Material that was gathered from other people about preaching

1. THE PREACHING AND
THE PRACTICE
OF TRUTH
Second, we and our churches must take truth seriously. The great tragedy is that in all our
countries, evangelicalism under the name of evangelicalism is destroying evangelicalism.
Orthodoxy under the name of orthodoxy is destroying orthodoxy. Take the Free University of
Amsterdam, that great school which under Abraham Kuyper really spoke for God, not only in
theology but in its understanding of culture. Today the Theology Department in the Free
University discredits the Scripture. In America it is the same. We have theological seminaries
that call themselves evangelical and no longer hold to the Scriptures, especially the first half of
Genesis, as fully inspired in their historic content. In England it is the same. T. H. Huxley spoke
as a prophet in 1890 when he said that there would come a day when faith would be separated
from all fact (especially all pre-Abrahamic history), and faith would go on triumphant forever.
That is where not only the liberal theologians are, but also the evangelical, orthodox theologians
who begin to tone down on the truth, the propositional truth of Scripture which God has given
us.
The key here is antithesis. If a statement is true, its opposite is not true. We must take this very
seriously. Many of us in the name of evangelicalism are letting it slip through our fingers. Unless
we accept the modern twentieth-century concept that religious truth is only psychological truth,
then if there is that which is true, the opposite is not true. Two religions that teach exactly
opposite things may both be wrong, but they cannot both be right. We must act upon, witness,
and preach this fact: what is contrary to God’s revealed propositional truth is not true, whether it
is couched in Hindu terms or traditional Christian terms with new meanings.
All the areas of our personal and corporate life, especially our corporate religious life, must be
affected. The early church allowed itself to be condemned, both by the secular and religious
authorities. They said, “We must preach, we must witness publicly; we must obey God rather
than man.” In Acts 4:19, 20 they said: In obedience to God, we must say what we have seen,
and we must say what we have heard regardless of any authority that would tell us to be quiet.
They practiced antithesis.
Students from London School of Economics, Harvard, the Sorbonne, from Africa and Asia and
from the ends of the earth, have come to L’Abri with their packs on their backs. But if you think
they would listen to us if we were not willing to say that what Christianity teaches (what God has
spoken) stands as an antithesis to its opposite, you do not understand your own children or your
own age. Our credibility is already minus 5 if we do not say what is false and wrong in contrast
to what is true and right. It is minus 405 if we are not willing to stand practically in the arena of
antithesis. Some Christians think they will be listened to more if they give in a bit at some points
concerning the Scripture, but they are mistaken—they have given away the answers which are
needed.

2. But if first we must speak Christianity with a clear content and an emphasis on truth as over
against what is not true, equally we must practice truth. This was the stress in my speech to the
Berlin Congress on Evangelism, “The Practice of Truth,” and it has been what I have stressed at
many places, and at many times, since.
We must practice the truth even when it is costly. We must practice it when it involves church
affiliation or evangelistic cooperation. There is a difference between having a public discussion
with a liberal theologian and inviting him to pray in our program. There is a difference between
personal fellowship with a Christian and publicly acting in such a way that others would
conclude it makes no difference when central points have been compromised.
This is a time to show to a generation which thinks that the concept of truth is unthinkable that
we do take truth seriously. This means we must carefully consider the principle of the purity of
the visible church and what discipline in regard to both life and doctrine means. We may differ at
certain points in application, but the concepts must be discussed and put into practice under the
leadership of the Holy Spirit. Two biblical principles have to be considered in their
interrelationship: (1) the principle of the purity of the visible church; and (2) the principle that the
world has a right to judge whether we are Christians and whether the Father sent the Son, on
the basis of observable love shown among all true Christians.
If we practice latitudinarianism either individually or corporately in an age like our own, we have
removed our credibility before the non-Christian, post-Christian, relativistic, skeptical, lost world.
If you think that those who have rejected the plastic culture and are sick of hypocrisy are going
to be impressed when you talk about truth and at the same time practice untruth, you are wrong.
They will never listen. You have cut the ground from under yourself. We live in a generation that
does not believe that such a thing as truth is possible, and if you practice untruth while talking
about truth, the real thinkers will just say, “Garbage!”
Author
Dr. Francis A. Schaeffer is widely recognized as one of the most influential Christian thinkers of
the day. He is the author of twenty-two books which have been translated into twenty-five
foreign languages, with more than three million copies in print.
Dr. Schaeffer has lectured frequently at leading universities in the U.S. and abroad. With his
wife, Edith, the Schaeffers founded L’Abri Fellowship, an international study center and
community in Switzerland with branches in England, The Netherlands, Sweden, and the U.S.
Among Dr. Schaeffer’s most influential books are The God Who Is There, Escape From
Reason, He Is There and He Is Not Silent, and The Mark of the Christian. His two most recent
books — How Should We Then Live? and Whatever Happened to the Human Race? (written
with Dr. C. Everett Koop) — have also been produced as major film series. Whether in books,
films or the work of L’Abri, Dr. Schaeffer has proclaimed a common theme — the
uncompromising Truth of historic, biblical Christianity and its relevance for all of life.

3. The God Who Is There, Escape From Reason, He Is There and He Is Not Silent, and The Mark
of the Christian. His two most recent books — How Should We Then Live? and Whatever
Happened to the Human Race? (written with Dr. C. Everett Koop)
What is it to Preach the Gospel?
a sermon by Henry Mahan
For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea,
woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! — 1 Corinthians 9:16
The greatest man of apostolic times was the apostle Paul — no question about that. Paul was
the greatest man in everything he did and if you go back to the time when his life was not lived
in Christ, through Christ and for Christ, he was even great in what he did then. Someone said
Paul was great in everything he did whether it was good or whether it was bad because he did
nothing half way. If you consider him as a sinner, he was exceeding sinful — that's what he
said, "exceeding sinful." If you consider him as a persecutor, he was mad against Christians —
he persecuted them even in strange cities. He was not content to persecute those at home —
he had to travel even to Damascus with letters giving him permission to destroy the people of
Christ. If you consider the apostle as a convert, his conversion was remarkable; he met Christ in
a real and personal way on the road to Damascus, blinded by the light, falling into the dust,
looking up into that light, crying, "Lord what wilt Thou have me to do?" If you consider this man
as a preacher of the gospel, he stands out as the prince of preachers, the greatest of them all,
crying, "I am ready to preach the gospel to them that are at Rome also; I am determined to
know nothing among you, save Jesus Christ and him crucified." "God forbid," he said, "that I
should glory save in the cross of my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ." Whatever Paul did, he did
with all his heart; he did nothing halfway. if he was rebelling, he was rebelling; if he was bowing,
he was bowing; if he was worshipping, he was worshipping; if he was preaching the gospel, he
was preaching the gospel. There was no nonsense in anything he did when it came to speaking
about God. When he wrote this text, "for though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of,
for necessity is laid upon me, yea, woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel," he writes it with an
unshaking hand; he writes it with a firmness, with a dedication and with a determination! "I
preach the gospel. Yea, woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel." No nonsense in anything
connected with the praise of God, with the worship of God, with the glory of God, or with the
gospel of God. Now we need to learn this.
I want you to turn to Psalm 89, verse 7. The Scripture says, "God is greatly to be feared in the
assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about Him." In the Old
Testament when one spoke of a genuine believer; when one spoke of a man who worshipped
God and walked with God, do you know how he was described? "One that feared the Lord." Do
you know how the rebels of our day are described? Do you know how men are described,
women, boys and girls who do not know God, who are not children of God? They are said to be
those who have "no fear of God before their eyes." Now what I'm saying is, the apostle Paul,
whatever he did, he did it one hundred percent; whatever he did, it was no half-way measure.

4. And particularly when it came to the gospel; when it came to worship; when it came to
preaching Christ; when it came to the praise of God, there was no nonsense about this man.
Ecclesiastes 5:1 — "Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to
hear than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they consider not that they do evil. Be not rash with
thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter anything before God; for God is in heaven, and
thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few." Turn to the book of Habakkuk, chapter 2, verse
20, and listen to this: "but the Lord is in his holy temple, let all the earth keep silence before
him." Now the words of our text are applicable to every minister of the gospel and to every
church where the gospel is to be preached. In our text, 1 Corinthians 9:16, Paul says seriously,
sincerely, in simplicity, in boldness, and in the power of the Holy Spirit, "though I preach the
gospel, I have nothing to glory of."
What is it to preach the gospel? Is everybody preaching the gospel? No! Is
everybody who claims to preach the gospel preaching the gospel? No! What
is it to preach the gospel?
To Preach the Gospel is. . .
To Tell The Truth About God
First, to preach the gospel is to preach the truth about God. 1. We preach the God of eternal
existence. The Scripture says, "in the beginning God." When Moses came to the burning bush,
God said, "Go down and deliver my people out of Egypt." Moses said, "whom shall I say hath
sent me?" and God replied, "I am." Not, I was; not I shall be, but I AM ? the eternal I AM ?the
everlasting I Am ? I Am that I Am! 2. We preach the God of creation. "All things were made by
him and without him was not anything made that was made." In him we move, we live and we
have our being. God created all things. 3. We preach the God of sovereign mercy. The Scripture
says "Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord." The Bible says, "I will have mercy upon whom
I will have mercy; I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious." We preach the God of mercy,
yes, but sovereign mercy; the God of grace, yes, but sovereign grace. God will be gracious to
whom he will be gracious ? he owes no man anything; if he bestows grace, his mercy, it is
sovereignly bestowed. He is an immutable sovereign, and unchanging sovereign. 4. We preach
the God of righteousness. Our Lord said, "I will in no wise clear the guilty. The soul that sinneth
it shall die. Sin when it is finished bringeth forth death." God Almighty is a righteous God — He
is a holy God, therefore, Christ Jesus came into the world that God might be just and justify the
ungodly. We preach a God that cannot show his love at the expense of his holiness. We preach
a God that cannot show mercy at the expense of his truth ? and only at Calvary can mercy and
truth meet together, and righteousness and peace kiss one another. The God we preach is the
God of righteousness, and 5. He's the God of unchanging grace. "I am the Lord," he said, "I do
not change; therefore, you sons of Jacob are not consumed "Why is there no fear of God before
the eyes of this generation? They've heard preached a false god; they've heard preached a
weak god; they've heard preached a failing god; they've heard preached a disappointed god;
they've heard preached a god whose hands are tied; they've heard preached a god who says I
have no eyes but your eyes; I have no feet but your feet; I have no hands but your hands. That's
a lie. The God of the Bible is totally and completely independent of his creatures as far as his

5. strength, his wisdom, his power, his beauty and his glory are concerned. We do not add to his
glory — we receive and share in his glory. The God we preach is the God of eternal existence,
the God of creation, the God of sovereign mercy, the God of righteousness, and the God of
unchanging grace. He is the God upon whom we depend; the God to whom we look; and the
God without whom we can't exist! All things that we have we receive of him — we return nothing
but that which he gives us. What is it to preach the gospel? It is to preach the truth about God.
To Tell The Truth About Man
Secondly, what is it to preach the gospel? It's to preach the truth about man. Men do not want to
hear the truth about God; and they do not want to hear the truth about themselves. But gospel
preachers preach the truth, not only about God, but the truth about the sinner, and they leave
that sinner empty, broken and destroyed with all his foundations of flesh swept from under him,
and all his self-righteous rags stripped from off him, leaving him naked and unclothed before the
searchlight of God's holiness. What does the Bible say about man? It says in Romans 10:3,
"there is none righteous, no not one, there is none that understandeth; there is none that seek
after God." What are men seeking? Seeking their own pleasure; seeking their own comfort;
seeking their own glory; seeking their own wills; seeking their own satisfaction — everybody
seeks his own, they do not seek God. "They are all gone out of the way, they are together
become unprofitable, for there is none that doeth good, no, not one." Christ said, "you have not
the love of God in you." Somebody says, "Well, I love people." No you don't. You just consider
who you love. You love yourself. You try to think this minute — is there anybody in this world
you really love? Well, you say, "I love my wife" — that's yourself. That's your wife. Well, "I love
my mother and father" — that's still loving yourself — that is not loving anybody — you love
them because they are your mother and father. Well, "1 love my son or daughter" — your son
and daughter — do you love anybody else's son or daughter? "I love my brothers and sisters"
— that's yourself. Well, "I love my Saviour; my own personal Saviour." That's loving yourself. If
he weren't your Saviour, you would not love him. Everything you love is connected with your
own sinful, selfish self ? your whole world revolves around yourself ? your own pleasures, your
own delights, your own passions, your own seeking. "There is none good, no, not one. Their
throat is an open sepulchre, with their tongues they have used deceit the poison of snakes is
under their lips; their mouths are full of cursing, bitterness, murmuring, complaining, fault-
finding, gossip, back-biting — their feet are swift to shed blood — destruction and misery are in
their ways — the way of peace, they know nothing about it." There's no genuine, honest,
sincere fear of God before their eyes — they don't fear God; they do not tremble at the
presence of God; they don't fall at his feet as dead men — even religious worshippers today
don't fear God. If they feared God, they would be silent in the presence of God; they would
choose their words carefully; their worship would be marked, not by shouting, but by awesome
reverence and fear. Job said, "when I saw the Lord, I said I have spoken once, yea, twice, but
I'll never speak again." John said, "when I saw the Lord, I fell at his feet as a dead man — my
eyes have seen the Lord." Isaiah said, "When I saw the Lord, I cried, woe is me, for I am a man
of unclean lips, and I dwell among a people of unclean lips — when I saw the Lord I saw my
guilt." The average person goes to church and he comes away feeling good. If the preacher had
preached the truth about man, they would have come away from that place crying, "O, God, be
merciful to me a sinner!"

6. To Tell The Truth About Christ
Thirdly: What is it to preach the gospel? It is to tell the truth about God and man, and it is to tell
the truth about Jesus Christ. My friends Jesus of Nazareth is not a weak, frustrated reformer;
Jesus Christ of Nazareth is very God of very God. He is the Messiah. He did not die as a martyr;
he did not die as an example — he came down here and died on the cross as the victorious,
conquering, successful Redeemer of his people. He died as the covenant Redeemer. He died
for the covenant people — he died to accomplish a task given him by the Father before the
world's creation. When he completed his suffering on Calvary, he said, "It is finished." He cannot
fail! Christ is not a frustrated Redeemer; he is not a disappointed Saviour; he is not a defeated
Saviour; he is not a poor, weak, reformer up there in heaven, crying his eyes out because
people won't let him have his way. He is the conquering, victorious Messiah who is seated at
the right hand of the Father, expecting until his enemies become his footstool! He is the Lord of
the living and the dead. A preacher said to a congregation one time, "won't you make Jesus
your Lord?" I emphatically declare to this congregation that you cannot make Jesus Christ your
Lord — the Father has already beat you to it! He is your Lord! He is your Lord if you are saved;
he is your Lord if you are damned! He is your Lord if you are on the right hand with his sheep;
he is your Lord if you are on the left hand with the goats! He is your Lord! Every knee shall bow
and every tongue confess in heaven, earth and hell that he is Lord. You don't make him Lord —
you recognize him as Lord. God made him Lord. The Father has delivered all things to the Son;
the Scripture says, he is the Lord. He purchased that right through his death on Calvary. Jesus
Christ is not a fire escape from hell, he is the Lord; he is not a door-mat named Jesus, he is
Lord. If any man shall confess with his mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in his heart that
God has raised him from the dead, he shall be saved. His life is a perfect righteousness; his
death a perfect sacrifice. We?d better start telling the truth about this man called Jesus. To
preach the gospel is to tell the truth about the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm not here to pastor a church;
I'm here to preach the gospel. I'm not here to see how many people I can baptize, I'm here to
preach the gospel. And I did not come to preach it with wisdom of words lest I cover the cross of
Christ so that man can't even recognize it because of my intellectuality or my vocabulary.
To Tell The Truth About Salvation
Fourthly: I am come to preach the gospel and tell the truth about God, about men, about Christ
and to tell the truth about salvation. Now let me tell you something: this thing of salvation — we
use that word rather loosely in this day ? salvation from sin is not by the deeds of the law. Even
those who are supposed to know something about salvation by grace have to remind
themselves again and again that salvation is not by the works of the flesh, not at all, in any way!
Salvation is not by reformation; salvation does not come by decision; salvation does not come
through church ordinances; salvation is not ours by church membership; salvation is in Christ
the Lord. That's where salvation is — not in man's purpose, not in man's plan, it's in a person.
It's not in a proposition, it's not in walking an aisle, it's not in a church ordinance, it's in Christ! It's
not in a law; it's not in the deeds of the flesh; salvation is in Christ. A man does not have
salvation until he comes by the power of God's Spirit through faith to a living, personal, vital,
intimate union with Christ as the Lord. A man is not a Christian until he has a vital union with
Christ. A man is not a Christian until he is inseparably joined — personally joined to Jesus

7. Christ. A man is not a Christian until Christ becomes his life. A man is not a Christian unless you
can cut into his heart and find love for Christ; cut into his mind and find thoughts of Christ; and
cut into his soul and find a panting after Christ. Christ in you, that's the hope of glory. The Holy
Spirit convicts a man of sin; the Holy Spirit empties a sinner; the Holy Spirit brings a man to faith
in the Son of God — faith in the living Lord. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old
things are passed away, behold, all things are become new. Most people's so-called Christianity
can be taken off with their Sunday clothes; but a man who is genuinely saved has Christ living in
him as an everlasting fountain springing up into everlasting life — he's been born-again — he's
been resurrected from the grave — he has the very image of the Son of God stamped on his
heart and it cannot be moved. What is it to preach the gospel? There are not many folks
preaching the gospel because there are not many people telling the truth about God. Everybody
has a god. But eternal life is to know the living God, What is it to preach the gospel? It's to tell
the truth about man, and we are not going to like what we hear. It's to tell the truth about, Christ,
and it's to tell the truth about salvation.
Nothing To Glory Of In Preaching
The next thing that Paul deals with here is "though I preach the gospel I have nothing to glory
of. Why is it that we who preach the gospel have nothing to glory of? Well, firstly, we are
conscious of our guilt. Any man who is not conscious of his own guilt can't preach the gospel
because he doesn't know the gospel. And you can't tell what you don't know any more than you
can come back from where you haven't been. A man who preaches the gospel is conscious of
his own guilt. The man who was led of the Spirit to write this Scripture said, "I am not worthy to
be an apostle, I see no worthiness in myself." Later on he said, "I am less than the least of all
the saints" — pick out the least saint in God?s house and I am less than the least saint. Then
later on he said, "Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief." I
wonder if I asked this morning, "Will the chief of sinners please stand?" — would anybody really
stand? No, we wouldn't stand. But the apostle Paul said that the man who really knows God
feels that way. When somebody asked, "Paul, who is the chief of sinners?" He replied, "I am."
Dr James M. Gray wrote this: "suffer a sinner whose heart overflows, loving his Saviour to tell
what he knows; once more to tell it would I embrace — what do you want to tell, Dr. Gray — "I'm
only a sinner, saved by grace." A man who really knows God never graduates above that
statement right there — "I'm only a sinner saved by grace." He may grow in grace, grow in
talent, grow in gifts and grow in knowledge, but he's still only a sinner saved by grace. We have
nothing to glory of, we're just using borrowed gifts. Turn to 1 Corinthians 4, and listen to verse 7
— "Who maketh thee to differ?" Are you able to preach — who gave you the power? Do you
have a little more than somebody else — who gave it to you? Do you have more talents than
the next fellow — who made you to differ? "What hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now if
you received it, why dost thou glory?" Why do you glory in your beauty? — God gave it to you.
Why do you glory in your strength? Without God you would not have it. Why do you glory in your
wealth? God gave it to you. Why do you glory in your talent, in your singing ability? Why do you
glory in your ability to play an instrument? You couldn't play the radio without God's grace —
you'd be a simpleminded imbecile. Who made you to differ? What do you have that God didn't
give you? If you are walking around with something, something somebody gave you, why are
you bragging as if you have it of your own natural ability? Why do you think that you are better

8. than anybody else? Only God's merciful grace; God's gracious grace enables you to be
anything but a stuttering, stammering moron.
Let me tell you a story. Charles Spurgeon wrote this in 1855, "Last week the quiet neighborhood
of Newtown was disturbed by an occurrence which has thrown a gloom over the whole
neighborhood. Something dreadful happened. A well-known teacher, a man who had been
principal of the academy for young men for years, who was my own professor, has become
mentally deranged, he has lost his mind. A warrant had to be issued for his arrest, and while
waiting for the vehicle to carry him away to the institution for the mentally insane, this old white-
haired man who had been principal stood on the porch of his home, where he had lived all his
life before his friends and neighbors, handcuffed to two policemen. He was then led away. He
was my teacher, he was the man from whom I learned whatever human learning I have
acquired. He was a man of genius, a man of ability! How fallen, how fallen." How quickly can
human nature sink below the level of the beast. Who made you to differ? What do you have that
you have not received? Salvation is the gift of God! Faith is the gift of God! Though I preach the
gospel, I have nothing to glory of — nothing! I can't break the heart — the Holy Spirit must do
that; I can't convict men of sin — God has to do that I can't give repentance and faith — God
must do that; I can't reveal Christ — this, too, is the Spirit's work. If my words are the only voice
you hear, you'll just have to perish — you've got to hear him speak from heaven.
Necessity Laid Upon Me To Preach
Read the next line of our text — "Necessity is laid upon me." Why is it necessary for me to
preach the gospel? Preacher, why are you so compelled; why is it that every time you speak it's
always Christ and him crucified — the gospel? I'll tell you why — because of the truth and the
beauty of the gospel. I see in the gospel of substitution a beauty beyond all things. I see in the
gospel of Jesus Christ the good news of the Son of God, the truth of God. Only Christ can meet
the perfect law. Only Christ can satisfy the justice of God. Only Christ can open the way for us
into the holiest of all, into the presence of the Father. Only Christ can supply the need of the
bankrupt sinner, and only Christ can keep me from falling. "Now unto him who is able to keep
you from falling, and who is able to present you faultless before the throne and the presence of
his glory with exceeding joy; to him be glory both now and forever." That's why it's necessary for
me to preach the gospel: the beauty of it, the glory of it, the truth of it. I could tell you that
salvation is in the church, but it wouldn't be true. I could tell you to come down here and shake
my hand and God would take you to heaven, but it would be a lie. I could tell you, let me baptize
you, and by obeying the baptismal commandment you will go to heaven, but it wouldn't be so. I
could tell you that if you live a good life and pray and go to church on Sunday and give a little
offering, God will take you to heaven when you die, but it wouldn't be so. I could tell you to quit
drinking, quit going to the picture show and live a good, moral life and you will go to heaven
when you die, but that would be a lie — it wouldn't be so. But when I tell you that Christ died for
our sins; that Christ is a sufficient Saviour; that Christ is an effectual substitute who came down
here and gave us a righteousness which we didn't have and couldn't produce, went to the cross,
bore our sins, paid our debt, satisfied the justice of God; that he is our living advocate at the
right hand of the Father; and that if you come to a living, vital union with him, you'll be saved —
that's the truth, and the only truth that will make you free.

9. Woe Is Unto Me If I Preach Not
I wish I had the ear of every preacher in the world right now, not that I deserve to preach to
preachers, but I know this is so — it doesn't matter if a little child says it, or an ignorant person
says it, or who says it — Paul said it first, the Holy Spirit inspired him to say it, "Woe is unto me
if I preach not the gospel." I'm in trouble, real trouble. I cannot think of any crime — I can't think
of a crime more terrible than to be intrusted with the immortal souls of eternity-bound boys and
girls, young people, men and women, like every preacher is in-trusted every Sunday, and then
stand up here and waste this precious time talking about myself, about my problems or my so-
called denomination or my church, or talk about my ideas of what is right and what is wrong. I
cannot think of a more terrible crime than to be intrusted with the souls of men and women who
are sitting before us, some of whom may be in hell before next Sunday, and take that time
singing a bunch of ditties, carrying on with foolishness, and making a mockery of the gospel of
Jesus Christ. I can't think of a more awful crime against society than to deceive people who are
given to us to instruct in the things of the Lord. I've got to preach the gospel — woe is unto me if
I don't. God have mercy, and he won't, if I don't! Woe unto the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah,
woe unto the Christ-crucifiers of Jerusalem, but double woe upon the preachers and shepherds
and pastors who for advantage, filthy lucre and praise of men deceive men's souls — God help
them, but he won't. Woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel, and there's not another one, it's
the gospel of Christ. If an angel from heaven preach unto you any other gospel, Paul said, "let
him be accursed." Now if you want to play games, you play them, but you play them somewhere
else — I'm going to preach the gospel here. If you want to play church, you play it, but you play
it somewhere else. I'm preaching as a dying man to dying men; I'm preaching as one who may
never preach again, and under God I'm going to tell you the truth. I say this in closing, woe is
unto me if I preach not the gospel; but I have something to tell you: woe is unto you if I preach it
and you do not believe it. You may not understand it; and it may not fit in with your tradition; and
it may not fit into your denominational pattern, and I'm sure if it's the gospel it won't because
Christ didn't fit the denominational pattern when he came down here either — he didn't fit into
their religious theology; he didn't fit into their tradition; and he didn't fit into their mold; and they
crucified him! My message may not fit what Mama taught you, but Mama wasn't sent of God to
preach the gospel — I am. If I didn't believe that, I'd quit. Do you see what I'm saying? I'm
saying, "woe is unto you, woe is unto the Tri-state area, and woe is everybody under the sound
of my voice, if I preach the gospel and you do not believe it. I'm willing to take my medicine, if I
don't preach the gospel; but you get ready to take yours, if I do and you do not receive it — is
that fair? I preach the gospel, Paul says! I don't have anything to glory of — I'm just a sinner
saved by grace. Necessity is laid upon me — I've got to preach the gospel, for woe is unto me if
I don't preach it. Now will you say this — I believe the gospel, but if I believe the gospel, I don't
have anything to glory of — will you say that? God gave me the knowledge; God gave me the
repentance; God gave me the faith. For necessity is laid upon me — I've got to believe the
gospel, because there's no truth anywhere else; there's no beauty anywhere else; there's no
hope anywhere else; no refuge anywhere else — necessity is laid upon me — can you say
that? And can you go on and finish — woe is unto me if I don't believe the gospel. That's all I've
got to say. Now it's between you and God — I leave it with you.

10. This sermon was first published in the Baptist Reformation Review, Nashville, Tennessee.
by Mitch Cervinka
How important are the doctrines of grace? Are they central to the Christian faith, or are they
merely peripheral doctrines reserved for the more mature? Must a person believe the doctrines
of grace to be saved? Should Calvinism be preached to the unsaved? Is Calvinism the gospel?
These are important questions. To answer them properly, we need to define what we mean by
“Calvinism” and what we mean by “the gospel.” Then we need to find the answers to these
questions in God’s Word.
What do we mean by “the Gospel”?
The word “gospel” translates the Greek word euaggelion, which literally means “good
message” or “message of good news.” When we speak of the Gospel, we normally
mean the good news about salvation. There are at least two different things which might
be meant when we ask “Is Calvinism the Gospel?”
First, we might mean “Is Calvinism the good news about God’s salvation of men?” Does
Calvinism declare to us how God saves men? Is the Gospel merely contained in
Calvinistic teaching, or is Calvinism in its sum and substance a description of what God
does to save men?
Second, we might mean “Must a person believe the doctrines of God’s sovereign grace
in order to be saved?” Is Calvinistic truth an essential object of saving faith?
These two different meanings of the expression “the Gospel,” though related, are quite
distinct. It is entirely possible, in principle, that Calvinism is a full description of how God
saves men, yet contains more than is absolutely needed as the object of faith. Thus,
there could be one sense in which Calvinism is the Gospel, and another sense in which
it is not.
What do we mean by “Calvinism”?
The word “Calvinism” has been used in a variety of ways.
1. In its broadest sense, “Calvinism” refers to that view of God which sees Him as the
Sovereign Ruler of the universe—that, before He created anything, He determined the
course of the universe: from the smallest sub-atomic particles to the greatest galaxies;
from the course of natural events, such as weather and earthquakes, to the very actions
and thoughts of men. This includes every thought and every action, from the womb to
the grave, of every man who would ever live. These were not only foreseen or permitted
by God, but also planned and purposed by Him.

11. Moreover, Calvinism teaches that God, in His Providence, intervenes in His
creation when and however He pleases. At times, He is pleased to allow
secondary and contingent causes to take their course. At other times, He
deliberately intervenes, sometimes in very subtle, inconspicuous ways, and
sometimes in very overt, spectacular ways.
In short, Calvinism says that God is both the Architect and Master of all things.
Nothing takes God by surprise, or is outside the realm of His control.
This broad definition of Calvinism includes the doctrines related to salvation, but
includes much more as well.
2. In a more focused sense, “Calvinism” refers to God’s sovereignty in the context of
salvation. The Five Points of Calvinism (TULIP) represent an eloquent summary of this:
Total Depravity - Men are so ruined by sin that they will not, indeed, cannot bring
forth genuine repentance or saving faith apart from God’s regenerating power. Nor can
they in any way improve their spiritual condition or prepare themselves to receive the
grace of God.
Unconditional Election - Before He created the world, God in mercy freely chose
certain individuals to receive salvation. His choice was not based upon anything He
foresaw in them, such as faith, good works, repentance, their decision to believe, or their
willingness to cooperate with Him. He saw that they were dead in trespasses and sins,
and totally unwilling to seek Him. The cause for any man’s salvation lies entirely in God,
and not in the individual.
Limited Atonement - Christ bore the full penalty of sin for all God’s elect. His death
effectually and eternally saves all for whom He died. He emptied the cup of God’s wrath
for each of them, so that, on the judgment day, God will have no reason or basis to
condemn them. Had Christ died for all men, then no one could ever be condemned.
Thus, Christ’s death is “limited” to the elect only. (Those who deny this doctrine limit the
death of Christ much more severely, by denying the ability of the cross to save men).
Irresistible Grace - Unregenerate man is unwilling and unable to come to God. An
individual exercises genuine faith and repentance when and only when he has been
regenerated by the Holy Spirit. The new heart imparted by the Holy Spirit is the source of
all true Christian graces, including saving faith and repentance.
Perseverance of the Saints - Those whom the Father chose, the Son redeemed,
and the Spirit regenerates are the objects of God’s eternal love and care. The Father’s
election of them is eternal and unchanging. The Son’s redemption of them is
comprehensive and complete. The Spirit’s work in their hearts is effective and abiding.
The Holy Trinity is united in their resolve and efforts to save the elect, and so there is no
possibility that any of the elect could totally or ultimately fall away and be lost.
Is Calvinism the good news about God’s salvation of men?

12. It should be obvious that “Calvinism” in this second sense is squarely focused on the
issues of salvation. In a very real sense, the Five Points of Calvinism are the Gospel of
our salvation, for they carefully define man’s need of God’s grace, and summarize the
great acts performed by the Triune God to save men from their sins.
The Arminian “gospel” redefines the gospel doctrines of depravity, election, redemption,
regeneration, and grace.
Under the Arminian system, man is not so depraved that he cannot savingly believe in
Christ. Thus, man’s need of salvation is greatly compromised by Arminianism.
Under the Arminian system, God chose certain men only because He foresaw that they
would believe. Thus, God’s plan of salvation is greatly compromised by Arminianism.
Indeed, this is a great denial of God’s freedom to help needy sinners, for those who most
need His help are those who would never have believed apart from God’s Irresistible
Grace.
Redemption under the Arminian system cannot save anyone unless man contributes his
own faith. Thus, the price of our salvation and the worth of Christ’s blood to save guilty
sinners is greatly compromised by Arminianism.
Under the Arminian system God cannot regenerate a man until he responds in faith to
the Gospel (whereas Calvinism teaches that faith is a fruit and evidence of
regeneration). Thus, God’s power and freedom to bring about our salvation is greatly
compromised by Arminianism.
And Arminianism views “grace” merely as a universal provision of salvation for all men,
who may then receive it or reject it as they choose. On the other hand, the Calvinistic
concept of grace is that God does everything necessary for our salvation: choosing us
(when we would not choose Him), redeeming us (effectually, with no restraining
conditions) and powerfully regenerating us (thereby giving us a new heart which erupts
forth in genuine, loving faith), when we were still dead in our sins and unbelief.
To suppose that the Gospel could have any sensible meaning in a theological vacuum is
ludicrous. The “gospel” of Arminianism is but a man-centered, man-glorifying counterfeit
of the Biblical gospel. The doctrines represented by the TULIP are not mere window
dressing. They are nothing less than a precise, Biblical definition of what salvation is all
about. In this sense, the TULIP is very much the Gospel.
Is belief in Calvinism essential to salvation?
No one would claim that a perfect understanding of every doctrinal issue involved in Calvinism
is required for salvation. But how much Calvinism, if any, is required?
First, let us clarify one point: When we speak of certain beliefs being necessary for
salvation, we do not mean that a person acquires salvation because of or on the basis of
believing certain truths. Salvation is strictly by the sovereign decree of God, the

13. substitutionary work of Christ and the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit, and
is never based upon anything which man does or wills (Romans 9:16).
What we mean when we speak of a doctrine being “necessary for salvation” is this:
When the Holy Spirit regenerates us, He gives us a new heart and brings forth saving
faith from this new heart.
What is it that saving faith believes? What constitutes the object of saving faith?
We affirm that saving faith believes in Christ and in His death and
resurrection. It does not believe merely in the objective facts of His life,
death and resurrection, but also trusts the person, Christ Jesus, who died
and rose for us, as Lord and Savior. However, it must believe in certain
specific objective facts about the Lord Jesus, to ensure that it is the true,
historical, eternal, resurrected God-man, Jesus, that is the object of faith,
rather than a deceptive, imaginary counterfeit.
Thus, saving faith believes in the deity of Christ, and in the saving, substitutionary
aspects of His death and resurrection. Saving faith also believes in the truthfulness of
God’s Word, the Bible.
But does saving faith necessarily believe anything that is distinctively Calvinistic? I
submit the following items for your consideration:
Salvation requires belief in the One True God.
What is the most basic attribute of God? His holiness and love are certainly essential
and pre-eminent among His splendors. Nevertheless, the very definition of God is that
He is the Sovereign Master of His universe.
Worldly philosophers may be satisfied with a merely “Supreme” being, but the Bible
declares our God to be the Sovereign Master of the universe. What is the difference
between “Supreme Being” and “Sovereign Master”? The expression “Supreme Being”
only means someone who is greater than everyone else. A “Sovereign Master” is in
constant control of all things. Among God’s creatures, Satan is the Supreme Being,
being more powerful than any other creature, but he is not Sovereign, for he cannot
control all things.
It is proper to indict the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Mormons of believing in false gods
because they deny the full deity of Christ, or assert that there are other gods besides the
God of the Bible. If someone were to question God’s holiness, faithfulness, justice,
truthfulness, omnipotence or omniscience, should we not question his salvation?
Why is it that we do not regard disbelief in God’s sovereignty an equally serious error
which may well indicate that he has never experienced the grace of God? We have a
responsibility to warn people against seriously defective views of God.

14. I fear that we have been so conditioned by Arminian teaching that we no longer regard it
as the serious heresy it is. I do not claim that a person with Arminian views is assuredly
unsaved, just as we cannot assume that every Calvinist is saved. But we should not
treat Arminianism lightly. It is a serious error to deny God’s sovereignty.
Salvation requires belief and realization that we are spiritually bankrupt and need God’s
grace.
Men today are often led to believe that God will give them eternal life in return for
believing in Christ. Faith in Christ is often viewed as a work which man can perform to
obtain salvation.
But genuine faith in Christ is born out of a sense of despair and helplessness, and the
recognition that our only hope of salvation is to plead forgivness from the One we have
so greatly offended. Perhaps such a faith is possible under the Arminian scheme, but far
more often it seems that Arminians brag on their own accomplishments and
contributions to salvation, and give very little credit to God.
Calvinism strips man of any hope of attaining salvation through his own efforts or
devices, thereby leading him to the very sense of despair and helplessness that is
necessary for genuine saving faith. Comment: Calvinism takes away from man of
any hope of receiving salvation through his own efforts or ideas thus leading him
to the very sense of despair and helplessness that is necessary for genuine
saving faith.
Critics of Calvinism suppose that such utter despair will keep people from
believing in Christ. On the contrary, it is from such fertile ground that genuine faith
springs forth! As long as we continue to harbor the idea that we can do something to
obtain salvation, our faith will be some impure mixture--trusting God to make salvation
available to us, and trusting our own decision or faith to provide the essential ingredient.
Once we understand that we can contribute nothing to our salvation, it is then that we
look to God alone for mercy and forgiveness.
When the Calvinist says “God, in mercy, opened my heart and brought me to Himself,”
the Arminian will typically say “I saw my need of a Savior, and I decided to repent and
trust in Christ.”
Is this merely a different way of saying the same thing, or does it betray a different kind
of faith? Whom does the Arminian credit for his salvation? Certainly not Christ alone.
Again, I do not wish to dogmatically assert that one who says “I decided ...” is unsaved,
but should we not at least consider whether such thinking is inconsistent with saving
faith? Is it possible that we are giving individuals a false sense of assurance when we tell
them that they can be saved by believing in a “God” who is not the Sovereign Master of
His universe, or in a “salvation”which is partly God’s work and partly man’s?
Salvation requires belief in Christ’s Substitutionary death.

15. Without question, one of the most essential elements of saving faith is trust in Christ’s
sacrificial death for guilty sinners. The doctrine of substitution is at the very heart of the
Gospel...
1 Corinthians 15:1-4 - “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which
I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By
which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless
ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also
received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that
he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”
2 Corinthians 5:21 - “For he hath made him [to be] sin for us, who knew no sin;
that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
The sacrifice of Christ is the very source and basis of our salvation. We are saved from
our sin because He bore the penalty for our sin. The wrath which God bore against us
has been swallowed up by the Cross of Christ. If Christ died for you, then God has no
wrath left to pour out upon you. Christ did not merely sip from the cup of God’s wrath—
He drank the cup dry!
When we say that Christ died for all men, we cheapen His sacrifice, for Scripture
plainly declares that all men will not be saved.
1. To say that Christ died for every man would mean that the death of Christ, in
itself, is insufficient to save anyone.
2. The Arminian “gospel” adds a qualification or condition to the work of Christ. It
says “It is not enough that Christ died for you—now you must do your part by
believing in Him.” Thus, we add man’s faith or decision to believe, as a second
requisite to salvation. This divides the glory for man’s salvation between Christ
who died for us, and the faith-giver (whether it be man himself, or the Holy Spirit),
and it thereby belittles Christ and His sacrificial death.
The object of faith is no longer Christ’s death alone, but is partly the death of
Christ, and partly the act of faith.
We must raise the troubling question: “If your faith does not reside wholly in
Christ’s sacrifice, is it saving faith?”
Many deceive themselves into thinking that they believe in the Cross alone for salvation,
when their theology betrays their true convictions by insisting that the Cross cannot save
anyone unless man does his part by believing.
What can we conclude?
God is the final judge of men’s hearts. He has the sovereign power to quicken
people in response to the preaching of Christ. He is full of mercy, and may
indeed bring forth genuine faith in response to a seriously flawed presentation of

16. the Gospel. But we must remember that the character of saving faith is that it is
humble, loving and obedient to God. Those who are truly saved may initially be
greatly confused about the doctrines of salvation, but God will faithfully lead them
into His truth with the passing days and years, as they faithfully study His Word
and are taught by His Spirit.
Arminians who have a gracious, humble spirit should not be treated as
unbelievers. Even so, we should remember that one of the greatest dangers is a false
assurance of salvation. Given that Arminian doctrine denies God His full glory, we
should be more willing to examine it critically and to ask the hard, unpopular question:
“Is it consistent with saving faith?”
“Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election
sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:” (2 Peter 1:10) We should
stand firm for the Gospel of God’s glorious sovereign grace, teaching it
faithfully, that our weaker brothers may become more assured of their
calling and election.
Should Calvinism be included in our presentation of the Gospel?
Even if we conclude that Calvinism, though desirable to be believed, is not absolutely
essential to saving faith, we still must ask whether it is appropriate to include it in our
presentation of the gospel.
Must Calvinism be included in the Gospel presentation?
It is popular in our day to try to eliminate all “nonessential” features from the gospel
message, mainly in an attempt to find common ground with others who profess faith in
Christ, and to appear accepting, loving and tolerant of others. However, as each
generation strips away another layer of what they suppose to be “nonessential” doctrine,
we find that the content of our present Gospel has become very meager indeed.
Instead of asking “How little must one believe to be saved?” we should instead ask
“How may we preach the Gospel in all its fullness and glory?”
If we are truly concerned with the salvation of men, we must turn the
Gospel fire up brightly that its light and warmth may be witnessed by all. A
tiny spark of a minimalistic gospel can still be used in God’s sovereign
hand to save whom He will. However, He is likely to be far more glorified in
a bold, clear presentation of His Gospel of sovereign grace.
HOW IS THE BEST WAY TO APPROACH THE UNDERSTANDING OF
DOCTRINE?
We should also be concerned that the “minimized” Gospel may have gone too far,
draining the very heart from the Gospel. We must be on guard against a mere shadow of
the Gospel which does not possess the necessary object of saving faith.

17. A perhaps more common problem is that often the Gospel, while declared accurately, is
expressed in terms which have not been adequately explained to the hearers. For
example, the Gospel could be stated in this way: “Christ died for sinners so that
every one who believes in Him will be saved.” This statement is true, and certainly
contains the basic thought of the gospel.
However, when we declare this truth to an individual, can we be certain
that he understands it the same way we mean it? Does he know what it
means to be a “sinner”? Does he understand the statement “Christ died
for sinners” to mean that Christ died as their Substitute, bearing the
penalty for their sins? What does he make of the statement “every one
who believes in Him will be saved”? Perhaps he views his faith as a work
which he can perform to merit salvation. Indeed, does he even
understand what it means to be saved?
Stripping the Gospel down to a bare-bones statement is not a wise course. The unsaved
need more than a Gospel-statement declared to them. Instead, they need to have
Gospel-truths explained to them. And when we explain the Gospel fully and accurately,
we must tell them the depth of their depravity and declare the great acts which each
member of the Trinity has done to save sinners: choosing, redeeming and regenerating
them. In short, we need to tell them the TULIP. When we explain the Gospel to
them in this way, we can have greater assurance that they will not misunderstand
the Gospel.
It has been rightly said that the doctrines of grace stand as sentinels, guarding the
Gospel of salvation. Only the Lord can open men’s hearts to receive the Gospel, but
if we are careful to include the doctrines of grace in our Gospel preaching, we will
avoid giving men the false assurance that comes from embracing a defective
concept of the Gospel message.
Is it wrong to include Calvinism in the Gospel presentation?
Men often assume it is wrong to preach Calvinism to the unsaved, because they
suppose that 1) Calvinism is not the Gospel, and 2) Calvinism will prejudice them
against believing the Gospel. However, such thinking betrays a distrust of God’s
power, and a presumption that our Gospel must be in some sense man-pleasing
in order to be effective.
We need only consider the example of our Lord to see that it is perfectly appropriate to
preach Calvinistic doctrines openly to the unsaved.
John 6:36-39 - “But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.
All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will
in no wise cast out.For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but
the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that

18. of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at
the last day.”
John 6:43-45 - “Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not
among yourselves. 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. 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.”
John 6:64-66 - “But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from
the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. And
he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were
given unto him of my Father. From that [time] many of his disciples went back,
and walked no more with him.”
Jesus openly taught the multitudes that there were certain ones whom the Father gave
to Him, and they are the ones who would come to Him and be saved. He taught that no
one could come to Him unless he was drawn (literally “dragged”) by the Father. He
taught that God would teach certain ones, and that everyone so taught would come to
Him. Here our Lord clearly taught the doctrines of Sovereign Election, Total
Depravityand Irresistible Grace to a crowd which contained many unbelievers.
And significantly, when He repeated (in verse 65) that no one could come to Him unless
it had been granted by the Father, many of His disciples “went back and walked no more
with Him .” Why did they forsake our Lord? John says it was “From that time”—i.e. this
statement that no one could come to Him unless the Father granted it to them.
In other words, they forsook Christ over the doctrines of Total Depravity and
Irresistible Grace.
Suppose a “disciple” today gets upset over these doctrines and leaves the church. Is he
saved? What if he had been living in our Lord’s day and had heard these doctrines
preached by Christ? Would he have forsaken our Lord when He preached them? This
should give us cause for great concern over those who will not tolerate the doctrines of
grace.
Just as importantly, it shows that we should not hold back teaching the TULIP just
because we fear someone may get angry and leave. Our responsibility is to faithfully
proclaim God’s glorious Word, and to leave the results to Him. We have no reason to
suppose that we are exempted from openly teaching the doctrines of grace, when our
Lord gave us such a clear model to follow.
1. John 6 is not the only such example.
2. John 10:11 - “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the
sheep.”

19. 3. John 10:26 - “But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto
you.”
Notice that our Lord plainly taught Limited Atonement when He said “the good shepherd
giveth His life for the sheep.” Notice also that He openly told some of His hearers that
they were not His sheep (and thus that He did not die for them!)
Finally, notice the relationship between believing and being a sheep. The reason they
did not believe was that they were not sheep! Arminian doctrine would like to turn the
passage around. But our Lord’s statement clearly teaches Irresistible Grace.
Peter on Pentecost openly taught God’s sovereignty to the unsaved when He
said: 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:”
When Judas betrayed Christ, it was by God’s “predetermined plan and
foreknowledge.” Peter openly declared this truth to the unsaved multitude on
Pentecost, and it did not seem to hinder the visible success of his preaching, but
instead led to a revival of 3000 souls led to the Lord.
Rather than preventing men from trusting in Christ, proclaiming God’s sovereign glory
can be greatly used of God to bring about great revival.
Arminianism depicts God as a weak, frustrated deity who cannot accomplish His will:
He wants all men to be saved, and has done all that He can to bring it to pass, but still a
vast multitude reject Christ to their own ruin.
Calvinism, on the other hand, proclaims God as the Sovereign Lord of the universe
who has from eternity planned and purposed all that will ever come to pass. God will
save each and every one He has purposed to save, and this will exalt His marvelous
mercy and grace. God has appointed the rest to follow their own sinful impulses down
the wide path that leads to destruction, and this will exalt His awesome holiness and
justice. When we proclaim such a God as this, we should be prepared for great things.
Paul’s epistle to the Romans was written to a church which he had never, as yet,
visited. The epistle was addressed to To all that be in Rome, beloved of God,
called [to be] saints: This means that the epistle was to be read to (or by) every
saint in the church, no matter how new to the faith.
Romans is universally regarded as one of the most evangelical of the books of
the Bible. In this epistle, Paul proclaims much that we normally think of as Gospel
material: man’s sin and depravity, justification by faith alone, and even the
spiritual conflict of the Christian life. But in chapters 8, 9 and 11, he makes some
very strong statements about God’s sovereignty in salvation...

20. Romans 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.Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also
called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified,
them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God [be]
for us, who [can be] against us? He that spared not his own Son, but
delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all
things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? [It is] God
that justifieth.”
Romans 9:8-23 - “That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these
[are] not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted
for the seed. For this [is] the word of promise, At this time will I come, and
Sara shall have a son. And not only [this]; but when Rebecca also had
conceived by one, [even] by our father Isaac; (For [the children] being not
yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God
according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) It
was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written,
Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. What shall we say then? [Is
there] unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will
have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on
whom I will have compassion. So then [it is] not of him that willeth, nor of
him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. For the scripture saith
unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I
might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared
throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will [have
mercy], and whom he will he hardeneth. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why
doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay but, O man,
who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him
that formed [it], Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power
over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and
another unto dishonour? [What] if God, willing to shew [his] wrath, and to
make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of
wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of
his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto
glory,...”
Imagine the impact this must have had upon new converts in the Roman church! Yet,
Paul did not pull any punches. He was not fearful that openly preaching God’s
sovereignty would cause people to turn away from Christ, for he was fully confident that
every truly elect person would persevere by God’s sovereign power. Indeed, he no doubt
felt that to omit proclaiming God’s sovereignty would have betrayed the trust which God
had given him. To preach the Gospel rightly, we declare the awesome glories of God—
especially His sovereignty.

21. We should remember Paul’s declaration to the Ephesian elders: Acts 20:27 - “For I have
not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.”
It appears that he did not shun to declare “the whole purpose of God” to the Roman
saints, either. The entire spectrum of doctrine, from the basic issues of sin and
justification, to the doctrine of God’s sovereign choice of some and hardening of others,
is boldly declared in the epistle to the Romans. May God grant us such boldness!
Romans 11:4-10 - “But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to
myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to [the image of] Baal. Even
so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
And if by grace, then [is it] no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if [it
be] of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. What then?
Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and
the rest were blinded (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of
slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this
day. And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock,
and a recompence unto them: Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and
bow down their back alway.”
The faith of the early church.
The early church was not ashamed of the doctrines of grace. There is no evidence that
they entertained any Arminian leanings. We have already looked at some of their
teaching and preaching. We should also notice the way they thought and prayed.
Consider, for example, the prayer of the Church when the apostles were first arrested for
preaching the gospel, and then threatened and released with the command, “...not to
speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.” (Acts 4:18).
Acts 4:27-31 - “For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed,
both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were
gathered together, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to
be done. And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with
all boldness they may speak thy word, By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that
signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. And when they
had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were
all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.”
If the early Church was so thoroughly saturated with this confidence in God’s Sovereign
will and power, then we must conclude that they openly and frequently preached,
prayed, taught and discussed God’s sovereignty.
Another clear evidence that the early Christians fully believed in God’s sovereignty is
provided by a statement in Paul’s epistle to the Philippian church...

22. Philippians 1:29 - “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to
believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;”
1. Notice that this verse clearly teaches Irresistible Grace—faith in Christ is
something which God grants to us. But notice also that Paul assumed that the
Philippian saints already understood and fully embraced this doctrine, for he
argues that God has “not only” granted us faith, “but also”grants to us the
privilege of suffering for Christ. Paul evidently knew that the Philippians rejoiced
in God’s Irresistible Grace, but felt that they may have found the doctrine of
suffering for Christ more difficult to accept.
2. Again, this ties in perfectly with the fact that Paul boldly proclaimed God’s
sovereign grace in his epistle to the Romans. God’s sovereignty is much too
necessary to effective Christian devotion, worship, sanctification and service to
keep it hidden away in seminary classrooms and theological journals. It is the
very lifeblood of the Christian faith, and should be joyously proclaimed as the
glorious Gospel of God’s surpassing grace.
Concluding observations.
Those who view Calvinism merely as a doctrinal aberration or hobby will no doubt regard
this inquiry to reflect a certain doctrinal arrogance. There are many who regard
Calvinism as suitable only for graduate-level courses at a seminary or Bible college.
But those who have been made, by God’s refreshing Spirit, to taste the sweetness of the
doctrines of grace, can never regard God’s sovereign mercy with such disdain. To us,
Calvinism is the very Gospel itself, declaring the great acts by which our Sovereign
Triune God chooses, redeems, cleanses and preserves His beloved people.
The Doctrine of Grace or Calvinism in salvation: "Whimsy" or unusual it is not an
excessive extent or degree, beyond what is desirable, or fitting
Calvinism is not merely a quaint intellectual curiosity—it is a revolutionary way of
thinking about God and salvation! It is revolutionary in the most Biblical, devout and
God-honoring way. It proclaims a God who is truly glorious, and a salvation that is truly
gracious. It exalts Christ’s redemptive sufferings by acknowledging that they are fully
efficacious in saving all for whom they were intended. It crushes human pride by
insisting that, apart from regeneration, men are wholly unwilling and unable to come to
God or to trust in Christ.
Let us therefore rejoice in our sovereign God, and in His sovereign mercy to us! Let us
joyfully proclaim His glories to a lost world—a world which needs to know that there is a
God in heaven—a God who is infinitely worthy of all honor, glory, fear and love. May He
be forever praised!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

23. http://evangelicalarminians.org/files/The%20Diversity%20of%20Arminian%20Soteriology
%20%28Pinson%29_1.pdf
THE DIVERSITY OF ARMINIAN SOTERIOLOGY:THOMAS GRANTHAM, JOHN
GOODWIN, AND JACOBUS ARMINIUS By J. Matthew Pinson 13 pages
http://www.etsjets.org/files/JETS-PDFs/47/47-1/47-1-pp121-136_JETS.pdf
JETS47/1 (March 2004) 121–36
IS THERE A REFORMED WAY TO GET THE BENEFITS OFTHE ATONEMENT TO
“THOSE WHO HAVE NEVER HEARD?” r. todd mangum 16 pages
http://www.theopedia.com/Salvation
Salvation:Salvation[1] refers to the act of God's grace in delivering his people
from bondage to sin and condemnation, transferring them to the kingdom of his
beloved Son (Col. 1:13), and giving them eternal life (Romans 6:23)—all on the
basis of what Christ accomplished in his atoning sacrifice. The Bible says we are
saved by grace through faith; and that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God
(Ephesians 2:8).
In theology, the study of salvation is called soteriology, from the Greek soteria
meaning "salvation". Salvation, virtually synonymous with the overall concept of
redemption, includes a past, present, and future sense. As Christians, we were
saved from the penalty of sin when God brought us to faith in Christ; we are
presently being saved from the power of sin as the Holy Spirit sanctifies us; and
we will someday be saved from the presence of sin when we meet Christ face to
face in glory. This idea is presented below in terms of initial, progressive, and
final salvation.
Calvinism, Classical Arminianism, Doctrine of Election, Hermeneutics, Molinism,
Philosophy: Theology's Handmaiden,Theologically Miscellaneous,What The Bible Says
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It has been pictured in this way. Here is a vast host of people hurrying down the broad
road with their minds fixed upon their sins, and one stands calling attention to yonder door, the
entrance into the narrow way that leads to life eternal. On it is plainly depicted the text,
"Whosoever will, let him come." Every man is invited, no one need hesitate. Some may say, "Well, I
may not be of the elect, and so it would be useless for me to endeavor to come, for the door will not
open for me." But God's invitation is absolutely sincere; it is addressed to every man, "Whosoever
will, let him take of the water of life freely" (Rev. 22: 17). If men refuse to come, if they pursue their
own godless way down to the pit, whom can they blame but themselves for their eternal judgment?
The messenger addressed himself to all, the call came to all, the door could be entered by all, but
many refused to come and perished in their sins. Such men can never blame God for their eternal
destruction. The door was open, the invitation was given, they refused, and He says to them

24. sorrowfully, "Ye will not come unto Me, that ye might have life." ... [But some will say], "I am
going inside: I will accept the invitation; I will enter that door," and he presses his way in and it
shuts behind him. As he turns about he finds written on the inside of the door the words, "Chosen
in Christ before the foundation ofthe world.
(H.A. Ironside)
Calvin's Commentaries Complete
http://www.biblestudyguide.org/comment/calvin/comm_index.htm
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other voices.
J. I. Packer, Introductory Essay to Owen’s The Death of Death (London: Banner of Truth, 1983).
... Without realising it, we have during the past century bartered that gospel for a substitute
product which, though it looks similar enough in points of detail, is as a whole a decidedly
different thing. Hence our troubles; for the substitute product does not answer the ends for
which the authentic gospel has in past days proved itself so mighty. The new gospel
conspicuously fails to produce deep reverence, deep repentance, deep humility, a spirit of
worship, a concern for the church. Why? We would suggest that the reason lies in its own
character and content. It fails to make men God-centred in their thoughts and God-fearing in
their hearts because this is not primarily what it is trying to do. One way of stating the difference
between it and the old gospel is to say that it is too exclusively concerned to be “helpful” to
man—to bring peace, comfort, happiness, satisfaction—and too little concerned to glorify God.
The old gospel was “helpful,” too—more so, indeed, than is the new—but (so to speak)
incidentally, for its first concern was always to give glory to God. It was always and essentially a
proclamation of Divine sovereignty in mercy and judgment, a summons to bow down and
worship the mighty Lord on whom man depends for all good, both in nature and in grace. Its
centre of reference was unambiguously God. But in the new gospel the centre of reference is
man. This is just to say that the old gospel was religious in a way that the new gospel is not.
Whereas the chief aim of the old was to teach men to worship God, the concern of the new
seems limited to making them feel better. The subject of the old gospel was God and His ways
with men; the subject of the new is man and the help God gives him. There is a world of
difference. The whole perspective and emphasis of gospel preaching has changed.
C. H. Spurgeon, Election, (delivered September 2, 1855 at New Park Street Chapel).
It is no novelty, then, that I am preaching; no new doctrine. I love to proclaim these strong old
doctrines, which are called by nickname Calvinism, but which are surely and verily the revealed
truth of God as it is in Christ Jesus. By this truth I make a pilgrimage into the past, and as I go, I
see father after father, confessor after confessor, martyr after martyr, standing up to shake
hands with me. Were I a Pelagian, or a believer in the doctrine of free-will, I should have to walk
for centuries all alone. Here and there a heretic of no very honourable character might rise up
and call me brother. But taking these things to be the standard of my faith, I see the land of the

25. ancients peopled with my brethren--I behold multitudes who confess the same as I do, and
acknowledge that this is the religion of God’s own church.
And, lest this should be too high for you, note the other mark of election, which is faith, “belief
of the truth.” Whoever believes God’s truth, and believes on Jesus Christ, is elect. I frequently
meet with poor souls, who are fretting and worrying themselves about this thought—”How, if I
should not be elect!” “Oh, sir,” they say, “I know I put my trust in Jesus; I know I believe in his
name and trust in his blood; but how if I should not be elect?” Poor dear creature! you do not
know much about the gospel, or you would never talk so, fo he that believes is elect. ...
A.W. Pink, Gleanings in the Godhead (Chicago: Moody Press, 1975), pp. 124-125.
There is a continual need to return to the great fundamental of the faith. As long as the age
lasts the Gospel of God’s grace must be preached. The need arises out of the natural state of
the human heart, which is essentially legalistic. The cardinal error against which the Gospel has
to contend is the inveterate tendency of men to rely on their own performances. The great
antagonist to the truth is the pride of man, which causes him to imagine that he can be, in part
at least, his own savior. This error is the prolific mother of a multitude of heresies. It is by this
falsehood that the pure stream of God’s truth, passing through human channels, has been
polluted.
Now the Gospel of God’s grace is epitomized in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace are ye saved
through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should
boast.” All genuine reforms or revivals in the churches of God must have as their basis a plain
declaration of this doctrine. ...
After Luther came a still more distinguished teacher, John Calvin. He was much more deeply
taught in the truth of the Gospel, and pushed its central doctrine of grace to its logical
conclusions. As Charles Spurgeon said, “Luther had, as it were, undammed the stream of truth,
by breaking down the barriers which had kept back its living waters as in a great reservoir. But
the stream was turbid and carried down with it much which ought to have been left behind. Then
Calvin came, and cast salt into the waters, and purged them, so that there flowed on a purer
stream to gladden and refresh souls and quench the thirst of poor lost sinners.”
WHAT IS A BIBLICAL CHRISTIAN?
[What is a Biblical Christian?]
Albert N. Martin
There are many matters concerning which total ignorance and complete difference are neither
tragic nor fatal. I believe many of you are probably totally ignorant of Einstein’s theory of
relativity and if you were pressed to explain it to someone you would really be in difficulty. Not
only are you ignorant of Einstein’s theory of relativity, you are probably quite indifferent, and that
ignorance and indifference is neither fatal nor tragic.

26. The theory of relativity, or simply relativity in physics, usually encompasses two
theories by Albert Einstein: special relativity and general relativity.[1] (The word
relativity can also be used in the context of an older theory, that of Galilean invariance.)
Concepts introduced by the theories of relativity include:
Measurements of various quantities are relative to the velocities of observers. In
particular, space contracts and time dilates.
Spacetime: space and time should be considered together and in relation to each
other.
The speed of light is nonetheless invariant, the same for all observers.
The term "theory of relativity" was based on the expression "relative theory" (German:
Relativtheorie) used in 1906 by Max Planck, who emphasized how the theory uses the
principle of relativity. In the discussion section of the same paper Alfred Bucherer used
for the first time the expression "theory of relativity" (German: Relativitätstheorie).[2][3]
The theory of relativity transformed theoretical physics and astronomy during the 20th
century. When first published, relativity superseded a 200-year-old theory of mechanics
created primarily by Isaac Newton.[4][5][6]
General relativity is a theory of gravitation developed by Einstein in the years
1907–1915. The development of general relativity began with the equivalence principle,
under which the states of accelerated motion and being at rest in a gravitational field (for
example when standing on the surface of the Earth) are physically identical. The upshot
of this is that free fall is inertial motion: an object in free fall is falling because that is how
objects move when there is no force being exerted on them, instead of this being due to
the force of gravity as is the case in classical mechanics. This is incompatible with
classical mechanics and special relativity because in those theories inertially moving
objects cannot accelerate with respect to each other, but objects in free fall do so. To
resolve this difficulty Einstein first proposed that spacetime is curved. In 1915, he
devised the Einstein field equations which relate the curvature of spacetime with the
mass, energy, and momentum within it.
In the field of physics, relativity improved the science of elementary particles and their
fundamental interactions, along with ushering in the nuclear age. With relativity,
cosmology and astrophysics predicted extraordinary astronomical phenomena such as
neutron stars, black holes, and gravitational waves.[4][5][6]
some of the consequences of general relativity are:
1. Clocks run slower in deeper gravitational wells.[8] This is called gravitational
time dilation.
2. Orbits precess in a way unexpected in Newton's theory of gravity. (This has
been observed in the orbit of Mercury and in binary pulsars).

27. 3. Rays of light bend in the presence of a gravitational field.
4. Rotating masses "drag along" the spacetime around them; a phenomenon
termed "frame-dragging".
5. so
Technically, general relativity is a theory of gravitation whose defining feature is its use
of the Einstein field equations. The solutions of the field equations are metric tensors
which define the topology of the spacetime and how objects move inertially.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_relativity
I am sure there are few of us who can explain all the processes by which a brown cow
eats green grass and gives white milk. It does not keep you from enjoying the milk. But there
are some things concerning which ignorance and indifference are both tragic and fatal and one
such thing is the Bible’s answer to the question I am about to set before you.
‘What is a biblical Christian?’ In other words, when does a man or woman, a boy or girl, have
the right to take to himself or herself the name Christian, according to the Scriptures?
We do not want to make the assumption lightly that you are true Christians. I want to set before
you four strands of the Bible’s answer to that question.
1. ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE A CHRISTIAN IS A PERSON WHO HAS FACED
REALISTICALLY THE PROBLEM OF HIS OWN PERSONAL SIN
Now one of the many unique things about the Christian faith is this —unlike most of the
religions of the world, Christianity is essentially and fundamentally a sinner’s religion.
When the angel announced to Joseph he approaching birth of Jesus Christ, he did so in
these words, ‘Thou halt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins’
[Matt 1.21]. The apostle Paul wrote in I Timothy 1.15, ‘This is a faithful saying and
worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’. He
came into the world to save sinners. The Lord Jesus Christ himself says in Luke 5.31-
32, ‘Those that are healthy do not need a doctor but those who are sick. I did not come
to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance’. And the Christian is one who has faced
realistically this problem of his own personal sin.
When we turn to the Scripture and seek to take in the whole of its teaching on the
subject of sin, right down to its irreducible minimum, we find that the Scripture tells us
that each one of us has a two-fold personal problem in relation to sin. On the one hand,
we have the problem of a bad record and, on the other, the problem of a bad heart. If we
start in Genesis 3 and read that tragic account of man’s rebellion against God and his
fall into sin, then trace the biblical doctrine of sin all the way through the Old Testament,
and on into the New, right through to the Book of Revelation, we shall see that it is not
over-simplification to say that everything that the Bible teaches about the doctrine of

28. sin can be reduced to those two fundamental categories — the problem of a bad record
and the problem of a bad heart.
What do I mean by ‘the problem of a bad record’? I am using that terminology to
describe what the Scripture sets before us as the doctrine of human guilt because of
sin. The Scripture tells us plainly that we obtained a bad record long before we had any
personal existence here upon the earth
‘Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so
death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned’ [Rom 5.12]. When did the
‘all’ sin? We all sinned in Adam. He was appointed by God to represent all of the
human race and when he sinned we sinned in him and fell with him in his first
transgression.
That is why the apostle writes in 1 Corinthians 15.22, ‘As in Adam all die’. We
passed our age of accountability in the Garden of Eden and from the moment
Adam sinned we were charged with guilt. We fell in him in his first transgression
and we are part of the race that is under condemnation. Furthermore, the
Scripture says, after we come into being at our own conception and subsequent
birth additional guilt accrues to us for our own personal, individual
transgressions.
The Word of God teaches that there is not a just man upon the face of the earth
who does good and does not sin [Eccles 7.20], and every single sin incurs
additional guilt. Our record in heaven is a marred record. Almighty God measures
the totality of our human experience from the moment of our birth by a standard
which is absolutely inflexible; a standard that touches not only our external deeds
but also our thoughts and the very motions and intentions of our heart; so much
so, that the Lord Jesus said that the stirring of unjust anger is the very essence of
murder, the look with intention to lust as adultery. And God is keeping ‘a detailed
record’. That record is among ‘the books’ Which will be opened in the day of
judgment [Rev 20.12]. And there in those books is recorded every thought, every
motive, every intention, every deed, every dimension of human experience that is
contrary to the standard of God’s holy law, either failing to measure up to its
standard or transgressing it. We have the problem of a bad record — a record in
which we are charged with guilt; real guilt for real sin committed against the true
and the living God. That is why the Scripture tells us that the entire human race
stands guilty before Almighty God [Rom 3.19].
1. Has the problem of your own bad record ever become a burning, pressing
personal concern to you?
2. Have you faced the truth that Almighty God judged you guilty when our first
father sinned, and holds you guilty for every single word you have spoken
contrary to perfect holiness and justice and purity and righteousness?

29. 3. He knows every object you have touched and taken contrary to the sanctity of
property and every word spoken contrary to perfect, absolute truth. Has this ever
broken in upon you, so that you awakened to the fact that Almighty God has
every right to summon you into his presence and to require you to give an
account of every single deed contrary to His law, which has brought guilt upon
your soul?
Certainly we have the problem of a bad record but we have an additional problem — the
problem of a bad heart.
We not only are pronounced guilty in the court of heaven for what we have done.
The Scripture teaches that the problem of our sin is one that arises not only from
what we have done, but from what we are. When Adam sinned he not only
became guilty before God, but defiled and polluted in his own nature. The
Scripture describes it in Jeremiah 17.9, ‘The heart is deceitful above all things
and desperately wicked; who can know it?’ Jesus describes it in Mark 7.21,
‘From within, out of the heart of man, proceed...’and then He names all the
various sins that can be seen in any newspaper on any day — blasphemies,
pride, adulteries, murder. Jesus said that these things rise out of this artesian
well of pollution, the human heart. Notice carefully that he did not say, ‘For from
without, by the pressure of society and its negative influences, come forth murder
and adultery and pride and thievery’. That is what our so-called sociological
experts tell us. It is ‘the condition of society’ that produces crime and rebellion.
Jesus says it is the condition of the human heart. For from within, out of the
heart, proceed these things — lies, selfishness, self-centredness, total pre-
occupation with my feelings and my desires and my plans and my perspectives.
We have hearts that the Scripture describes as ‘desperately wicked’ — the fountain of all
forms of iniquity. To change the biblical imagery, Romans 8.7 reads, ‘The carnal mind is
enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be’. Paul
says that the carnal mind, that is, the mind that has never been regenerated by God, is
not reflective of some enmity; he calls it enmity itself. ‘The carnal mind is enmity against
God’. The disposition of every human heart by nature can be visually pictured as a
clenched fist raised against the living God. This is the inward problem of a bad heart — a
heart that loves sin, a heart that is lie fountain of sin, a heart that is at enmity with God.
And such is the problem that every one of us has by nature.
Has the problem of your bad heart ever become a pressing personal concern to
you? I am not asking whether you believe in human sinfulness in theory. Oh, there is
such a thing as a sinful nature and a sinful heart. My question is: Have your bad record
and your bad heart ever become a matter of deep, inward, personal, pressing concern to
you? Have you known anything of real, personal, inward consciousness of the awfulness
of your guilt in the presence of a holy God? — the horribleness of a heart that is
‘deceitful above all things and desperately wicked’?

30. A Bible Christian is a person who has in all seriousness taken to heart us own personal
problem of sin.
Now the degree to which we may feel the awful weight of sin differs from one person to
another. The length of time over which a person is brought to the consciousness of his
bad record and his bad heart differs. There are many variables, but Jesus Christ as the
Great Physician never brought his healing virtue to any who did not know themselves to
be sinners. He said, ‘I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance’
[Matt 9.13]. Are you a Bible Christian, one who has taken seriously your personal
problem of sin?
2. A BIBLE CHRISTIAN IS ONE WHO HAS SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED THE ONE DIVINE
REMEDYFOR SIN
In the Bible we are told again and again that Almighty God has taken the initiative in
doing something for man the sinner. The verses some of us learned in our infancy
underscore divine initiative in providing a remedy or sinful man: ‘God so loved the world
that he gave his only begotten Son . . .’; ‘Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that
he loved us and sent us Son to be the propitiation for our sins’; ‘But God, who is rich in
mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us. . .’ [John 3.16; 1 John 10; Eph 2.41.
You see, the unique feature of the Christian faith is that it not a kind of religious
self-help where you patch yourself up with the aid of God. Just as surely as it is a
unique tenet of the Christian faith that Christ is a Saviour for sinners, so it is also a
unique tenet of the Christian faith that all of our true help comes down from above and
meets us where we are. We cannot pull ourselves up by our own boot-strings. God in
mercy breaks in upon the human situation and does something which we could never do
for ourselves. Now when we turn to the Scriptures we find that the divine remedy has at
least three simple but profoundly wonderful focal points:
(a) First of all, that divine remedy is bound up in a Person.
Anyone who begins to take seriously the divine remedy for human sin will notice
in the Scriptures that the remedy is not in a set of ideas, as though it were just
another philosophy, nor is it found in an institution, it is bound up in a Person.
‘God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son’. ‘Thou shalt call his
name Jesus for he shall save. . .’ He, himself, said, ‘I am the way, the truth and
the life; no man comes to the Father but by me’ [John 14.6]. That one divine
remedy is bound up in a Person and that Person is none other than our Lord
Jesus Christ — the eternal Word who became man, uniting to his Godhead a
true human nature. Here is God’s provision for man with his bad record and his
bad heart, a Saviour who is both God and man, the two natures joined in the one
Person for ever. And your personal problem of sin, and mine, if it is ever to be
remedied in a biblical way will be remedied only as we have personal dealings
with that Person. Such is the unique strand of the Christian faith — the sinner in
all his need united to the Saviour in all the plenitude of his grace, the sinner in his

31. naked need and the Saviour in his almighty power, brought directly together in
the Gospel. That is the glory of the Gospel!
(b) It is centred in the cross upon which that Person died.
A cross that leads to an empty tomb, yes! And a cross preceded by a life of
perfect obedience, yes! And when we turn to the Scriptures we find that the
divine remedy in a unique way is centred in the cross of Jesus Christ. When he is
formally announced by John the Baptist, John points to him and says, ‘Behold
the Lamb of God who is bearing away the sin of the world’ [John 1.29]. Jesus
himself said, ‘I did not come to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give my
life a ransom for many’ [Matt 20.28], and true preaching of the Gospel is so
much centred in the cross that Paul says it is the word, or the message of the
cross. The preaching of the cross is ‘to them who are perishing foolishness, but
unto us who are being saved it is the power of God’ [1 Cor 1.18], and this same
apostle went on to say that when he came to Corinth — that bastion of
intellectualism and pagan Greek philosophy with its set patterns of rhetorical
expertise — ‘I came amongst you determined to know nothing save Jesus Christ
and him as crucified’ [1 Cor 2.2].
You see, God’s gracious remedy for sin is not only bound up in a Person, it
is centred in the cross of that Person — not
The cross as an abstract idea, nor as a religious symbol, but the cross in terms
of what God declares it to mean. The cross was the place where God heaped
upon his Son, by imputation, the sins of his people. On that cross there was
substitutionary curse-bearing. In the language of Galatians 3.13, ‘God made him
to be a curse for us’; ‘God made him to be sin for us’ [2 Cor 5.2] — the one who
knew no sin. It is not the cross as some nebulous, indefinable symbol of self-
giving love, it is the cross as the monumental display of how God can be just and
still pardon guilty sinners; the cross where God, having imputed the sins of his
people to Christ, pronounces judgment upon his Son as the representative of his
people. There on the cross God pours out the vials of his wrath, unmixed with
mercy, until his Son cries out, ‘My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
why have you forsaken me?’ [Psa 22.1; Matt 27.46].

32. There in the visible world at Calvary, God, as it were, was demonstrating
what was happening in the invisible spiritual world. He shrouds the heavens
in total darkness to let all mankind know that he is plunging his Son into the outer
darkness of the hell which your sins and my sins deserved. Jesus hangs on the
cross in the place of an undefended guilty criminal; he is in the posture of one for
whom society has but one option, ‘Away with him’, ‘Crucify him’, ‘Hand him over
to death’, and God does not intervene. There in the theatre of what men can see,
God is demonstrating what he is doing in the realm where we cannot see. He is
treating his Son as a criminal, he is causing him to feel in the depths of his own
soul all of the fury of the wrath that should have been vented upon us.
(c) A remedy that is adequate for and offered to all without discrimination.
Before we have any felt consciousness of our sin, about the easiest thing in the
world is to think that God can forgive sinners. But when you and I begin to have
any idea at all of what sin is — we, little worms of the dust, we creatures whose
very life and breath is held in the hands of the God in whom ‘we live and move
and have our being’ [Acts 17.28] — when we begin, I say, to take seriously that
we have dared to defy Almighty God who holds our breath in his hands, the God
who, when angels rebelled against him, did not wait to show mercy but
consigned them to everlasting chains of darkness with no way of mercy ever
planned or revealed to them, then our thoughts are changed.
Once we take seriously the truth that it is this holy God who sees the effusions of
the foul, corrupt human hearts which are yours and mine, then we say, ‘O God,
how can you be anything other than just; and if you give me what my sins
deserve, there is nothing for me but wrath and judgment! How can you forgive
me and still be just? How can you be a righteous God and do anything other than
consign me to everlasting punishment with those angels that rebelled’. When you
begin to take your sin seriously, forgiveness becomes the most knotty problem
with which your mind has ever wrestled. It is then that we need to know that God
has provided in a Person, and that Person crucified, a remedy that is adequate
for and offered to all without discrimination.
When God begins to make us feel the reality of our sin, if there were any
conditions placed on the availability of Christ we would say, ‘Surely I don’t meet
the conditions, surely I don’t qualify’, but the wonder of God’s provision is that it
comes in these unfettered terms: ‘Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters;
he who has no money, come, buy wine and milk without money and without
price. Wherefore do you labour for that which does not satisfy’ [Isa 55.1 -2].
‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Him that comes unto me I will in no wise cast out’ [Matt 11.28; John 6.37].
Oh, the beauty of the unfettered offers of mercy in Jesus Christ! We do not need to have
God step out of heaven and tell us that we, by name, are warranted to come; we have