Lesson # 6 Salvation (Fundamentals of the Faith by John MacArthur) Part 1

So this morning we're going to continue with our book John MacArthur's fundamentals of the faith this morning

We are in lesson six and lesson six is on the subject of salvation

So, I don't know how many of you listen to the sermon We listen to it on the way in and there's also a

Bible memory Ephesians 2 8 through 10 would somebody like to Stand up or from where you're at recite

Ephesians 2 8 through 10. Okay. We have at least one volunteer. Do we have any any others?

You want to give it a try? Okay, Jordan's going to try it first For by grace you have been saved through faith and not that of yourselves

It is the gift of God not as a result of works So that no one may boast for we are his birthmanship created in Jesus Christ for good works

Which God prepared for him so that you would walk in them. Okay. Thank you

I I had that memorized in the King James Version and then

I think this is the NASB Memorizing it doesn't matter what version so much but if you can try to memorize the verses for each lesson, that would be beneficial for you

But let's just read this John MacArthur begins John Eddie the 19th century

Scottish preacher said men without Christ are death -walking

The beauties of holiness do not attract man in his moral Insensibility nor do the miseries of hell deter him you can talk about heaven to him

He's not interested. You can talk about hell to him and he's not afraid Now this kind of man doesn't need renewal

This kind of man doesn't need repair. This kind of man doesn't need restoration resuscitation

This kind of man needs Resurrection he needs life because he is dead

So in other words man in his natural condition, he's not interested in the things of God he doesn't care about Salvation.

He's not afraid of hell. He doesn't believe any of that and it's not until the

Spirit of God Resurrects his dead spirit that a person can finally understand so How is

Christ? Redeeming work applied to man. This is the first Question how do we know whether someone is a

Christian? This is kind of the most basic fundamental question of all, isn't it? How do we know whether someone is a

Christian? God has decreed or Ordained a plan of salvation that he has revealed to us in the

Bible in this lesson We will learn how he saves those who believe so let me throw this question at the class

How would you answer this? How do you know? Whether or not someone is a

Christian Mark By their fruit so quoting

Jesus and John or excuse me Matthew chapter 7 by their fruits you shall know them

Okay, do we have any other? Carolyn you had your hand up The way they act the way they talk okay the way they act the way they talk

Larry well, I'd like to respond to that by saying there are some who claim to be

Christians That I think they're kind of like the Secret Service, you know

They're kind of secret Christians because outside the church at work or whatever

You can't tell by their actions or their speech. Yeah, because they sound just like Anybody else right and There could be somebody who is a new

Christian and the way they talk and the way they act it They haven't really grown yet. So what you see might not be a real good assessment of their spiritual condition and I don't know what

John MacArthur. I mean I've read through this but what his answer is I would just respond this way

You start with their testimony you start with okay What do you believe if you want to know if someone a

Christian I would ask them what do you believe about Jesus? Right because it's a Christian.

So you want to know what they believe about Jesus Christ And if they believe that he is the Son of God that he died on the cross, you know for my sins

I believe he rose again, and I'm trusting in him Okay, that's the right testimony and then you would see.

Okay. What's the pattern of their life going forward? But it's those two things

But you start with the testimony of what they believe because as Larry said there are people who would say yes,

I'm a Christian but after 20 years of professing that there's not really that evidence

Of course God's the one who makes the final decision a lot of people who say well, who are you to judge?

Well We know what people say we know what they do, but ultimately it's

God God who judges? I Saw a hand.

Yes Marcus Same way that you can tell if Human being is physically alive

They have breath. They have a heartbeat they Grow hungry they grow thirsty All right, so when you become a

Christian you're born again and what they're saying here is it's completely different You're born in the spirit and that spirit also needs to be fed that spirit will

Hunger and thirst after righteousness. Yeah Yeah, good. Okay, let's go through this number one

God sovereignty in salvation so MacArthur's describing what

God is doing a God sovereign plan of salvation read

Romans 8 29 and 30. So let's let's all turn their Romans chapter 8 verses 29 and 30

But it was mentioned being born again so when you become a Christian you are born from above and Just as a baby when the baby is born the baby

Needs food and the baby over time grows into an infant and then an infant a toddler and so on and after a period of time

You see that that maturity eventually and that's what we should see in the

Christian life You start in a moment of time in your spiritual walk and then you grow and you mature in the faith

So who would like to read Romans 8 29 and 30? Get a volunteer

Stacy For those God for you He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his son

That he might be the firstborn among many brothers and those he predestined

He also called those he called he also justified those he justified.

He also glorified Okay, so you notice They're predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ I would say this is the test of whether or not someone is a true believer over the course of their life

They are conformed to Christ's image. I mean, there's two viewpoints out there

There's the ones who say at any profession of faith Anyone who sort of tips their cap and God's direction as long as there's just something there

They're saved because they said the right thing one time or or there's they seem to be interested to some degree and then the other

Viewpoint, which I would argue is the biblical viewpoint. There's going to be that evidence there's going to be growth that they they really want to be like Jesus and That's what being a

Christian is you are a follower of Jesus Christ So you want to be we all fall short, but there's that desire to be like Christ Okay.

Yes, Larry Depending on how old you are at the time you're contemplating these things

We come into it with a particular World view we may not call it a world view, but it's what you believe what you've been taught

What you listen to? Throughout your entire life, you know

Determines what you think of these things, right, you know, there are many things in Scripture that You know, there's just no way that that could possibly happen

Well, we do know that with God all things are possible and he is

Almighty God But we come at the

Bible or come at these things from what is what I call our world view and we all have it and Some are differing than others, right?

Yeah, I mean you're a product of your environment you are a product of what you've been taught

So what did your parents teach you? What were you taught in school? You know what you watch on TV movies music just all the stuff that stuff all influences you

So if somebody is brought up in the world and they're taught the things of the way, that's what they believe That's their world view that they kind of go along with whatever the world is doing

Whatever the culture is pushing at any given moment that's evident in our culture but being a believer

You're saturated. Hopefully in the Word of God you're reading you're praying you're coming to church. You're learning you're growing

So but in the two are at odds with one another so you're a product of your environment

To some degree. Yeah, I saw a hand Marcus Prayer ended and be a better boy each day like Jesus in whose name

I pray Amen, this is as far back as I can remember. Yeah, my prayer to be like Jesus Well now

I'm a long way from four years old and The closer or the more that I do or hopefully do become like Christ The more it seems to me

All right, so let's look at the book God sovereign plan of salvation we read Romans 8 29 and 30

It says write out the progression of how God brings someone to salvation

You might just recognize that you believe something now that you didn't believe before Maybe you have new desires in your heart.

So you recognize something within you, but here's what has happened from God's perspective

Whom he foreknew who is he? God Whom God foreknew he also

Predestined now, what did these two terms mean for no or for knowledge and predestination?

These are some of the deeper Teachings within the New Testament, but when you think of the term for no or for knowledge, what do you think of?

What does that mean? Beforehand yeah, so you would think for knowledge is just what

God knows ahead of time He knows beforehand, which is true.

God does know everything Before it happens. God is as you said omniscient.

God knows all things past present and future But the thing is for knowledge if you do a study of the

Greek word It's more than just what God knows ahead of time It also refers to a choice that God made that God has a predetermined relationship with his people

In the in the Bible the term to know can be a euphemism for Intimacy right

Adam knew his wife and they she bore a son So to know in the

Bible can speak of that Physical relationship remember when Jesus says in the

Sermon on the Mount depart from me. I never knew you Well, it's not saying that.

Hey, I didn't know you existed. No what Jesus is saying. We don't have a relationship

I don't know you and that you don't have a personal relationship with me. So for knowledge

Can also refer to God's Predetermined relationship that he has with his people even before they're created

God knows his people from eternity past and There's a choice that God makes in What is called election and that gets into the next term?

Predestined so God's people whom he foreknew are what? Predestined some people would think that Ancient theologians came up with this concept, but the

Apostle Paul is the one who really taught this God's people are predestined

Now, what does that mean? There's some people from from the time they're born before they're even born

Some people are either predestined to heaven and predestined to hell. There's nothing you can do about it. Is that what

Paul is saying? I That's not what

Paul is saying, but he is saying that Those who are foreknown are predestined to what be conformed to the image of Christ so all of God's people will become like Jesus so this is what we would call the doctrine of eternal security if somebody is truly saved

They will become like Christ Now in this life, we only

Make so much progress because we still have the human flesh. We still have temptations

So we're only going to get this far. But once we once we die and we shed this sinful flesh

Our spirit goes to be with God and then there's the resurrection of the dead in one day

We really truly will be like him. So that's the destination that has been determined ahead of time that all of God's people will be with him in eternity and Will be like Christ there any questions on that?

Yes, Carolyn Right The being chosen happens in eternity past God has chosen his people

Okay, yes Well, you wouldn't want to change it because if it could be changed you would end up lost but Yeah Well, I said that's the way some people

Would interpret this I don't believe that's Paul's point

There are Christians who believe that Christians are predestined to heaven and some are predestined to hell and that can never be see that's a different topic

See we can talk about that at some point But that that's a different subject What Paul is saying is that every believer is predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ Okay, so in other words, this is eternal security

So if you're saved You cannot lose your salvation. You will be in heaven with God and That cannot change

Again, as far as all the other stuff go that's that's a debate. That's Christians disagree on But that's not if we get into that that's all we're going to be talking about for the next for the next 25 minutes or so and that's not the purpose of the class

Okay, any are we? If you want it one more clarifying question,

I'll try to help. Okay, okay So for whom God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his

Son Verse 30 whom he predestined he also what called Whom he called these he also justified so God knows who his people are

They will be with him in heaven. It's been settled in heaven and But at some point during their life they are called now this can take many forms someone can be at home reading their

Bible and God can save them right where they're at. They read the

Bible God the Holy Spirit is Calling them you could be sitting in a church service and hearing a sermon about the gospel and salvation

You're being called right anytime. The gospel is preached. There's a call going out and what's the call?

Hey repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and there will be those people who

Believe at certain points in time because they're called Okay, so do we understand the calling?

The gospel goes out People are being called those who truly those who belong to God will respond at some point in their life

Whom he called these he also Justified so they're justified when a person believes they're saved.

They're justified before God by what faith, right? And whom he justified these he also

Glorified so everything has happened As of this point with a true believer, you've been foreknown

You've been predestined if you're a believer in Christ, you've been called you've responded to the call.

You're justified. You're saved You're just waiting for one thing And what's that?

your glorification in heaven, but that's That's what we're waiting for.

That's in the future All right, Ephesians 1 let's turn to Ephesians chapter 1

The whole argument about Predestination and some being predestined to heaven or heaven to me.

That's it's not really all that useful Because even if that were true, you would never know

I mean this from God knows the end from the beginning as far as I know every single person on earth

Who's alive right now? can be saved I Don't know who

God's people are. I don't know who will be saved I don't know who will be lost to me. This is kind of an academic

Exercise that doesn't really do a whole lot of good arguing about in a

Sunday school class But God is in control of it So we can't reconcile man's free will the fact that you have to believe you have to respond

But God knows ahead of time and he's chosen his you can't really reconcile that in the human mind

But you don't have to you just have to believe what the scripture says All right,

Ephesians 1 4 through 6 who would like to read that?

Jordan go ahead Just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world

That we should be fully in without blame for him in love

Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ To himself according to the pleasure of his will

Okay, so it asked the question What has been God's plan since before the foundation of the world?

God's plan is that his people would be holy and blameless before him

What is the purpose of his plan of salvation verse 6 to the praise and glory of his grace

Here's an answer To any question of why God does what he does you've asked this question before why didn't why does this happen?

Why does God allow this? Why does God do what he does? Well, there is a simple answer

He does it for his glory To the praise and glory of his grace.

So whatever God does It will glorify him and Whatever God does it is for the good of his people

That's how Paul can say We didn't read this verse But Romans 8 29 and 30 the verse before that says that God causes all things to work together

For good to those who love God to those who are the called according to his purpose

So if you have faith in Jesus Christ That is a promise that everything God does everything that happens it glory it will in the end glorify

God It does glorify God and it will work out for your good if if you love

God if you believe in Christ So The plan is from the foundation of the world that we would be holy and blameless before him

So God chooses the people That they would be holy

Just one comment on this verse Ephesians 1 4 through 6

Notice that the last two words in verse 4 are in love you see that You realize that chapter divisions and verse divisions were added in like 1554 or whatever year it was.

So when Paul wrote this he didn't have verses. Okay, this this verse ends here

So I I think that that term in love kind of fits with the next verse in love having predestined us

So I would just comment that that in love probably belongs more with the next verse than verse 4

But any questions before we move on? All right, we're doing good hey we talked about kind of the two deepest most controversial subjects within Christianity election and predestination and no fights have broken out so we're

We're doing okay All right grace You Said John MacArthur says grace is

God's free and Sovereign act of love and mercy in granting salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus apart from anything men are or can do and of his sustaining the salvation and of his sustaining the salvation to Glorification.

All right. Well what's being said here? God's Grace is what a free gift

It's not dependent upon what you do. See this is the thing about God Choosing a people from the foundation of the world.

It's not based on you Because you hadn't done anything you haven't God didn't choose you because he saw that you would be this great person

So God saved you because he saw all these charitable things you did and how you were nice to people

See your salvation is not dependent on What you do Your salvation is dependent on what

Christ has done so that's why we give glory to God because otherwise if our

Salvation if we go to heaven based on what we do who gets the credit Yeah, you do

And it's not to God's glory. I mean he's he's involved in it I guess and he can get some glory, but you get some glory too because you did all these good things that Added to your salvation.

That's not the gospel. The salvation is completely of grace None of us are deserving

Do any of you believe that you deserve to go to heaven? I?

Mean I know there are people in this world who would probably answer and say yeah I I deserve to go to heaven because I I do all this stuff

Well, you haven't understood the gospel Yeah, yeah, right an unbeliever would would say that because they haven't understood that you can't earn your way

So the fact that God chooses before the world was even created proves that it's not about you and your works

It's about God and his grace. All right All right. Let's turn to the next page. This is

B God implements his plan of salvation So all the

All you need to know really is have you placed your faith in Jesus? Are you following Jesus?

But this is describing What's happening from the from God's viewpoint from what the

Bible says says God's decree to reveal his plan Romans 16 25 and 26 says the mystery which

God has The mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past but now is manifested according to the commandment of the

Eternal God and has been made known to all the nations leading to obedience of faith

Question number one, what is man's spiritual condition before conversion?

Ephesians 2 verse 1. What is man before he believes in Jesus? What is he? Dead and trespasses in sin first say wait,

I'm not dead. I'm alive. Look at me. I'm talking I'm alive What he's saying he's spiritually dead like his spirit does not

Want God he's not interested in God. He doesn't want to give his life to Christ and obey

God So he's dead and trespasses in sin Number two, what does

God the Holy Spirit do concerning sin John 16 verse 8?

What is what does God the Holy Spirit do Jordan? Right, he will convict let's just start with that first part he will convict of sin

So the average person they're going through their life You know, maybe my life isn't what it should be, you know, nobody's perfect, but I'm a pretty good guy.

Everything's fine You know D in their heart They know they're missing something but they're not gonna admit that and then all of a sudden something happens or maybe just out of the blue They start feeling convicted like I know

I'm not right with God They come under that conviction of the Holy Spirit That's the first step

So they were dead and trespasses and sin and then in a moment in time

They realize that they're dead and trespasses and sin. So now God is really starting to work in their heart

Number three what is needed before someone can know the truth? second

Timothy 2 25 Repentance Repentance right what is needed before someone can know the truth repentance and what does the word repentance mean?

Right change of direction the Greek word is metanoia it means either to change one's mind but part of that is to turn

Right you think think of a road sign that's like a u -turn Right you were you were going that way, but now you've turned around Yeah, you were on the road to hell and now you've turned around and you're following Christ to heaven

You had a change of mind about your sin you were doing all this stuff that is wrong and You were okay with it.

You wanted to do it now all of a sudden you don't want to do it anymore You want to change you you want to change your life?

That's the work of God the Holy Spirit now some people do change their lives because you know, they're

Their behavior is self -destructive and there there are reasons to change apart from from God But when you start feeling guilty that I'm not right with God, I feel guilty before God that's the evidence that the

Holy Spirit is convicting you of sin and then of righteousness of Christ's righteousness and then of Judgment, okay.

Let's continue who grants it who grants repentance God Right any comments or questions on that God grants repentance

I Mean the only reason we respond is because of God's the one who moves first and then we respond to him

Read John chapter 1 verses 12 through 13. Let's turn there if you would

Good morning guys. Good to see you John chapter 1 12 and 13

All right, who who would like to read that just shoot your hand up when you have a Volunteer who gets there

John 1 12 and 13. Okay, Linda, go ahead Okay Okay, so who grants us the right to become children of God Now the question was who grants repentance and it says

God. Well who said who says so? Well, the Bible says the Bible says so you just read it who grants us the right to become children of God Well, only

God could grant that right But you notice we're given that right in a moment in time

Because we're children of God through adoption, right? Jesus is the only begotten

Son of God Jesus is the only child of God in the sense that Jesus comes forth.

He proceeds from God He has the same nature that Jesus is divine.

He's God in human flesh We're children of God in a different sense. We've been adopted into the family by faith

So, you know, there's some some people today who they claim they're little gods They share the same nature as God and and there's all sorts of weird beliefs about that well, yeah in a sense in eternity, we will be like him, but Yeah, we're adopted.

We're adopted. Okay, but that's pretty good. You know, you're adopted into the family of God. That's okay

Notice that this right or privilege is not granted to us because of our birth

Because of our own efforts or our own volition that is our own choice

And that's that comes out in the verse so let me read it again notice that this right or privilege to become children of God is not granted to us because of blood

John says that's our birth our natural birth or the will of the flesh our own efforts

You know God accepted me because I just tried really hard Did all these things?

No, or it's not even our own volition or the will of man. It's the will of God Now we do make a choice.

But again God God moves first if you think of God and man I Get a who wants to come up and illustrate something for me

Two people or just one I can do it with one Who wants to be brave?

All right, George come on up Okay, so stand over here stand right here so when

God created man in the garden God created Adam You're Adam.

I'm We're facing each other right? We're in fellowship with one another and then

Adam sinned and when Adam sinned He chose to turn around put your back to me.

That's what that's what Adam did when he sinned And when God saw Adam sin, God did this?

Okay, that's the way you want it. That's the way it is. But when God sent Christ into the world

He turned you're still you're still facing in that direction But when

God sent Christ into the world God turned around and he's reaching out to Adam again

And he's calling him through the gospel and then you respond now we have reconciliation

Right, that's that's what he did he turned around right he repented he turned okay.

Thank you So that's what God does in Salvation, but it's notice it's

God who turns first God Initiates it because we never would on our own

All right. So who causes growth? This is the next question who causes growth in a believer

This is according to 1st Corinthians chapter 3 verse 6 Who causes growth?

God right God causes Growth, you know one will plant another will water, but it's

God who gives the increase. Amen Number seven who will cause the resurrection to occur

For 1st Corinthians 6 14 who will cause the resurrection to occur

It says God has not only raised the Lord but will also raise us up through his power

Obviously man could not cause the resurrection. So God God does it

All right. We got five five minutes left moving on to letter

C God Culminates his plan. So we looked at God's sovereign plan of salvation.

That was a B God implements his plan of salvation. That's B and now

C God Culminates his plan look again at Romans 8 29. So let's turn back to Romans 8 29

Into whose image Will we be ultimately? Conformed, of course, you didn't really need to turn turn there to know that did you

Say what? Yeah, I already knew that right because you well either you knew it before the class or at least you heard it 15 minutes ago and see we're learning

That's good so sometimes People will add input and I've noticed this on Wednesday nights and in Sunday school

Sometimes people will say things before I even get there a hand will go up and someone will say something

Well, that's what I was about to say, you know But that's a good thing because it shows the people in the class know the truth.

They know it All right. God culminates his plan In whose image will we be ultimately conformed whose image the image of his son

Jesus Christ And He said well, you know,

I'm so in some ways I'm so far off well that might be true But are you closer than you were?

Five years ago ten years ago fifty years ago Remember, it's about growth.

We started out the first the first question. How do you know? If you're a

Christian or how do you know if someone's a Christian you look at their testimony what they say and believe about Jesus I mean, that's where it

Starts and that's how you're saved faith But then you can look at the trajectory of their of their life and their their growth

What is going to happen to every believer this is according to Philippians chapter 3 verses 20 and 21

What is going to happen to every believer? Okay Okay, we're going to be changed or we will be transformed into conformity with the body of Christ's glory

And then the next question, what is Christ's desire for those who are his?

John 17 24, what is Christ's desire? To be with them Yeah, I desire that they also whom you have given to me.

So this is Jesus praying to the father I desire that they also whom you have given to me will be with me where I am

So that they may see my glory which you have given me

So this is our destination that we will grow become like Christ and then in heaven

We will be with Christ forever and ever. Does that sound like heaven to you?

What better Thing could there what better situation? Could there be than to be with God?

Forever and ever. I don't know what people's concept of heaven is I suppose there's a lot of people in the world who have a very carnal idea of what heaven might be

We've all heard at well in time past remember the the jihadists and we're committing acts of terrorism because if they died a martyr's death

They believed that God would give them. What was it 72 virgins in? Well, that's that's a pretty carnal view of what heaven's gonna be like But people have all sorts of ideas or they think of hell as a place that You know,

I want to go to hell because I'll be down there with all my buddies and I mean that's just stupidity

You're gonna be alone forever and ever in darkness and weeping and Wailing and gnashing of teeth.

I mean, that's what the scripture says so people have all sorts of concept of what hell is going to be like what heaven is going to be like what would be heaven to me and Well, there's only

One source that gives us the answer Heaven is going to be eternity with God and you will be like Christ and For the believer that is the best of all possible situations, so we're out of time

That's that's the goal. We want to be like Christ. We want to be with God and There's only one way to be with God forever and that's to give your life to Christ.