It is a blessed thing to be enabled by the Holy Spirit to believe the gospel of Christ. The gospel is the good news that everything a holy God required for the salvation, acceptance, putting away of sin and declaration of sinners to be righteous before Him has already been accomplished by the work of Christ. He has redeemed His people by His blood, their debt of sin has been paid, everlasting righteousness has been brought in for them and God is forevermore satisfied. Divine justice will never lift a finger against those in whose stead the Lord Jesus was made sin, suffering the wrath of God for them. Oh how glorious it is when the Spirit of grace performs an almighty miracle within their hearts bringing them to willingly believe this gospel and lovingly lay hold of Christ for eternal life. We know that faith to believe the Savior is a result of "the operation of God, Who raised Him from the dead" (Col 2:12). Christ said, "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 6:44). "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8). Both salvation and the faith to receive it are free gifts from the Lord.
Since none have the ability or the willingness to believe the gospel and since faith must be granted by God, we proclaim the pure gospel and leave it to the Lord to give faith to whom He will and when He will. False preachers tone down the gospel to make it less offensive to sinners thinking that if it can be made more palatable to the natural man he will be inclined to believe. The fact is, all who embrace a watered-down message have a false faith in "another gospel" (2　Corinthians 11:4), take shelter in "a refuge of lies" (Isaiah 28:17) and are therefore "twofold more the child of hell" (Matthew 23:15) than those who delivered it to them.
God’s servants set before their hearers the undiluted message of the sovereign grace of God and Christ’s successful redemption and rely on the Holy Spirit to do His work in the hearts of the unconverted. We proclaim the gospel and leave it to the Lord to make it effectual to whom He will. He has said of His Word, "It shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it" (Isaiah 55:11).
---Pastor Jim Byrd
“STAND STILL”
And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. Exodus 14:13
As the Israelites stand at the banks of the Red Sea, they are commanded by Moses to “stand still.” They picture every sinner who has some sense of their sin and the coming judgment of God. They were obviously fearful and thus busy trying to look for or figure out a way of deliverance, a way they could save themselves from imminent danger and destruction. The same is true of blind sinners who think they can by their doing save themselves. Paul describes them in Romans 10:3, “For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.” They are busy but blind. To these people Moses says, “stand still.” Cease your doing and stop trying to save yourselves and establish you own righteousness! “Stand still and SEE THE SALVATION OF THE
LORD!” Jehovah’s Salvation is in His Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ! On that occasion the people were so busy trying to figure out a way of salvation that had someone cried out, “Run for your life,” many would have. Or “Lay down and cover your heads, “ some would have. Much like the cries of false religion today! No, Moses says, “Stand still.” “See God’s salvation.” As Jonah, “Salvation is of the Lord.” Plus, it is in a Way that men only see by grace. They only see when He stops them and gives them faith to behold His glorious salvation in Christ. Pharaoh’s army pursued them and the Red Sea loomed before them. They could see no way of escape. What was Jehovah’s “way” of salvation? It was through the Red Sea. Likewise is God’s salvation through the Red Sea of Christ’s shed blood on the cross. They thought entering the Red Sea was certain death for them but it was certain salvation. The way of the cross is foolishness to them that are perishing but it is the way of salvation for those God makes to see HIS salvation. Christ crucified is the only way our sins are put away. “Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission.” Peace with God is only through that peace Christ has already made by the blood of His cross.” God’s way of salvation is the only way and it is through Christ the Way. The way of salvation proved also to be the way their enemies were eliminated and seen no more. Thus, those who look to Christ will see their sins no more. Neither does God see them because Christ has “made an end” of them! I say to you today, “Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord.”
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