She turned her feet in chapter
one, and what a joy it is to be here. I love getting up after a message
like that. Takes all the pressure off of
me. If I darken counsel with words without knowledge, just,
it was a bad day for me, and this is what you just heard.
That was a blessing. I'm so thankful for that message. Paul says in verse 3, and this sentence does not end
until verse 14. So from verses 3 through 14,
you have one thought. A lot of stuff in it, but you've
got one thought. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings,
heavenly places in Christ. Now I am thankful for material
blessings. I'd rather be able to pay my
bills than not be able to pay my bills. I would rather be healthy
than sick, all that kind of stuff. But they may not be blessings. It could be that material blessings
keep you from what? It could be that health is the
worst thing that could ever happen to you. And I'm not real sure
that there are any blessings, but spiritual blessings. Like
I said, I'd rather be able to pay my bills. It's no fun being
sick. But whatever the Lord sends our way is bad. If you looked at Lazarus and
the rich man, who was blessed of God? Lazarus was, who was
under God's curse, the rich man. So I am interested in these spiritual
blessings, aren't you? And what is the first spiritual
blessing he mentions? Let's go on reading. Verse four, according is the
first spiritual blessing he mentions according as he has chosen us
in him before the foundation of the world. He goes on to name many other
spiritual blessings in this passage of scripture. What a blessing
it is to be chosen to be holy. Every believer is holy. What
a blessing it is to be without blame. What a blessing it is
to be predestinated. What a blessing it is to be an
adopted child. To where you're actually a child
of God. What greater blessing is there
than that? To have all the privileges of
sonship. What a blessing. We could go
on. The blessing of being accepted in the beloved. The blessing
of having the forgiveness of sins. We could go on and on,
these glorious blessings, and like I said, he's not finished
until verse 14 in this one thought. But the first thing he mentions
is election. Now, what I want to consider
this morning is must election be preached? Can you preach the gospel? This
is the question. Can you preach the gospel and
not preach election? Now I would assume that pretty
much everybody in here believes that the Bible teaches election.
If you don't, you're wrong. It does. But my question is,
must election be preached? Well, the short answer is, does
the Bible teach it? Then yes. Yes, there's no question
about that. But probably in this community,
and I would say this would be generous, probably 95% of the
religious organizations would not preach election. Maybe a
greater percentage than that, wouldn't you say so? The ones
that do would say, well, yes, election's true. The Bible teaches
it, but you don't have to preach that to preach the gospel. As
a matter of fact, many people will preach in such a way as
they kind of preach in some kind of code to where they can say
things in such a way as where the people who believe in election
will be okay with it. And the people who do not believe
in election won't know what you're talking about anyway. And what
I want to ask is, must election be preached to preach the gospel. Now, I'd like to answer that
from the scriptures. Now, verse four, according as
he hath chosen us, who chose who? The Lord said in John chapter
15 verse 16 to his disciples, you have not chosen me, but I
have chosen you. Somebody says, well, we choose
him because he first chose us. Well, the Lord didn't say that.
He said, you've not chosen me, but I have chosen you. Why did he choose us? Some would say, well, he looked
down through the telescope of time. He's God and he foresaw
that we believe, therefore he chose us. That's absurd foolishness
and nothing less. Why did he choose us? We're told
in this passage of scripture to the praise of the glory of
his grace. If he chose me, if he chose you,
you and I will be trophies of his grace. I will be the biggest example
of how much salvation is by grace in heaven. Every believer feels that way. When? was this choice made? According as he hath chosen us
in him before the foundation of the world. That's when this
choice was made. He said, before I form thee in
the belly, I move thee. Come, ye blessed of my Father,
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of
the world. How did He choose us? According as He hath chosen us
in Him. It wasn't some kind of arbitrary
choice. Well, I'm gonna pick out this
one, save him, I'm gonna damn that one. That's not the way it works
at all. According as he hath chosen us in him, God's elect
have always been in Christ. Do I understand that? No. Do I believe it? With all my
heart. God's elect have always been
in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now that is the doctrine clearly
stated. Those who are elect have been
saved. Must be saved. Are being saved. And will be saved. They will bow the knee to the
Lord Jesus Christ. and believe on him as they're
all in salvation. They will repent of anything
that's contrary to that. They will persevere all the way
to the end, looking to Christ only as everything. And they'll
be in that great choir singing worthy is the lamb that was slain. What I want to do is show how
crucial election is to the preaching of the gospel. Let me make this
statement and I'm going to make good on it from the scriptures.
The gospel cannot be preached. When this holy truth is not preached. We repeat that. The gospel of
Jesus Christ, the simple gospel. Cannot be preached. When this
holy truth is not preached. There's never been a preacher
that God has called to preach that did not preach election. Election is not deep. That's where people try to hide.
That's deep theology. Nobody can understand that. Well,
how hard is it to understand you've not chosen me, but I've
chosen you? Is there anybody in here that doesn't understand
that? It's not deep, it's so. It's
true. You did not choose me, but I
chose you. Well, that's deep. It's hard
to understand nonsense. It's a bit hard to understand.
Now, men may hate this truth. As a matter of fact, I have no
doubt that there's in the natural man a prejudice against this
truth when they hear it. They don't like its implications. But it's not hard to understand.
Now, first of all, election, God's choice of his people before
time began, is a declaration of the character of God. It's a declaration of the attributes
of God. Election is God being God. God is sovereign. We've already
heard that. Election is a demonstration of
God's sovereignty. God is eternal. He's not bound
by space or time the way you and I are. Election is eternal. This took place before time. Election is a declaration of
God is love. If God loves you, there's never
been a time when he didn't love you. And there's never going
to be a time when he'll stop loving you. That's all election
says. God is love. God is immutable. He cannot change with reference
to his view of his chosen people. He said, I'm the Lord, I change
not. Therefore, ye sons of Jacob are
not consumed. God is holy. The elect have been
chosen to be holy. Every attribute of God, every
characteristic of God, is displayed in God's electing love. God is a God of purpose. We've
already heard that. 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 His call. Now, election is a declaration
of the character of God. God is God. I could go on with this, but
a denial of election is a denial of the character of God. Election is the fountainhead. And this is who God is. Election
is the fountainhead of all these spiritual blessings. Open up
in Ephesians chapter four. Now without election, there is
really no understanding of man. Without election, without preaching
election, there's really no understanding of man and his sinfulness. This is essential in telling
who man really is. You take away election, And you
have men not being dead in sins and having the ability to respond
to the offer of the gospel, which is a denial of what the gospel
is in the first place. You have man's will being the
determinant factor in salvation rather than God's will. You have
man being sovereign over God if you do not preach election. Election is for men who are dead
in sins. I wish I could say this the right
way, but it's one thing to believe in the doctrine of total depravity,
and it's another thing to believe you're totally depraved. And when you believe you're totally
depraved, let's just forget the doctrine for a moment. Well,
you can't forget the doctrine. I don't know why I said that.
But if you're totally depraved, you need God to do something
for you. But God, that is election. Election comes to the sinner
where he is. dead in sins and says, live. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me. No election, no coming to Christ,
no life. Now, election does not prevent
people from being saved who otherwise would have been saved. God's
electing grace saves people who would have most certainly been
dead. And you can't preach man as he
is, dead in Jesus, unless you preach election. Without election, and this is
so important, without election, there is no understanding of
the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. The vast majority of what goes
on under the name of Christianity, you know I don't like that word,
do you? Christianity, it's not in the Bible, and it rhymes with
insanity. And that's about what you'd call
most of what goes on under the name of Christianity, insanity. But it teaches what is known
as universal redemption. main message from the pulpits
around the world. God loves all. Christ died for
all to make salvation available to all. But the determining factor
of your salvation is whether or not you accept what he did
or whether or not you reject what he did. Is that a fair representation
of what is mostly taught? Now if that's what you believe,
I pray God will grant your repentance, but that's not the gospel. There's
absolutely no gospel in that message. No one can be saved
hearing that message. No one can be saved believing
that message. That is another gospel. It's not true. First Corinthians chapter 15,
verse three, you know, like you can't preach the cross or not
preach the lecture. Let me, let me, I hope this will make this
clear. Paul said in first Corinthians
chapter 15, verse three, that the gospel is how that Christ
died for our sins, according to the scriptures. And he's talking
about the Old Testament scriptures. The gospel is not that Christ
died for our sins. You can say that all day long
and not preach the gospel. It's how that Christ died for
our sins, according to the scriptures. And he's talking about the Old
Testament scriptures. And the example that I thought of was
the Passover. One night, when God came through
the land of Israel, he said, When I see the blood, I will
pass over you. Was the blood over everybody's
door in Egypt? No. No, it wasn't. It was just over the houses of
Israel. God said in Exodus chapter 11,
verse 7, against the children of Israel, shall not a dog bite
his tongue, against man or beast, so that you may know how that
the Lord doth put a difference between Egypt and Israel. The
blood was not over everybody's door. Was there anybody In one of the
houses, with the blood over the door, was there anybody who was
not saved? I want to be careful in saying this, but what
if somebody committed some kind of horrible, I know all sin is
horrible, and I know you can't, you're not supposed to, but let's
say somebody that very morning murdered somebody. cold blooded, vicious. If he
was in a house with the blood over the door, was he safe? Yes. Yes. You know, I'd love to think that
there were some people that were scared to death while they were
in that house with the blood over the door. You know, some
people just kind of lie. But one was more secure than
the other, weren't they? Because the security is in the
blood. God said, when I see the blood,
not when you see it, not when I see your faith, not when I
see your sincerity, not when I see your repentance, not when
I see your love, not when I... What was the one thing God was
looking for? blood. Nothing else. Aren't you thankful? Now, that
is how that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures.
That can only be seen in light of the election, who he came
to save. Let's go to the New Testament.
Thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people
from their sins. I lay down my life Husbands, love your wives as
Christ also loved the church and gave himself. Wherefore, by one offering, he
hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. Feed the church
of God, which he purchased with his own blood. You could go on
and on and on. Christ accomplished salvation.
He didn't simply make salvation available. He accomplished salvation
for his people and there is really no understanding of the death
of Christ unless I see it as an accomplishment. When he said
it is finished, we've already heard this. Is there anything
more sweet to you than to know that when he said it is finished,
your salvation was accomplished? Finished. Nothing for me to do. It is finished. You can't preach the character
of God, you can't preach the character of man, you can't preach
the cross of Christ, and you can't preach the invincible life-giving
work of God the Holy Spirit and not preach election. Quickening. Quickening. That's the giving of life. It's attributed to the Father,
And you have he quickened, given life, spiritual life. This is
what we're talking about. Giving spiritual life to somebody
who is dead, it seems. Dead. Unable to do anything to
save themselves. Dead. Quickening is attributed
to the Father. Quickening. Life giving is attributed
to the Son. The Son quickeneth whom He will.
John 5.21. attributed to God, the Holy Spirit. It's the spirit that quickens
the flesh, prophets, nothing. Now, the spirit comes to chosen
sinners who were dead in sins and gives them life from the
dead. He burst them into the kingdom
of heaven because God elected them. and because Christ died
for them. And he births them into the kingdom
through the preaching of the gospel. It's the gospel. It's
the power of God unto salvation. Now, if you don't have election,
you have the Holy Spirit knock on men's doors, but he can't
get in unless men let him in. That ain't gonna do me any good,
and it ain't gonna do you any good either. The issue of election is grace. Election is actually called,
in Romans 11, 5, the election of grace. You do not believe
in grace if you do not believe in election. You don't preach
grace if you do not preach election. Take away the G in grace and
what do you have left? Grace. We're only the strongest
and the fittest surviving with it. Grace is not guilty. Grace is for the sinful. It's an election of grace. And if by grace, if by grace,
It's no more words. Otherwise, grace is no more grace. Take away election, you take
away the character of God, you take away the sinful character
of man. There's no understanding of the
cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. There's no understanding of the
life giving work of the spirit of God. And you no longer have
salvation by grace. That's how crucial this is. preaching
the gospel. As a matter of fact, you can't
even preach faith or repentance without preaching the election.
I love the way the Holy Spirit made Luke say, as many as were
ordained to eternal life believed. By gracing, you say, through
faith, that not of yourselves, it's the gift of God, not of
Every man should boast. When we speak of repentance,
it's the gift of God. Then have God to the Gentiles
granted gift repentance. That change of mind. I mean,
it takes grace to understand what repentance is. Repentance
is a change of mind concerning God, concerning myself, concerning
salvation. You can't preach faith and repentance
apart from election. Somebody says this doctrine will
create an indifference to holiness. Below me. You won't be holy without election.
According as he hath chosen us in him that we should be holy. But this will destroy zeal for
evangelism. I mean, if everybody's elect,
what's the point in evangelizing? What's the point in preaching
the gospel? There's no point in preaching
the gospel if there's not an election. I mean, why bother? Nobody will
be saved. Destroy zeal for evangelism.
Paul said, I endure all things for the elect's sake. that they
may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with
eternal glory. When the Lord came to Paul with
a vision in the night, he said, be not afraid, but speak and
hold not thy peace, for I have much people in this city. Why
did Paul stay in Corinthians 18 months preaching the gospel? God said, I have much people
in this city. The Lord told Ananias to go preach
the gospel to Paul. Ananias was scared. He said,
Lord, I've heard about all the things this man has done. He
said, go thy way. He's a chosen vessel unto me. And then when he goes to Paul,
first thing he says is, the God of our fathers has chosen thee,
that thou should know his will. See that just one and hear the
voice of his mouth, for thou shalt be his witness unto all
men of what you've seen and heard. But election is such a discouragement
to sinners and unbelievers. It'll keep them from coming.
No, it won't. No, it won't. That's just an
objection of the flesh. When the Lord said to the Syro-Phoenician
woman, I'm not sent, but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel,
did she say, well, all right, I give up. I'm going back up.
Another one of the scriptures says, then came she and worshipped
him. You only worship when you have
no control. when you're in the hands of a
sovereign God and He can do with you whatever He pleases. Then came she and worshipped
Him, saying, Lord, help me. If you don't help me, I will
not be helped. I was thinking while Tom was
preaching that message on salvation of the Lord, I was thinking,
Lord, save me. Save me. That's my greatest need. Lord,
save me. Salvations of the Lord. If you
don't save me, I won't be saved. Save me. Doesn't discourage people from
coming to Christ. Somebody else says, well, it
just seems unfair for him to pick out some and pass by others.
Don't go there. Fair as hell. Fair as hell. You believe that? If God sent
me or you to hell. Let me put it this way. If God
sent me to hell. All of creation would clap their hands in agreement
with his justice in sending one like me. Not fair. Does anybody think
you're able to set judgment on God to declare what you think
is fair and not fair? He's God. You and I have no right
to try to make that judgment. I'm sinful. I'm evil. I can't
make a judgment like that. Neither can you. Whatever he
does is fair, right, just, holy, and true. Now, I think that it's
interesting in the early church, I don't know how else to say
this, but in the early church, election was called procession.
It was called procession. When Peter writes his first epistle,
he writes to the strangers scattered throughout Cappadocia and Galatia,
elect. according to the foreknowledge
of God the Father. And when he closes the epistle, he says the
church that's in Babylon elected together with him to salute you.
If you would have said, I don't believe in election. What? The elder unto the elect lay. The children of thy elect sister
greet thee. It was conversational. It was
a part of their thinking. And it's still a part of the
thinking of the church. It still is. It's not different today. It's the way it has always been. Now, the question, can someone
preach the gospel and not preach election? Can you preach the gospel and
not preach the character of God? Can you preach the gospel and
not preach the sinfulness of man? Can you preach the gospel and
not preach the success of the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ?
Can you preach the gospel and not preach the invincible work
of God the Holy Spirit? Can you preach the gospel and
not preach salvation by grace? Can you preach the gospel and
not preach election? Ain't no way. Pastor.