And I'm going to attempt just
to read this if I go off on any trails of trying to add and convey
thoughts. The clock will eat my lunch and
yours too, and we don't want that to happen. The word of the
cross. We've already read the fourth
chapter of Proverbs, the 23rd verse. Keep thy heart with all
diligence, for out of it are the issues of life. Jeremiah
17.9, you're familiar with this text. It describes the heart
of fallen man as being deceitful above all things and desperately
wicked. And where men are concerned,
who can know it? Matthew 5, verse 8, in that great
treatise from our Lord and Savior, what we refer to as the Beatitudes,
he makes this descriptive statement, blessed are the pure in heart,
for they shall see God. And then 1 Corinthians 1.18,
for the preaching of the cross, is to them that perish foolishness,
but unto us which are saved it is the power of God." The first
three texts above make direct reference to the heart. Specifically,
these texts refer to the heart of a human being in the spiritual
sense rather than in the physical sense. Therefore, the heart reference
is to that which is the reigning center of the whole human being,
the very core of the entire person that rules over the feelings
and the reasoning powers of the will and character of every man,
woman, or child. And what cannot be ignored? is
also the fact that we are referring to a whole human race that is
fallen in sin. Hence, no matter the reality
of all the unbounded differences that do exist among the vast
varieties of human individuals, the Bible without reservation
declares that all have sinned and come short of the glory of
God. There is none that doeth good. No, not one. For there
is not a just or literally a righteous man upon earth that doeth good
and sinneth not. So the heart reference of the
above text is to the reigning and ruling center of the individual
beings that constitute the whole of the spiritually lost and fallen
human race in its entirety throughout all the ages of all of its history. The first reference from Proverbs
4.23 encourages and enjoins the personal maintenance of keeping
a close eye on one's heart. In fact, this verse is actually
pointing our attention to the ruling and reigning center of
our own being, saying in essence that we should endeavor to keep,
that is, guard or protect the heart above all keeping. That's
what the Hebrew word actually entails and conveys in its definition. In other words, we should focus
more of our attention on our hearts than we do on any other
part of our person and being. The reason we are to do this
is because out of the heart there flows forth the issues of life. That is, the essential issues
and character traits of true life. found only in Christ. It is these traits that assure
us and all those around us that we are in fact and indeed in
Christ. This is what the issues of life
pertain to in that verse. But the second reference, Jeremiah
17 reference, reminds us of something that is of vital importance.
It tells us that the heart of fallen man, fallen men, is to
be rightfully considered as being chronically deceitful and also
desperately wicked. Quite the contrast to this reality
is the descriptive that Jesus makes from Matthew 5-8 concerning
the sinner's heart. He says, blessed are the pure
in heart, for they shall see God. This text describes a sinner's
heart that has been blessed by God. so as to no longer be what
Jeremiah 17.9 is describing as a heart that is deceitful above
all things. The heart that Jesus is referring
to has been blessed. And because of the blessing,
it has become pure, which means that it has become holy. For only those that are pure
in heart are predestined or will inevitably see God. Hebrews 12, 14. Pursue peace with all men and
holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. 1 John 3,
2. Now we are the sons of God. But
it doth not yet appear what we shall be. But we know that when
He shall appear, we shall be like Him. For we shall see Him
as He is. The last text directs our attention
to God's divinely designed effects upon sinners where the preaching
of the gospel of Christ's atonement is concerned. The last text is,
of course, 1 Corinthians 1.18. And it is upon this preaching
of the cross that we want to focus upon in particular as it
relates to both the deceitfulness and to the purity of the heart. The Apostle Paul wrote to the
Galatians, but God forbid that I should glory save in the cross
of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto
me and I unto the world. This statement of the Apostle
is often referred to. But I fear that for the most
part, it is not really and genuinely understood as to its substantive
purity and weight of spiritual significance. One way or the
other, each of us are being ruled by a deceitful heart or a pure
heart. It has been described of that
great preacher, C. H. Spurgeon, that his sermons
basically consisted of a selected text of scripture and then his
taking, as it were, a beeline straight to the cross. in order
to draw his listeners' attention to the substantive significance
of the atoning work and sacrificial offering for sin of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Today, the teaching of the cross
includes a variety of different perspectives, that is, different
theological opinions about Christ's atonement. Preaching the cross,
quote-unquote, pertains to preaching the particular theological perspective
that the preacher has or owns where the doctrine of Christ
and the atonement is concerned. Since the purity of this biblical
doctrine has been, over the years of the history of fallen humanity,
so iniquitized, That is, perverted, where the pure truth of the doctrine
is concerned, there is now, in our day and time, much error
being held, being propagated, and being followed by many fine
people where the pure truth of, quote, the word of the cross,
unquote, is concerned. As a result of this most foreboding
situation, by the grace of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit,
I would like for us to focus upon the substantive meaning
of the phrase of 1 Corinthians 1.18, the preaching of the cross. In doing this, I hope and I pray
that the biblical purity concerning the truth of Christ's work of
atonement will not only be presented and promoted, but also that there
may be, according to God's will and good pleasure, a demonstration,
a manifestation, if you will, of the presence and power of
the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 2.4, Paul said,
and my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of
man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. May
God be pleased to bring this experience to pass for His glory
and our benefit. First of all, whatever way that
your Bible may translate this particular phrase of 1 Corinthians
1 18, whether it says the message of the cross or the preaching
of the cross or the word of the cross, the actual rendering should
be understood as being word. The reason that this is so is
because it is the original word Logos, that has been inspired
by God to be used in this phrase. And as you probably know, Logos
is the Greek word for word. And when Logos is used in the
New Testament in direct reference to the Lord Jesus Christ, it
pertains to the whole definitive subject matter of his person
and work as the promised Savior, Christ of God, sent into this
lost and fallen world to, quote, save his people from their sins,
unquote. Now, somewhere I have I said
I wasn't going to do this, but this is just...I've got written
down some additional notes from the resources that the Lord's
given me in my library about this word, logos, as pertaining
to Christ. When it pertains to Christ, this
word becomes a personal identification of Christ that is substantiated
by biblical descriptives. One such area is God's Word from
John, the Gospel of John, chapter 1 and verses 1 through 18. Well,
you know the very beginning of that, don't you? In the beginning
was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And all things were made by Him.
Immediately goes to a personal pronoun describing the noun that
logos is. In verse 14, in the Word, logos
became flesh and dwelt. The word for tabernacle, tabernacled
among us, and we beheld His glory. The glory is of the only begotten. Only begotten is two words in
English, it's one word, monogenes in the Greek, and it's a unique
word. The only begotten, the only monogenes
of God. Logos, when it speaks of Christ,
carries with it this substantive meaning. It has this as a part
of its substance. And that's a part of the purity
of it that we should understand. It means Christ's distinct and
infinite personality. His relationship to the Godhead,
Logos, is a descriptive of that. Not merely in company with it,
like we are in company with one another in this chapel right
now. but in intimate communion, intimate
bond. His deity. Law Gospel brings
forward his deity, namely his creative power, his incarnation,
his being, as already pointed out, the only begotten from the
Father. And in that text in John 1.14, the absence of the definite
article lends credence to the divine nature and character of
his relationship with the Father. It's not the only begotten of
the Father. Take the the's out. Only begotten
of Father. We need the definite article
for our communicative syntax. It doesn't sound like it's not
comfortable to speak without putting the the's their places,
but for the meaning of what's being conveyed by the Holy Spirit
from the original Greek, without violating any grammar rules of
that original language, it shows a much more intimate bond between
the deities that make up one deity, the personalities, the
distinct personalities, but they're one. His deity made him the Shekinah
glory in open manifestation. That's what John is saying there.
And we beheld his glory. The glory is of the monogenes,
ek theos, out of God. His being called the Word points
to the fact that his very existence in humanity declared to the world
who the Father is. It brings us back to John 14,
doesn't it? And Philip's question. Lord,
show us the Father and it will suffice us. Philip, your fallenness
is sticking out all over you. I've been so long with you and
you still don't understand. He that has seen me has seen
the Father. I and the Father are one. The
Lord Jesus Christ is like And microcosm is not a good word.
It's the only thing I could come up with. But it's like a microcosm,
if you will, of the whole, immense, infinite nature, character, and
being of God in total. That great triumvirate. All funneled
down into this man who became the Son of Man who showed Himself
to be God is with us, Immanuel, wonderful, counselor, prince
of peace, everlasting Father. That's the Son who's the everlasting
Father. He is the progenitor of the elect
race, blessed with grace. As Adam is the federal head of
the fallenness of man, the last Adam is the federal head of the
salvation. Logos means something said, including
the thought, the message of the Lord concerning the Lord delivered
with his authority, made effective by his power. Hence, the overall
purity of what the scriptures teach, of how the scriptures
present and proclaim the gospel of the glory of the Lord Jesus
Christ is summed up in the use of Logos as being translated
as the word. of the cross. Now, it's both
interesting and very significant that when the Holy Spirit of
Scripture declares that every one of us must give account of
ourselves to God, Romans 14, 12, again, it is logos that is
used for the word account. Beloved, this takes every one
of us right now and places us right before the bar of God,
whether you believe it or not. You are, right now, from what
has just been declared here in Romans 14, 12, every one of us
must give a count, logos, of ourselves to God. You can't escape
it. You can deny it because you're
still in this body and you've got all the powers of fallenness
at your disposal. Your flesh can wear its ugly
head. and take its seat over here in
your stubbornness and say, well, that's just what you say. That's
not what I believe. You can go through all those
contortions if you will. You cannot deny this is every
one of us must give logos account before God. Could God be telling
us that it is the purity of our perspective, opinion of the person
in atoning, redeeming work of Christ that will be what it is
for which we all will be held accountable? If so, The Logos
of the Cross is definitely of major importance to us. And if
so, we are so very much dependent upon the life-quickening, mind-renewing
Holy Spirit, whom Jesus declared to be the One that He has sent
to anoint us and guide us into all truth. John 16, verse 13.
So then, It should be plain and clear
that 1 Corinthians 1.18 is to be precisely understood as saying
the word of the cross. But why is this so significant?
Why do we want to be sure of the precise accuracy of this
particular point? Simply put then, Purity in understanding
what this phrase of verse is really saying depends upon the
definitive purity and precision of gospel truth that the word
logos actually pertains to wherever and whenever the person and work
of Christ Jesus is biblically being referred to. And in addition,
if this purity of truth is not being strictly adhered to, when
the preaching of the word of the cross, quote unquote, then
the preaching is taking place, then the preaching of the word
of the cross will not really and truly be taking place. How
could it? The purity must be there. Or the preaching is not taking
place. Because it's the word preaching
that's the word lawless. Knowing Understanding and believing
in the purity of this vital truth of the gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ must be adhered to in order to curtail The advance
of the army of the many enemies of the cross of Christ. Philippians
3, 18 and 19. For many walk, of whom I've told
you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies
of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God
is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly
things. Satan, our adversary, is a lying,
stealing, murdering devil. He's the spirit the scripture
speaks of that now works in all the children of disobedience,
Ephesians 2.2. He hates the truth. He hates
all truth, in or at whatever level. But he especially despises
the pure truth of the word of the cross, which is the truth
of Christ's fully wrought out substitutionary atonement. Christ's fully wrought out substitutionary
atonement. If there's one singular aspect
of salvation truth that the devil wants to lie about, that he wants
to compromise, that he wants to corrupt and obfuscate from
our view, it is the eternal accomplishment of Christ's justifying, reconciling
work of propitiation for all of His people. Satan wants to
keep sinners blinded to that which has been plainly stated
from Matthew 1.21. Thou shalt call His name Jesus,
for He shall save His people from their sins. And from the
light of that which is taught from Romans 4, verse 23, down
through chapter 5 and verse 1. Now, it says, it was not written
for His sake alone, that is, for Abraham's sake alone, that
it, speaking of the righteousness of God apart from the law, was
imputed to Him, Verse 24, "...but for us also, it was written,
for us also, to whom it shall be imputed if we believe on him
that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead." It's believing
on the Father. The glory of the Father. People
stumble over this and they think that's believing in Jesus. We
must believe on Him who raised Jesus from the dead. Romans 6,
6 tells us it was the glory of the Father that did not allow
death to maintain its grip on His Son. And when He raised His
Son back up, the last verse of Romans 4 says it was for our
declaration of righteousness, to declare us righteous, for
our justification. What a wonderful, wonderful truth. It was written for us also, to
whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on Him that raised
up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered for our offenses,
delivered over, turned over to the wicked men with wicked hands
who nailed Him to the cross, put Him on display in history. And all of history is poured
into that moment. All of fallen humanity's history
is poured into that moment. Here is the same. And this is
living historical proof that there is an eternal salvation
that has been in existence from eternity. From eternity. That isn't when it took place.
That's when the historical proof was delivered. He's always been
and always will be Jehovah. He who was, is and always will
be. Who is that? He's the Lamb. What John saw,
I saw a lamb as it were, though slain, approach. And he took
the book that was sealed and nobody could open the seals.
He was worthy. Worthy is the Lamb. Our names
are written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation
of the world. Calvary gives us the proof. Just like your birth Your existence,
your presence right here, right now, and my presence gives the
proof of who I am. I exist. You exist. And you know
what? You exist in Christ! That's why
Paul could say why the sufferings of this present day and time
are not even worthy to be compared with the glory that shall follow.
And he speaks of all of creation, moaning and groaning in travail,
waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God. Your life
is a life that has been predestined in absolute precision. Every time you've sat down, stood
up, every hair on your head, every thought before it ever
entered your mind, every word that came out of your mouth,
your encounter with Christ and Christ's encounter with you.
That revelation of truth, that's what transforms you. It isn't
because, oh, I see the way I should live now. I will by my own will
and efforts and strength, I'll follow this. No, Christ becomes
the transformer in your life. The gospel becomes your rule,
doesn't it? The good news becomes your rule. How can you live any
other way? How can Isaiah think any other
way about the Son of God? About the Savior? About the Christ?
He couldn't. How could he speak any other
way than he does? He couldn't. That's why when
the Lord says, who will go for us? He's quick. Here, here am
I. Send me. I know what to say. I know what to tell them. And God said, OK. Go. But I want to tell you in advance,
having ears to hear, they won't. Having eyes to see, they won't
see. Unless they hear with their ears and see with their eyes and understand
with their heart and be converted, and I heal them. And I don't
plan to heal them. How many myriads within the elect
family have been converted in Isaiah's ministry? I have been. I venture to say you, too, have
been. But you and I didn't live in
his generation. There is a generation who are
pure in their own eyes, and yet they're not washed from their
filthiness. He was delivered, turned over
for our offenses, was raised again for our justification.
Chapter 5, verse 1, literally, having been justified, therefore,
by faith, we have peace. There's our reconciliation with
God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Also, the deceiver works to keep
the purity of truth misunderstood and hidden from the view of our
hearts. that is brought boldly and plainly forward from the
gospel description of 2 Corinthians 5, verses 18 through 21, which
says that. Now, you know what 2 Corinthians
5, 17 is, don't you? Therefore, if any man be in Christ,
he's a new creation. He's a new creature. Old things
are passed away. Behold, all things are become
new. Verse 18. Now, and all things,
that's what it's referring to. That is, the all things that
are become new for all those who are in Christ, from verse
17, are of God. All things are of God. All those
things that have become new, they come from one source, one
source only, and that's God. That's not you. All things are
of God, who hath reconciled us to himself, literally, through
Jesus Christ. and hath given to us the ministry
of reconciliation." Verse 19, two wit. Now what's two wit mean? We don't talk that way. Two wit.
Where does that come from? Who in the world talks like that?
Two wit. What are you, a half wit coming at me and saying two
wit? Yeah, you're not a half wit, you're two wits. That's
good, Rosemary. This old English phrase means
literally, in this precise manner it was performed. That two word
phrase was used to set up what was going to be described. It
was performed exactly this way. What? God was in Christ reconciling
the world unto himself. That is, the world of all those
of all nationalities who have been, by grace, placed in Christ.
Not every single lost and fallen constituent of fallen humanity. The world is not to be defined
in that context. It's all those, the world of
those that are in Christ. Therefore, if any man—any man? You mean any Jewish man? No,
I mean any man. Jew or Gentile, be in Christ. He's a new creature. Old things
pass away, all things become new, because all things are of
God. To wit, or in this precise manner it was performed, that
God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing
their trespasses against them. Holy Spirit, make that sink into
them now. When was it? that God imputed the righteousness
of God apart from the law upon you. Wouldn't you say that that's
a spiritual blessing? That would have to fall under
that category. Blessed be God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in the heavenlies in Christ just as he chose us in
him before the foundation of the having predestinated us in love,
to be holy, to be adopted through Jesus Christ into His family.
We're reconciled. See, that reconciliation contains
all of those grand things that have to be included if you understand
the purity of what reconciliation is talking about. And He's committed
unto us the logos of reconciliation. That's the logos of the cross,
beloved. That's the logos of God. That
is Christ. Now then, we are ambassadors
for Christ, literally, as though God did beseech through us. We pray in Christ's stead. My, what a phrase. Have you ever
noticed this phrase? What in the world does that mean?
We pray in Christ's stead. In your stead, Christ lived a
holy life. In your stead, Christ died for
your sins. In your stead, he was raised
again, back to life. In your stead, he was exalted
and made to be ascended back to the throne and sit down, having
by himself purged us from our sins." There's their atonement,
purging. And now, because we have been
regenerated, that revelation comes through the word of the
truth of the gospel, which regenerates us, transforms us. We become
caught up, even in the emotion of those around us whom we love,
whom we long for them to see the truth. And we pray in Christ. He ever lives to make intercession
for us, it becomes our earnest prayer back to Him. Reveal yourself
to me. Be reconciled to God. God was
in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself. How can it mean
the way the world has twisted the gospel today to mean that
we are pleading with you and your fallenness, you be reconciled
to God. You can't be reconciled. God
is in Christ reconciling us to Himself. We pray in Christ's
stead, O you, in that way, to wit, in that precise manner of
performance by God alone, be reconciled to God. This is the
emotion of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians. wrote more inspired
words to the church of Corinth than any other church that he
ministered to. And he wanted to leave town when
he first got there. And came right smack up against
the opposition. I don't want to deal with this.
The Lord had to reveal himself. Stay. I'll protect you. I have
much people in this place. The Lord knows those that are
His. We don't recognize it. But He does. See, this is all
connected. Be ye reconciled to God. This
is the message. We pray, and Christ said, be
ye reconciled to God, for He, God, hath made Him, Christ, to
be sin for us. Who knew no sin that we might
be made the righteousness of God in Him? Therein is the atonement,
the pitch that seals your relationship eternally with the Savior, with
heaven, with the truth, the events of the atoning work, of the Lord
Jesus Christ as the incarnate, eternal, only begotten Son of
God in regards to this temporary existence of fallen humanity
was historically fulfilled and culminated at Calvary. It was
at Calvary that Christ's saving and atoning work for all his
elect people throughout the whole history of fallen humanity was
historically proven and substantiated to have been finished from all
eternity and for all eternity. And ever since Christ's death
on the cross at Calvary, ever since that event has taken place,
Satan has incessantly been weaving his web of deception in the thinking
and reasoning of lost sinners so that they remain blinded to
this light of the truth of the word of the cross, which is the
very heart of the gospel of the glory of Christ. 2 Corinthians
4, 3 and 4. But if our gospel be hid, veiled,
it is hid to them that are lost. In whom the God of this world,
the word world there is actual world for age. It points to the
age of sin and death. In whom the God of this age of
sin and death hath blinded the minds of them which believe not
literally, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ
who is the image of God, should shine unto them. And as a result
of this diabolically conceived deception and blindness to this
life of pure gospel truth, in so many cases, in their spiritual
blindness, unregenerate believers in Christ, unregenerate believers
in Christ have been firmly holding on to the misconception that
they must have some sort of a personal part to play, that they must
have some sort of an individual role to fulfill and a duty of
some kind to do that is vitally important and is in essence absolutely
essential to the efficacy and success of Christ's death on
the cross for the salvation of their soul. This is because they
in essence And I could have put in here whether they agree with
this or not, hold to a general and basic universalism. Universalism either in regards
to the spectrum of the efficacy of the atonement itself or to
an imagined offer of its saving efficacy that they believe is
being made by God to the whole world of fallen humanity. It
is in this belief, however, that there is being exposed Satan's
bare-faced lie. Why? If it were true that there
does exist a part for a sinner to perform, a role for a sinner
to fulfill, a duty for a sinner to do that ultimately determines
the efficacy and success of Christ's atonement for their sins, And
beloved, no sinner would ever truly be saved. Once again, the pure truth of
the Word in its declaration right out of the very mouth of Christ
Jesus himself is that the flesh profits nothing. John 6.63. and sinful, corrupt,
fallen flesh is replete in or permeates the entirety of every
fallen human being. cannot please God." The flesh
will not even try to please God because it is enslaved to sin.
It is ruled and reigned over by its own deceitful, desperately
wicked heart and will ultimately only strive to please itself. Religious flesh professes to
believe in Christ and prays to God using Christ's name, but
does so in order to try to obligate God to savingly and graciously
react to its personal religious endeavors and displays and prayerful
requests and demands. Oh yes. There is a faith that is fostered
from, that is resourced from, the flesh of fallen mankind. There's a faith that is fostered
from the flesh. No matter what it looks like,
no matter how genuine it might look like, it is still a false
faith that at best mimics the true and genuine faith of Jesus
Christ. Satan therefore works to mislead
sinners into believing that they can do, that they can will to
do what is in reality absolutely impossible for them to do. Once
again, the Word of God says, they that are in the flesh cannot
please God. Romans 8. The cross of Christ
is only in the equation of the iniquitized perspective opinion
of the religious flesh of an unregenerate believer as an option
for the faith of their flesh to take advantage of, as an option
that they suppose the cross of the gospel is making available
to them for them to either accept or reject. If they accept the
option of believing in the existence of the offer that they suppose
that the word of the cross proposes, Then they do so in order to cause
to come to pass the eternal salvation of their soul through the death
of Christ. It is their firm belief that
without their positive decision concerning this matter, their
soul would be damned. When what it is that is really
happening is that the deceitful and desperately wicked heart
of their fallen flesh has convinced them to put the stress of the
salvation of their lost soul on itself and not solely on Christ. They are placing their eternal
salvation on what they, right here and now in time, are willing
to do with what they suppose the cross of Christ has made
optional for them to accept or reject. But God has made the
preaching of the Word of the eternal truth concerning the
cross of Christ to be powerfully effective unto the salvation
of all the souls throughout all the world of His elect sinners.
When He declares from 1 Corinthians 1.18 that this preaching of the
cross, this preaching of the Word of the cross, is indeed
His power unto salvation, He is declaring that it is completely
separate and apart from any reasoning or any activity of the flesh
or even anything that promotes the involvement of the flesh
in any way whatsoever. For the preaching of the cross
is to them that perish foolishness, but unto us who are saved it
is the power of God. We want to know we need to be
accurate and precise in understanding the pure truth of the word of
the cross so that we do not err in so vital a tenet of the faith
of Jesus Christ. It is the grace of faith through
the Lord Jesus Christ that alone is the foundation of that which
genuinely saves the soul. 1 Peter 1, 21-25, "...who by
Him do believe in God that raised Him up from the dead and gave
Him glory, that your faith and hope might be in God, seeing
you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through
the Spirit, Unto unfeigned love of the brethren. See that you
love one another with a pure heart, fervently. Verse 23, literally, the parcipial
form is the only pure way of understanding. It says being
born again. But it should be having been
born again. Not of corruptible seed. Which implies the very existence
of spiritual birth from a corruptible source. It's drawing a line of
distinction that separates this, sanctifies what's being said,
purifies what's being said from that which has been iniquitized. Having been born again, not of
corruptible seed, but of incorruptible by the Logos of God, which liveth
and abideth forever. It's eternal. For all flesh is
as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower
thereof falleth away, but the word of the Lord endureth forever. And this is the word which by
the gospel is preached unto you." In Ephesians 2, 8 and 9. You
know this quite well. 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 boast. It is the Holy Spirit of Christ
our God that uses the declaration of the pure truth of the word
of the to substantively reveal to all of his eternally chosen
unto eternal salvation the finished work of the eternal atonement
that indeed glorifies only the person and work of the Lord Jesus
Christ, the eternal Son of God. It is in the preaching of this
word of the cross that the blessing of God's grace is conveyed and
bestowed that purifies the heart. Amen.