God
& Redemption
Text:
John 6:22-44 (Full text at the end of post)
Radical depravity/ Total
Depravity
– That man is so at enmity with God that he is unable to seek Him,
want Him, or receive Him! Man, according to Ephesians 2:1 and
Colossians 2:13, is dead in his sins, according to Romans 6:13 &
John 8:34 we were slaves to sin! Romans
3:10-18 says, As it is written, There is none
righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth,
there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of
the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that
doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre;
with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under
their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery
are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There
is no fear of God before their eyes. If you're dead, you can't live
by your own power, if you're a slave you can't set yourself free and
due the fall we do exactly what we want, what our nature demands, we
sin!
Sovereign
Election
–
God doesn't foresee an action on our part(condition) to save us.
Salvation and election are completely and solely a gift from God
alone by Grace alone through the gift of Faith alone! Both come from
God! The conditions and means remain the same as in Romans 10, the
preacher must be sent by the spirit, equipped with the Gospel and the
Word, the sinner must repent and call upon the Lord, all of which are
directed by the Spirit! John 15:16, 17:2, and Galatians 1:15 all
speak of how God choses us and not that we choose Him! “As
many as were appointed to eternal life believed” (Acts
13:48).
In Ephesians 1, Paul says, “[God] chose us in [Christ] before the
foundation of the world. . . . In him we have obtained an
inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him
who works all things according to the counsel of his will”
(Ephesians
1:4,11).
It is the “counsel of God’s will” that is eternally decisive in
this affair. What will you
say
to God at the judgment if he asks, “Why did you believe on my Son
while others didn’t?” You will not say, “Because I was
smarter.” No. Surely you will say, “Because of your grace. Had
you not chosen me, I would have been left spiritually dead,
unresponsive, guilty.”
Definite
Atonement
- God the Father designed the work of redemption specifically with a
view to providing salvation for the elect, and that Christ died for
His sheep and laid down His life for those the Father had given to
Him. John 10, Jesus says he's the good shepherd that lays down his
life for HIS sheep! Ephesians says that Christ loved the church and
gave himself for it! It was purposeful not hopeful, it was
efficacious not just sufficient, it was perfect not lacking!
Irresistible
Call
– When God calls, he does so with a perfect intention and plan that
He alone WILL accomplish in the life of a sinner! In historic
reformation thought regeneration precedes faith! Faith is the means
while grace is the catalyst! I am monergistic, God alone saves
without any aid, help, or actions of man! When God created you, he
did so without help and in regeneration he needs none either! In John
3 Jesus talks with Nicodemus about being born again. Unable to
perceive Christ tells him he must be born of water(the natural birth)
and of the spirit! The Christ qualifies that statement with this,
“the wind blows where it wants, it comes and it goes and you hear
it but haven't a clue where it comes from. So is everyone born of the
spirit!”
Preserving
Grace
- Philippians
1:6 Being
confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in
you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
If you have genuine
saving effectual grace that brings salvation you will endure unto the
end and if you don't you never had such grace 1 John 2:19, Matthew
15:8 The confess me with their lips but their heart is far from me!
This is not to be confused with the fundamental baptist view of once
saved always saved, not that you may live and do as you please. For
succumbing to sin and living therein leaves no confidence that the
grace we profess is the true faith we must possess! Matthew 7 says “I
NEVER knew you not that I once knew you for a season but not
anymore!”
** With that said
we find these 5 truths blaring , screaming unto us from John 6 **
** Our typical
human response is such, this is unfair, that can't be, etc. **
** We tend to start
with man and work our way to God when the scriptures teach us to
start with God and work our way to man! **
** In Romans 9 Paul asks this
question “O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the
thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me
thus?Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to
make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? **
** We MUST first
know who God is, what does John tell us about Him here in
John 6? **
1. God is
Sovereign!
He's in control!
R.C. Sproul says
this “If He cannot control the tiniest bit of the universe, then we
cannot trust Him to keep His word.”
Isaiah
46:8-9 Remember this, and shew yourselves men: bring it
again to mind, O ye transgressors. Remember the former things of old:
for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none
like me,
Proverbs
16:4 & 9 The
Lord hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the
day of evil.
A man's heart deviseth his way: but the Lord
directeth
his steps.
Genesis
50:20K But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it
unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people
alive.
Romans
8:28-32 And we know that all things work together for
good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to
his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did 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: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he
justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these
things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not
his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with
him also freely give us all things?
Job
42:2 I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no
thought can be withholden from thee.
2.
God Is Right!
Psalm
77:13 Thy way,
O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?
Isaiah
40:25 To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be
equal? saith the Holy One.
John
17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is
truth.
Hebrews
6:18 That by two immutable things, in which it was
impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who
have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
Numbers
23:19 God
is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he
should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he
spoken, and shall he not make it good?
3.
God Is Free!
Isaiah
46:10-11 Declaring
the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that
are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all
my pleasure: Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that
executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I
will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.
**
He's the potter and we are the clay, we are His workmanship! **
Isaiah
64:8 But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the
clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.
**We
are limited, He is not, we are bound, He is free, we are wrong, He is
right, we are finite, He is infinite, we are unholy, He is holy, we
are unjust, He is just, we are ignorant, He is omniscient! **
**
Who do we really want in control? **
Psalm
115:3 But our God is in the heavens: he hath done
whatsoever he hath pleased.
Isaiah
14:24 The
Lord of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall
it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand:
Psalm
135:6 Whatsoever
the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas,
and all deep places.
Daniel
4:35 And
all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth
according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the
inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto
him, What doest thou?
**
God call's, Christ receives, the Spirit Secures **
**
Romans 8:28-32 – The Golden Chain of Redemption **
Romans
10 = The preacher sent is the means
the
Gospel is the substance
Grace
is the catalyst
Faith
is the reaction
Salvation
is the gift &
Righteousness
the result
Romans
9:9-23 For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come,
and Sarah shall have a son. And not only this; but when Rebecca also
had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; (For the children
being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the
purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but
of him that calleth;) It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the
younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God
forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have
mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So
then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of
God that sheweth mercy. For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even
for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my
power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the
earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom
he will he hardeneth. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet
find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay but, O man, who art
thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him
that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power
over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and
another unto dishonour. What if God, willing to shew 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,
Closing:
Jonathan
Edwards said this, “Those who have received Salvation are to
attribute it to sovereign grace alone, and to give all the praise to
Him, who makes them to differ from others.”
**
We must remove the idolatry from our heart and fully trust Christ in
EVERYTHING! **
Text:
John 6:22-44
22 The
day following, when the people which stood on the other side of the
sea saw that there was none other boat there, save that one whereinto
his disciples were entered, and that Jesus went not with his
disciples into the boat, but that his disciples were gone away alone;
23 (Howbeit
there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they
did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks:)
24 When
the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his
disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking
for Jesus.
25 And
when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto
him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?
26 Jesus
answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me,
not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the
loaves, and were filled.
27 Labour
not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth
unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for
him hath God the Father sealed.
28 Then
said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of
God?
29 Jesus
answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe
on him whom he hath sent.
30 They
said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may
see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?
31 Our
fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them
bread from heaven to eat.
32 Then
Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you
not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread
from heaven.
33 For
the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life
unto the world.
34 Then
said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
35 And
Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me
shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
36 But
I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.
37 All
that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me
I will in no wise cast out.
38 For
I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him
that sent me.
39 And
this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he
hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at
the last day.
40 And
this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the
Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will
raise him up at the last day.
41 The
Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came
down from heaven.
42 And
they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and
mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from
heaven?
43 Jesus
therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves.
44 No
man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him:
and I will raise him up at the last day.
All of this, just as every sin, leads back to the ultimate sin of idolatry. When we are carried away in our lusts we are shouting at God that His way and His priorities and His prescriptive will are wrong and that ours are right and thus we assume the throne of our own hearts to become our own god!