“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” -Romans 10:17

It’s very often the question Christians immediately ask when election is explained to them: “If God is just going to choose people, why would you waste your time sharing the gospel?”. It’s understandable, especially in the american evangelical landscape. The idea that God isn’t in Heaven worrying that some people might not choose him, is startling. It sounds like you’re uprooting everything the average church teaches, including evangelism.

The truth is: God is allowing us to participate with Him, our loving Father, in His work of saving men. It’s an honor and a privilege… not just a duty.

The Means of Salvation

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” -Romans 1:16

You see, the gospel isn’t just information. We’re not simply telling someone what Jesus did, and hoping they accept it (although we are doing that). The gospel is very, very special. The words themselves have power. Through the working of the Holy Spirit, the message of Jesus is the power of God that saves men. It is, in fact, the ONLY way that God had ordained men to be saved.

So first of all, don’t misunderstand this: the Biblical teaching of election does not deny the absolute necessity for all men to hear the gospel. No man will be saved unless he calls upon the name of, and trusts in the work of, the Lord Jesus.

“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” -Acts 4:12

God has not only chosen a people to be saved, but has also chosen the means by which they will be saved, namely through the hearing, and receiving of the gospel. When the elect hear the gospel, the Holy Spirit regenerates their hearts, and they believe.

“And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.” -Acts 13:48

Preaching to the Elect

So how do we know who the elect are? Why would we waste our time with the non-elect? Again, the average Christian already knows the answer, but has just never applied it in the correct context.

In Jesus’ parable of the sower (Luke 8:4-15), Jesus tells of a man that spreads seed all over the ground, on different soils, and only the seed that falls on the good soil grows to fruition. Jesus also explains the parable to His chosen disciples. The seed is the word of God (the gospel) being shared with all kinds of people. Some of the people don’t receive it at all because of the devil. Some get excited about it, then fizzle out as they move on. Others seem like they’re growing, but get choked out by the cares of the world. And finally, those whom Jesus calls the “good soil” receive, believe, and produce fruit.

Now, we see that the sower was not specifically searching out good soil, or being stingy with the seed. So, was he wasting the seed, or was he trusting that it would grow where it should?

This is what the kingdom of God is like. We are to share the gospel with everyone, and we just assume that they are all elect. We know that many will reject the gospel, but those whom God has prepared – the good soil – will receive it. So we preach confidently knowing that God will move on His people, and save them. Our job is to simply be obedient, and know that it isn’t our convincing that saves people.

“So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.” -1 Corinthians 3:7

An Overly Semantic Calvinist?

Ok, so I’m saying that we should preach the gospel to everyone, but only some will believe. Isn’t that what the Christian who denies sovereign election teaches? Aren’t we saying the same thing, but from different perspectives? No. Here is where the theological rubber meets the road.

If you believe that the offer is simply made to all men, but God isn’t working to irresistibly save His chosen people, the catalyst to salvation then lies in your words. You must be convincing, you must be smooth, you must be a better salesman than the Buddhist, and Jehovah’s witness that your audience has heard philosophies from. And anything that isn’t chalked up directly to what the preacher says, is in the hands of the hearer. They must be spiritually sensitive, and innately willing to have faith like a child. When these two human traits (salesmanship and receptiveness) kiss, magic happens… right?

This is the gospel according to the flesh. The gospel of sinner’s prayers and decision cards. No matter how much lip service is offered up to the Holy Spirit working in these situations, He is discredited as unable to make you do anything against your will. Man is the deciding factor.

Worst of all, this kind of philosophy, mixed with a zeal to save lots of people, produces a bad gospel. As anyone who has preached the bloody Christ of scripture quickly learns:

“…the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing…” -1 Corinthians 1:18

When your main task becomes convincing someone to “make a decision for Jesus”, you have no choice but to remove the offense. You need to water down the sin, blood, wrath and Hell of scripture, or remove them completely. That kind of offensive talk has no place in the seeker-friendly gospel. When it’s about your words, and not strictly dependent on the Holy Spirit’s work in the sinner’s heart, the flesh will always compromise the message.

No, my friends, salvation is not a cooperation between lovable men and a lonely God that just wants you to choose Him. Salvation is of the Lord, and the Lord alone!

Necessity is Laid Upon Me

“For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” -1 Corinthians 9:16

We do not have a quota to meet, we are not doing God a favor, and God does not need us to save His people. He compels us, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to preach His gospel, and save souls. The Saints are not only blessed with forgiveness, adoption, and eternal life, but we also are invited to participate in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ to establish His kingdom and save more men and women from their sins. It’s no easy task, but it is not a burden, as all of the heavy lifting is done by God. All he requires of you is your mouth. If you are His, you will naturally present it as part of your living sacrifice.

“Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season…” -2 Timothy 4:2

Christians, I encourage you to practice your gospel preaching. Be fully prepared to explain God’s holiness, man’s sinfulness, Christ’s perfect life, substitutionary death, and resurrection from the grave. Let the hearer know that through faith in Christ they can be forgiven, and receive eternal life. Don’t water it down. And trust that ‘all who are appointed to eternal life will believe’. Not because of your words, or their obedience, but because of God’s grace, alone.

If there is, indeed, anyone who feels that they don’t need to work for God’s harvest, that is a clear sign that you are not one of God’s workers. And you need the very message you refuse to preach: Repent, and believe.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” -Romans 1:16

The problem of mankind is inescapable. We are rebellious sinners who do not desire to be reconciled with our Creator. We deserve wrath and Hell, and God is just to punish us.

God showed His loving mercy by sending His son to save us from our plight, and die for sinful men. But what does it all mean? What actually happened on the cross?

How does this apply to us?

The work of Christ, and the subsequent work of the Holy Spirit, solves every problem that keeps us from God. God’s agreement between Himself and mankind was this: If you obey me, I will bless you with life. If you don’t, I will punish you with death and wrath. Again this is the natural law we see everywhere, we get what we deserve, and God is just to fulfill His end of the bargain, but we only disobey, and are all running mad straight to Hell.

Imputed Righteousness

God became a man and fulfilled our end of the bargain for us, because we couldn’t. Where we were disobedient, He was obedient. Where we sinned, He was innocent. Where we hated and denied God, He loved and pointed to His Father. He did what was required of us to do. He was the spotless lamb God required.

Now the Father actually gives Christ’s righteousness to every person who believes in Him. A Christian is looked at by God as if he actually lived the perfect life that Christ lived. We know we’re sinners, but God looks at us as if we were Jesus. This giving of Jesus’ perfect status to believers is called “imputed righteousness”.

Substitutionary Death

The death of Jesus on the cross is where we see how much God loves His people. The crucifixion was a greater sacrifice than it might appear on the surface. He was actually receiving a punishment more torturous and humiliating than any man has ever received. The sovereign King of the universe was stripped, beaten, mocked, and destroyed by His subject. Worse, God Himself was allowing, even orchestrating, His own Son’s death. So what good came from this seemingly senseless and barbaric murder?

In the first post, I talked about God’s wrath toward sinners. God is angry with our sins and justice must and will be served for our crimes. We deserve to die, but Jesus died in the place of believers. The wrath God owed to us was being poured out completely on the Son, who laid His life down for us. Our sins were laid on Him, and those sins were completely paid for by His death. A believers sins are totally forgiven, past, present, and future because they were atoned for in Jesus. The work of Jesus on the cross completely satisfied God’s angry wrath toward believers. This satisfaction of God’s wrath is called “propitiation”.

“but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.” -Romans 5:8-9

How can I be saved?

All of the work mentioned so far is the work of God. Now You may wonder what we must do to obtain this work.

Here is what you need to understand. God saves, and God saves alone. Salvation is not conditional on your goodness or badness. God’s salvation can not fail. And there is not a single thing you can do to help God save you. We are justified solely by the free gift of the grace of God, through faith.

Turn your trust away from the things of this world. Money, power, sex, morality… none of these things can save you. Understand that your sin problem is inescapable and you will be judged. With that understanding of hopelessness in yourself, believe that the sacrificial death of Jesus is perfectly what God requires for you to be forgiven. And be united to His death through that faith.

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” -Galatians 2:20

This is how we are justified before God: through faith.

Too Good to be True?

If you’re hearing what I’m saying properly, this thought should cross your mind: “So you’re saying that I’m guilty before God, but all I have to do is believe that Jesus died to satisfy God’s anger in my place, and I’ll be forgiven? There is nothing I have to do to contribute to my salvation? Then the rest of the sins I commit for the rest of my life are covered, and I go to Heaven?”.

That is exactly what I’m saying. It is a free gift, and demonstrates how rich in mercy God really is. Now the obvious next question is where things get interesting… I’ll let Paul ask it, as he confronted the very same question when He preached this message.

“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?” -Romans 6:1-2

When we’re saved, we aren’t left in the condition we were found in. God changes His people through a miracle called regeneration. The heart is changed from loving the things of the world into a heart that loves the things of God. So yes, on some level we can go on doing whatever we want, but God changes our wants. God makes sure that the deepest desires of the believer’s soul are no longer sin. Don’t get me wrong, Christians still sin, and there will always be a struggle in the believer between the sinful flesh and our Godly spirit.

“So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.” Romans 7:21-25

How Free are We?

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” -Romans 8:1-4

You see, the “law of sin and death” is what was making us guilty before God. Every sin was earning us more and more wrath, and we are more sinful than anyone realizes. The condemnation was poured out on the flesh of Christ, meeting the requirement of the “law of sin and death”. So now we, who are walking according to the Spirit (remember the regenerated believer), are set free from that downward spiral. So now we still sin, but there is no condemnation. We are deemed 100% not guilty, and the God who is in complete control, ensures we will be changed more and more into the image of Jesus.

God’s Promises to the Believer

The amazing accomplishment of Jesus on the cross has earned us a bounty of promises that only believers enjoy. Here are some of the best.

Adoption as Sons/Daughters

We were God’s enemies, due to our willing rebellion. God forgives us, changes our hearts, and brings us into His family, where we can never be cast out. By the Spirit, we then naturally refer to God as our loving Father.(Romans 8:15)

Sactification

God promises that through the internal work of the Holy Spirit and through correction, like a loving Father, He will continually conform us into the image of His perfect Son. While we’ll never achieve it in this life, we will strive toward it continually.(Ephesians 4:15)

Sovereign Favor

God promises to work all things for the good of His people. This means that no matter what’s going on around us, we can trust that God is in control and will carry us through to the very end. (Romans 8:28)

Eternal Security

Those whom God saves can never be lost again. God is the one who initiates, carries us through, and brings our salvation to completion. Nothing, in all of creation, can separate believers from the Love of Christ. (Romans 8:38-39)

Eternal Life

The ultimate destination of Christians is eternal life in Glorified bodies in the very presence of God. God welcomed redeemed sinners into communion with, and worship of Himself. We will forever look upon the amazing love that God had for us in Christ and worship God. This will be the fulfillment of the purpose of our creation, and will be the greatest joy we could ever experience.

Come to Him

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” -Matthew 11:28

I’m a web designer, so I sit in front of a computer all day. By God’s grace, I have headphones, and an unrelenting desire to learn about God.

These are my ten favorite resources that I’ve completed, or subscribed to, over the past year. They have changed my theology, my walk with God, and my life. Now, I hope you can be blessed by them as well. Most of the links are to subscribe via itunes. Let me know if you have any problems. Enjoy!

10. Fighting for the Faith

Chris Rosebrough | Format: Radio Program/Podcast | Subscribe

Chris Rosebrough of Fighting for the Faith is your local golden calf butcher. His Radio show, on Pirate Christian Radio, is an excercise in ‘comparing what people are saying in the name of God to the Word of God’. Chris is a theologically sound, Christ-centric Lutheran that doesn’t let the American preacher get away with their heretical taching. Each episode includes a sermon review. Be it good, bad, or ugly, Chris lays the Scriptures over each sermon to see how they match up. If you have trouble picking out the disturbing issues in today’s preaching landscape, Fighting for the faith is a must follow.

But be warned: “Fighting for the Faith may cause you to become supremely dissatisfied with your Church.”

9. History of Christianity I & II from RTS

Dr. Frank A. James | Format: Lecture Audio | Subscribe

When I started to learn about the reformation, I was enthralled. Christian history is incredibly interesting, and certainly shapes your outlook on why we believe what we believe. This series, by Dr. Frank A. James, is beautifully taught. From the Acts Church to today, you’ll learn what went wrong, what went right, the heretics, and the heroes.. as well as (to my shock) the flaws of the heroes. Two thumbs up.

8. Renewing Your Mind

Dr. R.C. Sproul | Format: Radio Program/Podcast | Subscribe

R.C. Sproul is one of todays leading theologians. He is passionate, intelligent, and articulate. This resource is a fantastic way to sharpen your theological mind. If you’re ready to take it to the next level, catch up on Sproul.

7. Theological Foundations from RTS

Derek W.H. Thomas | Format: Lecture Audio | Subscribe

Derek W.H. Thomas fabulously presents reformed theology in a life changing way. He clearly teaches the doctrines of grace richly and adoringly. Reaching into the treasures of scripture and the trenches of history, we get a beautiful picture of what this Calvinism thing is really all about. A must listen for any Christian.

6. Doctrines of Grace series from GCA

Jim McClarty | Format: Lectures/Sermons | Listen Now

Jim McClarty, from Grace Christian Assembly, presents a great entry level understanding of the Doctrines of Grace. I enjoyed this series a lot. In fact, I learned an amazing lesson through it.

When my mom was going through some rough times, I sent her this series so she could get a better understanding of God. It has changed her spiritual life entirely. The lesson I learned: Theology effects your life dramatically. If you don’t know much of anything about reformed theology, this is your jam. The Doctrines of Grace can change your life.

5. White Horse Inn

Mike Horton & Friends | Format: Radio Program/Podcast | Subscribe

Mike Horton hosts this theological forum. The round table is populated by Lutherans, Baptists, and Presbyterians who want Christians to know what they believe, and why they believe it. Covering various topics, the gospel is pulled out of the pile of evangelical garbage, and buffed to a shine. Listen each week to get a Biblical perspective on our culture.

4. Christian Apologetics from RTS

Dr. John M. Frame | Format: Lecture Audio | Subscribe

Dr. John M. Frame brings us the reformed take on apologetics. You’ll learn that we can’t just toss more evidence onto the pile of truth every unbeliever already suppresses. We must know that the Christian world view is the only true one, and with that in mind we can confidently uncover the presuppositions of any other world view and demonstrate their insufficiency. Presuppositional apologetics is powerful. Let John Frame help you see the flaws in the philosophies of the world, and better understand the one true philosophy: the Bible.

3. Systematic Theology I, II & III from RTS

Dr. Douglas F. Kelly | Format: Lecture Audio | Subscribe

One of my favorite guys at RTS, Dr. Douglas F. Kelly, Does a beautiful job of representing the reformed tradition with his systematic theology courses. Each lesson builds on the last to give the listener a clear understanding of what the entire Bible teaches about our faith. As I’ve said before, theology changes everything, and a solid systematic theology makes everything click.

2. The Dividing Line

Dr. James White | Format: Radio Program/Podcast | Subscribe

James White is an intense Christian Apologist. On his show he covers Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Islam, Atheism, Calvinism and everything in between. He is looked up to by many reformed folks as a mentor, as he unashamedly stands for sound doctrine with his battle cry, “The gospel is ours to proclaim, not to edit.”. James White will show you how to defend your faith in the face of a culture that is anti-Christian and theologically confused & apathetic. Listen up.

1. Preaching Christ in a Postmodern World from RTS

Tim Keller & Edmund Clowney | Format: Lecture Audio | Subscribe

Oh man! This series was such a blessing to me. The wisdom here is overflowing, and beautifully presented. The late Dr. Edmund Clowney is a treasure chest of Godly knowledge, and his friend Dr. Tim Keller is elequent and brings his cultural expertise to the table.

One of the best parts of this series is learning how to find Christ in all parts of scripture. Jesus is truly what the whole book is about, and being able to see Him everywhere, makes Bible study a whole new experience. I can’t recommend this resource enough. Don’t miss out on this wonderful blessing.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” -Romans 1:16

Here we are, dead in our sins and tresspasses. God gave us life and we’ve done nothing but stand on our hind legs and scream hate at Him. We do not want to know Him, so we suppress Him. We want to be our own gods.

Now that we understand the hopeless darkness, we can begin to look toward the light. Mankind is lost, with no way out. Moral uprightness can’t save us, social contributions can’t save us, and religious activity can’t save us. We are so far gone there is nothing we can do to right the wrong. We need a savior.

What is the solution?

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, sent His son. Jesus Christ, the eternal second person of the triune God became a human. God miraculously made a virgin woman pregnant with a God/human child. He came with a mission: to redeem a people.

Jesus lived a perfectly sinless life. He obeyed God’s law perfectly, and fulfilled all the scriptural prophecies of the promised suffering Messiah. When He began His ministry, He performed miraculous healings and signs. He taught about the mysteries of God and Heaven, and confronted the hypocrisy of the religious leadership.

Jesus also brought the law, that the Jews were to live by, to a whole new level. He taught that looking at a woman with lust was adultery, hating a man in your heart was murder, and he said that unless you were as perfect as God Himself, you could not enter Heaven (Matthew 5:48). Jesus did not make things easier to get to God. He drove the nails into our coffins, making sure we understood that we were doomed.

Jesus’ ultimate claim is that He was equal with God. This claim brought the religious leadership into a blind rage and they brought about a plan to kill Him.

Jesus was betrayed, arrested, illegally tried, and brutally beaten. No charges were brought against Him except that He taught false doctrine and that He claimed to be God. The Roman government found no guilt in Him, but were persuaded to kill him to appease the Jewish cries for His death. The legally, morally, and religiously innocent man was put to death by the most humiliating, prolonged, cruel death of the time. His body was nailed to wooden crossbeams and lifted up to be seen by the public.

After a dramatic three hours Jesus proclaimed, “It is finished!”, and died. His body was placed in a tomb, sealed, and guarded, so it would not be stolen by propagators of His movement. His body lay lifeless for nearly 3 full days.

Amazingly, on the third day he came back to life. He showed himself to His disciples and told them to spread the message of his death, burial, and resurrection to all the earth.  He then lifted off the ground and ascended in to Heaven. He is now at the right hand of the Father God, in pierced human flesh, interceding for His people.

This is the solution God executed to solve our problem. Now how does it apply to us? What was Jesus doing on this planet? What was He doing on that cross? How can sinful men be saved through the death of God’s son?

“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.”
-John 10:28

[HOOK]
Who can pluck us out His hands?
Not even a professional plucker
Who plucks for life to pluck the unpluckable
Rooted and grounded
Doctrinally sound when
Checking my options
It’s obviously that God wins
Repeat

[VERSE]
See what I’m about to mention some consider secondary
But never weary guarantee it’s very necessary
When Jesus hit the wood and she’d His blood on the tree
He did something good He was atoning for me
And all believers we see Peter would call the elect
And even Jesus said that His sheep could never be snatched
Out of His hands nor the Father cause He’s greater than
All and they’re one like a married woman and man
So listen up (listen up) I’m bout to make it plain
So you can hear me clearly and sincerely what I’m saying
Through Jesus sacrifice the Father was satisfied (run it back)
Through Jesus sacrifice the Father was satisfied (one more time)
Through Jesus sacrifice the Father was satisfied
Now He gives assurance to all those for whom He died
Now you wonder why would I say something like that
I’ll be right back, I’ll be � I’ll be right back

[HOOK]
Who can pluck us out His hands?
Not even a professional plucker
Who plucks for life to pluck the unpluckable
Rooted and grounded
Doctrinally sound when
Checking my options
It’s obviously that God wins
Repeat

[VERSE]
I’m trying to tell you something you probably have never heard
And if you have you probably perceive them as dirty words
Words like election and predestination
Can get you stoned and thrown out of a congregation
But there in the Bible we gotta talk � talk about it (run it back)
But there in the Bible we gotta talk � talk about it (one more time)
But there in the Bible we gotta talk � talk about it
We can still love each other and share our thoughts about it
When Jesus died He drank the full cup of God’s Wrath
When He was crucified it was on our behalf
For all those the Father chose in eternity past
To be redeemed that simply means to be bought back
So when Christ expired the debt and the price was paid
For particular people on that night to be saved
Now you wonder why would I say something like that?
I’ll be right back, I’ll be � I’ll be right back

[HOOK]
Who can pluck us out His hands?
Not even a professional plucker
Who plucks for life to pluck the unpluckable
Rooted and grounded
Doctrinally sound when
Checking my options
It’s obviously that God wins
Repeat

[Spoken]
Do you enjoy fellowship with God?
Are you sensitive to sin?
Do you obey God’s Word?
Do you reject the evil world?
Do you eagerly await Christ’s return?
Do you see a decrease pattern of sin in your life?
Do you love other Christians?
Do you experience answered prayer?
Do you discern between truth and error?
Do you have the witness of the spirit?
Are you rejected or persecuted for your Faith?
Just a lil taste for your salvation man
Read the whole book of 1 John
Jesus Christ � Holla!

[VERSE]
Some people are truly tricked cause Satan’s got ‘em convinced
That they are saved when everyday they straddle the fence
But yet that’s nonsense for them I’m truly afraid
But those who mature can be assured that they’re truly saved
The Son who preexisted
Took on human flesh
Fulfilled the Father’s Commission
Lived a perfect life
Took the wrath of God
Spoke to the Father and said that it was finished
I’m done!

[HOOK]
Who can pluck us out His hands?
Not even a professional plucker
Who plucks for life to pluck the unpluckable
Rooted and grounded
Doctrinally sound when
Checking my options
It’s obviously that God wins
Repeat

Are we left here on our own?
Can you feel when your last breath is gone?
Night is weighing heavy now
Be quiet and wait for a voice that will say

Come awake
From sleep, arise
You were dead
You’ve come alive
Wake up wake up
Open your eyes
Climb from your grave
Into the light
Bring us back to life

You are not the only one
Who feels like the only one
Night soon will be lifted friend
Just be quiet and wait for the voice that will say

Come awake
From sleep, arise
You were dead
You’ve come alive
Wake up wake up
Open your eyes
Climb from your grave
Into the light
Bring us back to life

Rise, rise, rise, rise, rise

Rise, rise, rise, rise….
Shine, shine, Oh shine
We will shine
We will rise
We will shine, shine, shine