I pray that the Lord this morning
will enable us to examine our hearts to see that we're in the
faith. Where there is no love in the
heart for the truth of scripture, where there is no love in the
heart for the gospel and the preaching of it, there's no spiritual
life in that man or woman. That's just a fact. We live in
a day when and where men and women can seem to take or leave
the Bible. They don't have a need for the
gospel message. They have no need for God's Savior.
The majority of so-called churches today are no longer a house of
prayer, no longer a place of worship, because the true worshipers
of God worship the Father in spirit and in truth. And it seems
today that both the spirit and the truth have been left out
of today's imagined worship. When our Lord drove out the money
changers in the temple, he said, you've made my house a den of
thieves. And that's pretty much what we
have in most religious circles, just a den of thieves. Men say
things like, give the Lord a hand clap, and they call that worship. Anymore, the number of people
attending services is far more important than the presence and
the power of God. Giving to the church has become
more important than the presence of God's spirit. Churches have
become a place for social gatherings. You know this is so, and so do
I, and it's become a place of entertainment. And the Lord Jesus
said, my house shall be called the house of prayer. The men
have made it a whole other thing, hadn't they? Modern day religion
has adapted the ways of the world and man has taken center stage. while the preaching of Christ
crucified is just ignored. Where is the love for the truth
of the scriptures? Where is the love for the preaching
of the gospel? Where is the need of God speaking
to the hearts of sinners through his word? Where's the need of
a savior? Where's the need of a substitute?
Where's the need of a sacrifice? Everybody seems to be doing okay
on their own. And then on the other hand, you
have those in the world with whom the thought of God is just
non-existent. God never seems to enter their
minds. You have people in your family
that are just that way and so do I. There are many folks that
you know and some that you even love with all your heart that
never seem to think about God. They never consider sin and its
wages. They never consider eternity
and the judgment that comes after death. You know, it's appointed
unto men once to die, but after that, judgment. Men never give
it a thought. And then there are others who
at one time or another seemingly embrace the Bible and the preaching
of God's word. And they seem to once have a
great interest in God's grace and mercy and redemption. They
made a profession of faith, were faithful for a time, some for
many years, but gradually they lost interest and little by little
they fell away. How is that possible? There's
no genuine love for the truth of God's word and the Christ
of the word. I'm afraid that things in our
day have become much like they were in Noah's day. The Lord
said that. He said, as it was in the days
of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the son of man,
as it was in Noah's day and in the Lord's day, it is today.
The Lord said they did eat and they drank and they married wives
and they were given in marriage until the day that Noah entered
into the ark and the flood came and destroyed them all. Isn't
that alarming? Today it's business as usual.
And right up until the time God sent the flood, it was that way. People seem to have time and
people seem to make time for everything but God. People have
concern for many, many things. Concern for this, concern for
that, worry about this, worry about that. Where's the concern
for men's souls? There's a great deal in churches
today of emotionalism and passion and the pampering of the flesh. But where's the presence and
the power of God in preaching? Not long ago, I heard someone
say this. They said, oh, we had just a
wonderful, wonderful worship service today. Matter of fact,
the worship was so wonderful, the preacher never got around
to preaching. And it would be funny if it wasn't sad, wouldn't
it? My, the worship, true worship is in the preaching, the glorifying
of the Lord Jesus Christ and the salvation of sinners. I fear
that many have passed the point of no return. I know nothing's
too hard for the Lord and there's nothing impossible with Him.
But men and women have not retained God in their knowledge and God
has given them over to a reprobate mind. That simply means a vain
and empty mind, devoid of the love of truth and knowledge and
judgment. And God has let them to do those
things which are not convenient. Where's the love for the gospel?
Where's the love for the things of Christ? Where's the concern
for the souls of sinners? Where's the concern for the implanted
word which is able to save men and women's souls? You know,
preachers are concerned about attendance and they're concerned
about offerings, but where's the concern for the preaching
of the gospel? Turn with me to 2 Thessalonians
chapter two, if you would please. 2 Thessalonians chapter two. I want to begin reading in verse
10. 2 Thessalonians chapter two,
verse 10. Paul here writes, and with all
deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish, because
they received not, now look at this, they received not the love
of the truth that they might be saved. Now, I find it interesting
and at the same time, quite alarming that Paul here doesn't say that
they that are perishing received not the truth. He didn't say
that. He said they receive not the love of the truth. That simply
means that they don't love Christ who is the truth. There are many
today who have received doctrine, but they don't love the gospel
that they receive. They don't love the Christ of
the gospel. There's a big, big difference.
Within those that are lost, Paul says, within those that perish,
he says, there's deceivableness. That word means delusion. It
means mistaken belief. It means error. Let's call it
what it is. And there's unrighteousness.
And again, that's so alarming to me. There are many who embrace
the doctrines of election and they embrace the doctrines of
predestination. but they don't see nor love the
fact that God elects and predetermines sinners to salvation in Christ
Jesus. If you miss that, then you've
missed the whole beauty of the doctrine of election. God speaking
of his son said, mine elect, he's the elect of God, friends,
we're elected in him. If we miss Christ, we've missed
the message. If you don't love Christ who
is God's elect, the doctrine of election won't prosper you
a thing. You'll be full of delusion and
unrighteousness is what Paul says here. Paul's not unclear
at all as to how this delusion and this unrighteousness comes
about. He says it's because they received
not the love of the truth that they might be saved. They have
no true love for Christ, who is the way, who is the truth,
and who is the life. So by simple deduction and reasoning,
we know that those who are saved must receive the love of the
truth in order to be so. No doubt Christ is the truth
in whom the treasures of wisdom and knowledge is found. Christ
is the sum and the substance of our salvation. He alone is
full of grace and truth, the scripture says. Are you looking
for grace? Are you looking for truth? It's
in Christ. How important is receiving? How
important is bowing? You know, I don't even like to
use the word receiving because men wind up making that the means
of their salvation. Oh, I received the Lord. You
know, I bowed to the Lord. I believed. And that is true. But bowing, that's a good word,
isn't it? Submitting. Submitting and bowing
to the gospel, which is Christ the truth. It's a matter of life
and death. Oh, I wish I could convince men
of that, but I can't, only God can. Why are people in this unbelieving
world in the shape that they're in? Why is this deceit and this
unrighteousness in these men and women that are perished?
Well, verse 11 tells us very, very plainly. And for this cause,
God shall send them strong delusion. Who? Who sends it? God sends
it. Had a man tell me one time that
my God was his devil. And I just simply said, you better
get ready to deal with the devil then, because that's the God
with whom we have to do, and it is friends. Now I know that
sin brought this delusion and God in punishment sends more
delusion, strong delusion Paul calls it. says that they should
believe lies instead of the truth. And many opposers of the teaching
of election and all the doctrines of grace for that matter, but
they think that election includes God finding pleasure in sending
men and women to hell. I can't tell you how many times
I've had someone tell me, oh, you believe in election. You
believe that God finds pleasure in sending people to hell. It's
ridiculous. Ridiculous. Couldn't be further
from the truth. God finds no pleasure in the
death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from their way
and live. That's what he said. The God
with whom we have to do says, turn, turn ye from your evil
ways. For why will you die? God says,
come, let us reason together. Does that sound like a God that
finds pleasure in sending men and women to hell? Absolutely
not. Unless God sovereignly intervenes,
those who receive not, those who bow not to the truth, bow
not to Christ, are given up to believe a lie. Had they received
and submitted to the truth, they would have been saved, but by
not submitting, they are damned. Paul's words in verse 12 make
that very clear. He says that they all might be
damned who believe not the truth. Isn't that plain? Well, what's
your interpretation of that, brother? That they might be damned
who believe not the truth. That's my interpretation. They
had pleasure in unrighteousness. To those who bow not to the gospel,
to those who bow not to Christ, to those who will not submit
in love to the truth found in Christ alone, they'll be damned. They'll be lost, forever lost,
forever perish, and it'll be their fault. They can't blame
anyone but themselves. So preacher, where can a sinner
find hope? And where can a sinner find assurance
that they might be saved? I've got good news for you. They
can find it in the very one that those who are lost have rejected. And that be Jesus Christ, the
Lord Jesus Christ. You know, he in a man or a woman
is the hope of glory. That's where my hope is. That's
where my assurance is. It's in him. I rejoiced in what
you preached this morning because you pointed me again to him,
Gene. Look at verse 13. This is a scripture
that Many who love the doctrine of election, quote, what a beautiful
verse it is. It's very clear. But we are bound
to give thanks all the way to God for you, brethren, beloved
of the Lord. And here's why. Because God has
from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification
of the spirit and what? Belief of the truth. whereunto
he called you by our gospel to the obtaining of the glory of
our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, the first thing I want you
to notice in verse 13 is that Paul calls these brethren. The
spirit of God doesn't use that term brethren lightly. And let
me just say to you ladies that that word brethren includes you
too, not with any disrespect. Secondly, Paul refers to them
as beloved of the Lord. Well, that's a precious term.
And to think that I'm one of God's beloved. What a precious, precious thing.
Any man or woman that loves Christ does so because God first loved
them. Isn't that what the beloved John
said? We love him because he first
loved us. What's your interpretation of
that? that He loved me first. Thirdly, they were beloved of
the Lord from the beginning. Did you notice that? They were
beloved of the Lord from the foundation of the world. Before
God ever spoke the first word to bring this world into existence,
He chose a people and He made them His, and He chose them in
Christ. They were beloved of the Lord
from the foundation of the world. Isn't that such a comfort? You
know why that's a comfort to me? Because if God chose me before
I had done any good or evil, which is what he said about Jacob
and Esau, then I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that salvation
cannot be by my works. Before you and I had done any
good or evil that the purpose of God according to election
might stand, not of him that will it, but of God. Fourthly,
God, before the world was ever framed, chose them to salvation
through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth. Do you love the truth? If you
miss what Paul's saying in verse 14, then you've missed the most
important and crucial thing that there is. These revelations of
divine things, dear friends, are revealed one way and one
way only, whereunto He, God, called you by our gospel." The
child of God believes because they're beloved of God. God loved
them from the beginning of time. God determined to send them His
Spirit to sanctify them, to set them apart unto holiness, conforming
them into the image of His perfect and holy Son. And God the Spirit's
gonna call each and every one of them by His gospel here called
ours. Is it yours? Is this your gospel? Do you love this gospel? Do you
love this message? Do you love this savior? If you
love this gospel, it must be attributed to being loved of
God because he first loved us. And I've never been more confident
of anything in my life than what the scriptures teach. And that
is that salvation is the gift of God. Gift. We all know what
a gift is. Paul said in Romans chapter 6
verse 23, he said, the wages of sin is death, but the gift
of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Our gospel
is about our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ is the gospel. Christ
is salvation. Salvation's in a person. Jesus
Christ is God's gift to the believer. For by grace are you saved through
faith, and that's not of yourselves." What is it? It's a gift of God.
It's a gift. Do you earn a gift? Well, it
ceases to be a gift if you do. Do you purchase a gift? No. Do
you deserve a gift? No, it's a gift, and it's given,
and it's given by God. Salvation is God's gift to you. The gift by grace, which is by
one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. Romans 5.15. Thanks
be unto God for his unspeakable gift. Second Corinthians 9.15.
Every good gift and every perfect gift cometh from above and cometh
down from the Father of lights, of whom there is no variableness,
neither shadow of turning. Where do gifts come from? From
above. from God spiritually. John said
it this way, this is the record that God had given unto us eternal
life, and this life is in His Son. How do you interpret that? He that hath the Son hath life,
and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. Isn't that
plain? Our Lord Jesus said, my sheep
hear my voice, and they follow me. They won't follow the voice
of a stranger. He said, I give them eternal
life. He didn't say, I sell it to them,
I lend it to them, or I let them have it for a while, a certain
length of time. No, he said, I give it to them.
I give them eternal life and they shall never perish. My father,
which gave them me is greater than all. No man can pluck them
from his hand. He's God almighty. Do I believe
in eternal security? You better believe I do. I'm
in the hands of God himself. Isn't that what the Lord told
Pilate? You know, Pilate, he said, don't you know, I can just
see him in his pomp and his arrogance, can't you? The Lord Jesus hadn't
spoken a word. And Pilate said, you dare not
answer me. Don't you know who I am? He said,
I've got the power to kill you or to let you go. And the Lord
Jesus said, you have no power except it be given thee from
above. You have no power. You see, friends,
a man can receive nothing except it be given him from above. John
3.27. Paul said, Who maketh thee to
differ? What do you have that you didn't receive? And if you
received it, why do you glory in it as if you didn't receive
it? That's a good question. One we
should consider. It's God that made us to differ. We didn't work for it. We didn't
earn it. We certainly didn't deserve it. A man can receive
nothing. except God give it to him. Some
will say, well, I had to believe, I had to repent. Nope, both faith
and repentance are the gifts of God. It's the goodness of
God that leadeth thee to repentance. Dear believer, you're our child
of God, cause from the beginning, God chose you to salvation. Now
that's election. Well, preacher, I'm not sure
I believe in election. Well, if you believe the Bible,
you believe in it. How so? Because God hath from
the beginning chosen you to salvation. Salvation, which is the gift
of God, was decreed and it was purposed and it was given to
you by God Almighty before the world ever began. God always
brings about in time that which he purposed in eternity. Blessed
be the God and Father, our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed
us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ
Jesus, according as He had chosen us in Him before the foundation
of the world. Known unto God are all His works
from the beginning. God said, I declare the end from
the beginning. Did He not say that? God said,
I purposed it, I'll do it. I've spoken it, I'll bring it
to pass. Now there's a lot of things that
I promised in the past that I couldn't bring to pass above my ability,
but not his. God works out in time what he
decreed, purposed, and foreordained for time ever was. Well, I don't
believe that. Then you don't believe the Bible.
You don't believe God. And your argument is not with
me. Your argument's with God. What did David rest his hope
and his confidence in? He was a man after God's own
heart. I'm interested in that. I'm interested in what he rested
in, what he found confidence and assurance in. What are you
and I resting our confidence and assurance in? What are we
resting in? You know, David's dying words
were, although it be not so with my house, God hath made with
me. He's made with me an everlasting
covenant ordered in all things insure. And this is all my salvation. How much of it? I have to add
my will and my works and my decision and my walking down and out.
No, it's all my salvation. It's all of it. And it's all
my desire. That's all a child of God wants.
I pray all the time, Lord, if I'm not saved, save me now. And
then he says, although we make it not to grow. You know the
reason that those who do not believe these things, the reason
they don't believe them is because God has just not made them to
grow in their hearts. Please try to understand this.
Election is not salvation. Election is unto salvation. Again, verse 13, Paul wrote,
Brethren, beloved of the Lord, God hath from the beginning,
from the foundation of the world, hath chosen you to salvation. Don't miss that little two-letter
word, T-O, to. The elect of God are chosen to
salvation, and it's through the sanctification of the Spirit,
which comes by God the Holy Spirit, setting you apart unto salvation
and causing you to believe the truth. The reason you believe
the truth, Mike, is because God revealed it to you, and God effectually
gave you a heart to believe it. It's the same with all who trust
in Christ. It wasn't something you worked
up. Wasn't something you did, it was God's gift to you. And
it's through the preaching of the gospel. Election is to salvation. Salvation comes by the Spirit
of God showing us and teaching us and revealing to us the gospel. It pleased the Lord by what the
world calls foolishness. It's not foolishness, but it
pleased the Lord in and by and through preaching. Not just any
preaching, preaching the gospel, preaching the truth of God's
word. That's the means that God used to save them that believe.
If you believe, it's going to be through preaching. Had a fellow
tell me one time, he said, you know, I was out on my boat fishing
and the Lord saved me. Well, not unless that fish preached
the gospel to you. Election is unto salvation. Salvation
is believing the truth. The truth about who and what
we are. We're nothing but guilty, unworthy
sinners. And that won't offend a child
of God. They'll say, that's right, brother. That's exactly what
I am. It's the truth about who and what Christ is. Jesus Christ
is a just God and a Savior. Flesh and blood didn't reveal
that to you. The gospel is the truth about what Christ has done
for sinners. He came into the world to save
sinners. How? By the sacrifice and death
of Himself. And in order to believe this
truth, it's through the sanctification of the Spirit. You see, it's
the Holy Spirit that regenerates. It's the Holy Spirit that quickens. It's the Holy Spirit that gives
you ears to hear and eyes to see and a heart to believe. And
it's God, the Holy Spirit. Men have made the Holy Spirit
everything but what He is. The Holy Spirit sets the believer
apart. And he takes the seed of the
word, which is the truth of God. And he grants us faith in that
word, in that truth, through sanctification of the spirit
and believing of this word that we preach. It's a supernatural
thing. A man or a woman must hear the
gospel because election is unto salvation and salvation comes
to those whom God calls by our gospel. Isn't that what Paul
said? Verse 14. We need to underline that. God
saves sinners through the preaching of the gospel. Are you interested
in the gospel? Are you interested in hearing
preaching, true preaching? Friends, the son of man must
be lifted up. Why? That whosoever believeth
in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. The son
of God must go through Samaria. Why? Because there's one of his
sheep there. Christ said, other sheep I have,
them I must bring. Why? Because there's none other
name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. Salvation is not a thing of chance. And you may be young like Timothy.
raised unto the gospel as he was. Whom from a child, Paul
said, thou hast known the scriptures that are able to make you wise
unto salvation. There's some of you here this
morning that fall into that category. Clayton, I don't think you've
ever heard anything all your life but the gospel. You were
raised under the gospel. It's the only message you've
ever heard. Chris, you were raised under this gospel. You fall into
that category. Amanda, you've heard these things
all your life. You were raised hearing this
truth, but you can never ever believe if God doesn't give you
light and revelation. And that's a gift. It's a gift
of God. One of you might be a business
person like Lydia who met a preacher by the riverside and God opened
her heart when he preached to her. You might be an important
man like that eunuch who came in contact with Philip who preached
the gospel to him. You might be a runaway like Onesimus
or a jailer like the man at Philippi that heard Paul declare the gospel. Whosoever you are, if you're
one of God's elect, you must hear the gospel of Christ and
you must trust in him. Salvation is in whom you trusted
after you heard the word of truth. It's in a person, in whom. You
must find out how God can be both just and justify the ungodly. There's only one way that it
can. You've got to find out how one who is born of a woman can
be made clean. There's only one that can make
men and women clean. You've got to discover if there's
anyone who can deliver you from the body of this death. And that's
what it is. Paul said, there's nothing good
that dwelleth in me that is in my flesh. Nothing absolutely
good at all. You're gonna have to find out
how you can be redeemed, made new, made a new creature in Christ. There's only one that can do
that. And you must find out who ascended into the holy hill of
the Lord. You've got to find out who can enter into the holiest
of holies and offer an acceptable sacrifice unto God in your place. There's only one that can. And
that's the Lord Jesus Christ. So you might ask what many in
the past have asked. What must I do to be saved? Well,
it's not what you do. It's Christ who's done it for
you. But if you must do something, then do this. Seek the Lord while
he may be found. Cornelius did. You have to hear
the gospel. You've got to hear the truth.
You've got to hear the word of God. And you've got to seek his
face like Cornelius did. You can read the Bible. That
eunuch did. He's sitting there and reading
that Bible. Philip jumped up on the chariot with him. He said,
what are you reading? He said, I don't know, I don't
have anybody to show me. Philip showed him. He didn't
understand what he was reading, so God sent him someone. You
read that account, it's amazing, really. Just so happened, Philip
went down this road. Just so happened, the eunuch
come down the same road. No, sir, God sent him. You can
go where the gospel's preached. Onesimus did. He ran away from
Philemon right into the arms of the Apostle Paul, who was
in prison in Rome. And God saved him. What can you
do? You can cry for mercy. That publican in the temple did,
didn't he? He prayed, God, be merciful to me, the sinner. The
thief on the cross did. He cried for mercy. He knew the
Lord wouldn't stay dead. You think about that. He said,
Lord, you see, he knew who he was. He didn't at first, but
he saw something. The Lord showed him something
hanging there on that cross. He said, Lord, he knew Christ
was the King of kings and the Lord of lords. He said, when
you come into your kingdom, only king has a kingdom. He said,
remember me. He knew Christ was King. King
Jesus had a heavenly kingdom that would never pass away. And
he said, Lord, remember me. And the Lord said, today, you'll
be with me in that kingdom. If God is so pleased to take
me today, friends, I'll be with him today in that kingdom. God chose his people. He chose
them before the world began, before any of us had done any
good or evil. but never ever forget it was
through the sanctification of the spirit, the setting apart
of the spirit of God and belief in this truth, where into he
called you by our gospel. Do you love this truth? You won't
remain indifferent if you do. Do you believe this truth? You
will if you belong to God in Christ. Do you love and believe
this gospel? You will if God first loves you.
Have you heard from God through this word? If you have, you'll
love the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the word. You'll love him.
If not, may God be pleased to right now make it so. And may
he do so for Christ's sake and for Christ's glory. Amen.