For the last five years, I've
been preaching the gospel on a television station, KFTL, in
Sacramento, California. And we hear from a number of
people who listen to the gospel preached over that station. I want to read a letter that
I received about two or three years ago from a family in Sacramento and I've been hearing
from them since on a regular basis and Brother Trabant sends
tapes regularly to them written by the husband Claudio Lavanguino. Dear Mr. Mahan, five years ago,
or five years into our marriage, my wife gave birth to our daughter,
Cara. Several months after the baby
was born, my wife was diagnosed with multiple cirrhosis. We were
concerned, but we felt that God could use this to make us better
Christians. But six months later, Julie was
bedridden. She just turned 30. And I thought
she was going to die. The disease impaired every function
of her body. I quit my job. I stayed home
with Julie and Kara for two years. until Julie was well enough to
sit in a wheelchair. Our last four years have been
living at the edge of a cliff, spiritually, mentally, and physically. Before Julie became ill, we were
both very active in Christian work of all kinds. And when this
happened, we couldn't understand it. We felt God had let us down. Our outward works of religion
became inward struggles. Oh, we continued to find things
for which to be thankful, especially our daughter. But we could find
no purpose for our lives. Several months ago, I found my
life filled with grumbling toward God. One night, I couldn't stand
it any longer. I laid face down on a cement
floor and I begged God that I would not have to come before him having
grumbled my entire life away, that he would have mercy on me
and allow me some dignity. It was at that time that Julie
and I first heard your program. and the message you preach was
on divine election. That was all we needed to hear.
It changed our lives. We looked at each other and began
to cry. We knew in our spirit and because
of how we were saved that election is the only possibility. Your messages of truth have helped
us have a new respect and reverence for God Almighty. Thanks again for preaching the
truth of God. Thanks for all the tapes that
you send us. Life is always a struggle, but
we want you to know Listen, the impact and the change
that this gospel of sovereign grace has made in our lives. That's my subject. The impact
and the change that this gospel of God's grace has made in our
lives. Now, I know something about that
impact from religion to rest, from profession to possession,
from playing church to worshiping God. I know something about that.
And most of you know something about the impact and the change
in our lives because of this gospel of God's sovereign redeeming
grace in Christ Jesus. We've not only heard it, we've
experienced it. Like this couple, experienced
it. We've experienced the power of
God in regeneration, in new life, in hearts. We've experienced the power of
God's regenerating spirit and redemption. Like the people of
Thessalonica, turn to 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. This is what I'm talking
about. The gospel of God's sovereign
grace in Christ came to this church in Thessalonica. In 1 Thessalonians chapter 1
verse 4, Paul says, knowing brethren beloved your election of God. I know God elected you. I know
you're chosen of God, a chosen generation, a holy nation, a
royal priesthood. I know that. How do you know
that, Paul? Well, here's the reason I know
it. For our gospel, verse 5, came not to you in word only. The gospel didn't come to you
as a proposition in word only. It came to you in power. in the
power of God, convicting power, converting power, life-changing
power in the Holy Spirit, in assurance. And he says down here
in verse 9, now look carefully at this, in verse 9, For they
themselves show us what manner of entering in we had unto you,
you turn to God. You turn to God. Now listen to
this. You turn to God from your idols, from your traditions, from your
ceremonies, from your playthings, your religious playthings, symbols
and signs and visual aids. You turn from these idols, pictures,
statues, idols. Watch it now. to serve, to worship
the living God, the living and true God, and to wait for his
Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus Christ
our Lord. You turn from your idols. That's
what this couple is saying right here in this letter. You turn
from your and idols and visual aids to serve and worship and
know the living and true God. That's what Christ said salvation
is. Turn to John 17. In John chapter
17, in the great priestly prayer of our Lord, speaking to the
Father before his sacrifice on the cross, He said in John 17,
2, watch it, listen, as thou, Father, hath given me power over
all flesh, that I should give eternal life to as many as you've
given me, and this is life eternal, and this is life, this is spiritual
life, this is eternal life, here it is, it's not how long it is,
it's the quality of it, this is life eternal that they might
know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast
sent. That's what Paul said to these Thessalonians the gospel
came to you not as a proposition word only a creed a catechism
came to you in power And you came to know and to serve and
to worship the only true and living God. Not idols, false gods, the only
true living God. That's eternal life, to know
the only true living God. Turn to 1 John 5, and this is
the way the Apostle John put it. In 1 John 5, verse 20, listen. 1 John 5.20, we know that the Son
of God has come, and He has given us an understanding, an understanding that we may
know Him that's true, that we're in Him that is true, even in
His Son, Jesus Christ. This is the true God. This is
eternal life. This is the true God. This is
eternal life. So what I'm saying, number one,
the effects of divine election, the effects, the impact, the
change, the first change happened to this couple. They came to
know the true God, the living God, the sovereign God. The God
of whom David said when they asked him, where's your God?
Where's your God? We know where our gods are, they're
where we put them, they do what we let them do, they say what
we want them to say. Where's your God, David? Our
God's in the heavens. He has done what he pleases.
Not what I please, and you please. He does what he pleases. in the armies of heaven among
the inhabitants of the earth. That's my God. So the first impact
and first change that the true gospel of God's free and sovereign
grace brings, it enables us to know, to worship, to serve, to
believe the true and living God. Now over to my text, Romans 8,
and here's where we'll We'll reside for a few minutes. Romans
8. Look at the text where I started
reading. Verse 26 says the Spirit helps
our infirmities. We know not what we should pray
for as we ought, but the Spirit himself maketh intercession for
us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he, the Spirit
of Christ, Spirit of Christ. The Holy Spirit and Christ and
the Father are one. What's said of one is said of
the other. It says down here in verse 34 that Christ makes
intercession for us. He does. The Spirit does too.
The Spirit of Christ. But now verse 27 says, He, the
Spirit, searcheth the heart. He knows what's the mind of God.
Because He, Christ, Spirit of Christ, makes intercession for
the saints according to the will of God. According to the will
of God. It's his will that must be done. Thy will be done. Not my will,
thy will be done. This is the will of God. This
is what I, you stay right there, I'm going to read you a scripture
over here in John. John said, Christ said this,
John wrote it. All that my Father giveth me
shall come to me. and him that cometh to me I'll
in no wise cast out." I came down from heaven not to do my
will, but the will of God. The Spirit makes intercession
for his people according to the will of God. Listen, this is
the Father's will, which hath sent me, that of all which he
hath given me I'll lose nothing, but raise it up at the last day.
So the will of God The Spirit makes intercession for his people
according to the will of God. And then in verse 28, listen
to this. And we know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are called
according to his purpose. It's his will, it's his purpose,
it's his glory. Salvations of the Lord. When
Paul was writing to young Timothy, He said to him, listen, don't
be ashamed of the gospel. Don't be ashamed of the gospel.
Don't be ashamed of me, God's prisoner. You'd be a partaker
of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God,
who saved us, who called us with a holy calling, not according
to our works, not according to our will, not according to our
purpose, but according to his own purpose and grace given us
in Christ before the world began. That's what we're talking about.
This gospel of God's grace enables us to see, to know, to worship,
to serve the true and living sovereign God of heaven and earth. If you turn one page from Romans
8 over to Romans 9, We're saved, we're called according to his
purpose. He said to Moses, Romans 9 verse 15, I'll have mercy on
whom I will have mercy. I'll have compassion on whom
I'll have compassion. So then it's not of him that
willeth, it's not of him that runneth, it's of God that shows
mercy. That's what the leper said when he came to our Lord.
Our Lord came down from the mountain and a leper ran to me and fell
on his face and worshipped him and he said, Lord, if you will, if you will, you can make me
clean. And that's what this is all about.
The Holy Spirit makes intercession for God's people according to
his will, according to his purpose. for his glory, salvation of the
Lord. Anybody who perishes, he's to
blame. If anybody is redeemed and stands
in glory, God gets the credit and the glory. Let me show you
a passage over in Isaiah chapter 46. Isaiah 46 verse 9 through
11. Listen to this. Remember the
former things of old? I'm God. I'm God. There's none else. I'm God. There's
none like me. I declare the end from the beginning. From ancient times of things
that are not done. I say my counsel shall stand. I will do my pleasure. calling
a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executed my counsel
from a far country, I've spoken it, I'll bring it to pass, I've
purposed it, I will also do it. Now that's what I'm saying first,
first and foremost. When this gospel, who God is,
what we are by birth, by nature, helpless, hopeless, unable, who
Christ is, it enables a man to see God, to worship and serve
and know the living God, the true God, the almighty God, the
God who says, I reign in heaven and earth. Let God be God in
every man alive. Or here's the second thing, an
understanding of the gospel of sovereign mercy. enables us to
understand and believe the scriptures the scriptures people who know
God who know the gospel of God who worship the living true God
they make much of the word of God they make much of the word
of God they study it they read it they carry it with them Their
preachers preach it, teach it. They base all their hope upon
the Word of God. If they speak not according to
the Word of God, there's no light in them. You see, this is how
we came, this is how this couple who wrote came to know the Living
God. Somebody preached the Word of
God to them. This is how we came to know the Gospel, to know Him,
to know ourselves, to know Christ. To know the hope of eternal life
by the preaching of the word of God. Turn to Romans chapter
10. Listen to Paul here. Romans 10
verse 13. Whosoever shall call on the name
of the Lord shall be saved. But how are they going to call
on him in whom they have not believed? You can't trust an
unrevealed Christ. You can't trust an unknown God.
Who is He? What's He like? What did He do? Why did He do it? Where is He
now? How shall they believe in Him of whom they've not heard?
How shall they hear without a preacher? How shall they preach except
they be sent? As it is written, how beautiful,
how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of Jesus. I'm not
talking about those who run up and down and scream and holler
and wave their hands and say nothing. They preach. They teach. The apostle teaches. They bring
good tidings of great things from the scripture. They feed
the flock. What do they feed them? The word
of God. This is the children's bread. This is the green pasture. These are the still water. Faith
comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. Study to
show yourself approved of God, a workman that need not be confounded,
ashamed. Desire the sincere milk of the
Word, that you may grow. The Scriptures, Christ died for
our sins according to the Scriptures. Over in Ephesians chapter 1,
Paul said this, Ephesians 1 verse 13, in whom you trusted, this
living God, this redeeming Christ, in whom you trusted after you
heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When
did you trust? After you heard. Go back to my text, Romans 8.
Verse 28 says, and we know that all things work together for
good to them who love God, who are called according to his purpose.
We know that all things, all things in heaven, Father, Son,
Holy Spirit, all things in the weather, all things on earth,
all things, trials, troubles, afflictions, prosperity, gifts,
graces, all things, all people, past, present and future, work
together. for good to them that love God.
How do you know that? You dream that? Did you hear
it whispering through the pine trees while you were out hunting
one day? How do you know all things work together for good
to them who love God? How do you know God's got a purpose?
I read it in the Word. Christ died for our sins according
to the Scriptures. It says Christ opened their understanding
that they might understand the scriptures. He was bared and
rose again according to the scriptures. We know because Christ has revealed
the scriptures to us. I'm telling you, when we come to hear and to believe
the gospel of God's redeeming sovereign grace, it enables us
to know the living God and to understand the scriptures. They
keep trying to make new translations of the scripture so that unsaved,
untaught men and women can understand the scriptures. People say, I
don't understand the King James Bible. They don't understand
any Bible unless God gives them understanding, light, until they
see the glory of God in the face of Christ. This generation is
lazy, there is nobody reading the scripture. You don't have any trouble understanding
the scriptures when you understand who wrote it. It's a hymn book. H-I-M. Hymn. His glory. Turn to John 17 just a moment. And it just enables you to love
the scriptures. To feed on the scriptures. To
devour the scriptures. to find Christ in the scriptures.
John 17, here's that prayer again, Christ praying to the Heavenly
Father. Verse 6, John 17, I have manifested your name, the true
and living God, to them which you gave me out of the world.
Thine they were and you gave them to me and they kept your
word. What did you do first? I manifested your name. The name
of God is the character of God. The true and living God. The
attributes of God. Who God is. Who God is. Like you say, Henry Mahan. Well that name,
to people who know him, tells you everything about him. And
the name of God. It's not a myth, it's a person.
Almighty God. So I've manifested your name. He that hath seen me hath seen
the Father. I've revealed your name, your
character. Read on. In verse 7, And they
have known all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee,
and I have given them the words that you gave me. What is that? Word of God that I'm holding
in my hand. This is what he gave to the disciples. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John,
Paul, Peter, James wrote what he gave them. I've given them
your word. I just didn't give it to them
to make an ornament on the coffee table. I didn't give it to them
as a magic rabbit's foot to carry around with them. I didn't give
it to them for something to wave in public and appear to be religious
I gave it to them in here. I gave it to them. I manifested
it to them. And what's the result? And they
received them. These words, they received them. And they have known surely that
I came out from thee, and they believed them. You don't sit around arguing religion.
I gave them your word, they received it, and believed it, and loved
it. That's the impact, that's the
change. From a nominal, professing religionist,
to a seeker of God, and a searcher of the scriptures. when we know
the greatness of God. Thirdly, an understanding of
this gospel of sovereign grace in Christ enables us to give
God all the glory, for all that we are, have, and ever will be,
to God be the glory of the great things he hath done. My text
again, Romans 8, verse 29, listen, For whom he foreknew, He knew us before we knew Him.
He loved us before we loved Him. He chose us before we chose Him.
He called us before we called Him. He sought us before we sought
Him. Whom He foreknew. He predestinated
to be conformed to the image of His Son. Everybody whom God
saves is going to be like Christ. Going to be conformed to the
image of Christ. that he might be the first born, first born
from the dead, first begotten, first born among many brethren.
Heaven is going to be populated and inhabited by people like
Christ, perfect as he is, holy as he is, wonderful as he is. And who will be predestinated
to be conformed to the image of his Son? He called them, Matthew,
follow me, Zacchaeus, come down. Sorrow, why persecute your father? He called you by his gospel. He called them, and whom he called,
he justified, redeemed them, washed them, clothed them in
the righteousness of Christ, made them perfectly, spotlessly,
unblameable, unreprovable, holy in his sight. Not in our flesh, but in Christ. And whom he justified, he glorified. Now, who gets the glory for that?
He does. He does. God gets all the glory. All the glory. Verse 33 says there's no charge
against God's elect. Why? Because of what we've done?
Is there no charge against me because I've preached the gospel
for all these years? It says there's no charge because
it's God that justifies me. That's the reason there's no
charge. No charge. God justifies me. Whom he called,
he justified. Whom he knew, he justified. And
the next verse says there's no condemnation. Why is there no
condemnation? Paul, who do you think you are?
You're trying... Who is he that condemneth? Who
in heaven can condemn me? Who on earth can condemn me?
Well, I can, you can, but I mean before God. Who in hell can condemn
me? Nobody. Why, Paul? Listen, if
Christ that died, He was made sin for us who knew no sin that
we might be made the holiness of God in Him. Christ died. That's the reason there's no
judgment, no condemnation. Yet, listen, rather something He's risen again. He didn't stay
there yet. He's risen. And He's even, listen,
at the right hand of God. He's already, as our forerunner,
entered heaven. Seated at God's right hand. Who
also, let me add this, Paul said. I keep graduating here. Keep
moving up. Christ died. Rally's risen. Who's even at the right hand
of God. makes intercession for us. That's the communion. Now who made you to differ? What
do you have you didn't receive? Spiritually, physically, materially,
mentally, name it. So who gets the glory? It's so tiresome to see religionists,
proud religionists, running around talking about what they've done
for God, what they've given to mission, how they've preached
and served and labored There's going to be a special crown for
them in heaven. The crown's going to be on his
head. And our so-called crowns will be at his feet. And he gets
all the glory. I am what I am by the grace of
God. That's exact. But whatever contributing factor
entered in, it was God that willed it, purposed it, and accomplished
it. I didn't contribute one thing
to it before he saved me or afterwards. I've started this journey with
him at the cross and that's where I'm going to wind it up. Look
in here. I'll tell you another thing.
An understanding of this gospel enables a man to have peace and
assurance. That's right. You can't have
any peace or assurance in a trail you blazed down a church aisle
one time, shook hands with a preacher and called it salvation. Don't
you go back to that and try to prove anything. That's a wobbly
foundation. You can't prove anything by a
vision you had or a dream you had or a feeling you had. Feelings
come and feelings go and feelings are deceiving. I trust the Word
of God. Nothing else is worth believing. And I have peace, as you do,
and assurance and confidence of glory because God in Christ
has accepted me by his grace on purpose." And Paul asked five
questions, listen to them. He told this, he said, whom he
foreknew, whom he chose, he predestinated to be like Christ. And whom he
predestinated to be like Christ, he called. And whom he called,
he justified. Who he justified, he glorified.
Now here are five questions. What shall we say to these things?
If God be for me, who can be against me? That's right. If
he be for me, in life, in love, in grace, in Christ, who's going
to be against me? And the second question is this.
He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all,
how should he not with him freely give us all things that Christ
purchased? Come on now. Did Christ shed
his blood for us? Was his blood paid off? Did Christ
represent us? Did he take our place? Well,
payment God's justice cannot twice demand, first at his hand,
again at mine. Who shall intervene to the charge
of God's elect? That's the third question. God
justified us. God chose us. God loved us. Oh,
we fail and fall and fumble and fume and grumble and complain,
but He justified us. He did it. We didn't contribute
anything to it. Well, who's going to condemn
us? Christ died. Now here's the last question.
Who's going to separate us from the love of God? Who's going to separate us? God
loved us before we were born. I like what that dear old lady
said. Somebody was arguing with her about God's grace. And he
said, you mean you believe God loved you before you was born?
She said he had to. See, the way he laughed, I was
born, he's never loved me. That's what I like. But he didn't
love me because of who I am, what I am. He loved me in Christ.
The love of God is in Christ. Don't forget that. God's love
is a holy love. an infinite love, an unchangeable
love, a holy love in Christ. The holy God cannot love an unholy
person except in Christ, because Christ makes us holy. Now come
on! That's right. Jacob had a love Esau Esau sold his birthright willingly,
deliberately, covetously. God loved Jacob. The scripture
says, God hated the workers of iniquity. The scripture says,
he that believeth on the Son hath life. He that believes not
the Son, the wrath of God abides on him. Is that what scripture
says? The wrath of God. God loved in Christ. Why would
you object to that? In the first place, why would
I expect God to love me? Why in the name of common sense
would I expect a holy, spotless, infinite, almighty, eternal God
to love a worm like me? There's nothing about us lovable
or lovely. We are fancy. But if he takes
us and puts us in Christ by his grace, and covers us in his righteousness
and purity and holiness, he can love me in Christ. Then in closing, an understanding
of this gospel, which declares that salvation is of the Lord,
it promotes humility. Pride and grace are incompatible. A proud religious, a proud Christian,
no such animal. No such animal. No such. God hates pride. Seven things
God hates, number one, pride. That's what scripture says, seven
things God hates, number one, pride. And God humbles us, strips
us, breaks us, brings us down. Less than the least of all the
saints. What do you have you didn't receive? Secondly, it
promotes holiness. The love of Christ constrains
me. How do you get people to give? How do you get folks to
love? How do you get folks to walk
in holiness? They know God. They love God. The love of Christ
constrains me. If He died for me, then we're
all dead. And we should live not to our
own selves, but to Him who loves us. It's gratitude. It's praise
to new nature. promote holiness. Religious profession
won't promote holiness. Religion promotes meanness. It's
exactly right. Meanest people on earth are those
who play in church. Guarantee you. The most hypocritical people
out there in the workforce are the loudest religious talkers.
It's exactly right. God's grace promotes holiness,
kindness, compassion, generosity, godliness, a godly walk, love
for others. You be merciful as your father
is merciful. You be holy as your father is
holy. You forgive as God has forgiven you. That's the whole
basis, as God has forgiven you. This gospel promotes gratitude. Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable
gift. I like another thing one of those
old ladies said back yonder. She said, Lord, if you save me,
you'll never hear the last of it. I'll praise you as long as
I have breath. That's right. It promotes all
the graces. And an understanding of God's
covenant unchanging mercies in Christ enable people to die in
peace. Like David. The last words of
David. What were the last words of David?
Man after God's own heart. spoke on this earth. The last
word, 75 years old, dying. He said this, these are his last
words. Although it be not so with my
house, God made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things
and sure. And this is all my salvation
and all my desire. covenant mercies, the mercies
of a covenant God. And I'll tell you this, an understanding
that salvation is not by chance, but by grace, not by chance,
but by choice. And divine power encourages me
to preach because Christ said, other sheep I have, which are
not of this foal, they will hear you. They will hear and they
will come. And Paul was getting ready, you
can read this in Acts 18, Paul was getting ready to leave Corinth.
They ganged up on him down in Corinth, they were going to kill
him. He hadn't preached very much there, but they were going
to kill him. And they were trying to get him out of town, and the
Lord said to him, Sir Paul, don't you leave this town. Don't you
leave Corinth. They're not going to hurt you,
I'll be with you, I'll protect you. Paul, don't you leave this
town. I've got much people in this town whom I will bring under your
preaching. So Paul stayed there 18 months
and preached the gospel. Certainly God was going to save
the people. And he wasn't expecting them
to be saved in one service either. No, not in one sentence. This thing of salvation is God. It's a lifetime. It's God conforming
and calling and stripping and humbling and bringing us down
and bringing us to the place. He's with his disciples three
and a half years. Before he went to the cross,
he said, When you're converted, when you're converted, strengthen
your brethren. Isn't that something? But he
is calling. What a gospel, what an impact,
what a change. The gospel of grace. All right,
Mark, let's sing a closing hymn.