All right, 2 Thessalonians, I
said chapter 3, I meant chapter 2. You're probably on the right
page already. 2 Thessalonians, chapter 2. The title of the lesson
this morning is The Truth About Election. I think it's a very
important topic for us to understand the truth about election. Now,
the doctrine of election is plainly taught in God's Word. The word
elect or election is used 27 times in God's Word. The New
Testament calls people who are saved, calls God's people, believers. That's the term we almost always
use, believers. Two times. God's Word in the
New Testament saves people, the elect, 14 times. Five more additional times in
the Old Testament. Now hold your finger there in
2 Thessalonians. Look in Mark chapter 13. This is the language that our
Lord Himself used. Mark 13, beginning in verse 20. And except that the Lord had
shortened those days, no flesh should be saved. But for the
elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days. And
then, if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ, or,
Lo, he is there, believing not, for false Christ and false prophets
shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders to seduce, if it
were possible, even the elect." And look at verse 27. And then
shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect
from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to
the uttermost part of heaven. Three times in just that short
span of time, our Lord Himself called His people the elect.
It's plainly taught in Scripture. Yet, man has raised up entire
religious denominations to oppose this truth of God's electing
love. The point of contention in our
day, and maybe it always has been, but certainly the point
of contention in our day, today, 2014, is the sovereignty of God. God's sovereignty and salvation. That's the point of contention.
Dale and I were talking about this last week. This point of
contention manifests itself in our day today in two areas. First is election. Second is
the new birth. The issue in both of those cases,
the point of contention in both of those cases is sovereignty. Now, this is the point of contention.
Who's in charge of salvation? In salvation of sinners, who's
in control? That's the point of contention.
Do I decide to be saved? Do I choose God? Or did God choose
me? You need to find this out now,
because whoever did the choosing is the one who gets the glory.
Do I decide to be saved? Do I decide to accept Jesus and
accept life in Jesus? Or does God the Holy Spirit move
where He will when he will and give life to whom he will. Which
is it? Is the new birth, is that understanding
and light that comes into the flesh and somehow the flesh can
gain the spiritual light and spiritual understanding? Or is
the new birth a supernatural giving of spiritual life to the
dead? Is the new birth a birth of a
new spiritual man who cannot sin? The birth of a new man who
never existed before? Well, whoever it is that decides
when a person's given life, that's the person who gets all the glory.
That's the person who's in charge of salvation. And this truth
of election is hated and spoken against in our day. And there's
a lot of false propaganda that they put out about this matter
of election. So it's important that we be taught and clearly
understand the truth about election. And the way we find out the truth
about anything is finding out what God's Word says about it.
So let's look here this morning at God's Word and see what God's
Word says so we learn the truth about election. Now, you remember
in these previous verses we looked at last week, Paul talked about
the spirit of Antichrist, which is already at work in this world.
And he talked about apostasy, how many people who claim to
love and believe the truth, they'll turn against it and they'll deny
Christ. And let's begin reading in verse 10, with all deceivableness
of unrighteousness in them that perish, because they received
not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for
this cause, God shall send them strong delusion that they should
believe a lie, that they all might be damned who believed
not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. Now, that's
very frightening, isn't it? That God sent people strong delusion
that they believe a lie, They seek not the love of the truth
that they might be saved? Well, is there a way that I can
know I'm delivered from that? Is there a way I can know that
I'm delivered from this matter of apostasy and believing a lie? Yes, there is. It's God's electing
love. God's elect, guaranteed, will
never fall into apostasy and will never follow the Antichrist.
Paul says in verse 13, but, but God. Now man is lost in sin and
rebellion. Man never will believe the love
of the truth. They never will love it. They
never will believe it. But we're bound to give thanks
all the way to God for you brethren, beloved of the Lord, because
God has from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification
of the spirit and belief of the truth. Now here's the first truth
that we see about election. Election is reason to be thankful. Paul said, we're bound to give
thanks all the way to God for you. This is a reason to give
thanks. God's electing love. I unashamedly,
without apology, declare God's electing love. Never apologize
for it. And I always give thanks for
it. Every one of us and everyone we know would be apostate and
love and believe a lie. If God didn't choose somebody,
if God didn't choose somebody to save and to deliver us from
ourselves and deliver us from this present world, every one
of us would be apostate. This is a reason to give thanks.
Election, just like all the gospel, elections for sinners. Sinners
give thanks for God's electing love. They couldn't be saved
any other way, if God didn't choose them first. I never would
have chosen God unless He chose me first. If a sinner is going
to be saved, election is necessary. It's an absolute necessity. If
man is totally depraved, man's lost in sin, then he is completely
unable and unwilling to do anything good to earn or to merit salvation. Well then, if any man's going
to be saved, God's going to have to do all the saving, isn't He?
From election to ultimate glorification, God's going to have to do it
all. From election to ultimate final glorification and everything
in between, God's going to have to do it all. And the reason
that some do not fall into love of a lot, the reason that some
do not fall into apostasy is God elected them and we're thankful. Election is a reason to give
thanks. The second truth about election.
is a loving truth. Paul said, we're bound to give
thanks all the way to God for you brethren, beloved of the
Lord. Election is not a mean, hard,
hateful doctrine where God chooses an elite few to be saved and
then in a cold and mean and hateful spite, damns the rest of mankind
to hell. That's not election. Damnation
has absolutely nothing to do with election. Absolutely nothing. God did not elect some people
to hell and some people to heaven. Heaven and hell. Election has
nothing to do with damnation. All God has to do to send a man
to hell is leave him alone. Just leave him to his own way,
his own desires, and he'll go to hell. That's all God's got
to do. There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, and the end
thereof are the ways of death. God wants to send a man to hell,
just got to leave him alone. That's where he'll naturally
go. And that's where every son of Adam would go. But God, he
chose a people. Because he loved them. God didn't
choose the people so he could make them lovable. God chose
the people because he loved them. He chose them and he put them
in his son. Because he loved them. What an
act of love that God would choose fallen men and put them in his
son to be their surety. That's an act of love. God didn't
choose people because they deserved it. God didn't choose the people
because he saw that looking down through the telescope of time
that they someday would love him because they wouldn't. Unless
God moved first and he loved them first and he chose them
and put them in his son. 1 John 4, 19. We love him because why? He first loved us, and he showed
that love in divine election. He chose a people and put them
in his son. Now, love is for people, love
for people. God loved a people. God chose
a people. He didn't choose nations. He
chose people. Look in Romans chapter nine.
Election is personal, is for people. Paul says here, we're
bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved
of the Lord. Election is personal. Election is not a random thing. It doesn't happen by chance.
It's not like a spin of a wheel, you know, the roulette wheel
or something. It's personal. Romans 9, verse 7. Neither because
they are the seed of Abraham are they all children. But in
Isaac shall thy seed be called. See, God didn't choose a nation. He didn't choose that nation
Israel. He chose people. In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
That is, they which are the children of the flesh, these are not the
children of God, but the children of promise are counted for the
seed. For this is the word of promise. At this time will I
come and cherish thy son. And not only this, but when Rebekah
also hath 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. It was said unto
her, The elder shall serve the younger, as it is written, Jacob
have I loved, but Esau have I hated." Now God chose the people because
he loved them. He wrote their name in the Lamb's
Book of Life. This election is personal. It's
exact. It's an exact people. God wrote
their name in the Lamb's Book of Life. That, my friend, is
an act of love. That God would do that before
the foundation of the world. And the difference between the
saved and the lost is the love of God. God loved one and hated
the other. The only difference between Jacob
and Esau is God loved Jacob. The only difference. Someone
in the flesh will always say, that's not fair. When our girls
were growing up, Janet would not let them use that term for
this reason. So they never grow up and say,
that's not fair. Really? That's not fair. What's
not fair about it? God gives everyone exactly what
they want. Exactly. If you want to be saved,
you will. I guarantee it on the authority
of God's Word. If you want to be saved, you
will. But here's the thing. We're born with a depraved nature
that hates God, that will never desire God, that will never have
the will to be saved on God's terms, unless God gives you a
new want to in the new birth. Then you'll want to be saved
according to God's terms. But if salvation, now if it's
by the will of man, you know, if this business that these Armenians
preach, no, salvation is by the will of man, then that's absolutely
right. It wouldn't be fair unless everybody
had a chance if salvation is by the will of man. But salvation
is not by the will of man. It's not of him that will it.
It's not of him that run it. It's of God. Salvation is by
grace. Then sinners have to be elected.
They have to be elected by God, because they never choose him.
Well, then someone will change their objection. It's the same
objection. They just weren't different. Instead of saying
that's not fair, they'll say that's not just, that's not righteous,
that God would save some and pass others by. Really? If you're still there in Romans
9, look at verse 14. What shall we say then? Is there
unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses,
I will have mercy in whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion
in whom I will have compassion. So then, it is not of him that
willeth, nor of him that runneth, but it is of God that showeth
mercy. 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 hardeneth. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why
doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
Nay, but, O man, who art thou? Who do you think you are, that
replies against God? Shall the thing formed say to
him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the
potter power over the clay, of the same lump, to make one vessel
unto honour, and another unto dishonour? Well, of course he
does. Look back at Matthew chapter
twenty. Our Lord answered this objection as well. Before we ever start saying,
well, that's not just, that's not righteous, just be awful
careful now. Everything God does is just and
righteous. It's just and righteous because
He did it. That makes it just and righteous. But look in Matthew
20, verse 13. But He answered one of them and
said, see, am I in the right place? Yeah. Friend, I do thee
no wrong. This is after this parable where
the man told everybody, you've got work today, I'll give you
a penny. And some people worked all day. Some people worked from
the afternoon. Some people just worked an hour.
And he gave everybody a penny. Friend, I do thee no wrong. Dost
not thou agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is, and go thy
way. I will give unto this last, even
as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do
what I will with my own? Absolutely, it is. The question
is, who's God? If God's God, then he can do
with his own what he will. It's just and right just because
he did it. And in an act of unimaginable
love, God chose sinners out of Adam's fallen race to be redeemed
by the blood of his son. Third, the third truth about
election is this. Election is eternal. Paul says
God has from the beginning chosen you to salvation. Well, when's
the beginning? Was it the beginning of our life
when we were born into this world? Was it the first time we heard
the gospel? Is that the beginning? No. It may have been the beginning
to me, but it wasn't the beginning. This beginning is before the
beginning of time. before the earth was created,
when God first began his purpose of redemption. Now, when was
that? I have no idea. How can our finite
mind comprehend eternity? Election is eternal. God's elect
were chosen before the foundation of the world. Before the world
was ever spoken into existence, God elected a people. Now, that
tells me election has absolutely nothing to do with what man does,
whether it's good or bad. Election can't have anything
to do with the will of man or the action of man because it
happened before man was. Election must have everything
to do with the character and purpose of God. It has to be
if election happened before the world began. Look back in 1 Samuel
chapter 12. Election can't have anything
to do with the will or the actions of man. It has to have everything
to do with the will and the purpose of God. 1 Samuel 12, verse 22. For the Lord will not forsake
His people for His great namesake, because it hath pleased the Lord
to make you His people. God chose a people because it
pleased Him. Our Lord told his disciples in
John 15, you haven't chosen me, but I've chosen you. And every
saved person knows this without exception. God chose me, I did
not choose him. Every saved person knows that.
Now, I choose him now. Absolutely, I do. But only because
he chose me first. Election is a loving act and
it is eternal. If God loves you right now, He
loved you from all of eternity and, Earl, He'll never stop because
it's eternal. Nothing you can do will separate
you from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus. If God chose
you, He will never cast you out because election is eternal.
Here's the fourth truth about election. Election is not salvation. Election is unto salvation. Paul
says here, God had from the beginning chosen you to salvation through
sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth. Election
is not salvation. God elected a people. But those
people, a sacrifice has to be made for them. And the blood
of that sacrifice must be applied. They have to be born again and
they have to be given repentance of their sin and they have to
be given faith toward Christ. God didn't choose a people because
they're holy. They weren't holy. God chose
a people to make holy in His Son. And here's how they're made
holy. They're not made holy in election.
They're made holy through sanctification of the Spirit. Now, that sanctification
of the Spirit is the new birth. When God, the Holy Spirit, gives
new holy life to His people, life that never existed before.
Now, there's a threefold sanctification that we see in Scripture, and
every believer experiences all three of these. First look in
Jude, chapter 1. The first sanctification is being set apart by the Father,
sanctified by God the Father. In Jude 1, Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ
and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the
Father and preserved in Jesus Christ and called." They're sanctified,
set apart for holy use by God the Father from all eternity. Now look at 1 Corinthians chapter
1. The second sanctification is
being made holy and unblameable by Christ, in Christ. 1 Corinthians
1 verse 2. Paul's writing under the Church
of God, which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in
Christ Jesus and called to be saints. We're sanctified by being
put in Christ, made just like Christ by being put in Him with
that vital union with Christ whereby we're made part of His
body, made just like Him. So we're sanctified, set apart
by the Father, sanctified, made holy and unblameable in Christ.
And thirdly, We're sanctified when we're given a holy nature
in the new birth. By God, the Holy Spirit. And
that's what Paul's talking about here in 2 Thessalonians chapter
2. We're given a holy nature in
the new birth. And, he says, by belief of the
truth. Now, what's the truth? Pilate
asked that. What is true? It's Christ! The whole Word of God is true. And I can tell you how you can
know whether or not you're one of God's elect. Would you like
to know that? Do you believe God's Word? If
you believe God's Word, the truth, then you're one of God's elect
because that's the only people that believe God's Word. And
when I say believe God's Word, I mean that you believe every
word of it. Every single word. You might
read something or you might hear the preacher say something and
you thought, I never heard that before. I believe it. You read something, you hear
a message preached to you. I don't understand everything
there is to know about that, but I believe it. And some will
ask you why? If you never heard that before,
if that's not what your family's always believed and you don't
understand it fully, how can you believe it? Because it's
in God's word. I read it. That's it. This word
is unerrant, without error, truth. Believers believe God's Word,
believe of the truth. The agent of the new birth is
God the Holy Spirit. The agent that gives life is
God the Holy Spirit. And the seed that the Holy Spirit
uses is the Word of God. Now that's the sanctification
of the Spirit and belief of the truth. Fifth, the fifth truth
of our election is this. God calls His elect always through
the preaching of the gospel. Look at verse 14. Whereunto He
called you by our gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our
Lord Jesus Christ. Now many people hear the sound
of the gospel with their natural ears and all they hear is words. It's not life to them. It's not
power. It's just words. Words on paper,
it's doctrine, it's something to be debated and argued about,
but it's not life. But God's elect hear. They hear the gospel with the
ear of faith. Now, maybe they read it, maybe
they, you know, whatever. But when it comes to their mind,
when God sends it to them, they believe it and they love it.
There is no salvation apart from hearing the word of truth. Now,
like I said, maybe you read it, maybe you hear it, but there's
no salvation apart from hearing and believing the word of truth.
There is never a salvation in hearing a lie preached. Ever. God never uses a lie to reveal
himself. How can you use a lie to reveal
the truth? Can't be done. It's the gospel
of truth that saves. Look at the end of verse 13.
What does Paul say? Through sanctification of the
spirit, and belief of the truth. It must be the truth, the truth
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, what gospel do I have to
hear? Now, there are many gospels. The Scripture says there is another
gospel. So what gospel is it that I have
to hear? What gospel is it that God uses
to call out His elect? There's just one. It's the gospel
concerning His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. He uses the gospel
that declares Christ and declares the glory of Christ and the salvation
of his elect. And that brings us to the sixth
truth about election. Election has everything to do
with Christ, has everything to do with him, to the obtaining
of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now that glory is the
glory of Christ in salvation. It's the glory of his person
that will be revealed in that last day when he returns. You
see, election, look in Isaiah 42, has everything to do with
Christ. Everything. Isaiah 42, verse 1. Behold my servant whom I uphold,
mine elect. Election has everything to do
with Christ. He is God's first elect. He's
called mine elect, in whom my soul delighted. I put my spirit
upon him. He shall bring forth judgment
to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up,
nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed
shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench. He shall bring forth judgment
unto truth. He shall not fail, nor be discouraged. So he has set judgment in the
earth and the isles shall wait for his law. That's the glory
that every one of God's elect are going to see. He shall not
fail or be discouraged. Now look over in John chapter
1. Remember I told you election is eternal. God's election is
just like himself. It's eternal and it has everything
to do with his son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Look in John 1
verse 1. In the beginning was the Word.
The Word was with God and the Word was God. The same was in
the beginning with God. All things were made by Him.
Without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was
life. And the life was the light of
men. God had from the beginning chosen
you to salvation. In the beginning was the Word.
One and the same. In the beginning was Christ.
Election has everything to do with Him. And God calls his elect
to Christ, not to doctrine, not to catechism, but to Christ. God calls his elect to see Christ. Their vision is taken up with
Christ. Just like old Isaiah, we looked
at Wednesday night when he saw the Lord sitting upon his throne
high and lifted up. God calls his elect to love Christ
and to worship Christ. Salvation is in Christ. Salvation
depends entirely, completely on the person and work of Christ. Now, election isn't salvation.
Christ is salvation. Election didn't die for me. Christ
died for me. So he's the Savior. Election
put me in Christ, but Christ is my Savior. He's the one who
shed his blood to put my sin away. I'm made righteous in him. He's salvation. All of my salvation
depends upon the Lord Jesus Christ. Now that gives me so much comfort.
That gives me peace and joy that I could never have if salvation
depended upon me. I'd always be worried and rightfully
so if salvation depended upon me. But it doesn't. It all hangs
on Christ. That gives peace and comfort
and assurance. Salvation depends upon Christ.
So, verse 15, back in our text, 2 Thessalonians 2, Therefore,
brethren, stand fast, hold the traditions which ye have been
taught, whether by word or by our epistle. Now, understanding
the truth of election, that doesn't make a person go live a careless,
indifferent life, indifferent to sin, indifferent to our conduct
before men. Election never makes a person
say, I'm one of the elect, so it doesn't matter how I live
or what I do. No. That attitude is contrary to
grace. Now you listen. The Almighty
has given you a great gift. Stand fast in it. Stand fast. Stand fast in Christ. Stand fast in your liberty from
the law. Stand fast in your freedom from
the ceremony of religion. God has given you the gospel
of His Son. Think about that for a minute.
God's given you the gospel of His Son. God's entrusted the
gospel of His dear Son to the Hurricane Road Christchurch. Hold it fast. Hold it fast. Don't ever take one step back. Never. Take one step of retreat. Hold it fast. Don't allow it
to be compromised. God's given us His Word. Hold
it fast. Hold it fast. The truth of election
gives God all the glory and salvation, puts all the glory squarely upon
the Lord Jesus Christ. That's where the Father put it.
He's highly exalted Him and given Him a name which is above every
name. The Father has given him all
glory. Hold him fast. Your person might compromise
on doctrine, if that's all they've got. But if they're in love with
a person, then never compromise it. Hold him fast. Divine election
makes sinners worship God. We will only worship when we
see that we are powerless before Him. Powerless to make Him do
anything for us. Powerless to get Him, to twist
Him, to manipulate Him, to get Him to do anything we want. When
we see that, we'll worship Him. We'll fall before Him and worship
Him. Hold that worship fast. Don't
ever let these meetings that happen in these four walls Be
something that degenerates from worship. Don't ever let it happen. It's important that we be together,
that we fellowship together, we have social time together
like we're going to do this afternoon. But the reason we meet is worship. The worship of Him. Hold it fast. Alright, the Lord bless you.