Jonah 2:9 "Salvation is of the Lord."

On the all-important issue of the soul’s salvation, notice the contrasts below. One statement is what "THEY SAY," what modern preachers and churches usually tell you -- and the other is what GOD’S HOLY WORD, the Bible, says to the contrary.

"THEY SAY": We believe that Christ died equally for all men.

JESUS CHRIST: I say, I lay down my life for the sheep. (John 10:15)

"THEY SAY": All men might believe, if they would.

JESUS: But they believe not, because they are not of My sheep. (John 10:26)

"THEY SAY": All men could come to Christ and be saved, if they would.

THE LORD JESUS: No man can come unto me except My Father draw him. (John 6:44)

"THEY SAY": Men are rejected by God because they won’t come to Christ.

JESUS OUR LORD: All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me. (John 6:37)

"THEY SAY": The gospel offers salvation to every man in the world.

THE LORD JESUS: It is given to some to know the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven, but to others it is not given. (Matthew 13:11)

"THEY SAY": There are many going to Hell for whom Christ died.

THE SON OF GOD: Of them which my Father gave me, I have lost none. (John 17:12 & 18:9)

"THEY SAY": The Spirit enlightens every man so that he can come to Christ if he would.

CHRIST: No, this is hidden from the wise and the prudent and revealed unto babes. (Matthew 11:25)

"THEY SAY": A man’s salvation depends on his willingness to receive the offered grace.

JESUS OUR LORD: Except a man be born again, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. (John 3:5)

"THEY SAY": There is not a text in the whole New Testament that implies that Christ died for some of mankind only.

JESUS: I am the Good Shepherd; the Good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep. (John 10:11)

PAUL: Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it. (Ephesians 5:25)

"THEY SAY": I still say that Christ died for all the world and will save all the world if they will let Him.

LORD JESUS: I pray not for the world, but for them which Thou hast given me. (John 17:9) You cannot come to Me except the Father draw you. (John 6:44)

"THEY SAY": All men could receive the things of God if they would.

JOHN THE BAPTIST: A man can receive nothing except it be given him from Heaven. (John 3:27)

PAUL: The natural man cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (I Corinthians 2:14)

"THEY SAY": All men could be included in "the elect" if they wanted to be included.

JESUS: But I speak not of you all; I know whom I have chosen. (John 13:18)

PAUL: But the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded. (Romans 11:7)

"THEY SAY": I say men are elected when they believe.

ACTS: As many as were ordained to eternal life believed. (Acts 13:48)

CHRIST: But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep. (John 10:26)

PETER: Elect according to the foreknowledge of God. (I Peter 1:2)

"THEY SAY": I still say that God loves all men alike!

MALACHI: God loved Jacob and hated Esau. (Malachi 1:2-3; Romans 9:12-13)

PSALMIST: Thou hatest all workers of iniquity. (Psalm 5:5) God is angry with the wicked every day. (Psalm 7:11)

PAUL: Therefore He has mercy on whom He will have mercy, and whom He wills He hardens. (Romans 9:18)

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-- Timothy Fellows, Jr.

II Timothy 4:2 "Preach the word"

I Peter 5:2 "Feed the flock of God"

Many a preacher cleverly avoids addressing the issues of the day under the guise of "expository preaching." It is one thing to exhort a congregation, "You should seek, to please God in all aspects, areas and arenas of your life;" It is quite another thing to make application. For example, "Women should not dress like men because the Bible says.... People should not go to the movie theater because the Bible says..." -- and that is what the Devil hates, so do his followers as well as most preachers and congregations today. Preachers do not usually get burned out, beaten, lied about, and run out of town because of "expository preaching." It is because they make application -- what the world and "Contemporary Christians" call "judging."

Expository preaching without application is irrelevant and therefore unnecessary. What does the real meaning of a text matter anyway if it does not affect me today? It is then worthless -- and that is how most Americans view the Word of God today: it means nothing to them and has no bearing on how they live.

While some preachers become so bogged down in exposition (which has become "objective") that they neglect all application (which would be labeled by some as "subjective"), others simply speak on topics and issues, giving their own ideas and opinions rather than subjecting these topics and issues to God’s all-sufficient Word. Topical preaching which is not based upon true, Biblical exposition is weak, helpless and useless.

The command to the preacher is not style, manner or delivery -- while all these avenues must be Biblical. The command to the preacher is to "Preach the word" and to "Feed the Flock. "

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--A. W. Tozer

The Bible is among other things a book of revealed truth. That is, certain facts are revealed that could not be discovered by the most brilliant mind. These facts are of such a nature as to be past finding out. They were hidden behind a veil, and until certain men who spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost took away that veil, no mortal man could know them. This lifting of the veil of unknowing from undiscoverable things we call divine revelation.

The Bible, however, is more than a volume of hitherto unknown facts about God, man and the universe. It is a book of exhortation based upon those facts. By far the greater portion of the book is devoted to an urgent effort to persuade people to alter their ways and bring their lives into harmony with the will of God as set forth in its pages.

No man is better for knowing that God in the beginning created the heavens and the earth. The devil knows that, and so did Ahab and Judas Iscariot. No man is better for knowing that God so loved the world of men that He gave His only begotten Son to die for their redemption. In hell there are millions that know that. Theological truth is useless until it is obeyed. The purpose behind all doctrine is to secure moral action.

What is generally overlooked is that truth as set forth in the Christian Scriptures is a moral thing; it is not addressed to the intellect only, but to the will also. It addresses itself to the total man, and its obligations cannot be discharged by grasping it mentally. Truth engages the citadel of the human heart and is not satisfied until it has conquered everything there. The will must come forth and surrender its sword. It must stand at attention to receive orders, and those orders it must joyfully obey. Short of this any knowledge of Christian truth is inadequate and unavailing.

Bible exposition without moral application raises no opposition. It is only when the hearer is made to understand that truth is in conflict with his heart that resistance sets in. As long as people can bear orthodox truth divorced from life they will attend and support churches and institutions without objection. The truth is a lovely song, become sweet by long and tender association; and since it asks nothing but a few dollars, and offers good music, pleasant friendships and a comfortable sense of well-being, it meets with no resistance from the faithful. Much that passes for New Testament Christianity is little more than objective truth sweetened with song and made palatable by religious entertainment.

One reason for the divorce between truth and life maybe the lack of the Spirit’s illumination. Another surely is the teacher’s unwillingness to get himself into trouble. Any man with fair pulpit gifts can get on with the average congregation if he just "feeds" them and lets them alone. Give them plenty of objective truth and never hint that they are wrong and should be set right, and they will be content.

On the other hand, the man who preaches truth and applies it to the lives of his hearers will feel the nails and the thorns. He will lead a hard life, but a glorious one. May God raise up many such prophets. The church needs them badly.

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This is the only Church of which no one member can perish. Once enrolled in the lists of this Church, sinners are safe for eternity; they are never cast away. The election of God the Father, the continual intercession of God the Son, the daily renewing and sanctifying power of God the Holy Ghost, surround and fence them in like a garden enclosed. Not one bone of Christ’s mystical Body shall ever be broken; not one lamb of Christ’s flock shall ever be plucked out of His hand.

This is the Church which does the work of Christ upon earth. Its members are a little flock, and few in number, compared with the children of the world; one or two here, and two or three there -- a few in this parish and a few in that. But these are they who shake the universe; these are they who change the fortunes of kingdoms by their prayers; these are they who are "the active workers for spreading knowledge of pure religion and undefiled; these are the life-blood of a country, the shield, the defense, the stay, and the support of any nation to which they belong.

This is the Church which shall be truly glorious at the end. When all earthly glory is passed away then shall this Church be presented without spot before God the Father’s throne. Thrones, principalities, and powers upon earth shall come to nothing; dignities, and offices, and endowments shall all pass away; but the Church of the first-born shall shine as the stars at the last, and be presented with joy before the Father’s throne, in the day of Christ’s appearing. When the Lord’s jewels are made up, and the manifestation of the sons of God takes place, Episcopacy, and Presbyterianism, and Congregationalism will not be mentioned; one Church only will be named, and that is the Church of the elect.

Reader, this is the true Church to which a man must belong, if he would be saved. Till you belong to this, you are nothing better than a lost soul. You may have the form, the husk, the skin and the shell of religion, but yon have not got the substance and the life. Yes, you may have countless outward privileges: you may enjoy great light, and knowledge -- but if you do not belong to the Body of Christ, your light and knowledge, and privileges, will not save your soul. Alas, for the ignorance that prevails on this point! Men fancy if they join this church or that church, and become communicants, and go through certain forms, that all must be right with their souls. It is an utter delusion; it is a gross mistake. All were not Israel who were called Israel, and all are not members of Christ’s Body who profess themselves Christian. Take notice; you may be a staunch Episcopalian, or Presbyterian, or Independent, or Baptist, or Wesleyan, or Plymouth Brother -- and yet not belong to the true Church. And if you do not, it will be better at last if you had never been born.

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---This article was published by The Pilgrim’s Bible Church in the Religion section of "The Augusta Chronicle" on Saturday, April 12, 1997, during the Masters Golf Tournament. Since Tiger Woods attracted so much attention around the world, thousands of extra copies of "The Augusta Chronicle" were purchased and carried around the world.

Everywhere the Saturday edition went, so went "The True Church."

We will gladly accept the reputation of "pouring money down a rat hole" as some have said we do every time we publish the gospel in the city newspaper at great expense.

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Pastor Timothy Fellows is continually improving by God’s grace. Please continue to pray for him.

E-mail: timfellows@juno.com