“Election”

Introduction: Approaching the Doctrine of Election

0:00 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 wedding gown. You keep it in your closet for a keepsake, but you never take it out

0:44 and wear it. And so they'd want us who believe this truth to sort of keep it in the closet like grandma's wedding gown. And it's there, and if anyone asks you if you've got it, why, you're not embarrassed to say, sure, come see granny's gown. But you're not going to keep it in your closet.

0:58 You're not going downtown to do your shopping at the food town with it on. You just keep it there. No, we must be willing, both in our receiving and in our proclamation of God's word, to go down any path that the Bible leads us, and to go down that path unembarrassed. Secondly, we must come to study this subject in the climate of faith. The man who will only believe what he understands is

1:24 an impoverished man. I wouldn't want your God to be my God. I need a God bigger than that. And so we must come with this attitude, recognizing that faith may swim in areas where reason may only wade. And then the third aspect of our attitude, we must

1:44 assume the posture of little children. The scripture says that we must become as little children, that guileless willingness to receive whatever an adult tells us on the basis of his adult authority. And so we come, not as gullible creatures to believe anything that anybody tells us, but with that submissive, sweet, teachable spirit of a little child who looks up to the adult as an authority figure. What do we mean when we speak of the sovereignty of God? We mean everything that

Review of God's Sovereignty in Grace and Caricatures of Election

2:17 comes into the picture of God as Lord and King in his world, the one who rules all things after the counsel of his own will and orders every event for the fulfillment of his will. That's what we're studying. We're studying the Godhood of God, a God who orders all things to the accomplishment of his own eternal plan. Our method? We're looking at proof text, passages that

2:45 wonderfully focus the truth that is found in the warp and woof of the scriptures. Thus far in our study, we've looked at some general assertions in the Old Testament, some general assertions in the New Testament, and now we are presenting the truth that is found in the warp and woof of the scriptures. We're also presently unfolding the specific areas in which the sovereignty of God is clearly asserted in the scriptures. We've seen, first of all, that God is sovereign in the realm of creation. All that is, is as it is because God chose to make it that way. Revelation 4 and verse

3:19 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

3:28 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 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

3:32 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 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

3:36 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 sins.

4:22 We are stating that God in his sovereign grace has been pleased to reach into that carload of humanity and take out a people for himself on no other revealed basis. But his own sovereign good pleasure. Then we looked at the history of the doctrine as it unfolded from Israel and through the New Testament and on in the history of the church. And there was a time when Protestantism was flourishing at its best, when this doctrine was believed by almost everyone who named the name of Christ and gave evidence of being truly committed to him, not by almost everyone, but by great segments of the church, so that

5:02 all the great creeds that came out of the Reformation, all the great reformers, Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, all of those great movements, Presbyterianism, the Reformed churches, the great confessions, the Westminster, the Heidelberg, and the Baptist confessions, the London and Philadelphia, all of them without exception, though they differ on how much water on whom, though they differ on elders or bishops or other things, on this they're all agreed that God is sovereign in the realm of grace. Then we closed our study last week by, number two here, the history of the doctrine, and we closed our study by considering some of the caricatures of this doctrine, some of

5:46 the perversions of this doctrine. And let me remind you of them, because not all of you were here last week, were here tonight, and those who were here need to be reminded of these things again and again. There is, first of all, the perversion or the caricature. That God is dealing with a neutral man.

6:06 The whole idea that all of humanity stands here on a neutral plane, neither fit for heaven nor really deserving hell, and God says, well, I'll choose to send that fellow to heaven and I'll choose to send that one to hell. And people say, if that's what the Bible teaches, I won't believe that under any circumstances. Well, I'll admit I'd find it awfully hard to believe that. If the Bible taught it, I'd believe it anyway.

6:29 Don't you ever say, I don't care what the Bible teaches, I won't believe it. Remember, if you're a Christian, Christ is your what? He's your prophet. And wherever his word leads you, you go.

6:38 But the Bible does not teach this. God is not dealing with a neutral man. He's dealing with men as they are found in sin, under his wrath, under his curse, and like all of the fallen angels, for whom no salvation was ever made, to whom no offer of mercy ever comes, God could have allowed the whole human race that fell in Adam to have utterly perished. Therefore, we must never think of the glorious doctrine of God's sovereignty of grace.

7:10 Apart from this realization, God is dealing with rebel sinners who, if they want to claim justice, better be prepared for eternal hell. The only thing sinners can ever claim as their just desert is the wrath of God. And if any sinner gets anything else, be it one or ten billion, it'll all be of grace. The second caricature.

7:35 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.

7:51 Oh, dear ones, what a terrible perversion of the doctrine of the Bible. That's not the doctrine of the Bible. The doctrine of the Bible is that after that seeking sinner has been enabled to believe on Christ as we saw this morning. Embrace him as his prophet priest.

8:06 And King, he says, oh, God, how did I come to this blessed state? And God says, because I chose you in Christ. And he falls down and he worships. That's the truth of the Bible.

8:18 And then the third great caricature is the caricature of a God who works without means. People say, well, if I believe God's sovereign in grace and will save his people, I won't do anything. No, because the God who saves men by his eternal purpose doesn't save them by his purpose. He saves them by the gospel.

8:35 You see, election never saved. Anybody, nobody in the world ever got saved by election. You get saved by Christ, right? Now, the Bible says no other name under heaven whereby we must be saved, but the name of Christ.

8:49 No man comes to the father, but by election. No, he said, but by me. So election is not salvation. And the God who's chosen his people has ordained to reach them through the proclamation of the gospel, through the tears of his people.

9:04 He that goeth forth and weepeth bearing precious seed shall doubtless come again. And with rejoicing through the prayers of his people, my little children of whom I travel in birth till Christ be formed in you. Galatians 4 and verse 19. All right.

The Scriptural Foundation: Key Words and Their Meaning

9:20 So much then for the perversions of the doctrine. Now we come tonight to the core of the matter. That's number four under this. What is the scriptural foundation for this doctrine?

9:33 Someone asked me tonight, Pastor, why do you believe that God is sovereign in the realm of grace? I can answer without any reservation. I believe it for only one reason. The Bible teaches.

9:44 That's the only reason I ever believed it. Because I know something you don't know. That for about 10 years, I had a sneaking suspicion this was taught in the Bible. But I didn't want to believe it.

9:55 Because there was in my heart what is in every human heart by nature. The desire to bring God to the bar of human concepts of what is just and right. And to bring God before my footstool that I might stand as a judge of him. And say, God can do this and God can't do that.

10:15 But God in his grace and mercy was pleased to dispose my heart to receive what his word teaches. All right then. What is the scriptural foundation?

10:27 That's the effects of the scriptural foundation of this doctrine of the sovereignty of God in grace. Well, to sink our way through, this is what we're going to do. First of all, we're going to study some key words. Now, one of our men here is privileged.

10:48 He has some Bible school training behind him. One of the elders in the church here. And he knows a little Greek. And he loves word studies.

10:54 So this ought to please him well. I'm not saying who that is. You try to find out who it is. But we're going to look at some key words.

11:02 And if these words mean anything, they convey to us this tremendous concept that God exercises grace according to his own sovereign purpose. In fact, grace is not grace apart from that. And then we're going to look at some key. Passages in a wonderful way.

11:21 God has left us some rich minds of given truths that are taught throughout the entire Bible. Once I get this chalk in my hand, I'm terrible. I get addicted to it. Almost every major doctrine of the Bible is taught throughout the warp and loop of the Bible.

11:39 Turn anywhere and you'll find it there in germ form or in budding form or in full bloom. But almost every doctrine has one particular area of the Bible where it's taught. And it's taught with great clarity and concentration. The minute I mention the word love, what do you think of?

11:58 Resurrection.

12:01 1 Corinthians what? Resurrection 13? 15. All right.

12:07 That's more like it. All right. So the minute you think of love, 1 Corinthians 13, resurrection, 1 Corinthians 15, the moment I say Christmas, Luke 2 and Matthew 1, you see. And as we think through the scriptures, we find that truths that are taught.

12:25 Throughout the length and breadth of the word of God are concentrated in given areas. So we're going to look then at those passages, which in a very special way, set forth the truth of God's sovereignty and grace. Now we want to begin tonight with key words. So we've got under four, we've got a number one, the same original word in the Greek and

Illustrations of the Word 'Elect' in Non-Theological Contexts

13:07 use no less than about 49. Let's say approximately. Okay. 50 times in the new Testament.

13:15 Now you don't need to be a scholar to know this. Just get a young's concordance or an Englishman's Greek concordance. It's for the man only knows English and it has some helps where he can get some insight into the Greek. And you will find that 50 times this word and it's different forms is used in the new Testament.

13:35 Now what does the word itself mean? First key word is elect chosen election. Now what does the word mean? Well it comes from two Greek words and I don't often give a Greek lesson here, but once in a while I think it's helpful.

13:50 It comes from two words, the preposition act, which means from and logo to pick out. So it means to pick out from that would be a literal way of trying to lay out the etymology of the word. And so the word means to pick out from among other people or things. Now let's look at some of the interesting ways where it's used in what we would say a non-theological way.

14:17 And I think it'll help us to see the meaning of the word emerge. Now turn to first Samuel chapter 17 and verse 40. Mr. Packer brings out in an article of his on this subject that in the Septuagint, which is a Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures.

14:35 This word is used in first Samuel 17 and verse 40. You remember the setting. Okay. He goes out to go out and confront Goliath.

14:48 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.

15:16 Now get the picture. David looks down to the river's edge or the brook's edge. Some of you have done this. You ever skip stones as a kid?

15:24 I still do and must still be a kid. So you get down by the edge where the water once lapped around the stones and they're all nice and round and flat and you look out the one you think is thick enough so it won't after the first time you flip it and you don't want it so thick this way that it just after the first time. So you get just the right stone. Well, as you look over those stones, you're about to make the selection.

15:46 Okay. of picking one you are excluding all others now david looked into that edge of that brook and he selected out of the edge of it or from the brook itself five stones which means there were another five or fifty or five million stones that he didn't choose now that's the word used here david elected david chose five stones out of the brook he made a selection of some amongst many now

16:17 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

16:59 you know that in their banqueting places it would be sort of like some of these curved uh benches that you see in some of our diners where you sort of sit in a semi-circle well you wouldn't sit up straight like this but you kind of recline like you see a picture of the big fat roman wealthy class well this is the kind of thing there was now our lord said when certain men came in he's speaking a parable they would look over all the seats and they would choose out same word used they would elect they would choose the chief seats as they looked over all the seats they made a peculiar selection of one seat or several seats and in so doing they bypassed the others now remember we're

17:43 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?

18:03 A little problem here of not civil rights, but what would it be called? It'd be called welfare rights, I guess. And you had the Greek widows complaining against the Hebrew widows. They said there'd been a little political payola there and a little favoritism. And so they wanted

18:18 justice. So they had a little march on the temple where the people were gathered and they said, we've got to do something about this. We've got to have our rights. That's just sort of a 20th century rendition. So they came up with a solution to the problem. They said, well,

18:36 it's not right that we preachers should go around handing people plates of food. We don't mind that. Might snitch a little piece here or there ourselves and wouldn't mind that. But God's called us to preach and to pray. So we're not going to be found serving tables,

18:49 but I tell you what we'll do. We'll, we'll select some elders. So they said in verse three, look out among you, seven men of honest report. Notice the phrase, look out among you, seven men. Here are all these hundreds of men out of those at least 5,000 believers.

19:06 Now look out seven, look out among you, seven of these men. Now notice verse five and the saying, please the whole multitude. And they chose, they elected Stephen, not Bob. I majority vote. They picked him out. And then it mentioned six others. So amongst all the hundreds

19:29 of the disciples, they took out of that great group seven for this particular task. Now, just one other reference. So we could multiply these, uh, uh, to great length, but one other reference acts chapter 15. And this gives us another wonderful illustration of the meaning of the word elect.

19:56 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.

20:26 There was that Gentile household of Cornelius. God was determined to get the gospel to him. So what did he do? He came to Peter and gave Peter a vision and made choice of Peter. That

20:38 means he bypassed James and Thomas and the other 11 who were there. He chose Peter and Peter says, God made a choice. God made an election is the word used that I should be the instrument to preach. Now I want you to notice something in each of these four references, one from the old Testament, three from the new Testament. You have a common denominator

21:01 with David. It was a bunch of stones and he took five. David took the initiative. He did the selecting out of the mass of those here's the man who comes and out of all the different seats, he chooses one or two that to him are the cheap places.

21:20 Then you have the instance here in the book of acts out of all those many disciples, they choose seven. The multitude selected out of this group, or a representative group selected out of the multitude, seven. Here, out of the apostles, God made a choice, and he took one, Peter, to preach. Now you have a common denominator all the way from stones to seats to deacons to apostles, in that the choice was made by someone outside of the group from which the choice was made. David chose the stones out of the brook. These people chose

Fourfold Unfolding of Election in Scripture

22:05 the seats in the feasting place. The multitude, or a representative, chose the seven out of the group, and God chose out of the twelve one to be his mouthpiece. So it confirms the very simple meaning given in any Greek lexicon for the word, which means to pick out from among other persons or other people. Now, this being the meaning of the word in itself, how is the word used in its biblical and theological sense? We've looked at the meaning itself. Now, how is this election

22:45 of God unfolded in the Scripture? And may I suggest that it is unfolded in at least four ways. First of all, if you're trying to follow an outline, in fact, I better not do this. I'm going to give this to you in mimeograph sheets. I have just determined

22:58 someone designated a five hundred-year-old man, and I'm going to give this to you in mimeograph sheets. I have just determined someone designated a five hundred-year-old man, and I'm going to give this to you in mimeograph sheets. I have just determined someone designated a five hundred-year-old man, and I'm going to give this to you in mimeograph sheets. I have just determined someone designated a five hundred-year-old man, and I'm going to give this to you in mimeograph sheets. I have just determined someone designated

23:03 a five hundred-year-old man, and I'm going to give this to you in mimeograph sheets. I have just determined someone designated a five hundred-year-old man, and I'm going to give this to you in mimeograph sheets. I have just determined someone designated a five hundred-year-old man, and I'm going to give this to you in mimeograph sheets. I have just determined someone designated a five hundred-year-old man, and I'm going to give this to you in mimeograph sheets. I have just determined someone designated a five hundred-year-old man,

23:09 out some of this so you can sit there and follow. All right, that's a promise. Now I've said it, I'll have to do it. Keep my word. Now, first of all, the word is used in a biblical and theological

23:21 sense as God's choice of the nation of Israel. We could look at many passages, but very quickly now will you go through with me three or four passages which speak of the nation of Israel as God's chosen nation to be the recipient of revealed truth, to be the vehicle through which the light of revelation would come to the world. Deuteronomy chapter four. Are you folk as warm out there as I am up here? Is it hot out there? Is it stuffy? It's all right. I'm like Spurgeon when he saw

23:53 people going to sleep. He said, I can't believe it's my preaching. There's just not enough fresh air. Deuteronomy chapter four. And because he loved thy fathers, therefore he chose their

24:20 seed. After them and brought thee out in his sight with his mighty power out of Egypt. Now here's the key phrase, because he loved thy fathers, he chose their seed. Israel was a chosen nation. This did

24:35 not mean that every Israelite was saved. This was an election of a nation to a place of privilege and responsibility in the unfolding of the redemptive purpose of God. Turn to chapter six and we see essentially, Deuteronomy 6 verses six through eight. I'm sorry seven, six through eight, not six, seven, six through eight. Chapter six is a wonderful passage on Christian education. We'll get that another time.

25:09 For thou art and holy people unto the Lord thy God. The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself above all the people that are upon the face of the earth. The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose your fate. you because you were more in number than any people for you were the fewest of all people but because the lord loved you and would keep the oath which he hath sworn unto your fathers hath the lord brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you out of the house of the bondman from the hand of pharaoh king of egypt so here god is saying israel i chose you for no other reason than i loved you and i loved you for no other reason than that i purpose to love you

25:52 there wasn't anything in you that set you apart from the other nations so that you sparkle like a diamond amongst some dark sand oh no israel you are what you are because i purpose to make you that in my life beyond that god doesn't give any explanation he made a sovereign choice of this nation therefore in isaiah 44 verses 1 to 2 he addresses his people israel under these very terms isaiah chapter 44 verses 1 and 2 now yet here oh jacob my servant and israel whom i have chosen thus saith the lord

26:33 that made thee inform thee from the womb which will help thee fear not oh jacob my servant and thou jeshurin whom i have chosen and then peter confirms this in the preaching or paul was it paul no peter in acts 13 and in verse 7 17 where he speaks of god's choice among the nations now what's the meaning of this well it's obvious that god was to have a nation through which he would bring his savior his anointed one his prophet priest and king into the world and he chose the jewish nation now why did he choose them

27:12 was it because abraham sitting on a log down there in the earth called these one day got a bright idea he said you know the world's in a mess i think it's about time some of us got concerned about it you know what i think i'll do i think i'll father a nation that will be the vehicle that will bring blessing to the world and besides that i've conceived a wonderful idea i think that through my nation the one who could be the only savior of men ought to come and so then he goes to god and said now god i've got a wonderful plan and i think i'm eminently qualified to be the first one to start this plan so god i'd like you to ratify my plan and god looks down and says well abraham i'm so grateful that you've

27:55 chosen me because you see it would be a violation of all the principles of human dignity and human will and freedom for me to take the initiative and for me to come to you and for me to say abraham i want you to leave this land and i will do something and i will make of you and i will bless the world so abraham i'm so glad that you conceived this idea in your mind and you've decided to be a good idea and of your own free will you've concocted the plan and now i'll gladly put my ratification on it you say that's ridiculous that's exactly right it's ridiculous god said the time has come for me to begin to build the nation through whom messiah will come my redemptive purposes now

28:39 are going to focus upon that nation so he chose our father abraham and he chose jacob and isaac and this god chose this nation as he says not because you were greater not because you were better raw material in another place he says no you were stiff-necked i chose you because i loved you that's the teaching of election to israel now it does not mean he chose the nation to salvation no it was a choice to privilege and position but paul says in romans not all israel are true israel neither are they truly the people of god simply because they've got the name like finkelstein he said no that doesn't make them qualify it's the children

29:20 of promise all right what's the second kind of election taught in the bible the nation of israel secondly they're not the children of promise they're the children of promise there is an election to task privilege or position i'll not ask you to look up these references you'll be getting in the mimeograph sheets so for the sake of time let me just quote them in deuteronomy 18 5 god says that the levites would be the tribe who would be the priesthood and god says i chose you to be my priest now it wasn't as though the levite tribe somehow seemed to have an intonation in their voice that would make them very good priest or sort of had a little bit more religious instinct than the tribe of manasseh benjamin

30:02 god came and said i want a tribe to be priest and you levites i want you why us that's none of your business i want you you see that was an election to responsibility to privilege this is true of the kings of israel first samuel 10 24 god says this is the king whom i have chosen and he sets the king before them acts 124 this is in reference to the apostolate where the disciples pray lord show us the one whom you have chosen to take the place of judas who fell by his transgression peter says in acts 15 7 god made choice among us in that he picked me

30:42 to be the preacher to that gentle gentile household so this election is to task to privilege or to position in this sense certainly the nations of europe and america have been chosen of god to be recipients of marvelous gospel light when paul was about to go into asia what did god say it says the holy ghost forbade and instead paul stops turns about and he gets a vision a man of macedonia calling come over and help us and the gospel then came to greece and from there had its penetration into europe and from europe over here to this country why are we not in the black darkness

31:26 of some nations today because we are in the black darkness of some nations today because they are the only people in the world who are not in the black darkness of some nations today because God has made an election to privilege of the western nations in terms of gospel light with that awful awful responsibility with that great privilege comes an awesome responsibility for if the light that is in you be darkness how great is the darkness but you see this election to task or privilege or position but this has nothing to do with salvation because you're an American or an Englishman doesn't make you a Christian any more than because a man's an Israelite after the flesh is he the chosen of God so you have an election of the nation of Israel an election to task position or privilege and then just briefly the third election we can cover in about a minute and

32:06 a half Jesus Christ is called the chosen one the elect one in Isaiah 42 verses 1 and 2 God says of Christ behold my servant whom I uphold mine elect in whom my soul delighted I have put my spirit upon him he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles in 1st Peter 2 4 & 6 Jesus Christ is called the elect one the one who was precious and chosen of God to be the chief cornerstone so we have this threefold election taught in the scripture thus far the election of the nation of Israel the election to privilege and position and responsibility

Election of Individual People to Salvation

32:45 the election of Jesus Christ as the anointed Messiah and then we have the fourth concept of election taught and this is the area that of course we want to focus on in the next chapter of the book is on it's God's election or choice of individual people to be the recipients of his special grace in Jesus Christ let me repeat that it's his election or choice of individual people to be the recipients of his special grace in Jesus Christ now where does the scripture teach this well it's so hard to be selective because many of those 50 verses clearly teach this concept

33:27 to be selective and I've tried to select the texts that are most clear on this matter in 1st Peter 2 and verse 9 the whole body of God's redeemed one are designated by a specific title let's look at it and then we'll break it down into into specific areas 1st Peter chapter 2 Peter describes the people of God in verse 9 and notice the first thing he says about them but ye now who is the ye

34:06 well he tells us in chapter 1 verse 2 he's writing to the strangers who are scattered abroad those who are elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father he's speaking of this body of believers wherever they are and he says ye are a chosen and elect generation a royal priesthood a holy nation a peculiar people a people who are the peculiar unique and who have perfect sight in your eyes ye have肉 called you out of darkness in his marvellous

34:47 light as we all know and he camera people are told or다 do not allow such people who make oath and stole out of the hearts that mind the false name you've been together ever becomes in truth or as the temple about that generation all who are his people are the chosen of God now that's not speaking of a national choice he's speaking of individual believers that's not speaking of a choice to privilege or position or task or responsibility and certainly it's not speaking of Christ he's speaking to ye believers scattered abroad through Pontus and Cappadocian and Bithynia

35:30 and it's speaking then of God's people believers and he marks them as his chosen now going back through several verses in the gospels and I've lined them up so we can move from front to back in our new testament let us notice several verses very carefully first of all in the 13th chapter of the gospel according to mark we're looking now at this fourth concept of election that it is an election of individual people to be the recipients of God's special grace in Jesus Christ

36:07 mark chapter 13 verse 20 22 and 27 speaking of the events that will immediately precede the coming again of our Lord Jesus Christ in glory and in power take his own to himself and to judge the world we read and accept that the Lord had shortened those days no flesh should be saved but the flesh should be saved but the flesh should be saved but the flesh should be saved but for the elect's sake whom he hath chosen he hath shortened the days now beloved what could be

36:45 clearer than that there are a people who are going to be spared the terrible natural results of this and they are the ones designated as the elect whom he God hath chosen notice verse 22 false Christ is chosen and he is chosen and he is chosen and he is chosen and he is chosen and he is chosen now dog who hath chosen in Christ is not Christ and false prophet shall rise and show signs and wonders to to to seduce if it were if it were possible it's not possible but if it were even the elect the chosen of God and then verse 27 then she'll He shall send His angels Бощественüssим and gather together His elect from the four winds НИ mortal selves. and from the uttermost part the Earth WiFi eternal systems of the communication fic blindness

37:30 utmost part the heaven three times here the people of God Nos read verse 13 here Almighty God they are it will be in that day to be alive when he comes again are designated the elect of God. Individual people, not talking about election to privilege, a national election, election to station or task, but individual people elect unto salvation. This is why they cannot be deceived, because the spirit of truth dwells within them. Christ is praying for them that they should be kept from error and kept in sin and will not ultimately apostatize. That's the only reason any true child of God is kept in

38:08 this world. It's not that we've got a little bit more guts than somebody else and a little bit more backbone, because the Lord has us upon his heart, as we'll see when we come to the intercessory work of Christ. And so for the elect's sake, even the timetable of God is all measured out that they'll not be given more than they can bear. Isn't that a beautiful thing?

38:34 His elect's sake. He's not going to have them on his heart from all eternity and then at the end of time allow something to come to frustrate his purpose for his elect. Well, we can't preach on that. We're just supposed to look at a few verses. Turn to Romans, please. We want to see, I'm sorry,

38:51 John chapter 15, what we're trying to see now that there is an election of individual people unto salvation, not privilege, not station, not opportunity, but salvation. John chapter 15 and verse 16. Ye have not chosen me, but wait a minute, they did choose him. Didn't he come by there and say, Peter, follow me? It says he left his nets and followed him. Well, the Bible's full of

39:21 contradictions. Let's throw it out. Well, wait, they did choose him, didn't they? Did these disciples choose the Lord? Did they choose to follow him, obey him? Yes or no? Huh? Part of a disciple that

39:43 didn't choose to follow the Lord. Is there such a thing? My good friend, Mr. Riesinger would say, there just ain't no such a thing.

39:50 Well, they chose him. Oh, but what's he saying? He's saying, look, the real issue is not your choice. Your choice was but the fruit of mine. He had not chosen me. Sure, they chose him.

40:07 He's using a figure of speech. We use it all the time. We use it all the time. I've been away.

40:13 My wife is fussing to fix something. I'll say, honey, forget the supper. Come here and give me a kiss. Well, I don't want to forget the supper, really. I mean, what I'm saying is, you see,

40:24 I'm hungry. But what I mean is, at that point, the important thing is not the meat and potatoes, see? The important thing is her. Now, we use that kind of a figure of speech all the time. Now, our Lord is

40:36 using it here. He had not chosen me. This is not the essential element. The reason you stand in identification with me, he says, is that I have chosen you. Then the other follows, but it's not

40:48 applicable to what we're talking about now. I have chosen you. Individual, specific believers chosen by our Lord Jesus Christ. I have chosen you. I have chosen you. I have chosen you. I have

40:56 chosen Jesus Christ. Then to the book of Romans, chapter 16 and verse 13. And it's amazing how the apostle Paul and the other New Testament writers, they're not embarrassed to use this term. They didn't have it in the closet like grandma's wedding garment. First, Romans 16 and verse 13.

41:18 Salute Rufus. Who is he, Paul? Ah, he's one chosen in the Lord. Now, isn't that interesting that right in the middle of all these greetings, he's saying, salute Herodian, verse 11. Greet them of the household of Narcissus. Salute

41:33 Tryphena and Trophasa, who labor in the Lord. Salute Persis, labored in the Lord. Salute Rufus, chosen in the Lord. You see, he wasn't embarrassed. He was glad to get grandma's garment out.

41:47 And he says he's one of those chosen ones. He's one of those true people of God. Elect, same word used in the original. And then, of course, in first Corinthians, chapter one, that classic, passage. Paul is speaking to individual believers gathered together there at Corinth. And he says in

42:06 first Corinthians, chapter one, verses 27 and 28. But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the mighty and the base things and the things that are despised hath God chosen. Well, what are those things? Well, just look up to verse 26 and he tells you.

42:29 For ye see your calling, brethren, not many wise men after the flesh, not many noble are called, but God hath chosen the foolish things. And who are those foolish things? You Corinthians who are saved. Ye see your calling, brethren, ye are the chosen ones. That's why there's no place for pride.

42:52 Not many mighty. Doesn't say not any, but not many mighty. Not many noble. You're the chosen of God.

42:58 You don't go around strutting. You say, Lord, I qualify. I'm one of those base things. I'm one of those weak things. I'm one of those

43:06 despised things. Lord, I'm one of those creatures that if ever I shine with the glory of eternal redemption upon my brow in the presence of the Savior, it'll have to be with shoutings of grace, grace, grace unto it. We move on to the book of Ephesians. A couple of references real quick like Paul in this eulogy. We'll study this in more detail, the Lord willing, when we come to the

43:33 key passages. But I want you to see the key passages. I want you to see the key passages. I want you to see the reference. He begins to bless God in verse three, the God and Father of

43:39 our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. Now, when did it all begin? He blessed us in Christ according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world. Paul says, here you believers are. Here we stand together under the

43:59 great canopy of the blessings, those spiritual blessings that are in Christ. And as he begins to enumerate them, he says, the first of these great spiritual blessings reaches back to eternity, election by the Father with reference to Jesus Christ, the Son. And he's not embarrassed. He makes this the ground of his praise that saved in time. They were chosen in

44:26 eternity. Not embarrassed, doesn't defend it, doesn't argue, doesn't get upset. He just lets his heart give in to its praise. That they were chosen. So he addresses them in Colossians 3.12, put on therefore as the elect of

44:42 God bows in mercy. Second Timothy 2.10, he said, I endure all things for the elect's sake that they may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. Second John 1 and 13, John speaks of the elect lady. In Revelation 17.14, describes the people of God as those who are

45:04 called to God. And he says, I endure all things for the elect's sake that they may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. So he's called, chosen the word elect and faith. Wonderful text setting forth the whole spectrum. Now, what do we conclude from all of

Conclusions on the Meaning of Election

45:13 this? Well, we conclude, dear ones, I trust we do as we seek to be honest with the truth of God, that God has made a selection out of humanity of people, individual people, whom he purposes to make the recipients of his grace and mercy in Jesus Christ. And the reason we believe that is because one of the key words, the word election chosen, can mean nothing else. We looked at its four examples of its use in historical events.

45:48 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 my sling.

46:34 You wouldn't put that kind of meaning on the word when it's used of David's stones, would you? When you come to the fact that it says they chose Stephen and six others, you wouldn't read into that. Well, what that really means is that they all stood back and they waited for Stephen and six others to come out and say, well, you know, we kind of like that job of serving tables. And they said, Oh, since you have chosen to be a deacon, we will ratify your choice.

46:58 Would you put that meaning on the word there? Now be honest with me, would you? You've got more sense in that. And yet, God, the Holy Ghost, uses the same word when it speaks of his elect whom he hath chosen.

47:11 Elect in Christ before the foundation of the world. Rufus, chosen in the Lord. In all of these passages, people have concocted this God dishonoring doctrine that God sat back and he waited till helpless, hopeless, condemned sinners who are blind to truth, who hate the light, and who repel against God are somehow, without any direct, special work of the Spirit, are going to break through all their blindness, their darkness, their deafness, their deadness, and their rebellion. They're going to choose God.

47:44 And then God says, wonderful, now I'll ratify your choice. And that's election. Beloved, I'd have to chuck my Bible out, I believe, if I believe that. If I'd have to make this word mean that, I believe I could make my Bible say anything.

47:59 Don't you? No. If we embrace the scriptures, we come up to this. Staggering conclusion that in election unto grace and salvation, God does the choosing, Mark 13, 20, the elect whom he hath chosen.

48:18 Secondly, God chooses individual people, Romans 16, 13, Rufus, chosen in the Lord. See, there's some people say, oh yes, election just means he's elected all who will believe. And so they make election a general thing. No, it says Rufus, that individual man, chosen in the Lord.

48:37 God does the choosing. God chooses individual people. The third thing, God chooses unto salvation. 2 Thessalonians 2.13, God be thanked that he hath chosen you from the beginning unto

48:49 salvation. God chose in eternity, Ephesians 1.4, he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. God chooses with reference to Christ.

49:00 He chose us in Christ. I believe it was Calvin who said, Christ is the mirror of election. God chose. chose a people with reference to his son. God chose on no other revealed basis but his own

49:13 sovereign will. Romans 9 will reveal this very clearly. Ephesians 1.5 says, having predestinated us according to the good pleasure of his own will, according to the good pleasure of his will.

49:26 And the seventh thing we can say about his choice is that it's unto his own glory. Ephesians 1.6, 12 and 14 uses the phrase to the praise of the glory of his grace, that we should be to the praise of his glory. Oh, do you see the sweep of it? God does the choosing. God chooses individual

49:45 people. God chooses them unto salvation. He chose them in eternity with reference to Christ on no other revealed basis but his own sovereign will. And he did it so that those who are chosen

50:02 were in exchange chosen, chosen not for good in me, wakened up from wrath to flee, hidden in the Savior's side by the Spirit sanctified, helped me here on earth to show by my love how much I owe.

50:20 I heard a dear servant of God, there someone was reading something he wrote, and he said, you ask, why am I saved? And God's answer is, because you were chosen. And you answer with another question, but why was I chosen? And God says, because it pleased.

50:33 And you ask God, why did it please you? And the heavens are silent. You stop asking questions and you fall down and you worship, because God doesn't answer that third question. If you ask, why was, why am I saved? God will answer it, chosen in the Lord. Your faith and repentance are the results,

50:55 not the grounds of his choice. You ask, well, why did he choose me? God says it was the good pleasure of his will. He answers that. But when you say, why was it the good pleasure of his will?

51:04 The heavens are silent. That was silent. He chose us. Because he chose us.

Pastoral Application for Believers: Worship and Service

51:14 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.

51:41 She said, well, who saved? Well, the Lord saved. That's the second question. Well, how much of it did he do? Well, he saved. He

51:48 did everything. You mean you're saved and you know it? Yes. And you admit the Lord did it? Oh,

51:54 he did every bit of it. Was it he who opened your eyes to the truth? Yes, I was blind till he opened my eyes. Was it he who enabled you to bow to Christ? Oh, yes, he did it all. She said, all

52:03 right, now you say, you know you're saved. Yes. And you know God did it? Yes. I want to ask you

52:07 a third question. Did he do it on purpose or was it an accident? Why, she said, God did it on purpose. He said, well, that's the doctrine of election. He did not. And his purpose didn't start with time,

52:23 but it stretches back to eternity. Now, what word is there in this scriptural doctrine? It's the only reason I proclaim it. I told you people on a number of occasions that one of the standards I try to keep before me is, Lord, help me not to refuse any truth of the Bible so I'll be embarrassed when I come to a verse. Help me not to preach anything that if I turn to the next verse will

52:46 make me embarrassed. Now, this is taught in the word. We've seen abundant testimony. Now, what does it say to us who are Christians here tonight? How do you know if you're one of God's elect? There's only one

53:02 place you can read your election. You know where that is? In a holy life. There's only one place you can read your election. In a holy life. That's the only place. You can't sneak up to the throne

53:16 and look into God's secret book. But the scripture says he hath chosen you to salvation through, sanctification of the Spirit. If I profess the name of Christ, if I claim to be his chosen one, then I must bear the record of that choice upon the breast of a holy life. All talk about being his chosen while living in sin is mere foolishness. For God chooses his people unto sanctification,

53:50 holiness, humility, and gratitude. And if by the grace of God you see that the Holy Spirit has worked that work and savingly joined you to Christ and given you a basic longing to be holy and to follow him and obey him, not perfect, but you're pressing on, then, dear friend, the doctrine of God's sovereign electing choice of you should cause you to do two things tonight. Fall down on your face in worship. I'm convinced in my own heart as I study the word and read the confirmation of that word in my own experience that a person perhaps has not really begun

54:29 to learn to worship until he worships at the footstool of the God of sovereign grace. I know of nothing more humbling than to soberly reflect in the quietness of that little room down below us why I'm not burning in hell tonight. It's the most humbling doctrine in all the world. Some of the fellows that I cursed with and told dirty jokes to, as far as I know, they're in hell tonight, dear friends. As far as I know, they're in hell tonight. Why am I not there to fall down

55:05 on my face in worship? I'm convinced in my own heart as I study the word and read the confirmation of that word in my own heart. I'm convinced in my own heart as I study the word and read the confirmation and say, oh, God, the only reason is because you had me on your heart for me. That's a humbling doctrine. And humility is the basis of all true worship. I believe it's the bedspring of all true

55:20 gratitude. When you begin to fall before a God of sovereign mercy, you know what it is to be thankful. It's the basis of all true wonder. And what is worship without wonder? If worship is

55:31 simply my response to what I can understand, it's not worship. But if worship is the pouring forth of the expressions of holy awe and wonder, then, oh, what a worshiping people we should be that God should set his love upon us. The first reaction this should cause in your life as a Christian is to make you fall down in worship. The second reaction, it should cause you to rise up and serve with zeal. Paul said in 2 Timothy, I endure all things. I endure all things. What

56:14 did that mean? Shipwreck, imprisonment, beast, a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful,

56:16 why? He said, for the elect's sake. He said, I am so confident that God will save his own, that let the whole world focus its wrath upon my head, and I'll preach, I'll teach, I'll pray, I'll witness. God will save his own. Ah, what zeal. Isn't that something? He said, I endure all

56:39 things for the elect's sake. Beloved, if it just makes us sit back on our haunches, we haven't understood it. It should make us fall down in serves. If he just lets us sit back on our haunches, if he just lets us sit down on our haunches, we haven't understood it. It should make us fall down

56:48 and worship, and then rise up and serve with zeal, serve with confidence, but listen, serve with scripturally oriented message and method. When I believe God will save his own, I'm willing to believe he'll save them his way, and I will be concocting all kinds of, quote, better ways to get them saved quicker and easier. That's what lies at the root of modern evangelism. It's a denial of the sovereignty of God in grace. That's why men have pared down the strict terms of true

57:23 repentance and bowing to Christ as Lord, because they know the natural man can't produce this, and unwilling to admit that God, by his sovereign grace, can bring men that way, they've pushed aside the truth that God is sovereign in grace, and they've made men think they've got salvation at their fingertips and can snap their hands and it'll plop right in. In our God's dishonor, and wounded in the house of his friends, beloved, how I long that this church shall be a witness of God's sovereignty of grace and have a people who are broken in worship, but also a people who rise up to serve with zeal. Beloved, God's got his people out here. I don't know who they are.

58:07 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.

58:22 And even if he revealed he wasn't going to save a soul, we still must obey. If he's so great as this to move nations to call out his elect, I better obey a God like this. I better obey him in the confidence that he'll own my witness, that his word shall not prosper, but it shall accomplish that whereunto he has sent it. It's amazing how people who deny this truth in one area, they sure love it in another area. You let that poor preacher that's preached on for three or

58:50 four or five, six months, see nobody saved. And you say, he said, no, sir. And he quotes that verse in Isaiah. God has said, my word shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish that whereunto I sent it. He sure loves to rest on the bosom of

Application for Unbelievers: Come to Christ

59:05 a sovereign God then, doesn't he? Sure he does. All true Christians do. What does this word say to those of you not in Christ? And then I close. It may cause some of you to object. You say in

59:18 your heart, I don't want a God like that. My friend, that's the only God there is. And if you don't want a God like that, I don't want a God like that. I don't want a God like that.

59:24 If you're going to want any other God, you'll have to make him. You'll have to make him. You can make him, but he's not going to save you. Because this God who chooses his people is the only God who sent salvation through Jesus Christ. One time a preacher said, and I think wisely, someone sits

59:46 there and says, ah, but I object. Why do you object? Would you be holy? Would you love Christ?

59:51 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,

60:01 give to some people on this side of the congregation who loved it, and all the people over here didn't like that meal. Do you have any grounds to complain that I didn't give it to you if you don't like it anyway? You've got no grounds. You want to be holy? You say, no. You want to obey

60:15 Christ? You say, no. Well, then what are you complaining about election for? Would you be holy? Would you love Christ? And dear ones, your focus of attention should not be election, but

60:27 Christ. For whatever God's secret purposes are, his promises are plain. And here's God's word to you sinners tonight.

60:37 O ye that labor and are heavy laden, I will give you rest. Ah, but Lord, I do not know if I'm one of your elect. He said, who said anything about election? I told you to come.

60:47 I told you to come. Ah, but Lord, I don't know if you chose me. He said, I didn't say anything about choosing. I told you to come. Come unto me, O ye that labor and are heavy

60:56 laden. I will give you rest. That's the message to you tonight. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. But you say, I can't believe. I can't repent. Then cry

61:07 to the Lord Jesus to give you the grace to be saved. I can't believe. I can't repent. Every grace, as Joseph Hart, the great hymnist said, true belief and true repentance, every grace that brings you nigh, this he gives you. This he gives you. Look to him. So election

61:22 is a great, humbling doctrine to the saint. It becomes the main spring of worship, the main spring of his zeal. And to the sinner, it shuts him up to where there's no refuge, but God's sovereign mercy in Christ. And it brings him broken, empty, stripped. He

61:42 looks up. And says with that poor blind beggar, son of David, have mercy. Is that a bad doctrine that has that effect?