TODAY'S SPEAKER: Eager Avenue Grace Church extends a warm welcome to Pastor Richard Warmack. Richard is pastor of Grace Baptist in Ruston, La. Richard will conduct both the 10:00 am and 11:00 am services today. Pray for him as he delivers God's Word.

"WHO DOES GOD SAVE?"

GOD SAVES SINNERS THAT HE HAS ORDAINED TO ETERNAL LIFE "And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed." Acts 13:48

GOD SAVES ALL SINNERS FOR WHOM THE LORD JESUS DIED -- "And this is the Father's will which hath sent Me, that of all which He hath given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day." John 6:39

GOD SAVES ALL SINNERS TO WHOM HIS SPIRIT GIVES SPIRITUAL BIRTH -- "But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." John 1:12-13

GOD SAVES ALL WHO COME TO HIM BY CHRIST -- "All that the Father giveth ME shall come to ME, and Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out ... No man can come to ME except the Father which hath sent ME draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day." John 6:37, 44

-Ken Wimer, pastor of Shreveport Grace Church, Shreveport, LA

"As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:" Romans 3:10.

What then is the righteousness of the Scripture, and who is the righteous man before God? The answer is direct. None but the Lord Jesus Christ. He, and He only, is set forth under this title; and He alone is the Righteousness of His people. It is high treason to talk of any other; and it is equally high treason to talk of any comparative statement between man and man concerning righteousness. The account from heaven is, "All have sinned, and come short of God's glory. The whole world is become guilty before God.

(copied)

"The Goodness Of God"

When I was actively involved in self-righteous works religion, I eagerly and aggressively sought the conversion of men and women to my way of thinking. The church and the denomination I was a member of had reduced regeneration and conversion to a formula and taught us how to be "soul-winners". Every Thursday night, with Bible in hand, I went out into the community seeking the salvation of those I considered to be lost. I remember the phrase they hammered into my head: "You have to get a sinner lost, before you can get them saved!" We were taught to confront sinners with God's holy law and show them they were under the wrath of God.. When you made them fully aware they were under God's wrath, and they were under the supposed "conviction of the Spirit", then you encouraged them to say the "Sinner's Prayer". Guess what? The formula worked! When confronted with the reality of their condition and the penalty they rightfully deserved, lost sinners will do whatever is necessary to appease their tormented minds. They'll confess Jesus as their "personal Lord and Saviour", they'll be baptized, they'll reform, they'll attend church, and fulfill whatever condition is required to deliver them from condemnation. The problem is, none of these things are salvation, and none of them can obtain ONE SINNER'S JUSTIFICATION-"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost."(Tit.3:5) Instead of them being better off, they were placed in a far worse condition-"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte (convert), and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves."(Matt.23:15)

In God's Word we are NEVER instructed to use the law of God as a battering ram to get sinners to make a profession of religion. Instead of telling sinners they are under the "wrath of God", we are clearly instructed to tell all men and women what Christ actually OBTAINED for the sinners He represented through His life and death-"Herein is love, not that we loved God, BUT THAT HE LOVED US (His elect), and sent His Son to be the propitiation (satisfaction through the required payment price) for our (His elect) sins.(I Jn.4:10) It's not the knowledge one is under God's wrath that brings them to rest in Christ's righteousness alone as their only hope of salvation. It's a knowledge, i.e., a revelation by God the Holy Spirit through the preaching of the Gospel of the GOODNESS OF GOD-"Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?(Rom.2:4) Praise God, there are some sinners whose sins aren't imputed (charged) to them, but their sins were imputed (legally charged) to their representative, the Lord Jesus Christ, and He effectually obtained for them justification and life-Read II Cor.5:21. And when those elect, redeemed, justified sinners hear this glorious truth, they believe it and take comfort in what Christ accomplished for them-"My sheep hear my voice, and I know (love) them, and they follow me."(Jn.10:25-29) I hope and pray you see the "goodness of God".