Romans 9, turn there, Romans
chapter 9 this morning. I'm entitling the message, Free
Will or Free Grace. It's salvation by the free will
of man, the free will of the sinner, or by the free and sovereign
grace of God. Look at verse 16 of Romans 9.
Now if words mean anything, we see here that salvation is not
of him that willeth, nor of him," referring to the sinner, "...that
runneth, but of God." Salvation is of the Lord. It's of God that
shows mercy. God said, I will have mercy on
whom I will have mercy. Now I want us to carefully consider
this question. Is the salvation of a guilty
sinner by what is known as the free will of man, or is it by
the sovereign and free grace of God? Or in other words, how
does God justify the ungodly? By his good works, his good deeds,
or by the Lord's grace alone? And the only kind of grace that
we read about in the Word of God is sovereign grace, not grace
that's earned or grace that's merited. You say, well, everybody
believes that salvation is by the Lord's grace. Really? No, they don't. For example,
the man who precedes my radio program emphasizes that salvation
is by water baptism. The man who follows my radio
program, he said this this morning. And maybe he listened to my radio
program this morning and he was trying to shoot down my message,
I'm not sure. But he said, your eternal destiny
is based upon your decision. Really? You see, we've been fed
that for so long in religious circles that it has become the
normal. Salvation is in your hand. Really? I thought salvation was of the
Lord. Now I know what has been and is being said in most religious
circles today. We've all heard their clever
sayings. that go, for example, they say,
God has given sinners a free will either to choose him and
be saved or to reject him and be condemned. Now, haven't you
heard that? I have. It's said that way all
the time in places where the gospel is denied or they would
say something to this effect. God had done all he can do. Now, It's up to you. Sounds pretty
good, but it's not true. Or they would say something to
this effect. God wants to save you. He's really trying to save
you, but you won't let Him. I like what the old coal miner
up in West Virginia said. The old preacher came to town,
said, God's been trying to save you, and you won't let Him. God's
gonna damn you, and he said, no, he can't do that. You said that I won't let him
save me, well, I won't let him damn me either. You know, I mean,
if you go that route, if God can't save me unless I let him,
oh, he can't damn me unless I let him either. I think the old coal miner had
some, got ahold of some truths there. God wants to save you,
but you won't let Him. Or they say this, now this is
widely accepted as sound biblical theology, they say man is a free
moral agent, God will not interfere or violate the sinner's will. They say, I had one man tell
me this, he said, well I believe God's sovereign over everything,
but He won't sovereignly change your will. He better, you're
damned. He better. Man is not a free
moral agent. He's not free. He's in bondage
to his sin. Man certainly isn't moral, is
he? He's a sinner. And he certainly
is not an agent. Someone who is invested with
power to act in authority on the behalf of another Not at
all. You know, the Bible doesn't teach
those things. They're nothing but fleshly fables. The Bible does not promote the
lies of Satan, nor does it use the lives of men to teach the
truth. Our Lord said to the Pharisees,
you are of your father, the devil. He is a liar from the beginning,
and you have believed him. Our Lord said in John chapter
five, you will not come to me that you might have life. Now
you do any, I tell you what, you make salvation, give God
$10 and you're saved, justified. How many people would give $10?
Well, everybody would. Everybody give $10. You see,
you give a man something to do and put salvation in his hands
and he'll do it. But salvation is not in your
hands. God is not in your hands. Salvation is of the Lord. Often
time, the false free will preacher will pick out a part of a verse
and try to build a doctrine upon one or two words and they interpret
the whole Bible through one verse. Through one verse. I'll give
you a good example of what I'm talking about. Find over here
2 Peter 3. The young free will preacher
that stood in my study a week or so ago. He quoted this verse
to me and he quoted it the way it's always quoted. 2 Peter 3
verse 9. When I was talking about the
sovereignty of God. And God's elective grace. And
he quoted this verse. The Lord is not slack concerning
His promise, not willing that any should perish, but all should
come to repentance." Is that what that says? Is that what
that verse says? I told the young man, I said, you left out part
of it. Do you know the rest of it? And
he struggled and struggled and struggled and never could come
to it. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some
men count slackness, but is longsuffering to usward. Now who's he writing
to? The elect of God. He's long-suffering
to his people. Not willing that any of his people,
his elect, should perish, but he's going to bring them all
to repentance. And that's a change of mind and
heart. To seek salvation in the Lord. Another example where they
quote just half the Bible or half the verse back in Romans
8, 28. Turn over there. And it's often
quoted, anytime a tragedy happens or someone dies, we know all
things work together for good. All things work together for
good. That's not what that says, that verse. All things work together
for good to them that love God to them who are called according
to them who are the called according to his purpose. You see all things
are not working together for good for everybody. It's working
together to good for the good of God's elect. You see the salvation
of a sinner as revealed through the scriptures always by the
free and sovereign grace of God. Beginning with Noah. Noah found
grace in the eyes of the Lord. God spared Noah and his family
and damned the rest of humanity. Justly so. But Noah found grace. You see, that's sovereign grace.
Sovereign grace. Salvation is always by the grace
of God, the will of God, through the blood and righteousness of
the Lord Jesus Christ. We're justified freely by His
grace through the redemption that is in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now it's obvious according to any, it's obvious to any honest
person that God saves sinners by His will, not our will, by
His grace. Of His own will begat He us with
the word of truth by John chapter 1. Salvation is by the sovereign
will of God. of his own will begat he us that
James 1 18 but you turn to John chapter 1 of his own will begat
he us with the word of truth in John chapter 1 it says in
verse 12 but as many as received him had we received him by faith
where does faith come from the gift of God to them gave he power, right privilege,
to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name,
which were born not of the will of the flesh, not of blood, not
of the will of the flesh, not of the will of man, but were
born of God." Now what does that say? Not of fleshly blood, salvation
doesn't run in bloodlines, nor of the will of the flesh, nor
of the will of man, but were born of God by the will of God."
Is that what that says? God our Savior saves sinners
by His grace. His grace. Turn to Romans 11. By His grace. Verse five, even
so then at this present time, there's a remnant according to
the election of grace. There is an election, it's an
election of grace. God will have mercy on whom he
will. And if by grace, then it's no more of works. Otherwise,
grace is not grace. But if it be of works, then it's
no more grace. I mean, it's either all grace
or all works. You can't have it both ways.
Otherwise, work would be no more work. Our God saves sinners by
his grace. Not by works of righteousness
which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us. God our Savior saved sinners
by His elective choice, not ours. You remember our study from John
15? What did the Lord say? You've not chosen me, but I've
chosen you. The Apostle Paul, when he writes
to the Thessalonians, said, we are bound to give thanks to God
for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God has, from
the beginning, chosen you unto salvation. God our Savior, God
our Savior saves sinners by His choice, by His grace, by His
will. God our Savior saves sinners
by His performance, His faithfulness, not ours. Salvation doesn't depend
upon you what you do your performance your faithfulness, but rather
upon his find Galatians chapter 2 He performed all things for
us Galatians chapter 2 verse 16 Knowing that a man is not
justified by the law by the works of the law, but by the faith
of Jesus Christ The faithfulness of Jesus Christ. Even we have
believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the
faith of Christ. The faithfulness of Christ. The
obedience of Christ. Not by the works of the law,
for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified, and it
says in Romans, justified in his sight. God our Savior saved
sinners by his righteousness, freely imputed unto us. Turn
back to Romans chapter 4, look at verse 5. Romans chapter 4
verse 5, But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that
justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness,
even as David also describeth the righteousness, David described
it, "...the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputed righteousness
without work, saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are
forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whom the Lord
will not impute sin." You see, God our Savior saves sinners
by His will, by His grace, by His choice, by His faithfulness,
by His righteousness freely imputed. He is the Lord our Righteousness.
God our Savior saves sinners by His blood atonement. It's
the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, that cleanses us from all
our sins. We are redeemed with the precious
blood of Christ. Now, where does creature merit
fit in? It doesn't. It excludes it, doesn't
it? God saves sinners on purpose. And His purpose is an eternal
purpose which He purposed in Christ before the foundation
of the world which cannot be changed. God will not change. His grace cannot change. His
purpose cannot change. Look at Romans chapter 8 one
more time. Romans 8 28 and we know that
all things work together for good to them that love God to
them who are the called according to his purpose for whom he did
foreknow He also did predestinate. God has foreknown and loved His
people for eternity. He also did predestinate to be
conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn
among many brethren. Moreover, whom He did predestinate,
them He called, and whom He called, them He also justified, and whom
He justified, them He also glorified. What shall we say to these things?
Well, if God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared
not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall
he not with him also freely give us all things? Who can lay anything
to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies. Who
is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea,
rather is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God,
who also, who also makes intercession for us. Now, some might think,
well, why make a big deal about this? Why make this an issue? Is it
worth fighting over? Absolutely. Is it really that
important to declare the truth? Can't we just kind of compromise
and get along? Can't we just tone it down and
speak in general terms and say, well, God loves everybody without
exception? Well, we can't say that because
that's not the truth. Didn't we just read this a minute
ago in Romans 9? What does that mean? As it's
written, Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated. Now, you can't
say that God loves everybody just the same. God loves some
in Christ. He loves those in Christ. Look
right across the page in Romans 8, 39. Neither height nor depth
nor any of the creatures shall be able to separate us from the
love of God which is in the Lord Jesus Christ. It's not universal
love, it's sovereign love. Can't we just say God loves everybody
without exception and just kind of gloss over His sovereign love?
No, we can't, because the book doesn't teach it. It's not true
that He loves everybody. Secondly, can't we just speak
in general terms and say that the Lord Jesus Christ died for
everybody without exception? Can't we just say that? I can,
because it's contrary to the book. It's not true. The Lord Jesus Christ laid down
his life for his sheep. The Lord Jesus Christ died for
the sins of Jacob, but not for the sins of Esau. He died for
the sins of Peter, but not for the sins of Judas. He died for
the sins of Saul of Tarsus, but not for Simon Magus. You see,
for the transgression of my people was he stricken. Can't we just
speak in general terms and say God loves everybody and Christ
died for everybody? No, we can't. Can't we just say
God the Holy Spirit is trying to save everybody? I mean, he's
doing his dead level best, but folks just won't let him have
his way? Well, that's not true either. Our Lord said in John chapter
five, no man can come to me. What does that mean? I mean just
what it says, no man can come to me except the Father which
sent me, draw him. You see my friend, this is not
just theological hair splitting. The truth is the truth. It says
in 1 John chapter 2, no lie is of the truth. Now what has happened,
turn back to Romans chapter 1, look at this scripture here.
What has happened, we have made the creature God. That's what
it says right here in Romans 1. You look at it carefully,
Romans 1 25. Who changed the truth of God
into a lie and worshiped and served the creature more than
the Creator who was blessed forever. Amen. You see free willism puts
the whole burden of salvation on the creature's will rather
than the eternal purpose of God. Therefore the sinner is going
to boast. Our Lord said it's the truth that will set you free.
God does not use lies to teach men the truth. Free willism is
a complete denial of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Free
willism is another gospel that the Apostle Paul defined as those
who preach another gospel and believe another gospel will be
damned. Now, many of you remember... our missionary from England that
we supported for years, Brother Bill Clark. He's been with the
Lord for a number of years, having died about 15 years ago. But
when Brother Bill Clark came over here from England, and he
had a wide ministry, he was fluent in French, and he had a ministry
over the whole part of northern Africa, preached to millions
of people. And he was a very, very able
preacher of the gospel. And Brother Henry got in contact
with him. He was a preacher of God's sovereign
grace, sovereign mercy, sovereign love. And when he came over here
and visited with Brother Mahan, this had been back probably 35
years ago, Brother Henry went to the airport, picked him up,
and they drove down the interstate and came down Route 60 into Ashland
there on 13th Street. And right down on 13th Street
down the road was 13th Street Baptist Church where Brother
Henry ministered for 50 years. But just down the road from 13th
Street Baptist Church was another church. It had a big sign on
the building across the whole top of the roof. It said, 13th
Street Free Will Baptist Church. Brother Clark looked at that
sign And this is what he said, my, he said, they advertise their
heresy so boldly. Free will, man's will is not
free. It's in bondage to his nature.
His nature is nothing but sin. Man's will is like free-running
water. It's always downhill, never Godward,
never upward. Free will doctrine and free will
preaching and what I call, quote, free will gospel is heresy. Heresy. It's a denial of the
gospel of God's grace. It's a denial of those five essential
points of the gospel. It's a denial of total depravity. It's a denial of unconditional
election. It's a denial of the effectual
atonement of Christ. It's a denial of irresistible
grace. It's a denial of the security of the saints. It's a denial
of what we call TULIP. When Brother Mahan had his preacher
school back in the early 80s and late 70s, this is what he
said to the preachers in that school. It's either tulip or
termination. Tulip or termination. You see,
we can't compromise on any truth that God sets forth in His Word.
What does a believer believe? He believes everything in this
book. We can't just go through, well,
I don't like that. I had one preacher friend who
did that, to make a point. He said, well, we don't like
that, we'll just tear, he had an old Bible and he started tearing
out pages. That we don't like that, we'll just tear that out
too. That's irreverent, I would never do anything like that,
but he's trying to make a point. We can't pick and choose. Believers
believe everything in this book, don't they? If you're a believer,
you believe his word. Now, why make this an issue? Because preaching free willism
and the will of man and the creature is a denial of the gospel of
God's grace. I gave you four reasons why.
Four reasons why. First of all, free willism is
a denial that God is God. that God is God, who is the absolute
sovereign and ruler over all things. Now this is what the
scriptures teach. Daniel chapter 4, He doeth, that
is God Almighty doeth according to His will, His will in the
army of heaven, and among the heavens of this earth, and none
can say unto Him, and saying to Him, Lord God Almighty, what
doest thou? Daniel 4.35. We read in Psalm
135, Whatsoever the Lord please, that's what He does in heaven,
earth, seas, and all deep places. That means God is sovereign.
That means His will will be done. That means He works all things
after the counsel of His own will. You see, free willism denies
that God is God. Free willism says that God cannot
do what He wills to do unless we choose to let Him. Now, Thank
God that's not so. But if it is, you control God
rather than God controlling you. That's a peanut God. That's a
God who's not God at all. You think the puny will of the
creature trumps the will of Almighty God? That cannot be. A God that
cannot act without our permission is no God at all. There is nothing
more than a pagan idolatry and vain superstition. As we read
in Isaiah 45, they pray unto a God that cannot save. He said,
I'm a true and living God, look unto me and be saved. I am God,
beside me there is none else, look unto me. The only place
a sinner will truly worship is at the throne of Almighty God.
The sovereign King who is King of kings and Lord of lords. We're told to come boldly unto
the throne of grace. You see, our God is King of Kings
and Lord of Lords. The Lord Jesus Christ rules and
reigns. He's the Most High God who rules
and reigns over all. The Lord, our God that we worship,
is sovereign over all things. We talk about His sovereignty
in creation. Most folks don't have a problem
with that. We talk about His sovereignty in Providence and
a lot of folks will go a little way when we talk about the sovereign
providence of God that he works all things that Transpire in
time according to his eternal decree, but where folks will
kick is when we talk about salvation That's of the Lord and that the
Lord is sovereign in salvation. He said I will have mercy on
whom I will have mercy and We read in Matthew 11, He's hid
these things from the wise and prudent, and revealed them unto
babes, even so, father, for so it seems good in your sight. Turn to John chapter 17. He's hid these things from the
wise and prudent, and revealed them unto babes, because it seems
good in his sight. In John 17, look at verse 2. As thou had given him, that is,
God the Father has given to God the Son, power over all flesh,
that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given
him. And this is life eternal, that
they might know thee the only true God, Jesus Christ, whom
thou hast sent. He has power over all flesh,
that he should give eternal life to his people. He's sovereign
in salvation. It's not of him that willeth,
nor of him that runneth, but of God that shall with mercy.
You see that? Not of him that willeth, nor
of him that runneth. I'll have mercy on whom I will have mercy.
So free willism is a denial that God is God. The gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ declared the sovereignty of God in all things. Secondly,
free willism is a denial of the total depravity of all men, of
our sinful state by nature. It is a denial of what happened
in the garden when Adam sinned against God. What happened in
the garden? Let's see if we can find out.
Let's see what the book says. Turn to Romans 5. Death, death. Adam was made in
the likeness of God, but he sinned against God. You remember what
the Lord said to him? In the day that you eat, you
will die. A spiritual death instantly and
physical death. 930 years later, Adam died. Romans
5 verse 9. How did we get that way? In a
representative man. His sin, his guilt, his nature
is all imputed, imparted unto us. Wherefore is by one man sin
entered into the world, death by sin, so death passed upon
most men. All men, for that all have sinned
in Adam, and death by sin, death by sin. Look at Romans 5, 19. For as by one man's disobedience
many were made sinners, so by the obedience of another shall
many be made righteous. And Adam all died, and Christ
shall all be made alive. Free willism is a denial of total
depravity. I mean sinners are totally depraved,
dead in sin. Sinners have physical life, we
have mental life, even emotional life. But we do not by nature
possess spiritual life, eternal life. We're born in sin, shaped
in iniquity, dead in sin, spiritually dead. We are born with no spiritual
senses. I mean by that, we have no wisdom
toward God. We have no ears to hear. You remember the five senses.
We have no ears to hear, no eyes to see Him, no appetite for truth,
no feelings toward God, dead in sin. How dead? Graveyard dead. That's dead, isn't it? Spiritually,
graveyard dead. We read in Ephesians chapter
2 verse 1, you hath he quickened who were dead in sin. What does that mean? Just what
it says, spiritually dead, having no spiritual life. We are born
with a fallen, sinful, corrupt nature, and a heart that's deceitful
above all things and desperately wicked, loving darkness and hating
God. That's totally depraved, total
depravity. Free willism denies that. Because
we are totally depraved, and because of our totally depraved
condition, sinners must be made alive by the sovereign quickening
power of God the Holy Spirit, or will never believe the gospel
of the Lord Jesus Christ. God got to raise us from the
dead to enable us to believe the gospel. Find Ephesians chapter
1. What kind of power does it take
to raise up a dead sinner? The same power that it took to
raise the dead body of the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe according
to the working of His mighty power. Ephesians chapter 1 verse
19. What is exceeding greatness of
His power to us who believe according to the working of His mighty
power, watch it, verse 20, which He wrought in Christ when He
raised Him from the dead and set Him at His own right hand
in heavenly places, far above all principality, power, dominion,
and every name that is named. and given him authority and put
all things under his feet, gave him to be head over all things
to the church which is his body. It takes the power of God to
raise up a dead sinner to enable him to believe the gospel. Whosoever
believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. We don't believe
the gospel to be born, we believe the gospel because we have been
born. by the Spirit of God. Our Lord
said to Nicodemus, you remember? Nicodemus, you've got a problem. except you're born again by the
Spirit of God, the will of God, and the grace of God, you cannot
see the Kingdom of God, you cannot understand the Kingdom of God,
you cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. You see, free willism
is a denial that salvation is of the Lord. It denies total
depravity, doesn't it? We take it for granted sometimes
because we preach the gospel here all the time of total depravity
and salvation of the Lord. But you get away from here and
listen to what others are saying, they'll deny these things that
I'm saying. Believe me, I know. I've been
there. I've had too many conversations with them. Thirdly, thirdly, Free willism is a denial of the
effectual blood atonement of Christ. It's a denial of the
effectual blood atonement of Christ. Free willism says this,
that Christ died for all men everywhere without exception,
that he died to make salvation a possibility for all if you
will meet certain conditions. They preach a conditional redemption. Certain conditions they put on
it. repentance and faith. My faith never died for my sin.
My repentance never died for my sin. Or they'll put on a condition
that baptism is how you're really redeemed, how your sins are really
washed away by water. That's what they say. That's
what free willism say. Or they say, you join this church.
We're the right church, the right authority. Or they'll say, you
must do good works. If the good works outweigh your
bad works, it'll be okay. And on and on and on it goes. Now listen, if the greatest work
the Lord Jesus Christ did in redeeming His people from their
sin depends upon your attitude toward it, your action toward
it, whether you receive it or not, that makes salvation and
His redeeming work dependent upon you rather than Christ. That would make the success or
failure of his precious blood atonement dependent upon what
the sinner does for Christ, instead of what Christ has done for the
sinner. Do you see the difference? There is a great, it's a lie
versus the truth, and there's no gray area. The blood atonement
of Christ is not made effectual by what you do? Come on! What
had you done or not done when He died? Huh? I mean, you weren't even born.
He put away my sin before I was even born. He justified me with
His blood. You see, when we talk about justification,
we've got to go back to the eternal counsel and decree of God. He
redeemed us with the blood of Christ before the foundation
of the world. And in time He came and accomplished
it, but it was decreed from all eternity. You see, it doesn't. Does redemption depend upon you? My goodness, what have we gone
to? And this religious world has
taken up with this. Remember, redemption is not dependent
upon the sinner, nor accomplished by the sinner, nor determined
by the sinner, but rather redemption by the blood atonement of Christ
is totally dependent upon His blood. He obtained for us eternal
redemption. He put away sin by the sacrifice
of Himself. Now wash your ears out with this.
None can perish for whom the Lord Jesus Christ died. Did He die to secure and accomplish
the eternal salvation? He died to secure and accomplish
the eternal salvation of those people given to Him in that eternal
covenant of grace. And none of those for whom the
Lord Jesus Christ died can perish. They can't. He justified them
with His blood. There's no one in hell. I'm gonna
keep saying this till I die. Because it's the truth. There's
no one in hell for whom the Lord Jesus Christ died. If he justified
them with his blood, and the scriptures say there's no condemnation
to those who were in Christ, if he paid their sin debt, why
God gonna send them to hell? Well, they didn't believe. My
soul. His redeeming work is dependent
upon what you do, That gives the creature, who gets the glory
in that? The creature does, not God. He redeems us with His blood
and in time He makes us to know that salvation is all through
His redeeming blood when He calls us by His grace. You see, free
willism is the denial of the effectual blood atonement of
Christ. They say, well, people perish because they don't exercise
their free will toward the blood of Christ. That's pure nonsense.
You don't exercise your free will toward the blood of Christ?
That makes the whole thing dependent upon you, doesn't it? Rather
than Christ. Lastly, free willism is the denial
of the true meaning of faith. They've made faith and repentance
a work of man rather than a gift of God. If you're sorry enough,
if you go enough, if you go forward and make a decision, do these
things, they've made faith and repentance a work of man rather
than a gift of God. We clearly find in Scripture
that both faith and repentance are sovereign gifts of God, given,
given, sovereignly given to whom He will. All men don't have faith,
because God doesn't give all men faith. For by grace are you
saved through faith, and that not of yourself is the gift of
God. The gift and calling of God are
without change. He gives faith to whom He will.
He gives repentance to whom He will. He's exalted to give repentance
to whom He will. Acts chapter 5 verse 39. Faith
in the true and living God is not the product of the flesh.
If you believe the Lord Jesus Christ for all of salvation,
it's only because He's given you the gift of faith to trust
Him. That He's given you life in Christ
to look to Him. The carnal mind will not receive
the things of God. Free willism belittles faith. Free willism says you just simply
make a decision. It's just an easy choice that
you make. My friend, faith is called precious. And we only
obtain saving faith through the precious redeeming blood of Christ. The truth of the matter is, apart
from the sovereign will of God, the sinner will never receive
the Lord Jesus Christ by faith, never lay hold upon eternal life
in the Lord Jesus Christ, unless God gives us faith and repentance. God must give faith and repentance.
to look to Him, to believe Him. Psalm 110 said, God must make
us willing in the day of His power to come to Him by faith.
Psalm 65, blessed is the man whom thou choosest and causest
to approach unto thee. And I quote this verse again,
no man can come to me except the Father which sent me, draw
him. You see, true faith doesn't trust a decision. True faith
trusts a person The Lord Jesus Christ. Paul said, I know whom
I have believed, I'm persuaded he's able to keep that which
I've committed unto him against that day. True repentance, look
to the Lord Jesus Christ now. Repentance, true repentance does
not look back to some feeling, some emotion, some experience.
Feelings come and feelings go and feelings are deceiving. True
repentance takes God's side against myself. When He says, you're
guilty, true repentance says, you're right, I'm guilty. True
saving faith is always coming to Christ for assurance, hope,
and comfort. True saving faith does not look
back, forgetting those things which are behind. We study in
1 Peter 2, true saving faith is coming unto the Lord Jesus,
looking unto Him. Now how do I know if I have saving
faith? How do I know my repentance is true? Well take your Bible,
let me show you. Turn to Titus chapter 1. How
do I know if I have saving faith? We're told to examine our faith,
whether we be in the faith. Titus chapter 1. How do I know if I have saving
faith? Now look at it carefully. I want to know, don't you? Titus
1.1, Paul, a servant of God, an apostle of Jesus Christ, according
to the faith of God the elect, and the acknowledging of the
truth, which is after godliness, in hope of eternal life, which
God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began. True
saving faith, the faith of God the elect, acknowledges the truth. The truth. Let God be true and
every man a liar. Secondly, turn over here to 2
Timothy 2. Same thing with repentance. True
repentance believes the truth. Look at 2 Timothy 2.25, "...in
meekness instructing those that oppose themselves, if God, perventure,
will give them repentance." Repentance is a change. It's a change of
mind. A change of thoughts, heart,
will, attitude. God will give them repentance
to the acknowledging of the truth. That's what true faith does.
It acknowledges the truth of God's Word. Saving faith and
true repentance acknowledge that God is God. Now let me see if
I can demonstrate that to you and I'll wind this up. Look at Philippians chapter 3. Here's an example of this very
thing of true faith, true repentance. Philippians chapter 3 verse 7,
But what things were gained to me, I counted lost for Christ.
Yea, doubtless I count all things lost, for the excellency of the
knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, from whom I suffered the
loss of all things, and count them but dung, manure, that I
may win Christ, and be found in him, not having my own righteousness,
which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of
Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith in Christ."
Now, thanks be unto God. Thanks be to the Lord for the
salvation of sinners by His free and sovereign grace, by His unchanging
eternal purpose and will. Thanks be to God who has given
us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.