Since by Grace, Why Aren’t All Saved?

Date: April 28, 2002 – Sunday Evening Sermon
Speaker: George Bailey (during a Gospel Meeting April 28 through May 1, 2002, at the Northeast church of Christ, Albuquerque, New Mexico)
Main Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-10

Here’s the way the Bible begins, Genesis 1:1: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”Here’s how the Bible ends, Revelation 22:21: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”Isn’t it interesting that the Bible begins with the creation of the world, something done for man, and it ends with the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God extends to man. In between those two verses, Genesis 1:1 and Revelation 22:21, God tells us so much about Himself, but He also tells us so much about ourselves!

We’re told, first of all, that we were made in God’s “image,” Genesis 1:26 and 27. That means we can think God’s thoughts. Isaiah 1:18 says, “‘Come let us reason together,’ sayeth the LORD.” In James 3:9, we are said to be “made in the similitude of God.” And in Acts 17:29, we are God’s “offspring.”

But secondly, the Bible lets us know that we are free moral beings. We’re not puppets, we’re not robots, we’re not machines—God gave us the power of choice! We can either choose or refuse. We can decide to obey God, or turn our backs upon God, because man is a free moral being. In Deuteronomy 30 and verse 19, He said, “I have set before you life and death, therefore choose life;” in Joshua 24:15, it says “choose you this day whom you will serve;” or in Matthew 23, verses 37 to 39, Jesus said, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem…how often would I…but you would not!” The Bible said, “Whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely,” Revelation 22:17. “The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes,” Romans 1:16. “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,” Matthew 11:28 and following. Man is a free moral being.

But the third thing the Bible lets us know about man is that he is responsible for the use he makes of that freedom. We’re free to make a choice, but we’re not free from the consequences of the choice we make. A man is free to become drunk, he’s free to become an alcoholic, but he’s not freed from the consequences of alcoholism. He’s free to become a drug addict, but he’s not freed from the consequences of drug addition. He’s free to take his own life, he’s free to take someone else’s life, but he’s not freed from the consequences, because someday a reckoning is going to be made. In Hebrews 2, verses 1 and 2, the Bible says, “every transgression,” every “disobedience will receive a just recompence of reward.” God doesn’t settle all of His accounts at the end of any one year, but rest assured, those accounts will in time be settled! And someday, “every knee will bow…and every tongue will confess,” Romans 14:11 and 12. Everybody who has ever lived is going to be there on that occasion, 2 Corinthians 5:10. And according to Matthew 25, verses 31 and following, on that great occasion (with old Hitler there, Mussolini, Belshazzar, Herod—all who have ever lived, both good and bad) the Lord’s going to separate the “sheep from the goats…the sheep on His right…the goats on the left.” And once that separation is made, not one sheep would be left among the goats, and not one goat would be left among the sheep. Each person will be in one of those two groups, because Paul said, “every man must bear his own burden,” Galatians 6:5.

But the Bible tells us another thing about man. Not only is he made in the image of God, and not only is he a free moral being, and not only is he responsible to God for the use he makes of his freedom, but we are also informed over and over again that sin is man’s worst enemy. It has never been a friend. Paul said “sin deceived me,” Romans 7:11. Hebrews 3:13 speaks of the “deceitfulness of sin.” Ephesians 4:14 speaks of the “cunning craftiness;” or Ephesians 6:11, “the wiles of the devil;” or 2 Corinthians 11, verses 2 and 3 speaks to the subtlety of the devil. In fact, we’re told in 1Timothy 2, verses 12 to 14 that mother Eve was “deceived.” She was deceived into thinking two things about God: First, that God really didn’t mean what He said—oh, He said it, but he really didn’t mean it!—and, secondly, she was deceived into thinking that God wouldn’t do what He said. But to her surprise, and to the sorrow of all mankind since, because of what happened, Romans 5:12, she realized, first, that God did mean what He said and He always has! He never said anything He didn’t mean! And, secondly, that God would do everything that He said! “Can a man take fire to his bosom, and his clothes not be scorched?” No! Can a man “walk upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?” Proverbs 6:27 and 28. No! “The wages of sin is death,” Romans 6:23. Sin has never been a friend of man, and yet it has proposed to be. But all through the years, it has been deceptive. The Bible said, man is “hardened” by it, Hebrews 3:13; his eyes are “blinded” by it, 2 Corinthians 4:4; and sin binds the will, Romans 7:21 to 23. Sin is an enemy! It’s the worst enemy that man could have, because sin is anti-God. Sin is turning ones back upon God. The Bible said sin “separates” us from God, Isaiah 59:1 and 2.

But the Bible also tells us another thing about man. He’s made in the image of God, he’s a free moral being, he’s responsible for the use he makes of that freedom, sin is his worst enemy, and yet, the Bible said, “all have sinned,” Romans 3:23. Isn’t that tragic? The worst enemy, and yet all of us have incorporated that enemy. The Bible said sin “entered” Judas [Luke 22:2-4], but he allowed sin to enter. Or in Proverbs 1:10, “if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.” You see, you have the last word, and even the devil cannot barge in without your permission! He wants to “sift you as wheat,” Luke 22, verses 31 and following. And yet, Jesus uses a “fan” to drive away all of the impurities so that nothing but the good is left, Matthew 3:11 and following. But sin is our worst enemy, and yet we’ve all sinned! In 1 John 1:8 to 10, “If we say we have no sin,” we’re wrong! Romans 3:10 speaks of the same thing [“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one….”].