Ephesians chapter number one, it'll take us just a little while to get there. Ephesians chapter number one. Our next topic as we study our doctrinal statement is this. We believe salvation is available to all men by grace through faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ, apart from human works or merit of any kind. Very foundational statement regarding New Testament salvation. But there are three topics presented to us in this statement of belief. Number one, the fact that salvation is by grace through faith in the finished work of Christ. We believe and trust in what Jesus did for us that's the only way to be saved. Two, based on that, that has nothing to do with personal works, with merit, with religion, with good deeds done, with ceremonies performed, with baptism, with penance, with sacraments. None of that has any part in our salvation. We don't get to heaven based on what we do or don't do. The only way anyone gets to heaven is based on what Jesus Christ has done in our faith and trust in him. Then three, that salvation, which is by grace through faith in the finished work of Christ, is available to all men. Anyone and everyone who wants to be saved can be saved. That gift is extended by God to all. Now the second and third points are both attached to the first. Salvation not being by works and salvation being available to everyone, those are attached to the fact that salvation is by grace through faith in the finished work of Christ. Here is how. If salvation is by grace, then by definition it can't have anything to do with works. That's Romans 11.6. By faith, and it's no more works. If it's works, it's no more grace. The two just can't mix. It's like oil and water. You can't put them together. The moment you add an element of works, it is no longer by grace because grace is unmerited favor. God is giving us what we don't deserve. If we have to earn salvation, then it's a reward, not a gift. Okay, so salvation by grace and salvation not of works, those two are connected, you can't separate them. And then salvation by grace. through faith and finished work of Christ, the reason God made it that way is that's the only way that everyone can be saved. If there were some other requirement made for salvation, it would exclude those who are just unable to meet the requirement. Not everybody has access to a church. You've had to join a church to be saved. Some people are going to be lost. Not everybody physically capable of getting into the water to be baptized. If salvation depends on baptism, then some are excluded. You understand, if there are certain things you have to do, it's going to exclude those who just can't do those things. But everyone can believe. And so that's the only requirement that God has made. Now, we're going to take a couple of weeks and focus on these two truths. First of all, that salvation is available to all men. You may be surprised to learn that there are some who do not believe that anyone and everyone can be saved. We're going to talk about that this morning. And then we're also going to talk about the fact that salvation is apart from human works or merit of any kind and that seems to go without saying and yet the majority of churches and denominations who call themselves Christian if you examine their teachings and their doctrine They teach that there are things you have to do to earn your salvation, even though the Bible makes it so clear in so many places that it's 100% by grace through faith. But this morning, we're gonna study the fact that salvation is available to all men, and we're gonna have to broaden that just a little bit. What we're gonna give you this morning, you can fill in your notes, is a crash course on Calvinism, a crash course on Calvinism. That goes by a couple different names. You might hear it referred to as Reformed Theology. If somebody talks about Reformed Theology, that is a code word for Calvinism. It means the same thing. Or the doctrines of Sovereign Grace. It's unfortunate that people take words and use them to describe things that the words don't mean, because there is nothing wrong with the word sovereign, and God is sovereign, but most of the people who use the word sovereign mean something other than the fact that God is the highest ruler, as the Bible says, the blessed and only potentate. They take sovereign to mean that he controls everything by eternal degree, If you take it to its end, what it really is is fatalism. But anyway, Calvinistic theology, Reformed theology, the doctrines of sovereign grace can be summed up in an acronym, which is, I'm trying to turn this thing off. Because that is very annoying. Sorry, okay. By an acronym which is TULIP. And it's there in your notes. This is TULIP. theology and the first point of Calvinism. Now, just to be clear, this is not true. This is what Calvinism teaches. This is what reform theology teaches. These are the doctrines of sovereign grace. This is not Bible doctrine. I'm going to show you what is believed and then I'm going to show you what the Bible actually says. And the reason it's important for you to be aware of this and understand this is you will come across this and you will confront this. You'll be out witnessing and somebody will come to you and try to get you to stop witnessing and try to argue with you about this. or you'll go on the internet to hear some preaching and for a little while it'll sound really good, but then it'll start to sound like this. You need to be able to pick up on that. And the first point is total depravity. Total depravity. And here's what's meant by total depravity. Total depravity in Reformed theology means that man is so sinful, Man is so depraved. Man is so spiritually dead that he cannot respond to the gospel and place faith in Christ of his own free will. Now, we would agree that man is depraved. Man is morally corrupt. Man is sinful. We are estranged from the womb, Psalm 58 says. We are children of wrath and disobedience, Ephesians 2 says. We are all as an unclean thing, Isaiah 64 says. Our hearts are full of defilement, Mark chapter 7 says. We're not saying that man is basically good. That is an unbiblical doctrine. Man is inherently sinful. We are born with a desire and an ability to disobey God, to transgress his laws, to go our own way and not God's way. Man is depraved, but what the Calvinist means by total depravity is actually total inability what is meant by total depravity is actually total inability and it leads to this belief that the holy spirit has to regenerate you so you can believe the gospel what does that mean okay jesus said remember jesus said you must be born again right and that would take place by the agency of the Spirit of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. The Holy Spirit will bring the new birth to those who trust in Jesus Christ, okay? So here's the biblical order. Here's where we're gonna come to in Ephesians chapter one. Go ahead and look at verse number 12, where the Bible says, to the praise of his glory, isn't that what it says? Ephesians chapter 1 and verse number 12 that we should be the praises for you first trusted in Christ in whom he also trusted verse 13 after that he heard the word of truth the gospel of your salvation and the Bible says after that he believed in verse 14 you're sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise right so in Ephesians 1 you hear the gospel you believe the gospel You are saved by believing the gospel and then the Holy Spirit seals you until the day of redemption. Do you see that order? It's very clearly laid out. Someone hears the gospel, believes the gospel, then the Holy Spirit seals them. That's how you get saved. It's a choice an individual has to make. It is something of their own free will. They must call upon the name of the Lord in response to this message that Christ died for us and was buried and rose again. That's Bible salvation. Here's what Calvinism says. The sinner has no ability to do that. Someone who is lost cannot choose to trust in Christ. The Holy Spirit has to regenerate them and Give them the faith to believe in Jesus before they can respond to the gospel and be saved. Calvinistic theology puts the new birth before salvation, not after salvation. Calvinistic theology says the Holy Spirit regenerates you before you get saved. The Bible says the Holy Spirit regenerates you when you get saved. Okay? What Calvinism says is you can't believe the gospel unless the Holy Spirit comes and gives you a new birth. And he only does that to those that God has preselected before the foundation of the world that they would be saved. Have you ever heard that kind of idea? It's an entirely unbiblical idea. But that's what Calvinism is. That's what Reformed theology is, that before the world ever started, God decided I'm going to save this select few and call them my elect and the rest of the entire human population of history, I'm not going to save them. I don't want to save them. I'm going to condemn them. They will spend eternity separated from me. Calvinism says God chose that before the foundation of the world. Now we don't find it in the Bible. You can take that and try to shove it into the Bible, but you can't read the Bible and come to that conclusion, okay? And it leads to this teaching that the only people who are saved are people God has chosen to be saved, and people that God has given the Holy Spirit to so they can be saved. I read this quotation. See if you can find the problem with this. This quotation said, and it was obviously a Calvinistic preacher, He said, I'm not saved because I believe the gospel, I believe the gospel because I'm saved. Which takes the order completely in reverse. But it's based on this doctrine of total depravity that mankind is unable to hear and respond to the gospel. Now come to Romans chapter 12 and verse number three. Romans chapter 12 and verse... Number three, it is true that God must give you the faith to believe the gospel. Listen carefully. It is true that God must give you. the faith to believe the gospel. We could even read Ephesians chapter 2 in that way, for it's by grace that you're saved through faith and of yourselves. It is the gift of God. What's the gift of God? Well, salvation is a gift of God, Romans 6, 23. You could also say that faith is a gift of God, and that would be accurate in the grammatical sense of Ephesians chapter 2. But look at Romans chapter 12, verse 3. This verse clenches it. Romans 12, verse number 3. For I say, Through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than you ought to think, but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. Now that is very important. John 6, 44, we didn't turn there, but what it says is no man can come to Jesus unless the Father draws him to Jesus. That's true. But in John 12, 32, Jesus said, if I can lift it up from the earth, speaking of his death by crucifixion, If I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men unto me. So no man can come except the Father draws him, but Jesus said, the Father draws every man. Romans chapter 12, you can't believe on Christ unless God gives you the faith to believe. Okay, I'll grant you that point, but Romans chapter 12 says God has given every man the faith to believe the gospel. We don't, we believe in depravity. Let's do it this way. We believe in depravity, but we don't believe in total depravity. We don't believe in total inability. Every man has free will and the choice to make about what to do with Jesus Christ. Now come to Revelation chapter four, verse 11 with Ezekiel 18. Revelation chapter four, verse number 11 with Ezekiel 18 and 23. The second point of Calvinism is, and this is really like, this is trying to condense all this in way too short of a session, but I just want you to be familiar with it. Unconditional election, unconditional election. We think of an election, we think of us choosing our representatives and governmental leaders and presidents and so forth. We cast a ballot, we make a choice. What unconditional election is, is this idea that God chose before the foundation of the world, whom he would save and whom he would not. What this means is that ultimately salvation is not based on whether or not you choose the Lord. Salvation is based on whether or not the Lord chooses you. Again, this is not Bible doctrine. This is Calvinistic doctrine. Salvation is not based on whether or not you choose the Lord. Salvation is based on whether or not the Lord chooses you. The code words here are election and predestination But I'm gonna show you a What the Bible actually teaches revelation chapter 4 verse 11 We preached on this verse in the kids activity on Friday night If you were here, the Bible says thou are worthy O Lord to receive glory and honor and power for thou has created all things he phrased and for thy pleasure and They are and were created. Great philosophical questions of life. How did I get here? Why am I here? Where am I going? The Bible answers those. God put us here. We're going to heaven or hell. And the reason for our existence, why God created us in Revelation 4.11. Here's the purpose of your life. It's to please God. Now that's a powerful truth that we can put in application every day, but consider it in light of this cross-reference, Ezekiel 18, 23. Ezekiel 18, 23, where the Bible says, God speaking, have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die, saith the Lord God, and not that he should return from his ways and live. What the Bible says is that God has No pleasure in the death of the wicked. Okay, I know it's semi-early, but let's think, okay? Think with me. God created all men for his pleasure, right? God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Well if God created all men for his pleasure and it doesn't please him when wicked men die, then the obvious conclusion is God did not create anyone for the purpose of sending them to hell to be separated from him for all eternity. He created us for his pleasure. He gets no pleasure in that. That was never his intention. That was never his design. That was never His purpose for anybody who has the breath of life. In fact, Matthew 25, 41, the next reference in your notes, says that God made hell for the devil and his angels. He never made it for people. People go there of their own volition, of their own choice, because they refuse the salvation he offers. But God never chose anyone to be lost. Go ahead to 2 Peter 3 9. 2 Peter 3 9. These are such important verses. 2 Peter 3 9. The Bible makes this really clear. 2 Peter 3 9. The Bible says, the Lord is not slack. God doesn't want anyone to die and go to hell. He didn't make anyone to perish. That is not His will. That is not His desire. And every time it happens, it is against the will of God and against God's original intention. He's not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Come to 1 Timothy chapter two and verse number four. 1 Timothy chapter two and verse number four. Turn quickly there. Begin verse number three. The Bible says, For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who will have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. Calvinistic theology, Reformed theology, makes a lot out of the sovereign will of God, as if God wants something, then that is going to happen. But the Bible says God wants everyone to be saved. Not everyone is saved. Men violate the will of God with their own free will, with their own personal individual choice. In this instance, it can be said that man's will Trump's God's will because God wants everybody to be saved. But if you don't want to be saved, he's not gonna make you be saved Unconditional election is not a Bible Doctrine, okay come to the next point the L you can turn to first John chapter 2 the L stands for limited Atonement Limited Atonement So we're told we're proud he's man so depraved He can't choose to believe the gospel unconditional election the people who are saved the people who God selected to be saved Flowing from that is this idea of limited atonement, which is that when Jesus died on the cross? He didn't die for the sins of the entire world. He died only for the sins of the elect and The elect, that's this special group of people that God selected before the foundation of the world to be saved. You might be sitting there thinking, people actually believe this. They really do. They actually believe these things. Well, let's see what the Bible says. For whom did Christ die? 1 John 2. and verse number one. 1 John 2 and verse number one. My little children, these things write I unto you that you sin not, and if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the propitiation for our sins. That word propitiation means that he satisfied the wrath of God for us. I am no longer subject to the punishment I deserve because Jesus satisfied the requirements of God's holiness. He is the propitiation for our sins, but the verse does not end there. And not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. Okay, so first john is obviously addressed to saved people who have this advocate with the father because jesus died for them But it very expressly states that he did not just die for us He died for everybody everyone who wants christ as their advocate can have christ as their advocate Everyone who wants christ's death to cover for their sins can have christ's death to cover for their sins The atonement was not limited to those who receive him the atonement was for all men. This could not be more clear from the word of God. Hebrews chapter 2 and verse number 9. Hebrews chapter 2 verse number 9 again we are asking for whom did Christ die on the cross? Hebrews chapter 2 In verse number nine, the Bible says, but we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor, that he, by the grace of God, should taste death for every man. So for whom did Jesus die? Well, Hebrews 2.9 says he died for every man. A Calvinist will tell you that doesn't mean every man. I don't care what you say it means. God says what he means and means what he says. And he said in the Bible that Jesus died for every man in Romans chapter five, verse six. We won't turn there. When we were yet without strength in due time, Christ died for the ungodly. Well, that pretty much describes everybody, doesn't it? Christ died for the ungodly. Scarcely for a righteous man would some die, yet for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, and that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Who did Christ die for? He died for sinners. What does the Bible say? All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. Come to 1 Peter, I'm sorry, 2 Peter, maybe. Which one is it? 1 Peter, chapter two. 1 Peter, chapter two. Nope, it is 2 Peter 2. The notes are wrong. 2 Peter 2, in the first two verses. The Bible says, but there were false prophets also among the people, even as there should be false teachers among you who privilege shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. Many shall follow their pernicious ways by reason whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. Okay, Peter, the Holy Spirit through Peter's warning against false teachers. These guys are trying to bring in Damnable heresies in the church. That means teachings that would result in people not being saved. These people themselves that are being described bring upon themselves swift destruction. They are not saved. They have not trusted Christ. They're trying to get to heaven some other way. But look what the verse says about them. They deny the Lord that bought them. with these guys are not what Calvinists would call elect because they're going to be destroyed. And yet the verse says the Lord bought them. Then obviously the atonement is not limited to those who receive Christ. The atonement is not at all limited. Jesus tasted death for every man. even those who reject Him. Turn to Revelation 22 and verse 17. Revelation 22 and verse 17. We're just taking a couple of the verses that we could read on each of these points for the sake of time, but I think the Bible is very clear. Revelation 22, 17, and the Spirit and the bride say, come, and let him that heareth say, come, and let him that is athirst come. Look at this, and whosoever will, let him come. and take the water of life freely. Salvation's not based on whether or not the Lord chooses you. Salvation's based on whether or not you choose to trust the Lord. It's available to everyone. The I in TULIP stands for irresistible grace. Irresistible grace. I think I'm spelling this correctly. Obviously it means Grace that cannot be resisted. And basically what this says is that if God has chosen for you to be saved, there's really nothing you can do about it. God wants you to be saved, you're gonna be saved. Those who've been elected to be saved will be saved. And when the Holy Spirit moves in the heart of the elect, the elect cannot resist it. That when God, the Holy Spirit brings in the new birth, you will believe the gospel. I mean, it's like you have no other choice. It's irresistible. God, it's as if God is. forcing you the way that it's taught. Obviously, this is not the case. Let me show you why it's not the case. The Holy Spirit very clearly can be resisted. Acts chapter 7 and verse 51. Stephen is preaching to the council here in the early days of the New Testament church. In Acts chapter 7 and verse 51, he says to those men, ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, which was really an insult, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost as your fathers did. So do ye. Well, how can grace be irresistible if Stephen accused these men and all of their fathers of resisting the Holy Ghost? Very clearly, the Holy Spirit had tried to draw them, convict them, help them, but they had resisted his efforts, as can anyone who chooses to do so. Matthew chapter 20. Matthew chapter 20. In verse 37, this time Jesus is speaking. Matthew 20. Sorry, Matthew 22. Try that one. That's gotta be it. That's not it either. I'm looking for the O Jerusalem, Jerusalem verse. Thank you, 23. Matthew 23, 37 says, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Christ speaking, thou that killest the prophets and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would Not. So what was the problem? It's not that Jesus didn't want to bring them. It's not that Jesus didn't want to draw them. It's not that Christ didn't want to gather them. It's that they didn't want him to. He attempted, but they resisted his attempts. Hebrews chapter 10. and verse 27. We've got to look at these quickly. Hebrews 10 and verse 27. Can the Holy Spirit be resisted? Now we can either take this philosophical system that says he can and try to find Bible verses to support it, or we can just read what the Bible says and answer the question that way. Hebrews 10 and verse number 27, the Bible says, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment, fiery indignation, which should avour the adversaries, he that despised Moses' law, died without mercy under two or three witnesses. Of how much sore punishment suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing, and hath done despot unto the Spirit of God. Grace, okay. This was the text for Jonathan Edwards famous sermon centers in the hand of an angry God But what the verse says is you can do despot to the spirit of grace You can resist the Spirit of God God's grace is not irresistible Ephesians 430 says that even saved people can grieve or quench a the Holy Spirit. Come to Titus chapter 2 and verse number 11. Titus chapter 2 and verse number 11. This verse contradicts so many points of Calvinism. Titus chapter 2 verse number 11. Titus 2 verse 11 says, for the grace of God that bringeth salvation. Now, isn't that a blessing? We're saved by grace. Unmerited favor, free gift, something we don't deserve. The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men. So it's not unconditional election. It's all men. It's not limited atonement. It's all men. It's not irresistible grace. How can you explain the grace of God appearing to every man but some men being lost unless they reject the grace God brings them? Which would mean His grace is not irresistible. Okay, last point. Hope that all of your brain cells aren't completely fried. Last point, P is the, let's see if I can spell this, perseverance of the saints. Perseverance of the, that's what those three dots mean, of the saints. Perseverance of the saints. I always thought that the P, initially when I learned about this, I always thought the P in TULIP stood for preservation of the saints, and I always equated that to eternal security, that once you're saved, you'll always be saved, you can't lose your salvation. But this is actually different. The perseverance of the saints is the teaching that all true believers will persevere in their faith until they die, which means that if you fall from the faith, if you depart from the faith, if you fall into sin, what that proves is that you never really were elect in the first place. It says that any departure from the faith proves that you really never were elect. You really never were saved. This is actually not the antithesis of work salvation, which is what Calvinism claims to be. This is work salvation just in reverse. I've asked you to think a lot this morning. Think a couple more times. Perseverance of the saints says you can't work to get saved, but you have to do good works to prove that you are saved. which means if you don't do good works, it just proved you never really were saved, which is all to say that you can't be saved without doing good works, which means salvation is by works. You're looking at me weird. Let's try it one more time. Okay. So, uh, The Bible says, by grace through faith, without works, right? Calvinism says, you're so spiritually dead, God has to give you the new birth so you can even believe the gospel. You get no credit for it. That's the reason for this teaching. You can't take any credit for your choice to believe. God had to make you do that. That's not what the Bible says, it's what Calvinism says, okay? But then it turns around and says, perseverance of the saints, which means that Well, if you don't live a holy, godly, righteous Christian life like I do, I'm not saying like I do, I'm speaking hypothetically, you don't live a holy, godly, separated, dedicated Christian life like I do, then what that proves is you never really were elect. Okay, so God had to make me get saved. He elected me to get saved. If I fall into sin, or if I don't do all the things you think I'm supposed to do, if I don't prove my election, then that means I never really was elect. That means I have to do these things in order to be elect, which means my election salvation is partly based on whether or not I do these things. That's works. That's works salvation. If you have to prove your salvation, or if you have to keep your salvation to any degree, that means your salvation is conditioned on what you do or don't do, and any conditional salvation is worth salvation. Now, the Bible emphasizes the preservation of the saints, and it's not us preserving ourselves, it is God preserving us. John chapter 10, verse 27, turn there ever so quickly, John 10, In verse number 27, and the Bible says, my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me and I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish. Praise the Lord. If God gave you eternal life, you're never gonna perish. Why? Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. He's holding on to us. We're not, I'm not holding on to Jesus. He's holding on to me, the old song says. Verse 29, my father which gave them me is greater than all and no man is able to pluck them out of my father's hand. So it's not the perseverance of the saints, it's the preservation of the saints. That's the Bible truth. How do you spell that? Preservation of the saints. First Peter 1.5 in your note says we are kept by the power God second Timothy 112 I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed Unto him against that day Jude 1 1 is addressed to the preserved in Christ Jesus we're out of time. Let me give you the last couple of blanks there in your notes the example of a lot of proves that there can be salvation without evidence. If you read Genesis 19, you would never in your life think that Lot was saved, right? But 2 Peter 2 says he was just Lot, as in justified, declared righteous, that he was a righteous man. Now that was how God viewed him on the basis of the fact that he called him Lord. But it didn't really work its way out in his life, did it? We don't have time to study Judaism 19, but Lot was lousy, right? But the Bible says he was saved. So he had salvation, but no evidence. And that's a possibility. Now here's what you can't have. You can be saved without evidence, but if you're saved and there's nothing in your life to show it or prove it or demonstrate it, here's what you won't have. Assurance. You can be saved without evidence, but you will lack assurance. That's the entire teaching of 1 John. 1 John is not how to be saved. It's about how to know you're saved. And if you're allowing the Lord to work in your life and produce spiritual fruit and draw you closer to Christ, well, that's good evidence of salvation. If the evidence isn't there, you're probably going to struggle with some doubt. 2 Peter 1 says you can forget that you were purged from your old sins, but not having assurance is not the same as not having salvation. I know that's a lot of material. I just want you to be familiar with this teaching and this idea that God selected some to be saved, but he didn't select everybody to be saved. It's completely unbiblical. We don't believe in total depravity. We believe in depravity but not total depravity. We don't believe in unconditional election. We believe that Jesus Christ is God's elect and we're in Him. We don't believe in limited atonement. We believe the gospel is available to all men. We don't believe that God's grace is irresistible. God's grace appears to every man. Many have resisted. We don't believe in the perseverance of the saints. We believe in the preservation of the safe. Salvation is available to all men by grace, through faith, in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. And I'm thankful that it is. Let's pray.