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Hebrews 12 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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Morning, Christ family. I invite you to turn to the book of Hebrews, chapter 12, Hebrews chapter 12, Hebrews chapter 12 with me.
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And I see a lot of new faces today, and for those of you who may not know me, my name is Jonathan Hoffman. I do go by John, either or works for me.
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I am a member of this church body, and I am also a recent graduate of the apprenticeship program that Nathan leads, which is a program.
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It's about a year apprenticeship for those who are interested and have a sense of calling to do ministry vocationally.
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And Nathan asked me to preach this morning as he takes the week to do some planning and vision and goal setting.
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And he told me I could preach on whatever topic I wanted to, which I told him hopefully he will not regret afterwards.
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And so through prayer and conviction, I have decided to preach on a topic of much theological controversy.
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And it has been controversial through the history of the church.
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For most of you, this won't be anything new, and you have studied God's Word on the topic.
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You are well informed and have come to a conclusion of what you believe to be the truth in accordance to Scripture.
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For others of you, you have heard the terms, you know the controversies, you know what your parents or your friends have told you of the topic.
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But that may be the extent of your knowledge, because you have not searched the Scriptures yourself.
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And so you may not be well informed, but you might even be very one-sided on the topic.
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And you may even be a little hostile in your thinking towards the opposite view.
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And for others of you, you may have never heard of these theological views or terms, and it may be completely new to you.
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But ultimately, regardless of where you stand in the spectrum of these three, it is your duty, Christian.
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And it should be, hopefully, your joy, believer, to search out the Scriptures for truth concerning the very character of your God.
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And so, especially for those of you who may be hostile to or uncomfortable with terms such as Calvinism,
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predestination, election, doctrines of grace, total depravity, and the like.
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I ask you, and I beg you to please put that aside and just listen to what I have to say this morning.
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And weigh out what I have to say against the Scriptures.
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And not against what others have told you concerning the matter at hand.
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And after the fact, if you have questions or concerns, please ask.
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There are many here who are well-educated on the topic.
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And who have strong convictions firmly planted from Scriptural foundations.
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And if you see me around, please ask.
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I love to discuss theology.
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I love it.
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So please, ask somebody if you have questions.
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Search out the Scriptures yourself for truth.
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And I pray that in the end, regardless of what your beliefs are,
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that we can love one another and serve our Lord side by side.
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Because ultimately, this is not about us.
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It is not about us.
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And so there are two reasons why I want to share with you as to why I decided to preach on this topic this morning.
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And first of all, it's because I firmly, firmly believe that the current status of the church in America,
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the reason for a watered-down Christianity and the growing number of false converts,
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people who call themselves Christian, who believe themselves to be Christian,
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but are not Christian, comes from a lack of knowledge.
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And yes, specifically from a lack of knowledge of these glorious doctrines.
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And secondly, I chose this topic because in my own walk with Christ,
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nothing has spearheaded me further into true piety.
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Nothing has so inclined my heart towards the pursuit of God.
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And nothing has brought me down lower on my knees in dependence, worship, and adoration
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than these truths found in these old doctrines.
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And this, to me, seems to be a pattern with other Calvinist brothers that I know.
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That is the same experience that they have had.
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And for me, it began with a little book that a man from my Sunday school class gave me
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called Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God by J.I. Packer.
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I was a new convert probably not even a year into my conversion.
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I was pretty zealous at the time for street evangelism.
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And knowing that, this guy gave me this book.
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I was very excited to read the book, and that's why I first encountered the term Calvinism
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and these doctrines of election.
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And I actually remember stopping, putting the book down, and thinking to myself,
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this cannot be right.
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This is not true.
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Now, before I became a believer, I was an atheist.
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Most of my life, up until I was converted at the age of 21.
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And in the process of being drawn to Christ, I set out to look for truth.
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I knew that logically speaking, there could only be one source of ultimate truth.
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And I wanted to be honest and unbiased in the pursuit of it.
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And ever since, that has been my mentality when it comes to the things of God, such as theology.
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I want nothing but logical, unbiased, scripturally drenched truth.
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And so I searched the scriptures on the matter of Calvinism and was convinced of their truths.
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And I stand before you now to proclaim them.
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And so my prayer this morning is that you would give all this in unbiased consideration
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and determine whether or not it's biblical.
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But my ultimate goal this morning is that all of you would walk out of this place with a higher view of Christ.
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His person, His work, His love, and His mercy.
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As we read of Him and exposit on just the first half of verse 2 in Hebrews chapter 12.
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Where we read,
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Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.
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Let's pray together.
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Father, I just thank You for this time, Lord.
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And I just pray that You would be at work in us, Father.
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I pray that You would work it in us to desire to search for nothing but truth.
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Lord, I just pray that You would work through me.
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And Lord, that love would just overflow from this place after the fact.
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Lord, that we would be zealous to work for You regardless of where we stand on theological differences.
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Lord, we love You because You first loved us.
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And we thank You for all that You have done for us.
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In Jesus' name. Amen.
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It was Charles Haddon Spurgeon, a British pastor of the 1800s,
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who's also known as the Prince of Preachers,
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who once stated, and I quote,
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There is no such thing as preaching Christ and Him crucified
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unless we preach what nowadays is called Calvinism.
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It is a nickname to call it Calvinism.
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Calvinism is the gospel and nothing else.
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I do not believe we can preach the gospel if we do not preach justification by faith without works,
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nor unless we preach the sovereignty of God in His dispensation of grace,
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nor unless we exalt the electing, unchangeable, eternal, immutable, conquering love of Jehovah,
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nor do I think we can preach the gospel unless we base it upon the special and particular redemption of His elect
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and chosen people with which Christ wrought out upon the cross.
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Nor can I comprehend the gospel which lets saints fall away after they are called
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and suffers the children of God to be turned in the fires of damnation after having once believed in Jesus.
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Close quote.
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It was Spurgeon's understanding of Calvinistic theology,
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also termed the doctrines of grace,
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that so magnified and lifted up the gospel in his mind
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and so constrained his heart in an unquenchable zeal in the service of his God.
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And in the history of the church,
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there has been a long line of godly men who have held these truths.
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Calvinism did not originate from John Calvin.
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Calvin was but a preacher of these doctrinal truths.
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Truths which giant contenders of the faith preached hundreds of years even before Calvin.
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In his book, Pillars of Grace, A Long Line of Godly Men,
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Dr. Stephen Lawson, who is professor of biblical and theological studies at Ligonier Ministries,
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or Ligonier Academy,
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and also professor of theology, or correction,
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professor of preaching at the Master's Seminary
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and founder of One Passion Ministries,
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sets out to show how some of the most esteemed men of the faith
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in the history of the church have upheld the doctrines of grace.
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And through the careful study of the writings of the following list of men,
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from the early church fathers to the reformers,
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Lawson shows that these men would today be called Calvinists.
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They being Clement of Rome,
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Ignatius of Anioc,
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Justin Martyr,
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Irenaeus of Lyons,
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Tertullian of Catheridge,
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Cyprian of Catheridge,
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Athanasius of Alexandria,
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Basil of Cassaria,
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Gregory of Nazianzus,
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Ambrose of Milan,
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Augustine of Hippo,
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Isidore,
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Gottschak,
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Aslam of Canterbury,
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Bernard of Claravaux,
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Thomas Bradwaren,
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John Wycliffe,
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John Huss,
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Martin Luther,
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Ulrich Zwingli,
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William Tyndale,
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Heinrich Bullinger,
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and John Calvin.
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That was his list up to the reformers,
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but we could add such names to that list,
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such as Charles Spurgeon,
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John Knox,
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William Bradford,
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George Whitefield,
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Jonathan Edwards,
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Robert Murray McShane.
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The list goes on and on and on.
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But there has been no greater preacher,
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no greater proclaimer of the doctrines of grace,
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than the very author of them,
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the Lord Jesus Christ.
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And this is what we will see this morning
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as we look at Jesus
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as the founder and perfecter of our faith.
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And so I have divided this text
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into two main headings
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with two subheadings each,
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in which we will draw out
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the five points of Calvinism.
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Those being total depravity,
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unconditional election,
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limited atonement,
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irresistible grace,
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and perseverance of the saints.
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These are also known by its acronym form,
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TULIP,
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although we will not be going through them
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in that particular order.
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So our first heading this morning
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is simply,
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Founder of Our Faith,
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under which we have two subheadings,
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the first one being,
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He created a way for lost sinners.
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So Jesus Christ is the founder of our faith
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in that He created a way for lost sinners.
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The message of the Bible is that of redemption.
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It is the message of a loving, powerful,
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just, holy Creator,
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who out of love,
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from the foundation of the world,
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from before the foundation of the world,
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creates a plan to redeem lost sinners to Himself.
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He created Adam and Eve,
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the first humans,
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in His image,
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in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
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They were in perfect contentment
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and communion with God
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until they willfully disobeyed God
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and broke His commandment.
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Therefore,
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sin entered the world,
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condemning the whole human race
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and enslaving the freedom of the will
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to the depravity of a sinful nature.
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Romans 5, verses 18 and 19
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reveal this truth to us
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as it says,
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St. Augustine writes,
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and I quote,
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From the bad use of free will,
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there originated the whole train of evil,
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which, with its continuation of misery,
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convoys the human race
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from its depraved origin
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as from a corrupt root.
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Close quote.
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Herein lies the doctrine of total depravity.
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And let's get a wider picture of this from Scripture
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because I believe this doctrine to be vital
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in order for the rest to stand.
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So turn with me to Genesis chapter 6,
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Genesis chapter 6,
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and look at verses 5 through 7.
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Genesis chapter 6, verses 5 through 7.
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We read,
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The Lord saw that the wickedness of man
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was great in the earth,
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and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart
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was only evil continually.
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And the Lord regretted that He had made man on the earth,
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and it grieved him to his heart.
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So the Lord said,
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I will blot out man whom I have created
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from the face of the land,
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man and animals,
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and creeping things,
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and birds of the heavens,
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for I am sorry that I have made them.
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Now listen to verse 5 again.
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The Lord saw that the wickedness of man
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was great in the earth,
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and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart
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was only evil continually.
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Did you get that?
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Every intention?
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Every single intention.
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Man could not even think
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without the very inner foundations
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of the intent being fundamentally evil.
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But look even closer.
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It says that they were only evil.
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There was no trace whatsoever of goodness or righteousness.
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And look even closer yet again.
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The word continually,
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meaning there was never any turning from this norm.
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There was no repentance.
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And this describes the entire human race to this day.
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And so what did God do about it?
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He wiped out the entire human race at that point.
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But by grace,
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only eight people were the exception.
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Noah and his family along with a number of animals.
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But were these eight also then
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the exception to that description of depravity?
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No.
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Every one of those who were saved by the ark
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was stained by the same sin nature
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described in verse 5.
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And through them it continued to be passed down to this day.
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Now you might be thinking,
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but that description in verse 5
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is before the flood, not after.
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Well then, let's go to chapter 8.
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So turn a few pages with me to chapter 8
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and see what it says after the flood.
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Chapter 8 and verse 20.
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The flood has subsided.
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And then we read in chapter 8 verse 20.
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Do you see that?
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It doesn't say that the intentions of man's heart
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was evil from his youth.
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It says the intention of man's heart
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is evil from his youth.
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That's in the present tense.
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And that's after the flood.
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This is God declaring after the flood
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the same pronouncement of depravity
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in man as it was before the flood.
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This is why David says in Psalm 51 5,
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Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity
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and in sin did my mother conceive me.
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This is why Psalm 58 3 says,
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The wicked are estranged from the womb.
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They go astray from birth.
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And who are the wicked?
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The human race.
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That is what Jesus says in Mark 10 18
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when he says,
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No one is good except God alone.
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That's why Romans 3 verses 9 through 12 says,
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Both Jews and Greeks are under sin.
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As it is written,
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None is righteous.
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No, not one.
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No one understands.
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No one seeks after God.
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All have turned aside.
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Together they have become worthless.
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No one does good.
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Not even one.
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This is what Ephesians 2 means
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when it says in verses 1 through 3,
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You were dead in the trespasses and sins
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in which you once walked,
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following the course of this world,
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following the prince of the power of the air,
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the spirit that is now at work
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and the sons of disobedience,
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among whom we all once lived
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in the passions of our flesh,
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carrying out the desires of the body and the mind,
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and were by nature,
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by nature,
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children of wrath,
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like the rest of mankind.
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This is why Romans 8 7 and 8 says,
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For the mind that is set on the flesh
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is hostile to God,
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for it does not submit to God's law.
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Indeed, it cannot.
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Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
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That's what Romans says.
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Do you see that?
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And so based on that alone,
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let me ask you this.
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Is not repenting
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and placing your trust in Christ
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something that is pleasing to God?
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Just that act alone.
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Is that not something that is pleasing to God?
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Yet how can anyone who is dead
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in trespasses and sins,
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and therefore with a mind
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that is hostile to God,
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and unable to please God,
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repent and trust in Christ
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of their own will,
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and thereby pleasing God?
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Do you see that?
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It is against the very nature
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of the natural man
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to freely and willfully
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come to Christ,
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as it is against the very nature
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of a loving,
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pregnant woman
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to plunge a steak knife
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into her own abdomen.
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Now this may sound harsh,
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but I believe it to be true
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based on what we have just looked at.
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This is the true state
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of the unregenerate man.
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That's what the Bible teaches.
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This is the true condition of the heart.
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Like sheep,
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we have all gone astray
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in this condition,
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and in this condition
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even our greatest works
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are but filthy rags.
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In this state,
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we are all slaves
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to the ruler of this world,
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the devil,
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completely in bondage to sin,
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totally depraved,
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hostile towards God,
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utterly unable
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to freely choose
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to do anything pleasing to God.
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Is that not a scary thought?
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Yet,
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is this not what
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these scriptures teach?
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And this is why God
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had to be the one to act
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to make a way for sinners.
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And this is why Jesus
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is the founder of our faith
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in this sense.
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In John 8,
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verse 34,
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Jesus says,
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Truly, truly,
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I say to you,
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everyone who practices sin
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is a slave to sin.
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And in verse 36,
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He says,
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So,
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if the Son
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sets you free,
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you will be free
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indeed.
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If who sets you free?
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The Son.
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And who
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initiates the freeing?
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The Son.
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In John 6,
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44,
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Jesus says,
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No one can come to me
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unless the Father
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who sent me
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draws him.
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God had to be the one
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to make a way
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because what would we have here
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if He were to have left it
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at this?
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We would have all of mankind
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going to hell
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and yes,
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originally condemned
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by the sin of Adam,
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but by no means
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just by it.
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Every single person
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is responsible
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for His own sin.
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And so here we have
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a picture of a God-hating,
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self-loving,
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depraved humanity
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who would rather go to hell
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than repent
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and turn from their wicked ways.
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In John 3, 20,
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Jesus says,
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Everyone who does
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wicked things
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hates the light
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and does not come
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to the light,
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lest his works
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be exposed.
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And so if God
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would have stopped there
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and not saved anyone
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and not have acted at all,
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would He be at fault
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for allowing
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all of humanity
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to end up in hell
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for all eternity?
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No.
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And He would be
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completely just
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and completely
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righteous
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in that act
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because His justice
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and His holiness
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would be put on display.
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But praise be
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to God,
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brothers and sisters,
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that He did not
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stop there
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and that out of
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love and kindness
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and pure grace,
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He became
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the founder,
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the author
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of our faith
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by creating a way
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for lost sinners.
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Depraved,
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God-hating sinners.
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And so here we affirm
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the next doctrine of grace
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called
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unconditional election.
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Turn with me
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to 2 Thessalonians
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chapter 2.
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2 Thessalonians
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chapter 2.
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Verses 13 and 14.
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It reads,
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But we ought always
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to give thanks to God
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for you, brothers,
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beloved by the Lord,
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because God chose you
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as the firstfruits
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to be saved
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through sanctification
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by the Spirit
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and belief
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in the truth.
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To this He called you
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through our gospel
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so that you may obtain
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the glory of our Lord
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Jesus Christ.
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Christ.
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Now,
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we won't spend
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much time on this one
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because it's hard
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to deny that Scripture
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teaches election
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and predestination.
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That being,
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that before the foundation
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of the world,
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out of a mass
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of depraved humanity
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to be,
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without merit
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or condition
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or any future doing
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on the part
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of the sinner,
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out of His grace
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and love
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and for His glory
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and for His Son,
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He chose a multitude
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of them
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to snatch them
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out of the fire
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of their own making
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to demonstrate
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His mercy
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and His glory
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and His grace
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in them.
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That's what Jesus means
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when He tells His disciples
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in John 15, 16,
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You did not choose Me
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but I chose you
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and appointed you
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that you should go
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and bear fruit
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and that your fruit
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should abide.
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And it's what He refers to
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when He says
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in Matthew 11, 27,
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No one knows the Son
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except the Father.
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And no one knows the Father
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except the Son
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and anyone
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whom the Son
27:02
chooses
27:03
to reveal Him.
27:05
This is what Paul
27:06
refers to in Romans 11, 5
27:09
when he says
27:10
that there is a remnant
27:12
chosen by grace.
27:15
And in Ephesians 1, 4
27:16
when he says
27:17
He chose us in Him
27:20
before the foundation
27:22
of the world.
27:24
And in verse 5,
27:25
He predestined us
27:27
for adoption
27:28
as sons
27:29
through Jesus Christ
27:30
according to the purpose
27:33
of His will
27:34
to the praise
27:35
of His glorious grace
27:36
with which He
27:38
has blessed us
27:39
in the Beloved.
27:43
That's why Peter
27:43
calls us
27:44
a chosen race,
27:47
a royal priesthood,
27:49
a people
27:50
for His own possession.
27:51
That is why Acts 13, 48,
27:55
as the gospel
27:56
is being preached,
27:58
it says,
27:59
And when the Gentiles
28:00
heard this,
28:02
they began rejoicing
28:03
and glorifying
28:04
the word of the Lord.
28:05
and as many
28:07
as were appointed
28:08
to eternal life
28:10
believed.
28:12
They believed
28:13
because they were
28:15
appointed
28:15
to eternal life.
28:19
They were unconditionally
28:21
elected
28:22
by a gracious
28:23
and merciful God.
28:25
And I want to,
28:27
once again,
28:27
just reiterate
28:28
that in electing,
28:30
God is merely,
28:31
by grace,
28:32
to give you
28:34
an illustration,
28:35
snatching people
28:36
out of a burning building
28:38
who actually
28:40
want to stay
28:41
in that burning building.
28:44
And when He does so
28:45
and snatches
28:46
the select few out,
28:48
He opens their eyes
28:49
and shows them
28:50
their foolishness.
28:52
And the ones
28:52
that stay
28:53
in the burning building
28:54
and were not
28:56
pulled out by God
28:57
do so
28:58
because they would
28:59
rather stay
29:00
in that building
29:01
than to come
29:02
to God.
29:04
Election
29:05
is unconditional.
29:07
Do you recall
29:08
the story
29:08
in Exodus
29:09
of the crossing
29:11
of the Red Sea?
29:12
God sends
29:13
a strong wind
29:14
parts the Red Sea.
29:18
The people of Israel
29:18
begin to cross
29:19
on dry land.
29:21
Pharaoh
29:21
and his Egyptian army
29:23
follow after,
29:25
pursue after Israel.
29:28
And if you could
29:30
just imagine
29:30
imagine
29:31
a bird's eye view
29:34
of this scene,
29:36
you have
29:37
both
29:39
the Egyptians
29:40
and Israel
29:42
on this dry land
29:43
and they are
29:45
perfectly paralleled
29:47
by massive
29:49
walls
29:50
of ocean
29:51
being held back
29:52
only
29:53
by the power
29:54
of God.
29:54
And let me ask
29:55
you this,
29:57
out of
29:58
all those
29:59
people
30:00
on that stretch
30:02
of land,
30:03
could any
30:03
one of them
30:04
stand
30:05
before
30:06
a holy God
30:08
and be considered
30:08
spotless
30:09
and righteous
30:10
out of their
30:13
own doing?
30:14
Of course not.
30:16
None of them.
30:18
Not one.
30:19
And so,
30:20
in this case,
30:21
God would have
30:21
been
30:22
just
30:23
in
30:24
even wiping
30:25
all of them
30:26
out.
30:27
But instead,
30:29
out of His grace,
30:31
He chose
30:31
to save the Israelites
30:33
not because
30:33
anything
30:34
that He saw
30:35
in them,
30:36
not because of
30:37
any goodness
30:37
in them
30:38
or any future
30:39
acts
30:40
on their behalf.
30:41
life.
30:43
But as we see
30:44
in Exodus 6,
30:45
it is God
30:46
who
30:46
unconditionally
30:48
elects.
30:49
It is God
30:50
who initiated
30:51
a covenant
30:52
with Israel
30:54
of His own
30:55
choosing.
30:56
And that's
30:57
the beauty
30:57
of election.
30:58
And that's
30:59
the beauty
30:59
and grace
31:00
of our Savior.
31:03
That though
31:03
we do not
31:04
deserve it,
31:06
and we cannot
31:07
in our own
31:09
ability
31:09
make the
31:11
massive
31:11
crushing
31:12
waves
31:13
of our
31:13
sin
31:14
part
31:14
so that
31:15
we may
31:15
make our
31:16
way to
31:16
the other
31:16
side,
31:17
Jesus,
31:18
the founder
31:19
of our
31:20
faith,
31:20
went before
31:21
us
31:21
and made
31:22
a way
31:23
so that
31:23
not one
31:24
drop
31:24
of that
31:25
ocean
31:25
would ever
31:26
touch
31:27
our heads.
31:29
Praise God
31:30
for His
31:31
electing
31:32
grace.
31:34
Spurgeon
31:34
put it
31:34
quite well
31:35
when he
31:35
says,
31:37
it's a good
31:38
thing
31:39
God chose
31:39
me
31:40
before I
31:41
was born
31:41
because He
31:42
surely would
31:43
not have
31:43
chosen me
31:44
afterwards.
31:45
Close quote.
31:47
What a
31:47
mighty
31:48
Savior,
31:49
a leader,
31:51
pioneer,
31:53
author,
31:54
founder of
31:54
our faith,
31:56
and that He
31:56
made a way
31:57
for sinners.
31:59
And this
32:00
leads us to
32:00
our second
32:01
subheading for
32:02
how Christ
32:02
is the
32:02
founder of
32:03
our faith,
32:04
that being
32:04
that Christ
32:05
is the
32:05
founder of
32:06
our faith
32:07
and that He
32:07
is the
32:08
giver
32:08
of the
32:10
new
32:10
birth.
32:11
He is
32:11
the
32:11
giver
32:12
of the
32:12
new
32:13
birth.
32:17
It is
32:18
the
32:18
emphatic
32:18
affirmation
32:19
of our
32:20
Lord Jesus
32:21
Christ in
32:21
John 3,
32:22
3,
32:22
that unless
32:24
one is
32:25
born again,
32:26
he cannot
32:26
see the
32:27
kingdom of
32:27
God.
32:28
And it
32:28
is the
32:29
unequivocal
32:29
teaching of
32:30
Scripture
32:31
that it
32:32
is God
32:32
that through
32:34
His
32:34
sovereign,
32:34
unconditional
32:35
election,
32:36
births within
32:37
those elect
32:38
repentance and
32:39
faith unto
32:40
everlasting life.
32:42
It is here
32:43
that we see
32:44
the doctrine
32:44
of grace
32:45
entitled
32:45
Irresistible
32:47
Grace.
32:48
Irresistible
32:49
Grace.
32:52
In John
32:52
3,
32:53
verses 3-8,
32:55
Jesus tells
32:56
Nicodemus,
32:57
a teacher
32:58
of the
32:58
law,
32:59
truly,
33:00
truly,
33:00
I say to
33:01
you,
33:02
unless one
33:03
is born
33:03
again,
33:03
he cannot
33:04
see the
33:04
kingdom
33:05
of God.
33:06
Nicodemus
33:07
said to
33:07
him,
33:08
how can
33:08
a man
33:09
be born
33:09
when he
33:10
is old?
33:11
Can he
33:11
enter a
33:11
second time
33:12
in his
33:12
mother's
33:13
womb and
33:13
be born?
33:14
Jesus
33:14
answered,
33:15
truly,
33:16
truly,
33:16
I say
33:16
to you,
33:17
unless
33:18
one is
33:18
born of
33:18
water
33:19
and the
33:19
spirit,
33:20
he cannot
33:21
enter the
33:21
kingdom
33:22
of God.
33:23
That which
33:23
is born
33:24
of flesh
33:24
is flesh,
33:25
and that
33:26
which is
33:26
born of
33:26
the spirit
33:27
is spirit.
33:29
Do not
33:29
marvel that
33:30
I said
33:30
to you,
33:31
you must
33:31
be born
33:32
again.
33:32
the wind
33:33
blows where
33:35
it wishes,
33:36
and you
33:37
hear its
33:37
sound,
33:38
but you
33:38
do not
33:38
know where
33:39
it comes
33:39
from or
33:40
where it
33:40
goes.
33:42
So it
33:42
is with
33:43
everyone who
33:44
is born
33:44
of the
33:46
spirit.
33:47
This shows
33:48
the utter
33:49
inability of
33:50
man to do
33:51
anything in
33:51
order to
33:51
enter the
33:52
kingdom of
33:52
God
33:52
on his
33:55
own.
33:56
Obviously,
33:57
you cannot
33:57
be born
33:58
when you
33:58
are old,
33:59
and you
33:59
cannot
34:00
enter your
34:00
mother's
34:00
womb again
34:01
and be
34:01
reborn.
34:04
There is
34:04
nothing in
34:04
your power
34:05
or ability
34:06
that you
34:07
can do
34:07
to be
34:07
born again.
34:09
There is
34:09
a reason
34:10
why Jesus
34:11
uses these
34:12
specific
34:13
words and
34:14
these specific
34:15
illustrations in
34:17
talking about
34:18
regeneration.
34:20
You had
34:20
nothing to do
34:21
with your
34:21
first birth,
34:22
and you
34:22
cannot have
34:23
anything to
34:24
do with
34:25
your second
34:25
birth from
34:26
above.
34:27
On this
34:28
effectual
34:28
calling,
34:29
which must
34:29
be initiated
34:30
by God,
34:32
Philip
34:32
Ryken,
34:33
the current
34:33
president of
34:35
Wheaton
34:35
College,
34:36
writes,
34:37
What makes
34:38
this illustration
34:39
especially
34:40
effective is
34:41
the fact
34:41
that in
34:42
the Greek
34:43
language,
34:44
wind and
34:44
breath and
34:45
spirit are
34:46
all the same
34:47
word,
34:48
pneuma.
34:49
The spirit
34:49
is the breath
34:50
of God,
34:50
whose influence
34:51
is like the
34:52
wind.
34:52
No one can
34:53
control the
34:54
wind or even
34:54
see it,
34:55
yet its
34:56
effects are
34:56
obvious wherever
34:58
it blows.
34:59
So it is
35:00
with the
35:00
Holy Spirit.
35:02
No one can
35:02
control his
35:03
gracious influences.
35:05
No one can
35:05
see when he
35:06
first slips
35:07
into a
35:07
sinner's
35:07
heart.
35:09
The
35:09
regenerating,
35:10
life-giving
35:11
work of the
35:11
spirit is
35:13
up to
35:13
the sovereignty
35:15
of God.
35:17
Close quote.
35:18
God
35:19
This
35:20
effectual
35:20
calling,
35:22
this
35:22
irresistible
35:23
grace,
35:24
is what
35:24
Acts 16,
35:26
14 alludes
35:27
to when it
35:27
tells of
35:28
Lydia's
35:28
conversion.
35:30
For it
35:30
says God
35:30
opened her
35:31
heart as
35:32
the gospel
35:33
was being
35:33
preached by
35:34
Paul.
35:35
Lydia didn't
35:35
open her
35:36
own heart.
35:38
It clearly
35:38
says God
35:39
opened her
35:40
heart.
35:41
She couldn't
35:41
have opened
35:42
her own
35:43
heart.
35:43
She was
35:44
dead in her
35:44
trespasses and
35:45
sins.
35:45
God
35:46
effectually
35:47
through the
35:47
gospel called
35:49
her, opened
35:49
her heart, and
35:51
gave her new
35:52
birth.
35:54
And it is
35:54
this that
35:55
John 1, 13
35:56
refers to when
35:57
speaking of the
35:57
children of God
35:58
where it says
36:00
they were born
36:01
not of blood
36:02
nor of the
36:03
will of man
36:05
or the
36:06
flesh but
36:08
of God.
36:11
Christ is
36:12
the founder
36:12
of our faith
36:14
because He
36:15
alone is
36:16
the giver
36:17
of the
36:17
new birth.
36:19
Now we
36:20
have reached
36:20
our second
36:21
main heading
36:21
for this
36:22
morning and
36:24
that is
36:24
perfecter of
36:26
our faith.
36:27
And for the
36:28
sake of time
36:29
I will give
36:29
you the two
36:29
subheadings and
36:30
try to move
36:31
quickly.
36:32
So Christ
36:33
is the
36:33
perfecter of
36:34
our faith in
36:35
that He has
36:36
perfectly
36:37
accomplished
36:38
His work.
36:40
He has
36:41
perfectly
36:41
accomplished
36:42
His work
36:42
and the
36:44
second
36:44
subheading
36:45
that He
36:45
will
36:46
complete
36:47
the work
36:48
He began
36:49
in us.
36:50
He will
36:51
complete the
36:52
work that
36:52
He began
36:53
in us.
36:55
Jesus came
36:56
to this
36:57
world with
36:58
a purpose.
36:59
He did
37:00
so to
37:00
accomplish
37:01
a work.
37:03
He came
37:04
to give
37:04
His life
37:05
a ransom
37:05
for many.
37:08
And it is
37:08
here that we
37:09
encounter the
37:09
doctrine of
37:10
grace called
37:12
limited
37:12
atonement
37:13
or particular
37:15
redemption.
37:17
It is the
37:19
belief of
37:19
some that
37:21
Christ died
37:21
to pay for
37:22
the sins of
37:23
every single
37:25
person who
37:26
has ever
37:28
and will
37:28
ever live.
37:30
That He has
37:31
bore the
37:31
wrath for
37:33
the sins of
37:33
Judas who
37:35
is now
37:36
spending
37:37
eternity in
37:38
hell as
37:39
He has
37:40
bore the
37:40
wrath for
37:42
the sins
37:42
of Peter
37:43
who is
37:43
now in
37:43
glory in
37:45
the presence
37:45
of the
37:46
Lord.
37:47
And though
37:47
I don't
37:47
have time
37:48
to get
37:48
into detail
37:49
about it,
37:52
I will
37:52
just say
37:53
this quickly
37:53
because some
37:54
of you may
37:55
be thinking,
37:55
well,
37:56
what about
37:57
those texts
37:58
that say
37:59
that He took
37:59
away the
38:00
sins of
38:00
the world,
38:01
of the
38:01
whole world?
38:02
Well,
38:03
those are
38:03
to be
38:03
understood
38:04
under their
38:05
particular
38:05
and respective
38:06
contexts,
38:07
which we
38:08
don't have
38:08
time to
38:08
examine this
38:09
morning.
38:10
So let me
38:11
just give you
38:11
quickly some
38:12
texts that I
38:12
believe help
38:14
repudiate those
38:15
notions.
38:17
Mark 10
38:18
45 says,
38:20
For even the
38:20
Son of Man
38:21
came not to
38:22
be served,
38:23
but to serve,
38:25
and to give
38:26
His life a
38:27
ransom for
38:29
many.
38:30
You see
38:31
that?
38:31
For many.
38:32
Not for all,
38:33
for many.
38:34
Matthew 22
38:36
14.
38:37
For many
38:37
are called,
38:38
but few
38:38
are chosen.
38:39
Hebrews 9
38:40
27 to 28.
38:43
And just
38:43
as it is
38:44
appointed for
38:45
men to
38:45
die once,
38:46
and after
38:47
that the
38:47
judgment,
38:48
so Christ,
38:50
having been
38:51
offered once
38:52
to bear the
38:53
sins of
38:54
many,
38:55
will appear
38:55
a second
38:56
time.
38:57
Once again,
38:58
many,
38:59
not all.
39:00
And one
39:01
last one.
39:01
Revelation 5
39:04
9 says,
39:06
Worthy are
39:07
you to
39:08
take the
39:08
scroll and
39:09
to open
39:09
its seals,
39:11
for you
39:12
were slain,
39:13
and by your
39:14
blood you
39:15
ransomed
39:16
people for
39:18
God from
39:19
every tribe
39:21
and language
39:22
and people
39:23
and nation.
39:25
This is
39:26
talking
39:26
particularly
39:27
about the
39:28
redemptive
39:29
work.
39:30
And it
39:31
speaks and
39:31
it says
39:32
that he
39:37
ransomed
39:37
people
39:38
from
39:40
every
39:42
tribe and
39:42
language and
39:43
people and
39:43
nation.
39:44
It does not
39:45
say that he
39:47
ransomed every
39:48
tribe and
39:50
people and
39:51
language and
39:51
nation.
39:52
We see that
39:54
the extent of
39:54
the atonement
39:55
here is
39:56
explicitly
39:57
limited.
39:58
Right here in
39:59
the pages of
40:00
Scripture.
40:01
Now those
40:02
who do not
40:03
hold to the
40:04
Calvinistic view
40:05
would have to
40:06
say and
40:07
believe that
40:08
Christ paid
40:09
the full
40:09
price for
40:12
the sense of
40:12
humanity
40:13
without actually
40:15
securing
40:16
anyone's
40:18
salvation
40:19
definitively.
40:21
Only a
40:24
possibility of
40:25
salvation.
40:26
salvation.
40:27
So you
40:27
see friends,
40:28
while Calvinism
40:29
limits the
40:30
extent of
40:31
the atonement
40:31
by saying
40:32
that Christ
40:33
died for a
40:33
specific people
40:34
only, those
40:35
being the
40:36
elect, and
40:37
paid an
40:37
actual price
40:38
for an
40:39
actual people,
40:41
the non-Calvinist
40:42
view limits the
40:44
effect of the
40:46
atonement.
40:46
Because they
40:47
cannot say that
40:49
Christ died to
40:50
perfectly secure
40:52
the salvation of
40:53
anybody.
40:55
But to the
40:56
Calvinist, in
40:58
regards to the
40:58
effect of the
41:00
atonement, the
41:01
accomplished work
41:02
of Christ on the
41:03
cross, we
41:05
believe this, as
41:06
John Flavel, a
41:07
1600s Puritan,
41:09
puts it, and I
41:10
quote, he
41:12
finished it
41:13
completely and
41:14
fully.
41:15
All that was to
41:16
be done by way
41:18
of meritorious
41:19
redemption is
41:20
fully done.
41:21
No hand can
41:23
come after
41:23
this.
41:24
His angels can
41:25
add nothing to
41:26
it.
41:27
That is
41:28
perfectly to
41:28
which nothing is
41:29
wanting and to
41:31
which nothing can
41:32
be added.
41:33
Such is the
41:34
work which
41:35
our Lord
41:36
Jesus Christ
41:37
finished.
41:38
finished.
41:39
Whatever the
41:40
law demanded is
41:41
perfectly paid.
41:43
Whatever a
41:44
sinner needs is
41:47
perfectly obtained
41:48
and purchased.
41:50
Nothing can be
41:51
added to what
41:53
he had done.
41:54
He put the
41:55
last hand to
41:56
it when he
41:57
said, it
41:58
is finished.
42:01
Close quote.
42:03
Which arrives
42:04
us at the
42:04
final and
42:05
glorious doctrine
42:06
of grace
42:08
called the
42:09
perseverance of
42:10
the saints.
42:11
The perseverance
42:12
of the saints.
42:14
Otherwise known
42:15
as preserving
42:16
grace.
42:18
The Calvinist
42:20
affirms that
42:21
once saved,
42:22
always saved.
42:24
Because he who
42:25
began a good
42:25
work in you
42:26
will bring it
42:27
to completion
42:28
at the day of
42:29
Jesus Christ.
42:30
As we are told
42:32
in Philippians
42:33
1, chapter 1,
42:34
verse 6.
42:35
And the Lord
42:36
tells us in
42:37
John 6, 39,
42:38
And this is the
42:40
will of him
42:40
who sent me,
42:42
that I should
42:42
lose nothing
42:43
of all that
42:44
he has given
42:45
me, but
42:47
raise it up
42:47
on the last
42:48
day.
42:49
We cannot
42:50
be plucked
42:52
out of his
42:52
hands, for
42:53
God is a
42:54
good father,
42:56
and our
42:56
Lord is a
42:57
good shepherd,
42:58
who will not
42:59
let one of
43:00
his sheep
43:01
go astray.
43:02
And because
43:03
Christ is
43:05
almighty,
43:06
who lives
43:06
to intercede
43:07
for us,
43:08
and as
43:08
Hebrews 7, 25
43:11
so powerfully
43:12
puts it,
43:14
he is able
43:15
to save to
43:16
the uttermost
43:17
those who
43:18
draw near to
43:19
God through
43:20
him, since
43:21
he always
43:22
lives to
43:23
make intercession
43:24
for them.
43:26
And my dear
43:27
friends,
43:27
Christ will
43:30
not and
43:31
cannot fail
43:34
at his
43:35
intercessory
43:35
prayer.
43:37
And as
43:37
J.I.
43:38
Packer
43:39
puts it,
43:40
your faith
43:41
will not
43:43
fail while
43:45
God sustains
43:46
it.
43:47
You are not
43:47
strong enough
43:48
to fall
43:49
away while
43:51
God is
43:51
resolved to
43:53
hold you.
43:54
Close quote.
43:56
And as to
43:57
the importance
43:57
of this
43:57
doctrine of
43:58
preserving
43:58
grace,
44:00
Spurgeon
44:00
so
44:01
determinedly
44:02
writes,
44:04
and this
44:04
should be
44:04
on the
44:05
front of
44:05
your
44:05
bulletin,
44:07
quote,
44:08
if one
44:09
dear saint
44:09
of God
44:10
had perished,
44:12
so might
44:13
all.
44:15
If one
44:15
of the
44:15
covenant
44:16
ones be
44:16
lost,
44:17
so may
44:18
all be.
44:20
And then
44:20
there is
44:21
no gospel
44:21
promise
44:22
true,
44:23
but the
44:23
Bible
44:23
is a
44:24
lie,
44:25
and there
44:25
is nothing
44:26
in it
44:26
worth
44:27
my
44:27
acceptance.
44:29
I will
44:30
be an
44:30
infidel
44:31
at once
44:31
when I
44:32
can believe
44:32
that a
44:33
saint of
44:34
God
44:34
can ever
44:35
finally
44:35
fall.
44:37
Close quote.
44:38
Jesus
44:39
Christ
44:40
is
44:40
preeminent.
44:42
He is
44:42
all and
44:43
in all.
44:44
He is
44:44
founder and
44:45
perfecter of
44:46
our faith.
44:48
Therefore,
44:49
let us lay
44:49
aside every
44:50
weight and
44:51
sin which
44:52
clings so
44:53
closely,
44:54
and let us
44:54
run with
44:55
endurance the
44:56
race that
44:57
is set
44:57
before us,
44:59
looking to
45:00
Jesus,
45:00
the founder
45:01
and perfecter
45:02
of our
45:02
faith.
45:04
Salvation
45:04
and glory
45:06
and power
45:07
belong to
45:09
our God.
45:11
And if you
45:11
have not yet
45:12
trusted in
45:13
him,
45:14
repent and
45:15
believe the
45:17
gospel of
45:19
our Lord and
45:19
Savior Jesus
45:20
Christ today.
45:22
Let's pray.
45:22
Amen.