God Reveals Himself

                                        (Jesus said), "All things have been committed to me
                                                              by my Father.  No one knows the Son
                                                              except the Father, and no one knows
                                                              the Father except the Son and those to
                                                              whom the Son chooses to reveal Him."
                                                                                               Matthew 11:27


          God is sovereign and does as He pleases.  He doesn't need to explain Himself
     to us about anything He does, even in the matter of salvation.

                                                           "The LORD does whatever pleases Him,
                                                             in the heavens and on the earth, in the
                                                             seas and all their depths."
                                                                                            Psalm 135:6


          Jesus reveals the Father and Himself to whomever He pleases.

                                                           "Whoever has my commmands and obeys
                                                             them, he is the one who loves me.  He who
                                                             loves me will be loved by my Father, and
                                                             I too will love him and show myself to him."
                                                                                                     John 14:21


                                                           "No one has ever seen God, but God the One
                                                            and Only, who is at the Father's side, has
                                                            made Him known."
                                                                                                      John 1:18


          Jesus gives life to whomever pleases.

                                        (Jesus said), "For just as the Father raises the dead and gives
                                                              them life, even so the Son gives life to whom
                                                              He is pleased to give it."
                                                                                                         John 5:21


          The Father reveals Himself to whomever He pleases.

                                                            "The LORD confides in those who fear Him;
                                                              He makes His covenant known to them."
                                                                                                          Psalm 25:14


          The Gospel reveals the righteousness of God by faith.

                                                             "For in the gospel a righteousness from God
                                                               is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith
                                                               from first to last, just as it is written:
                                                               'The righteous will live by faith.' "
                                                                                                          Romans 1:17


          God allows some to hear His word while keeping others from hearing and under-
     standing it.

                               "Believers, in contrast to unbelievers, hear God's word
                                because God allows them to hear it.  They 'accept' it --
                                they understand and obey it because God opens their
                                mind and heart and transforms their lives."
                                                                                     John MacArthur


          God hardens and gives mercy to whomever He wills.

                                                               "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,
                                                                and I will have compassion on whom I have
                                                                compassion."
                                                                                             Romans 9:15


          Salvation doesn't depend on man's desire or effort but on God's mercy.

                                                                "It does not, therefore, depend on man's
                                                                 desire or effort, but on God's mercy."
                                                                                             Romans 9:16


          God hides His word from some and reveals it to to others.

                                                                "At that time Jesus, full of joy through the
                                                                 Holy Spirit, said, 'I praise you, Father,
                                                                 Lord of heaven and earth, because you have
                                                                 hidden these things from the wise and learned,
                                                                 and revealed them to little children.  Yes,
                                                                 Father, for this was your good pleasure.
                                                                "All things have been committed to me by my
                                                                 Father.  No one knows who the Son is except
                                                                 the Father, and no one knows who the Father
                                                                 is except the Son and those to whom the Son
                                                                 chooses to reveal Him."
                                                                                                          Luke 10:21-22


         Jesus used parables to keep some from understanding the truth about His message.

                                                                 "Jesus told them (disciples), 'The secret of the
                                                                  kingdom of God has been given to you.  But to
                                                                  those on the outside everything is said in parables
                                                                  so that, 'they may be ever seeing but never per-
                                                                  ceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding;
                                                                  otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!' "
                                                                                                       Mark 4:11-12

          God hid His word for many generations, but made it known through the preaching of
     the gospel.

                                                                  "I (Paul) have become its (the church) servant by
                                                                   the commission God gave me to present to you
                                                                   the word of God in its fullness -- the mystery
                                                                   that has been kept hidden for ages and generations,
                                                                   but is now disclosed to the saints.
                                                                  "To them God has chosen to make known among
                                                                    the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery,
                                                                    which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."
                                                                                                             Colossians 1:25-27


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          God chooses (2 Thessalonians 2:13), gives (John 6:37), and draws His people (John 6:44),
    and reveals Himself (Matthew 11:27) to them.