Get Close To The Lord

WORTHY OF ETERNAL LIFE #3

Acts 13:44-52
“And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region. But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution
against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts. But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.”

Now Vs. 48 - “And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.” Strange this word “ordained to eternal life”. In order for us to more fully understand it let us turn to Rom. 8:29,30 - “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”

We have here a glorious chain of five links reaching from eternity in the past to eternity in the future. Foreknown, predestined, called, justified, and glorified. Every link was forged in heaven and can never be broken. This blessed portion is not for theologians to wrangle over but for saints to rejoice in. Foreknown ere we ever trod this globe. Predestined to become fully like our blessed Lord - “conformed to
the image of God’s Son”. Divinely called by His grace. Justified by faith on the basis of accomplished redemption. And our glorification is as certain as the foreknowledge of God.

You say, preacher, are you saying these were predestined to heaven and others predestined to hell? NO, NO, NO, a thousand times no. I’m just saying if you, like the unbelieving Jews, refuse to turn to Christ you are damning your own soul. But if you will turn to Christ believing, there is absolutely nothing to stop you from being saved. Those that He foreknew that would be saved, those He predestined to become as His Son, and those are the ones He called, justified and one day will glorify.

John 1:12
“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:”

To those who will receive Him, to those He gives the power; The dynamite; The call, if you will; the invitation to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name. I’m just saying that these determined to turn to Christ. If you do likewise, nothing can stop you.

Russell Stolp
Chaplain, CFO

Psalm 37:4 "Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart."
Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy
ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.