This morning, we're going to take a look at a portion of Romans chapter 11. And I'm taking the title for the message from the words found in verse 5. Even so, at this present time, in Paul's day and in this present time today. Today is the day of salvation. This is the day the Lord hath made. We will rejoice and be glad in it, even so at this present time.

Also, there is a remnant according to the election of grace, of grace. And if by grace, then it's no more works. Salvation is by the grace of God a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then the right conclusion is that salvation has to be all of grace, not of works, lest any man should boast. Now, I'm as certain and sure about this biblical fact that salvation is all of the Lord. That salvation is by His sovereign choice, His sovereign grace. The apostles clearly defined that in the Word of God.

It's God who saved us and called us. Who did? God saved us and called us. Not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace. given us in Christ before the foundation of the world, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy. He saved us. We've seen that in our study through the messages in the book of Romans, that salvation is by the grace of God, all of grace, all of grace.

Paul has made several references in our study in the book of Romans to the Jewish nation, about a nation called Israel. They had many advantages over the Gentiles. They had the word of God. They had the calling out of Abraham, of which these people were descendants. You remember they said to the Lord, Abraham is our father, and that was true. Abraham is our father, but being a natural descendant of Abraham is no guarantee of a sinner's salvation because it says, turn back one page to Romans nine.

Verse seven, neither because they are the seed of Abraham or the children, but in Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is they which are children of the flesh. These are not the children of God. But the children of the promise are counted for the seed, for they're not all Israel, which are of Israel, as it says there in verse six.

So, but the nation Israel, those natural children of Abraham, they had many, many blessings that God sovereignly gave them that other nations did not have. They had the Word of God. They had the giving of the law through Moses was given to them, the Word of God.

They had the oracles of God. They had many prophets sent unto them. To him give all the prophets witness. The prophets sent of God preached the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. God spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets. This nation had the law of God. They had the prophets of God. They had the Levitical priesthood, the tabernacle, the temple, the feast days, the Passover day, the day of atonement. They had all these privileges given unto them. And all were types and pictures of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

But they missed Him. They missed Him. Remember our Lord said to them in John 5, He said, you search the Scriptures, But they are they which testify of me, and you will not come to me that you might have life. They had the Scriptures. They knew the letter of the law, but they missed the message. Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ, in Him crucified. You search the Scriptures, but they are they, our Lord said, that testify of me.

But instead of using the means that God had given to them to point them to Christ, they worshiped the means instead of the God who gave the means to them. They sought salvation by the doing of the law rather than resting in the promise of God. They sought salvation by the deeds of the law. By the deeds of the law, how many sinners have been justified by the deeds of the law?

None. None. Paul prayed for these people earnestly, didn't he? Remember back in Romans 9 verse 1? He knew these people being a Jew, being raised religious like he was, a Pharisee. He said, I say the truth in Christ, Romans 9 verse 1. I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost. And I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, for my kinsmen according to the flesh.

Who are Israelites? to whom pertaineth the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, and the services of God. Service of God and the promises of God. They had all those things, but they missed Him. Paul again prays for these people in Romans 10. Look at verse 1. Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel, they might be saved.

For I bear them record they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. They, being ignorant of God's righteousness, going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. Romans 10, verse 4. For Christ is the end of the law, for righteousness to everyone that believeth, that believeth.

So Paul prayed for them. as we should pray for those who are lost and seek their salvation. When the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, God Almighty, was manifest in the flesh, came among them proclaiming salvations of the Lord, He said, I am the way, I'm the truth, I'm the life. He said, you've seen me, you've seen God, I and my Father are one. He came into his own, what does his own people say?

It says in John 1.11, he came into his own, his own received him not. They received him not. When Pilate brought the Lord Jesus Christ before that religious crowd, being on the day that he was crucified, he said, behold your king, and remember what they said in unison, away with him, we have no king but Caesar. These people rejected him openly in rebellion and idolatry against him.

Now in this chapter, Romans 11, Paul again brings up this matter of these Jewish people and the salvation that they so desperately needed. And that was true in Paul's day, and that's true in our day. All men everywhere, regardless of your nationality, all men everywhere have sinned and come short of the glory of God. All men everywhere are in need of the Lord Jesus Christ and salvation in Him.

Now he asks this question in Romans 11 verse 1, I say then, had God cast away his people? God forbid, for I am an Israelite of a seed of Abraham of the tribe of Benjamin. Had God totally cast away every Jew everywhere? No, there is a remnant according to the election of grace. God In mercy, says there's a remnant according to the election of grace. God forbid.

Paul reminds us that he too was once a Christ-hating Jew, who now by the grace of God was made to love the Lord Jesus Christ and to preach the gospel of God. You remember after his conversion, they were amazed, those people in Damascus. They heard that he was coming here to arrest us and put us in prison. Now he's preaching the things that he once sought to destroy.

What if God was pleased to raise up a thousand more like the Apostle Paul and send them forth to preach the gospel? Wouldn't that be a miracle? He can do it. The Lord's able to do it with God. Nothing's impossible. Paul reminds us that he too was a Christ-hating Jew who now by the Lord's grace was made to love the gospel and preach the gospel.

He said, I am what I am by the grace of God, by the grace of God. He called himself there in Philippians chapter 3, and he talks about everything he was as a lost religious Jew. He said he was a tribe of Benjamin. He was a Pharisee of Pharisees concerning the law. He said, I'm blameless. I'm blameless. A self-righteous, God-hating Jew. And he was made an object of God's love.

God has not changed. God is still saving rebels against him. Verse two says, God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Now who's he talking about here? a remnant according to the election of grace. God had not cast away his people, which he foreknew. How long has he known his elect? Elected in Christ before the foundation of the world. God had not cast away his people, which he foreknew. And he gives us this example. He has foreknown and loved his people forever.

Paul reminds us there in verse two, Know ye not what the scripture says of Elijah? This is Elijah the prophet, how he make his intercession to God against Israel. Israel had gone into idolatry, worshipping of Baal. And he said, Lord, they've killed thy prophets. They dig down thine altars. And Elijah said, I'm left alone. And they seek my life.

But what saith the answer of God unto him? God said, I have reserved to myself 7,000 men who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal, even so at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. Remember Elijah on Mount Carmel? In 1 Kings chapter 18, you remember that contest that Elijah challenged those 750 false prophets of Baal?

And they said, the God who answers by fire, He indeed is God. And those prophets, they brought their sacrifice, and they called upon their God, and their God did, and didn't answer, and then Elijah, He called upon God. He built an altar and made a sacrifice and poured twelve barrels of water on that sacrifice. And then he looked at God and said, God, let it be known this day that Thou art God. You remember what happened? Fire fell. Consumed the sacrifice, the altar, and licked up the water. God is God.

But what did Elijah do with those 750 prophets of Baal? He didn't go hug their neck and say, can't we just compromise and get along? You're okay, I'm okay. No, he took a sword and killed all of them. Now, I'm not advocating violence, but in that day, that's what God told him to do.

And that's what every prophet deserves, his judgment of God, the judgment of God. We find after that happened, what's interesting, Elijah complained to God. He said, these people, they're just a bunch of rebels, and now they seek my life, and I'm the only one left. There's no one else that believes God but me. And God said, wait a minute. You don't know what I know.

There's 7,000. that have not bowed to this idol. We find him in 1st Kings chapter 19, when Jezebel and Ahab heard what Elijah had done to all those prophets, they put a contract out on him. They sought to murder him. And we find Elijah running from Jezebel and Ahab, hiding in a cave, asking the Lord to take him to glory. He said, I'm the only believer left.

This is what God says, 1 Kings 19.10. Well, here's what Elijah said to the Lord. I've been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts, the children of Israel, have forsaken thy covenant, they've thrown down thine altars, they've slain thy prophets with a sword, I, even I only, am left, and they seek to take my life.

Here's what God said, 1 Kings 19.18. God said, I have left me 7,000 in Israel, all knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.

So the Lord has a people. God has never left himself without a witness. Just as Elijah was wrong in his day, Paul reminds us not to be shallow and small in our thinking about the Lord and his church in our day. The Lord will never leave Himself without a witness, nor without a people upon the earth. He has chosen a people from all eternity, and justified them in the Lord Jesus Christ. Remember what we read in Romans chapter 8, where it said, For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. God has a people that He has foreknown. Moreover, whom He did predestinate, them He also called.

Romans 8.30. And whom He called, them He also justified, and whom He justified, them He also glorified. The Lord has a people. We often think too small. We often think, well, we're the only ones preaching the gospel, we're the only ones around. The Lord has a people all over this world that we don't know anything about.

The Lord has an elect where he has placed them, chosen them in Christ before the foundation of the world, and he puts them where they are. And his eternal purpose, to serve his cause, the cause of God's truth, God's truth and grace, and he will call out his people out of every tribe, kindred, tongue, and nation. There is a remnant according to the election of grace, even so at this present time. I don't know all the Lord's people, I know a few of them, but the Lord He has from eternity the foundation of God standing sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are His. He knows them. He's always known them.

Even so at this present time, look at verse 5. Even so at this present time, there is a remnant according to the election of grace. God has the elect people that He has chosen, called here a remnant, a small number, according to the election of grace. What is this election of grace? It's God's choice of a people unto salvation.

We read about it in the scripture many places. Our Lord said, all that the Father hath given to me, they will come to me, and those that come to me, I will never cast them out. People want to deny, people do, and believers do, want to deny the Bible truth, Bible doctrine of election, but not believers. We know, had the Lord not chosen us in that eternal covenant of grace, we never would have believed the gospel. Had he not chosen us, who did the choosing? He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. When did he choose us?

From all eternity. He loved his people with an everlasting love and with loving kindness. Does he draw us to himself? Paul said, We are bound to give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you unto salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth, whereunto he calls you by our gospel. The Lord will send out his gospel and cross the path of his elect wherever they live. and call them to himself.

God chose them, he did the choosing, chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, chosen from all eternity, and chosen to be conformed to the image of Christ. That's what predestination is all about. God's people are predestinated to be just like Christ. Now, question. Have you ever thought about this? Election is true, it's so. God chose a people unconditionally from all eternity. Have you ever wondered about this? Am I one of God's elect? Am I one of those that He has chosen? How can I know if I'm one of His elect? How do we know that we're among the elect of God? Well, let's see if we can find out.

Let's turn to the book of Acts, first of all. Acts chapter 13. Turn to Acts chapter 13. When the apostle Paul learned the gospel, was taught the gospel, he went out preaching to the synagogue, to the Jew first. And most of the time he met with much rebellion. Acts chapter 13. Acts chapter 13. Look at verse 38.

Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, Acts 13.38, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sin, and by him all that believe are justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. Beware, therefore, lest that come upon you which is spoken of the prophets. Behold, you despisers and wander and perish, for I work a work in your days, a work which you shall no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.

And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, The Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath day. Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who speaking to them persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. Now watch this, verse 44. And the next Sabbath day came almost the whole city to hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they saw the Gentiles, 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 have first been spoken unto you, but seeing that you put it from yourselves and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded us, verse 47, I set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation to the ends of the earth. And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, they glorified the word of the Lord, and as many as were ordained to eternal life, what did they do? They believed the gospel. They believed the gospel.

Now turn to one other scripture I want us to see. On 1 Thessalonians chapter Chapter one. 1 Thessalonians chapter one. Am I one of those elect? If you believe the gospel, you are. If you love the Lord Jesus Christ, you are. We love him because he first loved us. 1 Thessalonians chapter one. Look at verse three. Remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love, patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of God our Father, knowing, brethren and beloved, knowing your election of God.

Here it is, where 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 men we were among you for your sake. You became followers of us and of the Lord, have received the word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Ghost, You were examples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. 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 speak anything.

For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, 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, who delivered us from wrath to come. We heard the gospel in the power of God the Holy Spirit, and He's called us to turn to God, and turning to God, His truth, His doctrine, we turn from idols. to serve the living and true God.

Back to Romans 11. So there is a remnant according to the election of grace. Look at verse 6 now. In closing, verse 6. And if by grace, since this election is all of grace, and salvation is all of grace, then it's no more of works. Otherwise, grace is no longer grace. But if it be of works, then it's no more grace. Otherwise, work is no more work. If election, justification, salvation, righteousness is all of grace, and it is, then the right conclusion is that it's not of works, right? Otherwise, grace is not grace at all. If salvation be by the works of the flesh, deeds of the law, then the grace of God has nothing to do with salvation.

But we know what this book teaches. For by grace are you saved through faith, that not of yourself, a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. You remember Romans 3 verse 24? We're justified freely by His grace. through the redemption of our Lord Jesus Christ. So we can safely say, and biblically say, that salvation is all of grace, and grace alone. Eternal grace, sovereign grace, fetching grace, the grace of God that does not fail. Pure, unmerited, free grace. Grace. Grace alone. Grace alone. Not of works.

That message has been preached from this pulpit for almost 40 years. 40 years. Brother Mahan came here in April of 1986. 40 years ago. And that message has never wavered from this pulpit, salvation by the grace of God. And since it is by grace and it's no more works. Now, if you ask your phone, Some of you have a smartphone. I even have one.

And if you ask your smartphone how many religions are in this world, the answer that comes back will shock you because it did me. There are 4,200 known religions in this world. 4,200 religions in this world. Tell me which one is right. A lot of debate about, I'm right, I'm right, you're wrong, I'm right. When you get right down to the bottom line, there's just two. There's just two religions in this world.

One, the way of Abel, Grace, or Cain. and worked. You remember the story of those two brothers who came to God to worship and Abel brought the blood of the Lamb, typifying salvation by substitution by the Lord Jesus Christ. And God had respect under that offering. But Cain brought the fruit of the ground. The ground was cursed. God had no respect under that offering. So you sum it all up, there's just two religions in this world.

Grace works. This book teaches that salvation's all of grace. All of grace. The Bible knows nothing of salvation by creature merit, human works. The Bible teaches how God saves sinners by his free and sovereign grace through the blood and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation by his purpose, which is an eternal purpose. Salvation by his power, The gospel of Christ is the power of God and salvation to everyone that believe it.

The salvation of the Lord is by his purchase. He bought us with his own blood. Salvation by his planning. His power, his purpose, his purchase, his planning. Salvation of the Lord. When did he plan this thing? The Lord Jesus Christ was a lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

If you look that word up in scripture, grace, the first time it's used is in Genesis chapter 6, where it says that Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. All the way through the scripture. When you see the word grace, it's talking about salvation through the blood and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's grace. Grace, grace, grace. Noah didn't earn grace. Noah didn't merit grace. Noah found that the Lord was gracious. Gracious unto Noah. Gracious unto his family.

I was going to have you turn to all these scriptures, but maybe I can just quote most of them. But in John chapter 1, it says there that, In the Lord Jesus Christ was all the fullness of God, and of His fullness have we all received grace for grace. Grace because of His fullness. And in the book of Acts chapter 15, in that First Bible conference, I call it. Peter stood up and said, we believe that God's gonna save the religious Jew the same way he saved that pagan Gentile by the grace of God. We believe through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved. And then Paul said in Romans chapter five, if you wanna turn there and read with me, we'll read this one. Romans chapter five, verse 19.

"...For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of another shall many be made righteous. That's what happened in Adam, disobedience and sin. What happened through the Lord Jesus Christ, obedience. We're made righteous through His obedience, His faithfulness.

"...Moreover, the law entered that the offense might abound. Romans 5 verse 20, "...but where sin abounded, Grace did much more abound. Watch it, verse 21. That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Grace, grace, grace all the way through. We believe through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved. One other scripture, when Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 8-9, For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty might be made rich.

Let's turn and read this last one, I'll let you go. In 1 Peter chapter 5. 1 Peter chapter 5, verse 10. 1 Peter chapter 5, verse 10. But the God of all grace, who had called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you.

Who does that? The God of all grace. To Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. There is a remnant, a remnant of sinners, chosen by God, chosen unto salvation, predestinated to be just like Christ, the election of grace, and if by grace, no more of works. No more of works. That gives Him all the honor and glory for the salvation that is of the Lord.