The sermon explores the extent of the grace of the gospel as explained in the 1689 London Baptist Confession. It discusses the revelation of the gospel in diverse times and by sundry parts, the addition of promises and precepts to the gospel, the sovereign will of God in choosing who receives the gospel, and the preaching of the gospel according to God's will. It emphasizes that salvation can only be obtained through faith in Jesus Christ and the sovereign grace of God.

The second London Baptist Confession today comes from chapter 20, paragraph 3, of the gospel and the extent of grace thereof. The revelation of the gospel and to 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 for 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 on the persons and nations as to the extent or straightening of it in great variety according to the counsel of the will of God. We continue in our study of chapter 20 of the gospel. We've looked at initial revelation of the gospel beginning in Genesis 315.

We've seen that the promise of Christ and salvation by him is revealed only by the word of God through special revelation. Our paragraph today addresses the dissemination of the gospel in two somewhat similar ways, revelation and preaching, both according to God's will. I spent some time wondering why the paragraph was structured like it is, why the authors felt it important to separate revelation and preaching, when to me, their point seemed repetitive. The commentaries I used focused pretty much just on the spread of the gospel by the will of God. It wasn't until this morning that I had a thought that at least helped me.

Last week, you'll remember I spoke of general and special revelation. God has revealed himself through creation, through nature, so that all know he exists. God also has revealed Jesus Christ and his will for salvation in special ways, not discernible through the general revelation. God's special revelation is given to us in the Bible, His holy word. It seems to me that the authors here at the Confession were separating the giving of God's word and the preaching of God's word because both are needful.

I hope maybe that can help you. So as we begin, the first part of our paragraph will focus on God's special revelation, the revelation of Jesus Christ and God's will and salvation, the gospel. The revelation of the gospel was made in diverse times and sundry parts. This comes from the book of Hebrews. God, who at sundry times and in diverse manner spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds." Hebrews 1, 1, and 2.

It's not clear why the confession swaps around the words used in the King James and the Geneva Bible, but their message, the meanings are very similar. So what does it mean? Diverse times and by sundry parts, or sundry times and diverse manners. Basically, God has revealed His will piecemeal, not all at once, but in various times spanning from Adam until Christ and done in a variety of ways, such as through angels, fire, dreams, visions, and many other ways. But when Christ came, this changed.

Martin's notes comments, The ancient revelation was a collection of various writings on different subjects and given at different times. But now God has addressed us by His Son, the one great messenger who had come to finish the divine communications and to give a uniform and connected revelation to mankind. The contrast here is between the numerous separate parts of revelation given by the prophets and the oneness that is given by his son. The revelation of the gospel was made with the addition of promises and precepts for the obedience required therein. Well, what does this mean?

Addition of promises and precepts. For those who don't know what a precept is, Here's how Noah Webster defines it. In a general sense, any commandment or order intended as an authoritative rule of action, but applied particularly to commands respecting moral conduct. So to the revelation of the gospel, promises are added and precepts or commands, which must be obeyed or given. And to expand on this, I'll give some words from a sermon I found from Charles Spurgeon on precepts and promises based on John 12, 26.

This verse reads, If any man serve me, let him follow me, and where I am there shall also my servant be. If any man serve me, him will my father honor. The text is divided into three sentences. The first is a sentence of precept, of command. If any man serve me, let him follow me.

Which is intended first that if you become Christ's servant, you must obey Him. In order to obey Him, you are to imitate Him. Give yourself up wholly to Jesus and do as Jesus would have done if he had been in your place. For so you will serve him in the best possible fashion. The second is a sentence of precept and promise, which could be rendered, where I am, there let my servant be, or where I am, there shall also my servant be.

Either may be a correct interpretation of the original, and therefore we can take it both in senses of a sentence, a precept, and a promise. First as a precept, where I am, there let my servant be. Wherever Jesus was and is, there you are to be, if you're really His servant. Did God want a witness? There was Christ.

Did man need a teacher? There was Christ. Were men sick? He was their physician. Were they hungry?

He was their provider. Were his disciples liable to sink in a storm? He walked on the waters and rescued the frightened men. He was ever giving himself to the service of men. And wherever your master was in relation to men, there should you be also.

Now let us regard that phrase as a promise. Where I am, there shall also my servant be. This is a very blessed promise. Some people are anxious to know more concerning the condition of the redeemed between death and the resurrection. But I'm satisfied to know that I shall be with Jesus wherever He is.

Regarding the resurrection, these bodies of ours are the temple of the Holy Ghost. They shall rise again. In our flesh we shall see God, and so shall we be forever with the Lord." Then the third sentence, a pure promise, if any man serve me, him will my father honor. You know, if you think about that, who can even comprehend what this means, being honored by God? What shall be done unto the man whom the eternal God, the creator, the possessor of heaven and earth, delighteth to honor?

But you who have believed in Him, remember that this is your road to honor, willingness to be dishonored, willingness to be counted as the mire in the street for Christ's sake and for truth's sake. Then let this be your strong resolution, that come what may, Christ's life shall be your rule, Christ's word shall be your marching orders. And whether you have to die a martyr's death or not, to Him who loved you and bought you with His blood, you consecrate yourself entirely henceforth and forevermore. For those who have received the gospel, we rejoice. We delight in these promises.

We delight in His precepts, His commands. We rejoice because we know that any sufferings that we may endure are not even worthy to be compared to the glory that will be revealed in us, Romans 8, 18. Moving on, The revelation of the gospel was made to the nations and persons to whom it was granted as merely of the sovereign will and good pleasure of God. God is sovereign, and God is immutable. He reveals His word and his good pleasure, both to the nations and the persons.

The psalmist declares his word to Jacob, his statutes, and his judgments to Israel. He has not dealt thus with any nation. And as for his judgments, they have not known them praise the Lord Psalm 147 19 and 20 and from Paul's letter to the Ephesians Just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestinated us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ himself according to the good pleasure of his will." Ephesians 1, 4, and 5. God chooses who receives the gospel. The particular nations and individuals who are granted this revelation are chosen solely according to the sovereign will and good pleasure of God.

Our paragraph further states what this choice does not depend on, not being annexed by virtue of any promise to the due improvement of men's natural abilities and by virtue of common light received without it, which none ever did make or can do." So the phrase that we have here is a little bit confusing and hard to understand, so I'll restate it in the terms that are found in the modern English version of the confession. This choice does not depend on any promise to those who demonstrate good stewardship of their natural abilities based on common light received apart from the gospel. No one has ever done this nor can anyone do so. So Paul writes to the church in Rome, for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth and unrighteousness. Because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.

This is the common light we all receive. For since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. Because although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Again, the common light does not reveal the gospel, nor is it sufficient to discern Christ or salvation. Professing to be wise, they became fools and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man, the birds, the four-footed animals, and the creeping things.

Therefore, God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts to dishonor their bodies among themselves. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting, being filled with all unrighteousness, and who knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them. Excerpts from Romans 1, 18 through 32. Apart from the gospel, no one can be saved. No one through their natural abilities or through the common light received from nature, can know Christ or salvation, nor will anyone ever be able without the gospel.

As it is written, there is none righteous, no not one. There is none who understands. There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside. They've together become unprofitable.

There is none who does good. No, not one. Romans 3, 10 through 12. It is only by faith alone, through grace alone, in Christ alone that we can be saved. Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

Acts 4.12. Furthermore, Jesus tells us, no man can come to me except the Father which has sent me draw him, John 644. This comes again only through the sovereign will of God. Our final phrase to look at today is, and therefore in all ages, the preaching of the gospel has been granted unto persons and nations as to the extent of or straightening of it in great variety and according to the counsel of the will of God. The Westminster Catechism asks the question, how is the word of God made effectual to salvation?

That is, how does it point us to Christ and then transform our lives? The answer is very striking. The Spirit of God make it the reading, but especially the preaching of God's Word an effectual means of convincing and converting sinners and of building them up in holiness and comfort through faith unto salvation. The reading of the word, but especially the preaching of God's word, is an effective means of convincing and converting sinners. Paul tells us, how then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed, and how shall they believe in him whom they have not heard?

And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things. But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our report?

So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God, Romans 10, 14 through 17. It is God who calls men to be preachers. It is God who compels them where to preach. It is God who gives them the words to preach and the extent thereof and the variety thereof. We read from Acts.

Now when they had gone through Phrygia in the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. After they had come to Mycea, they tried to go to Bethania, but the spirit did not permit them. So passing by Mycea, they came down to Troas, and a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him saying, come over to Macedonia and help us. Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.

Acts 16, 6 through 10. God wanted Paul to preach the gospel in Macedonia. During the journey described here, if you follow along in a map, every time Paul tried to go in a direction other than towards Macedonia, the Spirit blocked him. God's will is immutable, and it will be accomplished. The preaching of the gospel is granted according solely, again, to the counsel of God's will.

And again, His will is perfect and immutable. Some final thoughts on what we have touched on today. Ultimately, God is sovereign over all things, including the spread of the gospel. The implication here is that those who haven't heard the gospel cannot be saved. God has sent the gospel to some nations, but not to others, to some people, but not to others.

Although men have been commissioned by Jesus for the past 2,000 years to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you, Matthew 28, 19, and 20. The gospel has not gone to every nation, tribe, or people. In fact, there may be billions or more walking around right now that have not heard the gospel. We heard an example of this a few weeks ago, even in our community. Well, how shall they believe in Him who they have not heard?

Romans 10, 14. Some might argue that it seems unfair or unjust, or they'll ask, I thought God was merciful. But not only is God merciful, He is just, perfectly just. All people know that God exists. Some just suppress this truth.

Remember that no one is righteous. No, not one. We are all without excuse. We are all guilty before a holy God. And here's the point.

We're not condemned because we haven't heard about Jesus. We're condemned because we've rejected the common light He has given us. We're condemned because we have sinned against a holy God. We're condemned because we have disobeyed his commands. We are condemned because we've rejected him.

Yet rather than leave us in the pit of despair, God provided a plan of redemption. He gives us hope. He sent his one and only son to be born of a woman, a virgin, to live a perfect life, to suffer, and then die on the cross. And then on the third day, rise from the dead. Christ, who had no sin, bore the punishment, do our sins.

And Christ imputes his perfect righteousness on us so that we would be seen by God as if we had never sinned and thus be justified and live with Him eternally. Does He do this for all people? No. Only those chosen by the Father, the elect, chosen by the perfect counsel of his goodwill and to his good pleasure. This is the gospel message, and people need to hear it.

We all share in this calling, and we should feel the responsibility that Paul in 1 Corinthians 9 16 speaks to himself. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel. We would do well to remember these words. But also, we should not forget Paul's words in Romans 10, 15, how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace and who bring glad tidings of good things. Amen.