God Alone

Q: What does the Bible say about salvation?

The Bible teaches that salvation is solely from God, as stated in Psalm 62:1-2, where God is described as our rock and salvation. The Bible consistently emphasizes that salvation is God's work alone. Psalm 62:1-2 proclaims, 'Truly my soul waiteth upon God; from him cometh my salvation.' This assertion confirms the doctrine of sovereign grace, which holds that salvation is entirely the initiative of God. It is not the result of human effort or merit but a gracious gift from God. Throughout Scripture, we see this truth reinforced, particularly in passages like Ephesians 2:8-9, which states that we are saved by grace through faith, and that not of ourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.

Q: How do we know God alone is our salvation?

We know God alone is our salvation through Scripture, which repeatedly affirms that salvation is of the Lord and through His grace alone. The premise that God alone is our salvation is underscored throughout Scripture, establishing that all aspects of salvation — from planning to execution — are the work of God. Psalm 62:2 declares, 'He only is my rock and my salvation,' emphasizing that no other source can provide true salvation. This doctrine, often associated with Reformed theology, contends that any addition of human works compromises the completeness of Christ's atonement (Galatians 2:21). When we examine the entirety of Scripture, especially the narrative of God's redemptive plan, it becomes evident that salvation is not contingent upon human effort but rests entirely in God's sovereignty and grace.

Q: Why is trusting God important for Christians?

Trusting God is essential for Christians as He is our sole source of salvation and strength in life's trials. For Christians, trusting God is paramount, depicted in Psalm 62:6-7 where it states, 'He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defense; I shall not be moved.' This trust is not merely theoretical; it is a practical acknowledgment of God’s sovereignty over every aspect of life, especially in times of distress. Trusting in God ensures that believers rest in His unchanging nature and promises. By leaning on God, Christians are reminded that their strength comes from Him, which shields them from despair and enables them to navigate life’s challenges confidently knowing that He will fulfill His promises.

Q: How does the doctrine of total depravity relate to salvation?

Total depravity teaches that humanity is unable to achieve salvation on their own; thus, salvation is solely a work of God. The doctrine of total depravity asserts that because of sin, every part of humanity is affected — intellect, will, emotions, and flesh. As a result, individuals are incapable of turning to God without divine assistance. This fundamental doctrine supports the view that salvation is a sovereign act of God. Man, being dead in sin (Ephesians 2:1), cannot cooperate with the grace of God unless first awakened by His Spirit. Thus, understanding our total incapacity reinforces the truth that it is God alone who must intervene for salvation to occur, thus highlighting the need for grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

I invite you to turn back in
the word of God with me to the book of the Psalms, chapter 62. The book of the Psalms, chapter
62. I like to read verse 1 and 2, verse
6 and 7. Listen as we read God's word.
Truly my soul waiteth upon God. From him cometh my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation. He is my defense. I shall not
be greatly moved. Then in verse 6 and 7, he only
is my rock and my salvation. He is my defense. I shall not
be moved. In God is my salvation and my
glory. The rock of my strength and my
refuge is in God. May the Lord be pleased this
morning to give the spirit of utterance to the preacher and
the ability to hear on the part of those that hear this message
today. I want to talk at the outset
here this morning a little bit about the Lord being our rock
and then our subject this morning is God alone the salvation of
his people. God alone the salvation of his
people. He only is my rock and my salvation. How noble a title this is. It's so sublime and suggestive
and overpowering. My rock. My rock. It is a figure that's so divine
that to God alone shall it ever be applied. My rock. My rock. We regard the rock with
reverence. For we remember what stories
that rocks could tell if they had a voice. They have been here,
you know, since the dawn of creation. And rocks could tell a story
if they could but talk. Even so is our God preeminently
Ancient his head and his hair are white like wool as white
as snow For he is the ancient of days and were always taught
in the scripture to remember that he is without beginning
of years Long before creation ever took place from everlasting
to everlasting He is God my rock. Well, what a history the rock
might give you of the storms to which it has been exposed
and and the thunders which have disturbed the skies above its
head. It has stood unscathed by tempest
and unmoved by the buffeting of storms. So with our God, how
firm he has stood, how steadfast has our rock been. through the
nations, or though the nations have reviled him and the kings
of the earth have taken counsel together against him, by merely
standing still with motionless grandeur, if you please, like
a rock, he has broken and scattered the armies of his enemies at
driving them back in confusion. This is our rock. Look at that
rock again and see how firm and unmoved it stands. It does not move around from
place to place. It stands fast. Other things
have changed. Islands have been drowned beneath
the seas. Continents have been shaken,
but see the rock. It stands as steadfast as if
it were the very foundation of the world. So with God, how unswerving,
how unchanging, how unalterable is his decrees. How faithful
he is in his promises. Yes, David says, he only is my
rock. He's the same. His kingdom shall
have no end. So our God is a sure defense,
and we shall not be moved, the psalmist said. If he set our
feet upon the rock, beloved, this is true, because the rock
is himself, and God is fixed. And if he set our feet upon the
rock, he's established our goings. And so, beloved, we stand firmly
upon him. And too, many a giant rock is
a source of admiration for its elevation. If you get up on many
giant rocks or climb to the summit of mountains, We can see the
world outspread below like a map. Rivers and streams are like veins
of silver inlaid in emerald. If we could see in the distance,
the sea would appear to be just like a basin of water held in
the hand of a mighty giant. I'm talking about the Rock, the
Lord Jesus Christ, the mighty God of whom David speaks. is just such a rock as this,
our high tower, our observatory. We stand on him and look down
on the world, counting it to be just a mean thing. We can see across the world of
storms and troubles to that bright land of heaven, that land that's
unknown to the eye and ear of man, but which God the Holy Spirit
has been pleased to reveal unto his people. This mighty rock
is our refuge. As I suggested, it's our high
observatory from which we see the unseen and have the evidence
of things yet which we've not enjoyed. We see many things because
we're on the rock, Christ Jesus. Well, I must stop talking about
the rock, but let me say this last thing about the rock, and
that is that He is my rock. David said, He only is my rock. He is my rock personally, and
how glorious the thought, and how safe and secure the people
of God, beloved, are, because they can rejoice in the fact
that when they on Jordan's stormy banks stand and cast a wishful
eye to Canaan's fair and happy land where their possessions
lie, that they know that when they must wade through Jordan's
stream, that he will be their rock. The living God will be
their rock. We shall not have to walk on
a slippery foundation, but on Him who cannot betray our feet. The Lord is our rock. And that's
my testimony to you this morning about this rock. Let me proceed
on to the subject this morning. God alone is the salvation of
His people. Now, He only, David said, is
my rock and my salvation, and I want to talk about three things
here this morning in connection with my text. Verse 2, here,
the first part of the verse, and that is, first of all, I
want to talk about the doctrine. that God alone is our salvation,
the doctrine. I know that not many folks like
to hear doctrine, but I preach doctrine because it's just simply
the teaching of the Word of God. And also I want to talk about
the experience. the experience to know and to
learn that, that salvation is of God alone. And then thirdly,
I want to talk about the duty, the duty that is involved for
the people of God, and that is to give all the glory and all
the honor and place our faith and trust on Him only, who is
our rock and our salvation. And so I want to talk about those
three things this morning. First of all, let's talk about
the doctrine that God only is our salvation. Now if any of
you this morning were to ask me what I would choose as a motto
as a preacher of the gospel, I think this morning that I would
reply God only is our salvation. That would be my reply to you
this morning. God only is our salvation. Now the sum and substance of
Calvinism is that salvation is of the Lord. God only is our
salvation. If anyone ever asked you, what
do you mean by a Calvinist, then you tell them that he is one
who says, God alone is our salvation. You tell them that salvation
is of the Lord. That's what a Calvinist believes.
That's what a Calvinist preaches. I cannot find in Scripture any
other doctrine than this, can you? If you've examined the Word
of God carefully, you must have come across this doctrine that
salvation is of God, it's of God alone. It's the very essence
of the Bible. He only is my rock and my salvation. Now you tell me a heresy, And
I'll find its essence here, that it has departed from this great,
this fundamental, this rocky truth that God is my rock and
my salvation. That's where heresy goes astray. What is the heresy of Arminianism? but the addition of something
to the perfect merits of the Lord Jesus Christ. The bringing
in of the works of the flesh to assist us in justification. Well, what is it? But the addition
of something to the complete work of the Redeemer, the Lord
Jesus Christ. That's what this heresy of Arminianism
is all about. It is adding to the complete
and finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ something. Make
it whatever you will. If you attempt to add something
to the death of the Lord Jesus Christ, Christ will become of
no effect unto you because you're adding something. Christ alone
will have all the glory and the honor. And David said, He only,
He only is my rock and my salvation. Now you'll find that every heresy
that's brought to this life that it'll discover itself here and
it departs from this, this text of scripture here in Psalm 62,
he only is Moroccan salvation. Now by salvation I understand
deliverance from the house of bondage wherein by nature I'm
born and being brought into the liberty wherewith Christ Jesus
makes us free together with a putting of us on the rock and establishing
our goings. I think this is what salvation
is. This I understand according to
the text is to be holy of God. And I do not think that I'm wrong
here. I know this is right based upon what the Word of God teaches
that God alone is the salvation of His people. Because I find
in the Scripture that man is dead in sin and how can a dead
man assist in his own resurrection? We believe that salvation is
a resurrection from the dead. Men are dead in sin and when
they're born of the Spirit of God, they are raised from spiritual
death. They pass from death to life
according to John chapter 5 and verse 24. God's people are raised
up. Can these dry bones live? The
question was asked to the prophet Ezekiel. And he said, God thou
knowest. Salvation is a resurrection and
salvation is a creation. It's a new creation if any man
be in Christ. He is a new creation and all
things pass away and behold all things become new. I find that
man is utterly depraved and he hates the divine change. And
Jesus said in John chapter 5 and verse 40, ye will not come to
me that ye might have life. The enmity in the heart of the
sinner is such that he will not come to Christ on his own. He
will not come. Oh, it's an act of His will.
He won't come. How can a man then work that
change which he himself hates? If a man hates God and he will
not come to the light because his deeds are evil, then how
can you expect that that man will come willingly, voluntarily,
apart from the power of God working in his soul? unto the Lord Jesus
Christ. I believe that man is utterly
powerless in the work of his salvation. He's utterly powerless. He cannot break his own heart.
He cannot give himself a disposition whereby he hates sin and loves
righteousness. Beloved, the disposition, you
see that repentance is more than an act. It's a receiving of a
disposition from God wherein an individual is able to love
God and able to love righteousness and where he can hate iniquity. And until you receive this divine
operation whereby God plants in you His divine Spirit and
His very nature, then you're not a child of God. Now then,
let me further add this, that the very plan And we hear people
talk about the plan of salvation. Beloved, this is so very important
that we understand that salvation is not necessarily in a plan.
Salvation is in a person. It's in a person, the Lord Jesus
Christ. Now let me talk just a little
bit. If you want to talk about a plan, let me say a couple of
things about this. This plan is entirely of God. It is entirely of God. No human
intellect and no created intelligence assisted God in the planning
of salvation. Who aided Him? None. Where were
you when the morning stars sang together? Where were you? Were
you back yonder in the council halls of eternity when God the
Father, God the Son entered into eternal and everlasting covenant
on the behalf of His people to save His people by the work of
redemption through the Lord Jesus Christ? Where were you then?
Well, my friend, listen, I'm telling you, salvation is of
God in the planning of it. Salvation is older than creation. Salvation is of the Lord. It's of the Lord. That's what
Jonah found out in the College of the Whales belly was that
salvation is of the Lord. When he was down yonder in the
deep, And whenever the weeds were wrapped about his neck,
in the belly of the fish, he cried out and said, Salvation
is of the Lord. He knew if he ever got out of
there, God would have to deliver him, and the Lord did, sure enough,
deliver him. Now, as it was of the Lord in
the planning, and we've shown you that no created being assisted
God in the planning of this great work of salvation. As it was
of the Lord in the planning, so it's of the Lord in execution. I mean by this that God has done
it all himself. The banquet of mercy is served
up by one host, and this one host is that one who owns the
cattle on a thousand hills. It's that one who opens his hand
and satisfies the desire of every living thing. None have contributed
to the gospel feast, that royal banquet, has been supplied by
God Himself. And everything you find on that
table, that banqueting table of the gospel, was provided by
your God. David says, He only is my rock
and my salvation. That royal bath of mercy wherein
black souls are washed was filled from the veins of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Not a drop was contributed by
any other being. No blood of martyrs mingled with
that stream. No blood of noble confessors
and of heroes of the cross entered into the atonement. No, the atonement
is the unaided work of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. He tread
the winepress of the wrath of God alone. He was solitary, the
solitary conqueror in the garden of Gethsemane. He was the solitary
conqueror on the cross outside of Jerusalem who came to fight
single-handed and his own arm brought salvation. None other
can receive the honor, none other can have have the glory because
He Himself single-handedly won our salvation and bought it by
the shedding of His own blood. Why would I say salvation is
of the Lord as to its provision? It's because I believe that everything
that God demanded of the sinner, He provided in the person of
the Lord Jesus Christ. Father, Son, and Spirit has provided
everything. I would cease to preach if I
believed that God in the matter of salvation required anything,
whatever of man, which he himself had not also engaged to furnish. I would quit preaching because
I'd have no hope for sinners like you and sinners like myself. If we had to furnish something,
because really and truthfully, if it's necessary to have a pure,
absolutely pure, unadulterated thought in order to be saved,
you and I would be hopelessly ruined, hopelessly damned for
all eternity. because we're bent to sinning
and we come forth out of our mother's womb speaking lies and
there's nothing about us which is not detestable unto a thrice
holy God. Our sins have separated us from
God and our natures are bent on destroying ourselves and if
we could, if we could get to God, we'd take a butcher knife
and put it in his back because we're at enmity against God. We're sinners and we would drink
iniquity like a dog lapsed water out of a mud hole? We're sinners!
And we're dead in sin, dead as doornails, and we're blind as
bats, and we have not the ability to come to God on our own or
to provide anything! that a holy God would demand
of us. Christ has done it all. Now the
sinner, somebody says, must do something. The Armenian says,
well now, listen, is this of the Lord? You say this is of
the Lord in provision and planning and execution? Do you think it's
also of the Lord in application? Well my friend, I believe that
salvation is of God alone in application also. No, says the
Armenian, it is not. You're not going to tell us,
are you, that God does more in some men than He does in others?
Let me tell you this, my friend. Unless God does more in you than
He does in Judas, you'll go to hell just like Judas did. And
if God does not do more in you than He does in those that are
lost and left in their sins, to die in their sins, to be separated
from God throughout a Christless eternity, then, my friend, you
will perish. God works in his people, his
salvation. Christ, the Armenian says, has
done all he can do, and now the sinner must do something. He
must do something. Well, tell me, my friend, what
can you do? What can you do? Well, I read
a couple of illustrations. One of them was about King Charles
in Carisbrook Castle. And he was imprisoned there,
and his loyal followers They got busy and they made every
provision that they could make for his escape. And they had a boat, they had
supplies, they had a plan, they had everything laid out. There
was just one thing that had to be done. King Charles had to
escape from Carisbrook Castle. And there's where the problem
was. He was never able to escape. The plan was well laid. Provisions
provided. A boat provided. And he could
have swiftly been taken away. But he couldn't get out of the
dungeon. He couldn't get out of Carisbrook Castle. And that's
like, of course, the sinner. The sinner is in a... he's in
a cell. And the door is locked. And the key's not on the inside,
my friend. You say, well, I think it's on
the inside. No, it isn't. The key is in the hands of a
sovereign Christ. Salvation is not a human project. It's God's work. And it's in
God's hands to save the sinner. And it's not in the cell with
the sinner. And the Lord must sovereignly
walk the aisle of the prison and come to your cell and turn
the key in the lock or else you'll be damned for all eternity. A
pardon, an everlasting pardon, can only come from the God of
the Bible, can only come from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Sovereign
Christ. And then the Romanists, they
tell a story about, it's a lying legend of course, about Saint
Dennis. that after his head was took off, that he picked it up
and carried it in his hands and walked 2,000 miles. 2,000 miles? No problem! No problem! If you
can just tell me how he took the first step. How did he take
the first step? My friend, if God requires of
a sinner, dead in sin, that he take the first step, then what
God requires makes salvation as impossible under the gospel
as ever it was under the law. The sinner is not able to take
the first step toward God. He is dead. He's dead in sin. Seeing man is as unable to believe
as he is to obey and is just as much without power to come
to Christ as he is to go to heaven without Christ. I'm telling you,
the sinner is not able to save himself. I'm talking about the
doctrine that he only is our salvation. The God of the Bible
only is the author and the finisher of our faith. Now then, let me
talk to you a little bit about this experience. We've had the
doctrine and now a little about the experience. Now this is very
important. I want you to understand with
me a couple of things. The Bible says in John chapter
17 and verse 3, it says that this is life eternal, that you
might know Him, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom He
has sent. This is life eternal, that you
might know. Now this is talking about an
experiential knowledge the Lord Jesus Christ of the God of the
Bible and of his son the Lord Jesus and also in 1st John 5
12 and 13 The record that God has given of his son is eternal
life and this life is in his son and he that hath the son
hath life and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life
and these things are written unto you that you might believe
on the name of the Son of God and that you might have life
through faith now then also in the 20th verse It says we know
that the Son of God has come and given us an understanding
that we might know Him that is true, even Jesus Christ who is
the true God. Now beloved, this experiential
knowledge, do you know God, do you know the Lord Jesus Christ? Have you been brought by a sovereign
act of God to know the Lord Jesus Christ, to be experientially
acquainted with Him? Do you know Him in your heart
better than you know your husband, better than you know your wife,
better than you know anybody on earth? Do you know Christ?
Has He been joined to you? Have you been joined to Him?
Have you experientially been brought in to the Lord Jesus
Christ? Now, beloved, there's many, many
people who profess salvation who doesn't know the first thing
about an experience in grace, a true experience in the grace
of God. Now then, this is the problem
that we have in preaching to people and this is the problem
we have in witnessing to people is that so few know nothing of
God's salvation experientially. They know nothing about it. It
is much easier to do something than it is to trust God to do
His work. And many people go out and that's
the reason why there are so few fellow workers with God and there
are so many workers for Him. is because people have the idea,
you see, that we can just get people to do something and we
can get them to make a move. We can get them to come forward
in the service. We can get them to go into the
inquiry room. We can get them to pray. We can get them to a
mourner's bench. We can get them to an altar.
We can do this or we can do that. We can get a profession out of
them. And after all, if we do that, that's salvation. Well,
my friend, let me tell you something. Salvation is not in a profession.
It is in a person. It's not in a profession. Salvation
is not in you making a move and coming forward in the church.
Salvation is not in you making a profession or going through
the motions. It's not. Salvation is an experiential
knowledge of the God of the Bible, it's to know Him by the work
of the Divine Spirit. Now, then, let me say a word
about this. We would far rather work for
God than to believe that He can save sinners. We'd rather, you
know, we just say, well, we'll just go out there and we'll get
some sinners saved. We'll do something. Do I believe
that God can do what I cannot do? Do I believe that? Do you
know, my friend, that I've never known a preacher that could give
life to an insect, much less a soul, a living and eternally
bound soul? I've never known a preacher that
could give life to anybody. And a preacher can't do it. Do
I believe that God can do what I cannot do? I despair of men
in the degree in which I have never realized that God has done
anything for me. I look around and I see men steeped
in sin. I look around and I see men chained
in the bondage of sin. I see rebels against God all
over the face of the earth. I see men and women who are astray. Somebody said, well, has God
done anything for you? Well, yes, let me tell you that
the God of the Bible has done something for me. The God of
the Bible has been pleased to work a miracle in my soul. He's
been pleased to open my sin-blinded eyes and to show me His Son,
the Lord Jesus Christ. He's been pleased to give me
faith, enabling me to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and
to trust Him. as my Lord and Savior, and He's
been pleased to break the shackles of sin. I'm not perfect, but
He's been pleased to do whatever has been done that is God-glorifying
and God-honoring in my life. The Lord's been pleased to do
that. Has He done anything for you
that makes you hope for other men and women? You say, well,
you know, it's going to take a pretty smart preacher to get
that fellow to make a decision. My friend, you missed it. You
know nothing about the experience of He only being my rock and
my salvation. You know nothing about it. Is
my experience such a wonderful realization of God's power and
might that I can never despair of anyone that I come in contact
with? That I must believe that whatever
be a man or woman's position or state in sin, that God can
do something about it. Listen, if you've been brought
up, if God has brought you up, if he's lifted you out, if he's
been pleased to deliver your soul from the pit, if he has
been pleased to save and rescue your soul, then surely you know
something about the experience and you can have hope in you
that there's hope for anybody you meet. There's hope for the
worst sinner out of hell, my friend. There's hope for the
blackest sinner out of hell because God saved me and if He can save
me, He can save anybody. There isn't anybody He can't
save. Paul said, I'm the chief of sinners and God saved me.
God had mercy on me and God saved me. Now then, is your experience
such a wonderful realization of God's power and might that
you'll never despair of anyone that you see? Well now, the degree
of panic is the degree of the lack of personal spiritual experience. You get folks that come in the
building, and they come in week after week, and somebody said,
Preacher, they'll never be saved unless you give an invitation.
Preacher, they'll never be saved unless you personally go to them
and deal with them. You've got to go to them and
you've got to give an invitation. You'll have to sing at least
five verses. If you sing any less, nobody will ever come.
You've got to give an invitation, preacher. Well, beloved, listen,
you panic if you want to, but I will not panic. I will not
panic because I know how God saved me. And I know how God
saved some others around here, and I know that it's not necessary
for us to give a long, drawn-out invitation and try to coax men
and women to come and make a profession. They make a profession and then
just go out on to hell like they were before. But if God Almighty
does something in them, if they become experientially acquainted
with Christ, if Christ reveals Himself in their heart, and Paul
said that's the way he got saved, was that the Son of God was revealed
in his heart. And that's the only way you can
be saved. And you must understand this. Well, how did you become
a Christian? The scripture says, Behold, O
my people, I will open your graves. I'll open your graves. John 5
and 24 said, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, He that heareth
my word, and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting
life, shall not come into judgment, but is passed from death unto
life. The hour is coming, and now he
is. And now is when they will hear the voice of the Son of
God and they'll come forth. God's children are, as it were,
in the graves and God brought them out. Behold, O my people,
I'll open your graves. This is the work of God. How
did you come to be a Christian? You see, this is your problem. How did you come to be a Christian?
Charles Spurgeon said on one occasion when he was a very young
believer, He said he went to hear a preacher. He said he didn't
believe a thing the preacher said, not a thing. And he was
sitting there under the sound of that sermon as the preacher
was telling a lie, and he began to question in his own heart,
how did I become a Christian? And he said, well, he said, I
know that I sought the Lord. And then he said, well, how did
you come to seek the Lord? How did you do that? And so he
was meditating and he was talking to himself as it were, preaching
to himself as this preacher was up preaching things that he didn't
even believe himself. And so, he said this, he came
to this conclusion that the power of God had made him to seek the
Lord because no man seeks the Lord by nature. God alone is
the salvation of his people. All I know is that whatever I
have, the Lord had to give it to me because I didn't have anything
myself. Do I have faith? Well, I think
I do, but I once was a faithless soul. There was a time when I
didn't have any faith. Didn't have any faith. Do I now
see? Well, I was blind as a bat once.
But I see. Am I a liar to God? Well, I was
dead in sin once. I want you to look. Turn to John
9 with me, if you will. Turn to John chapter 9. I want
you to look at this. This story here in this chapter
is about the man who was born blind. And the Lord Jesus came
and healed him. And the Jews didn't believe concerning
him that he'd been blind and received his sight until they
called the parents of him that had received his sight in verse
19. And they asked them, saying, Is this your son who ye say was
born blind? How then doth he now see? His
parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son,
and that he was born blind. But by what means he now seeth,
we know not. Or who hath opened his eyes,
we know not. He is of age, ask him, and he
shall speak for himself. And then notice, if you will,
in verse 24, He then again Then again called they the man
that was blind and said unto him Give God the praise We know
that this man is a sinner And in verse 25 you listen to this
He answered and said whether he be a sinner or no, I know
not One thing I know that whereas I was blind Now I see now beloved. That's the experience of salvation. That's it All I know is I was
blind, but now I see. I know now that God's opened
my eyes. And so at the present, if your
experience be that of a child of God, I believe that you'll
trace all to Him. You'll trace it all back to Him.
Here you are sitting here in your seat this morning, and I
want you to review where you stand this morning. Do you think
that you'd be where you are now if it were not for the grace
of God? Would you be where you are now if it were not for the
grace of God? My friend, this is a very important
question. Think about it. You're where
you are this morning because in the experience of salvation,
God touched you. Salvation came. Faith cometh
and it came to you. It was God doing it. It was God's
work. Have you anything good in your
heart that grace did not give you? I said anything good. Do
you have anything good in your heart that was not a gift from
God? Who hath made us to differ? What
hast thou that thou hast not received? If you have received
it, then we ought not to glory as if you had not received it.
Anything you got in you that's good came from God. Because all
good and perfect gifts come down from the Father above with whom
there is no variables, neither shadow of turning. If I thought
for a minute that I had a grace that did not come from God, I'd
throw it down and I'd trample it under my feet because it's
counterfeit. And unless it comes, unless all
of the grace in us comes from the mint of glory, then we must
destroy it, throw it away. It's not worth talking about.
What you've got, if you didn't get it from God, then throw it
down here in the building and they'll sweep it out when they
sweep the rest of the rubbish out. If you didn't get it from
God, where did you get your salvation? Where did it come from? Say,
my mama wished Jesus off on me. That won't do. That won't do. You say, well, the preacher,
you know, he was pretty persuasive. He might have been, but you'll
go to hell unless you get salvation from the hand of God. Experientially,
have you been touched by the spirit of grace and the spirit
of glory? Christian, can you say of all
things past and present, He only is my rock and my salvation.
Calper wrote these words, Since the dear hour that brought me
to thy foot, and cut up all my follies by the root. I never
trusted in an arm but thine, nor hoped but in thy righteousness
divine." What a testimony. Well, so much for the experience.
I must get here lastly to the duty. The duty that's involved. We talked about the doctrine,
we talked about the experience, and now we must talk about the
duty. The duty is If God only be my
rock and my salvation and we know it and have by experience
this morning the ability to understand what God has done, are we not
bound? by this, to put all of our trust
in God, and give all honor and glory to God, and to set all
our hope upon God, and to spend all our life for God, and to
devote our whole being to God. Are we not bound to do this?
And the believer, the true believer says, Amen, I'm bound to do it. He only is my rock and my salvation. But to those of you who would
hesitate, I want to bid you now, as God has put all salvation
in Himself, to bring all things to God. Bring thyself to God. Bring yourself to God. What do I mean by this? Well,
we read in John chapter 3, I think it's in verse 5 or 6, where it
says that the Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things
into his hands. And my friend, if you love the
Son, the Father loved the Son and he gave everything over to
his hands, and if you love the Son, Then turn yourself over
to Him. Give up yourself, lock, stock
and barrel unto the Son. Give yourself over to the Son
of God any way you know how. Just give yourself to Him. Go
to Him and tell Him, Lord, here I am. as a blank sheet of paper. Stamp upon that paper whatever
you would have me to be. Make me what you want me to be.
Make me all that a resurrected in throne Christ can make a man
in this world. Make me that. Give yourself wholly
to Him. Now then, what do I mean? I mean
never join anything with Christ. Practically, what do I mean?
I mean never join anything with Christ. Don't stitch your old
rags into the new garment that He gives. Don't put Christ Himself
together. That's putting Christ and a worm
together in a harness. Never. Never. Christ and man
together, Christ in company? No. It can never be. He must
be all. Christ must be all. All and all
in your salvation. If He's not your Lord, and if
He's not Lord of all, He's not Lord at all in your life. If
He's not Lord of all, you come to Him and you give all over
to Him. He must be all. Christ will never
tolerate or bear to have anything else placed with Him. He only is my rock and my salvation. You think those are just empty
words that David... He wasn't writing like some of
the Puritans used to write. They used to get paid a penny
for a word. And you can read chapters after
chapters and they could have explained what they were going
to say in one paragraph. And they wrote chapters and chapters
because they got paid a penny a word. You see my friend, listen,
in the Bible that's not the way it is. David said, He only, He
only is my rock and my salvation because it was true, desperately
true. And you must come to that in
your heart. Now then you'll have your whole
heart trusting Him, your whole soul to love Him. You'll have
that your whole life to honor Him. That's what's involved in
this business of He only being our rock and our salvation. Christian, Let me tell you this
morning that it's a sin to keep anything from God. It's a sin
not to love Him with your whole heart, not to trust Him with
your whole heart and soul and for your whole life to be given
over to honor Him. It's a sin. Now then, the poet
said, yet if I might, make some reserve, and duty did not call,
I love my God with zeal so great that I should give Him all."
Now my friend, that's just the testimony of somebody that loves
Christ. Somebody that loves the Lord
Jesus Christ. Somebody who has given all over into His hands.
That's what we should do. Just what the Father did. We
should do the same. Now then, we must not grieve
or vex our Master, the Elder Brother, the Lord Jesus Christ. We must not vex Him who is the
very companion of our soul. We must not grieve the Spirit
of the Living God. He is so fond of us that He is
jealous of our love. He is jealous of our love. He
only is our rock and our salvation. And he is jealous. The Bible
says that God is a jealous God. If we're looking at anything
else, we cannot see Christ as well as we could if we had a
single eye toward Him. And that's why we will not frustrate
the grace of God around here. If righteousness come by the
law, Christ is dead in vain. Quit looking at the law and look
to Christ. Christ alone is our salvation. And you can't see Christ very
well if you listen. No man can look at two objects
at the same time and see both distinctly. Look to Christ. Look to Christ. Christian, look
only on Him because He's your rock and your salvation. Christian,
never let anything come between you and Christ. Nothing. Nothing. Now then God has sent
out a search warrant One old preacher said, against all of
us, and do you know what he told his officers to search for? Do you know? Well, I'll tell
you what he told his officers to search for. He has told them
to search for all our lovers. He has told them to search for
our treasures and all of our and all of our helpers, and all
of the usurpers of his throne in our lives. That's what he
said. That's what he's told them to do. He said, go out and get
them. God's jealous. He's not going to have you leaning
on, trusting, letting something else come between you and God.
Listen to me, there's people in this world that I dearly love.
But I'll tell you this, when it comes to Christ, They just
have to stand aside, because I don't want anybody to get between
me and Christ. Nobody get between me and Christ.
I've left all and followed Him, and nobody is to get between
me, my soul, and Christ. Because listen, I'll tell you
this, that there's nothing in this world That if you let it,
I'm talking to believers, children of God, there's nothing in this
world that if you let it come between your soul and God that
shall not be hung upon a gallows higher than Haman's. If you let
it come between your soul and God. If you love your house better
than Christ, He'll make it a prison to you. If you love your job,
if you love provisions, if you love the blessings that God's
given you in this life more than you love Christ, He'll make the
drink bitter in your mouth, and He'll make your food like gravel
stones until you wholly come. to worship Him and love Him and
adore Him and to testify of Him that He only is your rock and
your salvation. It's a very important thing. You don't just call God your
rock and your salvation and that be the end of it. You go on your
merry way and do as you please. No, no, no. There's duty and
obligation involved with this. Now there's nothing that you
own. which cannot be turned into a rod for your back if you love
it better than Him. Don't rob Jesus Christ of His
rightful place. Christian, always keep your eye
on the cloud and not on the rain. Keep your eye on the cloud, not
on the rain. Don't look to the sunbeam, but look to the sun. Don't look to the gift, look
to the giver. Don't look to the blessing, look
to the blesser. You got to keep your eyes on
the Lord. He only, I'm talking about the
duty of it, He only is my rock and my salvation. Well, listen,
trace your mercies to God, all your mercies to God, and worship
Him. as the first cause of everything. If you ever get this right, honey,
let me tell you something, you'll quit cussing second causes. Yes,
you will. You'll quit cussing second causes.
This'll do to live by, and it'll do to die by. If you ever get
your heart right, if he ever becomes, if he ever becomes your
rock and your salvation, it'll solve a whole lot of problems
in your mind and in your heart. If you ever get this loyalty
straight, than your children. And let me tell you this, that
we gotta be careful about our children. I mean if you let that
daughter, if you let that son come between you and Christ,
I'll tell you what, that child will become an adder and sting
you in the breast. I'm telling you, you've got to
keep your heart bright. Let nothing come between you
and God. He only Our expectation is from
Him. He only is my rock and my salvation. Well, just a word now to the
ungodly. You've heard what I've said this
morning to the people of God here. You've heard what I've
said about the doctrine, the experience, and the duty. Well, I think this morning that
this is a good doctrine for you. I think it is. The reason I say
that is because You don't have anything. Do you? Do you have
anything? I mean, could you bring something
in your hand to the Lord? No. Could you contribute something
to the banquet of salvation? No. No, you could not. You have
nothing to commend you to God except your sin. You're a poor,
lost, ruined sinner. You don't have anything. And
further, let me tell you this. Glad, glad tidings. You don't
need anything. You don't need anything. Don't
need a thing. Say, Preacher, I thought I needed
something. No, you don't need anything. Everything you need,
He provides in His Son, the Lord Jesus. Just kiss the Son. Kiss the Son. Bow to the Son. Worship the Son. Cry to the Son. Receive any way you can the Son. Receive Him. Believe on Him.
Trust Him. Because Christ has all. Christ
has all. Christ is the substitute for
all things, but nothing is a substitute for Him. Christ is everything. He's all in all. He's the all
in all of a sinner's hope. Christ, I point you to Him. He only is my rock. and my salvation. May God be
pleased to own this morning the message and to bless these truths
to our heart, the doctrine, the experience, and the duty. May
the Lord be pleased to give his own results from the preaching
of his word. You've been very attentive and
you're very good listeners. May the Lord bless you. Mike,
could you

God Alone

What does the Bible say about salvation?

How do we know God alone is our salvation?

Why is trusting God important for Christians?

How does the doctrine of total depravity relate to salvation?

Sermon Transcript

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Articles

Featured Authors

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Sermons

Featured Preachers

Books

Browse by Format

Collections

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About

Legal

Subscribe

God Alone

What does the Bible say about salvation?

How do we know God alone is our salvation?

Why is trusting God important for Christians?

How does the doctrine of total depravity relate to salvation?

Sermon Transcript

Comments

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