A Sermon on Hope Laid Up For You in Heaven

 

Col. 2:5:  because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel

We see in our day of people of false religion telling others of eternal life and paradise in the God they serve who is not the God of Jacob nor the God of Scripture but the God made with human hands.  He is the God who is impotent to save; a God who provides not paradise; a God who does not provide a divine, all-sufficient Savior and Redeemer who saves to the uttermost.  Rather their gospel is a gospel according to men; a tradition of men; the doctrine of demons; it is contrary to divine Scripture and to the whole counsel of God because the divine Word speaks against the gospel according to men but speaks pure words from God about the gospel according to the Lord Jesus Christ who is God Incarnate, and who is the Savior who saves perfectly and without hindrance. He has secured the redemption of His chosen ones; He has purchased His own from the pit of darkness, sin and misery; He has saved His people from the despair of hell and damnation, and He now lives to make intercession for His own who were particularly purchased by Him and who are perfectly kept by Him.  His glorious atonement was accepted by God the Father, for it was to Him to whom it was given.  It was for the sin of His people; He expiated the sin of His own, and propitiated the wrath of His Father; this was done by the perfect Savior of Reformed theology, and He did not expiate nor propitiate the Father’s holy wrath for every single individual in the world, but He did it only for His beloved elect who were chosen before the foundation of the world.  What great glory; what a glorious message that He would be pleased to save a people out of a world of sin and misery; out a world of darkness and despair; out of a world of wickedness and immorality; He was pleased to save His own because He chose to voluntarily.  His people respond in faith and repentance because He has chosen them, and His gospel is the only gospel that saves.  There is no other gospel that saves except the gospel of divine Scripture.  So, then, His beloved people who were afore chosen in Him before faith, have the assured and everlasting hope of eternal life which is laid up for them in glory and in heaven.  This gospel is not a gospel that leads men to hell but it is a gospel that brings His people to Himself.  The gospel is the message from God, and He brings His own to Him alone, and there is nothing that can stop Him to accomplish His blessed purposes.  Calvin speaks of God’s goodness,

5. For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven. For the hope of eternal life will never be inactive in us, so as not to produce love in us. For it is of necessity, that the man who is fully persuaded that a treasure of life is laid up for him in heaven will aspire thither, looking down upon this world. Meditation, however, upon the heavenly life stirs up our affections both to the worship of God, and to exercises of love. The Sophists pervert this passage for the purpose of extolling the merits of works, as if the hope of salvation depended on works. The reasoning, however, is futile. For it does not follow, that because hope stimulates us to aim at upright living, it is therefore founded upon works, inasmuch as nothing is more efficacious for this purpose than God’s unmerited goodness, which utterly overthrows all confidence in works.

…..As eternal salvation is a thing that surpasses the comprehension of our understanding, he therefore adds, that the assurance of it had been brought to the Colossians by means of the gospel; and at the same time he says in the outset, that he is not to bring forward anything new, but that he has merely in view to confirm them in the doctrine which they had previously received….

          The gospel of grace and peace is commanded by the great Incarnate King to be preached throughout the world.  It is not restricted to one race of human over another.  It is preached to all creatures.  We do not know the identity of the elect of God.  We are commanded in divine Scripture to preach His gospel to all.  God’s people will respond.  Those who have yet to respond, but will respond later in time, are the pre-converted elect.  God has chosen a certain time—He has appointed a time when He will save them, and thus, they will surely believe and respond.  The reason of their response is not from human ingenuity or clever speech or something that resides in them.  Rather the pre-converted elect respond because of God’s monergistic grace in sovereign regeneration.  God made us His—that is, He made us willing to believe.  Yet by saying this He never forced us to believe.  It is not a contradiction to say “The Lord alone made us willing” and it does not mean He forced us to believe as we are slanderously reported as saying.  Being made willing and being forced are vastly different phraseology though it seems like it is not.  For instance, consider this: do we not say in theology that Christ has two distinct natures: man and divine?  Do we say He has two separate natures?  No, we say He has two distinct natures!  Do you see the fine terminology used in the theology?  We could turn to the Blessed Trinity; do we not say that there are three distinct Persons in the Godhead?  Yet do we not avoid the word separate because we dare not be confused with Tritheism in basic terms.  My friends, do you see the fine language used to convey God’s truth?  So, too, then, it is true that God’s people are made willing by His Spirit and His Word.  Why would man refuse such certainty of belief?  It is the sin of the devil—it is because of pride.   But let us turn to the blessed Confession of our faith and here the wonderful working of effectual calling…

Chapter 10: Of Effectual Calling

1.  Those whom God hath predestinated unto life, he is pleased in his appointed, and accepted time, effectually to call, by his Word and Spirit, out of that state of sin and death in which they are by nature, to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ; enlightening their minds spiritually and savingly to understand the things of God; taking away their heart of stone, and giving unto them a heart of flesh; renewing their wills, and by his almighty power determining them to that which is good, and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ; yet so as they come most freely, being made willing by his grace.
( Romans 8:30; Romans 11:7; Ephesians 1:10, 11; 2 Thessalonians 2:13, 14; Ephesians 2:1-6; Acts 26:18; Ephesians 1:17, 18; Ezekiel 36:26; Deuteronomy 30:6; Ezekiel 36:27; Ephesians 1:19; Psalm 110:3; Canticles 1:4 )

2.  This effectual call is of God's free and special grace alone, not from anything at all foreseen in man, nor from any power or agency in the creature, being wholly passive therein, being dead in sins and trespasses, until being quickened and renewed by the Holy Spirit; he is thereby enabled to answer this call, and to embrace the grace offered and conveyed in it, and that by no less power than that which raised up Christ from the dead.
( 2 Timothy 1:9; Ephesians 2:8; 1 Corinthians 2:14; Ephesians 2:5; John 5:25; Ephesians 1:19, 20 )

3.  Elect infants dying in infancy are regenerated and saved by Christ through the Spirit; who worketh when, and where, and how he pleases; so also are all elect persons, who are incapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the Word.
( John 3:3, 5, 6; John 3:8 )

4.  Others not elected, although they may be called by the ministry of the Word, and may have some common operations of the Spirit, yet not being effectually drawn by the Father, they neither will nor can truly come to Christ, and therefore cannot be saved: much less can men that receive not the Christian religion be saved; be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature and the law of that religion they do profess.
( Matthew 22:14; Matthew 13:20, 21; Hebrews 6:4, 5; John 6:44, 45, 65; 1 John 2:24, 25; Acts 4:12; John 4:22; John 17:3 )

          Must God bow to the almighty free will of man?  Does God say, “I bring a message of glad tidings.  But I must submit to your will.”  How many of us would be Christian if this were true?  I submit that no one would be Christian if it was left up to us.  So, then, as God’s workers, and as God’s friends, we can be sure that His people will respond, and embrace the gospel of truth.  Here the words of this blessed Hymn…

‘Tis not that I did choose thee, for Lord, that could not be, Thus heart would still refuse thee, Hadst thou not chosen me.  Thou from the sin that stained me Hadst cleansed and set me free; of old thou hast ordained me, that I should live to thee.

‘Twas sovereign mercy called me and taught my opening mind; the world had else enthralled me, to heavenly glories blind.  My heart owns none before thee, for thy rich grace I thirst; this knowing, if I love thee, Thou must have loved me first.  Amen. (Hymn 96).

We can turn to the Puritan Catechism by CH Spurgeon,

30. Q. What is effectual calling?

A. Effectual calling is the work of God's Spirit (2 Tim. 1:9) whereby, convincing us of our sin and misery (Acts 2:37), enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christ (Acts 26:18), and renewing our wills (Ezek. 36:26), he does persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ freely offered to us in the gospel (Jn. 6:44-45).

We embrace the gospel, the word of truth, because of God’s wondrous and awesome Spirit who changes the heart of stone and gives His own a heart of flesh. 

Let’s look at the verses that explicitly teach this precious truth:

Ezekiel 36:26-27 reads:  “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit I will put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.  And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statues, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them” (NKJV).  Paul proclaims in Romans 8:30:  “Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: whom he justified, them he also glorified” (NKV).

Paul declares in Ephesians 1:7-12:

In  whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:  That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who wortheth all things after the counsel of his own will:  That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.  In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise.  Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.  Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all saints, cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him (KJV).

          Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 announces:  “But we are bound to give thanks always 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:  Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (KJV).

Paul in 2 Timothy 2:8-12 proclaims:

Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel:  Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds but the word of God is not bound.  Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.  It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him:  If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us (KJV).

          Paul in Romans 11:29 declares: “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance” (KJV).  Paul in Galatians 1:15 proclaims:  “But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace” (KJV).  Paul in1 Timothy 6:12 proclaims:  “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good confession before many witness” (KJV).  

Paul in 2 Timothy 1:8-12 declares:

But not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; Who has 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, but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immorality to light through the gospel:  Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.  For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day (KJV).

The Christian doctrine of the effectual calling of God is essential for our theological understanding and it is fundamental in application to our Christian lives.  The call of God is most effective.  God called the universe into existence.  When God accomplished this, the universe came into being.  Nothing can resist God’s will.  God’s preferred outcome came to fruition.  Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ called Lazarus into life from the grave (John 11:43).  Instantly Lazarus had life within Him when Jesus called him forth, “Lazarus, come forth” (John 11:43).

          The believer of God receives an effectual call from God in the Christian life.  The call of God within the believer brings a desired result.  The effectual calling of God is in relation to the utter powerfulness of Yahweh.  This is with regeneration of the Holy Spirit of the depraved sinner.  The regeneration of the depraved sinner is from spiritual darkness into spiritual rebirth.  This action of God is appropriately named irresistible grace.  This theological terminology comes from the letter I within the Christian essential of the Calvinistic acronym of Tulip. 

          The effectual call of God refers to the sovereign authority of God Himself toward His people which brings forth His intended, purposeful, appointed and ordained result.  The apostle Paul teaches the following: Those God predestinates He calls.  Those He calls, He justifies.  Those He calls; this is in reference to the effectual calling of God from God Himself. 

          There is an inward call of God. This is known as His effectual calling toward His people.  The effectual calling of God’s chosen people is a classified work of God.  The effectual calling of God is the regeneration by the Holy Ghost toward God’s elect people. It is also know as God’s quickening work of the action of the Holy Ghost. 

The regeneration of the Holy Ghost is an instantaneous uncanny work of the Spirit of God.  The regeneration by God the Holy Ghost acts as an internal transformation of the nature, proclivity and aspiration of the human spirit.  Prior to the effectual call of the Triune Lord, now the individual is capable of approaching Him.  All the pre-converted elect are effectually called.  All the effectual called individuals respond in true faith.   Therefore, faith is a beloved present of God because the effectual call by the Holy Ghost has been given to the individual. 

The outward call is the gospel proclamation of God.  The outward call is heard by the non-elect and the elect.  The outward call may be refused.  The outward call will only be embraced by an individual if the Holy Spirit makes the initial effective inward call a reality.  When the inward call is made, accompanied with the outward call, the person has faith.  The effectual call of God from God Himself is irresistible.  God sovereignly brings forth a preferred outcome.  Yet, however, fallen creatures do resist God’s sovereign grace.  Nevertheless, God’s grace is irresistible in the meaning that God’s unmerited grace succeeds greater than man’s depravity. 

God’s creative powerfulness is His effective call.  His effective call brings forth spiritual life from spiritual death.  To the Ephesians Paul declares:

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.  (Eph. 2:1-3 KJV).

The pre-converted elect are those God eventually within time calls out of their spiritual darkness into spiritual light.  We all once were children of wrath.  We all were once spiritually dead.  But by virtue of the internal call of God, through His beloved powerfulness and efficacy, He gave us spiritual life.  The Holy Spirit provides us with eyes to see.  The Holy Spirit provides us with ears to hear.  The Holy Spirit provides us with minds to understand.  Therefore, the regeneration by the Spirit of holiness is a necessary perquisite in order for a person to believe.

If God is the divine initiator of our salvation, our hearts are forever His, and if our hearts are forever His, we can never be separated from Him, because He started a divine work in our souls, and He will surely finish it as our faithful Lord who remains righteously true to His blessed Word.  If God remains true and faithful to His blessed Word, we have the true hope of heaven.  Because we have the Author of our salvation who resides in the heavens; who gives and provides life to His own, and by whom we are securely kept. 

God commands that everyone everywhere repent and believe His gospel.  Many, many millions of people have rejected it, and many more have not heard it.  But we know that the word of truth is ordered in such a way in time by His gracious providence to people who are His own, who will respond, who will live in repentance and faith and who will live in holiness.  Since God ordains whatsoever comes to pass, He works all things out for the good of His own, and those who are called according to His blessed purpose.  So, all who are suppose to believe, will in fact, believe; they will believe the gospel of truth, which is nothing less then the word of truth.  Here the Word speak of the gospel, the word of truth:

Ephesians 1:13, And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,

Colossians 1:5, the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel

God chooses His own and our hope is based on the immutable love of God.  It is unchanging and it is free.  The fact will never change that God loves His own whom His only begotten Son purchased on that day at Calvary.  We have the hope of heaven.  We have the certainty of God’s promise.  We must rest on the promises of God.  We must submit to His Word and love His truth.  We must be people of the gospel, not only to believe it ourselves but to spread its truth throughout the world.  It is nothing less then the word of truth.  I speak of no worldly thing.  It is neither corruptible nor perishable.  It is something that is of eternal value and importance.  There is nothing purer on earth then the gospel of Jesus Christ.  There is nothing better on earth then the gospel of Jesus Christ.  There is nothing more meaningful on earth then the gospel of grace and peace.  It is better the gold; better the silver; better then earthly riches; better then worldly possessions; better then homes and cars; better then a prominent position at work; better then vain glory—the gospel is the greatest message of grace and peace; it greater then any message known to man, it is of eternal importance, and we should never let it go.  We should cling to it with our very lives, and say, with Luther, “Here I Stand.”  Since the gospel is based on God’s unchanging love, it can never be undone or taken away from us.  If God’s love for whom have believed, can be changed, it is therefore not eternal of unchanging, and then, it is by all means miserable and worthless.