We know each person and what
they're going through, and we pray that you would minister
to their needs. We pray for Brother Dave's cousin,
Larry. We pray, Lord, if it's your will,
that you'd move in his life and reveal yourself to him. We just
pray that you be glorified and magnified in all that is said
and done today during the preaching of your word. And we just lift
up everything to you, our lives, the service here. Lord, may your
word go forth with power and may you be glorified and may
you be magnified. And we love you because you first
loved us in Jesus name. Amen. Today we'll be looking at the
doctrines of grace, part two. Part two. Last week, we opened
a series, I like to call it the series on the foundation of the
faith, because really, the tulip is somewhat foundational, it
is foundational in what we believe. It's also commonly called the
doctrines of grace. Five points of Calvinism, the
doctrines of grace, I like to call it Doctrines of Grace because
it encompasses much more than just five points. But we're going
to look at the five points each week as we go here. And these
doctrines, beloved, these doctrines, they're as vast as an ocean.
They really are. There's so much depth to them
and so much. We're never plumb the full enormity
of what they are and what they cover. It's incredible. And these
truths are presented from the Bible. And this is our final
authority. This is our final authority.
We don't follow Calvin. We follow what the scripture
says. And all he did was take systematic truths and bring them
to a level where we could understand them. Truths that are contained
in the Bible. And these precious truths, beloved,
they exalt the sovereignty of God. And they humble the pride
of man. And that's why man hate them.
because they bring us to a spot where God is almighty and we're
just in the dust. And these five points, which
are, we believe as a church, are presented this way. Total
depravity, also known as total inability and original sin. Unconditional
election, where there's nothing in us, no reason in us why God
chose us, except by his free grace, and that's what we're
gonna look at today. limited atonement, also known as particular
atonement, irresistible grace, and perseverance of the saints,
also known as once saved, always saved. So last week we looked
at total depravity. We looked at total depravity,
which showed us from the scripture that man lacked any ability on
his own to come to Christ, to come to God. And these precious
truths, as I say, they magnify God's mercy. They magnify God's
mercy in Christ towards his people. How can anyone who is unable
to come to God on his own be saved? How can anyone who is
unable to come to God on his own be saved? Well, the answer
is found in Mark chapter 10. It says, and they were astonished
at a measure saying among themselves, who then can be saved? Matthew
10. 26 and in verse 27 in Jesus Looking
upon them sayeth with man. It is impossible, but not with
God for with God all things are possible All things are possible
with God So what is impossible for man is possible for God? Again, because of our fallen
Adam, we're born into this world sinners who are absolutely dead
in trespasses and sins. We looked at that last week.
We're just gonna review that a little bit, the inability.
We have no ability at all to come to God. Now there's a doctrine
out there called conditional election. Conditional election. We believe in unconditional election.
But there's a doctrine in religion called conditional election,
and it goes like this. God looked down through time,
and he foresaw those who would choose him, and based his election
upon who he saw would choose him. Now, I'm coming to realize
as I read more and more books on the history of what the churches
went through, it's the same lie promoted from a long, long time
ago that we face today. Conditional election is not something
new. It's something that the enemies of the gospel have been
putting forth for years and years and years. So it's nothing new,
it's nothing but works-based theology. Because think of it,
it leaves man's salvation based upon God looking down through time
and seeing that they would choose him. So basically it's works. In a nutshell, it's works. It's
based upon their choosing, man's choosing and not God's choosing.
And so weighed against scripture, it's proven false. And we're
going to see that today. God's foreknowledge is spoken
of in connection with a people. And not based upon any action,
which which those people do. Turn, if you would, the Romans
chapter 8, 29 and Amos chapter 3, verse 2. God's foreknowledge is not based
upon something we do. It's not based upon something
we say. It's not based upon our works
at all. Romans 8, verse 29. For whom He did foreknow, He
also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, He might
be the firstborn among many brethren. God knew them in that He chose
them to be His own. Look at Amos chapter 3 verse
2. You only have I known of all
the families of the earth. You only, Amos chapter 3 verse
2. You only have I known of all
the families of the earth. God knew them in that he chose
them to be his own. And this is the same way he foreknows
his elect. It's not based upon our actions,
but it's based upon the good pleasure of God in Christ and
his divine will. So today's study, we will look
at the U in the acronym of the tulip. Unconditional election. Let us define what biblical election,
the work of God in eternity, where God chose to save a people
among all the fallen people of mankind. He chose these people, the elect,
in Christ, based upon nothing in themselves. Nothing in themselves. Think of this. What if there
was no election? Someone came up to a preacher
one time and said, you know, I just can't understand how you
guys can say that God chose a people. And he said, well, what if there
was no election? No one would be saved. No one. But praise be to God. He chose
a people in Christ before the foundation of the world. Turn
if you would to Acts chapter 13. Last week we ended our study
on this text in Acts which showed us that our election was before
we had faith. Our election was before we had
faith. It showed us that God had ordained
those who would believe even before they believed. Acts chapter
13, starting in verse 44 and going to verse 48. And the next sabbath day came
almost the whole city together to hear the word of God, verse
45. But when the Jews saw the multitude,
they were filled with envy and spake against those things which
were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. Then Paul and
Barnabas waxed bold and said, It was necessary that the word
of God should first have been spoken to you, but seeing you
put it in from you and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting
life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded
us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that
thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. And
when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad. Oh, yeah, they
were glad, hey. They were glad and glorified
the word of the Lord, and look at this, and as many as were
ordained to eternal life, believed. Believed. Believed. Notice that it does not say as
many as believed were ordained to eternal life. That's conditional
election. No, it's unconditional. As many
as were ordained to eternal life, believed. So this scripture alone
destroys the false doctrine of conditional election right there.
It absolutely destroys it. It absolutely destroys it. They
believed because they were ordained to eternal life. God's election preceded their
faith. Turn with me, if you would, to John chapter 10. Unconditional election. It's
a marvelous, marvelous truth. John chapter 10. Starting in verse 26, look at
this. This is a chilling verse here. But ye believe not, because ye
are not of my sheep. You wonder why folks don't believe? Doesn't it make you grateful
that you're one of his sheep? But ye believe not, because ye
are not my sheep. I say unto you, my sheep Hear
my voice, and I know them. Oh, he knows us intimately. He
knows us intimately. We're engraved in the palms of
his hands, beloved. And he's known us and loved us
before the foundation of the world. I know them, and they
follow me. It's not a maybe, they will.
And I give unto them eternal life. You can't lose it, it's
eternal. It's in him. And they shall never
perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. Oh,
beloved, God knows who his sheep are and he knows who who are
who are not his sheep. And notice, they did not believe
because they were not God's sheep. We are given the gift of faith,
it's a gift of God, and we are given that to believe on Christ.
Why? Because we're his sheep. We're
his sheep. Turn, if you would, to Ephesians
chapter one. In verse 27 said, in John there,
my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me. This
is marvelous grace. God chose a people in eternity
past in Christ based upon nothing we do and simply because it pleased
him to do it. It pleased him. We're going to look later on,
we say, why me, right? But because it pleased him. Look
at Ephesians 1, verses 3 to 5. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us. Who hath blessed
us? Oh, God's people are blessed
with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. And here's
the key word. The key word's in Christ. Nowhere else. According as He has chosen us
in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should
be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestinated
us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, look
at this, according to the good pleasure of His will. Well, that takes us right out
of the equation, doesn't it? We're His sheep because it's
according to the good pleasure of His will. It's marvelous. And this is not just anyone's
will. This is the will of God. The eternal God. That's why we
cry, the eternal God is my refuge. He's my refuge. He's my strength. So our election in Christ was
not based upon any foreseen decision, or any foreseen prayer, or any
foreseen us coming to Christ. It was just according to the
good pleasure of His will. It's marvelous. according to
the good pleasure of His will. So we could ask the question,
what is the election of God based upon? And we have the answer
in the latter part of that verse, don't we? What is the election
of God, God's people based upon according to the good pleasure
of His will? Our salvation, beloved, think
of this, our salvation is based upon the sovereign will the sovereign
will of an eternal God, the eternal God, who rules and reigns in
heaven above. Our election flows from the grace
and mercy of God towards us in Christ, and it is all according
to the pleasure of His will. And we are not worthy of this
grace, are we? Not at all. in this mercy, but
beloved Jeremiah says this. The Lord has appeared of old
unto me saying, yea, I have loved thee. With an everlasting love. Therefore, with loving kindness,
have I drawn Jeremiah thirty one three. We are not worthy
of this grace and mercy, but he loves his people with an everlasting
love and the elect were given again by the father to Christ
in eternity, in eternity. Now, will all the elect come
to Christ? Absolutely. Every one of them, every one
of them. And here, not lose one of them.
Turn with me, if you would, to John chapter six. He will not
lose one of the sheep that are given to him by God, the father,
not one. And this gives us hope when we
preach the gospel, right, and when we claim the gospel. We
preach and proclaim and God does the saving. He does the saving.
It's all according to the to his mercy and grace. And these verses here will show
us our choosing and our perseverance in Christ. Look at John 6, 37
to 40. All that the father giveth me.
Now we looked and saw in Ephesians one, right? That was an eternity
past. God's sheep, his elect were given
to Christ in eternity past. All that the father giveth me
shall come to me. They will. That's why brother
Henry May and he say, we're on the trail of God's sheep. And
we are when we preach the gospel. And Him that cometh to me, I
will in no wise cast out. There's eternal security. For
I am come down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the
will of Him that sent me. And this is the Father's will
which has sent me. Folks are always trying to figure
out the will of God. That of all which He hath given
me, I should lose nothing. but should raise it up again
at the last day. And this is the will of him that
sent me, that every one would seeeth the Son, and believeth
on him, may have everlasting life. And I will raise him up
at the last day." So we see the choosing, all that the Father
giveth me, verse 37, and look at the perseverance. I should
lose nothing. Every single one of God's sheep
shall be saved, and he will not lose one of them. Not one. Oh, that comforts my heart. So
unconditional election is actually, contrary to what some folks say,
is a very comforting doctrine. Very comforting doctrine. As
our salvation in Christ is not based upon our works, but based
upon Him. Based upon Christ. Could you
imagine if our election was based upon our works? That's a scary thought. We'd all be doomed. Because scripture
tells us that there's none righteous, no not one. That's what I often wonder with
this whole conditional election. It says God looked down through
time and saw who would choose him, but the Bible says that
none will choose him. There crumbles the powder right before our eyes,
doesn't it? It's a false doctrine. It's a false doctrine. Left to
ourselves, none of us would choose Christ. And we looked at that
last week. Not one of us. If there was no
election, no one would be saved. But praise be to God, He chose
us in Christ. John 15, 16 says this. And also turn to 2 Thessalonians
2, if you could. John 15, 16 says this, ye have
not chosen me, but I have chosen you and ordained
you. Many were ordained to eternal
life, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit
should remain. Whatsoever ye shall ask of the
Father in my name, he may give it you. And this shows us that
our chosen That His choosing us, His choosing His people is
based upon His free and sovereign grace. You have not chosen me,
but I have chosen you. And we saw why we would never
choose Him last week. We saw that. what blessed people God's elect
are. Psalm 65, verse 4 says this, blessed is the man whom thou
choosest and causes to approach unto thee. Causes to approach
unto thee. He may dwell in thy courts. We
shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house. And again, in 2
Thessalonians, where I had you turn, chapter 2, verse 13 and
14. But we are bound to give thanks
always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because
God hath from the beginning Here it is chosen in eternity. Chosen
in eternity, God has from the beginning chosen you to salvation
through sanctification of the spirit and belief in the truth.
Weren't he called you by our gospel? Remember the gospel bearing
fruit? We saw that Wednesday night to
the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So we're
chosen in Christ. We're given we're given to Christ
by the father. We're chosen in Christ. Christ
redeems us and we're regenerated by the Holy Spirit. The whole Trinity again in action. And the elect of God believe
because they were chosen of God. They believe because they were
chosen of God. Before the foundation of the
world. Turn if you would to Romans 9-11. And it's based upon nothing that
we do. So the election we have in Christ, we believe, is unconditional
election. And here's a good verse to demonstrate
that. Romans chapter 9. Romans chapter 9, verse 11. Actually, I'll read verse 10
too. And not only this, but when Rebekah also had conceived by
one, even by the father, our father Isaac, 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. It was said unto her, the elder
shall serve the younger, as it is written, Jacob have I loved,
but Esau have I hated. But look at that, neither having
done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to her
election might stand. Now folks often get all tangled
up and say, how can you say that God hated Esau? My wonder is,
how could God love Jacob? How could he love me? knowing
who I am and what I was, and what today I still struggle with
sin all the time, but yet scripture says he loves us with an everlasting
love. And that verse plainly, plainly
states that it's not based upon anything that they've done, not
of works. Think of this, when those two
were born, they were both born dead in trespasses and sins.
But God's love was set upon one. It was set upon one. And notice it is of him that
calleth. This ties right in with the scripture we just looked
at in 2 Thessalonians 2. Verse 14, whereunto he called
you by our gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus
Christ. because God had chosen you through salvation, through
sanctification of the spirit and belief in the truth. And we'll look at the calling
in a few weeks. And as I say, people say, well,
that's not fair. That's not fair that Jacob was loved and Esau
wasn't. Well, natural man doesn't think it's
fair, but let me tell you, we don't want fair. We don't want fair. Look at Romans
9.15 and 16. So the question comes up, is
there unrighteousness with God? Paul declares, God forbid, right? Look at Romans 9.14. What shall
we then say? Is there unrighteousness with
God? God forbid. And that's the natural question
of natural man. But that's not fair. That's just like saying
that's not fair. Well, look at verse 15 and 16. For he saith to Moses, I will
have mercy on whom I'll have mercy. Who are those who have
mercy upon? Those chosen in him before the
foundation of the world. Those who are chosen in Christ
before the foundation of the world. And think of this too,
as people get all upset about election. Did God not choose Israel? Did he not choose some angels
to not fall? Did he not choose Noah and his
family to go in there? See, they don't get upset about
that, but when it touches you personally, that's when folks
get upset. They're condoning all that. Look
at this, this just destroys works. For he sayeth to Moses, I'll
have mercy on whom I'll have mercy, and I'll have compassion
on whom I'll have compassion. So then it is not of him that
willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.
Here's the heart of the matter right there. God will have mercy
upon whomever he pleases. Whomever he pleases. Verse 16
absolutely destroys works-based religion because it gives all
the glory to God. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor
of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. It just destroys,
it just levels works-based religion. Remember in the Old Testament,
he's the same God today, yesterday, and forever, right? He's a choosing
God. He chose Israel, which is a picture
of the church and passed by a whole bunch of other nations. Why? Because his love was set upon
them. Turn with me, if you would, to
Deuteronomy, chapter seven. It's the last portion of scripture
we'll look at. Why did he love Israel? Why does
he love his people? Why does he love his people? Deuteronomy, chapter seven, verses
six to nine, we'll read. For thou art an holy people unto
the Lord thy God. The Lord thy God hath chosen
thee to be a special people unto himself above all people that
are upon the face of the earth. And we know this applies to God's
elect too, doesn't it? Definitely. The Lord did not
set his love upon you nor choose 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 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, the faithful God, which
keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him, and keep
his commandments. to a thousand generations, but
look at verse eight. Because the Lord loved you. Because the Lord loved you. Sometimes we wonder why. Why
the Lord saved us, don't we? Sometimes we wonder that. Why
me? Because the Lord loved you. Hmm. What comfort for our hearts.
The eternal God loves his people with an everlasting eternal love
in Christ. And may we think on this, this
precious truth of the eternal, immutable, goodwill of God towards
us in unconditional election. that He chose us in Christ before
the foundation of the world based upon absolutely nothing in us
and according to the good pleasure of His will. And let us also remember this, that in Christ, in Christ we are safe. We have
a refuge. that cannot be moved or altered
by any storms of this world, or by any assaults of Satan,
or by any weakness of the flesh. We are chosen in Christ and kept,
kept in Christ. So our confidence of salvation
is rooted in Christ. It's rooted in Christ. And we
rest on the promises of the gospel. We would just rest in Him. And we say praise Him. Praise
His mighty name for what He's done. He's done great things.
He's done great things. Next week we'll look at limited
atonement. Which means that Christ died for His sheep. And that
He did not fail. And a little primer for that. Think on this. When all those
sacrifices were done in Israel. They weren't for any other nation
except Israel.