This morning for our Bible study,
I would encourage you to read Acts chapter 24. Let's read. Turn to Acts chapter
24, and let's read verse 14. Now, we find the Apostle Paul
as a prisoner of Rome, and he's in Rome, and he's given defense
of the gospel, answering for the charges against him brought
about by the religious leaders of Jerusalem, the Pharisees,
in that day. And he makes this statement in
Acts chapter 24, verse 14, But this I confess unto thee, that
after the way which they call heresy, that is, these religious
Jews, so I worship the God of my father, believing all things
that are written in the law and in the prophets, in Moses and
all the Old Testament. Paul said, I'm a believer of
Scripture and have hope toward God, which they also They themselves
also allow that there shall be resurrection of the dead, both
of the just and of the unjust." Now, this religious generation
in our day is much like those in Paul's day. This religious
generation has been tricked, deceived, and lied to by modern
prophets of deceit. They preach for gain and make
merchandise of men's souls rather than telling the truth. And they
are leading thousands into condemnation by their easy believism and decisionism
that's made in most churches today. Now, my friend, the time
has come for God's servant to speak in plain, clear language
and tell men the truth. Now, I publicly declare unto
you and to all that will hear me deliberately, publicly denounced
as heresy, that is, evil teaching, any form of doctrine that teaches
that salvation in any measure, by any way, is accomplished by
the sinner, by man, rather than the Savior, God Almighty, God
our Savior alone. Now the Scriptures teach plainly
that salvation is of the Lord. Any doctrine, now listen to me
carefully, I want you to hear me this morning, any doctrine
that promotes the dignity of man and diminishes the glory
of God, I call heresy or evil false preaching. Now I may stand
alone in this matter and I may be accused of many things, of
being hard and contentious. Be that as it may, I have counted
the cost. Here I stand. I can do no other.
The glory of God, the glory of Christ and the truth of God in
the souls of men are at stake. I cannot be silent. I'm opposed
to every false gospel and every false preacher that would teach
that salvation is in your hand. My friend, salvation is in God's
hand. The man-centered religion of
our day, my friend, let me be clear, is Antichrist. Now John
warned us of this. The Apostle, in 1 John 2, 18,
he said, little children, it is the last time, as you have
heard, that Antichrist shall come. Even now there are many
Antichrists whereby you know it is the last time. Any doctrine
or teaching that says salvation is in the sinner's hand and salvation
is by the sinner's will is Antichrist. Don't turn me off and hear me
out. Listen to me. Now, here's the
issue. The issue is just this. How is
salvation accomplished? Now, we're sinners. We're dead
in sin. We cannot do anything for ourselves. How is salvation
accomplished? Now, some say that salvation
is accomplished by the works of men. Some say that salvation
is partly the work of God and partly the work of man. My friend,
I call that heresy as well. The Word of God is perfectly
clear in this matter. Again, I say unto you that salvation
is of the Lord. That's what the book of Jonah
said in Jonah 2-9. That's the statement that Jonah
made, that salvation is God's doing. Now listen to these other
scriptures. It teaches that salvation is
of the Lord. The salvation of the righteous is of the Lord.
Psalm 37-39. Now here's another scripture.
He that is our God is the God of our salvation, Psalm 68, 20.
And here's another scripture, Romans 9, 16. Salvation is not
of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that
would show mercy. He said, I will have mercy on
whom I will. The Apostle Paul said this, For
by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves.
It's the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. Now here's what I'm saying. Eternal
life and salvation is not an offer. It's the mighty operation
of God's grace. Philippians 1, 6, Paul said,
being confident of this very thing, that God who has begun
a good work in you will finish it. Whose work is it? God's work. Where does this work begin? It's
God's work that begins in the heart. Salvation is a heart work
and it's a work of God. Something else. Salvation is
not an invitation. Salvation is a command of God
to bow to Him and to believe Christ. It's a free gift of God.
The gospel is not a generous proposal. It's a blessed proclamation
of accomplished redemption through the blood and righteousness of
the Lord Jesus Christ alone. Hebrews 9.12 says this, Not by
the blood of bulls and goats, but by His own blood. He entered
in once into the holy place and He obtained, that is the Lord
Jesus, with His own blood, He obtained eternal redemption for
us with His blood. In preaching the gospel, we are
not offering some men, or men offering men, some good advice.
We are proclaiming the good news of real atonement. The Lord said,
it is finished, it's accomplished, real atonement by Christ. Again
in Hebrews 2 we read, Wherefore in all things it behooved him,
that is Christ, to be made like unto his brethren, bone of our
bone and flesh of our flesh. Yes, he is God and yes, he is
a real man. That he might be a merciful and
faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make atonement
for the sin of his people. We have real atonement in Christ. His blood washes away all our
sins. Salvation, something else. Salvation
does not come by man's decision. Salvation comes by divine revelation. Our Lord said in Matthew 11,
25, He's hid these things from the wise and prudent, and revealed
them unto babe, even so, Father, it seems good in your sight."
Salvation is not the result of man's will. Salvation is the
result of God's will. We're born again, not of the
will of the flesh, not of the will of man, but of God. See
what I'm saying? Salvation is in the hand of the
Lord. Salvation is of the Lord in its planning, its execution. It's application, it's sustaining
power, and it's ultimate perfection. Salvation doesn't come by man's
choice, my friends. Salvation comes by God's choice. Our Lord says that in John 15.
You didn't choose me, I chose you. Repentance and faith are
not moral persuasion brought about by the talents of the gifted
preacher. They are holy dispositions created
in the heart of the sinner by Almighty Grace. Almighty God. Acts chapter 5 says this, Him
have God exalted with His right hand to be Prince and Savior
for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sin. To do
what? To forgive it. and to give repentance,
to forgive sin. How? By the exaltation of Christ. When He by Himself purged our
sin, God raised Him from the dead, and He's seated at God's
right hand with all power and authority, giving salvation to
whom He will. Salvation is not coming to an
altar. It's not coming to the front
of the church. Salvation is not joining the right church. Salvation
is not being in the right church with the right name. Listen to
me. Salvation is in a person. It's
coming to the substitute. It's being brought to Christ
by the grace of God. He said, no man can come to Me
except the Father which sent Me. Draw him. My friend, I'm
saying as clearly as I know how that salvation is by the grace
of God and salvation is in the Lord Jesus Christ. John says
that clearly in 1 John chapter 5. He that hath the Son The Son
of God. He that hath the Son hath life.
He that hath not the Son of God does not have life. Now you can
join the right church with the right name, have some temporary
relief and repose and peace. Maybe your conscience will be
soothed for a little while. But my friend, salvation is in
Christ alone. Now this is what I'm saying. Hear me well. From start to finish,
again I say that salvation is of the Lord. This is what the
scriptures teach. It's the work of God's rich, free, immutable
grace in Christ. It's not in any way attributed
to man, but rather to Almighty God alone. When the Apostle Paul
wrote to young Timothy, Paul in prison, 2 Timothy 1, 9, it's
recorded. He said, Paul, Paul wrote to
Timothy and said, Timothy, don't be ashamed of me or the gospel.
or me of his prisoner?" He said, Timothy, remember, it's God who
saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our
works, but according to God's own purpose and grace which was
given us in Christ before the foundation of the world. That
makes it clear, doesn't it? Salvation is God's doing something
for us. Salvation is always dependent
and determined and accomplished by God, never determined by the
sinner. Grace planned our salvation in
the eternal counsels of the Holy God way back in eternity. We
read of Christ, the Lamb slain before the foundation of the
world. Grace purchased our salvation by the blood atonement of Christ.
We're redeemed not with the corruptible things of silver and gold, but
with the precious blood of Christ, the Lamb without blemish and
without spot. Grace produced salvation in us
by the effectual power of God the Holy Spirit in regeneration. You hath he quickened who were
dead. James said, of his own will beget he us with the word
of truth. Grace causes us to persevere
in salvation in our hearts. We are kept by the power of God
through faith. through faith, God's power. And
grace will bring our salvation to completion and perfection
in eternal glorification. Now this is exactly what the
Lord said in John chapter 6. You remember He said, All that
the Father giveth Me will come to Me, and him that come to Me
I will in no wise cast out, for I came down from heaven. John
6 verse 38. not to do my own will, but the will of Him that
sent me. And this is the Father's will, which hath sent me, that
all which He hath given me I should lose nothing, but raise it up
again at the last day. This is the will of Him that
sent me, that everyone which seeth the Son, and believeth
on Him, may have everlasting life, and I'll raise Him up at
the last day." Talk of human merit in any form, and I'll denounce
it as heresy. But if you speak of true saving
grace, the grace of God in Christ, justified freely by his grace
through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Together we
shall praise our God and our Redeemer for the salvation that's
of the Lord.