Sovereign God, Sinful Man & Salvation

Transcript

GRM 949
1/15/2006
Sovereign God, Sinful Man and Salvation
Selected Verses
Gil Rugh


We continue the subject that we were talking about regarding the sovereignty of God and particularly as God’s sovereignty relates to His work of salvation. And we laid a couple of foundational matters that you have to have a biblical perspective on, or the rest will not hold together. The first was on the character of God, the fact that He is totally sovereign and works all things for His glory and honor. And He alone is worthy of all the glory and honor belongs to Him as God.

Secondly we noted the condition of man, and this is absolutely essential also. Mankind is dead in sin, all men are dead in sin. That means they are separated from God and they are not just separated from God, but they are the enemies of God, they opposed to God, they are enslaved to their sin—dead in sin, enslaved to sin. And as such they are condemnation and on their way to an eternal hell. If we went no further and God sentenced the whole human race to hell, He would be just and righteous. He is under no obligation to save anyone. If He were under obligation to save anyone, then salvation would not be of mercy and grace. We’ll be looking into some of this in a moment. So the fact that salvation is a matter of His grace and mercy means it is undeserved, unmerited. He is not obligated. So we must agree that since God is sovereign, His character is established in the Word of God and we are sinners, and we are all accountable to God, responsible to Him and will be judged by Him. If He would sentence all to hell we would have to say that was just, because the wages of sin is death. And we see that as we move a little bit further.

I want to talk a little bit with you now about how the sovereign God, and we didn’t go into all of His attributes and things that are true of His character like His holiness and righteousness and so on, but how does a God who is sovereign and who is holy and righteous deal with fallen humanity. How does He bring salvation to a fallen, sinful people, and apply that salvation in a way that is consistent with His justice. He cannot just declare everyone is okay and we’ll forget it, because that would not be just, that would not be consistent with His character. The penalty for sin will have to be paid. We’re aware He has provided His Son, Jesus Christ, to suffer and die. Now the question is, how does the work of Christ get applied to the individual? We say, well, through faith. Correct. But how does it come that the sinner who is separated from God, dead in his sin, enslaved to his sin, the one who does not seek God, because Romans 3 quoting the Old Testament said there is none who seeks after God. And in Romans 3:18, there is none who fears God among fallen sinners. So we have this chasm and as I mentioned this morning I want you to keep in mind, and I hope to remember to repeat it—everyone who wants to be saved, by God’s grace can be saved. So don’t get lost in the emotions of this, thinking what about those poor people who want to be saved but can’t be saved? There are no such people like that. How do I know? The Bible tells me so. Little song, Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Well how do I know there is no one who loves God, who is seeking after God, or desires His salvation but cannot have it? The Bible tells me so. And we have the gracious invitations of scripture that whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. And Jesus said, come unto me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. So the invitation is there, the opportunity is there in that sense. But yet sinful man will not have it.

We mentioned the word election and noted it is a biblical word. Everyone who believes the Bible has to believe in election. Somebody will say I don’t believe the doctrine of election. Well that’s like saying I don’t believe the Bible, because the word election is used in its various forms some 50 times in the New Testament. You have to believe in election. Now you may not believe in election the way that somebody else believes in it. Your understanding of what the Bible says about the teaching on election may differ from someone else. So you believe in election but you believe it this way. The word election is simply a word that means to call out, to select out, to choose, and often translated to choose.

So it is a biblical fact. Let me pick out a couple of verses. Go to I Thessalonians 1:4, and this is in the context of Paul offering thanks to God. Verse 2, we give thanks to God always for you. Verse 3, constantly bearing in mind your work of faith, labor of love, steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, the presence of our God and Father, knowing brethren, beloved by God, His election of you. His choice of you. And there’s our word election,…. His choice of you.

Turn over to Timothy, just after Thessalonians. We’ll go to II Timothy 2:10, Paul says for this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen. Again another form of the word elect, … the chosen. That they may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory. I am enduring everything I endure, this is Paul’s last letter, remember, so that those that God has chosen can come to the salvation that is found in Jesus Christ.

Keep going toward the back of your Bible, we’re going to go back to Peter, because this will lead us into the next aspect of this. I Peter 1:1, to those who reside as aliens scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, Bithynia, who are chosen. That’s the way my translation has it. You’ll note the word chosen in that verse. Who are elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. So the fact of election is clear, and there are a number of other verses we could look at, we don’t need to pursue that. The Bible clearly refers to those who are the elect. We’ll see some of these verses when we read them for another point I want to make. Now here Peter says they are elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, unto the obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling with His blood. What is the basis or foundation of our election? God has exercised His choice in choosing from among sinful human beings some for salvation. He writes to the elect, to the chosen. Here he says they are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God. Now as we noted this morning, some take this to mean God looked ahead in time and saw who would hear the gospel and respond in faith, and on that basis He chose them. He chose according to His foreknowledge, knowing ahead of time who would believe when given the opportunity.

Before we proceed on that, let me just note something, and we’ll see in the time of election this happened before the creation of the world. We’ll look at that in a moment. But even if God made His choice on the basis of foreknowledge, the fact is the choice has been made. Now in time it is still a settled matter. So if you believe what the Bible says that God chose, and as we’ll see He chose before the foundation of the world, even if you believe the basis of His choice was His foreknowledge, the fact is, the matter is settled now that we are living in time. Right? I can’t change my mind. Sometimes people argue for election on the basis of foreknowledge as though that makes it all open and we all have a choice today in the open sense of total freedom. Can’t be if God has made His choice on the basis, even if it’s on the basis of foreknowledge. In time it is still settled. So in that sense there is no difference between a Calvinist and an Arminian who believes in election by foreknowledge. Because the fact is, if God foreknew that you would believe and chose you on that basis, that is still settled tonight. That’s not going to change, no matter how I persuade you. It is a settled fact. That’s why some have gone to what I’ve talked to you about open theism. They say I don’t like that so I want to do away with all prior choice on God’s part so that we do have total freedom to act. But then you have to redo the scripture in unbiblical ways.

Elect according to the foreknowledge of God. Peter is writing literally to the elect of the dispersion. He’s writing to Jews who have become believers, so they are part of the dispersion, the Jews as they have been dispersed through the world. Those who have been chosen of God and have come to salvation, according to the foreknowledge of God. Part of the problem is, people don’t go back to the background for this and find out what does foreknowledge mean when it’s used of God. We think as human beings, if I foreknow something I know something ahead of time. Somebody is going to have a surprise birthday part for a family member and they talk to me about it and invite me. I have foreknowledge of that, I know it ahead of time. We sometimes think that’s what happens with God—He just looked ahead down the corridors of time and saw what would happen, so He has foreknowledge, knowledge beforehand. But if we go to the Old Testament, that’s not the way this word is used of God.

Come back to the Old Testament, to the book of Exodus 2. Some of you were in my first hour session and we covered some of this, but we didn’t the second hour. In case you think maybe I’m losing it and forgot that I did this. Exodus 2:25, note this context. Verse 24, and the context is Israel has been in bondage in Egypt for 400 years, God is preparing to deliver them under the leadership of Moses. And so Exodus 2:24, so God heard their groaning and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Now that doesn’t mean that God have forgotten it, now He remember it because He hears them groaning. It just means God remembered it, now He’s ready to act on it and to bring about its further fulfillment. God saw the sons of Israel and took notice of them. Many of you probably have a little marginal note in front of the word took in verse 25. You have a little #1 and when you look in the margin at 25, #1, literally knew them. It’s the Hebrew word to know. God saw the sons of Israel and God knew them. Again it’s not that this is something new, like we meet somebody that we went to high school with and we say you look familiar, I think I know you. No, God knew them. These are those who are the object of His special affection and attention. They are the ones He has chosen for Himself. That’s a clear idea in many of the uses of the word to know in the Old Testament. All the way back in the early chapters of Genesis, Adam knew his wife and she conceived. We all understand that, it denotes the intimacy of that marital union. So here God has placed His special love and favor on Israel, and it easily blends. To make them the object of His love and affection is to make them the object of His choice. Because those we place as our special objects of affection and attention, we also choose them for ourselves. So these two ideas become part and parcel of the word.

Go back to the back part of your Old Testament, to the book of Amos. Go through the major prophets—Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos. Amos 3:2, you only have I chosen. Again this is a verse that even in some of your New American Standard translations you may have some variation. You only have I chosen among all the families of the earth. God speaking of Israel. And again that word chosen, it’s the word to know. You only have I known among all the families of the earth. What does that mean? God is omniscient. You mean He didn’t know about Babylon? He didn’t know about Assyria? He didn’t know about Persia? He didn’t about any other nation? He only knew about Israel? Nobody understands it that way. That’s why it’s translated here, you only have I chosen. And that gives you the idea. But if they had used the word to know, it might have helped prepare us for the New Testament usage of the word knowledge and know when it’s used of God. You only have I known among all the families of the earth, you’re the only nation among all the nations that I have placed my special love and favor on. You’re the only nation I have chosen to belong to me in a special way.

So you come over to Romans 11:1. In Romans 11 Paul is talking about Israel, you remember, in Romans 9-11. And he says in Romans 11:1, I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? Referring to Israel. May it never be. For I, too, am an Israelite, a descendent of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. What do you mean? These are the people that God has chosen for Himself, these are the people that God has placed His love upon, that they belong to Him. He hasn’t rejected them. In fact, He can’t reject them.

Look down while you’re in this chapter. Verse 5, in the same way there is also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice. That’s literally a remnant according to an election of grace, an election of grace. But if it is by grace it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace. God’s choosing of the nation Israel was never on the basis of looking ahead into time and seeing what they would do. Otherwise His choice of them would have been on the basis of what? Works, right? He looked ahead and saw what they would do and chose them on that basis. No, it’s an election of grace. If it’s by grace, verse 6, it can’t be on the basis of works, otherwise grace wouldn’t be grace. Because grace by definition includes all works. What then? What Israel is seeking it has not obtained, but those who were elect obtained it. The rest were hardened. We’ll talk about that contrast in a little bit.

Jump down to verse 28 of the chapter. From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake. In other words, right now Israel is in the position of being the enemy of God, because God’s attention in salvation is now directed toward the Gentiles. But understand, from the standpoint of election, the word choice, election, they are beloved for the sake of the Fathers, for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Once God makes that sovereign choice, it cannot change. So there is still a blessed, glorious future for the nation Israel because of God’s sovereign choice. We say they don’t deserve it, they crucified their Messiah and they’ve been in rebellion against Him for thousands of years. Well He didn’t choose them because of their good deeds. We’ll talk about why He did choose them, but this passage made clear He didn’t choose them on the basis of their good deeds, He chose them on the basis of mercy and grace. So it can’t be He just had foreknowledge in looking ahead in time and saying here’s a nation that will respond positively to me. Here’s a nation that will be obedient to my word when I give it to them. No, then it would have been on the basis of what they did, and it wouldn’t have been an election of grace.

Okay, so when we talk about foreknowledge, we are not talking about God just knowing something ahead of time. We are talking about God determining something ahead of time, God choosing someone because He has chosen to love them in a special way, in a unique way.

Come back to the book of Acts 2. You know New Testament writers like Peter, like Paul saturated with the Old Testament used this language coming out of their Old Testament background and they don’t feel, now, we have to go on a digression to explain foreknowledge here as it’s used of God. Here in Acts 2, the first sermon on the Day of Pentecost, Peter talks about the foreknowledge of God. Look at Acts 2:23, this man, referring to Christ, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God. And the grammatical construction here indicates that the second noun, the foreknowledge of God, refers to the same thing as the first, the predetermined plan. So when you talk about God’s foreknowledge, you are talking about something that is very similar to His predetermined plan. His foreknowledge is chosen to settle His love on Israel. He has chosen to settle His love and affection on His Son, He has ordained that His Son will go to the cross. But His foreknowledge is determinative. So to foreordain and foreknow become almost synonyms when they are used of God, because what God foreknows He foreordains, what God foreordains He foreknows. So it is not just a passive knowing something ahead of time as we would think of it when we’re talking about human beings, but it is something that is determinative and is in the context of His choosing and His plan and His love.

Well if God’s basis is not foreknowledge and simply knowing ahead what men would do, what is the basis of God’s election? Go to Ephesians 1, where we were earlier in our study today. And you can leave a marker here, we’re going to come back in a moment and chase another point. Basically the foundation for election is God’s own purpose. The foundation of election is found in God’s own character. Look at verse 5, He predestined us to adoption as sons through Christ to Himself, Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will. Or literally, according to His good pleasure. This is the way He pleased to do it. Look at verse 9, He made known to us the mystery of His will according to His kind intention, or literally according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Him. This was His good pleasure, what He determined He would do. Verse 11, also we have obtained an inheritance, having predestined according to His purpose, who works all things after the counsel of His will. In other words, He did it because He wanted to do it. I don’t have any better explanation than that. And remember, no one can challenge Him as to why He has done what He has done. He is answerable to no one. You know, if you ask your children a question, why did you do that? They say well I guess I just wanted to. That’s not good enough, I want more of an answer than that. But if my children ask me, why did you do it? I may say because I wanted to, and that is good enough. Why? They owe me an explanation, I don’t owe them an explanation. That’s why we started out with God is sovereign. I am accountable to Him, He is not accountable to me. So why did you do it this way, God? Because I wanted to. I would like more explanation. And God’s response is what? I don’t owe you an explanation, I am not accountable to you. It is enough for you to know that’s the way I wanted to do it, it was my good pleasure to do it. That sounds somewhat arbitrary. That’s not arbitrary in the negative sense of the word because God always acts consistently with His character. But He does everything after the counsel of His own will. So that’s the root foundational cause.

Back up to Romans 9. This will get us close to what our next point is going to be. But here Paul is unfolding God’s purpose and plan and work in election, and how He works. We just want to jump down, verse 10, not only this, but there was Rebecca also. When she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac, though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad so that God’s purpose according to election would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls, it was said to her, the older will serve the younger. And Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated. Now you’ll note here, it wasn’t according to foreknowledge, because it was not on the basis of their works. Verse 11, the twins were not yet born, had not done anything good or bad so that God’s purpose according to election would stand, not because of works. If He had chosen them on the basis of what He knew ahead of time they would do, it would have been on the basis of their actions. That’s the very thing that Paul says could not have happened, that the choice is in Himself. So He chose them, not on the basis of their actions. And He couldn’t choose them on the basis of their actions because both their actions would have been sinful.

And while we’re here, the natural question comes, after you get done with verses12-13, especially verse 13, Jacob I have loved and Esau I have hated. That’s not fair, that’s not just. Verse 14, what shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? …. may it never be. Such a thought is inconceivable, that’s not even a possibility. I say, I don’t think it’s fair. Well, then you don’t think rightly, because there can’t be any injustice with God. And yet without taking into consideration what Esau would do and what Jacob would do, God said I love Jacob, I hate Esau. We say, that just can’t be fair. Next verse, for He says to Moses, now note this. I will have mercy on whom I have mercy. I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. You understand, election is in the context of mercy. Neither Jacob nor Esau deserved God’s favor, they were both sinful beings. So to speak that’s not fair, you are implying what? If one gets mercy, they both deserve mercy. Says who? Now you’re saying mercy can be deserved. Then mercy will no longer be mercy. Grace can be deserved. Than grace will no longer be grace. The fact that He chose to put His mercy on Jacob and chose not to put His mercy on Esau is His choice. But the very fact that it was mercy that Jacob received, indicates that he didn’t deserve it. So we need to be careful that we have the picture and go back and remind ourselves. We are dealing with sinful, human beings. Nobody deserves anything but judgment. No one deserves anything but condemnation. No one deserves anything but hell. So if that’s what everyone gets, justice will have been served. Now should God choose to demonstrate mercy, well if He’s going to show mercy to anyone He has to demonstrate it to everyone. That’s fair. Says who? I mean you show special attention and do special things for your kids. I’m probably not in your will. That’s not fair! Well why isn’t it? Well, your kids don’t deserve it, that’s right. I don’t deserve it, that’s right. So since we both don’t deserve it you ought to give it to us all, right? Wrong. We just don’t function that way, right? We may say everybody is undeserving, but I choose to do this. Somebody walks up and gives the person sitting next to you a check for $1 million. You say that’s not fair. Why? It’s my money, I want to give it to them. Well if you give it to them, you have to give it to me. Why? Neither one of you deserved it. But if you do one, you have to do the other. Somehow we want to put God in the kind of situations we won’t even function in or see as necessary or required.

Verse 15 is crucial, we’re talking about God having mercy, and if it’s by mercy it is undeserved. Jacob didn’t deserve to be loved by God, to have God put His love on him. Neither did Esau, so you have the two undeserving people. God counseled within Himself and determined He would put His love on Jacob, but not on Esau. Well since neither one deserved it, the amazing thing is Jacob was loved by God. The amazing thing is not that Esau was hated by God as a fallen, sinful being, the amazing thing is that God would love Jacob. But that’s mercy. In John 15:16 Jesus said to His disciples, you did not choose me, I chose you. So there you see the sovereignty of God. Their response to Christ was a result of His action.

All right let me move on and we’ll overlap on some of this and hopefully pull it together. When did election occur? This helps clear the air on some things, I hope. We were in Ephesians 1, so just back to Ephesians 1. I could have read it before but I wanted to keep it a little bit distinct. When did election occur? Ephesians 1:4, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world. So election occurred before Genesis 1:1. Now you may say, even an Arminian says I believe election was on the basis of God looking ahead in the future, as I mentioned at the beginning, the fact is the choice has been made. It’s done. It is settled now in time, because He chose us before the foundation of the world.

Turn to II Thessalonians 2:13, but we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation, through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. God’s sovereign work of election also includes the means as well as the end. He has chosen us for salvation and that means we will experience the special sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit who sets us apart to believe the truth. That happens from the beginning. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, well before the foundation of the world, so you get from the beginning. We can mark time as we know it. We have been chosen.

Come to Revelation 17. All the way at the end of our Bibles, the book of Revelation. Now this is a very important verse in this whole matter. They are all important, but this I think you have to deal with. One of the recent books that was done attacking the biblical doctrine of election and Calvinism, I worked through line by line and word by word. I don’t believe Revelation 17:8 was anywhere in the book. Revelation 17:8, the beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction. Now note this, and those who dwell on the earth whose name has not been written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world will wonder when they see the beast, that he was, and is not, and will come. Refers here to people whose name was not in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world. Well that fits, doesn’t it? Because God chose us before the foundation of the world. And so the names of the chosen were in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world. So the song, “There’s a New Name Written Down in Glory, and it’s Mine” isn’t theologically accurate. There are no new names written down in glory. There are names revealed that are written in glory, for us when we come to believe.

Turn over to Revelation 20 in case we misunderstand what we’re talking about here, the Book of Life. Look Revelation 20:15, if anyone’s name was not found written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. That’s the second death, the lake of fire, verse 14 says. That’s hell. There are people whose name has not been in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world. Those whose names are not in the Book of Life are going to hell.

Back up to Revelation 13:8, talking about in the tribulation context, of course in these passages in Revelation, unbelievers on earth during that 7-year period. Verse 8, all who dwell on the earth will worship him, worship the antichrist, whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the Book of Life of the Lamb who has been slain. People’s names not there. You say this is discouraging. I mean now what do I do? I do what God has told me to do, do what we read that Paul does when he wrote to Timothy. What? I do all things for the sake of the elect that they may come to the knowledge of God. I know when I preach the gospel, I know when I encourage people to believe, respond to the gospel, I know that only the elect are going to respond. Because it takes a special supernatural work of God to bring that about.

For now we just note—it’s been settled before the creation of the world and the names are in the Book of Life. And the names that aren’t there won’t be there. That doesn’t make me fatalistic. I live with the tension. I’m not God, God is God. I’m not required to understand everything, I can’t. I’m finite, He’s infinite. Talking this morning with some—you realize this won’t all be resolved for me in a hundred billion years. We say oh I’ll get to heaven, it will all be clear. A lot more will be clear to me, but you understand in a hundred billion years I’ll still be learning and growing because I will never exhaust the knowledge of the infinite God. I will always be a finite, created being. When I get my glorified body doesn’t mean I become God and know everything. So we don’t all of a sudden get glorified and now we are in a static position of full knowledge. We’ll have greater knowledge than we’ve ever had, but in a hundred billion years I’ll still be learning about the infinite God, and multiply that out endlessly and I’m at a point my mind can’t grasp. I am a finite being, I just can’t even conceive of such a thing. And certain things God has revealed are in tension to me. Man is responsible and accountable and as Paul did, he said, we beg you in Christ, please be reconciled to God. Why are you begging people, Paul? Their name is either in the Book of Life or it is not, they are either elect or not. I do what God has told me to do and I’m begging you, be reconciled to God. Even though I know that in God’s sovereign plan it will take His work to draw people to Christ. My role is to be His instrument, so I become all things to all men that I might by some means save some. You don’t save anyone, but God does it through me. So I live with that tension.

And people always want to fall off. You have the hyperCalvinists who think you don’t have to do anything, God will save who He wants to save when He wants to save them. Let God do His business and we’ll just go on. Or you go on the other side and say well God can’t be sovereign and it can’t be His electing decision, so it depends on us and man’s free will. No. I have to say I live with this tension in my theology and sometimes I think I understand it a lot more clearly, and other times it seems I’m losing ground. The fact is, it’s true. I am responsible and accountable. It is true, no one is going to go to hell who wants to be saved. And salvation is offered to all, but men will not believe.

Let me make another point here, the justice of election, that I referred to earlier. I want to make a further point. Go to Hebrews 2. Everybody thinks it’s not fair that God would choose and then one person has written extensively that you can’t really love God if it’s His choice, because you have to be totally free to love. That’s just not so. You know originally I didn’t love Marilyn. You know what she did? She worked on me. And pretty soon I loved her and out of all the women trying to get me to love them, Marilyn won. Some think she lost. No, we all do that, right? There are people you develop an interest in and they may not be interested in you. So you start to do things to show them special attention, you do special things, and you draw out a love in them. Right? Pretty soon a relationship is established. Somehow we think if God is doing that on me, that’s not right because it won’t be genuine love. I genuinely love Him, but you know I didn’t initiate the love. You know who did? We love Him because He first loved us. Isn’t that what the Bible says? We love Him because He first loved us. So He was the initiator, and He acted in such a way to draw us to Himself and the experience of His love that resulted in our loving Him. So this irritates people today. I read this book which I’ve read a couple of times—oh well it’s a denial of love and you can’t really love God unless you’re totally free in that sense. Even in the human realm it’s not the way love operates. In the divine realm God operates the way He does.

Look at Hebrews 2:14, therefore since the children share in flesh and blood, those He was going to redeem, He Himself likewise partook of the same that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. So He could save people. But note this, for assuredly He does not give help to angles, but He gives help to the descendent of Abraham. Therefore He had to be made like His brethren in all things so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God to make propitiation for the sins of the people. You know what? Among the angels that God created there was a whole host of angels who rebelled against God and sinned. And you know what? They’re going to spend eternity in the hell that was prepared for the devil and his angels. And God never made provision for them to be saved. That sinful act condemned them for all eternity. Assuredly He does not give help to angels because Jesus Christ did not become an angel and suffer and die for angels, so that He could be a merciful high priest on behalf of angels. There is no Savior provided for angels because God is not obligated to provide a Savior for sinful beings. He is only obligated, consistent with His character, to mete out justice. And He will. Hell has been prepared for the devil and His angels and all those who have joined the angels in their rebellion against God will join the angels in hell, apart from the redemption of God.

So Hebrews 2 is crucial to understand God is not obligated to save anyone. It’s back on the point we were looking at in Romans 9 and 11. It’s on the basis of mercy and grace. He’s not obligated. We ought to be in awe and amazed that God would save sinful beings like us, because the angels that dwelt in His presence in heaven, when they rebelled, that did it forever. There is no place of forgiveness for them. There is no one to make propitiation for their sins, to satisfy the demands of God’s justice in paying the penalty. You say, well that’s not fair. If you think God is obligated to save people, you have trouble with the God you have because He is not going to save angels who sinned. They are personal beings who exercise their will and rebellion against God and for that they will go to hell for eternity. Why did He choose to provide salvation for human beings who rebelled and sinned? I don’t know, other than He decided He would do it. Could he have done otherwise, could there have been another plan? I’m not God, I can’t come up with Plan B or C for what God could have done. I don’t know. All I’m obligated to know is what He has revealed and submit to it. And that’s true for you as well.

So the issue comes, not can He be just in condemning sinners to hell; the issue is can He be just in saving sinners from hell. That’s the problem that has to be dealt with. And so what we have is we have all humanity in sin. We saw that in the condition of man. There is none righteous, not even one. The wages of sin is death—all are justly condemned by God. He’s not obligated to save anyone. No one wants to be saved, no one desires to be saved, no one seeks after God on His own initiative. There is none who seeks for God. But God sovereignly determined before He created the world that from among sinful human beings He was going to place His love and affection in a special way on certain ones and choose them for Himself. And ordain in time, through the Savior that He would provide, that His Spirit would draw them to faith in this Savior and through the work of the Savior being applied to them, they would be forgiven.

God is attacked in the book I referred to, that if He doesn’t save everyone He could, He is a terrible God. Now we have God being placed in a position that if He doesn’t save everyone He can save, He hasn’t done what’s right. Which means what? There is some element of deserving salvation, and so God is obligated to save everyone He could save. And if He could save everyone, He must save everyone, and if He doesn’t He’s a terrible God. Doesn’t it seem to you like we are in a position that we have no right to be in? Telling God what He has to do. Does God have to save everyone He could save? If I have $1 billion in the bank, do I have to pay the debts of everyone that I could pay? I’d like to think that was so if I’m not the billionaire, but someone else is. But no. But if that billionaire chooses to pay someone’s debt, that’s mercy. He’s not obligated to pay anyone’s debt. And so it’s mercy if he paid anyone’s debt. Could you say if he didn’t pay everyone’s he could have paid, it wasn’t right. He didn’t do what he was obligated to do. What kind of thinking is that?

That’s what we’re saying about God. God doesn’t save everyone He could. We say well, God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to life. Right. Men perish, not because God wills, but because they will. Because remember, men perish because they’re sinners, and they’re not sinners because of God’s choice. They’re sinners by their own choice. They’re sinners by birth, they’re sinners by choice. He offers them salvation, they will not have it. So from among those who have rejected Him, want nothing to do with Him, refuse to seek Him, He chooses some for salvation.

Well, what about those who never hear the gospel? Were they give a fair shake, a fair chance? Well Romans 1 says yes, because has revealed Himself in creation, and in creation there is enough revelation to reveal that all men respond negatively. I read commentators and they say, well if someone does respond positively to the revelation of creation, God will send them a missionary so they can be saved. Read Romans 1. No one every responds positively on their own to the revelation of creation. That’s why the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against men, because they suppress the truth in unrighteousness. All that happens is, when you move beyond the revelation of creation, the special revelation, the revelation of the gospel, men are further condemned. Because greater light brings greater responsibility. There will be fairness in judgment. Those who have never heard the gospel will be judged according to the light of the revelation they had. They’re still going to hell, but there will be greater judgment, more severe punishment for those who had greater light and rejected the greater light. Jesus said to the cities of His day, it would be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah than for you, because you have greater light—the one who is present with you. Making God known in a fuller and clearer way than was ever made known to Sodom and Gomorrah. No doubt the people of Sodom and Gomorrah are doomed to an eternal hell, but you are worse off because you incurred a stricter judgment. So there will be distinctions in judgment.

We need to be careful in talking about what God is obligated to do. And if God doesn’t do this, He’s not a loving God, He’s not a kind God, He hasn’t done what He should do. He’s obligated to save everyone He can save. He is obligated to no one, and He owes no one anything. And all He’s obligated to do is to mete out justice and judgment. But He is also a God of love and mercy, and He could dispense that according to His character and according to His will. But there is no obligation on God. That’s why we ought to constantly be humbled as we consider, why did God save you? Look around. What a wretched group we are. Why are we saved? Why did we receive mercy? Why should God save you? Why should God save me? That’s the amazing thing. Doesn’t amaze me that people are going to hell, it amazes me that anyone is going to heaven and that God in His infinite wisdom conceived and set forth a plan that would enable Him to act consistently with His character in righteously forgiving sinful people who deserve hell. That is amazing. That’s what we ought to be in awe about. We say, well what about my kids? What if not all my kids are elect? This is a terrible situation. Shall not the judge of all the earth do right? He will. I don’t know, I can’t speak to that. What can I say? I don’t know who is saved and who is not. God has placed these kids in my home, and by His grace He saved me, and I take it He placed them in our home and gave them an exposure to the glorious truth of Christ that some will never have. And given me a passionate desire for their salvation. So I pray for them, I try to model godliness for them. I encourage them to believe, I beg them to be reconciled to God. I try as long as I have the authority to expose them to truth in every setting. I am amazed at some people who don’t care whether they bring their children to every opportunity to hear the Word of God. They don’t care where they’re going to spend eternity? They’re indifferent? Doesn’t matter, I’d rather go and do something else than have them come and be in a setting where people who have prayed for them and are teaching them the Word of God. I want them to be like Timothy who learned the Word of God from his mother and his grandmother. Evidently didn’t get saved until he was a young man under Paul’s ministry. But Paul would say from a child you learned the Holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise to salvation. I mean it’s in God’s hands. I’m glad it doesn’t depend on me. I might have been watching television when I should have been witnessing to them. I don’t want that to be an excuse, but I want to know their eternal destiny. I will be accountable for my faithfulness, and I’m glad that I can entrust this to the God who will do what is right. It will be in His hands. Where better to be? But I will do everything I can as Paul did. I’m willing to endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they might come to the salvation in Christ. That’s to be our attitude. Lord, whatever it is, however you can use me, whatever it will be, I’ll be willing to do that. I want to be used. But it’s in God’s hands, He’s sovereign, and it is all by mercy and grace.

I sometimes wonder, have we forgotten. Turn to Titus and we’ll end with this. Titus 3, it starts out, remind them. And then verse 3, for we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasure, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. But when the kindness of God our Savior, and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy. By the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, which He poured out upon us richly through Christ our Savior. So that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Do you have those words underlined? Verse 4, kindness, love; middle of verse 5, mercy; verse 7, grace. We can’t forget what we were. It’s been God’s grace, we were all lost without hope. By God’s grace He chose to save us. I have no good explanation for it. It was a decision He made within Himself, not based on anything in any of us, and we will be trophies of His grace as Ephesians says, for all eternity.

Let’s pray together. Thank you, Lord, for your grace. Thank you for the salvation we have in Christ. Father, much of it goes beyond what we could understand. But Lord we are in awe, first of who you are—the wonder of your character. And Lord we are just as dumbfounded when we consider our lost condition, our hopelessness, our uselessness, our worthlessness, as those who were in rebellion against you, who had rejected you, the living God. And then that you would intervene and provide a Savior and then reach in to those lost sinners who didn’t want your salvation, who didn’t want your love, and bring them to yourself. Lord, I pray we will never cease to be amazed at the greatness of grace. I pray that you will give us a passion for our children, for our parents, for our loved ones, for our neighbors, for our friends, that they, too, might have the privilege of hearing the glorious gospel. And that you might draw those of your choosing to salvation in Christ. We pray in His name. Amen.