I assure you that it is my delight
to be here with you. If you enjoyed today and got
half the blessing from it that I have from you, you've had a
good day. I invite your attention to John chapter 15. I looked quite some time at this
text. I know that Brother Lindsey's
just been over in the Bible class, and I thought about going somewhere
else, but the Lord kept bringing me back to this. I'm confident
this is the message that the Lord will have us preach tonight.
I remember one time years ago, Brother Henry told me I was going
to read the scripture. He asked me to read a certain
scripture before the service. He said, anytime you want to
make comments, you know, you feel free. And I said, Henry,
I'm not going to go through and make a comment on something you're
getting ready to preach on. I mean, I'm just going to look foolish.
And he said, well, I'll just go behind you and amen you. That'll
be all right. So I'm sure I'll just go behind Brother Lindsey
and amen him on this. But the verse I want us to look
at is John chapter 15 and verse 16, where the Lord says, you
have not chosen me, but I've chosen you and ordained you that
you should go and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should
remain. that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name,
he may give it you. Now when our Lord says, I have
chosen you, he plainly tells us he chose a people. And I'd
like to bring a message this evening entitled The Glory of
Divine Election. And I want to preach the message
in such a way that we leave here, we leave here tonight seeing
our utter need of Christ. And I want to preach this message
in such a way that God's people leave here rejoicing in God's
mercies to us, rejoicing in Christ our Savior. It's not my aim in
preaching this message trying to convince anyone that election
is true. No one comes to Christ because
they know they're one of God's elect. No one comes to Christ
because they know that election is true. Now, election is a blessing. glorious truth taught in God's
Word. But election is not the first
thing God teaches a believer. The first thing God teaches His
children is that we're sinners. Everything we do is sinful and
we deserve God's wrath. And we don't have any hope in
anything that we do because everything we do is sin. We're sinners who
need a Savior. That's the first thing God teaches
His people. God shows us Christ. He reveals
Christ to us and we run to Christ and we beg for mercy and we find
mercy and grace and Christ our substitute. Now I'm telling you,
that makes me worship. Does that make you worship? I
hope so. I come to Christ because I'm
a sinner and I need a Savior. Soon after that, God teaches
me. He's the one who chose me from
all of eternity and I came to Christ because God's all this
time been drawing me to his son God made me his before time began
That's why I sent a gospel to me. That's why he gave me faith
to believe Christ. That's why he brought me to Christ
Now I'm telling you that makes me worship too. Does that make
you worship? Every believer knows this every
believer knows and loves God's electing love If you're one of
God's elect, I don't have to convince you election is true.
You already not only know it, you love it. God chose me. I didn't choose God. And that
makes me love him. He chose me in spite of everything
that I am. And every believer loves God's
election. I heard a story about a young
preacher. He wrote out an outline. And he titled his message, The
Hated Doctrine of Election. And he took his outline to an
old preacher. He wanted him to look at it and give him some
input on his outline. And the old man read the outline,
and he tore it up and threw it in the trash. He said, now, go
write another outline. And you entitled it The Beloved
Doctrine of Election, because God's people love the truth of
God's electing love. God chose me. God elected me
unto salvation before time began. And in the early church, That's
the way they referred to one another. We refer to one another
as believers. They refer to one another as
the elect. In 2 John, John wrote to the elect lady and he referred
to her elect sister. That's how they referred to one
another. So like I said, my goal in preaching is not to prove
that election is taught in the scripture. My goal is to shut
us up to Christ and to cause us to rejoice in God's electing
love for his people. But just in case you're wondering,
everything we preach comes from the Scripture. Scripture does
plainly teach God's election of His people. The word elect,
or election, is used 23 times in the New Testament. And the
word chose, or chosen, is used more than 27 times in the New
Testament, referring to God's choice of His people. So it's
taught all through the New Testament. And God's election is pictured
all throughout the Old Testament, in God's election. God's choice
of that nation, Israel. God chose that nation, Israel.
Lindsay didn't know what I was going to preach for him tonight,
but he read it to you there in Deuteronomy 7. All those other nations greater
than Israel, God passed them all by. He set his affection,
his love on that nation, Israel. Adam had two sons. God chose
one, passed the other one by. At the time of Noah, the earth
was full of people, and God was going to send the flood. And
God chose Noah to save, and Noah and his family, and everyone
else was destroyed in the flood. Election is taught all through
the scripture, and that's why we believe it. If you look back
in Psalm 65, election is a blessed truth that gives God's elect
every blessing that God has for a sinner. Every blessing we have
from God stems from his electing love. Psalm 65 verse 4, blessed is the man whom thou
choosest and causes to approach unto thee, that he may dwell
in thy courts. We shall be satisfied with the
goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple. I tell you why
we dwell in God's courts, why we're satisfied with the goodness
of his house, because blessed is the man that God chose. God's
election gives us every blessing that he has for sinners. Look
at 2 Thessalonians 2. Election is cause for thanksgiving. 2 Thessalonians 2 verse 13. But we are bound to give thanks
always to God for you, brethren, for love to the Lord, because
God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification
of the Spirit and belief of the truth, whereunto he called you
by our gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Paul gave thanks for God's election
of his people. God's election of his people
is the very glory of God revealed. You remember in Exodus 33, Moses
asked God, show me your glory. What did God tell him? All right,
Moses, I'll make my goodness pass before you. I'll be gracious
to whom I will be gracious. I'll show mercy on whom I will
show mercy. That's election. God's showing
mercy on whom He will. So we can't preach the gospel
unless we're preaching election. How can you preach the gospel
if you don't preach God's glory in saving sinners, His greatest
glory? Election is as necessary for
salvation as the death of Christ on the cross. Election is as
necessary for salvation as the new birth. So it's impossible
for us to preach the gospel if we're not preaching election.
The very reason we preach it all, you know people don't believe
in election. They say, well, I wouldn't preach. I wouldn't
bother preaching at all if only the elect are going to believe.
Bill, that's the only reason I bother. The only reason I would
go anywhere and preach is because we believe. We know God's election
shall not fail. God's elect are going to hear
and believe the gospel. You remember the story of Ananias.
He was at his home one day, and the spirit came to him. and said,
O Saul, Tarsus is down there in a street called Straight.
Now you go down there and preach to him. And Anna and I said,
now, I've heard a lot about that fellow. I'd like to steer clear
of him. What did God tell him? You go
preach to him. He's a chosen vessel unto me. He's one of my elect. He's going
to hear you preach. He's going to hear and believe.
So let's look at this verse, John chapter 15. See if we can't
learn something about God's election. The first thing we learn is this.
Election is necessary. There can be no salvation without
God's election. And the reason for that is our
sin nature. Our nature is a sin nature that
cannot and will not choose God. Isn't that what our Lord says?
You have not chosen me. Now what an indictment against
human nature. We will not choose God. So God
had to choose us. You know, election never makes
the elect think that they're better than somebody else. Election
never puffs somebody up into thinking they're one of the elite
few. Election does just the opposite of that. Election, God's election,
humbles God's elect. I did not choose God. I would
not choose God because of who I am, because of my nature. But
God chose me anyway. God chose me in spite of who
and what I am. Election is necessary. That's
why I said you can't preach the gospel without preaching election.
You can't preach the gospel and deny these truths that are so
plainly taught in scripture. Election sets forth God as he
is and man as he is. Election sets forth God as God. And election sets forth man as
a depraved sinner who's unable to help himself. And if God did
not choose some to save, no one would be saved. You're exactly
right. Nobody would be saved. Look over Romans chapter 9. Now
I'll tell you the reason for that. No one would be saved because
man by nature will not choose God. Man by nature won't choose
anything holy or righteous or good. Look at Romans chapter
9 verse 29. And as Isaiah said before, except
the Lord of Sabaoth that left us a seed, we had been as Sodom
and been made life unto Gomorrah. If unless God had chosen the
people, every one of us would have all been destroyed, just
like everyone who lived in Sodom and Gomorrah. Look over 1 Corinthians
1. Election is for sinners. Election is for the chief of
sinners. Now, this is good news. No one's
too sinful. for God to choose them. No one.
Look at 1 Corinthians 1 verse 26. For you see your calling,
brethren, that not many wise men after the flesh, not many
mighty, not many noble are called. But God hath chosen the foolish
things of the world to confound the wise. And God hath chosen
the weak things of the world to confound the things which
are mighty, and base things of the world, and things which are
despised hath God chosen. Yea, in things which are not,
to bring to naught the things that are, that no flesh should
glory in his presence. Now I want to drive this point
home to our hearts. Election is necessary. There is no salvation without
God's election. And I want to drive that home
because no one will ever worship God until we realize we're helpless
before God. No one will ever worship God
until we realize we can't do anything to make God save us.
Now we can, and we should, and we must beg God for mercy. We
must call on His name. But there's nothing we can do
to get God to save us. There's nothing we can do to
obligate God to save us. We are in His hand to do with
as He will. And we'll never worship until
we realize that. Election means that salvation
is of the Lord, and you and I have no control of the matter whatsoever.
And the only response a sinner can have to that truth is to
worship and beg for mercy. And before we get done this evening,
I'll show you that's a good place to be. So first, election is
necessary. Second, election is an act of
God's love. Election always has to do with
God's love and God's grace to his people. Our Lord said, you
haven't chosen me. You rejected me. You were in
that crowd that cried out away with him, crucifying him. But
I've chosen you. Now, throughout John chapter
15, our Lord makes it clear as he's talking to his disciples,
he loves his people. Look at verse 9. As the Father
hath loved me, so have I loved you. Continue you in my love. Verse 12, this is my commandment
that you love one another as I've loved you. Greater love
hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends. He's made it clear he loves his
people, doesn't he? Now in verse 16 he says, I've chosen you. Election is an act of God's great
love for his people. Now election, is not choosing
some to hell and some to heaven. That'd be hateful, wouldn't it?
All men by nature are condemned to hell because of our sin, but
God elected some. God chose to save some because
of His great love. You want me to prove to you what
a loving act this is? Who did God choose? He chose
sinners. The only explanation for that
is God's love for his people. Election is an act of God's love. Number three, we learn this.
Election is personal. Our Lord says, you've not chosen
me, but I have chosen you. God set his love on a particular
people, on you. You who believe. Can you ever
get over God's love for you? Can you ever get tired of hearing
that Christ loved you? That He loved you so much He'd
die for you? Christ loved me? Larry, of all
people, me? You can tell me about that all
you want. I can never get tired of hearing about that. Election
is personal. God chose his bride. He didn't
just throw this out there and see who would accept it. No,
he chose his bride. He made her his so that she bears
his name. This is the name wherewith she
shall be called Jehovah Sidkenu, the Lord our righteousness. We
bear his name. Christ dwells in the hearts of
His people. Now that is a personal union
with Christ. So personal that when the Father
sees me, He sees His Son. Election is personal. Fourth,
we learn this. Election is eternal. Our Lord
says, I have chosen you. Not I'll choose you if you choose
me. Not I'll choose you if you meet certain conditions. If you're
good enough and you repent enough and you stand on straight and
narrow enough, I'll choose you. No. I have. Past tense, I have chosen you. All right? How far past tense? When is the Lord talking about?
He's talking about to eternity. Everything God does is eternal,
isn't it? God told Jeremiah, before I formed
thee in the belly, I knew thee. Now look at Ephesians chapter
1. Paul tells us in Ephesians chapter 1 what our Lord meant
when he spoke to Jeremiah. Was it right before Jeremiah
was conceived? Or was it clear back to eternity,
before the foundation of the world? Ephesians chapter 1, verse
3. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as he has
chosen us in him. When? Before the foundation of
the world that we should be holy and without blame before him
in love Having predestinated us into the adoption of children
by Jesus Christ to himself According to the good pleasure of his will
God loved the people and he chose a people in Eternity because
everything God does is eternal Now when we say election is eternal
That does not mean God looked down through the telescope of
time and He saw who would believe Him. He saw who would choose
Him, so He chose them. Now that would make God's election
unnecessary, wouldn't it? I mean, and we already saw election
is necessary. If God just chose somebody who's
going to choose Him anyway, what do we need God to choose me for?
That's just God taking credit for what man's going to do anyway.
Election is eternal. It happened before the foundation
of the world. And I'll tell you what that means.
Election is unconditional. Now, I would imagine if you're
here this evening, you would identify yourself as a five-point
Calvinist, T-U-L-I-P. And the U, in that abbreviation,
whatever you call that, is unconditional election. Now, what that means
is there are no conditions. It's unconditional. There's no
conditions you have to meet in order to get it. You don't have
to be good enough. You don't have to be righteous
enough. You don't have to do anything well. There are no conditions
that you have to meet in order to be chosen of God. If you're
still there in Ephesians, look across the page at chapter 2,
verse 1. And you hath he quickened, who
were dead in trespasses and sins, wherein in time past you walked
according to the course of this world. according to the prince
of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the
children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our conversation
in times past, in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires
of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children
of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy
for his great love, his unconditional love, wherewith he loved us even
when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ.
By grace ye are saved, and hath raised us up together, and made
us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the
ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace
and his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. God loved a people
with his great love. He chose those people in his
great love, even the host. they were dead in trespasses
and sins. Even though they walked according to the course of this
world, according to the prince of the power of the air, there
are no conditions that you have to meet in order to be chosen
of God. As a matter of fact, you can't
meet any conditions for it. You can't earn it. Election's
free. Look at Romans chapter 9. Election
is an act of pure mercy on God's part. Romans 9, verse 10. And not only this, but when Rebekah
also is 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 is written, Jacob
have I loved. But Esau have I hated. Now what
shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with
God? Is God unrighteous to hate Esau? Is God unrighteous to pass
by Esau? God forbid. For he saith to Moses,
I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion
on whom I will have compassion. So then, this is unconditional. It is not of him that willeth,
nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. is eternal. Fifth, we learn this. Election is not salvation. Election is unto salvation. God
chose a people to save, but now Christ must come and save those
people. Christ must come and die for those people. That's
why our Lord said in John 15 verse 13, greater love hath no
man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
The Lord Jesus Christ must come incarnate. God's Son must come
as a man to be the representative of His people and to be the substitute
of His people so that He can lay down His life for His elect. He must suffer and bleed and
die to purchase the salvation of God's elect. There can be
no salvation without election, but now there can be no salvation
and no forgiveness of sins without the blood sacrifice either, can
there? And then the Holy Spirit must come and apply the blood
of that sacrifice. There must be a new birth. So
we must have all three. If we're going to be saved, there's
got to be God's election, there's got to be a blood sacrifice,
and there's got to be a new birth. See, election is unto salvation. Sixth, we learn this. Election
causes God's elect to bring forth fruit. That's what he says here,
verse 16 in our text. 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, what fruit
is the Lord talking about here? Well, first of all, He's talking
about the fruit of faith. It's impossible to have faith without
election. I can show you that. I can make
good on that statement if you look back in John chapter 10.
It is impossible to have faith without election. John chapter
10, verse 25. Jesus answered them. They said,
if you be the Christ, tell us plainly. And he answered them.
He said, I told you. And you believe not. The works that I
do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. But you believe
not. Why not? Because you're not of
my sheep. You know why you don't believe?
Because I didn't choose you. That's exactly what he's saying
there. It is impossible. to have faith without God's election.
And if you believe, if you have saving faith in Christ, you know
this, the only reason you believe is because you're one of God's
elect, and God gives faith to his elect. And that's what he
says in verse 27, my sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and
they follow me. And every person, God says, without
exception, knows and loves that truth. And if you look in Acts
chapter 13, I'll show you an example of that. Every believer
knows the only reason I believe is because God chose me and ordained
me to eternal life. In Acts 13, verse 47. For so hath the Lord commanded
us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that
thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. after
they heard this whole message of Paul's. When the Gentiles
heard this, they were glad, and they glorified the word of the
Lord. And as many as were ordained to eternal life, believed." Now
it doesn't say as many as believed are given eternal life, does
it? It says as many as were ordained, as many as God chose to eternal
life, they believed. Election brings forth the fruit
of faith. Then there's the fruit of the
Spirit, love, joy, peace, long suffering. And if you know your
nature at all, you know this, you can't bear any of that fruit
without God's election. Because it's all contrary to
the flesh. God's got to put that in us. Now the reason for this
fruit is not so that we start to get some glory. You know,
eventually we become good enough and I bear more fruit than somebody
else, so I'm on a higher spiritual plane than them. Absolutely not. Election is just like all of
salvation. It's for God's glory, isn't it?
And we bear this fruit, the fruit of the Spirit, for God's glory. Look back in verse 8 of John
chapter 15. Herein is my Father glorified, that you bear much
fruit. This is why we bear the fruit
of the Spirit, so that God is glorified. And God is glorified
when his trophies of grace shine forth, bearing his fruit. An
election causes God's people to bring forth fruit. Now last,
election unites us to Christ. Verse 16, at the end of verse
16, that whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in my name,
he may give it you. Now when God elected a people,
He put those people in Christ. And that union with Christ is
so real. His people are so united to Christ
that when the Father sees us, He sees the Son. When the Father
hears our cry, He hears the cry of His Son. And the Father will
always give what we ask for in the name of His Son. Now that
is a very, very, very abused statement. And I know we use
the example of a million dollars. Well, especially right now, let
me use an example that is something we cherish as much, at least,
as a million dollars in this neck of the woods. How about
a University of Kentucky basketball championship? I'd like one of
them. Well, will God give it to me
if I pray for that? I mean, will he really? No, he won't. I mean, they may win the championship,
but it's not because I prayed for it. And he won't give me
a million dollars if I pray for it like that either. You know
why? I don't need another basketball championship, just like I don't
need a million dollars. But I tell you what I need. I
tell you what I must have. I must have mercy. I must have
the forgiveness of my sin. I must have the blood of Christ. I must have Christ to be my righteousness. I must have his presence. Try
spending two seconds without it. You'll learn. I must have
His presence. I must have Christ to be my comforter. I must have Him so I can worship
Him. Do you need Christ? Is there
anybody here that needs a forgiveness of your sin? Is there anybody
here that needs mercy? Well, then go ask for it. Go
ask God for it. in the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ, for Christ's sake, based upon the person and work of Christ. Beg God for forgiveness of your
sin, not because you promise you won't do it again. Beg God
for the forgiveness of your sin based on the blood of His Son.
And God's elect are so united to Christ, when they pray for
that, they're going to receive it, because that glorifies the
Son. Now, as best I can from this
verse of Scripture, I told you the truth about God's election. This is God's electing of His
people. Now I want to ask you a question.
How should a sinner deal with this truth? When faced with this
truth of God's election, how should a sinner respond? I want
you to look at Matthew chapter 15. Here is a wonderful illustration
of a sinner meeting the truth of God's election. Matthew 15
verse 21. Then Jesus went thence and departed
in the coast of Tyre and Sidon. And behold a woman. Boy, you
parents can understand where this woman was, can't you? A
woman of Canaan came out of the same coast, and she cried unto
him, saying, have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David. My
daughter is grievously vexed with the devil. Now, this woman
starts out with a real problem. And she comes to the right person
with a good plea. She comes to the Lord. She knows
who the Lord Jesus is. She called him the Son of David.
Now, who's the Son of David? He's the Messiah. She's saying,
I know who you are. You're the Son of God. You're
the Savior. She comes with a real problem
to the right person, and she's begging for mercy. Now, I want
to tell you, that impresses me. Because you don't find that too
often. But look at our Lord's response, verse 23. But he answered
her not a word. And his disciples came and besought
him, saying, Send her away, for she crieth after us. Now our
Lord was silent. Have you ever known the Lord
to be silent when you pray? He was silent. But that didn't
stop this woman. She kept crying. She kept crying
to anybody she thought that knew the Lord. If I could talk to
him for you, she's crying to everybody she knows. Somebody
give me an audience with the Lord. Oh, the disciples were
irritated. They said, Lord, won't you just
send her away? She's annoying us. She's just, oh, she's so
annoying. Boy, that's some compassion,
isn't it? But how often are we guilty of
the very same thing? How often? Oh, I pray. I pray this every day, that the
Lord give us compassion for the lost. I told you this morning, I've
always been a Calvinist. I've always known the right,
as far as I can remember, anyway. But I'm telling you, there was
a time I was lost. Now, I can't remember ever not
knowing the right doctor, but I can remember a time I was lost. And I could see me not wasting
time on me. I really can. What a, what a,
oh, he's annoying. Lord, send him away. I'm so thankful
somebody had the compassion to preach Christ is lost. Oh, I
pray God give us compassion. And I'm thankful for this. The
disciple's lack of compassion is not going to stop the mercy
and purpose of the Lord. But I'd still rather have a heart
of compassion, wouldn't you? Instead of sending her away,
verse 24, look what our Lord says. But he answered and said,
I'm not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Now here our Lord set forth the truth of election in unmistakable
terms. Nobody can misunderstand what
our Lord just said. The Lord only came to save His
elect. He didn't come to give salvation a chance, you know,
to everybody. He came to save the lost sheep
of the house of spiritual Israel, and He come pass everybody else
by. Now, you know exactly what our
Lord just said. He did not come to save everyone. He came to
save His elect. Now, how are you going to respond
to that truth? I can tell you how a sinner responds to it,
verse 25. Then came she and worshiped him,
saying, Lord, help me. You know, election never stops
anyone from coming to Christ, ever. Election will never stop
a sinner from begging for mercy, ever. Matter of fact, election
makes a sinner come to Christ and worship him. When faced with
the truth of election, Christ only came to save his elect.
He came to pass everybody else by. This poor woman worshipped. And I'm telling you, now she
truly worshipped. Because like I told you at the
beginning of the message, you only worship when you realize
that you're helpless. You only worship when you realize
you're nothing and Christ is everything. Now she's worshipping. And I hope you listen to me.
I want to give you something here. I'd like to see you, you
who don't know the Lord, I'd like to see you not make the
same mistake I made. I can't tell you how many years
I spent praying, Lord show me I'm one of the less than I believe.
Don't do that. Please don't do that. Beg God
for mercy. Beg God for the forgiveness of
your sins. This woman didn't say, all right,
show me I'm one of the lost sheep of the house of Israel, you know,
and everything will be okay. No. She came and begged for mercy. Lord, help me. I can't help myself. I can't do anything for myself.
Lord, help me. I don't come to Christ because
I know I'm one of the elect. I come to Christ because I'm
a sinner who needs a savior. I come to Christ because I need
mercy. I come to Christ because I need
to be washed in the blood of Christ. I come to Christ because
I must have Christ do something for me that I cannot do for myself. Lord, help me. But verse 26,
he answered and said, it's not meat. It's not right to take
the children's bread and to cast it to dogs. This Lord, she did
everything right. She comes to the Lord begging
for mercy. She comes to the right person
with her problem, begging for mercy. She worshiped him. Lord,
help me. And our Lord says, you don't
deserve mercy. You don't deserve for me to choose
you. You're just a dog. And it's not
right to give the children's bread to dogs. Now, in our day,
we don't really understand what it means to be a dog. Jan and
I have two dogs, two Yorkie dogs. I promise you, they don't know
they're dogs. And I don't really think my lovely
wife knows they're dogs. My wife's a great cook. And she
puts in the crock pot, she makes a roast beef. I'm telling you,
oh, just thinking about it curls my toes. Oh, it's so good. And
I like to eat. I like to eat it when she fixes
it. And I like leftovers. She's got this in the crockpot.
I look at it. That's a good size roast. I'm going to have leftovers
on there. That's good. I'm happy about that. And we
eat. And we get done eating. And there's
those dogs. And you know what she does? She tears off a piece
of that roast beef, and she gives it to those dogs. And I'm thinking,
there goes my leftovers. I could eat. It's not right to
give Frank's meat to dogs. Well, we've got the idea, you
know, it's okay to do that with a dog. Our Lord's not talking
about that kind of dog. Our Lord's talking about a mangy,
three-legged mutt who's good for nothing. I mean, I'm talking
about a dog now. He's insulting her, calling her
a dog. Now, this is a plain, bold statement
about what we are by nature. were dogs. Now how does a sinner
handle that truth? Now come on, are you going to
be offended and leave because you're a dog? Are you going to
be offended and leave because you're told you can't do anything
to help yourself? You can't do anything to impress God? Are
you going to leave? Not if you're a sinner or you're
not. This woman agreed. Look at verse 27. And she said,
truth Lord, Yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from
their master's table. Lord, you're right. Let God be
true and every man a liar. I am a dog. You're right. You're
right. I don't deserve the least of
your mercies. I don't deserve you to choose
me. I don't deserve you to send your son to die for me. I don't
deserve to be washed in the blood of your son. But I'm begging
for mercy. I'm a dog who's begging for table
scraps. Because I tell you this. Crumbs
from the table of our master are a whole lot better than a
bowl full of dog food. Lord, I'm begging for crumbs.
Just give me some crumbs. In 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. She got what she asked for, didn't
she? Isn't that what our Lord promised? In our text, whatever
you ask in my name, the Father will give it to you. She got
exactly what she asked for. Now this is the truth. God elected
a people. And those people, and only those
people will be saved. And everyone who asks for mercy,
I mean everyone without exception, who asks for mercy is going to
get it. So come to Christ. Come to Christ
and beg for mercy. The Lord said he's going to be
merciful. He's going to be merciful to somebody. Then beg him for
mercy. He doesn't have to, but he just
might. Who else would you rather beg for mercy? He said, I delight
to show mercy. Well, why don't we beg him for
mercy? Soon after that, he's going to
teach you. He's the one elected you along.
He's the one that was drawing you to his son all along. So
that we understand this. Salvation is of the Lord from
beginning to end. And when we see that, we see
some of the glory of divine election. I pray, Lord, bless that to His
glory. Bless that to your hearts.