Unconditional Election

The point: Be careful as we discuss the doctrine of unconditional election, because we are entering divine territory, because we're facing a profound mystery.

The analogy of entering divine territory and standing on holy ground is used to convey the reverence and caution required when discussing the doctrine of unconditional election, as it is a glimpse into God's mind.

We must broach the subject of unconditional election very carefully for two reasons. First of all, we are entering divine territory, standing on holy ground. As one commentator has suggested, we are face to face here with something from the heart and mind of God. It's as though God had opened the curtain of crack and has given us a glimpse of what he is thinking, deep within.

0:36 - 1:01 Read in full sermon

The point: Be careful as we discuss the doctrine of unconditional election, because we are entering divine territory, because we're facing a profound mystery.

Paul's placement of election in a doxological setting is likened to singing about things that amaze and cannot be comprehended, illustrating that some doctrines are meant for praise rather than full explanation.

Our second reason for exercising caution is that we are confronting a profound mystery, and although we are able to make some observations and offer some comments on this mystery, in the end we will never be able to fully understand it. It is worthwhile noting that Paul, in Ephesians 1, places the teaching of unconditional election in a doxological, or praise, setting. He puts it in the midst of a doxology. He writes, Paul does not attempt to explain this doctrine, nor does he pretend to resolve some of the difficulties, that people have with it. It's just too mysterious for that. A study sing...

1:17 - 2:19 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Even as a dead person lies helpless, motionless, still, unable to move any part of his body, so the unregenerate person cannot initiate any spiritual movement, make any decision for Christ, or exercise any faith. He is s…

A quote from Thompson's poem is used to powerfully describe humanity's natural state of running from God, reinforcing the idea that we do not seek Him.

A more accurate description of who we by nature are is powerfully expressed in Francis Thompson's poem, The Hound of Heaven, where we find ourselves running from God. Writes Francis Thompson, I fled him down the nights and down the days. I fled him down the hours, and down the arches of the years. I fled him down the labyrinthian ways of my mind, and in the midst of tears, I hid from him.

7:34 - 8:04 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Even as a dead person lies helpless, motionless, still, unable to move any part of his body, so the unregenerate person cannot initiate any spiritual movement, make any decision for Christ, or exercise any faith. He is s…

The hymn lyric 'Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God' is quoted to illustrate that God initiates the search for lost humanity, not the other way around.

The unregenerate person doesn't go searching for God. God goes searching for him. As we sing, Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God. He, to rescue me from danger, interposed his precious blood.

8:06 - 8:23 Read in full sermon

Driving home: God knowing is God loving. Those God foreknew means those God foreloved. Those whom God loved from eternity, long before the world was created, He predestined. This is what Paul is telling us in Romans 8.

The biblical phrase 'Adam knew Eve' is used to explain that 'know' in biblical times often meant 'to love,' clarifying the meaning of 'foreknew' in Romans 8.

The problem, however, lies in the meaning of the word foreknew. This has nothing to do with God's intellectual knowledge. In Bible times, the word know means to love. The Bible tells us that Adam knew Eve.

11:19 - 11:35 Read in full sermon

Driving home: God knowing is God loving. Those God foreknew means those God foreloved. Those whom God loved from eternity, long before the world was created, He predestined. This is what Paul is telling us in Romans 8.

God's statement in Amos, 'You only have I known of all the families of the earth,' is used to further illustrate that God's 'knowing' implies His 'loving,' supporting the interpretation of 'foreknew' as 'foreloved'.

This does not mean, that Adam knew how tall Eve was, how much she weighed, or what her temperament was like. It means that Adam loved Eve. To know is to love. In the book of Amos, God says to the people of Israel, You only have I known of all the families of the earth.

11:36 - 11:54 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin tackles the objections that election makes God unjust or removes human responsibility, arguing that God is not unjust in giving undeserved grace and that objections to…

The story of a wealthy man adopting one child from an orphanage is used to illustrate that God is not unjust when He chooses some for salvation, as He is not compelled to save any, and giving grace to some is an act of kindness, not injustice to others.

If we deserve nothing, how can we call God unjust when He gives us something? We deserve eternal death. But in grace, He has given us eternal life. Take the example of a wealthy man who visits an orphanage filled with neglected and sad-faced children.

15:21 - 15:38 Read in full sermon

The point: Thankful for his grace in choosing us. We want to live holy and blameless lives.

Martin recounts a high school debate where a classmate mistakenly concluded that belief in predestination meant one could 'do whatever you want,' illustrating the common antinomian misunderstanding of the doctrine.

In my senior year at a public high school, I attended, we somehow got on the subject of predestination in an English class. When I indicated that I believed in this particular teaching, that I was convinced the Bible clearly taught it, it created a most interesting debate. After class, one of my fellow classmen said to me, as we were walking down the hall together, how neat. If you have been chosen by God, you can do whatever you want.

18:55 - 19:21 Read in full sermon

The point: Thankful for his grace in choosing us. We want to live holy and blameless lives.

A quote from John Stott's commentary on Ephesians is used to reinforce that the doctrine of election encourages holiness, not sin.

That would be certain evidence that he is not a Christian at all. In his excellent commentary on the book of Ephesians, John Stott says, far from encouraging sin, the doctrine of election forbids it and lays upon us instead the necessity of holiness. Unquote. Being one of God's chosen does not lead us to recklessness, but righteousness.

20:05 - 20:29 Read in full sermon

The point: Thankful for his grace in choosing us. We want to live holy and blameless lives.

The story of William Carey being told by a bishop that God would convert the heathen without human help is used to illustrate the fallacious thinking that election makes evangelism obsolete.

A fourth difficulty people have with this teaching is, doesn't it make evangelism obsolete? Well, when William Carey, the great missionary to India, was a young man in England in the 1770s, he felt the unbelievers in other lands should also hear the good news about Jesus. In those days, missionary activities had almost come to a standstill. And he was a Christian.

20:38 - 21:01 Read in full sermon

The point: Thankful for his grace in choosing us. We want to live holy and blameless lives.

The analogy of a farmer cultivating and harvesting crops, despite God making them grow, is used to explain that God uses human means (evangelism) to bring about His sovereign purposes (gathering the elect).

He did not view evangelism and unconditional election as working against each other. He did not view evangelism as working against each other. He did not view evangelism as working against each other. We all believe that God makes the crops to grow and bear fruit.

21:26 - 21:36 Read in full sermon

The point: The concern we must have is not, have I been chosen, but do I believe in the Lord Jesus?

The metaphor of walking through a doorway with 'Come unto me' on one side and 'Chosen before the creation of the world' on the other is used to illustrate that coming to Christ reveals one's election, providing assurance.

When you come to Jesus, you will discover that you are one of God's children chosen from eternity. Picture it as walking through a doorway which has written on one side, come unto me, I will never drive you away. You come, you enter, and as you step through the door and look back, you see written on the other side of the doorway, chosen before the creation of the world. The concern we must have is not, have I been chosen, but do I believe in the Lord Jesus?

22:47 - 23:18 Read in full sermon

The point: If we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, we can be certain that God has already chosen us long before.

Henry Ward Beecher's saying, 'the elect are whosoever will, the non-elect are whosoever won't,' is quoted to simplify the relationship between human will and divine election for assurance.

If we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, we can be certain that God has already chosen us long before. Henry Ward Beecher used to say, the elect are whosoever will, the non-elect are whosoever won't. Let's look at this. Let us not worry about whether we are elect, but do I love the Lord?

23:18 - 23:38 Read in full sermon

The point: May that be your comfort today.

A quote from Augustus Toplady's hymn is used to express the unshakeable security and comfort that comes from knowing salvation depends entirely on God's eternal purpose, not human effort or feelings.

That's the fear and anxiety which resides within those who feel that their salvation depends upon them. It's because we know that before God created the earth, he gave us his children, all because of grace. So we can say, I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels nor demons, neither the present or the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. We join Augustus Toplady in saying in his great hymn, that we are now not all things below nor above can make him hi...

26:27 - 27:32 Read in full sermon