Naracoorte Presbyterian Church

Scripture Readings

• Isaiah 64
• Romand 3:9-31

Dear brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ

The doctrine of Divine Election is a stumbling block for those who do not believe. However, it is a glorious message to those whom God calls to Himself through the preaching of the Word. Through the Gospel message we hear of his grace and mercy in Jesus Christ.

Today marks the beginning of a series addressing the topic of Divine Election. It is our intention to thoughtfully present and interpret the relevant scriptural passages for the benefit of the congregation. I want to honour Him who has called us through Christ Jesus. I also want to assure a better understanding of the subject of all believers. I do not claim absolute completeness in my grasp of this profound doctrine. However, it is clear from my study of the Gospel that the Holy Spirit provides insight. No preacher can do that. When that happens, people experience transformative illumination. 

By the end of this series, we will understand something of what grace is. We will also understand why God needs to save us. We will understand more of God’s righteousness, but we will also understand how unworthy of grace we are. We will understand more of God’s justice. We will also understand what Jesus Christ has done for us to make us children of God.

May God give us this understanding – all to the glory and praise of his Name!

No neutrality – all have sinned

A well-known TV-evangelist recently complained about conservative theologians holding to the depravity of mankind.  He says sin is degrading man into nothing. To tell people they are sinners can harm their self-esteem. It is better to affirm their goodness but to emphasise that God is greater. This view suggests men are not inherently sinful and can improve themselves if they get some support. This sounds like Roman theology which teaches that God’s grace through Jesus does not save sinners. God’s grace only enables sinner to save themselves.

We need to warn against this fallacy.  It is not Biblical. It holds no hope for sinners born in sin. Their only hope is salvation, which is from God. He provides a perfect salvation. It is made in heaven before all time. It cannot fail. The author of it is the eternal God who showed his mercies in his Son Jesus Christ.

Both readings from the Word of God this morning point to one fact regarding the natural state of man. We are born in sin. Because of this, we fall short of the glory of God.

To understand this truth correctly implies that we are not born in a neutral state of innocence. We don’t go to hell if we disobey God. The root of our problem is deeper. We must distinguish between sins and sin. We are not born innocent. This leaves us without the choice to be good enough for God to receive us in heaven when we die. If we think this way, the cross of Christ is needless. The Bible is not a do-it-yourself manual to eternal life, and good works is not the channel of salvation. 

Sins are the fruit of the tree of sinfulness.  A fruit tree is not defined by bearing small or big fruit. Whether the fruit is small or big, like sins, does not change its nature. It is a fruit tree because its nature is to be one.  So is it with us: We cannot be less or more of a sinner. Committing small or big sins does not change this. God declares us sinners because we are born sinful. Even if we don’t commit really bad sins, we carry the seed of sin in our souls.  But God’s common grace is bigger than our sinfulness. All people benefit from His common grace. He provides us all with what we need to live. This includes food, water, and air to breathe. It also includes family, friends, talents, opportunities, and many other things we may consider human rights. But this common grace is not saving grace. Saving grace comes from God in Jesus Christ.

Some people believe we are inherently innocent and good. They find the doctrine of Divine Election most unfair. They accuse God of being unjust. They believe that the Bible teaches that God loves everyone on the face of the earth. They also believe He will save all because He is loving and full of grace.

One of the reformed confessions of the church is helpful.  It teaches this truth:

As all men have sinned in Adam, lie under the curse, and are deserving of eternal death, God would have done no injustice by leaving them all to perish and delivering them over to condemnation on account of sin, according to the words of the apostle: “that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.” (Rom 3:19). And: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Rom 3:23). And: “For the wages of sin is death.” (Rom 6:23).

From this statement we understand our condition in the eyes of God. The Bible is clear about it, and to argue otherwise implies that God is a liar. The Bible teaches in 1 John 1:

“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8, NIV)

Our sinful nature does not want to hear this message. We are angry with God. We acknowledge that we sometimes do wrong things. Therefore, we steer clear from the idea that without a Saviour outside ourselves, we are heading towards eternal condemnation. To be declared inherently sinful is an offence to our natural instinct. 

We want to maintain our innocence by appealing to our so-called free will. The truth is, we are like the fish in the ocean. We can only survive as long as we stay in the water. Similarly, we are trapped in sin. We argue we are free to determine our own destiny. However, we have to admit our freedom is limited. Like the fish, we can swim where we want. But we are ever bound by the deep the water of sinfulness!

There is a distinction between free will and responsibility. If we really had a free will God becomes the beggar who begs us to receive His grace. He then depends on my grace to allow Him into my life. God does not depend on us.  We are the beggars. He comes to us with grace and helplessly and humbly we receive forgiveness. If we reject this offer, we have squandered grace and will be held accountable. That’s is our responsibility. When I am drowning in the deep ocean, the rescue chopper hovers over me with the life ropes. My choices are very limited. It is a matter of life and death. I grab the rope, hang on to it and am hoisted to safety. Once I find myself in the safety of the chopper, I can’t boast about my own efforts. I can only thank those who made the effort to save me from drowning.

God rescues us from the destruction of sin. This deed of God is called grace. God had all the right in Himself to leave us to drown in our sin. Despite this, He who is holy stooped into this unholy and unworthy world. He rescued us even though we were his enemy.

Grace and salvation

This then takes us to the next chapter in redemptive history. 

“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.” (1 John 4:9)

““For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)..

Did you hear the “but”? This word introduces a watershed in the history of the world. The picture is this:  man in his sinfulness is headlong on his way to destruction and eternal misery. But, he runs into a blood-stained cross planted on Calvary’s hill. There God did something no one on earth will ever understand. Unbelievers think the dying Saviour of that cross is utter foolishness. Believers kneel at the cross in utter amazement and awe. “Why O God, why such love to me?”

What a great privilege I have to once again proclaim the gospel of Good News. It is that old, old story of God’s love. You know it, because you have heard it a thousand times.

This Gospel puts an end to our protestations about our sinfulness. It silences those who accuse God of unfairness. There was a day it seemed God acted unfairly. That day was when He did not hear the plea of His own Son on the cross. His Son cried out, “Why have Thou forsaken Me?” He, the sinless one, took upon Himself the sins of those who couldn’t do anything for themselves. He willingly received the curse of God upon sinner – to save them from the wrath of God!

The Bible tells me so

Jesus loves me, yes I know, for the Bible tells me so. Listen:

God mercifully sends messengers of these most joyful tidings. He sends them to whom He will, and at what time He pleases. Through their ministry, men are called to repentance and faith in Christ crucified. “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent?” (Rom 10:14-15).

The gospel is the way by which God calls sinners.  And this Word is not like the word of man; it does not return to Him void. Through the ministry of the Word people are freely called to believe. Once again, the Word this morning is like the call of Isaiah:

“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. (Isaiah 55:1-2)

This Word is powerful and effective—like a hammer breaking rock or a double-edged sword dividing soul from spirit. It judges thoughts and attitudes, and nothing is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to who we must give account (Heb 4:12-13). Through the work of the Holy Spirit, the Gospel is effective—better than medicine for the dying. 

It is our Christian duty to share this message with all people.cIt is the only way to God. We must pray, go, and provide support to spread the Word. It is the only hope for a perishing world. Post-modernism philosophies teach otherwise. They maintain that there is no absolute truth. It accuses Christians of fundamentalism and arrogance. This is because we dare to believe that Christ is the only way to God. Its cry is that everyone is free to believe a god of their choosing. It attacks the authority of the Word of God. It is an insult to our Redeemer. It is a disgrace to Him who gave His life thereby taking the wrath of God. There is no other way to satisfy the righteousness of God.

But there is something about this Word we also need to keep in mind.  Not all hear it and believe it.  Some hear it and shut their ears.  Some hear about Christ and his salvation and instead of accepting it, they stumble over it. Why? Because not all are predestined to eternal life. Why?  It remains the prerogative of God to soften the hearts of those He wants to be saved.

What does it mean then? Does it mean that God will see that those He predestined for eternal life will get to heaven, even if we do not proclaim this Good News of Jesus Christ?  No!  On the contrary. God does not depend on us to have His work done on earth. Yet, He sends His children out to proclaim the Word. He includes us in His work, which angels would desire to do. If we don’t do it, we will be held accountable for being lazy. But always keep this in mind, we are nothing more than sowers; It is God who makes it grow.

Faith required

There rests an obligation, yes, responsibility, upon those who here this Gospel to believe it. 

The wrath of God abides upon those who do not believe this gospel. God delivers those who receive it. When they embrace Jesus as their Savior by a true and living faith they are saved from the wrath of God. They are saved from destruction. God gives the gift of eternal life to them.

Two things then: upon everyone who hears this gospel of good news, there is an obligation. They must repent, turn to God, and accept the offer of free grace. Those who hear and do not repent will hear the same words of grace. These words will be pronounced as the charge against them for treading the blood of Christ underfoot.

Accept and embrace the Saviour, and you are freed from God’s wrath and destruction. Eternal life is granted not by your own efforts, but as a gift.

Conclusion

Listen once again to the Good News of the Gospel as it is written down in Romans 3:

But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Rom 3:21-24)

It is both my privilege and my duty to ask you today: do you believe this Gospel?

May God give you his grace.  AMEN.

Sermon by Rev D.Rudi Schwartz