Safe and Secure in the Hands of God

If you have ever gone car shopping, you go to the lot and look at the car and you first notice the body of the car, the color of the paint, the price and all of that. You make a decision based on what you see, but you don’t really pop the hood and trace the wires and ask how does the car move and how does everything work.

What is happening under the hood is often taken for granted. Well, that’s how things can be with salvation too. We look at a person coming down the aisle and praying to receive Christ. We focus on the person and what the person does. We sometimes make the gospel more about what we do as people, as evangelists or pastors and teachers, than on what God is doing in the person’s heart and through our words.

Well, tonight we are going to look under the hood and you might find yourself challenged a little tonight. You are going to see that God has been involved in your salvation from before time began, from start to finish. What you are going to learn has incredible implications for how we do ministry and how we grow the church.

Let’s take a look!

2 Timothy 1:9–14 ESV

9 who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, 10 and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, 11 for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, 12 which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me. 13 Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.

1. God Saved Us (v. 9)

2. God called us (v.9)

Calling is not based on works Eph.2.8

Ephesians 2:8 ESV

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

Calling is based on grace and God’s sovereign will

Romans 9:14–18 ESV

14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18 So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.

Romans 11:4–6 ESV

4 But what is God’s reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. 6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.

Romans 11:33–36 ESV

33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! 34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” 35 “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

God’s calling is from eternity past

Ephesians 1:4–6 ESV

4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

Christ is the manifestation and fulfillment of what began in the past and has been completed in the present (v.10)

Manifestation means that it has now been revealed

Romans 16:25–26 ESV

25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26 but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—

There is one question I have to ask you tonight. Do you believe what you believe about the gospel based on what your emotions tell you or do you believe it based on what the Scripture says?

Think about it this way. I know that you are questioning, “Well is this fair?” Is it fair that God does not call everyone to salvation and give everyone the same chance to believe?

Well, let me ask you two questions. First of all, is salvation a gift, like the Scripture says, or is it a wage?

The Bible says that the wages, which is payment, for our sins is death. We deserve it and we get it.

But a gift is not deserved. It isn’t earned. It is given, not out of obligation, but based on the will of the giver.

Salvation is a gift. It is based on the gift of the Giver, who is the Lord.

Now for the second question. Suppose that God decided to let everyone that wanted to be saved on their own accord, based on their own will, come to salvation.

Do you know any lost people who are currently being kept from coming to know Christ by the Lord?

You see, God helping us believe does not mean that He is also actively keeping others from believing. They don’t believe because they don’t want to.

John said this,

John 3:18–20 ESV

18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.

So the world does not want to believe. It is only with the help of God that any of us will believe.

3. God Preserves Our Salvation (v.12)

Romans 8:37–39 ESV

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Immediately after this verse, Paul goes on to explain the doctrine of election and predestination.

The application of this we will look at next week.

Application:

Paul was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher of this gospel (v.11)

Suffering is a part of this calling

Paul is not ashamed of this calling

Paul is confident in God’s ability to fulfill his calling (v12)

Timothy should follow the pattern of Paul

Application:

1. Preach the same gospel

2. Have the same faith

3. Have the same love

4. Guard the Gospel

Conclusion

You know, I don’t know why people get so upset over the biblical view of salvation. I am so glad that my salvation starts and finishes with the Lord. I am so glad that my evangelism and ministry rises and falls with the will of the sovereign Lord. It gives me confidence in the gospel, confidence in the success of the mission, and confidence that

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