We just had an intro to this
book for our Bible study and ended it with the first two lines
of verse one. It says, Paul, a servant of God
and an apostle of Jesus Christ. I would now like to continue
to the next line. The next line in verse one. It says, according to the faith
of God's elect. Paul, a servant of God and an
apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect. The title of this message is
The Faith of God's Elect. The faith of God's I want to
prove from the word this morning that salvation began with an
election made by God. Salvation started with an election
that was made by God. An election of particular souls
to salvation. I want to make it clear that
we cannot believe the Bible without believing in God's election,
because it's everywhere. It's everywhere. For those who
say, I don't believe in election, what you're saying is, I don't
believe God's word. That's what you're saying. God has declared his election
of sinful souls to salvation. Cover to cover. He really has. Cover to cover. So to not believe
God's election is to not believe God's word. And there's that. And I want
to make it clear that we cannot believe in God's election without believing that God was
the only one involved in the election. For those who think that election
is God casting a vote for you, and the devil casting a vote
against you, and now the deciding vote is yours, That's not what
it is to believe in God's election. That's too many parties involved.
Okay, there's too many parties involved right there. The adversary
was not involved in God's election. You and I were not involved in
God's election. It was a choice that was made
by God alone. That's what an election is. That's
what an election is. It is a choosing of who you want. That's what an election is. There's more than one name in
front of you. And you choose who you want. The amazing part about it is
who God wanted. That's the amazing part of election.
He did not want the righteous people. Let me just like lay
it out here for just a minute. There's a lot of people on this
earth that are better than you and better than me. There's a
lot of people better than you. Y'all are pretty bad and I know
that because I'm pretty bad and we're pretty bad together. I
know a bad person when I see one. Y'all are a bunch of sinners.
Anybody take offense to that? I'm the chief. Just let me be
the leader. There are a lot of people in
this world who are better than us, but there's none righteous, even
though they think they are. And even so, those who are better
than us, that's not who God wanted. He wanted sinners. That's the
amazing part of grace. When you sing that song, amazing
grace, here's the amazing part. Who the grace was to. That's
the amazing part. He said, I came not to call the
righteous, but sinners to repentance. This is a faithful saying and
worthy of all acceptation. Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners. The weak, the lowly, the nothings. Romans 5 says the ungodly. You get a sinner so bad he crosses
over the term of sinner. He goes into the term of ungodly.
That's just ungodly. That's who Christ died for. That's who God chose in his election. Now, we're gonna look at some
scriptures that mention God's election. That's literally all
we're gonna do. The Bible study was different
from the norm, and this message is not gonna be that different
from the norm. I turn to a lot of scriptures
anyway, but all we're gonna do is turn to scriptures, and then
I'm gonna stop talking, okay? We're just gonna go scripture
after scripture that proves God's election. We're going to prove
it with the Word of God. And as we do this, I want us
to realize that there's many ways of declaring God's election
without using the actual word election. When Ephesians 1 verse
4 says, He hath chosen us, that's election. That's the declaration of election.
And that declaration is everywhere in this book. But we're gonna
look at verses that physically use the word. I'm just saying
there are many, many more than we're gonna turn to, but we're
gonna look at verses that physically use the word, all right? Go with
me to Isaiah 42. I quoted this at the end of the
Bible study, and we're gonna start where we left off, Isaiah
42. The heading at the top of my
page says, The Office of Christ. This is the office of the Lord
Jesus Christ. This is God the Father speaking
of God the Son. Isaiah 42 verse 1 says, Behold
my servant, whom I uphold, mine elect. My elect. in whom my soul delighteth, the
one I want, the one I delight in, I have put my spirit upon
him, he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. God the Father
chose God the Son, the God-man. God the Father chose Christ to
be the one to accomplish the work of saving his people from
their sins. Because the Father chose Christ,
that made Christ the Father's elect. Because He chose Him,
that made Him the Father's elect. And every soul that was chosen
to be in Him, every soul that was chosen to be placed in Him,
covered in Him, sealed in Him, they were all elected in Him, because of Him. Because He was the Father's elect,
they were the Father's elect in Him, in Christ. That's how it worked. That's
how it went. All right, look at Isaiah 45. Verse four, for Jacob my servant's
sake and Israel mine elect. I have even called thee by thy
name. I have surnamed thee, given you
a last name, my last name, though thou hast not known me. He said, you didn't even know
who I was when I chose you. You had no idea who I even was
when I chose you. And that most definitely is the
truth because we're going to see in a moment that he made
this choice before the foundation of the world. Look at Isaiah 65. Verse 8. Thus saith the Lord, as the new
wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, destroy it not,
for a blessing is in it, so will I do for my servants' sakes,
that I may not destroy them all. And I will bring forth a seed
out of Jacob, and out of Judah, an inheritor of my mountains,
and mine elect shall inherit it. And my servants shall dwell
there. He said, my elect are going to
inherit my kingdom. They're going to inherit glory,
heaven. My elect will. Look at verse
21. They shall build houses and inhabit
them. They shall plant vineyards and
eat the fruit of them. They shall not build and another
inhabit. They shall not plant and another
eat. They're never gonna be overrun.
They're never gonna be attacked. No one's gonna come in and take
it from them and live in their house and eat their garden. They're
gonna build it, live in it, eat it. Verse 22, they shall not
build and another inhabit. They shall not plant and another
eat. For as the days of a tree are the days of my people and
my elect. shall long enjoy the work of
their hands." My elect will. Turn over to Matthew 24. Matthew
24. He's speaking of the destruction
of Jerusalem that came here, but verse 20 says, pray ye that
your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day. For
then shall be great tribulations such as was not since the beginning
of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except
those days should be shortened. There should no flesh be saved,
but for the elect sake. Those days shall be shortened. For the elect's sake, for my
people's sake, my chosen's sake, they're going to be shortened.
Now look at verse 30. And this is his return. Then shall appear
the sign of the Son of Man in heaven, and then shall all the
tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man
coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And
he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and
they shall gather together his elect from the four winds from
one end of heaven to the other. That's who he chose, that's who
he saved, that's who he's coming back for, his elect. Turn to Luke 18. Luke 18 verse 1, And he spake
a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray
and not to faint, saying, There was in a city a judge which feared
not God, neither regarded man. And there was a widow in that
city, and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while,
but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God,
nor regard man, yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge
her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said,
Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his
own elect which cry day and night unto him though he bear long
with them? Sure he will. An unjust gets
tired of the cries and the cries and the cries and he avenges.
You not think God Almighty won't avenge his own elect that he
chose? Absolutely he will. Everything
that he does is for his elect. Everything that he does is for
his elect. Turn over to Romans 8. Romans 8 verse 28. And we know that all things work
together for good to them that love God to them who are the
called according to his purpose called on purpose. It sounds
like a good message title to me called on purpose. That's election. Verse 29 says, For whom He did
foreknow, that means who He knew and loved beforehand. That's
election. 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, moreover whom
he did predestinate, them he also called, and whom he called,
them he also justified, and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these
things? If God be for us, who can be
against us? He that spared not his own son,
but delivered him up for us all. Who are the us? Who are the us
all? The called on purpose. Those he foreknew, those he predestinated,
those that he called, justified, glorified. Verse 32, he that spared not
his own son but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not
with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything
to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justify. Who is
he that condemneth? It's Christ that died, yea rather
that's risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who
also makes intercession for us. Jesus Christ finished salvation
for his elect. And because Christ accomplished
every bit of that for his people, because he completely put away
the sin of his people by his own blood, who could lay anything
to their charge? Who could lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? God justified His elect by His
own blood, by His own sacrifice, in His own death. He justified
His elect. Look at Romans 9. Verse 9 says, For this is the
word of promise, at this time will I come and Sarah shall have
a son. And not only this, but when Rebecca
also had conceived by one, even by 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. What shall we say then? Is there
unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses,
I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy. That's election.
I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. I'll
be gracious to whom I'll be gracious. So then it is not of him that
willeth. nor of him that runneth, but
of God that showeth mercy. It was his choice, not ours,
because he's God and we're not. Verse 18 right here says, therefore
hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will
he hardeneth. Thou wilt say then unto me, why
doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
Nay, but, O man, who art thou that replyest against God? Shall
the thing formed say to him that formed it, why hast thou made
me thus? Hath not the potter power over
the clay of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor and
another unto dishonor? Can't the maker, can't the creator? I know one person in this room
who has done pottery, clay pottery. And this person ought to be very
familiar with that illustration. If you have a lump of clay, don't
you have the right to form it however you want to form it?
Can't you do with it as you want to do with it? Can't you choose
this or choose that? Doesn't the master, doesn't the
maker, the creator have that right? Sure he does. Look at Romans 11. I say then, hath God cast away
his people? God forbid. For I also am an
Israelite of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God
hath not cast away his people, which he foreknew. Know ye not
what the scripture saith of Elijah, how he maketh intercession to
God against Israel, saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets
and dig down thine altars, and I'm left alone, and they seek
my life. But what sayeth the answer of
God unto him? I have reserved to myself 7,000
men who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. That's
election. Verse five, even so then at this
present time also there is a remnant according to the election of
grace. And if by grace, then it is no
more of works. Otherwise, grace is no more grace.
But if it be of works, then it is no more of grace. Otherwise,
work is no more work. What then? What does that mean?
All right, here's the summary. Israel hath not obtained that
which he seeketh for, but the election hath obtained it, and
the rest were blinded. Just because a man or a woman
is born in Israel, that doesn't mean anything. We can say the
same thing about a man or a woman born in America or any other
country, that doesn't mean anything. If a man or a woman is gonna
receive salvation, he's gonna have to be chosen to it. He's
going to have to be chosen to it. And if a man or a woman has
been chosen to it, it will be known in this way. Don't turn
back, but our text this morning says, Paul, a servant of God
and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's
elect. According to the faith of God's
elect. God's elect are known by their faith. The faith that's given to them
from God. You know, we just went through
a whole bunch of scriptures on election. I would love right
now to take off and do that with faith. You know, we could have
a study on faith, but we don't have time to do that. But it's
not of ourselves. It's not of you and me. It's
the gift of God. Faith causes God's people to
look to Christ. That's what faith does. It turns
the eyes of men and women to Christ. Faith is what causes
men and women to believe Christ alone. Yeah, but my daddy told me faith causes
men and women to believe Christ alone. But nobody in my family
tree believed that. Faith is what causes men and
women to believe Christ alone. Faith is what causes men and
women to trust Christ alone. You know, the more you grow in
faith, the less you're going to trust yourself. Less confidence you're going
to have in yourself that you're going to do good and abide by
the Ten Commandments. The stronger your faith is, the
more you're going to say, I don't know if I can actually keep one
of the Ten Commandments, much less any of the other thousands
that are in there. Faith is what causes us to hope
in Christ. Faith is what causes us to bow
to Christ. That faith is not of any man
or woman. That is the gift of God. Don't
take it for granted. Don't wrongly assume that you
just happen to have some. If you have any, God gave it
to you. Yeah, but all I have is one grain
of a mustard seed. God gave it to you. It's not
of yourself. And if God gave that to you,
that's the evidence that you're one of the elect. If the Spirit
of God gave faith to you, that is your earnest, that's your
down payment from God. I promise. I bought you. Look at 1 Thessalonians 1, I'll
be quick. First Thessalonians one. Verse two. We give thanks to
God always for you all making mention of you in our prayers,
remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love
and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of
God and our Father. Your faith, your love, your hope
is in Christ. What did he just say? Verse four,
knowing brethren, beloved, your election of God. He said, we
know that you are the elect of God. Verse five, for, because
our gospel, the one that God gave to his apostles, not just
Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church's gospel, Our gospel came not unto
you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost,
and in much assurance. That means you believed, you
were convinced of it. As you know what manner of men we were
among you for your sake, you became followers of us and of
the Lord, having received the word in much affliction with
joy of the Holy Ghost. If you rejoice in the Word, that's
God's Spirit in you rejoicing in the Word. That's not your
old sinful, wicked flesh that hates God and hates His Word
and hates His Son. If you're rejoicing, that's Christ
in you rejoicing. And he said, it's so much so,
verse 7, you were examples to all that believe in Macedonia
and Achaia, for from you sounded out the Word of the Lord, not
only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place Your
faith to Godward is spread abroad, so that we need not to speak
anything. For they themselves show of us
what manner of entering in we had unto you, and 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, which delivered us from the wrath to come." He said,
you believed the preaching of the word of God. Not the preaching
of man's made up religion, but the preaching of the actual word. You became followers of it. You
turned from your religious idols to the true and living God. And now you're spending the rest
of your days on this earth looking at Christ. Not me in Christ,
waiting on Christ, hoping in Christ. See if this strikes a
chord with you, okay? I want everybody here to examine
yourself. Everybody here, examine yourself. In your heart, do you believe
that his deeds, in his life, in his death, just his deeds,
in the time he spent on this earth, do you believe that his
deeds were enough to deliver you from the wrath to come? If the answer is yes, that's
faith. If the answer is no, it's all
of his deeds plus I have to be baptized, or all of his deeds
plus I have to whatever. That's not faith. But if it's
him alone and his work alone, that's faith. Paul said because
of that right there, we know you're one of the elect. Because of the faith God has
given you in his word and the faith that God has given you
in his son, that's the evidence of your election. Go to 1 Peter 1. This is my last
page of notes here. 1 Peter 1. Verse 1 says, Peter, an apostle
of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus,
Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, elect according to
the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification
of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of
Jesus Christ. That means the obedience of Jesus
Christ and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Grace
unto you and peace be multiplied. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy
hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, a living hope by the resurrection
of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible
and undefiled and that fadeth not away Reserved in heaven for you who
are kept by the power of God. Through faith unto salvation
ready to be revealed in the last time. wherein you greatly rejoice,
though now for a season, if need be, you're in heaviness through
manifold temptations, that the trial of your faith, being much
more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried
with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at
the appearing of Jesus Christ, whom, having not seen, you love. That's what faith does. In whom,
though now you see him not, yet believing, You rejoice with joy
unspeakable and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith,
even the salvation of your souls. Faith turns men and women's eyes
to Christ. That's what I love. That's what
I love to hear from men and women, you know. Probably the number
one word in this message is election. And this is what I want to say,
for God's people, for God's elect, it's not all about election.
It's all about Christ. This is talking about the faith
of God's elect. It's all about Christ. The faith
of God's elect turns men's eyes to Christ, men and women's eyes
to Christ. It causes men and women to fall
in love with Christ, not election. But Christ. Faith convinces men and women
that the work of Christ in salvation is the only work in salvation
that there is. That's the only one. And only God's elect receive
that faith. They're the only ones. It's all Christ. And I'll just
close, 1 Peter 2. I was going to read verses 2
to 10. Verse 3 says, if so be you've tasted the Lord is gracious.
That's what the faith of God's elect does in people. It causes
them to see the Lord is gracious. They've tasted the graciousness
of the Lord. Six, it says, it's contained
in the scripture, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, that's Christ,
elect, he's the elect, precious. He that believes on him shall
not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe,
he's precious. That's how you can know you have
the faith of God's elect, he's precious, he's precious. I pray
God will give everybody here the faith of God's elect, amen.