Good morning everyone. Well, we're at Pineville Grace Fellowship today. We decided to stay home and kind of hibernate because the road only here but up in Joplin. So I called Brother Michael last night and told him Stay home today. Worship from home. So we're going to have our service here. Mark and Rosetta are here with me. What I'm going to do today is I'm going to continue in this lies of free will. And I'm going to actually try to get through chapters four and five. chapters four is Free will lies against original sin and total depression free will lies against predestination and election We're going to sing three hymns we use this Old-school hymnal You can order one of these from Old School Hymnal Company Incorporated in Birmingham, Alabama. You would want to pick up one of these. They've got some good hymns in them. I'll move this camera over so you can see what happens every time we start to try to do this. Hello? I can't believe telemarketers call on Sunday. It just blows me away. It must really be hurting for money to have to call somebody on a Sunday. But anyway, Rosette's going to disconnect our phone so we won't keep getting calls from Medicare assistance programs Because I've hit the big 071 they think that I need medical assistance, which I am high maintenance anyway Let's see if I can get this Camera over here a little closer to Mark and Rosette Know if we can get it over there or not Got a lot of cords here Let's see, I guess I'll sit up on this. Okay. The first one we're going to send, that Mark has chosen, is 170. 170, I would see Jesus. That should be the focus of all churches, to see Jesus, right? Some people talk about everything other than. I would see Jesus when the flowers of joy adorn. When sunshine and when hope surround my path from day to day. When friends I cherish most are near and hearts encircle mine. In fatherhood I turn from all and lean alone on Thine. To those who know the Lord I speak, He's my beloved near. The bridegroom of my soul I seek, O when will he appear? Though once a man of grief and shame, Yet now he fills the throne. And there's the greatest, sweetest name That earth or heaven has known. Grace flies before and love attends His steps wherever He goes. Though none can see Him but His friends, And they were once His foes. He speaks obedient to His call, Our warm affections move. that he must shine alike on all, that all alike would love him, that love in every heart would reign, and war would cease to roar, and cruel and lethargy men would thirst for blood no more. Such Jesus is, and such is grace, so may he shine on you. And tell him when you see his face, I'd love to see him too. Okay, the next one Rosette has chosen is 252. This is one of Rosette's favorite songs. She, over the years, she's picked it a lot, so she likes this song a lot. This is written by Elder Leon Clevenger. And he's actually related to Ken Clevenger, who used to pastor a church up in Excelsior Springs. And also, Ken Clevenger used to be the mayor of Cameron, Missouri, where we used to live up by Wedelby, but by Cameron. Anyway, this is a good song. Oh, dear pilgrim, are you troubled by the darkness of the way? Fill your sorrows and your burdens. Fill your heart with darkness, may. Fill your troubles and tears and troubles. Breathe your heart from day to day. Does your soul in meditation. Often long to fly away Then I'll listen to your Savior As He kindly, sweetly calls Come to me any day I will take your burden off Come and take my yoke upon you Learn of me from day to day Listen to my loving counsel I will help you all the way, on the road to glory. Many pitfalls do abide, Satan often darkens counsel, and the pitfalls often hide. I will lead you on your journey, in your travels here below. I will guide your feeble footsteps, Thus the Savior gives His counsel To His children here on earth For He loves each one so dearly That for them He gave His life Then we all should listen To His words so kind and true Walk with Him and seek His presence Day by day the journey through Some sweet day we hope to see Him In that home above the sky, Only by His grace and favor, We shall see Him by and by. Let us listen to His counsel, For He, too, has passed His way, And it will soon return from heaven, Then to take us home to stay. Well, yesterday I saw a YouTube channel that was all Fanny Crosby hymns. You know, she wrote a lot of hymns. She had a gift, God gave, I believe it was a gift from God, to write these beautiful hymns. She was blind, but she certainly had spiritual eyes. So we're going to sing 388. She wrote many, many hymns. 388. Safe in the arms of Jesus, safe on his gentle breast, there by his love overshaded, sweetly my soul shall rest. Hark! Tis the voice of angels, Bar in a song to me, Over the fields of glory, Over the jasper sea, Safe in the arms of Jesus, Safe on His gentle breast, There by His love o'ershaded, Sweetly my soul shall rest, Safe in the arms of Jesus. Safe from corroding care. Safe from the world's temptations. Sin cannot harm me there. Free from the light of sorrow. Free from my doubts and fear. Only a few more trials. Only a few more tears. My heart's dear refuge. Jesus has died for me. Firm on the rock of ages. Ever my trust shall be. Here let me wait with patience. Wait till the night is o'er. Wait till I see the morning. Break on the golden shore. Safe in the arms of Jesus, safe on His gentle breast, There by His love o'ershaded, sweetly my soul shall rest. You know, before I get started with this, I recently saw a depiction of a full life story, a true story of a gentleman, of a boy who was born without any eyes and he also was born without proper joints, and so he was in a wheelchair, so he had no eyes and he couldn't walk. Of course, when he was born, his parents were devastated about it. Any parent would be. But you know, he had a wonderful attitude. I'm sure it had a lot to do with his parents and their example, instilling in him the right attitude about his disabilities. He went on to remind me a lot of my son. My son played the trumpet at his graduation in front of 450 people. Now he's not able to do that anymore with his situation, but this fella, he could play the piano beautifully. and the keyboard beautifully. He wanted to be in a marching band, but he couldn't march. So he told his dad, look, I can play the trumpet. Give me a trumpet. I'll learn to play the trumpet. Anyway, he learned to play the trumpet. Beautiful trumpet player. He got in a marching band in a high school. And his dad, actually it was in the college, it was Louisville, Kentucky, I believe. And he marched, his dad with the wheelchair marched him in the marching band while he played the trumpet. And I saw a notation on him that him and his father have traveled all over the world together now. playing for audiences and his dad takes him and he plays the trumpet. Isn't that a beautiful story? Why do I bring that up? Well, the main reason I want to bring it up is to point out that it wasn't this boy's free will that gave him the gift to play the trumpet. This boy certainly didn't choose to be born without any eyes, or to be born with joints that weren't connected right, but God gave him the gift, and he didn't have to receive it. God gave him a gift to play the trumpet. Today, we're going to continue in this book, The Lives of Free Will. I put a link in one of our posts on this, where if you want to buy it, you can get it from walmart.com. It costs you eight bucks. Anyway, I'm not here to sell books. I'm here to proclaim the truth of God's sovereignty. Chapter 4 The free will lies against original sin and total depravity. Many in the free will camp will tell you that we cannot be held responsible for the sins of Adam. Scriptures teach us something totally different in Romans 5 12 through 17 where for is by one man sin entered into the world and death by sin Wherefore is by one man sin entered into the world and death by sin so death pass upon all men for that all have sinned For until the law, sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed where there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. But not as the fence, so also is the free gift. For if through the fence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God and the gift by grace by which is by one Jesus Christ is abounded unto many. Notice it doesn't say abounded unto all there. Abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sin, so was the gift for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offenses under justification. For if by one man's offense death reign by one, much more they which receive abundance of grace, that's a qualification, they which receive abundance of grace, and the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ. John Wesley denied the toll of the path to the man, like many others, including Charles Finney, Billy Graham, Adrian Rogers, Dwight Moody, and virtually all free will promoters. Even though scripture reveals that we are dead in our trespasses and sin, these false preachers say that we have a bent towards sin, but we are able to choose the good. This is leaving the Holy Spirit's work out of the New Perth explicitly and placing man in his place. Just like the Pope calls himself the Vicar of Christ in the Roman Catholic Harlot Church, so does the Free Willer call himself the Vicar of Christ, denying the Holy Spirit's work and quickening. I think the free willer is denying the work of the Holy Spirit all the way through their lives and taking credit, trying to put themself in place of the Holy Spirit. That's what I believe. What does Scripture have to say about it? And you hath he quickened who were dead in trespass and sin, wherein time past you walked according to the course of this world. according to the Prince and the power of the air, the Spirit, that now worketh in the children of disobedience, among whom we all had our conversations in time past in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy for His great love, wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, by grace ye are saved, and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2, 1-6. There would have been no need for quickening if we had not been dead in our sins. Sovereign grace is the quickening power of the Holy Spirit bringing about new spiritual life. Christ called it being born again. That which is born of flesh is flesh, and that which is born of spirit is spirit. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and no man knoweth the sound thereof. So is everyone that is born of the Spirit of God. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and now hearest a sound there, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth. So is every one that is born of the Spirit." John 3, 6-8. This dead spiritual state that all men are born into cannot be dealt with apart from the power of God raising one to new spiritual birth. Until such time as this happens, we will be spiritually blind, spiritually deaf, and will not be able to see or hear spiritual things. In fact, the proclamation of the gospel is a double-edged sword. It blinds the eyes and deafens the ears of the reprobate, but it brings light once quickening. occurs to the elect of God. Man does not want to acknowledge or accept the reality that he is in a totally depraved state at birth. Men tout the ability of human will and boast about the accomplishments in life. They hang their degrees and certificates on their offices. They are ordained into ministry by other men and given great accolades. They exalt one another and pat each other on the back, while at the same time, by these actions, are putting themselves in the place of the Most Holy God, who says He will not share His glory with another. One can pretty quickly discern whether a person believes in the doctrine of original sin and total depravity of man by what comes forth out of the mouth of the individual. Acts 20.30. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. 1 Timothy 4.2. Speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron. Psalm 58.3, the wicked are estranged from the womb, they go astray as soon as they are born, be born speaking lies. Well, that's chapter 4. That's chapter 4. Now we'll go on to chapter 5, which is the free will lies against predestination and election. This is a little bit longer chapter than the last one, so bear with me. Why do those who subscribe to the free will of man so utterly abhor the biblical doctrines of predestination and election? I know one person who claimed to be a Christian to say that the doctrine of election was the most damnable doctrine ever. The reason these people hate these doctrines is because they can't stand the fact that God has all the way All the say in salvation and nothing is left up to man. John 6, 28-29 Then said they unto him, What shall we do that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom ye have sent. Notice, it's the work of God. verse 37 all that the father given me shall come to me and him that cometh to me I will 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 has sent me that all which he had given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the last day John 6 37 through 39 now we see the teachings of the absolute sovereignty of God and salvation taught by Christ himself in the verses 43. 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. Does that sound like free will? 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 prophet, They shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the Father cometh unto me. Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God. He hath seen the Father. John 6, 43-46. There's a misinterpretation by the Armenian regarding foreknowledge. They say that God looked down through the portals of time and saw that God would choose them and so consequently he elected them. This is a denial of the doctrine of election and predestination. To foreknow means to know one intimately as Adam knew his wife, Eve, intimately. Jesus Christ knew each one of those for whom he would come and die for on an intimate basis before they were even born. He had a purpose and decree and predestinated them. The word predestinate means to predetermine what happens before it happens. So God is absolutely sovereign over the weather, His providence over life, death, and even the winds and sea obey Him. Once we come to accept the realization that God is sovereign, there is a tremendous rest for the people of God. No, we are not cooperative agents, and no, we do not have a free will in regards to our eternal salvation, and no, we do not subscribe to the doctrine of the Council of Trent like the Roman Catholics. It is all of sovereign grace. As it relates to divine providence, Joseph told his brothers, You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good. And because of the evil perpetrated on Joseph, God took these events, and the outcome was that it sustained all of Jacob's sons during the great famine. There's a special exclusive blessing to God's elect who are totally undeserving of the benefits listed in Romans 8, 28-32. We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose. God is absolutely sovereign in governments. He brings kingdoms down. He raises kingdoms up. God is absolutely sovereign in the declaration of His word. God is absolutely sovereign as it relates to whose hearts are quickened by the Spirit of God and whose hearts are hardened. So God's sovereignty is a very important consideration. If we in any way deny the absolute sovereignty of God, we are denying God Himself and who he says he is and his holy word. God said I am that I am he's the Alpha Omega the beginning and the end the first and last the king of kings Lord of lords. He's a prince of peace the everlasting father so once we recognize God's sovereignty in all things we view God his word and the world in a totally different light and Predestination means to predetermine beforehand what happens to you. We don't predetermine what happens to us. The people from the Unity Church of Christianity, a false cult, says you can choose your own parents. You can choose your own destiny. Timothy McVeigh said right before they injected that fatal needle into his arms, I'm the master of my own fate and I'm in charge of my own destiny. Timothy McVeigh, no you were not. Predestination, as found in the Bible, does not just do with people, that is, those who, like many primitive Baptists affirm, but also the whole meaning that events in our lives. We can see that very clearly in Scripture, in Ephesians 1-11, many people who deny the Scripture accuse us, those of us who affirm it, of being fatalists, making God the author of sin, and on and on and on. There is a distinction between evil and sin. We know that Satan was the most subtle beast of the field placed in the Garden of Eden. We know that God created both elect and non-elect angels. It's very clear because of God. God's absolute sovereignty that he could have created only elect angels had he chosen to do so. It's very clear because God is sovereign over all things that he could have restrained Lucifer from sinning had he chosen to do so. Lucifer was elected to rebel against God and sin. Why are election predestination and effectual calling such a controversy in theological circles today? That's the question I would like to pose. The reason election predestination and effectual calling are such controversial doctrines is because they bring the human pride down and show man his total depravity and show man his total inability of himself to come to Christ apart from the quickening power of the Holy Spirit. Predestination is a marvelous biblical doctrine once a person understands the significance of it and the assurance that it gives to the elect child of God in his or her faith. Looking in Ephesians, we find a clear representation of this beautiful doctrine in Ephesians 1, 4. We read, according as He has chosen us in Him for the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestinated us unto Jesus Christ Himself according to the good pleasure of His will. These two verses set out the work of predestination by God in salvation. Now we see also that predestination is not limited to who, but also includes the what on the providential hand of God in predestination, which can be found in verse 11 that states, in whom we also have obtained an inheritance being predestinated according to the purpose of him that worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. Going further, we also see a very strong explanation and example of this beautiful doctrine in Romans 8, which is called the Roman Road of Salvation. We know that all things work together for good, that to them that love God, to them we are called according to His purpose. Notice it says we know that all things, not all people. Okay. 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 glorified. What shall we 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 ye not freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It's God that justifies. As we stated earlier, predestination means to predetermine beforehand what happens. There are two words that are used multiple times, both in the Old and New Testament, elect and election. If we look in Isaiah 42, we will find one of the first examples of the word elect being used. A sentiment for elect is chosen. Behold my servant whom I uphold, my elect in whom my soul delighteth. I have put my spirit upon him. He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. We also see the term used again in Isaiah 45. For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have called thee by thy name, I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me. This can also be used as an example of effectual calling. God says through the prophet Isaiah that God has called them by their name, Israel. Israel 65 9 states, I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob and out of Judah and inherit her. My mountains and mine elect shall inherit it and my servants shall dwell there. Jesus, when he was present on the earth, spoke about his elect. Let's go back to the New Testament in Luke 18.7. The reason I'm going into more specific scriptures in this chapter is that I want to prove to you that these terms are actually used multiple times in both the Old and New Testament, like Luke 18.7 says, Shall not a God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, even though he bear long with him? Romans 8 33 Paul states who shall anything to God's to the charge of God's elect it is God that justifies Many people are not familiar with all the times the word is elect is referenced to in the Bible in Colossians 3 12 It says, Put on, therefore, as the elect of God, holy, beloved vows of mercy, kindness, humbleness, and mind, meekness, longsuffering. As we stated earlier, the term elect means to be chosen by God. There were chosen angels, and there were angels that were not chosen to remain forever in communion with God. There were angels that did not keep their first estate because they were not chosen by God to keep their first estate. In 1 Timothy 5.21 it states, I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels that you observe these things, not preferring one before another and doing nothing by partiality. In 2 Timothy 2.10 Paul states, Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sake, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. Again, who are the elect? The elect are those who are chosen or predestinated or affectionately called by God. If we go further and look at Titus 1.1, we find it states, Paul, a servant of God, an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness. In Peter 1-2, Peter says, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through sanctification of the Spirit and obedience and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Grace unto you and peace be multiplied. In Peter 5-13, Peter states the church that is at Babylon elected together with you saluted to you and so doth Marcus my son. Finally, we find in 2 John 1, John tells us the elder unto the elect lady and her children whom I love in the truth And not only I only, but also they that have known the truth. So we have seen that there are many different times that God's elect are referred to in both the Old and New Testament. Now let's look at the terminology of election. The difference in the word election and elect is this. The word elect means chosen. The word election means choice. The chosen are recipients of being chosen by God. Romans 9 11 says, For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil to the purpose of God, according to election might stand not of works, but of him that calleth. Now look at Romans 11.5 which states even so at this present time there's also a remnant according to the election of grace. Romans 11.28 says and it's concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake those touching the election they are loved for the father's sake. God chose Israel for his people not because they were the greatest number of all the tribes of the earth, He chose them because He fixed His love upon them. Now let's discuss the term effectual calling. The word calling in the Bible refers to divine summons by God. Romans 11.29 says, The gifts and callings of God are without repentance. Once God calls us elect, He never casts us out. He says, My sheep hear my voice, and they follow me, and no man can pluck them out of my hand, and no man can pluck them out of my Father's hand. that you may know what is the hope of his calling and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us who believe according to the working of his mighty power." Doesn't say anything about free will there, does it? In Philippians 3.14 Paul tells us, I press toward the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. It is a high calling, a divine summons, and it is an irresistible call by God. In 2 Thessalonians 1.11 Paul declares, Wherefore also we pray always for you that God count you worthy of His calling to fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and work of faith with power. Notice that all the glory is given to God and our Lord Jesus Christ and His work. His high calling and His work of faith in our hearts. Hebrews 3.1 says, Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the apostle and high priest of our profession, Christ Jesus. The subscribers and promoters of free will deny, deceive, and lie about these very important truths. They try to explain them away by creating new terminology that are not even found in the Bible like common grace, provenient grace, free offer of the gospel, and general call. These terms are all designed to attack the doctrines of predestination, election, and effects of call of God. To summarize, we have covered in this chapter predestination, election, the word elect, the effects of calling, and I would strongly recommend that you do a word study on these terms and it will open your eyes further to the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. Well, that concludes the reading of chapter 4 and 5 in the lives of free will. And we'll conclude, we have a final hymn selection. What was the name of the last tune, Miles? 417. 417. And I'm going to turn this camera back around here. This song we're getting ready to sing is a great song. It was with an everlasting love. It wasn't temporary. Was with an everlasting love, That God His own elect embraced, Before He made the worlds above, Or earth on her huge columns placed. Long ere the sun's refulgent ray, Primeval shades of darkness drove, They on His sacred bosom lay, Like with an everlasting love. Then in His love and His decrees, Christ and His bride appeared as one. Her sin by imputation is, while she in spotless splendor is shelled. O love, how high thy glory swell, how great and beautiful and free! Ten thousand sins, as black as hell, are swallowed up, O love, by thee. Believer, here thy comfort stands, Well, I hope you all have a good day today, and I hope that this has been helpful. You don't hear a lot of sermons about predestination, election, effectual calling, irresistible grace, total depravity. Final Perseverance of the Saints. You don't hear it a lot anymore, but it's all in the Bible. God bless.