What Are The Doctrines Of Grace?

By Lasaro Flores

I’m afraid that to many Christians the Doctrines of Grace are like strangers that appear out of nowhere. They’ll look at them and just can’t figure out where they came from. Perhaps I could compare them to those of Athens that said to the apostle Paul, “May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is? For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean” (Acts 17:19,20). Yes, beloved, it is sad to say that to the great majority of professing Christians the Doctrines of Grace are “a new doctrine” and “strange things”; and the proof of this is the immense lack of knowledge of them within professing Christianity, including members of churches where these doctrines are included in their Profession of Faith or Creed. Another proof of this is that if one were to listen to, or watched, every “Christian” program on radio or television, one would have to say that there’s not one that proclaims the Doctrines of Grace, if any. Here in my area, of all the programs carried by TBN and the Daystar network, there is only one that does so. I personally would describe this as a breath of fresh air in a polluted atmosphere of corrupted doctrine; or as a spark of shining Grace in the darkness of free will.

As I endeavor to answer the question, What Are The Doctrines Of Grace, I pray that I do it with a humble heart and looking only to the Holy Spirit to guide me so that whatever I write in doing so, it will be according to the inerrant and infallible Word of God and for the “edification, and exhortation, and comfort” (1 Corinthians 14:3) of God’s elect. Also, I pray that God will keep me from a harsh and argumentative spirit as I present these precious doctrines, not so much to prove others wrong in their doctrines (as A.W. Pink once wrote), but to bring in the glorious Light of God’s Truth in order to expose the error of Free Will that opposes the Free Grace of Him, who is “the God of all grace” (1 Peter 5:10). But then also, every pastor and teacher of the Word of God has an awesome responsibility so that “we all come in the unity of the faith,… that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine…but speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:13-15), so that we all may “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). Amen.

So, what are the Doctrines of Grace? They are the teachings of the Bible that exude with the fragrance of God’s Grace. In fact, beloved, every doctrine will magnify the Free and Sovereign Grace of God, no matter which one it is! Even the doctrine of Hell will do so; for what is Grace if it doesn’t keep the “chief” of “sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15) out of it; and so much more does the doctrine of Justification; for it is said “that (God) might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Romans 3:26), and “that justifieth the ungodly” (4:5). You take the Grace of God out of any doctrine in the Bible, and then the sinner has no hope at all! You see, Grace has to do with sin and sinners; and because sinners need to be saved from sin, it is infallibly declared: “For by grace are ye saved” (Ephesians 2:5,8), and that “the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men…” (Titus 2:11). Hallelujah!

Furthermore, what are the Doctrines of Grace? They are the teachings of the Bible that confirm that the Grace of God is necessary for the salvation of sinners simply because man of his sin cannot save himself; no matter what! It is made very clear that man in his sin neither has the ability nor the desire to be saved if left to himself. So, unless the Grace of God freely seeks the sinner, then the sinner has no hope whatsoever; for “there is none that seeketh after God” (Romans 3:11). But these precious doctrines teach that although this is all true of man; nevertheless, it is also made very clear that whenever and wherever the Grace of God is effectually working, it is absolutely irresistible; for it is said that “where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (5:20). Spurgeon once wrote that Grace comes leaping over the Alps of our sins to save us indicating that even when “(our) iniquities are gone over (our) head” and “as an heavy burden they are too heavy for (us)” (Psalm 38:4), “so that (we are) not able to look up” (40:12) “unto heaven” (Luke 18:13), yet Grace is more than sufficient to come to us with salvation. Again, Hallelujah!

Then, what are the Doctrines of Grace? They are the teachings of the Bible that without any hesitation declare that “salvation beongeth unto the LORD” (Psalm 3:8); or as Jonah says: “Salvation is of the LORD” (2:9). What does that mean? It means emphatically that salvation not only has to come from God, but that it originates with Him. That being the case, then man has nothing to do with it; and so therefore, if man is to have salvation from God, he has to apply to Him for it. Yet, in doing so, if “taught of God” (John 6:45), they will see that there is nothing to recommend them, or to attract God to save them, because it is “not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy” (Romans 9:16). That is what the Doctrines of Grace do: It makes sinful man to look away from himself but to look ONLY to God for it, as it is written: “And there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else” (Isaiah 45:21,22).

But again, we ask: What are the Doctrines of Grace? They are the teachings of the Bible that exposes the utter impossibility of sinful man of doing anything at all that is of merit or deserving so that God has to save him. These doctrines, not only reveal that the best that man might do in order to merit salvation has no value whatsoever, but also that God has every right to reject sinful man simply because he cannot produce any good that God will accept to reward him with salvation. Therefore, the Doctrines of Grace are the only teachings that can give the most despicable and vilest sinner hope of salvation based on the Merits and Worthiness in none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. Consider this: “Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one” (Job 14:4); and: “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6).

So then, what are the Doctrines of Grace? They are the teachings of the Bible that absolutely give ALL THE GLORY to God for His “so great salvation” (Hebrews 2:3). We are warned by God in His Word: “I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images” (Isaiah 42:8); and what more abominable “graven image” is there than proud man’s idol of Free Will? On the other hand, God’s people can truly say: “Save us, O God of our salvation,… that we may give thanks to thy holy name, and glory in thy praise” ( 1 Chronicles 16:35). Make no mistake about this, my dear reader, these precious doctrines are the ONLY ONES that absolutely gives God all the glory because it takes away from sinful man any occasion, or reason, to “glory in his presence” (1 Corinthians 1:29), but “that, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord” (v.31). In other words, beloved, the Free and Sovereign Grace of God will cause us to sing with the sweet singer of Israel: “Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake…But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased” (Psalm 115:1,3). Hallelujah!

In closing, let me give you a word of encouragement: You’ll find that you might be tempted to say as those of the Lord’s disciples who responded to His doctrine, “This is an hard saying; who can hear it?” (John 6:60), and that the Doctrines of Grace might taste bitter to you because it goes against much of what you have received and believed, but it is my hope that you will be enabled by the Grace of God to say with Jeremiah, “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts” (15:16), as you believe and receive the Doctrines of Grace, “not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe” (1 Thessalonians 2:13). Also, I implore you, do not cast away these doctrines simply because they are “new” and seem to be “strange” to you, but be as “noble” as those of Berea, “in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11) preached by the apostle Paul. May the Holy Spirit be pleased to “teach you all things” (John 14:26) and “guide you into all truth” (16:13) “as the truth is in Jesus” (Ephesians 4:21). Amen.

THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD

As I have said before, every doctrine in the Bible in some way or another magnifies the Grace of God, which is connected with the Sovereignty of God. Therefore, no matter how hard proud religious man tries to exalt man’s idol of their so-called “free will”, it has to fall upon its face before the Sovereignty of God, as “Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD” ( 1 Samuel 5:3, 4). God is Sovereign, meaning that God does as He pleases with whomever, whenever, wherever, and however; and there is absolutely not a thing anyone can do about it. All things, whether animate or inanimate, are under His sovereign control; for as the inerrant Holy Scriptures tells us: “Our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased” (Psalm 115:3); “Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places” (135:6). Furthermore, we read: “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?” (Daniel 4:35), and this because He “worketh all things after the counsel of his own will” (Ephesians 1:11).

Now, it would be impossible to treat in a detailed and exhaustive manner with the doctrine of the Sovereignty of God by the means of this newsletter via e-mail; therefore, primarily I will be dealing with the Sovereignty of God with respect to the salvation of man from their sins and the consequences of it. Generally, man, including religious man, will concede that God is Sovereign over many areas of His creation, but to say that He is also sovereign over the salvation of sinners, many will react with vehemence because their pride will not allow for God to have the ultimate say-so with their salvation. But, beloved, we cannot get away from, or deny, that the Holy Scriptures makes it very clear that because “salvation belongeth unto the LORD” (Psalm 3:8) and “is of the LORD” (Jonah 2:9), “then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy” (Romans 9:16). That is why the Gospel of Salvation in Christ Jesus is called “the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24) simply because, as we’ll see later on, Grace has to do with the Sovereignty of God.

Of course, I am conscious that to many the doctrine of the Sovereignty of God in Salvation is a harsh and hard doctrine to accept, and this because they can’t see that God, who “is love” (1 John 4:8, 16), and “delighteth in mercy” (Micah 7:18) would make His salvation dependent on His sovereignty and not on the “free choice” of man! This could be for two reasons: First, they have been taught a one-sided view of God with respect to His attributes and have accepted them without a personal examination of the Holy Scriptures to see if is true (cp. Acts 17:11); or secondly, they willfully reject them even though they cannot Scripturally deny that God is Sovereign over all things, including our salvation! But no matter how much opposition or denial there is to this glorious doctrine, the Divine answer to man’s so-called “free will” is this: “For (God) 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” (Romans 9:15,16); and that, my dear reader, is the PERIOD of the whole matter; for as Paul answers in the same chapter those that oppose God’s Sovereignty: “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, Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?” (Vv. 19-24).

The tragic thing is that many will react to the Sovereignty of God in salvation like those in John chapter 6: Briefly, there you see those that did not like what the Lord Jesus was telling them, and so they reacted accordingly. In verse 44 He says that “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”. Here He makes a very definite statement with respect to the Sovereignty of God in drawing (Greek: lit. to drag) those that come to Him for salvation. Furthermore, what He continues telling these individuals causes even some of His disciples to be offended (v. 61) and to say, “This is an hard saying; who can hear it” (v. 60)? But again He repeats what He said in verse 44 thusly: “And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father” (v. 65). What was the reaction of these individuals? “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him” (v. 66). In other words, because these disciples in hearing that, or hearing it at that time what the Lord Jesus was teaching, would not submit to the Sovereignty of God, they turned away from the Lord and they no more walked with Him. To put it this way: Not only did they reject the Sovereignty of God, but also they rejected the Lord Himself because of their pride. This, my dear reader, is the danger of the false doctrine of the so-called Free Will of man!

But oh, how different is the doctrine of the Sovereignty of God to those that are taught of God! “It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me” (v. 45). We can put it this way: To them the truth of the Sovereignty of God is not a harsh and hard teaching, but a most sweet and precious doctrine that draws them to the Lord Jesus “with cords of a man, with bands of love” (Hosea 11:4), as honey does the bee! In other words, the doctrine of the Sovereignty of God is not for pushing man away from God, but to humble them; for it is only the humble and broken hearted that will be willing to submit themselves to Him who holds our salvation in His hands that will receive Grace from Him who also is “the God of all grace” (1 Peter 5:10), and apart from the Grace of God there can be no salvation at all! You can see, then, that the Sovereignty of God in our salvation assures that we come to Him casting ourselves and trusting solely on His Grace alone in Christ Jesus, and not on anything that we claim we have of our own; and this, beloved, we are taught of God, and not by the doctrines and commandments of men.

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Let us now consider why the doctrine of the Sovereignty of God is not a hard and harsh doctrine to those that are taught of God; even though they understand that because God is sovereign, He does as He pleases in our lives, including things that are not palatable to the “flesh”, or things that will cause suffering in our lives. Yet, notwithstanding that the child of God may experience tragedy in their lives, as David, Job, Eli, and others did, they can still humbly submit to His sovereign Will, no matter what! In David’s case, much of his suffering was brought about due to his sin, yet God of His sovereign mercy did not deal with David as he deserved (notwithstanding 2 Samuel 12), as he confesses in Psalm 103:10, “He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities”; or Job, after he lost everything, including his children, yet he confesses, “Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly” (1:20-22). But also, don’t forget Eli, whose sons God had determined to kill for their sin, and the means utilized was the negligence of Eli in not disciplining his sons, as we read, “In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end. For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not”… Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the LORD would slay them”; nevertheless, we read of Eli: “It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good” (1 Samuel 3:11-13; 2:25; 3:18).

Yes, the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ can submit to the Sovereignty of God in his/her life; for in knowing that God is in control in ALL things in their lives, including their salvation, is a solid foundation to stand upon because it will NEVER, EVER break beneath them! The preciousness of it is brought out by the wonderful promise of Romans 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”. As we make the following observations, may our lips burst forth with praises as we sing with the Palmist: “Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake…But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased” (115:1, 3). Oh, yes, we can rejoice for this wonderful truth: That absolutely nothing, or anything, that takes place around us, or to us, is by accident or chance, but we have a God "who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will” (Ephesians 1:11); “For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen” (Romans 11:36).

Now, the first observation we make is that the saint of God derives PEACE from the Sovereignty of God. There is much around us that take place, or that we may experience in our lives, that will cause us to worry and make us to be very anxious. It might even be that in our waking hours we find ourselves in an emotional turmoil that at nights we can’t even have a peaceful sleep! We are constantly troubled about everything because we see ourselves so helpless to do anything about it. Primarily, the reason for such a state is because our eyes are focused on the situations or circumstances we find ourselves in. All we see are the dark clouds and the strong winds of the storms and have forgotten the promise of our Lord: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). In fact, the Lord Himself tells us that we would have those “pressures” that would have the tendency to rob us of the peace that the Lord promised us: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation (pressures): but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (16:33). On the other hand, when the believer keeps his eyes on Him who is in control of all things and that absolutely nothing takes place apart from Him of Whom it is said, “one of them”, i.e. a sparrow,  “shall not fall on the ground without your Father” (Matthew 10:29), then the promise of Philippians 4:6, 7 will be true: “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”. In other words, beloved, do not worry, or be anxious “for nothing”! Why does he say “nothing”, and not “every thing”? Simply because as far as God is concerned, anything that can happen to any one of God’s people IS ”nothing”! Also, we have to keep in mind, that not only we are not to worry, “but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God”; and in doing so, this is our confession that our God is in control and works all things together for our good, resulting in His peace guarding our hearts and mind in Christ Jesus! Hallelujah!

Secondly, we observe that the Sovereignty of God gives us COMFORT. There are times that the child of God may go through much suffering and affliction that they will be tempted and to even question, “Where is God when I needed Him the most?” Yet, beloved, throughout Scripture it is made clear that suffering and affliction is ordained by the heavenly Father for His children. At times it is necessary, not simply because of our sins, but also to prove our faith and to be conformed to the image of His Son. Consider the following Scriptures: "Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word” (Psalm 119:67); “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son…” (Romans 8:29); “Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:6, 7); “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps” (2:21); “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. Yet if any man suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf” (4:12-16). Yet, fellow believer, all of these sufferings are not by accident; for we told: “Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator” (v. 19). The COMFORT comes, not simply because we are delivered from them, but in spite of it we are comforted IN them, knowing that He is in control! “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ” (2 Corinthians 1:3-5).

Also, in the third place, we observe that the Sovereignty of God gives us ASSURANCE. Of course, we have to keep in mind that this assurance does not come because we feel good or that it is some sort of an emotional high; on the contrary, the Word of God refers to it as a “full assurance of faith” (Hebrews 10:22), meaning that we believe God and what He says in His Word; and He most definitely says that He is in control of all things, no matter what!  Therefore, we can rest assured that if we “walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7), then “we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). There might be times that it seems that ALL things are contrary to what God says in His Word, yet in knowing that He “changes not” (Malachi 3:6) and “with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17), and that He Himself says: “I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things” (Isaiah 45:7), that makes it very clear that whatever we go through in our lives, it comes from the hand of God according to His sovereign purpose; and knowing this, then we can say with Job: “The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD…What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?” (1:21; 2:10). Oh, may we learn to sing with the Psalmist: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me…Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever” (23:4, 6).

Furthermore, in the fourth place, we observe that the Sovereignty of God gives us BOLDNESS. In fact, I would say that this is the result of having the PEACE, the COMFORT, and the ASSURANCE mentioned previously; for in having them means that we are walking with God and so we will “be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might” (Ephesians 6:10). Now, this boldness will be true in three particulars: 1) In resisting and overcoming the devil: “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4;7); “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death” (Revelation 12:10); 2) In not being afraid of man: “In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me” (Psalm 56:11); “So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me” (Hebrews 13:6); and 3), faithfully witnessing to the Gospel: “Many of the brethren in the Lord…are much more bold to speak the word without fear” (Philippians 1:14); “They were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31). Knowing, then, that since God is in control over the devil and that he can only do what the Lord permits him to do (refer to Job 1 and 2), and that God also is in control of the outcome of wicked man’s plans against His people (Psalm 3:6 – “I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about”; Romans 8:31 – “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?”, and that He also is in control of the results of His Word, as He promises in Isaiah 55:11 – “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it”, it goes without saying that we can stand with all boldness against the wiles of the devil, against all the schemes of the wicked, and against all opposition to His Word, for “in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us” (Romans 8:37).

Yes, beloved, we can truly rejoice in the glorious truth of God’s Sovereignty, and much more in knowing that our salvation is according to His Free and Sovereign Grace because it simply pleased Him to save us with an everlasting salvation even though we were not worthy of it and much less deserve it. Therefore, these same PEACE, COMFORT, ASSURANCE and BOLDNESS that fills our lives as we walked with the Lord, will also fill our hearts and minds because we are “persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38, 39). So the further that we study the humbling truth that our salvation is connected with the absolute Sovereignty of God, may it fill our hearts with gratitude and love towards Him for including any one of us in the eternal purpose of His “so great salvation” (Hebrews 2:3) and to make us “accepted in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:6), the Lord Jesus Christ, our precious Savior and Redeemer. What greater ROCK can we stand upon for eternity than “Jesus Christ”, who is “the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8)! Amen.

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<>At this point, let us now consider why our salvation is dependent upon the Sovereignty of God. I realize that to many this will not be acceptable simply because they will not submit to the humbling truth that God does He pleases, including in our salvation. The pride of man is such that they will not “permit” God to be God; and so will try to limit Him to their conception of who God is and what He can do or cannot do. The problem is that man tries to make God think as we think, i.e. as some would blasphemously say, “If I was God, I wouldn’t do it like that!” “Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself” (Psalm 50:21). But in the other hand, if we “understandeth and knoweth (the LORD)” (Jeremiah 9:24), then we can say with the apostle Paul: “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen” (Romans 11:33-36). Yes, “for my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD” (Isaiah 55:8).<>

Now, let us understand this: God does not have to save anyone of us from our sins and the consequence of them. In fact, we can state it like this: God is not obligated to save anyone apart from His sovereign will. In other words, He has every right, and would be just, in casting every last one of us into hell because of Adam’s disobedience, and so absolutely no one would have the right to accuse God that He wasn’t fair. Therefore, if there is any hope of salvation for anyone of us, it has to be dependent on His Sovereignty. In other words, it has to be because it simply pleases Him to do so, and whom He will save! I know that this isn’t the “normal” teaching that one hears today from the average pulpit; for it can be said that the doctrine of the Sovereignty of God in salvation is like “new doctrine” and “strange things to (the) ears” (Acts 17:19,20) of the average churchgoer and multitudes of professing Christians. Why do I say that? Because I can practically go to any church, or listen to radio preachers, or on the TV, and rarely would I hear this truth, if at all.

Having said that let me now make some observations with respect to this truth: First, consider to whom salvation belongs. “Salvation belongeth unto the LORD” (Psalm 3:8); “Salvation is of the LORD” (Jonah 2:9). It is very clear, then, that salvation belongs to God, and not to man. It only becomes ours when He gives it to us in Christ and by Him at the moment that we believe in Him as our Savior. Before that, we have no salvation whatsoever. That being said, it follows that if we are to be saved from our sins, God has to give us His salvation. But also, it depends on His sovereign will, i.e. if He has determined to save me; or as the apostle Paul states it: “So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy” (Romans 9:16). Perhaps you might vehemently object to this, but God will say to you: “Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own” (Matthew 20:15)? This is what Paul makes clear in Romans 9 with respect to the sovereignty of God in whom He saves. “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” (vv.20, 21)? In other words, God as “the potter” has the “power” (authority; right; liberty) over “the clay, of the same lump”, i.e. of the human race, “to make a vessel unto honour” (salvation), and another unto dishonour” (perdition). If you were involved in pottery, wouldn’t you demand that you had the right to do whatever you wanted with your clay? Why would you deny the same right to God? So you can see (may it please the Lord to show you this), that God has the right, as “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” (v.15), and as a result, according to His purpose, give them HIS salvation!

Secondly, we note that Salvation is by the Grace of God, which is sovereign and free. “For by grace are ye saved through faith” (Ephesians 2:8, 5). Now, what is grace? Most will agree that it means the “unmerited favor” of God towards those who do not “deserve” or “merit” salvation in any way. In other words, “God will do us the favor of saving us even though we don’t deserve to be saved!” Also consider this: Since grace saves (not tries to save, but actually saves), the undeserving sinner, then we can see that grace is not given to every individual sinner; and the reason we can say this is because not every sinner will be saved; and this is made clear by the fact that “whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15). But doesn’t God give grace to everybody? Of course not; for that would mean that everybody would be saved! Now, since grace is given to those who are undeserving of salvation, who determines who are the ones to receive grace? Again we have to fall back on the Sovereignty of God simply because since the Grace that saves is “the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8), i.e. “freely given” by God to those whom He has “sovereignly given” His salvation! This is brought out very clearly by the fact of what we are as sinners apart from the grace of God; and that is, “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” (Romans 3:9-12). Now, you tell me, why would God give grace to such in order to save them, if not because it pleased Him to do so! What is in us that in any way we can demand God’s grace for our salvation? Absolutely nothing; so our only hope is that God of His free and sovereign grace will save us because it is “according to the good pleasure of his will” (Ephesians 1:5). Praise His most holy Name! Amen.

Furthermore, in the third place, we are reminded that our salvation is dependent on the sovereignty of God because it has absolutely nothing to do with how good or how bad we are. This is brought out in Romans 9 where the apostle Paul makes reference to Jacob’s salvation, or the lack of it in Esau’s case. But note that this was determined even before “the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil” (v.11). (Read vv.1ff.). In other words, the point we want to make here, is that our sinfulness, whether the lack of it or the abundance of it, does not determine whether we are, or will be, saved. You see, God could have determined from eternity past to either save every individual person, or not to save anyone, even before the creation of Adam. But “according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will” (Ephesians 1:11) and “according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (3:11), God determined to save SOME sinners irrespective of their sins. Of course, what explains this is that God of His sovereign will had chosen Jacob over Esau so “that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth” (Romans 9:11). Again, notice that Jacob was chosen over Esau irrespective of their “works”, i.e. doing “any good or evil”. Now, don’t misunderstand me: I don’t want to imply in any way that our sins have nothing to do with our salvation. On the contrary, it has everything to do with it; for from the beginning of the New Testament it is made clear that Jesus was to “save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Nevertheless, we may be saved, or not be saved, from our sins, not because we are better or worse than others, but simply because it pleased God of His sovereign will to do so. That is humbling, isn’t it?

It follows then, fourthly, that salvation is dependent on God’s sovereignty because it also has to do with His election “to salvation” (2 Thessalonians 2:13). In other words, divine election brings salvation to those who were “chosen…from the beginning”; or “according as (God) hath chosen us in (Christ Jesus) before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4) to be saved by His grace (2:5, 8). But what is election? Election is simply God choosing some sinners for salvation while at the same time leaving the rest in their sins according to His sovereign will, which we have emphasized in the first three points. Now, don’t object to this by saying that it is not fair. Don’t you claim the right of “choosing”, whatever it might be? So does the Creator of the universe! Besides, He doesn’t ask our permission for Him to do anything, does He? In fact, if God hadn’t chosen anyone for salvation, for sure ALL OF US would still be lost in our sins and there wouldn’t be anyone “written in the Lamb's book of life” (Revelation 21:27). Again, this is one of those truths of the inerrant Word of God that many do not like to hear, much less to “believe”. But, beloved, you cannot deny this doctrine simply because you don’t like it, or wish that it didn’t exist. Perhaps you might not know very much about it, or maybe have a distorted view of it, because you probably haven’t heard it preached or taught according to the Holy Scriptures. But if anything, understand this: Election proves that our salvation is dependent on the sovereignty of God; for it is not us choosing God, but Him choosing us from eternity to give us His salvation of His grace even before we had sinned in Adam! Oh, how that withers our pride and causes us to sing with David: “Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake… But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased” (Psalm 115:1, 3). Amen.

I have to confess that there is much more that we can say with respect to our topic, but space just doesn’t allow me to do so. Besides the preceding points, we could have written about other things that proves why our salvation is dependent on the sovereignty of God. But suffice it, beloved, that the preceding considerations why our salvation is dependent on the sovereignty of God shows without a doubt that it is so. Yet, do as the Bereans did with the apostle Paul’s preaching, where it is said in Acts 17:11, “in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so”. In other words, don’t take my word for it… check out every thing that I write with the inerrant Word of God, remembering this: That “the holy scriptures (i.e. The Bible), which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus;… is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:15, 16). So, let me give you a word of encouragement: Stay on the Word of God… Study it, examine it, and meditate on it day and night; for therein is much profit for your soul, not only for this life, but most certainly, for eternity! Above all, submit to it; for it is He “in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways” (Daniel 5:23) who speaks to you.

In closing, allow me to give a word of warning and a word of encouragement. First, there is a natural inclination in all of us to find a reason and an excuse to not have “repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21); and so we’ll be inclined to say that since my salvation depends on the sovereignty of God, i.e. on His good pleasure, then I’ll just wait until God wants to save me. DON’T DO IT! God doesn’t give us the option to wait and find out if it’s His sovereign will save us or not. On the contrary, He “now commandeth all men every where to repent” (17:30), and to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…” (16:31); for it said: “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). If you value your eternal soul, my friend, don’t wait another minute; “whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away” (James 4:14). But, secondly, God will not turn away any sinner that comes to Him for salvation. The Lord Jesus himself said that “all that the Father giveth me shall come to me” (John 6:37) according to His sovereign will; nevertheless, He also says that “him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (same verse). In other words, my dear reader, if you come to God with repentance for your sins and faith in His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, “who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification” (Romans 4:25), you can be sure that He will not reject YOU! Yes, you can be sure that if you come to God for His salvation, which is ALL OF GRACE, it is because it is in His sovereign will to save YOU! May the precious Holy Spirit in Christ Jesus make it true for you TODAY! Amen.

THE DOCTRINE OF THE RESPONSIBILITY OF MAN

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13): “Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:19, 20).

Throughout the Holy Scriptures we have clear proof of the doctrine of the Responsibility of Man before God. Every commandment given by God and every gracious invitation made to man shows us that man is responsible to obey God and to respond to Him. If this was not true, then we would have to say that God cannot hold man (and I say this reverently,) accountable for anything. In fact, there should not be a Judgment Day if in anyway Man was totally free from his responsibility to God. Man could live anyway he wanted to without fearing the consequences of his actions since he wouldn’t have to give an account of his life.

Another way to look at this is in considering the Sovereignty of God in the life of Man. Previously we noted that God is sovereign over man, including over his sins and salvation. If one has the wrong view or understanding of this doctrine, then one could be inclined to say that due to the Sovereignty of God over our lives, then we should not be responsible for anything that we think, or say, or do. In fact, the apostle Paul referred to this kind of thinking in Romans 9 by the questioning of the sovereignty of God over one’s life: “Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will”? In other words, why does God hold us responsible for doing that which is according to His sovereign will? But note that Paul doesn’t try to explain it. He just simply tells them: “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?...” (vv.20-24).

Every person, whether Christian or not, stands before God as a responsible individual. It makes no difference who they are, where they were born, what are their circumstances or condition, etc., etc. There are no exemptions; “for it is written, as I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God” (Romans 14:11, 12). Also, we read in 2 Corinthians 5:10 – “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad”. Furthermore, the apostle Peter tells us in his second epistle that “the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begins at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?” (4:17, 18). Then we are solemnly reminded in Revelation that “the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (20:12-15).

These Scriptures by themselves, dear reader, confirms that we are responsible before God; otherwise, as I said, we could not be held accountable for our lives. But let me interject something here that is very important to know: The judgments of the true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ and of the unbeliever are very distinct, i.e. there is a very definite difference! You see, the believer will be judged for his life as a Christian; or to put it in another way, as a child of God. It has nothing to do with whether they will be saved or not. They have been “saved in the LORD with and everlasting salvation” (Isaiah 45:17), and because of it there’s absolutely nothing that “shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39). Yet, as we have noted, the people of God, i.e. true Christians will be judged for the way they have lived; “That is, (God) will judge them when they deserve it, and punish them if they ought to be punished. The mere fact that they are his people will not save them from punishment if they deserve it, any more than the fact that one is a beloved child will save him from correction when he does wrong” (Barne’s Commentary). On the other hand, the lost sinner who has “no hope, and” (is) “without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12), and so has no “repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21); and so therefore “knows not God, and that obeys not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 1:8) will be judged for all his sins, which none have been forgiven; for which he will have to pay and suffer for all eternity in “the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15). This, of course, confirms the Responsibility of Man before God; whether one is Saved or Unsaved!

Now, with respect to our doctrine, we would to present two obvious reasons for its validity; and this will be deducted form our two text Scriptures. The first one has to do with Man’s “duty”; and the second one has to do with Man’s “excuse”. Although this will not be an exhaustive presentation of this doctrine, nevertheless, there will be sufficient proof of it to show us our “duty” as responsible beings before our blessed Creator, and to prevent us from making any kind of “excuse” for our irresponsibility, which can prove to be fatal to our souls.

Furthermore, we will also show that God’s grace is involved in our responsibility to Him. Although it’s true that even apart from the grace of God we are still responsible to Him, nevertheless, it is ONLY by His grace that we can fulfill our “duty” and prevent us from making any kind of “excuse”. But then this can ONLY be true in the Lord Jesus Christ; for it is ONLY in Him that we can obey God and respond to His love. So, beloved, may this study reveal to us where we stand with respect to our Responsibility to God; and may His grace cause us to repent for the lack of our “duty” and for the many “excuses” we make for not obeying Him and responding to His Love and Grace. Amen.
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<>“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13): “Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:19, 20). 

In continuing our study, we will now consider at least two reasons for Man’s Responsibility to God, which have to do with his “duty”, and “excuse”. Our first text, of course, is Ecclesiastes 12:13 - “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man”. Literally, “Let us hear the termination, or end, of the whole matter, i.e. that which was spoken of. Fear i.e. revere, namely, the Triune God, and guard, i.e. attend to His commandments, or Law because this is the whole of man”. In other words, after saying all that Solomon said in Ecclesiastes, he comes to this conclusion, or ends up with this, that fearing God and keeping His commandments is, and should be, the all and everything of man’s responsibility and obligation to do it. Barnes’ Commentary puts it like this: “To revere God and to obey Him is the whole man, constitutes man’s whole being; that only is conceded to Man…”; John Gill’s Commentary tells us that “obedience to the whole will of God, is the fruit, effect, and evidence of the former; and takes in all the commands of God, moral and positive, whether under the former or present dispensation; and an observance of them in faith, from a principle of love, and with a view to the glory of God…, and makes a man a whole man, perfect, entire, and wanting nothing; whereas, without this, he is nothing, let him have ever so much of the wisdom, wealth, honor, and profits of this world…, the duty, work, and business of every man, of every son of Adam, be he what he will, high or low, rich or poor, of every age, sex, and condition; or this is the happiness of every man, or that leads to it.” Also, we read in Matthew Henry’s Commentary that “it is all his business and all his blessedness; our whole duty is summed up in this and our whole comfort is bound up in this. It is the concern of every man, and ought to be his chief and continual care; it is the common concern of all men, of their whole time. It is nothing to a man whether he be rich or poor, high or low, but it is the main matter, it is all in all to a man, to fear God and do as he bids him”.

Now, our Responsibility to “fear God, and keep his commandments” is due to the following reasons: First, because He is our Creator God; and as such He is worthy of our fear and obedience. In creating Adam, He had every right to command him as we read: “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:16, 17). The extent of this right is still with us; for although each one of us comes into this world by the process of childbirth, we are still God’s creation; “for in him we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:28). Secondly, because He is our Sovereign God, meaning that as such He has every right to tell us what to do, or what not to do. Since He “hast created all things, and for (his) pleasure they are and were created” (Revelation 4:11), and “whatsoever the LORD pleased, that, did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places” (Psalm 135:6), such a Glorious and Majestic Being deserves our fear and obedience; and so we are responsible to do so! Thirdly, because our “God is love” (1 John 4:8, 16). Because of sin, man has become “haters of God” (Romans 1:30). Nevertheless, that does not lessen his responsibility to God; on the contrary, to despise God’s love because of our sin makes us (if we can put it like this), more responsible for rejecting it. This is brought out in John 3 where the Lord says, “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…He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (vv.16, 18).

Let us now consider our second text that has to do with man’s “excuse”: “Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:19, 20). We know that sinful man (which all of us are; “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” [Romans 3:23]), has to hear the Word of God, namely the Gospel of Jesus Christ, in order for them to know who they are before God and their responsibility to Him. Of course, for one to live where they can easily go to hear the Word of God, or have a Bible that is accessible to them, augments their responsibility for not doing so. But our text refers to those that never hear the Word of God or have a Bible; nevertheless, “they are without excuse”! You see, the Natural Revelation of God is made to every man that comes into this world “because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them”. When man looks around him and up to the heavens and sees the natural creation of God, he can understand that there is a God who created them, and to whom he is responsible; and that, renders them inexcusable! Even the pagan jungle savage, from his birth to his death, who never gets a glimpse of “the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24), will not be able to “excuse” his responsibility to God

It follows, then, that at the Great Day of Giving Accounts, absolutely not one person will be able to stand before God and say, “Excuse me, I didn’t know that!” Even “the fool (that) hath said in his heart, There is no God” (Psalm 14:1) will not be able to “excuse” his ignorance, or his willfulness, in denying the existence of God; especially as he stands before Him “because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them” ALL OF THE DAYS OF THEIR LIVES! Barnes Commentary puts it like this: “It is implied here that in order that people should be responsible, they should have the means of knowledge; and that he does not judge them when their ignorance is involuntary, and the means of knowing the truth have not been communicated. But where people have these means within their reach, and will not avail themselves of them, all excuse is taken away”. In other words, simply on the basis of Natural Revelation, i.e. the natural creation around them, man CANNOT “excuse” his Responsibility to God in his “duty” and obedience to Him, including in his Love and Worship of Him. Since, then, God will not ACCEPT any “excuse” that makes us Responsible before Him.

In closing this segment of the Responsibility of Man, let me do so by stating, whether we believe it or not, that ALL OF US will have to give an account of our Responsibility: It doesn’t make any difference who we are, whether Christian or not! We have a “duty” before God, and there will be no “excuse” if we fail in it. That’s why the apostle Peter warns us that “the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begins at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?” (1 Peter 4:17, 18). There’s no way to avoid it or to impede it; and the proof of this is the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ in that God “hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead” (Acts 17:31); “for the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son…And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man” (John 5:22, 27). So, in what relation are we to stand before the Lord Jesus Christ in that DAY: As one of His sheep, or a goat? “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left…” (Matthew 25:31ff.). You will note that in reading the rest of this chapter, we will stand before Him as responsible as “sheep”, or “goats”! May it please the Lord to bring to our hearts the seriousness of our Responsibility before Him and grant us, of His grace, to be “perfect in every good work to do his will, working in (us) that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen” (Hebrews 13:21).