Thanks. How sweet the name of Jesus sounds in a believer's ear. It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds, and drives away his fear. Dear name, the rock on which I build my shield and hiding place. My never failing treasury filled with boundless stores of grace. Weak is the effort of my heart, And cold my warmest thought, But when I see Thee as Thou art, I'll praise Thee as I ought. Till then I would thy love proclaim with every fleeting breath. And may the music of thy name refresh my soul in death.

The Lord is speaking to his disciples and he says, you have not chosen me, but I have chosen you. Lord willing, next week, we're going to consider the fruit of election as we look at this entire verse of scripture, but this morning I want to confine our thoughts to this.

Who chose who? You did not choose me, but I chose you. How many different ways are there to take that? The Lord looks at his disciples and said, you did not choose me, but I chose you. I've heard it said, we choose Christ because he chose us. That's not what the Lord said.

He said, you did not choose me. You know, I've tried to examine my own personal experience and not one time in my life have I ever thought I'm going to choose Christ. I'm going to decide for him and never has. It doesn't work that way. You did not choose me.

Now a choice involves two options, two alternatives. You don't believe Christ by way of decision or choice. You believe Him because you have no other options. You're driven to Him. You got no choice. You don't choose to believe you believe because you have no choice. You believe because it's true. Two plus two equals four. Well, I'm gonna choose to believe that. Well, that's ridiculous. You believe something because it's the truth.

This is who God is. You did not choose me, but I chose you. What would you think of that leper if he said, Lord, I have decided to allow you to claim me. I accept you as my personal savior. I accept your cleansing. I accept your salvation. I'm going to let you save me. I'm making a decision. You're going to cleanse me. Well, that's repulsive. That's repugnant. That didn't even make sense. Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.

Who chose Literally, you did not elect me. That's the word. I elected you. Here is election. Now, if you read the Bible, you're going to find that word. Here it is. You did not elect me. I elected you. I've heard people say, well, election is a Pauline doctrine, not taught by Christ. Well, that's ridiculous. Here, Christ is teaching it right here. He talked about it more than Paul did. You did not choose me. I chose you.

Look in this same chapter in verse 19. If you were of the world, the world would love his own, but because you're not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. You're even on judgment day. The Lord's gonna say, come ye blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. That's brought out then. You did not choose me, but I chose you. Now, no one can deny that in the Old Testament, Israel was God's chosen nation. You can't read the Old Testament and deny that.

I also love the fact that the angels that did not fall are called by Paul in 1 Timothy 5, the elect angels. Why didn't they fall? They were the elect angels. That's why they didn't fall. I've never heard anybody say, well, that's not fair that God had some elect angels and left the other ones to themselves. Nobody talks that way, do they? But that's the objection people make to election. There are many scriptures from the old Testament that clearly teach election. I'm going to say what election is if you don't know here in a moment.

But, um, the Lord said, I'll have mercy on whom I will have mercy. I'll have compassion on whom I will have compassion. The Psalmist said in the 65th Psalm, blessed is the man whom thou choosest and causest to approach unto thee. All the persons of the Godhead are one. These three are one. God the Father chose the elect before time began. That's election. Turn with me to Ephesians chapter one. This clearly tells, sets forth what election is. I think it's interesting. I had a man, I wrote an article in the newspaper years ago and I entitled the article, Does the Bible teach election? And a man wrote me back.

He said, if they were giving out awards to people, to answering questions, nobody's asking you'd win. Well, that guy was being dishonest. Everybody who reads that, that's what's that mean? What's that mean? That, that, that guy was just being dishonest when he said that to me, but look here in Ephesians chapter one. You did not choose me, but I chose you. Look in verse four, Ephesians chapter one.

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 having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. Who chose who? He chose us. When was this choice made? When we believed? No. Before the foundation of the world. Before there was any such thing as time. When all there was was God.

He chose us. Well, why did he choose us? Is it because he foresaw we would believe? Well, he did foresee we would believe, but there was a reason he foresaw we would believe. He ordained that we would believe. It's not what he foreknow, it's whom he did foreknow. Whom he did forelove. Why did he elect the people? Because he chose to do it. Because he loved them. How'd he do that? according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world.

Now there's election. God chose who would be saved before time began. God, the father gave the elect to God, the son. He said, all that the father giveth me shall come to me. Christ said, you've not chosen me, but I've chosen you. The spirit of God and the eternal covenant of grace, covenanted to quicken, give life to the elect. It's the spirit that quickens the flesh, prophets, nothing. You have not chosen me. The Lord says this. If you're a believer, think of this. I know you're saying, why did you choose me? Why me? You did not choose me, but I chose you. Now the issue of this thing of election, you did not choose me, but I chose you.

The issue of election is twofold. Number one, the character of God. Election is God being God. A God who is not the God of election is a man-made God, an idol, a weak God, a peanut God, a God that can't do anything. Election says God is God, the absolute sovereign of the universe. And election tells us that salvation really is all of grace election secures that if election is not true then salvation is not by grace it's that simple if election is not true then salvation is not by grace now the object the objections that men have to this holy truth and men do object to this how could this be fair for God to choose some and not choose others. Objections to this holy truth, you did not choose me, but I chose you, are twofold. Number one, men say, it's not fair. It's not fair. And number two is, how can God hold me accountable if he didn't choose me?

Turn to Romans nine, I want you to read this with me. Romans chapter nine. These two questions are addressed in Romans chapter 9, verse 11. For the children, speaking of Jacob and Esau. Well, let's go back to verse nine for this is the word of promise. At this time, I will come and Sarah shall have a son.

And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by her father, Isaac, and they had, she had those twins for the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil that the purpose of God, according to election might stand God's choice of his people.

Not of works, but of him that calleth. That's God's purpose. That salvation might not be of works. Salvation is not dependent upon what you do. It's dependent upon His choice. Not of works, but of him that calleth. It was said unto her, the elder shall serve the younger. As it's written, this is God speaking, Jacob, Have I loved?

But Esau, his twin brother, have I hated? Now, before we go on, remember God's hatred's not like ours. God's hatred is his hatred based upon absolute justice. When we hate somebody, it's evil. We're being vindicative. It's just wrong. God's hatred is not like our hatred. It's perfect. He's absolutely righteous in all he does. Now Paul anticipates the objection men will make. What should we say then?

Is there unrighteousness with God? Is God unfair? Is it wrong for him to love one and hate another? To choose one and not choose another? Now that's my first Reaction. First time I ever really heard this. This was my reaction. That's not fair. I understand that being somebody's reaction. Now look what Paul says. What should we say then? Verse 14, is there unrighteousness with God?

God forbid for he sayeth to Moses, I'll have mercy on whom I will have mercy. And I'll have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it's not of him that wills nor of him that runs, who gives effort, who exerts himself, but of God that showeth mercy. For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, even for this same purpose have I raised you up, that I might show my power in thee and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore, hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will, he hardens. All God's got to do to harden your heart is leave you alone. Nothing else is needed.

Verse 19, here's the second objection. The first is, is there unrighteousness with God? Is God unfair? Verse 19, thou wilt say unto me, why does he yet find fault? For who has resisted his will? How can God hold me responsible? If he didn't elect me, if he hardened my heart, how can he hold me responsible? If I can't resist his will, I shouldn't be held responsible.

That's the same thing Adam said in the garden. The woman that you gave me, you're really responsible. This is your fault. The woman that you gave me, she gave me of the fruit and I did eat. Now, this objection is all of a sudden, I'm able to judge God. I'm God's judge. I love Paul's answer.

Verse 19, thou wilt say unto me, why does he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay, but, O man, who are you to reply against God? Who do you think you are? Do you think you're God's moral superior? Do you think you have the right to stand in judgment over God and say, I agree with this and I don't agree with that? You're a sinner and your sin is your fault. for me to stand and say, I disagree with that.

He's God. Whatever He does is right. He doesn't do it because it's right. It's right because He does it. He is God. God indeed, the one who rules and reigns and has absolute control over everybody and everything Who are you to reply against God? Do you actually think you have moral authority over God? Do you think you have a judgment that's superior to his? Whatever he does is right, and remember, it's not fair, fair is hell. Fair is hell. If God gives me and you what we deserve, He will send us to hell.

Now, remember this about election, God choosing the people before time began. This doesn't prevent people from being saved who otherwise would have been saved. It saves people who most certainly would have otherwise been damned. Thank God for election. You know, that's the way Paul used it. We are bound to thank God. always 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.

You have not chosen me But I have chosen you. Yes, Lord. That's my experience. I never, I've decided to become a Christian. I've decided to accept Jesus Christ as my personal savior. I choose Christ. That's foolishness. It's blasphemous. It's irreverent. You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you. Now, if this is not preached, the gospel is not preached. Let me repeat that. If this is not preached, the gospel is not preached. There's never been a man that God called to preach the gospel that did not believe and preach this glorious truth.

You did not choose me, but I chose you. I think it's very interesting that the first thing the apostle Paul heard when God saved him, when Ananias came to him, what were Ananias' first words to him? The God of our fathers hath chosen thee. First thing he heard. The God of our fathers hath chosen thee.

It's absolutely necessary to preach this, to preach the gospel. Now I've seen people try to hide, well that's just high theology, that's just too hard to understand. What is hard to understand about you did not choose me but I chose you? Every kid in this room knows what that means when they You didn't choose me. I chose you. Now, let me make a few more statements about this. You did not choose me, but I chose you. You cannot preach the character of God and not preach election. It's impossible.

This is who God is. This is God being God. He's absolutely sovereign. He controls everything. If you're saved, you had nothing to do with your salvation by way of your works. It's him. This is God being God. God's independent. He doesn't need for something to happen for his in order for his will to be done. He causes his will to be done. He's utterly independent. He needs nothing outside of himself.

He's all powerful. He's all wise. He's omniscient. He knows everything. He's immutable. He's just go on with God's attributes. This is who God is. God is the cause. You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you. Election is God being God. He chose who would be saved before time began. If we don't believe election, we don't believe in the true character of man as the Bible presents him to be. Now, why do I say that? Ephesians 2, 1 says man is dead, dead in trespasses and sins. What can a dead man do?

Do any of them stink? He can't feel. He can't breathe. His heart's not pumping. He's dead. Well, spiritual death. In the day you eat thereof, you'll surely die. He didn't die physically, but he died spiritually. And because of that spiritual death, he can't believe. He can't repent. He can't love. And this is Blameworthy. It's wicked that he's this way. But that's the result of sin. Total depravity, total inability. God saw the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. That's God's testimony.

There's none righteous. No, not one. There's none that understands. There's none that seeketh after God. They've all gone out of the way. They've together become unprofitable. There's none that doeth good. No, not one. Jeremiah 17, verse nine, the heart is deceitful above all things, desperately wicked. Who can know it? The carnal mind is enmity against God. Now, men can't save themselves. Can you say amen to that? Can you save yourself? No, because you're dead in sins. I'm dead in sins. This is the character of all men.

If election's not true, nobody will be saved. That's how necessary this is. Because of our sinfulness, if election is not true, no one will be saved. Now the idea of man having a free will is a lie. It's the lie of the devil. Now, when I say that, we do what we want to. We act freely in that sense. If you sin, it's because you wanted to sin. You can't say the devil made me do it. No, you did it because that's what you wanted to. We act freely. I'm not saying there's no such thing as a will, but the will is not free. Your will is controlled by your nature. You're sinful in nature. God doesn't have a free will. God can't sin. God can't lie. He can't freely choose to do something like that. Everybody's will is controlled by their nature. And if I have a fallen nature, that's what controls my will.

If I really am, as the Bible describes me to be, dead and trespasses and sin, if there's no election of grace, there's no hope of my salvation. Another way to say this is, if we don't believe in election, we have no understanding of sin. If you have any understanding, spiritual understanding of sin, you know the only way you can be saved is if God chooses you.

And that, you know your sin's all your fault. You're not blaming God for your sin. You know it's only when your sin is all your fault that you'll cry for mercy. If everything about you is all your fault, you're sinful, have mercy on me. Have mercy on me. If you give me what I deserve, I'm going to hell. Have mercy on me for Christ's sake, not because of something in me, Him. If we don't preach election, we're not preaching the true character of God. If we don't preach election, we're not preaching the true character of man, and if we don't preach election, we have no understanding of the cross of Christ.

Listen very carefully. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came for a particular people. Opening chapter of the New Testament, would you turn with me there, Matthew chapter 1. Verse 21, And thou shalt bring forth a son. This is the angel speaking to Mary. Thou shalt bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save everybody.

No, his people. Who are his people? the ones He chose, the elect. He shall save His people from their sins. John chapter 6, verse 39, this is the will of Him that sent me, that of all which He hath given me. His people are those the Father gave Him, the elect, before time began. This is the will of him that sent me, that of all which he has given me, I should lose nothing.

John 10, 15, I lay down my life for the sheep, not for the goats, for the sheep. And most of what goes on under the name of Christianity teaches that Jesus Christ shed his blood for the entire human race. These are the same people who deny election. Here's the message.

He paid for your sins and he offers you salvation, but as to whether or not you're saved, it's up to you. You have to accept what he did. He paid for your sins, he put them away. He died for you to be forgiven, but as to whether or not you'll be forgiven, the ball is in your court. He wants to forgive you. He wants to save you. But the ball is in your court.

What are you going to do? Are you going to accept what he did or are you going to reject what he did? There's not a drop of truth or gospel in that message. Not a drop. As a matter of fact, it's accusing God of double jeopardy. He can punish your sins. and then turn around and punish the same sins in you. That's double jeopardy. That's making God unjust. And it's not the teaching of Holy Scripture.

When he said it is finished, he is saying the salvation of everybody I died for is accomplished. When he had by himself purged our sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. Now, the only hope that I have of being in heaven, and I have a hope of being in heaven, I have a hope of being perfectly conformed to the image of Christ. The only hope I have of being in heaven is that Jesus Christ died for me. Did he live for me? Did he die for me? Did he was raised for me? Now, if he can live for somebody and die for somebody and be raised for somebody and they can wind up in hell anyway, I know I'll be in hell.

That message, there's no gospel in it. It makes salvation dependent upon you, what you do rather than what he has done. If my salvation is dependent upon my choice, my faith, my repentance, my holy living, then I have no hope. Election declares he did what he came to do. He saved all of his people from their sins. There won't be anybody in hell that Jesus Christ died for.

There's no understanding of the work of the Holy Spirit without election. And this is how essential this is to the character of God. It tells us the character of man. It tells us what happened on the cross, but there's really no understanding of the work of God, the Holy Spirit in salvation, apart from the doctrine of election. You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you. The Spirit comes and gives life to the elect through the preaching of the gospel.

I've already quoted this, let me quote it again. through the sanctifying work of God, the Holy Spirit, and belief of the truth. One is the evidence of the other. If you believe the truth, you've been sanctified by the Spirit of God. If you've been sanctified by the Spirit of God, you will believe the truth. Those two cannot be separated. God, the Holy Spirit isn't striving to get you to be saved. He saves you.

You know, it's impossible to believe that salvation is by grace and not believe in election. Let me repeat that. It is impossible to believe that salvation is by grace and not believe election. If you presently do not believe in election and you reject it, that means you believe salvation is ultimately dependent upon you. That's what you believe. If you believe election, you believe your salvation is totally dependent upon Him in every respect. You did not choose me, but I chose you. Now, what is the evidence of election? Let me close this thing up. What is the evidence of election? Turn with me to Acts chapter 13.

Paul had preached this message. Verse 48. And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad. Oh, they rejoiced in this message and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. Do you hear that? Who believed? Those who were ordained to eternal life. Every one of them. Believe.

What is the evidence of election? Now, listen to me real carefully. Your job, my job, is not to figure out whether or not I'm elect. Well, am I elect or not? No, your job, you're called upon to believe the gospel. You believe you're elect. But the evidence is looking to Christ only. That's the evidence of divine election. If right now you're someone who looks to Christ only, nowhere else. You look only to him. He's all you have. You're one of the elect. You didn't choose him. He chose you. Turn with me to Matthew chapter 15. This is the last scripture we'll look at. Matthew chapter 15, verse 21.

Then Jesus went thence and departed into the coast of Tyre and Sidon, and behold, a woman of Canaan, a Gentile, came out of the same coast and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David. My daughter is grievously vexed with the devil. right way, doesn't she? Have mercy. Oh Lord, my daughter is grievously vexed with the devil.

She came knowing who the Lord is. She came with a great need. She came reverently. I tell you what, this woman comes away, you and I better be coming. Have mercy upon me, O Lord, thou son of David. She knew he was the Christ, the son of David. Have mercy on me.

My daughter grievously vexed with the devil. Verse 23. He answered her, not a word. Silence. Have mercy on me. Silence. No response. Now. If you say have mercy. And you get silence. What do you do? What this woman do. And his disciples came and besought him saying, send her way for she crieth after us. She kept crying. And the disciples are so hard hearted here, get her out of here. All she's doing is crying. You already took, you've already proven you're not going to answer. Send her away. But he answered and said, this was in her hearing. I am not sent, but into the lost sheep of the house of Israel. I'm only sent for the elect, the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Now this is election. I'm only sent, not for everybody, but for the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Then, verse 25, came she and worshipped. Now here's worshipped. She worshipped him for who he was. And you only worship an absolute sovereign, one you cannot control. You're in His hands. You've never worshipped God until you've seen you are in His hands and He can do with you whatever He's pleased to do. You know what you do then if you really see that? Worship. Now this woman worshipped. She didn't say that's not fair. That's not right. She worshiped.

You know, I didn't understand that I was a sinner. This is when I first understood that I was a sinner. When I understood what the Bible was saying about election, how God chose who would be saved, and I couldn't do anything to make Him save me. I was in His hands. My heart rebelled against that. I hated this God. Then I found out, uh oh, you're in trouble because this is the God of the Bible. And I've been guilty of hating him.

That's when I cried out for mercy because I'm in trouble. I don't, the only thing that can save me is mercy. Now look at this woman, verse 25, then came she and worshiped him saying, Lord, help me. If you don't help me, I won't be helped. I got nowhere else to look. I got nothing else. Lord, help me.

Verse 26, but he answered and said, it's not me to take the children's bread. The gospel cast it to dogs. How would you respond if you said, Lord, have mercy upon me, help me? Well, it's not right to take the children's bread and throw it out to dogs.

The obvious implication is you're a dog. How did this woman respond to that? And she said, truth, Lord. If I've ever heard the truth, that's it. I'm a dog. And I don't deserve your mercy. I believe that. That's the truth, Lord. I give complete agreement. Yes, Lord.

Yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from the master's table. I may be a dog, but I'm your dog. And I would be so grateful for any crumbs of mercy you send my way. I'm not expecting a place setting. I don't expect to sit with the children, but I'd be awful grateful for any crumbs that fall my way.

Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith. Now, we would send her to a counselor, help her get a better sense of self-esteem. But what's the Lord say to her? Great is thy faith. Be it unto thee, even as thou wilt. People say, well, election destroys efforts for holiness. No, it doesn't. It makes holy. It destroys missions. No, it doesn't. That's why we preach. God's got a people. What makes people apathetic? It doesn't make any of God's elect apathetic. If it makes you apathetic, all you prove is you have no love for God. It doesn't make God's elect apathetic. You did not choose me. But I chose you. Amen. Let's pray.

Lord, how we thank you for your electing grace. or because you're gracious and glorious and good, you chose your people before time began. And Lord, how thankful we are that salvation is all of grace. Lord, if there's anybody here that does not love who you are and how you save, we pray that you would save them and reveal yourself to them. Lord, bless your word to our hearts. Lord, if we've simply heard my thoughts and opinions, it will do no good. May you take your word and bless it to our hearts for Christ's sake. In his name we pray, amen.