Four Questions for the Thoughtful

Q: What does the Bible say about the love of God and salvation?

The love of God is foundational to our salvation as it is through His love that we are called His children. The love of God is the very foundation of our salvation, as clearly articulated in 1 John 3:1, which states, 'Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.' This love is both infinite and everlasting, and it is through this love that we are quickened and made alive in Christ. Without God's love, there is no hope for salvation, as it is His love that moved Him to send His Son to be the propitiation for our sins (1 John 4:10). Thus, God's love is not a mere sentiment but a powerful, active force that transforms and sustains the believer.

Q: How do we know God's will is sovereign in salvation?

God's will is sovereign in salvation, as He elects and predestines individuals to salvation according to His purpose and pleasure. The sovereignty of God's will in salvation is firmly established in scripture, particularly in Ephesians 1:4-5, which declares, 'According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world.' This indicates that God’s electing love is not a response to our choices but a divine decree rooted in His will. Romans 9:15 further emphasizes that God's mercy is given to whom He wills: 'I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy.' The clear teaching of the Bible is that salvation is ultimately attributed to God's sovereign will and purpose, demonstrating that His grace is effectual and that those whom He has chosen will certainly come to faith.

Q: What does the blood of Christ have to do with our salvation?

The blood of Christ is the foundation of our salvation, providing the atonement needed for the justifying of sinners. The blood of Christ is essential to our salvation as it represents the ultimate sacrifice that satisfies God's justice. Hebrews 9:26 states, 'But now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.' This means that through His death, Christ has dealt with the entire sin debt of His people, ensuring our justification before God. The efficacy of Christ’s sacrifice is such that it perfectly atones for sin, accomplishing what no other sacrifice could achieve. The belief in the redemptive power of His blood stands in stark contrast to the notion that Christ died for all indiscriminately; rather, His death was specifically for the elect, securing their salvation entirely once and for all.

Q: How does the Holy Spirit work in salvation?

The Holy Spirit regenerates and quickens believers, drawing them to Christ and enabling true faith. The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in the process of salvation by actively regenerating and quickening those whom God has chosen. In John 6:44, it is stated, 'No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him.' This emphasizes that the initiative in salvation belongs to God through the work of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit opens the eyes of the spiritually dead, bringing them to life in Christ and making them able to respond in faith. Moreover, the Spirit confirms the truths of God's word and convicts individuals of their need for salvation, demonstrating that He is instrumental in the process of our coming to faith and ultimately securing our perseverance in it.

reports of our visit to Mexico, reports of the blessings that
God gave us there continue to come to me. Who can estimate the worth and
value of a word spoken in the power of the Holy Spirit exalting
the Lord Jesus Christ, especially by faithful men. Brother Howard called me last
night and he said the people were still talking down in Chiapas
about the messages preached by Brother Dan Culver and by Brother
Ron One of the men who has been affiliated
and associated with the work for many years asked for tape
of the messages of these men. He wanted to play it again for
himself and share it with some of his friends. He was so impressed, and I don't
know how to say that strongly enough, he was so impressed by
the fact that these men preaching the gospel were not pastors,
that they were not missionaries, that they were laboring men like
himself. They couldn't get over that. They couldn't get over a schoolteacher
preaching the gospel. They hold teachers there in such
high regard and respect. And when one came to them whom
they respected and regarded so highly, preaching the gospel
of Christ, it overwhelmed them. I told them Brother Dan Culver
is a man that works seven days a week just like they do, from
early morning to late evening, and yet they heard him preach
the gospel of Christ One of them said he had heard a saxophone
before, but he had never heard one play a hymn. I bet they had never heard a
car salesman preach the gospel, either. In fact, that's the first one I
ever heard, too. Let it all hang out while we're
at it. But oh, how my heart rejoices
when these reports do come in. You know, when we do things,
it's like two weeks from now I'm going down to Tortola. Bob
and I will be preaching down there. Bob three times and me
three or four times. I don't know. I try to find the
will of God in these matters, and I believe I have the will
of God in the matter. And when we go and preach, we
trust we have the will of God, but we just have to wait and
see if that's where he decreed for us to be. I don't know any
other way. Just do it, and then if we have the open door, go
and preach. And then wait and see if God
was in it. And he was in the last one. I hope he's in this
one, you know. I don't have any red telephones,
do we? I wish I knew. Well, I want you
to listen carefully to me this morning. A very plain, simple
message. four questions for the thoughtful.
And I tell you the reason I entitled it, four questions for the thoughtful,
is I'm persuaded in regard to spiritual matters that not a
lot of people are doing much thinking. Preachers, the average
preacher that I hear on television, radio, and other places, they're
not thinking. You're not thinking at all. The
things they say are just totally contradictory. It's emotion and eloquence and
entertainment and whatever you want to call it. But if I have
some people here this morning who, as our Lord said, come let's
reason together. Let's reason together. Let's
do some thinking. Instead of you to show yourself
approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth, I want to tell the truth.
I don't want to just stand up and thrill Baptists. I want to tell the truth. And
I want you to listen closely now, because what I'm going to
say is of the greatest, greatest importance. And this is one of
those messages that's meant to divide. It's intended to divide, to divide
people into two camps, all grace or all works, salvation all of
God or all of man. Let's don't mix it up. It won't
mix. It's like Moses said in Exodus,
he said, he's on the Lord's side. Let him come stand right here
with me, and the rest of you stand over there. That's what
he said. I never will forget in 1954 when
we had our first Sovereign Grace Bible Conference. Brother Ralph Barnard was the
key speaker in that conference. Other men came and spoke, Brother
Mews, Brother Caldwell, Brother Fletcher, Brother Walker. But
Brother Barnard brought the keynote message. It was the first Sovereign
Grace Bible conference held in the United States in, I guess,
a century, in years and years and years and years. And he certainly
rang the bell and sounded the note. He gave a sermon with six
points, either or. He says, God is either absolutely
sovereign in everything, creation, providence and salvation, or
he's not sovereign at all. Now which is it? He said man
is either totally, irreversibly, left to himself, dead and depraved,
or he's not. Which is it? It can't be both. He said God Almighty, according
to the good pleasure of his own will, elected a people out of
every tribe, kindred, nation, tongue unto heaven unto salvation,
or he didn't. Both cannot be true. He said
Jesus Christ, when he went to the cross of Calvary, redeemed,
effectually, sufficiently redeemed all for whom he died. or he redeemed
nobody. He said the Holy Spirit of God,
the invincible, irresistible Spirit of the living
God, quickens whom he will, quickens the sheep, the elect of God,
or he quickens nobody. Then he said, either or, all
in the sixth place, all of God's sheep, every one of them without
exception, all that my Father giveth me shall come to me. My
sheep hear my voice, I give them eternal life and they'll never
perish. All of God's sheep will persevere
unto glory and be preserved by the hand of God, or none Now
that divides. But you've got to make up your
mind which is right. Both cannot be right. And there's
no middle ground. It's either all of grace or grace
is not grace. It's either all of works or works
is not works. Now let me see if I can state
this accurately. I don't want to build a straw
man and spend my time up here whipping something that doesn't
exist. But here's the conclusion to which I've come. After these
years, today's religious leaders, today's preachers and churches
positively declare four things. Now see, if this is not true,
is this not true? This is what I used to believe
before I heard the gospel of God's grace. And this is what
religious leaders and preachers and churches are preaching most
all agree on these four things. that this is not true, that God
loves everybody without exception. Isn't that what's being preached?
Is it or isn't it? God loves everybody without exception.
That's what's being taught. And they base it on this verse
of Scripture, for God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten
son. They say God loves everybody. They say God loves you, you,
and I love you. God loves you. Today's religion agrees on this. God wills the salvation of all
men without exception. God wants to save you. God wills
your salvation. They base that on this scripture,
God is not willing that any should perish. God wills the salvation
of every man. Isn't that what's being taught?
That's what I gather, that God Almighty wants to save everybody
in the world. He wants to. Thirdly, they teach this, that
the blood of Jesus Christ, the death of Jesus Christ, was for
all men without exception, that Christ died on the cross and
shed his blood for every human being, every one of Adam's race.
They base that on this verse, he tasted death for every man.
on this verse, he's the propitiation for our sins and not for ours
only, but for the whole world. And they teach that Christ Jesus
died for the whole world. God loves you and Christ died
for you. Everybody, they say that to every human being, every
son of Adam. And fourthly, they teach that the Holy Spirit tries
to save everybody. He strives with all men. He calls
all men without exception He calls everybody, and they base
that on the scripture, that my spirit shall not always strive
with man, but he does strive with all men. Now, isn't that
what they're saying? Isn't that what they're saying?
Well, if what they're saying is true, if indeed this is true,
that Almighty God, the Maker of heaven and earth, if Almighty
God loves everybody without exception, if that's true, he loves everybody
equally without exception. He's in love with the whole human
race, if that's true. Secondly, if God wills, if God
desires the salvation of every human being, is that God's will?
Is that God's desire? Is that God's purpose? Is that
what he wants to do? He wants to save you, and you
won't let him. I hear that all the time. He
wants to, he wills to, if that's true. If Jesus Christ bled, atoned
for all men without exception, if he died for every son of Adam
without exception. Now, if that's true, and if the
Holy Spirit calls all men to salvation and calls everybody
to Christ, he strives with everybody, if those things are true, then
I ask you four questions. Here they are. I used to have
a teacher in the second grade. Mrs. Wales was her name. And
when she wanted us to really get something, she'd say, now
everybody hold your hands up. We'd hold them up. She said,
now put your thinking cap on. And we'd all put it on, you know.
It was all ready to think now, wired in, plugged in. So I want
you to put your thinking cap on now. If these things are so,
then I ask you first of all, what does the love of God have
to do with my salvation then? If God loves every human being,
without exception, there's no distinction, no distinction between
the saved and the lost, he loves them all the same. Then what
does his love have to do with my salvation? Nothing. Not one thing, absolutely nothing.
If he loves every human being the same, then there's no power
in that love to save me or to keep me. That love does absolutely
nothing for me. He loves people in hell as well
as he loves people in heaven. He loves people who are saved
as well as people who are lost. He loves all men the same. Then
his love has nothing to do with my salvation. Is that true? Well,
it can't. And secondly, I ask this, what
does the will of God have to do with my salvation? If he wills
the salvation of all men, there's no distinction between the saved
and the lost. There is no elect or non-elect. There are no sheep or goats.
He wills, he desires the salvation of every human being. He wants
to save everybody. Then what does his will have
to do with my salvation? Not anything. Absolutely nothing. Because he willed to save one
who went to hell, and he willed to save one who went to heaven.
So his will didn't have anything to do with it, did it? Thirdly,
what does the blood of Christ have to do with my salvation?
If Christ died for all men without exception, exactly the same,
then he had an atonement that didn't atone. Then he had a redemption that
didn't redeem, or a sin offering that didn't satisfy. or perpetuation
that didn't perpetuate. So his blood, if he died for
all men without exception in heaven and hell, saved all us,
then his blood has absolutely nothing to do with our salvation. And then the fourth question
is this, what does the Holy Spirit have to do with our salvation?
If the Holy Spirit strives with all and some come and some don't
come, then the Holy Spirit didn't have anything to do with it.
is totally left up to the individual. Isn't that right? That's all
I'm asking, is for people to think. And this is what preachers
say, God loves everybody, God loves everybody. If he does,
then his love saves nobody. God wills to save all men, he
decides the salvation of all men, then his will saves nobody.
Christ died for all men, he shed his blood for every son of Adam,
then his blood didn't cleanse anybody. And the Holy Spirit
is going around here striving with people and trying his best
to get in their hearts, and they won't let him? Well, if he gets
in a heart, then it wasn't because of his power, it was because
of the decision or the will of the creature. And it has nothing
to do with our salvation. So it comes down to this, that
salvation is not of the Lord at all. Salvation is the response and
the will and the work of the creature. God's done all he can
do. That's up to you. That's salvation
by words. But I'm going to declare to you,
I believe the love of God is the very foundation of our salvation.
I believe the will of God is the very cause of our salvation.
I believe the blood of Jesus Christ is the very foundation
upon which our salvation is built. I believe the quickening, regenerating
The work of the Holy Spirit is that which brings us to Christ.
Let me show you that. First of all, turn with me to
1 John 3. The love of God. Oh, I wish I
could preach on the love of God like I'd like to. Every time
I think of the love of God, how infinite, how everlasting, how
it passeth understanding. He talks about what we were,
children of wrath, doing sins, walking according to the course
of this world, corrupt to pray. But God, who is rich in mercy
for his great love, wherewith he loved us, hath quickened us
together with Christ. The love of God, how rich how
pure, how measureless, how strong? It shall forevermore endure the
saints' and angels' song. Could we with ink the oceans
fill, and were the skies of parchment made to write the love of God
above, would drain that ocean dry? Nor could the scroll contain
the whole, though stretched from sky to sky, the love of God. Love of God, infinite, everlasting,
passive knowledge. But what's it? Verse 1, 1 John
3, Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon
us, that we should be called the sons of God. What made me
the son of God? The love of God which was bestowed
upon me. That's what made me a son of
God. Therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not."
Turn to 1 John 4, right over one page, verse 7. Beloved, let
us love one another. 1 John 4, 7. Love is of God. And everyone
that loveth is born of God, and knows God. And he that loveth
not knoweth not God, for God is love. And in this was manifested
the love of God toward us. Because God sent his only begotten
Son into the world that we might live through him. Here is love,
not that we love God. That didn't do it. That didn't
have anything to do with it. That didn't change it. Here it
is, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the perpetuation
of our sins. That's the foundation of our
redemption. God loved us. And I tell you this, the love
of God is always in Christ. It's a holy love. Let me show
you that. Turn to John chapter 3. God's
love is a holy love. It's in Christ. It's always in
Christ. God does not love outside of
Christ. Christ Jesus enables God to love. Christ Jesus enables God to be
just and justified. Look at John 3, verse 36. He
that believeth on the Son hath life, and he that believeth not
the Son of God shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth
on him. Is there no wrath with God? God
said, Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated. Psalm 5, verse
5 says God is angry with the wicked every day. Psalm 2 verse
12 says, God hateth the workers of iniquity. How do you explain
the flood? That's the wrath of God. How
do you explain Sodom? That's the wrath of God. But Noah found grace in the eyes
of the Lord. Turn back to my text in Romans
8. This is what I'm saying. Romans
8 verse 38 and 39. I am persuaded. That neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present,
nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature
shall be able to separate us from the love of God, that infinite,
everlasting love of God. That love that purposed to save
us, that love that sent Christ to redeem us, that love that
called us, that love that justified us. which is in Jesus Christ
our Lord. That's where it is. Turn to Hebrews 12 just a moment. Look at this verse of scripture
here. Hebrews chapter 12. Hebrews 12 verse 5. Hebrews 12.5, listen carefully.
And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto
children. My son, despise not thou the
chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art reduced of him.
For whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth, and scourgeth every
son whom he receiveth. Whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth. Whom the Lord loveth, he chooseth. Whom the Lord loveth, he redeemeth. Whom the Lord loveth, he calleth.
Whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth. His love's in Christ. His love's
in Christ. All right? Secondly, the will
of God. What does it have to do with
our salvation? Now, the love of God, herein is love. We didn't love him. He loved
us. and sent his Son to be the perpetuation
of our sins. And that love is a holy love
in Christ the Lord. Now, the will of God. My friends,
turn to John chapter 5. If salvation is left to the will
of man, who will be saved? Christ said
no one would. In John chapter 5, Beginning
with verse 32, our Lord begins to name the witnesses that bear
witness of him and his true character. He says, there is another that
beareth witness of me, and I know his witness is true. Verse 33,
you sent unto John, he beareth witness of the truth. Then verse
36, I have greater witness than that of John, the works that
the Father hath given me to finish the same works I do. Verse 37,
and the Father himself which hath sent me, he hath borne witness
of me. Verse 39, and you search the
scriptures, in them you think you have eternal life, and there
they which testify of me. Now here is that greatest man
born of woman. born when his mother and father
were old, John the Baptist. Christ said, the greatest man
who ever lived, none greater than John the Baptist. And the
mighty works, Christ gave sight to the blind, strength to the
lame, and raised the dead. The Father spoke from heaven
and said, this is my Son. This word here bears witness
of Christ. Now, what's the result? In spite of all of this, you
will not come to me. You see, what's the condition
of the human will? The human will is dead, it's
depraved, it's perverse, it's in bondage to sin. People will
do what they will do. They will do what they will to
do. But that will is perverted, that will is in bondage. Christ
said no man can come to me. He said there's none righteous,
there's none that understand it, there's none that seeketh
after God, there's none good, no not one, none. But it's not our will that brings
us to Christ, it's God's will. Now let me show you that in the
scripture. Turn to John 1. It's not my will at all that
brings me to Christ. He makes me willing. But it's
not my will, it's his will. He said, you didn't choose me,
I chose you. We didn't seek him, he sought
us. We didn't call God, God called
us. The sheep didn't seek the shepherd,
the shepherd sought the sheep. John 1 verse 12. But as many as received him,
to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them
that believe on his name, which were born, not of blood, not
of the will of the flesh, not of the will of man, but born
of God, born of the will of God. Of his own will begat he us through
the word of truth. Is that not what scripture says?
Of his own will begat he us. Turn to Romans 9. Romans 9. I'm simply saying that whom God
wills to save, he saves. Whom God wills to redeem, he
redeems. Romans 9. Listen to verse 15. Romans 9.15. Follow as I read. He said to Moses, I will have
mercy on whom I will have mercy. I will have compassion on whom
I will have compassion, so then it's not of him that willeth,
it's not of him that runneth, it's of God that showeth mercy.
Or the scripture even said to Pharaoh, For this same purpose
have I raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that
my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath
he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will harden
it. Thou wilt say then, well, why
does he yet find fault? Who can resist his will? Nay, but, O man, who are you
to reply against God? shall the thing formed, say to
him that formed it, say to him that formed it, why have you
made me thus? Well, hath not the power over the clay to make
of the same lump?" You know what he's been talking
about, don't you? These two boys that were conceived in the womb
of the same mother at the same time, and born at the same time,
same lump, one vessel under honor and another to dishonor. And
it's the will of God that makes a difference. It's the will of
God. Look at Ephesians 1. Let's think
now a little bit. Ephesians 1. This is what the
Bible says, Ephesians 1. Listen to this, verse 3. Blessed be the God and Father,
our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places, in Christ according as he chose
us in Christ before the foundation of the world. that we should
be holy and without blame before him, in love having predestinated
us to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according
to the good pleasure of his will." Whose will? His will. unto us the mystery of his will,
according to his purpose, his pleasure, which he purposed in
himself." Look at verse 11, "...in whom we have obtained an inheritance,
being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh
all things after the counsel of his own will." God wills the salvation of every
son of Adam. That's not what the word of God
says. That's not what it says at all. In fact, Christ said,
All that my Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that
cometh to me I will no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven,
not to do my will, but the will of him that sent me. And this
is the will of him that sent me, that of all which he hath
given me I lose nothing, but raise it up at the last day.
This is the will of God, not the salvation of every son of
Adam, but the salvation of his covenant people. That's the will
of God. If God willed the salvation of
all men, all men would be saved. Now, that's just so. But he said, look at Isaiah 46. Look at Isaiah 46. Now, this be true. Isaiah 46,
verse 10. Isaiah 46, 10. He says, I declare
the end from the beginning. I declare the end from the beginning,
from ancient times, the things that are not yet done, saying
my counsel shall stand. I will do all I want to do, all
my pleasure. I call 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'll do it.
My friends, I'm not being unreasonable. I'm just saying somebody's not
thinking. to declare God loves every human being without exception,
then the love of God hasn't got anything to do with man being
saved and all. But I'm saying God loves infinitely. He said, I've drawn you with
an everlasting love, with loving kindness have I begotten you.
God does love. And that's only offensive to
an evil heart because An honest heart knows he doesn't deserve
the love of God. A person who's honest will say,
well, if he doesn't love me, he's got a reason not to, because
I'm the world's worst sinner. But God loves me, and in Christ.
Let me tell you something. He worketh all things after the
counsel of his own will. And whom he wills to save, they'll
be saved. That's just so. The blood of Christ, that great
sacrifice, that infinite, unspeakable gift of God, indescribable suffering
and agony, was that in vain? That one sacrifice, that one
atonement, that one offering, was that in vain? Now, I'm telling
you this, what a man believes, now listen to me carefully, what
a man believes about the death of Christ, what it accomplished,
the purpose it served, the reason for his death, determines what
that man believes about the extent of it. What do you believe about
the death of Christ? What did it accomplish, why did
it die, and what purpose was served, and what was the reason
for his death? And what you believe about that
death determines what you believe about the extent of it. Now here's
what I believe about the death of Christ. The reason Christ
died on that cross was to enable God to be just and justified.
That's the reason why he died. There was no other way that God
could be holy, just, righteous and true and save sinners like
me and you. except for Christ Jesus to come
down here and honor that law, magnify the law, and go to the
cross and die bearing our sins. I don't believe that God Almighty
can save a sinner without the blood, the death, the suffering,
the agony of his son on the cross bearing his wrath in our place. That enabled God to be a just
God and a Savior. Do you believe that? I believe
that. The purpose of his death was
to accomplish a work that no one else could accomplish or
contribute to or add to in any way. The law couldn't do it.
What the law could not do is it was weak through the flesh.
Sacrifices couldn't do it. Almighty God said, with sacrifices
and burnt offerings, I am weary. In sacrifices and burnt offerings,
thou hast no pleasure. I'm saying that nothing any man
could think, devise, do, conceive, wish, righteousness, religion,
absolutely nothing, nothing could justify us before a holy God
except the blood and death of Jesus Christ. Only thing that
can do. And nothing else can be added
to it. Somebody said the royal bath in which black souls are
washed white was drawn from the veins of the Son of God. Thirdly, what did he actually
accomplish? Turn to Hebrews 10. Let's go
to Hebrews 9 first. This is what I believe he actually
accomplished. Hebrews 9, verse 24. Hebrews 9.24, Christ is not entered
into the holy place made with hands, tabernacle, temple on
earth, which are figures of the truth, but into heaven itself.
Now to appear in the presence of God for us, nor yet that he
should offer himself often as the high priest entered into
the holy place every year with the blood of others, for that
being He must often have suffered since the foundation of the world,
because he had been our priest since the foundation of the world.
But now what, in the end of the world, hath he appeared to put
away sin by the sacrifice of himself? I barely believe, my
friends, that when Jesus Christ died, every sin of every believer,
of every generation, of every tribe, nation, tongue, and kindred
unto heaven Every sin, past, present and future, omission,
commission, secret, known, unknown, word, thought or deed, every
sin of every believer was put away! Totally put away. Never to be remembered anymore
by God Almighty. Do you believe that? But if he
did that for everybody, then everybody is going to glory.
Because payment, God's justice, cannot twice demand, first at
my bleeding shirt, his hand, then again at mine. Turn to Hebrews
10. Now listen, what did he do? I
say what you believe about the blood of Christ is what determines
what you believe about the extent of it. If you believe Christ
died for every man, every son of Adam, without exception, then
you believe in a weak atonement, or no atonement. A weak sacrifice,
an impotent sacrifice, or no sacrifice. A weak, frustrated,
defeated Jesus, there ain't worth a snap of your finger. You can't
depend on him because he couldn't get the job done. That's right,
that's your Jesus, if you believe in general atonement. Am I a
little too strong? What you believe about what he did determines
the extent of it. Look at Hebrews 10, verse 11. Every priest, standard daily.
ministering, offering sacrifices, the same sacrifices which can
never take away sin. Is that your atonement, to never
take away sin without your help? But this man, oh, this is my
man, the God-man, this man, after he had offered one sacrifice
for sin, forever sat down at the right hand of God, from henceforth
it waiting till his enemies be made his footstool, for by one
offering he hath perfected for ever, whom? Every human being. Then they'll all be in glory.
No, sir, them that are sanctified. That's who he perfected. I'm
telling you, my friends, he put away sin by the sacrifice of
himself. He died just for the unjust that
he might bring us to God. By himself he purged our sin. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's
Son, cleansed us from all sin. Isaiah wrote it a long time ago.
He said he was wounded by transgressions, bruised by iniquities, the chastisement
of our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed. Healed. The love of God made
me his son. The will of God called me to
himself. The blood of Christ accepted
me before the Father. But the Holy Spirit, now listen,
now anybody who knows anything about the Bible knows that all
natural men have some understanding of God. That's no problem. You know, Nicodemus came to him
and said, we know your teacher comes from God, no man can do
what you do except God be with him. But Nicodemus wasn't quickened,
wasn't awakened, wasn't regenerated, wasn't saved. Christ told him
he wouldn't enter the kingdom of heaven. Romans 1 says the
law is written on everybody's heart. Romans 2 says there's
a conscience that everybody has, else excuses, accuses or excuses
him. But let me tell you something.
The quickening, regenerating, life-giving work of the Holy
Spirit goes beyond just stating facts. That's what I'm doing. I'm stating
facts this morning. But the Holy Spirit takes this
word and puts it in here and makes it more than facts, he
makes it experience and life. That's right, more than facts.
It comes out of here as facts, but when it goes in here and
gets down in here, it's not facts anymore, not only facts, it's
experience and life. The Holy Spirit quickens. You
have to be quickened who were dead in trespasses and sin. The Spirit of God gives life,
the Spirit of God convinces men of sin, the Spirit of God reveals
Christ. Eye hath not seen, ear hath not
heard, neither hath it entered the heart of man, the things
God has prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed
them unto us by his Spirit. Christ said, When the Holy Spirit
is come, he will glorify me. He'll take the things of man
and show them to you. Let's turn over there, John 6. John 6, verse 44. My friends,
salvations of the Lord. Salvations of He loved us. He
loved us. He chose us. He redeemed us. He quickened us. John 6.44, no
man can come to me except the Father which sent me drawing,
and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the
prophets, and they shall all be taught of God. Every man therefore
that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me. Our people shall be willing in
the day of thy power." Is this not true? Salvations
of the Lord, and that's what I'm preaching. That's what I'm
exhorting you to believe and lay hold of. And you can trust
him, call upon him, he'll hear you. Believe on him, he's able
to say. Look to him, he's an almighty
God. He's not an impotent God, he's
almighty, able to do all things. Christ said this, Paul wrote
this, he is able to save to the uttermost them that come to him
by Christ, a sufficient Christ, able Christ, an almighty Christ.

Four Questions for the Thoughtful

What does the Bible say about the love of God and salvation?

How do we know God's will is sovereign in salvation?

What does the blood of Christ have to do with our salvation?

How does the Holy Spirit work in salvation?

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Four Questions for the Thoughtful

What does the Bible say about the love of God and salvation?

How do we know God's will is sovereign in salvation?

What does the blood of Christ have to do with our salvation?

How does the Holy Spirit work in salvation?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

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