They Sought It Not By Faith

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

The Bible emphasizes God's sovereignty in all matters, including salvation, as seen in passages like Romans 9. God's sovereignty is a fundamental doctrine in Scripture, asserting that He reigns over all creation and orchestrates every event according to His divine purpose. Romans 9 discusses God's sovereign choice in election, indicating that He selects certain individuals for mercy while others are subjected to His justice. This idea is reaffirmed throughout the Bible, such as in Ephesians 1:4-5, where it states that God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. Understanding God's sovereignty is crucial for Christians because it reinforces our trust in His plan and providence, demonstrating that our salvation is entirely His work rather than our own efforts.

Q: How do we know election is true?

The truth of election is supported by Scripture, particularly in Romans 9 and Ephesians 1. The doctrine of election is grounded in the teaching of Scripture, which reveals that God has chosen certain individuals for salvation before time began. Romans 9 makes it clear that God's choice is not based on human effort or merit but on His sovereign will. Ephesians 1 further confirms this by stating that we were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. The truth of election brings comfort to believers, assuring them that their salvation is based on God's grace and purpose rather than their works. This doctrine encourages humility and gratitude, recognizing that it is God alone who initiates and completes our salvation.

Q: Why is understanding God's wrath important for Christians?

Understanding God's wrath is essential because it underscores His holiness and the seriousness of sin. Grasping the concept of God's wrath is vital for Christians as it reveals both His justice and His holiness. Scripture teaches that God is angry with the wicked every day (Psalm 7:11) and that He will judge sin. This understanding enhances our appreciation for Christ's sacrifice, as it illustrates the cost of our salvation and the extent of God's love. Without recognizing the gravity of God's wrath against sin, we may underestimate the seriousness of our condition outside of Christ. Romans 11:22 speaks of both the goodness and severity of God, reminding us that while God offers grace to believers, He will not tolerate unrepentant sin. This balance of God's nature fosters a healthy fear of Him and encourages us to diligently pursue holiness.

I went home after I preached
this morning and gave a lot of thought to
continuing that message this evening, and a lot of thought to several
things. Someone may say, well, do you
realize that you are totally, completely
out of step? with 99% of today's preachers
in religion. Don't you think I know that? And that the things you are preaching are just not being preached.
Now anyone who knows anything about church history, anything
at all about the great Preachers of the past, Augustine, Ignatius, Polycarp,
Luther, Zwingli, Huss, Knox, Whitefield, Zankeus, anyone who
knows anything about top lady, preachers of the past, know that
what I'm preaching is what they preach. Am I right, John? But it's not what men today are
preaching. It's unpopular, unacceptable
today in religious circles. God's sovereignty, man's fall
and depravity, God's sovereign, particular, peculiar, discriminating
election, Christ sufficient effectual,
vicarious, substitutionary death, the Holy Spirit's irresistible,
invincible, effectual call, preservation and perseverance is not acceptable
today. But what am I to do? I know that
it's not being preached and I know that it's not popular. I know
it's not acceptable. Well, what is a man to do who
wants to know God and who wants to be true to the Word of God?
What are we to do? Compromise? I fear God too much
for that. Be silent? Live and let live? God sent me to preach the Gospel, to declare the truth, to be true,
to those who hear me, but most of all to be true to Him who
sent me." Well, who do you think you are? Well, I don't think
I'm anybody. I hope I haven't ever given that
impression that I thought I was anybody. They came to John the Baptist
and they said, Are you the Christ? He said, No. They said, Well,
who are you? He said, I'm just a voice. That's
all any man is. Just a voice. There's nothing
to us. When we think there's something
to us, we're in trouble. We're just a voice, that's all.
God will use us for His glory, or He'll use us to glorify His
justice, but we're just a voice, that's all. Darcy and I were
in Fairmont Wednesday and Thursday for services at Brother Scott
Richardson's church and congregation, We left the motel and were driving
to church Wednesday evening, and I passed the great, big,
huge, stone First Methodist church. Big, impressive, awesome building. And they had a bulletin board
out in front of the church, had the name of the church and the
pastor's name, and in bold letters, six inches tall, it said, God
loves everybody. Well, my friends, that's not
so. I know that's what the world believes, and that's what that
preacher believes, and that's what he preaches. But see, so
that's not so. That's a lie. I know that's what's
popular, but that's a lie. God does not... I can take you
to the Scripture and show you He said, I hate Esau. I can take you to the Word of
God and show you that God says, I hate all workers of iniquity. I can take you to the Word of
God which says God's angry with the wicked every day. And to
John 3 where it says, He that believeth not on the Son, the
wrath of God abideth on him. That's not so. And it's not right
to tell people God loves everybody when He does not. We're misrepresenting God and
we're giving people a false hope. That's the reason men do not
fear God today, because preachers have lied on God. They have no
reason to fear God. Why should they? He's no bigger
than they are. He has no more power than they
do. He's an impotent God, so why should men fear Him? Men
only fear sovereigns. That's right. The flood was not an act of love.
It was an act of justice and judgment. The destruction of
Sodom was not an act of love. When did God change? Will God
judge sinners at the last day? You say, yes. Will He cast them
into hell? Yes. That's not an act of love. God
won't send anybody to hell whom He loves. What kind of love is
that? What kind of love is it that
will damn a man forever? Well, I don't believe a loving
God will send men to hell. I don't either. But I believe
a God of wrath will, a God of judgment. I hear people say,
well, Christ died for everybody. That's not so. That's just not
so. Christ died for his sheep. Christ died for the many. You
see, the Lord Jesus' death is not an offer, it's a gift. The
Lord Jesus' death is not an effort. It's an effectual work. The Lord
Jesus' blood is an atonement that atones. It's a sacrifice
that saves. It's a redemption that redeems.
It's a blood that cleanses. He finished his work and sat
down. There's nothing left for anyone to do. There's nothing
left to be added to what he did. He did not die for people in
hell. I don't know, I know it's popular
and I know that's what people want you to say, but I cannot
say that. I don't know for whom he died.
I know he died for sinners. I know he died for sheep. I know
he died for everyone who will believe. I know he died and suffered
and shed his blood for everyone whose name is on his breastplate
and written on his hand. I know that. Then somebody else
comes along and says, well, preacher, God's trying to save everybody.
That's not so. That's not so. I know it's popular,
but it's just not so. It's not in the Word of God.
If you'll slip into the Garden of Gethsemane, and you'll eavesdrop
on that dreadful night before Calvary, you'll hear the Lord
Jesus talking to the Father. about some people. You slip in
there and listen. And he said, Father, glorify thy son that thy son
may glorify thee. I finished the work you gave
me to do. Thou hast given me authority
over all flesh that I should give eternal life to as many
as thou hast given me. And this is life eternal. that
they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom
thou hast sent. Now pray for them, those that
thou hast given me. I pray not for the world. I pray
for them which thou hast given me. For they are thine, and all
thine are mine, and thou hast given them me, and I have manifested
thy word unto them. I pray not for the world. Where
did you get this business that he wants to save everybody? He
didn't say that. They said it. He didn't say it. The Jews came to him and said,
how long you make us to doubt? Are you the Christ? Tell us plainly.
He said, I told you. But you didn't believe me. I
come in my Father's name and you won't receive me. Let another
come in his own name and him you'll listen to. Who are we
going to listen to? Are we going to listen to them,
or are we going to listen to Him? I'm going to listen to Him. He said, My sheep hear My voice,
and I know them, and they follow Me, and I give them eternal life,
and they'll never perish. My Father gave them to Me, and
no man is able to pluck them out of My Father's hand. That's
Christ speaking. Now, I don't claim to know any
more than what I've read in God's Word. But the more I read after
these thirty some odd years of trying to preach the gospel,
thirty-seven, almost thirty-eight now, I more and more and more and
more, more strongly, are brought into contact with
the awesome, omnipotent, majestic power and presence of an eternal
God more and more. And more and more I see our worthlessness. You say, God commands you to
love everybody. Sure, because they are all just
like me. Snakes love snakes, but I don't love snakes. Snakes
are beneath me. And it's impossible for a holy
God to love me in my unholiness. He can love me in Christ. That's
right, he can love me in Christ. And they're trying to say this,
well, God loves the sinner and hates his sin. He is sin. The
sinner is sin. If it wasn't for the sinner,
there wouldn't be any sin. Take man out of this world, there's
no sin in this world. What is sin? Where did it come
from? It comes out of here. You say,
well, we got sin in a bottle or a box or something. No, sin's
in here. And it's the misuse of these
things. And we are the ones misusing them. We say, God loves the sinner
and hates his sin. That's foolishness. In order
to love the sinner, God's got to make him holy and take away
his sins and love him in Christ. That's right. That's where God's
love is. He tells us that in Romans 8, verse 39. Nothing can
separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ. A holy
God, an awesome, eternal, sovereign, holy God, just and righteous,
can only accept you, love you, receive you in Christ, and still
be holy. I don't know a great deal about
God's great design and redemption, but I do know this. If you'll
turn to Romans 9, Romans 9, I do know this, that he's going to
gather together his elect. That's right, he's going to gather
together his elect. While you're turning to Romans
9, I'm going to read you a verse over here in Matthew 24. It says, and he's going to send
his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall
gather together his elect from the four winds and from one end
of heaven to the other. He's going to gather his elect.
I do know that. He said, whom he foreknew, he
predestinated to be conformed to the image of his Son, whom
he predestinated to be justified, whom he justified, he called,
whom he called, he glorified. He's going to gather his elect. Then I know this. He's going
to put an end to everything contrary to himself. That's God's grand design in
this whole redemptive purpose, is to gather together his elect.
to have a people like Christ conformed to his image, to populate
a new heaven and new earth. But then secondly, he's going
to put an end to everything contrary to himself, if it's you, me,
or the devil. But he's going to wipe this whole
universe clean of any stain or spot or taint of sin or rebellion
in thought, imagination, deed, or word. He's going to create
a new heaven wherein dwelleth righteousness. and where nothing
shall enter that offends. If God can't make you righteous
in Christ, he'll dispose of you, because he's going to dispose
of everything contrary to himself. And that's the reason it's so
dangerous to sit with a mind that rebels against God's truth.
If you're sitting here, and maybe not tonight, most everybody here
loves the Word of God, but if you're sitting here with any
thoughts of resistance against what he says, God's going to
put that away. And if you keep it in you, he'll
put it your way. You see what I'm saying? He's got to. The
new heaven and new earth. The scripture says, wherein dwelleth
righteousness, and nothing shall enter that offence. So at the
end of the ages, Almighty God is going to put an end to everything
and everyone, be it principality, power, spirit, or flesh, contrary
to himself. He said the Son of Man is going
to send forth his angels, and they are going to gather out
of his kingdom all things that are thin. All things that are thin and
all that do iniquity, and cast them in their furnace of fire."
That's what he's going to do. And the last enemy that shall
be destroyed is death. I'm trying to think who it was.
Jonathan Edwards wrote a book in which he wrote a chapter,
God's Grand Design and Redemption. Remember? There's a grand design
in this thing, and one of the Great designs of redemption is
to put away everything that offends. And that's everything outside
of Christ. You see, your only refuge as a man would be a hiding
place from the storm, a shelter from the wind, a covert, a place
to hide. Because Almighty God, at the
end of all things, is going to seek out and search and destroy
everything that's offensive, if it's just the tiny thought
against Him and His holiness. It can't be. You see, Adam's seeing in the
garden. Adam didn't go out and organize
the animals against God. Adam didn't try to go through
destroying God's creation. Adam didn't do a lot of these
great things. Adam just thought. That's where
it was. Tom is in here. He just thought.
Maybe there's something to this thing of me being like God. Just thought. And he died. He was in tune with God. And
he got out of tune with God. So God sent His Son, that's what
this book's all about, to redeem, to restore, to get some people
out of this fallen race and make them like Christ, in tune with
God again, restored in Christ, on the same wavelength with God,
loving what He loves. And then He's going to destroy
everything contrary to that. And then He's going to exalt
and magnify the Lord Jesus Christ. He said that. He said that. He
said, every knee is going to bow. He said, I've sworn that.
He said that in Isaiah 45. I've sworn. The Word has gone
out of my mouth. It's not coming back. I've sworn. And the Word has gone forth out
of my mouth and it will never be retracted. Unto Him shall
every knee bow. Bow down. And every tongue is
going to confess that He's Lord. There's not going to be any room
for this. This thought that, well, maybe
he didn't do it all, maybe we did cooperate. There's not going
to be any room for this imagination that Jesus loved everybody and
tried to save everybody and couldn't get the job done and ultimately
failed. And we're here because we cooperated with his scheme.
There's not going to be room for that. Everybody's going to
bow. Every tongue is going to confess that He is the Lord.
He is the author and finisher of our faith. He is the great
high priest of our profession. He is all and in all. He is our
fundamental. Bow down. And I tell you, folks that haven't
rehearsed that here are not going to be able to sing that song
there. That's a song you learned to sing. That's right. And then it says here in Romans
9, where I left off this morning, God's grand design in redemption,
He's going to make known something to this universe. Verse 22, He said, What if God,
willing to show His wrath? A preacher up there in Vermont,
what's this talking about here? God loves everybody. What's this
wrath business I'm reading about here? What if God, willing to show
his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much long-suffering
the vessels of wrath? Who are these folks, vessels
of wrath, fitted to destruction? This book says it Almighty God
is going to demonstrate to this universe sometime His judgment
and wrath against all rebellion and all sin. I don't look forward to it, not
in my present condition. I'll be able to say Amen then.
If you read Revelation 19, every believer, Revelation 19 says
every believer is going to shout Hallelujah while God sends men
to hell. That's right. It says, ìThe smoke of their
torment shall ascend up forever, and every believer in heaven
is going to say, ìPraise the Lord, true and righteous are
his judgments.î He hath judged the great whore and cast her
into the furnace of fire.î Amen. Turn over here to Romans 11,
just one page. Iíll ask you to turn over there
and look with me at verse 22. Romans 11, 22, "...behold therefore
the goodness and severity of God on them that fail severity,"
that's judgment and wrath, "...but toward you goodness, if thou continue in his goodness,
otherwise he'll cut you off too." Is that plain enough for us?
How plain can God get? If you continue in His grace,
in His goodness, He'll continue His goodness to you. If not,
He'll cut you off. He can't suffer anything to continue
that is in opposition to His glory and holiness. Just can't
do it. Now, all right, verse 23 of Romans
9 says, "...and that He might make known the riches of His
glory." on the vessels of mercy which he afore prepared unto
glory. Anything that I am and anything
that I have, anything I shall ever enjoy in God's presence
was purposed for me, purchased for me, and freely given to me
by the grace of God. Anything I know or have Anything
to which I aspire, any gift or talent, any grace or goodness,
it's not I, it's Christ in me. He prepared this vessel. Thy
people shall even be willing in the day of thy power. Faith,
repentance is the gift of God, it's the goodness of God that
led us to repentance. Faith is the gift of God, not
of works lest any man should boast. You preachers almost make men
robots. I'd rather be the robot than
God be the robot. If anybody's going to hold the
strings, I want Him to, not me. But no, we're not robots. We're
people with a will, but He makes us with it. With love, but He
sheds that abroad in our hearts for the Holy Ghost. With faith,
but He gives us the faith. With grace, but it's His grace.
That's right. All the gift of God. Verse 25 and 26, And he saith,
and he saith also in Hosea, I will call them my people which were
not my people, and her beloved which was not beloved. And he
shall come to pass it in the place where it was said unto
them, You are not my people, there shall they be called the
children of the living God. Who is he talking about there?
He is talking about us Gentiles. Us Gentiles. Well, what on earth
does he mean by saying they will be called my people who were
not my people and beloved who was not beloved? I thought God's
love was everlasting. You thought right, it is. God's
people have always been his people. Well, that's so. The scripture
said God, well, Tom read it. He chose us in Christ before
the foundation of the world. In 2 Thessalonians 2, Paul said,
I'm bound to give thanks for you, brethren, the love of the
Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation. And 2 Timothy 1 tells us this,
listen. 2 Timothy 1 says, verse 9, He
has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according
to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which
was given us in Christ before the world began. And the scripture
says, known unto God are all his works from the beginning.
So these people have always been his people. And they were all
chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. And they've always
been to God beloved. What does he mean here when he
says that I'll call them my people who were not my people? He means
this, they were not known to be the people of God. They were
not manifested to be the people of God. It was not known to them
that they were the people of God. It was not even known to
the prophets that these Gentiles were the people of God. For the
Apostle Peter struggled with it even after Christ died. God
told him to go down and preach to Cornelius, and he got upset. He didn't want to preach to that
Gentile. He didn't know that they were
the people of God. He didn't know it, and they didn't know
it. And nobody else knew it. But you can rest assured God
knew it. Because He said, I'll call them my people which were
not known to be my people. I'll call her beloved that hasn't
appeared to be the beloved at all. The grace of God had not been
revealed to them. And that's us. Oh, I tell you,
our hearts ought to be bubbling over with thanksgiving that God
was pleased to reveal to us Gentiles His grace and mercy in Christ.
Look at verse 27. Now concerning Israel, Isaiah
said concerning Israel, though the number of the children of
Israel be as the sands of the sea. That's a lot of them, isn't
it? Well, you go back to Abraham to this present day, and there
are a billion of them. There are a billion Jews. Millions
and millions and millions of Jews for the last 4,000 years.
Think how many of them there are. Think how many Israelites
there are. If you just try to comprehend
that, 4,000 years since Abraham to this present day, or more. How many millions? And that's
what he's saying. They're like the sands of the sea. But watch
it. Only a handful are going to be saved. Only a remnant. Only a random one. For verse 28 says, God will finish
the account. God's going to finish this work
of redemption. God's going to cut it short in
righteousness. God's going to finish the work.
He's going to fulfill all that He purposed in Christ. All that
He decreed in His everlasting covenant and counsel, He's going
to cut it short in righteousness. Because a short work will the
Lord make upon this earth. What do you mean by that? Compared
to all eternity. Think of the years of eternity.
Think of what a short time. You know, we seem to think, well,
the world's been here a long time. It hasn't been here so
long. I know, I know scientists say, well, the earth's millions
of years old. It may be. It may be. I don't know. I don't
know how old the earth is. I know when I go over there and
read Genesis 1, 1, in the beginning God created the heaven and the
earth. And it says in the earth, became or was or something without
form and void. God never created anything without
form. I could have said God created
it if it was void. Darkness was upon the deep. I
don't know. I do know that back yonder, way back there somewhere, Lucifer, who is called Satan
the devil, fell. I don't know how long ago it
was. A thousand years is a day to the Lord, a day is a thousand
years. I don't know how long ago it was. But I do know that
Lucifer is called the prince of this
world. I do know the Lord Jesus said he saw him fall from heaven
as lightning. And it may be when he fell and
a third of the heavenly hosts followed him and fell in rebellion
and God reserved them in chains of everlasting darkness to the
day of judgment. It may be something happened
to this world and earth then, something catastrophic, something
traumatic. I do not know. I do know that
God said to Adam, multiply and replenish the earth. Now you
can't replenish something that hasn't been replenished, whatever
he meant by that. I like that little, to tell you
an illustration, little boy sitting down south. You can't tell ethnic
jokes anymore, so I just say he's down south, and he's sitting
at the table eating breakfast, and he told his mama to pass
the laces. She said, the what? He said, pass the laces. She
said, you mean the molasses? He said, you can't have molasses,
you ain't have molasses. So you can't replenish what hasn't
been replenished, can you? Replenish the earth. I don't
know what happened. I don't know how old this earth is. But I do know
about how long man's been here. Because you can find the Bible
and you can go back through the genealogies and the generations
and just about establish that a man called Adam lived. And
he fell. And how much longer this earth
has, I don't know, but God's going to, it says here, He's
going to finish the work. Known unto God are all His works
from the beginning. He declares the end from the
beginning. And we're His workmanship created in Christ Jesus. Christ
said, I finished the work you gave me to do. He said, I must
work the works of Him that sent me while it's day. For the night
cometh when no man can work. This work's going to be finished.
And that's what he's saying here. He says, he talks about all these
Gentiles, and he talks about the Jews, it's the sands of the
sea, but he's going to finish the work. He's not going to drag
on and on and on and on. This is coming to a close. God's
going to cut it short in righteousness. And this is what I've been saying
from the beginning of this message, and we'll end up on this one
word, righteousness. God is going to have a new heaven
and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. Pure, holy righteousness. Immaculate, infinite righteousness. And that's going to be the banner
of the new kingdom is righteousness. Wherein dwelleth righteousness.
And he's going to make it short. Now verse 29, and Isaiah said,
really, You know, I hear people who don't
like the doctrine of election. They don't like the preachers
to preach on election. God chose the people. God loved
the people. God predestinated the people
to be conformed to the image of His Son. They just hate predestination,
hate election. Well, let me tell you something. They say it's a hard doctrine.
No, it's the sweetest doctrine in the world. It's the sweetest
doctrine in the world. If God had not chosen me, I would
have never chosen Him. That's not hard, that's precious. Now come on, would you have loved
Him if He hadn't loved you? Would you have sought Him if
He hadn't sought you? Would you have called on Him
if He hadn't called on you? Would you have chosen Him if
He hadn't chosen you? No. It was not that I did choose
thee, Lord, that cannot be. This wicked heart would still
refuse thee, but thou hast chosen me. For sovereign mercy called
me and taught my opening mind. The world had else enthralled
me, to heavenly glories I was blind. God gave me sight. When our Lord came to the pool
of Siloam and walked, there were hundreds of people there. He
walked over, all of them came to one man and said, take up
your bed and walk. That man didn't think that's too hard a doctrine. It wasn't too hard. Because he'd
still been laying there if Christ hadn't come. And I know where
you'd be laying if he hadn't come. And I know where I'd still be
laying, impotent, crippled, blind, dumb and dead. But he came and
said, rise, take up your bed and walk. And that's what he's
saying here, verse 29. Isaiah said, if the Lord of Sabaoth
had not left us a seed, we'd be like Sodom and Gomorrah. Do
you believe that? The people out yonder don't. If God had not left us a seed,
if He had not chosen some, and boy, I tell you, we ought to
be grateful in here. If he had not chosen you, we'd
be like Sodom and Gomorrah. How many people were saved out
of Sodom and Gomorrah? None. Only one felon. He was a visitor. He came from
somewhere else. A lot. Okay, what's this last thing
here now? What are we going to say then? What's the summary?
Paul keeps saying that in this chapter, doesn't he? What then? What then? What shall
we say? What's the summary? Well, he
says that the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness,
have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which
is of faith. Here are these pagan Gentiles, these wild and wooly
Gentiles. Read about them in Romans 1.
These idol-worshiping Gentiles, they didn't have any tabernacle,
they didn't have any sin offering, they didn't have any priest,
they didn't have any pretense or They just went their hell-bent
way. And God sent the gospel and revealed
Christ to these Gentiles. And God made them holy and perfect
and pure and sinless, spotless in Christ by grace. He did it. He did it. He did it. He found us and He
revealed and washed us in the blood of the Lamb, gave us a
spotless holy garment which Christ wove by His own perfect obedience. And there's not a thread in there
that came from you. Verse 31, but Israel, poor old
legalistic, ritualistic, ceremonialistic, Follow that to the law of righteousness,
the law of works, the Sabbath day, the time, the tabernacle,
the temple, all these things. They didn't attain to the law
of righteousness, because that law of righteousness is spotless
and perfect and holy. You can't attain to it either.
Now, there's a righteousness you can have, but it's by faith.
But that one by works, you can't meet it. I can meet that righteousness
by faith, because that's a gift. He said, I can take a gift. I
can put on a robe if you'll furnish it, but I can't weave one that
God will accept. That's right, I can accept, I
can receive a righteousness, but I can't produce one. And
here are the Gentiles, naked Gentiles, God walked up and chose
them and loved them and put a robe on them. Thank you. I look good
now. But that Jew over here, just
weaving away, just working away, trying to make him a robe, and
he gets it all made and holds it up, and God said, uh-uh, that
won't do. That won't do. I'll weave me
another one. I'll join another church. That's
what people are doing. They're going from one to the
other. One preacher to the other. They're trying to baptister,
they're trying to mass, they're trying to cross him, they're
trying to water, they're trying the works, they're trying the
law, they're trying the charismatics, they're trying the powerboys,
they're trying everything. They keep on trying to make roads.
And hold them up, you know. Why don't we sit down and shut
up? Why don't we admit we're dead and naked? Why don't we
hold up our hands and say, in my hands no price I bring. God
save me, I perish. While we say, I'm blind, give
me sight, I'm dead, give me life, I'm lost, find me. I'm going
to hell, save me. It's a gift. And he may do it. He don't have
to. He doesn't have to. But he may. And you've got this consolation.
There's no sinner ever come that way and been turned away yet.
You may be the first one. But I don't believe so. But now
if he does, you've got no gripe now. Come on now. You say, I
tell you, if I come to church, he ought to share. Well, now,
he's going to destroy that kind of attitude. There's not anything
in the new kingdom going to be admitted like that. If he turns me away, I deserve
to be turned away. But I don't believe he will.
Why? Why? Verse 32, why? Because they sought it not by
faith. Why didn't these religious Israelites
attain to righteousness? They sought it not by faith.
They sought it not by faith. Faith in God. Faith in God's
power. Faith in God's mercy. Faith in
God's justice. Faith in God's holiness. They
sought it not by faith, but as it were, by works. And they stumbled
at the stumbling stone. Who is that stone? God said,
I lay in Zion a stone, a rock, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone. And that's the place to build
your house. That's the place to hide. That's the refuge from
the storm. That's the shade and the weary
land. That's the rock that gives the water. But they stumbled
at that. They're not going to have it.
And that's my generation. I stand up and try to preach
a sovereign, omnipotent, almighty God. They're not going to have
it. Try to preach His gift of love and grace and mercy in Christ,
not going to have it. Try to preach His everlasting,
eternal mercy and grace, free righteousness to cover all our
nakedness, not going to have it. The stumbling stone, it's
just not going to happen. I'll lay in Zion a stone, a stumbling
stone, a rock of a fence. You see, sovereign grace is offensive,
not to the sinner, it's offensive to the religious. It's offensive
to a natural man. It's not offensive to a believer.
It's offensive, people sit and they think, I'm not that bad.
I'm not that lost. I'm not that helpless. I'm not
that dead. I'm not that naked. I'm not that
wicked. And God has no reason, really,
to put me in the same category with the devils. If you ever get rid of all that
mess that's been brainwashed into you through the years by
how good you are, if you ever get rid of that, and you can
lie with the impotent and say, Lord, if you will, you can make
me whole. And then you'll be mighty much obliged, if you will.
And boy, you can give Him the glory forever and ever. Whosoever believeth on Him shall
never be put to shame. All right. That's what it says,
isn't it? I really, I know that's what it says. I do know this. If this is not the gospel, we
don't have any gospel. I know what I'm hearing out there
is not the gospel. I know that's offensive. That's offensive to
me, let alone to God. It's a superstitious, emotional
mess. And if those folks out there
say they don't go to church, I don't blame them. I wouldn't
either. I wouldn't go listen to these fools. But if I could
find somebody who would just take this book and say, let's
see what God says. Here it is. Here it is. Here
it is. Well, I'll study with him because
God will honor His Word. All right, Mike, come lead us
in a song.

They Sought It Not By Faith

What does the Bible say about God's sovereignty?

How do we know election is true?

Why is understanding God's wrath important for Christians?

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They Sought It Not By Faith

What does the Bible say about God's sovereignty?

How do we know election is true?

Why is understanding God's wrath important for Christians?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

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