SETTING THE CAPTIVES FREE

MIKE CUNNINGHAM

January 7, 2007

In ending last week’s message I suggested that we ought to take time after we left church to think about the things we had just been considering. I encouraged you folks to speak about those eternal truths with each other, and also that each of you fills your mind and heart with a spirit of awe and gratitude. I also suggested that we start the New Year by pleading with Him to constantly remind us throughout the new year that we are His people; people whom He has created for Himself, and then ask Him to help us to never forget to remember, that He is the Divine Potter and we are His clay.

Those of you who were able to be here last week may recall that I referenced the old man in my Christmas Eve story and a particular truth he was finally able to grasp. In that story I wrote: “… back in eternity past, our Sovereign God planned on creating a very special race of people. And just as He had planned on taking some, not all, but some of the dust from the ground to form the first man, He also planned on using some, not all, but some of the folks from the [spiritually]dead race of people to produce new creatures in Christ. Those formerly dead people had been brought into being for this very purpose, every bit as much as that particular dust had been brought into existence to form the first human.”[1]

Back in eternity past; back before the very foundation of His world; God chose certain, not all, but certain creatures out of what would become an entire mass of spiritually dead humanity to become new creatures in Christ. And as we saw last week in Romans Chapter Nine, God’s choice was not based on any foreseen act that they would do or on a particular response performed in the course of time by any of them. On the contrary, it was a matter of God having mercy on those whom He had chosen to have mercy before He had even spoken His world into existence.

Ephesians 1:4 (AMP) ⁴ Even as [in His love] He chose us [actually picked us out for Himself as His own] in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy (consecrated and set apart for Him) and blameless in His sight, even above reproach, before Him in love.

Revelation 13:8 (AMP) ⁸ And all the inhabitants of the earth will fall down in adoration and pay him homage, everyone whose name has not been recorded in the Book of Life of the Lamb that was slain [in sacrifice] from the foundation of the world.

Revelation 17:8 (AMP) ⁸ And the inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been recorded in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world will be astonished when they look at the beast, because he [once] was, but [now] is no more, and he is [yet] to come.

Romans 9:11-13 (AMP) ¹¹ And the children were yet unborn and had so far done nothing either good or evil. Even so, in order further to carry out God’s purpose of selection (election, choice), which depends not on works or what men can do, but on Him Who calls [them], ¹² It was said to her that the elder [son] should serve the younger [son]. ¹³ As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated (held in relative disregard in comparison with My feeling for Jacob).

Romans 9:16 (AMP) ¹⁶ So then [God’s gift] is not a question of human will and human effort, but of God’s mercy. [It depends not on one’s own willingness nor on his strenuous exertion as in running a race, but on God’s having mercy on him.]

1 Corinthians 1:27-29 (AMP) ²⁷ [No] for God selected (deliberately chose) what in the world is foolish to put the wise to shame, and what the world calls weak to put the strong to shame. ²⁸ And God also selected (deliberately chose) what in the world is lowborn and insignificant and branded and treated with contempt, even the things that are nothing, that He might depose and bring to nothing the things that are, ²⁹ So that no mortal man should [have pretense for glorying and] boast in the presence of God.

2 Timothy 1:9 (AMP) ⁹ [For it is He] Who delivered and saved us and called us with a calling in itself holy and leading to holiness [to a life of consecration, a vocation of holiness]; [He did it] not because of anything of merit that we have done, but because of and to further His own purpose and grace (unmerited favor) which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began [eternal ages ago].

God’s choosing had nothing to do with Him looking down the corridor of time and seeing which folks would accept Him on faith because they wanted have their sins forgiven and go to Heaven when they died. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Acts 13:48 (AMP) ⁴⁸ And when the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and glorified (praised and gave thanks for) the Word of God; and as many as were destined (appointed and ordained) to eternal life believed (adhered to, trusted in, and relied on Jesus as the Christ and their Savior).

Acts 18:27 (AMP) ^27…When he arrived, he proved a great help to those who through grace (God’s unmerited favor and mercy) had believed (adhered to, trusted in, and relied on Christ as Lord and Savior).

Philippians 1:29 (AMP) ²⁹ For you have been granted [the privilege] for Christ’s sake not only to believe in (adhere to, rely on, and trust in) Him, but also to suffer in His behalf.

Philippians 2:12-13 (AMP) ¹² Therefore, my dear ones, as you have always obeyed [my suggestions], so now, not only [with the enthusiasm you would show] in my presence but much more because I am absent, work out (cultivate, carry out to the goal, and fully complete) your own salvation with reverence and awe and trembling (self-distrust, with serious caution, tenderness of conscience, watchfulness against temptation, timidly shrinking from whatever might offend God and discredit the name of Christ). ¹³ [Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.

1 Thessalonians 1:4-5 (AMP) ⁴ [O] brethren beloved by God, we recognize and know that He has selected (chosen) you; ⁵ For our [preaching of the] glad tidings (the Gospel) came to you not only in word, but also in [its own inherent] power and in the Holy Spirit and with great conviction and absolute certainty [on our part]. You know what kind of men we proved [ourselves] to be among you for your good.

2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 (AMP) ¹³ But we, brethren beloved by the Lord, ought and are obligated [as those who are in debt] to give thanks always to God for you, because God chose you from the beginning as His firstfruits (first converts) for salvation through the sanctifying work of the [Holy] Spirit and [your] belief in (adherence to, trust in, and reliance on) the Truth. ¹⁴ [It was] to this end that He called you through our Gospel, so that you may obtain and share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah).

James 2:5 (AMP) ⁵ Listen, my beloved brethren: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and in their position as believers and to inherit the kingdom which He has promised to those who love Him?

These verses form only a part of a spiritual “string of pearls.” Each of them provides lots of spiritual food for thought. In so many words they’re saying that the salvation and therefore eternal life of certain people is a done deal. God is telling His people that salvation is totally dependent upon all whom He chooses to bestow it and no one else. It’s His free gift to fallen man. But we have to become willing to choose whether or not we will accept that precious gift. However, hasn’t it been your own personal experience that most folks are unwilling?

For instance, are any of you folks familiar with current best selling book “Letter to a Christian Nation” by the famous atheist author, Sam Harris? The TV and radio talk show host’s love Sam. It’s been said that his book “is a bold attack on the heart of Christian belief.”[2] To give you some idea of where Sam is presently at in his journey through this life, allow me to share just one of his fondest dreams which I read about recently. Sam says: “If I could wave a wand and get rid of either rape or religion, I would not hesitate to get rid of religion. I think more people are dying as a result of our religious myths than as a result of any other ideology.”[3]

In my own way, I’m sorry to say that I was once as out to lunch as Sam. If the truth be known, I may even have been a worse atheist. But in the course of time I changed my mind and became willing to believe the Gospel. I can say with all honesty that not a single person or anything compelled me to believe the Good News. I’m absolutely certain it was an act of my own free will. In other words, I did something I had sincerely become willing to do.

I changed from being a man, who, although I didn’t realize it at the time, hated God with a passion, to becoming someone who now loves Him very much, however imperfectly my love no doubt is. However, I can also say that the only reason I love Him today is because He loved me first [back in eternity past] (1John 4:19). Today I am absolutely convinced that it is also my Sovereign Lord who has made me different from every spiritually dead person (1 Cor. 4:7).

It wasn’t until a couple of years after my conversion that I discovered the only reason I chose Christ is because He had already chosen to love and have mercy on me, and had written my name in The Book of Life before the foundation of His world. How any Christian can not be filled with a deep sense of awe and gratitude after learning this truth of His incomprehensible love for him or her is beyond me.

But how about a person such as Sam? Suppose he remains unwilling to change his opinion of Christianity. If you read or heard some of the stuff attributed to him you can’t help being convinced that Sam loathes Christianity with a passion. Now suppose unbeknownst to Sam, his name has been recorded in The Book of Life of the Lamb that was slain. According to the passages we have been considering this morning and for the past two Sunday’s, can we conclude that God must have chosen to have mercy on Sam from before the foundation of the world?

But what if Sam remains unwilling to accept the Gospel, will God still save him? I for one sure hope He does. I’ve asked God to have mercy on him and forgive Sam just as He has forgiven me. But will God do it against the man’s will? If he remains unwilling until the moment of his physical death, will God’s holy angles have to pounce on his spirit and drag Sam kicking and screaming into the presence of the Lord?

How much joy in the Lord do you think Sam will be able to experience in Heaven if he sincerely doesn’t want to rejoice in the Lord while he gropes in darkness making his way through this sinful world? How happy do you think Sam will be in Heaven when he finally discovers that Christ paid the price to secure his forgiveness if Sam remains unwilling to accept that forgiveness? Bottom line, short of receiving a cosmic lobotomy before he dies, how is God going to save Sam, if Sam the atheist is unwilling to let Him?

From the moment he left his mothers womb, Sam was captured by the devil, just as every other human being with the exception of Jesus has been(2 Timothy 2:26). The only One who can set Sam free is Jesus, but Sam must be willing to allow that to happen. The man isn’t an inanimate object such as a piece of marble or wood that can be polished or carved and fashioned into something he isn’t. On the contrary, Sam is a human being endowed by his Creator with the freedom and ability to consider his options, and then make an informed decision as to whether or not he is going to freely and willingly accept Christ.

Left to himself, Sam will never willingly choose Christ. That’s the bad news. But the Great News is that God will not, nor can He, leave Sam alone anymore than He can any of His creatures He has chosen before the foundation of His world; people He has chosen to love and to have mercy on and become new creatures in Christ, not even for even a fraction of a Mila-second.

We can be certain that God will help Sam freely decide to become willing to accept His free offer of forgiveness and eternal life in His Son. But how does God do that? The following old hillbilly ditty may be helpful.

When the Canaanites hardened their hearts against God,

And grieved Him because of their sin,

God sent along hornets to bring them to terms,

And to help His own people to win.

If a nest of live hornets were brought to this room,

And the creatures allowed to go free,

You would not need urging to make yourself scarce,

You’d want to get out, don’t you see!

They would not lay hold and by force of their strength,

Throw you out of the window, oh, no!

They would not compel you to go against your      will,

But they would just make you willing to go.

When Jonah was sent to the work of the Lord,

The outlook was not very bright.

He never had done such a hard thing before,

So he backed and ran off from the fight.

Now, the Lord sent a great fish to swallow him up

The story I am sure you all know.

God did not compel him to go against his will,

But He just made him willing to go.

CHORUS:

God does not compel us to go, oh, no!

He never compels us to go

God does not compel us to go against our will,

He just makes us willing to go.[4]

Could I have come up with another name which would have described what I just shared instead of calling it “an old hillbilly ditty?” Sure I can. How about the Divine Providence of Our Sovereign God? Perhaps next week…….

[2] Article entitled: THE TEMPLE OF REASON by Bethany Saltman in the September 2006 issue of The Sun, p. 5.

[3] Ibid, p, 7.

[4] God’s Will, Man’s Will, And Free Will, by Earnest C. Reisinger, pages 17-18. This excellent little book is available without charge from Mt. Zion Publications, 2603 W. Wright St. Pensacola, Fl. 32505. Phone: (904) 438-0227.