April 19, 2012
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The Glory of God in Sovereign Electing Grace
O! Vast ocean of Love that lifted me
From the depths, the pit of iniquityNay! Not just lifted, for I was dead
My heart was stone, I had no breathHow can a carcass whisper a plea
Apart from the Incorruptible Seed?How could I come unless the Father drew?
How could I raise myself up from the tomb?
How can the blinded ever come to see
A sight of the knowledge of God's glory?Was not secured by my most zealous strivings
How could flesh defeat the devil's contrivings?Could this leopard change e'en a single spot?
Through my first birth see the kingdom of God?How could this enemy e'er repent
Unless God's kindness to me was sent?Jehovah opened my heart to heed
Appointed to eternal life, I did believeBut for Christ's quick'ning, how could I believe?
How could I possess faith unless He bequeathed?How could I choose when my will was bound?
From head to toe, nothing in me was soundHow could I hear His voice, taste and see
Unless He was my Shepherd, and I His sheep?How could I seek a God whom I did not know?
Grace was irresistible – He led me home!
To show His glory's riches, make His power known
Not to me, O LORD, all glory to Thee alone!The purpose of God according to election stands
It is of Him who calls, not of the will of manThe Father grants, 'tis His good pleasure decides
On whom He will have mercy, on whom wrath abidesTo be chosen in Christ before dawn of time
O! Holiest of mysteries! How sublime!Foreknown and predestined before I saw the light of day
Called not according to my works, but His purpose and graceHis ways are higher! O! Tremble at His word!
There is forgiveness that He might be feared!Dare you wrest from God the glory due His name?
Object of mercy, will you rob Him of His fame?
Has not the Potter all power over the clay
To declare His goodness and to display His name?Proclaim His excellencies and magnify the Lord!
Children of God, may our boast be only in the Lord!
Nicodemus answered in perplexity,
"I marvel. How can these things be?"
These are hard things, who can understand?
Revealed to babes, but hid from wisest manO, Lord, how great Your works, Your thoughts deep
The thoughts of man, they are but vanity!From Charles H. Spurgeon's "A Defense of Calvinism":Well can I remember the manner in which I learned the doctrines of grace in a single instant. Born, as all of us are by nature, an Arminian, I still believed the old things I had heard continually from the pulpit, and did not see the grace of God. When I was coming to Christ, I thought I was doing it all myself, and though I sought the Lord earnestly, I had no idea the Lord was seeking me. I do not think the young convert is at first aware of this. I can recall the very day and hour when first I received those truths in my own soul—when they were, as John Bunyan says, burnt into my heart as with a hot iron, and I can recollect how I felt that I had grown on a sudden from a babe into a man—that I had made progress in Scriptural knowledge, through having found, once for all, the clue to the truth of God. One week-night, when I was sitting in the house of God, I was not thinking much about the preacher's sermon, for I did not believe it. The thought struck me, How did you come to be a Christian? I sought the Lord. But how did you come to seek the Lord? The truth flashed across my mind in a moment—I should not have sought Him unless there had been some previous influence in my mind to make me seek Him. I prayed, thought I, but then I asked myself, How came I to pray? I was induced to pray by reading the Scriptures. How came I to read the Scriptures? I did read them, but what led me to do so? Then, in a moment, I saw that God was at the bottom of it all, and that He was the Author of my faith, and so the whole doctrine of grace opened up to me, and from that doctrine I have not departed to this day, and I desire to make this my constant confession, "I ascribe my change wholly to God."II Timothy 2:9 [God] who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began...
Romans 9:10 And not only so, but also when Rebecca had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, 11 though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God's purpose of election might continue, NOT because of works but because of HIS CALL— 12 she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” 13 As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then it depends NOT on human will or exertion, but ON GOD, who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show MY POWER in you, and that MY NAME might be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18 So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.
19 You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” 20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honored use and another for dishonorable use? 22 What if God, desiring to SHOW HIS WRATH and to MAKE KNOWN HIS POWER, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 in order to MAKE KNOWN THE RICHES OF HIS GLORY for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— 24 even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? 25 As indeed he says in Hosea,
“Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’
and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’”
26 “And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’
there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’”Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 TO THE PRAISE OF HIS GLORIOUS GRACE, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be TO THE PRAISE OF HIS GLORY.
I Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may PROCLAIM THE EXCELLENCIES OF HIM WHO CALLED YOU out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Related:Spurgeon's Sermon on Election (II Thes. 2:13-14)
Jesus' rejoicing and thanksgiving (Luke 10:21-24) ~ Hidden from the wise, revealed unto babes
True Calvinism is NOT . . .
Why I'm a happy Calvinist! (Resting in the sovereignty of God)
"I can't keep walking on eggshells here (more on Revelife, Calvinism, the Body of Christ and self."
Bible Reading: Things To Look for in a Church: What We Find in Solomon's Temple, #2: God's Sovereignty in Salvation
Letter 7 on assurance and fighting for joy (remember His love for us while we were sinners)why we need a new heart (Bible reading - Matthew 5)
the Holy Spirit and Life
Why preach the Gospel? # 2: Dead men need Life!
All ye who hear ... Lazarus, come forth! Lazarus, take heed!we did not choose, He chose us, worthy the Lamb, solus Christus
Wake up and tremble, rightly ascribe
no glory to me, o my Savior ~ only because You chose to favor | a spiritual birthday celebration
All of Your grace, All to Your glory (this day in 1982)
"Salvation unto Us Has Come by God's free grace & favor"
I am a leopard - Christ is a lion ~ The Resurrection Celebration
Linger, linger, linger – so you might know God's love
Lenten Reflections: Plucked
Lenten Reflections: Come now, consider – Consider His ways!
Outcast vine, faithless bride ~ What beauty? What did you see?
From top of head to soles of feet ~ O my Father! ... O my Advocate!
Blessed Be God for His Kindness Which Leads Us to RepentanceGod reveals Himself to some but not to all, yet we are sent to proclaim Christ to all
every brand snatched is a brand dispatched ~ Reflections on 9/11, Redemption & God's MissionScripture quotations unless otherwise indicated taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Emphasis mine.
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Comments (3)
Love this!I know that I was dead in trespasses and sins. There was no way I, a dead man, could obtain life by my own efforts. Praise be to Him who alone is Life and thanks forever for giving life to me so that I could praise Him and thank Him!!
@quest4god@revelife - This came from several hours of "therapy" for me last week (i.e. - time spent reflecting on Biblical doctrine). I thank and praise God for His blessing me with that time. The only real and pure remedy for spiritual depression, doubt, and despair is to turn from the worldly and look away to JESUS! I've been in danger of withering quite often lately and have had a real need to be refreshed and renewed ~ Song of Solomon 2:5.
Re: your comment: the thing that's sad and tragic is that many, many Christians don't understand that they were dead because doctrine isn't being taught rightly in many churches, and, as a result God isn't getting the praise, honor and glory due His Name. Salvation is OF THE LORD.
Psalm 71
14 But I will hope continually
and will praise YOU yet more and more.
15 My mouth will tell of YOUR righteous acts,
of YOUR deeds of salvation all the day,
for their number is past my knowledge.
16 With the mighty deeds of the Lord God I will come;
I will remind them of YOUR righteousness, YOURS alone.
@naphtali_deer - Amen!!!