Well, it is just my delight to
be here. I so look forward to this weekend
and being able to worship together with you. I'm so excited when
Gabe called and what your pastor means to me and him and his family. I'm so excited what the Lord's
doing here in Kingsport. I just am so excited to see you
guys. with expectation what he's about
to do. If you would open your Bibles
to 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. The title of our lesson this
morning is the truth about election. Now the doctrine of election
is plainly taught in God's Word. The word elect or election is
used 27 times in God's Word. In the New Testament Saved people
are called believers two times. That's the way we normally refer
to one another, believers. The New Testament calls saved
people the elect 14 times, five more times than the Old Testament.
Now hold your finger there, look over Mark chapter 13. Let's see
what our Lord, the terminology that he uses here in Mark chapter
13. beginning in verse 20. And except that the Lord had
shortened those days, no flesh should be saved. But for the
elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days. And
then, if any man shall say to you, lo, here's Christ, or lo,
he's there, believe him not. For false Christs and false prophets
shall rise and shall show signs and wonders to seduce, if it
were possible, even the elect. And look at verse 27. And then
shall he send his angels, and they shall gather together his
elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth
to the uttermost part of heaven. There are three times our Lord
called his people the elect. Scripture's plain. God has an
elect people. Yet man in his rebellion has
raised up entire religious denominations opposed to this truth of God's
electing love. The point of contention in our
day, and maybe it always has been, but certainly in our day,
this is the point of contention. God's sovereignty in salvation.
And that manifests itself in two areas, election and the new
birth. And the issue in both of those
cases is sovereignty. Who's in charge of salvation?
Now, we need to know the answer to that question. Who's in control
of salvation? Do I decide to be saved? Do I
decide to choose God? Or does God choose me? Now, the
person that does the choosing gets all the glory, so we need
to know the answer to that question. Do I decide to be saved? Do I
decide to accept Jesus and accept life in Jesus? Or does God the
Holy Spirit move where He will and give life to whom He will
when He will? Is the new birth, is that understanding and light
that comes to the flesh? Is that the Holy Spirit influencing
you externally? Or is the new birth the supernatural
giving of spiritual life? The birth of a new man, a spiritual
man, born from the seed of the Word of God who cannot sin. A
man born who's never existed before. Now which is it? Is it
the new birth when I decide to have life or is it the new birth
that God gives? Whoever decides if a person's born again is God.
Whoever decides if a person is born again or not gets the glory.
Whoever gives the life gets the glory. Now this truth of election,
it's hated and spoken against in our day. So it's very important
that we understand the truth about election. Well, if you
want to find out the truth about something, where you go? Go to
God's word. So let's look here and see God's
word, the truth about election. Now, we're gonna begin in verse
13, but in these previous verses, Paul's been talking about the
spirit of Antichrist, which is at work in the world. He talked
about apostasy, a time when many people who claim to believe and
love the truth turn away from the truth. You know, apostasy's
not somebody just believing a lie. Apostasy's someone who, at one
time, claimed to believe the truth and claimed to love the
truth, and then they turn away from it and deny it. Look at
verse 10 of 2 Thessalonians 2. With all deceivableness of unrighteousness
in them that perish, because they receive not the love of
the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God
shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie,
that all might be damned who believe not the truth, but had
pleasure in unrighteousness. Now that's very frightening to
think of people who at one time claimed to love and believe the
truth, Turn away from it, and God will send them a strong delusion
that they believe a lie. That's frightening. Is there a way that I can know
I'm delivered from that? Is there a way I can know I'm
delivered from believing a lie? Yes, there is. It's God's electing
law. God elected a people, and those
people are gonna be delivered from apostasy in the spirit of
antichrist. Paul begins verse 13, but, But
God, man is lost in sin and rebellion, and he never will believe or
love the truth, but we're bound to give thanks always to God
for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God has from
the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the
spirit and belief of the truth. Now, here's the first truth about
election. Election is a reason to give
thanks. This is a reason to be thankful.
Paul says we're bound to thank God always for you. Now I unashamedly
declare God's electing love. I never apologize for it. I always
give thanks for it. Every one of us in this room
would be apostate. We love and believe a lie if
God didn't choose somebody to save. If God didn't choose somebody
to deliver us from ourselves and from this present world,
every one of us would be apostate. Now here's a reason to give thanks.
Elections for sinners. Sinners who don't deserve anything.
That's who election's for. And sinners give thanks for election. You wouldn't be saved any other
way. I never would have chosen God if God didn't choose me first. If a sinner's going to be saved,
election's necessary, isn't it? If a man's totally depraved,
If he lost in sin and he's unable to do anything good, well, he
can't merit salvation. He can't earn salvation, can
he? Well, then if a sinful man's going to be saved, God's going
to have to do all the saving. From its beginning in election
to its final glorification, God Almighty's going to have to do
it all. The reason that some do not fall into the love of
a lie and fall into apostasy is God elected them. And I'm
thankful. Here's the second truth about
election. Election is a loving truth. Paul says, beloved of
the Lord. Now we speak about election.
I never want to do this. Brandon, I never want to preach
doctrine. I mean, we have to preach correct doctrine, but
I want to preach Christ. When we talk about election, we're
talking about God's electing love. Election's a loving truth. Election is not a mean, hard,
hateful doctrine. If we preach it that way, we're
not preaching Christ. We're not preaching the truth.
Election is not mean and hateful, where God chooses an elite few
to save, and then in a cold and mean and spiteful way, damns
the rest of mankind to hell. No. Damnation has absolutely
nothing to do with election. God didn't elect some people
to heaven and some people to hell. Election has got nothing
to do with damnation. All God has to do to send a man
to hell is leave him alone. Just leave him to his own way.
And if God leaves us to our own way, that way will end up in
destruction. There's a way that seemeth right
unto a man, and then there are other ways of death. If God's
going to send a man to hell, all he's got to do is leave him
alone. But God chose the people to save because he loved them. God didn't choose the people
so he could make them lovable. God chose the people because
he loved them. He chose them and he put them
in his son because he already loved them. Not because they
deserved it, not because he saw that one day they would love
God, but because God loved them. What does John say in 1 John
4, 19? We love him. Now that's true.
We love him, don't we? But why? Because he first loved
us. That's why. And love's for people. Look at Romans chapter nine.
Love is for people. Not things, not nation, but people. God chose people. He didn't choose
nations. He chose people. Election is
personal. Paul says, God chose you, you. Election's not by random chance. It's personal. Look here, Romans
nine, verse seven. Neither because they are the
seed of Abraham are they all children. But in Isaac shall
thy seed be called. Just because they're a physical
descendant of Abraham doesn't mean they're a child of God.
In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, they which are the children
of the flesh, these are not the children of God, but the children
of the promise are counted for the seed. 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's written, Jacob
have I loved, but Esau have I hated. God chose the people because
he loved them. And he wrote their names in the
Lamb's Book of Life. Now that's a personal choice.
That's an exact choice of an exact people. He wrote their
names in the Lamb's Book of Life. Now brethren, that's love. God
loved a sinful people. The difference between the saved
and the lost is God's love. God loved one and sent his son
to die for them and he hated the other. That's the difference.
Now, someone in the flesh will always say this, always, that's
not fair. When our girls were little, Janet
never would let them say about anything, that's not fair. Because
she never wanted them to say, that's not fair about this truth.
She never would let them say it. And they say, that's not
fair. Really? What's not fair about
it? Do you know God gives everyone
exactly what they want? Exactly. If you want to be saved,
you will. If you desire to be saved on
God's terms, you keep seeking Him, you keep calling on Him,
you keep begging Him for mercy, you'll be saved. But here's the
thing. We're born with a depraved nature,
a nature that hates God, a nature that hates God's way. So nobody
ever will want to be saved unless God in mercy gives them a new
want to. Then they'll want to be saved
on God's terms. If salvation is by the will of
man, then these objectors are right. If salvation's by the
will of man, it's not fair if everybody doesn't have a chance.
But brethren, salvation's by grace. It's by grace. Well, if salvation is by grace,
then sinners must be elected. They must be chosen by God because
they'll never choose him. Well, then someone will object
this. Now, it's the same objection. They just want to phrase it a
different way. They'll say, that's not just.
That's not righteous to save some and pass others by. Really? If you're still there in Romans
9, look at verse 14. Really, is that really not fair?
What should we say then? Is there unrighteousness with
God? God forbid. God forbid that we'd say that.
For he said to Moses, I'll have mercy in whom I will have mercy,
and I'll have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then,
it's not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but
of God that showeth mercy. For the scripture saith unto
Pharaoh, even for this same purpose have I raised thee 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 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? You know what Paul's saying there?
Who do you think you are? You're getting too big for your
britches. Who do you think you are replying against God? Show
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?
Absolutely he does. Now look over Matthew chapter
20. Our Lord addressed this very issue. In the parable of the
laborers going out into the field, he got some laborers to go out
early in the morning. He said, I'll give you a penny.
And he got some a little later in the morning. He got some in
the afternoon. He got some just an hour before quitting time.
He said, you go out and I'll give you what's right. So here
at the end of the day, he gives them all a penny. And some men
say, well, that's not fair. Matthew 20, verse 13. But he
answered one of them and said, friend, I do thee no wrong. Does not thou agree with me for
a penny? Take that thine is and go thy way. I will give unto
this last, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful, isn't it right
for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thy eye evil because
I'm good? So the last shall be first and
the first last. For many be called, but few chosen. Isn't it right for God to do
what he will with his own? Absolutely it is. because he's
God. He's God. We're the dust of the
earth. He's God. Whatever he does is
right just because he does it. And it is an act of unimaginable,
unspeakable love that God would choose to save any sinner out
of Adam's fallen race. But he did because he loved his
people. Here's the third truth about
election. Election is eternal. Paul says God had from the beginning
chosen you to salvation. Well, when's the beginning? Was
it the beginning of your life when you were born? Is the beginning
the time you first heard the gospel? No. This is before the
beginning of time. This is when God began his purpose
of redemption. God's elect were chosen You know,
we say eternity passed because that's the only way we can describe
it, before the foundation of the world. Now, if God elected
a people before he created anything, that tells me election, the cause
of election, is found entirely in the character of God. Election
doesn't have anything to do with the will of man or the deeds
of man or the actions of man because election happened before
God created man. Then election must have everything
to do with the character and the will and the purpose of God. Doesn't that make sense? Look
at 1 Samuel chapter 12. Election has everything to do
with the character of God, the will, and the purpose of God. In 1 Samuel 12, verse 22, for the Lord will not forsake
His people for His great namesake. It's because of Him, of who He
is, of His will, of His purpose, for His glory, because it hath
pleased the Lord to make you His people. He elected the people
simply because it pleased Him. Our Lord told his disciples in
John 15, verse 16, you haven't chosen me, I've chosen you. And every person God saves knows
this. And every person God saves, we
all have different backgrounds, different nations, different
languages, but this one thing is true in every person who knows
the Lord. We know God chose me. I didn't
choose him, he chose me. Now Tony, I choose him now, don't
you? But only because he chose me first. That's exactly right. Election is eternal. Election
is a loving act and it's eternal. If God loves you right now, he
always has loved you. That love has no beginning and
it'll have no ending. He will always love you. that
you can do can separate you from the love of God, which is in
Christ Jesus. If God chose you, he will never cast you out, because
election's eternal. Now, here's the fourth truth
about election. Election is not salvation. Election is unto salvation. Paul says, God hath from the
beginning chosen you to salvation. Election's not salvation. God
elected a people, but those people must be born again. Their sin
must be paid for. Their sin has to be paid for
through the death of a substitute. There has to be a sacrifice for
their sin. And they have to be given repentance of sin. They
have to be given faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. God didn't
choose a people because they're holy. They weren't holy. God chose a people to make holy
in His Son. Election doesn't make us holy.
We're made holy, Paul says, through sanctification of the spirit
and belief of the truth. Now Paul is speaking of the new
birth, where God the Holy Spirit gives new holy life to his people
and makes his people holy. Now look over in Jude chapter,
or Jude 1, Jude verse 1. There's a threefold sanctification
that every believer experiences. First is this, we're sanctified,
set apart by God the Father. Jude 1, Jude the servant of Jesus
Christ and brother of James to them that are sanctified by God
the Father and preserved in Jesus Christ and called. They're sanctified,
set apart for holy use by God the Father. Second, look in 1
Corinthians chapter 1. The believer is made holy and
unblameable by Christ and in Christ. 1 Corinthians 1 verse
2. Under the church of God, which
is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, and
they're called to be saints with all that in every place call
upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours.
We're sanctified in Christ, in his work, in his person. And
third, we're sanctified, made holy in the new birth. When a
new man is born, a new man who never existed before, who's holy,
born in the image of the Lord Jesus Christ. And that's what
Paul's speaking about here in our text. We're sanctified by
the spirit and belief of the truth. Now, what's the truth? The truth is not a thing. The
truth is not a set of doctrines. The truth is a person. The truth
is Christ. The truth is the whole Word of
God, Christ the incarnate Word and Christ the written Word.
The truth is the entire Word of God. Now, would you like to
know if you're one of God's elect? I would. Would you like to know?
I can tell you. Do you believe God's Word? I
mean, do you believe every word of it? Not like, well, I believe
all that except that Romans 9. I don't know. I'm going to just
cut that out. That applies to the nation Israel.
No, that's not believing the whole word of God. Do you believe
the whole word of God? Every word of it. You hear something
preached. from God's Word. I'm not just
talking about just some man standing up, you know, in a suit and tie
and behind a podium. I'm talking about a man preaching
God's Word, from God's Word. And you say, well, I never heard
that before. But there it is. I believe it. Nobody else ever
taught. I didn't hear that from my mama,
but that's what that says. So I believe it. I don't want
to understand all there is to know about that. But I believe
it. Why would you believe it if you
don't understand it? Because God's Word says it. That person
is elect of God because God's elect believe the truth, the
entire Word of God. The agent of the new birth is
God the Holy Spirit. He gives life. He's the agent. and the seed of the new birth. The seed of life is the word
of God. Believing the word of God, that
sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth. Now
election is not salvation, it's unto salvation. Well then how
are the elect saved? Here's the fifth truth of election.
God calls his elect through the preaching of the gospel. Verse
14 in our text. were unto he called you by our
gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Now, there are many people who hear the sound of the gospel
with natural ears, but that's all they hear. All they hear
is words. They don't hear life in those
words, but God's elect hear. They hear with an ear of faith. They hear with a heart of faith,
and they believe it, and they love it. Now, there is no salvation
apart from hearing the truth, the gospel of truth. Now, maybe
you read it, maybe you'll hear it, but however it is you come
in contact with it, you're gonna hear it with the ear of faith.
There is never salvation in hearing a lie preached, ever. It's the
gospel of truth that saves. What does Paul say at the end
of verse 13? Through sanctification of the spirit and belief of what?
The truth, not a lie, not a partial truth. The truth, believe in
Christ. Well, I have to believe the gospel.
God calls his elect through the preaching of the gospel. Well,
what gospel? What gospel is it that God uses?
Because there are many gospels. I mean, many. Paul said there
is another gospel. So what gospel is it that God
uses to call his elect? Just one. the gospel of his dear
son, the gospel of Christ, the gospel that declares Christ and
declares the glory of Christ, declares salvation is in Christ,
that's the gospel that God uses to call his elect. So here's
the sixth truth of election. Election has everything to do
with Christ, everything. Every spiritual blessing God
has for any sinners found in one place, in one person, in
the Lord Jesus Christ. Election is the same as the gospel.
It has everything to do with Christ. Paul says, to the obtaining
of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. That's the glory of Christ
in salvation. The glory of Christ that will
be revealed when he returns. Election has everything to do
with Christ. Look in Isaiah chapter 42. Here is the first time the word
elect is used in Scripture. Brother Henry taught us this
so often. This is something the old timers
would talk about a lot, the law of first mention. Whatever a
word means, the first time it's used in Scripture generally is
its meaning all the way through Scripture. Well, here's the first
time the word elect is used in Scripture. I want you to see
who it's referring to. Isaiah 42, verse 1. Behold my servant
whom I uphold. mine elect." That's Christ. Christ
is God's first elect, and we're elect in Him. Behold, mine elect,
in whom my soul delighteth. I put my spirit upon Him. He
should bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. Thank God He's
going to bring that to the Gentiles. The elect's not just that little
nation Israel. He's going to bring this 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 a smoking flap shall he not quench. He
shall bring forth judgment unto truth. He shall not fail, nor
be discouraged. Till he have set judgment in
the earth and the isles shall wait for his law. Election has
everything to do with Christ, and that's the glory that the
elect see. Now look over in John chapter
1. Now I told you election is eternal. Well you know that has
to do with Christ too. God from the beginning chosen
you to salvation. That has to do with Christ. Look
in John chapter 1 verse 1. In the beginning, this is the
same beginning that the Apostle Paul is writing about. In the
beginning was the Word. The Word was with God and the
Word was God. You know that Word there is Christ. That's a capital W. That's talking
about a person. That's talking about Christ who
is the Word of God. The same was in the beginning
with God. All things were made by Him and without Him was not
anything made that was made. In Him was life and the life
was the light of men. That election is eternal and
has to do with Christ. God calls His elect by the gospel
to Christ. He doesn't call us to the doctrines
of grace. He calls us to Christ. And once you come to Christ,
once you see Christ, once you believe Christ, once you cling
to Him, your doctrine is going to be straight because you see
Him, you love Him. God calls His elect to see Christ
the same way Isaiah saw Him, sitting on a throne. high and
lifted up. If you see him that way, that's
going to end his business, so that's not fair. He's king. I
bow before him. God calls his elect to love Christ. I love the fact that Christ is
seated on a throne, high and lifted up, and His glory, His
strength fills the temple. I love that. I love that the
Savior's suffering, because then I can worship before Him. I'll
never worship Christ until I see this. He's King. I don't worship
Him because of what He did for me. Christ is worshiped for who
He is. and I worship before the King
who's high and lifted up. Salvation is in Christ. It's because of Christ. Salvation
depends completely upon the person and the work of the Lord Jesus
Christ. You see, this is why I told you,
election's not salvation. Christ is salvation. I love the
doctrine of election, but election didn't die for me. Christ died
for me. He's the Savior. Election put
me in Christ, but Christ is the Savior, and all of my salvation,
all of my hope of eternity depends upon Him. Now, that gives peace. That gives comfort. I couldn't
have any comfort. I couldn't have any peace if
any part of salvation depended upon me, because I'm here to
tell you I'd fail. I would. But I have peace and
comfort because all of salvation depends upon our Lord Jesus Christ.
So, verse 15, back in our text, 2 Thessalonians 2, therefore,
brethren, stand fast. Hold the traditions which you've
been taught, whether by word or our epistle. Now, understanding
the truth of election. That does not make a person live
a careless life, being indifferent to our sin, being indifferent
to our conduct before men. We were talking about that last
night. That doesn't make you indifferent to your conduct before
men. Election never makes a person,
if you truly understand it, never makes a person say, well, I'm
one of the elect, so it don't matter. It don't matter if I
believe, don't matter how I live. No. That attitude's contrary
to grace. Now, I want you to listen to
me. Brother Cecil Roach, and I've met very many of you know
him. You remember him, Cecil. He said, good preaching. When
somebody gives me something, I put it in my lunch bucket and
take to work tomorrow. Put this in your lunch bucket. In his infinite grace, God's
given you a great gift, a great gift. Stand fast in it. Stand fast in Christ. Stand fast
in your liberty from the law. Stand fast in your liberty to
the ceremony of religion. Stand fast in it. God Almighty
has entrusted his gospel to you. I want you to think about it. I'm
pausing so you can let that sink in. God Almighty has entrusted
his gospel to you. Jan and I drove about three and
a half hours yesterday. How many Grace Churches did we
pass? One. We passed Brother Tom Harding's.
I thought, well, I'll turn down this road and go visit Tom, but
we got to get where we're going. We passed one. God has entrusted
the gospel of his dear son to the Kingsport Sovereign Grace
Church. Brethren, hold it fast. Don't let it slip. because it can. Hold it fast. Never take one step of retreat. Don't do it. Never compromise. Don't ever compromise. This is the gospel of God's son. Don't compromise it. God's given
you his word. Hold it fast. Hold it fast. The truth of election gives God
all the glory and salvation, puts all the responsibility of
salvation squarely upon the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. I'm
telling you, hold him fast. Election makes sinners worship
God. We will only worship when we
see this. I'm powerless to do anything. then that will make me fall at
his feet in worship. And I hope it will you, too.
Hold that worship fast. Now, you can't go just anywhere
and worship the Lord. You can't. Not through preaching. Now, believer, you worship this
afternoon. Jane and I are going to be driving home, and I'll
worship. She'll probably take a nap, and
I'll be thinking about the message, and I'll be thinking about, oh,
I didn't say that right. I wish I had done that better.
But you can worship the Lord driving down the road. I mean,
you worship the Lord when you're washing the dishes and putting
the baby down for a nap. You worship the Lord. But I'm
talking about worship Him publicly with His people. You can't do
that very often, very many places. Hold it fast. Hold it fast. All
right. The Lord bless you.