I've heard that song 10,000 times. That never gets old, does it? Let's open our Bibles again to
Romans chapter 9. The title of the message this
morning is, what does the Bible teach about election? There's
no denying that the doctrine of election is taught all throughout
the Bible. That's not an obscure doctrine
at all. The word elect or election is
used 27 times in the Bible. And the Hebrew or Greek word
for elect is translated chosen 19 more times. So it's not an
obscure doctrine. This has always been an important
doctrine to the church. The early church didn't refer
to each other as believers like we do. They called each other
the elect. When John wrote his letter to
the lady, he wrote to the elect lady. Peter wrote, the church
that is at Babylon elected together with you, salutes you. So we
know that election is a biblical term, biblical, something taught
in the Bible, but what does election mean? That's a good question. What does election mean? I'm
not interested in what men say that election means, because
they're always wrong. 100% of the time, they're wrong.
What does the Bible say election means? You know, men say, I'm
just not interested in what men have to say about this, you know.
They say election means that people will be kept out of heaven
who want salvation. Now, that's hogwash. I challenge
you, find anyone that believes this doctrine has ever said that.
You're not going to find one. They say election means babies
are in hell because God didn't elect them. That's hogwash. You'll
never find anybody that believes this doctrine ever preaching
that. So if we're gonna know what election means, we need
to find out what the Bible says it is, don't we? This book cannot
err. So whatever this book teaches
us about election is so. And that's what I want us to
look at this morning. I pray the Holy Spirit will teach us
from the word of God, what does election mean? Now, election
simply means that God chose a people to save, a specific, exact people
to save. So election is just God being
God. First of all, election is God
being God, God being merciful. If God didn't choose a people
to save, no one would be saved, because left to our own devices,
our fallen nature would never choose God. But God is merciful. That's who God is. God's merciful.
So he chose a sinful people to save. Romans 9, verse 10. And not only this, but when Rebecca
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 calleth." Now, salvation
is not by merit. Salvation is not by our work,
something that we can earn by our works. Salvation is by God's
mercy. God chose to save Jacob before
Jacob ever did anything. And here it says good or bad,
but all of Jacob's works, just like all of our works are bad.
So before Jacob did any bad works, God chose to save Jacob because
God's merciful. Jacob's works don't have anything
at all to do with God's choosing him, does it? Just like Esau's
works don't have anything to do with God passing him by. Works
don't enter into it at all. It's mercy. Salvation comes from
God's mercy to his people. God chose Jacob. Now you think
about that. You know, you all know who Jacob
is. Jacob was a cheat. Jacob was born second. So he
had no claim upon the birthright. The birthright belonged to the
firstborn. For long he saw his brother. Jacob couldn't have
it. But Jacob spent his life scheming
and conniving and cheating to get it. In order to get that,
what he wanted, Jacob cheated his own brother. His own brother? That's hard for us to understand.
Janet was teaching some of the little ones a few weeks ago,
talking to them about Jacob's sons being mean to their brother
Joseph. And they were so upset, weren't
they? Oh, how could you cheat your own brother? That's Jacob. That's Jacob. We read it earlier to open the
service. Took advantage of his brother when he was hungry. and
sold him the birthright, the birthright for a bowl of beans,
just bean soup. Then, if that wasn't enough,
Jacob cheated his own daddy, his father, who he loved. He
cheated his own daddy, tricked him into thinking he was Esau
so his daddy would give him the blessing. Then Jacob had to run
off. Jacob went and got married. When
you get married, you get a father-in-law. Jacob's relationship with his
father-in-law was one of cheating and deception the whole time
through on both parts. They finally had to build a stone
heap up and say, OK, I won't go past this and you won't come
to you. You won't go past me. We can't live together because
we're just cheating each other all the time. That's who Jacob
is. And listen, Jacob rubbed off
on his wives. Leadership matters. Jacob's the
head of his home and his way rubbed off on his wives. They're
constantly scheming and conniving against one another. And it's
no wonder Jacob's sons were like they were. They're just like
their daddy. They deceived their father and made him think his
favorite son, Joseph, had been eaten by a wild animal. Jacob was a scoundrel. Everything
he touched just seems like it turns to disaster. But God's going to save Jacob. God's
merciful. God's going to save Jacob by
His grace and give Jacob what Jacob could never earn. See,
election is God being God, isn't it? Electing love, electing grace,
electing mercy is natural to God because that's who God is.
But men can't understand that. Here's the big problem. Men don't
understand election is love and mercy and grace are not natural
to us. But God does everything upside down from the way men
would do them. However you think God ought to
do something, just do the opposite. That's what he's going to do,
because God always does the opposite of what you and me think. It
was natural in those days for the firstborn to have the birthright.
He would be the king of the family, the priest of the family. The
rest of the children would serve him. But God turns everything
upside down. God said, Rebecca, The elder
is going to serve the younger. Well, why? Because I've chosen
the younger. This is the way I've ordained
for it to be. Now, God chose the people. He chose Jacob. That shows you
God does everything upside down from the way you and I would
do it. God doesn't choose people, we choose. We would choose the
best people, wouldn't we? We'd choose the most moral people,
the most kind people, the most gracious people. We'd choose
people who are our friends. God chose the worst. God chose
sinners. God chose the people who are
His enemies to save. You and I never would have chosen
Jacob. We'd have chosen Esau every single
time. Esau was a likable fellow. Esau
was a man's man. I mean, he went out and worked,
he went out and hunted, he provided for his family. If Esau was your
neighbor, and you had a project going, you needed some help,
Esau was able and willing to do it. He'd come and do it, and
he'd do a good job. But now if Jacob offered to help
you, you better watch it, because if Jacob's helping you, you're
going to come out and lose it in some way, somehow in this
thing. If you do business with Jacob, you better keep your hand
on your wallet. You better just leave it locked up at the house
somewhere, because if Jacob helps you, it's going to come out for
Jacob's benefit, not yours. But God chose to save Jacob.
That's God being God. God being merciful. All right,
second, election is God being God. It's God being love, verse
13. As it is written, Jacob have
I loved. Now election, people that don't
understand, don't know election, don't understand what the Bible
teaches about election think that election means that God's
mean. No, no, no, no, no. Election is a loving doctrine.
Election always has to do with God's love, his electing love. God chose to save a sinful people. God loved them. God's election
of sinners is so loving, only God could love sinners. God chose
to save sinners and he sent his son to be their representative.
He sent his son to be their substitute, to die in their place, bearing
all of their sin, all of their shame, and all of their guilt,
to put it away through his own death. Now that's love. Herein is love. Not that we love
God, but that he loves us. He sent his son to be the propitiation
for our sins. And people are amazed at Romans
9 verse 13, but they're amazed at the wrong thing. The amazing
truth in this verse is God loved Jacob. Jacob is not a lovable
man. He just not. He's a mama's boy. He's a boy only his mama can
love. He's dishonest. Jacob is a weak man. He always
takes the path of least resistance. And Jacob's a coward. That's
the only thing you say about it. Jacob is a coward. Jacob
ran off, ran away from home, knowing he'd never see his mother
and father again because he's afraid Esau would kill him, and
he knew Esau would be just in doing it. Years and years later,
Jacob's married. He's got two wives. He's got
this big family. He's got all these servants. He's got all
these cattle. He's got all these sheep. He's a rich man. And the
Lord leads him to come back home. And as he's going home, he gets
word. Your brother Esau, he's a mighty
man now, too. He's a rich man. He's coming
out to meet you with a great host of men. Well, Jacob's scared
to death. You know what Jacob does? What
a despicable man. He sends his wives and his children
first to meet Esau. He stays behind. He didn't go meet Esau first.
He wasn't a man. He didn't take charge and protect
his family. No, he sent his wives and children
first, thinking they could be slaughtered. Maybe Esau thinks
he's extracted his pound of flesh before he gets to me. Jacob was
a despicable man. And whatever it is you think
of Jacob, spiritually, you and I are far worse. We are despicable,
disgusting in God's sight. But there's hope for sinners.
God loved Jacob. God loves sinners. And God's
electing love gives hope to sinners like you and me. Election does
not take away anybody's hope of salvation. No, election opens
the door wide for sinners because God loves sinners. Election is
God being who he is, being loved. All right, third. Election is
God being God. It's God being just, verse 13.
As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. Now I told you I'm not all that
interested in what people have to say about this verse, but
let me deal with this because you hear it often. People try
to say this verse means, well, God loved Jacob and he just loved
Esau less. Now I really wish that people
would think before they open their mouth. I wish people would
think about what they claim to believe. If God loves Esau less. What does that mean? That means
that God can love him perfectly, can't he? That means God loves
like you and me. But who's God? God can't do anything
imperfectly. God, everything he does is perfect.
The word Paul uses hated here, it means to detest and to persecute. Well, there's no love whatsoever
there to detest and to persecute. Scripture means exactly what
it says. God hates Esau. Now there's an
important teaching in scripture and we need to understand it.
It's the doctrine of reprobation. And reprobation just means this,
that God chose to leave some people alone. He chose the people
to save and he chose just to leave the rest alone. He didn't
elect them to hell. He didn't predestinate them to hell. He
just chose to leave them alone. and he will give them exactly
what they deserve. God hated Esau. Can anybody deny
that's what Esau deserved? Esau deserved for God to hate
him. Hebrews chapter 12 says that Esau was a profane man.
And that word profane means wicked. All right, look at Psalm chapter
11, Psalm 11. Esau was a profane, a wicked
man. David says in Psalm 11 verse 5, the Lord dryeth the righteous,
but the wicked and him that loveth violence, his soul hateth. The very soul of the Lord and
his deepest being of who he is hated Esau because Esau was a
wicked, profane man. And Esau hated God too. It's
not like Esau wanted, you know, to come to God. He wanted mercy.
No, Esau hated God. We read open to service in Genesis
25. Esau despised his birthright. That's the same as despising
God. To despise the birthright is to despise God. The birthright
doesn't just mean that you get to be the big important guy in
the family. Birthright is a symbol of your relationship with Almighty
God. It's to be the priest of the
family before God. Esau didn't care one thing about
his relationship with God. He sold his relationship with
God for a bowl of soup beans. There wasn't even any meat in
it. And yet to have a good meal, meat must be involved. There
wasn't even any meat. It wasn't even a good meal. He
just sold it for beans. You know why? Esau didn't care
beans for God. He hated God. So God's right
to hate Esau. It's God being just. See, we
shouldn't be amazed that God hated Esau. The amazing thing
is that God could love Jacob. We should be amazed. God chose
to make Jacob righteous to the obedience of his son. God chose
Jacob. to put his sin away through the
death of God's only begotten son. Now that's the most amazing
thing any of us have ever heard or will ever hear. God is just. God's not unfair. God's just
at the judgment. Christ is going, he's going to
be the judge and he's going to give everybody exactly what they
deserve. God will give his elect eternal
glory, eternal life, eternal peace, eternal joy, because they
deserve it. That's right. They deserve it
by works. They deserve it. By Christ work,
by his work for them, Christ earned it for them. Christ made
them righteous. Christ put their sin away and
God's going to give them exactly what Christ earned for them,
what they deserve. And God will damn all those who
refuse to believe him. And that's not unfair. It's what
they earned. And it's what they wanted to.
They didn't want Christ. They didn't want to seek forgiveness
under his blood. They didn't want to put away
their works and trust Christ alone. They didn't want Christ,
so they won't have him. Election is simply God being
God. It's God being just. All right,
fourthly, election is God being sovereign. If Paul knew how the
natural man would object to this doctrine of God's electing love,
they'd say, that's not fair. Well, is that true? Is God not
fair? Look how Paul answers, verse 14. What should we say
then? Is there unrighteousness with
God? God forbid that we think that. Now, is God not fair to
choose some to save and to pass others by? Do you think that? In your heart, I want you to
answer that question. Do you think that? Do you think that's not
fair? Let me tell you something. If you think that, you don't
know yourself at all. If you think that's not fair,
you don't know anything about your sinful nature. If you think
it's not fair for God to pass you by, then you've got to think
you've earned something from God. You've got to think you've
earned some mercy or some merit or some consideration. If you
think it's not fair for God to pass you by, you think you've
still got some rights. Don't know. You don't understand
that you forfeited all your rights when Adam fell. If we think it's
not fair for God to pass us by, then we don't know ourselves
or God. We can't say God's unfair to choose some and to pass others
by because of who God is. Because God is sovereign. Look
how Paul answers this, you know, is God unfair? He answers it
with the word of God, verse 15. For he saith to Moses, I will
have mercy on whom I will have mercy. And I'll have compassion
on whom I will have compassion. So then it's not of him that
willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.
My friends, we need to learn this. God is God. God is sovereign. He answers
to no man. God does not have to give an
account of his matters to you and me. He doesn't owe us that
at all. God does as he pleases. Nebuchadnezzar
told us nobody has the right to ask Him, what are you doing?
Now, the character of God is to be merciful. The character
of God is to love sinners. But don't ever forget this. The
character of God is sovereign. Oh, what a Savior we have. He's
merciful, He's kind, He's loving, He's compassionate. He just holds
His children in His bosom. But don't ever forget this. He's
to be bowed to. He's the sovereign. He's king.
So when God shows mercy, it must be sovereign mercy, not because
somebody did something to twist his arm or get him to owe them
anything. No, God shows mercy and sovereign
mercy, not because of who we are, but because of who he is. That's his character. God said,
I'll show mercy to him. I will show mercy. And whatever
God does is fair and right. Let me just give you a human
example. Suppose It rained this afternoon
or this morning and last night. The sun may come out this afternoon.
Suppose this afternoon you're taking a walk. You're going down
the sidewalk and the sidewalk is starting to dry out and you
see some earthworms. Five earthworms are right there in the sidewalk.
And you know what's going to happen when the sun comes out.
Those earthworms are going to die. They're going to dry up
there on the cement. And you just scoop down, stop
your walk. You're walking, trying to exercise,
you know. And you stop your walk, and you scoop three of those
earthworms up, put them back in the grass, and you go on with your
walk. Leave the other two there. Now, those three earthworms you
tried to pick up did everything in their very limited power to
get away from you, didn't they? But you imposed your will upon
those three and put them back in the grass. Well, were you
unfair to leave two on the sidewalk? Well, of course you won't. Those
earthworms, they're so far below you, they're just worms. You've
been right to pass by all of them if you wanted to. You just
showed some kindness in saving any of them, didn't you? Now,
that's just a silly example, but you magnify that a million,
billion times, and you'll start to understand God being merciful
to the likes of you and me. owe us anything. God wasn't unfair
to show mercy to whom he would and pass everybody else by, give
them the justice that they deserve. Nobody deserves for God to be
merciful to them, but God's sovereign. And in his sovereign mercy, he
chose to save some sinners. And he's going to do it because
he's sovereign. Nothing can stop his purpose
and will. God is sovereign over all men. God uses all men. He uses the
wickedness of men. He uses their desires. He uses
all the things that they do to accomplish his purpose in the
redemption of his people. And whatever God does with them
is just. It's right. When God deals with
vessels of mercy and God deals with vessels of wrath, it's always
right. Verse 17. For the scripture saith unto
Pharaoh, even for this same purpose have I raised thee up. that I
might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared
throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom
he will have mercy. And whom he will, he hardened. God raised Pharaoh up to power.
God put Pharaoh upon the throne for his purpose. So God could
get all the glory in killing him and his army to Red Sea.
That was God's purpose in putting Pharaoh on the throne. Now, was
that unfair to Pharaoh? Of course it wasn't. Pharaoh
heard from God, didn't he? What was the difference between
Pharaoh and Moses? Pharaoh heard everything Moses
heard, but Pharaoh hardened his heart. He refused to let the
people go. Then God hardened Pharaoh's heart
and God gave Pharaoh exactly what he wanted, what he deserved. It wasn't unfair doing it, was
it? And in doing so, gave us a picture of the redemption of
his people at the Red Sea. Election is God being God. Now I want to show you just a
few other things that the Bible teaches about election. What
does the Bible teach about election? This is not just taught in Romans
9, but all throughout the whole Bible. First, election always
has to do with Christ. That's what makes it a glorious
doctrine. First time the word elect is used in the scriptures,
it's used in relation to Christ. In Isaiah 42 verse one, behold
my servant whom I hold, mine elect, in whom my soul delights. Now that's the Lord Jesus Christ.
And the father said, I put my spirit upon him and he shall
bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. Everyone who's elect of God is
chosen in Christ. Let me show you that in Ephesians
chapter one. Everyone chosen of God is chosen
in Christ who is God's first elect. Ephesians 1 verse 4, according
as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that
we should be holy and without blame before him in love. See,
God didn't choose a people because they were holy. No, he chose
them to be holy and without blame. And the way he did that was by
putting them in Christ. Election always has to do with
Christ. If we're elect, we're elect in
Christ. In election is God's greatest
glory. I know man hates the doctrine
of election, but you know, God said that's his greatest glory.
You know the story, this is Dan Morton's favorite story. Moses,
after he'd seen all the wonders in Egypt, he'd seen the Red Sea
parted, he'd seen all these things, Moses talked with God. And Moses
asked God, now, after all this, Lord, would you show me your
glory? Moses, haven't you seen all these acts? Lord, would you
show me your glory? Show me your way. Show me who
you are. And Lord said, Moses, all right, I will. I'll show
you my glory. I'm going to make my name pass
before you. I'm going to show you who I am.
And God said what Paul quotes here in our text. This Moses,
this is my greatest glory. I will be gracious to whom I
will be gracious. I'll show mercy on whom I will
show mercy. Sovereign electing mercy is God's
greatest glory. He's the only one who could save
sinners like that. He's the only one who would.
The election, God's election of a people guarantees salvation. You know, people don't believe
in election. It's always in doubt, you know, if it's always up to
them, to their decision, to their works, to their tithing, to whatever
it is, you know, they're doing it. They have to always be in
doubt. God's election of a people guarantees
salvation. Matthew 24 verse 31. This is
what our Lord said. He shall send his angels with
a great sound of a trumpet and they shall gather together his
elect from the four winds from one end of heaven to the other.
Who's going to be gathered together and brought into glory? The elect. Our Lord, our Savior himself
calls the people who are in heaven, the elect. God's election of
a people guarantees salvation. The only way anybody could come
into heaven is if God chose them. He chose to save them and then
he did it for them. He accomplished their salvation
for them. Salvation has got to be by the will determining power
of Almighty God, not based upon our sinful will and our sinful
works. The inelection guarantees justification. Romans 8.33 says,
who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? Who's
justified? God's elect. How do you know
they're justified? It's God that justifies. We can't
make ourselves without sin. To be justified is not just as
if I'd never sinned, it's to be made so I have never sinned.
Well, there's got to be a new man born then, isn't there? Well,
the only one who can do that is God. And He chose to make
His people that way. And God's electing love. Now, I know the world says, oh,
people who believe in election are hard and mean. I beg to differ. I beg to differ. People think
that they could just spend a few weeks here with some loving,
kind, forgiving people. How'd that happen? Because election
produces a kind, humble, forgiving attitude. Colossians 3 verse
12. Put on, therefore, as the elect
of God. This is what you put on. Holy
and beloved, you put on vows of mercies, kindness, humbleness
of mind, meekness. Don't just act humble, have humbleness
of mind. meekness, long suffering, forbearing
one another and forgiving one another. If any man have a quarrel
against any, here's what you do. Even as Christ forgave you,
that's how you forgive me. See, God's electing love, God's
power on his people produces a kind, loving, forgiving attitude. How can it not? Then election
produces a missionary spirit, an evangelical spirit. 2 Timothy 2, verse 10. Paul says,
therefore, I endure all things for the elect's sake. Now, Paul,
why would you go through everything? You don't know the life of Paul.
Paul, why would you go through all these things? Here's why,
he said, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ
Jesus with eternal joy. Believing in election did not
kill Paul's evangelical spirit, did it? It didn't make Paul say,
oh, well, whoever can be saved, be saved. I'm just going to stay
here out of danger. No, believing in election made Paul willing
to go preach the gospel everywhere he could, even when it meant
his life was in danger, because this is what he knew. And we
ought to know the same thing. We cannot fail in preaching because
God is going to save his people. We'll never fail. I want you
to look at one more scripture. Matthew chapter 15, turn to this
one. As best I know how and as clearly
as I can, I've told you what the Bible says, what God's inerrant
word says about the doctrine of election. What's your reaction to that?
Everybody's got a reaction to it. What's your reaction to this
teaching? You know, I know people say, well, if I believed in election,
I wouldn't bother worshiping. I wouldn't bother asking God
for mercy because God's already determined what He's going to
do. So it doesn't matter what I do. It doesn't matter if I ask God
for forgiveness or not. Really? I know that's man's logic,
but is that true? Is that what the Bible says?
Remember, we're looking at what does the Bible teach about election?
I told you Dan's favorite story. This might be my very favorite
story. It gets me every time. Matthew
15, verse 21. And Jesus went thence and departed
in the coast of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan
came out of those same coasts and cried unto him, saying, Have
mercy upon me, O Lord, thou son of David. My daughter's previously
vexed with the devil. But he answered her not a word.
And his disciples came beside him, saying, Send her away, for
she crieth after us. She can't get an answer from
you, now she's crying after us. This poor woman, she was a vile
woman, I'm sure she's from those same coasts of Tyre and Sidon,
known for their wickedness and their sin and their idolatry.
She came from those same coasts, from all those same kind of people.
But this poor woman was in desperate need. Her daughter had no hope.
She came begging the Lord to help her. He didn't even respond. He didn't even respond, didn't
say a word. And when he did answer, look
what he said, verse 24. But he answered and said, I'm
not sent, but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. You know
what he just told her? I'm only come to have mercy on
my elect. You're asking me for mercy. I'm only come to have
mercy on my elect. That's the doctrine of election.
That's everything. That's God being God. This poor sinful woman, who's
in great need, how did she react to the doctrine of election?
Did it make her say, oh, well, whatever's going to be will be.
I'll just go home and see what happens. No. She responded in worship. She fell at his feet and worshiped. And hearing the doctrine of election,
God's going to have mercy on him. He will have mercy. Made
her beg for mercy. Verse 25. Then came she and worshiped
him, saying, Lord, Help me." Just like that poor leper, she
came and worshipped the Lord, for he ever did anything for
her or not, because he's to be worshipped no matter what he
does with me. Hearing the doctrine of election ought to make us
worship. Oh, God's to be worshipped. He
chose a people to save. This is God being God. That makes
me worship Him. I'm only going to worship God.
This is God being God. That makes me worship Him. Election
tells me God's going to have mercy on somebody. And then when
He said, I'll have mercy on whom I will have mercy, then God's
going to have mercy on somebody. Then I beg, Lord, have mercy
on me. Lord, help me. Lord, choose me. I'll never choose
you. Choose me first. Lord, do something for me that
I cannot do for myself. Hearing the doctrine of election
makes us worship, makes us beg God for mercy if we really hear
it. But even then, Look what the Lord said, verse 26. But
he answered and said, it's not me. It's not right for me to
take the children's bread and to cast it to dogs. Dogs. This is what the Lord says to
this poor woman who's at his feet worshiping him, begging
him for mercy. He said, you're just a dog. That's an insult. We've got these
two crazy Yorkies. And I call them dogs. They're
males. Jan always calls them the boys.
I call them dogs. And she said, don't talk mean
to them. But they are dogs. Our Lord called this woman a
dog. I shouldn't waste my time on
a dog like you. I've only come for my children,
my lad. That's the doctrine of election,
isn't it? That makes God God and you and me who we are, dogs.
How did she respond to this truth of God's electing love? She came
and acknowledged who God is and who she is, verse 27. And she
said, that's true, Lord, truth. Yet the dogs eat the crumbs which
fall from their master's table. She said, Lord, you're the master.
You're who you are and I am. You're the master and I'm the
dog. And you're right. I don't deserve for you to do
anything. But I'm not asking you for what I deserve. I'm begging
you for mercy. Lord, you don't have to do a
great thing for me. Just a crumb. Just the slightest
bit of your mercy. Just the slightest bit of who
you are will satisfy me eternally. And you know dogs. God's dogs,
those dogs who beg for crumbs, they have a feast from the master. Darwin Pruitt and I were talking
about this great passage. And he said, dogs that get crumbs
from our master's table are well fed. There are no junk food on
our master's table. Verse 28. Then Jesus answered
and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith. Be it unto thee
even as thou wilt. and her daughter was made whole
from that very hour. You see, that's the doctrine
of election. That's the teaching, what the Bible teaches about
election. Election never stops anybody from coming to Christ,
does it? And election never keeps anybody from mercy, does it?
The only way anybody will come to Christ, the only way anybody
will come beg for mercy is if God draws them first to Christ.
Oh, may the Lord be pleased this morning to draw us to Christ. to make us see we're nothing
but dogs. We don't deserve the least of
his mercies. We can fall at his feet and beg for crumbs from
his sovereign hand. Be merciful. Why wouldn't I beg
him for mercy? Let's bow together in prayer. Our Father, how we thank you
for this blessed portion of your word that reveals who you are. Oh, how we thank you that you're
God alone. that you're God who's sovereign over all. And with
all of your sovereign power, you've used it for good and mercy
and love for your people to guarantee the salvation, the justification,
the eternal glory of your people, simply because of your divine
will for your people. Father, we thank you. God, cause us to see who and
what we are, that we don't have any rights, We've not earned
anything but your damnation and your justice. And cause us to
seek mercy. Cause us to seek to run to the
Lord Jesus Christ and follow His feet and beg for mercy. And
be like this dear sister who refused to leave. Forgive us
the faith. Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Trust and confidence in Him that we utterly refuse to leave His
feet but to beg Him for mercy. God, be merciful. Be merciful
today, we pray. Cause your word to take root
in the hearts of your people, to comfort us, encourage us in
Christ our Savior. God, cause your gospel to go
forth to your sheep. Find one, one of your sheep,
one of your chosen ones who has not yet come to you. Cause this
teaching of who our God is, who our Savior is, to cause them
to run to safety, flee to heaven, find mercy, grace, and love and
peace in Him. It's in His precious name, for
His glory, we pray and give thanks.