I titled this eassay "God Sovereign in Salvation" but was also considering the title "Am I Smarter than other Sinners?". What I mean is this. I can name many people who have heard God's plan for redeeming sinners, yet remain unmoved by the plan. When I heard the plan, I received it with joy. I was scared of what Jesus may require of me if I followed him, but I thought to myself whatever Jesus has in store for me has to be better than what I currently have. Was I smarter than the sinners who rejected the plan? I say no. God changed my mind and will to want to follow Him. I am going to present several arguments for God being sovereign in matters of salvation.
Romans 3:10-18 As it is written, There in none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; There is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulcher; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: There feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and Misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes.
Romans 1:20-24 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves.
My own Salvation experience could not relate to that. There was never a time I was searching for God. I had an emptiness in my life, but I was trying to fill that emptiness with the "world's stuff". Romans 3:11 puts the issue of people searching for God to rest. "There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God." God must do the seeking if a lost sinner is to be saved. Thus God is ultimately in control of who gets saved, not man.
As I consider the salvation experience, I kept asking myself how far does God have to take a person before they believe. I look at the situation like starting a car. How long must the key be in the start postition before the car engine starts. The key must be in the start position until the car starts. If the key is removed from the start postion anytime before that, the car engine stops turning.
The Bible declares "And you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins." (Ephesians 2:1) Is a dead person able to make any move toward God? Was Lazarus while being dead able to respond to the command "..come forth"? (John 11:43) Lazarus had to first be regenerated before he was able to come forth. Thus it is the same with us. God must change our will before we are able to obey the command to believe.
Ephesians 2:4-5 "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;)" Then God summarizes with 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." Thus it is amazing to me how evangelical preachers get their "salvation is like a present" illustration. They say God's salvation is a gift and all you have to do is take it. But we just saw in the previous verses that salvation is like a resurrection. Corpses are incapable to take a present offered to them.
It is very popular today to teach that God and man cooperate in the salvation process. But we must reject that teaching. Let me illustrate this. Suppose a person is given the choice of two resort areas to spend a one week vacation. Resort area #1 promises comfortable lodging, a wide selection of food, recreational activities, and quiet surroundings. Resort area #2 promises no water, unbearable temperatures, no lodging, no rest, no peace, imprisonment, and torture. Resort area #1 I am comparing to heaven, and Resort area #2 I am comparing to hell. I challange any body to find me a sane person who would rather vacation in hell, than in heaven. Thus it is abundantly clear to me, that those who are on the broad road that leads to destruction, know not were they are heading. And unless God wakes them up from their slumber, they will not change their course.
If God peradvendure wakes some up, they will flee from the course they are on to Jesus! Nobody who believes they are going to hell will stay that course. I onced witnessed to an atheist. I asked him if he understood the penalty of being wrong. His response was, "I understand what you think the penalty for being wrong is!" My atheist friend clearly illustrates my point. Johathan Edwards has also concluded the same thing.
Almost every natural man that hears of hell, flatters himself
that he shall escape it; he depends upon himself for his own
security; he flatters himself in what he has done, in what he is
now doing, or what he intends to do. Every one lays out matters
in his own mind how he shall avoid damnation, and flatters
himself that he contrives well for himself, and that his schemes
will not fail. They hear indeed that there are but few saved,
and that the greater part of men that have died heretofore are
gone to hell; but each one imagines that he lays out matters
better for his own escape than others have done. He does not
intend to come to that place of torment; he says within himself,
that he intends to take effectual care, and to order matters so
for himself as not to fail.
But the foolish children of men miserably delude themselves in
their own schemes, and in confidence in their own strength and
wisdom; they trust to nothing by a shadow.
[Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, Jonathan Edwards, The Works
of Jonathan Edwards, Vol 2, The Banner of Truth Trust, pg 8-9]
"But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his Son to me, that I might preach him among the heathen" (Galatians 1:15-16)
Thus you can see that salvation is only the result of God stepping into His creation, and changing the mind and hearts of individuals.
Some would like to read into this verse that God chose us based on knowing that we would choose him. But the verse itself rejects that interpretation. The reason we were choosen was "according to the good pleasure of his will".
Also, I can remember back to grade school how teams during playtime were picked. Two captains started choosing who would be on their team. What would have happend while waiting to be choosen, I walked up to one captain and said "you chose me, since I chose you"?
The last clause of II Peter 3:9 is frequently quoted, but without any attention being given to the first part of it. Is that honest? The "any" whom the Lord is "not willing" should perish, is clearly defined: verse 8 shows that it is God's "beloved" who are here addressed and referred to. The "promise" which He is "not slack" in fulfilling, has reference to the return of Christ (v.4), which "scoffers" (v.3) suppose will never be fulfilled. The great reason why God has not yet sent back His Son is because the last of His elect have not been regenerated: all of them shall come to repentance before human history can be wound up and verse 10 fulfilled. Thus, the "any" looks back to the "us-ward" in the pervious part of the verse! [The Satisfaction of Christ-Studies in The Atonement, Arthur W. Pink, Truth for Today Publications, pg 260]
But if that argument is not strong enough, lets look at 2 Corinthians 5:19, "To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them;". Whatever group "the world" is represented by, their trespasses will not be imputed to them! The group represented by "the world" will all come to faith one day.
The words from Jesus's lips in John 6:65 are equally as powerful. "And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father"
A person must be given the ability to believe, or none will believe. Philippians 2:29 "For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;"
Jesus did not commend Peter's for his astute ability to assimilate evidence. Jesus said the exact opposition. He said, "Peter, you are correct. God opened you eyes to see that truth". The same is true with the spiritually blind. They will never see until God opens their eyes. Discerning who Christ is requires resurrection power from God alone.
There are many denominations that teach a person can loose their salvation to account for the above group of people. But we do not need any special doctrine to describe this group. The sovereignty of God in salvation explains it perfectally. "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord have we not prophesied in thy name? and in they name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (Matthew 7:22-23)
Obviously God knew their name. The word "knew" here means intimate relationship. As in "And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain" (Genesis 4:1) and "And Adam knew his wife again; and bare a son, and called his name Seth" (Genesis 4:25) "So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy." (Romans 9:16)
Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen
his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When
Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and
all Jerusalem with him. [Matt 2:2-3]
Some special star was visible that the wise men followed. It had to be unique, or it would be confused with the multitude of other stars and could not be trusted for traveling guidance. It may have been lower in the sky then the rest of the stars. When the wise men were in Jerusalem, the star then pointed to the exact location were young Jesus was.
When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star
which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and
stood over where the young child was. [Matt 2:9]
Thus all of Jerusalem saw the same unique star as the wise men, and were not compelled to seek out its meaning.
The wise men were so moved by God, that they sought out its meaning. These men knew that a Righteous King was born for they traveled a great distance to worship this King. Based on the reaction from the multitude in Jerusalem of the news from the wise men, it is obvious they never inquired as of the meaning of the Star. The Star was probably visible for 2 years, yet of the multitude that saw it, only the wise men discovered its meaning. This truth is stated in another section of scripture.
John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except
it be given him from heaven. [John 3:27]
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the
Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him:
neither can he know them, because they are
spiritually discerned. [1 Cor 2:14]
"God chose believers in Christ before the foundation of the world, way back in eternity past. That means that you and I didn't do the choosing. He did not choose us because we were good or because we would do some good, but He did choose us so that we could do some good. The entire choice is thrown back upon the sovereignty of the wisdom and goodness of God alone. (Thru the Bible, Volume 5 pg 213, Ephesians 1:4)
"You have heard a great many Arminian sermons, I dare say; but you never heard an Arminian prayer for the saints in prayer appear as one in word, and deed and mind. An Arminian on his knees would pray desperately like a Calvinist. He cannot pray about free-will: there is no room for it. Fancy him praying, Lord, I thank thee I am not like those poor presumptuous Calvinists. Lord, I was born with a glorious free-will; I was born with power by which I can turn to thee of myself; I have improved my grace. If everybody had done the same with their grace that I have, they might all have been saved. Lord, I know thou dost not make us willing if we are not willing ourselves. Thou givest grace to everybody; some do not improve it, but I do. There are many that will go to hell as much bought with the blood of Christ as I was; they had as much of the Holy Ghost given to them; they had as good a chance, and were as much blessed as I am. It was not thy grace that made us to differ; I know it did a great deal, still I turned the point; I made use of what was given me, and others did not, that is the difference between me and them. That is a prayer for the devil, for nobody else would offer such a prayer as that." [Free-Will-- A Slave, Sermon #52]
"Hence we learn how absolutely we are dependent on God in that great matter of the eternal salvation of our souls. We are dependent not only on his wisdom to contrive a way to acomplish it, and on his power to bring it to pass, but we are dependent on his mere will and pleasure in the affair. We depend on the sovereign will of God for every thing belonging to it, from the foundation to the top- stone." (ibid. page 853)
"As we have just shown, it is an eminent attribute of the Divine Being, that he is sovereign over such excellent beings as the souls of men, and that in every respect, even in that of their eternal salvation." (ibid. page 853)
"A man called Origen suggested that each man has a 'soul' which has the ability to turn to the 'flesh' or to the 'Spirit'. This is just his imagination. He dreamt it! He has no proof for it at all. In fact there is no middle position. Everything without the Spirit is flesh; and the best activities of the flesh are hostile to God. This is the same teaching of Christ in Matthew 7:18 that an evil tree cannot produce good fruit." (Born Slaves - abridged version of The Bondage of the Will by Martin Luther, Argument 10, page 28)
I have struggled with the nature of salvation for the past 9 years. My mind is not restless when I consider God being sovereign in salvation. My mind does become restless however when I try to determine how much help God needs to give me before I am able to believe.
To me the sovereignty of God is the most critical doctrine in the entire Bible. It effects all manner of life, especially witnessing to others. All we need to do is give out the Word of God, "for it is the power of God unto salvation. (Romans 1:16) And if you see movement in the corpse, give it another dose of the Word of God. When we deviate from this simple plan, we end up just dragging or pushing corpses around.