God Saves People with Bad Theology
- Message Excerpt by
- Topics: Calvinism, Regeneration
Audio Transcript
It is a wonderful thing — I am so thankful for this — that it is possible to experience authentically miraculous works of God without understanding what’s going on because you’ve been badly taught. Millions of Christians have been badly taught about what happened to them at conversion. They’re really saved because God is so merciful to let reality count even when our mouths put names on what’s happened to us that are all whacko.
So, don’t worry too much if you’re listening and have a sense of, “I’ve never even thought that I couldn’t say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the supernatural, mighty, decisive work of the Holy Spirit in my life (see 1 Corinthians 12:3). I just did it one night.” That’s okay. Now you know. What a difference it makes to know.
The Bible is a thick book for a reason. It changes your life to know who you are. It changes your life to know who he is. It changes your life to know how you got here. It changes your life to know where you’re going and to get it right. It really does. It’s a glorious thing, to be in this book and know reality about yourself and not be confused about how you came into being.
The Question That Really Matters
The question is, do you believe it? Does it make your heart soar? Let me ask you some questions now.
Does it make your heart soar that your acclamation of the lordship of Christ over your life is decisively the work of the Spirit and not your own? Does that make you happy? “Yes. Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Do you wake up in the morning amazed and happy that you call him Lord and it wasn’t you who brought that about? Of course, if you think you brought it about, you won’t wake up that way, which is a sad way to wake up.
Are you amazed and glad that it is the Holy Spirit who caused your yieldedness to Christ’s lordship, and you are performing it? He’s causing it; you’re performing it. Does that make you glad? “Happy to have him as my cause. I do it; he causes it. That is the way it ought to be, and I am so glad that he’s at work like that in my life.”
Are you happy that he created it in you and that you are acting it out? Are you glad that he’s the fire, and your affection for him is the heat, and your witness is the light? He’s the fire. Is that okay? Is that good? Is that wonderful? “I am so glad there’s a supernatural flame in my life and that the warmth of my affection for him and my yieldedness to him is owing to a flame, and the opening of my mouth is owing to a flame. Light is coming out, because there’s no fire without light.” I hope you are, and if it’s new to you, I hope by the end of this conference, you will be glad in the sovereignty of the work of the Holy Spirit.
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