Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church,
located at 905 Yadkin Street in Kingsport, Tennessee, would
like to invite you to listen to a message of sovereign grace
by their pastor, Gabe Stoniker. And now, Pastor Gabe Stoniker. We are going to take our text
this morning from 1 Peter chapter 1. And I have a message this morning
that is a very vital message. Every message from God's Word
is important. Every message is vital, but we
are going to look at a subject that many people struggle with. Many people are curious about.
Many people wonder what God's Word has to say on it, what the
truth of the matter is. And I pray that this message
will be a help, a real help, and a real clarification on the
subject of election. Now, in 1 Peter 1, verse 1 says,
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout
Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, And then
verse 2 says, ELECT ACCORDING TO THE FORKNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE
FATHER, THROUGH SANCTIFICATION OF THE SPIRIT, UNTO OBEDIENCE
AND SPRINKLING OF THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST, GRACE UNTO YOU,
AND PEACE BE MULTIPLIED. ELECT ACCORDING TO THE FORKNOWLEDGE
OF GOD THE FATHER. NOW GOD HAS AN ELECT PEOPLE. THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT NEEDS
TO BE ARGUED. IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT NEEDS
TO BE PROVEN. IT JUST NEEDS TO BE DECLARED
FROM GOD'S WORD. WE OPEN UP GOD'S WORD AND DECLARE
WHAT HE HAS WRITTEN AND ELECTION IS PREACHED. WHAT I WANT US TO
DO THIS MORNING IS I WANT US TO LOOK AT GOD'S ELECTION IN
LIGHT OF THE WAY HE CHOSE TO ELECT HIS PEOPLE. GOD HAS ELECTED
A PEOPLE. AND WHAT I WANT US TO SEE IS
THE WAY HE CHOSE TO ELECT THOSE PEOPLE. DID HE HAVE A CRITERIA? DID SOMETHING INFLUENCE HIM? WAS THERE SOMETHING THAT INFLUENCED
HIS ELECTION? VERSE 2 TELLS US THAT IT WAS
ACCORDING TO THE FOREKNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER. NOW, WHEN
THE SUBJECT OF ELECTION COMES UP, IF GOD HAS NOT REVEALED THE
TRUTH OF THE MATTER TO A PERSON, IF THEY DO NOT YET SEE THE TRUTH
OF GOD'S ELECTION, AND THAT SUBJECT COMES UP, USUALLY YOU'LL GET
ONE OF THREE OPINIONS ON IT. ONE OF THREE RESPONSES TO IT. THE FIRST ONE IS, I DON'T BELIEVE
IN IT. WHENEVER THE TRUTH HAS NOT BEEN
REVEALED TO A PERSON, THAT'S GENERALLY THE MOST COMMON RESPONSE. I DON'T BELIEVE IN IT. I JUST
DO NOT BELIEVE THAT GOD ELECTED WHO HE WOULD SAVE. I DO NOT BELIEVE
THAT GOD CHOSE ON PURPOSE PARTICULAR PEOPLE TO SAVE. WELL, WE JUST READ WHERE PETER
SAID I'M TALKING TO THOSE WHO ARE ELECT ACCORDING TO THE FOREKNOWLEDGE
OF GOD. THAT'S WHAT'S WRITTEN IN THE
WORD OF GOD. BUT IF THAT'S NOT ENOUGH, TURN WITH ME TO ISAIAH
45. AND IF YOU HAVE WONDERED ABOUT
THIS SUBJECT, OR IF YOU BELIEVE IN IT AND WOULD LIKE TO FIND
VERSES THAT YOU CAN SHOW TO OTHERS ON IT, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO GET
A BIBLE. BECAUSE WE ARE GOING TO TURN TO MANY SCRIPTURES THROUGHOUT
THE COURSE OF THIS MESSAGE. WE'RE GOING TO PROVE FROM GOD'S
WORD. WE'RE GOING TO DECLARE IN GOD'S
WORD HIS ELECTION. IT SAYS IN VERSE 4, FOR JACOB
MY SERVANT'S SAKE, AND ISRAEL MINE ELECT. THIS IS GOD SPEAKING. HE SAID, I HAVE EVEN CALLED THEE
BY THY NAME, I HAVE SURNAMED THEE, THOUGH THOU HAST NOT KNOWN
ME. THOUGH YOU HAVE NOT KNOWN ME.
EVEN THOUGH YOU DON'T KNOW ME. I'M GONNA DO THIS FOR YOU BECAUSE
YOU'RE MY ELECT, EVEN THOUGH YOU DON'T KNOW ME. OVER IN ISAIAH
65, IF YOU TURN OVER A FEW PAGES TO ISAIAH 65, IT SAYS IN VERSE
9, 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. In verse 22 of the same
chapter, He said, 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 MINE ELECT. SHALL LONG ENJOY
THE WORK OF THEIR HANDS." MY ELECT. HE KEPT SAYING MY ELECT. ROMANS 8, IF YOU TURN WITH ME
TO ROMANS 8, IT SAYS IN VERSE 33, WHO SHALL LAY ANYTHING TO
THE CHARGE OF GOD'S ELECT? IT IS GOD THAT JUSTIFIETH. AND
I COULD SHOW YOU 23 OTHER VERSES OF SCRIPTURE THAT HAVE THE VERY
WORD IN THE VERSE. BUT THE TRUTH IS, ELECTION, GOD'S
ELECTION IS ON EVERY PAGE IN THIS BOOK. ONCE A SINNER HAS
HIS EYES OPENED TO GOD'S ELECTION, HE SEES IT ON EVERY SINGLE PAGE
IN THIS BOOK. SO, TO SAY I DON'T BELIEVE IN
IT, THAT'S JUST WRONG. FOR THAT TO JUST BE MY ANSWER,
WELL, I JUST DON'T BELIEVE IN IT. THAT'S WRONG. A PERSON CAN
BELIEVE IN IT OR NOT BELIEVE IN IT. BUT EITHER WAY, IT DOESN'T
CHANGE THE FACT THAT GOD CHOSE EXACTLY WHO HE WANTED TO SAVE.
ALRIGHT, NOW, FOR THOSE WHO SAY THAT THEY BELIEVE IN GOD'S ELECTION,
FOR THOSE WHO SAY YES, OKAY, I'VE READ IT IN THE WORD, AND
I SEE IT IN THE WORD, AND I BELIEVE IN ELECTION. FOR THOSE WHO BELIEVE
IN ELECTION, THERE ARE STILL TWO WAYS OF LOOKING AT IT THAT
ARE STILL WRONG. FOR THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN IT,
TWO WAYS THAT ARE STILL WRONG. FIRST, MEN WILL SAY, GOD CAST
A VOTE FOR YOU. AND THE DEVIL CAST A VOTE AGAINST
YOU, AND NOW THE CHOICE IS YOURS. THEY SAY, OH YES, I BELIEVE IN
ELECTION. GOD CAST THAT VOTE FOR YOU, DEVIL
CAST IT AGAINST YOU, BUT THE DECIDING VOTE IS YOURS. I BELIEVE
IN ELECTION AND THE DECIDING VOTE IS YOURS. THAT'S NOT GOD'S
ELECTION, THAT'S YOUR ELECTION. IF I AM THE ONE WHO CAST THAT
FINAL VOTE, THEN THAT'S MY ELECTION. GOD AND THE DEVIL ARE JUST CAMPAIGNING.
THAT'S ALL THAT'S HAPPENING. HE WANTS MY VOTE. HE WANTS MY
VOTE. CHOICE IS MINE. THAT'S MY ELECTION.
THAT'S NOT GOD'S ELECTION. THE PEOPLE DID NOT ELECT GOD. GOD ELECTED THE PEOPLE. AND OUR LORD TELLS US THAT IN
JOHN 15. TURN WITH ME OVER TO JOHN 15
AND LOOK WITH ME AT VERSE 16. YOU HAVE NOT CHOSEN ME, BUT I
HAVE CHOSEN YOU, AND ORDAINED YOU THAT YOU SHOULD GO AND BRING
FORTH FRUIT, AND THAT YOUR FRUIT SHOULD REMAIN THAT WHATSOEVER
YOU SHALL ASK OF THE FATHER IN MY NAME, HE MAY GIVE IT YOU. HE SAID, I HAVE ORDAINED YOU
TO THAT. I HAVE CHOSEN YOU TO THAT. OVER IN EPHESIANS 1. AND AGAIN,
I REALIZE WE'RE TURNING TO QUITE A FEW SCRIPTURES, BUT THIS IS
HOW IT BECOMES PROVEN TO US. EPHESIANS 1 VERSE 3, IT SAYS,
BLESSED BE GOD, AND THE GOD AND FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST,
WHO HATH BLESSED US WITH ALL SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS IN HEAVENLY
PLACES IN CHRIST. NOW VERSE 4 SAYS, 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. So this thing of us having the
final say in election, us having that final word, that final choice,
well, that's just wrong. That's wrong. To say, I don't
believe in election, that's wrong. And to say, yeah, I believe in
election, the choice is yours. Well, that's wrong, too. God
did all the choosing in salvation. All the choosing. Now, the other
opinion on election that's still wrong is this. Someone will say, okay, God did
the choosing. I see that. I've read those scriptures
and I see that God did all the choosing, but He knows everything. AND HE DOES KNOW EVERYTHING.
HE'S ALL-KNOWING. HE'S THE ALL-KNOWING, ALL-WISE
GOD. SO SOME WILL SAY HE KNOWS EVERYTHING
AND HE LOOKED DOWN THROUGH TIME. HE LOOKED ALL THE WAY DOWN TO
THE END OF TIME. HE LOOKED AT EVERY PERSON THAT
WOULD EVER BE BORN ALL THE WAY TO THE END OF TIME TO SEE WHO
WOULD OBEY HIM. AND SEE WHO WOULD BELIEVE ON
HIM, WHO WOULD BE WORTHY OF HIS CHOOSING, AND THAT'S WHO HE CHOSE. HE CHOSE THE ONES WHO WOULD CHOOSE
HIM AND BELIEVE ON HIM AND BE WORTHY OF HIS CHOOSING. WELL,
IS THAT THE TRUTH OF HOW IT WENT? THE ANSWER IS IN PSALM 14. LOOK
WITH ME AT PSALM CHAPTER 14. VERSE 2 SAYS, THE LORD LOOKED
DOWN FROM HEAVEN UPON THE CHILDREN OF MEN TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY
THAT DID UNDERSTAND AND SEEK GOD. VERSE 3 SAYS, THEY ARE ALL
GONE ASIDE. THEY ARE ALL TOGETHER BECOME
FILTHY. THERE IS NONE THAT DOETH GOOD,
NO, NOT ONE. THE LORD LOOKED DOWN THROUGH
TIME, ALRIGHT. HE DID. HE MOST CERTAINLY DID. HE LOOKED DOWN THROUGH TIME.
HE DOES KNOW EVERYTHING. HE DOES SEE EVERYTHING. HE KNOWS THE END FROM THE BEGINNING. HE KNOWS ALL. AND WHEN HE LOOKED
DOWN AT EVERY SOUL THAT WOULD EVER ENTER THIS WORLD, HE SAW
THAT THERE WAS NOT ONE SOUL. NONE. NOT ONE THAT WOULD SEEK
GOD AND DO GOOD. HE SAID NO, NOT ONE. NOT ONE. NOT ONE. SO THE TRUTH ABOUT HOW
GOD CHOSE TO SAVE HIS PEOPLE IS THIS. HERE'S THE TRUTH OF
HOW GOD CHOSE TO SAVE HIS PEOPLE. HE DID NOT PUT A STANDARD OR
A CONDITION ON ANY OF THEM. NO CONDITION. NOT ON ANY OF THEM. IF HE HAD, NONE OF THEM WOULD
HAVE OR COULD HAVE KEPT IT. HAD HE SAID, THIS IS MY CONDITION,
WE SEE THAT NONE COULD AND NONE WOULD BE ABLE TO KEEP IT. IF HE SAID, NOW IF THEY CHOOSE
ME, I'LL CHOOSE THEM. HAD HE SAID THAT, WE JUST SAW
THAT MAN DIDN'T. YOU'VE NOT CHOSEN ME. SINFUL
MAN WOULD NOT. SINFUL MAN NATURALLY IS ENMITY
AGAINST GOD. SINFUL MAN NATURALLY IS DEAD
IN TRESPASSES AND SINS. A DEAD MAN CAN'T CHOOSE. SO HAD HE SAID, IF YOU CHOOSE
ME, I'LL CHOOSE YOU, THAT'S AN IMPOSSIBILITY. HAD HE SAID, IF
THEY BELIEVE ON ME, I'LL CHOOSE THEM, WELL, EPHESIANS 2 TELLS
US THAT FAITH, THAT ABILITY TO BELIEVE IS NOT OF OURSELVES,
IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD. THE ONLY WAY A SINNER CAN BELIEVE
ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IS IF GOD GIVES THAT SINNER FAITH. SO THAT'S AN IMPOSSIBILITY. NONE
COULD BELIEVE IN ORDER FOR HIM TO CHOOSE THEM. HAD HE SAID IF
THEY'LL JUST OBEY ME, IF THEY'LL JUST HONOR ME AND IF THEY'LL
JUST GLORY IN ME, THEN I'LL CHOOSE THEM. ROMANS 3-23 SAYS, ALL HAVE
SINNED AND COME SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD. ALL. NO CONDITION. COULD BE PUT ON
MAN. NO CONDITION COULD. THERE WAS
NO REQUIREMENT THAT MAN WAS ABLE TO MEET. SO NO CONDITION COULD
HAVE BEEN PUT ON MAN. NOW LOOK WITH ME IF YOU WOULD
AT ROMANS CHAPTER 9. ROMANS CHAPTER 9 VERSE 10 SAYS,
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. THEY HAD NOT DONE ANYTHING. NO
CONDITION WAS INVOLVED. THEY WERE NOT EVEN BORN YET.
AND THAT THE PURPOSE OF GOD ACCORDING TO ELECTION MIGHT STAND, THAT
IT MIGHT BE PROVEN THAT GOD ELECTS WHOM HE WILL. 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? WHAT'S
OUR RESPONSE TO THAT BEFORE THEY WERE EVER EVEN BORN? GOD SAID,
I CHOOSE JACOB AND I DON'T CHOOSE ESAU. VERSE 14 SAYS, WHAT SHALL
WE SAY THEN? IS THERE UNRIGHTEOUSNESS WITH
GOD? GOD FORBID. ABSOLUTELY NOT. NEITHER JACOB NOR ESAU DESERVED
GOD'S CHOOSING. NEITHER ONE OF THEM. TO SAY,
WELL, THAT'S NOT FAIR, GOD DIDN'T CHOOSE ESAU. ESAU DID NOT DESERVE
GOD'S CHOICE. AND NEITHER DO I. AND NEITHER
DO YOU. NO MAN DOES. NO SINNER WHO'S
ANGRY AND ENMITY, AN ENEMY OF GOD BY NATURE. NO SINNER WHO
DOES NO GOOD. DID ANY OF THEM DO GOOD? NONE
OF THEM. NO ONE DESERVES HIS FAVOR. SO IS THERE UNRIGHTEOUSNESS
WITH GOD? GOD FORBID. HE SAYS IN VERSE
15, HE SAITH TO MOSES, I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I WILL HAVE
MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I WILL HAVE COMPASSION,
SO THEN IT IS NOT OF HIM THAT WILLETH. MEN LOVE TO GO AROUND
TALKING ABOUT FREE WILL. THEY LOVE TO PREACH FREE WILL.
NOW YOU HAVE A FREE WILL AND YOU'RE GOING TO NEED TO, OF YOUR
OWN FREE WILL, DECIDE TO BELIEVE ON CHRIST AND DECIDE TO BE SAVED
AND DECIDE TO NOT SIN ANYMORE AND DECIDE ALL THESE THINGS.
GOD SAID IT IS NOT OF HIM THAT WILLETH. IT'S NOT OF HIM THAT
WILLETH. THE ONLY PERSON WHO HAS A FREE
WILL IS GOD ALMIGHTY. OUR WILL IS BOUND TO SIN. SIN IS WHAT WE ARE. SIN IS ALL
WE'RE CAPABLE OF DOING IN THIS FLESH. SO GOD SAID IN VERSE 16,
IT'S NOT OF HIM THAT WILLETH, NOR OF HIM THAT RUNNETH. MEN AND WOMEN BELIEVE GOD IS
GOING TO ACCEPT THEM AND CHOOSE THEM BECAUSE OF THE WORKS THEY'RE
DOING. THEY HAVE ALL THESE GOOD WORKS
CREDITED TO THEIR ACCOUNT. THAT'S WHAT THEY BELIEVE. AND
THEY BELIEVE SURELY GOD'S GOING TO CHOOSE ME NOW BECAUSE OF ALL
THESE THINGS I'VE DONE. HE SAID IT'S NOT OF HIM THAT
WILLETH NOR OF HIM THAT RUNNETH. WELL THEN HOW ARE MEN CHOSEN? HE SAID AT THE END OF VERSE 16,
IT'S OF GOD THAT SHOWETH MERCY. IT'S OF GOD. IT'S OF GOD. IT'S OF GOD ALMIGHTY. We read
what God said there about Jacob and Esau, and the flesh naturally
says, if you know their story, Jacob was a trickster, a supplanter.
Esau was a cunning hunter. He was a good son to his parents. And we read what God says about
Jacob and Esau, and our flesh says, well, but I liked Esau
better. God chose Jacob, but I personally
liked Esau better. THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS, ESAU
WAS NOT BETTER. HE WAS NOT BETTER. HE WAS A SINNER
JUST LIKE THE REST OF US. BOTH OF THOSE TWO BOYS DESERVED
DAMNATION. ESAU GOT WHAT HE WANTED. YOU
KNOW THAT? ESAU GOT WHAT HE WANTED. THE
CHOICE WAS PUT IN FRONT OF HIM. DO YOU WANT THE BLESSING OR DO
YOU WANT THE WORLD? HE SAID, GIVE ME THE WORLD. OF
HIS OWN FLESH, OF HIS OWN WILL, OF HIS OWN CHOICE, HE CHOSE DAMNATION. BUT FOR THE GRACE OF GOD, SO
WOULD WE. THAT'S JUST THE TRUTH OF THE
MATTER. BUT FOR THE GRACE OF GOD, WE WOULD CHOOSE THE SAME
THING ESAU CHOSE. MAN IS TOTALLY DEPRAVED. THEREFORE, GOD'S ELECTION HAD
TO BE UNCONDITIONAL. TOTALLY UNCONDITIONAL. SOME UNWORTHY
SINNERS WERE JUST CHOSEN TO SALVATION. CHOSEN BY GOD ALMIGHTY. SOME
WERE REDEEMED FROM THE PIT. PLUCKED FROM THE FIRE. NOW, HOW
DID GOD MAKE HIS CHOICE? IF THERE WAS NOTHING WORTHY IN
ANY OF THEM, IF THERE WAS NOTHING THAT RECOMMENDED ANY OF THEM
IN THE FLESH, WHAT MADE GOD CHOOSE THIS ONE AND NOT THAT ONE? GO WITH ME IF YOU WOULD TO ISAIAH
42. IN ISAIAH CHAPTER 42 VERSE 1. NOW THIS IS GOD SPEAKING. HE
SAID, BEHOLD MY SERVANT. HE'S TALKING ABOUT CHRIST. WHOM
I UPHOLD, MINE ELECT. HE SAID, HE IS MINE ELECT IN
WHOM MY SOUL DELIGHTETH. I HAVE PUT MY SPIRIT UPON HIM. HE SHALL BRING FORTH JUDGEMENT
TO THE GENTILES. HE SHALL NOT CRY NOR LIFT UP,
NOR CAUSE HIS VOICE TO BE HEARD IN THE STREET. A BRUISED REED
SHALL HE NOT BREAK, AND THE SMOKING FLAX SHALL HE NOT QUENCH. HE SHALL BRING FORTH JUDGEMENT
UNTO TRUTH. HE'S GONNA DO IT. HE SHALL NOT
FAIL, NOR BE DISCOURAGED, TILL HE HAVE SET JUDGEMENT IN THE
EARTH, AND THE ISLES SHALL WAIT FOR HIS LAW. THUS SAYETH GOD
THE LORD, HE THAT CREATED THE HEAVENS AND STRETCHED THEM OUT,
HE THAT SPREAD FORTH THE EARTH, AND THAT WHICH COMETH OUT OF
IT, HE THAT GIVETH BREAD UNTO THE PEOPLE UPON IT, AND SPIRIT
TO THEM THAT WALK THEREIN, HE SAID, I THE LORD HAVE CALLED
THEE IN RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND WILL HOLD THINE HAND. and will keep
thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of
the Gentiles, to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners
from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison
house." GOD SAID, I CHOOSE MY SON. THAT'S WHAT HE SAID. I CHOOSE MY SON. HE IS MY ELECT. HE IS THE ONE I CHOOSE. AND EVERY
SOUL IN HIM IS GOING TO BE CHOSEN WITH HIM. CHRIST IS THE DIFFERENCE. CHRIST IS THE ONLY DIFFERENCE. EVERY SOUL OUTSIDE OF HIM, GOD
ALMIGHTY SAYS, HE'S OUTSIDE OF MY CHOICE. CHRIST IS THE DIFFERENCE. WE JUST READ A MOMENT AGO IN
EPHESIANS 1 VERSE 4, ACCORDING AS HE HATH CHOSEN US IN HIM. IN CHRIST. HE CHOSE US IN CHRIST
BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD. SOMEBODY WILL SAY, WELL,
CAN HIS CHOICE BE ALTERED? NO. MALACHI 3, VERSE 6 SAYS,
HE IS THE LORD, HE CHANGES NOT. THAT'S WHAT HE SAID OF HIMSELF.
I AM THE LORD, I CHANGE NOT. SOMEBODY WILL SAY, SO EITHER
I'M CHOSEN OR I'M NOT. YOU MEAN TO TELL ME IT'S JUST
EITHER I'M CHOSEN OR I'M NOT? That's right. This is God we're
talking about. This is God Almighty. Somebody
will say, Well, how can I know if I'm chosen? If it's in His hands and either
I'm chosen or I'm not. How can I know if I'm chosen? How can I know if I am going
to be found in Christ? How can I know that? THE ANSWER
IS IN ACTS CHAPTER 13. I DO ENCOURAGE YOU TO TURN AND
LOOK AT THIS WITH ME BECAUSE THIS IS WONDERFUL. ACTS 13 VERSE
48 SAYS, AND WHEN THE GENTILES HEARD THIS, THEY WERE GLAD AND
GLORIFIED THE WORD OF THE LORD, AND AS MANY AS WERE ORDAINED
TO ETERNAL LIFE BELIEVED. DO YOU SEE THAT? BELIEVED WHAT? BELIEVED GOD'S WORD ON THE MATTER. BELIEVED GOD WHATEVER HE SAYS. BELIEVED ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. DO YOU NOTICE RIGHT THERE THAT
IT DOES NOT SAY AS MANY AS BELIEVED WERE ORDAINED? IT SAYS AS MANY AS WERE ORDAINED,
BELIEVED. FAITH, TRUE FAITH TO BELIEVE
WHAT GOD HAS SAID ON THE SUBJECT IS THE EVIDENCE OF ELECTION. GOD CHOOSES HIS PEOPLE, GIVES
THEM FAITH TO BELIEVE AND THEY DO. THEY BOW. THEY BOW AND THAT'S
THE EVIDENCE THAT WE'RE IN CHRIST. FAITH TO BELIEVE IT. GOD GIVING
THAT FAITH IS THE EVIDENCE THAT HE WILL CONFORM HIS ELECT INTO
THE IMAGE OF HIS SON. MAY GOD GIVE THAT FAITH TO US.
TILL NEXT WEEK, MAY THE LORD BLESS HIS WORD TO OUR HEARTS. YOU HAVE BEEN LISTENING TO A
MESSAGE BY GABE STONIKER, PASTOR OF KINGSPORT SOVEREIGN GRACE
CHURCH IN KINGSPORT, TENNESSEE. If you would like a copy of this
message, or to hear other messages of Sovereign Grace, log on to
our website at ksgctn.org. If you would like to come and
worship with us, our service times are Sunday morning Bible
study at 10 o'clock a.m., worship at 10.45 a.m., and 6 o'clock
p.m. Wednesday evening at 7.30 p.m.
Please tune in next week for another message of God's free
and sovereign grace.