Go with me to 2 Thessalonians
2 again. 2 Thessalonians 2 verse 13 says, 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 through sanctification
of the spirit and belief of the truth. A brother who lives in another
state, he sent me an email last week and he included an article
in that email on the subject of election. And it was so good. It was just really so good. It
said so many things that as I was reading it, I said, amen, that's
right. It was very good. But this article,
and I don't know who wrote it, this particular brother, he didn't
write it. But this article pointed out
something about election that I have never seen before. Something I've never associated
with election ever before. And I know I say this a lot,
but I'm gonna say it again. When I tell you that this blessed
my heart in a way that I can't describe to you, I mean that. This blessed me so much. I believe you're gonna really
enjoy seeing this. I've been, I always want to be
careful because usually the message I'm so excited to tell is the
one I walk out of here feeling so deflated from. And I don't
want to feel deflated, but this is the one I've been waiting
to tell all day. I believe you're gonna be so excited. Very, very
happy to see this. Give me just a minute, I'll set
it up. Sometimes I blurt it out. I'm not gonna do that. Just give
me a minute. Let me set it up, okay? Election. The doctrine of election, and
I don't really know how else to say that. I've told you before
that when it comes to terms like the doctrines of grace, you know,
people talk about the doctrines of grace. I'm fine with that
term, but that is not a scriptural term. The scripture actually only mentions
one true doctrine. According to the word of God,
there's only one true doctrine, the doctrine of Christ. And all of this is in the doctrine
of Christ. But the word doctrine means teaching. It means words of instruction. That's what doctrine is. And when we are teaching the
truth concerning total depravity or unconditional election or
particular redemption, it's hard to know what term to use for
that other than the doctrine of. It's hard to know what to
call that teaching other than the doctrine of. So for that
reason, I'm going to say that our subject this evening is the
doctrine of election or the teaching of election, the subject of election. When we say election, this is
what we mean. Just in case, you know, we take
for granted that everybody just knows things. We just talk about
election. Some people have never really
heard of election. We have young people here. Just
in case anybody doesn't really know what election means, here
it is, okay? Election. When we talk about
election, this is what we mean. Look at the middle of verse 13.
It says, God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation. That's election. From the beginning
before the foundation of the world God the Father chose specifically
for some particular centers to be saved. He selected specifically
who would be saved. Who was it? Verse 13 says, just before that,
it says, brethren, beloved of the Lord. Beloved. Beloved. That word brethren means
family. Brethren. Family. God selected some sinners to
be made to be a part of his family. adopted into his family. God purposed in his heart, I'm
going to adopt into my family. And he selected some particular
people to adopt into his family and he purchased them and redeemed
them into the family of God. Brethren, Beloved. Brethren, be loved. That word beloved means to love
dearly, to love intently, to love affectionately. Psalm 5
verse 5 says that the Lord hates all workers of iniquity. which every soul on this earth
is a worker of iniquity. Every soul in this room is a
worker of iniquity. But before the foundation of
the world, God the Father chose for some of those workers of
iniquity to be redeemed from that iniquity in the blood of
His beloved. Christ is Beloved in the Beloved,
in the Beloved. And in Christ, the Father's Beloved,
every soul that was chosen in Him was chosen to be loved. Chosen to be brethren beloved. Now men and women by nature in
their standard natural condition, the natural condition of their
flesh, they hear the truth concerning God's election, that it was God's
choice. I remember I was even a young
person, but that was a tough pill to swallow. You remember
that? You try to get your mind around
this. Now they hear mankind naturally hears that it was God's choice. It was God's decision. God decided who would be saved
before man could ever have a say in the matter. There is nothing that man can
do to alter or change God's decision in the matter. Man has no influence on his or
her own salvation at all. It was all set in stone. It was all set in the rock in
eternity past. And we are now at the mercy of
waiting to find out if we're included in it. That's where
we stand. We are at the mercy of waiting
to see if we were included in it. Men and women naturally hear
that doctrine of absolute truth concerning God's election, and
they hate it. They see it to be an unloving
doctrine, an unwelcoming doctrine, an unfair doctrine. They see it to be a hateful doctrine. That's hateful. But this world by nature has
it all wrong. The world by nature has it all wrong. Election is
the evidence of God's love. Election was the result of God's
love. Election was God commending his
love toward us. That's what it was. Election
is the very thing that welcomed sinful men and women into the
family of God. Welcoming election. In the redemption that was in
Christ, because of the blood of Christ that put away the sin
of God's elect, okay, because that blood put it all away, removed
it, washed it away, abolished it, eliminated it, gone. sin gone by the blood of Christ,
with sin, the sin of those souls being, those particular souls
being gone, not only was God's acceptance of those souls and
welcoming of those souls and loving of those souls, not only
was it fair, it was the only thing that was
just and right. If those souls were made righteous
and holy in the blood of the Lamb slain before the foundation
of the world, God had to love those souls. He had to accept
those souls. What do you mean unfair? People
say that's unfair. What do you mean unfair? That
was the only thing God could do and still be just and holy
and right. And once that's revealed to a
sinner, all right, once that's revealed to a saved sinner, elected
by the Father, redeemed by the Son, quickened by the Spirit,
once that's revealed, it produces the same result every time. Once that is revealed, it produces
the same result every time. Look at 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 through sanctification of the spirit in belief of the
truth. All right, now, that was me setting
it up. This is what was said in that
article that struck me and it just blessed me so much. It said, election is the subject
of thankfulness. Election is the subject of thankfulness. It's the thankful doctrine. Election is the thankful doctrine. In the scripture, it's the subject
matter that's associated with thankfulness. That's what the article pointed
out. In this word right here, election is the subject matter
that is associated with thankfulness. All right, now this blessed me
so much. Just look at this again, verse
13. We are bound. We're bound, that means under
obligation. We must, we have to, we're bound
by God. Why? Because this is the thankful
doctrine. We are bound to give thanks always
to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God elected
you. We have to give thanks. because
God elected you. This is the thankful doctrine. All right, now let's go through
some scriptures like we do, all right? Let's see how often thankfulness
is associated with election. Go to 1 Thessalonians 1. 1 Thessalonians 1 verse 2, we give
thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in
our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith and
labor of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ
in the sight of God and our Father. Why? Verse 4, knowing brethren
beloved, Your election of God. He said, that's why we give thanks.
How do you know they were one of the elect, Paul? He said,
we know your election of God. How do you know they were one
of the elect? What's the evidence of a person being one of the
elect? Verse four, knowing brethren, beloved, your election of God,
for our gospel came not unto you in word only. Meaning, you
know, somebody comes in and they hear the gospel and, you know, in one ear, out the
other. Well, it's nice to know you.
Have a good life. It becomes life. Our gospel came
not unto you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy
Ghost and in much assurance. That means you believed it. As
you know what manner of men we were among you for your sake
and you became followers of us and of the Lord. Having received
the word in much affliction, that's how we receive it is convicting. But it also brings so much joy
with joy of the Holy Ghost so that you were examples to all
that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. For from you sounded
out the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Achaia,
but also in every place your faith to God were to spread abroad
so that we need not to speak anything." You started telling
everybody, this is the truth. This is the gospel. Verse nine,
for they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we
had unto you and how you turned to God from idols to serve the
living and true God. And to wait for his son from
heaven whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered
us from the wrath to come. Paul said, that's how we know.
You believed it, you fell in love with it, you sided with
it. You came out from among your
false religion. You started worshiping the true
and living God. How do you know a person is one
of the elect? All your hope was in that one
returning. All your hope was in waiting
for him to come and save your soul. He said, that's how we
know you're of the elect. And he said, because of that,
we're thankful. We give thanks. We thank God
for choosing to save us and you. So thankful. Turn to Colossians
1. Colossians 1 verse 1, it says,
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, and Timotheus,
our brother, to the saints. That word saints means consecrated
ones, newly made, made new, the fulfilled ones. Peter called
them the us word, the elect. Verse two, to the saints and
faithful brethren in Christ, brethren beloved, which are at
Colossae, grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and
the Lord Jesus Christ. The elect, this is who he's talking
about. Now verse three, he said, we give thanks to God and the
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Praying always for you. We give thanks and we pray always
for you. We're so thankful you were elected. You're constantly in our prayers
because God elected you. You don't have to turn your heads,
just in your mind scan the room. You know who's here. Look around
the room. Are you glad these people were
elected? Do you give thanks for the fact
that these people were elected? Are you thankful for each other? I'm so thankful for you. I really am. I'm going to continue
that. Go to Philippians 1. Philippians 1 verse 1 it says,
Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints,
that's who I'm talking to, the saints, the elect, in Christ
Jesus which are at Philippi with the bishops and deacons, Grace
be unto you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord
Jesus Christ. Verse three, he said, I thank
my God upon every remembrance of you. Paul said, every time
I remember you, the elect, I thank God. Are you glad God elected
me? God could have left me to myself. God could have passed me by.
Are you glad God elected me? I am
so glad God elected you. I really am. I mean this. I'm
so glad. God elected you, and I'm gonna
be honest with you, nothing would make me happier or more thankful,
nothing would make me more thankful than to see and find out that
God has elected more. Turn over to Ephesians 1. Ephesians 1 verse 3, Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as He hath
chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should
be holy and without blame before Him in love. That's election. All right, now look at verse
15. Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus
and love unto all the saints, cease not to give thanks for
you, making mention of you in my prayers. Election is unto
salvation. Salvation is unto thankfulness. That's the only thing we can
give in return. What shall I give in return?
What shall I offer to God? I have one thing, thankfulness. Thankfulness. Thankfulness for
his unspeakable gift. Thankfulness for quickening us,
calling us to himself. Thankfulness for including us
in all that. by way of his election. It all
started, it all began, it was all authored with the Father's
election. Turn to 1 Corinthians 1. First Corinthians 1, verse 1, Paul called to be an
apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God and Sosthenes,
our brother, unto the church of God, which is at Corinth,
to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus called to be saints. With all that in every place,
call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours. Who's he talking about? He's
talking about the elect. Verse three. Grace be unto you
and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
I thank my God always on your behalf for the grace of God which
is given you by Jesus Christ that in everything you're enriched
by him and all utterance and in all knowledge Even as the
testimony of Christ was confirmed in you so that you come behind
in no gift, waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
shall also confirm you unto the end, that you may be blameless
in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful by whom
you were called unto the fellowship of his son, Jesus Christ, our
Lord. He said, your election has produced
great thanks in my heart to God. It's always to God. Our thankfulness
is to God on your behalf. Thankful to God. Turn to Romans
1. Romans 1, verse 1. Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ,
called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, which
he had promised to for by his prophets in the holy scriptures,
concerning his son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the
seed of David according to the flesh and declared to be the
son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by
the resurrection from the dead, by whom we have received grace
and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations
for his name. among whom are you also the called
of Jesus Christ. Verse seven, he said, to all
that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints, grace to
you in peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse
eight, he said, first, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for
you all that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.
He said, now that the gospel has been declared and you have
been given faith by the Spirit of God to believe it, and you've
been evidenced as being one of the elect, now that all that's
happened, first, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you
all. That's the first thing, thankfulness. Among God's people, Election
is the thankful doctrine. You know, God's people are constantly
saying in some form or fashion, why me? Aren't we? Why would
he choose me? Why would he choose me? Among
God's people, election is the thankful doctrine. It produces
thankfulness in all of God's redeemed people. Paul was so
thankful, all the apostles were so thankful, and all of God's
people are so, so thankful for his election. All right? With me so far? We're thankful
for it, aren't we? God's people are so thankful
for election. Now, I don't want to presume
on this. I would just say, are y'all ready
to be blessed? But I don't want to presume on
this. I was blessed. Ask the Lord to make this a blessing.
If the Lord will do it, this is such a blessing. This is such
a blessing. All of God's people, this is
the one thing that stands out to God's people. They are so
thankful for election. All right, now, turn to Matthew
11. Ask the Lord to open your heart.
I'm gonna close with this. Matthew 11, verse 25. At that time, Jesus answered
and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because
thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast
revealed them unto babes. That's election. God revealing the gospel to one
and passing by another as it seems good in his sight, that's
election. And even God Almighty himself. Election produces thankfulness
in God's people. All of God's people, they're
so thankful for election. But even God Almighty himself
said, I'm so thankful for election. Father, I thank you so much for
election, for choosing babes, these babes. I thank you for
choosing. I thank you for who you chose. He said, your election has produced
thankfulness in my heart. And just hearing that Christ
is thankful for election, that makes all of God's people even
that much more thankful for it. If Christ is thankful for it,
how much more thankful are we? Thank God for the thankful doctrine. The doctrine of his glorious
election that chose every one of his people to salvation through
sanctification of the Spirit in belief of the truth. Amen.