If you have your Bibles, you
can turn with me to the book of Romans chapter 11. I'd like to read down through
verse 7. I say then, hath God cast away
His people? God forbid, for I also am an
Israelite of the seed of Abraham of the tribe of Benjamin. God
hath not cast away his people, which he foreknew. What ye not
what the scripture saith of Elias, how he maketh intercession to
God against Israel, saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets,
and dig down thine altars, and I am left alone and they seek
my life. But what saith the answer of
God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven
thousand men who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Even so then, at this present
time also, there is a remnant according to the election of
grace. And if by grace, then is it no
more of works. Otherwise, grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is
it no more grace. Otherwise, work is no more work. What then? Israel hath not obtained
that which he seeketh for, but the election hath obtained it,
and the rest were blinded. In 1 Peter 1 23 through 25, the Scripture says,
being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible seed,
by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. For all
flesh is grass, and all the glory of man is the flower of the grass,
and the grass withereth. But the Word of the Lord, endureth
forever, and this is the word which by the gospel is preached
unto you." Sometimes I take great comfort in the fact that the
word of the Lord endures forever. The Bible says, the psalmist
made this statement, he said that the word of the Lord, that
it was reserved in heaven, that the word was reserved in heaven,
and I believe that throughout eternity and even at the judgment
that the Word of God will read the same as it reads now. Don't you think so? I believe
it will. And that's one of my consolations
and comfort because you know there are so many great and glorious
doctrines in this Word that are under attack in our day. So many
truths that people will not listen to They will not take the time. They don't want to hear it. They
don't want to hear it. The Bible speaks of those days
as being the days when men will seek to have teachers that will
satisfy the itch in their ear, and they will not abide sound
doctrine. They will not endure sound doctrine. Now, you notice the Scripture
says endure. they would not endure sound doctrine. Let me make this observation
to you, that as long as we're in a body of flesh, sound doctrine
must be endured by us. You see, that sounds like we
are attempting to enjoy something that's not enjoyable to the flesh,
The great doctrines of the Word of God are not enjoyable, not
to the flesh. Sound doctrine must be endured. One old preacher put it like
this, he said, a man must die out to himself to receive the
Word of God, to receive the truths of the Word of God. And so the
Word of God will call upon us to die to self, It'll call upon
us to take up our cross and follow the Lord Jesus Christ. The Word
of the Lord will make demands of us. The Word of the Lord will
come to us with challenge and power and will affect our hearts
and the flesh is not into that. The flesh is not into that. I've
had people tell me that. Said, I'm just not into that.
I'm just not into it. But my friend, we must endure
sound doctrine. And then in the book of Jude,
you remember where he said that in the last days that we must,
as God's people, we must abide in the faith and we must strive
to remain faithful to that common truth of salvation that's revealed
in the Bible. And I haven't got exact wording
of that, but it'll come to me in a minute. But nevertheless,
God's people must endure. This truth has been left to us,
been deposited with us, and God's people must endure in it. And thanks being to God, they
will. They will endure. God's true
people will endure. Now, as we've read to you a portion
of Romans chapter 11 this morning, let me begin by saying The question
is asked here by the apostle, hath God cast away his people? And then in verse 2 he answers
his question, God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Now the people that Paul is talking
about here is his people, God's people. God has a people in this
world. They belong to Him. God has always
had a people. And those people He has chosen
unto Himself. Now He distinguishes between
the Israelites who are just of the natural seed of Abraham,
and those who are the seed of Isaac, those who are the children
of promise. And it appeared that God had
cast away His people, but not His true people, not those who
were of the seed of Isaac, not those who were the seed of promise,
not children of God, born-again believers. He hath not cast them
away. Thanks be unto God, the Scripture
says that all that the Father giveth him shall come to him,
and they that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. I will in no wise. Now you say,
that's in the New Testament. Beloved, it's always been true.
that God never would cast away His people, because it pleased
the Lord to make you His people, He will not cast you away. God forbid, says the Apostle.
He will not cast away His true people. He will not cast away
His people which He foreknew. Those that He predetermined would
be saved before the foundation of the world. Those that He chose
in reference to Christ. Those that He chose in the Lord
Jesus Christ. He will not cast away them. He
foreknew them. He predestinated them to the
adoption of children. by Jesus Christ. And so He will
not cast them away. What? He says, you know what
the Scripture says of Elias? How he maketh intercession to
God against Israel, saying, against that portion of Israel that was
against God, that would not, they were the descendants of
Abraham, but they were not born again believers. Saying, Lord,
they've killed thy prophets. They've killed our prophets and
dig down thine altars, and I am left alone, and they seek my
life. Among those of the mixed multitude,
and those that did not know the redeeming grace of Christ in
the heart by looking forward to His coming, they, Isaiah said,
they've killed your prophets. They've tore down your altars,
places of worship. They're not the true people of
God. And he said, I'm left alone and they seek my life. Many times
the true servants of God feel left alone and that somebody
is trying to get them. Well, you know, I remember reading
in the 16th chapter of John about the Lord Jesus. And how He said
that the days come and the hours come when you're all talking
to the disciples. He said, you're going to all
be scattered. And you're going to leave Me alone. That's what
you're going to do. The disciples now He's talking
to. He's not talking to some group of people that never heard
the Word or never heard Him teach or didn't know anything about
spiritual things. He was talking to His disciples.
And He said, you're going to leave Me alone. and you're all
going to be scattered, every one to himself. Not one of you
will stand with me." And so the prophet here said, I'm left alone
and they seek my life. But what's the answer of God
unto him? He said, you're not alone. You think you're alone, but you're
not alone. He says, I've reserved to myself
7,000 men who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.
I've got men in this world, I've got people in this world, and
these people are true to me. They've never bowed their knee
to Baal. They're true people of God, been
born of the Spirit of God, have the Spirit of God in them, love
me, and love the truth. And they've never bowed their
knee to the image of Baal. And then in verse 5, and so Paul
makes this glorious announcement, and makes this statement. Listen
to it. Even so, then, at this present
time also, there is a remnant according to the election of
grace. So Paul says, even at this present
time, beloved, when everything looks as though that the true
people of God are about to be stamped out and there's no witness
or testimony left in the world, of the true grace of God? Oh,
Paul said there is at this present time also. I'm glad he said that. It was true in his day, it's
true in our day. Beloved, it's true until the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord will have His church
in the world. They will be in the world. God's
true people will be in the world. He has a remnant. Oh, true. Well, the Scripture says, there
are few that be saved. Sure, there's a remnant. That's what's left on the roll
after people have used all that they wanted off of the cloth
off of the roll. Just what's left at the end. They call that a bolt, don't
they? Okay, just what's left at the end. But nevertheless,
I remember one time the prophet said that if it had not been
for the Lord of Sabaoth, then we would have been like Sodom
and Gomorrah. If it had not been for Him leaving us a remnant,
we'd have been like Sodom and Gomorrah. We'd have been wiped
out. But beloved, by the grace of God, there is a remnant now. And this remnant is according
to the election of grace. Now he says, in other words,
it's according to God's election based on God having favor upon
those people that remanent according to his goodwill and pleasure.
God has a people that he has had mercy upon just like Noah. The Bible says that Noah found
grace in the eyes of the Lord. It means that God favored Noah. He favored him above other men,
distinguishing grace, sovereign distinguishing grace. And so God has shown these, this
remnant, He's shown them mercy and favor. He loved them and
He brought salvation to their souls. And then in verse 6, and
He says, and if by grace, and if by grace, if just by God's
favor, not according to their goodness, not according to their
merit, not according to human standards or human righteousness,
but according to grace. And if by grace, Paul said, and
if it is by grace, if it is by grace, then is it no more of
works. In other words, it just can't
be of them, it's of God. Salvation is God s work. It is God s work from the beginning
to the end. Now, beloved, listen to this
next statement. Otherwise, grace is no more grace. Now, you know that statement
there is a tremendous statement. He says, then is it no more works,
otherwise grace is no more grace. As soon as there is one bit of
human merit introduced into this equation, the grace of God is
out of the picture. No more grace. There is no mixture
of law and grace. No mixture of human merit and
the free favor of God. No mixture. Grace and works cannot
be mixed It will not mix just like oil and water will not mix
it won't mix Now notice that statement otherwise grace is
no more grace now friend the Bible talks about in Galatians
about people falling from grace and And this is exactly what
the writer is talking about in Galatians, about Christ being
made of none effect to those who are justified by the law. None effect? Now you see, I'm thankful that Christ has had
an effect upon me. I'm thankful that that my life
has been affected by the Lord Jesus Christ, the Redeemer, the
Savior, that He saved my poor soul. You see, there was a time
when I was dead in sin, when I was lost, when I did not have
a ray of hope in my soul, no eternal life abiding in me. There was a time when I was cut
off from God. But by the grace of God, the
mercy of God, without any works being involved, without me having
to produce something, God in mercy spared my soul. And He, the Lord Jesus Christ,
was effective in my life to making me a new creature. old things
passing away, all things becoming new, Christ being of an effect
upon my life. But now you, if you have introduced
and you feel like in some way or measure that you are in some
way, you and Jesus are incorporated, and that you are some way or
another bringing something to this situation, that is of your
own, your own works, your own way and merit, then my friend,
Jesus Christ is of no effect to you. You've fallen from grace. Grace is no more grace once works
are introduced into it. It's no more grace. But if it
be of works, then is it no more grace? It's no more grace. Don't go around talking about
being saved by grace. I don't know, you know, people
are religious people. They're very, very quick to say
that they believe in grace. They believe in the grace of
God. But yet they're work mongers. And works religion is a criminal
doctrine. It's so contrary to the Word
of God that one, when he accepts it, he falls from the grace of
God and renders himself in a position, puts himself in a position where
he cannot have the benefits of Jesus Christ. Christ alone is
the Savior. Christ alone can deliver a man
from sin unto salvation. Now if it s no more grace, otherwise
work is no more work. Work is one thing, grace is another. I guess that s the simplest way
of saying it. Work is one thing, grace is another. Well, what
then in verse 7? Israel hath not obtained that
which he seeketh for. Now that means that part of Israel
that were not the true people of God. They were seeking after
righteousness through their own works, but they didn't obtain
it. Paul says they've not obtained
it, not obtained what they're seeking for. Well, how many people
today in the religious world would that describe? They're
attempting to lay hold of something. You know, about everybody believes
you gotta have some goodness to go to heaven. But everybody
believes you've got to have some righteousness to be able to please
God. Some righteousness to be accepted
into glory. You've got to have some. Well,
some people will not allow that Jesus Christ is all that the
Father demands. They're working on it themselves.
And they're trying to make a contribution to God. that will persuade him. And Paul says, Israel, listen
to this, hath not obtained that which he seeketh for. They have
not obtained it. They've been working on it, according
to what Paul said. He said, I bear them record,
over in chapter 10. that they have a zeal of God,
but not according to knowledge, they being ignorant of God's
righteousness, who is a person, who is Christ, and going about
to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves
unto the righteousness of God. There they are. There they are. So anybody that's working on
their own salvation falls under this category. They're right
here in this verse of Scripture mentioned. that they're ignorant
of God's righteousness. They're ignorant that Christ
is all that God demands. Ignorant that when they turn
away from Christ, they're turning away from the only way of deliverance
and salvation. We must look steadfastly to the
Lord Jesus. Now look at this. Back to verse
7. But the election hath obtained
it. The election. Ah, the election
of grace. The election that is described,
and you folks know where it's described. In the 9th chapter
of the book of Romans, here it is. In verse 11, God, according
to election, might stand of works not of him that calleth. The
purpose of God, according to election, might stand not of
works, but of him that calleth. It was said unto her, The elder
shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have
I loved, but Esau have I hated. What shall we say then? Is there
unrighteousness with God? God forbid. Because God said
that these two boys haven't done no good or evil. The purpose
of God, according to election, might stand of grace, not of
works. So the election hath obtained
it. Those that God chose before the foundation of the world,
set His love and affection upon, and if it hadn't been for that
election, there'd be nobody saved. Nobody saved. It had to be, according
to God's purpose, before the foundation of the world, these
people hath obtained it. What have they obtained? They
obtained righteousness. The righteousness that God demands.
They've obtained it. Now do you find fault with this?
I don't find fault with that. And I'll show you in a few minutes
why I don't find any fault with it. But the election hath obtained
it. And the rest of them were blinded. Now that's what the Scripture
says. That's what I told you that in the beginning we quoted
those verses that said the Word of God shall abide forever. This
is the same way, it's going to read the same way on judgment
morning. God says the election hath obtained
it. Now you can find all kinds of
fault with that, but if you've got a lick of spiritual sense,
you'll just give up the fight and bow to the Lord Jesus Christ
and submit yourself to Him. and bow to his will in your life. Surrender yourself to him and
give up trying to please God on your own. Okay, so the rest
were blinded and they were not healed, they were not converted,
they were not saved. Now the scripture says that all
Israel shall be saved. And what that means is that all
the spiritual seed All the Israel of God will be saved. All of
those chosen in Christ Jesus will be saved. That's the Israel
that will be saved. That's not the fleshly descendants
of Abraham. That is the descendants of Abraham
according to the seed of promised Isaac. Isaac was the promised
child. You remember that story. And
therefore, the rest were blinded, those that were outside of this
promise. Alright now, beloved, in thinking
about this we see that the grace of God has been highly elevated
and highly exalted. The grace of God. Been highly
exalted. Now brethren, we make much of
the grace of God around here. And we believe it ought to be
made a lot of. We believe that it should be
exalted. Now, you've already heard enough this morning, you
ought to say amen to what I said. The grace of God ought to be
exalted. Now, brethren, if grace... Now,
I want you to see the importance of this. If grace is believed,
grace dominates. It dominates when it is believed. Now, I'm not an authority on
preaching. I don't claim to be. I'm not
an authority on pastoring or anything connected with this
high calling and the noblest of all works, this business of
preaching the Word. But I've been doing it a long
time, and I'm not a novice. And one of the things that I've
observed over the years is that wherever the gospel of God's
free grace is believed and faithfully preached, grace dominates everything. It dominates everything. Now
this is the reason why the message and the note must be clear on
the grace of God. Now beloved, we are not rationally
judging anybody or condemning anyone's ministry. For people
profess to believe and preach the gospel, of God's grace, we'll
be lenient and charitable as far as possible in our judgment
and statements concerning them. But having said that, I assure
you that wherever grace reigns, it radically changes some things. It radically changes at least
five things, and I want to mention them to you quickly. And I think
some of you will be able to identify with what we're saying. First
of all, it radically changes the messenger himself. A pastor or preacher who has
been saved by the grace of God, who knows and believes and preaches
the gospel, of God's grace in Jesus Christ does not dilly-dally
around promoting programs and promoting self-righteous morality
or working up frenzied fits of emotion in people, the man who
has seen and experienced the glory of God in the face of our
Lord Jesus Christ is humbled and emboldened and burden that
those who hear him might learn to know and to trust and believe
and follow the Lord Jesus Christ. They had that desire, the same
desire that Paul had in Romans chapter 10 when he said, My heart's
desire and prayer to God for all Israel is that they might
be saved. They no longer crave recognition
and they're no longer attempting just to get a following for a
following's sake. They have a message and they
want that those who hear them would come to love Christ and
to know Christ. Secondly, the motive of a man
is radically changed. The pastor in church that's convinced
of and committed to the gospel are no longer motivated by numbers. Oh, how many? How many did you
have? How many? How many can you get?
How many? And my friend, if you just understood
the deceptive methods and ways of false religion to get the
numbers, if you just understood what's going on in the religious
world today, I think that you would become extremely, extremely
uncomfortable at some of the things that you read in here. The motive. No longer motivated
by numbers and appearance. Appearance of things. Oh, you
know, we're often judged by the appearance of things. How do things appear? It appears
that things are on the way down. Well, my friend, we're on the
way up. I want to tell you that we're
on our way up. I intend to, by the grace of
God, believe that the Lord Jesus Christ
is coming and that He is ultimately conqueror. And I believe that
He will, that He being the captain of our salvation, the author
and the finisher of our faith, that he will guide his people
to glory. Now then, and success. Oh, if you're not successful,
now most churches, they employ the means that they employ down
at the bank or somewhere else to get success. And if you're
not a success, as far as the world is concerned, you're wasting
your time. But brethren, I think that probably
anybody that's a success in the eyes of the world is a failure
in the eyes of God Almighty. I don't know whether you agree
with that or not, but I think they are. But I think those that
are a success in the sight of God are a success whether the
world commends them or not. Because after all, it's not who
men commend that's commended. It's whom the Lord commends.
And so it's the Lord that will do the judging. as to whether
or not a man has preached the gospel of whether he's been faithful
or not. But we no longer crave recognition. We're motivated by and crave
the glory of God. We want God to be glorified.
The Scripture says that whether you eat or drink or whatsoever
you do, do it to the glory of God. Do it to God's honor and
to God's glory. Will God receive the glory? Well,
praise be unto God's name. He is going to be glorified in
the earth. In the last days, He will glorify
Himself. And I'm looking, as this psalm
says, He is coming again in power and great glory. He's coming
again, the Lord Jesus. Now also, the message will be
radically changed. The message of God's servants
and of God's church is crystal clear. There can be absolutely
no question about what God has sent His servants to declare. The Lord Jesus says, As the Father
sent me, even so send I you. I believe that God calls men
and sends them out. He thrusts them out into the
labor that's white, into the harvest that's white, unto harvest. Now, there can be absolutely
no question about what God has sent us to declare. We're under
obligation. We're under obligation to preach
Christ and Him crucified. Paul said we preach not ourselves,
but Christ Jesus the Lord. We preach Christ and Him crucified. Now, in regards to this, We know that this is not our
occasional theme, but it's the constant theme of the ministry
of God's house, God's true house, the gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Any preacher who believes the
gospel will preach it incessantly, and any church that believes
the gospel demands that it be preached. incessantly. I believe that's true, brethren.
And then the methods will be radically changed. Oh my, the
methods that are used in religion. Where graces believe the methods
of Arminian free will works religion are abandoned. They're abandoned. The church ceases to be a social
club and becomes a preaching center, a house of worship, and
a banqueting hall to the hungry souls of God's people. Gospel churches are built on
gospel preaching by the almighty operations of God the Holy Spirit. Where grace reigns, gimmicks
die. They die. Now, you just remember
that. Somebody said, well, isn't there
something we can do? Isn't there something we can
employ here? Well, preach the gospel. Believe
the gospel. And then, too, I think the music
will be radically changed. I think this is important to
see. I'm talking about where grace is believed The grace of
God will dominate in these areas that have been mentioned. The
music. Where the gospel is believed and preached, the music reflects
the doctrine of grace. In the house of God, there's
no more place for man-centered music, music that focuses on
human works, emotion, and rhythm. Gospel music focuses on the praise
of the thrice holy God for His glorious person, His gracious
provision, His good providence, and His great promises. True
music will edify the soul. It will edify the heart. It will
sing. We are to sing with joy in our
hearts to the Lord and to exalt the Lord. And there to be gospel-centered
songs and thanks be unto God They are here in this place,
and I hope that they always will be. Now I said that I was going
to try to show you, my time is getting away, and I was going
to try to show you why that I do believe so strongly in the grace
of God. And the reason why I do is, the
reason why I believe so strongly in this, and I'm going to do
it quickly and hurriedly, is the fact that, as the brother
read Ephesians 2 this morning, and then Mitch quoted it, verse
4 and 5, But God, who is rich in mercy for His great love wherewith
He loved us, even when we were dead in sin, hath quickened us
together with Christ. By grace ye are saved. By grace you are saved. Salvation is of the Lord and
it's by grace because of who we are. And it's by grace because
of who He is. But first of all, and I want
to just talk to you just a little bit, that the grace of God is what it is because of who we
are. Because of who we are. Now we
believe that the Bible teaches in the total depravity of the
human heart and that we're desperately in need of life from God, not
just somebody to give us a little bit of a nudge toward heaven,
but we need life. And let me give you some reasons
why that we need this grace By grace ye are saved. Paul said
that to people who had been dead. Now, you keep that picture in
your mind. People that had been dead, he
said, by grace ye are saved. No longer dead, you are now alive,
you are quickened, and you are alive in the Lord. But this is necessary, the grace
of God, because natural man cannot see the kingdom of God. Jesus
said in John 3.3, except you be born again you shall not see
the kingdom of God. Now the kingdom of God is within
a man and a natural man can see a whole lot of things. But you
start talking to him about the kingdom of God and about the
workings of the divine spirit in the soul about God's discipline
in the heart. And you start using the language
of Canaan and talking to them, they'll say, well, I can't see
that. I can't see that. And you say, well, a man ought
to give his life to the Lord. Yeah, I can't see that. A man
ought to forsake his ways and follow Christ. Well, I can't
see that. No, they cannot see the Kingdom
of God. Now, the Bible says the Kingdom
of God cometh not with observation. The kingdom of God is within
you, says the Lord Jesus. The kingdom of God is the work
of God in a man's soul. It's the spirit of reign of God
in the soul of a man. Natural man doesn't have that,
and he cannot see that. He's not able to see it. You
need the grace of God, or you will never see the kingdom of
God. Now, I remember that John the
Baptist and those early in the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ,
they kept looking for an earthly kingdom. And John the Baptist,
when he was in prison, he sent his disciples and said to the
Lord Jesus, Are you the one that is coming, or do we look for
another? Do we look for another? Because
John, here he was in prison. He thought any day that the Lord
Jesus would erect a kingdom, he would be delivered out of
prison. And my, here he's in prison,
he's disappointed. He's disappointed because he
thought the kingdom of God was coming, a material thing. And
the Lord Jesus sent his disciples back to him and said, you tell
him that The poor have the gospel preached to them. The lame are
healed. And the deaf hear. The blind
see. Go back and tell him this. It
s a spiritual kingdom. And poor old John, he just couldn
t see this spiritual kingdom. Now the second thing is this.
Man cannot understand the things of God. In 1 Corinthians 2.14,
the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God.
Do you want to understand anything about God? Anything about the
Word? Do you want to understand anything? Do you want to have an understanding
of Scripture? Then you must have the grace
of God to work salvation in your heart. Because until that happens,
the things of God are foolishness to you. And you can't make them
to be sensible. They won't be to your heart.
And then, thirdly, man cannot do anything pleasing to God.
Natural man. Romans 8, 8. They that are in
the flesh cannot please God. They cannot please God. So, you're
at a loss. God has to be pleased by everyone
that goes into heaven. And you can't please Him because
you're in the flesh. Now how are you going to get
out of the flesh and get into a condition where you can go
into heaven? My friend, it's through the grace of God. It's
through the Lord Jesus Christ. It's through Him. Because you
can't please God otherwise. Okay? And then next is that the
natural man cannot hear the Word of God. He cannot hear it. Now the Lord Jesus He spoke these
words. In John 8, verse 43, He said,
Why do you not understand My speech? Even because ye cannot
hear My Word. You cannot hear My Word. In other
words, He was speaking right to them, but they couldn't hear
His Word. And how many times has that been
the case somebody you were talking to? You would think, well, why
is it they can't understand my speech? I mean, I'm speaking
not perfect English maybe, but why don't they hear me? Why don't
they understand what I'm saying? Well, Jesus said that an astral
man cannot hear the Word of God. can't hear it. And that's why
they sit and they don't want to come to the meetings because
really, truth, they can't hear what's going on. I had a young
lady that, several years back, attended our church for a good
while. And she's a dear, dear person. And I talked with her,
I met with her one night and visited with her for a while.
And we discussed some issues that she had dealing with, that
she was dealing with. And she told me, I asked her,
I said, now you sit, and I see you sitting back on Sundays,
and do you get anything out of what you're hearing? Are you able to receive anything?
Are you able to get anything? And she said, you know, I can't
hear a thing. I can't hear a thing. I'm hearing
all the time, but I cannot hear a thing. And I thought to myself,
here's a perfect picture. of a natural person, a natural
man. And that's why we need the grace
of God. If the grace of God doesn't come, quicken you, you're dead,
see? And you're dead to these things until God quickens your
soul. By grace ye are saved. All right, I must hurry on. I'm
not going to be able to finish this. And then, of course, you've
all heard that man cannot come to the Son of God. And that we
must do because He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man
cometh unto the Father but by Him. But John 6.44 says that
no man can come to Me except the Father which sent Me. Draw
him. No man can come. You can't come. You need the
grace of God. You must come to Christ because
only those who come to Christ are saved. All that the Father
giveth Me shall come to Me. They'll come. But they must come,
and they will come by the grace of God, and only by the grace
of God. So beloved, do you not see then
that we're saved by grace because it has to be that way. You're
just not in a position to be saved any other way. You just
can't deal with this any other way. give up the idea that you
can deal with it some other way. You cannot. You can be saved
by grace, and that is the only way you can be saved, by the
grace of God. Well, the time has gotten away,
and I intended to go into an entirely different way this morning,
but I just felt led of the Lord to go in the direction I did,
and I hope that the Lord has honored it and owned it and used
it. And I think they're going to
have soup.