Divine Intervention: God's Power in Salvation

Salvation is entirely and solely the result of God's action entirely and solely the result of God's action that is obviously the Apostle's whole point here you notice his comparison the comparison is between the Lord Jesus Christ crucified dead and buried in the grave he literally did die there was no life left he died and as the apostle was telling us at the end of that first chapter it's the power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand that's the power that's working in Christians and that's the analogy it is entirely God's work. [00:29:00]

For Man is dead in trespasses and sins he is entirely the slave of the prince of the power of the Earth the spirit that now worketh in the children of Disobedience he's entirely walking according to the course of this world he is Led he is held by the pollutive nature that's in him this lust of the flesh expressing itself in desires of the mind and desires of the flesh or of the the body he is guilty he's under the wrath of God that's man he doesn't even desire God the natural mind is enmity against God. [00:30:00]

The Bible is nothing but a record of the activity of God and there has been no more devastating result of the appalling higher critical movement that is so contr controlled the thinking of the Christian church for 150 years almost than the way in which it is persuaded people to think that this is an account of man's quest for God what a travesty it's the exact opposite it's all the record of God's activity in Saving men and the be the Bible I say is nothing but a record of it. [00:32:16]

God came down into the garden and addressed men and spoke to him it's there in the call of Abraham isn't it called out of paganism in order that God might turn him into a nation it was God who did it the call of Moses who was a Shepherd there you remember 40 years seemed to have given up all hope and suddenly one afternoon he takes his flock of sheep to the backside of the mountain not expecting anything at all suddenly the burning bush he's arrested he met God. [00:33:35]

It's the contrast between God and us in the matter of his nature God is so unlike us and it's because God is so unlike us that we are saved and we are Christians if God were like us we would all be damned and doomed what are we like well we've already seen we are creatures of lusts and passions we are governed by the lusts of the Flesh and the desires of the mind which means this that we are selfish and we are self-centered. [00:36:28]

God and what a striking difference who is rich in Mercy what does that mean well it means that he's full of pity he looks down upon us and he sees us in that pitiful wretched condition and though we are in that condition because we've sinned against him and rebelled against him he feels sorry for us he is full of compassion with respect to us go back and read that 103rd Psalm again and there it is he's sorry for us and he wants to do something to help us. [00:37:47]

Grace means unmerited favor Grace means to show kindness and mercy and compassion and love to somebody who really deserves nothing at all from you who deserves nothing but wrath and Punishment and hell that's why we are Christians because God has this exceeding Riches of his grace you notice how Paul puts it even when we were dead in sins he's done this for us it's in spite of us we are saved in spite of our being what we are and as we are. [00:39:22]

The power of God and to Salvation to everyone that believeth it's God's power this not men deciding something or determining to do something no no it's the mighty power of God laying hold upon them what's my ambition you you ask the Apostle Paul what's your ambition Paul and he'll tell you that I may apprehend him of whom I have been apprehended I want to lay hold of him who's laid hold of me says Paul the grip the grasp the hold of God. [00:45:10]

There is hope for all that no one is beyond the reach of this Redemption because it's God's power no one's hopeless and the world is full of hopeless people education hasn't made them go straight money can't keep them straight the love of a dear wife and children can't keep him straight the man can't help himself he's a victim of a lust and a passion and a desire a heat in the flesh and he can't control it much as he would like to do so he's hopeless you say the world has given him up but God. [00:46:47]

The whole power the Eternal Everlasting power of the almighty God is engaged and no one is hopeless don't talk to me therefore about the difficult temperament of that person I don't care what his temperament is is he can be created a new don't tell me about the particular type of sin and what a vicious one and what a vile one it is I preaching one to you who conquered the Devil Himself who is the author of all sin tell me nothing about the depth of sin. [00:47:57]

There is hope for All in This Redemption there is none who can send himself Beyond its reach and Ambit am I speaking to someone who's feeling hopeless at this moment about himself or herself in the grip of sin in the grip of something that gets you down my dear friend the power of God but God With God nothing shall be impossible or am I speaking to some Christian person who's breaking his or her heart about some dear relative you see him in the grip of sin and evil. [00:48:44]

You've done your utmost You've pleaded you've persuaded you prayed for years but still it continues and it goes on and you're almost on the point of stopping and giving up and giving in don't I say but God the whole power the Eternal Everlasting power of the almighty God is engaged and no one is hopeless don't talk to me therefore about the difficult temperament of that person I don't care what his temperament is is he can be created a new. [00:49:33]