THE FREENESS OF THE GOSPEL: "Why The Gospel Must Be Free," Part 3
The
Gospel
is absolutely, totally and unequivocally free. It is completely free
in that it is the expression of the attributes of God which He freely
exercises without any cause or impulsion outside of Himself. The
Gospel is also free in that God's works are made manifest according to
the good pleasure of His eternal will. Regarding God's attributes and
works, He is immutably autonomous and independent, doing all things
without any counsel, suggestions, or input from His creation.
The Gospel must also be free so that all of the glory regarding the salvation of man be exclusively for the triune God (Psalm 21:5; Revelation 7:10). God is the only one worthy of glory (Revelation 4:10). All things were created for God's glory (Romans 11:36). His glory is the supreme motive for all that the triune God has ordained, created, permitted, and done (Psalm 113:4, 148:13). God is very jealous of His own glory and will not share it with any one or any thing (Isaiah 42:8, 48:11). All of creation declares His matchless glory (Psalm 19:1). Man was created in the image and glory of God, though after his willful sin and rebellion against God, he became destitute of the glory of God (Isaiah 43:7; 1Corinthians 11:7; Romans 3:23). Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, came to this earth as the Brightness of His glory, a glory that was beheld by all that saw Him (Hebrews 1:3; Isaiah 40:5; John 1:14). Depraved man is hell-bent on robbing all of God's glory and giving it to whatever or whoever he deems worthy (Romans 1:19-25). However, when all of God´s redemptive purposes are complete on the earth, His eternal glory will prevail as the unbeliever bows his earthly-unbent knee and confesses with his earthly-blasphemous tongue that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9-11), and the Spirit-regenerate believer will eternally behold the glory of His Redeemer (John 17:24).
God is the effective author of the Gospel. God determined who would be the benefactors of the Gospel. God is the One who planned our salvation through the Gospel. God sent His Son to give His life a ransom for many. God imputed to Christ on the cross all of the transgressions of His people. God made Christ a penal substitute whereby He satisfied His own holy righteousness by pouring out His fiery wrath on Christ on the cross. God raised up His Son on the third day according to the Scriptures. God exalted His Son receiving Him in a cloud so that He could sit down at the right hand of the Father.
Christ is the effective agent of the Gospel. The eternally-glorious Christ willingly made Himself of no reputation and humbled Himself to become a lowly man. Christ, without fail, kept all of the law of God in thought, motive and deed. Christ as the good shepherd voluntarily laid down His life for His sheep. Christ alone effectually purged our sins, reconciled us to the Father, and has once-for-all put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. By the shedding of His blood, He obtained eternal redemption for His people. By His holy life and His vicarious, substitutionary death, Christ has been made our righteousness, our redemption, our life, and our only hope.
The Holy Spirit is the effective applicator of the Gospel. The Holy Spirit, like the wise and trusted servant of Abraham who was sent to find a bride for Isaac, is the one who effectually seeks out the chosen people of God the Father and those for whom Christ died. The Holy Spirit effectually does the human-heart work of the Gospel. He reveals to man his sinfulness, His entire corruption, and His inability to do anything in the flesh to come to God. He reveals and instructs His heart concerning the seriousness of His plight, his separation from God, his imminent danger of death, judgment, and eternal hell fire. He reveals to man's heart the sufficiency of Christ and His perfect sacrifice as the basis of redemption. The Holy Spirit effectually regenerates the heart creating a new creature in Christ Jesus whereby the mind comes into total agreement concerning the knowledge of God, the heinousness of sin, and the depraved nature of man; the affections are renewed so that one sincerely longs for and loves Christ from the heart; and the will is divinely-enabled to come to Christ, repent, and believe to the saving of the soul. The Holy Spirit effectually seals and sanctifies the repentant believer so that he is preserved and enabled to persevere to the end of his earthly pilgrimage.
Seeing that the triune God is the effective author, agent, and applicator of the Gospel, all of the glory for the free Gospel by which we are saved must be for God alone. The law cannot save us. Good works cannot save us. Baptism cannot save us. Our faithfulness cannot save us. The sacraments cannot save us. Growing up in a Christian home cannot save us. Reformation of life or character cannot save us. Religion cannot save us. Being a student of the Scriptures cannot save us. Our self-righteousness cannot save us. Prayer and fasting cannot save us. Turning over a new leaf cannot save us. Speaking in tongues cannot save us. Sabbath-keeping cannot save us. Loving our neighbor cannot save us. A sinner is saved and justified before God freely by His grace, apart from all and every human work (Ephesians 2:5-10; Titus 3:5; 2Timothy 1:9).
Salvation is all of grace. It is without human cause. It is without any merit in man. The finality of the free Gospel and salvation wholly by grace is that that all of the honor and glory for all eternity be completely and exclusively for our glorious, worthy and eternally-merciful God! The Apostle Paul anticipated the surprised reaction of man to salvation wholly by grace when he asked the question in Romans 3:27: "Where is boasting then?" If we are saved by all of God's work and none of man's, what glory is there for us? And Paul gives the inspired answer, "It is excluded!" Divine grace removes all human boasting and glorying. Divine grace requires us to fall on our face in gratitude and humble thanksgiving before our merciful and kind Lord. Divine grace replaces all of our arrogant and self-centered boasting with glory and praise to the Lamb who has redeemed us to God by His blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation!
The Gospel is entirely free so that all of the glory be for God alone. As the inspired, infallible Word declares: "...that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: that, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord" (1Corinthians 1:29-31).
To God alone be eternal glory for free grace, for the free Gospel, and for a free salvation!
The Gospel must also be free so that all of the glory regarding the salvation of man be exclusively for the triune God (Psalm 21:5; Revelation 7:10). God is the only one worthy of glory (Revelation 4:10). All things were created for God's glory (Romans 11:36). His glory is the supreme motive for all that the triune God has ordained, created, permitted, and done (Psalm 113:4, 148:13). God is very jealous of His own glory and will not share it with any one or any thing (Isaiah 42:8, 48:11). All of creation declares His matchless glory (Psalm 19:1). Man was created in the image and glory of God, though after his willful sin and rebellion against God, he became destitute of the glory of God (Isaiah 43:7; 1Corinthians 11:7; Romans 3:23). Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, came to this earth as the Brightness of His glory, a glory that was beheld by all that saw Him (Hebrews 1:3; Isaiah 40:5; John 1:14). Depraved man is hell-bent on robbing all of God's glory and giving it to whatever or whoever he deems worthy (Romans 1:19-25). However, when all of God´s redemptive purposes are complete on the earth, His eternal glory will prevail as the unbeliever bows his earthly-unbent knee and confesses with his earthly-blasphemous tongue that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9-11), and the Spirit-regenerate believer will eternally behold the glory of His Redeemer (John 17:24).
God is the effective author of the Gospel. God determined who would be the benefactors of the Gospel. God is the One who planned our salvation through the Gospel. God sent His Son to give His life a ransom for many. God imputed to Christ on the cross all of the transgressions of His people. God made Christ a penal substitute whereby He satisfied His own holy righteousness by pouring out His fiery wrath on Christ on the cross. God raised up His Son on the third day according to the Scriptures. God exalted His Son receiving Him in a cloud so that He could sit down at the right hand of the Father.
Christ is the effective agent of the Gospel. The eternally-glorious Christ willingly made Himself of no reputation and humbled Himself to become a lowly man. Christ, without fail, kept all of the law of God in thought, motive and deed. Christ as the good shepherd voluntarily laid down His life for His sheep. Christ alone effectually purged our sins, reconciled us to the Father, and has once-for-all put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. By the shedding of His blood, He obtained eternal redemption for His people. By His holy life and His vicarious, substitutionary death, Christ has been made our righteousness, our redemption, our life, and our only hope.
The Holy Spirit is the effective applicator of the Gospel. The Holy Spirit, like the wise and trusted servant of Abraham who was sent to find a bride for Isaac, is the one who effectually seeks out the chosen people of God the Father and those for whom Christ died. The Holy Spirit effectually does the human-heart work of the Gospel. He reveals to man his sinfulness, His entire corruption, and His inability to do anything in the flesh to come to God. He reveals and instructs His heart concerning the seriousness of His plight, his separation from God, his imminent danger of death, judgment, and eternal hell fire. He reveals to man's heart the sufficiency of Christ and His perfect sacrifice as the basis of redemption. The Holy Spirit effectually regenerates the heart creating a new creature in Christ Jesus whereby the mind comes into total agreement concerning the knowledge of God, the heinousness of sin, and the depraved nature of man; the affections are renewed so that one sincerely longs for and loves Christ from the heart; and the will is divinely-enabled to come to Christ, repent, and believe to the saving of the soul. The Holy Spirit effectually seals and sanctifies the repentant believer so that he is preserved and enabled to persevere to the end of his earthly pilgrimage.
Seeing that the triune God is the effective author, agent, and applicator of the Gospel, all of the glory for the free Gospel by which we are saved must be for God alone. The law cannot save us. Good works cannot save us. Baptism cannot save us. Our faithfulness cannot save us. The sacraments cannot save us. Growing up in a Christian home cannot save us. Reformation of life or character cannot save us. Religion cannot save us. Being a student of the Scriptures cannot save us. Our self-righteousness cannot save us. Prayer and fasting cannot save us. Turning over a new leaf cannot save us. Speaking in tongues cannot save us. Sabbath-keeping cannot save us. Loving our neighbor cannot save us. A sinner is saved and justified before God freely by His grace, apart from all and every human work (Ephesians 2:5-10; Titus 3:5; 2Timothy 1:9).
Salvation is all of grace. It is without human cause. It is without any merit in man. The finality of the free Gospel and salvation wholly by grace is that that all of the honor and glory for all eternity be completely and exclusively for our glorious, worthy and eternally-merciful God! The Apostle Paul anticipated the surprised reaction of man to salvation wholly by grace when he asked the question in Romans 3:27: "Where is boasting then?" If we are saved by all of God's work and none of man's, what glory is there for us? And Paul gives the inspired answer, "It is excluded!" Divine grace removes all human boasting and glorying. Divine grace requires us to fall on our face in gratitude and humble thanksgiving before our merciful and kind Lord. Divine grace replaces all of our arrogant and self-centered boasting with glory and praise to the Lamb who has redeemed us to God by His blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation!
The Gospel is entirely free so that all of the glory be for God alone. As the inspired, infallible Word declares: "...that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: that, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord" (1Corinthians 1:29-31).
To God alone be eternal glory for free grace, for the free Gospel, and for a free salvation!
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