5-The Doctrines of Sovereign Grace

While preaching on the doctrine of election at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Charles Haddon Spurgeon insisted, "It is no novelty, then, that I am preaching; no new doctrine. I love to proclaim these strong old doctrines, that are called by nickname CALVINISM, but which are surely and verily the revealed truth of God as it is in Christ Jesus. By this truth I make a pilgrimage into [the] past, and as I go, I see father after father, confessor after confessor, martyr after martyr, standing up to shake hands with me...Taking these things to be the standard of my faith, I see the land of the ancients peopled with my brethren; I behold multitudes who confess the same as I do, and acknowledge that this is the religion of God's own church." Now friends, many subjects can be approached in a less than Christ-honoring manner, be they covenantal vs. dispensational theology, Lordship salvation vs. the non-lordship position, or even this subject of calvinism vs. arminian theology. If you claim God’s absolute sovereignty on social media, you can be crucified in an instant. That doesn’t mean we don’t address them, & doesn’t mean we shy away from & act ashamed of the doctrines of which we are convictional. After all, NOTHING so drives worship as a proper biblical understanding of man's total DEPRAVITY/TOTAL INABILITY & nothing I could do to merit God's favor, so we simply get lost in wonder love & praise that God would show grace and salvation to the unworthy. NOTHING so comforts in difficulty as to know God is absolutely SOVEREIGN IN SALVATION! NOTHING gives such a high view as the ELECTIVE purposes of God! NOTHING is so assuring as that God PERSEVERES us to the end! NOTHING so inflames the heart of evangelism as PARTICULAR/ACTUAL ATONEMENT, that God assures to indeed save those whom He’s intended; & not only that, but that as we generally, externally call & invite the weary & heavily sin-laden humanity to come to Christ, that the Holy Spirit will activate that message in many hearts, as He SAVINGLY & IRRESISTIBLY CALLS sinners to repentant faith!! So it is grace at the beginning, grace in the middle, & grace in the conclusion, so before moving onto Persevering grace, let’s pull over & park in midweek Bible study as we think about these DOCTRINES OF SOVEREIGN GRACE (which has also been named Calvinism; but not following a man, for they didn’t begin with Calvin, but the Bible. *THE DOCTRINES OF SOVEREIGN GRACE: 1. Sovereign Grace Conceived (Divine election), 2. Sovereign Grace Merited (actual atonement), 3. Sovereign Grace Needed (absolute inability), 4. Sovereign Grace Applied (effectual call), & 5. Sovereign Grace Preserved (persevering faith). Join us for our 6:00 live-stream Bible study as we continue to study "The Doctrine of Salvation."