In this sermon, James Smith explores the doctrine of unconditional election, emphasizing the profound love and grace manifested in God's choice of His people, drawn from Ephesians 1. Smith articulates that God's election is not based on human merit but reflects His sovereign will and eternal purpose. He references various Scriptures, including Deuteronomy 7:6, Psalm 135:4, and John 17:23, to illustrate how God cherishes His people as His special treasure, akin to a beloved bride or precious jewels. The sermon underscores the practical significance of understanding God's electing love, reminding believers that this divine choice assures them of God's unwavering love and the promise of salvation offered through Christ.
“God chose them to be special unto Himself. He chose them out from among others... it was not on account of anything He saw in them, or on account of anything He expected from them.”
“His choice was just an early expression of His love, the love which chose them, would do anything for them, and give anything to them.”
“Oh, the wonders couched in electing love! This act of choosing such creatures as we are... displays such grace, such condescension, such infinite wisdom and love.”
“All the love of God is lavished upon us as his special people in Christ.”
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Sermons on Ephesians 1
Pristine Grace functions as a digital library of preaching and teaching from many different men and ministries. I maintain a broad collection for research, study, and listening, and the presence of any preacher or message here should not be taken as a blanket endorsement of every doctrinal position expressed.
I publish my own convictions openly and without hesitation throughout this site and in my own preaching and writing. This archive is not a denominational clearinghouse. My aim in maintaining it is to preserve historic and contemporary preaching, encourage careful study, and above all direct readers and listeners to the person and work of Christ.
Brandan Kraft
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I spent the majority of my adult life building something I didn't know had a name. It started with the Scriptures and a lot of late nights. It ended with one sentence that generates every theological position I hold, from the nature of God to the nature of heaven and hell, without contradiction. One sentence. Thirty chapters. Sixteen appendices. And if you accept the sentence, everything else follows.
Most systematic theologies start with a list of doctrines and work through them one by one. This book starts with an ontological claim - that everything that exists is a thought in the mind of God - and derives everything from that single proposition. This is not a rearrangement of existing theology. This is a paradigm shift. Since Augustine imported Plato's metaphysics into the church in the fourth century, every major system of Christian theology has been built on a foundation the Scriptures never laid. This book identifies that foundation, names it, traces its influence across sixteen centuries, and replaces it with an ontology derived from Scripture alone. If the claim holds, this is the most significant shift in the theological starting point since Augustine. And I believe it holds.
This is not a devotional. This is not a commentary. This is a systematic theology built from the ground up by a computer programmer with no seminary degree, no denominational backing, and no one's permission. It uses the vocabulary of information theory, computer science, and quantum physics to describe realities that traditional theological language has never been able to reach. If you are a scientist who suspects that information is fundamental to reality but can't bring yourself to call it God, this book speaks your language. If you are a sovereign grace believer looking for a system that follows the logic all the way, this book does that. And if you have been told that the sharpest doctrine produces the coldest heart, this book ends with the widest arms you have ever seen in a Reformed theology.
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Isaiah 53:10, Rom 8:28-30, Psalm 23, grace, love one another
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