The Fruit Of Election

Q: What does the Bible say about election?

The Bible teaches that God elected His people before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4). The doctrine of election is clearly articulated in scripture, particularly in Ephesians 1:4, which states that God chose His people in Christ before the foundation of the world. This concept encompasses God's absolute sovereignty in salvation, as reflected in John 15:16, where Jesus states, 'You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you.' Election underscores that salvation is entirely a work of God, not a result of human decision or merit. Thus, understanding election is pivotal for grasping the depth of God's grace and sovereignty.

Q: Why is the concept of election important for Christians?

Election assures that salvation is by grace alone, glorifying God as the ultimate author of our faith. The concept of election is crucial for Christians for several reasons. Firstly, it emphasizes that salvation is entirely by grace; if election is removed from the equation, the basis for salvation shifts from God's sovereignty to human works. This shift undermines the grace of God, as salvation then becomes a transaction based on human effort rather than divine mercy. Secondly, the doctrine guarantees that God receives all glory for our salvation. As stated in 2 Timothy 1:9, we are saved according to His own purpose and grace, highlighting His initiative in our redemption. Finally, election promotes an active faith, encouraging believers to 'go' and bear fruit, as mandated in John 15:16, affirming the coupling of divine sovereignty with human responsibility.

Q: How do we know that election is true?

Scripture consistently affirms election as part of God's sovereign plan for salvation. The truth of election is substantiated through various biblical passages that emphasize God's sovereign choice. Ephesians 1:4 clearly states that God selected His people before creation, emphasizing His authority and foreknowledge. Additionally, Romans 8:29-30 illustrates the unbreakable chain of salvation, from foreknowledge to glorification, confirming that those whom God predestined are indeed called and saved. The unwavering consistency of scripture presentations on election, coupled with the rejection of salvation by works, reinforces its truth within the realm of sovereign grace theology. Every believer's testimony of God's grace validates this doctrine's reality in their lives.

Q: What is the fruit of election for believers?

The fruit of election includes good works, perseverance in faith, and the bearing of spiritual fruit. The fruit of election manifests in several ways within the lives of believers. According to John 15:16, those chosen by God are ordained to go and bear fruit, which encompasses good deeds, the spread of the Gospel, and the demonstration of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Election does not produce complacency; rather, it compels believers to engage actively in their faith journey. Furthermore, 2 Thessalonians 2:13 emphasizes sanctification through the Spirit, assuring that the elect will experience transformative growth that evidences their faith in action. Thus, the fruit of election confirms our calling and signifies an ongoing work of grace in the believer's life.

John chapter 15, verse 16. I preached from the part, you've not chosen me, but I've chosen you a couple of weeks ago, but now I want to look at the entire verse. I've entitled this message, The Fruit of Election. John chapter 15, verse 16. The Lord is speaking to his disciples. And he knows the next day he is going to be nailed to a cross. And he's giving them his final instructions.

And he says in verse 16, you have not chosen me, but I have chosen you. and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my name, he may give it you." The fruit of election.

The Lord says, you did not choose me, but I chose you. I've heard people say, well, we choose him because he chose us. Well, that's not what the Lord says. He says, you did not choose me. but I chose you." Now this is talking about the choice of election. It's literally, you did not elect me, but I elected you.

That's God's choice of his people before time began. Now that's what the scripture teaches. according as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him. Let me try to clearly state the issue of the doctrine of election. Now, there is no question that the Bible teaches that God elected a people before time began. You can't deny that and believe the Bible is the word of God. But what are the issues of this holy doctrine? Well, first of all, election is God being God. Oh, election glorifies God as Lord of all. He's the first cause of all things. If you're saved, it's because He saved you.

2 Timothy 1.9 says, He saved us and He called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.

Election is neither more nor less than God being God, if I do not believe and worship the God of election, I don't believe and worship the God of the Bible. If I don't believe and worship the God of election, the God I worship is non-existent. I might as well be an atheist.

Secondly, election tells us that salvation is all of grace. If you take election away, beginning with God's choice of His people before time began, you try to take that away, you don't have grace. You have salvation dependent in some way upon what some man does, and salvation is no longer of grace. You're left with salvation by works. Thirdly, election ensures God getting all the glory. He began it, He ends it. And with election, God gets all the glory in salvation. If you take election away, God does not get all the glory, all the credit in salvation.

There's something man must do. And fourthly, election guarantees fruit bearing. Let me read the verse again. John chapter 15, verse 16. You have not chosen me But I have chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain." Now, there are many objections to election, and behind them all is a hatred of the God of election. But one of the main objections of election is it's not fruitful.

It causes people to be stoic and apathetic and indifferent and fatalistic and dead. It's a chilling doctrine. It's a killing doctrine. Now, Let me tell you what I know about those objections. They're just not so. There's not a bit of truth to them. I've even heard people speak of the frozen chosen. I've heard that many times. The frozen chosen. Election is a freezing doctrine. It freezes men's ability to act. It makes them fatalistic and frozen. It's a dry and a dangerous doctrine. Well, it's not to the elect. It may be to the non-elect, but it's not to the elect.

Listen to this scripture. Second Thessalonians 2.13, Paul said, we're bound to thank God always for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord. It's the doctrine of divine thanksgiving. We're bound to thank God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation. through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.

Now, while there's no salvation without election, there's also no salvation without the sanctification of the Spirit, the life-giving work of the Holy Spirit. And there's no salvation without the actual belief of the truth. If you're sanctified by the Spirit, you'll believe the truth. And if you believe the truth, it'll be because you have been sanctified by the Spirit.

You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit. Don't miss this word go. This is very important. Not that you should be static and stagnant or stationary, but that you should go. I want to read a passage of Scripture in Luke chapter 7.

It's the parable of the steward of the house, the householder who gave his servants talents. He gave one, five talents. He gave one, two talents. He gave one, one talent. And the man with five talents, after he came to his master, he said, Lord, your talents gained five talents. He said, your five talents have gained five talents. Well done. The other one said, your two talents have gained two talents. And he said so joyfully, And well done, thou good and faithful servant.

But let's read about this one who gave only one talent. Now, I'm sorry, it's Matthew chapter 25, Matthew chapter 25. Verse 24, then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man. This was his attitude toward his Lord. These other fellows weren't like that. They came with joy, joyfully saying, your five talents have gained five others, your two have gained two others. But this man said to his master, I knew you were a hard man reaping where thou has not sown and gathering where thou has not strawed. Now is the master like that? Of course not. That's not who God is. But this is this view this man had him.

He, you're sovereign, you do what you will, I can't do anything, so here's what I've done. I was afraid, verse 25, and went and hid thy talents in the earth. And lo, thou hast, that is thine. I didn't do anything, I didn't go, I just hid it in the earth. Now look at his master's answer. His Lord answered and said unto him, thou wicked and slothful servant. And he meets him on the ground, he comes.

He said, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed, not gather which I have not strawed. Thou oughtest, therefore, to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take, therefore, the talent from him, and give it to him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given. And he that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath, and cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

This man never did go. He used the character of his Lord, and he made a caricature of it. You're sovereign, you're hard, you're austere, I wouldn't dare try to do anything. I've just hid my talent in the dirt. Here you have what is yours." And he calls him a wicked and a slothful servant.

The message of the gospel is go. Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Go home to your friends and family and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you. I love when the Lord parted the Red Sea. He said through Moses, stand still, don't move, and see the salvation of the Lord. And when the water parted, the call was to go forward, go through the Red Sea as dry land.

You've not chosen me, but I've chosen you that you should go bring forth fruit. And I believe this refers to everything that the New Testament has to say about fruit. And there's quite a few things. Let me give you these things quickly. The Lord said, except a corn of wheat die and fall into the ground, it abides alone. But if it dies, it brings forth much fruit. John chapter 12, verse 24. This is talking about the fruit of Christ's death.

Now listen to me. He's going to have fruit from his death. Everybody that he died for will be saved. There will be nobody in hell that he died for. And this is the encouragement to go out and preach. He's got a people. He's got a people that he has paid their debt and they will hear and they will believe.

And you go out and bring forth that fruit, the fruit of my death. You go and preach the gospel to every creature and you will see that fruit that comes from it. I want to read a passage of scripture from Luke chapter six. Verse 43, this is the fruit of our words. You know, the writer to the Hebrews talked about the fruit of our lips. Now listen to this scripture.

The Lord says in Luke chapter 6, 43, for a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit, neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. For every tree is known by his own fruit. For if thorns mean do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes, a good man, that's the believer, out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good. And an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh."

Now here he's talking about the fruit of our words. By your words you'll be justified. By your words you'll be condemned. What is in the heart comes out in the speech. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bring us forth the good things of the gospel, good words, words of scripture. An evil man belches out what's in his evil heart, salvation by works, the fruit of your words. And then the Lord said, beware of false prophets. You shall know them by their fruits. You can tell a false prophet by what he says.

John says, try the spirits where they're of God. Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God. Every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ has come into the flesh is not of God, but of that spirit of Antichrist. Now, listen to this simple, profound confession. And you can tell if a man's telling the truth by hearing what he says with regard to this simple confession.

Jesus Christ was before he came. He came in the flesh, but He was before He came. He is eternal God. God the Son. He was before He came. He came in the flesh. God was manifest in the flesh. The Word was made flesh, dwelt among us. He came in the flesh, and He did what He came to do. Matthew 121 says, Thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins. That's exactly what He did. Now, if anybody preaches anything contrary to that, they're not of God. And notice He said to confess this. It's a public confession. This isn't some private statement. This is what He says publicly. You shall know them by their fruits, by their doctrine. You shall know them by their converts. That's their fruit.

Ask, don't ask a preacher what he believes. Ask the people that listen to him what he believes. They'll tell you what he really believes, because that's what he's preached. He might tell you what you want to hear. Ask the people who listen to him. And you can tell from what they say what he really preaches. And you'll know them by the fruit of their life. Somebody that really preaches the gospel lives the gospel. Beware false prophets, you shall know them by their fruit.

I also have no doubt that this is a reference to the fruit of the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. Everybody that He has chosen is going to bear the fruit of God the Holy Spirit in Luke 13, or 3.8, John the Baptist said, bring forth fruits, meet for repentance. Now, if I've truly repented before God, and repentance means a change of mind, a change of mind about God, a change of mind about myself, a change of mind about salvation, there'll be fruits with that. The fruits of poverty of spirit, the fruits of humility, the fruits of being a merciful person, There are always fruits with true repentance, and the writer of the Hebrews spoke of the peaceable fruits of righteousness that come from God's chastening hand. Oh, whom the Lord loveth, he chastens and corrects, and he does so for a purpose, that they might bear the peaceable fruits of righteousness.

Now, once again in our text, John 15, 16, you've not chosen me, but I've chosen you and ordained you that you should go. that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that it should endure. It's not temporary. It's not the result of some kind of temporary religious zeal that the stony ground here had when he heard the message with joy, but he didn't stick with it. He fell away. What was the One good ground here, what was the difference between the good ground here and the other bad ground? Fruit. They bore fruit. And that fruit should remain.

He that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved. That whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. Now here's what happens if Christ chooses you. You've not chosen me, but I've chosen you and ordained you. Number one, that you'll go. You're not stationary. You're not static. You're not stagnant. You go. There's spiritual motion. Even in coming to Christ, you don't make a move, but there's spiritual motion. You're not static.

You should go and bring forth fruit, all the fruit that the Bible speaks of, and we've gone over that. and that your future should remain, that it's real, that it's not temporary. And here's the last thing he says about those he has chosen. He said, that whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in my name, he'll give it you. Asking the Father in the name of the Son. Now this is something that all of the chosen do. They understand this.

They do not come to God in their own name. They do not come to God pleading their own merits. They do not come to God with their experience to back up why they should come. They come to God pleading only the name, the righteousness, and the merits of Jesus Christ.

Now, when we come to God, we're asking for things. I ask for health. I ask for money to pay my bills. I ask for things. And, well, we should. Be careful for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication, let your requests be made known to God. I ask for things. I ask for health. He might give me cancer. He's done it twice. That's okay. Whatever he does is right.

I ask for provision. This is talking about asking for material things, things of this world, but that's really not what the Lord's talking about here. He's talking about the things of salvation. When we ask for the things of salvation in His name, this is not talking about asking for a million dollars. If I ask for a million dollars in His name, He'll give it to me. No, this is talking about the things of salvation.

I'm not coming in my own name. I'm not coming in my works that I performed. I'm not coming in by virtue of things I've done or refrained from doing. I'm only coming in His name, asking for Him to hear me and answer me because He hears His Son and answers His Son. I'm not coming in my own name. I'm coming in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And just as you forgive for His sake, no other reason is needed. Forgive me for His sake. Give me righteousness for His sake. Forgive my sins for His sake. Give me grace for His sake. Give me faith for His sake. Give me repentance for His sake. Give me a new heart for His sake. Preserve me for His sake.

Everything that I ask for, I don't say give me this because I don't ask for that much or because I've been good or I've read my Bible. No, I ask Him to do what He does for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ. I come in His name. That same name that Paul said in Romans 10, 13, whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved, whatsoever you do In word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.

This is his commandment that we should believe on his name. Asking in his name is not a formula. Well, if we ask him his name, we'll get it. Kind of like abracadabra or open sesame, using it as a formula. We need to use this formula to get him to hear us. No, it's knowing that the only reason you're heard is for his name's It's an understanding of the person behind the name when we're asking in his name. When you ask in his name, you know he's God.

Equal with the Father. One who can represent you. The second person of the Trinity. You know that in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. That's why you're coming in his name. You'll know you'll be heard for his sake. Listen to this scripture.

The Lord said, I am the way, the truth, the life. No man cometh to the Father, but by me. Every believer has some understanding of that. He's the way to God. Not my works. He's the way to God. He's the truth. He is the truth. He's the truth of who God is. He's the truth of who I am. He's the truth of salvation. He's the life. His life is my only life before God. His life is my righteousness.

No man comes to the Father, but by Him. Now, when I come to the Father, it's because He comes to the Father, and I'm in Him. It's not me coming along beside Him or with Him or behind Him. It's Him coming to the Father. And when He comes, I come. because I'm in him. There's an understanding of his name, who he is. There's an understanding of the gospel. Listen to this scripture.

First Corinthians 1.30 says, of him, of God, are you in Christ Jesus? What's it mean to be in Christ Jesus?

Well, what did it mean to be in the ark? If you were in that ark, you were safe. If you were outside of that ark, you would drown. What did it mean to be in the house with the blood over the door? If you're in the house, God said, when I see the blood, I will pass over you. If you were outside of the house, there was no blood. You were on your own.

Of Him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. Now this is who He is to me. He is my wisdom. He is my righteousness. He is my holiness. He is my redemption. How did he become those things to you? God made him that way. Of him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.

Now whatever I ask in his name, he'll give it. Talking about the things of salvation. You come for mercy in his name, you'll have it. You come for forgiveness in his name, you'll have it. This is a promise. You come for grace in his name, you'll have it.

Now, if you don't have it, it's because you've never really asked in His name. You maybe have used it kind of as a formula, the way people are here, but in Jesus' name, and it's like, you gotta hear now, because I said it that way. That's not the point. When you come in Christ's name, you come knowing only He brings you in to the Father's presence.

Now, whatever you ask in His name, you'll have. Hear me for Christ's sake. If you come in your own name, you will not have it. Ask in His name, you shall receive. Seek in His name, you shall find. Knock in His name, it shall be opened to you. If you fail to ask in His name, you're not going to receive. If you fail to seek in His name, you're not going to find. If you fail to knock in His name, it will not be opened unto you. We ask in His name. name.

Asking his name reveals an understanding of the gospel. It's an understanding of the person behind that name. We understand that the only way we can be heard and accepted by God is for Christ's sake. As Psalm 106 8 says, he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make his mighty power known. Now here's the fruit of election. You go, you bring forth fruit, your fruit remains. and you ask in His name. There's some understanding deep within your heart that you know you're a sinner and you can't come on your own.

And the only way that you can be heard and accepted is for Christ's sake. And beloved, I don't care who you are, if you ask in His name, really believing Christ is the only ground for you being heard, whatever it is you're asking for, by way of mercy and grace, you will receive. Thank God for the fruit of election. To receive a copy of the sermon you have just heard, send your request to todd.neibert at gmail.com or you may write or call the church at the information provided on the screen.

The Fruit Of Election

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about election?

Why is the concept of election important for Christians?

How do we know that election is true?

What is the fruit of election for believers?

Sermon Transcript

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The Fruit Of Election

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about election?

Why is the concept of election important for Christians?

How do we know that election is true?

What is the fruit of election for believers?

Sermon Transcript

About Todd Nibert

Comments

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