Open your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Romans, chapter 9. The name of the message is, Effects of Election. Effects of Election. Now, I've heard some people say that if you preach, if I preach what you believe, it would kill evangelism. People wouldn't have joy. But I'll tell you what, there's some effects of election, God choosing the people. It's a biblical fact, right? But we're gonna look at the effects of that on us, on us. What does it cause the believer to do? What does it cause the believer to do? Let's read verses 10 to 16 of Romans chapter nine.

And not only this, but when Rebekah 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 called, it was said, the elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. Now a lot of people, they stumble on this. I didn't have a stand up and read, did I? Well, next week I'll have to do that. Okay, but look at this. Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated?

People say, well, how can God hate Esau? Well, it's not hard for God to hate sinners, is it? The marvel is that he loved Jacob. The marvel is that he loves us. If we can ever wrap our heads around that and how sinful we are, D.J. Ward said it a long time ago, if God hadn't have chose some, heaven would have none. Why? Because we're all a bunch of sinners. Look at this. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? The world says, well, that's not fair. Tom, we don't want fair, do we? No. Fair would be everybody's going to hell.

But the marvelous thing is God loved Jacob. He loves us in Christ. Wonder of wonders. As we looked at in Sunday school, we're accepted in the beloved. We're accepted in the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. That's amazing. So is there unrighteousness with God? Paul says, God forbid. No, there's not unrighteousness with God.

He's showing his mercy. He's showing his mercy by loving Jacob. He's showing his grace by loving Jacob. And notice when it happened, the children being not yet born. Oh, yeah. 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. That's amazing. Look at this, I love this.

For he saith to Moses, Romans 9, 15. For he saith to Moses, I have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I have compassion on whom I have compassion. So then it's not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. So he told Moses, I have compassion on whom I have compassion.

I'll show mercy to whom I'll show mercy. You know what we are? Objects of his mercy. Brother Brian, he showed mercy to us. He has compassion upon us. And there's nothing in us. It's not a man that willeth. There's nothing in us that would cause him to do that.

But his great eternal love that was shown to us and manifest to us when he sent his son, the beloved one, to die for sinners such as we. I said to Sunday school, the gospel really is the greatest love story that's ever been written. God who loves his son from eternity, from eternity. sends his son into this world to die, and God watched all that happen. He watched Christ be persecuted. He watched Christ be spit upon. He watched Christ go through all those things. He watched Christ be crucified. And he let it all happen, that we might be saved, Brother Chris, from all our sins, through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I'll tell you why. Why? Because he loved us with an everlasting love in Christ. Because we're accepted in the beloved. When were we accepted in the beloved? In eternity. In eternity. That's something to lay hold on, isn't it? That'll cause you to be joyful. And it's very, very humbling. It's very humbling. Because we know we don't deserve it. It's amazing though.

And all through the scripture, our God's a choosing God, right? He chose Israel out of all the nations. He chose Israel and left all the other nations to perish in their sins. He gave them the oracles of God. And we know not all Israel were Israel. Not all Israel is the Israel of God, but those who believe on the Messiah, those who were looking to the Messiah, and those who look to Christ, who is the Messiah. are called the elect of God, as well as the Gentiles who were called and saved by God are called. See, the elect of God comprised Jews and Gentiles, saved Jews and Gentiles, born again Jews and Gentiles.

Isn't that amazing? It's actually amazing. And he sent, God the Father sent his beloved son on the cross and he didn't spare him. He sent him to die on the cross and didn't spare him for our sakes. And the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ comes to the elect with convicting converting power, doesn't it? By the Holy Spirit of God.

Election is amazing. You know, it's amazing how people do not think about how God chose in the Old Testament. He chose Israel. He chose the nations to be left where they were. He chose the angels. There's the elect angels. That just means chosen angels who didn't fall.

You talk to people about that, and they have no problem with that at all. But then you tell people that God elected the people, and they get a little uptight. God is just doing what God's always done. And then here we are as the believers in awe that he chose us, in awe that he saved us. Listen to this about Israel.

The Lord did not set his love upon you nor choose you because you were more in number than any people, for you were fewest of all people. You were just a tiny nation. And God chose them that his glory and his might might be manifested. He chose Israel and passed by all those other nations, leaving them dead in trespasses and sins. He chose Abel over Cain. Right? He chose Jacob over Esau.

God chose Abraham out of all his family in the land of Ur. And brought him out of that country. You know, Abraham was an idol worshipper. In the land of Ur, they're a bunch of idol worshippers. God took him out of that. And then he served the living and true God. He believed, didn't he? It was counted to him for righteousness. Because he believed on the Messiah. He was looking to Christ, beloved.

That's wonderful. In the book of Genesis, God chose to save Noah and his family and everyone else got wiped out. People say, well, that's not fair. Well, Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. What have we found in the eyes of the Lord? Grace. It's wonderful. See, election won't kill a church for evangelism. It actually encourages it. Because we know that it's not us winning people to Christ. It's God who does all the work. We just proclaim about him.

I was sitting with Vicki and Josh. Vicki tried to, she had breakfast with us. She was planning on coming, but she got sick afterwards. But a young man comes over, Dustin. Dustin comes over and sits with us. Says, you mind if I sit with you guys? Sister Barbara's grandson. I said, no, come and sit with us.

And he started asking questions about the Lord. And I'm thankful my son was there. He's not a believer. And he heard me talking to Dustin about the Lord. It was wonderful. I thought, boy, Dustin, you're asking all the questions, and my son gets to sit and listen. This is wonderful. But pray for that young man. He's showing an interest in some things. Pray for him.

But when we see people and meet people, we just tell them, you know, God's giving, showing me grace. And again, election encourages evangelism because we don't know who the elect are, do we? Do you? Do you know who the elect are, Tom? I don't either. So we talk to whoever the Lord puts in our path, don't we? Yeah, could be our family, could be our friends, could be going to the, going to the, um, post office and talking to June. Right? Who knows? Whoever God puts in our path, mine.

And the only reason we are God's elect is because we found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Turn with me, if you would, to Ephesians 2. Ephesians 2. The only reason, again, the only reason that we are the elect is because we found grace in God's eyes. Grace in God's eyes. Look at this, Ephesians 2. Verses seven to 10.

That in the ages to come, he might show the exceeding riches of his grace, which we found in his eyes, in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it's the gift of God. not of works, lest any man should boast, for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Wherefore, remember that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called uncircumcision by that which is called the circumcision in the flesh made by hands, that at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenant of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world. But now Oh, now in Christ Jesus, ye sometimes were far off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ. We're bought close now because God chose us in Christ from before the foundation of earth.

What a blessing. We were without Christ, it says. We may have had a religious Jesus. We might not have had anything. We might've been agnostic, might've been atheist. We might have been religious, which is just as bad. People say, oh, that guy's an atheist. Oh, it's just as bad being a religious person. There ain't no difference.

No. But to know the living true God, to know the Christ, to know that he's chosen us before the foundation of the world, to know that all our sins are forgiven, that he paid it all. It's complete. Oh, my. We're washed clean in His blood. And we receive mercy from God and not wrath and judgment. You know? God would be just to send us to hell. And only the believers admit that. We go, yeah, that's right. Unbelievers say, what, what?

I'm a good person. No, you're not. I'm just telling you the truth, because I thought I was a good person at one time, and I found out I'm not good at all. I found out there's none good, no, not one. You know why people think that they're good? Because they compare themselves to other sinners. And they say, I'm not as bad as that sinner. Let's just rip open their thoughts for 30 seconds and let the world see them. I don't want none of that, do you? Nope. Oh, my. But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

And as many as walk according to this will, peace be on them, and mercy upon the Israel of God. That's the elect of God. That's Galatians, if you want to write it down, verses 14 to 16 in chapter 6. Hmm. Again, we have elect angels in the scriptures. First Timothy says this, 521, I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality. Now I looked up the definition of the word election that's found in the scripture.

It's a Greek word, it's eklange. It's defined in this way. The act of picking out. The act of picking out or choosing. And then it's defined this way too. The act of God's free will. I mean, God has a free will? Absolutely. He's really the only one who does. Yeah. The act of God's free will by which the foundation of from which by which before the foundation of the world he decreed his blessings to certain persons. Let's just let that one sink in for a little while. My goodness gracious. Jacob have I loved? Esau have I hated? How long has he loved Jacob? From before the foundation of the world. How long has he loved us? From before the foundation of the world in Christ, in the beloved.

It also goes on to say this, the decree made from choice by which he determined to bless certain persons through Christ by grace alone, and also a thing or person chosen of God. And in the scripture, they're called God's elect. It's a wonderful truth. And I'm gonna preach today about some of the benefits, some of the benefits.

Now, this word that we see here in Romans 9, 11, it's used six times in the scripture, this word. Six times in the Greek. Romans 9, 11, let's read that again. For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God, according to election, there's that word, might stand not of works, but of him that calleth.

And then go up to verse five. Look at this. This is even true today. Even so, at this present time, there is a remnant according to the what? Election of grace. Beautiful. According to God's, there's a people according to God's choosing. And then Romans 11, six, or yeah, six and seven. I'll just read those with that verse. I'll read verse five all the way to seven. Even so then at this present time, there's also a remnant according to the election of grace.

And if by grace, then no more 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. So he's telling us, He's telling us we're either saved by grace or we're not saved at all. And grace, if you're saved by grace, it's without anything we do.

That's what the Holy Spirit's having Paul pen that. Isn't that wonderful? And we've been taught that, haven't we? This is glorious. And then verse seven, what then? Israel hath not attained that which he seeketh for, but the election hath obtained it, that's the same word, the chosen have obtained it, and the rest were blinded. See, we were blinded just like them. Now we see, born again by the Holy Spirit of God. And then Romans 11, 28, it's mentioned again. Same word.

And then over in 1 Thessalonians 1.4, and over in 2 Peter 1.10. I'll read those two next.

Romans 11.28. Look at that. Same word.

And then over in 1 Thessalonians 1.4, Paul's writing to a very young church, and he says this.

Knowing, brethren and beloved, your election of God, your choosing of God. God chose you. Yeah, I'm looking at a bunch of people, if you're born again, that are chosen by God. And I'm still in awe that he chose me, are you? I can totally understand why he hated Esau. I'm still trying to grasp how he could love Jacob and myself and all of us. It's amazing. But it didn't depend upon us, see? That's what makes it incredible. And then over in 2 Peter, it's the same Greek word as used. It says, Now, I know a lot of people, they hear that, make your calling and election sure. Man, how can I do that?

I must have to examine myself and, you know, there's only one thing you have to look for. Are you looking to Christ? Is he all your salvation? Is he your rest? That's how we make our election and call and church. Am I trusting Christ alone for the salvation of the soul based upon nothing I've done?

Isn't that wonderful? It's so simple. See, the message of grace is so simple that men trip over it and stumble over it. It really is. I remember talking to my daughter one time, and she was getting really interested in Christ. And I said, honey, you just look to Christ.

And she goes, it's not easy, dad. She really said that. It's not easy? Yeah. You just look to Christ. Hardest thing for us to do. But when you're made willing by the day of God's power, whoa, you're going to run to Christ, aren't you? Give me more. My.

And now we want to hear about them. Now we wanna hear about him. It's amazing. So Peter states and Paul states multiple times by inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God that God's people are chosen people. Chosen people. Now let's look at some effects. Some effects. of God's electing grace. And let's see if it's not so for us. Let's see if it's not so.

Number one, it won't kill evangelism, will it? It'll encourage it. Because God's going to save his sheep, isn't he? He's going to save them. God will get them. There'll not be one of his sheep for whom he died for that's lost. Not one. You'll get them.

We're proof of that, aren't we? Were we looking for Christ? I was telling Dustin, I said, you talk to folks at church, not one of us was looking for Christ when he saved us. We may have been, well, Karen, you were sitting in a gospel church. And Travis too. The Lord saved you guys. My. I know I wasn't looking for Christ. Were you, Tom? We weren't looking for Christ, were we? But he found us, didn't he? And saved us. And kept us. And still keeping us. And will keep us. And take us home.

So here's the first effect of election. It'll cause you to rejoice. It'll cause God's elect to rejoice. psalm 65 4 listen to this this is listen to this listen to this blessed is the man and we know women too blessed is the man whom thou choosest whom god chooses and causes to approach unto thee see we normally won't approach god he causes us with loving He lovingly brings us to Christ by the wooing of God, the Holy Spirit. It's irresistible, but he woos us to Christ, doesn't he? Blessed is the man whom thou choosest and causes to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple. God's people rejoice in God's electing grace.

The fact that he chose us, it's so humbling. And we don't vault ourselves over everybody else. We're on our face, aren't we? Going, Lord, this is amazing. You chose me in your grace. My, no wonder the hymn writer wrote this. Lord, it is not that I did choose thee, that I know could never be, for this heart would still refuse thee had thy grace not chosen me. That's incredible, isn't it?

The believer in Christ, those who are called God's elect, they go from religion to rest. Work, work, work, work, work, to rest. I just need to look to Christ. Now, we're still going to serve God, aren't we? Absolutely. With our talents? Absolutely. Now, we're looking to Christ. Do you find, what's the hardest thing for you to do? Is it not hard for just to look to Christ and rest? With everything going on in the world? It's going on, I'm just gonna rest. I'm just gonna focus on Christ.

I'll tell you what, it'll bring you joy when you start thinking that God chose you. Because there's nothing in us that made him do that. But he did. It'll cause God's people to rejoice, beloved. The second thing that God's electing grace will have, the second effect is this. God's electing grace will promote humility. It'll humble us. That God would choose a sinner such as I? That God would save a vile sinner like me? Yeah. And like you too, right?

Wonder of wonders. That does not promote humility. And again, what leads to unity? Humility. Humility leads to unity. So God humbles us, right? And it leads to unity within the body. We've seen that happen. It's amazing. But people think, oh, you guys are so proud. You call yourself the elect of God. I am amazed that I'm one of the elect. It's amazing. And I can only boast in Christ. There was absolutely nothing in me that caused God to choose me. Was it so for you? Same thing, right? Nothing. As a matter of fact, there's more reasons for him to condemn us. Praise God for the grace and mercy of God. Praise God we found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Now does that fill us with joy? Amen and amen, doesn't it? It does, doesn't it? Oh my. And it makes us humble.

God chose me. God left heaven. God the Father sent his only beloved son to this earth to die for me. Yes, it's so, if you're a believer. Hmm. What love. What amazing love God has for his people. And here's the verse. Here's the verse for this humility. For who maketh us thee to differ from another? So, okay. The reason it leads to humility is because the scripture asks us Who made us to differ from anyone else? Well, Scripture says us.

And what is thou that thou didst not receive? You got a talent that the Lord uses? We can't boast in it, can we? Nope, we receive that. We receive that. Some of you, you ladies being born with voices, that's a gift from God. And every saint praises God, but some have been gifted with a voice to sing, or play piano, or play guitar, or play different instruments for the glory of God. It's wonderful. But we can't boast in any of that, right? Because we just received it. I can't boast in preaching. God made me a preacher. I didn't seek it out. He made me this way. Now if thou receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?

So God's electing grace promotes humility because we know that everything we have and everything we are in Christ is a gift. It's all a gift. And remember, a preacher's a believer just like everyone else, that we're all on level ground, aren't we? We've all been given different gifts. You have gifts that I don't even have. And vice versa. But it's all for the glory of God, isn't it? Everyone has a gift. Every believer. My, some of you I can come and you encourage me so much. I get text or get something. It's amazing. It just encourages you. It's wonderful.

But humility leads to unity. And when we realize that grace and pride are incompatible, impossible to exist, you can't have grace and pride, although we're still prideful, right? But grace and pride can exist in a church environment, in leadership or anywhere. We are to show grace to one another, right? We're to esteem others better than ourselves. We're not to vault each other above each other, no. Dan and we who have the deacons and myself and all of us even as believers, we're servants, aren't we? We're servants to the church. We're servants to one another. That's what we are.

And so electing grace promotes humility, because this is an amazing thing. We were all chosen in Christ at the same time, as Paul and John. When? When was that? Before the foundation of the world. Let's wrap our heads around that. Spurgeon wrote that one time. He said, he said, elect brethren, remember, you're chosen the same time as Paul. Oh my goodness, in Christ. That's amazing.

That'll lead to humility, won't it? Another effect is, it'll comfort us in hard trials. Knowing that we are the elect of God, knowing that he keeps us, will affect us when we go through hard trials. And I'll tell you what, everyone goes through hard trials.

I remember someone said, one time they said to Vicki and I said, I never get depressed. This was back in Oregon. Never get depressed. Well, it wasn't long that their daughter was off doing things they shouldn't do. And I'll tell you what happened. She was awful depressed. We never say, oh, that don't happen to me.

I don't say that anymore. I used to pray to God, make me humble. I don't pray to be humble anymore. I just hope he's making me humble. Oh my. I just let him do whatever he wants. I know he's conforming me to the image of the sun, and he's conforming you, too. And my, we go through hardships, don't we, in this life? Oh, my. Heartaches. Hardships. My.

Listen to what Job said. Listen to this. Then Job arose and rent his mantle and shaved his head and fell down upon the ground and worshiped. And he just found out all his kids died. And said, naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither.

The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. So, who was Job's comfort and strength during that hard trial? Well, he says this, the Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away. His comfort, his strength was in the Lord. It's in the Lord. It's not in Himself. And so, who's our comfort? The Lord.

And we can be comforted that the Lord will never leave or forsake His people, right? We're always with Him. He always has an eye on us. Even when we feel like He's a little far away, He's never far away. It's us who's pulled away. Yeah. He's the same place he's ever been. He's on the throne. And he promised to every believer, I will never leave you nor forsake you. My, that's glorious. So Job's strength was the Lord.

And have we not learned through this life, beloved, to simply trust he who is the keeper of our eternal souls the lord jesus christ have we not learned that since he saved us just to trust him it's an ongoing process isn't it yeah and we go through trials and tribulations and it just drives us closer to christ just drives us closer to christ all we we We have ceased from our labors, haven't we, as believers?

Hebrews talks about that in the book of Hebrews. We've ceased from our labors. We're not trying to save ourselves anymore. We're not trying to justify ourselves before God anymore. We're trusting the one who's justified us. We're trusting the one who saved our souls, the Lord Jesus Christ. But there was a time when we trusted in ourselves. And you know, that can still rear its ugly head, can't it? And we're all nodding, because things happen in our life. We think, I'm going to take care of that. And we end up falling flat on our face. Right? But isn't the Lord so gracious?

He just picks us up with loving arms and carries us. You know, footprints in the sand. There's not two set of footprints. There's just one. We're on the Lord's shoulders. And he's like, he's carrying us like that little lamb all the way home. to glory. There's only one set of footprints and it's His.

Oh my, it's beautiful. What comfort that is for us as believers to know that our God has our eternal souls in His hand and hear not lose one of them. So the doctrinal action brings great comfort to God's people, it really does. It brings great comfort. Trials, hardships, sorrows, trouble, they're all part of the things that we experience in this world as a born-again, blood-washed people of God.

Every one of us, in different ways, too. Something that might not bother you might really bother me, and vice versa. Right? Something you might struggle with, I might not have a problem with, but I might struggle with something that you don't have a problem with.

But we're all struggling. We're all going through trials, aren't we? But you know what? You know what the Bible calls these things we're going through? Light afflictions. Compared to glory, they are light afflictions, but they don't feel like that to us, do they? No. But the Holy Spirit has Paul penned that to let us know that these afflictions are only for a time. We're going to the land of no mores. No more sorrow, no more sickness, no more trials, no more hardships, no more heartache. Worshipping the King forever and ever.

And we're gonna meet that fellow you read about, Tom. We're gonna meet him there. Climb that little man. He's so short he couldn't see over all them people. But he got his eyes on Christ, didn't he? Oh my. Oh. Climbed up a tree just so he could see. Turn if you would to 2 Corinthians. 2 Corinthians. Chapter 1. We'll read verses 4 to 6. Actually, let's read from verses verse 3.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies. Look at this title, and the God of all comfort. That's our God. Who comfort us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble. So when we go through things, we go through things that we might be able to comfort someone else who later on goes through the same thing. Isn't that amazing? It's amazing. Oh, it's incredible. Which are in any trouble.

By the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. So we tell them about how we were comforted by God. For as the suffering of Christ abound in us, So our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. That's comfort. And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings, which we also suffer, or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. So God's people, we all go through the same things.

Another effect of election is it will conquer sin and it'll conquer self in the believer. And we hate sin now in ourselves. We hate it, don't we? We didn't hate it before the Lord saved us, but now we hate it. And one day we'll be in heaven and we'll be absolutely sinless. That'll be amazing. See, grace will conquer all our sins. We'll be sinless when we get home to glory. Ain't that wonderful? Now, we're safe sinners now. We're forgiven. But we're still sinners while we're on this earth, aren't we?

Oh, we struggle with the flesh. In the flesh, man, it rears its head up. We struggle with the flesh. We struggle with our own sin. We struggle with what other people are doing. You know, I find it, when I start looking at what other people are doing, Vicki and I have talked about this a lot, I said, I just start looking inside, and she goes, oh, she goes, well, I just start looking going, oh my, I didn't shut my mouth about everybody else. It's true, isn't it? We just gotta look inward, and we won't be criticizing other people, because we know it's in here too.

But remember this, the battle's not ours. The battle's not ours. We're not our own anymore. We're bought with a price, beloved. The precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Listen to what the Lord said, or listen to what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 6, 19 to 20. I know, or what, he says, I know not, I know ye not that your body is a temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own. We're not our own anymore. We never were. But, for you are bought with a price. What's the price?

Oh, the precious blood of Jesus. Right? Therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. The blood of Jesus Christ, beloved God incarnate in the flesh, cleanses us from all sin. That's the cost. The blood of Christ was the cost to purchase our eternal soul that God demanded. And Christ willingly gave His life, shed His blood to redeem us from all our sins.

Oh, my. It's wonderful. So let us seek to glorify God and not to seek the praise of man. Right? Don't seek the praise of man. No. Seek to glorify God. Seek to glorify Him. And gospel preachers, we're not man-pleasers. I've had people try to tell me how to preach. I don't listen to them. It hasn't happened in the last while, but I don't listen to them. Now, somebody might say, hey, I've been reading Zachariah. It's amazing. I'll go look at it. Yeah, that's really cool. Maybe we were studied through that one time.

But God is the one who tells the preacher where to preach, right? And we're not man-pleasers. I'm not here to make people like me. Now, we love each other because we're in Christ, and we love each other because we love this message. But I'll tell you what, if I was standing out in the middle of Elmont, and all of us were sitting there, and there was a bunch of people from the city around, there'd be a lot of people who would hate me for preaching this message. So be it. So be it. I was just like them. Before the Lord saved me, I heard people talk about Christ and preach the gospel to me, and I was so mean. And here God made me a preacher now. Wonder of wonders, isn't that amazing? That's the mercy of God. That's the grace of God. Hmm. So this wonderful doctrine of election, it'll suppress sin and self. It definitely brings self down to nothing, doesn't it? Because we got nothing to boast in. Nothing to boast in. And we don't promote ourselves. We don't put ourselves in the forefront.

Christ must have the preeminence. Christ must have the glory. Christ must have the honor and the praise. This church is not about me. It's not about us, is it? It's about Christ. We're just servants. We're bought with a price. We're not our own. And we love to come here and worship God, don't we? We love to come here and hear the gospel preached. We love it. I love putting messages together about our Savior and in preaching them. And I love to sit and listen to people preach the gospel to me. It's wonderful. It's wonderful.

The next effect God's electing grace will have, and this is important, is it gives the believer assurance. Assurance. We've all doubted at times, haven't we? Someone says, oh, no, I never doubted. Well, you're lying to me. Give me a break. We've all at one time or another doubted ourselves. Doubted if we're in Christ. You know, I remember reading this by Spurgeon. This was magnificent. I love this.

Spurgeon said, you know, the only people who doubt their salvation, we've talked about this. Spurgeon said, the only people who doubt their salvation are Christians. Unsafe people don't even care. They don't even think about it. They think they're good. The only people who doubt are believers.

And you know, when I doubt, when I start looking at myself, I was listening to a message by Gabe Stonelocker today. Before I came, it was wonderful. He said, he said, he said, when I get my eyes on self, I'm in trouble. And isn't that the root of our trouble? We get our eyes on self, keep our eyes on Christ. Let's keep looking at Christ. Turn, if you would, to Romans chapter 8. And let us be reminded of this precious truth we're going to look at here today in this verse. You know, think of this. If God foreknew us, and he did. If God predestinated us, and he did. If God justifies us, and he did. If God calls us by His Spirit, and He does, if Christ redeemed us, and He did, and if Christ currently intercedes for us, He does, then who can be against us? Who can be against us? Can anyone?

Nope. Look at this, Romans 8, 31 to 33. This is magnificent. Look at this. What shall we say then to these things? If God be for us, now just sit there for a second. If God be for us, God's for his people. God, the one who the universe, the whole Milky Way and the whole, all the stars you see and even what's beyond that cannot contain him, the scripture says. If God be for us, who can be against us?

Oh, my. Oh, what assurance. Oh, he that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how she he not with him also freely give us all things? How shall he not keep us? Lord, help my unbelief. Remind me of these verses. And then I love verse 33, because it talks about us being justified before God, which is just as if we never sinned, right? Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? Now, if we start looking at each other and looking at people in the world, we can find fault real quickly with each other, right? But if we look at each other as believers in Christ, we won't see no fault with each other.

See, my children can see all my faults, and they point them out, right? Did your kids point them out? Yeah, they point them out. Yeah, they can see every fault we ever do. It's wide open to them, right? And if we look at one another, we can find our faults, right?

But if I look at you, Tom, in Christ, and Travis, and Chris, and Neil, and Dan, if I look at you guys in Christ, I don't see no fault. You're in Christ. You're covered in His righteousness. So if we look at each other in Christ, there's no fault. And if God looks at us in Christ, what's that mean? Amen, sister. There's no fault. Why? Because it's God that justifies. He's justified us in His own sight. He's justified us. Who shall I anything to charge that God's elect? It is God that justifies. We're justified by God.

Do you know the scripture says that where Christ was raised for our justification? I'll tell ya, it doesn't get better than that, does it? What a wonderful message. And you know what else? Another effect of God's election? It makes dying easier for God's saints. Makes dying easier for God's saints. what rest the believer has in Christ. God has made a covenant with us through Christ.

Listen to what David wrote, and this can apply to all believers. Now these things be the last words of David. David, the son of Jesse, said, And the man who was raised up on high, anointed of God, of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said this, The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue. The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spake to me. He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. And he shall be the light of the morning when the sun rises, even a morning without clouds, as the tender grass springeth out of the earth by clear shining after rain.

Although it not be with my house, or although it be, although my house be not so with God. So, my brothers, and several of you will say, my brothers don't know Christ, their families don't know Christ. Although it not be with my family, David's saying. Remember Absalom? Hmm, that broke David's heart, didn't it?

Though it not be with my family, Yet he hath made an everlasting covenant with me. God made an everlasting covenant with all his people. And you know what? It says he kept going. Ordered in all things and sure. Sure. Sure by the blood of Christ. Sure. For this is all my salvation and all my desire, although he make it not to grow.

Oh, David's dying there. David's dying there. And he sought no other comfort, no other source of comfort but his great God, our great God, Jehovah. And he's looking to the Messiah, isn't he? He's looking to the one who sealed the covenant, the everlasting covenant with his precious blood, ratified the everlasting covenant with his precious blood. My. And this is the same for every single believer. God's made a covenant with us in Christ, and it's sure and ordered in all things. Praise the name of Jesus. And then the last effect of God's sovereign grace, sovereign electing grace, there's many more though, there's many more.

It'll assure us that our preaching is never in vain. Do you know my preaching is never in vain? Do you know your witnessing and my witnessing is never in vain? Never. Nothing may come of it from the time that we see there, but it's never in vain. It's never in vain, beloved.

Isaiah 55, 11 says this, So shall my word go forth out of my mouth. It shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the things whereunto I sent it. See, the gospel goes forward, it softens some, it softens some, and it hardens others. But it will always accomplish that which God has purposed it to do. Praise God it softened our hearts, eh?

Oh my. Listen to this from first Thessalonians. I read part of this before I've turned there. If you want first Thessalonians first Thessalonians chapter one First Thessalonians chapter one First Thessalonians chapter one verses Four to ten Look at this, this is amazing.

And this is a very young church, very young church. People say, well, you shouldn't teach election to young churches. Well, Paul did, right? And again, it shows us that our preaching will never be in vain. Look at this, verse four. Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. So he's writing to the Thessalonians. It's a Greek city. They're formal idol worshipers. And we're going to see what happened to them. It's magnificent. Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.

For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power and the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance, as you know what manner of men we were among you for your sake. And look at this, I love this. And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Ghost, so that you were examples to all that believe in Macedonia and in Archaea. For from you sounded out the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Archaea, but also in every place your faith to God's word is spread abroad so that we need not to speak anything. So they were going to places and some of the Thessalonians had already reached there and already preached the gospel. Oh, it's wonderful. Oh, now this next verse, look at this, look at this.

For they themselves show us What manner of entering in we head unto you, and how ye turn to God from idols to serve the living and true God. God turned them, beloved. Revelation, the first chapter, John says, and being turned, I turned. We're turned by God. When we're born again, we're turned from idols, from religion, from works, to serve the living and true God. This verse is magnificent. They turned to God by the grace and mercy of God. They were serving idols. They were bound down to wood and stone and statues. And now they're serving the living true God. That's a miracle of God's grace.

And to wait for his son, which we're doing still too, hey, from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us, look at this, from the wrath to come. We've been delivered from the wrath of God, beloved. See, in hell, the wrath of God is being poured out. We've been delivered from that. You know, the only taste of hell we get is on this earth. And the only taste those who are hell-bound of heaven get is on this earth. Oh, that's why we say, flee to Christ. He's the only hope for sinners.

Look unto me and live, all ye ends of the earth, our great God says. Look to Christ. I'll pray by God's grace that here have you looked to Christ, if you do not know him. for the saving of your souls. My, what a great God we serve. What an amazing God we serve. Brother Jim, will you close us in prayer?