Knowing Your Election

Introduction: Paul's Thanksgiving and the Doctrine in 1 Thessalonians

0:04 I would invite you to turn with me to Paul's second, 1 Thessalonians. We come this morning to the tenth in a series of studies in this wonderful letter to this infant church. Probably the first letter, at least, that has been recorded for us in the providence of God and in the will of God and been included in the canon of the New Testament. Paul's letter to the church of the Thessalonians.

0:39 We have been giving considerable attention to this opening paragraph, which begins with verse 2 and goes down through to verse 10, or the end of the chapter, in which Paul describes the things which cause him to give thanks to God, with reference to the Thessalonian church. He said in verse 2, We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers. And then he tells us the things for which he gives thanks. Remember.

1:11 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, your labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father. It's what Paul knows and what Paul remembers that causes him to give thanks to God. Verse 3, he says, remembering. We give thanks, remembering.

1:34 And our text this morning, verse 4, Knowing, brethren, beloved, your election of God, or better, translated, knowing, brethren, beloved of God, your election. And so we must circle in our minds the word remembering, verse 3, and knowing, verse 4. And what he knows and what he remembers becomes the occasion of his giving praise unto God. We have studied the things which he remembered in verse 3, the work of faith, the labor of love, and patience of hope.

2:08 And now this morning we want to begin to consider, that which he knows, that which he is assured of, concerning these people, which becomes the occasion of praise and thanksgiving to God. This little book, say most of the commentators, is a letter with very little doctrine in it. And I wonder where they get that idea, unless some early commentator said it, and everybody's just parroted what he said. For already we have seen in our study of these first three verses, some of the richest biblical words in all of them.

2:41 Of the Bible. We've studied together the word church, unto the church of God, at Thessalonica. We've studied the very basic truth of union with Christ, which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ. We have a reference here, an inference of the doctrine of the Trinity, in God and in the Lord Jesus Christ.

3:05 We've studied the basic word grace and peace, the Christian doctrine of thankfulness, the doctrine of faith, of love, of hope. And so anyone who says that the book of 1 Thessalonians is devoid of doctrine, is thinking of doctrine or its presentation in a very limited way. For one of the most profound ways that the doctrines of the New Testament are set forth is not so much by what we would call detailed explanation of the doctrine, but by offhanded references, assuming that these great truths were part of the warp and woof of Biblical Christianity. And so this morning we come to verse 4, which is filled with some basic and essential content concerning Christian doctrine. Remembering, he says, three things, work of faith, labor of love, patience of hope. I also give thanks to God, knowing, brethren, beloved of God, your election. And so in verse 4 we have, we have two statements of things that were true of the people at Thessalonica.

Two Basic Doctrines in 1 Thessalonians 1:4: Election and God's Distinguishing Love

4:15 One is a very direct statement, the other indirect. Paul says, directly, he knows their election. And then indirectly he says, he knows that they are beloved of God. Therefore we have two basic doctrines set before us in verse 4.

4:33 Number one, the doctrine of election. Number two, and it's related to it, the doctrine of God's distinguishing love for His people. For in this verse, beloved of God is a title given to the people of God in a peculiar way. Whatever kind of love God may have to all men in general, this term, beloved of God, is a title, is a phrase that is used only of His redeemed people.

5:04 Now in the first place, I want you to think with me concerning the fact that, it's individual people who are called beloved of God and elect of God. Notice, he is not speaking in a general way of the church in general, or of a national election, or an election to privilege alone, but he's writing to specific people. He said in verse 1, Paul and Silvanus and Timotheus unto the church of the Thessalonians. This, that he's talking about, has reference to a distinct body of people in a particular place.

5:42 He says in verse 2, we give thanks to God always for you. He's talking about specific people. Verse 3, remembering without ceasing your work of faith, talking about specific people, your labor of love, your patience of hope. So when he comes to speak about election, and about being beloved of God, he is not speaking of a love of God, that is general.

6:09 He is not thinking of an election that is vague and indefinite, but he is using these two terms, beloved of God and election, in a very personal and in a very distinct way with reference to specific people. I point that out because people who believe the Bible to be the word of God, must all admit that the truth of God's special love to his people, and his electing grace, are truth taught in the Bible. They dare not even infer that the terms beloved of God and elect of God are not in the scripture. So what they try to do, is to hold to those phrases, and admit that they are biblical phrases, but somehow to bleed them of their true life, and of their true meaning. So in the first place, I want you to observe that it's individual people, who are called beloved of God and elect. Now what does it mean to be beloved of God? What does it mean to be elect?

The Openness of Election to Infant Christians

7:14 Remember now, Paul is not writing to some people, who've had behind them ten years of theological education. He's writing to an infant church. A church that just a few months before, had been called together by the preaching of the gospel, as we saw in Acts 17 in our study on the birth of this church. And to this infant church, Paul writes these words, knowing brethren beloved of God, your election.

7:41 Indicating that the truth of election, is not to be some kind of contraband of possession, that's kept under the counter. Paul never treated it, like black market goods. No, he treated this glorious doctrine as a wonderful truth, and to infant Christians, he talked of the subject of election, with great, freeness and with deep warmth. And so I am not embarrassed this morning, in preaching through the book of 1st Thessalonians, to seek to handle this subject as openly, and as biblically as God enables me to do so.

8:20 Now it would be wrong to find verse 4 in your Bible, and forget everything else. Some people come across the word grace, and they make grace their whole gospel. Well I try not to do that, but preaching about the grace, of God, I want to preach about the grace of God, and I sought to do that in verse 1. Some people get the word peace, and peace becomes their gospel, everything's peace, peace, peace.

8:46 Well I tried to preach on peace, when I came across it in verse 1, but you see verse 1 isn't the only verse, we had verse 2, and so we came to the doctrine of Christian thankfulness. Now if all the preacher talked about, was being thankful and made that his gospel, that would be a terrible thing. So we've sought not to do that, but try to preach honestly, and lay out the doctrine of Christian thankfulness, so forth right down through verse 3. Some people would make everything faith, never talk about anything else, other people love, other people hope, second coming, that's all they talk about, all they think about.

9:22 Now in the same way, it would be wrong for me to make verse 4, the whole of my gospel, and I don't intend to do that, for the Lord willing, and sparing me, and sparing us all, before long, we'll be in verse 3. Verse 5 and verse 6. But when we're here in verse 4, we want to understand, what does verse 4 say, and we don't want to bleed it, of any of its honest implications, and that will be our purpose this morning, and the Lord willing, next Lord's Day morning, to consider these two little phrases, beloved of God, and knowing your election. Now because I feel better prepared, to deal with the second this morning, and have a good bit more homework to do, before we deal with the phrase, beloved of God, with your permission, I'll reverse the order that is here. Knowing, brethren, beloved of God, your election. Now some of the material, I'll be sharing this morning, will be familiar to some of you, who are with us, for our series on the sovereignty of God, some months ago, but that was presented Sunday night, and we have many, who are with us Sunday morning, who are not with us Sunday night, and the reverse is true, and so I make no apologies, for the repetition, of some of this material, for some of you, perhaps it will be helpful, and for those who are not with us, I don't know of any other clear way, to present it, and so we'll cover it in that manner. Now, what is it to be the elect of God?

Defining 'Election' Through General Biblical Usage

10:46 When Paul wrote to these people, and said knowing, brethren, beloved of God, your election, what did he mean when he chose that word? As Paul was sitting there, thinking of the people back at Thessalonica, and he picks up his pen, and he writes and says, we give thanks to God for you, and his mind reminisces, and he thinks of their work of faith, labor of love, patience of hope, then he says, knowing, brethren, and now what does he know? And he chooses a word, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, knowing, brethren, beloved of God, your election. Now, when Paul took his pen, and wrote, your election, what meaning did he put upon that word, by the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit? That's the whole end of our study this morning. What did the Apostle Paul mean as an instrument in the hands of the Spirit when he wrote your election? And we must stop, nothing short of discovering what he meant.

11:49 Now, how can we do this? Well, a simple way would be if we had the power to call Paul down from heaven for about five minutes, and say, now, Paul, you remember when you wrote that letter? I sure do. Well, would you mind telling us just exactly what you meant?

12:02 And I'm sure you will. And I'm sure he'd be glad to. But I don't have that power, and as far as I know, no one here has it. If you do, see me afterward, and we'd be glad to turn the service over to you for a few minutes next week.

12:13 But I don't know that any of you has that power. So, what do we have to do? Well, what we must do is go to the other portions of the Word of God, written by different men, but under the superintendence of the same Holy Spirit, and see what that word means. For the meaning of a word is determined by its usage, and the usage of words in the Bible are determined by the will of the Holy Spirit.

12:44 For holy men of God spake as they were moved or carried along by the Holy Spirit. So, we're going to try to discover, by this method, since we can't take the shorter one, we'll have to take the longer one, what does this word mean? Well, first of all, consider with me briefly the general usage of this word. It is found about 50 times in the New Testament in its various forms and in various usages.

13:14 And in the Old Testament, when they were translating out of Hebrew into Greek in what's called the Septuagint by these 70 men who did this work several hundred years before Christ, the word is used several times in a very interesting way that I think begins to give us some idea of its meaning. When it's said that David went down as not a young lad, but as a young warrior, for remember, the little song, Only a Boy Named David, is a cute little song, but it just ain't true. For he was called a mighty man of valor before he went down to fight Goliath. Probably a young man in his early twenties, he was not a little boy 12 years of age.

13:58 I hope I haven't spoiled anybody's Sunday school lesson. Well, then again I hope, maybe I have. Now when David was going down to the brook. It says in 1 Samuel 17 and verse 40 that when he came to that brook, he did something.

14:16 1 Samuel 17 and verse 40, And he took his staff in his hand and chose him. Now this is the word, same word used as we have in 1 Thessalonians 1,4. He took his staff in his hand, and chose him. staff in his hand and elected five smooth stones out of the brook and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had even in the script and his sling was in his hand and he drew near to the Philistine.

14:46 As David came to the brook, the brook was full of stones and out of the many stones David selected, elected, chose, picked out five stones that he would use in his conquest of Goliath. The same word is used in Luke chapter 14 in verse 7 where our Lord spoke of those who came to a feast and they would pick out the chief places or the chief seats there at the feast or at the supper. There were many seats, some of high degree, some of low degree and these particular people would choose out, would select out, would, same word, elect the seats of greater station. And rank and importance. It's the same word used in Acts 6 in verse 5 where the early church met the problem of administrating the widow's necessities by choosing some deacons. And the suggestion was that they find some men full of faith and of the Holy Ghost and appoint them over this task. And verse 5 of Acts 6 says in the saying, please the whole multitude and they chose Stephen.

15:58 They elected. They selected out amongst all of the qualified men Stephen and then Philip and Prochorus and Nicanor and Timon and Parmenas and Nicholas a proselyte of Antioch. Now you begin to get a picture of the use of this word. David selecting out of the many stones five stones to be used.

16:20 Out of the many seats they select some to be the ones upon which they will recline. Out of the many they selected these seven. Seven who would be appointed over the business. Now the conclusion we draw from the general usage of this word is that the choice is always initiated by the chooser.

16:42 In every instance of the use of this word the choice is never conditioned or initiated by the thing chosen. In other words you didn't have five little stones wiggle themselves up out of the brook and stand up on their backsides and say well David I'd like to be a part of this conquest. Will you choose me? No the stones were lying there either in the brook or alongside the edge of the brook.

17:04 All of the stones there David took the initiative in the selection. These people took the initiative in the choosing of the seats. The multitude took the initiative in the selecting of the seven first generally we call them the first deacons. That's the first conclusion we draw from the general usage of the word.

17:24 The choice was initiated by the chooser and something that flows from that. The thing chosen was in this sense passive in the choice. It did not have a vote. It was selected by another.

Distinct Biblical Usages of 'Elect': National, Positional, Christ, and Saving

17:38 Now what is its distinct biblical or theological use? I've looked at its use in general narrative. Now how is it used with relationship to what we would call theological issues? Well very briefly let me give you four usages.

17:54 First of all it is used again and again of the nation of Israel. God said in Deuteronomy 7 verses 6 through 8. I did not choose you because you were greater or wiser than the other nations. But he said I chose you because I loved you.

18:12 The nation of Israel was an elect nation. A chosen nation. God determined that he would set his affection upon them. And this was in that sense a national election.

18:26 In Isaiah 44 1 and 2. He calls Israel his chosen, his elect people. Again in Acts 13 17. God had to have a nation through which he would accomplish his redemptive purposes.

18:41 He would build the framework within which he would send his son. He could not use all the nations or he chose not to use all the nations. And he chose to use one nation and the nation he chose was Israel. Why?

18:57 Why? Well God says in Deuteronomy 7 he says I chose you because I chose you. Period. Not because of anything in you but because of a purpose that was locked up in my own heart.

19:10 Now in this election of a nation like Israel to a place of privilege. There is no salvation necessarily involved with all the members of that nation. Because God chose the nation of Israel does not mean that every person who is a part of Israel is a Christian. As Paul says in.

19:28 Romans 9. They are not all Israel who are of Israel. There is an Israel within Israel. In this sense we might say that America has been in a peculiar way an elect nation.

19:43 In the sense that privileges have been given to us by the sovereign disposition of God that have been denied other places. Who would dare to say that those in the Baleen Valley who up until some 40 years ago. 30 years ago never had any light of the gospel whatsoever who were living in total stone age isolation fetish worshippers who would say that these people stood on an equal footing with this nation that has been showered with gospel light and privileges and a thousand other benefits. Now why should we have these things and they not?

20:24 There is only one answer. Even so father it seemed good in thy sight. Now that does not mean that every American is a Christian. You see this is a national election that has to do with responsibility and privilege.

20:38 Then secondly there is an election to specific positions or tasks. In Deuteronomy 18.5 the Levites it is said were chosen to be the priestly caste if we may use that term. In 1st Samuel 10.24 Saul is spoken of.

20:58 As the king who was chosen by God. Acts 1.24 speaks of the choosing of a disciple or an apostle to fill the place left by Judas. Now here is an election to a particular task.

21:14 A priest, a king, an apostle. This necessarily this does not necessarily have anything to do with salvation. Again it is a choice by God to a specific task. Judas was chosen to a task.

21:27 But obvious that he was not a child of God. For the scripture calls him the son of perdition. And then the third usage of this word. Christ is spoken as God's elect.

21:39 In Isaiah 42 verses 1 and 2. He is spoken of as God's elect. In 1st Peter 2.4 to 6.

21:48 Twice this term is used of our Lord Jesus Christ. He was selected, set apart, chosen out for the office of mediator. The one. Who would be the representative of his people.

22:00 And for his people would become man. Would live, would die, would rise again. And be ascended to the right hand of the majesty on high. Now these three usages.

22:11 Election of a nation. An election to privilege or position. Or Christ. Let's see if they fit 1st Thessalonians chapter 4.

22:20 Let's see if any of those usages fit here.

22:25 Knowing brethren beloved. Your election of God. Now can that refer to a nation?

22:33 Well it's obvious not. For he's not addressing this to a nation. He's addressing it to the church.

22:41 Which is at Thessalonica. In the midst of a heathen environment. In the midst of a heathen society. A church made up of a few believing Jews.

22:50 And many proselytes to the Jewish faith who became Christians. There was no national entity here. There was a mixture of Jew. And Gentile.

22:59 So when he says. Knowing brethren your election. It's out. That he's talking about any national election.

23:07 Well is he talking then about an election to privilege? If so I don't know what that particular privilege would be. For I don't find anything mentioned here. He doesn't say elect to be the first city out of which the gospel would go.

23:21 Or some other thing. So that we must rule out the second usage. And obviously it doesn't refer to Christ. So.

23:27 There's a fourth usage of the word elect. Which does fit. And this is the prevailing use of this word. In the New Testament.

23:37 When it refers to the people of God being elect. And here's the use. It's an election of individual men and women. To the blessings of salvation.

The Prevailing Use: Election of Individuals to Salvation

23:49 A sovereign selection of specific individuals. To enjoy the blessings of God's salvation. The people of God are called in 1 Peter 2.9.

24:02 An elect nation. As Israel was an elect nation. With a national election to privilege and responsibility. So the people of God.

24:13 Believers are now an elect nation. They have been chosen by God. Not to enjoy the blessings of the land of Palestine. But to enjoy the blessings of saving grace.

24:25 And sovereign salvation. And it's important. In this sense. That the word is used.

24:30 In passage after passage. In the New Testament. Now the only reason. Anyone would ever hold.

24:37 To this. Meaning of the word. Is that he is forced to it. In an honest handling of the word of God.

24:45 There's only one reason. Why the church has believed in the doctrine of the Trinity. Throughout its history. The doctrine that God is one.

24:53 And yet this one person. This one being.

24:58 To use the only term we have. Exist in three persons. Father, Son and Spirit. Yet the one is not three.

25:06 And the three. And the three are not three distinct gods. But the three are one. And the one is three.

25:12 And we say we cannot understand it. But we're forced. To embrace that which is a mystery to us. Why?

25:18 Because the word of God leads us there. For the word of God teaches clearly. The Father is God. The Son is God.

25:24 The Spirit is God. Yet there are not three gods. But one God. So the biblical data as it were.

25:30 Squeezes us into that position. Where we hold that truth. One God. Three persons.

25:36 Three in one. One in three. And the only reason we believe that. Is the Bible leads us there.

25:41 The only reason the church. Throughout its history. Has believed in the doctrine of eternal punishment. Is that the scripture forces us there.

25:50 The doctrine of eternal punishment. Is repugnant to human understanding. That creatures made in the image of God. Who have.

25:58 Sinned in a lifetime. Should for eternity. Be the objects of his wrath. And his judgment.

26:06 In conscious torment. Everything within the human personality. Recoils at such a doctrine. Yet the church has held it.

26:13 Throughout all of its existence. Why? Because she's been forced to it. By the word of God.

26:19 These shall go away. Into everlasting punishment. And the righteous into everlasting life. If words mean anything.

26:26 Punishment and life. Are eternal. The worm dieth not. The fire is never quenched.

26:31 The smoke of their torment. Ascends up forever and ever. They have no rest. Day nor night.

26:36 You see God's people. Who are honest with God's word. Embrace the doctrine of eternal punishment. Why?

26:42 Because the scripture forces them there.

26:46 Now why does anyone believe the doctrine of election? For the same reason. That when one's mind is subject to the word of God. Subject to the truth of God.

26:56 There is no honest handling of a word. Such as we encounter in 1 Thessalonians 1.4. Except to come to that conclusion.

27:06 That that word means that God in his sovereign good pleasure. Has reached down into the mass of sinful humanity. And for reasons known only to him. Has chosen to himself a great multitude.

27:19 Who no man can number. Some out of every tribe and kindred and tongue and nation. And for that people he sent. His son.

27:27 And for that people the son died. And for that people he lives. And that people he will infallibly bring to himself. Election is a biblical word.

27:38 And a biblical concept. And I get a little bit disturbed. When anyone wants to relegate it to the name of any man. When people will say of an individual or a church.

27:49 That believes and does not treat as contraband possessions. This doctrine but gladly confesses it. As Paul did here. And they say oh they're nothing but a Calvinist.

28:00 Or they're nothing but a reformed in their theology. You see this is a biblical concept. It was around a long time before John Calvin ever breathed his first breath. Around a long time before Martin Luther ever breathed his first breath.

28:15 Before Ulrich Zwingli breathed his first breath. Before the Puritans breathed their first breath. Before Jonathan Edwards breathed his first breath. The word of God declared knowing brethren beloved your election.

28:30 And all these men did was in their return to the authority of the scriptures. Which had been virtually denied though confessed with the lips by the Roman church. In their return to having their minds subject to the word of God. It's only inevitable that the doctrine of election would come to light in the reformation.

28:49 Why? Because the scriptures came to light. And wherever the scriptures come to light. The doctrine of election will come to light.

28:56 Why? Because it's found throughout the length and breadth of scripture.

29:01 That's the reason. That's the only reason some of you have come to believe this doctrine in the past couple of years. Because you've come with a new spirit of inquiry to the scriptures. You say what I've been doing is threading the words of the Bible through my mind, through my eyes.

29:18 But what I've really been doing have been stamping upon the Bible. The meanings that perhaps I've gotten from my childhood. But I haven't really come to grips with what the scripture teaches. And that attitude which has led you to come to grips with the teaching of the scripture on other issues.

29:34 Has led you to come to grips with what it teaches on the doctrine of election. And you find like with the doctrine of the trinity. And the doctrine of justification. And the doctrine of eternal judgment.

29:45 I can do no less than embrace the scripture. For the scripture teaches. And I as a Christian am subject to the words of the living God. Now, so much then for the general usage of the word.

Seven Conclusions on the Meaning of Election

29:59 It's theological usage. The nation of Israel. An election to privilege. Christ is the chosen one.

30:05 Individual men to the blessings of salvation. What are we warranted to say then? By way of sort of setting out clearly. The meaning of this election as found in the scriptures.

30:16 May I very quickly give you a few thoughts that I trust will be helpful. First of all. It's God who does the choosing. Indeed.

30:25 Dealing with sinful humanity. It's God who puts forth the initiative. In Mark 13.20 it speaks of the elect whom he hath chosen.

30:37 Good words be more simple than that. If I speak to you about a certain car that Mr. Smith has chosen. Those words have a very obvious meaning.

30:49 Mr. Smith either went to the showroom or went to the car lot. And he surveyed the cars. And he said I want that car.

30:57 And he chose that car. And as a result of it. He drove it off the lot or out of the showroom and took it home. If I were to say Mr. Smith chose a 1967 Chevrolet Bel Air.

31:10 Would you ever put on my words the meaning. That as he sat in the showroom. All of a sudden a 67 Chevrolet Bel Air put itself in gear. Drove up alongside of him and said.

31:21 Now I'd like to go home with you Mr. Smith. And Mr. Smith said.

31:24 All right because you've decided to go home with me. I will ratify your decision. I will choose you as my car. Would you ever put that kind of meaning on my words.

31:33 Would you? Come on now would you? If you would all meaningful communication would break down. We'd had it.

31:42 There'd be no meaningful communication. If I say Mr. Smith chose a 67 Bel Air. And you would twist my words to mean.

31:49 That the Bel Air chose Mr. Smith. And Mr. Smith okayed it's choice.

31:53 We'd have no communication. All communication would break down. And yet it's amazing what tricks people play with the Bible. It says for the sake of God's elect.

32:04 Who he chosen. They say oh but that doesn't mean God chose them. What it means is. They chose him.

32:11 And God saw that they would choose him. And so then in turn he chose them. That's what election means. Beloved that's butchering the word of God.

32:21 That's an unwarranted twisting of the obvious sense of scripture. And so when you say. And if we did it in the realm of normal communication, we'd say, how can we communicate if we're going to handle words that way? In the same way, the Word of God reveals that it's God who does the choosing.

32:39 The illustration of David and his stones is a classic one here. Secondly, it's God who chooses individual people. God's election is not sort of looking through a foggy glass and he just sees shapes and forms and says, I'll choose something called believers. No, it's a choice of individual people.

33:01 How do we know? Notice Romans 16, 13. And this is what I mean when the doctrines of the Word of God sometimes pop out in the most unusual places. Here Paul is giving some orders to send greetings to a bunch of Christians at Rome.

33:18 He's saying, salute so-and-so and so-and-so and so-and-so. And notice, verse 13 of Romans 16.

33:27 Salute Rufus. Notice now the next word. Chosen in the Lord, his mother and his mother and mine. He calls a particular individual one who was chosen.

33:44 Same word in the original. Elected in the Lord. It's God who does the choosing. Secondly, it's God who chooses individual people.

33:54 Thirdly, God chooses unto salvation. 2 Thessalonians 2 and verse 13. 2 Thessalonians 2 and verse 13. 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.

34:21 God's election has reference, not just to privilege, not just to opportunity. I was reading one commentator on 1 Thessalonians 1.4 and he said, all Paul meant by this election was that when the Spirit of God didn't let him go into Asia and turned him down so that the vision came, the man of Macedonia saying, come over and help us, he was just telling them that they had an election to the privilege of hearing the gospel. I don't read my Bible aright, do I?

34:52 If I see that. Listen. He hath chosen you from the beginning, not just to hear the gospel, not just to be exposed to the gospel, but he hath chosen you to salvation. So then, we conclude from the scriptures, first of all, that God does the choosing.

35:11 Mark 13.20, whom he hath chosen. He chooses individual people. Romans 16.13.

35:18 He chooses unto salvation. 2 Thessalonians 2.13. He chooses.

35:24 He chooses in the fourth place, in eternity. Ephesians 1.4.

35:32 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world. And then, of course, the verse we just read in 2 Thessalonians. God hath from the beginning chosen you. God's choice is not a choice in time, but one that is in eternity.

35:52 In the fifth place, God's choice always happens as reference to Christ. We are chosen in him. God cannot think of having sinners in a saving relationship with himself apart from his Son. I trust I'm not irreverent in saying that God cannot think of this.

36:12 I believe it's an accurate expression of the truth of the Bible. God cannot think of having sinful men in a saving relationship with himself apart from his Son. So when he chose, it was in Christ. It was.

36:26 With reference to Christ. Chosen in him. In the sixth place, God's choice is based on no other revealed basis but his sovereign will. Romans 9 is the great treatise on this.

36:43 Ephesians 1.5 declares according to the good pleasure of his will.

36:51 Notice I said upon no other revealed basis. If there are any other things that enter into the mind of God when he makes his selection out of fall and humanity all who deserve to perish, God has not revealed them. He's told us that it's not of him that runneth nor of him that willeth but of God that showeth mercy.

37:14 And then in the last place, the seventh conclusion we make in the study of this word is that God's choice has as its end his own glory. Ephesians 1.6 He hath chosen us in Christ. Ephesians 1.4 Ephesians 1.4 Verse 5 He's predestinated us to be like unto his Son. Verse 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved.

37:44 If I'm saved, the scripture says I'm saved because I was chosen to be saved. Why was I chosen? Because it pleased God. Well, why did it please God?

37:56 No answer comes from the scripture. It's time now to put your hand on your mouth. It's time now to put your hand on your mouth. Put your face in the dust and worship.

38:08 And worship.

38:11 Those seven conclusions we are forced to them by the scriptures. God does the choosing. He chooses individual people. He chooses unto salvation.

38:22 He chooses in eternity. He chooses with reference to Christ. He chooses on no other revealed basis but his sovereign will. He chooses to his own glory.

Application for Believers: How to Know Your Election

38:32 Now what does this say to us then in closing this morning? May I address a word to you who profess to be the people of God? How can you know if you are the elect of God? We're going to see in our next two studies how Paul knew.

38:46 He didn't say, Knowing, brethren, your election of God because God allowed me to look into the secrets of his heart and of his eternal counsels. No, no. He said, Knowing, brethren, beloved, your election of God, how that our gospel came not in word but in power. He said, I read your election in the fruits of the salvation of God in your life.

39:08 That's how you can know if you're the elect of God. Not by prying into the eternal counsels of God which are shut from us or to us but by looking into your own life and seeing if you have the fruits of his salvation. Has the word of God come to you in power? Has it come to you in power?

39:26 Has it turned you from self and sin to the Lord Jesus? Has it turned you from idols unto him? You read the entire first chapter of 1 Thessalonians. And you see why Paul was convinced that these people were the elect of God.

39:40 Because they were attached to Christ. They had severed themselves from their idols. And so I say to you who profess to be the children of God, do you have the marks of God's elect? We read our election not in the secret counsels of God but in the open evidences of his transforming power in our lives.

40:01 And if we can read those evidences, let us be found this morning at the cross. At his feet in wonder, love and praise. You see the problem many of us had is that we did not get what these Thessalonians got. And I say we, I'm not using it editorially.

40:17 God wonderfully saved me by his grace what, 15 years ago now? Almost 16 years ago. But for about 13 years of that time I was trying to build much of my Christian life on the wrong foundation. I thought that I became a Christian because I finally decided it was high time I ought to be a Christian.

40:39 It wasn't until several years ago forced by the Scripture warring in turmoil of mind for a period of 5, 6, 7 years over some of these issues that I finally was brought to the place where I said, Lord, I can't fight your word. I can't put my own meaning on this word. You've said, Mr. Smith chose a car.

41:01 Lord, I don't have right to say the car chose Mr. Smith. And Lord, the reason I was saved back there in my 17th year of age as a senior in high school was because your purpose to save me. And when you begin to erect as your foundation free grace, sovereign grace, the whole superstructure becomes different.

41:20 I found my worship was different. I found my witness in measure was different. I found my methods were different. I found my praying in certain areas was different.

41:33 The problem with us in this day where everyone, everyone has built a monument to the sovereign will of man is that when we try to build any kind of a superstructure of biblical piety and biblical evangelism on that foundation, everything goes amok.

Application for Unbelievers: God's Justice and Promises

41:52 Paul wanted this young church at its very foundation to have worked into the warp and woof of its thinking that their salvation was attributed to the free grace of God. So I say to you as God's people, let us pray that we shall have that foundation beneath us solidly laid by the Spirit and the Word. And what word do I have for you who are not joined to Christ? Some of you sit there and say, Pastor, this is all right for us who by God's grace can see in us the fruits of His electing grace.

42:27 But what word is there to preach to those who are not His? All this is filled with words of exhortation and comfort and warning to you who are not savingly joined to Christ.

42:42 Does God owe you anything? He owes me salvation, does He? If you talk that way, you're not ready to get saved. You've never seen yourself.

42:54 If you sit there this morning, not joined to Christ, not born of the Spirit, and you say it isn't right. Why should God choose some and not choose others? Friend, you've never seen your heart.

43:07 God doesn't owe salvation to anyone. There's only one thing God owes you and me. That's damnation. Damnation.

43:14 The only thing we can claim as our just desert is punishment. The wages of sin is death. If we get anything else, it'll be the free grace of God. And so if you sit there this morning cavilling and arguing with the doctrine of election because you say it isn't fair, you've never seen your heart.

43:33 Rather than argue with God, you need to fall on your face and say, God, show me what an ill-deserving, hell-deserving sinner I am. And if you're in that place, you say, oh, I see myself lost. I'm done. And I see that God doesn't owe me anything.

43:50 And He can give or withhold salvation according to His own sovereign will. What hope is there for me? Ah, there's wonderful hope for you.

43:58 For God says in His Word, and His Word becomes the basis of our approach to Him. He says in His Word, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. He says in His Word, Him that comes to me, I will in no wise cast out. He's the old Puritan, Joseph.

44:17 Philemon said, whatever His purposes may be, which are secret, His promises are plain and clear. What are His secret purposes? I do not know. But His promises are yea and amen.

44:32 In Christ Jesus, Him that comes, I will in no wise cast out. Do you see yourself ill-deserving? Do you see yourself as one who has no claim upon God or His mercy or His grace? Undone, hopeless, helpless, doomed, damned.

44:46 Is that the way you see yourself?

44:50 Then hear the promise of Christ. Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden. I will give you rest. He doesn't say, come unto me, all elect.

44:58 He doesn't say, Him that comes unto me, convinced He is the elect. No, no. Coming to Christ, from your standpoint, has nothing to do with election.

45:11 Your coming has to do with your consciousness of need and His promise to receive needy sinners. Hear this. Hear me. Your coming has to do with your consciousness of need and His promise to receive needy sinners.

45:29 If you go out saying, I didn't write enough. You see, you're not conscious of your need. There's no salvation for you. He didn't come to call the righteous who think they've got a claim upon Him.

45:40 He came to call sinners who know they have no claim. And He receives such. And so I trust as Paul could write to this young church and thank Him and thank God for them when He remembered their work of faith, labor and love and patience of hope and when He could say, knowing brethren beloved of God, your election.

46:04 They did not fight the fact that they were His chosen ones. No doubt they fell down and worshipped Him.

46:13 Would to God that we should be found in that posture. And from that posture of humility and brokenness and an attitude of utter reliance upon the flesh, upon the flesh, upon the flesh, upon every sovereign grace of God, that we should be able to say with the Apostle Paul, therefore I endure all things for the elect's sake that they may obtain salvation which is in Christ Jesus. That this shall fill us with a sense of obligation and debtorhood to others that we might proclaim the mercy of our great and our sovereign God. Let us pray.