Does Jesus Need My Permission To Save Me? (Conclusion)

     Here's a summary of what we've shown about God's sovereignty in salvation so far.


     * Faith and repentance do not come from within us, but are gifts from God.

     * God chose His people in Jesus Christ, before the foundation of the world, according to His pleasure and will.

     * God gives His people understanding so that they can know Him.

     * God does not choose someone because of anything that person does, but because of His own
sovereign will.

     * God changes us by taking our heart of stone and replacing it with a heart of flesh, and puts His
Spirit within us.

     * No one can come to God unless the Father draws him, and those who come, Jesus will never cast
out, but will raise up on the last day.

     * God raises His people from spiritual death.


     I'll close this series with words from two giants of Reformed theology (John Piper and A.W. Pink),
regarding God's sovereignty in salvation, and then a few comments of my own.

     John Piper - Five Statements

     1. God gives His chosen ones to Jesus.

     2. Because God gives them to Jesus, they come to Jesus.

     3. Those who are given to Jesus, come to Jesus, and are omnipotently and eternally kept by Jesus.
None is lost.

     4. Jesus will raise us from the dead on the last day.

     5. Finally, the unshakeable foundation for all this sovereign work of God - His giving, our coming,
His keeping, His raising - the unshakeable foundation of it all, is the will of God!


    
     A.W. Pink

     "God has 'ordained to eternal life,' certain ones, and that in consequence of His ordination, they in due time, 'believe;'  that God's ordintation to salvation of His elect, is not due to any good thing in them, nor to anything meritorious from them, but solely of His 'grace;'  that God has designedly selected the most unlikely objects to be the receipents of His special favors, in order that 'no flesh should glory in His presence;'  that God chose His people in Christ before the foundation of the world,
not because they were so, but in order that they should be holy and without blame before Him;'

     That having selected certain ones to salvation, He also decreed the means by which His eternal
counsel should be made good;  that the very 'grace' by which we are saved was, in God's purpose, 'given us in Christ Jesus before the world began;'  that long before they were actually created, God's elect stood present before His mind, were 'foreknown' by Him, i.e., were the definite objects of His
eternal love."



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     God has ordained His children to eternal life, and at the appointed time each one WILL BELIEVE.
     Acts 13:48 - "When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord;  and
ALL WHO WERE APPOINTED FOR ETERNAL LIFE BELIEVED."

     Jesus does not need my permission to save me.
     Jonah 2:9b - "Salvation is of the Lord."

     2 Thessalonians 2:13 - "But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because FROM THE BEGINNING, GOD CHOSE YOU TO BE SAVED THROUGH THE SANCTIFYING WORK OF THE SPIRIT AND THROUGH BELIEF IN THE TRUTH."

     God is not waiting for us to believe in Him, because he knows that one day, because of His mercy
and grace, all of His children will be redeemed.
     Romans 8:28-30 - "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him,
who have been called according to His purpose.  For those God foreknew He also predestined to be
conformed to the likeness of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers."
     "And those He predestined, He also called;  those He called, He also justified;  those He justified,
He also glorified."


     God is so kind and considerate and merciful, that He will keep His promise to save His children, and according to Mark 13:27, "He will send His angels and gather His elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven."

    
     I am so grateful that, when I should have been destined to hell because of my sins, at the appointed
time, God reached down, grabbed me, and turned me around, and graciously granted me the repentance and faith I needed to trust in Him for salvation!



     Thank You Jesus!!!
    


    

Does Jesus Need My Permission To Save Me? Part 6

      

     Let's look at a passage that causes some to object to God's divine election of His people. 
     Revelation 3:20 - "Behold, I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and
opens the door, I will come and eat with him, and he with me."

     Is Jesus talking about knocking on the door of someone's heart, pleading with him to let him
come in?  John MacArthur, pastor for over 40 years, says of Revelation 20:3 - "Rather than allowing
for the common interpretation of Christ's knocking on a person's heart, the context demands that
Christ was seeking to enter this church, in Laodicea, that bore His name, but lacked a single true
believer."

     "This poignant letter was His knocking.  If one member would recognize his spiritual bankruptcy
and respond in saving faith, He would enter the church."
     Matthew 18:20 - "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them."

     Apparently, members were gathering, but not in Jesus' name.  If Jesus saw any sign of repentance
 and faith among its members, He would enter the church, and the believers would produce fruit.


     It has been said that Jesus is a "gentleman" and will not "force" anyone to believe in Him, but considering what we have shown of God's sovereignty in salvation, the word "forced" doesn't seem to be the right word to describe what God does in regenerating a person.

     As an example, take Saul (Paul) and his conversion experience.  On the road to Damascus, to
persecute Christians, he was suddenly blinded by a light from heaven that flashed around him.  He
then heard the voice of Jesus, speaking to him, saying, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"

     Jesus ordered Saul to enter the city and he would be told what to do next.  A believer in Damascus,
Ananias, was told by God to go to Saul and lay hands on him, so that he could regain his sight.  When
Ananias hesistated because of Saul's reputation as a persecutor of Christians, God said to him, "Go, for he is a CHOSEN instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the
children of Israel" (Acts 9:15).

     Ananias obeyed and went to Saul and laying hands on him, told him, "'Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight
and be filled with the Holy Spirit.'"  And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he
regained his sight.  Then he rose and was baptized'" (Acts 9:17-18).

     Jesus didn't wait for Saul to say the "sinner's prayer" or "walk the aisle" and "decide to follow Jesus."
He simply took His chosen instrument and turned his heart of stone into a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26),
and Saul was miraculously saved!

     It was obvious to everyone he met that Saul's heart was changed because he immediately proclaimed
Jesus in the synagogues, saying, "He is the Son of God" (Acts 9:20).

     Later, Saul (now known as Paul), produced spiritual fruit when told Lydia of Thyatira, about Jesus.  Acts 16:40 - "The Lord OPENED HER HEART to respond to Paul's message."  Through God's sovereign grace, Lydia also was saved.


     Just as Jesus raised Lazarus from physical death, He raises His people from spiritual death (Ephesians 2:1 - "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins").  When Jesus told him to come forth from the grave, Lazarus didn't say, "No thanks.  I kind of like it in here, where it's nice and
quiet."

     Lazarus obeyed and arose from the dead by Jesus' power, just as we who believe are raised from
spiritual death when the Holy Spirit regenerates us.  Jesus replaces our heart of stone with a heart of
flesh, so that we can believe, and gives life to a dead sinner.
     2 Corinthians 5:17 - "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;  old things have passed away.  Behold, all things have become new."















     We shouldn't feel that God has "forced" us to do anything we didn't want to do.  He has changed us
and made us willing to come to Him.  We should be grateful that God is so generous, kind, gracious,
considerate, and merciful, that He would change our hearts and bring us salvation.


     No one is pulled kicking and screaming and protesting into the Kingdom of God.  Anyone who comes to Jesus, does so because of God's mercy shown to him, when God drew him to himself, and
softened his heart, making him willing and able to receive salvation.

Does Jesus Need My Permission To Save Me? Part 5

     We must believe to be saved, and John 3:16 tells us that whoever believes in Jesus will not perish, but have everlasting life;  but it does not tell us who CAN and WILL believe.

     John 6:44 - (Jesus said), "NO ONE CAN COME TO ME UNLESS THE FATHER WHO SENT ME DRAWS HIM.  And I will raise him up on the last day."  Only those the Father draws to Jesus CAN come to Him.  All others are UNABLE to come to him.

     John 6:37 - (Jesus said), "All the Father gives (draws to) me WILL COME to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out."  Here we see that God's SAVING GRACE IS IRRESISTIBLE - those the Father gives to Jesus WILL COME to Him for salvation.

     Only God's chosen people (the elect) CAN  and  WILL believe in Jesus.  All others CANNOT and WILL NOT believe. 
     John 10:26-29 - (Jesus said), "But you (Jews gathered around Him) do not believe because YOU ARE NOT PART OF MY FLOCK.  MY SHEEP hear my voice, and I KNOW THEM, and THEY FOLLOW ME."
     "I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.  My Father who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand."

     Notice that Jesus did NOT say, "You are not part of my flock because you don't believe."  He said, "You do not believe because you are not part of my flock." 
    

     Jesus also said no one can snatch them out of His hand or the Father's hand, showing that both Son and Father securely hold all believers in their hands.


     All of this is further proof of God's sovereignty in salvation!

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     In part six, an objection to God's divine election answered.



    

Does Jesus Need My Permission To Save Me? Part 4

       

     Romans 9:11-13, shows that God does not choose someone for salvation based on anything that person does, but because of God's sovereign will.  "Though they (Jacob and Esau) were not yet born and HAD DONE NOTHING GOOD OR BAD - in order that GOD'S PURPOSE OF ELECTION  might continue, NOT BECAUSE OF WORKS, but BECAUSE OF HIM WHO CALLS - she (Rebekah) was told, 'The older will serve the younger.'  As it is written, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.'"

     Paul then goes on to explain why God uses election and answers any objections to this doctrine.  Romans 9:14-18 : "What then shall we say?  Is there injustice on God's part?  By no means!  For He says to Moses, 'I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.'

     "So then it depends NOT ON HUMAN WILL OR EXERTION, BUT ON GOD, who has mercy."
     "For the Scripture says to Pharoah, 'For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may SHOW MY POWER in you, and that MY NAME MIGHT BE PROCLAIMED IN ALL THE EARTH.'  So then, He has mercy on whomever HE WILL,  and He hardens whomever He wills."


     Martin Luther writes in 'The Bondage of the Will' - "But now that God has taken my salvation out of the control of my own will, and put it under the control of His, and promised to save me, not according to my working or running, but according to His own grace and mercy, I have the comfortable certainty that He is faithful and will not lie to me, and that He is also great and powerful, so that no devils or opposition can break Him or pluck me from Him."

     God has the right to do with His creatures whatever He wishes, even if we don't understand why He does some things  Isaiah 55:8-9 : "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." 

    
     Now that we see that God is totally in control of our salvation, how does He save us?  How do we believe?

     First, we need to realize that our hearts must be changed or we won't believe.  Jeremiah 17:9 :  "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick;  who can understand it?"  We need a new heart, and God gives it to us.

     Ezekiel 36:26-28 : "AND I WILL GIVE YOU A NEW HEART, AND A NEW SPIRIT I will put within you.  And I WILL REMOVE THE HEART OF STONE FROM YOUR FLESH and GIVE YOU A HEART OF FLESH."

     "AND I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT WITHIN YOU, AND CAUSE YOU TO WALK IN MY STATUTES AND BE CAREFUL TO OBEY MY RULES.  You shall dwell in the Lord that I gave to your fathers, and YOU SHALL BE MY PEOPLE, AND I WILL BE YOUR GOD."

     All of this is God's doing, not ours.  Philippians 1:29 :  "For it HAS BEEN GRANTED TO YOU that for the sake of Christ YOU SHOULD NOT ONLY BELIEVE IN HIM, but also suffer for His sake."

     Philippians 2:12-13 shows that it is God who works in us to believe for his good pleasure.  "Therefore my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now not only in my (Paul's) presence but much more in my absence, work out your SALVATION,  with fear and trembling, for IT IS GOD WHO WORKS IN YOU, BOTH TO WILL AND TO WORK FOR HIS GOOD PLEASURE."

     John MacArthur writes about the phrase "work out your salvation" : 'This does not refer to salvation by works, but the believer's responsibility for active pursuit of obedience in the process of sanctification.'

    
     When God gives us a new heart, we are REGENERATED (born again) and are now able to believe.  Preacher and author, Dan Phillips explains what happens to believers.  "Regeneration precedes and provokes saving faith.  Like flicking a light switch precedes filling a dark room with bright light.  But not by much.  The relationship is causal."

     "Adam received life when God breathed into his nostrils, the breath of life.  Spiritually, we are alive through faith, but our very exercise of faith is a grace-gift from God, breathed into us through regeneration.  Our newborn hearts embrace Jesus as Lord."



     How do we believe?  Phillips continues, "By a miraculous work of grace, God the Father takes pity on our dead, lost, God-hating selves.  He breathes His life into us, bringing sight to blind eyes, life to dead spirits, and the submission of repentant faith to hard, rebellious hearts."

     *******************************************************************************

     In part five, we'll see who CAN believe.

Thankful Everyday

    
     Everybody, even unbelievers, should be thankful to God for the many ways He blesses us.

     Christians, above all people, should thank God everyday for one main reason - Jesus!!!


     Jesus is our:


     REDEEMER - He rescued us from hell.  "Praise the Lord, who redeems your life from the pit..."
     Psalm 103:4

     SACRIFICE - He gave Himself for our sake.  "God presented Him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in His blood."  Romans 3:25

     LORD - He is our Master and God.  "... Jesus Christ who is Lord of all."  Acts 10:36

     RECONCILER - He has made us right with God the Father.  "... our Lord Jesus Christ through whom we have now received reconciliation."  Romans 5:11

     BROTHER - God conforms us to Jesus' likeness.  "... that He (Jesus) might be the firstborn among many brothers."  Romans 8:29

     HEALER - He heals our bodies.  "... heals all our diseases."  Psalm 103:3

     FORGIVER - He takes away our sins.  "... forgives all your sins."  Psalm 103:3

     RANSOM - He paid for our lives with His.  "... to give His life as a ransom for many."  Matthew 20:28

     REFUGE - He is our hiding place.  "... for God is our refuge."  Psalm 62:8

     STRENGTH - He makes us strong.  "... for God is our refuge and strength."  Psalm 46:1

     FORTRESS - He is our safe place.  "... for you are my fortress."  Psalm 59:16

     HOPE - He is our anchor.  "We have this hope as an anchor."  Hebrews 6:19

     INTERCESSOR - He pleads for us before the Father.  "... He always lives to intercede for them."  Hebrews 7:25

     ROCK - We can stand firmly on His promises.  "He is the rock;  his works are perfect."  Deuteronomy 32:4

     SHEPHERD - He knows us and protects us.  "I am the good shepherd:  I know my sheep and my sheep know me."  John 10:14

     FRIEND - He is our friend if we obey Him.  "You are my friends if you do what I command."  John 15:14

     SAVIOR - He saves us from our sins.  "... He will save His people from their sins."  Matthew 1:21



     Thank you Jesus !!!


     Happy Thanksgiving!


    

Does Jesus Need My Permission To Save Me? Part 3

     So far, we've learned that we are all sinners in need of a Savior, and that God gives to us (His people) the repentance and faith we need, to believe in Jesus Christ for salvation.

     In addition, we've seen that God elects or chooses His people for salvation, according to His good pleasure, not because of anything we might do.

     The ultimate purpose of election to salvation is the glory of God.



     Is God totally sovereign in regard to salvation, or is it up to each person to "decide" to "accept" Jesus as Savior?   "Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God - children born NOT OF NATURAL DESCENT, NOR OF HUMAN DECISION, OR A HUSBAND'S WILL, BUT BORN OF GOD" (John 1:12-13).

     Therefore, salvation is not our choice, will or decision.  It is God's!
     This passage also makes clear that only those who have RECEIVED Jesus and BELIEVED IN HIS NAME, are called "children of God."  Remember that the next time you hear someone say, "well, we're all God's children."  That's not true!

     Why do some believe and others do not?  Is it because some are more intelligent or quicker to discern their need for salvation?  Romans 3:9-12 :  "What shall we (saints) conclude then?  Are we any better?
Not at all!  We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin."

     "As it is written, 'There is no one righteous, not even one;  there is NO ONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, NO ONE WHO SEEKS GOD.  All have turned away, they have together become worthless;  THERE IS NO ONE WHO DOES GOOD, NOT EVEN ONE.'"

     Romans 8:6-8 :  "The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace;  the sinful mind is hostile to God.  It does not submit to God's law, NOR CAN IT DO SO.  Those controlled by the sinful nature CANNOT PLEASE GOD."

     A.W. Pink, theologian and prolific author wrote, "It is God Himself who makes the difference between the elect and non-elect, for of His own it is written - 'We know also that the Son of God has come and HAS GIVEN US UNDERSTANDING, so that we may know him who is true'" (1 John 5:20).

     God has given unbelievers over to the "sinful desires of their hearts" (Romans 1:24), and "shameful lusts" (Romans 1:26).  "Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth" (Romans 2:2).




     Peter tells us in 1 Peter 1:3-5 : "According to His great mercy, He has CAUSED US TO BE BORN AGAIN to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who BY GOD'S POWER are being guarded through faith FOR A SALVATION ready to be revealed in the last time."

     In verse two of the same chapter, Peter informs us to whom he is writing this letter:  "To those who are elect exiles ... according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ ..." .

     Many hold to the traditional belief that God "foreknew" who would believe in Him, and as a result, God "chose" that person for salvation, for that reason.  But whenever God's "foreknowledge" is mentioned in the Bible, it is referring to God's foreknowledge of someONE, not someTHING (although God certainly knows everything that will ever happen before it happens).

     God's foreknowledge means that He has an intimate relationship with a person.  John 10:14-15 : (Jesus said), "I am the good shepherd.  I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father;  and I lay down my life for the sheep."  Jesus is speaking of His children (believers) here.

     On the other hand, Jesus tells unbelievers, "I never knew you, depart from me you workers of lawlessness" (Matthew 7:23). Of course, Jesus "knows" who everyone is - He created them - but He doesn't have a close, intimate relationship with unbelievers.  He has that only with believers.


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     In part four we will look at the "fairness" of God's divine election.




    

Does Jesus Need My Permission To Save Me? Part 2

    
     In part one, we noted that man needs repentance and faith to be saved, and we established that both are gifts from God.  Faith and repentance are not something that comes from within us, but are granted to us by God.

     Giving us these things is not all God has done for us, of course.  Let's go back to the beginning - before the foundation of the world.

     Ephesians 1:4-14 - "For He CHOSE US IN HIM BEFORE THE CREATION OF THE WORLD to be HOLY and BLAMELESS in His sight.  In love HE PREDESTINED US to be ADOPTED as His sons THROUGH JESUS CHRIST, IN ACCORDANCE WITH HIS PLEASURE AND WILL - to the praise of HIS GLORIOUS GRACE, which HE HAS FREELY GIVEN US in the ONE he loves."

     "IN HIM WE HAVE REDEMPTION THROUGH HIS BLOOD, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RICHES OF GOD'S GRACE THAT HE LAVISHED ON US with all wisdom and understanding."

     "And He made known to us the MYSTERY OF HIS WILL ACCORDING TO HIS GOOD PLEASURE, which HE PURPOSED IN CHRIST, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment - to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ."

     "IN HIM WE WERE ALSO CHOSEN, HAVING BEEN PREDESTINED ACCORDING TO THE PLAN OF HIM WHO WORKS OUT EVERYTING IN CONFORMITY WITH THE PURPOSE OF HIS WILL, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of His glory."

     "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.
HAVING BELIEVED, YOU WERE MARKED IN HIM WITH A SEAL, THE PROMISED HOLY SPIRIT, WHO IS A DEPOSIT GUARANTEEING OUR INHERITANCE UNTIL THE REDEMPTION OF THOSE WHO ARE GOD'S POSSESSION - TO THE PRAISE OF HIS GLORY."


     John MacArthur writes, "The doctrine of election is emphasized throughout Scripture (Deut. 7:6; Isa 45:4; John 6:44; Acts 13:48; Rom. 8:29; 9:11; 1 Thess. 1:3-4; 2 Thess 2:13; 2 Tim. 2:10; 1 Pet. 1:2).  The form of the Greek verb behind "chose" indicates that God not only chose by Himself but for Himself to the praise of His own glory" (Eph. 1:6, 12, 14). 

     "God's election or predestination does not operate apart from or nullify man's responsibility to believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior" (Matt. 3:1-2; 4:17; John 5:40). 

     (To be declared holy and blameless) means "unrighteous persons are declared righteous, unworthy sinners are declared worthy of salvation, all because they are chosen "in Him" (Christ).  This refers to Christ's imputed righteousness to us (2 Cor. 5:21; Phil. 3:9), a perfect righteousness which places believers in a holy and blameless positon before God."

     (Adoption) means "God miraculously give His own nature to those whom He has elected and who have trusted in Christ.  He makes them His children in the image of His Son, giving them not just Christ's riches and blessings but also His very nature" (John 15:15; Rom. 8:15).

     "THE ULTIMATE PURPOSE OF ELECTION TO SALVATION IS THE GLORY OF GOD" (Eph. 1:12, 14; Phil. 2:13; 2 Thess. 1:11-12).

     (Sealed with the Holy Spirit) means "God's own Spirit comes to indwell the believer and secures and preserves His eternal salvation.  The Holy Spirit is given by God as His pledge of the believer's future inheritance in glory" (2 Cor. 1:21). 

     ********************************************************************************


    
     In Ephesians 1:1, Paul tells us to whom he is writing this letter:  The SAINTS (Christians, believers, elect, the chosen ones of God).  When he uses the words "us," "we," and also "you," he is referring to the saints or elect, not to everyone in the world.

     Unbelievers are not "chosen," "predestined," "adopted," or "marked" in Him.  Those words apply only to God's people.

    

    

     So, as you can see from all the above, God is the one who does the choosing and deciding in regards to salvation. 

     The answer to the question in the title of this series is "No, Jesus does not need our permission to save us."  Yes, we do need to repent and trust in Him, but as we've shown, repentance and faith are gifts from God, that he "lavishes upon us," because He loves us.

     If He didn't give them to us, we would never come to Him and believe (more about this in parts six and seven). 

     Repentance and faith and salvation, all come TOTALLY from God, not from within us.

     What a wonderful God He is to choose, predestine, adopt, and mark US, His people, for salvation!!!

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     In part three, we'll look even more closely at God's sovereignty in salvation.