Sovereign Grace Chapel, located
at 135 Annabel Lane in Beaver, West Virginia, invites you to
listen to a gospel message concerning Jesus Christ our Lord. Good morning. and welcome to this morning's
broadcast. I have a, what I'm going to term,
at least it is to me, it is a most astounding passage as my text. Listen as I read from God's holy
scripture, and where I'm reading from is Paul's letter to the
church at Ephesus, and it's Ephesians chapter one, and I'll read to
start with just the first six verses, and listen to what Paul
the apostle wrote. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to
the faithful in Christ Jesus. Grace be to you and peace from
God our Father, from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with
all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. according as
he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy and without blame before him in love, having
predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to
himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the
praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted,
that is, God the Father, hath made us accepted in the beloved
that's in Christ the Son. These words that Paul wrote,
they usher us back even before God created the earth. I was
going to say a time, but I don't know that that's accurate to
say it that way. These words usher us back even before God
created the earth. The phrase here was even before,
here's the phrase, before the foundation, or that word foundation
could mean the conception or the founding, even the conception
of the world, before the foundation of the world. Even before the
events, go all the way back, a hundred, a few thousand years,
all the way back to Genesis chapter one. In the beginning, God created
the heavens and the earth. Paul is writing about something
that took place before even the events of Genesis chapter 1 and
2, before God even created this earth. this solar system we live in,
this galaxy we live in, this universe we live in, even the
space, before that even existed, even before the foundation of
the world. These words in Ephesians chapter
one, verses one through six, usher us way back yonder, way
back yonder. Now, I don't really know why
I point that way, but it's way back yonder, even before the
event, astounding. even before the events of Genesis
chapter one and two. Now, here's another fact of our
text. What is spoken of here had God's
will, and that's what we read. What is spoken of here had God's
will as its only source. You hear what I just said. I
pray God gives you the ears to hear what I just said. What is
spoken of here had God's will as its only source. Yea, it was
according to the good pleasure of his will. According to the
good pleasure of his will. But it's more than that. It's
more than that. There's two verses I haven't
read yet. They go along, they're right
here in the context of the text I read, the first six verses.
And that is verses nine and 11. Listen to what verse nine says. having made known unto us the
mystery of his will, according to the good pleasure which he
purposed in himself. Do you see that? In himself.
That clearly testifies to the fact that God did not purpose
this according to anything that would be or was. There was nothing
else but God. It was before the foundation
of the world. God never considered anything out there, so to speak,
He purposed it where? In himself. Also look at verse
11, there's the second verse. In whom also we have obtained
an inheritance being predestinated according to the purpose of him
who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. Do you see that? It was not based
upon what man's will would be, might be, could be. It was based upon what? He purposed
all things after the counsel of his own will. Much of what
passes for so-called Christianity today is always talking about
man's will. Now, they talk about being in
God's will, but God's will is supreme. God's will rules, God's
will reigns, and especially in the subjects that are covered
in these verses, verses one all the way through at least to verse
11 and beyond, of course. But those verses I read to you,
it's all according to him and his will. Isn't that astounding? That's astounding. You see, what
God did, What God did, and I'm talking now, I'm still referring
to what Paul says God did in these verses we read, even before
the foundation of the world. What God did, even before man
was created in the garden. That's right. What God did, even
before man was created in Eden, even, even before man fell, after God had created him in
the garden. What God did, even before man
was created in Eden, God did this. God predestinated and elected
a people. That's what we've just read.
That's my title. That's my subject for this morning.
Predestinated and elected by God's will. predestinated and
elected by God's will. Now, what I want to try to do
this morning is highlight just two facts, two facts that are
sufficient for my subject this morning. I must confess that
these two facts, the two things I will highlight would be but
just scratching the surface, so to speak. But they'll be sufficient
for this subject, predestinated and elected Now, if you were
listening, if you read law, you were listening. Predestinated
and elected, how? By the will of God, by the will
of God. First thing this morning. God
did this, that is this predestinating and electing. And I realize that
the election is mentioned first, the election is mentioned first,
then predestination, but you will notice that he elected according
to verse four. And then verse five says, having
predestinated. So the election, as far as in
the will of God, the purpose of God, the predestination came
first, then the election. Now I don't have time to try
to go into, try to explain any of that, other than to say this.
God did not predestinate and then come up with the election.
All of this was in the mind and purpose of God together, with
God eternally. But God puts it in his word,
in its proper order, so that we will have no excuse, we have
no reason to deny what God says. He elected us, those who are
elected, he elected us, having predestinated us, listen, unto
the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, by Christ
to Christ. by, you see, by himself, according
to the good pleasure of God's will. So again, God did this. Listen to me. God did this way
back yonder, way back yonder. God did this in spite of men's
objections to it today. That's right, I know they object.
I know there's a lot of people object. Maybe someone hearing
me this morning say, well, my pastor, my preacher, I don't
know that he's ever even mentioned anything like that. That's sad
to say the least. Sad to say the least. God did
this in spite of men and women's objections to it today. The objections
that happened today, they're not new. They're not new. They've
been going on ever since man fell in the garden. Man's always
objected to God's truth. But again, I say God did this
in spite of men and women's objections to it today. Think of it. None
of us existed when God did this. It was before the foundation
of the world. And this election, and this predestination, or we
could say predestination and election, it's right to say it
either way because, again, it was all one purpose in God's
will, in God's mind. But he lays it out in its order
so that we be not confused about anything. God did this in spite
of men and women's objections to it. God did this. before we
ever even existed. God did this and this election
was not. It's clear from this. It's clear. This election was not based upon
some good or evil that would later be in us or of us. Now how can I say something like
that? I can say that based upon the testimony of God's own word
itself. Now listen to what Paul wrote
in Romans chapter nine. And I realize this is not spoken
of in probably most places. And if it is spoken of in some
places, it's probably distorted, twisted. They'll read the verses
I read as a text this morning, Ephesians 1, 1-6, Ephesians 9,
1-9, and 1-11. They'll say, well, now let me
tell you what that means, or at least something along that
line. You don't need me to tell you what it means. I'm here to
declare what it says. It means what it says. It means
what it says. Now, listen to what the Apostle
Paul wrote in this. It is fact of objection. Objection. Romans chapter nine, and let
me, for the sake of time, begin in verse 11. Go back later and
make sure I'm not twisting this around. Read it for yourself
sometime. Romans chapter nine and verse 11. For the children,
okay, that's Jacob and Esau. This woman named Rebecca had
twins in her womb, okay? They later were named Jacob and
Esau. For the children, now listen
to it. Listen to what God's word says. You don't need me to explain
it to you. Again, I'm just preaching it
to you. I'm just proclaiming it to you. I'm just telling you
what it says. for the children being not yet
born. Okay, so it was before they were
born. Neither, neither, so he's adding in a second thing. Neither
having done any good or evil. You see it? Before they were
born. Neither having done any good
or evil that the purpose of God according to election might stand. You see it? Not of works. but
of him that calleth, good works or evil works. You see, that's
what it says. It was said unto her, that is,
God said to Rebecca, this woman having these twins in her womb,
before they were born, before they'd ever done any good or
evil, it was said unto her, the elder shall serve the younger. But now listen, Paul brings in
something most pertinent. As it is written, Paul's saying
here's something that's true, it's always been true, it is
true now. Because this election, this election,
this purpose of election was before the foundation of the
world. We just read that. Listen, as it is written, Jacob
have I loved, but Esau have I hated. That's what it says. That's what
it means. Look. What shall we say then? Paul knew that objections would
come. Just like they do today. Objections
would come. What shall we say then? Is there
unrighteousness with God? Is God wrong to love one and
hate the other? Is he? Is God wrong to not love
everybody? Is God wrong to not hate everybody?
Look at what he says. What shall we say then? Is there
unrighteousness with God? God forbid, just the way it is,
God forbid. Listen, for he saith to Moses,
do you see it? For he saith to Moses, I will
have mercy, hear it? I will have mercy on whom I will
have mercy. Whose will mattered? Whose will
mattered when it come to Jacob and Esau? Whose will mattered
when it come to the predestinating and the electing that took place
by God before the foundation of the world? We read it. His
will. You see it? For he saith to Moses, I will
have mercy. 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, nor of him that runneth, but
of God, that showeth mercy, it's of him. It didn't depend, God
didn't look without of himself. He purposed this and willed it
where? In himself. So then, it is not
of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that
showeth mercy. Now, let me say this. In time,
those that God predestinated Those that got elected before
the foundation of the world, in time, they will be made willing
in the day of God's power. And they will, what run? They
will continue. They will endure to the end.
They will. But it didn't depend on that. God's will is what purposed
that. God's will is what decreed that.
So then it is not that is the mercy, The compassion, the purpose,
the election, it is 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, now listen
to it, therefore hath God mercy on whom God will have mercy,
and whom God will, God does what? Hardeneth. That's what it says.
That's what it says. Thou will say then unto me, see
the objections were even then. Thou will say then unto me, why
doth he that is God yet find fault? For who has resisted God's
will? Nay, but O man, who art thou
that replies 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 honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God,
willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured
with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction?
and that he might make known the riches of his glory on the
vessels of mercy which have therefore prepared him the glory. And then
here is the glorious thing of that. Even us, whom he hath called,
not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles. So again, I
emphasize this. This is my first point. Simple
enough. Simple enough. My subject is
profound, but what we can say about it is not profound other
than it's true. It is what it is. This is who
God is. God did this predestinating and
this electing in spite of men's objections to it. We didn't even
exist when he did it. And after we fell in the garden,
it was true before we fell, and it's still true after we fell.
God loves whom he will love. God hates whom he will hate.
You see, once God calls you by his grace, You're no longer amazed
that God hated Esau. He kind of began to understand
why God could hate Esau. What becomes a marvel is that
God would love Jacob, that God would love me. I deserve his
wrath, his hatred, his severity. But he predestinated and elected
some folk. And I'm glad he did this. Now,
I know some say, well, I object to that. I don't believe that
preacher. Okay, fine. It changes nothing. Objection to it changes nothing. Here's my second thought for
this morning. Christ himself, remember they were predestinated. to the adoption of children by
Jesus Christ to himself. They're accepted in the beloved.
They were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world that
they should be holy and without blame before him in love. Do you see it? Christ himself
was the source. He was the reason. He was the
foundation. I'm just saying basically the
same thing with different words. Christ himself was the source,
the reason, the foundation, and the ruling factor in predestination
and election. Again. Blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all
spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. According as he has chosen us
in him before the foundation of the world, that we should
be holy and without blame before him in love. Having predestinated
us under the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Jesus Christ,
to himself. according to the good pleasure
of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein
he hath made us, that is, those who were predestinated and elected,
he has made us accepted, where? In Christ, in Christ. And then
it's more than just that. God satisfied divine justice.
We didn't deserve to be loved. We didn't deserve to have compassion.
We didn't deserve to have mercy. But look, in whom we have redemption,
Verse seven, in whom, that's in Christ. It's still all Christ.
He's the, as I said, he's what? The source, the reason, the foundation,
the ruling factor in all this. In whom we have redemption through
his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches
of his grace. Do you see what grace really
is now? Grace is not an offer. Grace is God's sovereign purpose
in predestinating and electing love. wherein he hath abounded
toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known unto us the
mystery of his will according to the good pleasure which he
hath purposed in himself. You see that? So again, I say
Christ is the source. Now someone says, well, I object. I just don't believe that preacher.
I know, I did not at one time either. I objected, vehemently
objected. I thank God he overruled my objection. I thank God he came along and
gave me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. So you object. I understand that. I do. But
it changes nothing. It changes nothing. Yes, some
do object. There is no doubt. So my time's
slipping away. Just have a few minutes left.
But I want you to listen to an account of something that took
place with our Lord Jesus Christ himself when he came to this
earth. God Almighty came to this earth
in human flesh. And I want you to listen to this
account. Yes, some do object. And some
people will even object to do great violence. I've not seen
the violence come to a head, but I've seen people threatened.
I've seen that years ago. Listen to this account in Luke
chapter four and verse 16. This is Dr. Luke's account of
something that happened concerning our Jesus Christ. And he came
to Nazareth, speaking of Christ, where he'd been brought up. And
as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath
day and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto
him the book of the prophet Esaias, or that is Isaiah as we know
it. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where
it was written. The spirit of the Lord is upon me because he
anointed me to preach the gospel of the poor. He has sent me to
heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives,
and recovery of sight to the blind, and set at liberty them
that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
And he closed the book, you see. And he closed the book, and he
gave it again to the minister. the guy that was kind of overseeing
the proceedings, and he gave it to the minister and sat down.
Look at it, all the eyes of them that were in the synagogue were
fastened on him. He read this passage and they
just started watching him, looking at him. Now look, and he began
to say unto them, this day is this scripture fulfilled in your
ears. Listen and all bear witness and wondered and look at it at
the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth Notice they're
saying just call it grace right now. You see it. They're saying
oh, oh what gracious words look and they said is this not Joseph's
son? This is Joseph's son look and he said unto them ye will
surely say unto me this proverb. Physician, heal thyself. Whatsoever
we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.
And he said, Verily, or that is truly, I say unto you, no
prophet is accepted in his own country, but I tell you of a
truth. Do you see it? Remember they
called it, what he said at first, they called gracious words. Look,
but I tell you of a truth. Many widows were in Israel in
the days of Elias. when the heaven was shut up three
years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the
land, but unto none of them was a lie sent save unto Sarepta,
a city of Sidon, unto the woman that was a widow. all these widows
in Israel, and God never fed one of them. He sent this one
prophet unto this one Gentile woman. Now look, and many lepers
were in Israel in the time of Elisha, the prophet, and none
of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian. Do you see
that predestination and election here? God chose to be merciful
and gracious to two people, while hundreds of hundreds were widowed
and hungry. That's what Christ said. That's
what he said, and look. And all they in the synagogue,
when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose
up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him under the brow
of the hill wherein the city was built, that they might cast
him down headlong. But he passed through the midst
of them, and went his way. You see that? See it? Yeah, there is no doubt people
object. But now let me tell you, not
everybody objects. Listen to an account by Luke in Acts chapter
13 when Paul had preached to the Jews and they rejected it.
They rejected it. Paul said, well, since you've
rejected it, Lord, we turn to the Gentiles. We're gonna preach
to them. And listen, verse 48, and when the Gentiles heard this,
and go back and look at what he preached, he said, some people's
not going to believe though it's preached to you. That's God's
purpose. That's what he preached. That's what Paul preached. Look,
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. You see it? You see, your response
to the truth to this truth in particular, your response, my
response. Our response to this truth manifests. It don't determine, but it manifests. It manifests whether you're predestinated
and elected or not. Our Lord Jesus Christ said, my
sheep hear my voice. They hear my voice, they follow
me. He told some people in that same
time, same message, he said, you don't believe because you're
not of my sheep. What does God's sheep do? What
do those predestinated and elected do when they begin to hear it?
The power of the Spirit of God comes upon them. He breathes
upon them spiritual life from God Almighty, ordained from eternity. God promised eternal life and
he didn't lie about it. when he gives this eternal life,
and they hear that gospel message, that message stirs up within
them what? Faith in Christ, faith in Christ. You see, Jesus Christ
is all in this. God did this predestinating,
and election, and electing in spite of what we would be. Christ
himself, this, I cannot, I know I cannot overemphasize this.
Christ himself was, and maybe I should now say he is, was and
is the source, the reason, the foundation, and the ruling factor
in all predestination and election. Yes, some men become very angry
at it. Some would even do violence if
they could, if they could. And sometimes God may lift his
restraint, and they do. Oh, but I thank God some folks
believe it. I ask you, do you find yourself? I believe that.
Do you find yourself, Sid? I believe that. Oh, may God work
on your heart and mind and soul this morning.