Leaving Beyond – Grounded In Scripture

Written by: April J. Buchanan

If salvation is not by the exertion, will, or work of man, many struggle to understand how man can be held responsible for his sin, his rejection of Christ, or even how he can be saved at all. Yet they fail to see that these very questions point to the beauty, glory, sovereignty, power, wisdom, and mercy of God.

Man, born in sin under the federal headship of the first Adam, is without the will, desire, power, or ability to change his nature, either to put off sin or to put on righteousness. He is born in sin, and the curse of death abides upon him. Even his righteousness is vile before a holy God.

What man, born in Adam, can save his own soul? None. Not one. It is through the second Adam that any man may be saved.

Christ, truly God, took on flesh, adding humanity to His deity, and is truly man, born of a virgin, without sin. As the second Adam, He lived the righteous life we could not live and willingly went to the cross, dying the death we deserve, bearing the full wrath of God for His people. On the third day, He rose from the grave, conquering sin and death, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again.

Through the power of the Gospel, God takes the external call and makes it effectual, calling His own out of darkness into truth. He gives a new heart that responds in repentance and faith. The Father planned it, the Son accomplished it, and the Holy Spirit applies it. (Seeing the glory of the triune God at work in salvation still sets my heart to singing; I hope you see it and don’t miss it. The Holy Spirit gets blamed for a lot of false manifestations and His true work is so often missed because it’s not what sinful men want).

Man is responsible for his sin before a holy God. We have sinned against His perfect holiness, righteousness, and authority.

Yet God, in undeserved grace, has chosen to glorify Himself by showing mercy to an undeserving people. He sent His Son, who willingly bore the just and holy wrath of God for sinners and lived the perfect life we could not live, so that His righteousness might be imputed to us and our sin imputed to Him.

Do not let these truths become mere words we learn and rehearse, but realities that penetrate the heart. Many have heard that Jesus died for sins, yet have not been confronted with the truth of man’s depravity, nor taught the necessity of the imputed righteousness of Christ. Too many have turned the pulpit into a marketplace, appealing to the desires of men and drawing them by whatever means seem effective. The result is devastating, both to true evangelism in the pew and to the power of the pulpit, which rests upon the faithful preaching of the Word.

Man thinks far too highly of himself. Only when we understand our depravity do we see that our will, desires, and all our faculties are bound. Scripture testifies truly that there is none who does good. That any are saved is entirely of grace, grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Any who add to or take away from this do not understand grace.

We are all born in Adam, under sin and its curse, deserving of God’s wrath. We must be born again.

Many hear the external call of the Gospel, yet are deceived by shallow appeals to their desires, promises God has not made, and calls to merely ask Jesus into their heart. They remain ignorant of their depravity. They do not understand that unless they are born again in Christ, they will die in their sin and face the just wrath of God.

Our only hope is Christ. He is Sovereign, He is Lord and King, and He commands all men everywhere to repent and believe in Him. This is not a call to mere relief from guilt or suffering, nor a shallow assurance of heaven. True repentance and faith flow from a heart transformed by God, a heart that sees its own sin, trembles before His holiness, and flees to Christ alone for mercy.

Many sit under preaching that does not proclaim the whole counsel of God. They hear of love, yet do not know God, because His holiness, justice, and truth are not faithfully declared.

Unless you repent and trust in Christ alone, you will die in your sins. There is no hope beyond the grave, only the righteous judgment of God.

Repent. Flee to Christ.