The Most Divisive Issues In Evangelicalism

Alright, why don't you grab your Bibles, and tonight I'd like to talk about truths that should unite, yet they divide. Divisive truths that have divided evangelicals from one another. I don't really think they should, I think they should unite us.

And these things I'm going to talk about tonight, if we disagree with other people, they should not cause us to separate, but we can still have distinctions. So the Chalcedonian creed back in the day was distinction without separation.

And so if you have a friend, R .C. Sproul, and he's a Presbyterian, we can have some distinctions between the two, and yet not separate fellowship. Similarly, with these truths tonight, I have ten divisive truths.

You probably know some evangelicals who believe the opposite of what I'm going to teach tonight. Maybe even you teach or believe some of the opposite, but it will be good for us to go through these. There's a common theme pretty much, and the theme is in every one of these that seems to divide evangelicalism.

God is great, and we are really small. And the larger we see ourselves in our own eyes, the more prideful we become, the more Arminian we become, the more tension there is. Truth does divide, error from truth.

Truth is something that divides, and I just think that's not bad. James 3 says, wisdom from above is first what? Before it's peaceable, what is it? It's pure, and so truth does divide. It's not that big a deal, and I just thought, let's go through these ten.

A little bit of expository preaching in a topical textual way. Divisive truths in evangelicalism. I'm not saying these are divisive truths in the liberal church, or in the dead Anglican church, or in the Methodist church.

I mean in evangelical churches. And so, let's just do it a typical Sunday night style. What would be some divisive doctrines? I have my own ten. What would be a doctrine that would be divisive today, that Christians really don't seem to agree upon?

Erickson? The end times, okay, that's a good one. Infant baptism, good. Lordship of Christ, lordship salvation, Jonathan. Tongues, okay, good. What else, Bruce? Pardon me? Church in Israel, okay, that's true.

See, some of these I didn't have, but I'm gonna quick make some changes. Anybody else? Things that divide. How about if I just ask you this, your evangelical friends that don't attend Bethlehem Bible Church, what do they believe differently?

I think you'd probably think a few right away. Okay, the role of women. See, we were stumped until I said, what do your friends believe who don't go here, the role of women? Free will versus a bound will, or free grace, yes?

So, eteriology, just salvation in general, okay, good. See, now the juices are starting to flow. Congregational rule, apolity, is it elder rule, is it bishop rule, is it congregational rule, Presbyterian, synods?

Okay, good, yes? Limited atonement versus general atonement, or particular redemption compared to an unlimited atonement, good. Now, by the way, just stop for a second. And if you were me, and you were the pastor, wouldn't you be thrilled, if you were the pastor, to have the congregation know all these things?

Now, if you learn things just to learn them, it's wrong. But if you learn things because you want to know who God is, and to know his mind, and then have your affections increase towards Christ Jesus, then it's a good thing, right?

You're to learn with your mind so your affections increase, so your religious affections burn hotter for Christ Jesus. And so, we can't just say, I'd like to love Jesus more, I'd like to give him more honor and adoration.

But I don't want to learn anything, you've got to learn. The error of learning is I learn to learn, and I just want to know more than other people, that's wrong. But you have to learn about the scriptures and grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord so that your affections can grow hotter.

If you say, I feel like I'm not loving the Lord with all my heart like I used to. The answer is not just love harder, the answer is to revisit what you know and who you know. And so, as a pastor, I just think how great it is to have the congregation just raise their hand and you can identify what's going on in evangelicalism.

Just like this morning with the men in the discipleship group, 18 guys sitting around talking about the downgrade controversy with Spurgeon in terms of Arminianism and Calvinism. People are like, what is that?

And so, I'm very, very pleased. Any others before I give you my three tonight? Bruce? Charismatic gifts. Charismatic gifts? Good, and we're getting there in 1 Corinthians. 1 Corinthians chapter 12, 13, and 14 are gonna be hot.

They're gonna be sizzling. You're gonna wanna reserve a seat here for your charismatic friends. Yes, Anitra? Whether to pay pastors or how much? Okay, well, that is a very big issue, where that pastors are not to be paid.

It is clerical heresy, to pay the clerics, that is heresy. And so, you take clerical and you take the word heresy, and you put it together and you get the word what? Clerisy. It's true. You think I'm making that up, Bruce?

It's true. Whether to pay pastors. Yes? Okay, this is a big one, isn't it? Music. Bill even alluded to it. Contemporary worship. Psalms. Music accompaniment with instruments. Very, very big issue. There's lots of things that divide.

As a matter of fact, there are so many things that divide, that the Roman Catholics try to say, see, Protestants are wrong because they have all these denominations, and we are the one mother ship. And so, the divisions that happen in evangelicalism prove that Roman Catholics are true and right and the only church.

They even try to use that against us. I saw a hand back here, and then we, yes? Bible translations, yes. John MacArthur has just put his, there's going to be the NIV 2011 MacArthur Study Bible. That was just announced a couple days ago, and it's a horrible translation, the new NIV, yet you'll have MacArthur Study Notes.

So, is that good? Is that not good? I know John, and John's answer will be, I'd rather have somebody who's going to read the NIV read my notes than not read my notes. And so, all these things stir it up.

And so, here's what we want to do. Any other questions or any other comments before we get into the passage? Here's what I'd like you to do. I want you to be a good Berean. That's what I want. I want you to study.

And that's why you're here, and you have your Bibles open, and you could be doing anything else. I've told you many times that one of the reasons I know I'm a Christian is because I love what I used to hate, and I love Bible preaching.

I actually love convicting Bible preaching. I want to be convicted. I want to say, God, show me where I don't measure up so that I can repent, and then I can look to Christ and see who he is. And so, tonight we're going to look at these divisive truths, and we want to make sure that as we learn them, we're not just saying, we know more.

Whatever Mike says, I believe. I want you to learn it for yourself. And even from the first one, if you disagree with me, it's okay. You'll be out farther in the kingdom than I am closer to the throne room in heaven, but it'll be fine.

I'm just kidding. I'm kidding. Number one, limited atonement. Limited atonement. I have no order. This is just the first one that popped in my mind. Did Jesus die for the elect, or did he die for every person who was ever born?

Now, there are good people on both sides, but our culture today in evangelicalism is that Jesus died for every person who was ever born. That's the culture in which we live. If you would transport yourself back to New England in the 1700s, the evangelical churches, and I'm not talking about the Unitarian Universalist churches for unity.

I think Todd Friedel says any church that has a UNI in it is really bad. Maybe you're a university Bible church though, so then what would you do? But in 1750s, the churches, almost all the churches would believe that Jesus died for the elect only.

And so things change. Time changes things. And these days, if I were to say to you, Jesus only died for the elect, some of you even here may have a conniption fit. You've been around enough. You'd say, okay, I know what the church believes, et cetera.

So let's look at this issue of limited atonement. Did Jesus bear our sins as a substitute, or did Jesus die to make salvation possible? Did he die for everyone's sins, making it possible for them to believe, or did he die, in fact, only for the elect's sins?

I could phrase it this way. Did Jesus die for the sins of certain men, or did Jesus die to remove the obstacles of salvation from all men? Whose punishment did Christ bear? You have three options if you're taking notes.

One, he died to save all men without distinction. Your first option is Jesus died for everybody would be universalism, basically. Secondly, whose punishment did Christ bear? Christ died to save no one in particular, but just to make salvation possible, our potential.

And this would be what we would call the Arminian view, that Christ died for no one in particular, but just to make salvation possible. So we've got universalism, Arminianism, and now number three, Christ died to save a certain number of people that the father had given him.

In other words, it was an effectual salvation, and that is called, you could call it Calvinism, you could call it other things. For the sake of argument, we'll call it shorthand Calvinism. Listen to what William Seton said.

Did God intend to save all men, or did he not? If he did not intend to save all men without exception, but only the elect, then the work of Christ on the cross is a glorious success. If on the other hand, if it was God's intention to save the entire world, then the atonement of Christ has been a great failure for vast numbers of mankind have not been saved.

Let's look up a few vices. We could easily do that too. I'm tired enough. Let's look up a few vices. Galatians chapter five, Revelation 21, 1 Corinthians chapter six. There are vice list in the Bible.

Let's look up a few verses. And I'm not going to try to give you seminary answers with every verse covered. This is just general tonight. And you can always study this more or ask me for my notes. Let's look up John chapter 10, because I think many scriptures talk about the limitation of Christ's death.

And by the way, if you are turning to John 10, I try to nuance this a little bit when I'm preaching. So I'll say Christ died for all those who believe. Is that a true statement? Is it equal to Christ died for the elect?

It is, but if I'm not talking about the subject, instead of blowing people out of the water and them saying, what do you mean Jesus just died for the elect? He didn't die for the whole world. I'll say something like Jesus died for all those who would believe.

And the unwitting Arminian would say, oh yeah, that's true. That's right. Because I don't really need to blow them out of the water until later. And so here, you didn't get that. I was just trying to jump to the next section.

There are some verses that say explicitly that Christ died for the sheep and not for the goats. John 10, let's look at verse 14. I am the good shepherd and I know my own and my own know me, even as the father knows me and I know the father and I laid down my life for the sheep.

Jump down to verse 26, please. But you do not believe me because you are not of my sheep. My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me and I give eternal life to them. See, there are some people who aren't the sheep and there are some people who are and he lays down his life for those who are and I give, verse 28, eternal life to them and they will never perish and no one will snatch them out of my hand.

My father who has given them to me is greater than all and no one is able to snatch them out of my father's hand. Why don't we turn to Titus chapter two, verse 14? I wanna show you another verse where it explicitly shows that Jesus died for the saints, that he died for us.

Now, you might be thinking already, what about John 3, 16, for God so loved the world, what about all the all passages? Just cheer me out and then we'll get to those passages. I know they exist. Jesus dying for us, Titus chapter two, verse 14, great passage for substitutionary atonement, who gave himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed and to purify for himself a people for his own possession, zealous for good deeds.

The first reason I believe limited atonement is taught in the Bible is because there are many scriptures where it talks about how Jesus died for his people, for us, for his sheep, for his own possession, for his children, for the people of God, for his friends.

Secondly, why don't you turn your Bibles to Ephesians chapter five and think about this theologically. Turn to Ephesians chapter five. When the son dies for you, will the son guarantee that you are sanctified?

In other words, we can talk about the Godhead. If the son dies for you, will he sanctify you? Yes. Okay, that's what we're gonna learn from Ephesians chapter five. But the unlimited atonement view, the view that Jesus died for each and every person says that Jesus died for that person, but he never sanctifies them because you know the unbelievers aren't sanctified.

So take a look at this, Ephesians 5 .25. We heard Scott read this this morning. I thought he did a great job of reading. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself up for her, Ephesians 5 .25.

And there's a purpose. Why here in context does the son give himself for the church? For a reason, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that he might present to himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and blameless.

So I ask you the question, if Jesus died for each and every person who has ever lived, why aren't the ungodly people being sanctified? If he dies for you, you will be sanctified. Number three, the third reason why I believe in limited atonement is because the Bible never says that people are made savable.

It says that God saves them. True or false? Redemption, oh, let's not do true or false yet. The Bible doesn't say you are made redeemable. It says God redeemed you. The Bible doesn't say God made propitiation possible.

It says he made propitiation. The Bible doesn't say God made reconciliation potential. It says God made reconciliation. So the third reason I believe in limited atonement to be the biblical view is the language is definite language.

Let's look up a few of these bits of language here. Let's look at Galatians chapter three, verse 13. By the way, if you're studying limited atonement and unlimited atonement, and you forget that the God of the universe would send his son to die for you, you're missing the point.

We don't wanna look at miss the forest through the trees and because of the trees, is that the right way to say it, Steve? I always mess this up. Can't see the forest for the trees. That's right. If a tree in a forest falls and no one's there, does it make a sound?

Of course. By the way, how great is it that there are places in the universe that no human being is either seen anything there or is seen anything right now, but it just all exists perfectly for the glory of God and God just sees it and is pleased with the flora and the fauna and the animals.

I just think that is great. What does that have to do with limited atonement? Nothing. But I'm saying, if you believe in limited atonement and you just think, yeah, cause that's right, he died for the elect only and what do these other people know?

But you're forgetting Jesus died for me. I know me. I wouldn't die for me. Jesus Christ died for me. The eternal plan of God that the son of God gave himself for me, that we don't wanna lose that. In Galatians chapter three, let me give you an example that if you believe that Christ died for everyone, there should be language like, we were rendered redeemable, but there's never language redeemable, potential, it's all done.

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. For it is written, cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree. I believe that the Bible teaches everywhere that redemption is not made possible, but redemption has been accomplished and then applied.

And actually we can talk about this another time. I don't think you can really believe in a true substitutionary atonement unless you believe in limited atonement. All right, let me ask you another question.

This is my fourth reason why I believe in limited atonement. Now I won't ask a question, I'll just make the statement. You can tell when I'm tired, I just, how can I phrase the question? Let me give you the statement.

Christ's sacrificial work cannot be separated from his prayer, his intercessory work. In other words, when Jesus dies for you, he will pray for you. And if Jesus has died for you, he will pray for you if that is true.

And we're gonna see in John 17 that it's true. Why is it that Jesus doesn't pray for everybody? He doesn't pray for everybody because he didn't die for everyone. He prays for everybody he's died for. Let's look at John chapter 17.

Why would Jesus only pray for some if he died for everyone? The priestly work of Christ has to be harmonious with his sacrificial work. John chapter 17, verse nine. You'll see these joined together. This is just the same argument, but a little bit different.

If he died for you, he'll sanctify you. If he died for you, he'll pray for you. And if you're an unbeliever, he's not, and the non-elect, he's not praying for you. And if he was, he didn't get it answered, and then that can't be either.

John 17, nine, I ask on their behalf. I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom thou has given me, for they are thine. In other words, the Father gives me in the eternal covenant of redemption, he gives me the elect, I die for them, and then I intercede for them.

All things that are mine are thine, verse 10, and thine are mine, and I have been glorified in them. If you look down at verse 20, the language has a refrain to it in his prayer. I do not ask in behalf of these alone, but also those also who believe in me through their word.

I believe that Jesus Christ died for the elect only, number five, because of the Trinity. Because of the Trinity. All right, let's think about this for a second. The Father chooses some and not all. Would you believe that statement?

That He chooses some, not all. In time, the Holy Spirit applies the benefit of Christ to those same some and not all. Would you believe that? In other words, the Father chooses some, the Spirit of God makes alive only those some.

So what do you think the role of the second person of the Trinity would be? To die for those same some, or to die for more than the Father has chosen, and more than the Holy Spirit will regenerate? You say, well, that's some kind of logic.

Well, logic isn't bad if it's biblical logic, and thinking isn't bad if it's biblical thinking. The Spirit of God, the Son of God, and the Father are one God, three persons. The Father's not one, the Spirit's not two, the Spirit's not the Son, and the Spirit's not the Son, and the Spirit's not the Father, but yet all are God.

So we have one God, three persons, and they do everything perfectly together. Do they ever disagree? Do they ever have different missions? Sometimes the Scripture shows us, well, the Spirit of God is dwelling in the hearts of people, and that's His special function, or who does creation.

Jesus tends to be more emphasized as the Creator in Scriptures. But the Father chooses some, not all, the Spirit saves some and not all, and the Son dies for those same some and not all. I don't think Christ one-upped the other members of the Trinity.

And without trying to be blasphemous, I don't think Jesus said, well, God, I'm gonna die for more than you gave me. I don't think that's possible. If God planned for everyone to be saved, then Christ would die for all, and the Spirit would be sent to all.

Number six, let me give you number six. This is a big one. All right, this is the sixth reason why I believe in limited atonement. Did Jesus die for people who were already in hell? So on the cross, did Jesus die for Goliath?

On the cross, did Jesus die for the people of the Tower of Babel, Nimrod? Did Jesus die for Judas? I don't think he did. At the time of the Lord's death on the cross, Roger Nicole said, the eternal destiny of many reprobates had already been sealed in death and hell.

Sinners before the flood, Sodom and Gomorrah. Can we suppose that our Lord died with the intent of burying the sins of those who were then and there in hell? If not, he did not die for all. Seventh reason I believe in limited atonement.

We gotta go a little faster. This is gonna turn into a 10-part series. Ha ha ha ha ha ha. Sometimes Steve and I are doing the no-compromise shows and nobody else is around, but we're just laughing. Just sitting in the office laughing.

I was laughing a lot this week until I found out the last six shows that Steve and I taped, or I taped myself, were not recorded. And if you were a good congregant, you'd say, we feel really bad, but God's sovereign.

And if you really wanted to encourage me, you'll say, when you redo them, they'll even be better. Be better the second time. You ever lost your wallet? It's just that sinking feeling. Oh, these lost shows.

It could be some kind of special discovery show, discovery channel. Lost no-compromise shows. You know, if I was charismatic, here's what I'd say. Satan was messing with those knobs. Somebody, Satan had some kid come in and push the button on that knob.

God does not demand double payment, whatever number that is. No double jeopardy. A penalty cannot be legally demanded twice and still have God be holy and just. So God doesn't say, my son paid for your sins, to those who think Jesus died for everyone.

My son paid for your sins and you now have to pay for your sins. That would be a false balance. And the Bible says a just weight is his delight. I know Bruce likes this top lady song. Complete atonement thou has made and to the utmost farthing paid, whatever thy people owed.

How then can wrath on me take place? If sheltered in thy righteousness and sprinkled with thy blood. God is not going to demand double payment. All right, let me give you a couple more. And I think these are really interesting.

I bet you haven't thought of these. I believe in limited atonement because even the Old Testament sacrificial system was only for a specific group of people, Israel. Were the sacrificial lambs killed on either Passover, Yom Kippur or any other time designated for the Hittites, the Jebusites or anyone else?

The answer is no. This is not a new concept. The sacrificial system in the Old Testament was for Israel alone and those who had attached themselves to Israel by faith in this monotheistic God. It's a great picture, a pre-picture of Christ's sacrifice.

The sacrifice in the Old Testament was not for the Canaanites. Matter of fact, I could push it a little bit and this is my last number here and then we'll talk about the alls and the worlds. I believe in limited atonement, therefore we restrict the Lord's Supper to believers only.

Because if Jesus died for each and every person, then we ought to offer the Lord's Supper to each and every person. Now, there are some objections. One is, people say, what about the word world? For God so loved the world.

And so here's what I want you to do sometime. Just study on your own, read through the Gospel of John and 1st and 2nd and 3rd John and just underline every time you see the word world and here's what you'll see right away.

You'll see that not every word world is true. Every time you see the word world, it's not all translated, excuse me. It doesn't mean the same thing every time it shows up. Sometimes the world could be the cosmos.

Sometimes it could be the actual world. Sometime it could be the evil world system. Sometimes it could be one of eight different things. I found a list of eight different ways the word world could be translated.

And so you need to ask yourself the question, does it necessitate a meaning of every person who was ever born? And I don't think you'll find that to be the case. For instance, John, remember the woman at the well?

I just reread that the other day and I just thought there's nobody like Jesus who goes to this woman, talks to her. And remember, she goes back, the Samaritan woman, and she goes back to the men and she says, he's indeed the savior of the what? World.

What was she saying? He's the savior of each and every person who's ever been born? No, he's a savior of not just Jews, but of Samaritans as well. Last time I counted, 112 times the word world is used in the writings of John.

How many books did John write really quickly? One, two, three, four, five. 112 times, eight different uses. So for God so loved the world, what does that mean? Then the word all, all can either mean all without distinction or all without exception.

It can mean relative all or inclusive all. It can mean all manner of, all kinds of, or all. Mark one, and all the country of Judea was going out to him. Does that mean each and every person? John Owen said it this way.

The father imposed his wrath due unto and the son underwent punishment for either one, all the sins of all men, two, all the sins of some men, or three, some of the sins of all men. That if the last be true, all men still have some sins to answer for and none are saved.

If the second be true, then Christ in their stead suffered for all the sins of all the elect of the whole world, and this is the truth. But if the first is the case, why are not all men free from the punishment due to their own sins?

You answer, because of unbelief. I ask, is this unbelief a sin? Or is it not? If it be, then Christ suffered the punishment due unto it, or he did not. If he did, why must that hinder them more than their other sins for which he died?

If he did not, he did not die for all their sins. One last comment, and I'll make it from Charles Spurgeon. We are often told that we limit the atonement of Christ because we say that Christ has not made satisfaction for all men, or all men would be saved.

Now our reply to this is that. On the other hand, our opponents limit it. We do not. Now listen, will you limit the atonement, Spurgeon, because you think he only died for the elect? And Spurgeon says, no, no, you limit the atonement.

By the way, even if I was right, I would hate to argue with Spurgeon. Some people are like that. I've met people like that where I think, you know what? I know I'm right, but I can't win the argument because they're just too good.

They're just too good in debating. I don't think I've ever won an argument with my wife. That's what I was thinking. I just give up. You win. I'm a loser. Please forgive me. You win. It's getting hot in here.

So men, don't argue with your wives. Just love your wives. They're not always right, but they like to feel like they're right. I'm just, reminds me of a story. I'm just kidding. Have you ever heard such banter?

People write in all the time and say, we don't like to listen to Mike and Steve bantering. The Armenians say Christ died for all men. Ask them what they mean by it. Did Christ die so as to secure the salvation of all men?

They say, no, certainly not. We ask them the next question. Did Christ die so as to secure the salvation of any man in particular? They say, no. They are obliged to admit this if they are consistent. They say, no, Christ has not died so that any man may be saved.

Christ died so that any man may be saved if, and then follow certain conditions of salvation. We say then, we will just go back to the old statement. Christ did not die so as beyond a doubt to secure the salvation of anybody, did he?

You must say, no. You are obliged to say so, for you believe that even after a man has been pardoned, he may yet fall from grace and perish. Now, who is it that limits the death of Christ? Why you? We say Christ so died that he infallibly secured the salvation of a multitude that no man can number.

Who through Christ's death, not only may be saved, but are saved, must be saved, and cannot by any possibility run the hazard of anything but be saved. You are welcome to your atonement. You may keep it.

We will never renounce ours for the sake of it. If I'm right, if you believe limit atonement, you're right. You have to make sure when you talk to other people, this isn't the only issue. I will say this behind the scenes.

When we interview new elders-to-be, I ask them all kinds of questions. The other elders get to ask them all kinds of questions. I ask questions like this. Are you a Mason? By the way, when I got here, there were Masons galore.

Rings, Masons, tie things, Masons. There were all kinds of Masons. And I'm not talking about, you know, Masons in the union putting, you know, brick Masons or whatever. What are they called? Brick Masons?

Yeah. I ask them, what do you think about speaking in tongues? What do you think about paying pastors? No, I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding. And then I ask them, what are your views on the atonement?

And tell me why you believe it. And the answer is not because if they say unlimited, they can't be an elder, because they could be. Because I've been trained by some good men at Master Seminary who believe in unlimited atonement.

But I just want them to know, and to be able to articulate, and to be able to go through the issues. So if you think I'm this crazy five pointer, and if you're not a limited atonement guy, you're nothing.

It's not that at all. I don't like the word limited atonement because it sounds like it's negative. I believe in definite atonement. If Jesus died for you, you're going. I believe in particular redemption.

He redeemed a particular group of people. And by the way, at the end of the day, I think everybody believes in a particular redemption because there's a hell and people are in hell. And I don't think anyone with a straight face could say, Jesus died for some of those people in hell.

Now, what you would say is, because I've been on the other fence, well, let's look at some exegetical passages and let's look at 2 Peter 2, verse one, and let's look at 1 Timothy 2, verse four, verse eight, et cetera.

But at least the four elders that you have now, we believe that Jesus died for the elect because of the triune nature of God, the Father, Son, and the Spirit, working in perfect harmony to save those that God the Father gave to the Son before time began.

And so that's what we believe here at Bethlehem Bible Church. All right, well, I think we have a little more time. Should we do one more? Why am I asking you? Let's do one more. What do you think I'm gonna pick next?

Election, that was number three. End times, I don't think end times made it on the list. And it's not because I think everything will just kind of pan out. Let's talk about free will versus bound will.

Free will, what is free will? What is a bound will? I asked some questions. Here's a question. Why are some men saved? Well, you could either say because God alone saved them or you could say because man made it possible by willingly opening their hearts.

I ask you another question. Who gets the praise for your salvation? If God alone saved you, he gets the praise. If you believe you opened your heart to allow him to save you, then I think maybe you get some praise.

Do you ever pray like an Arminian? Spurgeon says, this is the prayer of the Arminian. Lord, I thank thee that I'm not like those poor presumptuous Calvinists. Lord, I was born with a glorious free will.

I was born with power by which I can turn to thee of myself. I have improved my grace. If everybody had done the same with their grace that I have, they might have been saved as well. Lord, I know that you do not make us willing unless we are willing ourselves.

You give grace to everybody, but some do not improve it, but I do. There are many that will go to hell as much bought with the blood of Christ as I was. They had as much of the Holy Ghost given to them.

They had a good chance and were as much blessed as I am. It was not thy grace that made us to differ. I know it was a great deal. Still, I turned the point. I made use of what was given me and others did not.

That's the difference between me and them. Doesn't that sound crazy? Spurgeon said, that is the prayer of the devil, for nobody else would offer such a prayer as that. I could ask another question. Congregation, how many of you in this congregation came to Christ without the Holy Spirit's work?

See, nobody would say, because you're smart. Could you say of my own free will, I have come. No influence of the Holy Spirit. There are two systems. One system is a salvation by God's grace alone because our will is bound.