Who Are They and What Do They Have?

Q: What does the Bible say about God's elect?

The Bible teaches that God's elect are chosen by Him and set apart for His purposes. In 1 Peter 1:1-2, the Apostle Peter describes the elect as those chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. This means that their election is rooted in God's sovereign plan rather than any action or decision on their part. The term 'elect' signifies God's special favor and intention to redeem certain individuals. They are distinguished from others not by innate qualities or works, but solely through God's mercy and purpose in election. This foundational truth emphasizes God's sovereignty in salvation, reminding us that it is He who initiates and carries out the plan of redemption.

Q: Why is being born again important for Christians?

Being born again is essential for Christians as it signifies a spiritual rebirth and new life in Christ. In 1 Peter 1:3, the term 'begotten' indicates that Christians experience a new birth through God's mercy, highlighting the necessity of regeneration. This spiritual rebirth is not just a reformation of the old man, but a transformation into a new creation as described in 2 Corinthians 5:17. Being born again is vital because it signifies a transition from spiritual death to spiritual life, empowering the believer to live in obedience to God. This new identity comes with a living hope, founded in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, showcasing the believer's secure position in Christ and their future inheritance in heaven.

Q: How do we know salvation is by faith alone?

Scripture clearly states that salvation is received through faith alone, not by works. In 1 Peter 1:9, Peter emphasizes that the end result of faith is the salvation of our souls, affirming that it is through faith that we are justified before God. This aligns with Ephesians 2:8-9, which explicitly teaches that we are saved by grace through faith, and not by our works. Salvation by faith alone affirms that human effort cannot add to the finished work of Christ on the cross. The clarity of this doctrine rests in the understanding that faith itself is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8), allowing believers to trust in Christ's sacrificial death and resurrection for their salvation.

Q: What does it mean to be kept by the power of God?

Being kept by the power of God signifies divine security for believers who are preserved in their faith. In 1 Peter 1:5, the apostle states that believers are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. This means that God's omnipotent protective hand ensures that true believers will not ultimately fall away from the faith. The preservation of the saints hinges on God's faithfulness rather than human effort. This doctrine reassures believers that their salvation is secure because it is rooted in Christ's atoning work, not in their ability to maintain it. The assurance of being kept by God's power brings hope and encouragement to navigate trials and tribulations in a fallen world.

Q: Why is holiness important for Christians?

Holiness is essential for Christians as it reflects God's character and calls us to live according to His standards. In 1 Peter 1:15-16, Peter commands believers to be holy as God is holy. This call to holiness serves as a reminder that Christians are set apart for God's glory and are to reflect His nature in their conduct. Holiness is not merely an external standard but arises from a heart transformed by grace. Living a holy life involves walking in obedience to God's commands and exemplifying Christ-like character in our interactions. Ultimately, embracing holiness is a demonstration of gratitude for salvation and a witness to the world of God's transformative power.

All right, let's turn now to
the book of 1 Peter. 1 Peter chapter 1. I had planned to speak on this particular passage of Scripture
tonight, 1 Peter chapter 1, and entitle my message Who are
they? Who are they and what do they
have? Who are they and what do they
have? You remember in the book of Revelation, a question similar
to this was asked. Who are these and which come
they? Who are they and what do they have? And I received a letter
It came several days ago, but it was put on my desk today,
the tape orders having been filled. And this letter fits right into
my subject. I read it while I was preparing
the message this morning. It's from Illinois. A gentleman out there writes,
thank you for the tapes. I hope you and the people at
13th Street Baptist Church understand that I am among those, whoever
they are. I am among those giving praise
to God. I am among those giving praise
to God. And I do greatly appreciate your
tape ministry and your printed ministry. He goes on and says,
whatever the meaning of the word rewards spoken of in the scriptures,
it must identify with the people of 13th Street Baptist Church, because they help to provide
the true gospel. They help to provide the true
gospel for those Here we go again for those. Who are they? Other than in their local group. Last Saturday night. Jonathan
Tops will be interested in this. Last Saturday night I had dinner
in the home. of a man whom I had never met
before. He's from Beckley, West Virginia,
originally. I had dinner with him and his
family at his request. He came to hear me preach and
ask if I would have dinner in his home. And he is the According to Doc
Stone, the number one steel guitar player in Nashville, Tennessee.
He's the best. That's what Doc said. He plays
on hee-haw, and he plays for Charlie McCoy. You know all these
names. About 45 years old. And somebody, a preacher in Beckley,
has been sending him my VCR tapes, the television program, for about
three or four months. And he has literally taken up
with this message at the present time. I sat down at his dinner
table, and he put his arm across my shoulder and said, you're
my hero. I said, I'm not much of a hero, but that's interesting, isn't
it? Is he one of God's elect, you
reckon? Wouldn't that be something, that we have the privilege of
sending the gospel to him? by Tate, and he heard it and
believed it. I don't know, but he's listening.
This man goes on and says, for those other than their own group, wherever God's sheep are, I pray
that He'll let us have a part in taking the gospel to them,
don't you? Isn't that something? Whoever
they are and wherever they are, there this man lived way up in
the holler with his family and plays in all types of shows and
television and moves in that circle. He may be one of God's
elect. Wouldn't that be something? And God let us tell him who Christ
is. And the man writing the letter
goes on and says, while we enjoy the fellowship of those of like
faith everywhere on earth, Oh, how great the joy will be when
all of those are gathered at the feet of Christ in eternity. I appreciate that letter, don't
you? That encouraged me. And that's what I'm speaking
about. I'm speaking about those who give praise to God, who can't
do otherwise. They give praise to God. I'm
speaking tonight about those other than our group. I know
we don't have a corner on God. I'm certain of that. God does
not dwell between the walls of a certain building or denomination. I'm convinced of that. God's
sheep are out there somewhere, wherever they are. That's where
they are. And he said they're among the
base, they're among the the despised, among the things that are not.
But they are of like faith everywhere. And that's my question tonight.
Who are they? Who are they? Do they have some
marks? Is there some way of identifying
them? Who are they? And what is it that they have?
What makes them so special? What makes them so special? Wherever
you find them. Well, look at 1 Peter. Now, this
is written by the apostle Peter, verse 1, Peter, and he says,
I'm an apostle of Jesus Christ. Now, this, if you look above
verse 1, it says the first epistle general of Peter. This is called
a general epistle because it's not addressed to any particular
church or particular person. It's addressed to believers in
general. That's what it means by general
epistle. And it was written by the Apostle Peter, and it's said
to be, I cannot verify this, but it's said to be the oldest
epistle. I'm not certain of that, you'll
have to check up on it, but that's what those that are supposed
to know say, that this is the oldest of all the epistles. This
was the first one. You see, the epistles aren't
put in the Bible in the order in which they were written. But
it's said to be the oldest epistle. Now, he starts out right away
and identifies these people, these that I've been talking
about. He says, I'm writing to the strangers. They're strangers. Strangers. Well, they're not strangers to
God. Can't mean that, can it? They're not strangers to God.
Christ said, I know my sheep. I know my sheep and none of mine.
And other sheep I have which are not of this fold, them I
must bring. I know my sheep. They're not strangers to God.
And they're not strangers to one another. I tell you, the sheep love each
other. It's just a delight to meet with
God's people wherever they are. It is a delight, the fellowship
with God's people. I look forward to meeting with
God's people. And you know you can meet You
can meet a child of God, whom you've never met before, and
spend just a little time in His presence, and it's as if you've
known Him all His life. That's right. You're just one
in Christ. So they're not strangers to God,
and they're not strangers to one another, so what does it
mean they're strangers? I think we'll find some help.
Hold that place there and turn to John chapter 15. I believe
this is what he's talking about here, these strangers. that is
scattered throughout Pontus and Cappadocia and Bithynia and other
places. John 15 verse 17. I'll tell you
what, there's strangers in this world and to this world. There's strangers in this world
and to this world. You know, I said that you could
meet a believer for the first time and have a union. They're
people you work beside and have worked beside for years, unbelievers. And y'all don't have that union.
You don't have that fellowship. You're a stranger to that person.
They don't know you, and you don't know them. And furthermore,
they don't want to know you. Because it says here in John
chapter 15, listen, verse 17, these things I command you, that
you love one another. Now if the world hates you, You
know that it hated me. Christ didn't find any place
in this world. He came unto his own, and his
own received him not. He was in the world, and the
world didn't know him either. They hated him. They hated me before they hated
you. Now, if you were of the world, the world would love his
own. But because you're a stranger,
you're not of this world, because you're not of this, I've chosen
you out of this world. The world hates you. That's what
it means here. They're strangers. They're strangers
in a neighborhood. They're strangers in a community.
They're strangers. They're peculiar people who are
strangers. The world doesn't understand
them. The world doesn't know them. Doesn't know them. And the world despises them.
That's who he's talking about. He's talking about these pilgrims,
these strangers, these folks that have no dwelling place,
that are passing through this world, like Abraham looking for
a city. They're strangers. And it's not
going to be any other way. If you love Christ, and love
His gospel, and love His Word, the world's not going to love
you. It's not going to. And don't expect to be popular,
don't expect to be received. Because if they hate God, They're
going to hate you if you're of God. All right, let's go on. Verse 2, who are they? They're
strangers. And then secondly, they're the
elect. I don't know why people stumble
when they try to say that word. I don't know why preachers avoid
it or try to get around it, but it says here that these folks
are the elect. They're like their cornerstone.
They're chosen of God and they're precious. It is said of Christ
Jesus, he's the chief cornerstone, chosen of God and precious. And
you're chosen of God and precious. God chose you. Christ said, you
didn't choose me, I chose you. When Ananias came to Paul, and
we were going to teach him the gospel, the first thing he said
to him, he said, Saul, the God of our fathers had chosen you.
I'm thankful God chose us. If he hadn't chosen us, we'd
have never chosen him. And he says we are elect, we're
God's elect, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.
We're elected because God knew us, God ordained us, God chose
us. The cause of our election is
not in us, it's in God. We're elect according to God's
foreknowledge, according to His knowledge of us, not according
to our knowledge of Him. The cause of our election is
God's purpose and God's will. And the means of our election,
look at this, through sanctification of the Spirit. The Spirit literally
sets us apart. Sanctification means to set apart. To set apart, to choose, to take
from among that which is common and ordinary and set it apart
for holy purposes, for holy use. God sanctified the Sabbath day. He took one day and set it apart
from among common everyday days and said, this is mine. He took
the vessels of the temple and sanctified it. He took the firstborn
and sanctified it. He took the high priest and sanctified
it. And the Holy Spirit took you
and sanctified you from among men. And He said, you're His.
That's just so now. These people are strangers and
they're peculiar, they're elect. The angel said, Mary, you've
found favor with God. Sure, you're just a woman and
an ordinary little Jewish maiden, but God put His hand on you,
God touched you, God chose you, God loved you. You're favored
of God. That's just so. Who are they? They're elect. They're selected. They're chosen through the sanctification
of the Spirit. Unto obedience, not because they're
obedient, but unto obedience. They're going to obey Him. My
sheep will hear my voice. He said, Other sheep I have,
I must bring. All that my Father giveth me
shall come to me. There ain't no doubt about it. And I said, What if the elect
don't believe? They will. What if they won't come? They
will. God never set out to do anything
yet He couldn't do. He never set out to save anybody
yet He couldn't save. A lot of people I can't save, but
there's none He can't save. They're elect according to the
foreknowledge of God through the sanctification of the Holy
Spirit unto obedience and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus
Christ. My Lord is, you know David prayed,
purge me, wash up. They're going to be washed. They're
going to be purged. Wash me. Oh yeah, they will be. Grace
be unto you. Now look at verse 3. They're
strangers, they're elect, and they are regenerated people.
They're not natural men reformed. They're not natural men reformed. They're not natural men who've
got a religion. They're not natural men who've
changed their ways. These people are regenerated
people. People quickened from the dead.
People made alive by the fire of God. People born again. That's what they are. I know
that word, like a lot of words, has fallen into misuse and abuse
and bad company, but born again is still a good word. He said,
verse 3, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
which according to His abundant mercy, His mercy, not your deserving,
His mercy, hath begotten us. Anybody here that doesn't know
what begotten means? Jesus Christ is God's only begotten
Son. That means He came from the Father? That means He came from the Father? Well, begotten. We're begotten
of God. According to His abundant mercy,
He hath begotten us again. Born again. Born the second time. Born the first time of the flesh.
Born the second time of God. To as many as received Him, to
them gave He the right to become sons of God. He gave me that
right. He gave me that privilege. He
adopted me. He chose me. which were born,
not of blood, not of the will of the flesh, not of the will
of man, born of God. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to His abundant mercy, hath begotten
us, hath quickened us, hath given us life, listen, unto a living
hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. In the
same way that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead by the power
of God, you were raised from the dead. You have he quickened
who were dead in trespasses and sins." Oh, these folks are strangers. They're peculiar people. They're
folks who are not at home anywhere but in God's presence. That's right, and they're elect.
And then they're regenerated. They're people who've been quickened
from the dead, born again of God. And then verse 4 says they
are rich people. They're rich people. Every one of them. They're rich
in grace, they're rich in hope. Because He has begotten us, He
has given us life, we're in the family of the indescribably wealthy
king. My father, my father is rich in all things. And I'm his son. And I've been
brought into a family, and verse 4 says, I have an inheritance. I'm an heir of God. Just think
about that. I'm an heir of God. I'm a joint
heir with Jesus Christ. If we're children, we're heirs.
We're heirs of God. And this inheritance of ours,
you know, there may be somebody here tonight who has a wealthy
father, a wealthy uncle, When that person dies, it's all yours,
but it won't be yours long. It won't be yours long. It's
decaying, corruptible, fleshly toys, gold and silver, and it'll
go back to the dust from whence it came. But my inheritance,
listen, is incorruptible. It's undefiled by sin. It fadeth
not away. It's not like the fashion of
this world. It fadeth not away. And you know something? It's
reserved in heaven. It's reserved in heaven. Oh,
I tell you, we're rich people. Rich in mercies, rich in grace,
rich in hope, rich in possessions, rich in sonship. Verse 5, watch
this. And these people are a preserved
people, a kept people. It says it's reserved, this inheritance
is reserved in heaven for you who are kept by the power of
God. You know, the mighty power and
purpose of God Almighty is firmly dedicated to keep every one of
his sheep from the evil one and from perishing. I was reading
an article today in that paper I gave you from England. And
it was telling about a young man, a young man was telling
his story, how he'd been converted. And he was a member of a Pentecostal
church. But he said he went there because
that's where he had always gone. But he said he had a lot of trouble
with the theology. It didn't fit what he had been
taught by the Spirit of God, what he'd been taught by the
Word of God. But he stayed in there. And he read the Bible,
and studied the Bible, and he came to see these great truths
of God's sovereign grace, and especially the preservation and
perseverance of God's people. And so he brought it out in a
message. He was teaching the Sunday school class, and he brought
it out, and he got a lot of static from the congregation. So the
pastor found out about it, and he said to him, he said, well
now, you and a certain man on a certain day, I want you all
to stand before the whole church and debate. Once saved, always
saved. And so he said, I got to studying
my Bible, and he says, I was out at the place where he worked,
and he said, I found out that God's sheep are secure, all of them, not
just because they persevere, not just because God won't let
them perish, not just because they continue in the faith, but
God's sheep are all saved and preserved because Christ died
for them. He said, I found that out. Christ
died for them. And if Christ paid their debt
and redeemed them, they are secure because he shall not have died
in vain. He said, I found out that the
preservation and perseverance of God's people rest on the sacrifice
and suffering of their Redeemer. We can't help but the power of
God, not apart from faith, not whether we believe or not, not
in spite, but through faith. faith. The same one who gave
me life gave me faith. The same one who gave me faith
shed abroad his love in my heart and kept through faith unto salvation,
unto salvation, ready to be revealed the last time. Now go ahead and
watch this. But they are a tried people. Oh my, how some of our people
have been tried lately, how some of them are being tried now,
some of our friends in other places are being tried like you're
being tried. Look at verse 6, wherein you
greatly rejoice, you rejoice in His mercy and grace, though
now for a season, if need be, you are in heaviness through
many temptations. That's not temptation to sin,
that's trials. trials, that the trial of your
faith, being much more precious than a gold that perishes, though
it be tried with fire, might be found to the praise and honor
and glory of the appearing of Jesus Christ. I tell you, the
way of these people, they're an elect people, they're strangers,
they're begotten people, they're kept people, and they're tried
people. And the way is not an easy way.
It's a difficult way, but I know this about trials. I know this
about trials. And I thought while they were
singing that song, the way may be this, that, and
the other, but my father planned it all. I hope we're able not only to
sing that when the way is not too difficult, but sing it when
the way is difficult. when it is hard to sing it then. Because I know this, these trials
fall out to us in different ways and manners. We're not all tried
the same way, but we're all tried to the same one. It's always
the will of our Father, whatever the trial is. It's always, I'm
sure of this, it's always by the will of God for His glory
and my good, whatever it might be. I know that. You see, faith, as I read the
scriptures, it appears to me that faith, true faith, has got to be tried.
It just has to be. It has to be. It has to be for
several reasons. I believe this is right. Faith
has to be tried to reveal the genuineness of it. Faith has
to be tried, secondly, to strengthen it. How can you strengthen faith
except in trial? It has to be strengthened, doesn't
it? And trial is the only thing that will strengthen faith. Thirdly,
it has to be tried to reveal the value of it to me. The value
of it. Someone said this, nothing is
better for me than to find out two things, how frail I am and
how fragile are all the things of this world. Find out how frail
I am and how fragile all these things are. And then faith is
tried to enable me to help someone else. And faith, when it is tried and
when it survives the trial, will bring glory to God and glory
to us. You know what he says? Verse
7, that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than
a gold that perishes, Though it be tried with fire, fire,
hot fire, burning fire, cleansing fire, purifying fire, purging
fire, that that faith might be found as it survives unto the
praise and honor and glory of whom? Of Christ and also His
people at the appearing of Jesus Christ. Well done, thou good
and faithful servant. And then in the 8th verse, who
are these people? It says, it talks about Jesus
Christ in verse 7, the last words. Whom, having not seen, here they
are now, you haven't seen Christ, but you love Him. In whom, though
now you see Him not, you believe. And thirdly, you rejoice with
joy unspeakable and full of glory. Who are they? They're people
who love Christ. They love Christ. They genuinely and sincerely
love Christ. And they believe Him. Not with
a perfect faith by any measure, but they do believe. And they rejoice. Paul, in Philippians
3, said, we are the circumcision. Worship God in the spirit who
rejoice in Christ Jesus have no confidence in the flesh That's
who they are That tells you who they are that all right quickly.
Let me show you what to have start with verse 9 What do they
have? well Peter uses the word salvation. Did you notice verse 5? He talked
about we're kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation
In verse 9, he says, receiving the end of your faith, the salvation
of your soul. In verse 10, of which salvation
the prophets have inquired and searched diligently. That's what
we're talking about, salvation. Salvation. This is salvation. That's what these people have.
They have salvation. And he tells us several things
about it. I'll just give it to you and you can fill in the You
have to eat on the bones. Verse 9, receiving the end of
your faith, even the salvation of yourself. This salvation is
by faith. Strictly, solely, completely
by faith, not by works. It's by faith. Don't ever, ever,
ever confuse that issue. Paul said, we conclude that a
man is justified by faith without the works of the law. For by
grace are you saved through faith. He that seeth the Son, and believeth
on him, hath life. Works do not enter into the picture,
not at the beginning, not in the middle, and not at the end.
We're saved by faith alone. And it's by grace through faith
that it might be sure to all to see. All right, secondly,
verse 10. It's a common salvation. I'm
not too crazy about these words, New Testament church. I'm not
too crazy about the word New Testament Christian. I'll tell
you, look at verse 10, "...of which salvation the prophets
had inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that
should come to you." How was Abraham saved? Same way you are. Same way you are. The Old Testament
believers looked to Christ, they believed in Christ, they walked
in the light about Christ, the light concerning Christ, which
they had, and then It says here, it's a salvation by grace. They
prophesied of the grace that should come unto you. You remember that old hymn? Grace first inscribed my name
in God's eternal book. Grace gave me to the Lamb who
all my sorrows took. Grace taught my soul to pray. and made my eyes overflow. It
was grace that kept me to this day, and grace will not let me
go." This salvation is by faith, it's by grace, it's a common
salvation, and then look at the next verse. It says, these prophets
searching what, verse 11, or what manner of time the Spirit
of God Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify when
it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that
should follow. This salvation is purchased by
the sufferings of Christ. He suffered the just for the
unjust to bring us to God. He suffered the just. He was
wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities.
The chastisement of our peace was upon him by his stripes where
he I had a young man call me today
from South Carolina, a young man by the name of Ed Moore.
We sent him some tapes and some books, and he is affiliated with
a church down in South Carolina that he said made a flip-flop
in the last two or three years from Arminianism to grace. And
they're studying, he studied our commentaries and our tapes. And he said, you know, Brother
Mayne, he said, listening to these tapes and reading these
commentaries, I've come up with this thing right here, that all
we are and all we have and all we ever hope to be is in Jesus
Christ. I said, that's it. That's what
I'm trying to say. It's not in learning a doctrine.
It's not even going from Arminianism to Calvinism or from Catholicism
to Protestantism. It's going from the depths of
sin to Christ. He said that's it. And that's what this is saying.
The sufferings of Christ. The redemption that's in Christ. This is a salvation that's purchased
by the sufferings of Christ. By His stripes we're healed.
Look at verse 12. under whom these prophets, it
was revealed to them that not unto themselves, but unto us
they did minister the things which are now reported unto you
by them that have preached the gospel to you, with the Holy
Ghost sent down from heaven, which thing the angels desire
to look into." I tell you this about the salvation that we have.
It's free, it's by faith, it's by grace, it's through the sufferings
of Christ. But it's a mysterious salvation.
a profound salvation that even the angels of God desire to look
into. And no natural man understands
it apart from the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven. I know that the average preacher
that you hear on television and preaching around to different
churches, he is laboring under the impression that he can stand before a crowd
of people and tell about God and about sin and about heaven
and about hell and about Jesus, and they all understand exactly
what he's saying, and he leaves it up to them to make some kind
of choice regarding these facts that he's stated. But my friends,
the gospel, an understanding of the gospel, an understanding
of the gospel is a revelation of the very mysteries of God
to the heart by the Holy Spirit. The natural man receiveth not
the things of God, they're foolishness to him. And this man whom God
hath quickened, to whom God's Spirit hath spoken, the Holy
Ghost sent down from heaven, he sees things clearly that the
angels desire to look at. He said, how come the angels
don't understand the gospel? They never have been fallen sinners.
They never have been lost. They never have been under the
curse of the law. Verse 13, he says, wherefore,
now watch this, wherefore, these things being so, wherefore, gird
up the loins of your mind. Be sober and hope to the end
for the grace that's to be brought unto you at the revelation of
Jesus Christ. Gird up the lorns of your mind. My friends, I believe I'm one
of these people. I believe I'm one of these people. And I have a salvation that's
free by faith through the grace of God. A common salvation with
Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. That's big company. A salvation
purchased, finished, by the sufferings of my Lord. A mystery revealed
in my heart that even angels desire to look into. I'm confident
of that. Therefore, he said, and I get
the picture here. Here's what I see. I get the
picture, I'll just draw this up in my mind, of a group of
men trapped in a mine, down underground, dark. The wall is caved in there. And these men are here. There's
no way out that way, no way out this way, no way out this way.
That's the only way out. And there is just a glimmer of
light that has convinced them of the possibility of getting
out that way. And they said, now what do they
do? Well, they don't sit down and say, well, we'll never make
it. Ain't no use. Or maybe, maybe somebody will
come along. Maybe these folks out there will
tunnel into us. You know what to do? They hitch
up their breeches and roll up their sleeves and spit on their
hands and start moving rocks. Ain't that right? That's exactly
what to do. Gird up the loins of your mind. This redemption, there's just
one way, and that's God's grace, God's mercy in Christ. I'm going
to hitch up my breeches, and roll up my sleeves, and spit
on my hand, and lay hold on eternal life. That's what I'm talking
about. And lay hold on eternal life. Just like Jacob of old,
I'm not going to let him go until he blesses me. You see what I'm
talking about? It's not a physical thing. That's the reason he said,
gird up the lorns of your mind. It's not physical exertion. That's
what he says, be sober, be serious, be sincere. And it's not a physical
exertion, it's hope. And really, it says here, rest
your hope fully on the grace of God, fully on the deliverance
that's in Christ. Let's go. I'm not going to quit. By His
grace, I'm not going to faint. There's something else about
this salvation. Quickly, verse 14, "...as obedient children,
not fashioning yourselves according to the former lust in your ignorance,
the way you used to live when you were ignorant, but as He
which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of
conversation, because it is written, Be ye holy, I am holy." You know,
I get a little weary about all this talk about law and preaching
the law and law rule of life People hurl in these accusations
of antinomianism. Let me tell you something. I
guess I travel around the country as much as any preacher, any
grace preacher in this country. I expect I know as many preachers
and churches and believers as any preacher, any grace preacher
in this country. I'm sure I do. I know them around
the world. I've been to a lot of countries
and literally, I guess, many of over a hundred grace churches.
And the people of God I meet, the people of God that I meet,
to whom I preach, are gracious people, they're generous people,
they're honest people, they're godly people, they're obedient
people. I find that to be true. I find
them to be a people who love Christ and who love His Word
and who love each other everywhere I go. They're gracious. Oh, they're
exceptions. Exceptions, but in the main.
I'm talking about in the main. And they're not a people who
need a law and who need a rule and who need someone holding
a whip over them. They're people who walk in the
way of Christ because they love Christ. That's right. Now, wait a minute. The people
I find The people I find that are selfish
and self-centered and divisive and unlovely and hard to get
along with, and I call that unholiness. If you're unlovely and ungracious
and unkind and divisive, you're unholy. Isn't that right? You don't have to get drunk to
be unholy. You can hate somebody and be unholy. And I found out
that the people who are self-centered and selfish and divisive and
unlovely and unkind usually are those who talk the most about
the law. That's exactly right. Fellas
that talk the most about it are the greatest offenders of the
spirituality of the law. That's exactly right. I got an
article in Sunday's bulletin. Balaam's ass spoke the truth,
but he was still an ass. And you can speak the truth and
still be unlovely. See, speaking the truth don't
change you. It's experiencing it. Knowing the truth doesn't change
you. It's learning. That's what he says here. God's children are obedient children.
Obedient children. All right, here's something I
don't know how to handle too well. Verse 17. If you call on the
Father, that is, if you call Him Father, who without respect
of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the
time of your sojourning here in fear. I tell you, this salvation is
a salvation of reverence and worship and fear of God. Now,
I know this. I say, I don't know how to handle
this completely, but I know two things. You do with it what you
want to. A believer believes God. He loves God. He trusts the living God. He
calls on God boldly in Christ, and he waits before Him as a
son. He's a son of the Father. He says, Abba, Father. But still,
in every believer, there is a genuine fear of God. There's a reverence
of the name of God. In every true believer, there
is a fear of familiarity and presumption in the presence of
Almighty God. He fears the Lord. Circumspectly
and quietly before God in reverence He's careful about he's careful
about the name of God because he really fears God Now I don't
know how to explain that I do know and I've had people Fly
in my face when I talked about fear in the Lord, but there's
a whole lot in this Bible talk about fear God Fear in the Lord
holy and reverent is his name whole lot in the Word of God
about loving God and coming bold in His presence, etc., etc.,
but there's a whole lot in here about the fear of the Lord being
the beginning of wisdom. I don't know nearly as much about
Him as I think I do.

Who Are They and What Do They Have?

What does the Bible say about God's elect?

Why is being born again important for Christians?

How do we know salvation is by faith alone?

What does it mean to be kept by the power of God?

Why is holiness important for Christians?

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Who Are They and What Do They Have?

What does the Bible say about God's elect?

Why is being born again important for Christians?

How do we know salvation is by faith alone?

What does it mean to be kept by the power of God?

Why is holiness important for Christians?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

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