Now, it's very important that
you listen carefully to the reading of the Scriptures today. I'm
going to be reading from Romans chapter 8. I'm reading verses
28 through 31. Now, if you have a Bible handy,
I would recommend that you open the Bible and follow as I read
these verses of Scripture. I'm speaking to you on the subject
Sovereign Grace. Sovereign grace. I believe in
sovereign grace. I believe and preach the sovereign
free grace of God. And I'm going to speak on that
subject today. And I'd like for you to listen,
at least if you don't follow in your Bible, listen carefully
to the reading of the Word. In Romans 8, verse 28, the Scripture
says, and we know, and we know that all things work together
for good. All things work together for
good to them who love God, to them who are the called according
to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he
also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that
he, Christ, might be the firstborn among many brethren, Moreover,
whom he did predestinate, them he also called, and whom he called
he also justified, and whom he justified he also glorified. Now, what shall we say to these
things? Well, if God be for us, who can
be against us? Now, the most significant thing
that I note in this passage of Scripture, and I've read it and
preached from it literally hundreds of times, and the most significant
thing that I notice in this passage of Scripture from Romans chapter
8 is this. All things are of God. All things pertaining to redemption,
all things pertaining to salvation, all things pertaining to eternal
life, all things pertaining to eternal glory, are by the will
and the purpose and the power of God Almighty. In other words,
salvation is the gift of God. It says that several times in
scriptures, the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God,
the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
It says, and this is the record God had given us eternal life. And speaking of Christ, it says,
thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. So the first thing I note
from this scripture is this, that all things pertaining to
life, to salvation, to redemption, are of God. Read it again. It says, whom he foreknew, he
predestinated. And whom he predestinated, he
called. And whom he called, he justified. And whom he justified. Now who
called and who predestinated and who justified? He did. Whom he justified, he glorified. And then the question comes forth
from the Apostle Paul, well if God be for us, if God be for
us in divine purpose, if God be for us in divine salvation
and redemption, if God be for us Then who can be against us? Who in heaven, earth, or hell
can be against us? Salvation is of the Lord. We
are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus. One of the greatest
writers on the book of Romans is a man called Robert Haldane,
who lived many years ago. Robert Haldane. And he had this
to say about these few verses, Romans 8, 28 through 31. He says,
in looking over this passage of Scripture, every man ought
to observe that man plays no part in the redemption of his
soul. All is done by God. Everything
pertaining to the redemption of a sinner is done not through
a cooperative effort, But by God, He elected, He predestinated,
He called, He justified, He glorified. God, Haldane says, has undertaken
for us. He has undertaken for us, and
there's no room for chance, there's no room for change, there's no
room for failure. God will fulfill all that He
purposed. and all that he planned, God
will fulfill his divine purpose, and this is the ground for the
believer's comfort, and the ground for the believer's confidence.
Paul wrote in Romans 11, 29, the gifts, and we've been talking
about salvation being the gift of God, and Paul said the gifts
and callings of God are without change. And Malachi, the last
of the Old Testament prophets, said this, I am the Lord, I change
not. And again, in Hebrews, Jesus
Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So the most
significant thing in these verses is this, all things are of God. He's the author and finisher
of our faith. Salvations of the Lord in its
origination, in its execution, in its application, in its sustaining
power, in its ultimate perfection. What do you mean, preacher? Well,
salvations of the Lord in its origination in that it began
with God, with whom took he counsel, the covenant as an everlasting
covenant, and salvations of the Lord in its execution, the scripture
says, it pleased God to bruise him. God sent his son to the
cross. Wicked men crucified Christ,
but they only carried out what God determined before to be done. And salvations of the Lord in
its application. Paul said that. He said, God,
who separated me from my mother's womb, was pleased to reveal his
son in me. You hath be quickened who were
dead in trespasses and sin. And salvations of the Lord in
its sustaining power. That is, we're kept by the power
of God. through faith, wherefore he is
able to keep you from falling. You can't keep yourself, God
keeps you. And salvations of the Lord in
its consummation in that he raises us from the dead, and he changes
our vile bodies into the likeness of his glorious body. You can't
do any of these things, it's all of the Lord. That's what
David said when he wrote the salvation of the righteous is
of the Lord. Now another important thing that
we note about these scriptures, these verses, is this. The wonderful
manner in which these mercies follow each other. Did you notice
that? How they follow each other, each
one leading to the other until the grand purpose is accomplished. Now watch this. God's divine
foreordination, God foreknew, in that word foreordained. God
knows something beforehand because he purposes it and brings it
to pass. You and I don't know what's going
to happen in the future because we have no control over the future.
We have no power over the future. The only one who knows what's
going to happen is the one who brings it to pass. So God's divine
foreordination leads the way in love. He loved us. We didn't
love Him. Herein is love, not that we love
God. He loved us and gave His Son
to be the perpetuation for our sin. We love God because He first
loved us. What kind of love is this that
God has for his people in Christ? It's an everlasting love. He said, I've drawn you with
an everlasting love. It's an infinite love, indescribable
love. And it's an unchanging love.
And that love, in foreordination, led to predestination. You see,
next follows predestination, charting the path, and fulfilling
the purpose. God said, I've spoken it, I'll
bring it to pass. Did you ever read that before,
Isaiah 46? I have purposed it, I'll do it, God said. I have
spoken it, I'll bring it to pass. I've purposed it, and I'll do
it. And then comes the calling. You see, each one following the
first God purpose, first God purpose, and then God planned
and predestinated and charted the course. that we would walk
and the path that we would take by his grace. And then came the
calling, and the Holy Spirit finds the favorite of God. The
Holy Spirit seeks out the sheep of Christ, and the Holy Spirit
summons that child of God, because no man can come to me except
my Father which sent me draw him. Christ said, you will not
come to me that you might have life. Men come to God because
God comes to them. Somebody asked me one time, you
think I'll go to heaven? I said, you will if heaven comes
to you first. We call on him because he called
us. We love him because he loved
us. We seek God because he sought us. Man doesn't take the initiative. Christ said, I've come in my
father's name and you won't receive me. Let another come in his own
name and him you will receive. But my sheep hear my voice and
they follow me and I give them eternal life. Next follows justification. Through the obedience of Christ
we have imputed to us a perfect righteousness and through the
blood of our sinless substitute we have a perfect standing before
God. Justice satisfied the law honored. It said he was made sin for us
who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of
God in him. God purposed it God planned it,
God called us, God justified us, and completing that great
work of redemption, God said, I glorified them. I glorified
them. When all the redeemed of every
tribe and kindred and nation and tongue, when all the redeemed
of every generation, when all the redeemed of Old Testament
and New Testament stand before God, each and every one perfectly
conformed to the image of Christ, Everyone having on the wedding
garment, everyone having on the wedding garment, all will be
perfectly conformed to his image. For John said, Beloved, now are
we sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be.
But we know this, when he shall appear, we'll be like him, just
like him. And then a number which no man
can number shall sing with Perfect unity of heart and voice, worthy
is the Lamb, worthy is the Lamb. Now the third thing, now watch
this carefully. The first thing I pointed out,
and let me quote the scripture again, and we know that all things,
everything, good and bad, past, present and future, heaven, earth
and under the earth, all things, success or failure, sickness,
death, whatever, all things work together. They're being worked
together by God's purpose for good, eternal good, to them who
love God, to them who are called according to His purpose, for
whom He did foreknow. He also did predestinate to be
conformed to the image of His Son, that His Son might be the
firstborn among many brethren, and whom He predestinated, He
called, and whom He called, He justified, and whom He justified,
He glorified. Now notice this third thing.
Will you observe that there's no suggestion of failure? There's no hint of failure. There's no suggestion of interruption
of the divine purpose. God said He'd do it. Whom He
foreknew, He predestinated, and lost none. And whom He predestinated,
He called. Whom He called, He justified.
Whom He justified, He glorified. There's no ifs about it. I hear
all the preachers talking about, well, if, if, or perhaps, Or
maybe, or if you were, no it doesn't say that. There's no
ifs, there's no buts, there's no perhaps, there's no maybes.
There's no force in heaven, there's no force on earth, and no force
in hell that can change God's decrees, or change God's purpose. Paul said if God be for us, who
can be against us? Where is the force or counsel
that can be against God? Who can resist his will? Who
can say unto him, what doest thou? God said, can I not do
with my own what I will? Are you going to stand in the
way of God, accomplishing his purpose, fulfilling his will
and his design, and bringing glory and preeminence to his
son? He told Pharaoh, the mighty monarch of Egypt, I raised you
up for the one purpose, to get glory out of thee. And Pharaoh, even in his wrath,
fulfilled the will of God. The men who spat in the face
of Christ and who drove the nails in His hands and feet and who
pierced His side did what God determined before to be done.
While they carried out their wicked designs and wicked wishes,
they carried out the will of God. All things are ordained
of God in His directive or permissive will. And you'll accomplish the
will of God, too, just like Pharaoh did, just like Judas did, who
was a son of perdition from the beginning. And just like Paul
did. Whether you will fulfill the
glory of God in justification, or fulfill the judgment and wrath
of God in condemnation, but you'll do the will of God. Because he
works all things after the counsel of his own will. And listen to
Daniel 4. The Most High ruleth in the armies
of heaven, and among the inhabitants of this earth, and giveth it
to whomsoever he will. And none can stay his hand, and
none can say unto him, What doest thou? God will accomplish his
purpose. There's no if. There's no but. There's no maybe. There's no
perhaps. His will shall be done. Having
foreordained, he predestinated. Who can stay his hand? Having
predestinated, he calls. And thy people shall be willing
in the day of thy power. That's what David said in the
Psalm. And having called, he justified. Who can lay anything
to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justified. Who
is he that condemneth? It's Christ that died. Who shall
separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, distress,
famine, persecution, the sword? Having justified, he glorified. He that spared not his own son. He that spared not his own son.
How shall he not with him freely give us all things? Christ shall
have all that he came to accomplish He'll have all that he purchased
through his precious blood He'll have all that he ransomed and
he'll have all that he redeemed and he'll not lose a one He said
all that my father giveth me shall come to me and him that
cometh to me I'll in no wise cast out I came down from heaven
Not to do my will, or your will, or anybody else's will. I came
to do 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'll lose nothing.
There's no failure. I'll lose nothing. Nothing. Just
like when they came out of Egypt, there wasn't a hook, there wasn't
a cow, there wasn't a dog left behind. Not an invalid, not a
child. They all came out. And when our
Lord delivers up the kingdom to the Father, He'll deliver
the whole kingdom, all that he purchased. He that spared not
his own son, how shall he not with him freely give us all things. Now for a little while, I want
us to examine each link in this chain of redemption. This is,
someone called this the chain that binds us eternally to our
blessed Lord and Savior. You know words are powerful.
Words are powerful, especially when they're His words. And did
you note when I read that text? Whom He foreknew, He predestinated. Whom He predestinated, that word's
used twice. He called, whom He called, that
word's used twice. He justified, whom He justified,
that word's used twice. He glorified. Five words, five
golden links in the chain of redemption, and three of them
are used twice. Let's look at them just one at
a time and see the power in these words. First of all, he said,
whom he foreknew. Foreknew? Well, even a grade
school child knows what that means. He knew before. He knew
before, he foreknew. In other words, those whom the
Lord knows, he knew before. Those whom the Lord knew, he's
always known. God never learns anything and
God never forgets anything. God knows all things. And those
whom he foreknew, he's always known. Acts 15, 18 says this,
known unto God, known unto God are all his works from the beginning
of the world. Everything that God carries out
in time, he predestinated in eternity. God never changes. I'm the Lord, I change not. Whom
he, God, Known unto God are all his works from the beginning
of the world listen to 2nd Timothy 2 19 Nevertheless the foundation
of God. Do you want to know something
about God the foundation of God? the foundation of God standeth
sure Having this seal. This is the seal the Lord knoweth
them that are his The Lord knoweth them that he is he said I'm the
Good Shepherd. I know my sheep. I Know them
and I'm known of mine And he said to Jeremiah, before I formed
thee in the belly, I knew thee. Before you came out of your mother's
womb, I sanctified you and set you apart. I know you. Known
unto God. He foreknew them. He's always
known them. He's known them before. He knew
them before the world began. He knew them. But you know a
strange thing. In Matthew chapter 7, verse 23,
he told some people he never knew them. He never knew them. they stood before him and they
said well now Lord we preached in your name and cast out devils
and did many wonderful works he said depart from me I never
knew you I never knew you you see this knowledge the Word of
God teaches that this knowledge is a knowledge of intimate love
and a relationship and a communion And the Word of God teaches that
the Father chose a people out of every tribe, kindred, nation,
tongue, people unto heaven before the world began. He chose them
in Christ. That's what God's Word teaches.
And He gave them to His Son. He made Christ the surety of
these people, the prophet, priest, and king of these people, the
representative, the federal head, the redeemer of these people
to be redeemed and to be brought to glory by His hand. In John
17 too, when our Lord prayed that high priestly prayer, He
said, Thou hast given me authority, power over all flesh, that I
should give eternal life to as many as Thou hast given me. And
six times in that one chapter, John 17, the Lord uses that phrase,
as many as Thou hast given me. In verse 9, He said, I don't
pray for the world, I don't pray for the world. I pray for them
which thou hast given me. In John 10, 24, the religious
people came and said, now, if you're the Christ, tell us plainly.
He said, I told you. And you didn't believe me. You
didn't believe me because you're not of my sheep. Every plant
that my heavenly father hath not planted shall be rooted up.
I said unto you, my sheep, hear my voice. I give them eternal
life and they follow me and they'll never perish my father which
gave them me is greater than all and no man's able to pluck
them out of my father's hand I and my father one and They
picked up stones and wouldn't stone him You see this gift of
love and life was not based was not based on foreseen faith But
face the gift of God God didn't know us because we knew him he
knew us before we knew him God didn't love us because we loved
Him. We love Him because He loved us. And this life and love and
this gift of grace was not based on what you would do. Faith's
the gift of God. Repentance is the gift of God.
This life and love is not based on foreseen merit. There's none
good, no, not one. It's not based on foreseen desire. There's none that seeketh after
God. It's not based on foreseen perseverance because he's able
to keep us from falling. We're not even able to keep ourselves.
The gift of life and love and grace in Christ is based on the
free love and mercy and grace of God to sinners in Jesus Christ. He plainly said to his disciples,
you didn't choose me. I chose you. I chose you. And John 1, we quote this so
often, as many as received him, to them gave he the power, the
right to become sons of God, even to them that believe on
his name. But there's no period there, that's a comma. And the
next verse says, which were born, not of blood, that is, not of
fleshly inheritance, not of the will of the flesh, not of the
will of man, but they were born of God. He foreknew us. We didn't know Him. We were in
darkness. We were in death. We were in
a spiritual grave, and He quickened us. Salvation is a gift of God. It's a gift of His free and sovereign
grace. Notice the next word, predestinated.
Now, some people think election and predestination are the same,
and they're not. They're not the same. They're
parts of the same purpose, but they're not the same. You see,
election has to do with people. God chose a people. I don't know
who they are. God knows who they are. The foundation
of God is sure, having this seal. The Lord knoweth them that He
is. I don't. But election has to do with His choosing of people
in Christ. Predestination has to do with
making those people like Christ. In other words, election puts
the sinner on the path to glory. And predestination charts the
way and charts the path to that goal. He predestinated us to
be conformed to the image of his son. God elected a man and
put him in the path, but he predestinates the path and the way he shall
walk in coming to that goal and to that glory. And every person
whom God saves, he will by his grace make like Christ. Quoted
that scripture to you a little while ago. It does not appear
what we shall be but when he shall appear we'll be like him
That's what the word predestination has to do with every time it's
mentioned in the New Testament. It's mentioned four times Twice
in Romans 8 and twice in Ephesians 1 and every time we've predestinated
to the adoption of children We've predestinated to be conformed
to the image of his son. That's what it has to do with.
It's God charts the path That the man will walk in bringing
him to be like Christ, whom he predestinated, he called. He
called. Now, there are two kinds of calling
mentioned in the Word of God. There's what we call a general
call that's issued to every son of Adam. A general call, a general
call. One way that men are called is
by nature. In Romans 1, it says, the invisible
things of God are clearly seen, being understood by the things
that are made. Even His eternal power and Godhead
so that men are without excuse. Nature tells you there's a God.
Your conscience tells you there's a God. The law of God is written
in the heart, your conscience bearing witness. And the preaching
of the gospel is a general call, but there's an effectual call
given to God's sheep, whereby His Holy Spirit comes with the
Word and brings that sinner to Christ. Like the Ethiopian eunuch,
God sent him a preacher. And he heard the gospel, and
he believed it. That's the effectual call through the Spirit and through
the preaching of the gospel. Then he justifies. How can man
be just with God? Well, justification is the act
of God's free grace wherein he pardons all of our sins by the
death of his Son and accepts us as righteous in his sight
by the obedience of his Son. Therefore, being justified by
faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Whom He foreknew, He predestinated to be like Christ. Whom He predestinated
to be like Christ, He called. Whom He called, He justified.
Whom He justified, He glorified. When by the gift of His wonderful
grace, I am accorded in heaven a place just to be there and
to look on His face, that, my friend, will be glory for me. And I'll tell you this, when
I stand there, I'm going to say, thanks be unto God. for his unspeakable
gift. Salvation is of the Lord.