We are very blessed to have each
other, very blessed. I can't, I remember a long time
ago someone once said, I have no words to explain it, how I
feel about it. And as your pastor and seeing
that in action, I have no words. We are very blessed to have each
other. Romans chapter 9. Romans chapter 9. Today's message is called Seven
Effects of Belief in Election. Seven Effects of Belief in Election. Romans chapter 9. A.W. Pink said election is the
most hated doctrine amongst religionists and the most cherished doctrine
amongst God's people. Oh, it's amazing that God would
choose a sinner like me. And for you who believe that
God would choose a sinner like you. I don't think we're ever going
to get over it. I hope we never do. We who believe. Romans chapter 9, verses 10 to
16. And not only this, but when Rebekah
also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac, for the
children being not yet born, neither having done any good
or evil, there's a key part, that the purpose of God according
to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth. It was said unto her, The elder
shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have
I loved, but Esau have I hated. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with
God? Obviously, Paul had experienced
opposition to the doctrine of election. Is there unrighteousness with
God? God forbid. God forbid. For he saith to Moses,
look at this, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy. I
will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then
it is not of him that willeth, there goes will, there goes,
now man has a will, right, but it's tied to our nature, there
goes free will, it's gone. It's not of him that willeth.
Nor of him that runneth, there goes works. There goes works. There goes
gaining merit and favor with God by your works. But of God that showeth mercy. God's people receive mercy. Mercy. And our God is the same yesterday,
today, and forever, right? Jesus Christ is the same yesterday,
today, and forever. Hebrews 13.8 And the Bible says that prior
to salvation, everyone who is born into this world is born
dead in trespasses and sins. Spiritually dead. And the lost
sinner is in a total helpless and hopeless state. when it comes to our own doing
for our salvation. Turn with me, if you would, to
Matthew chapter 19. And in the state we're born in,
the sinner is utterly unable to come to God on their own,
and unable to love God, or obey Him, or please Him in any way. We are enemies in our minds to
God, and we will not come to Him. There's none that seek after
God. None. God must do, though, that
which is impossible for us to do. Look at this. Matthew 19,
verse 23 to 26. Then Jesus said unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, that a
rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again
I say unto you, it is easier for a camel to go through the
eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom
of God. When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed,
saying, who then can be saved? Who can be saved? See, look at our Lord's answer. But Jesus beheld them and said
unto them, with man this is impossible. It's impossible for man to save
himself. It's absolutely impossible. Oh, beloved, but with God all
things are possible. All things. Oh, the Lord Jesus
Christ is the sinner's savior. And all through Scripture, our
God is a choosing God. Turn, if you would, to Deuteronomy
chapter 7. Our God is a choosing God. Even though man continues
to rebel and shake his fist at God, God has a people. He has
a people that he set apart for himself. They are his sheep,
his elect. His sheep and His elect, the
ones for whom He died for upon the cross, and they will come
to Him. They will. They will. By the
regenerating power of the Holy Spirit, through the preaching
of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. And the gospel of the
Lord Jesus Christ comes to God's elect with convicting, convicting,
converting power. Convicting and converting power.
And election is all through the Bible. As I said, religionists
hate the doctrine of election. Because it destroys man's pride. But God is the same yesterday,
today, and forever. Look at Deuteronomy 7, verses
7 to 9. God chose Israel. Out of all
the nations, think of this, out of all the nations that were
around Israel, all of them, right? The Egyptians, the Syrians, all
these different nations. God chose them. Oh, what a picture. What a picture. God choosing His church in Christ.
Look at Deuteronomy 7, verses 7 to 9. The Lord did not set
His love upon you, nor choose you, because you were more in
number. than any people, but ye were the fewest of all people.
But because the Lord loved you, think of this in light of God's
elect. Think of this in light. He didn't
choose us because there's anything good in us. No. Not at all. Why did God choose the people?
Because he loves them. with an everlasting love, with
an everlasting love. But because the Lord loved you
and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto
your fathers, hath the Lord bought you out with a mighty hand and
redeemed you out of the house of bondmen from the hand of Pharaoh,
king of Egypt. Know therefore that the Lord
thy God, he is God. There's only one God, only one. the faithful God, which keepeth
covenant and mercy with them that love him, and keep his commandments
to a thousand generations." So God chose Israel, and He passed
by all those other nations. And it was His choosing. Think
of this. God chose Abel over Cain. God chose Abraham. He bought
him out. Bought him out. Bought him out
of idolatry. Genesis says this in Genesis
6, 8. You know that God chose Noah? Genesis 6, 8 says this. And turn,
if you would, to Exodus 33. Exodus 33. God chose... Was there anything good? Was
there anything good in Noah that God chose him? Anything good? Anything in him? Anything good
in him at all? Scripture declares this, beloved,
but Noah found grace, grace, Noah found grace in the eyes
of the Lord. That's the only thing that made
him to differ. The grace of God. Look at Exodus. This is a beautiful
portion of Scripture. Look at this. Exodus 33. This
is just beautiful. And think, if you're one of the
Lord's people, and we don't know who God's people are, right?
We preach the Gospel. We proclaim. God does the saving. We give
Him all the glory, all the honor. But He does. He does have a people.
And He did redeem them upon the cross. And they will come to
Him. And the Gospel preacher is on the trail of God's sheep.
We preach and proclaim the Gospel. And God does it. God does it. And we rejoice. We rejoice. Look at this. And keep in mind,
but Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Genesis 6, 8. Exodus
33. Exodus 33. The same grace that
Noah found is the same grace that Moses found in the eyes
of the Lord. Look at this. Exodus 33, verse
12 to 19. And Moses said unto the Lord,
See thou sayest unto me, bring up this people, And thou hast
not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said,
I know thee by name. Oh, he knows his people. And
thou hast found grace in my sight. Now therefore I pray thee, if
I have found grace in thy sight, show me now thy way, that I may
know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight, and consider that
this nation is thy people. And he said, my presence shall
go with thee, and I will give thee rest. I'll give you rest. And he said unto them, if thy
presence go not with me. Now look at this. Moses is saying,
if your presence doesn't go with me, don't let me go. This is
Moses' prayer. Don't let me go, Lord, anywhere
where you don't go before me. Nowhere. And this is the gospel
preacher's prayer when he steps up to preach, too. Don't let
me go anywhere where you don't go before me. And he said unto him, If thy
presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. For wherein
shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in
thy sight. Is it not in that thou goest with us? So shall
we be separated, I and thy people. And God's people are separated
people. From all the people that are
upon the face of the earth. Oh my, look at this. And the
Lord said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou
hast spoken, for thou hast found grace. in my sight, and I know Thee
by name." Oh, what comfort in words for
the believer. The believer has found grace.
Believer in Christ has found grace in the eyes of the Lord,
and he knows his people by name. My sheep hear my voice, and I
know them, and they follow me. Oh, my. And he said, I beseech
thee, show me thy glory. And he said, I will make all
my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name
of the Lord. And remember in our text, it said, I'll show
mercy on whom I'll show mercy. Look at Exodus 33, 19. I'll make
all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name
of the Lord before thee, and will be gracious to whom I will
be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I'll show mercy. God shows mercy to whomever He
pleases. And if you're a believer, rejoice
that He showed mercy to you, that you found grace in the eyes
of the Lord. Ephesians 2 says this, that in
the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace.
Oh, His grace is so rich. Pardon for all the sins of those
who He came to redeem. His people. The exceeding riches
of His grace, of His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
All salvation, all pardon, all justification, all redemption,
all comes through Christ in Him alone. Nowhere else the believer
finds grace in the eyes of the Lord. Grace in the eyes of God
through Christ in Him alone. Nowhere else. Nowhere else. For by grace are you saved through
faith, and not of yourselves. It is a gift of God, not of works,
lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, all
the believers is His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto
good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk
in. God's people receive mercy. Mercy. They do not receive the wrath
and judgment of God, which would be just for us to receive, wouldn't
it? But they do not receive that.
The wrath of God is being appeased, satisfied. Where? In Christ Jesus our Lord, and
only in Him. That wrath, that justice which
should have fell upon me, For my sins fell upon Christ. And
for you, if you're a believer, fell upon him. Satisfaction. Substitution. Two words. If you get anything
out of any gospel message, two words always. Substitution and
satisfaction. Christ is the sinner's substitute,
and God is satisfied with that sacrifice. We receive mercy. Turn, if you
would, to Galatians chapter 6. We receive mercy. Mercy. So God chose a people in the
Old Testament. He chose Noah. He chose Moses. He chose Israel. He chose Abraham. He even chose angels, didn't
he? We have elect angels and fallen angels. God is a choosing
God. He's a choosing God. And have
mercy on whomever you have mercy. Galatians chapter 6. Look at this, but God, verse
14, but God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our
Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world is crucified unto me and
I unto the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision
availeth anything nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. And as many as walk according
to this rule, peace be on them and mercy. and upon the Israel
of God. Who's the Israel of God? God's
elect. Spiritual Israel, beloved. Spiritual
Israel. Now, let's quickly look at the
definition of the word election. Now, people, like I say, people
will... Romans 9-11, the word election
is right there. Election. As I said, religionists hate
the word election. But the Greek defines it as the act of picking
out, choosing. The ground and truth of election
then takes us back to the beginning of all things. And a right understanding
of election in relation to the everlasting covenant is absolutely
essential. We must know that God chose us
in Christ Before the foundation of the world, based upon nothing
in us. Nothing in us. Before the foundation of the
world, by His free and sovereign grace, in His very object in sending
in Christ into this world, the Son of God, all His providential dealings
cannot be seen in their proper perspective until they're viewed
in light of his eternal election. He came to save, what? His people
from their sins, right? His people, his elect. So the
Greek word for election is ekloge. And it's defined in the Greek
as this, the act of picking out. You can't get any clearer than
that, can you? Choosing. The act of God's free
will, he's the only one who really
has free will. He does whatever he pleases. By which before the foundation
of the world, he decreed his blessings to certain persons.
The decree made from choice by which he determined to bless
certain persons through Christ by grace alone. A thing, the
Greek goes on, a thing or person chosen. And then the last definition
is God's elect. So election means that God chose.
Whether people believe it or not. Whether people agree with
it or not. Romans 9.11 again says, For the
children being not yet born, neither having done any good
or evil, that the purpose of God according
to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth." Six times this word election
is used. Romans 9, 11. Turn over to Romans
11. It's used twice in Romans chapter
11. Six times in the New Testament. Romans 9, 11. Romans 11, verses
5 and 7. I'll read verses 5 to 6, though. Even so, then at this present
time, there is also a remnant according to the election of
grace. Same Greek word as used in Romans 9. And if by grace,
look at this marvelous verse that's in between these two verses
where election is mentioned. And if by grace, then it is no
more of works. We cannot be saved by our works.
Not at all. It's impossible. Otherwise, grace... Why? Why can't we be saved by
our works? Otherwise, grace is no more grace.
You add a pinprick, just a pinprick of works into grace, and it's
no longer grace. It's works. And the scripture
plainly declares that, right before our eyes. Otherwise work
is no more work what then Israel hath not obtained that which
he seeketh for but the election again Same Greek word hath obtained
it and the rest were blinded the next instance of this verse
or this word is used in Verse 28 of our same chapter same Greek
word Romans 11 28 As concerning the gospel, they
are enemies for your sake, but as touching the election, they
are beloved for the Father's sake." Same Greek word. Then
turn over to 1 Thessalonians 1, and put your finger in 2 Peter
1.10, and these are the six instances where this word is used. 1 Thessalonians 1.4, look at this. Knowing brethren beloved, Your
election of God. Now, Paul is writing to the Thessalonian
believers. He's not writing to the whole
world. He's writing to the Thessalonians. Know, brethren and beloved, your
election of God. The Greek word, an act of picking
out, choosing. Now, like I say, there's nothing
in us. Nothing in us that would deserve
this. This is all by the pure, free mercy of God. And that's
it, nothing else. Knowing, brethren and beloved,
your election of God, then turn over to 2 Peter 1.10. Paul clearly
states, he did in 1 Thessalonians, by the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit. And remember, it's by inspiration of the Holy Spirit
that the Thessalonians states were chosen of God. And Peter
over here in 2 Peter 1.10. Wherefore, the rather brethren,
give diligence to make your calling and election sure. For if you
do these things, you shall never fall. So today I'd like to look
at some effects of this doctrine. What are some effects on the
believer of the doctrine of election? What are some of the effects
it has on we who believe? First, I'd like to examine a
few untruths, and it won't take long to go through these, a few
untruths about the doctrine of election. We are told that the
doctrine of election is not fair. We do not want fair. Trust me, we don't want fair. Fair would be everyone going
to hell. But God has grace and mercy upon his people. If we
received what we deserved, we'd all perish. But the believer
receives mercy, mercy in Christ, mercy in and through the Lord
Jesus Christ. We are told that the doctrine
of election will kill evangelism and will kill missions. No, quite
the contrary, quite the contrary. We who believe in the doctrine
of election send forth missionaries and evangelize knowing that God
has a people and that he will reveal himself to his people
in his time by the preaching of his word. It has the opposite
effect of what the world claims. We know that God's will can never
be thwarted, never, never. The gospel message will come
to the sheep of God and He will save whomever He pleases. And
then the third untruth is folks say God looked
down through time and saw who would choose Him. So based upon
that, He chose the people. That's nothing but man-based
salvation. Works. Nothing but natural man
trying to make man the sovereign. And robbing God of all his glory,
honor, and power. When God chose his people in
eternity, he saw them all dead in trespasses and sins. And he bestowed his mercy upon
whomever he pleased. And it was all according to His
sovereign will and according to His sovereign power. And the
believer says, praise His mighty name. Praise His mighty name. God chose a people in Christ
and He did not seek anyone's permission. He's not waiting for people to
make a decision. God saves His people according
to His will and purpose. Oh my. When we truly realize
that the Lord of Heaven and Earth chose us in Christ to salvation,
that He redeemed us by His precious blood, and that He called us
by His Gospel, it will have a sevenfold effect on His people. And the
first effect is this, it will cause God's people to rejoice. Turn, if you would, to Psalm
65, verse 4. It will cause God's people to
rejoice in Christ and Him alone. Psalm 65, verse 4. God's people rejoice in the electing
grace of God, knowing that if God had not chosen them, they
would never have come to Him. Look at Psalm 65, verse 4. Blessed is the man whom Thou
choosest and causest. Look at that. And causest to
approach unto Thee. Thy people shall be made well
in the day of Thy power, in the day of His power, beloved. Blessed. Blessed. Blessed is
God's elect. Blessed is His people. Whom Thou
choosest, and cause us to approach unto Thee, that He may dwell
in Thy courts, we shall be satisfied with the goodness of Thy house,
even of Thy holy temple. We can sing with the hymn writer,
Lord, tis not that I did choose Thee, that I know could never
be, for this heart would still refuse Thee. Had Thy grace not
chosen me, Thou hast from the sin that stained me washed and
cleansed me and set me free. And unto this end ordain me that
I ever live to Thee. Praise the God of all creation.
Praise the Father's boundless love. Praise the Lamb, our expiation,
priest and king enthroned above. Praise the Spirit of salvation,
Him by whom our spirits live. undivided adoration to the great
Jehovah. Oh, it causes God's people to
rejoice. It causes God's people to sing
out in praise. Oh, the believer in Christ, God's
elect, goes from religion to rest, from religion to rest,
from works to rest, and it fills our hearts and minds with praise
and adoration to our great God and King, the Lord Jesus Christ.
The second effect that God's electing grace will have is this.
God's electing grace will promote humility. It will not make us
proud. Not at all. Not at all. Turn up your Word to 1 Corinthians
4, verse 7. Oh, we know that we are saved
by the pure mercy, mercy of God in Christ and nothing else. It
will not make us proud, it will humble us. God's electing grace
will promote humility. Grace and pride are incompatible. They cannot exist together. They're
like oil and water. 1 Corinthians 4, 7. And look at
this believer, look at this beloved of God. For who make it thee
to differ from another? Think of all your family members
who aren't saved. Think of your friends who aren't
saved. I sat one night and it just brought me to tears. I thought
about all the people I knew my whole life. All the people I
knew. Family members, friends, and
God chose me. A wretched sinner. For who maketh
thee to differ from another? In the Greek, that's who distinguished
you. Who distinguished you from another?
Distinguishing grace. Spurgeon has an amazing sermon
on this called Distinguishing Grace. Who maketh thee to differ
from another? And what hast thou that thou
didst not receive? See, grace. The grace of God
is a gift. Faith is a gift. Repentance is
a gift from God. What hast thou that thou didst
not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory?
You see, we can't glory in anything. Oh, God's electing grace will
promote humility. Now if thou didst receive it,
why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it? The believer
rejoices in Christ and we have no confidence in the flesh. None
at all. None at all. All our hope is
Christ. He's everything. He's everything. All our confidence of eternal
life, of being saved, is in Christ Jesus, our Lord, in Him alone. The third effect that God's electing
grace will have is this. Turn, if you would, to Job chapter
1. It will comfort us in hard trials. It will comfort us in
hard trials. Now, Job's strength was the Lord. It was the Lord who comforted
him in great sorrow. We know what happened to Job.
Look at this in verses 20 and 21. He lost all his kids, were
gone. His riches. We had two funerals this week.
He had a whole bunch. Oh my, it's so hard. And it's
hard. Look at this. And Job arose. God's electing grace will comfort
us in hard trials. Then Job arose, and rent his
mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground
in worship, and said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and
naked shall I return thither. The Lord gave, and the Lord hath
taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.
Oh, my. Oh, my. Don't we rest in Him. Don't we rest in Him. The Lord
gave and the Lord hath taken away. Blessed be the name of
the Lord. Oh, God's electing grace will
comfort us in hard trials. The Lord giveth and the Lord
taketh away. All things work for our good
and for His glory. We trust and rest in Him alone.
All the comfort All our comfort as believers comes from God.
He is the God of all comfort. The God of all comfort. And we
don't have to understand why certain things happen. God's
people don't have to understand why certain things happen or
do not happen. We simply trust He who is the keeper of our eternal
souls. The one who we have cast all
our hope upon for the redemption of our eternal souls. And the
doctrine of election will bring great comfort. Turn if you would
to 2 Corinthians chapter 1. The doctrine of election will
bring great comfort to the believer. We live in a world of woe and
sorrow. I was talking to Brother Chet this week and we said this
world is the only sorrow we know as believers. There will be no
sorrow in heaven. But in this world we know sorrow
and we know woe. We have trials and tribulations
and temptations, trouble as we go through this world. But what
is the source of our comfort? What's the one source of our
comfort? Christ and him alone. Nowhere else. Nowhere else. Look at 2 Corinthians 1, verses
2 to 6. Grace be to you and peace from
God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be God,
even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies
and the God of all comfort. Oh, He's a God of all comfort.
Who comfort us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort
them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we ourselves
are comforted by God. Why do we go through things?
That we may comfort others after what we went through too. And
we know it's only God who's comforting us, we who believe. For as the
sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth
by Christ. And whether we be afflicted,
it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual
in the enduring of the same sufferings, which we also suffer. Or whether
we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. Also,
the third effect of God's electing grace is it will give us comfort
in hard trials, beloved. The fourth effect is it will
suppress self and sin in the believer. It will suppress self
and sin. 1 Corinthians chapter 6, if you
turn there. Those who have been chosen of
God, those who are the elect of God, have had this grace bestowed
upon them, desire to be with Christ. Desire to one day be
in heaven. And don't we desire to be sinless? to hate this old body of flesh,
don't we? I remember talking to an older
believer down in 13th Street. It was wonderful. I was talking
with him. He says, have you learned to hate the fella? Talking about
flesh. And I said, yeah, I know what
you're saying. He goes, you're going to hate him more. Because
it's true. We struggle with sin all the
time, don't we? All the time. All the time. But we desire to
be sinless. We struggle with the flesh. We
struggle with sin. But what can help us with the
battle is that we remember that we're not our own. We're not
our own. We're bought with a price. Purchased. We desire to glorify God. We
desire to glorify our Lord. In our souls and bodies. Look
at 1 Corinthians 6 verses 19 and 20. What? Know ye not that
your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you,
which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are
bought with a price, O God's elect, are bought with the precious
blood of Christ. Purchased, purchased. bought with a price, therefore
glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.
So the blood of Christ, God incarnate in the flesh, was the cost to
purchase our eternal souls. So let us seek to glorify God.
And let us not seek the praises of man. No. Let us seek to glorify
God. Glorify Him. He's our King. 1 Corinthians 7, one more chapter
over. God's preachers are not man-pleasers. We seek to please God and not
man. Look at 1 Corinthians 7, verses 22 and 23. For he that is called in the
Lord being a servant is the Lord's free man. Likewise also he that
is called being free is Christ's servant. All God's people are
Christ's servants. You are bought with a price.
Be not ye the servants of man. This wonderful doctrine of election
will suppress sin. It will suppress self. We desire
to serve Christ. We desire to glorify God. And
think of this. Before you were saved, did you
desire to glorify God? I didn't. Not at all. Born again by the Holy Spirit
of God. Purchased with a price. Oh, we
seek to glorify God, don't we? So this wonderful doctrine of
election will suppress sin and self, as we do not promote ourselves. We do not put ourselves in the
forefront. We seek to glorify God. He must
increase, right? Remember John the Baptist? He
must increase, and I must decrease. Don't look to me. Look to the
one who I preach. Look to Christ. He's the one. He's the one we're to look to. The fifth effect of God's electing
grace will have is it gives assurance to God's people. It gives assurance
to God's people. My, if God foreknew us, and He
did, if God predestinated us to be
like Christ, and He did, Turn, if you would, to Romans chapter
8. If God justified us and called us by His Holy Spirit, and He
has for the believer, if Christ redeemed us, and He has on Calvary's
cross, if Christ intercedes for the believer, and He does right
now, then who can be against us? My,
oh my. Look at Romans chapter 8. This
is a marvelous portion of scripture. Romans chapter 8 verses 29 to
34. For whom He did foreknow, He
chose His people in eternity. He also did predestinate to be
conformed to the image of His Son. Folks go squirrelly over
predestination. I want to be conformed to the
image of Christ. Do you, beloved? Do you, beloved? Oh my, to be
like Him. Oh my. That He might be the firstborn
among many brethren. Moreover, whom He did predestinate.
Notice this is all past tense. Them He also called. Whom He
called, them He also justified. Justified. In whom he justified,
them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these
things? If God be for us, who can be against us? What assurance
for the believer. What assurance. He that spared
not his own son. God did not spare his son. Why? Because He must redeem His people
from their sins. Must. He must. He that spared not His own Son,
but delivered Him up for us all, for all His left, for all His
people, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
Who shall lay anything, anything, Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies it. Oh my, what assurance for the
believer. What assurance. Who is he that
condemneth? Now our hearts condemn us all
the time. Oh my, it is Christ that died, yea rather that is
risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh
intercession for us. The great mediator. The great
mediator. So, the fifth effect of God's
electing grace is that we'll give God's people assurance. Assurance. The sixth effect is
God's electing grace makes dying easier for the saints. Makes
dying easier for the saints. Turn, if you would, to 2 Samuel,
chapter 23. The believer has a rest in Christ,
an assurance in Christ, so that when we come to death, we know
that He will never leave us nor forsake us. The eternal covenant
of grace in Christ was David's pillow. It was his pillow of
rest, his pillow of peace when he lay dying, that God had made
an eternal covenant with him. Now has found grace. The believers
found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Look at 2 Samuel 23, verses
1 to 5. Now these be the last words of
David, David's dying words. David the son of Jesse said,
And the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the
God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel said, The Spirit of the Lord spake
by me, and his word was in my tongue. The God of Israel said,
the rock of Israel spake to me, he that ruleth over men must
be just. Oh, God is a just God, ruling
in the fear of God. He shall be as the light of the
morning when the sun rises, even a morning without clouds, as
the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining
after rain. Although my house be not so with
God, Yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant. Oh,
this is true for every child of God. Every one of his elect. And look at this. This everlasting
covenant is ordered. Ordered by the God of the universe.
And sure, sure, for this is all my salvation. Christ is the believer's. He's all the believer's salvation.
We have no hope anywhere else. This is why we say, Sinner, friend,
flee to Christ. He is the only hope for sinners. The only hope. And David sought. Look what it says, too. In all
my desire, although he make it not to grow. Now, David had trouble
in his household. But David sought no other source
of comfort, no other hope than the sovereign love of God in
Christ and the everlasting covenant to Him. And that covenant is
ordered. And that covenant is sure. Oh my. David's hope and rest was in
the fact that God had made an everlasting covenant with him
and beloved he has with all his people. Oh my. All His people whom He chose
in Christ before the foundation of the world, this is ordered
and sure by God's eternal and unchangeable
counsel. God. Now remember this. Let us
always remember this. He is not like us. He is God. His thoughts are not our thoughts.
People get an imaginary God in their mind, and they think, oh,
that's God. No. The God of the Bible is so
sovereign, so high and lifted. His thoughts are not our thoughts.
His ways are not our ways. No, He has made an everlasting
covenant with His people, unchangeable. And it comes to pass by His wise
and powerful providence which does and will overrule all things. This is the believer's God. This
is the believer's salvation. The Lord Jesus Christ. All my
salvation is in Christ. Is it so with you? Are you trusting
in your own self? You're perishing your sins. The believer trusts and rests
in Christ and Him alone. Nowhere else. Nowhere else. And the last effect, the seventh
effect God's electing grace will have is it will assure us that
our preaching is never in vain. Never. Isaiah 55, if you would turn
there and put your finger in 1 Thessalonians, chapter 1. Never in vain. Isaiah 55, verse 11, and put your finger in 1 Thessalonians. Now this cannot be applied to
all preaching, but only to the preaching of His Word, preaching
Christ and Him crucified. There's a lot of folks out there
that say they're preaching and they're just saying words. Like
Brother Tim James said, just words. Just a whole bunch of
words, but all from God's Word. Preach with power of the Holy
Spirit, pointing sinners to Christ, so shall my word be that goeth
forth. Verse 11. Out of my mouth it
shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that
which I please. Oh, God's Word goes forth with
power, and it shall prosper in the thing whereunto I sent it. Oh, my. And in turn, if you would, the
1 Thessalonians. 1 Thessalonians. This is one of
the verses here that mentions the election of God, but we're
going to read all the way from 1 Thessalonians 1, verses 4 to
10. 1 Thessalonians 1, verses 4 to
10. Knowing, brethren and beloved,
your election of God, Now remember, the Lord said, My word will go
forth with power, and it will not return unto Him void. Look
at this. Knowing, brethren beloved, your
election of God, for our gospel came not unto you in word only,
but also in power and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance,
as you know what manner of man we were among you for your sake. And you became followers of us
and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction,
with joy in the Holy Ghost, so that you were examples to all
that believe in Macedonia and Arcturia, 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's word is spread
abroad, so that we need not to speak anything. For they themselves
show us what manner of entering in. We head on to you and how
you turn to God from idols. All God's people have 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. Oh my, the
Lord Jesus Christ has delivered His people from the wrath to
come. He has appeased the wrath and
justice of God. And we say, praise His mighty
name. We'll give Him all the glory.
We'll be quick to give Him all the glory too. So the doctrine
of election promotes these things. And these are some effects that
the doctrine of election has on God's people. It doesn't make
us proud. It humbles us. It humbles us. Oh, my. May God give you faith
to believe.