Yes I am guilty. I have broken all of God's laws. I deserve nothing but death, condemnation and judgement. God's wrath awaits me, and I rightfully belong to hell. I'm an Idolater, God-offender, God-hater, God-negligent, rebellious, murderer, a sexual pervert, a robber and a thief, lair and an evil covetous person. I deserve to be hated by God from head to toe. My sin defines me.
But there is a man I know that has fulfilled all that God demands. He was without sin, perfect in every way - He is Jesus of Nazareth, He perfectly pleased God. And this is what causes tears in my eyes because such a perfect being loved me that He took my identity as a sinner and placed it on Himself, thus He became what I was. Jesus Christ became an idolater, God-offender, God-hater, God-negligent, rebellious, murderer, sexual pervert, robber and a thief, a liar and a covetous person. And as a result, God's burning wrath fell on Him - I know that was supposed to be for me. God's justice mercilessly crucified Him, He was crushed by Divine Holiness.
To my surprise, He gave His perfect record to me, causing me to become absolutely blameless in the sight of God. I became perfectly righteous, a person that fulfilled all of God's laws and I now deserve to be rewarded eternal life. He exchanged His perfection for my corruption. He became corrupt, I became righteous. Words fail to describe what He did to me, though I still am puzzled, this is what I know - He loved me! Heaven and hell are witnesses that i don't deserve this, but what can I do? He loves me!
Now, He is exalted as Lord over all, He overcame death and revealed what He really is and who He have been from the beginning - Christ the Creator God and the reason for the entire creation. He has no beginning, He has no end, the Alpha and the Omega.
Even today, I stumble and fall, but He never fails to discipline me. Yes, it is painful but I'd rather have the pain of His discipline than the pain of His wrath in Hell. Again, this I know, nothing can pluck me out from His hand, and until I breath my last, He will sustain me and keep me from ever turning away from Him. I am hopeful to see my savior face to face someday, to this I long, and to this death loses it's power over me. There is no escaping from His gaze, no way out from His love.
--- Colzzky
Because of the fall, man is unable of himself to savingly believe the
gospel. The sinner is dead, blind, and deaf to the things of God; his
heart is deceitful and desperately corrupt. His will is not free, it is
in bondage to his evil nature, therefore, he will not – indeed he cannot
– choose good over evil in the spiritual realm. Consequently, it takes
much more than the Spirit’s assistance to bring a sinner to Christ – it
takes regeneration by which the Spirit makes the sinner alive and gives
him a new nature. Faith is not something man contributes to salvation
but is itself a port of God’s gift of salvation – it is God’s gift to
the sinner, not the sinner’s gift to God.
God’s choice of certain individuals unto salvation before the foundation
of the world rested solely in His own sovereign will. His choice of
particular sinners was not based on any foreseen response of obedience
on their part, such as faith, repentance, etc. On the contrary, God
gives faith and repentance to each individual whom He selected. These
acts are the result, not the cause of God’s choice. Election therefore
was not determined by or conditioned upon any virtuous quality or act
foreseen in man. Those whom God sovereignly elected He brings through
the power of the Spirit to a willing acceptance of Christ. Thus God’s
choice of the sinner, not the sinner’s choice of Christ, is the ultimate
cause of salvation.
Christ’s redeeming work was intended to save the elect only and actually
secured salvation for them. His death was substitutionary endurance of
the penalty of sin in the place of certain specified sinners. In
addition to putting away the sins of His people, Christ’s redemption
secured everything necessary for their salvation, including faith which
unites them to Him. The gift of faith is infallibly applied by the
Spirit to all for whom Christ died, therefore guaranteeing their
salvation.
In addition to the outward general call to salvation which is made to
everyone who hears the gospel, the Holy Spirit extends to the elect a
special inward call that inevitably brings them to salvation. The internal call (which is made only to the elect) cannot be rejected; it
always results in conversion. By means of this special call the Spirit
irresistibly draws sinners to Christ. He is not limited in His work of
applying salvation by man’s will, nor is He dependent upon man’s
cooperation for success. The Spirit graciously causes the elect sinner
to cooperate, to believe, to repent, to come freely and willingly to
Christ. God’s grace, therefore, is invincible; it never fails to result
in the salvation of those to whom it is extended.
All who are chosen by God, redeemed by Christ, and given faith by the
Spirit are eternally saved. They are kept in faith by the power of
Almighty God and thus persevere to the end.
Finally…
Salvation is accomplished by the almighty power of the Triune God.
The Father chose a people, the Son died for them, the Holy Spirit makes
Christ’s death effective by bringing the elect to faith and repentance,
thereby causing them to willingly obey the gospel. The entire process
(election, redemption, regeneration) is the work of God and is by grace
alone. Thus God, not man, determines who will be the recipients of the
gift of salvation.
Loraine Boettner,
The Reformed Faith
