The People of God, Part 1:

Those Whom God Knew Before.

Rom 8:29 "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."

Introductory Thoughts

v We are continuing this wonderful passage, from 8:17-8:39, which drills home the doctrine of the Security of the Believer.

v We have now dealt with 8:28, that wonderful, marvelous verse which tells us about:

§ God’s Providence on behalf of His people

§ His people—we are introduced to them with two statements about them:

¨ They are those who love God

¨ They are the called according to His purpose

· Now, in 8:29, we are going to look again at His people, and we are going to see three things about His people:

§ Who they are—another descriptive term is used about them which tells us who God’s people are.

§ What is their destiny—God’s people have a pre-determined destiny, a wonderful destiny, to be conformed to the image of Christ

§ Why God is doing this. “Why?”, is a question seldom answered in the Bible, but it is answered in 8:29 of Romans

· Before we begin, we must remember the One Point of Grace—God Saves Sinners

(a) God does not help sinners save themselves

(b) God does not make salvation possible if the sinner will contribute certain things to the process...

(c) God has not set up some kind of automatic salvation machine which the sinner operates

God SAVES Sinners

God made the plan

God accomplished redemption on Calvary

God awakens the dead sinner, who has no ability to help himself or herself

God saves the awakened sinner through faith in the shed blood of Christ Jesus

God keeps the saved sinner by His power

1. Who Are the People of God?— Rom 8:29 "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren."

a. Those Whom God Knew Before—

(1) God has always had a people, a remnant, and He gave these people to His Son for special care—Rom 8:29 "

(2) Knowledge—the word here is ginosko, which refers to experiential knowlege

(3) This is about Whom God knew, not what He knew about them.

(a) Some teach that God foresaw who would believe and chose people based on that foresight. That is not the doctrine of foreknowledge found in the Bible—that is the invention of men.

(b) That is the Roman Catholic doctrine of foreknowledge.

b. The People known before

(1) Known before, like Jeremiah—Jer 1:4-5 "Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: 5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.""

(2) Known before, and therefore chosen—1 Pet 1:2 "elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied."

(3) 2 Th 2:13-14 "But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, 14 to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ."

c. The People given by the Father to the Son

(1) John 6:37 ""All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out."

(2) John 17:2-3 ""as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. 3 "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent."

(3) John 17:6 ""I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word."

(4) John 17:9 ""I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours."

(5) John 17:20 ""I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word;"

(6) John 17:24 ""Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world."

d. The People Saved by the Son.

(1) Mat 1:21 ""And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.""

(2) John 10:11 ""I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep."

(3) John 10:14-15 ""I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. 15 "As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep."

(4) John 10:17-18 ""Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18 "No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.""

(5) John 10:26-28 ""But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. 27 "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 "And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand."


e. The people who love God, the people called—sermon on 8:28c— Rom 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."

* Having laid the ground work, we need to look at two main areas to see what the Bible teaches about foreknowledge:

We will first look at the meaning and use of the words translated "foreknowledge" in the New Testament.

Then we will examine the contexts of the verses which directly correlate foreknowledge, election, and/or predestination.

May God help us as we seek to increase understanding of His word......

2. The meaning and use of the words translated "foreknowledge" in the New Testament.

In the context of redemption, there are five incidences of the root words translated foreknowledge :

a. The first mention of foreknowledge (prognosis)--this is an important reference, because it helps understand the use of foreknowledge throughout the rest of the New Testament.

Acts 2:23 "Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death;

"The words boule (counsel) and prognosis (foreknowledge) are in a construction called Granville Sharp's rule, where two nouns are in the same case, connected by kai (and), the first noun preceded by the article, the second noun without the article. The rule states that in this construction, the second noun refers to the same thing to which the first noun does, and is a further description of it. That means that boule and prognosis refer to the same thing, the act of selecting the One out of the Persons of the Godhead who would be the Lamb slain as the Sacrifice for sin. The word prognosis, therefore means more here than mere previous knowledge, even though that knowledge be part of the omniscience of God. It partakes of the nature of boule, and is part and parcel of the same act. It means "foreordination." Wuest's Word Studies in the Greek New Testament, Vol 1, Romans, page 142.

b. The second mention of foreknowledge (proginosko)

Rom 8:29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Even a casual examination of this verse shows us that the prescience view (God forsees, and then elects) is weak. This verse does not speak of what God knew, but whom He knew. It is not that God knew something about some people so He would be influenced to choose them, it is that He knew them--knew them in an intimate way, as He said earlier in the Bible about Jeremiah:

Jer 1:4-5 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations."

God is not saying that He knew about Jeremiah, He is saying that He knew Jeremiah. In a similar vein, God does not know the lost:

Mat 7:22 "Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?'
Mat 7:23 "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'

I would hope that anyone hearing this would admit that the Almighty God "knows about" the lost—He knows everything—but He does not know them, as He knows His people

c. The third mention (proginosko)--the emphasis is the same here in this verse--it is whom, not what, God knew......

Rom 11:2 God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew

d. The fourth mention--this verse directly links election and foreknowledge.

1 Pet 1:2 – “…elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.

e. The fifth mention: in this verse, the word proginosko is translated as foreordained, not foreknown:

1 Pet 1:20 “… He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you…”

3. Examination of the contexts of the foreknowledge verses

a. Two of the verses have to do with God’s foreknowledge of the crucifixion.

(1) The verses—Acts 2:23 ""Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death;"

(2) 1 Pet 1:18-21 "knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you…”

(3) The context of the crucifixion more fully explained: Acts 4: 26 The kings of the earth took their stand, And the rulers were gathered together Against the LORD and against His Christ.' 27 "For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together 28 "to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done."


(a) Did God forsee that Christ would be crucified, or did God plan that Christ would be crucified?
(b) The answer, reinforced by many scriptures, is that this was God’s plan from all eternity.

(c) Here again, we need to ask: does the word proginosko refer to something God foresaw? Did God only forsee that Christ would come? Of course not! God planned for Christ to come—our Savior's mission to earth was not a product of foresight, but of foreordination; Christ's redemptive acts were the product of Divine Purpose. The word proginosko in the verse above refers to what God had purposed--it refers to the same principle mentioned in Acts 2:23--foreknowledge = determinate counsel.

b. Rom 8:28-29 – The context of Romans 8:29 is the purpose and the acts of God. There is a chain of words which refers to the great doctrine of predestination here:

(1) purpose
(2) foreknowledge
(3) predestination
(4) calling
(5) justified
(6) glorified

c. Rom 8:28 ….. according to His purpose…. Rom 8:29 For whom He foreknew,

d. And read: Rom 8:31-39.

(1) Is there any support in these verses for the idea that salvation occurred because God foresaw that certain people would believe, and therefore chose those who within themselves had the innate ability and inclination to choose Him and be saved?

(2) No, these verses support the idea of a sovereign God, who knew those people in His infinite loving, pre-acquaintanceship, and lavished upon the objects of His love all things, even though they had not one iota of their own to contribute to the process.

e. Rom 11:1-6 "I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying, 3 "LORD, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life"? 4 But what does the divine response say to him? "I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal." 5 Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6 And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work."

(1) [ He has cast away some in Israel--but not those whom He foreknew--the Remnant about which He spoke to Elijah] ***Rom 11:3-4

(2) [Paul interprets verses 2-4 above the same I do, and in so doing, Paul defines the relationship between the divine and human perspectives in salvation...]


f. The context of the faith having been abundantly demonstrated by the verses above, the last of our three passages becomes crystal clear.

g. 1 Pet 1:1-5—

(1) 1 Pet 1:1 “…Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia…” [Peter is writing to Jewish Christians living in various places. He is writing to the Remnant spoken of in Rom 11:1-7]

(2) 1 Pet 1:2 elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied. [Since Peter is talking to the Remnant of Rom 11:1-7, the meaning of "elect according foreknowledge" is the same as the meaning of foreknowledge in Rom 11:2. Peter adds explanatory words as well, which demonstrate the particular acts of the three Persons of the Trinity in the salvation of the readers. It was the Father's foreknowing love and pre-acquaintanceship, the Spirit's drawing and setting aside, and the Son's Sacrifice...]

(3) 1 Pet 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,..” [It is God's actions which have caused us to be born again, as James said:] James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. 18 Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

(4) “…1 Pet 1:4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time…” [Just as it is God who loved us in His foreknowledge, and just as it is God who therefore saved us, and just as it is God who called us and caused us to be born again, it is God who will keep us saved. What a wonderful passage, which ties this all together!]

4. Soli Deo Gloria--The Glory to God Alone

The Purpose of God, part 2

The Divine Side of Salvation—
Reading: Eph 1:3-12, 3:1-11, 21
Rom 8:28-30

“…to them who are the called according to his purpose."

Introductory Thoughts

* Recall the Salvation Survey

* Well, whether you know it or not, and whether you accept it or not, if you answered that God gets all the credit for your salvation, you must believe in the Doctrine of Election

* Today, we continue look at one of the great questions and mysteries in the Bible, and one over which men have argued for centuries.

* The question is:

** Does God help sinners save themselves?

** Does God Save sinners with a little help from them?

** Does God provide a salvation machine which the sinner operates?

** Or, Does God Save Sinners?

* Before us, we see a group of people described two different ways. This is not two groups, it is one group described two different ways.

* Our text says that divine Providence is working all things in the universe out for the ultimate good of those who love God, the same people who are also described as those called according to His purpose.

** The First half of this description answers to one half of the argument over salvation, because it speaks to the absolute responsibility that men have to believe in Christ, to love God in Spirit and in Truth.

** The second half of this description answer to the other side of the argument over salvation, because it describes the saved as those who have been called by God according to His eternal purpose.

* God’s Grace, God’s salvation is free.

** Whosoever will, may come.

** All who will, may come

** Only those who will, may come


* God’s Grace, however, God’s salvation, is certain.

** God chose individual people by name, before the world was created

** God called people individually by name in His Time

** God saves His people individually, personally.

* To some, these teachings seem to contradict each other, but both doctrines are true, because both are taught in the Bible. We are not given the option of choosing one doctrine over another; we are not given the option of lamely excusing and explaining away God’s role in salvation.

* Recall the Trash Cans Illustration

The Truth is God Saves Sinners--

God—it is all of God

Saves—God does all the work in salvation

Sinners—The reason why "God Saves" is that lost people are lost, deaf, dead, blind, and haters of God and His ways.

* If anyone tells you they have a simple answer to the question of divine sovereignty in salvation, they are mistaken--it is complicated, it is not simple, and all oversimplification will do is confuse the issue.

* One cute story often heard: “The Lord voted for you, the Devil voted against you, and you get the deciding vote.” That cute story has about four heresies in it—

** One, that God operates a democracy

** Two, that the Devil has an equal vote with God on anything.

** Three, that you have an equal vote with God on anything.

** Four, that election has to do with you choosing, when in fact it has to do with God choosing.

* You may have heard it said that above the entrance to heaven is a sign saying "whosoever will," and that after you enter is a sign above the inside of the entrance which says "chosen from the foundation of the world."

** If that was the case, this verse would not be in the Bible. The fact is, that we are talking about this because the sign over the door to heaven says, in fact: Whosoever Will Let Him Drink of the Water of Life, and

Chosen in Christ Before the Foundation of the World.

**Why is it even necessary to study this?

a. God told us about it in the scriptures

b. It shows the glory of God

c. It helps us appreciate our salvation, and is a cure to pride in the believer.

d. It teaches us the source of all true revival

Today, we look at three things from this last phrase of 8:28:

* The Purpose of God
* The Choice of God
* The Call of God


1. The Purpose of God—“…to them who are the called according to his purpose."

a. God has an ultimate purpose in the universe. There is a goal, a reason, toward which all things are working

(1) Eph 1:3-12

(a) All things in the universe work together toward that purpose.

(b) That purpose involves the salvation of God’s people

(2) Eph 3:1-11, 21

(a) That purpose involves both the church and Israel.

(b) That purpose involves God’s Glory


b. This is a constant theme in the whole Bible.

Isa 14:26 "This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations."

John 12:27 "Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour."

Acts 2:23 "Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:"

Acts 4:28 "For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done."


2. The Choice of God—Grace is Certain—“…to them who are the called according to his purpose."

".....All that the Father giveth me shall come to me.....

Before the foundation of the world, God looked at the race which He knew would fall, and He chose to save for Himself a people.

a. Our calling to salvation is a part of the purpose of God.

2 Tim 1:9 "who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,"

b. God Has a People—1 Pet 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

c. God chose individual people, from eternity

John 15:16 "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.

Eph 1:4 "just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,"


d. God Gave the Chosen Ones to Christ

"All that the Father giveth me.... "

(1) Those given receive eternal life

John 17:2 "as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him.

(2) Individuals were given to the Son, not an indefinite class of people—the gift was real people.

John 17:6 "I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.

(3) The Gift was according to the Father’s Will.

John 6:39 "This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.

(4) Christ prayed for His people, not for the world.

John 17:9 "I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours.

(5) The Father keeps those given

John 17:11 "Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.”


John 17:24 "Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.


* God’s purpose is that He have a people, a remnant, a special people all His own, and to that end, God, in this life calls people to Himself.

3. The Call of God— “…to them who are the called according to his purpose."

a. Context

(1) God’s Providence—Rom 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good

(2) Man’s Responsibility—the human side of salvation—Rom 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."

b. The Divine Side of Salvation—God’s people shall come.

to them who are the called according to his purpose."

"All that the Father giveth me shall come to me..."

(1) Remember, there is no “shaller” or “shallest.” God’s people shall come.

(2) There are no conditions, no whys or wherefores. God’s people shall come.

(3) There is no power in heaven or on Earth that can prevent this from happening. God’s people shall come.

(4) This is an agreement between the Father and the Son, and it will be honored—God’s people shall come.

"All that the Father giveth me shall come to me..."

Acts 18:9 Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, "Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; 10 "for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city."

c. How do God’s people come?

(1) They come by divine revelation—men and women come to Christ because God has revealed to them their need of salvation, and that the only way to that salvation is through the blood of Jesus.....

John 6:44 "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 "It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.' Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.
Mat 16:16 Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17 Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

(2) They come by divine calling— There are two types of calling in the Bible:

(a) The outward call which goes to all who hear the Gospel and to all who see God's creation (Ps 19)

(b) And the inward call, what the puritans called "effectual calling," which is part of the mysterious working of God in calling out His people....

2 Th 2:13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: 14 Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

(3) our gospel –the Outward call. The means by which God works

(4) he called you— The Inward Call—God’s working, God’s attending the preaching with power.

(5) The Call to salvation is just like the call to the ministry.


1 Cor 1:1-2 "Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, 2 To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:"

1 Cor 1:9 "God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."

2 Tim 1:9 "who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,"

1 Pet 2:9 "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;"

(3) God’s People come willingly—

(a) It is not that God forces" anyone to come--the awakened, called, sinner WANTS to come.

(b) The drawing of individual people to Himself is one of God's great mysteries, and He does not share the intimate details of how He does it—He only tells us that He does it. "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me..."

Psa 110: 3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power…”

Rom 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."


(4) God’s People come in Faith—the doctrine of election does NOT teach that faith is unnecessary—the Bible is crystal clear that the man or woman who comes to God must come in faith, believing in the shed blood of Christ

"All that the Father giveth me shall come to me..."


Acts 13:48 Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.


d. The Example of Paul—

Acts 9:3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: 4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

Acts 9:15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: 16 For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.

Gal 1:13 For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: 14 And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers. 15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, 16 To reveal his Son in me…”

(1) Paul came by divine revelation-

(2) Paul came by divine calling--

(3) Paul came willingly--

(4) Paul came in Faith--

(5) Paul came for certain--

(6) Paul came in God's time

3. Election and Responsibility: The Two Concepts Unified

a. The Bible unifies the two concepts of Election and Human Responsibility without apology, and without explanation.

b. Examples

Mat 11:27 "All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. 28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

John 17:2 ""as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him.


John 6:37-40 "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."

The Purpose of God, part 2
The Divine Side of Salvation—
Reading: Eph 1:3-12, 3:1-11, 21
Rom 8:28-30

“…to them who are the called according to his purpose."

Introductory Thoughts

* Recall the Salvation Survey

* Well, whether you know it or not, and whether you accept it or not, if you answered that God gets all the credit for your salvation, you must believe in the Doctrine of Election

* Today, we continue look at one of the great questions and mysteries in the Bible, and one over which men have argued for centuries.

* The question is:

** Does God help sinners save themselves?

** Does God Save sinners with a little help from them?

** Does God provide a salvation machine which the sinner operates?

** Or, Does God Save Sinners?

* Before us, we see a group of people described two different ways. This is not two groups, it is one group described two different ways.

* Our text says that divine Providence is working all things in the universe out for the ultimate good of those who love God, the same people who are also described as those called according to His purpose.

** The First half of this description answers to one half of the argument over salvation, because it speaks to the absolute responsibility that men have to believe in Christ, to love God in Spirit and in Truth.

** The second half of this description answer to the other side of the argument over salvation, because it describes the saved as those who have been called by God according to His eternal purpose.

* God’s Grace, God’s salvation is free.

** Whosoever will, may come.

** All who will, may come

** Only those who will, may come


* God’s Grace, however, God’s salvation, is certain.

** God chose individual people by name, before the world was created

** God called people individually by name in His Time

** God saves His people individually, personally.

* To some, these teachings seem to contradict each other, but both doctrines are true, because both are taught in the Bible. We are not given the option of choosing one doctrine over another; we are not given the option of lamely excusing and explaining away God’s role in salvation.

* Recall the Trash Cans Illustration

The Truth is God Saves Sinners--

God—it is all of God

Saves—God does all the work in salvation

Sinners—The reason why "God Saves" is that lost people are lost, deaf, dead, blind, and haters of God and His ways.

* If anyone tells you they have a simple answer to the question of divine sovereignty in salvation, they are mistaken--it is complicated, it is not simple, and all oversimplification will do is confuse the issue.

* One cute story often heard: “The Lord voted for you, the Devil voted against you, and you get the deciding vote.” That cute story has about four heresies in it—

** One, that God operates a democracy

** Two, that the Devil has an equal vote with God on anything.

** Three, that you have an equal vote with God on anything.

** Four, that election has to do with you choosing, when in fact it has to do with God choosing.

* You may have heard it said that above the entrance to heaven is a sign saying "whosoever will," and that after you enter is a sign above the inside of the entrance which says "chosen from the foundation of the world."

** If that was the case, this verse would not be in the Bible. The fact is, that we are talking about this because the sign over the door to heaven says, in fact: Whosoever Will Let Him Drink of the Water of Life, and

Chosen in Christ Before the Foundation of the World.

**Why is it even necessary to study this?

a. God told us about it in the scriptures

b. It shows the glory of God

c. It helps us appreciate our salvation, and is a cure to pride in the believer.

d. It teaches us the source of all true revival

Today, we look at three things from this last phrase of 8:28:

* The Purpose of God
* The Choice of God
* The Call of God


1. The Purpose of God—“…to them who are the called according to his purpose."

a. God has an ultimate purpose in the universe. There is a goal, a reason, toward which all things are working

(1) Eph 1:3-12

(a) All things in the universe work together toward that purpose.

(b) That purpose involves the salvation of God’s people

(2) Eph 3:1-11, 21

(a) That purpose involves both the church and Israel.

(b) That purpose involves God’s Glory


b. This is a constant theme in the whole Bible.

Isa 14:26 "This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations."

John 12:27 "Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour."

Acts 2:23 "Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:"

Acts 4:28 "For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done."


2. The Choice of God—Grace is Certain—“…to them who are the called according to his purpose."

".....All that the Father giveth me shall come to me.....

Before the foundation of the world, God looked at the race which He knew would fall, and He chose to save for Himself a people.

a. Our calling to salvation is a part of the purpose of God.

2 Tim 1:9 "who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,"

b. God Has a People—1 Pet 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

c. God chose individual people, from eternity

John 15:16 "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.

Eph 1:4 "just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,"


d. God Gave the Chosen Ones to Christ

"All that the Father giveth me.... "

(1) Those given receive eternal life

John 17:2 "as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him.

(2) Individuals were given to the Son, not an indefinite class of people—the gift was real people.

John 17:6 "I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.

(3) The Gift was according to the Father’s Will.

John 6:39 "This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.

(4) Christ prayed for His people, not for the world.

John 17:9 "I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours.

(5) The Father keeps those given

John 17:11 "Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.”


John 17:24 "Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.


* God’s purpose is that He have a people, a remnant, a special people all His own, and to that end, God, in this life calls people to Himself.

3. The Call of God— “…to them who are the called according to his purpose."

a. Context

(1) God’s Providence—Rom 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good

(2) Man’s Responsibility—the human side of salvation—Rom 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."

b. The Divine Side of Salvation—God’s people shall come.

to them who are the called according to his purpose."

"All that the Father giveth me shall come to me..."

(1) Remember, there is no “shaller” or “shallest.” God’s people shall come.

(2) There are no conditions, no whys or wherefores. God’s people shall come.

(3) There is no power in heaven or on Earth that can prevent this from happening. God’s people shall come.

(4) This is an agreement between the Father and the Son, and it will be honored—God’s people shall come.

"All that the Father giveth me shall come to me..."

Acts 18:9 Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, "Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; 10 "for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city."

c. How do God’s people come?

(1) They come by divine revelation—men and women come to Christ because God has revealed to them their need of salvation, and that the only way to that salvation is through the blood of Jesus.....

John 6:44 "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 "It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.' Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.
Mat 16:16 Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17 Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

(2) They come by divine calling— There are two types of calling in the Bible:

(a) The outward call which goes to all who hear the Gospel and to all who see God's creation (Ps 19)

(b) And the inward call, what the puritans called "effectual calling," which is part of the mysterious working of God in calling out His people....

2 Th 2:13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: 14 Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

(3) our gospel –the Outward call. The means by which God works

(4) he called you— The Inward Call—God’s working, God’s attending the preaching with power.

(5) The Call to salvation is just like the call to the ministry.


1 Cor 1:1-2 "Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, 2 To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:"

1 Cor 1:9 "God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."

2 Tim 1:9 "who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,"

1 Pet 2:9 "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;"

(3) God’s People come willingly—

(a) It is not that God forces" anyone to come--the awakened, called, sinner WANTS to come.

(b) The drawing of individual people to Himself is one of God's great mysteries, and He does not share the intimate details of how He does it—He only tells us that He does it. "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me..."

Psa 110: 3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power…”

Rom 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."


(4) God’s People come in Faith—the doctrine of election does NOT teach that faith is unnecessary—the Bible is crystal clear that the man or woman who comes to God must come in faith, believing in the shed blood of Christ

"All that the Father giveth me shall come to me..."


Acts 13:48 Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.


d. The Example of Paul—

Acts 9:3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: 4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

Acts 9:15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: 16 For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.

Gal 1:13 For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: 14 And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers. 15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, 16 To reveal his Son in me…”

(1) Paul came by divine revelation-

(2) Paul came by divine calling--

(3) Paul came willingly--

(4) Paul came in Faith--

(5) Paul came for certain--

(6) Paul came in God's time

3. Election and Responsibility: The Two Concepts Unified

a. The Bible unifies the two concepts of Election and Human Responsibility without apology, and without explanation.

b. Examples

Mat 11:27 "All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. 28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

John 17:2 ""as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him.


John 6:37-40 "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."



How can it be that God gives us free agency to choose, but that He tells us we did not choose Him, but He chose us, that He loved us before we loved Him—how can this be? The Answer is: IT IS! The Bible in no place resolves the argument so that it makes any theologian totally happy. However, the comments of W.A. Criswell, a man who was a soul winner extraordinaire, seem appropriate here: (The Criswell Study Bible, page1334)

“Why is the doctrine of election present in the Scriptures?” Four distinct answers emerge from this passage: (1) As long as the doctrine of election is in the Bible, salvation must be the gift of God alone. Predestination framed in God’s foreknowledge assures us that salvation is from start to finish the work of God. (2) The doctrine of God’s elective purpose guarantees the perpetuity of salvation. Unthinkable is the idea that one of God’s elect could forfeit his salvation. Those whom he has justified He will glorify. So certain is that sequence that “glorified” is an aorist tense in Greek, meaning that glorification has already happened in the mind of God. How could God lose one of His elect? (3) The doctrine of election assures a peculiar providence which attends the way of every believer. If God’s heart is set on us in His elective purpose, we may be sure of His concern and providential intervention on our behalf. (4) Finally, the same personal providence is bound up in election extends through out the entire course of history. There is no runaway world. God’s hand is systematically guiding the age to its intended consummation.”

The Mystery of Providence, Part 2--The Human Side of Salvation

The Purpose of God
The Human Side of Salvation:
(Grace is Free)
Reading: John 6:37-47, Rom 8:28-30

— to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose

Introduction

* Tonight, we begin in earnest to look at one of the great questions and mysteries in the Bible, and one over which men have argued for centuries.

* The question is:

** Does God help sinners save themselves?

** Does God Save sinners with a little help from them?

** Does God provide a salvation machine which the sinner operates?

** Or, Does God Save Sinners?

* Before us, we see a group of people described two different ways. This is not two groups, it is one group described two different ways.

* Our text says that divine Providence is working all things in the universe out for the ultimate good of those who love God, the same people who are also described as those called according to His purpose.

** The First half of this description answers to one half of the argument over salvation, because it speaks to the absolute responsibility that men have to believe in Christ, to love God in Spirit and in Truth.

** The second half of this description answer to the other side of the argument over salvation, because it describes the saved as those who have been called by God according to His eternal purpose.

* God’s Grace, God’s salvation is free.

** Whosoever will, may come.

** All who will, may come

** Only those who will, may come

** The idea that a man or woman would be forced to come to God when they were not willing is a travesty of the doctrines of the Reformation, hence we refer to it as “hyper-calvinism.”

* God’s Grace, however, God’s salvation, is certain.

** God chooses people by name

** God calls people by name

** God saves His people individually, personally.

* Both doctrines are true, because both are taught in the Bible. We are not given the option of choosing one doctrine over another. We are not given the option of lamely excusing and explaining away God’s role in salvation, nor are we to ignore man’s responsibility to believe. THESE THINGS SEEM CONTRADICTORY, BUT THE BIBLE TEACHES THEM EMPHATICALLY.

* The first thing, which we look at tonight, is the Human side of salvation. Those who are saved are described as those who love God.

* It is easy to say, “Oh, great! I love God, that must be for me!” But do you really love God?

1. The Absolute Requirement to Love God

a. There is an absolute requirement for all human beings to love God. You are not at liberty to violate this requirement—it is a law applicable to the entire human race.

b. Old Testament

Deu 6:5 ""You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength."

Deu 10:12 ""And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,"

Deu 11:1 ""Therefore you shall love the LORD your God, and keep His charge, His statutes, His judgments, and His commandments always."

Psa 18:1 "I will love You, O LORD, my strength."

Psa 31:23 "Oh, love the LORD, all you His saints! For the LORD preserves the faithful, And fully repays the proud person."

Psa 42:1 "As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God."

Psa 73:25 "Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You."

Psa 84:2 "My soul longs, yes, even faints For the courts of the LORD; My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God."

Psa 116:1 "I love the LORD, because He has heard My voice and my supplications."

c. New Testament—The Great command is still in effect

Mat 22:37 "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind."

Luke 10:27 "And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself."




2. Loving God, God’s Way—

a. The First reaction—

(1) Man thinks this is easy stuff.

(2) “Love God? No sweat! That is easy! What’s not to love? God, I think you are “kewl,” you and me, we be OK! Right on God, God’s my man; Jesus is just all right with me, yeah…”

(3) But our definition of love is not God’s definition of love.


b. God defines what it is to love Him.
(i) Merely stating that we love God means nothing. Love is proven by action.

(ii) “Love is a behavior, not an emotion.” John MacArthur.


c. We Are to Love God by Believing in His Son

(1) Believing in Christ offered

Isa 1:18 ""Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool."

Isa 45:22 "Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other."

Rev 22:17 "And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of
life freely."

Mat 11:28 ""Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

(2) Believing in Christ urged

Acts 2:37-40 "Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" 38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 "For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call." 40 And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, "Be saved from this perverse generation.""

(3) Believing in Christ commanded

Acts 17:30-31 ""Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent,

d. We are to Love God By Giving Him Affection and Worship

1 Pet 1:8 "whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,"

Heb 13:15 "Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name."

1 Pet 2:9 "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;"


e. We are to Love God by a life of obedience and service—


Luke 6:46 ""But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do the things which I say?"

John 14:15-16 ""If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever;"


3. The Implication of The Human Side of Salvation: The Freeness of Grace Means We Are to Preach to All—

a. “Bother Charley, how can a man like you who believes in God’s Sovereignty and election also believe in preaching to all?”

(1) Because the same Sovereign God who tells us plainly in the Bible that He is in charge of salvation also told me to go and preach to all.

(2) I have heard men say that if they believed that God did it all without them, then they wouldn’t see the point in preaching…

(a) First, if that’s really your attitude, I question your salvation.

(b) If you are a man of God, you believe what the Bible says, and you do what God says to do. If it doesn’t fit your mind or your emotions, you change your mind or emotions, not the Word of God!

(3) The preaching of the Word fervently and to everyone who will listen (and many who won’t listen) is a plain command of God.

b. The fervent, Biblical, anointed preaching of the Word is God’s way of calling people to salvation. God works through means, and as Paul says,

1 Cor 1:17-18 "… Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect. 18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."

(John 16:7-11) "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged."


1 Cor 1:21 "For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe."

c. Whosoever Wills

Luke 12:8 "Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:"

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

John 4:14 "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."

Acts 10:43 "To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins."

1 John 5:1 "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him."

Rev 22:17 "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."

(1) Whosoever Will, let him come....No one who desires Christ is kept away......

"Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out."

(2) Whosoever Will, Bid him or her come...


Mat 22:9 "'Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.'"

Mat 28:19-20 ""Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

(3) Whosoever Will, command him or her to come....

Acts 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

(4) Whosoever Will, come for Free--

Isa 55:1 "Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you who have no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk Without money and without price.

Rev 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

The Mystery of Providence part 1

God’s Providence For His People
Readings: Eph 1:1-14
Rom 8:28-30

Rom 8:28 "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

Introductory Thoughts

* The Salvation Survey

** If you are saved, say, “I’m saved!”

** If you are saved, tell me how much of your salvation is due to what you have done.

** If you are saved, tell me, then, who gets 100% of the credit for your salvation!

** Amen! If you are saved, it not because of anything you have done, and it is 100% due to the work of the Triune God. That is why God put the doctrines of Romans 8:28-30 in the Bible—so we would know that for sure.

** If you are saved, you are God’s workmanship—

Eph 2:8-10 "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."

** If you are God’s workmanship, you would not want to be found putting your signature on any part of His work.


* Overview of 8:28-30

a. God’s Purpose: —Verse 28

(1) What—God’s Providence makes everything work together.

(2) Who—For those who love God, those whom He has called.

(3) Why—God’s Purpose

b. God’s People—Verse 29

(1) Who—Those known by God beforehand.

(2) What For—They are to be conformed to Christ’s image.

(3) Why—That Christ’s image would be replicated.

c. God’s Plan—Who and How—Verse 30—God’s way of accomplishing His purpose.

(1) Predestination

(2) Calling

(3) Justification

(4) Glorification


* God’s Sovereignty, Human Responsibility, and Salvation—The “Trash Cans” Illustration

a. Trash Can #1—The parts of the Bible you have to remove to deny election: that God chooses His People

b. Trash Can #2—The parts of the Bible you have to remove to deny that every human being is responsible to believe in Christ.

c. Denial of Election always leads to liberalism.

d. Denial of Human Responsibility always leads to dead churches.

e. As we go through these sermons, understand that sometimes we are talking about God’s view of the matter and sometimes about our view.

f. And understand, that we are discussing the doctrines which surround the teaching of Eternal Security. There can be no security unless these doctrines are also true. If Election falls, Security falls.

1. God’s Providence— all things work together (God causes all things to work together)

Acts 17:26 "And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings,

Job 42:2 "I know that You can do everything, And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.

a. The Scope of Divine Providence “…all things…”

(1) Not just all our miseries

(2) Not just the events that directly or indirectly touch us

(3) All things in the universe….


Eph 1:11 "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:"


b. The EXERCISE of God's Sovereignty—Divine Providence

* Divine Providence means: God rules the universe to accomplish His own purposes and will. Or, as the contemporary Christian singer Twila Paris said: God is In Control.....

(2) The pagan concept of "Luck..."

(a) Remember in the lesson on creation and evolution, we said that evolutionists worship the "god" of chance, that their temple might as well be the river boat, the lottery counter, or the casinos at Las Vegas or Atlantic City.



(b) The pagan concept for how the universe works when things are beyond their control, is the concept of "Luck."


***Luck is a pagan philosophical concept, and it has crept into our daily language.

* "Good Luck..."

* "My, that was lucky...."

* "I'm just a lucky guy...."

(c) The Christian should learn to avoid the use of the word and instead understand that it is not "Luck" which controls things, but Divine Providence. A Christian should say things like:

* "God bless you..."
* "God be with you..."
* "God send His angels to guard and guide you..."
* "God has blessed me...."
* "God's providence was at work in this..."
* "How I love to 'catch God at it'...."


c. The nature of Providence—God's Providence is absolute

Rom 11:36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

Eph 1:11--In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,

Mat 11:27 "All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.


d. God providentially guides the Rise and Fall of nations and the events of human history – "...every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings..."

Dan 2:20 “…Daniel answered and said: ‘Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, For wisdom and might are His. 21 And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings…’ ”

(1) The births of nations are controlled by God

(2) The deaths of nations are controlled by God

(3) Great empires rise and fall at His command


e. The Bible says this is a comfort to God's people.—

Isa 40:1-17 ""Comfort, yes, comfort My people!" Says your God. 2 "Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, That her warfare is ended, That her iniquity is pardoned; For she has received from the Lord's hand Double for all her sins."
… 8 The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever." 9 ….Say to the cities of Judah, "Behold your God!" 10 Behold, the Lord GOD shall come with a strong hand, And His arm shall rule for Him; Behold, His reward is with Him, And His work before Him. 11 He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, And carry them in His bosom, And gently lead those who are with young. 12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, Measured heaven with a span And calculated the dust of the earth in a measure? Weighed the mountains in scales And the hills in a balance? 13 Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, Or as His counselor has taught Him? 14 With whom did He take counsel, and who instructed Him, And taught Him in the path of justice? Who taught Him knowledge, And showed Him the way of understanding? 15 Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket, And are counted as the small dust on the scales; Look, He lifts up the isles as a very little thing. ……17 All nations before Him are as nothing, And they are counted by Him less than nothing and worthless."

(1) There is A Hand at the Wheel of History!!!

(2) Life, current events, struggles, crises, there is an Unseen Hand guiding the general course of all things.

Objection #1 -- Doesn't this make God responsible for the sinful actions of men?

Answer -- NO! God restrains evil men or gives them enough rope--they are responsible for their actions, but like Joseph said, God manages the outcome of the events to serve His purposes.

Objection #2 -- How can a loving God allow the misery that exists in the world?

Answer--How can a just God have allowed the human race to continue existing this long?

-- Every man and woman in the world deserves only misery because we are a sinful race in rebellion against the Almighty God Who created us.

-- Were it not for the substitutionary blood sacrifice of Christ, the entire human race would be doomed to eternal separation from God and eternal punishment. .

Objection #3 -- Where does the sovereignty of God end, and the free will of man begin?

Answer -- Man's will is not fully free and cannot be. Unlimited free will is a pagan philosophical concept. Man is bound by sin, Satan, physical and mental limitations, and by the actions of other men and women. We are slaves to what we are; we are slaves to circumstances; we are dead, deaf, dumb, and blind spiritually.

--As for the Sovereignty of God, there is no end to it, and never will be.

2. Divine Providence and You— Rom 8:28 "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

a. Providence in the Life of the Believer

(1) God guides the events of our personal lives--God has a plan for our lives, that plan is detailed, and He is working in our lives to bring His plan to fruition. Things do not "just happen" to believers, God guides them toward a plan, a purpose. One of the favorite verses for many believers is the comforting verse:

(2) But many of the people who love that verse probably fail to see the real significance of its meaning. God has a purpose for each of His people, and that purpose involves "all things" that touch our lives!

Eph 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Psa 139:16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.
Psa 139:17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!
Psa 139:18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You.

(2) God is working in our lives to bring His plan to fruition—Phil 2:12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.


Mat 10:29 "Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will. 30 "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 "Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

1 Cor 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

Psa 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way. 24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the LORD upholds him with His hand.

Prov 16:9 A man's heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.

b. The doctrine of God's providence has vital practical applications--


(1) Understanding this doctrine of Providence, combined with love for God and faith in God, should free a believer from many of the bouts of mental anguish we all experience.

"Grace under fire" is a cliche' that describes the quality of maintaining an even keel under difficult circumstances. This grace is in reality a gift of God to the mature believer who understands God and God's Providence. A brother or sister in Christ who understand these things will have spiritual resources upon which to draw in times of great stress and in times of great need or danger.

(2) An example of Grace under fire based on the knowledge of God's rulership is the historical account of the "three Hebrew children," in Daniel 3. These three youths demonstrated a tremendous faith in and understanding of God when they were put to the test and ordered to worship a pagan idol. Refusing to worship the idol would result in an immediate sentence of death, and a horrible death at that--death by fire. Their reply to the pagan king Nebuchadnezzar is a classic statement of the practical side of the doctrine of Divine Providence.


Dan 3:16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.
17 "If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up."

[Excerpt from "God is In Control" by Twila Paris...]

History marches on, but there's a bottom line drawn across the ages

Culture can make its plans, but the line never changes.

No matter how the deception may lie, there's one thing that's always been true, it will be true forever.....

God is in Control!

We believe that His children will not be forsaken.

God is in Control!

We will choose to remember, and never be shaken.

There is No Power above or beside Him, we know.......
God
is
in
Control!


3. Knowing What is Good for Us—all things work together for good

a. The human idea of “good”

(1) “Good” is fun.

(2) “Good” is painless

(3) “Good” is relatively easy

(4) “Good” makes me feel good about myself.

(5) “Good” is about the now, about this life, about comfort and ease in this life.

b. The Wimpy Christian idea of “good” resembles the pagan idea.

c. The Powerful Truth of What God Says is Good for Us—the eternal, not the temporal.

(1) The example of the Wilderness
Deut 8:11-18

(2) Chastisement—not only is this good for us, but it is an assurance of the reality of our salvation. A person who lives in open or secret sin and rebellion against God and does not receive chastisement is not saved.

Heb 12:6 “…whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives."7… what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8 But if you are without chastening,…, then you are illegitimate and not sons."

(3) Tribulation and persecution


(a) One of the most profound statements in the Bible is from a man who knew the reality of divine providence all too well. Joseph--Gen 50:20 "But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.

* Being sold into slavery was not in itself good, but it worked to the good. It was due to the evil intent of Joseph’s brothers, but God worked it for good.

* Being falsely accused and thrown into prison was not good, but it worked to the good. It was due to the lying and evil lust and intent of Potiphar’s wife, but God worked it for good.

* Languishing in jail for years, even after Joseph interpreted the dreams of Pharaoh’s servants, was not a good thing, but God turned it to the good. Pharaoh’s cupbearer evilly and selfishly said nothing about Joseph until the moment of crisis, but God worked that for good too.


* Joseph had no fond memories to express about being beaten, enslaved, falsely accused, and imprisoned. Joseph did not excuse his brothers for their evil intent and actions--but he knew that God had taken their evil intent and actions and turned it to the good. Joseph was a man who understood how the universe worked.

(4) Being at odds with the world

Luke 6:26 Woe to you when all men speak well of you, For so did their fathers to the false prophets.


Applications

1. What is good for us? What is a blessing?

a. Being poor in spirit is good for us

Mat 5:3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

b. Mourning is good for us

Mat 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.

c. Being meek is good for us

Mat 5:5 Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.

d. Hungering and thirsting for God’s righteousness is good for us.

Mat 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.

e. Being merciful is good for us

Mat 5:7 Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.

f. Becoming pure in heart, that is good for us.

Mat 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.

g. Being a peacemaker is good for us.

Mat 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.

h. Being reviled, attacked and persecuted is good for us!

Mat 5:10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 "Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

2. The bottom line on what is good for us is God’s final goal for our life—to be conformed to the image of Christ.

3. What is good for us is to stand in His blessed Presence, clean, Holy, Pure, and in the image of Christ.

The Intercessory Ministry Of the Holy Spirit

Readings: Mat 6:5-13
Rom 8:26-27

Introductory Thoughts

* We are in the middle of a long series of messages about the security of the believer.

* One of the reasons that many people think a true believer can be lost is that they do not understand the nature of salvation.

** Salvation is a permanent change of state

John 5:24 ""Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life."

** Salvation involves the personal reputation and actions of the Trinity

*** Salvation as a permanent change of state involves the determinate counsel, or plan of God

*** Salvation as a permanent change of state involves the Drawing ministry of the Father

*** Salvation as a permanent change of state involves the Revealing ministry of the Father

*** Salvation as a permanent change of state involves the Convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit

*** Salvation as a permanent change of state involves the Person and Work of Christ, the permanence and efficacy of His blood, once applied.

*** Salvation as a permanent change of state involves God’s Providence in protecting us.

*** Salvation as a permanent change of state involves God’s covenant promises to us.

*** Salvation as a permanent change of state involves the indwelling of the Spirit of God in us.

*** And Salvation as a permanent change of state involves the intercession of The Son and Spirit for us.

1. For a True Believer to be lost, the plan of God must fail.

2. For a True Believer to be lost, Christ must fail as that believer’s Mediator, His blood not being enough to save fully.

3. For a True believer to be lost, the intercession of Christ must be ineffective.

4. For a True Believer to be lost, the intercession of the indwelling Holy Spirit must also fail.

5. For only one True Believer to be lost, the Trinity must be defeated at every point.

1. The Holy Spirit And His Ministry To Us—"Likewise..”

a. Paul has had much to say in this chapter about the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Just as the Holy Spirit, by His indwelling, communicates to us that we are heirs of Glory, so He has done many other wonderful things in us.


b. A review of the Holy Spirit’s ministry in Romans 8

(1) Christians are to walk in the Spirit—Rom 8:1 "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

(2) Christians have minds that are Spirit-dominated. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

(3) Christians are indwelt by the Spirit— 9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.

(4) The Spirit’s indwelling guarantees our entrance to heaven. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

(5) The Spirit leads us in sanctification and growth in Grace—13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

(6) The Spirit lets us know we are adopted into God’s family. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."

(7) The Spirit Gives us assurance of our salvation—16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

* So, just as the Holy Spirit has done all of these things, Paul now introduces yet another ministry of the Spirit.


2. Our Infirmity Interferes With Prayer—"Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought:

a. General infirmity

(1) Lost people have total spiritual infirmity, so prayer for them is an exercise in futility.

(2) Saved people have a saved soul and spirit in a body which is corrupted by sin and which must be disciplined away from sin.

(3) Saved people can and do become weak and weary, burdened down with sickness, and aged and infirm.

b. Infirmity of Mind

(1) Unbelievers really know nothing of Spiritual Truth.

(2) For believers, lack of discipleship and lack of understanding weakens our prayer life.

(a) Attributes of God

(b) The Way the Universe works

(c) Who we are in Christ

c. Infirmity of Will

(1) For unbelievers, their will is powerless to do anything beyond their nature.

(2) For believers, our wills fight against the pull of the remnants of sin in our bodies and minds. There is a genuine struggle

d. Infirmity of Spirit

(1) Unbelievers have no spiritual ability whatsoever.

(2) As believers, we are fighting in a spiritual warfare, of which many of us are ignorant.

(3) Sin causes spiritual weakness in believers

(4) Lack of Bible study, lack of prayer, lack of fellowship, lack of service, and neglect of God’s house of worship all cause spiritual weakness in believers.

(5) The attacks of the enemy are often fierce, and weaken us in our testimony.

e. Infirmity of Body

(1) We are tired and worn out often

(2) Because we think that we must have a certain posture and a certain length of time to pray effectively, we play into our physical weakness.

f. We Don’t Even Know What to Pray For—"Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought:

* We are not God

(1) We often don’t know what God wants us to do

(2) We have no insight into tomorrow, let alone the far future.

(3) We don’t know the long-term effects of what we do, or of what we pray for.

g. The Holy Spirit’s Helping Ministry— Likewise the Spirit also helpeth

(1) The word, “helpeth.”

“…is made up of three words, and each one of the three is important for our understanding of the teaching. The first word means ‘together’; it occurs in the first part of the English word, “symphony.” The second word means ‘over against’. And the third word means ‘to take.’ The idea is that of two people taking something over against one another. It means that one person gives a helping hand to another by taking hold ‘over against that person’ of the load that he is carrying. Think of a man struggling to carry some heavy load and almost at the point of collapsing. Suddenly someone comes along and says, ‘Let me get hold of the other end of your load. So that instead of the man having to carry the whole burden himself, the other who comes along takes hold of the other end, and now they together proceed to carry this load that was too much for one man acting alone. (Lloyd-Jones, Romans 8:17-39, page 132)

Luke 10:40 "But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.""

(2) We must still pray, we have a responsibility, but the Holy Spirit helps, He picks up one end of the load and helps us pray.

Phil 2:12-13 "…. work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure."

3. The Holy Spirit Intercedes— but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God."

a. Himself, not itself—the word, autos, (autos) can mean himself, herself, or itself. Since the Analogy of the Faith is plain that the Holy Spirit is a Person, “Himself” is the proper translation here.

John 14:16-17 ""And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever; 17 "the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you."

John 14:26 ""But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you."

John 15:26 ""But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me."

John 16:7-14 ""Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 8 "And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 "of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 "of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 "of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. 12 "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 "He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you."

b. Groans, not tongues!

(1) We do the groaning, after His intercession.

(2) A groan is not a tongue!

c. Cannot be uttered—

(1) The word in the original means, “wordless,” or “without words.”

(2) We have deep needs and need to pray, but we don’t know what to say.

(3) We have a need to pray, and even if we know what to say, we don’t know how to say it.

d. The Intercession of the Spirit—

(1) The advocate in court does three things:

(a) Explains the proceedings to the client

(b) Tells the client what to say and how to say it.

(c) Speaks for the client

(2) Christ is our advocate IN the court, and the Holy Spirit is our advocate at hand. He helps us understand the proceedings, He helps us understand what to say, and He also speaks on our behalf.

e. The Trinity and Intercession— but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God."

(1) The Holy Spirit is our advocate at hand

John 14:16-17 ""And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever; 17 "the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you."

John 14:26 ""But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you."

(2) The Son Intercedes for us in Heaven itself.

Rom 8:34 "Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us."

Heb 7:25 "Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them."


4. The Christian and Prayer

a. The manner of prayer

* Not for show

Mat 6:5-8 ""And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6 "But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

b. The Lord’s road map to prayer

Mat 6:9-13 ""In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. 13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen."

(1) This is not the Lord’s prayer, it is the disciples’ prayer.

(2) It is not intended for rote repitition—

Mat 6:7 ""And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 "Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him."

b. The Lord’s example in prayer

(1) Frequent

(2) Private

(3) Very Specific—see John 17

John 17: “1…..Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You…”

5 "And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. ….

9 "I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours…”

11… Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. ….

15 "I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one…..

17 "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 1

20 "…I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; ….

24 "Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me…”

(4) “Thy will be done…”

c. Some observations about apostolic prayers

(1) Brief

(2) Definite and focused—asking for specific things for specific people.

Heb 13:20-21 "Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen."

1 Pet 1:3-5 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."

1 Pet 5:10-11 "But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 11 To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen."

2 Pet 1:2-3 "Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,"

Jude 1:24-25 "Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, 25 To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen."

d. The Keys To Prayer Effectiveness—

(1) Knowing the God to Whom you pray.

(2) Connection to the Vine

John 15:7 ""If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you."

(3) Instead of being dominated by worry and anxiety, pray to God.

Phil 4:6-7 "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

(4) Pray without ceasing—that is, be in an attitude of prayer and always ready to enter into prayer.

1 Th 5:16-18 "Rejoice evermore. 17 Pray without ceasing. 18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

Applications

1. If you are a true believer in Christ, your salvation is secure, because it is the workmanship of God.

2. As a True Believer in Christ, the indwelling Holy Spirit is your aid in prayer.

3. God commands you to be often in prayer.

4. Prayer is your spiritual lifeline.