Psalm 57:7-11

The Sum and Substance of the Gospel

“Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6).

This is the sum and substance of our gospel and is the great article of our faith.

WHO DIED? Christ – the only begotten, well-beloved Son of God in human flesh (John 1:14).

HOW DID HE DIE? A death of shame under the wrath of God, bearing our sins (1 Peter 2:24).

WHY DID HE DIE? He died for, in the stead of, and as the substitute for all of God’s elect in order that God might be just and the justifier of those who believe in Him (Rom. 3:24-26).

FOR WHOM DID HE DIE? “For the ungodly” – not for righteous men, but for those who are ungodly in nature and practice (1 Tim. 1:15).

WHEN DID HE DIE? When we were without strength to obey Him or to keep His law and without ability to help ourselves. He died “in due time,” at the time appointed by the Father (Gal. 4:4-6).

Pastor Henry T. Mahan (bulletin 1986)

WHAT AMAZING SINFULNESS! “They hated me without a cause” (Psalm 35:19; 69:4; John 15:25).

Such is the essence and energy of human sinfulness that men and women, by nature, hate the God-Man, the Lord Jesus Christ - “without a cause.” There is no cause in Him that He should be hated by anyone. He is altogether lovely and lovable (S.O.S. 5:9-16). The holy Father loves, adores and delights in Him. The holy angels love, worship and serve Him. And regenerate, converted sinners love, worship and serve Him. Sin is the father of everything which is contrary to God. Sin hates God, who only is Good. Sin is worse than Hell!

WHAT AMAZING GRACE! God saves such sinners “freely (without a cause) by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 3:24). There is no cause in any man, any sinner, which could ever move God to save him. There is absolutely nothing which natural, sinful men and women could do or refrain from doing which would cause God to save them. God saves sinners “without a cause:” that is, without reference to anything in them or done by them. God loves and saves sinners freely! Think of it: God saves“without a cause,” those who naturally hate Him“without a cause.” What a change His almighty grace makes in them! What amazing love and grace!

WHAT GOOD NEWS FOR SINNERS! Since God saves sinners without any cause in them, then there is hope for me! There is hope for you! There is hope for any and all sinners! He came into this sinful world on purpose, not to call the righteous (those who think themselves to be righteous), but sinners to repentance – and that is me! What about you? Are you a sinner before God? Do you need Christ and life? Then look to Him in faith. Believe Him. Trust Him.

God saves sinners freely!

“Without any cause in them.”

Pastor Maurice Montgomery

He is Able to Save!

“Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25).

The one message of the Bible is salvation by the substitutionary work of Christ. Everywhere in the book of God we are told that men are perishing, and all of Adam’s fallen race is in desperate need of salvation. In many places we are taught that Christ Jesus is willing to save sinners. In this verse we read that he is able to save!

Here is one characteristic of God’s elect – They all come to God by faith in Christ. If you will not come to God, trusting Christ alone, you cannot be saved. If you do come, with a true heart of faith, you cannot perish. This coming to God is a spiritual act. You do not come to God by walking the aisle of a church. It is an act of the heart, an act of faith. You must come to God through his appointed Mediator, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Moreover, the apostle assures us that – All who come to God by faith in Christ will be perfectly saved. Christ Jesus is able to save sinners of the deepest dye. And mark this, my brethren, he saves us to the uttermost! In spite of all our past sins, our present corruptions, and Satan’s temptations, Christ Jesus saves us to the uttermost. Though death, judgment, and eternity lay before us, we are confident, for Christ saves to the uttermost. Let others speak, if they will, of degrees of salvation (degrees of rewards), we believe in a perfect salvation. Christ set out to make his people perfect; and he has accomplished his purpose. This is the secret of our security. We fall, perhaps seven times in a day, but Jesus Christ saves to the uttermost.

Now, children of God, - Here is the ability of our Savior. “Seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” That very One who died to put away our sin sits as a Priestly-King upon the throne of glory, and pleads for salvation. He pleads his perfect righteousness as our Representative and his satisfying death as our Substitute, and God will not allow one of those for whom his Son pleads to perish!