May 22^nd 2022

9:30 am --------------------------------------The Surest Sign of The Christ – John 2:18-22

10:00 am ---------------------------------O LORD GOD Hear and Forgive – 2 Chronicles 6

Wednesday: 7:00 pm ------------------------------The Lord and Nicodemus – John 3:1-21

Blessed, Sovereign Call – “Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb” – Revelation 19:9

The salvation of God’s people is according to His sovereign love, sovereign mercy, sovereign grace, sovereign power and sovereign call. The Lord of Glory, in mercy, love and grace chose to save many of Adam’s fallen race long before the world began, and in covenant with His Son and Spirit, gave His chosen ones to Christ to save and He did. Then Christ gave them to the Spirit to call, convict, give repentance toward God and faith in Christ; to lead, guide, teach and conform them to the image of Christ. Salvation from first to last is by Him Who is ‘First and last’ (Rev.1:1). Salvation from beginning to end is by Him Who is the ‘Beginning and the ending’ (Rev.1:8). Salvation is completely of the Lord from its conception to its completion. It is all of the Lord and for His glory. NO one would call, come, repent, choose Him, if He had not chosen, called, compelled, drawn, brought and taught (they were dead). There have been some good preachers down through the years who have talked about the offer of the gospel, and God inviting sinners to come, but they were wrong, Yea, though an angel from Heaven says it (though none would), it is still wrong . . . it is not the Truth, it is not in God’s Word.

There is a reason why words like invitation, offer, and accept are not in God’s Holy Word. Because salvation is not by invitation but by God’s command. David’s words are true of every saved sinner, “Thou hast given commandment to save me” (Psa.71:3). God, in the beginning, didn’t invite the light to shine but gave commandment “Let there be light.” Same with all in darkness whom He called into His marvelous Light (Christ). God didn’t offer Adam life, He gave him life. Adam didn’t exist, he didn’t have the ability to accept an offer. Nor does any dead sinner have the ability to accept any offer from God. The only thing man can do by nature is reject God, His Son, His Truth. Those given life receive the love of the Truth. Faith and love of the Truth are sovereignly and powerfully bestowed in the one given life. What’s the point? God’s glory is the whole point, purpose, and reason for all of creation and salvation. It is blasphemy to offer the Son of God to God haters.

Kings give commands, not invitations. Kings do not ask their subjects anything, but give edicts, commands, decrees and summons. The Lord Jesus Christ gave the parable of the man who ‘made a great supper, and bade many.’ (Luke 14:16). The word bade (bidden) is ‘call.’ It is not invite. It is call. It is an announcement. It is a proclamation. As the King’s criers use to say: “Hear ye, Hear ye.” There is to be wedding today . . . all come!” God doesn’t invite people to repent, He commandeth all men everywhere to do so. God doesn’t invite people to believe His Son . . . what dishonor that would pay Him; Nay, but rather commands all men everywhere to ‘kiss the Son lest He be angry.’ In the Lord’s parable, many would not come. So the man in the story said to his servant, “Go quickly into the streets and lanes of the city and BRING IN hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the lame. And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast COMMANDED.”

Let’s ask someone we all know well how he came to be seated at the King’s table. ‘Mephibosheth, how did you get here? Were you invited? Were you asked? Were you offered a seat? O, NO! (saith Mephibosheth), I was FETCHED! I was laid hold of, lifted up, brought out of Lodebar, carried all the way to the King’s house and SEATED at his right hand. O’ how glad I am that my King sovereignly chose to show kindness to me, sovereignly called me, gave the command to fetch me, and powerfully brought me to himself; or else I wouldn’t have come, I couldn’t have come. And it was all purposed before I was born, all for the sake of another. O blessed be the King.”

Yes, “blessed are they who are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. Yea, ‘all that are with Him are called, chosen and faithful’ (Rev.17:14); they are faithful to Him Who called them; faithful to give Him all the glory. Amen.

A Plea To Listen