Spoken Word no. 230
“It’s not for everyone”
Brian Kocourek, Pastor
March 6th, 2011
This morning I would
like to take three scriptures for our text. If you will open your Bibles first
to St. Matthew
chapter 7 and
we will read first from verses:13-14 “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destructions,
and many there be which go in thereat:
Because strait is the gate, and
narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”
And then if you will skip ahead to Matthew
22:14 For
many are called, but few are chosen.
And finally turn with me to the book of Galatians
4: 27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that
bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate
hath many more children than she which hath an husband.
May the Lord add his blessing to the reading of His
Word.
Let us pray… Dear
Heavenly Father, we have read from Thy Holy Word this morning wherein You have
shown us that This Message that You came down to deliver to us, is not for many
but for the few in number. And as it was in the days of Noah wherein only 8
souls were saved so too is it supposed to be in this hour when You, the Son of
Man, the prophet God, have come down to reveal yourself. Help us Father to be
in that small number. Help us to live our lives in respect and reverence to the
fact that you have singled us out to hear and to believe. And we thank you in advance for your great
mercy and kindness that you have shown to us in opening our eyes, for we ask
these things in the precious name of Your Loving Son, under whose Blood we
live, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.
In reading from brother
Branham’s sermon, the Spoken Word is the original Seed, we hear him say in
paragraph 153
Let me say this not sacrilegious, but let
me say that about the message that I'm preaching: If God don't vindicate this to be the Truth, then it's not;
but if the Word vindicates I'm telling
you the Truth, then believe the Word. They are what testify of whether I'm
telling the Truth or not. They are the testimony; They testify for the ministry
He gave me. He promised this in the last days. Here it is. He said what it
would do. Here it is. We're going right into it now. You see whether it's the
Truth or not. Let God do the testifying.
If the works, the things that I'm
preaching don't testify back that it's the Truth, then it's not the Truth;
but if the Word speaks of this, and here
it is, then what are you going to do about it?
154
Jesus said, "I
know you; you think you know Moses. You might've known history of Moses, but
you don't know his God; for I was before Moses. I was the One that talked to
Moses. I'm the I AM; I'm the Word." They couldn't see it,
'cause they're of their father the devil. Their
denominations wouldn't let them see it. That didn't stop the Word from going on just the same. It fell on some, and from that
come a bride in that generation.
And so we hear him tell us
that the seed that was sown only some fell where there was elect that would
produce a bride for Christ.
Now, in order to get a
better understanding of this from the Scriptures, let’s turn to the Gospel of
Mark and chapter 4.
Mark 4:1 And
he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a
great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the
whole multitude was by the sea on the land. 2 And he
taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine,
3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:
4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and
devoured it up. 5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and
immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: 6 But
when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered
away. 7 And some
fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no
fruit. 8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and
increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred. 9 And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear,
let him hear. 10 And when he was alone, they that
were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable. 11 And
he said unto them, Unto you it is given
to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all
these things are done in parables: 12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive;
and hearing they may hear, and not
understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins
should be forgiven them. 13 And he said unto them,
Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables? 14 The sower soweth the Word.
15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown;
but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately,
and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. 16 And
these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately
receive it with gladness; 17 And have no root in
themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or
persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended. 18 And these are they which are sown among thorns;
such as hear the word, 19 And the cares of this
world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering
in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. 20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word,
and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and
some an hundred.
Now, notice that
plenty of seed, or Word has been sown. William Branham prophet of God went
around the world many times with his gift of healing to attract the people to
the Word, and then he preached 1200 sermons and those sermons circled the globe
as well. Still they do not believe. So God raised up a teacher, brother Vayle,
and he sowed 1200 sermons that have gone around the world and still they do not
believe. Then God raised up an apostle and sent him forth to water the
doctrinal seed to the ministers face to face, nearly 3,000 of them, and there
are nearly 1200 sermons of his that have gone around the world, and yet they
still do not believe. Now there may be others, perhaps an Evangelist who has
done the same thing somewhere, but this is the scenario that I see, and yet
they still do not believe. So God must hew down the number, because many are
called but few are chosen.
So the seed that has
been sown, has been sown plenty, but some
fell by the way side, some fell on
the path and was trodden under foot, some
fell on the hardened earth and the lack of moisture or Holy Spirit dried it out
and it shriveled up and died. But there was still some that fell onto fertile soil, the truly heart felt, repentant
Christian, who was open to the Doctrine, and it is producing a Bride for Jesus
Christ.
And that is exactly the parable that Jesus Spoke of in
Luke 13:22 And
he went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward
1 Peter 3:20
Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God
waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
Strait
is the gate 59-0301M P:80 Say, "Brother Branham, you say only
eight souls would be saved?" I
don't know how many will be saved; I couldn't tell you. But I'll say one
thing: they'll be so few in a day like
this. Just think, in that day where He was at, how many was saved. Think of
the day of Noah, and the day of
Court
trial 64-0412 P:29 Like we
claim to be saved. They say, "Well,
show me how you're saved." My
life proves I'm saved. The way I act
proves whether I'm saved or not. No matter how much I testify, about a year
you'll know how I live, whether I'm saved or not. Same way it is by healing. If
you accept it and believe it, you're going to act like it. There's going to be such a change in you, there's nothing can take it
out of your mind, no more than your salvation. It's God's Word. You've got
to accept it on the same basis. By faith
you are saved. Jesus said to the woman that touched His garment, He said,
"Thy faith has saved thee."
Now, I'm not a scholar by a long ways, but I have looked up a few words. Now,
that word there comes from the Greek word, "sozo," which means "saved--just like materially saved, or
spiritually saved." You're saved, sozo. He saved her from a premature
grave, just the same as He saves you from hell. Sozo, the same Greek word is
used. Notice, "Thy
faith has (sozo) saved thee from the sickness that you had."
Notice, same word every time.
Now, listen brothers
and sisters, all of
Now remember, God has promised
in His Word that He has an Election, ones that He has predestinated before the
foundations of the world to His Glory, His Doxa, His opinion, His Values, and
His Judgments. And that is whose going to be saved from the wrath of man, and
the end-time destruction.
And as for His
election, there's not enough power in hell that could keep God’s elect from
coming to this Light. And there is not enough power in hell to save those who
are not in God’s election either. But that
doesn’t take away from what God has already done, nor does it take away from
what God is in the process of doing right now.
God will manifest
Himself just the same, and His plan will be completed right on time.
Look, God has come
down in this hour with a Shout which is a Message, and how many of the world
received Him? Huh? The whole world has been given their chance, but they wouldn't
receive it. This Message was not done in a corner.
Jesus said: "Straight is the gate
that leads to life, broad is the way to destruction, and many there be go in,
and few there'll be, that'll be saved. He also said, “As it was in the
days of Noah, and in the days of
The Apostle Paul said in Rom. 11:33 "O the depths of the
riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments,
and his ways past finding out".
And in the book of Jonah 2:9 we
read, "Salvation is of the Lord"; but the Lord doesn’t save all. So why not? Why few
there be that find it as we read for our text? Why Few? Now, we know the lord
does save some. Then if he saves some,
why not others? Is it because they are too sinful and depraved? No; that
thinking is contrary to Scripture which tells us, "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all
acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I
am chief" as we see in 1 Timothy.
1:15. Therefore, if God saved the "chief"
of sinners, then none are excluded because of their depravity. Why then would not
God save all, then? Is it because some are too stony hearted to be won? No;
because of the most stony hearted people of all it is written, that God will
yet "take the stony heart out of their flesh,
and will give them a heart of flesh" as we see in Ezekiel 11:19.
Then is it because some are so stubborn, so immoveable,
so defiant that God is unable to woo them to himself? Before we answer this
question let’s ask another.
Was there ever a time when you walked in
the counsel of the ungodly, stood in the way of sinners, sat in the seat of the
scorners? Was there ever a time when you "wouldn’t come to
Christ that you might have life”? Was there ever a time when you ran
from God and wouldn’t obey His calling? Perhaps with shame in your face you’ve
acknowledged there was a time when you ran as hard as you could from the call
of God. But how is it that all of that has changed? What was it that brought
you from haughtiness and self-sufficiency to a humbleness and obedience, from
one that was at variance with God to one that is at peace with him, from
lawlessness to subjection, from hate to love? What happened? Was it your own
free will that decided enough was enough? Or was it the loving hand of Jehovah?
As one who is born of the Spirit, you will most likely
reply, "By the grace of God I am what I
am" as Paul also said in 1 Corinthians
15:10. Then do you not see that it is due to no lack of power in
God, nor to his refusal to coerce man, that others rebel and are not saved as
you have been saved? If God was able to subdue your will and win your heart,
and that without interfering with your moral responsibility, then is he not
able to do the same for others? Most certainly He is. Then how inconsistent,
how illogical, how foolish of those in seeking to account for the present
course of the wicked and their ultimate fate, would argue that God is unable to
save them, or that they will not let him. Do you think, "But
the time came when I was willing, willing to receive Christ as my Saviour?"
well, that may be true, but it was the Lord who made you willing as we see in Philippians
2:13 which says, For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. And
if it is God in you making you to will and to do, then 14 Do all things
without murmurings and disputings: 15 That ye may
be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a
crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
Well, then you might ask the question, why
then does he not make all sinners willing? Why, but for the fact that
He is sovereign and does as He pleases!
So why is it that all are not saved, particularly all
who hear the Gospel? Not because the majority refuses to believe? I mean that
is only partly true. It is the truth from the human side. But we can not leave
out the Divine side either. And this Divine
side of the truth needs to be stressed or we rob God of his glory. The unsaved
are lost because they refuse to believe; the others are saved because they
believe. But why, do these others believe? What is it that causes them to put
their trust in Christ? Is it because they are more intelligent than their
fellows, and quicker to discern their need of salvation?
Forget that thought The Apostle Paul gave that thought
a death blow when he said in, 1 Corinthians 4:7 "Who maketh thee to differ from another? And what hast thou
that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory,
as if thou hadst not received it?". It is God himself who makes
the difference between the elect and the non-elect, for of his own it is
written in 1 John 5:20 "And we know that the
Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him
that is true".
Faith is God's gift, and yet according to Paul in 2 Thessalonians 3:2 "all men have not faith"; therefore, we see
that God does not bestow this gift upon everyone. Upon whom then does he bestow
this saving favor? And the answer is, upon his own elect. In Acts 13:48 we
read, “As
many as were ordained to eternal life believed" And again in Titus 1:1
we read of "the faith of God's elect".
But is God then partial in His distribution of his favors? Well, let me ask
you, has He not a right to be partial? Did not Jesus tell us in Matthew 20:15 "Is
it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own?".
You see, we should never forget that God is sovereign in all things, and especially
in the bestowment of his gifts, both in the natural and in the spiritual
realms.
What I would like for you to
see this morning is that 1. God is Sovereign in Salvation.
Perhaps the one scripture which most emphatically
asserts the absolute sovereignty of God in connection with his determining the
destiny of his creatures, is the Romans 9:21-23
— "hath not the potter power over the clay of
the same lump, to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor? What
if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with
much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he
might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had
afore prepared unto glory?"
This speaks of mankind as inert and as impotent as a
lump of lifeless clay. This scripture tells us that there is "no difference", in themselves, between
the elect and the non-elect: they are clay of "the same
lump", which agrees with Eph.
2:3, where we are told, that all are by nature "children of wrath." It teaches us that the
ultimate destiny of every individual is decided by the will of God, and blessed
it is that such be the case; if it were left to our wills, the ultimate
destination of us all would be the Lake of Fire. It declares that God does make
a difference in our respective destinations to which He assigns His creatures,
for one vessel is made "unto honor and another
unto dishonor"; some are "vessels
of wrath fitted to destruction", others are "vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto
glory."
We readily acknowledge that it is very humbling to the
proud heart to behold all mankind in the hand of God as simply clay in a
potter's hand, yet this is precisely how the Scriptures of Truth represent the
case. In this day of human boasting, intellectual pride, and the deification of
man, we need to all understand that the potter forms his vessels for himself. Man
may strive with his Maker and think he is getting away with it, but the fact
remains that he is nothing more than clay in the heavenly Potter's hands, and
while we know that God will deal justly with his creatures, we also know as
Abraham said, Shall
not the Judge of all the earth will do right, yet nevertheless, God
shapes his vessels for his own purpose and according to his own pleasure. And God
claims the indisputable right to do as He wills with his own.
Not only has God the right to do as he wills with the
creatures of his own hands, but he also exercises this right, and nowhere is
that seen more plainly than in his predestinating grace. Before the foundation
of the world God made a choice, a selection, an election. Before his omniscient
mind stood all of Adam's race, and from what He saw in His mind, He singled out a people and predestinated
them "unto
the adoption of children", And He predestinated them "to be conformed to the image of his Son", And
He "ordained” them unto eternal
life.
In Acts 13:48 we read, "As many as were ordained to eternal life,
believed". And yet it seems that every imagination of mans ingenuity
has been employed to try and defuse this scripture and to explain away the
obvious meaning of these words, but man’s reasoning have been in vain,
But let’s face it, Paul told us in 1 Corinthians 2:
that unless we have the same spirit as the author of this Book, we will never
understand what is in it. 5 That your faith
should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. 6 Howbeit we speak wisdom
among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the
princes of this world, that come to nought: 7 But we
speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God
ordained before the world unto our glory: 8 Which
none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not
have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But as it is
written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart
of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the
Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11 For
what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him?
even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12 Now
we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God;
that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13 Which
things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which
the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But
the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are
foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is
judged of no man. 16 For
who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the
mind of Christ.
Now, as the scripture plainly tells us that we are
predestinated unto the adoption of sons, and according to genesis 1:11 there is
a law or reproduction that says every seed must bring forth after its kind.
Now, did you know that even science itself has come to
the conclusion that even our decision that we make are not made in our mind, or
brain, but are part of our makeup of who we are?
I have a couple films I want to show you on Wednesday
night that will prove scientifically that God placed in you a genetic make up
that you are predestinated beings, and even your decisions are made before your
brain can go through the motions of choosing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufkrJkVqems&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6S9OidmNZM
So again the Scriptures declare "As many as were
ordained to eternal life, believed." Here we learn four things:
First, that
believing is the consequence and not the cause of God's decree. In other words,
it is something that we do as a result of what God first does. He reveals thus
we believe. How could you believe if you did not know what to believe? How
could you believe what you can not understand? So God gives you his spirit and
thus you understand and thus you believe.
Second, we
must understand that there are only a limited number that are "ordained to eternal life", because the
Scripture says, " As many as” were
ordained to eternal life, believed." And the words as many as
is a qualification.
Third, that
this "ordiained to life" is not
a mere external privilege but is to "eternal life",
and not to service but to salvation itself.
Fourth, that
all "as many
as", means not one less than what God ordains, but those who are thus ordained by God to eternal
life will most certainly believe.
The Apostle Paul also said in Romans 11:5-6 "Even
so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election
of grace. And if by grace, then it is no more of works: otherwise grace is no
more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is
no more work". The words "Even
so" at the beginning of this quotation refer us to the previous
verse where we are told, "I have reserved to
myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal."
Notice the word "reserved. That Paul used" In the days of Elijah
there were seven thousand, a small minority, who were divinely preserved from
idolatry and brought to the knowledge of the true God.
This preservation and illumination was not from
anything in themselves, but solely by God's special influence and involvement. This
shows God’s favor for such individuals to be thus "reserved" or set
aside by God! And just as there was a "remnant"
in Elijah's days "reserved by God",
even so there is in this age.
He said, "A remnant according to the election of grace."
Here we see that the cause of election is traced back to its source. The basis
upon which God elected this "remnant"
was not their faith that God had foreseen in them, because a choice founded
upon foresight of good works is just as much on the ground of works as any
choice can be, and in such a case, it would not be "of grace"; for, the apostle Paul said,,
"if by grace, then it is no more of works:
otherwise grace is no more grace"; which means that grace and
works are opposites, they have nothing in common, and will no more mingle than
will oil and water. And this same
Apostle said in Romans 9:16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him
that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
Thus the idea of inherent good foreseen in those
chosen, or of anything meritorious performed by them, is excluded. "A remnant according to the
election of grace"; signifies an unconditional choice
resulting from the sovereign favor of God; in a word, it is absolutely a
gratuitous election.
In 1 Cor. 1:26-29 The apostle Paul says, "For ye see your
calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty,
not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world
to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to
confound the things which are mighty: and base things of the world, and things
which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to
nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence".
Three times over in this passage reference is made to
God's choice, and choice necessarily supposes a selection, the taking of some
and the leaving of others. The chooser
here is God himself, as the Lord
Jesus said to the apostles in John 15:16,
"Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you".
The number chosen is strictly defined "not many wise men after the flesh, not many noble", etc., which agrees with Matt. 20:16, "So
the last shall be first, and the first last; for many be called, but few chosen." The fact is
that God's choice; mark the objects of his choice. And if you will notice how
God chooses. The Scripture tells us, "the weak
things of the world, base things of the world, and things which are despised."
But why does God choose this way? I believe it is to demonstrate his Grace and to
magnify his grace. We know that God's ways and his thoughts are utterly contrary
with man's ways and thoughts. Men make their selections based on rank,
intelligence, education, and experience, as well as influence, culture and
wealth. But not so with God.
We are told in His Word as we see in Luke 16:15 "that
which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God".
God chooses the base things. He did so in Old Testament times. The nation which
he singled out to be the depository of his holy Law and Word and the channel
through which His promised seed would come, was not the ancient Egyptians, the
imposing Babylonians, nor the highly civilized and cultured Greeks.
No; that people upon whom Jehovah set his love and
regarded as "the apple of his eye",
were the despised, nomadic Hebrews. So it was when our Lord dwelt among men. The
ones whom he took into favor and intimacy and commissioned to go forth as his
ambassadors, were, for the most part, uneducated fishermen. And so it has been
ever since. Look at William Branham, what did he have, an eighth grade
education? And why do you think that the cultured and educated ministered had
such a hard time accepting him? Why do you think they had such a hard time
accepting John the Baptist? Well, so it is today: at the present pace there
will be more poor black brothers from Africa that believe the doctrine of
Christ that William Branham taught than there will be in all of Europe, the
Americas, and Oceanus combined. But that is God's choice, and the reason for the selection he has made is, "that no flesh should glory in his presence" Therefore
being that there will be nothing whatever in the objects of his choice which
should entitle them to his special favors, then, therefore, all the praise will
be freely ascribed to the exceeding riches of his manifold grace.
The Apostle Paul said in Ephesians 1 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ:
According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that
we should be holy and without blame before him; In love having predestinated us
unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good
pleasure of his will ... In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being
predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the
counsel of his own will".
Notice we are told at what point in time, or actually
before time when God made His choice of those who were to be His children by
Jesus Christ. It was not after Adam had fallen and plunged his race into sin
and wretchedness, but long before Adam was even on the earth, even before the
world itself was framed, that God chose us in Christ. Here then we learn the
purpose for which God had before in connection with his own elect: it was that
they "should be holy and without blame before
him"; and it was "unto the
adoption of children"; and it was that they should "obtain an
inheritance".
All this purposed and planned before any of us even
was brought forth into material form. Then we can also see here the motive
which prompted him. It was "in love that he predestinated us unto the adoption of
children by Jesus Christ to himself" Now, this statement refutes the wicked charge
that, for God to decide the eternal destiny of his creatures before they are even
born, is tyrannical and unjust. Not so, says the Scriptures. It tells us God
did all this in Love. The Scriptures inform us here that in this decision God
took counsel with none, but that we are "predestinated according to the good pleasure of
his own will.”
So Paul tells us in 2 Thessalonians 2:13 "But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you,
brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to
salvation through sanctification the Spirit and belief of the truth".
And in conclusion I would like to bring out three things here which deserve our
attention.
First, is the
fact that we are told that God's elect are "chosen
to salvation." God’s Wording could not be any more clear. It is
to "salvation" itself that God hath chosen us.
Second, we are warned here that salvation is reached through
"sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the
truth." It isn’t true that because God chose certain ones to
salvation that they will be saved willy nilly, whether they believe or not: nowhere
does scripture speak any such thing. The same God who planned out and
predestined our end, also appointed the means whereby we will be saved. The
same God who "chose us unto salvation", decreed that his
purpose should, be realized through the work of the
Spirit and belief of the truth. So when we read in Philippians 2: 13 For it is God which
worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Third, that
God has chosen us unto salvation is a profound cause for fervent praise. Note
how strongly the apostle Paul expresses this when he says, "we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren
beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to
salvation". Instead of
shrinking in horror from the doctrine of predestination, the believer, when he
sees this blessed truth as it is unfolded in the Word, discovers a ground for
gratitude and thanksgiving such as nothing else affords, save the unspeakable
gift of the Redeemer himself.
And he also says in 2
Timothy 1:9, "Who hath saved us, and
called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according, to
his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world
began". How plain and
pointed is the language of God’s Word. It would be impossible to state the case
more clearly, or strongly, than it is stated here. Our salvation is not "according to our works"; that is to say, it
is not due to anything in us, nor the rewarding of anything from us; instead,
it is the result of God's own "purpose and grace"; and this grace was given
us in Christ Jesus before the world began. It is by grace we
are saved, and in the purpose of God this grace was bestowed
upon us not only before we saw the light, not only before Adam's fall, but even
before that far distant "beginning"
of Gen. 1:1. And here lies the irrefutable
comfort of God's elect. If God’s choice has been from eternity it will last to
eternity! "Nothing can survive to eternity but
what came from eternity, and therefore what has so come, will always be". Let us bow our
heads in prayer…