“Election”

The point: Be willing to go down any path the Bible leads, unembarrassed, and study the subject in a climate of faith, recognizing that faith swims where reason only wades.

The truth of God's sovereignty is compared to a grandmother's wedding gown, kept in the closet as a keepsake but never worn or proclaimed, illustrating how some want to acknowledge the truth but not preach it.

We do continually that there is but one way to approach this subject so clearly set forth in the holy scriptures. We must come to that place where we're willing to walk down any path marked out by the revealed word of God in the scriptures. God has not left it up to us to dictate what he shall and shall not reveal, nor has God left it up to us to say what he has revealed is worth preaching and teaching and what is not. There are many who would agree with me, or some, that certainly the truth of God's absolute sovereignty is taught in the scripture, but it's sort of like your grandmother's wedd...

0:00 - 0:44 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He reviews previous points on God's sovereignty in creation and providence, then focuses on sovereignty in grace, defining it as God choosing a people from lost humanity. Martin…

The idea that God spun the world like a top and then removed His hands is used to refute the notion of God's non-involvement in providence, emphasizing His continuous sovereign control.

11. God is sovereign in the realm of providence. He hasn't spun up the world like a top and taken his hands off to watch which way it'll go. He hasn't spun up the world like a top and taken his hands off to watch which way it'll go. He hasn't spun up the world like a top and taken his hands off to watch

3:19 - 3:28 Read in full sermon

The point: Never say, 'I don't care what the Bible teaches, I won't believe it.' As Christians, Christ is our prophet, and we must go wherever His word leads.

Lost humanity is depicted as a 'carload of lost humanity plunging headlong into hell,' from which God in sovereign grace chooses a people, illustrating the desperate state of humanity and the graciousness of election.

proof of the scripture that God is also sovereign in the realm of grace. Now, last week, we simply tried to give you an overall perspective of the doctrine of God's sovereignty in grace. Those who were here will remember that, first of all, we gave a general statement of the doctrine. When we assert that God is sovereign in grace, we are saying that of that whole carload of lost humanity plunging headlong into hell, which could justly end up in hell, for God's sovereignty in grace, we must never forget, is always dealing with lost men, with condemned men, with men who deserve to die for their ...

3:36 - 4:21 Read in full sermon

The point: Never think of God's sovereignty of grace apart from the realization that God is dealing with rebel sinners who deserve His wrath; any mercy is pure grace.

A caricature of God as reluctant to save, looking in a book and denying mercy to a pleading sinner because they are 'not chosen,' is presented and refuted as a perversion of biblical doctrine.

The second caricature is the caricature that I called of a reluctant God. The picture of a sinner who's pleading for mercy, banging at the gates of heaven, and God looks into his book and says, now let me see you. No, you're not one of my chosen. Sorry, you'll have to go to hell.

7:35 - 7:50 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He illustrates the meaning of 'elect' through non-theological examples: David choosing five smooth stones (1 Samuel 17:40), guests choosing chief seats (Luke 14:7), the multitude…

David choosing five smooth stones from a brook to confront Goliath illustrates the literal meaning of 'elect' as picking out from among many, with the selector taking the initiative.

This Philistine has too long defied the armies of God and David has been stirred with righteous anger and filled with a God-given faith to take on the giant. He goes out to meet him, verse 40, and he took his staff in his hand. Now notice the next phrase and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, literally David elected five stones out of the brook. Now notice the next phrase and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, literally David elected five stones out of the brook.

14:48 - 15:16 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He illustrates the meaning of 'elect' through non-theological examples: David choosing five smooth stones (1 Samuel 17:40), guests choosing chief seats (Luke 14:7), the multitude…

The parable of guests choosing the chief reclining seats at a banquet illustrates 'elect' as making a selection from available options, bypassing others.

turn to the new testament if you will please to luke chapter 14 luke chapter 14. now these words have nothing to do in their context with the sovereignty of god and grace we're just trying to find out the word the holy spirit has used to depict that truth luke chapter 14. now notice carefully in this familiar parable verse 7. and he put forth a parable to those that were bidden when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms now the word rooms here should be translated the chief reclining seats

16:17 - 16:59 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He illustrates the meaning of 'elect' through non-theological examples: David choosing five smooth stones (1 Samuel 17:40), guests choosing chief seats (Luke 14:7), the multitude…

The selection of seven men to serve tables in Acts 6 illustrates 'elect' as the multitude choosing specific individuals from a larger group for a task.

just trying to find what does the word win what does the word mean? And we want some illustrations of it. Turn, please, to Acts chapter 6. All the same word in the original, Acts chapter 6. You remember the problem?

17:43 - 18:01 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He illustrates the meaning of 'elect' through non-theological examples: David choosing five smooth stones (1 Samuel 17:40), guests choosing chief seats (Luke 14:7), the multitude…

God's choice of Peter to preach the gospel to Cornelius's Gentile household illustrates 'elect' as God making a specific choice of one apostle over others for a particular mission.

Election chosen acts 15 verses six and seven. And the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter. The problem of, of the Judaizers who said they had to be circumcised and obey the law of Moses in order to be saved. And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up and said unto them, men and brethren, you know how that a good while ago, God made choice among us that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel and believe.

19:56 - 20:26 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He then focuses on the fourth concept: God's election of individual people to be recipients of His special grace in Jesus Christ, expounding passages like 1 Peter 2:9, Mark 13:20…

Martin uses the analogy of a husband telling his wife to 'forget the supper, come here and give me a kiss' to explain Jesus' figure of speech in John 15:16, showing that the less important thing is set aside to highlight the more important.

He's using a figure of speech. We use it all the time. We use it all the time. I've been away.

40:07 - 40:13 Read in full sermon

Driving home: The whole idea that God sat back, as it were, and looked down through the corridors of time and saw who would choose him and therefore he ratified our choice completely destroys the meaning of election.

The ridiculous image of David waiting for stones to jump into his sling, or deacons choosing themselves, is used to highlight the absurdity of interpreting election as God ratifying human choice rather than initiating it.

Stones, seats, deacons, apostles. And it always means a selection by a selector outside of the one selected unto his own purpose and according to his own predisposed will. And the whole idea that God sat back, as it were, and looked down through the corridors of time and saw who would choose him and therefore he ratified our choice completely destroys the meaning of election. It would be just as ridiculous to see David sitting by the side of the brook with his arms folded waiting for five little stones to jump out and say, Ah, you're the five, now I'll choose you because you chose to be put in...

45:48 - 46:32 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: For Christians, election should lead to worship and zealous service. He illustrates how election is known through a holy life and should humble believers, leading to gratitude and…

A story of a preacher explaining election to a woman by asking if she was saved, if God saved her, and if He did it on purpose, concluding that God's purposeful salvation is the doctrine of election.

And just before I bring a closing word of exhortation, may I give a little illustration that perhaps seems a little bit oversimplified, but it's helped me. Someone came to a preacher one time who was having, this young, this woman was having a problem with this doctrine of election. She said, I'm having a problem with the doctrine of election. So the preacher asked her, let me ask you a couple of questions. Number one, are you saved? She says, oh, yes, I am. I'm saved.

51:14 - 51:40 Read in full sermon

Driving home: That's what lies at the root of modern evangelism. It's a denial of the sovereignty of God in grace.

Spurgeon's quote about not knowing who the elect are ('no stripe up the back') is used to emphasize that since we don't know who the elect are, we must preach the gospel to every creature.

There's no stripe up the back. As Spurgeon once said, if there were, instead of preaching the gospel, we'd go around picking up shirts, looking for stripes. But that sovereign God has given us a mandate. Take the gospel to every creature.

58:07 - 58:22 Read in full sermon

The point: Your focus of attention should not be election, but Christ. God's promises are plain: 'Come unto me, O ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.'

The analogy of offering a meal to people who love it, while those who dislike it have no grounds to complain if they don't receive it, is used to challenge unbelievers' objections to election if they don't desire holiness or Christ anyway.

Would you serve him? Would you trust only him? You say, no, I don't want to be holy. Well, then why are you complaining about election? Suppose I had a meal that I chose to give,

59:51 - 60:01 Read in full sermon