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Okay, we're in chapter 20, and 
chapter 20 is of the gospel and of the extent of the grace thereof. So we'll read this chapter, and 
then we'll have a bit of an extended introduction just to talk about 
why this chapter is in here, and to talk about some of the 
historical background related to its inclusion in the confession 
of faith, because it is absent from the Westminster Confession 
of Faith. So we'll talk a little bit about 
that and then dive into the content proper. So this is chapter 20 
of the Gospel and of the extent of the grace thereof. The covenant 
of works being broken by sin and made unprofitable unto life, 
God was pleased to give forth the promise of Christ, the seed 
of the woman, as the means of calling the elect, and begetting 
in them faith and repentance. In this promise, the gospel, 
as to the substance of it, was revealed, and is there ineffectual 
for the conversion and salvation of sinners. This promise of Christ 
and salvation by Him is revealed only by the Word of God. Neither 
do the works of creation or providence, with the light of nature, make 
discovery of Christ or of grace by Him. so much as in a general 
or obscure way, much less that men destitute of the revelation 
of him by the promise or gospel should be enabled thereby to 
attain saving faith or repentance. The revelation of the gospel 
unto sinners made in diverse times and by sundry parts, with 
the addition of promises and precepts for the obedience required 
therein, as to the nations and persons to whom it is granted, 
is merely of the sovereign will and good pleasure of God, not 
being annexed by virtue of any promise to the due improvement 
of men's natural abilities by virtue of common light received 
without it, which none ever did make or can do so. And therefore, 
in all ages, the preaching of the gospel has been granted unto 
persons and nations as to the extent or straightening of it 
in great variety according to the counsel of the will of God. 
Although the gospel be the only outward means of revealing Christ 
and saving grace, and is, as such, abundantly sufficient thereunto, 
yet that men who are dead in trespasses may be born again, 
quickened, or regenerated, there is moreover necessary an effectual, 
insuperable work of the Holy Spirit upon the whole soul, for 
the producing in them a new spiritual life, without which no other 
means will affect their conversion unto God. So we have here a chapter, 
as I mentioned just briefly, it's excluded from the Westminster 
Confession of Faith, but included in the Savoy Declaration. So 
you remember that the Second London Confession of Faith is 
in the tradition of the Westminster Confession of Faith. It was in 
large part penned and framed, that is the Second London Confession, 
to demonstrate a theological camaraderie or a theological 
harmony with the Presbyterians, with those who held to the Westminster 
Confession of Faith. So we have the Westminster Confession 
of Faith, 1647, I believe it is, and then we have the Savoy 
Declaration of Faith, which is 1658. And the Savoy Declaration 
of Faith is in large part a duplication, with some additions and some 
subtle changes, of the Westminster Confession of Faith. The Savoy 
Declaration of Faith inserted Chapter 20 after Chapter 19. So remember, absent from the 
Westminster Confession, but the Savoy Declaration, the Congregationalists, 
those of John Owen, included this chapter in the Confession 
of Faith, and then the Baptists included it in 1677. So they 
saw its propriety, and they shared in the contemporaneous historical 
milieu, they shared in the same historical context, as the Congregationalists, 
a little bit distanced from the Westminster Assembly. So just 
to give you a little bit of a background here, these are the words from 
the preface to the Savoy Declaration talking about why they included 
Chapter 20. First of all, a general statement, 
but then a specific statement regarding Chapter 20. A few things 
we have added for obviating, that means to stave off or to 
hold off. So a few things we have added 
for holding off some erroneous opinions that have been more 
broadly and boldly, here of late, maintained by the assertors than 
in former times. So I'll just pause there for 
a moment. So they're saying that we've added a few things that 
weren't included so much in former times because of recent things 
that have arisen. So the stuff that caused the 
insertion in the Savoy wasn't really present. for the Westminster 
reformed. Then in former times, and made 
other additions and alterations in method here and there, and 
some clearer explanations as we found occasion. After the 
19th chapter of the law, we have added a chapter of the gospel. 
It being a title that may not well be omitted in a confession 
of faith, So what they're saying, in a sense, is that the stuff 
of chapter 20 is theologically included in 
other chapters in the Westminster Assembly, but the Congregationalists 
brought these things together, some pieces of those doctrines 
together in this one chapter to combat certain errors that 
were being propagated at the time of the Savoy Declaration. So, the London Baptists, being 
not too long after that, and actually being more pressed With 
those issues, and we'll talk about what those issues were 
in a moment, they included this chapter 20 in their confession 
of faith. So these erroneous opinions maintained 
by assertors reflected most likely two things. And then one thing, 
a third thing, perhaps to a smaller degree. But two big things lie 
in the background for the inclusion of this chapter. The first thing 
is what we could call an incipient deism. Incipient means something 
in the growing or beginning stages. And deism was marked by some 
other things, but with this chapter in view, deism was marked by 
a rejection of special revelation. So as we read this chapter, and 
as we'll notice again as we go through it, the confessionalists 
here are trying to uphold the necessity of special revelation. 
for salvation, for the conversion of sinners, and it's over and 
against these deists who rejected special revelation and exalted 
the light of nature. So they would say things like, 
you know, man is, man simply by the light of nature, by creation, 
man is able to arrive at things divine by the exercise of his 
own natural reason. And so, as we work through, you'll 
see why the Bible, of course, and why the confessionalists 
would strongly disagree. So, we have the incipient deists 
who rejected the Bible, almost the entirety of it, perhaps with 
a few propositions in the New Testament that they liked. But 
they essentially rejected the Bible and rejected any divine 
revelation. And again, exalted creation and 
the light of nature as that which is effectual. Also in view are 
the General Baptists. So you've probably heard the 
term that, you know, we're Reformed Baptists, but we also can call 
ourselves Particular Baptists, and that's what our forebears 
were referred to as, Particular Baptists. Well, that was set 
against General Baptists, and it was really at the point of 
the atonement and the efficacy of the atonement. You know, the 
general Baptists believing in a general atonement, a universalistic 
approach to the atonement, that the salvation of Christ is effectual 
and sufficient for every man without exception. The particulars, 
of course, upholding the fact that the atonement was for the 
elect and it does not err. It was designed for all whom 
the Father had given to Christ. But the general Baptists had 
something of an approach to the exaltation of the light of nature 
or the utility of the light of nature for the salvation of sinners. This is Dr. James Renahan speaking 
about the general Baptists and the particulars. He writes, While both groups believed in 
salvation by Christ, the general Baptists acknowledged that people 
may receive that salvation via either general or special revelation, 
while the particular Baptists argued that salvation would only 
come by means of special revelation. So you see an important difference 
there. He'll go on here in a second. But remember, general revelation 
is the revelation of God in nature. Just to speak very briefly, as 
Psalm 19, the heavens declare the glory of God. The firmament 
shows his handiwork. Day after day, utter speech. 
Night after night, reveals knowledge. God has revealed himself in creation 
and providence. and that sort of a thing. Special 
revelation, though, is God's special revelation, that He has 
revealed Himself, His will, and the gospel initially in times 
prior to the inscripturation of the Bible by various and sundry 
means, through prophets and those sorts of things, as chapter 1, 
paragraph 1 outlines. But But in the New Testament 
era, that special revelation we have in the 66 books of the 
Old and New Testaments. So there's a general revelation 
where God reveals something of Himself to men, but special revelation 
where He reveals His will, and specifically salvation by Jesus 
Christ. Renahan goes on, he writes, So 
you see that the gross error there is that somehow, okay, 
Christ died and Christ, you know, Christ affected atonement. And then somehow that is efficacious 
and filtered through the light of nature and whatever light 
men receive. So we can think about it this 
way. A band of natives in South America, 
untouched by the world, Um, with the light that they have received, 
no revelation of Christ, anything like that. But, you know, from 
whatever they receive by nature, they somehow do good deeds. They 
help, you know, their neighbor whittle a basket and they, you 
know, they, you know, they don't do, they don't murder and, uh, 
you know, they don't, uh, commit adultery or something like that 
outwardly. Uh, that somehow, salvific and the atoning work 
of Christ is filtered through that revelation of light, it's 
madness and it's just completely wrong, as the chapter deals with. 
So long as he followed that light, God in Christ would provide him 
with salvation. For the particulars, the doctrine 
of total depravity precluded any sincere acts of fallen men." 
So very important in this doctrine, among other things, is the doctrine 
of sin. In this chapter is the doctrine of sin. Men cannot be 
saved by the light of nature because of the doctrine of sin. 
Total depravity. Man is wholly unable, man is 
destitute of any power whereby he can affect himself unto divine 
favor and somehow convert himself. No one he closes here with could 
come to Christ apart from hearing the specific message of Christ 
as revealed in Holy Scripture. So, incipient deism, John Henry 
Overton summarizes that as, the deists thought any revelation 
from God beyond that which has been given to us in nature unnecessary, 
and in particular, they rejected all that God is supposed to have 
revealed in the Old Testament and almost all in the New. And 
then the General Baptists upholding this reality that man can be 
saved by whatever light he received. And faintly, the Sassanians could 
also be in view, just very briefly. Turretin summarizes one of their 
doctrines as, the rule of religion of things to be believed, or 
rather, that reason is the rule of religion of things to be believed, 
and that those things are not to be believed, which seem to 
the mind to be impossible. Now, we are to note that that Christians uphold reason, 
but you see the problem with the Sassanians was the exaltation 
of reason above divine revelation and that sort of a thing. We 
acknowledge the wholesome utility of reason, just not the exaltation 
of it as arbiter over God and truth. As the Confession says, 
we are created with reasonable and immortal souls. That's in 
chapter 4, paragraph 2. Reasonable creatures do obedience 
to God as their creator. That's 7.1. The destruction of 
reason by requiring blind obedience is referred to in 21.2. That's 
the next chapter on Christian conscience. And then transubstantiation 
is repugnant not to Scripture alone, but even to common sense 
and reason, chapter 30 and paragraph 6. Let's get on to the stuff 
of the actual confession of faith here. Hopefully the background 
is somewhat clear and you understand a little bit of the reason as 
to why they wrote this chapter, and you'll see that as we move 
through it. So we just want to note four things as we briefly 
move through. Those four things are these, 
and they comport with each paragraph. The commencement, first, the 
commencement and exclusivity of the special revelation of 
the gospel of Christ for salvation. Secondly, the necessity of special 
revelation for making Christ known. Thirdly, the sovereignty 
of God in the revelation of Christ and in the salvation of sinners. 
And fourthly, the necessity of effectual grace for salvation. So first, with paragraph one, 
the commencement and exclusivity of the special revelation of 
the gospel of Christ for salvation. I know that's a mouthful, but 
there you have it. First, we want to note that the 
Baptists did not shy away from the language or doctrine of the 
covenant of works. Notice the first sentence here, 
the covenant of works being broken by sin and made unprofitable 
unto life. So the Baptist, as we've noted 
before, did not shy away from the language of, nor the doctrine 
of, the covenant of works. We're often charged with that 
because there are some changes to the chapter on the covenant, 
chapter 7, as it relates to the Westminster or as it's compared 
to the Westminster Confession of Faith. But we didn't shy away 
from the doctrine at all. Not only is it implicit, well, 
we you might even say explicit, though the language isn't there. 
But if we look back at chapter 19, you already saw there, and 
it is previous to this, but just one chapter back in paragraph 
one, God gave to Adam a law of universal obedience written in 
his heart and a particular precept of not eating the fruit of the 
tree of the knowledge of good and evil, by which he bound him 
in all his posterity, et cetera. So the covenant of works is in 
the confession of faith. And here specifically, well, 
and actually in chapter 19 as well, in paragraph 6, it's referred 
to twice. Now, the language there is referred 
to as a covenant of works, so maybe not specifically the covenant 
of works, but nevertheless, the language and the idea is retained. We have in paragraphs 1, 2, and 
3 of chapter 6, that's of the fall, and then paragraphs 1, 
2, and 3 of chapter 7 of the Covenant, the doctrine is clearly 
stated in those particular chapters and verses. So, the Baptist did 
not shy away from the language or the doctrine of the Covenant 
of Works. Second, note that there is one 
grand redemptive event That is the focus of special revelation, 
and that truly governs the whole of redemptive history. Notice 
the language that we see here. After this language regarding 
the covenant of works, we see, God was pleased to give forth 
the promise of Christ, the seed of the woman, as the means of 
calling the elect and begetting in them faith and repentance. 
In this promise, the gospel, as to the substance of it, was 
revealed and is there ineffectual for the conversion and salvation 
of sinners." So we notice that there is one grand redemptive 
event that is set forth immediately after the fall. That means that 
there are not a number of different redemptive epochs where people 
are saved by other means other than the saving work of the Lord 
Jesus Christ. So the commencement of the gospel, 
if we were to ask the question, when was the gospel first revealed? The answer to that is immediately 
upon the heels of the fall. That's what the Bible says, and 
that's what the Confession here says. The covenant of works being 
broken by sin, God was pleased to give forth the promise of 
Christ. So contra a dispensationalist 
approach to redemptive history, The God deals, and always deals, 
and always appeals to man by way of covenant. The covenant 
of works was broken, and so the covenant of grace was inaugurated 
with the promise of Christ, the seed of the woman. We have the 
blessed reality that God has always dealt with men post-fall 
by virtue of a living, a bleeding, a dying, and a resurrected Savior. 
That is the grand redemptive event that is the focus of special 
revelation. So from the outset of the fall, 
we have the blessed promise of Christ given. There are no redemptive 
epics whereby sinners were saved according to or by other means. And the Bible witnesses to this 
truth. I mean, we have rehearsed many 
passages over the course of many years that speak to this, but 
a healthy repetition is not a bad thing. You can turn with me to 
some passages in the New Testament. First, Luke 24. You'll remember 
in this resurrection account, the resurrected Christ speaks 
to the reality of special revelation always having revealed salvation 
by Christ. The disciples on the road to 
Emmaus, remember that they were downcast because they hadn't 
yet arrived at the fullness of the revelatory truth that Christ 
their Messiah really did rise again, as he had said. And so Christ is speaking with 
them. And in verse 25, we read, Then he said to them, O foolish 
ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have 
spoken, ought not the Christ to have suffered these things 
and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all 
the prophets, he expounded to them in all the scriptures the 
things concerning himself. This language is repeated in 
the next sort of episode, if you will, where in verse 44 we 
read, the sum and substance of that 
divine revelation is Christ Jesus the Lord, the promise of Him, 
and then the revelation concerning the coming of that promised one 
in the New Testament. And it's always, maybe you've 
done the same, but to me it's, I think it's sort of a we can 
wholesomely suspect that perhaps what Christ did was He went back 
to a passage like Genesis 3.15. When He's opening up the Scriptures 
to them, we can't know with certainty where He went and what He said 
to them, but I think we can have this wholesome imagination that 
He went to the promise of the seed of the woman and He expounded 
the revelatory data, the revelatory information 
that followed, that opened up that promise, as our language 
of the Confession uses, the further parts that brought along that 
promise to the point of the New Testament where the promised 
seed did come, where He did effect perfect salvation, and where 
He does by that save a multitude that no man can number. We could 
think of passages like Deuteronomy 18, a prophet that will come, 
you will hear him. We can think of Christ perhaps 
going to the sacrifices, the washings, the ceremonies, the 
typical system, and explicating that all of these things pointed 
forward to me. The promises of the prophets, 
all of those sorts of things. The point is, is that from the 
fall, The promise of the seed of the woman has governed human 
redemptive history, and that's the only event, the only blessed 
event that ever has governed redemptive history insofar as 
God's divine plan of salvation. And so there is one grand redemptive 
event that is the focus of special revelation, and it is the saving 
work of Christ. You can turn to the Gospel of 
John as well. Pastor Butler has been in this not too long ago. these passages speaking with 
regards to this very thing. In John 5, for example, in John 
5, you can turn to verse 39. This is a familiar passage if 
you've been at our church for any stretch of time, because 
it stresses that special revelation is about Jesus Christ. And when 
we say that, I mean, at the time, at this particular time, it was 
only the Old Testament. Remember that language of Paul 
regarding Timothy that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures 
which are able to save you through Christ Jesus the Lord. So the 
Old Testament is the special revelation present at this particular 
time. Of course, adding to that the 
special revelation that Christ is bringing by virtue of His 
incarnate self. But we have in verse 39, you 
search the Scriptures, Jesus speaking to the religious leaders, 
the opponents, you search the Scriptures, for in them you think 
you have eternal life, and these are they which testify of me. But you are not willing to come 
to me that you may have life. In John 8, if you turn a few 
pages over, we have similar language with regards to this particular 
point. And in John 8 at verse 54, we 
read, If I honor myself, my honor is nothing. It is my Father who 
honors me, of whom you say that He is your God. Yet you have 
not known Him, but I know Him. And if I say I do not know Him, 
I shall be a liar like you. But I do know Him and keep His 
word. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it 
and was glad. So, you know, these sorts of 
passages, and we have just a couple more here, bring out the fact 
that the purpose of divine revelation has always been Christ upon the 
cross working out the salvation of men. And this chapter that's 
included in our confession of faith is designed to point that 
out in order to combat some notion that men can be saved outside 
of that revelation or strangely by virtue of it, yet without 
hearing of Christ, which is no doubt very odd. You can turn 
also to the book of Acts as we're moving forward in New Testament 
revelation. You can turn to Acts 3. Acts 
chapter 3. Just one more text here that 
brings forth this. In Acts chapter 3, we can pick 
up reading at verse, well, let's see here. We'll pick up reading 
at verse 17. Yet now, brethren, I know that 
you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers. But those things 
which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the 
Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. Repent, therefore, 
and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times 
of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that 
He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom 
heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, 
which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets, prophets 
since the world began." And he goes on to speak about Moses, 
about Samuel, and etc. So we see here the language of 
all the prophets, Peter using this language of all the prophets 
having spoken in redemptive history concerning this coming Christ, 
this Christ who has now come, whom you have rejected and even 
put to death. upon a cross. So the point is, 
and I think you get it, is that special revelation has always 
been about Christ. One thing we ought to bring out 
here is the fact that, or the emphasis regarding this particular 
chapter, that Man cannot be saved, or let's say it positively first, 
man is only saved by the revelation of Christ. And as we'll see in 
the final chapter, the added necessity of effectual grace 
for conversion. But man cannot be saved by any 
sort of message or any sort of means outside of Christ. And 
man cannot be saved, yes, by virtue of Christ, but without 
never hearing of him, availing only of the light that they have 
received somehow. through creation and providence. 
So man is only saved by the revelation of Christ through effectual grace. 
Secondly then, the necessity of special revelation for making 
Christ known. Notice the language of chapter 
20, paragraph 2. This promise of Christ and salvation 
by Him is revealed only by the Word of God. So we have the positive 
statement being made first, and it's shorter than the negative 
one, and that's for a particular reason. But first off, this promise 
of Christ and salvation by Him is revealed only by the Word 
of God. That's such an important statement. 
You see, I think and hope perhaps you can see it if your minds 
have sort of been turning a little bit with regards to the missionary 
endeavor, It's almost as if in these other schemes, the deist 
scheme, and even the general Baptist scheme, that missionary 
work is unnecessary. That's why the Calvinists have 
always been strong, emphasizing the necessity of missionary endeavors. That's because the promise of 
Christ and salvation by Him is revealed only by the Word of 
God. Man isn't going to be saved by the dictates of his own conscience. 
Man is not going to be saved by the light of nature. Man needs 
the special and peculiar and particular revelation of Jesus 
Christ, joined by amazing and victorious grace, in order to 
be saved and to avail of the blessings of everlasting life. 
And so it's almost as if General Baptists, in a missionary endeavor, 
could bring the possibility of damnation in their theological 
scheme to nations afar off. If nations afar off can be saved 
by the light of nature, but then General Baptists come and in 
their theological scheme they proclaim Jesus Christ to them 
and they reject Jesus Christ, then that's damnation. That's 
why the missionary enterprise is peculiarly linked, I think, 
in great measure and with great propriety to a proper theological 
system, to biblical fidelity and to obviously a zeal for the 
doctrine of Christ to be shared among the nations. So, positively 
stated, the necessity of special revelation for making Christ 
known. We see this clearly in the book of Romans, and you'll 
probably know where I'm going with Romans 10, but let's go 
there and rehearse that language again, because in Romans 10, 
we have this very language, and it's not Not only, I don't know 
if that's the right way of saying it, but it's not only with regards 
to the special revelation of Christ in the Word of God, but 
also the necessity of a preacher bringing the proclamation of 
Christ by virtue of that special revelation to an audience. We see here in Romans 10, beginning 
at verse 10. for whoever calls on the name 
of the Lord shall be saved." That's an important statement 
there. Notice verse 14, How then shall they call on him in whom 
they have not believed? And how shall they believe in 
him of whom they have not heard? It's always a beautiful statement, 
that last one, to dwell upon. maybe you recall or you can recall 
the one who brought the gospel message to you, perhaps it was 
more than one person, perhaps it was a particular context in 
a church, a relative, a friend, whatever it may be, but hopefully 
you can recollect fondly upon the one who brought by God's 
providence the message of Christ to you. How beautiful are the 
feet of those who preach the gospel of grace. And notice the 
language that's built. It's a proposition upon proposition, 
a logical link that the Apostle Paul is building here. How then, 
verse 14, shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in 
him whom they have not heard? So we have the necessity of believing, 
or the reality of believing, and the necessity of hearing 
in order to believe, the necessity of a preacher in order to hear, 
and the necessity of those preachers being sent in order to proclaim 
the message of Jesus Christ. So we see the necessity here 
of special revelation and the importance of the enterprise 
of the church, whether it be locally, in the regular, the 
ordinary ministry of the church, or with sent missionaries abroad 
in order to bring the message of Christ, we see here the necessity 
of special revelation for making Christ known. And the negative 
statement then comes in this same paragraph, and it's larger. 
So we have this first positive statement, glorious and very, 
very vital. That is, this promise of Christ 
and salvation by Him is revealed only by the Word of God. But 
then we have a negative statement. Here, neither do the works of 
creation or providence, with the light of nature make discovery 
of Christ or of grace by him, notice, so much as in a general 
or obscure way." So the idea here is, and I think contra the 
general Baptists, is that the light of nature not only does 
it not bring the revelation of Christ specifically, but neither 
in some sort of general, vague, or as the language here is, obscure 
way. So it's not as if, okay, Christ 
has affected atonement, and then by virtue of some, you know, 
by virtue of some, the light of nature bringing something, 
whatever it is that light of nature is bringing, that man 
can somehow grasp on, generally or obscurely, to something concerning 
Christ. The confession is jettisoning 
that as an idea. That Christ can be somehow proclaimed 
without Christ being proclaimed. Much less the confession goes 
on to say that men destitute of the revelation of him by the 
promise or gospel should be enabled thereby to attain saving faith 
or repentance. So the confession is dealing 
with the absence of two things here. One, the absence of special 
revelation, and two, the absence of effectual grace for conversion. So the arguments from other camps 
would be that special revelation isn't necessary, neither is effectual 
grace. Notice the language here that 
men destitute of the revelation of him. The opponents of biblical 
truth would be saying that men destitute of any knowledge of 
Christ and absent of any effectual grace can somehow be saved and 
enjoy the bliss of heaven by virtue of the light of nature. 
So the confession wants to be clear and emphasize the absolute 
vitality or the vital nature, rather, of special revelation 
of the Word of God, of the Bible, for the proclamation of Christ 
and of grace by Him. Important here is the doctrine 
of sin. You see, these other schemes, 
the deists, the general Baptists, the Sassinians, they have a doctrine 
of sin that really brings into the mud the doctrine of the grace 
of God and the doctrine of the finished work of Jesus Christ. 
Because if man can somehow be saved, without special revelation 
and without the amazing grace of God, what does that say about 
sin? It's not as bad as we really 
think it is. It's not total depravity. It's 
not total inability. It's not all man's faculties, 
his will. you know, everything being affected, 
his mind, his heart, all these things being affected by sin, 
because he can somehow, by nature, by the dictates of his own conscience, 
arrive at divine things and be saved outside of the saving grace 
of God. It rubs against the amazing grace 
of God and it completely jettisons the Bible as necessary for the 
proclamation of Christ. So this negatively stated the 
insufficiency of general revelation for gospel knowledge. That's 
what the confessionalists here are saying, that there is an 
insufficiency to general revelation for gospel knowledge. Now, we 
might want to make a qualification here. It isn't the purpose of general 
revelation. It isn't the purpose of the light 
of nature to make Christ known. One of the things, if anybody 
noticed when Jim and Mike were doing the examination for Ryan, 
one of the questions had to do with revelation, and Pastor Mike 
asked the question, is general revelation infallible? And the 
answer is yes, general revelation is infallible insofar as general 
revelation is given for a particular purpose. So we wouldn't want 
to say the imperfection of general revelation. We wouldn't want 
to say that the light of nature and general revelation is fallible, 
because it's not. But the purpose of general revelation 
and the light of nature isn't to make Christ known. Special 
revelation is sufficient for that, not general revelation. So we have the insufficiency 
of general revelation. I think we have that in Psalm 
19. You're familiar with this very 
often as, you know, whenever Pastor Butler or anyone is speaking 
regarding revelation and is delineating or distinguishing between general 
and special revelation, often this is, very often and close 
to always, this is a passage in the Bible where those two 
concepts are brought out. And we see something here important 
with regards to the insufficiency of general revelation for gospel 
knowledge. We do see its sufficiency for 
some knowledge, but insufficient for gospel knowledge. Notice 
that Psalm 19, at verse 1, to the chief musician of Psalm of 
David, the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament 
shows his handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and 
night unto night reveals knowledge. It goes on to speak more concerning 
the utility of general revelation and what it does, and what it 
does proclaim to man. But notice the transition, if 
we can call it that, in verse 7, there's something of a transition 
there where it now gets to the law, or we could say special 
revelation. The law of the Lord is perfect, 
converting the soul. So you see here the difference. 
General revelation, the heaven's declaration cannot convert the 
soul. The speech of the day and the 
utterance of night cannot convert the soul. The coming and the 
going of the sun and its rising and its setting, those sorts 
of things can bring a knowledge of God, but they do not convert 
the soul. So against the notions of the 
deists and against the notions of the general Baptists, special 
revelation is absolutely and exclusively necessary for the 
proclamation of Christ, for the revelation of Him, and for saving 
faith. We could, but you could just 
make a note, and most of you are probably familiar with Romans 
1. Romans 1 speaks with regards 
to the reality of general revelation and making God known, but it 
also speaks very importantly there to the reality of reigning 
sin. and that man is destitute of the ability to bring himself 
to God and to be saved by general revelation, of course, because 
it doesn't reveal Christ. But nevertheless, it speaks concerning 
the condition of man before a God who reveals himself And then 
the book would obviously go on to the necessity of Jesus Christ. And as we get to Romans 3 and 
we see the reality of the gospel of Jesus Christ revealed, the 
righteousness of God revealed in Christ and His propitiatory 
sacrifice. So, the insufficiency of general 
revelation for gospel knowledge. Thirdly, the sovereignty of God 
in the revelation of Christ and in the salvation of sinners. 
Notice paragraph 3. It's a long one. The revelation 
of the gospel unto sinners made in diverse times and by sundry 
parts with the addition of promises and precepts for the obedience 
required therein as to the nations and persons to whom it is granted 
is merely of the sovereign will and good pleasure of God. So 
we see there an emphasis on the sovereignty of God in this particular 
point, and against the notions of the deists, who have a God 
who is absent from his creation, there is really no providence, 
there is no special revelation. but rather God is sort of an 
absentee watcher and man is prime, man is the arbiter of his own 
faith, man is the arbiter of his own knowledge as he looks 
upon the world, as he engages empirically in the world that 
he navigates, that sort of a thing. So they want to emphasize the 
sovereignty of God and As it pertains to the general Baptists, 
maybe even more specifically here, they want to uphold the 
sovereignty of God because it is by virtue of that sovereignty 
that men and women, boys and girls, wherever they are, receive 
the revelation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It's according 
to the will and to the plan. to the counsel of God now with 
regards to this well Let's just let me just continue reading 
and then just a couple notes here not being annexed by virtue 
So what they're saying here is perhaps not being not being joined 
by What follows or not being supplemented by what follows 
so we could we could say something like not being? Supplemented 
by virtue of any promise to the do Improvement of men's natural 
abilities by virtue of common light received without it So, 
you know, man cannot, by his natural abilities, receive or 
attain light in the absence of the sovereignty of God and the 
revelation of God. Well, man can't at all. And that's 
what the statement here makes, which none ever did make or can 
do so. Man cannot arrive at divine things, 
man cannot be saved by light received and by his own natural 
abilities. And so this statement is made, 
this very important therefore statement, and therefore in all 
ages the preaching of the gospel has been granted unto persons 
and nations as to the extent or straightening of it in great 
variety according to the counsel of the will of God. This should 
be a statement that is very clear, is very understandable, and with 
the doctrine of God in view, the only conclusion that one 
could draw with regards to the proclamation of Christ throughout 
the world. Now, on this truth, on this blessed 
truth, that this is merely of the sovereign will and good pleasure 
of God, and that the proclamation of Christ to the nations is according 
to the counsel of the will of God, let's perhaps move from 
a few passages generally to more specifically that speak regarding 
this manner. Now, we would be here for eons 
if we were to go to the passages that speak about the sovereignty 
of God, generally speaking, and with regards to the salvation 
of sinners. But just a quick survey of a few of them. Turn 
with me, if you can, in your Bibles to Psalm 115. So moving 
from some general statements regarding the sovereignty of 
God, the unrivaled, unmitigated sovereignty of God, generally 
speaking, to that as it pertains specifically to gospel proclamation. So in Psalm 115, a passage that's 
very familiar to you, verse three, but our God is in heaven, he 
does whatever he pleases. And this statement is made in 
the context against the gods of the nations, the idols around 
Israel, those nations that had other gods, because it goes on 
to say their idols. Our God is in heaven, he does 
whatever he pleases. This goes against the deists, 
Our God is in heaven. He does whatever He pleases. 
I'm saying with regards to our context. Flip over to Psalm 135. 
In Psalm 135, we have a very similar statement at verse 5. 
In Psalm 135 at verse 5 and 6, For I know that the Lord is great, 
and our Lord is above all gods. Whatever the Lord pleases, He 
does in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deep places. So, God's general sovereignty, 
His sovereignty, ultimately and largely speaking, declared quite 
plainly, but then as we narrow down, not but then, and then, 
as we narrow down with regards to the salvation of sinners, 
you can turn to Matthew 11 with me. It's a wonderful statement 
with regards to the unity of Father and Son. You know, the consubstantiality 
and equality of the son with the father. And in the context 
of the declaration of it being the divine will who receives 
gospel revelation. Notice in Matthew 11 at verse 
25, at that time Jesus answered and said, that you have hidden these things, 
gospel truths, from the wise and prudent, and have revealed 
them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed 
good in your sight." So we see that the revelation of Christ, 
as the Confession says here, made to nations, made to countries, 
made to people throughout all ages, is according to this blessed 
truth, even so, Father, for so it seemed good in your sight. 
We see that Christ goes on here, all things have been delivered 
to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, 
nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to 
whom the Son wills to reveal Him. So we see the primacy of 
the will of God. Here we see it in the context, 
the Father and the Son, this language of to whom the Son wills 
to reveal Him. So that's why the confession 
here can write that in all ages, the preaching of the gospel has 
been granted unto persons and nations as to the extent or straightening 
of it in great variety according to the counsel of the will of 
God. And that's why special revelation, that special gospel revelation 
of Christ is absolutely necessary for the salvation of sinners. 
Lastly then, we have the necessity of effectual grace for salvation. A couple texts to note just on 
the previous point that we won't go through, but Acts 17, 25, 
and 26, he gives to all life, breath, and all things, and has 
determined their pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their 
dwellings. That pertains more to providence than it does to 
the special revelation of Christ, but yet the principle is the 
same. And in the context, there is gospel preaching, but the 
principle is the same. Whoever receives the special 
revelation of Jesus Christ has received so by the sovereign 
plan and good counsel of God. So lastly, we have the necessity 
of effectual grace for salvation. Notice the paragraph, the chapter, 
closing with paragraph four. Although the gospel be the only 
outward means of revealing Christ and saving grace, and is as such 
abundantly sufficient thereunto, yet that men who are dead in 
trespasses may be born again, quickened or regenerated, So, 
again, this goes against the opponents that are in the background 
of this chapter's inclusion. The doctrine of sin is vital 
in the background because men cannot be born again quickened 
or regenerated by anything other than the Holy Spirit working 
insuperably ineffectual upon their hearts, upon their souls. 
And that only by virtue of being joined to the proclamation of 
Jesus Christ and grace by Him. So, the necessity of effectual 
grace for salvation. We could make a note here, and 
we do have some time, so turn back to chapter one for a moment, 
as we close off in the last five minutes here. chapter one, that 
is of the confession of faith, notice this same language regarding 
the necessity of regeneration, the necessity of the effectual 
call of God. So paragraph five, first off, 
we may be moved and induced I'm not going to read the whole thing, 
so I'll tell you when we move down to a particular line at 
the bottom. We may be moved and induced by 
the testimony of the Church of God to and high and reverent 
esteem of the Holy Scriptures, and then near the bottom, three 
lines up, yet notwithstanding, our full persuasion and assurance 
of the infallible truth and divine authority thereof is from the 
inward work of the Holy Spirit, bearing witness by and with the 
Word in our hearts. The situation with man is such 
that this is absolutely necessary for his conversion and for his 
mind to operate aright. Paragraph six, the whole counsel 
of God concerning all things necessary for his own glory, 
man's salvation, faith in life, is either expressly set down 
or necessarily contained in the Holy Scripture, unto which nothing 
at any time is to be added, whether by new revelation of the Spirit 
or traditions of men." So let's just pause there for a moment 
if we think of our chapter that we're dealing with. That deals 
with special revelation there, the first portion of that chapter. 
But remember, there are two things necessary for the conversion 
of sinners, that is, the special revelation of God and the effectual 
work of the Holy Spirit. So we have the next portion of 
the paragraph. Nevertheless, we acknowledge 
the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary 
for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed 
in the Word. So if we could summarize this 
particular chapter we could say that the theme is twofold, the 
necessity of special gospel revelation and effectual grace for salvation. And just a couple things in closing. What does this chapter do? First 
off, it magnifies the love and grace and mercy of God in the 
sending of Christ, in the disclosure of His person and work in the 
Holy Scriptures, and in regenerating sinners by the insuperable work 
of the Spirit. It magnifies that. Any other 
scheme, any other approach to redemptive history, any other 
approach to salvation, minimizes, destroys, and steals away the 
love, the grace, and the mercy of God in disclosing Christ in 
such a way, and in affecting the salvation of sinners by His 
Spirit. And it is a cause for worship 
and for prayer. Today, as we engage in the worship 
of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and as the Word is read, and 
as the Word is preached, before it is and as it is, we should 
be praying that God would do these two things, that He would 
affect, that He would impress upon the heart the special revelation 
of Christ and the Holy Scriptures, the gospel and the grace of Christ, 
and that He would send His Spirit in order to bring dead sinners 
to life. And this chapter, if it speaks to anything, it speaks 
to that, the special revelation of our glorious Christ and the 
need of the Holy Spirit to affect saving grace in the soul. Well, 
let's pray. Heavenly Father, we just thank 
you for this time together to study truth. We thank you that 
you have revealed Christ to us. We thank you, Lord God, that 
you have worked upon our hearts by the effectual and insuperable 
work of the Holy Spirit. We just rejoice in your amazing 
grace in making Christ known to us and cherished by us. And 
we pray as we go into worship that you would help us to worship 
that we would worship you in spirit and in truth. And Lord, 
that you would give Pastor Butler those things he needs to speak 
well concerning Christ, to preach your word, to open it up. And 
we pray that he would know your aid in the pulpit and that you 
would this morning edify your saints and save sinners. And 
we pray in Christ's precious name. Amen.