Seven years ago, I preached in a meeting out in
San Jose, California for a family radio Bible conference. The family radio is a chain of
39 radio stations over America under the supervision of Brother
Harold Camping dedicated to preaching the gospel. And they, at that time, had organized
and built a private television station in Oakland, California,
reaching a small television station but reaching quite a large number
of people because of the population in that area. And they asked me if I would
like to have a half-hour program on that station every Sunday,
that they would like to have our program. So, seven years ago, we started
preaching on that station, KFTL, in Oakland, California. And we've
heard from of a host of people. The program I've heard from San
Quentin Prison, from Folsom Prison, prisoners, listen to the program,
people all over that area. But shortly after we started
the program, seven years ago, the first year or so, I preached
a message from Romans 8, 28-39, on the sovereign grace of God
in election. And I received this letter, this
has been five or six years ago. The next week I received this
letter. And I want to share it with you. I read it back then
when I first received it in prayer meeting one Wednesday night.
This is from a man named Claudio Lavinqueno. His wife is Julie,
little girl, Cara. I still hear from him almost
every month. and have for all these years.
He supports this ministry and this church. Dear Pastor Mahan,
five years into our marriage, my wife gave birth to our daughter
Kara, and several months thereafter, Julie was diagnosed with multiple
cirrhosis. We were concerned, but we felt
that God could use this to make us better Christians Six months
later, Julie was bedridden. She just turned 30 years of age,
and I thought she was going to die. This disease impaired every
function of her body. I quit my job, and I stayed home
with Julie and Kara, our baby, for two years, until Julie was
strong enough to sit in a wheelchair. Our last four years have been
living at the edge of a cliff, spiritually, mentally, physically. Before Julie became ill, we were
both active in church work of all kinds. We couldn't understand
what happened to us. We felt like God had let us down. Our outward works now became
inward struggles. We continued to find things to
be thankful for, though, especially our little girl. But we could
find little purpose for life. Several months ago, Pastor, I
found my life filled with grumbling towards God. I was angry. One
night I couldn't stand it anymore. I lay face down on the concrete
floor and begged God that he would not let me come before
him having grumbled my entire life away, that he'd have mercy
on me and give me back some dignity. It was at that time that we first
heard your program. And your message was on sovereign
grace, the election of grace. That's all we needed to hear. It changed our lives. The first message, we looked
at each other and began to cry. We knew in our spirit this was
the truth because this is the way God saved us. Election is
the only possibility. Your message of truth has helped
us, listen, have a new respect and reverence for God. This message
has given us a new respect. You're not mad at God anymore.
A new respect and reverence for God. Thank you again for preaching
the truth and all the tapes that you send us. Life is always a
struggle for us, but we want you to know the impact and the
change that this gospel has made in our lives. And I wanted to
share that with you and then comment a little bit on it. And
these are the two statements that formed the foundation of
my message, two statements from that letter. One, this gospel
of sovereign grace has given us a new respect and reverence
for God. That's the first thing that the
truth of the grace of God will do for you, to tell you who God
is, and give you a reverence and an awe and a fear of God,
which is the beginning of wisdom. Secondly, we want you to know
the impact and the change that the gospel has made in our lives.
Now this is what Paul told the Thessalonians. He said, our gospel
came to you not in word only, not in doctrine. creeds, catechisms,
came to you in power, in the power of God. It came to you
in power, it came to you in the Holy Ghost. The Spirit of God
took, it wasn't just words, it was God's Word. It wasn't just
words, it was the Spirit of God. His words came to you in power,
in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance. And what did it do? You turn from your idols to serve
the living God. You receive the word. You received
it. Bowed to the word of God in affliction. He said in much affliction, but
with joy. Affliction, we don't know anything
about that, do we? Not quite that bad, but joy. You receive the word. Power and
the Holy Ghost and assurance in affliction, with joy, and
you became examples to other believers in your conduct, in
your conversation. And you began to look forward
to the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. The impact and change the gospel
made in our lives. What was this impact and this
change? Change of mind. Change of mind. Thoughts of God,
thoughts of ourselves, thoughts of others, in our souls, worship,
reverence, solemnity, affection, our hearts, gentleness, commitment,
in our deeds, your servants, for Christ's sake. I tell you,
only the sovereign, almighty, conquering gospel of the grace
of God can do that. Sovereign, almighty, conquering
gospel of the grace of God can overcome Satan, overcome this
world, and overcome our own corrupt, perverse wills and bring us to
the feet of Christ. I want you to turn in your Bibles
to Mark chapter 11. I think I brought this out in
a message not so terribly long ago, but it fits right in an example of conquering grace,
of sovereign grace, of the power of God, the power of our Lord. In Mark 11, verse 1, and when
they came now to Jerusalem unto Bathory and Bethany at the Mount
of Olives, the Lord Jesus sended forth two of his disciples. And
he saith unto them, go your way into the village over against
you, and as soon as you be entered into it, you'll find a coat tied. Now watch this line, whereon
never man sat, loose him, and bring him to me. Now this is
a wild asses coat, this is a coat on which nobody has ever sat,
never broke him, never ribbed him, never sat on him. You don't
want to get on that, now believe me. You're going to get thrown
immediately. A coat on which man never sat. You bring him to make it. Now
look at verse 7. And they brought the coat to Jesus and cast their
garments on him, and he sat on him. He sat on him. He just climbed up there and
sat there because it was his coat. And I'll tell you this. Nobody
can conquer a rebellious heart. A stubborn will. A gospel hardened
person. Except my Lord. And he can sit
on it. He can conquer it. He can ride
it. Do with it what he will. That's sovereign grace. He laid
their coats on that old coat and he got right on it and rode
him off. Conquered. That's what grace
does. That's conquered by Christ. It just tears down the rebellion
and tears down the resentment and tears down this stubborn
will and makes my people shall be willing in the day of our
power. That wild ace's coat was willing
for the Lord Jesus to ride him because Christ had power over
him and conquered him. And that's what salvation is.
It's of the Lord. He planned it. Our Lord planned
salvation before the foundation of the world. known unto God
all his works from the beginning. He decreed it, designed it, and
purposed it. He called us, not according to
our works, but according to his own purpose and grace given us
in Christ before the world began. He chose us in Christ before
the foundation of the world. God never learns anything new.
God never discovers anything. Nothing happens that he didn't
will before or day. And not only he planned it, but
he executed it. From Bethlehem to the cross,
to the open tomb, to the exaltation, he said, I have set my king on
the holy hill of Zion. God did it. Those Jews that turned
our Lord over to the Romans to be crucified, they did what they
wanted to do, but they did what God determined before to be done.
And those Romans that nailed his hands and feet to the cross,
they did what they wanted to do. They just performed kind
of a sport in harassing our Lord and crucifying Him, laughing
at Him. They did what they wanted to do, but they did what God
said they'd do. All the way through the Old Testament.
He not only planned salvation and executed it, pleased God
to bruise Him. Christ was smitten of God. God
made His soul an offering for sin. God delivered Him into the
hands of wicked men to be crucified. God raised Him from the dead.
God exalted Him. seated in his right hand, stopped
the Lord, and he applied it to us. The Apostle Paul said, God
separated me from my mother's womb, but he was pleased to reveal
his Son in me. He revealed Christ to me. And then he sustains our salvation
day by day. We're kept by the power of God. It's not our own strength and
faith and will that keeps us, it's God's will. I gave my class
a text this morning from the book of Jeremiah. Turn over there
to Jeremiah for a moment. Let me show you a verse of scripture
here. Jeremiah chapter 40, is it chapter
30, what did I, 32, chapter 32. That's it, Jeremiah 32, 40. Listen
to this. Let's read verse 37. Now, behold,
I will gather them out of all countries, whether I have driven
them in my anger, in my fury, in my great wrath. And I will
bring them again into this place, and I will cause them to dwell
safely. And they'll be my people, I'll
be their God. And I'll give them one heart
and one way that they may fear me forever, for the good of them
and their children after them. And I'll make an everlasting
covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do
them good. I will not turn away from them.
But I will put my fear in their hearts and they will not turn
away from me. That's our security. I'm not
going to stop loving him because he's not going to stop loving
me. I'm not going to turn away from him because he's not going
to turn away from me. That's the reason he won't turn away. Salvation is of the Lord. in
its planning, in its execution, in its application, in its sustaining
power. We're kept by the power of God.
We're not kept by what we do and by our own resolve. We're kept by, I will not turn
away from them, and consequently they won't turn away from me.
We love him because he loved us, and then he's going to perfect
it. He's going to perfect that salvation.
He said it in Philippians Paul said, I'm certain of this. Let
me show you the word he uses here in Philippians 1. Philippians
1 verse 6, listen to this. I'm confident. Philippians 1 verse 6, being
certain, dead certain, confident of this bare thing. Tell me,
what are you utterly and totally confident of this day? I don't
know whether I'm going to finish this sermon or not. I don't have
the faintest proof or evidence. You say family's going to dinner,
God willing you will. But Paul said, I'm confident
of this, I'm as sure of this as God's in heaven. I'm confident
of this very thing, that he, almighty God, which hath begun,
it's not finished yet, it's just begun, a good work, a Perfect
work, nothing good but what God does. A good work, where? In you. New heart, new nature,
new spirit, new life. Will perform it. Will perform it. Finish it. Until the day that Jesus Christ
comes again. I'm certain of that. If he has
started a work, He has to start it, and He has to finish it.
He's the author and finisher of our faith. That's just so. You say, that's
deep. No, it's not. It's just so. Nothing deep about
it. It's just so. But truth is always
deep to rebels, because they don't like for God to be God.
If He began it, He has to finish it. No one else can begin it,
no one else can finish it. He begins it and he finishes
it for his glory. Will God fail? Has he ever failed? That which God doeth, Solomon
said, shall be forever because God does it. All right, I'm going to show
you eight things now that is the effect of election. Election is the cause. The election
is the cause. The effect of something can be
traced to the cause. The effect is always traced to
the cause. The effect is a condition traceable
to the cause. And God's grace is the cause
and this is the effect. Let me give you these just briefly,
these eight things. Number one, like the letter from
Claudio, the first impact and change brought about by the gospel
of God's sovereign saving grace, enables us to know the true and
living God. Not a God, but the true and living
God. John 17, our Lord said, Thou
hast given me power over all flesh, that I should give eternal
life to as many as thou hast given me. And this is the eternal
life, that they might know thee, the only true God. The Son of God has come and given
us an understanding that we may know Him, the only true God.
And we're in Him. And in His Son, Jesus Christ,
the true God. What is it to know God? It's
to know His power and His sovereignty. Let God be God. Turn to Isaiah
46. Isaiah 46, verse 9. Isaiah 46,
9. Remember the former things of
old, I'm God, there's none else. I'm God, there's none like me.
I declare the end from the beginning and from ancient times the things
that are not yet done, saying my counsel shall stand, I'll
do all my pleasure. Calling a ravenous bird from
the east, the man that executes my counsel from the far country,
I've spoken it, I'll bring it to pass, I've purposed it, I'll
do it. That's the true God. That's what
this dear man and his wife discovered, that nothing in their lives took
place by accident. It was all by the purpose and
will of the Heavenly Father for His glory and their good, everything.
It's to know the true God in His power and sovereignty. It's
to know Him in His holiness and in His righteousness. It's to
know Him in His truth and in His justice. It's to know Him
in His love, the love of God and His mercy. That's what sovereign
grace does for man first. Reveals to him who God is. Secondly, the gospel of sovereign
grace in Christ enables us to understand the scriptures. We
understand that the scriptures reveal Christ, God's Redeemer,
God's covenant of mercy. Turn to John, just want to show
you several scriptures. John 5, verse 39. The scriptures are about Christ. In John chapter 5 verse 39, our
Lord said to the Pharisees, you search the scriptures. These
men were religious men and they were busy searching the scriptures.
He said, for in them you think you have life, but they really
wish to testify of me. That's what scripture's all about.
God in the Old Testament declared Christ is coming, someone's coming.
He'll be a priest like Melchizedek. He'll be a prophet like Moses.
He'll be a king like David. He'll be a Passover lamb. He'll be a high priest forever.
The whole Old Testament is about Christ. And He died for our sins
according to the Scriptures. The Scripture says when they
had fulfilled everything that was written of Him, they took
Him down from the tree. The death of Christ was purposed
and planned before the world began. He's the Lamb slain from
the foundation of the world. Turn with me to Acts 10, verses
42 and 43. Listen to this, Acts 10. We're
talking about the Old Testament scriptures now. Acts 10, verses
42 and 43. And he commanded us to preach
unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained
of God to be the judge of the quick and the dead, and to him
Christ give all the prophets witness through his name, whosoever
believeth in him should receive remission of sins. Turn to Luke
24, verse 44. And he said to them, These are
the words which I spake to you while I was yet with you, Christ
speaking to his disciples after his resurrection, that all things
must be fulfilled which are written in the law of Moses, in the prophets,
in the Psalms, concerning me. Then open ye their understanding,
that ye might understand the scriptures. And he said, Thus
it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer and to rise
from the dead the third day. That's what the scriptures are
all about. He died for our sins according to the scriptures.
Everything that happened to Christ, everything he said, everything
that happened to us, was ordained of God prophesied by the prophets,
written in the Old Testament, everything. And when you come to see God's
sovereign grace and mercy and redemption in covenant mercies,
you come to find out who He is, who God is. And you come to find
out what this is all about, the Old Testament. It's written of
me. It's written in me in the volume
of the book, I come to do thy will, O God, thy will, by which
will we are sanctified. Thirdly, this gospel of God's
grace enables us to give God all the glory for salvation. I'll just turn to one verse for
this, one scripture, 1 Corinthians 1. Listen. Let's read 3, 4 verses here,
1 Corinthians 1, 26. Do you see your calling brethren?
Not many wise men after the flesh, not many nobler call. God had chosen the foolish things
of the world, they're not foolish, the world calls them foolish,
to confound the wise. God had chosen the weak things
of the world to confound the things which are mighty. The
base things of the world, things which are not, things which are
despised hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to
bring to naught things that are, that no flesh should glory in
his presence. But of God," now listen, are
you in Christ? Are you and I, we're in Christ
aren't we? Of God are you in Christ? It's
not of your will, it's his will. It's not of him that willeth
nor of him that runneth, it's God that shows mercy. We're born
again not of the will of the flesh, not of the will of man,
but of God. Born of God. Of God are you in
Christ. He put you there. He chose you
in Christ. He loved you in Christ. He accepted
you in Christ. He redeemed you in Christ. Of
God are you in Christ? It's an act of God. It's an act
of the will of God. It's an act of the purpose of
God. Of God are you in Christ? Who of God is made under us? Wisdom. God made him wisdom.
God made him our sacrifice. God made him our representative.
God made him, he was made charity of a better cover. By whom? Who
made him the charity? Was this just something he took
on himself? He said, I didn't come to do my will, I came to
do the will of him sent me. Of God are you in Christ, who
of God even Christ is of God, made unto us wisdom, all we need
to know God, Christ, righteousness, holiness, sanctification, redemption. Why? That according as it is written,
he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. This is the only
gospel that will introduce you to the true God. It's the only
gospel that will open the scriptures and let you see Christ on every
page and what God ordained. It's the only message that gives
him all the glory. All the glory. Not what I did.
I love him because he loved me. I sought the Lord, but he sought
me. I called on him, but he called
me. That's right. That's right. You glorify me, because I glorified
Jesus, and the glory you gave me, I'll give them. Where'd you get in on that now?
What's your part? Where's your crown? On his head. You glorified me,
I glorified you, and the glory you gave me, I gave them. What
do you have you didn't receive? The gospel of God's sovereign
grace in Christ enables us to have a full assurance of salvation
and nothing else will. You can't base your hope for
eternity on a trip you made down the aisle. You better not. You
better not base your hope for eternity on a handshake with
a pastor. You better not base your hope
for eternity on a trip to the pool. You better not base your
hope for eternity on how many times you went to church, and
how many times you read the Bible, and how many times you prayed,
and how much money you gave to the church. Well, what's your hope for eternity
based on, preacher? Whom he predestinated. Whom he
foreknew, he predestinated to be conformed to the image of
Christ. And whom he predestinated, he called. And whom he called,
he justified at the cross. And whom he justified, he agorified. What shall I say to these things?
If God be for me, who's going to be against me? Well the father's
not going to be against me, he chose me. The son's not going
to be against me, he died for me. The spirit's not going to
be against me, he revealed Christ to me. The law's not going to
be against me, he satisfied it. My sin's not going to be against
me, he put them away. Satan's not going to be against
me, he whipped him. Death's not going to be against me, it's
just going to take me to God. So who's going to be against me?
If God be for me. I shall not with him freely give
us all things. Who's going to condemn me? I've
been justified in the highest, highest, highest court that can
be convened. God's throne. On the basis of
Christ's blood. So who's going to condemn me?
Christ died, rose again, ascended, seated at the right hand of God,
makes intercession. Who can separate me from his
love? He doesn't love me because I
love him. Who's going to separate me from his love? It all started
with him. That's my hope. That's my hope. Enables a man
to have full salvation. I asked my class this morning,
do you have full salvation? You do if you have a full redeemer. You do if you have a full redemption.
You do if your cup's full. Nothing can be added. Fifthly, the gospel of sovereign
grace enables a believer to enjoy peace and rest in the most severe
trial. I mean the most severe trial.
There's only one way that you can have peace. I know what I'm
talking about. I know what I'm talking about. All things work
together for good to them who love God. I know something about
when God pulls the rug out from under you. But I tell you, it's
alright if he pulled it. That's alright. It's alright.
It's the Lord, let him do what he will. That's what Job said,
when everything was taken away, he said, the Lord gave and the
Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.
I came into this world naked, I'm going out naked. Blessed be the name of the Lord.
Now you can have peace that way. You can have joy. There's no
if. It's just God. All these trials are given for
his glory and our good. Ye fearful saints, fresh courage
take. The clouds you so much dread
are big with blessings and will break with mercy on your head.
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense. Trust him for his power. The bread may have a bitter taste.
But I guarantee you, sweet will be the flower. God moves in a
mysterious way, his wonders to perform. Plants his footsteps
on the sea and arrives on the star. But it's God, let him do
what he will. Because what he does is right,
just, and good. Makes no mistakes. Six, the gospel
of God's sovereign grace enables a believer to experience growth
in grace. How can you grow in grace if
you don't have grace? You grow in grace if you don't
have grace. This is my commandment that you
love one another as I love you. That's the basis on which we
grow. You love one another as I love you. Be you kind, tender
hearted, forgiving one another as God for Christ's sake forgave
you. Grace produces grace. Mercy begets
mercy. To whom God has been generous,
he'll be generous. To whom God has been gracious,
he'll be gracious. That's just so. You grow in grace
when God puts grace in your soul and in your heart. And then in
the seventh place, the gospel of God's sovereign grace and
salvation is of the Lord enables me and all preachers to preach
the gospel in confidence. that it will be successful. That's right. Turn to John 14. I go forth to preach the gospel,
and I know that somebody's going to hear. I know that somebody's
going to be genuinely saved. That somebody's going to genuinely
be brought to Christ. I know that. If God sends a messenger,
and Christ is the message, and the Holy Spirit makes it effectual,
he's gonna save somebody. And here's the proof, John chapter
10. Listen to verse 14. John 10 verse
14. I'm the good shepherd, I know
my sheep. I'm known of mine. As the Father
knoweth me, even so know I the Father, and I lay down my life
for the sheep, and other sheep I have. Which are not of this
folk, not of this group here. Them also I must bring, and listen,
they shall hear my voice, and they shall be one fold and one
shepherd." Well, these fellows came to him in verse 24, then
Jesus came around to doubt him and said, well, how long do you
make us doubt? If you believe in Christ, tell
us plainly. He answered them and said, I told you. The works
that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me, but
you believe not because you are not of my sheep. I said to him,
my sheep hear my voice. They will. I know them. They'll
follow me. And I'll give them eternal life
and they'll never perish. Neither shall any man pluck them
out of my hands. Our Lord said to his disciples,
All authority is given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go ye
therefore and preach the gospel to every Christian. He that believeth
and is baptized shall be saved. He that believeth not shall be
damned. The last thing that this gospel of sovereign grace does
Confidence and belief in the gospel of God's sovereign grace
enables a believer to die with a good hope. Enables a believer to die with
a good hope. And I turn to 2 Samuel chapter
6, 23. 2 Samuel 23. And here is a blessed example
of a believer dying in hope. based upon God's sovereign grace
and mercy. In 2 Samuel 23, now these be
the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said,
the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God
of Jacob, sweet psalmist of Israel said, the Spirit of the Lord
spake by me, his word was in my tongue. The God of Israel
said, the rock of Israel spake to me, he that ruleth over me
and must be just, ruling in the fear of God. And he shall be
as the light of the morning when the sun rises, even a morning
without clouds, as the tender grass springing out of the earth
by clear shining after rain. Although my house be not so with
God, yet he hath made with me. an everlasting covenant, ordered
in all things, ordained and ordered in all things, and certain. And
this is all my salvation and all my desire." That's a good
hope. Salvation is of the Lord and
of Him only. May God bless the message to
our prophet and to our gain. and to His glory.