved at all. Everything he does is sin. When
he prays, it's a sinful prayer. When he worships, it's a sinful
worship. When he sings, it's sinful. That's
what God said back in Isaiah chapter one, I think it is. He
said, to what purpose is the multitude of these? Who told
you to wave your holy hands in the air? Who told you your hands
was holy to wave? What are you doing? Who called you into my court? And then secondly, Let God be
true in every man a liar concerning the objects of his eternal love
and blessing. This is a doctrine that the old
Calvinists called unconditional election. Preacher, I think God's elect
become God's elect when they believe. Yeah, that's what you
think, and millions of others, but it ain't so. It just ain't
so. What is this election? Well,
I'm talking about that God chose a people unto salvation, and
to every good and perfect gift given in time and eternity by
their Heavenly Father, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow
of eternity. They're chosen of God. He chose
them in His Son. And he's very clear on this point.
In Ephesians 1-3 it said, 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 chosen us
in him before the foundation of the world, that we should
be holy and without blame before him in love, that is, being loved. having predestinated us under
the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to
the good pleasure of his will. And Paul, speaking to his own
kinsmen, said, we'd been like Sodom and like unto Gomorrah,
but the Lord reserved to himself a remnant, and he did it according
to the election of grace. And if by grace, then it's no
more works, Otherwise, grace is no more grace. Men don't choose
their destiny by logic and reason and will. It's not of him that
willeth. He just keeps telling us that.
His birth wasn't of him that willeth. And the race is not
of him that willeth or of him that runneth, but of God that
showeth mercy. And I'm gonna tell you something.
There's no argument against election. There's no argument against it.
Well, you say, men don't believe it. Yeah, but they can't argue
against it. They can't argue against election. It's just ignorant men resting
the scriptures to their own destruction. You can't go into the word of
God and disprove election. You can't do it. And if you ever
come to that place, let God be true in every man a liar. You
believe in election because it's what God states. It's what he
declares in his word. And then thirdly, let God be
true in every man and liar concerning the atonement of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Now there's untold multitudes
today preaching and teaching that Christ died for every man,
woman, boy, and girl in the world. Does the scripture teach that?
No. But men do. Well, you say that
God has something to go on, because look how many teach that. Untold
billions. In our day, right now, this morning,
in that pulpit, talking about the fact that Christ died for
everyone. Show me that in the word of God. It ain't in there. It ain't in
there. What I want to do this morning
is to show you that this doctrine could never be. First of all, men believe that
it's nonsense because they're ignorant of what the atonement
is. What happened on the cross. What happened when Christ died? The atonement was set forth by
God to show us how the Son of God is our propitiation by way
of the redemption accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ. Not
redemption attempted, redemption accomplished. In Hebrews chapter
nine verse 11 it says, but Christ, now he already described the
first atonement. The high priest would go in there
one time a year with the blood of others and he'd go in beyond
that veil with that blood. Now he says here in verse 11,
but Christ being come a high priest of good things to come
by a greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands. He's talking about his body.
his body. Neither by the blood of goats
and calves, but by his own blood. Now watch this. He entered in
once into the holy place, having obtained in his possession. Got it in his hand. He obtained. Now watch this. Eternal redemption
for us. Ain't that what that says? Hmm. Watch this, Hebrews 9 verse 26.
Once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away
sin by the sacrifice of himself. Did he put it away? Or is he waiting on you to believe
to make it effectual? Huh? He put it away. And then in Romans 4.25 it says,
he was delivered for our offenses. Whose offenses? His elect, I'll
show you that in a minute. And he was raised again for our
justification. And then add to this what he
says in Romans 8.33, who shall lay anything to the charge of
God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who do you justify? His elect. Anybody going to charge them?
No. Why not? Christ put away their sin. You got to understand what the
atonement is, what it is, and what was accomplished on that
cross. Who is he that condemneth? It's Christ that died. Yea, rather
that is risen who's even at the right hand of God who also maketh
intercession for us. You think he's up there begging
his father to do something? No. No. He himself has justified us. He's seated
at the right hand of God. He pleads himself. He himself
is our plea. There is no other plea. And therefore,
nothing can separate us from the love of God. Does God love
all men? It says nothing can separate
us from the love of God, not trials or tribulations or anything. The atonement is not something
made effectual by your faith, but was fully and completely
accomplished by Christ and which God looked upon with perfect
satisfaction. and publicly declared it by his
resurrection of Christ. Now, if Christ died for every
man, woman, boy, and girl, then there's no reason for judgment
in hell. Because I just read to you he
put their sin away. You see what I'm saying? There's
no argument against the atonement. It's just ignorant men who don't
understand the atonement. And if favor with God can be
accomplished by our obedience to the law, Paul said Christ
died in vain. Now here's what God says about
it. He said the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. And they said, well, if you be
the Christ, tell us plainly. Listen to what he tells them.
You believe not because you're not of my sheep, I didn't die
for you, and that's why you don't believe. You've not been enabled
to believe. Only those I've died for are
enabled to believe. You're not my sheep, and that's
why you don't believe. All right, here's the fourth
thing. Let God be true and every man
a liar concerning the calling of God's elect. In 2 Thessalonians
2.13, Paul said, but we are bound by the love of God. We're bound
by his merciful kindness to give thanks always to God for you,
brethren, beloved of the Lord. Because God has from the beginning
chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit
and belief of the truth. Wherefore, he called you, that's
what we're talking about, the calling of God. He called you
by our gospel to the obtaining of the glory of the Lord Jesus
Christ. How did you come to see the glory
of God in Christ? You heard the gospel. i think it is over there in the
page and for that is one calling one hope you call it that's all
there is religion says just the opposite
if you believe then you're ordained of god but that's not what god
said Those Gentiles down there at Antioch, when they heard Paul
preach, they said, we believe that. We rejoice in that. Now listen, as many as were ordained
to eternal life believed. Who believed? As many as God
ordained to eternal life. And again, in 1 Thessalonians
1-4, knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God, for our
gospel came not unto you in word only, but in power, and in the
Holy Ghost, and in much assurance. The calling of God is affection,
and the calling of God is the fruit or the offspring of our
election and Christ's atonement. Every man, woman, boy, and girl
that he died for, he gonna call. You say, well, where did God
say that? In Romans chapter 8. Huh? Whom he did foreknow, he also
did predestinate to be conformed to the image of Christ. And whom
he did predestinate, them he also called, And whom he called,
he justified, and whom he justified, he glorified. I've heard preachers tell new
converts, let's call them proselytes instead of converts, that's what
they were. He said, I've heard them tell
these new believers that their names, that very moment, was
being written in the Lamb's Book of Life. are totally contrary
to the Word of God. The Word of God says that the
names written in that book were written before the foundation
of the world. Revelation 17, 8. God calls men by the Holy Spirit
who calls them with an irresistible calling. It's irresistible because
it's revealed truth that cannot be refuted. The reason men refute
truth is because they're full of ignorance. But when God fills
a man with light, when he gives him a new mind and a new heart
and enables him to see this revelation and receive this revelation,
it becomes irresistible. He can't refute it. He can't get rid of it. Oh, I
tell you, the first time I thought about election and God's sovereignty
and things, oh, I tried everywhere in the world to get rid of it,
and I couldn't get rid of it. I couldn't get rid of it. I couldn't
find a place in the Word of God that was contrary to it. Couldn't
find it. It's revealed truth that cannot
be refuted, and it's reasoned in a new mind and a new heart.
And it's reasoned by way of regeneration. And you can tell all the stories
and experiences you want to, but the truth of the matter is
that the Holy Spirit of God convinces us of sin by our unbelief. And he convinces us of righteousness. That is, that Christ is the end
of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. And
he convinces us of judgment. Not that there is one, but of
judgment satisfied. And all those convinced of these
things come to Christ, and they find rest for their souls. It's
irresistible. When God calls a man, it's irresistible. Our Lord said to his disciples,
he said, well, the rest of them left, why don't you leave? You free to go. They looked at him and said,
where are we going to go? Thou hast the words of eternal
life. Where are we going to go? It's irresistible. They're out there on the boat
fishing. They didn't go to church. They were out on the boat fishing.
They didn't come to hear the word of God. They were just out
there fishing. And this man started preaching.
And when he's done, he looked out there and he said, hey, you
and you, follow me. They jumped out of the boat.
Why didn't they keep on fishing? Why didn't they say, well, we're
fishing right now. We'll come follow you. They jumped out of
the boat. They left the boat, nets, and everything. Poor old
dad out there in the boat. That's the only one that left.
Old Zebedee, he was out in the boat. Follow me. Zacchaeus, come down. What did
he do? He came down. The calling of God is irresistible. And then lastly, let God be true
in every man alike concerning the faith of God's elect. True
faith perseveres to the grave. You believe that? Why? Because it's of God. It's of God. It's the gift of
God. Now, if it's your works, if you do it, you lose it. But you can't shake it if it's
God's work. You can't get rid of it if it's
God's And faith is the work of God in you, which enables you
to believe. Peter said this, we're kept by
the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed
in the last day. And Paul said this over in Colossians,
I think it's chapter two. He said, if we continue in the
faith, grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the
hope of the gospel. But I think John has the best
statement of this work in the first chapter of his gospel.
And I'll close. He says in verse 12 of John chapter
one, as many as received him, to them gave he power to become
the sons of God even to them that believe on his name which
were born, not of blood, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh,
nor of the will of man, but of God. Now what about you? What do you
believe and why? You see what I'm saying? Well,
I just think, no sir, God says your thoughts are not my thoughts.
Don't do no good to do that. Well, it just seems to me that's
not going to do either. There's a way that seemeth right
unto man and the end thereof is the way of destruction. Can you take your hope and your
belief in all these things, all these vital issues of life, can
you take those things into this book and say, let God be true
and every man a liar? I tell you, if you can, if you
can, if God enables you to do that, you're gonna rejoice like
you never thought you could. That's what it is. We believe
God.