”I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” | Galatians 1: 6-9

There are but two schemes of religion in this world.

“But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.” (Jonah 2: 9)

One is true the other is false. One is saving the other is damning.

“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Corinthians 5: 21)

The two schemes of religion are free grace and free will.

“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” (Romans 5: 12)

Free grace declares that salvation is the work of God alone.

“Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” (Hebrews 9: 12)

Free will declares that salvation is, at least in part, the work of man.

“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6: 63)

Free grace declares that salvation is conditioned upon the obedience of Christ alone as the sinner’s Substitute.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2: 8-9)

Free will declares that salvation is ultimately and finally conditioned upon the obedience of the sinner himself.

“Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1: 5)

Any doctrine that makes salvation, eternal life, acceptance with God, and the reward of the heavenly inheritance to be dependent upon, or determined by you, at any point or in any measure, is contrary to sound doctrine and must be rejected.

“If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained. But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.” (1 Timothy 4: 6-7)

To receive, believe, or embrace such doctrine will be damning to your soul.

Here are five points of Divine truth revealed in Holy Scripture. Anything that is contrary to, or in any measure diminishes these five points of sound doctrine must be rejected as heresy.

1. TOTAL DEPRAVITY – All men by nature are both sinful and helpless, because all are spiritually dead in sin “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:” (Matthew 15: 19)

“And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,” (Ephesians 2: 1-4)

2. UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION – God, from eternity, chose a people in Christ whom he determined to save, without consideration of anything in them or anything that might be done by them “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:” (2 Thessalonians 2: 13)

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.” (Ephesians 1: 3-6)

3. LIMITED ATONEMENT – Christ died for and redeemed his elect only. The benefits of Christ’s death are limited to the elect. His death effectually accomplished and secured their eternal salvation “He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.” (Isaiah 53: 8-11)

“I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep… As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.” (John 10: 11, 15)

4. IRRESISTIBLE GRACE – God the Holy Spirit calls sinners from spiritual death to spiritual life in Christ by the power of his grace, which cannot be successfully resisted “Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple.” (Psalm 65: 4)

“Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.” (Psalm 110: 3)

5. PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS – Every sinner chosen by God in election, redeemed by Christ at Calvary, and called by the Spirit in grace shall persevere in grace unto eternal glory, because they are all preserved and kept by grace. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one.” (John 10: 27-30)

“And they shall be my people, and I will be their God: And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them:” (Jeremiah 32: 38-40)

Those who preach any doctrine contrary to God’s testimony, concerning Who Christ is and what He accomplished, we as believers should immediately identify it as false and reject it as heresy.

“Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.” (Romans 11: 5)

Salvation is all of grace!

“Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:” (Romans 3: 24)

We were chosen by his grace. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2: 8-9)

“But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace,” (Galatians 1: 15)

We are justified by his grace.

“That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2: 7)

We are saved by his grace. (Romans 8: 28-39) http://blb.sc/00F5OJ

We are called by his grace.

“It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.” (Romans 9: 12-16)

We are glorified by his grace.

“Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,” (2 Timothy 1: 9)

From election to glorification, salvation is all of GRACE!

~ Pastor Tom Harding

Click here to listen to the message “The Way They Call Heresy”

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Central Grace Church Bulletin Article date: 3 April, 2022 | Previous post date: n/a | Rocky Mount, Virginia