Now as you have probably noticed,
I have chosen two songs that we previously sang. Both of those
songs mention a word that you will rarely hear mentioned in
most of so-called Christianity. That is the word elect or election. So turn to Romans chapter 11. Romans chapter 11. I will read
just the first six verses of this chapter. Romans chapter 11. Paul is continuing, of course,
and he says, I say then. He just spoke of Israel's rebellion
as a nation, as a people, and as manifested clearly in individuals. He's spoken of their rebellion
and the fact that they were a disobedient and gainsaying people. But then
he continues, I say then, have God cast away his people, God
forbid, for I also am an Israelite of the seed of Abraham of the
tribe of Benjamin. So who's he talking about there?
He's talking about Jews, Israelites, Hebrews, but then he qualifies
it by what he says next. God hath not cast away his people,
which he foreknew. Amen. Stated plainly, not every
Jew is foreknown of God. Right, exactly. Right, that's
right. What, ye not, what the scripture saith of Elias? He's
saying there's evidence of this, even in the Old Testament, this
is not something new. Exactly. How he maketh intercession
to God against Israel, saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets
and dig down thine altars. And that was true. That was true. This is true of those Israelites
of that day. But then he says, and I'm left
alone. He thought he was right. He was
sincere. The prophet had experienced what
he thought was absolute oneness in this battle. but it wasn't
so. He said, and they seek my life.
That part was true. But what sayeth the answer of
God unto him? And that's what matters. Let
me say, not what we perceive, not how we feel. That's not the
facts. The facts are as God sees things. If God sees it a certain way,
that's the way it is, whether I comprehend it or not. But what
saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself
7,000 men. I mean, now to us, that to me,
can you imagine having 7,000 others that believe the God we
believe? I have reserved to myself 7,000
men who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Even so
then, oh, here's some glorious words. This is not just a Sunday
school lesson about ancient history of an ancient people of God.
Even so then, at this present time also, there is a remnant
according to the election of grace. Let us note that Paul makes it
clear here, and it doesn't matter how many times it's mentioned,
Paul makes it clear here, if you're gonna talk about grace,
You cannot deny the election. People who talk about God's grace
and do not preach his election are not preaching God's grace. And then he defines for us this
grace in no uncertain terms. And if by grace, that is what? The election. See it? And if
by grace, then it is no more of works. Otherwise, grace is
no more grace. But if it be of works, then it
is no more grace. Otherwise, work is no more work. That ought to be enough. And
it is enough if God has given you eyes to see, and ears to
hear, and a heart to perceive. And as Joe has already alluded
to, simply reading the word of God is enough. But here's the
amazing thing. The scripture says to the apostle
Paul, for it pleased God. This is something that God enjoys. that he who in sovereign purpose
and will decreed to be done in time by fallen, broken, corrupt
men and women, saved by the grace of God, for it pleased God by
the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. Not
just by reading the Bible. Isn't that what it says? It pleased God by the foolishness
of preaching because in fact if you just read this Bible What
are you reading? Preaching Preaching now whether
that message comes in video audio Whether it comes in written form
but come it must Now Having said that, as in the
days of old Israel, so it is in this age. There is a remnant
according to the election of grace. Granted, here in this
passage, the Apostle Paul is talking about Jews or Israelites
in particular. And he says God hadn't done away
with his people. But let us understand his people
amongst that nation of Israelites were only those that God foreknew. But the testimony of all of scripture
is that it is true of both Jews and Gentiles. Those who come
to believe God are called the election of grace. The election
of grace. applies to anyone who's ever
been saved, will be saved, is being saved, shall finally be
saved, by God's grace, it will be through the election. The
election of grace not works. Now that is enough answer right
there. Men say, what was the basis upon which God chose? Now
if you deny that God chose, you're just flatly denying the book.
But let me also add this. If you deny that the election
was founded solely, deny that it's founded solely upon God's
grace, then you deny the book of God. Because he is clear,
even so then at this present time also, there's a remnant
according to the election of grace. Paul is saying there's
some Jews out there that God set his love on in Christ before
the world began, and they will be saved. And it's true just
like it was back then. Paul said it's true today. But
he says, if it's by grace, that it's not by works. God did not
look into the future to see what men would do and choose men and
women based upon what they would do. How do I know that? Because of verse six. As a matter
of fact, God told us what he seen when he looked down upon
mankind. And God said, I looked down from
heaven and looked upon the sons of men. And what did he see?
And as Paul even quotes it in this book, in this epistle, chapter
three, there is none righteous. No, not one. There is none that
understandeth. There is none that seeketh after
God. They're all gone out of the way. They are together become unprofitable.
That's what God sees when God sees us. That's what we are by
nature. The election of grace, not works. It is not. It is not. It is N-O-T. That's a simple
English word, but impossible for men and women to grasp apart
from the grace of God. It is not of works. The election
of grace had nothing to do with anything you did do, would do,
could do, none of it. It's all of grace. Some have
said before, well, the Bible nowhere says salvation is by
grace alone. No, it doesn't say it anywhere,
but it teaches it everywhere. Everywhere. And even the election
is by that selfsame grace. I was in a group of people at
one time that they said salvation in general, Joe, it's all about
grace, had nothing to do with your works other than God, before
the world began, looked into the future and seen what you
would do, that you would repent and that you would believe, and
therefore he chose you based upon your conformity to that
repentance and that faith. And that is a, you know what
the technical term for that is? It's a lie. That's the technical
term for that doctrine. It's a lie. The election of grace
is loved and held in profound reverence by all who are recipients
of it. If you've ever experienced this
grace, you're gonna love it and stand in profound awe of it. It's rich and abundant blessing
flows upon your soul with a rejoicing that you cannot even put in words. This is true for at least four
great reasons. First of all, here's number one. Now, before I go any further,
does anybody know what the title of this message is? The Election
of Grace. First of all, the election of
grace is an act of God. That's why it's important. It's
an act of God. Election is an act of God. Election
is not. what we do in this country. God's
election is not what we do in this country when we choose a
president. This is not about the majority,
this is about the one. What he was pleased to do, what
he had willed to do, what he had purposed to do in and of
himself. The election of grace is marvelous. It is held in profound reverence
by those who are recipients of it because it's an act of God.
The psalmist couldn't stand it. I can see it. He's writing, being
moved by the spirit of God, but Joe not apart from his own reverence
and faith toward this God. And he said, blessed is the man
whom thou choosest. And He didn't just leave us there.
He said, and calls us, calls us to approach unto Him. You see, the election is not
just a dry, dead choice. It's followed up by the wise
God's action in time. That's why Christ said to those
11, He said, you didn't choose me.
You don't choose Jesus. Even when God enables you by
His grace, you don't choose Jesus. God the Father chose Christ.
He is God's elect. God the Father chose the Son.
We don't choose Him. And he came along and said, you've
not chosen me. I've chosen you. Now when God enables you by His
grace, you may choose to, you will choose to follow Him, believe
Him, trust Him, worship Him, serve Him, obey Him, but you
don't choose Him. You choose to follow, to believe,
but only then because He's caused you to approach unto Him. Again I say, the election of
grace is an act of God, and an act of God alone. Secondly, the
election of grace is God's distinguishing choice for this reason or because
it is God's choice of one over against another. There are those
in this day who talk about the election and that it's of grace,
but they refuse to emphasize that God in eternity chose some
over and above and against others. The election is not just a positive
thing, it has a negative side as well. God is said to be both
good and severe. That's the book of God. Look
at this chapter. that I begin with. Behold the
goodness of God and the severity of God. Think of Abram and the
Ur of the Chaldees and God wretched down and out of that family of
pagan idolaters called out one man, his wife, and his, what
would have been, help me, nephew, whatever it was, Lot. And that
was it. left all of the rest of them,
Neil, in their darkness. Exactly. Did he not? Yes, he
did. So much so, Paul says in this
very epistle in Romans chapter 9, he says these words, and not
only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by
her father Isaac, for the children being not yet born, neither having
done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election
might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth. It was said
unto her, the elder shall serve the younger. As it is written,
Jacob I loved. Esau just didn't really give
him any thought. Is that what it says? No, sir. That is not the record of holy
right. Jacob have I loved. But Esau,
I hated. Let us get the election of grace
correct God chose over and above and even against some You remember
the words of our Lord Jesus Christ himself people don't talk like
this today But those who preach the gospel do Christ said think
not that I've come to send peace But a sword That's what I've
come to do. It's not a sad consequence of
what happens since I came. This is what I actually came
to do. I have come to set a man at variance against his father.
All this lesson. And a man's enemies will be.
those of his own household, why? Because one of the distinguishing
and profound facets of the election of grace is this, it is distinguishing. It's not just here's this great
mass that God picked, okay, there's a couple here, a couple there.
God in his wisdom chose some and says, I won't have that one.
Isn't that what this book says? Isn't that what it teaches? I
choose this one and I reject that one. As Henry Mahan said,
what happened to Jacob? God saved him. What happened
to Esau? God cut him off. And the book
says Esau even sought repentance carefully with tears. He couldn't
find it. Why? Jacob, I loved. Esau, I
hated. That causes those of us who believe
to stand in profound awe and reverence and fear. Fear God who can destroy both
your body and soul in hell. He has the right to do so. The
problem is most of so-called Christianity don't really think
that it's right for men to go to hell. It's kind of the devil's
fault. Now let me tell you something,
man, our daddy Adam rebelled against God in the garden and
he plunged us all into eternal ruin apart from a remnant of
grace. and God said I want that one
and I refused that one. Not just I want that one and
well, no, I picked that one, I do not pick that one. Right
here it is. Is it not? In this book, that's
the truth of the election of grace. It is distinguishing.
Number three, the election of grace is profound in its divine
intent. because it concerns those for
whom Christ died. You see, the people God chose,
that remnant according to the election of grace, they and they
only are the ones for whom Christ died. What did Christ say? Now, no, he doesn't call them
elect, but at one place he calls them sheep, right? Sheep, John chapter 10. You can
go back and read the account. And he said, I lay down my life
for who? The sheep. And in the same message,
the same sermon, Joe, he looked at some people out there in his
audience and said to them particularly, you are not my sheep. You know what he's saying? I
am not dying for you. I lay down my life for the sheep. Now I cannot do that in a crowd
even this small. but it's still true. Nonetheless,
that when we preach to men and women, there are some who are
sheep and there are some who are not. And Christ specified,
I laid down my life for them. Paul said in Acts chapter 20
to the Ephesian elders, he said, Jesus Christ, who is God almighty,
he purchased the church. the church with his own blood. Now, even in its most physical
sense, is everybody a part of the church? Well, the greatest
majority could care less about being a part of the church or
even a church or any church for that matter, couldn't they? But
he shed his blood for who? The church. By default, that
lets me know people who are not a part of the church, he didn't
shed his blood for them. He didn't redeem them by His
blood. That's just the way it is. That's how important it is.
It is profound in its divine intent. Romans chapter 8 verses
28 through 34. Same epistle here of our text. He says that we know that all
things work together for good to them that love God, to them
who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did
foreknow, here's that foreknowledge, Ann. For whom he did foreknow,
he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of a son
that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover,
whom he did predestinate, them he also called. Whom he called,
them he also justified. Whom he justified, them he also
glorified. Now what are you gonna say to that? If God be for us,
that group of people and that group of people only, that's
what he's talking about. If God be for us, who can be
against us? Oh God, help me to remember that.
How easily I forget that in the dregs of that vestige unbelief
that still hangs on in the old man, sitting bellyaching, complaining
because people's against me. They're supposed to be. but they're
against you don't mean spit. As far as God is concerned, they
can't be against you. He is manipulating them for your
good. That's the glory. When I think
they're against me, Joe, you know what? They're actually fulfilling
God Almighty's sovereign purpose. For my good. For your good. He that spared not his own son,
now we're getting to it, but delivered him up for who? Us
all. Every one of these people, not
one left out, but not one extra. He that spared not his own son,
but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also
freely give us what? All things. If you need it, you'll
have it. As a matter of fact, if you need it, you already got
it. You just don't know it yet. until the circumstance arises
for it to show itself. That's a very weak way of stating
a very profound truth, but that's kind of the way it is. And in
the book of the Revelation, Revelation chapter five, let's read that. And remember, the book of the
Revelation is a book about Jesus Christ. It's not a book to tickle
our fancies about prophecy of the future. It may have many
prophecies of the future, but they all are centered. They all
have a central hub, and that's the personal work of Jesus Christ.
In Revelation chapter five, John writing of some people said in
verse nine, and they sung a new song saying, thou art worthy
to take the book and to open the seals thereof, for thou was
slain and has redeemed us to God by thy blood, and then look
at those next two little bitty words, out of. The death of Christ was for a
particular people to specifically redeem them out of the rest of
humanity. Isn't that what that says? Redemption's
not just to heaven. That's certainly a part of it,
Neil. But we were redeemed out of. Out of! Out of! Every kindred and tongue
and people and nation and has made us unto our God. All of
us remember this. Kings and priests. And we shall reign on the earth. Doesn't that cause your heart
to rejoice? If it doesn't, you're not a true believer. And I say
that not in anger to anybody, whether it's this small group
here or someone that sees me somewhere else in a broadcast. If you don't rejoice in that,
you don't know the God of glory. Here's number four, the election
of grace is vital in the experience of God's free grace. Paul said to the Thessalonians,
I am bound, bound. That's what it does to you. When
God Almighty shows you this Christ, and when God Almighty shows you
how he done his saving, how he does his saving, and how he shall
do his saving in this man, Jesus Christ, he will show you the
election of grace. And he is the elect one. We're
all chosen in him. He's the best. What did God see
when he chose me? His son. Had He not seen His
Son, He would not have chosen me. What was there in you to
choose? Not just a neutral state. Enemy. An enemy against God. I'm bound to give thanks always
to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord. Why? Because God
has from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification
of the Spirit, That's gotta come first. And belief of the truth
that will follow when God the Spirit sets you apart. You'll
believe the truth. Not a lie, you'll believe the
truth. Where unto he called you by our
gospel to the obtaining of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. So much so that in his first
epistle, Paul told these very same Thessalonians, I know you're
one of the elect of God. Isn't that what he told him?
1 Thessalonians 1, I think it's verse four or five, he says,
knowing brethren, beloved, your election of God, I know God chose
you. God never let him sing the Lamb
Book of Life, did he? Paul knew there was one, but
no evidence, Joey, ever got to see that. But he said, I know
you're one of the elect of God, how? How do I know that? Because
our gospel came to you, not in word only, but in power. and
in much assurance, and in the Holy Ghost. That's how vital
this thing of gospel preaching, of believing the gospel by a
work of God, Joe, good message, by a work of God is how it takes
place. Do you rejoice in these four
majestic wonders? Do you? Do you rejoice that the
election of grace is an act of God? Do we rejoice in the fact
that God, the election of grace is God's distinguishing choice? Do you rejoice in the very fact
that it's profound, that it's divine intent? It has to do with
those for whom Christ died. Do you rejoice in the fact that
it's vital to your experience of the salvation that God's ordained? While the irreligious, and I
mean by that people who could care less about religion, it
don't matter. It didn't matter at all. The irreligious, they're
oblivious to this. Did you know that? And one of the reasons why they're
so oblivious to it is because it's so little spoken of even
in our country. If it was spoken of more, there'd
be more people that would be aware of this truth, and they
wouldn't be so oblivious, believe you me. But because it's so little
spoken, it's so little out there, most people just go on oblivious
to the truth of who God is and what God is doing. But at the
same time, there is this false Christianity and they mock and
deny these things. I mean, they mock and deny. They
don't stand in profound reverence and say, I don't understand it
all, I'm not for sure that fellow over there is saying it right,
but I know it's there. They don't even say that, do
they? They mock it and reject it and confound it. Now do they
not? So while the irreligious are oblivious, while false Christianity
mocks and denies, yet believers rejoice in God in all these things. As God reveals them to you, Neil,
they bow you down in the dust before him. And you know what? He keeps revealing these things
to us over and over. And we have to be reminded of
them. You know why? Because we're so stubborn and hard-headed.
We'll take foreknowledge and turn it around into something
God's foreseeing I would do, rather than what God foreknew
He would do. But don't we do that? Every born
of God believer. Notice how I said that? I didn't
say every believer born of God. I said every born of God believer.
Go back and read John chapter 1, verses 10 through 13. There
are people who receive the Lord Jesus Christ. They do receive
him. But to as many as received him, those that believed on his
name, them he gave the right to become the sons of God. Is
that not what he said? But then he says, which were
born. Not which get born. You people, you need to get born
again. You can't get born again, you have to be born again. Which
were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor
of the will of man, but they are born of God. So every born
of God believer has experienced the purpose of God in electing
grace. That's why we rejoice in his
distinguishing love. Jacob I loved, Esau I hated. I am not, I tell you folks, this
was not always true of me, but it is true of me now. And I heard
people say it before and didn't get it, but I do get it now.
I am not offended or that God would hate Esau. I understand
why God would hate Esau. I know something of what I am.
And I know something of who God is when I read of him in this
book. And the angels even, these cherubims, cry out, holy, holy,
holy. And I think he looks on me, he
has the right to hate me. Exactly. That's it. Yeah, the
amazing thing, the thing that bows me in profound reverence
before Him is that He would love somebody like me. Exactly. Amen. And then people want to mock
Him. Well, if I believed that, I'd do whatever I wanted. In
your present state, you would. But if God ever lays hold of
you and bows you down in the dust to see just an inkling of
what you are and then reveals to you the glory and majesty
of His Son, God manifest in the flesh, you'll be glad for it.
And you'll be amazed. Every born of God believer has
experienced the purpose of God in election. Thus we rejoice
in distinguishing love. We're set in awe at his particular
foreknowledge. You remember he told some people,
Christ said, there'll be some people say, Lord, Lord, let us
in. Right? And Lord, let us in. We preached
in your name. We done many wonderful works
in your name. We cast out devils in your name. And he did not say, well, but
y'all were Armenians. Dollar free wheelers. No, it's
not what he said. No, he never said what you're
saying to me is a lie. He said, depart from me, you
workers of iniquity, I never knew. There's that word foreknow.
I never knew. I never foreknew you. I never
knew. So he never foreknew him, did
he, Joe? I never knew you. Is that not what he said? I never
knew you. That's the glory. To be foreknown
of God? And then men want to argue what
that means. It means everything that foreknowledge means. He
knew about me before I knew anything about him. There's the glory.
Because I know a little bit of what I'm like and he's seen me
far better than what I even see myself and I hate myself and
repent in dust and ashes with what little bit I know about
myself. And yet he would foreknow me. And foreknowledge also means
this, the word know means to have that intimate union. To
foreknow. He did that toward me, Joe. He foreknew me. He foreknew you,
if you're in Christ, before you ever knew him. He did this with
you and himself and his son before you ever did this with him by
faith. You hear what I'm saying? He
joined Himself to you in His Son before you ever joined yourself
to Him in repentance and faith. He foreknew us. Clearly, when
you read Matthew 7, 21 through 23, it ain't Christ looked into
the future, or God the Father, sorry, looked into the future
and seen who would believe, who would do that. Those people believed
in Him, did they not? They were ready to put their
life on the line for Him. He said, I never knew you. I never
knew you. We are in all of that particular
foreknowledge. He does not foreknow everyone.
And I know that because he said, I don't know everyone. That's
not a matter of ignorance. That's a matter of covenant union.
That's what that's about. We bow down humbled by our total
lack of any contribution to any reason for the election of grace.
And let me read it again, in case we missed it. Romans chapter
nine, verse 11. For the children being not yet
born. So this means it happened before
they even were born. Right? Neither, neither. So he's talking about something
different here, right? Neither having done any good or evil. Nealist not even, he picked out
all the really bad ones. You know what I mean? The worst
of the worst and let everybody else, no. None of that had anything
to do with any of that. He said that ain't got anything
to do with the election, with grace. Well look, for the children
be not yet born, neither have he done any good or evil, that
the purpose of God according to election might stand. Not
of works, any kind. Not of works, but of him that
calleth. Thus saith the Lord, thus it
is. Does that bow you in profound
awe before him? It does me. And I know it does
some of you too. Every born of God believer is
wisely, sweetly and irresistibly forced to bow to God in awesome
wonder. You hear what I said? Let me
read that again. Every born of God believer is
wisely, God's wisdom now, not theirs, not ours, wisely, sweetly,
God's sweetness, not our sweetness. All we are are bitterness and
nastiness. Wisely and sweetly and irresistibly
When God acts, when God acts, when God says, I'm gonna do this,
no man can stay his hand or say unto him, what doest thou? Every
born of God believer is wisely and sweetly and irresistibly
forced to bow to Jesus Christ in awesome wonder, and when it
happens, they're glad it's that way. Once it happens, when it
first starts to happen, Joe, you'll kick and you'll buck.
But it's like if I get a hold, I used to get in trouble. I used to get a hold of my kids.
No, not this way. I used to get a hold of my kids,
grab them by the shoulder, grab them by the arm. And Neil, especially
when they were that big, they weren't going nowhere. You understand
what I'm saying? They could kick, they could squirm,
they could squall, but when I laid hold of them and I meant for
them to stay right here with Daddy, guess what they did? They
stayed with Daddy because Daddy had more power than them. Now
if you think you've got more power than God, you are a fool.
And may God convince you of that and cause you to repent of it.
But if you think you've got more power than God, you are a fool.
No, we are wisely, sweetly, and irresistibly forced about a Christ.
And we're glad, we're glad it's that way. This is the effect
of the election of grace. It's not just some dry choice
out there in some eternity somewhere and then things are just kind
of happy, they kind of work. No, this is God, the all wise
God working all things to the glory of his holy name. And that
is why there was a man named John Newton wrote this song.
And people that profess to be Christians all over this country
and all over the world, for that matter, sing this song. And I'm afraid most of them have
no idea what John Newton was talking about when he wrote it,
because I've read a little bit about John Newton. He's preaching
what I'm preaching to you this morning. He is not preaching
what most so-called Christians are preaching today. And he wrote
these words, amazing grace. It's like Scott Richardson used
to say, it's like calling water wet. to say amazing grace, but we're
so dull, we need those kinds of words. Amazing grace, how
sweet the sound that saved someone God knew would believe in Him.
No, that saved a wretch, a wretch like me. I once was lost, but
now am found. You don't find Jesus, He ain't
lost. He has to find his sheep. They're the ones that are lost.
And the sheep's the only ones he finds. Cause they're the only
ones he's looking for. I once was lost, but now am found. Was blind, but now I see. T'was grace that taught my heart
to fear. This electing grace. That's exactly
what John Newton was talking about. But then notice these
next few words and I'll close. That same grace, same grace and
grace, my fears relieved. I know, I know Elizabeth McCollum
a little bit about what John Newton was talking about when
he wrote those words. When I first began to hear this,
it made me angry, made me afraid, and then made me fear God. Oh,
but when he poured out the blessings of his son on me, I was glad
it was so. Amen. To reach down, Joe, into
the morass of humanity and snatch one out of the jaws of death,
hell, and the grave and say, here, you're mine. Yes, sir. You're mine. I made you. I created
you. I bought you with my own blood.
You ain't going nowhere. Amen. Except right here. That's
it. Father, comfort us by these truths. calls us to rejoice in their
profound wonder. In you, in your marvelous glory,
in your holiness and righteousness, Lord, your goodness and your
severity. Make it so in Christ Jesus, our
Lord. Amen. All right, folks, that's it.