Unconditional Election, Part 2

Driving home: When you're talking about forgiveness and salvation coming to guilty sinners, you never use the word justice.

Martin presents the equation: take human sin and add only justice and on the other side stands damnation. Therefore the very entrance of one creature into salvation requires a principle other than justice.

Justice can only result in damnation. As in Adam all sinned, so in Adam all died, and if all you have is human sin, here's the equation, human sin plus justice, on the other side of the equal sign is damnation. Human sin plus justice plus nothing else equals damnation. if all sin and all are dealt with justly all shall be damned now that's exactly what happened to the fallen angels in the case of the fallen angels there was nothing but the operation of divine justice

14:36 - 15:22 Read in full sermon

The point: When tempted to call election unjust, replace 'just' with 'merciful' — and recognize that any salvation at all requires sovereign mercy.

Once 100 coins are committed to the law of gravity, gravity will see every coin splash into the strait below — unless the Sovereign Hand reaches in. So with sinners and grace.

every single one of them is going to go splashing into the straits below. Once they are committed to the law of gravity that law having entered and taken over will see to it that all one hundred reach the bottom of the ocean at that point. However, if another law enters in another physical law should there be a hand reach out and arrest one of them another principle other than the law of gravity has entered. So it is with humanity.

17:23 - 17:52 Read in full sermon

Driving home: If you deny God the right to control every part of his universe, you deny God the right to be God.

Some are born blind, some demented, some affluent, some in squalor — God's sovereignty pervades every variation in human existence, not only in salvation.

Some are born blind. Some are born demented. Some are born in affluence. Some are born in squalor.

24:26 - 24:36 Read in full sermon

The point: When you sense your sin and the gathering wrath, do not theologize — grab the gospel preserver as a drowning man grabs the line.

Martin pictures a man at home doodling perfect life-preserver designs and critiquing existing ones. But put him in a sinking boat with a Coast Guard cutter throwing him a preserver and he doesn't reach for his calculator — he grabs the line. So with God's gospel offer.

Many times that objection is like a man who's sitting at home in his living room and he's got a few extra minutes and he's doodling. And he's figuring out the perfect design for a life preserver. He has a little knowledge of engineering and math and buoyancy and all the rest and displacement and all the rest. And so he's sitting there with his little pocket calculator designing the perfect life preserver.

31:45 - 32:08 Read in full sermon

The point: Imitate Paul's evangelistic passion — endure all things for the elect's sake — election engenders zeal, not laziness.

A woman who heard Whitefield several times was asked the secret of his power. 'Sir,' she said, 'I have stood next to him while he preached, and the tears would actually run down upon his face.' So much for election killing evangelistic passion.

Someone asked a woman who had heard him preach several times in one day, said to her, What do you think is the secret of the success of Whitfield? She said, Sir, I have stood next to the man of God as he preached two, three times today, whatever the number was. And she said, on every occasion, I have been made wet with the tears that have splashed from his cheeks as he has pleaded with sinners.

38:09 - 38:31 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Election is the divine purpose to save, but the purpose must find expression in the divine method to save.

Your wife may purpose to feed you a delicious meal, but the purpose must find a method — buying meat, cooking, setting it up. Election is the purpose; the gospel call is the method.

Election is the divine purpose to save, but the purpose must find expression in the divine method to save. The purpose is not the method. Your wife may purpose to provide you with a wonderful meal. That doesn't put the meal on the table.

39:31 - 39:47 Read in full sermon

Martin quotes the hymn often sung at Trinity: 'Why was I made to hear thy voice and enter while there's room, when thousands make a wretched choice and rather starve than come?' — election produces wonder, not pride.

that I should be the object of that grace. In the language of that hymn we so often sing in this congregation, why was I made to hear thy voice and enter while there's room, when thousands make a wretched choice and rather starve than come. It was the same love, it was the same love that spread the feast that sweetly drew me in, else I had still refused to come and perished in my sin. Secondly, it ought to engender stability.

43:53 - 44:32 Read in full sermon