Our text for this message is derived from Joshua 1:1-9.

The passage in Joshua reveals at least 3 aspects of godly courage. Godly courage is based upon the assurance of the presence of God. (vs. 9) Godly courage is rooted in the certainty of a righteous cause. (vs. 4, vs. 6) Godly courage has its foundation in the providence of God. (vs. 7)

GODLY COURAGE THEN FIRST OF ALL IS BASED UPON THE ASSURANCE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD.

"Be strong and of a good courage and be not afraid neither be thou dismayed. For the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."

Joshua was filled with great consternation. Moses his mentor and confidant had just passed from the scene. A nation of people with a population greater than the total sum of present day Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho needed godly leadership. In plain and simple terms, Joshua was scared to death. He needed a word from Jehovah. Joshua heard words which fortified his spirit and put steel into his spirit. The LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

As a young lad, I had a most difficult time learning to swim. My dad would swim to a depth of 10 to 12 feet. And then he would command me to swim toward him. Then he said, "Don't be afraid. If you can't make it, I'll come and get you." I would kick and try to tread water. There is something frightening and intimidating to a beginning swimmer about not being able to touch the bottom. Sure enough, I'd get into trouble. But my father always came and lifted me up. Even though I was afraid of the deep water, I obeyed my dad's command to swim toward him. He was always there to rescue me. In time I finally learned to swim.

Christian courage is predicated upon the certainty of Divine constancy. "Be strong and of a good courage." If we are certain of God's presence, how could we not be courageous? My Heavenly Father is not going to let me sink if I am doing His will. He will not abandon me to my foes if I am obeying His Word. Some of you dear brothers and sisters are facing some of the most challenging issues in your life. You have lost your life companion. Loneliness is gnawing at your soul. You struggle in a single parent home. You face the daily responsibility of raising children alone. You could use a good dose of Christian courage. Remember that you are not really alone.

Perhaps you need to maintain a credible Christian testimony in a hostile work environment. Perhaps you are facing an overwhelming and difficult task in this hour. You feel helpless. You are wondering how you are going to pull this off. Recall the words of Joshua 1:9 The LORD is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

THE SECOND ELEMENT OF CHRISTIAN COURAGE IS ROOTED IN THE CERTAINTY OF A RIGHTEOUS CAUSE 

Let's get a close-up view of this situation and try to discern exactly what Joshua was facing. Allow me to use a little bit of sanctified imagination. Probably something like this was running through his mind. " Lord, you want me to lead this great mass of humanity to the land of promise. You want me to divide up the land and maintain peace and order among these people who have a track record of rebellion and disobedience. How in the world will I be able to pull this off?" But verse 6 is the key. “Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shaft thou divide for an inheritance the land which I sware unto their fathers to give them.”

How did Joshua discern he was pursuing a righteous cause? God plainly told him to take the reigns of leadership.

Dear reader, have you ever noticed how difficult it is to exude holy boldness and courage when you are wrong. When you are pursuing a course of action which is diametrically opposed to the will of God, you must conjure up some sort of carnal recipe and call it courage. Zealots perform a number of things which on the surface may have a semblance of courage. In Acts 9, Saul breathes out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord Jesus. He must have appeared as a great leader of unusual courage. But this was not a display of godly courage. Saul was motivated by sheer hatred for Christ Jesus and His people. Saul's courage arose from blind ignorance and not a righteous cause.

By way of contrast, John the Baptist said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother Phillip's wife." John pursued a righteous cause. Adultery is unlawful. John knew what the law of God said and he took up a cause based on that law.

Where do you suppose the young men in Daniel chapter 4 acquired such courage that enabled them to face the wrath of the king and the fiery furnace? They knew that their cause was righteous. God's law forbids idolatry. And they knew their stand was a righteous stand.

When you take a stand or pursue a cause, ask yourself this crucial question. "Is my cause righteous"? Do I have clear direction from God's Word? If not, then back off. If you have clear direction from the Word of God, proceed with kindness and grace in your heart knowing that it is a just cause.

LAST OF ALL, GODLY COURAGE WILL ALWAYS HAVE ITS FOUNDATION IN THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD 

I like Mr. Spurgeon's description of providence. He shows the difference between providence and pagan fate. Fate is like a blind man walking down an alley tripping, falling, bumping into every thing simply because he must. Providence has eyes. It sees where it is going.

Verse 7 of our passage says, "Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest."

This is exactly the medicine Joshua needed for his soul. He needed to know that Jehovah in His providence would bless Joshua. Joshua had a guarantee of success. God says to him, "You are going to prosper wherever you go." Joshua could say in his heart, "Bring on the Amalakites. Bring on the Perezites and the Hittites. I have total confidence in the providence of God.”

So dear reader, are you able to see that godly courage does not emerge from the strutting of a cocky person? Godly courage is not the display of outbursts of aggression as you might expect from a zealot. But godly courage is based upon the assurance of the presence of God. Godly courage is rooted in the certainty of a righteous cause. Godly courage has its foundation in the providence of God. Perhaps you need a good dose of godly courage today. You know that God is with you. You are certain your cause is righteous. You have unswerving confidence in the providence of God. Based on these truths, ask the Lord Jesus to give you godly courage.

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Man’s view of God shapes his view of the world around him. We live in a world where we must interact with people and make judgments as to whether things are good or evil. Who or what we acknowledge as supreme does most certainly affect how we live and what we do.

Certainly there are many in this world of whom it can be said, “God is not in all their thoughts”. These go about their own way striving mostly to please themselves. They are at the center of their universe and nothing has as much importance to them as their own interests. Most of these have a god of his or her own making. They choose a religion that best fits their selfish desires and they call upon the god of this religion only when they need him. It is not uncommon for them to call good evil and evil good if in so doing it will work to their benefit.

Then there are those who are devotedly religious but badly deceived. Their lives are occupied with finding and performing the will of the god they know about. Whatever pleases their god that they want to do. The sad events of September 11, 2001 are the result, humanly speaking, of men whose actions were motivated by what they knew of the god of Mohammed, Allah. The false god, Allah, and his false prophet, Mohammed, instructed their followers to consider non-Muslims as the enemy and infidels deserving of death. So, to please him they followed his commands and killed the infidels.

But those who know the True God have a worldview, too. Their understanding of Him shapes it. We have in the verbally inspired Word of the Living God all that we need to know of Him. How we view and react to the world around us and the events that come into our lives is influenced by what we know of the God we serve. Therefore, believers should look to His Word to know Him better.

One of the ways God has chosen to reveal Himself to men is in His names. This revelation of who He is progresses through Scripture. And, this progressive revelation in the Word of God seems to coincide with a specific need of the people to whom He reveals Himself in that way at that time.

One of the names He chose for Himself is El Elyon. The name El Elyon denotes power and might. Twice in the name the word ‘el’ appears. The word ‘el’ is translated ‘power’ in Proverbs 3:27, “Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.” In Psalm 50:1 the “mighty God” is El Elyon.

Yet more fully does the meaning of name El Elyon appear when we consider when God first revealed himself in this way. Abram was loyal to his nephew Lot. When Lot was taken captive out of Sodom by powerful kings Abram pursued them, overtook them and reclaimed Lot. Thereby Abram had not only gone to battle with and defeated a great foe but had also impacted a potentially recovered economy in Sodom by taking one of its most wealthy citizens. In other words, he now had real, powerful enemies.

Some years ago I read of an incident in a fascinating account from a reporter’s viewpoint of the presidency of Ronald Reagan. Caspar Weinberger was Secretary of Defense during one of Reagan’s terms. A man who traveled with Mr. Weinberger recounted an incident of late night travel with the Secretary aboard a military aircraft. In an unguarded moment Mr. Weinberger confided in this young military man that in the line of work he was in he had few real friends but many real enemies. Abram, the man chosen by God, now finds himself with many real enemies.

How will Abram react? What will shape his view of the world that is now around him? The Lord knew that the most fitting thing for Abram at this time was to not only hear from Him but to know more about Him. So, while one of the offended (the king of Sodom) approaches the Lord sends one ahead with a mission of comfort. His name was Melchizedek. He was the priest of El Elyon (Genesis 14:18). Melchizedek blesses Abram and acknowledges him as “of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth.” Not only does God reveal Himself as El Elyon but also he confirms to Abram that he belongs to him and that El Elyon is the one who, superior and more mighty than all earthly kings, had given him the victory. Abram, it appears, gladly learns this lesson of who God is. He calmly asserts to the king of Sodom that he had sworn an oath to El Elyon and would not be moved by fear to comply with the proposition he made. The complete story can be found in Genesis 14:17-24 and in every instance where the term ‘most high God’ is used the name of God is El Elyon.

None are higher, mightier or more powerful than El Elyon is. In Daniel chapter 4 we read of a king who was given world dominion, Nebuchadnezzar. He vainly walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon and pronounced, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?” In the same hour that the king spoke these words one mightier than he proved His power. His answer to the foolish king was to translate him from the kingdom of men to the kingdom of beasts for the express purpose of having him come to know “that the most High (El Elyon) ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will” (Daniel 4:32).

When a believer learns that he is the property and servant of the most high God he should also learn what El Elyon expects from him. How should we cope with the world around us in light of our relationship with El Elyon?

First, He expects us to rest in Him and believe in His ability and desire to provide for His own. Anything less than this confidence may well provoke Him. The children of Israel sinned against Him by “provoking the most High (El Elyon) in the wilderness” (Psalm 78:17). Their provocation consisted in doubting his ability and desire to furnish them with exactly what they needed. “Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?” (Psalm 78:19-20).

Next, we should consider that since He has no rivals in fact we should create no rivals to Him in our affections. This the children of Israel did to the great displeasure of El Elyon. “Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies: But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow. For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images. When God heard this, he was wroth and greatly abhorred Israel” (Psalm 78:56-59).

Lest we think this reaction of El Elyon to His people’s unbelief and idolatry is restricted to Old Testament saints we need to read carefully Hebrews 3:12, “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.” There the truth of the jealous, most High God is presented to “brethren” who are in danger of provoking Him through unbelief.

In the 1800’s the great city of London was stricken with a plague. Many people died from the contagious disease. The lot of the true minister of Jesus Christ is to help bear the burdens of others. He does this at times by being present at the sick bed to pray with and for those who solicit his help. Charles Spurgeon lived and ministered in London during this particular blight. He tells in his autobiography of the dismal scenes at the deathbeds of the ungodly and the peaceful demises of many of the saints. But Spurgeon, as a man, had fears that were shared by his family. Would he contact this disease, die and leave behind all his obligations? While he walked the streets he says he came upon a handwritten sign in the window of a shoe cobbler. The sign read simply but profoundly, “Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High (El Elyon), thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.” El Elyon’s promise in Psalm 91:9-10 the cobbler had taken for his own. Mr. Spurgeon did, too, and faithfully went on his way comforted to know that the most High is over all situations and rules them for His own glory.

Of great encouragement to the people of God is the fact that El Elyon is the supplier of all that we need and has purposed us for blessing. He, the high and lofty one, has chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world and now delights in dispensing good things to us through Him.

The Lord Jesus Christ is described as the “dayspring from on high” (Luke 1:78), “the son of the most High” and “now sitting at the right hand of the majesty on High” (Hebrews 1:3). Saints find themselves the recipients of great blessings now because of their position in Christ. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). Not only do individual saints experience great things because of the lofty position of the Son of God but His churches have received something that no other institution on the face of the earth can lay claim to. Christ on the day of Pentecost endued His church with “power from on High” (Luke 24:49).

While I cannot control how others view the world I, as a child of God, can be helped to have the proper worldview by knowing more of the One who owns me and loves me. My anxious thoughts can be brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ by “casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God” (II Corinthians 10:5). While the seen and unseen powers may work against me I can rest in the confidence that El Elyon is the One who is greater than all and far above all principalities and powers. May the Most High God give His people peace in the knowledge of Him.

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Before I tell you about the work that has been accomplished at the Children's Center, I would like to ask prayer for one of the pastors. Bro. Silas, pastor at Pa Sak, the church that sponsors the mission work of Bro. Anond, had a motorcycle accident and was hurt. As he was on his way home from church Sunday night, August 11, 2002, (Sunday morning our time) his motorcycle slipped in the mud and fell on him. His left leg was broken. At the present time, due to several reasons, he is staying at the home of Bro. Anond and will be there about one month. We are currently checking to see if there are any special financial needs he may have at this time.

Pastor Silas of Pa Sak

It is wonderful to see the progress that is being made in the construction at the children’s center that we are building near Chiang Mai, Thailand. The dining hall is pictured here while it was under construction.

This dining hall is actually a multipurpose building. During the children’s school year they will use it for a place to study. It also has living quarters for the man and his wife who will look after the children. This is the building we will use for the Sovereign Grace Baptist School of Theology that will open in November. This will work out well for now because the children do not go to school during the time that I will be there teaching the pastors. We can use it during the school hours and then the pastors can do their studying there at night. The floor of the building is concrete, the lower part of the wall is of concrete blocks and the upper part is of bamboo for ventilation. The roof is tile. Here is the completed dining hall.

I should point out that the hall is not painted at this time. It is the rainy season and not a good time to paint it. Sometime during the fall and winter months the block walls will be plastered with a very thin coat of cement and then the wall will be painted. We also hope that we will eventually be able to put ceramic tile, which is not very expensive in Thailand, on the floor to increase sanitation. But for now, the building is complete and is already being used by the pastors when they come for Bible study each month.

Here the pastors have been in Bible class and have assembled in front of the dining hall for a picture.

The girls’ house is now complete but I have not received any pictures of it in its completed state at this time. It is shown below while it was being built. This building also has concrete floors and block walls and will be plastered and painted during the dry season. The block portion of the walls is taller than on the dining hall to provide privacy for the children. The roof is tile with a steel structure. The upper portion of the walls will be bamboo for ventilation.

Girls' house side view

Girls' house front view

The water well is now finished and there is a good supply of water. It will provide between 4,000 and 5,500 liters per hour. Bro. Anond writes that the water is real good. Here he is checking out the water as it flows out of the pipe.

The cost of this well, excluding the water tank that is being built as this is being published, was $3,662. It is 155 meters deep (slightly over 500 feet). Drilling cost 650 baths (just under $16) per meter. Originally plans called for another line to be run to the river and a water pump used to bring water from the river. This would have cost over $5,000. Now, it has been determined that the water supply in the area is abundant enough that a second well can be drilled that is about 200 meters deep and this will supply well water for the dry season. Hopefully we will have the money for this second well by the time we need to drill. Well water is going to be much cleaner and safer than river water.

Bro. Anond and Driller Check Out the Water

As we get ready to go to press a water tank is being constructed for storage of the water and it will also serve as a place for any sand or such that is in the water to settle. The tank will be about 30 feet tall.

Most of you will remember the girls’ bamboo house that blew down shortly after it was completed.

The materials out of this building have been salvaged for other uses. Some of the bamboo was used in the dining hall and the girls’ and boys’ houses (boys’ house not finished yet). But, there is enough left that they are building Lahu and Lisu style dormitories for the pastors and other students at the school that will be started this November. These buildings will be completed from materials salvaged from the girls’ house and that were already on hand.

Today, August 13, 2002, the electric company should begin running the power lines to the property. By the time this is completed the boys house and water tank should be completed and then the children will be able to move to their new and nicer home. God willing this will be the last move the center will have to make since it is own seventeen acres of land that we have purchased. We owe one more payment of about $3500 on the land. I say “about” because we owe baths and the exchange rate changes almost daily. We are trusting that God, through his people, will provide this payment by the time it is due.

GRATITUDE

In conclusion, Bro. Bill Lee, Bro. Anond, and I, along with the churches would like to express our deepest gratitude to God and to all of the Lord’s people who have helped and are helping in this endeavor. At this point, all the construction that has been completed has been totally paid for. The electricity has been paid for as well as the cost of completing the boys’ house. We certainly appreciate all the funds that have been provided by the Lord’s people for this project as well as the other aspects of the mission work in Thailand. May God bless you and make fruit to abound on your account.

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Quite often word comes to me in one way or another that I am causing division. In response I tell you that, contrary to the ideas of many naïve and misguided professing Christians, Jesus himself was a causer of division. It may surprise some that Jesus did not come into this world in his first advent to bring peace on the earth. Oh, he did come to bring peace in the hearts of his people, but he did not come to bring peace on earth. He will come again and rule on this earth as the Prince of Peace, but that was not his mission in his first advent.

Many of those who heard him preach could not understand why the Lord of heaven would come into the world and start a fire, a fire that would eventually lead him to endure a terrible baptism of suffering. Yet he declared the fire was already kindled early in his ministry. Luke 12:49 I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?

Some “supposed” his first coming was to bring peace on the earth. He would melt the heart of the worldly leaders and cause them to set down and discuss their differences and come to a perfect treaty of peace by which all would faithfully abide. Those who did not submit to these arrangements would be quickly destroyed. The Jews would no longer be under the Roman government. A perfect rule of peace and good will would be established. Jesus bluntly and clearly corrected their error. Luke 12:51 Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division. Matthew words it this way, “Matthew 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. This division would not only affect the religious world and the “Christian” circle, it would reach into the homes of people. Luke 12:52-53 For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.” Sons would be divided against their fathers, fathers would be divided against their sons, mothers would be divided against their daughters, daughters would be divided against their mothers, mothers-in-law would be divided against their daughters-in-law, and daughters-in-law would be divided against their mothers-in-law.

It is perfectly obvious from his teaching that Jesus never intended that unity be sought at the expense of truth. His doctrine, his word, is like a sword that divides. A sword was not a tool for welding things together. It was and is a tool for cutting, for dividing asunder. God’s word has that effect in the religious world.

Men and women, boys and girls, fathers and mothers, and others would be divided against one another because of and by Jesus Christ. There are many things about Christ that caused division Some divisions were caused by his teachings. Others were caused by his character. Still others were caused by his miracles. More were caused by his identity.

We are told by many in the religious world, and even among Baptists, that we should not strive. We should not involve ourselves in controversy. We should avoid conflict on spiritual matters at all costs. But, God’s word tells us otherwise. Jude 3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. The word contend presupposes an antagonist who is of another opinion. Much of Jude’s short epistle is taken up with false prophets who were masquerading as Christians. They acted enough like Christians that they had been able to slip in among the churches and teach their pernicious doctrines. The easiest way for a person to go is just ignore them, or even defend them against any who would expose them. But the true servant of Jesus Christ does not take the easy road. He contends for the faith. The idea is to struggle earnestly in defence of the faith once delivered to the saints.

Jesus rebuked the church at Pergamos because they had in their own membership those who were holding and advocating false doctrine. Revelation 2:14-15 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. 15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. Jesus called on them to repent of their tolerance, slothfulness, and indifference in these matters. He warned that if they did not handle the matter he would come and fight against those heretics. Revelation 2:16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. WHAT?? Jesus fight against false teachers. Perhaps some of our readers need to correct his contentious spirit. The Greek word here is polemeo {pol-em-eh'-o}. It is translated make war three times, fight three times, and war one time. It means to war, carry on war, to fight. Jesus warned this church at Pergamos to take care of those who were teaching heresy or he would come and make war against them. Yes! He needs some help from some who have rebuked me for exposing error.

When Paul was confronted with the task of dealing with false teachers, he gave no quarter and yielded no ground. Galatians 2:5 To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.

John 7:12 And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people. The speculations concerning Christ were rampant in Jerusalem at the time of the feast of the tabernacles. After his divisive sermon that is recorded in John 6, he could no longer walk among the Jews safely for they wanted to kill him, they were seeking to kill him. John 7:1 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.

His unsaved, (John 7:5 For neither did his brethren believe in him.) half brothers tried to get him to go openly to the feast and work some miracles so the people could see them. They wanted this half-brother of theirs to put on a show for the people but he refused. He said to his unbelieving brethren, “The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil” (John 7:7). Why did he not reach out to this world that hated him? I have been told that I should not expose the errors of Promise Keepers and the errors of pop-psychologist, James Dobson, but should reach out to them and try to reason with them. Jesus did not compromise with the unbelieving world. He exposed the error of the religious world. He testified of their evil works. And, the man of God who would please his Master must speak out against religious error wherever it is found—in his own church, in other churches, in such movements as Promise Keepers, or in the current move to integrate psychology with Scripture in the churches. Error must be exposed, not coddled. Exposure of error usually brings division even though repentance of error is the goal.

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Now, you are aware that there are different theories of Redemption. All Christians hold that Christ died to redeem, but all Christians do not teach the same redemption We differ as to the nature of atonement, and as to the design of redemption. For instance, the Arminian holds that Christ, when he died, did not die with an intent to save any particular person; and they teach that Christ’s death does not in itself secure, beyond doubt, the salvation of any one man living. They believe that Christ died to make the salvation of all men possible, or that by the doing of something else, any man who pleases may attain unto eternal life; consequently, they are obliged to hold that if man’s will would not give way and voluntarily surrender to grace, then Christ’s atonement would be unavailing. They.220 hold that there was no particularity and speciality in the death of Christ. Christ died, according to them, as much for Judas in hell as for Peter who mounted to heaven. They believe that for those who are consigned to eternal fire, there was as true and real a redemption made as for those who now stand before the throne of the Most High. Now, we believe no such thing We hold that Christ, when he died, had an object in view, and that object will most assuredly, and beyond a doubt, be accomplished. We measure the design of Christ’s death by the effect of it. If any one asks us, “What did Christ design to do by his death?” we answer that question by asking him another — “What has Christ done, or what will Christ do by his death?” For we declare that the measure of the effect of Christ’s love, is the measure of the design of it. We cannot so belie our reason as to think that the intention of Almighty God could be frustrated, or that the design of so great a thing as the atonement, can by any way whatever, be missed of. We hold — we are not afraid to say what we believe — that Christ came into this world with the intention of saving “a multitude which no man can number;” and we believe that as the result of this, every person for whom he died must, beyond the shadow of a doubt, be cleansed from sin, and stand, washed in blood, before the Father’s throne. We do not believe that Christ made any effectual atonement for those who are for ever damned, we dare not think that the blood of Christ was ever shed with the intention of saving those whom God foreknew never could be saved, and some of whom were even in hell when Christ, according to some men’s account, died to save them.

I have thus just stated our theory of redemption, and hinted at the differences which exist between two great parties in the professing church. It shall be now my endeavor to show the greatness of the redemption of Christ Jesus; and by so doing, I hope to be enabled by God’s Spirit, to bring out the whole of the great system of redemption, so that it may be understood by us all, even if all of us cannot receive it. For you must bear this in mind, that some of you, perhaps, may be ready to dispute things which I assert; but you will remember that this is nothing to me; I shall at all times teach those things which I hold to be true, without let or hindrance from any man breathing. You have the like liberty to do the same in your own places, and to preach your own views in your own assemblies, as I claim the right to preach mine, fully, and without hesitation. Christ Jesus “gave his life a ransom for many;” and by that ransom he wrought out for us a great redemption. I shall endeavor to show the.221 greatness of this redemption, measuring it in five ways. We shall note its greatness; first of all, from the heniousness of our own guilt, from which he hath delivered us; secondly, we shall measure his redemption by the sternness of divine justice; thirdly, we shall measure it by the price which he paid, the pangs which he endured; then we shall endeavor to magnify it, by noting the deliverance which he actually wrought out; and we shall close by noticing the vast number for whom this redemption is made, who in our text are described as “many.”

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B. H. CARROLL (1843-1914) - Founder and First President of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

The last clause of verse 48, which reads thusly: "As many as were ordained to eternal life, believed," needs some explanation.

When I was a young fellow and had not imbibed the doctrine of predestination, I wanted that to read, "And as many as believed were ordained to eternal life." Perhaps that is the way you want to interpret it.

Brother Broadus said, "Let the Scripture mean what it wants to mean," and you let that passage stand—ordination to precede eternal life. Ordination to eternal life takes place in eternity.

Paul, in Romans 8, gives us the order. Many modern people do not believe it. We seldom ever hear anybody preach a sermon on it. I heard a strong preacher once say, "I just can't believe it." Romans 8:29 reads, "For whom he did foreknow, he also foreordained to be conformed to the image of his Son ...and whom he foreordained, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified."

Justification comes at believing. So unless that passage reads, "As many as were ordained to eternal life, believed," it would break Paul's chain all to pieces.

Settle it in your mind that salvation commences with God, and not man.—(Pages 279, 280, Commentary On Acts.)

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