The Progress of Salvation B

God's love for the sun caused them to choose us.

God's wonderful love for us, caused him to choose us started out with the predetermination alumnus, bassist Betty, Marcus, and called us to be his own.

My ministry just had to pay to get out when the movie was over. Sadly, a good many people hold a similar view of salvation thinking the free gift of eternal life isn't really free at all yet to pay for it. And on top of that you can never be certain that your salvation is permanent. What encouragement would you have for someone with that mindset. John MacArthur helps you frame your answer today on grace to you as he continues a study he calls the grip of God.

Now follow along as John begins the message.

Romans chapter 8 and we are looking at versus 28 to 30 as the section that were in right now. Out of this great great chapter verse 28 says, and we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose for whom he foreknew he also predestined to become conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren, in whom he predestined, these he also called and whom he called these he also justified and whom he justified, these he also glorified. This is to put it mildly, a monumental portion of Scripture, and these three verses guarantee without variation without equivocation and without exception, the final glory of all of those who are saved, and so much of modern evangelism today fails to grasp this so much of modern evangelism leaves people the idea that somehow their eternal destiny is based upon a decision that they make Scripture frankly has quite a different emphasis in the first place.

An unregenerate man is dead in trespasses and sin and utterly unable to respond to the gospel, the God of this world has blinded his mind he is ignorant is the captive to sin.

So much so that, according to first Corinthians 214 it says a natural man that's an unconverted man does not accept the things of the spirit of God. Their foolishness to him. He cannot under stand them. He can't on his own. He can't make that decision. It's impossible. This has to be initiated by God. Nobody's going to come and make a decision for Christ. Unless God draws them and it will be brought about by his will and his power. We respond by faith to the prompting of the spirit of God that is true, but it is his purpose. Now let's look at how the plan unfolded in verses 29 and 30 start at the beginning of verse 29 for whom he foreknew he also predestined that verse 30 and whom he predestined, these he also called, in whom he called these he also justified, whom he justified, these he also offer there is the progression right there. We saw the purpose of salvation.

Here's the progress of salvation and Paul outlines the unfolding eternal purpose of God in five steps foreknowledge predestination, calling justification and glorification. Those are very, very important to understand because now you will be able to grasp the progress of God's unfolding, saving purpose. Let's take step 14, whom he foreknew this is the first one because it is the most primitive of these steps, that is to say it's the first one is the most foundational is the most essential. The purpose of salvation. The purpose of bringing men and women to eternal glory, that they might manifest the image of Christ is determined initially in for knowledge. I was at me when you see the word foreknowledge there of course, there is a for ordaining element to it. Of course, there is a foresight element to it as God can see down the path but there is also a for love in it.

God, for our Danes predetermines to love a certain person or predetermined for ordaining foreseen love relationship, born in the eternal purpose of God. That's whom he formed he would come to know them. That's why four is there, it hadn't happened yet. He for new he would come eventually to an intimate relationship with them down the way through redemptive history. The second word, then in verse 30 actually in verse 29.

Also, whom he foreknew he also predestined down in verse 30, and whom he predestined, so it starts with this for ordaining foreseen for loving. That's step one. That's the primitive initiating element of those people whom he foreordained to a love relationship to a relationship of loving intimacy. He predestinated pro-Lorenzo to mark out to mark out he mark them up, wrote their names down those who be predetermined to love he predestined, visions 15 is a red earlier to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to himself, according to the kind intention of his will.

God's love for the sun caused them to choose us. God's wonderful love for us, caused him to choose us.

Revelation 13 eight says his name is not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain. Same thing.

In Revelation 17 he Marcus Abba writing this in his book before the world began.

Started out with the predetermination to love us and on the basis of that he mark this out. My, what a tremendous truth that is in acts four. It says that God will do whatever his hand and purpose predestined to occur.

Acts 428. Whatever he predestines to occur will come to pass.

Then you come to 1/3 word and thus the word calling. It's in verse 30, whom he predestined, these he also called and with this element is very important with this element we move from eternity past into the present tense in eternity past, he predetermined and foreordained to love and marked out the objects of that for ordaining love. Now we come into time and in time he activates his foreordained predestined plan by calling us of this is central. There are five of these terms here to precede calling and to follow it. This is sort of the central truth is we studied in verse 28 go back to verse 28. We know that all things work together. God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called the called may I hasten to remind you this is an inward call in on an outward call.

This doesn't mean all the people who heard some preacher or who heard some evangelist. This is an inward call.

This is the saving redeeming call this is John 644 this is the father drawing. It is a saving redeeming call and it's done in time it's done through the preaching of the gospel, but by the Spirit of God, so God predetermined and foreordained a set his love upon a some men and women marked out specifically who they would be. That's predestination and then in time. He called us he called us to be his own.

He called us to be set apart holy Romans 170 called us to be Saints. That's set apart on the holiness in the verse 11 of Romans nine it says some talking about Jacob and Esau. The twins were not yet born had not done anything good or bad in order that God's purpose according to his choice might stand, not because of works but because of him who, what calls before they were ever born. God determined whom she would call first chapter again of second Timothy.

He saved us how, by calling us with a holy calling any time you ever see a call in the epistles of the New Testament K.

The epistles not the Gospels necessarily, but the epistles it always means an inward saving call first Peter 115 like the holy one who called you, be holy yourselves, so what is this call what you mean. It's when the father draws you first Peter 29 talks about the excellencies of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. He began to move on your dark and hardly begin to move on your blackened mind he begin to move on your spiritual deadness and to begin to awaken in Quicken and give understanding the spirit of God begin to move and you begin to feel the conviction of sin.

And when you heard the gospel. The truth of the gospel began to dawn on your mind and that is all the calling of God as he begins to move you from death to life and from ignorance to truth and from darkness to light first or verse of Ephesians 4 says that we are to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which we have been called we been called the God. How does this call, Galatians 16 and 15 says it comes by grace.

Revelation 11 $0.29 is a comes irresistibly second Thessalonians 213 and 14 says it comes through the gospel, God has chosen you from the beginning, then verse 14 and it was for this he called you through our gospel that you might gain the glory, the gospel came in by the gospel he awaken your heart and you heard and you believe that you repented in order that you may gain the glory. You're not going to fall to the cracks between then and eternal glory, the doctrine that you can lose your salvation is a frightening aberration on Scripture that refuses to take clear instruction from the pages of the word of God. God terms, he awakens your data life lightens your darkness. Moving is the spirit of God comes in John 16 and convicts the world of sin and righteousness and judgment. You feel the weight of sin, the burden of sin. The pain of isolation and alienation from God and all of that is the quickening work and it comes upon hearing the gospel pulses on the messenger and I preach the gospel so that the chosen of God can hear and believe. Titus one. Not my job called people can't do that since my job to present the truth of the gospel because faith comes by hearing the word the call of God occurs in the context of an understanding of the gospel, you might hear from a preacher, you might hear from a teacher, you might read it in a book you might hear it from the pages of Scripture from the witness of a friend or family member of the conviction of sin and desire for righteousness and the comprehension of forgiveness and the understanding of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When the heart response to all that.

That's the call of God whom he predetermined and foreordained to love eternally.

He marked out as predestined to go all the way to glory and be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. That was the plan before time began. Then in time he's been calling calling calling calling and all whom he has ordained.

Hear the call and believe, and then comes the fourth great term. We don't need to spend a lot of time on this.

Although we could spend years on whom he called, he also justified justified. This simply means to declare someone righteous is a legal term, so it's a legal term it's it's a term of standing before the bar of God. I remind you that you're not righteous and I'm not righteous I'm like Paula wretched man that I am chief of sinners. I sin I fail I fall short.

I don't love God perfectly with all my heart, soul, mind and strength all the time or my late neighbor as myself.

I don't fulfill the law of God and perfection I fall I fail I stumble, but nonetheless I stand is justified just it means that God is declared me righteous righteous means right just means right to. How did you ever get to be declared righteous because God called me and I came and believed as he prompted my heart. Scripture says he gave me the righteousness of Christ. Philippians 3 pulses I now have a righteousness, not of my own.

Philippians 39 derived by keeping the law but a righteousness through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith. You believe in Christ as God gives you righteousness just gives it and you remember in synchronous, 521 that most important notable verse on the subject.

It says he made him who knew no sin.

Christ to be sin on our behalf that we might become the righteousness of God in him. What happened was very simply, this on the cross. God treated Jesus as if he had committed all the sins of all the people who would ever believe gay on the cross. God treated Jesus as if you committed all the sins ever committed by every person who would ever believe God just punish Jesus for all the sins of all the people who would ever believe. So the sins were taken care. God gave Jesus our sins and then turned around and gave us his righteousness.

It comes down to this on the cross. God treated Jesus as if he had committed all those sins, though it committed none of them so that he could treat us as if we lived the perfect life of Jesus.

Although we do not, since God's justice was satisfied by the sacrifice of Christ.

Sin needs no further punishment. God, having been satisfied because Christ bore our sins in his own body on the cross grants as his righteousness is upset so often. Christ couldn't just come into the world on a cross and leave again. He stayed here for 33 years and lived a perfect life. Why, because there needed to be a perfect life he needed to fulfill all righteousness live a perfect life so that perfect life could be credited to us. That's the incredible truth of justification and it is by faith and faith alone. You don't earn it. You can't gain it, you can't win. It is not an honor that you get because you perform the Certain Way, God declares you right before him, and treat you as if you live the perfect life of Jesus Christ simply because you put your faith in him. That happened because he called you and he drew you he declares you forgiven your sins paid for in Christ and you bear his righteousness.

This is incredible is foreknowledge.

Predestination calling justification. Finally, verse 30, whom he justified, these he also glorified. Folks, there's no slippage in here. Nobody's going to be left behind. Nobody gets off the bus anywhere along this track.

In fact it says in the past tense whom he justified, these he also glorified as if it already happened.

This is what's called a proleptic heiress there which is a technical term for you Greek students. Just so you annoy keep up with that stuff.

It's the use of an heiress to express an already accomplished reality because it's totally secure it saying something as if it happened because it's so sure that it will.

I couldn't save myself. I didn't say myself and I can keep myself saved. I don't have to worry about that. The God who chose me because of his predetermined love, the God who put the boundaries around my life and said this one belongs to me, the God who called me drew me out of the darkness out of the death to put my trust in Jesus Christ with repentance. The God who then took care of my sins and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and imputed the righteousness of Christ to me is gonna be to God who brings me to glory. I did start this deal and I don't have the capability to finish it. Frankly folks on just along for the ride and this is some ride, it's not apart from my faith, but it's by the prompting of the Spirit of God that I can believe it, so I that's all that's all very clear.

That's all true. And it's all there. And yes, but what about the people don't only want the responsible yes if you don't believe you reject the gospel you go to hell in your natural blind dead condition is because you deserve it and you're going to bear the punishment for that because you're responsible for that Saddam understand that I don't understand that I don't understand.

If you go to heaven because your chosen how you can hold people responsible go to hell because they were they were chosen. No it doesn't work like that.

They go to hell because he didn't believe say but that's I don't understand that.

Of course you don't understand that I don't understand that either because it's not understandable, but I can try to every sinner in the face of the earth. Repent and believe the gospel of Jesus Christ, repent and be saved. Why would you die, to me, only the labor and are heavy laden, who struggle and can't say how can you that that seems like a contradiction.

Well, it seems like a contradiction, because you're so puny in your comprehension. And so, it's not a problem to God on our works, but luck. You have the doctrine of predestination over here you have the doctrine of human responsibility over here and we have this tremendous temptation to just run over here and all camp around this one and come up with some kind of weird double predestination things of God's up in heaven say, okay, these are going to heaven and you bunch are going to hell, and it's all not like that.

Sinners are told to believe and if they don't believe the parish Jesus says that where I go you not Able to come because you don't believe on me, Jesus is going all over and preach the gospel to how many people every creature that they don't believe that's there fault their guilty and will perish.

I don't understand how that all works together.

II cannot but look at the things I don't understand far far outnumber the things I do. I don't understand if you asked me who wrote Romans on on.

I'm not sure I fully understand that simple room cabinet was inspired by the Holy Spirit will every word was Paul's. You have every word was inspired by the Holy Spirit. I understand how that works together when somebody says to me what's the secret to living the Christian life. I'm paralyzed. At that moment is it you are is it him. You know, there's the people say let go and let God. You just sort of you to sort of stand there and he'll do it and your people talk that I want to live the crucified life and just want to kill myself kill myself. I'm just trying to be nothing and nobody disregard myself in and let him live them in and on the other hand, you got the people who are reading Paul's words.

I beat my body to bring in this objection I need to be obedient to God and and you look at yourself and assume my Christian life. Well it's certainly not me, you must be Christ in me. Well I don't know but then I'm responsible wireless commands in the Bible. If I'm not responsible. So you say well it comes out of this anything that I do.

That's me, anything good that's got through me.

You have responsibility in that pulse. Paul dealt with the problem. Galatians 220 I am crucified with Christ. He said nevertheless I live yet not I even understand it either. There is no way whatever you whenever you bring whenever you bring God down as John Murray said any doctrine any major doctrine of Scripture has inherent in an parent contradictions and inscrutable truth.

I just know that sinners are accountable to God to believe and I just know it across crisscross the earth and make sure that every sinner hears the gospel and would beg them to be reconciled to God. I don't have God sort through all that latte. What he doesn't expend any energy trying to figure out.

It's crystal clear to him, which is not to us, and I really believe that's one of the reasons I believe in inspiration. Scripture because of apparent contradictions and inscrutable things like that. Look, I write books I know editors and if I have a contradiction anywhere what I write.

They fix it, and there are these massive, incomprehensible, inscrutable truth in here that nobody ever touch because this is the word of the living God and one of the reasons I know God wrote the Bible is because those things are in there that are way beyond the capability of human understanding and I'm so glad for that. I'm so glad that this book is transcendent.

I'm so glad that it's listen if I fully understood the Bible my mind to be equal to the mind of God and of my mind was equal to the mind of God we would be in serious trouble, having a God like that.

I rejoice in the doctor predestination know you. It gives me disabled, does not make doesn't make you lazy and a bit not.

I'm so thrilled with this plan. I'm so exhilarated I'm so overwhelmed with it. I'm so grateful for it and I am guaranteed success in my endeavors as an evangelist and a preacher in my not because it's going to happen the way God purposed that the I'm not trying to change God's plan. But what a thrill to be engaged in a plan that will be fulfilled. This use Grace to you with John MacArthur. Thanks for being with us today. John continued his study from Romans eight titled the grip of God. John, we often talk about the sovereignty of God in drawing sinners to himself is always a miracle. Of course, when anyone is saved, but sometimes those transformations happen in much more dramatic ways than others, and we recently heard from a woman who along with her family has experienced the transforming power of God and the circumstances are so remarkable I want you to share it. So give the details you have her letter there in front of you.

The letter begins. This letter has been a long time coming. Your preaching has changed my families lives. I spent most of my life having antigovernment beliefs and being connected with the neo-Nazi community that called itself a church.

Looking back, I cringe at calling the group a church. We believe in Christ but thought we still had to keep the Old Testament law in order to be saved. I was constantly haunted by my failure to keep the law.

We were discouraged from having friends outside of our group attending public schools and holding jobs that could interfere with keeping the law. I felt like a robot about seven years ago my husband and I began questioning whether our beliefs were really based on the Bible. We knew first John 41 do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God because many false prophets have gone out into the world so we prayed for Christ to reveal himself and for the Holy Spirit to give us answers.

I'm not sure how this happened but one day my morning alarm clock was changed from the annoying buzzing sound to a radio station that had 30 minute sermons and I began waking up to John MacArthur.

It was so good. I look forward to waking up every morning and hearing you. I also found grace to you on the Internet.

I was listening and watching one sermon after the next. I couldn't get enough. The issues my husband and I were praying about were suddenly being answered in every lesson we heard from you.

Not long after that we left our community.

I could fill 10 more pages with all the details of our life that God overturned and revealed himself in.

We struggled as we transitioned away from our former group, but we joined a small church and made new friends.

I told one of my ministers about my chance encounter with you on the radio and he became so excited because he and his wife spent the early portion of their marriage in Los Angeles and attended your church. My family has been changed by the power of Christ through your teaching. We continue to know that God has plans for us in this world and the next. Thank you for everything you're doing to preach the gospel signs her name L what else can you say a brand snatched from the burning that's that's the power of the gospel. Thank you folks for supporting Grace to you.

You make these kinds of stories a reality. That's right in front God used his word to save that woman and her family and we can reach people like that, across the globe with biblical truth because listeners like you give to partner with us. Get in touch today.

You can mail your donation to Grace to you. Box 4000 panorama city, CA 91412 or you can give when you call 855 grace. You can also donate online@ourwebsitejidety.org again to help us strengthen believers and churches around the world with biblical truth changes lives, call 805 five grace for go to TTY.org and while you're at TTY.org. Make sure you take advantage of the thousands of free resources available there, you can catch up on any of grace to use radio or TV broadcasts that you may have missed. You can read articles from John and the staff at the grace to you blog you can download any of John sermons, free of charge in MP3 or transcript format.

There are more than 3500 sermons available, including all seven messages from John's current series, the grip of God. Our website again TTY.org now for John MacArthur on Phil Johnson reminding you to watch grace to you television this Sunday and be here tomorrow when John shows you that if God has saved you nothing can separate you from his love and his incredible salvation. That's John's focus when he returns with another 30 minutes of unleashing God's truth one verse at a time on grace to you