Sermon
#1364 Miscellaneous
Notes
Title: THE FIRST SOVEREIGN GRACE
BIBLE
CONFERENCE
Text: Acts 15:1-21
Readings:
Subject: The Jerusalem Conference
Date:
Introduction:
I
thought it might be good for me to open the conference by rehearsing the
message of the very first sovereign grace Bible conference. It was held in
Jerusalem more than 1900 years ago. We are given an inspired account of what
transpired at that conference in Acts 15:1-21. That will be my text tonight.
Acts
15:1-21 "And certain men which came down from
Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except
ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. (2) When therefore Paul and Barnabas
had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul
and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the
apostles and elders about this question.
(3) And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through
Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused
great joy unto all the brethren. (4) And
when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they
declared all things that God had done with them. (5) But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which
believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses. (6) And the apostles and elders came
together for to consider of this matter.
(7) And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto
them, Men and brethren, ye know how
that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth
should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. (8) And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving
them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto
us; (9) And put no difference between
us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. (10) Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck
of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? (11) But we believe that through the
grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they. (12) Then all the multitude kept
silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and
wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them. (13) And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying,
Men and brethren, hearken unto me: (14) Simeon hath declared how God at
the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. (15) And to this agree the words of the
prophets; as it is written, (16) After
this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is
fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: (17) That the residue of men might seek
after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the
Lord, who doeth all these things. (18) Known
unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world. (19) Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which
from among the Gentiles are turned to God:
(20) But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of
idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. (21) For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach
him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day."
Throughout the history of
Christianity there have been numerous church councils. Some have been of
monumental significance, but most have been of very little consequence.
Denominational churches have regular councils for the purpose of determining
both doctrine and practices among the churches of the denomination. In those
councils three things always take place: debate, negotiation, and compromise.
In order for opposing parties to get along and function together in a united,
co-operative program, there must be compromise on both sides. That is the way
denominations survive.
However, with men of
principle and conviction there can be no compromise. The truth of God is not
debatable! It is not possible for a person or a church believing the gospel to
co-operate with people who do not believe the gospel in religious works and activities.
When Jehoshaphat, the king
of Judah formed a compromising, ungodly alliance with Ahab, the king of Israel,
(a compromise by which he hoped to preserve and protect the kingdom of God),
Jehu rebuked him sharply (2 Chron. 19:2).
2
Chronicles 19:2 "And Jehu the son of
Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, Shouldest
thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the
LORD."
I repeat, with men of
principle and conviction there can be no compromise. The truth of God is not
debatable! It is not possible for a person or a church believing the gospel to
co-operate with people who do not believe the gospel in religious works and
activities.
The conference at Jerusalem
was not anything like the religious synods, counsels, and denominational
conventions we read about in history, or those which take place around the
world every year.
·
The apostles and elders did
not meet at Jerusalem to debate doctrine, but to declare the truth of God with
a unified voice.
In that day, as in ours,
there were legalists in the church who tried to mix law and grace, trying to
bring God's elect under the yoke of legal bondage, subverting their souls.
Therefore the church at Jerusalem held a conference. Many apostles, elders, and
preachers attended, but only three spoke: Paul, Peter, and James. They spoke as
one and the church made a unified denunciation of legalism. Here, in Acts 15
Luke gives us the historical narrative of the conference. Paul explains the
theological issues of it in Galatians 2.
Again, I repeat myself
deliberately, the conference at Jerusalem was not a church council to debate
doctrine. When Paul went up to Jerusalem his mind was already made up about the
issues at hand. He refused to budge an inch, or give any ground at all to the
legalists (Gal. 2:5, 21).
Galatians 2:5
"To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the
truth of the gospel might continue with you."
Galatians 2:21
"I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in
vain."
·
Paul’s purpose in going up
to Jerusalem was only so that the doctrine of the believer's absolute freedom
in Christ from the law of Moses might be publicly avowed, even by those whose
primary sphere of ministry was among the Jews.
At the Jerusalem conference
the apostles and elders, and the church as a whole, being led by the Holy
Spirit, as we are told in verse 28,
publicly denounced legalism and stripped all preachers of law and legality of
all credibility.
THE
CONFRONTATION
WITH THE
LEGALISTS (vv.
1-3)
Acts 15:1-3 "And certain men which came down from
Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except
ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. (2) When therefore Paul and Barnabas
had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul
and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the
apostles and elders about this question.
(3) And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through
Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused
great joy unto all the brethren."
There were some self-appointed,
freelance preachers who came from Jerusalem to Antioch perverting the gospel,
teaching salvation by the works of the law. They were Pharisees who professed
faith in Christ. They claimed to believe the gospel doctrine of salvation by
grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. But they mixed works with
grace and said, “Unless you keep the law you cannot be saved.”
Paul, Barnabas, and the
church at Antioch, by their example, demonstrate that the doctrine and spirit
of legalism must never be tolerated (Gal. 2:1-5).
Galatians
2:1-5 "Then fourteen years after I went up
again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also. (2) And I went
up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among
the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means
I should run, or had run, in vain. (3) But
neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised: (4) And that because of false brethren
unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have
in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage: (5) To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that
the truth of the gospel might continue with you."
Paul declares these legalists to be "false brethren.” It matters not whether men
teach obedience to the law as a basis of justification, the measure of
sanctification, the believer's rule of life, the motive for Christian service,
or the ground of reward in heaven, all
attempts to put believers under the yoke of the law are intolerably evil.
The Word of God states, plainly and emphatically, that in Christ believers are
entirely free from and no longer under the law (Rom. 6:14-15; 7:4; 10:4; Gal.
3:24-26; 5:1-4; Col. 2:8-23; I Tim. 1:5-10).
Never, not even once, in the
New Testament is a believer commanded to do anything on the basis of, or being
motivated by the law. So far is the law from being a rule of life that Paul
declares it is “the ministration of
death” (2 Cor. 3:7). Legalists say, "The preaching of the law promotes
holiness." But Paul says the law is “the
strength of sin” (I Cor. 15:56).
Let no one be confused. The issue is not godliness or
ungodliness. The issue is not what a believer does. The issue is the motive of
the heart. Legalists are motivated by fear of punishment and desire for
reward. Believers are motivated by love for Christ ( “The love of Christ constraineth us” -- 2 Cor. 5:14).
THE CONFERENCE
OF THE LEADERS
(vv. 4-21)
There were many gifted men
in the church in those days, but three stood out as men gifted of God and
specifically chosen by him to be his messengers to that first generation of
Christians.
The first spokesman at the conference was Paul, the
apostle to the Gentiles (vv. 4-6).
Acts
15:4-6 "And when they were
come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God
had done with them. (5) But there
rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it
was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.
(6) And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this
matter."
The second preacher was Peter, the apostle to the
Jews
(vv. 7-11).
Acts
15:7-11 "And when there had been much disputing,
Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and
brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that
the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. (8) And God, which knoweth the hearts,
bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; (9) And
put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. (10) Now therefore why tempt ye God, to
put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we
were able to bear? (11) But we
believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even
as they."
We will look at this in more
detail in a moment, but Peter’s message had two main points.
(1) God purifies the hearts of
men by faith in Christ (v. 9)
Acts 15:9 "And put no difference between us and
them, purifying their hearts by faith."
(2) Salvation is by grace alone
(v. 11).
Acts 15:11 "But we believe that through the grace
of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they."
In verse 12 Paul rose to speak again, declaring what
wonders God had done through him and Barnabas among the Gentiles.
The third man to speak at the conference was James,
our Lord's half brother, pastor of the church at Jerusalem (vv. 13-21).
Acts
15:13-21 "And after they had held their peace,
James answered, saying, Men and brethren,
hearken unto me: (14) Simeon hath
declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a
people for his name. (15) And to this
agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, (16) After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle
of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I
will set it up: (17) That the residue
of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is
called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things. (18) Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the
world. (19) Wherefore my sentence is,
that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: (20) But that we write unto them, that
they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from
fornication, and from things
strangled, and from blood. (21) For Moses of old time hath in
every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath
day."
It was fitting that James,
the pastor at Jerusalem, bring the
concluding message. He gave the
opinion of the apostles, the opinion of the Holy Spirit, the opinion of the New
Testament regarding the issue at hand (the relation of the law to believers in
the New Testament age) in four points.
1. The calling of the Gentiles
in one body with the Jews was foretold by the prophets (vv. 13-17; Isa. 11:10;
Amos 9:11-12).
2. The fall of Israel and the
calling of the Gentiles was according to the eternal purpose of God (v. 18;
Rom. 11:25-26).
3. Believers in the Gentile
world must never be troubled with the yoke of bondage, which no man other than
Jesus Christ the God-man has ever kept (vv. 19, 10).
4. In matters of indifference
it was recommended that the Gentile believers should abstain from those things
that might hinder the preaching of the gospel and offend weaker brethren (vv.
20-21).
NOTE: Certainly fornication is
not a matter of indifference. It is a horribly evil thing. Yet, it was treated
as a matter of indifference because to the Gentiles, who were uninstructed in
the law of God, it was commonly looked upon as such.
THE
CIRCULATION OF THE LETTER (vv. 22-34)
In verses 22-34, we are told
that the church at Jerusalem drafted a letter to be sent to the churches in the
Gentile world. To confirm the truthfulness of the letter they sent Judas and
Silas back to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. The letter denounced all
preachers of the law as false prophets (v. 24), commended Paul and Barnabas as
faithful servants of God (vv. 25-26), and assured God's saints that their
liberty in Christ was approved of God (vv. 28-29). When it was read in the
churches this letter was the cause of great joy among God's saints (v. 31)
Let’s
go back now to Peter’s message (vv. 7-11), and let me wrap this up with a few
comments about it.
Acts
15:7-11 "And when there had been much disputing,
Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and
brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that
the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. (8) And God, which knoweth the hearts,
bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; (9) And
put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. (10) Now therefore why tempt ye God, to
put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we
were able to bear? (11) But we
believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even
as they."
Peter was an apostle of
Christ. The words he spoke at the Jerusalem conference, like those which he
wrote in his epistles, were inspired by God the Holy Spirit (v. 28). The words
of this passage, being inspired of God, are recorded for our learning and
admonition.
The apostle stood and said, “We believe.” He spoke with bold,
unbending, unyielding, uncompromising dogmatism. Speaking as an apostle of Christ, Peter was not speaking for himself
alone, but for all the apostles, all the church of God, all true gospel
preachers, and all true Christians.
When Peter said, “We
believe,” he was saying, "This is the truth of God. It must be
believed by all. Anything contrary to this is heresy, damnable and destructive
to men's souls. This is what all true Christians believe. Those who do not
believe and teach this are not Christians."
This then is the doctrine of God - “We believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be
saved, even as they.” With regard to this gospel doctrine of salvation by
grace alone we must be perfectly clear in our understanding, unhesitating in
our witness, and intolerant of any deviation from the message of God's pure,
free, sovereign, effectual grace in Christ.
THIS IS AN APOSTOLIC CONFESSION OF FAITH.
Concerning less important issues God's saints may and do differ and yet remain
in essential harmony and fellowship. No one has a perfect knowledge of divine
truth. But the gospel doctrine of salvation by grace alone is vital. With
regard to this vital issue the doctrine of the church is stated plainly.
"We believe that we shall be saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
even as they." All who deviate from this deviate from the doctrine
of the apostles and deviate from Christ himself!
THE APOSTLES OF CHRIST OBVIOUSLY DID NOT BELIEVE
MOST OF WHAT IS TAUGHT TODAY ABOUT THE WAY OF SALVATION.
Peter's statement is complete. It includes all that is vital to the souls of
men. But some things are obviously and deliberately omitted.
·
There is no mention of any
religious ritual or ceremony. The two ordinances which Christ left us, baptism
and the Lord's Supper, are important aspects of worship and obedience.
Believer's baptism is the believer's public confession of faith in and
allegiance to Christ (Rom. 6:4-6). The Lord's Supper is the church's
celebration of redemption by Christ, a symbolic picture of the gospel, and a
visible reminder of our Savior's glorious person and work (I Cor. 11:24-26).
·
No mention is made of
personal obedience to the law of God. That was the issue at the Jerusalem conference.
Surely, if obedience to the law had any bearing upon salvation, sanctification,
or our relationship to God, Peter would have mentioned it here. But we are not
under the law and must never attempt to put any believer under the yoke of
bondage (v. 10).
·
There is no mention of
personal righteousness. The creed of the world is, "Do the best you can and God will
accept you." To deny that creed is treason against human pride. Every
child of Adam is born a Pharisee. Self-righteousness is bred in us. It will
manifest itself in time. But those who promote self-righteousness are
treasonous toward God.
"Perish all thoughts of
human pride,
Let God alone be
magnified!"
·
And no mention is made of
man's freewill. It is true that all believers choose Christ, trust Christ, and come
to Christ. But it is heretical to assert that man's freewill is the cause of
God's saving grace (John 1:11-13; Rom. 9:15-18; 2 Tim. 1:9).
PETER'S DOCTRINE IS THE DOCTRINE OF GRACE.
He tells us that salvation is from beginning to end, all of grace. This is the
doctrine of Christ and his apostles. This is the doctrine of the Bible. Any
denial of the doctrine of salvation by grace alone is a denial of the gospel of
Christ. All attempts to mix grace and works is antichrist. Eight things are
implied and taught in Peter's words.
I.
THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD'S
GRACE -
He tells us that saving grace belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ. He gives it to
whom he will (John 5:21; 17:2).
John 5:21 "For as the Father raiseth up the dead,
and quickeneth them; even so the Son
quickeneth whom he will."
John 17:2 "As thou hast given him power over all
flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given
him."
Romans 9:16 "So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God
that showeth mercy."
II. THE TOTAL
DEPRAVITY OF MAN- When Peter speaks of people being "saved”
(passive voice), the implication is that they do not have the ability to save
themselves (Rom. 5:12; Eph. 2:1-3).
Romans 5:12 "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:"
Ephesians
2:1-4 "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins: (2) Wherein in time past ye walked
according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of
the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: (3) Among whom also we all had our
conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of
the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as
others. (4) But God, who is rich in
mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,"
III. GOD'S
UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION
Perhaps you are thinking,
“Bro. Don, you are stretching the text a bit now Peter does not mention the
word election in this passage.” Did you miss it? Peter and James both spoke of
election with such casualness that they seem to presume that all who heard them
had sense enough to know that salvation must, of necessity, begin with God’s
election (vv. 7, 14).
Acts 15:7 "And when there had been much disputing,
Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and
brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth
should hear the word of the gospel, and believe."
Acts 15:14 "Simeon hath declared how God at the
first did visit the Gentiles, to take
out of them a people for his name."
Peter’s mind had not been
corrupted by freewill, works religion. To him and the rest of the apostles the
word "grace" always
included election. They understood that the grace of God is eternal, unmerited,
and immutable (I Pet. 1:2-5).
1 Peter
1:2-5 "Elect according to the foreknowledge of
God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and
sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be
multiplied. (3) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a
lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, (4) To an inheritance incorruptible,
and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, (5) Who are kept by the power of God
through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."
IV. CHRIST'S
LIMITED ATONEMENT
When Peter speaks of "grace,” he is referring to that
grace which comes flowing to sinners from the wounds of the crucified Christ,
that grace which was effectually obtained for God's elect when Christ died as
their Substitute and obtained eternal salvation for them (Heb. 9:12; I Pet.
1:18-21; 2:24).
Hebrews
9:12 "Neither by the blood of goats and
calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having
obtained eternal redemption for us."
1 Peter
1:18-21 "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not
redeemed with corruptible things, as silver
and gold, from your vain conversation received
by tradition from your fathers; (19) But
with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without
spot: (20) Who verily was
foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last
times for you, (21) Who by him do
believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your
faith and hope might be in God."
1 Peter
2:24 "Who his own self bare our sins in his
own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto
righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed."
1 Peter
3:18 "For Christ also hath once suffered for
sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to
death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit."
There are two points about
the redemptive work of Christ upon which we must be clear.
A. First,
redemption was obtained for a particular people (Isa. 53:8; John 10:11, 15,
26).
B. Second,
it was effectually accomplished when Christ died (Heb. 10:10-14; Isa.
53:10-12).
]Hebrews
10:9-14 "Then said he, Lo,
I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish
the second. (10) By the which will we
are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (11) And every priest standeth
daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never
take away sins: (12) But this man,
after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right
hand of God; (13) From henceforth
expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. (14) For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are
sanctified."
This is the essence of all
gospel doctrine, the heart of all truth, the core of Holy Scripture. Anyone who
fails to see the fulness and efficacy of Christ's redemptive work does not and
cannot see or understand any other aspect of divine truth clearly.
V. GOD'S IRRESISTIBLE GRACE -
Peter said, "We shall be saved.”
He does not speak of God's saving grace as a possibility, but as a matter of
certainty. Salvation is not something God hopes to do. It is something God does
(Psa. 65:4; 110:3).
VI. THE
BELIEVER’S FREEDOM FROM THE LAW (v. 10)
Peter calls all legalism
tempting God. He calls the keeping of the law a yoke of bondage that no man can
keep. He was not just talking about the law of circumcision. Anyone can do
that!
He was talking about gaining
holiness by obedience to the commandments of the law. Nobody can do that! You
and cannot keep any commandment of the law for a solitary second. All we are
capable of doing is sin!
But blessed be God, our
Substitute, the Lord Jesus Christ has met every demand and requirement of the
law for us, and we are “complete in
Christ!” In Christ, we have already entered into that blessed freedom of
grace called “the glorious liberty of the
sons of God!”
“Free from the law, O happy
condition!
Jesus hath bled, and there
is remission,
Cursed by the law and
bruised by the fall,
Christ hath redeemed us,
once for all!
A. Christ is my righteousness.
B. Christ is my sanctification.
C. Christ is my redemption.
VII. THE FINAL
PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS
Peter was not in a fog about
what he believed. He knew that salvation is God's work. He knew that it was
forever (Eccles. 3:14). He knew that God's promise (John 10:27-29), his justice
(Rom. 4:8), his power (I Pet. 1:5), and his immutability (Mal. 3:6) demand the
absolute, infallible, eternal security of his elect.
VIII. THE
EQUALITY OF ALL BELIEVERS (vv. 9, 11)
Acts 15:9 "And put no difference between us and
them, purifying their hearts by faith."
Acts 15:11 "But we believe that through the grace
of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they."
When Peter said, "We shall be saved by the grace of the
Lord Jesus Christ, even as they,” he seems to imply that the Jewish
believers have no preference over the Gentile believers. In Christ all are one!
All are saved by grace alone (Col. 3:11).
Let others cling to their
man made, denominational creeds, argue theology and debate doctrine, and try to
find common ground with reprobate men by compromise, if they dare. I take the
Book of God as my creed and confession.
THIS IS THE CONFESSION OF EVERY TRUE BELIEVER.
All who are saved are saved by grace alone and gladly acknowledge it (“By the grace of God I am what I am.”--I
Cor. 15:10).
Self-righteous moralists,
religious ritualists, and profligate sinners must all be saved the same way.
Grace is unconditional! It is not attracted by good works, and it is not
repelled by the lack of good works. Grace washes all believers in the blood of
Christ, robes all in the righteousness of Christ, and makes all accepted in
Christ.
·
Some are more gifted than others, but none are more accepted.
·
Some are more responsible than others, but none are more redeemed.
·
Some are more dependable than others, but none are more righteous.
·
Some are happier than others, but none are more holy.
·
Some are more faithful than others, but none are more favored.
·
Some are stronger than others, but none are more sanctified.
·
Some are more confident than others, but none are more beloved, and
none are more secure.
·
Some are more useful than others, but none shall be more rewarded.
Salvation is either by grace or by works, but it is not by
grace and works. Either salvation is by God’s will or your will, but it is not
by both. Either Christ is our Savior altogether, or he is no Savior at all. He
has either met, fulfilled, and satisfied every demand of God’s holy law and
justice for us, or we must meet them, fulfil them, and satisfy them ourselves.
This is our doctrine - “WE BELIEVE THAT THROUGH THE GRACE OF THE
LORD JESUS CHRIST WE SHALL BE SAVED, EVEN AS THEY.”