In this episode, listeners are invited to explore the complexities of God’s foreknowledge, the doctrine of predestination, and the expansive reach of His call to salvation. Adrian Rogers masterfully explains the interconnectedness of these theological principles using vivid illustrations and biblical references. Through this poignant sermon, discover the transformational impact of being justified by faith and the joy of being assured of one’s place in the divine family, destined to be like Jesus.
ADRIAN ROGERS WAS A MOTIVATOR, AN ENCOURAGER, AND A LEADER OF THE FAITH. HE WAS ALSO PASSIONATE ABOUT PRESENTING SCRIPTURAL APPLICATION TO EVERYDAY LIFE CIRCUMSTANCES, AND YOU’LL HEAR THAT IN TODAY’S MESSAGE. NOW, LET’S JOIN ADRIAN ROGERS.
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HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN A DEPARTMENT STORE AND SEEN A LITTLE BOY? HE’LL PROBABLY BE 7, 8 YEARS OF AGE. IT WON’T BE A LITTLE GIRL, PROBABLY A LITTLE BOY. AND HE’LL BE FACING THE DOWN ESCALATOR, AND HE WANTS TO SEE IF HE CAN RUN UP THE DOWN ESCALATOR. HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A CHILD DO THAT? A BOY DO THAT? IF YOU’RE A BOY, YOU’VE PROBABLY TRIED IT. TO GO UP THE DOWN ESCALATOR, AND IS ALWAYS COMING DOWN FASTER THAN HE CAN GO UP, AND HE MAKES A LITTLE PROGRESS, AND THEN HE GOES BACKWARD, MAKES A LITTLE MORE, AND FINALLY HE ENDS UP AT THE BOTTOM. NOW THAT DOWN ESCALATOR, THAT’S THE OLD NATURE. THAT’S AGAINST US. THAT DOWNWARD PULL. BUT YOU SEE, LISTEN, WHEN YOU’RE TRYING TO SAVE YOURSELF, RUN THE RACE. YOU’RE ALWAYS LOSING BECAUSE YOUR NATURE IS GOING DOWN FASTER THAN YOUR GOOD INTENTIONS ARE GOING UP. DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT? THAT, YOU CANNOT BE SAVED BY SELF-EFFORT. TO TRY TO BE SAVED BY SELF-EFFORT IS GOING UP THE DOWN ESCALATOR WHEN YOU’RE A LITTLE GUY, AND YOU JUST CAN’T MAKE IT. THANK GOD FOR THE GRACE OF GOD, AND THAT’S WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT, AND YOU’LL BE FINDING ROMANS CHAPTER 8, AND IN JUST A MOMENT WE’RE GOING TO LOOK IN VERSE 28. NOW WHAT I WANT TO TALK TO YOU TODAY ABOUT IS ASSURANCE. THE TITLE OF THE MESSAGE, YOU CAN BE SURE. NOW TOO MANY OF US HAVE A MAYBE SO, HOPE SO, THINK SO SALVATION, AND YOU’LL NEVER, NEVER BE A VICTORIOUS CHRISTIAN YOU WILL NEVER EVER HAVE VICTORY. YOU WILL NEVER EVER HAVE MEANINGFUL SERVICE UNTIL FIRST OF ALL YOU HAVE THE ROCK RIBBED ASSURANCE OF YOUR SALVATION. TOO MANY CHRISTIANS ARE LIKE QUESTION MARKS WITH THEIR HEAD ALL BENT OVER WHEN THEY OUGHT TO BE LIKE EXCLAMATION POINTS. TOO MANY CHRISTIANS ARE DOUBTING CHRISTIANS WHEN THEY OUGHT TO BE SHOUTING CHRISTIANS. TOO MANY CHRISTIANS ARE SAYING, WELL, MAYBE I’M SAVED, I HOPE I’M SAVED, WHEN THEY OUGHT TO BE SAYING, PRAISE GOD, I KNOW I’M SAVED, I’M HEAVEN-BORN, AND I’M HEAVEN-BOUND. NOW LOOK IN VERSE 28, AND NOTICE HOW VERSE 28 BEGINS. AND THAT’S THE THEME OF WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT HERE, AND WE KNOW. AND WE KNOW. NO. NOW HERE’S SOME THINGS THAT PAUL IS NOT MAKING A SURMIZING ABOUT. THIS IS NOT CONJECTION. THIS IS NOT THEORY. PAUL SAYS, I WANT TO TELL YOU WHAT WE KNOW. I WANT TO TELL YOU HOW WE CAN BE ABSOLUTELY Sure. We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, who are the called according to His purpose for, and this verse just builds on verse 28, for whom He did foreknow, that is whom God did foreknow. He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son that He, that is God’s Son, might be the firstborn among children Many brethren, that is, he might be the older brother to a great big family. And moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called. And whom he called, them he also justified. And whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we say then to these things? If God be for us, who can justify? BE AGAINST US. NOW I WANT TO GIVE YOU FIVE FOUNDATION STONES THAT YOU CAN STAND ON, AND TOGETHER THEY MAKE A WONDERFUL FOUNDATION FOR YOUR ASSURANCE. THESE WORDS, NOW THEY MAY SOUND TECHNICAL, AND THEY MAY SOUND TOO THEOLOGICAL, BUT DON’T CHECK ME OUT. LOOK AT THEM RIGHT NOW, BEGINNING IN VERSE 29, UNDERSCORE THE WORD, FOR KNOW. FOR WHOM HE DID FOR KNOW. HE DID ALSO PREDESTINATE. UNDERSCORE THE WORD PREDESTINATE. to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called, underscore the word called, and whom he called, them he also UNDERSCORE THE WORD JUSTIFIED. AND WHOM HE JUSTIFIED, THEM HE ALSO GLORIFIED. NOW YOU HAVE IT. YOU HAVE FIVE WORDS. AND IT’S UPON THESE FIVE WORDS THAT WE’RE GOING TO THINK ABOUT THE BASIS OF OUR ASSURANCE TODAY. AND YOU, WHEN YOU SEE THESE THINGS, OH, THE LOVE THAT DREW SALVATION’S PLAN. OH, THE GRACE THAT BROUGHT IT DOWN TO MAN. OH, THE MIGHTY GULF THAT GOD DID SPEND AT CALVARY. NOW, LET’S LOOK AT THESE FIVE WORDS RIGHT NOW. AND THE VERY FIRST OF THESE TELLS US WHAT WE CAN BE SURE OF. FRIEND, YOU CAN BE SURE OF GOD’S FOREKNOWLEDGE OF YOUR SALVATION. LOOK AT IT IN VERSE 29, FOR WHOM HE DID FOREKNOW. NOW, THIS WORD FOREKNOWLEDGE IS THE GREEK WORD PROGONOSKO. I knew you were waiting a long time to hear that, and I know you’re eminently blessed after you’ve heard that prognosco. But what it just simply means is to know ahead of time. A prognosco. OUR ENGLISH WORD PROGNOSIS COMES FROM THIS WORD. IT MEANS TO LOOK OUT INTO THE FUTURE AND KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN. GOD FOREKNOWS EVERYTHING. NOW WE USE THE WORD TODAY, PROGNOSIS. A DOCTOR WILL EXAMINE YOU AND HE WILL TELL YOU WHAT YOUR STATE OF HEALTH IS GOING TO BE. WE CALL THAT A PROGNOSIS. I HEARD ABOUT A MAN WHO WENT TO THE DOCTOR AND THE DOCTOR SAID, I’VE GOT SOME VERY BAD NEWS FOR YOU. YOU’VE GOT A YEAR TO LIVE. AND THEN HE HANDED THE MAN A BILL FOR $5,000. A MAN SAID, I CAN’T PAY THAT BILL. THE DOCTOR SAID, I’LL GIVE YOU ANOTHER YEAR. NOW SOMETIMES THE DOCTOR’S PROGNOSIS IS NOT ALWAYS VERY ACCURATE BECAUSE THE DOCTOR’S PROGNOSIS IS BASED UPON HIS TRAINING AND IT IS AN EDUCATED GUESS. GOD NEVER GUESSES AT ANYTHING. GOD KNOWS THE FUTURE. GOD SEES THE FUTURE, THE PRESENT, AND THE PAST ALL AS ONE. We don’t understand that because we’re humans and we’re limited by time and space. God is not. God is above time and space. So God knows everything. God can’t learn anything. God can’t forget anything. God is never surprised. And God saw you accepting Jesus Christ before you ever accepted Him. And before this world was swung into space, God saw you getting saved. Now, you see, God already knows everything’s going to happen. NOW THE REASON THAT’S DIFFICULT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND IS BECAUSE WE’RE HUMANS AND WE THINK IN FINITE TERMS. IT’S LIKE A LITTLE BOY WATCHING A PARADE THROUGH A KNOT HOLE. HE SEES THE FLOATS AS THEY GO PAST AND ONLY WHAT COMES THROUGH THE KNOT HOLE OF HIS PERSPECTIVE. NOW SUPPOSE SOMEBODY WERE TO SEE THAT LITTLE GUY WATCHING THE PARADE THROUGH THE KNOT HOLE And they pick him up and take him to the top of a ten-story building and say, son, you can see better from there. And there, the little guy sees the parade making up down here. He sees the parade dispersing down here. And he sees everything in between. He has a different vantage. Now, that’s a very poor illustration because he can still only see so far God can see. ALL THE WAY, AND GOD SEES ALL THE TIME. BUT SEE, GOD SEES FROM ETERNITY. WE LIVE IN TIME. SO WHAT TAKES PLACE TO US SEQUENTIALLY IN TIME IS KNOWN THE BEGINNING TO THE END, AND, AND THE BIBLE SAYS, KNOWN UNTO THE LORD ARE ALL HIS WORKS FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE AGE. GOD JUST KNOWS IT ALL. AND SO GOD FORNEW. GOD SAW YOU GETTING SAVED. GOD SAW A BOY DOWN IN WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA, HE’S KIND OF A MEAN KID, SKIPPING SCHOOL, CHEATING IN CLASS, TAKING GOD’S NAME IN VAIN, GETTING IN FIGHTS, He wasn’t a very nice little boy. BUT GOD SAW THAT BOY HEARING THE GOSPEL, REPENTING OF HIS SIN, TRUSTING JESUS CHRIST AS HIS PERSONAL SAVIOR AND LORD. AND GOD SAW THAT BOY DOING THAT BEFORE THE WORLD WAS EVER FORMED. THAT BOY’S NAME WAS ADRIAN. NOW, GOD SAW THAT. GOD SAW ME GETTING SAVED. NOW, YOU SEE, GOD DOESN’T LEARN ANYTHING. YOU CAN’T TEACH GOD ANYTHING BECAUSE GOD ALREADY KNOWS EVERYTHING. AND, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE’S SOME PEOPLE WHO WONDER WHETHER OR NOT THEY ARE THE ELECT. Well, does God just simply choose some people to be saved and other people not to be saved? No. Who are the elect? Well, listen to 1 Peter 1 verse 2. The Bible says there that we are elect according to the foreknowledge of God. Let me just help you for a moment. The elect are the whosoever wills. THE ELECT OR THE WHOSOEVER WILLS. UH, WHEN A PERSON RECEIVES JESUS CHRIST AS HIS PERSONAL LORD AND SAVIOR, HE IS THE ELECT. NOW, A PART OF OUR PROBLEM IS THAT WE THINK IF GOD ALREADY KNOWS WHO’S GOING TO BE SAVED, UH, THEN IT IS SETTLED AND THAT WE DON’T HAVE ANY CHOICE ABOUT THE MATTER. NO, GOD KNOWS THE CHOICE THAT WE’RE GOING TO MAKE, BUT IT IS STILL OUR CHOICE. HERE’S WHERE THE PROBLEM COMES, WE TRY TO PUT GOD IN A BOX. AND YOU CAN’T PUT GOD IN A BOX. WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD? Who hath been his counselor? Do you think that you can understand things as God can understand things? And so here’s a box and we say, well, God foreknows everything and therefore we don’t have any choice. Well, if you try to put God in that box, man’s free will, man’s choice will jump out of that box. Well, then, on the other hand, if you put God in a box and you say, well, God doesn’t have anything to do with it, God can’t know it ahead of time, and God doesn’t have any electing progress, it’s all what man does, then the sovereignty of God will jump out of that box. You just can’t put God in a box. And Jesus said in John chapter 6, All that the Father hath given me shall come to me, and him that cometh unto me I’ll in no wise cast out. FRIEND, YOU CAN BE SURE THAT EVERYBODY THAT GOD KNOWS IS GOING TO BE SAVED, WILL BE SAVED, AND THEY’RE GOING TO COME TO JESUS, AND JESUS WILL NOT REFUSE HIM, BUT RECEIVE HIM. NOW, YOU SAY, PASTOR, YOU KNOW, I REALLY DON’T UNDERSTAND THAT. WELL, I’M GLAD TO KNOW THERE’S SOME THINGS ABOUT GOD THAT YOU CAN’T UNDERSTAND AND I CAN’T UNDERSTAND. GOD IS GOD. BUT I WANT TO TELL YOU THIS, FRIEND, GOD KNOWS THE FUTURE BEFORE THE FUTURE EVER HAPPENS, AND GOD FORESAW YOU GETTING SAVED, AND YOU KNOW THAT HE ALREADY KNOWS THAT AHEAD OF TIME. To foreknow does not mean to cause to happen. Some people think that if God foreknows it, then God makes it happen. No, no, no, no. Let me ask you a question. See if you disagree with this. Everything that’s going to happen eventually will. You disagree with that? You can’t disagree with that. Everything that is going to happen eventually will. I DON’T CARE WHETHER IT IS RAPE OR PRAISE OR MURDER OR MAYHEM OR A PICNIC OR MY SCRATCHING MY EAR. EVERYTHING THAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN EVENTUALLY WILL. NOW, WHEN IT HAPPENS, DOES THAT TAKE GOD BY SURPRISE? OF COURSE NOT. DOES THAT MEAN THAT BECAUSE GOD FORENEW THAT THERE WAS GOING TO BE BLASPHEMY OR RAPE THAT GOD CAUSED IT? OF COURSE NOT. Everything that’s going to happen eventually will, and God can’t learn anything. God knows everything. Agreed? BUT GOD GAVE YOU A CHOICE, AND GOD GAVE YOU A WILL, AND GOD KNOWS SIMPLY WHAT CHOICE YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE. NOW, THE ASTRONOMERS KNOW WHEN HALEY’S COMMON IS GOING TO APPEAR AGAIN. I DON’T, BUT THEY DO. NOW, DO YOU THINK BECAUSE THEY KNOW WHEN HALEY’S COMMON IS GOING TO APPEAR THAT THEY CAUSE IT TO APPEAR? OF COURSE NOT. YOU SEE, FOREKNOWLEDGE JUST SIMPLY MEANS THAT, FOREKNOWLEDGE. WHOM GOD FORE KNEW. GOD KNOWS YOU CAN BE SURE THAT GOD, AHEAD OF TIME, SAW YOUR SALVATION. NOW THAT, THAT’S A GREAT COMFORT, THAT, THAT YOU’RE NOT AN ACCIDENT, AN INCIDENT. GOD KNOWS AHEAD OF TIME. THAT’S THE REASON JESUS SAID, ALL THAT THE FATHER HATH GIVEN ME WILL COME TO ME. OF COURSE THEY WILL, BECAUSE EVERYTHING THAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN EVENTUALLY WILL. Now, here’s the second thing I want you to see. Not only can you be sure of God’s foreknowledge of your salvation, but you can be sure of your predestination to be like Jesus. Now, look at the Scripture again. Look at it. For whom He did foreknow, He did also predestinate. You know what some people think? They think that God predestined some people to go to hell and God predestined some people to go to heaven. No. He doesn’t say anything here about hell or heaven. It says that when God foreknows somebody, He predestines them to be like Jesus. It’s not looking backward to your salvation, it’s looking forward to your glorification. When God saw that kid in West Palm Beach giving his heart to Jesus Christ, God said, that one’s going to be like Jesus. I have settled it. I have predetermined it. It is done. He will be like Jesus Christ. That’s God’s eternal purpose. That’s Romans 8, 28. All things are working together for good, not to make you happy or holy or rich or wealthy or wise, but to make you like Jesus. You see, God’s purpose is that Jesus might be the firstborn among many brethren, and you are predestined to be like the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, some people think that some people are predestined to hell, and some people are predestined to heaven. WELL, LET ME SHOW YOU, FRIEND, THAT GOD DOESN’T PREDESTINE ANYBODY TO HELL. GOD DOESN’T WANT ANYBODY TO GO TO HELL. GOD, LISTEN TO ME, GOD WANTS EVERYBODY SAVED. GOD WANTS EVERYBODY SAVED. LET ME GIVE YOU SOME SCRIPTURE. II TIMOTHY 2, VERSES 3 AND 4, FOR THIS IS GOOD AND ACCEPTABLE IN THE SIGHT OF GOD OUR SAVIOR, WHO WILL HAVE ALL MEN TO BE SAVED. NOW SOME WOULD SAY ALL OF THE ELECT, BUT IT DOESN’T SAY THAT. IT JUST SAYS ALL. LET ME GIVE YOU ANOTHER SCRIPTURE, SECOND PETER THREE VERSE NINE, THE LORD IS NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH, BUT THAT ALL SHOULD COME TO REPENTANCE. YOU REMEMBER THERE IN, IN, IN MATTHEW 23, ABOUT VERSE 37, JESUS IS COMING DOWN OFF THE MOUNT OF OLIVES, ABOUT TO GO UP TO JERUSALEM THERE ON THAT PALM SUNDAY, AND THAT CROWD IS SAYING, HAIL HIM, HAIL HIM, HOSANNA! But he knows that in just a few days there will be bloody Calvary and that same group that’s saying hail him will be saying nail him. And Jesus is weeping, convulsing, great salty tears. And he’s saying, oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that stonest the prophets that are sent unto thee, how oft would I have gathered thee even as a hen doth her chicks beneath her wing, but ye would not. I would have. but ye wouldn’t. Now, folks, I want to submit to you that if He had said, I would have, but ye couldn’t, that whole thing would have been a great charade. I mean, why those tears? Why is Jesus weeping? What is all of that about when He said, I would have? But ye would not. If they couldn’t be. I mean, if it was all settled. If some were predestined to heaven and some were predestined to hell. One preacher said, if God predestined me to go to hell, I want to go to hell. Because anything that does what God made it to do is happy. I’d be happier in hell than I would be in heaven if God made me to go to hell. That’ll give you something to think about, won’t it? No. No, do you think that God, almighty God, fashioned a creature and said, I’m making this one to fling him into hell? The Lord is not willing that any should perish. Nobody’s predestined to go to hell. But I’ll tell you one thing, when you receive Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, you’re predestined to be like Jesus. That’s what it says. Whom He did foreknow them did He also predestinate to be conformed to the image of God’s Son. Now, you can be sure, therefore, that one day you’re going to be like the Lord Jesus Christ. And by the way, This is a great verse. If this were the only verse in the Bible that proved eternal security, it would be enough. I mean, listen. Do you know what predestined means? That means it’s done, it’s settled. I mean, Almighty God by His omniscience foreknew and by His omnipotence predestined. Now watch it. Do you think that what has been settled in heaven can be annulled in time, or on earth, or by humans, or by hell? Some people get the idea, well, you know, you got saved by your free will, you could get lost by your free will. No. Man, I could have my leg amputated by my free will, but I couldn’t have it put back on by my free will. Well, you say, but the devil could take you out of God’s hands. Oh, he could. You think that? And you’re still in God’s hands? Well, why hadn’t He taken you out? If He could. Don’t you know if He could, He would? And if He hasn’t, hasn’t He been nice to you? And now you’re going to heaven by the goodness of the devil. Isn’t that a strange doctrine? I mean, you think about it. No, He can’t do it. That’s why He hadn’t done it. He can’t do it. No, God says when you receive Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord, you are predestined. to be like Jesus. That’s wonderful news. Now, you can be sure, you can be sure of God’s foreknowledge of your salvation. You can be sure of your predestination to be just like the Lord Jesus Christ. I’ll tell you what else you can be sure of. You can be sure that God has called you to salvation. You know, some people get the idea that God calls some and God doesn’t call other people. No, I want to tell you, look in this passage of Scripture. The Bible says, For whom He did foreknow, them He did also predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He, God’s Son, might be the firstborn among many brethren. Now, verse 30, Moreover, whom He did predestinate, them He also called. And whom He called, them He also justified.” Now, what is the calling? How does God call you to be saved? Well, God calls you to be saved through the gospel. It’s the preaching of the gospel that is God’s call. Let me give you a scripture to put it down, II Thessalonians 2. Verses 13 and 14, But we are bound to give thanks all the way to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation. You say, I thought I chose Him. No, you only chose Him because He chose you. God hath chosen you to salvation. How did He do it? Watch it. Through sanctification of the Spirit and belief. OF THE TRUTH. THE HOLY SPIRIT BROUGHT YOU UNTO CONVICTION AND YOU BELIEVE THE TRUTH. THOSE WHO ARE THE CHOSEN ARE THOSE WHO BELIEVE THE TRUTH. NOW LISTEN TO IT. HOW DID YOU GET TO HEAR THE TRUTH? WHEREUNTO HE CALLED YOU BY OUR GOSPEL. PAUL SAID, THE WAY YOU WERE CALLED IS WHEN I PREACHED THE GOSPEL. NOW, I’M PREACHING THE GOSPEL TODAY. AND GOD IS CALLING YOU TO SALVATION. AND IT’S SUCH A WONDERFUL CALLING. BECAUSE, YOU SEE, IT’S NOT JUST A PREACHER PREACHING. IT’S THE SANCTIFICATION OF THE SPIRIT. I CAN’T OPEN BLIND EYES. A MAN NEEDS MORE THAN LIGHT TO SEE, HE NEEDS SIGHT. I CAN PREACH THE LIGHT, BUT GOD HAS TO GIVE THE SIGHT. HE NEEDS MORE THAN WORDS TO BE SAVED, HE NEEDS HEARING. AND GOD CAN MAKE THE BLIND TO SEE AND THE DEAF TO HEAR. AND SALVATION IS A MIRACLE THAT GOD WORKS WHEN THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST IS PREACHED. THEN THAT IS GOD CALLING PEOPLE. Now, some people have a doctrine that they call irresistible grace. That is, God only chooses some to be saved, and then when God calls an individual, they can’t help but come. Oh, yes, they can help but come. Stephen said, when he preached that message to those just before they stoned him, he said, you stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart, you do always resist the Holy Ghost, as did your fathers.” See, the Holy Spirit can be resisted. That’s the reason the Bible says, today if you’ll hear His voice, don’t harden your heart. God will be calling you today in this message. But you can say no to Him, or you can say yes to Him, and God is not going to override your will. You have the dubious privilege of saying no to Him. Now, He doesn’t want you to say no. He wants you to say yes. But if you don’t want Him, He’s not going to force Himself upon you. Listen to me. Forced love is a contradiction in terms. If you don’t choose to love God, it’s not love at all. God will woo you. God will incline your heart. God will open your understanding. But God wants you to love Him, and God will not force you to love Him. And there are not enough angels in heaven or out of heaven to drag you forward and cause you to confess your faith in Jesus Christ today if you stubbornly say no. C.S. Lewis was a brilliant man. C.S. Lewis said, all of life is made of two categories of persons. C.S. Lewis says that there are those who follow Satan, they’re like Satan. You remember over there in Isaiah chapter 14 where Satan is rebelling against God? Satan who was a glorious angel, Lucifer the son of the morning, became Satan, the father of the night, because he rebelled against God. And five times Lucifer says, I will, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the sides of the North. I will be like the Most High. I will, I will, I will, I will, I will. His own will against Almighty God’s will. What Lucifer was saying to God the Father was, not your will, mine be done. Now, there are a lot of people like that here today. They won’t give their hearts to Jesus. They’ll hear the gospel, but they’ll say, no, it’s my life. I’m going to live it. I’m not going to yield to His Lordship. I’m not going to submit myself to Him. Not your will, mine be done. Now, you may not articulate it that way. IT MAY BE MORE SUBCONSCIOUS, BUT THAT’S WHAT’S HAPPENING. NOW, LOUIS SAID, THERE’S ANOTHER CATEGORY OF PERSONS. THESE ARE THEY WHO SAY, AS JESUS SAID IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE, NOT MY WILL, BUT THINE BE DONE. SATAN, NOT THY WILL, MINE BE DONE. JESUS, NOT MY WILL, THINE BE DONE. NOW, I SUBMIT TO YOU, YOU’RE IN ONE OF THOSE TWO CATEGORIES, RIGHT? You’re in one of those two categories. You’re either saying yes to self and no to God, or no to self and yes to God, right? Okay, everybody’s in one of those two categories. Either you’re a follower of Satan, or you’re a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. And then Lewis said this penetratingly to the former group. Those who say with Satan, to Almighty God, not thy will, but mine be done. WHEN THAT MAN FINALLY DROPS INTO HELL, A BROKEN HEARTED GOD WILL SAY TO HIM, NOT MY WILL, BUT THINE BE DONE. DID YOU CATCH THAT? THE LORD IS NOT WILLING THAT HE GOES TO HELL. THE BIBLE SAYS THE LORD IS NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH, BUT THAT ALL SHOULD COME TO REPENTANCE. BUT JUST BECAUSE GOD IS NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH, DOES THAT MEAN THAT NONE WILL PERISH? NO, OF COURSE THEY WILL PERISH IF THEY SAY NO TO HIM. BUT YOU CAN BE SURE THAT GOD IS CALLING YOU. I WANT TO GIVE YOU A GREAT VERSE, AND I LOVE THIS VERSE. IT’S FOUND IN REVELATION. I WANT YOU TO LISTEN TO IT HERE, TALKING ABOUT GOD’S CALL TO SALVATION. LISTEN TO IT. Revelation 22, verse 17. And the Spirit and the Bride say come. Who is the Spirit? That’s the Holy Spirit. Who is the Bride? That’s the Church. The Holy Spirit and the Church is saying to you today, come on to Jesus and let Him that heareth say come. Friend, when you hear the Gospel, then you need to share it. Amen? Let him that heareth say, Come. When you hear it, then you need to tell others. And let him that is athirst come. If you’re thirsty, just come on. And whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely. Now, friend, that’s what motivates the great evangelists and people who see churches grow, the whosoever will. Don’t take the whosoever will out of the Bible. And don’t just give kind of a false whosoever will. Say, well, whosoever will may come. Oh, I know they really can’t, but let’s just tell them they can’t. NO, NO, NO, NO. WHOSOEVER WILL, LET HIM FREELY COME. GOD WANTS EVERYBODY SAVED. THE LORD IS NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH. AND IF YOU DROP INTO HELL, GOD WILL SAY, NOT MY WILL, BUT YOURS IS BEING DONE. ALL RIGHT, SO YOU CAN BE SURE, LISTEN, YOU CAN BE SURE OF GOD’S FULL KNOWLEDGE OF YOUR SALVATION. GOD SAW IT BEFORE IT EVER HAPPENED. YOU CAN BE SURE my dear friend, of God’s decision, God’s predestination to make you like Jesus. You can be sure of God’s calling to everybody. God wants everybody saved. And God says, whosoever will may come. And God is saying to you today that you can come. And then you can be sure that when you do come, YOU CAN BE SURE OF YOUR SETTLED JUSTIFICATION. LOOK IF YOU WILL HERE IN VERSE 30, MORE OVER WHOM HE DID PREDESTINATE, THEM HE ALSO CALLED, AND WHOM HE CALLED, THEM HE ALSO JUSTIFIED. NOW WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE JUSTIFIED? IT MEANS TO BE DECLARED RIGHTEOUS. UH, NOW WHAT IS THIS JUSTIFICATION? WELL, GO BACK TO ROMANS CHAPTER 4 AND VERSE 5 AND LOOK AT IT AGAIN. LOOK AT IT. ROMANS 4 VERSE 5, BUT TO HIM THAT WORKETH NOT, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. That’s justification. It’s not being a good boy. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. When you put your faith where God puts your sins, God writes in His book, there is a righteous man, there is a righteous girl, not because of what we have done, but because of justification. You see, listen. It is not just simply pardon for your sin. Most of us want to get our sins forgiven, pardon. But pardon doesn’t justify you. Pardon is a part of it, but it doesn’t justify you. It’s not acquittal. God, if God acquitted, God would just say, well, you’re not guilty. And you are guilty. You see, no court on earth can justify anybody. No court. Because if they pardon him, he’s still guilty. He’s just not serving the punishment. If he’s acquitted, he never was guilty. So there’s no court on earth that can justify a person. What justification is, is God taking a guilty person, not only giving that guilty person a pardon, but making that guilty person as if he had never sinned, making him positively, totally righteous. That’s justification. Now, what is the basis of this justification? Don’t miss this. Look, if you will, in Romans chapter 5 and verse 9. What is the basis? Look, much more than being now justified by His blood. We shall be saved from wrath. There’s only one thing that will justify. Why does God count you righteous? Because of the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. He died in your place. He was your substitute. He took your sin that you might take His righteousness and by His precious shed blood you have justification. There’s no justification apart from the shed blood of the Lord Jesus. Do you agree with that? being justified by His blood. When God allowed His darling Son to die in agony and blood upon that cross, that’s the basis of your justification. And I want to tell you folks, when you try to justify yourself by your good works, you fling an insult into the face of Almighty God who hung His Son upon that cross to justify you because there’s only one thing that could pay your sin debt. It’s not your good works. It’s not your emotion. It’s not your intention. It is not your good looks. It’s not your wonderful manners. It is the precious shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. And I tell you, if man could be justified by his good works, Calvary was the blunder of the ages. THE BIBLE SAYS, PAUL, IN THE BOOK OF GALATIANS, IF RIGHTEOUSNESS COME BY THE LAW, THEN CHRIST IS DEAD IN VAIN. THE BASIS OF THAT JUSTIFICATION IS THE SHED BLOOD OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. NOW HOW DOES IT BECOME EFFECTIVE TO YOU? WELL, LOOK IF YOU WILL IN ROMANS 5 VERSE 1, THEREFORE BEING JUSTIFIED BY FAITH, WE HAVE PEACE WITH GOD. You put your faith where God put your sins upon the Lord Jesus Christ, and there you will be justified. You will be made like the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, what are the results of this justification? Look in Romans 4 again. This is the good part. Watch it. Beginning in verse 5, But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. THAT’S JUST ANOTHER WAY OF SAYING YOU CAN’T GET THERE BY RUNNING UP THE DOWN ESCALATOR. TO HIM THAT WORKETH NOT, BUT BELIEVETH ON HIM THAT JUSTIFIETH THE UNGODLY, HIS FAITH IS COUNTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS. NOW WATCH THE BLESSEDNESS OF THIS. EVEN AS DAVID ALSO DESCRIBETH THE BLESSEDNESS OF THE MAN TO WHOM GOD IMPUTETH RIGHTEOUSNESS WITHOUT WORKS. GOD JUST SAYS ON THE BASIS OF WHAT JESUS DID ON THE CROSS, I IMPUTE RIGHTEOUSNESS, I PUT RIGHTEOUSNESS ON YOUR ACCOUNT. NOW THAT’D BE GOOD, BUT NOTICE IT GETS BETTER. SAYING, BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE INIQUITIES ARE FORGIVEN. WHEN YOU GET JUSTIFIED, WHEN YOU GET SAVED, EVERY BLOOD, EVERY BLUR, EVERY BLEMISH, EVERY STAIN THAT EVER CAME ACROSS YOUR SOUL IS FORGIVEN, FORGIVEN, FORGIVEN. THAT’S A BLESSING. NOW WATCH IT. NOT ONLY DOES HE FORGIVE IT, BUT HE DOESN’T LEAVE IT POSTED AS FORGIVEN SIN. WATCH IT. AND WHOSE SINS ARE COVERED. HE NOT ONLY FORGIVES IT, BUT HE COVERS IT. IT’S GONE. HE REMOVES NOT ONLY THE PENALTY, BUT THE STAIN. BUT NOW WATCH IT. IT GETS BETTER YET. Verse 8, blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. That means that God will never mark sin up against your name. Just as God imputed righteousness to you, God will never, no never, no never impute sin to you. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. It doesn’t say blessed is the man who never sins again because none of us would be blessed. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. Are you listening to me? Listen to me. Friend, when you get saved, you get justified, and God will never mark one half of one sin against your name. He will not impute sin to you. Or you say, then I’ll get saved and sin all I want to. Well, friend, I sin all I want to. I sin a whole lot more than I want to. I don’t want to. And I’ll tell you something else. If I fall into sin, God knows how to deal with me. He doesn’t put sin against my name. He just carries me to the woodshed and beats the daylights out of me. He’ll do the same thing to you. For whom the Lord loves, He chastens, and He scourges every son whom He receives. But God is not dealing with us now as sinners. God is dealing with us as sons. And God is not dealing with us judicially, but paternally. God is dealing with us as a father. But the sin, the sin is never marked against our name. How could it be? Because we’re predestined to be like Jesus. Folks, now listen to me. If this ever gets between your ears and down here into your heart, you’re going to understand what we have in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now watch it. Something else you can be sure of. You can be sure of your eternal glorification. Go back to verse 30. Moreover, whom He did predestinate, them He also called, and whom He called, them He also justified. And whom He justified, you would expect it to say, those He will glorify. It doesn’t say that. It says He already glorified. I mean, it’s a done deal. He also glorified. Why is that? HOW CAN YOU BE SURE OF YOUR ETERNAL GLORIFICATION? WELL, BECAUSE GOD SEES IT IS ALREADY DONE. NOW, NOW YOU SEE, GOD SAW YOU OVER HERE FROM ETERNITY. GOD SAW YOU WHEN YOU WERE LOST. GOD SAW YOU HEARING THE GOSPEL. GOD SAW YOU GETTING SAVED. GOD SAW YOU GROWING IN CHRIST. AND GOD SAW YOU ALREADY IN HEAVEN. SEE, GOD SEES IT ALL. I mean, it’s a done deal with God. I mean, God is in eternity. And God sees you already there, seated at the blessed feet of Jesus, praising Him and giving Him glory as the choir sang, all hail the matchless name of Jesus, when we crown Him King of kings and Lord of lords. That’s already done. It’s finished. God sees you there. And you say, Pastor, I don’t understand all that. No. Vance Havner said, I don’t understand electricity, but I’m not going to sit in the dark until I do. No, you don’t have to understand it. It’s the grace of God. Have faith in God. He cannot fail. Have faith in God. He must prevail. Have faith in God. HAVE FAITH IN GOD. AND I’M TELLING YOU, THE BIBLE SAYS IT CLEARLY AND PLAINLY, THEREFORE BEING JUSTIFIED BY FAITH, WE HAVE PEACE WITH GOD THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. THAT DOESN’T MEAN YOU’RE GOING TO BE PERFECT, SPROUT WINGS AND GET A HALO, BUT YOU’LL BE ON YOUR WAY. AND FRIEND, YOU LISTEN TO ME, YOU CAN BE SURE BECAUSE OF WHAT GOD WILL DO FOR YOU. IF YOU ALREADY HAVE THAT ASSURANCE OF YOUR SALVATION, IF YOU ALREADY KNOW THAT YOU KNOW, THEN PRAY FOR THOSE WHO DON’T. WHEN I’M SAYING YOU CAN BE SURE, I’M NOT TALKING TO LOST PEOPLE. YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO BE SURE. I HOPE YOU’RE NOT SURE IF YOU’RE LOST. THE ONLY THING YOU NEED TO BE SURE OF IS YOUR NEED OF JESUS. AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT I’M SURE THAT YOU’RE LOST IF YOU’VE NEVER MADE HIM LORD, TRUSTED HIM BY FAITH AS YOUR PERSONAL LORD AND SAVIOR. I’M NOT TALKING ABOUT BEING A CHURCH MEMBER, BEING BAPTIZED. I’M TALKING ABOUT KNOWING JESUS. YOU NEED TO KNOW HIM. AND I INVITE YOU TO PRAY LIKE THIS, DEAR GOD, I AM A SINNER. MY SIN DESERVES JUDGMENT. BUT I NEED MERCY AND I WANT MERCY. I NEED GRACE. And now, Lord Jesus, because you died for me and rose again, I just now receive you. In this message, you’ve been calling me. And I want to say, not my will but thine be done, Lord. I want to say no to myself and yes to you. I receive you now as my Lord and Savior. I yield my life over to you. I take you by faith as my Lord and Savior. I will live for you, Lord Jesus, not in order to be saved, but because you’ve saved me. By your grace and for your glory, I’ll follow you wherever you lead me. I’ll not be ashamed of you. Amen.
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