Would you turn back to Acts chapter
7? Tonight, I'm going to be preaching
upon Ephesians chapter 4, verses 1 through 6, where Paul says,
walk worthy of the vocation or the calling wherewith you are
called. And I'm going to preach on the worthy walk. This morning, I'm going to preach
upon reprobation. The word sounds scary. It's taught in the scriptures.
And if I do not preach the gospel from this message, I've not handled
it right. Reprobation. Now, in that passage of scripture
we just read, other than the cross, what is mentioned in verse
41 is perhaps the most wicked event to ever take place. After all they had seen, they
made a calf and worshiped it and offered
sacrifices to it. and rejoiced in the works of
their own hands. After all the Lord had brought
them through, they were guilty of doing this. And look what
it says in verse 41 and 42. And they made a calf in those
days and offered sacrifice unto the idol and rejoiced in the
works of their own hands. Then God turned. and gave them up. And that's
what reprobation is. God turned and gave them up to
worship the host of heaven as it's written in the book of the
prophets, O ye house of Israel, have you offered to me slain
beasts and sacrificed by the space of 40 years in the wilderness?
Yea, you took up the tabernacle moloch, and the star of your
God rimmed them, figures which you made to worship them, and
I'll carry you away beyond Babylon. God turned from them and gave
them over. He left them to themselves. And let me tell you, as plainly
as I can, the worst thing that could happen to me or you is
for God to leave us to ourselves. Absolute worst thing that could
happen is for the Lord to say, leave them alone. All God has to do to harden my
heart is to leave me alone. That's what reprobation is. Now, this is a thing that's taught
in the scripture. If God has revealed something
in his word, it's important. And let me show you how this
is taught in the scripture. Would you turn with me to Psalm 81? Verse 11. But my people would not hearken
to my voice. And Israel would none of me. They wanted to have nothing to
do with me. So I gave them up into their
own heart's lust. And they walked in their own
councils. Now that's reprobation, God giving a man over. And it's taught throughout the
scripture. Look in Proverbs 1. Verse 24, this is God speaking. He says, because I've called
and you refused. I've stretched out my hand and
no man regarded, but you have said it not, all my counsel,
and would none of my reproof. I will also laugh at your calamity. I'll mock when your fear cometh."
And you go on reading the rest of that chapter. Turn with me
to John chapter 12. Now this is a quotation from
Isaiah chapter six, and I think it's interesting to note that
this is the most often quoted passage from the Old Testament
in the New Testament. Verse 37. But though he had done so many
miracles before them, yet they believed not on him, that the
saying of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he
spake, Lord, who had believed our report, and to whom hath
the arm of the Lord been revealed, Therefore, they could not believe. Because that Isaiah said again,
he, the Lord, hath blinded their eyes and hardened their heart,
that they should not see with their eyes nor understand with
their heart and be converted and I should heal them. These
things said Isaiah when he saw his glory and spake of him. Some have maintained that reprobation,
God leaving someone to themselves is, well, you got predestination. Some are predestinated to life
and some are predestinated to damnation and condemnation and
destruction. Now, let me say, that's not so. That's not so. Predestination is true. And we
love predestination. I love that God predestined who'd
be saved to be conformed to the image of his son. Don't you love
that? I love election. I love the fact that God chose
who would be saved before time began and saved they will be.
Christ died for them and accomplished their salvation. Matter of fact,
you cannot preach the gospel and not preach that. It's impossible. I make no apology for saying
that. That being said, Men do not go to hell. Men are not condemned because
God predestinated them to that end. Men go to hell because of
sin. That's why men are condemned. That's why men are judged. Because
of sin. If I'm condemned, it's not because
God predestinated me to be condemned. I'm condemned because of my personal
sin against him and him judging me for it. Whatever God does
is right. Whatever God does is just, holy,
and true. Now, with regard to condemnation,
I love what the thief on the cross said. We receive. the due reward of our deeds. I do not believe in double predestination. I believe if I'm saved, it's
all God's fault. You believe that? Grace. And
if I'm condemned, it's all my fault. Now, is God sovereign over all
that? Yes. We read of vessels of wrath
fitted to destruction in Romans 9. We read in 1 Peter 2 of those
who stumble at the word being disobedient, whereunto also they
were appointed. We read in the book of Jude of ungodly men who were before of
old ordained to this condemnation. ungodly men turning the grace
of our God. And that word turning is also
translated, translating the grace of God into lasciviousness. These
men, they preached that grace will lead to lasciviousness.
And they'd been before of old ordained to this condemnation. Now, remember, God is completely
sovereign over the free and uncoerced actions of men. That's just who
he is. And beloved, I'm thankful it's
that way. I love the fact that God reigns and rules and is in
control. And I feel no need to apologize
for these scriptures. A man is not judged because he's
predestinated to that, but because of his sin. Now, why did God
turn from Israel and give him over? What was his reason? because they made an idol, offered
sacrifice to it, and rejoiced in the work of their own hands."
Now, what is reprobation? I don't even like the way the
word sounds, to be honest with you. I mean, it's just one of those words
that's kind of hard to say, but the scripture teaches it. What
is reprobation? When God gives someone over and
leaves them to themselves to follow the lusts of their own
heart. God actively hardened Pharaoh's
heart. How did he do it? He left him
alone. If God leaves me alone, if God
leaves you alone, we will become so hard and we won't even know
it. Now, three times in the first
chapter of Romans, Paul says, God gave them over. The same
word used in this passage, it acts. Three times It says, God
gave them over. And one time it says, God gave
them over to a reprobate mind, a mind void of judgment, a mind
that cannot understand. Now would you turn with me to
Romans chapter one? I even ask now that you'll pray
for me as I attempt to bring this message. Verse 14, Paul says, I am a debtor both
to the Greeks and to the barbarians, both to the wise and to the unwise. So as much as in me is, I am
ready to preach the gospel. to you that are at Rome also,
for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. For it, the gospel,
is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth. Not to everyone, but to everyone
that believeth. The people he gives saving faith
to. and they believe the gospel,
it's the very power of God and the salvation. To the Jew first
and also to the Greek, for therein, in the gospel, is the righteousness
of God revealed. From faith to faith, as it's
written, the just shall live by faith. Now, the gospel reveals
the righteousness of God. Now, what's that all about? Well,
listen to this statement. There's only one righteousness,
the righteousness of God. You and I do not have any personal
righteousness. There's only one righteousness,
the righteousness of God. Now, the gospel reveals the righteousness
of his character. The Gospel reveals His righteousness
in condemnation. Now understand this, if God leaves
me to myself, I pray that would never happen, but if God does
leave me to myself and let me go to hell, righteous and holy
is His name. What He does is right because
He's righteous. But not only this, the Gospel
reveals the righteousness of God in salvation. In other words,
If I'm saved, the righteousness of God demands my salvation. My sin has been put away. I stand
before God righteous with the very righteousness of God, not
human righteousness. There's no such thing. I love
what David said when he said in Psalm 71, 16, I made mention
of thy righteousness, even thine only. Now he had a reason for
saying that. He's the only one who has righteousness.
If you're saved, you're saved by the righteousness of God.
Amen. If you're saved, you know that's so. That's the only righteousness
there is. Now let's go and read it. Verse
18. For the wrath of God We do wrong if we speak apologetically
about the wrath of God. The wrath of God is a part of
the glory of His perfections. He would not be God, He would
not be just, He would not be holy if there was no such thing
as the wrath of God. We don't speak in apology about
anything concerning the God of glory. He is who he is and he's
just. He must punish sin. If he could not punish sin or
would not punish sin, he would not be just. God is just. God is holy. And there is such
a thing as the wrath of God. Don't ever push this in the background. And I won't say with a tear in
my eye, it scares me to death, but there is a place called hell.
And that's where people are punished for their sins because God is
just. Now, I can't stand it when I
hear a preacher preaching what we call hellfire brimstone preaching,
like they're trying to scare people. That's not what this
is about. This is about who God is. He
must punish sin. The wrath of God, verse 18, is
revealed. from heaven against all ungodliness, lack of reverence
to God and unrighteousness. That's the sinful acts of men
who hold and that word is literally hold down the truth. hold down the truth, suppress
the truth. They hear the truth and they suppress it. They don't
like what they're hearing. They disagree. That's not my
God. They suppress the truth. My God's not like that. They
suppress what God reveals concerning himself in his word. Let's go
on reading. Because verse 19, that which
may be known of God is manifest in them For God hath shown it
to them. He's shown it to you. He's shown
it to me. For the invisible things of him
from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood
by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead,
so that they are without excuse. Now, everybody in this room and
everybody outside of this room, they know by the light of creation,
Somebody made this, and nobody made him. An all-powerful, divine
being made this, and he's eternal. Nobody could have made him. Everybody knows that. Somebody
says, well, I'm an atheist. Well, you didn't begin that way.
It took a jump into the dark for you to become an atheist.
You weren't always an atheist. Somebody says, well, I'm agnostic.
Well, you're just sticking your head in the sand because everybody
sees from this creation. God is. Nobody made him. He's eternal. He's all powerful. So they are without excuse. You and I are without excuse. Verse 21, it calls that when
they knew God by the light of creation, they glorified him
not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations,
and their foolish heart was darkened. What they knew, they did not
like. They didn't glorify him as God. They didn't like the way he has
revealed himself. They did not glorify him as God,
and they weren't thankful. Are you thankful that God is
holy? Are you thankful that God is
sober? Are you thankful that Christ
is all in salvation? Well, these people weren't. If
you are, it's because God made you thankful. Aren't you thankful
that God made you thankful? You know you wouldn't be if he
didn't make you that way. But these people were not thankful
and their foolish heart was darkened, professing themselves to be wise. They became fools. Now what he's talking about is
the Greek philosophers professing themselves to be wise, they became
fools. He's talking about Plato and
Socrates and Aristotle and Demosthenes and all these different Greek
philosophers that began somewhere 300 or 400 years before the birth
of Christ. And they called themselves lovers
of wisdom. Now in that period, and we're
going to see this from this passage of scripture, and they didn't
believe it was wrong, you would have a philosopher, a teacher,
and a student, and they would practice homosexuality. Look
what he says about these men. 24. Wherefore, God also gave them
up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to
dishonor their own bodies between themselves, who change the truth
of God into a lie, and worship and serve the creature more than
the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this cause, God gave
them up unto vile affections, for even their women did change
the natural use into that which is against nature. It's talking
about lesbianism. And likewise, also the men, leaving the natural
use of the woman, burned in their lust one for another, men with
men, working that which is unseemly and receiving in themselves the
recompense of their error, which was meat. These men practice homosexuality
and these women practice lesbianism. Homosexuality is sin. Can't call
it anything but that. But so is adultery. So is fornication. So is lusting after somebody
in your heart. So is all sexual sin. And I'm not comfortable when
preachers get up and start gay bashing and homophobia and stuff
like that because It's sin. I wouldn't in any way
excuse it, but so is all the other stuff that goes on in my
mind and heart and thoughts. And I don't want a homosexual
to be around me and feel judged and condemned and threatened.
I want whoever's around me to not feel that way. I pray that
the Lord will give me grace to be that way. Now that's not excuse
it. These men, because they suppress the truth, these philosophers,
Oh, they thought they were so wise, and look where it got them.
They started, they practiced. You had an adult teacher, the
philosopher, and he had his male student, and they practiced this
lewd behavior. God gave them up. This was a judgment because of
their rejection of the gospel. And I don't want you to forget
that the Lord did say this. He said, the folks in Sodom will
have it better on judgment day than you who have rejected the
gospel. Now that puts things in perspective, doesn't it? Those
folks in Sodom who wanted to abuse those angels, you know
the story. They're going to have it better
on judgment day than you who have rejected my gospel. So that puts that in perspective. Now, let's go on reading. Verse
21, let's start again. Because when they knew God, they
glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain
in their imagination. And their foolish heart was darkened,
professing themselves to be wise. Y'all love that scripture in
1 Corinthians 3. The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that
they are vain. That's man's wisdom. And here's what they did, professing
themselves to be wise, they became fools and changed the glory of
the uncorruptible God into an image made like the corruptible
man. Now, here is what men do. They
try to humanize God. They try to make him like us.
Here's what I understand. They humanize God. I love what
Luther said to Erasmus. He said, your God's too human.
That's the problem. He's too much like you. He's
too much like me. A God that's like me or like you, not much
to it. To humanize God, that's what
they were doing. They changed the glory of the incorruptible
God into an image made like unto a corruptible man, to birds and
forfeited beasts and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave
them up." This is the first of three times it said in this passage
of scripture that God gave them up. Same word that was in Acts
chapter seven, God gave them over. He removed his hand. He
said, have it your way. Have it your way. Do what you
want. And like I said, the worst thing that could happen to me
or you is for God to give us up. Let's go on reading. Wherefore
God also gave them up to uncleanness, through the lusts of their own
hearts, to dishonor their bodies between themselves, who changed
the truth of God into a lie. What's worse than that? And worshipped
and served a creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this cause, God gave
them up. Second time, God gave them up
unto vile affections. For even their women did change
the natural use into that which is against nature. That's a reference
to lesbianism. And likewise also the men, leaving
the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward
another. Men with men working that which
is unseemly and receiving in themselves that recompense of
their error, which was me." This was God's judgment against them.
He left them to themselves and look what direction they went.
Verse 28, and even as they did not like to retain God in their
knowledge, What they heard of God, they didn't like it. They disagree. My God's not like
that. Surely God's not like that. And even as they did not like
to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate
mind. To do those things. Which are
not convenient. And these are those people who
profess to be wise. Let's go on reading. He gives
us this big litany of sins that these people were guilty of.
Being filled, this is God's judgment against them, leading them to
themselves. Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication,
sexual sin of any kind, wickedness, depravity, covetousness, desiring
what God hadn't given you, maliciousness, ill will, the desire to injure
others, the desire to expose others, full of envy, that feeling
of discomfort, wanting, being Angry with somebody because they
got what you think ought to be coming to you. Murder. Maybe
not physical murder, but murdering men's characters. Debate. Contention. Deceit. Telling whatever lie
you need to do to get what you want. Malignity. Malicious craftiness. Whisperers. Slanderers. Backbiters. Defamers. Haters of God. That's the description of every
natural man. Haters of God. Despiteful. Insolent. Proud. Proud of race. Proud of face. Proud of place. Proud of grace. How evil pride
is. Boasters. Empty braggarts. Inventors of evil things. So
corrupt in their imagination that they invent evil. Disobedient
to parents. Without understanding. Covenant
breakers. No respect for a covenant. Without
natural affection. Inhumane. Inhuman. Sociopaths. Implacable. Unpersuadable. Unmerciful. They show no mercy. Merciless. Who knowing the judgment
of God that they which commit such things are worthy of death,
not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. They are pleased and applaud
when they see men commit these wickedness. Now I want to ask
you a question. Are the people who do such things
evil? Would you judge these people
and condemn them? This litany of sins that are
so evil? Yeah, you would. Now let's go
on reading. Verse 1 of chapter 2, therefore
thou art inexcusable, O man, that's me and you. Therefore
thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest. For wherein thou judgest another,
thou condemnest thyself, for thou that judgest doest the same
things. You read this list of sins and
you think these people are evil. I just described you. And I just
described me. You believe that? Thou art inexcusable, O man,
whosoever thou art that judgest. Anything you judge anybody for,
I don't care what it is, you do. It didn't say, well, you
used to do that before the Lord saved you. That's not what the
script text says. That's in the present active
voice. Thou that judges doest the same things. If you don't
physically commit them, you commit them in your heart. And that's
all that God looks on the heart. Man looks on the outward appearance.
The Lord looketh on the heart. You, the judge, do us the same
things. Now. Reprobation. God leaving you
to yourself. Now, let's go back to the beginning
of this message. The gospel reveals the righteousness
of God. His righteous character, His
righteousness in your condemnation, His righteousness in salvation.
Now, here's the point. You are not able to hear the
gospel until you see that what Romans 2.1 says is true about
you. Now, this describes you. Let's don't worry about anybody
else right now. Let's just talk about me. Let's talk about you.
This describes you. Now, Paul had been bringing the
people. He was talking to people at this
time without a Bible. He was talking about Gentiles
without a Bible, without a written revelation from God. And here's
where that goes, even with men's wisdom. He was bringing us to
this place in Romans chapter 3, verse 9. What then? Are we Jews? Are we better than
they, those Gentiles who were so wicked? No, in no wise, for
we have before proved, both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all
under sin. What's that mean? That means
sin's over you. That means by nature, sin is
your Lord and master. It means that everything about
you is sinful. Everything about me is sinful. all are under sin. Look what he says in verse 10,
as it's written, there's none righteous. Remember how I said
there's only one righteousness? There really is isn't there?
There really is. There is none righteous. No,
not one. There is none that understands.
There's none that seeks after God. They are gone They're all
gone out of the way. They are together, become unprofitable.
There's none that doeth good, no, not one. And look down in verse 19. Now we know that what thing soever
the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law that every
mouth may be stopped. No self-justification, no self-indication,
Your mouth is stopped. You have no way to reply. You're
guilty as charged. Guilty as charged. And this is what the Bible teaches. Somebody says, but I don't see
this. Well, believe it then, because
this is what the Bible teaches. We've got to go with the written
revelation of God's word and ask God to show you this truth
concerning yourself. Don't let this go. Don't. This
is the truth. You're not righteous. I'm not
righteous. I'm not speaking down at him. I'm talking about myself.
I don't understand. I've never really sought God
by nature. I might have been religious.
I might have done things I thought would save myself, but I've never
sought the living God in and of myself. I've never done one
good thing. No, not one. Guilty. of everything God charges me
with. Now that person is ready to hear the gospel. Look in verse
20. Therefore, by the deeds of the
law, there shall no flesh be justified in his sight. For by
the law is the knowledge of sin. That's all God's law is ever
going to do. It's going to give you the knowledge of sin. If
you think you've kept one commandment one time, you're completely ignorant
of what the law of God is. You show disrespect for the law
of God. You're bringing it down to your level. You're bringing
it down to something you can handle. You're humanizing it.
You're humanizing it. Well, does that mean there's
no hope? I mean, you're, no, look at verse 21, but now The
righteousness of God, without the law, without your personal
obedience to the law, is manifested being witnessed by the law and
prophets. This is what the Bible's always taught, Old Testament
and New Testament. It's always been the truth. Even the righteousness
of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon
all then that believe for there's no difference. I said this last
week. Somebody says, Todd, what are
you like? That's like 7 billion other people. There's no difference. You take
the most moral man and the most defiled man. In God's sight,
one's not better than the other. There's no difference. For all
have sinned and come short of the glory of God. But that doesn't
mean even the righteousness of God, which is by the faith of
Jesus Christ. Now understand, the righteousness of God is the
perfect obedience of Jesus Christ. His perfect law keeping. Now let's go on reading. Verse 23, for all have sinned
and come short of the glory of God, being justified freely by
his grace through the redemption that's in Christ Jesus. Now,
here's a sinner's hope, being justified. Now, Job said, if
I justify myself, my own mouth would condemn me. The only one
who can justify you is God. He's the only one who can make
this pronouncement that you're just. And he does it freely. That means there's nothing you
do to achieve it or to earn it. He does it freely by his grace,
free grace, through the redemption, through the redeeming work of
Christ on the cross. While you're guilty, I can't
I can't say it clearly enough. I wish I could. I remember the
fella came up to me and said, I'm having trouble with myself.
I feel bad about myself. I said, it's a lot worse than
you think. And it is. It is. But being justified by God freely
by his grace through the redeeming work of Christ on Calvary's tree. Now, why did Christ die? One
reason for death, sin. The sins of God's elect became
his sins. He willingly took them on himself. You say, how does that happen?
I don't know, but it does. God can do things of this nature. He's God. He's God. This is a God-like, God, I don't
even know what word. This is the gospel of God. that He took the sins of the
elect, gave them to His Son, He takes the righteousness of
His Son, and gives them to His people. And now they're justified. Do you know that I stand before
God having never sinned? Not just forgiven, I am. Not
just shown mercy, although I've been shown mercy, but I've never
sinned. being justified freely by His
grace through the redemption that's in Christ Jesus, verse
25, whom God hath set forth. Now that word, set forth, every
other time it's used in the New Testament, it's purposed. Purposed. God purposed all this. Who planned out all this? God
did. It's all a part of His glorious purpose. Whom God hath purposed
to be a propitiation. That's a big word. You don't
hear it much. What's it mean? A propitiation means a sin removing
sacrifice. He was manifested to take away
our sins. Take them away, to where there's no more. In him
is no sin. If I'm in him, I have no sin
because of his propitiation. And you know, that's what the publican in the temple, when
he cried, God be merciful to me, the sinner, the word is propitious. Do something about my sin. Take
it away. I can't do anything about it.
I can't make it leave. Take it away. Cause it to not
be. I can't do that. Only you can.
God be propitious to me, the sinner. whom God has set forth to be
a propitiation through faith in His blood. Do you believe
that His blood is all that's needed to make you clean before
God? You don't need anything else. And you don't want anything
else? To declare, look what it says,
His righteousness. Not His mercy, although that
is seen. Not His grace, though that is seen. Not forgiveness,
though that is seen. But to declare his righteousness for the remission
of sins that are passed through the forbearance of God to declare,
I say at this time, his righteousness, that he might be just and the
justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. That's the gospel. That's the gospel. What good Does a knowledge of
reprobation do me? Lord, don't leave me to myself.
Don't leave me to myself. For Christ's sake, don't leave
me to myself. Let me be found in Christ. Now, reprobation is true. There's a time when the lights
go out. and your foolish hearts darkened. The Lord can leave
me or you to ourselves if he's, as an act of his justice. And
my only response is, Lord, leave me not to myself. Let me be found
in Christ so that all that you see is Jesus Christ. Let's pray. Lord, we ask that we might be found
in Christ. We ask that we might not be left
to ourselves. We ask that you would cause us.
To believe on your son. To believe your gospel. To cast
ourselves at his feet. In his name we pray, Amen. When
Andy was reading that passage of Scripture, the verse that