I have a lot of texts this morning,
but the first one that I'm going to have you turn to is Ephesians
2. So if you want to turn over there, you can. I never know
when I'm preparing a message who's going to be brought to
hear it. I always have this congregation
on my mind when I study. I know that the gospel, whatever
part or portion of it I'm led to preach on, is going to be
a help to you who believe. It's going to be an encouragement
to you. You'll be strengthened by it.
You'll be encouraged by it. You'll be established. and settled
by it. That's what the apostles said,
that the people of God are and will do as they hear the gospel. But sometimes we have visitors,
sometimes people hear the message via the internet, and I don't
know a single thing about them. Now I've been here six years,
and I've learned a lot about the people who come here. on
a regular basis. I know something about your past
and your present and things going on, but these people who hear
this on the Internet or visitors who walk in here sometimes just
one time, I don't know anything at all about them. I don't know
how they were raised. I don't know what kind of religion
they were raised to believe. I don't know if they were Hell-raising
rebels living on the wild side or loving, obedient children.
I don't know anything about them. I don't know if they were raised
with a silver spoon in their mouth or brought up in abject
poverty. But this much I do know. Apart
from an intervention of God, no son of Adam will ever be saved. Never going to be saved. I don't
care how you were raised. I don't care what color you are.
I don't care what sex you are. It doesn't make any difference.
No son of Adam, apart from an intervention of God, is ever
going to be saved. None of these things have much
bearing on the salvation of our soul, where we were raised, how
we were raised. what kind of confusion we were
raised in. It doesn't have a lot of bearing
on the salvation of your soul. You see, the word save presumes
an immediate danger. Now, men and women are living
in this world, especially religious men and women, thinking that
the danger is way out there somewhere, way out in the eternity future.
that there is no danger until I die. The word saved presumes
an immediate danger. The word saved indicates a universal
need. He said, go ye into all the world
and preach the gospel. Well, if there's no need, then
why go into all the world and preach it? It indicates a universal need. And the word saved necessitates
something to be saved from. And the Bible tells us what these
somethings are. Spiritual death. Paul said we
had before proved, both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all
under sin. under the influence of it. Sinners
by nature. Sinners by choice. Sinners by
deed. We're sinners. We don't think
of ourselves that way, do we? We're sinners. We're in need
of saving. If God doesn't intervene, we're
doomed. We're sinners. We came forth from the womb speaking
lies. Man at his best state altogether
vanishes. Spiritual death. And then condemnation. By the offense of one, judgment
came upon all men. Do you fit in there somewhere?
All men to condemnation. Wrath. He that believeth not
the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. Right now. Not somewhere in the
future. Right now. The wrath of God. Well, I don't think the wrath
of God abides on me, preacher. I go to church every... That
may be the wrath of God. Might just be. Might just be. Eternal punishment. Not too many believe in that,
is there? He said, and these shall go away
into everlasting punishment. Matthew chapter 25. Revelation
chapter 20 verse 10, and the devil that deceived them was
cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and
false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever
and ever. Eternal punishment. And if any man, woman, boy, or
girl is ever saved, they'll be saved by the sovereign, free,
immutable grace of God. You know what that means? I wonder how many in here this
morning knows what that means. That means God will save whom
He will, how He will, where He will and when He will. That's
sovereign grace. That's the grace of the sovereign. It's not of Him that willeth.
It's not of Him that runneth. It's of God that showeth mercy. And this is my message to you
this morning. You'll find it right here in
Ephesians chapter 2 and in these other texts that I'm going to
give you. But God. But God. I want you to just think
about that. The word but means on the contrary
or contrary to expectation. And there's many times in the
Scriptures where the word but occurs concerning the salvation
of God's elect. I think, myself, you might well
sum up the testimony of every believing soul with these words,
but God. Boy, that's my story. That's my story. Listen to the hymn writer. I
once was an outcast, stranger on earth, a sinner by choice,
an alien by birth. He said, ah, but I've been adopted. My name's written down and heir
to a kingdom, a robe, and a crown. Ah, but God. That's the testimony
of every true believer. That's his story. Now, I've selected
five texts of Scripture this morning to illustrate to you
the sovereign grace of God where He uses this phrase. but God. So look here in Ephesians chapter
2. Here's the first thing I want
you to see is the eternal covenant union between Christ and His
people. Ephesians chapter 2 verse 1.
And you, hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins,
were in in the spiritual deadness. wherein in time past you walked
according to the course of this world, you walked according to
the prince, the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh
in the children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our
conversation in times past in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling
the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature
the children of wrath even as others. Now, this has always
been the story of fallen men. He follows after the wants and
ways of the flesh. He follows after the beguiling
ways of Satan. He lives out his days fulfilling
the desires of the flesh and of the mind. Walking in the vanity
of his mind, thinking he's something when he's nothing, thinking he's
doing something when all the while he's doing something evil,
he thinks he's doing good. Thinking he has a righteousness
when all the while he wears filthy rags. Thinking he's loved by
God when all the while the wrath of God abideth on him. This was
the story of man in the garden. It was the story of Cain and
Abel. It's the story of Noah and this ungodly world. It's
the story of Jacob and Esau, of Jesus. of the Jews and Christ,
the Christians and anti-Christ religion. And it's my story and
it's yours if you've ever been saved by God. Verse 4. Look here with me here in Ephesians
chapter 2, verse 4. But God, this is where you were. This is how you walked. This
is how you was. This is where I found you. This
is where I quickened you. This is where I loved you. This
is how I've seen you. But God, who is rich in mercy
and for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were
dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, that
is, made us one in our representative. give us eternal life in Him,
quickened us to gather with Christ, by grace ye are saved. Isn't that what that says? And has raised us up together
and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that
in the ages to come, He might show the exceeding riches of
His grace and His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For
by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of
works, lest any man should buy." All that gospel that came to
you in the sweet power of the Holy Spirit, in the effectual
power of the Holy Spirit changing and wooing and breaking and bringing
you damp. You think of that. You think
of that Holy Spirit of God that came into your heart. This was
the result of that quickening in eternity past with your Savior
Christ Jesus the Lord. He quickened you together with
Him. 2,000 years before you was born, He raised you up with Him
and caused you to sit in heavenly places together in Him. Having
already, already obtained eternal redemption for you, that in the
ages to come, He's going to show it to you. This is what He's
going to show. And He shows every one of His
elect. He shows them this glory. He shows them this love and this
kindness and this mercy. Oh, my friend, may God be pleased
today to show you what you are and whatever other man and woman
is by birth and choice and practice, and then show you something of
the riches of His mercy in Christ Jesus. Turn with me to Romans
chapter 6. Here's the second thing that
falls under salvation by the sovereign grace of God. The sending,
receiving, and believing of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Man's ignorant of God. And what
else he's ignorant of is the ways of Satan. He's ignorant
of them. He thinks the ways of Satan is
to be a thief or a murderer. And that is. That is. But that's
just part of it. Religion is too. And I'll be
honest with you, the Lord was a lot more severe in His judgments
of men led away with satanic religion than He was with men
laid away in murder and these other things. He had mercy on
a murderer on the cross and took him into glory with Him. He was
guilty of sedition, more than likely murder. It was a crime
of which death was the penalty for it. And he said, this day
shalt thou be with me in paradise, but it ain't having mercy on
us Pharisees. None whatsoever. He left them
in their religious blindness. Man's ignorant of the ways of
Satan. He's ignorant of God. And he's
ignorant of the ways of false religion. When we think about
false religion, you're reading through the Bible. You tell me
the truth this morning. I'm going to tell you because
I've been there. And I'm going to do a little prophesying this
morning. I'm going to prophesy that when you read through the
scriptures and you see that word false religion, your mind immediately
goes off to those guys over in the Middle East worshiping a
false god or on those people over there in darkest Africa
with their totem poles and their gods and all this. And we go
into Old Testament and we see them worshiping snakes like the
Mayans down in Yucatan, the Kukulkan, the feathered serpent and all
that kind of nonsense. That's where our mind immediately
goes to those things. That's false religion, false
religion. That's not the end of false religion. False religion
comes so close to the truth that our Lord said himself, if it
were possible, it could deceive the very elect. That's how close
it comes to the truth, and yet be false religion. He's ignorant that Catholicism
and Fundamentalism and Legalism and Ceremonialism and Spiritualism
are equally evil. Just put them all in the same
book. He's ignorant of God and he's ignorant of Satan's beguiling
ways and means. He always chooses the evil over
the good. Always. Always. Never an instance when he don't.
Because he loves darkness rather than light. Because free will
decisionism and happy-go-lucky spiritualism and prideful legalism
appeals to his fallen nature. He loves it. Man's ignorance
must be exposed. His nature must be overcome.
He needs to be told the truth and then given the ability to
hear it and believe it. Now look here at our text in
Romans chapter 6, verse 16. He said, No you not,
that to whom you yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants
you are to whom you obey, whether of sin unto death, or obedience
unto righteousness. But God... But God, be thanked, you were
the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form
of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin,
you become the servants of righteousness. Now, this verse is not talking
about law keeping. It's talking about God sending
you a faithful preacher and then enabling you to submit to His
message of grace, eat at His gospel table, and be taught in
the ways of grace. God does that. I can't do that. God does that. I'm not even going
to try. God does that. Job, God's messenger,
is described as one among a thousand. We think of it that way? One among a thousand. It's a
divine act which sends him, draws you, and uses you both to manifest
His grace. You obeyed from the heart that
form of doctrine which was delivered you. It was promised to you. It was sent to you. It was meant
for you. And it was delivered to you. Isn't that how it works? That's
what Paul said. Turn with me to I Corinthians
chapter 2. Oh, you heard from the heart. That form of doctrine which was
delivered to you. Now here's the next thing I want
you to see about God's sovereign grace. This is the work of the
Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost has been set forth
by ignorant and ungodly men in a vain show. Flipping and flopping
around the room and speaking in some ungodly gibberish, dancing
around the room like they were in a dance hall. And don't tell me that ain't
what they do. I've sat in their churches. I know exactly what
they do. It's not how God the Holy Spirit manifests His presence. I can say that without question. God the Holy Spirit works both
in His ambassadors and in the hearts of those who hear Him.
That's where He works. He works in the hearts of believing
men and women, causing them to submit and obey and become the
sons of God. Paul said it, God that worketh
in you, both to will and to do of His good pleasure. The Gospel is a revelation of
God the Holy Spirit. Now look at this text with me
here, I Corinthians 2 verse 7. This was our lesson this morning.
We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom
which God ordained before the world under our glory, which
none of the princes of this world knew. For had they known it,
they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it's
written, eye hath not seen nor ear heard, neither have entered
into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them
that love him." Now watch this. But God. Isn't that what that
says? But God hath revealed Him unto
us by His Spirit. For the Spirit searcheth all
things, yea, the deep things of God. My nephew asked me one
time, he said, how can a man, just an average man like me,
with all the various kinds of religion, there are thousands
of them, With all these various kinds of religion in the world,
how can a man like me ever know which one is true and which one
is false? And it's what I told him. But
for the grace of God, you never will. You never will. You'll just find something that
appeals to you, and you'll join up, and that's where you'll raise
your children, and that's where you'll bear witness, and that's
where you'll wake up in hell. You'll wake up in judgment having
been satisfied in false religion. Turn with me to 1 Peter 5. 1 Peter 5. Here's the fourth thing
about God's sovereign grace. The maturing and establishing
of God's elect. That's of God. That's of God. 1 Peter 5. And look here, verse 5. Likewise, you younger, submit
yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one
to another, and be clothed with humility. For God resisteth the
proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore,
under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due
time. casting all your care upon Him,
for He careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant, because
your adversary the devil as a roaring lion walketh about, seeking whom
he may devour, whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the
same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in
the world. Now my friend, this takes in
the work of God in you. You cannot produce the fruit
of the Spirit and you cannot produce true faith. Listen to
my text here. Verse 10. Are you with me? But the God of all grace, the
God of all grace, who hath called us unto eternal glory by Christ
Jesus, after that you suffered for a while, make you perfect,
established, strengthened, and settle you. To Him be glory and
dominion forever and ever. Amen. How is this maturing accomplished? By the sovereign grace of God.
The same way that you were chosen in eternity past, the same way
that Christ was appointed your mediator and your surety, your
substitute, your representative, the same way that He come and
accomplished those things for you, the same way that He saved
your soul, that same grace, that same sovereign grace works in
you and reigns in righteousness through Jesus Christ unto eternal
life. That maturing is accomplished
by God's sovereign grace. That's how it is. And Paul said,
submit yourselves one to another. Close yourselves in humility. Now here's the last thing. Mercy has shown us in this present
world. Turn with me to Philippians chapter 2. In Philippians chapter 2, Paul
writes to the church. He tells them about Epaphras, which he calls in verse 25, his
brother and companion in labor and fellow soldier and their
minister. But this man had been sick. He'd
been sick. He was out here doing the will
of God. He was out here supplying their lack to the Apostle. He
was down there at that prison giving him what he needed, seeing
to his needs. And he contracted some kind of
disease, some kind of illness, and he almost died from it. Been
sick, nigh unto death, verse 27. But God had mercy on him. God had mercy on him. And not
on him only, but on me too. Sometimes God sends trials that
are meant not only to prove your faith, but also to work in the
hearts of others, and to strengthen them, and to make them to see
what a benefit that this one who's now sick, this one who's
now under the trial, what a benefit he was to you. I know the folks
up in Great Falls and their pastors suffering from that disease.
I know that they know in His suffering. God's proven His faith
through that suffering. He justified His faith. But He's
also worked in the hearts of all them that knew Him. And He's
still working in their hearts. I've heard from three pastors
in the past month how they were touched when they went over and
met that man at his house in the bed. And how touched they
were. And how they come away sobbing.
Huh? That's what he's talking about
here with this man. God had mercy on him. You can multiply that times as
many who've been sick and nigh unto death. There's one here
this morning. More than one or two here this
morning. Nigh unto death. I mean, this is it. This is it. You're not going
to see them anymore. They're still here. They're still
here. And God justified their faith
in that trial. And they come through that trial
with hope and comfort. But I'll tell you what He did.
He touched me, too. Huh? And He touched you, too,
through that trial. This is what Paul's talking about.
But God had mercy on him. God had mercy on him. God alone has our lives in His
hands. Occasionally, He proves it to
us. He'll prove it to you. But God, that's a confession
of every sinner saved by the sovereign grace of God. May God
be pleased to make it yours and make it mine. Our Father, we thank You. Oh,
this precious, precious book. And we look in here at these
wondrous things, and we think in our own hearts and souls,
could it be? Could it be such a one as myself,
such a one without reputation, such a one without righteousness,
such a one who was once an enemy of God, be chosen, be blessed,
and be called to be a son of God? Oh, how thankful we ought to
be. How we ought to gather together and praise you for your goodness
and your mercy and your works among the sons of men.