Turn to Malachi chapter 1, the last book of the Old Testament,
Malachi chapter 1, and also turn to Romans chapter 9. Malachi 1 and Romans chapter
9. As I said, perhaps I should have
taken one of these portions as our text. Malachi 1. You got it? Let's
read the first three verses of Malachi 1, and then we'll go
over and read Romans 9. The burden of the word of the
Lord to Israel by Malachi. I have loved you sayeth the Lord. Yet you say wherein hast thou
loved us? Well was not Esau Jacob's brother,
saith the Lord? Yet I loved Jacob, and I hated
Esau. and laid his mountains and his
heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness." Romans 9. The Apostle Paul is
quoting what we read in Genesis 25 earlier, and Malachi. He's dealing with
both portions of Scripture. Romans 9, look at verse 10, and
not only this, but when Rebekah also had conceived by one, even
by her father Isaac, the children being not yet born, talking about
Jacob and Esau when they were in the womb. Remember when the
Lord came to Rebekah and what he said to her? 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, God said
to Rebekah, The elder shall serve the younger, as it is written
in Malachi 1, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. There are many people who have
a problem with these verses. Most people, I should say, have
a problem with these verses. Most people probably wish they
weren't in the Bible, along with other verses. Many people try to explain these
words away by twisting them and translating them to the point
of saying something else. They say that when he said, I
hated Esau, they say it means love less. It says he laid his mountains,
his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness. That is much
less love. If that's love at all, I don't
want it, right? You say it means love less. No,
it means hate. It means utterly detest. Many
people try to explain these away, would rather not have them in
Scripture, but here they are. And they're here to stay. And
they're even recorded twice. Jacob have I loved, but Esau
have I hated. Whenever the Lord says something
twice, it's almost like he's saying to us, in case you didn't
hear me the first time, I'll say it again. And since the scripture
says in 1 John that God is love, since the scripture says God
is love, most people can't understand how God could hate anyone. And so they have a hard time
believing this passage. Are you with me? Most people believe that everyone,
even Esau, even Adolf Hitler, even Charles
Manson, no matter who it is or how evil, most people believe
everyone deserves, and this is their own language. Everyone deserves a chance to
be saved. So they just don't think, most
people just don't think it's fair to say that God chose to
save one and not the other. Isn't that right? That's what
most people feel. And I don't have to confess that I have a problem with these
verses too. I really do. Knowing what the
Scripture says about God, about his character, I don't see how
he could feel this way about one of these fellows. I don't see how, knowing what
I know about the character of God, I don't see how he can feel
this way about one of these brothers. And I don't see how he could
do what he did to this fellow. I don't think this man did anything
deserve this from God. I don't think it's fair for God
to do this. I just don't think this man deserves
this any more than the other. Now, I'm talking about Jacob. I'm talking about Jacob. I don't
see how God could love him. This is the marvel in this whole
thing, this whole verse of Scripture. We shouldn't spend so much time
arguing and talking about how God, and trying to prove that
God hated Esau. Man, that fellow was a heathen.
I don't have any problem with believing God hated Esau. Now,
the birthright, people, the birthright is a type of religion. Anything
has to do with God. The birthright—the fellow who
owned the birthright, the eldest son, had all the rights and privileges
of being the oldest son. He was the spiritual leader of
the house. He was the heir of his father's fortune, or his
father's responsibility. He was—it had a spiritual meaning. He was to be When God instituted
this birthright, the eldest son was to be the spiritual leader,
primarily. He was to take the oversight
of the family in spiritual matters. He was to be a spiritual man,
one of the faithful fathers. Esau didn't give a flip about
God Almighty. All he cared about was going
hunting. All he wanted to do was hunt
and fish or go to the races or, you know, do something like that.
Fill his belly up. That's all he wanted. And they
must have talked about it before. Esau wouldn't have jumped at
this so quick if Jacob hadn't said it to him before. Right? And here's this opportunity and
the fellow was hungry and all he He just wanted something to
eat. God was his belly. And Jacob said, sell me your
birthright. And there was a lot to... The birthright represents
religion. And Esau said, what good does
that do me? I need something to eat. Take
that old birthright. And the last verse in Genesis
25 said he despised the birthright. Do you remember that? Remember
reading that? Amy, remember that? He despised the birthright. I
don't have any problem believing that God hated this fellow Esau.
Do you? Like anybody else today who God
feeds them and clothes them and gives them everything they have.
So Isaiah chapter 1 talks about that. He said, all the day long
I've nurtured and raised up a people who've rebelled against me. I've
fed them, I've clothed them. He said, I've girded you though
you haven't known me. I've given you your bread, your
food, your clothing, your families, your automobiles, your houses,
your jobs. I've given you health. I've nurtured
you all these days, and you haven't given me a thought. You don't
give me something on Easter morning or Christmas. You pay your little
pittance of, you know, give God a little notion of religion every
now and then. I don't have any problem with
God hating anybody. Do you? How long would you put
up with somebody like that? Forty, fifty, sixty, seventy
years put up with somebody that you do keep doing for, keep doing
for, and they never one time say, from the heart, thank you. Everything they have, you gave
them, and they never one time give you credit for it. And Romans 1 goes in depth about
that. Thankless people. So it says
God gave him over, and God hates him. I don't have any problem with
that, do you? Given in that light, do you have
any problem with God hating anybody like that? I don't. It's holy hatred. It's not like
ours. It's holy hatred. Well, the problem
I have is And here's the miracle of this whole story is God loved
Jacob. Here's the wonder of wonders.
I don't have any problem believing God hated Esau. He was a—that
fellow was worth hating. He spit on God. But God loved Jacob. Now, do
you know who Jacob is? It's their name. John, their
name means cheat. He's a cheat. That's what it
meant when he came out of the womb and grabbed his brother's
heel. It's a planter. Usurper. Cheat. You can't have
what I want. I want out first. That's what
that little twin said. I want out first. Come back in
here. Let me go first. Cheat. It's a planter. This fellow, if you read his
life, just read the story about Nebuchadnezzar. Just read it.
That's your own casual reading. He was a rotten fellow. Cheated his father-in-law. He
was rotten. No good, cowardly... Cheated
his brother! He's the man that... He started this mess, didn't
he, with Esau. Cheated his Boy, that's a low-down
snake, isn't it? Huh? What if Sammy did that to
you, Stephen? What a snake in the grass, huh? But God says, I love Jacob. I don't see how. I don't see
why. Why? I wouldn't have loved him. You
wouldn't have loved him if you didn't know Jacob. People, if
you'd have known Jacob, he would not have been your best friend.
Somebody'd say, you know what, Jacob? Yeah, well, he's a rotten
fellow, ain't he? He's an old friend of mine. I
ought to cheat you out of you. Whatever. He'd have been a good
used car salesman, Jacob. Or a preacher. You know, and I said, turn over
to Job 25, Job chapter 25. right before the book of Psalms.
I found a book of Job, chapter 25. And like I said, knowing
what the Scripture says about God, about his character, I don't
see how he loved this fellow Jacob. Knowing that Scripture
says God is holy. Scripture says the heavens are
not clean in his sight. The heavens. How much more abominable
and filthy is man which drinketh iniquity like the water? That's
what Job fifteen said. Look at Job twenty-five verse
four. How then can man be justified
with God? How can he be clean as born of
a woman? Behold, even to the moon it shineth
not. Yea, the stars are not pure in
God's sight. How much less man that's a worm,
and the Son of Man which is a worm. You remember when the Lord said
to Jacob, Fear not thou worm. Knowing that God is holy, I don't
see how you can love anybody. Any man, man's a worm. You know
what a worm, worm, worm there is maggot. You ever seen maggots? Do you love maggots? Go to your garbage can and open
up the lid after it's been in the hot sun for a few days and
you've had a piece of dog meat or something in there, and open
it up and what you'll see is maggots. Things that eat dead things.
That's what the term worm here is, a maggot. That's what man
is, a maggot, and he lives off dead things, dead things, the
world. Never gives a thought to God.
He's detestable. He's odious in the sight of God.
Everything he does is filthy, filthy, stinking. Even his best
deeds, Isaiah 64, 6, says, is filthy, stinking. Is that what the Scripture says
about mankind? It says, from the sole of his feet to the top
of his head, there's no soundness in him, nothing but wounds and
bruises and putrefying sores. You know what it says? Stinking.
Filthy creature. Man is a filthy creature. You
don't have to go far to know that soul. Look in your own heart. Hate, lust, envy, jealousy, hatred,
wrath, spewing out mouths Tongues, it says that mouths
are full of venom. Tongue, like an asp. Feet, swift
as shred butt. Are you quicker to forgive somebody
or want to punch them in the nose? Is it easier for you to tell
the truth, even if it costs you, tell the truth or lie? This man, and God is holy, God
loves holy things, loves righteous things. I can't. I can't understand
how this holy God could love anybody. Do you? We love, now how is our
love? We love those that really love
us. We love those who we think are
nice. You mothers, that's the reason
you love those little children, when they're born and they're
red and they're ugly. They're all ugly when they come out.
I don't care what you say. They're ugly. Teresa, I'm sorry.
They're ugly when they come out. Barnard, when he'd see a newborn
baby, he'd say, you know, he was a truthful fellow. He'd say,
well, it's a baby. Now, it's cuter. They're not
all that cute when they first come out. They're red and wrinkly
and got stuff all over them. But you mothers love them. You
look at them and go, oh, I love this thing. But it's yours. And I tell you, that's the only
explanation you give for this love of God today. That's the
only explanation. Turn over to Romans 9. Now, we'll
dwell there. Romans 9. The only explanation
you can give for why God loves anybody, how God can love sinful
men, how God can be just and justifier, there's only one explanation
for this. Romans 9. Romans 9, verse 11,
says this, 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, it's 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. For Jacob have I chose to love. We're talking about sovereign election.
It's the only explanation you can give for God loving anybody. Except one. But for God to love any son of
Adam, the only explanation you can give is God said, I'm going
to love him. There's nothing lovely about
him. Sovereign election. Barnard used to say it. He said
election is more than a doctrine. Election's not a doctrine anyway.
He said it's a person choosing persons. And I might add, despicable persons. Sovereign election. Exodus 33,
verse 19, God says, I will be gracious. unto whom I will be
gracious." The marvel is, he says, I will be gracious. I'll be gracious. That is the
marvel. I will be gracious unto whom
I will be gracious. Really, that's his right. It's
a marvel that he's gracious to anybody. That's his God-given,
God-right, his person. He says, I will be merciful.
Oh, am I merciful? You ought not to. They ought
to get what they deserve. God says, no, I'll be merciful.
There's the marvel in it, isn't it? This is not just something
to prove. It's something to wonder at and
to be amazed at. I stand amazed at the amazing
grace. How sweet to sound. What kind
of grace? Sovereign grace. I will be gracious. to whom I will be gracious."
That's fine, Lord. The miracle is you're going to
be gracious. I hope it's me, but if it's not
me, it's a miracle that you're gracious to anybody. I have loved
thee. You remember where it said in
Malachi, I have learned that you love me. He said, didn't
I? He saw your brother. Did you catch that? How have you loved me, Lord?
Wasn't Esau your brother, your twin, just like you? Peas in
the pod, children in the same womb, just as—you're just as
bad as he is or was, wasn't he, huh? Y'all the same? I loved
you." Haley saw. Oh, sovereign love. You see that? How have you loved me? Sovereignly.
I chose you. My love just set my affection
on you. What do you mean just set your
affection on something? It's to take something that's
undeserving and unworthy, something unlovely. Scripture calls us
unlovely. And it's for God to say, I'm
going to love you. I'm going to make myself love
this person. I'm going to set my affection
on you. And whatever God does, It's forever. I have loved thee
sovereignly, with an everlasting love. Isn't that good news, y'all? I've loved you. Who, me? Yes,
you. How? Sovereignly, with an everlasting love. Oh, my. Look back at Romans chapter
8. Romans chapter 8, verse 29. And
like I said, this is This is not something to argue. Let the
pot sherds of the earth strive with the pot sherds of the earth.
Let people argue, you know, and say, God chose the people. If
they won't have it, you say, just go on. Wipe the dust, shake
the dust off your pants and go somewhere else until you find
somebody that God makes them amazed. I stand amazed at the
love, how God can love me. You got to love me. If you're
an old sinner and you trust God, yeah, He loves you. Amazing love. How can it be that thou, my God,
should stop me? Sovereign love. Romans 8 verse
29, For whom he did foreknow, the word is forelove, like know,
like the word eat, or when Adam knew his wife Eve, that's first
mention of know. Adam knew or loved or joined
himself to his bride whom he loved. For whom God did foreknow
or love beforehand, he also did predestinate, predetermine therein,
to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he, that Christ,
might be the firstborn among many brethren. Remember that
verse. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, he called. Whom
he called, him he also justified. Whom he justified, him he also
glorified. What are we going to say to these
things? Oh, my, if God loves me. Who can be against me? Who shall separate us from the
love of God which is in Christ Jesus? Turn over to Ephesians chapter one.
Ephesians chapter one. I hope somebody is rejoicing
in this, you know. I've said this so many times. Liberty is relative, but truth
is everlasting. Brother Charles Penton, he said
one time he was preaching somewhere and came back to the 13th Street
there, and my pastor asked him how he got along. He said, Did
you have any liberty? And Charles said, Oh, I don't
know. He said, But I believe it told
the truth. And my pastor looked at him and
said, Well, Charles, he said, Liberty is nice. Everybody wants it. And you love to hear rousing,
emotional. You know, you love to see me
get real worked up and so forth. It sometimes works you up and
all. But I tell you what, this truth is unchanged. When God spoke to one of his
prophets, he spoke in a still, small voice. And he went out of there a changed
man. Maybe I ought to preach the rest of this sermon like
this. So was everybody... What? So maybe everybody paid attention.
Want me to say it again? God chose a people. Didn't have
to. But he did. Yeah, he did. God loves some people. What did you say? God loves some
people. Ephesians 1. You see, all men
are rotten, unlovely creatures, born sinners, like I said, like
the Scripture said, ungodly, liars, stealers. Lovers of self,
lovers of pleasure more than God, haters of God. These are
all scriptural truth. Thankless, don't care about God,
don't thank God. Lovers of sin, haters of good.
Listen, the only explanation, you say, everybody's not like
that. The only explanation for any good or any morality or any
sense of decency in this world. The only explanation is the restraining
grace of God Almighty. You see, I know some good, sweet
people, and the only reason they are is because God made them
good, sweet people. God restrained them from being
another harlot on the street. Who maketh thee to differ? 1 Corinthians 4 says, Who maketh
thee to differ? Right? It's the grace of God. By the grace of God, I am what
I am. The only explanation for anybody
being moral, and don't let anybody mistake the grace of God for
personal holiness. We ain't got no personal holiness. Holiness is another word for
righteousness. David said in Psalm 71, said
it about seven times, he said, I'll make mention of thy righteousness
in thine own vain. Higher than the heaven, what
little I got, you gave it to me. If I'm righteous, you made
me so. If I'm moral, you made me so.
If I'm decent, you made me so. If I ain't out running drunk,
you restrained me from it. Right? The only explanation is restraining
grace of God, and that's sovereign, that's sovereign. God lifts his
hand off of Charles Madison. Is he a worse man than you, than
Terry Kinsley? Always say, Terry's a good man.
Why? God restrained Terry Kinsley.
That's it. Restraining grace of God. But
God, who is rich in mercy, chose to save some of these undeserving
creatures, didn't have to, didn't need to. He didn't need us, but
he chose us. Look at verse 1, Ephesians 1,
Paul, an apostle of God, by the will of God, to the saints which
are at Ephesus, faithful in Christ Jesus. Why does it mean by faithful?
Because faith is a gift of God. Verse 2, grace be to you, peace
from Circle that word, from. From God our Father and from
the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, bless God. He didn't have
to, didn't need to. Bless God, He did. The Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly, where are they? In heavenly things
in Christ. How did He bless us chiefly?
Verse 4, according as He has chosen us in Christ. And stay with me just a few more
minutes, all right? He had chosen the people in Christ before the
foundation of the world, that we should be holy without blame
before him in love. Oh, that's a sovereign love right
there. He set his love on some. Grace
to you, peace to you. Who's you? Now it says on down
there in chapter 2, You in time and fast walk according to the
course of this world, prince of the power of their children,
to this obedience like everybody else. But God said to you, you
old child of that you who may, yeah, you, grace to you, peace
to you. What about that? No, you. Doesn't that make that but God
and to you? Little words, aren't they? But
God and you, more than a doctrine, a person
choosing persons. Yeah, you chosen us in Christ
before the foundation of the world. And did you read the quote
in the bulletin by Spurgeon? I've quoted that so many times,
I thought you might just like to have it in print. That's one
of those refrigerator quotes. That's a refrigerator quote.
Take it out and put it on your refrigerator. He said, I believe
the doctrine of election because I'm quite sure if God had not
chosen me, I never would have chosen him. Boy, you're looking at a young
man who was wallowing in the gutter and liking it. Prodigal
son, really enjoying himself. And somebody said, are you interested
in God? No. I'm not that. But God. I'm quite sure if God hadn't
chosen me, I'd have never chosen Him, and I'm sure He did it before
I was born. I'm sure He did it before the
foundation of the world. He chose me before I was born,
because if He had waited to see how it was going to turn out,
He never would have chosen me. Is that you? Is that you, John? John 2? 2 John? Huh? Oh, if he'd have waited. Let's
see how John's going to turn out. See if John will choose
me. John ain't never going to choose you. John doesn't like you. Doesn't
want you, God. He's not... He's going to love me. Let's ask John,
you love God? No, I don't love God. That's
impossible, Lord. With man, it is impossible. With God, all things are possible.
No, John, do you love me, John? Ain't impossible, is it? Ask my old cronies. Sovereign love, I'm telling you,
sovereign love. Sovereign has to be. That means
love. He's the one who decides to set
his love on some. None lovely. He decides to love
them. None worthy. He chose to save
some. I said this before in the chariot.
Nobody has any redeemable qualities. We mistakenly say that about
people sometimes. Well, he has some redeeming qualities.
No, he doesn't. No, he doesn't. Nobody has any
qualities that makes them worth God's shed and His Son's blood
for. Now put it in that light. Is
there one human being on earth worth the blood of the altogether
lovely, blessed Son of God Himself? Nobody's worth God's Son doing
that for. Unworthy love. He loves the unworthy. Here's the key verse here in
1, verse 10. Here's the key verse. We saw
it in Romans 9, verse 11, that in the dispensation of time,
fullness of times, God might gather together in one all things
in Christ, both which are in heaven, which are on earth, yes,
even in him. The purpose of God. He said it
in verse 9. The good pleasure which God purposed in himself
to gather together in one all things in Christ. Yes, even in
Christ. The reason for election. Five
more minutes, I beg your attention. The reason for election. Why
God chose to save some. is to gather together in one,
that is, Christ, all things. And verse 12 says that we should
be the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ. You
see, there's only one person. Like I said, there's only one
person worthy of God loving. One man, whoever walked this
planet, worthy of God's love, and God, when God saw this man,
he said it from heaven, this is my beloved son. You ever tell
your children that? I tell my daughter that all the
time. I can't help myself. I say, honey, I love you. God's Son walked this planet
all together, lovely, holy, spotless, righteous, unblameable, unapprovable,
without spot or blemish. And God, you can't make God say
it. God was compelled to say it.
What a lovely man. That's my boy. I love him. Y'all
better hear him. You worms. Hey, worms. I love this one. Y'all rest of you worms. Oh,
but there's a man. What a man. I love him. He said it twice. Worthy. He earned God's love. He earned
God's love. What have we earned? The wages
of sin is death. Only one person deserving of
God's favor and approval. God said, I'm well pleased. I'm
well pleased with this man. Is there anybody in here that
God could say that about? about us personally, in and over
anybody. Even the preacher. Nobody. There never has been
a man. Look at the lives of all of them.
Abraham. We've been looking at Abraham.
Faithful? He was a... David? Look at him. He was one faithful man, faithful
to his God, one person deserving of God's favor and approval,
and he lived thirty-three years, and God said, What a man. I'm well pleased with this man.
I'm well pleased. Only one holy, God-honoring—the
Scripture says, "...all have sinned and come short of the
glory." But one—one man. And that's the reason Peter stood
up on Pentecost and said, You men of Israel, listen! Listen!
There's a man approved of God. Jesus of Nazareth. A man's been
approved of God. One God-honoring man, one man
that loved God with all his heart, mind, soul, and strength, loved
his neighbor as himself. That's the reason we shouldn't
talk too much about the law concerning ourselves. We've all sinned and
come far short of the law. If we've done all the things
we're required of, it's still unprofitable. Let's talk about
the one who kept it perfectly on our behalf. The only man approved
of God, the only man acceptable to God, and because of him, because
of him, God loves some people. Yes! Because of Christ. One more scripture, okay? Isaiah
42. Isaiah 42. Everybody's got a Bible. As Martin would say, buy your
Bible. Everybody's got one. I want you
to look at it. Isaiah 42. This is the climax
to this message. It says we've been blessed in
Him. Ephesians 1 says we've been chosen in Him, blessed in Him,
loved in Him, all spiritual blessings in Him. In Him, I keep saying
in Him, in Him, in Him, in Him. The Word is because of Him. That God, that He represents
us. That God doesn't see me, He sees
Christ. That's more than a doctrine,
that's my life, that's my salvation. Christ said, because I live.
Who are you? Holy, spotless, approved, a man
approved of God. He said, Because I live. There's
a man in glory. There's a man in glory. There's
a man in glory in the holy, spotless presence of a thrice-holy God
who can't look on the moon. It's not pure. There's a man
up there. A man! Sinful man? No. Holy man. Is it Pope Pius IV? No. Holy man? No. There's only one. The one mediator between God
and men. The man. The man. And there's going to be another man
in there. A whole bunch of other men and women. Why? Because of the man. Because where they're in are
represented by the man. God's elect. You know God has
one elect? God chose one man, chosen out
of the people, and everybody else is chosen in him. Look at
it. Isaiah 42, verse 1, Behold my
servant, whom I uphold, mine elect. in whom my soul delighted."
Who's he talking about? Isaiah? Oh, my. Isaiah said,
I saw his glory. I saw him. I saw who he was talking
about. His train filled the temple.
I fell at his feet. I said, woe is me. I'm a man
of unclean lips. But he laid his hand on me. He
said, I'm going to make you clean. This is that God's elect, Christ,
in whom his soul delighted, I put my spirit upon him. He shall
bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. Any doubt now who he's talking
about? He shall not cry nor lift up nor cause his voice to be
heard in the street. Verse 4, he shall not fail nor
be discouraged. That ain't the Jesus they're
preaching today, who tried and failed, who wants to and can't.
Oh no, he shall not fail nor be discouraged till he hath set
judgment in the earth, till he hath justified the ungodly from
all things from which they could not be justified by the law of
Moses. You see, the law came through
Moses, but grace and salvation and truth came through the Lord
Jesus Christ. Read on. You can just keep reading
on. Verse 21, the Lord's well pleased for your righteousness,
no, his righteousness sake. He will magnify the law and make
it honorable. Chapter 43 says in verse 7, everyone
that is called by my name, I have created him for my glory. And
that's what it said That's what it said back in Ephesians 1,
wasn't it? Everything might be to the praise
and the glory of his grace, according as he has made us accepted in
the blood. The purpose of God, according
to Elijah, is to save a people from their sins, make a holy
people, make a holy people like God's only Son. to the praise
of God's sovereign love. Sovereign love. Sovereign love. Sovereign love. You get out of
here, sovereign love. Hey, I've loved it. Sovereign
mercy. Sovereign mercy. Sovereign grace. I make no apology. Apology. Sovereign grace. What do you
believe? What do y'all preach to that? Sovereign grace. Sovereign
love. Yea, I have loved thee. Me? Yea,
you. Sovereign grace. Mercy. To the praise of the glory
of His grace. Thank God. Thank God for Christ,
Christ in whom we are accepted. Okay, Joe, did you pick him out?
235?