This sermon was preached by R.C. Sproul at Saint Andrew's Chapel in Sanford, Fla. Hear more from his series in the gospel of Luke: ru-vid.com/group/PL30acyfm60fV94ET7HEWa47qdUm3RnkDE
"Almost every natural man that hears of hell, flatters himself that he shall escape it." -- Jonathan Edwards "Do you think that you deserve forgiveness? If you do, you are not a Christian." ― D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones "Thinking that I deserve heaven is a sure sign that I have no understanding of the gospel" -- Sinclair B. Feruguson "How many people are going to heaven? The exact number God chose before the foundation of the world. Not one more, not one less." -- Voddie Baucham
@David Ross God doesn't choose people to go to hell. We all deserve Hell for the sins we've committed. He chooses to save some of us because He is so merciful. If someone goes to Hell, it's not God's fault - it is their own. God is not obligated to save everyone. He was not obligated to save any of us. It would be extremely arrogant to insinuate that He was required to save anyone. He has done so out of the goodness of His heart because it is His good pleasure to save those He has drawn to believe in His Son. Who are we to question why God chooses to save someone?
“The ‘Secret’ of The LORD is with them that Fear HIM; And HE Will ‘Cause’ them to Know HIS Covenant.” (Psalm 25:14) ~~~ “By Mercy and Truth Iniquity is PURGED; And By The FEAR of The LORD men Depart from Evil.” (Prov 16:6) ~~~ “And Wisdom and Knowledge shall be the Stability Of thy times, and ‘Strength of Salvation’; The ‘F-E-A-R’ of The LORD ‘IS’ HIS TREASURE.” (Isaiah 33:6) ~~~ :o
The Lord had said for it is easier for a camel to enter the eye of the needle through perfection in Him for what He wants for us is to complete our race and win the prize of His external glory.
The older I get, the more I think of this. It's terrifying. I have endeavored to live for the Lord. That's all I want in life. But... I have failed so often and so miserably. I have nothing to show for my life. I don't know how to reconcile this with being forgiven and my sins pardoned. I know I deserve hell. No one has to tell me that. I just wish I had at least ONE crown to throw at His feet when I see Him.
Dear Yesica. You have a humble heart. God honors that. We often judge ourselves differently from how God judges us. I think you will be amazed at the inheritance God has waiting God you when you enter His presence.7
"God Fearing" means being so terrified of the punishment by the invisible-man-in-the-sky, that a "believer" would never do anything to incur the wrath of the mythical supreme being. It's a laughable term, and it describes the most powerful motivation in the fevered minds of religious people: FEAR. What an embarrassment to happily admit that your relationship with a mythical being is based on FEAR.
Thank you, Dr.Sproul. I am so pleased to join the RBC online program in January 2024. Since I listened to your sermons on RU-vid, the willingness to know more about our Almighty God has been inevitable in my life.
