"It Is Not Of Him That Willeth Nor
Of Him That Runneth"
Romans 9:16
The language of Holy
Scripture is so plain and clear, regarding the matter of salvation by grace
alone, that only the willfully ignorant and those who wrest the scriptures to
their own destruction can fail to see it. Paul tells us here, most plainly that
salvation is neither by the will of man, nor by the works of man,
"But of God that showeth mercy".
SALVATION IS NOT ACCOMPLISHED BY THE SINNER'S
FREE-WILL.
It is true that no man is saved against his will, or without his will. All who
trust Christ, bow to Christ, and worship Christ, do so willingly. They are made
willing in the day of his saving power (Psa. 110:3). BUT NO MAN IS SAVED
BECAUSE OF HIS OWN WILL. The will of man is not the determining factor in
salvation, but the will of God (John 1:12-13). It is God's will that determined
to save, elected a people, provided a Redeemer, and gives dead sinners life in
Christ. The fact is MAN HAS NO FREE WILL. His will is bound by his
nature. His will is governed by the nature of his heart. Man by nature is
corrupt, sinful, rebellious, and totally depraved. He has no will to be
righteous, to come to God, to honor God, or to trust Christ and submit to his
dominion, unless God gives him such a will by his Holy Spirit in regeneration.
AND SALVATION IS NOT IN ANY WAY DETERMINED BY OR
DEPENDENT UPON THE WORKS OF MEN. What monstrous pride and self-righteousness
must that man be possessed by who supposes that his works have merit with God!
Our best deeds are motivated (at least in some measure) by self love. Our
purest thoughts are vile. Our noblest ambitions are corrupt. God demands and
accepts nothing short of absolute perfection, perfect righteousness and perfect
holiness. And these things no man can produce. WE ARE SAVED BY GRACE ALONE
THROUGH THE PERFECT RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST. Christ's blood made atonement
for our sins, satisfying the demands of justice (Rom. 3:24-26). and Christ's
righteousness is imputed to us by an act of God's free grace (Rom. 5:19-21).
"But Of God That Showeth Mercy"
Romans 9:16
God
is in no way obliged by the will or works of men to bestow his mercy. Man's
will does not govern God's will. And man's works do not determine God's works.
God is absolutely sovereign. It is his right entirely to give his mercy to whom
he will, or withhold it from whom he will. And he can never be called to give
an account of his actions to anyone.
GOD
WILLED TO BE GRACIOUS for the glory of his own great name. Having
determined to create a world with a race of angels and a race of men, he chose
to save some angels in their original holiness and leave others to fall; and he
determined to allow all men to fall into sin representatively in our father
Adam, choosing to save some for the glory of his grace and to pass by others. GOD
DETERMINED WHO HE WOULD SAVE, choosing his own elect in Christ and
predestinating all things to bring them into their heavenly inheritance as the
sons of God. GOD WILLED TO GIVE HIS SON TO DIE AS A SIN-ATONING SUBSTITUTE
FOR HIS ELECT. In his eternal purpose of grace, God looked upon his Son as
the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, and accepted his people in
him. And in the fulness of time, God sent his Son into the world to magnify his
law and make it honorable, so that he might be just and yet justify the
ungodly. AT THE TIME APPOINTED, GOD SENDS HIS SPIRIT TO REGENERATE HIS ELECT
AND CALL THEM TO FAITH IN CHRIST BY THE GOSPEL. This call of God the Holy
Spirit is a sovereign, irresistible, distinguishing, effectual call. It goes
only to God's elect, only to the redeemed, and it always results in salvation. AND
IT IS GOD WHO PRESERVES HIS ELECT IN LIFE. His saved ones cannot perish.
All of them will endure unto the end and be glorified at last. If even one of
God's elect were to perish, his purpose would fall to the ground, the blood of
Christ would be of non-effect, the Spirit's power would be broken, and God's
name would be mocked in hell forever. These things can never be. WE ARE SURE
THAT GOD WILL, BE GLORIFIED IN THE SALVATION OF ALL HIS ELECT BECAUSE NOTHING
DEPENDS UPON MAN, BUT ALL DEPENDS UPON "GOD WHO SHOWETH MERCY".
Don Fortner