If God will enable me, I want
to talk to you this morning about your salvation. And it is my
prayer that God will be pleased to make his great salvation yours. There are many marvelous descriptions
given in the word of God concerning our salvation. Jacob called it
God's salvation. The Apostle Paul in Hebrews 5
calls it eternal salvation. Jude speaks of it as your salvation. Hebrews chapter 2 verse 3 says,
How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation? But of all
the descriptions given in Holy Scripture, salvation. None is sweeter, none more comforting,
none more delightful than that which is found in Ephesians chapter
1 and verse 12, where the Holy Spirit speaks of our salvation
in these words, your salvation. Let's begin in verse 12, Ephesians
1 verse 12. God's great goal in all his purpose
of grace and in all his works of grace is that we should be
to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ, in whom
ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth, the
gospel of your salvation, in whom also after that ye believed
ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise which is the
earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased
possession unto the praise of his glory. That great, glorious,
eternal, everlasting, common salvation which God has purposed
for us which Christ bought for us, which God the Holy Spirit
has wrought in us, is distinctly ours. It is called your salvation. Now let's see some of what the
Holy Spirit here teaches us about your salvation. First, the Spirit
of God tells us that our salvation in and by Christ is a salvation
designed for the praise, honor, and glory of God alone. God's first purpose in saving
us is the praise of his glory. God's purpose in saving us the
way he saves us is the praise of his glory. God's purpose in
giving us all the sweet experiences of grace in salvation is for
the praise of his glory. Understand this. The object of
God, first and foremost, in all that he does, is the praise of
his glory. And his glory is most wondrously
magnified, praised, and honored in the saving of sinners by his
free grace. That thought overwhelms me. It is the glory of God to be
gracious. That's what he told Moses, you
remember? When Moses said, show me your glory, God said, I will
be gracious. I will be gracious to whom I
will be gracious. and who showed him how he would
be gracious, he hid him in the cleft of the rock. God's grace
is found only in the rock which he has caused to be cleaved by
his own divine justice, and we find his glory and grace revealed
to us and in us when he hides us in Christ the rock. The salvation revealed in Holy
Scripture That salvation, which really is salvation, always honors
God alone. It gives no honor to man. It
does nothing to exalt man. It does nothing to puff man up. It leaves man with nothing to
claim as his own except that which God gives him graciously
in Jesus Christ. And I'm here to tell you that
if the salvation you think you have does not give all praise,
honor, and glory to God alone, If it does not strip you naked
before him, clothing you only with the righteousness of Jesus
Christ, if the salvation you think you have gives you anything
whereof you may boast, any place where you could point to and
say, there, that's my work, and that is what makes me to differ.
Your salvation is a delusion from hell. It is a refuge of
lies that must be swept away. God's great purpose in all things
is the praise and the glory of his name. The psalmist said,
nevertheless, he saved them for his namesake. God saves sinners
for the glory of his name. This is the end of election,
predestination, redemption, effectual calling, and preservation. This
is the end of resurrection glory, the praise of His glory who first
trusted in Christ. God saved us, revealing His glory
in the face of Jesus Christ in us. that his glory might be displayed
in us, the men and women chosen, redeemed, and called by his grace,
and that we should ascribe all praise and glory to him, and
that we should seek his glory, living for his glory in all things. All right, here's the second
thing. The salvation of our souls is a salvation based upon trust. Trust. that we should be to the
praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ. Now the Spirit
of God here speaks to us about a two-fold trust. First he tells
us that God the Father, that is the triune God, Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit, first trusted in Christ. long before the world
was made, long before we came into this world, long before
we came to trust Christ, God himself trusted Jesus Christ,
the God-man mediator whom he had ordained, whom he had appointed,
whom he had accepted. He trusted him with all his glory,
with the salvation of his elect, with the souls of his people,
with all his honor, with all his majesty, with all his purpose,
he first trusted in Christ. And then the Spirit of God speaks
about our trust. Look at it, in whom he also trusted. At the appointed time of mercy,
that which is described in the prophet Ezekiel as the time of
love. when the Lord God our Savior
passes by His chosen, passes by them in order to be gracious
to them. In the time of love, God the
Holy Spirit comes to chosen redeemed sinners, and He gives the chosen
redeemed sinner life and faith in Christ, causing the sinner
to trust in Jesus Christ. trusting him whom the Father
trusted from eternity. Faith is that which God gives
to sinners. That which God works in sinners. That which God operates in sinners. Faith is not something men muster
by their free will. Faith is not something to which
a preacher can persuade you if he speaks eloquently enough,
if he tells the right story, or if he has a good invitation
at the end of his sermon. What nonsense. You cannot be
psychologically pressured to believe on Jesus Christ. You
cannot be scared into believing on Jesus Christ. You cannot be
somehow manipulated with the promise of reward into believing
on Jesus Christ. No, no. Can't be done. Can't
be done. That's the reason we practice
none of the nonsense that goes on in the religious world in
the name of preaching, in the name of evangelism. We make no
effort to put pressure on folks to make a decision for Jesus.
We make no effort whatsoever to get people to come down to
the aisle and kneel at some kind of an altar as if this was some
kind of a papal cathedral. We make no pressure to get folks
in the waters of baptism. We make no pressure upon men
to join the church. We simply press you with the
preaching of the gospel to believe on Christ, knowing that if God
the Holy Spirit drops life into your soul, you will believe. And for that reason the Psalm
is saying, blessed is the man whom thou choosest and causes
to approach unto thee. Aren't you glad? He calls you
to approach the Savior. When you would not and you could
not. When you were determined not
to come to Christ. He calls you to come. That's called free grace. That's called salvation that
God performs. Now look at the third thing.
I've already hinted at this. If you're saved, your salvation
is a salvation that you have obtained by divine gift. Now watch this. In whom ye also
trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel
of your salvation. Now I want to spend a little
time here. Our trust in Christ, like all other blessings of grace,
is the gift of God. It is the result of election. It is the result of predestination. It is the fruit of blood atonement. It is that which is performed
in us by our God. Hold your hands here in Ephesians
1 and look at the next page, chapter 2, verse 8. Paul says, for by grace are you
saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. But what does
that refer to? Some say, well, that refers to
the grace. Others say it refers to the saved. Others say it refers
to faith. It refers to all three. That
grace, that salvation, that faith is not of yourselves. It is the
gift of God. Your works don't have a frazzling
thing to do with it. Not of works, lest any man should
boast. A preacher, I don't believe in
salvation by works, I believe in salvation by my free will.
That's what I said. Not of works, lest any man should
boast. The work of man's will is as
much a work as if he did penance for salvation. Salvation is not
something performed by you. It's the gift of God. Faith is
not something worked up by you. It's the gift of God. Grace is
not something obtained by your merit. It's the gift of God. Look at Colossians 2. Colossians
chapter 2 verse 10. Paul says, And ye are complete
in him, which is the head of all principality and power, in
whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made with
our hands. Now, for the benefit of those
who have been deluded with the nonsense of calling circumcision
in the Old Testament the equivalent of infant baptism as they call
it in the New Testament. Circumcision in the Old Testament
was not a type and picture of baptism. It was a type and picture
of regeneration. It was a type and picture of
the operation of God's grace in a man's soul. Here he speaks
of regeneration as a circumcision made without hands. in putting
off the body and sins of the flesh by the circumcision of
Christ, that is, by this new birth brought in us in Christ,
buried with him in baptism, wherein also he are risen with him, now
watch this, through the faith of the operation of God. How is it you came to believe? I have faith in Christ by the
wondrous operation of God. By God performing heart surgery
in me. By God operating within me as
only God can. Now notice that the object of
all true saving faith, please get this, is a whom, not a what. The object of all true saving
faith is a whom, not a what. I think I can say without question
that you are aware of how insistent and dogmatic I am by conviction
with regard to gospel doctrine. But I'm here to tell you, and
it needs to be said loudly and universally, you can believe
all true doctrine and never believe the Son of God. Several years ago, someone sent
me a series of tapes preached at the chapel in Calvin College
by a famous, famous theologian. I listened to the five messages
preached in succession, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday,
and Friday. And I listened to each one several times. And this
fellow was preaching of what he called Calvinism, too. Total
depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible
grace, perseverance of the saints. Things that had been the staple
diet of this pulpit from the day it was first erected. Total depravity. Unconditional
election. Limited atonement. Irresistible
grace. Perseverance of the saints. I'm
not bashful about preaching those things. Somebody asked me when
I'm a preacher, how often do you preach those things? I said
every time I open my mouth. Preach them all the time. But
this fellow preached all five points. And after listening to
the messages several times, I thought to myself, how sad. How sad. For if any sinner had been sitting
in his congregation on any of those five days, or all five
days, who never knew how God saves sinners, he would have
walked out not knowing how God saves sinners. The doctrine was
right, but it was all wrong, because it was void of one thing. Whom? It was void of whom? Salvation,
faith in Christ, is not in a what, but a whom. Never is the question
raised in this book, what do you believe? Rather it is raised,
whom do you believe? Dost thou believe on the Son
of God? Now what's involved in this matter
of trust in Christ? First, I think faith in Christ
clearly demands a renunciation of self. I said, think. That's a poor
choice of words. I'm convinced by this book that
it does. If any man come unto me, what was our Savior's first
word to him? Let him deny himself. Now, it's no difficulty for men
to start denying this habit and that habit. It's no difficulty
for men to start denying this practice and that practice. But
that which is utterly impossible for a man to deny, except God
forcing him to deny it. The one thing you won't give
up. The one thing you won't give
up. Nobody here, nobody in this world,
the one thing you won't give up is your righteousness. You won't do it unless God takes
the finger of his grace like he did with Adam and Eve in the
garden and strips off your fig leaf and lays you naked before
his holiness and justice. You will never give it up. you
will have some kind of a refuge for yourself, a refuge built
by your works. The fact is, there can be no
trust in Christ until we cease to trust ourselves. I promise you, I promise you.
The very last refuge to which you will flee is Christ. Does not our experience verify
that fact? When first a man or woman begins
to be troubled with the plague of his heart, conscious of his
sin, terrified of God's law and justice, terrified of eternity,
terrified of meeting God in judgment. He tries this and that. He tries
to reform himself and he reads his Bible and he prays. And he
tries to drive a bargain with God. I can remember those long days
of bitterness. when my soul quaked before God. I was scared to death to close
my eyes and sleep lest I wake up in hell. And I'd lay in my
bed at night and get up and turn the light on and try to read
the Bible and pray. I'd ask God to let me live, ask
God to save me, promise him, if you'll save me, I. And the next morning I'd get
up and shove my fist in his face and blaspheme his name. go to
church, try to act right, try to quit this and try to quit
that, and constantly live in rebellion to Him. Men try joining
the church, try being baptized, Try this religion, try that religion. Some of you have been in about
every kind of religion there is except perhaps Islam. You've
tried about everything there is. Seeking peace. Seeking peace. We read the ancient barbarians
who offer their own children in sacrifice to God and say,
how can a man do that? I promise you. you self-serving
selfish human beings and that's what you and I are no exceptions
I promise you if you thought it'd keep you out of hell to
slaughter every member of your family you'd do it in a heartbeat
If you thought that would appease the justice of God, because you
will sacrifice anybody to save your own soul. That's just human
nature. Oh, by the dollar, not me. You
don't know yourself yet. You don't know yourself yet. Men will do anything, make any
refuge. seeking peace. Oh, if I just
do this, I can get peace in my soul! My conscience will quit
screaming! I can lay down and rest. And there's no rest, saith my
God to the wicked. You will never seek refuge in
Christ until God sweeps away every refuge of lies. Oh, how
I thank God! He swept away every refuge from
me. He made every staff upon which
I leaned to be a spear piercing my heart through my soul into
my inmost being. He called every form of righteousness,
every shred of goodness. I thought maybe somewhere deep
down inside there was something left that's good. and he made
it stink in my nostrils as it stinks in his nostrils causing
me to flee away for refuge to Jesus Christ the only refuge
there is for sinners faith in Christ is an utter renunciation of self and the glorifying of God in
all his being. Faith agrees with that statement
that's found in Psalm 138, verse 2. Brother Darwin called my attention
to it again a few weeks ago. We were sitting back in the office,
he and I sitting there by ourselves. I read this statement here in
Psalm 138. Just astounding. God says in
verse 2, the last sentence in the verse, Thou hast magnified
thy word above all thy name. What a statement. What a statement. Thou hast magnified thy word
above all thy name. What word is he talking about?
His word of decree? His living word? his son, the
Lord Jesus Christ, the word of whom the written word speaks.
His written word. Well, how can it be said that
God has magnified his word above all his name? God's as good as his word. Merle Hart, the man of honor. Forgive me for appearing to flatter
a man. Ask anybody who knows him. He
speaks his word. He's as good as his word. Is
that a fair assessment of yours, Father-in-law? Fair assessment. And thus, his word is that which
identifies and either honors or dishonors his name. Oh, God's word. Here it is. Here it is. Faith takes God at his word and
magnifies him, magnifying his word. For God says This is the
record that we have of Him. He that believeth on the Son
hath everlasting life. And believing God's word, faith,
trusting in Jesus Christ, magnifies every attribute of God. We glorify
the justice and truth of God. For faith takes side with God
in all things. Faith, did you hear me? Takes
side with God in all things. In all things. God says the soul
that sinneth, it shall die. And faith said that's right.
Every sinner shall die and ought to die. The soul that sinneth,
it shall die. Faith, hears God say, it shall
be perfect to be accepted. And faith says, nothing else
can be accepted. Faith, hears God say, without
holiness, no man shall see the Lord. And faith said, that's
right. God's a purer eye than to behold
iniquity. Faith, hears God say, the unrighteous
shall not inherit the kingdom of God. And faith says, that's only right. Trust in Christ. Faith glorifies God's attributes
and glorifies his truth. For God says, he that believeth
on the Son hath everlasting life. And faith says, I believe on
the Son of God. And whether I feel like it or
don't, whether I act like it or don't. I have everlasting life. Whosoever believeth on him shall
receive remission of sins. His face says, I have remission
of sins. Whosoever believeth on him shall
not be ashamed. Confounded, confused, or put
to shame. Not in this world nor in the
world to come. And faith said believe in Him.
I'm not interested in anything else. No confusion with me. No confusion. I shall not be confounded. I
shall not be ashamed. And I shall not be put to shame.
God says, whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall
be saved, and faith says, calling upon the name of the Lord, I
am saved. Trust in Christ glorifies God's
mercy, love, and grace. declaring that salvation is altogether
the result of God's covenant mercy, his everlasting love,
and his mighty operations of grace. Faith puts heaven in our
souls and gives all the glory to God alone for his great salvation. When God graciously causes stout-hearted
rebels to bow before him. When God graciously causes chosen
redeemed sinners to be saved by his grace, he speaks of his
saved ones, declaring that they are his glory in the earth. Turn to Isaiah 46 for a moment.
I want you to see this. Isaiah 46. Every now and then when I'm preparing
to preach to you, God gives me something that I just, either
I'd forgotten it or I'd just never seen it before. Isaiah
46 beginning verse 9. I have quoted this passage to you
hundreds of times. Remember the former things of
old. For I am God, there is none else. I am God, there is none
like me. Declaring the end from the beginning
and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying
my counsel shall stand and I will do all my pleasure. Now that's
what Paul's been describing for us, God's counsel, him doing
his pleasure in Ephesians chapter 1. Now this is the way it says. calling a ravenous bird from
the east, the man that executed my counsel from a far country.
Yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass. I have
purposed it, I will also do it." When God fed Elijah by a dirty
raven, he's portraying to us his work of grace accomplished
by his sovereign providence according to his purpose. Verse 12. In response to that, God says,
hearken unto me, ye stout-hearted, ye that are far from righteousness. Hearken, listen to me. Listen
to me. God speaks to you. Stout-hearted rebels, far from
righteousness. He says, listen to me. I bring near my righteousness. It shall not be far off. And
my salvation shall not tarry, and I will place salvation in
Zion. Now watch this. For Israel, my
glory. Rex Bartley, God calls us, staking
sons of Jacob. Israel, my glory. In chapter
60, verse 7, He speaks and says, I will glorify the house of my
glory. He calls us, his church, the
house of his glory. In his indescribable, condescending
grace, our great God stooped to be glorified in us. And trusting
his darling son, we glorify him who first trusted in Christ.
The psalmist said, Whoso offereth praise glorifyeth me. Our daily, hourly, lifelong sweet
incense of faith, gratitude, and praise offered upon the altar,
the living altar of a believing heart, is accepted of God through
Jesus Christ our Lord and glorify him. Enoch walked with God we're told
and before he was translated he had this testimony that he
pleased God and preachers run wild with that let me tell you
how you can please God if you'll start wearing clothes that button
rather than zip If you'll start wearing shoes that are plain-toed
and don't have any tassels on them. If you'll quit wearing
shorts and wear long pants. If you won't go to the picture
show. If you'll quit smoking, drinking, cussing, and chewing.
If you'll do this and do that and do that, then you'll please
God. That ain't what Enid did. I don't have any doubt that he
may have had tobacco, but he didn't have a roll-up-in-cigarette
for it. He didn't have a television to
quit watching. What did he do to please God? But without faith. Without faith. Without faith. Without faith. Without faith. But it must not
say. It's impossible to please Him. How do you please God? How do
you honor God? How can a sinner magnify, honor,
praise, and glorify Him who first trusted Christ by trusting Him
whom God has trusted, by trusting Him in whom God has put all His
glory. Now, how did we who were dead
in trespasses and sins, stout-hearted rebels, come to trust in the
Lord Jesus Christ. Look at verse 13. In whom ye
also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel
of your salvation. Everywhere in this book, everywhere
in this book, faith follows. It never precedes hearing. Faith cometh by hearing, and
hearing by the word of God. Everywhere in this book, it pleads
God by the foolishness of preaching. to save them that believe. Everywhere
in this book. We're born again, not of corruptible
seed, but of incorruptible by the word of God that lives and
abides forever, and this is the word which by the gospel is preached
unto you. Everywhere in this book. No wonder
the prophet sang, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach
the gospel. To sinners bowed in affliction
and iron. To sinners held in darkness and
oppression. To sinners in the shackles and
slavery and bondage of the law. Cursed, condemned and dead. They
hear men coming with good news proclaiming salvation. How beautiful
are the feet of them that preach the gospel. But it's not the
bare hearing of the gospel that saves. Some of you have heard
the gospel all your lives. And yet you believe not. I sat with my best friend. My best friend. I started going
to church so I could date a girl at church. He sat beside me. Went to Sunday school, went to
church. Went to Sunday school, went to church. Everything we did, just almost
everything we did together. He heard the same thing I heard.
The same lessons, the same preaching. The same scriptures, the same
prayers. Sit just about where Billy McCormick
is sitting right now. He was sitting right where Jelly is
sitting. And I heard the gospel. The word of truth. The gospel
of my salvage that he never heard a thing you see the word must come as
only God can see it in the power and demonstration of the Holy
Spirit specifically to you and if God ever speaks to you
You will hear his voice. You will know it. No need to
play games with you. No need to trick you into making
a confession of faith. No need to con you into getting
religion. Oh no, God speaks. You'll hear
his voice. And he will cause you to come to Christ. That which
we heard. That which brought forth faith
in our hearts. Look at this. Was the word of
truth. the gospel of your salvation.
Let me give you a more literal reading of that. I'm going to
read it to you literally the way it reads in the original. In whom ye also believe, after
ye heard the word of the truth, the gospel of the salvation which
is yours. Did you notice that? four times
in that one sentence, Paul was inspired to use that little article,
the definite article, THE. He speaks of THE word, of THE
truth, THE gospel, of THE salvation, which is yours. Do you mean,
was it done when a sinner believes on Christ, what he's given faith
in Christ. That which causes him to believe
is that he hears how that God has provided salvation for folks,
how that God offers salvation, how that God proffers salvation,
how that God invites them to be saved. No! No. Oh, if ever you believe on the
Son of God, it will be the result of God causing you to hear the
word of the truth, the glorious heaven sent good news of the
salvation that's yours already. Let me show you, 2 Timothy 1,
2 Timothy 1. when the Holy Spirit comes in
conviction, working faith. He doesn't come to convince you
of the possibility of sin, the possibility of righteousness,
and the possibility of judgment. He comes to convince of your
sin and Christ's righteousness and judgment finished by Christ's
shed blood. And when the Holy Spirit comes
calling sinners in effectual, irresistible grace, He does not
come calling you to the possibility of salvation, to the possibility
of redemption, to the possibility of election, but He comes calling
you, declaring salvation is yours. And He gives it to you, assuring
you of it by the gift of faith. 2 Timothy 1 verse 9. God hath saved us and called
us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to
his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus
before the world began, but is now made manifest by the appearing
of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and
hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel."
Well, preacher, it looks to me like what Paul is saying is that
God saved us a long time before we knew anything about it, and
when he gives us faith in Christ, He shows us that we're saved.
You know, that's how it looks to me. They're just, you can't
say that. That's primitive doctrine. That's
hardshell doctrine. I don't care if it's Buddhist
doctrine. It's true doctrine. That's what God said. That's
what God said. Now, here's the fourth thing.
Our salvation secured, made sure to every believing sinner by
a divine seal, in whom also After that you believe, that is, having
believed. This is not talking about a second
work of grace, all happens at the same time. In whom also,
having believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit promise. Sealed. This gift of faith in
Christ is the gift of God the Holy Spirit in us. It is the
fruit of the Spirit in us, which seals to us all the promises
and blessings of covenant grace, and seals in us all the work
of God's grace, and assures us that election and redemption
and calling are all ours, giving us faith in Jesus Christ. Let me see if I can illustrate
it. Some of you know Shelby as a notary public. And she is frequently
asked to notarize deeds and documents of one kind or another. She's
had it for 24, 25, 26 years. Registered over in Frankfort,
Kentucky. She stamps it. And that seal
is given to verify the legitimacy of the document or deed, declaring
it as a legal, valid thing, something that cannot be altered. And anyone
holding the deed can point to the seal stamped upon it without
doubt or hesitation as the final, full, rightful evidence that
the deed or the document is legal and cannot be cancelled. That's the seal. God the Holy
Spirit comes in sovereign mercy and gives you faith in Christ,
sealing to your soul the blessed assurance of life ever. salvation in Jesus Christ. And it is by this faith, this
faith in Jesus Christ, this seal of God, that we draw near to
God through the blood of Christ with the full assurance of faith,
crying, Abba Father. Sometimes I just laugh when I
realize I lit my heart to heaven and almost unconsciously, almost
unconsciously call the God of Glory, Father. As freely, as easily, as comfortably as
my grandson calls me Pop. Did you hear that? This man,
this wretched, worthless, vile, sinful creature calls God Father with confidence because I have
this seal. called the gift of faith. And
through the blood of Christ, trusting Christ for the glory
of God, I'm accepted of Him. And now my conscience no longer
screams, and I live in In the midst of great trouble,
in peace. In the prospect of eternity,
in peace. In the prospect of death, looking
for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. Oh, may God be pleased now to
call you to hear the word of the truth. the gospel of the
salvation that's yours, for Christ's sake. Amen.