1 Thessalonians chapter 1. We'll read the entire chapter,
only 10 verses. Paul and Silvanus and Timotheus,
unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and
in the Lord Jesus Christ, grace be unto you and peace from God
our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to God
always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering
without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and patience
of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father. knowing, brethren beloved, your
election of God. For our gospel came not unto
you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost,
and in much assurance, as ye know what manner of men we were
among you for your sake. And ye became followers of us
and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction with
joy of the Holy Ghost, so that ye were an examples to all that
believe in Macedonia and Achaia. For from you sounded out the
word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also
in every place your faith to God were to spread abroad, so
that we need not to speak anything. For they themselves show us what
manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to
God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for
his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus,
which delivered us from the wrath to come. We want to consider
verse four as our message. What Paul says here, knowing
brethren beloved, your election of God. The title of my message
is Election Known. Consider it as being known, of
course, by God from all eternity, but then known by His people
in time. Paul tells them, you know this,
and then he gives us reasons why he knew it and they knew
it as well. One of Mr. Fortner's many hymns,
on page 78 of the Songs of Grace book, reads thus, and this is
my prayer, that God will enable us together here through the
message to consider. Don in the first verse wrote,
my soul consider this great thought. I thought of this when John was
reading Psalm 129. or 139, my soul consider this
great thought, the wondrous works which God has wrought, his works
from all eternity, my God has done them all for me. Such knowledge is too wonderful
for me. And I hope with the consideration
of that, Afterwards, we'll leave here with this song in our heart,
expressed by the last verse of My Soul Consider. And so, my
God, I'll praise your name, exalt your grace, and spread your fame. Eternal, sovereign love and grace
compel my heart to sing your praise. I'm compelled to do so. Election known. there is such
a blessed truth as the doctrine of God's eternal election of
his people. And it doesn't carry with it
the definition One old country preacher gave it. Someone asked
him, do you believe election? You never preach on it. And he
said, oh, yeah. Yeah, I believe election. He
said, election like this. The devil voted against you,
but God voted for you. And however you decide, that's
the way the election goes. No, no, no. No, thank God, it's
not that. We chuckle at such a definition
as that, but that pretty much is what many preachers tell us
that it is. They say it's based upon a believer's
foreseen faith, meaning that God, they grant him at least
foreknowledge, God knew who would believe, therefore, because of
that and in light of that, He chose them to salvation. Which
sort of represents God as being kind of like me. That's not God. That doesn't inspire my soul
to sing His praise. It represents God is doing something
that wasn't necessary. If God knew who would believe
and on that basis chose them to believe, it was an unnecessary
work. But you know why that is taught?
You know why that is so given as an explanation, unscriptural
explanation of eternal election? It's so that they can maintain
man's right and man's will. That's the reason. But what about
God's right? What about God's will? I've heard
other preachers say, well, yes, it's in the scripture, It's in
the Word of God, but it's rather obscure. It's very mysterious. It's only mentioned occasionally.
Again, that's wrong. And they think with that definition
that they just sweep it under the rug. The problem is it leaves
a very big lump. A very big one. Because eternal
election is a very blessed truth. And it's not just mentioned occasionally,
it's mentioned in every book of the Word of God, nearly in
every chapter of the Word of God. It's mentioned more, consider
this, it's mentioned more than the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Is that important? Is that essential? It's mentioned more than that.
It's mentioned more than the virgin birth. Redemption we consider
as being the work of Christ. Regeneration, the new birth,
the work of God's Holy Spirit. But election is God's work. And all are part of and necessary
to our eternal salvation. God asked in Malachi, concerning
the priest. Will a man rob God? Which the priests were doing.
Will a man rob God? To deny the blessed truth of
God's eternal choice of His people to salvation does exactly that. To make that choice dependent
upon what man does in time does exactly that, John. It robs God. It takes the crown off of God's
head. and puts it up on man's head. It denies that salvation in its
entirety, in its entirety, is all of the Lord and it's all
of grace. Will a man rob God? Not here. Not from this pulpit. No man
that stands here will teach otherwise other than that salvation is
all of grace. In 2 Peter chapter 1, He exhorted
to give all diligence, in verse 10, giving all diligence to make
your calling and election sure. Why did he mention calling first? I just said that election is
first with God. But calling is first with us.
We can know nothing of our election until we're called. It's impossible
to know. This is what Paul says here as
one of the identifying marks that they were God's elect because
when the gospel came to them in verse 5, it didn't come just
in word only. Not just heard with the ear,
but with the heart. An inward call that is always
effectual. Always bring the sheep to the
great shepherd. Yes, in time God calls, and that's
how we know. And we can't know otherwise that
we were chosen in him, Christ, before the foundation of the
world. Knowing, brethren beloved, your
election of God, known of God. It's God's choice of particular
sinners to salvation. Look in chapter 2 of 2 Thessalonians. When Paul wrote his second epistle,
he deals with the subject again. He reminds them. In this church,
we're going through severe trials and persecution. And Paul in
chapter 2 deals with the dark day in which they live, and it
would grow worse and worse, and how aptly it describes the day
in which you and I live. Look at verse 12, for example.
That they all might be damned who believe not the truth, but
had pleasure in unrighteousness. Men would rather believe a lie,
embrace a lie, than believe the truth. Does that not sound familiar? Oh, but thank God all men weren't
left there. God didn't allow all men to be
engulfed by the lie, by the delusion. Why? Why? What made the difference? Who made you the difference?
You sat here this morning, eager, anxious, desiring to hear the
gospel of God's free grace. It's the only good news there
is to you, Lonnie. I mean, you could go down the
street. And here's something else, but oh no, that wouldn't
help you. That wouldn't encourage you.
You want to hear that God Almighty sets upon the majesty of His
sovereign throne of absolute dominion and He rules this world
always for the salvation of His people. That's comforting. And this is what Paul says in
verse 13. But, oh but, what are you going
to tell us, Paul? With that background of delusion
and deception and the whole world believing a lie, what are you
going to tell us to encourage us and help us? But, but, Paul
says there's hope. But we are bound to give thanks
always to God for you brethren, beloved of the Lord, just like
he said in our text. Because God, God did something. God was determined to do something. Because God had from the beginning,
from the beginning, before time began, before the creation of
the heavens and the earth, God had from the beginning chosen
you, what? To salvation through sanctification
of the Spirit and belief of the truth. Where unto He called you?
By our Gospel. That's the means, as Paul said
in verse 5 of 1 Thessalonians 1, whereunto he called you by
our gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Look, if you will, in 1 Timothy
chapter 1, or 2 Timothy, I'm sorry, 2 Timothy chapter 1. Paul mentions it again in verse
9. Speaking of God, he says in verse
9 of 2 Timothy 1, who had saved us and called us with a holy
calling, not according to our works, but according to His own
purpose and grace, which was based upon foreseen faith. No,
no, no, no. According to His own purpose
and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world
began. Isn't that glorious? Such thoughts
are too wonderful to me. I cannot attain unto them. You
mean God loved me with an everlasting love? Listen brothers and sisters,
there has never been a moment, there has never been a time I
don't know how else to say it, that God didn't love His people. Christ didn't come and live and
die as our substitute to enable God to love us. Christ came,
sent by the Father, because God loved us with an everlasting
love. Speaking of our glorious head,
Christ. One hymn writer said this, Thou
art my first elect, God said, speaking of Christ, and then
chose us in Christ our head. Since God changes not, he must
have determined before time began to call all those he calls in
time by his grace. Could God have acted otherwise?
Now think about that. Could God have acted otherwise? I mean, does the God of glory,
the absolute omniscient, all-knowing God, all-powerful God, the eternal
God, does He do something today that He didn't purpose to do
before today? I mean, such thoughts as that
are not worthy of the God who inhabits eternity. And that's
what he said in the Psalms. He said, you thought I was such
a one as thyself. You've made a bad mistake, he
said. I'm not like you. My thoughts
are not your thoughts. To whom will ye liken me? To whom shall be my equal? I'm a God. I do all my pleasure. Whatever I purpose, I bring to
pass. None can stay my hand or say
unto me, what doest thou? I'm God. And we've all heard
it. Preachers stand up and say, well
now, if God has His way, or if God had His way. Now think about
that statement. Lester, you're chuckling, right?
It just doesn't make good sense, does it? If God has His way,
if He doesn't have His way, He's not God. And that's why He asked
the question. To whom shall ye liken me? There's none like me. I'm a God. My soul, consider. Consider. Come before him. Bow down before
him. Look up and say, My soul, there's
none like him. He has his way in the world,
None can stay His hand, or say unto Him, What doest Thou? He has His way always. That's our hope. And that's what
Paul reminds this suffering church of, and us. Beloved, remember
your election of God, whom He did foreknow, foreloved. He called, and He justified,
and He'll keep, and He'll bring all the way to glory. Why? Because
He's God! God Almighty and God over all. Such thoughts, anything less
than that, are not worthy of our great God. I remember years
ago, Marvin Stoniker preaching in Danville during the time that
Linda was dying of cancer, his wife at the time. And some preacher,
I think some Pentecostal preacher, ran into Marvin somewhere and
knew of Linda's sickness and told Marvin, well,
if you would just allow God, if you would let God, she would
be healed. And Marvin looked at him and
said, you're God just too small. Your God's not big enough for
me. If I have to let Him, if I have
to allow Him, if He can't do nothing unless I permit Him to,
your God's not big enough. Oh, but our God, our God is in
the heavens, David said. Where's your God now, the enemy
said to David? Where's your God now? You've
been chased from the throne by your own son? Where's your God
now, David? Remember? You remember what David
said? Our God is in the heavens. He's
where He's always been, doing whatsoever He hath pleased. Brother Henry Mahan, I listened
to him one time preach a message as I was driving somewhere to
preach myself. And he said when his son went
to Vietnam, He prayed that God would bring him back. And God
brought him back, Henry said, in a pine box. And some preacher
that hated the gospel that Henry preached in Ashland, and hated
the God that Henry preached, called him up and said, where's
your God now, Henry Mahan? And Henry said, my God's in the
heavens. and he's doing whatsoever he
hath pleased. Turn if you will to Psalm 147.
Psalm 147. Oh, this is the psalm speaks
so much as indeed the entire word of God does about the glory
and the majesty of our God and what a comfort it is to know
that we're in the hand of that great and holy one. In Psalm 147 verse 1, Praise
ye the Lord, for it is good to sing praises unto our God, for
it is pleasant and praises comely. The Lord doth build up Jerusalem,
his church. He gathered together the outcast
of Israel. He healeth the broken in heart.
He doesn't try to do it. He does it. And bindeth up their
wounds. We all as believers know that
that's so. He telleth the number of the
stars. He calleth them all by their
names. And the psalmist says, oh, great
is our God. How great thou art. Great is
our God and of great power. His understanding is infinite. There is none like Him. Yes, God's election is a blessed,
blessed truth. Psalm 65 verse 4, the psalmist
said, Blessed is the man that thou choosest and causes to approach
unto thee. Again, such knowledge as that
is too wonderful to me. Ephesians chapter 1, Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed
us with all blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as
He hath chosen us in Him when before the foundation of the
world. Oh my soul! You mean he chose
me? Larry Chris? Have you ever heard
a more plainer name? Nobody's much ever heard of me.
Oh my soul, you mean the God of all glory? The God of all
grace? That God with whom we have to
do? That God that willed it all into
existence? That God that rules this world?
You mean that great God loved this puny, insignificant sinner? Yes. Yes, oh my soul, adore and
wonder and ask why such love for me. Father, Father, our high
priest prayed of all those you gave me, gave me, in that everlasting
covenant of grace, all those you chose and entrusted into
my hands to redeem, I've kept kept and I pray not only for
them but for those who that should believe on me through their word. Just like his nature is his grace
all sovereign and all free. Great God how searchless are
thy ways how deep thy judgments be. It's only at the footstool
of a sovereign God that a sinner will bow down and from his heart
exclaim of him and through him and back to him are all things. To him be glory forever and ever. And Paul says in the text, brethren,
beloved. Beloved. Loved by Paul, yes,
but more than that, by God. If you trace election back to
its fountainhead, back to the spring from which it flows, you'll
find God's eternal love for his own. This is why Christ came. The prophet said, the Lord hath
appeared unto me of old saying, I have loved thee Think about
that. I have loved thee with an everlasting
love. Therefore, with cords of love,
have I drawn thee. Saul of Tarsus, I set my love
on you before I created the heavens and the earth. Therefore, with
cords of love, I'm going to draw thee. come down sinner. Our Lord said, all that the Father
giveth me shall come to me and him that cometh unto me I will
in no wise cast out. In Genesis chapter 1, the very
first verse we read, in the beginning, God created the heavens and the
earth. And that's not a suggestion. That's not one of another alternative. Oh, no. That's not a debate or
an apology. God did it, period. Period. Let the philosophers
and the scientists debate that if they want. The Bible states
that it's so and it's so. God did it and God did it alone. God without any help from man. Man wasn't there. He wasn't there. And we weren't there when God
chose us to salvation except in our glorious head. As Paul
said in Ephesians 1, we were chosen in Him. This took place. This took place before He even
created the heavens and the earth. Remember when God appeared before
Job? after he and his friends had
sat around for days and days debating God, why God does this
and why God does that. And then God appeared on the
scene and said, Job, stand up. Stand up and answer me. Answer
me this, where were you, Job, when I laid the foundation of
the earth? When I set the stars in their
course, where were you? To whom did I consult? From whom did I take counsel?
Whose advice or help did I need? And you remember what Job said?
You remember what Job did? Job said, I've spoken of things
that were too wonderful for me. You remember what he did? He
put his hand over his mouth and sat down in the dust and worshipped
at the footstool of that sovereign God. Electing love, love electing,
takes man out of the equation altogether. It bows him down
to cry, oh, why? Why such love? for me. I have loved thee with an everlasting
love. Turn to Romans chapter eight,
if you will. Very familiar passage, but this
is exactly what Paul was saying here in Romans chapter eight. He takes us back to the fountainhead
of every blessing. God's eternal love for His own.
In verse 28 of Romans 8, For we know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are called
according to His purpose. Well, how do we know? How do
we know that? Paul tells us in verse 29, For
whom He did foreknow, the word is forelove. loved beforehand. He also did predestinate to be
conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn
among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate,
them he also called. And whom he called, them he also
justified. And whom he justified, them he
also glorified. What shall we say then to these
things? What shall we say? Oh, I'll say
this. I'll say this. If God be for
us, who can be against us? If God was for us in electing
love, in calling, in justification, in glorification. If God be for
us in all these things, who shall be against us? Now, looking back
in chapter 1 of 1 Thessalonians, Paul says in our text, verse
4, knowing, brethren, beloved, your election of God. Known by them, Paul says, by
five distinct marks that he gives in the remainder of the chapter.
This is true of all God's chosen. To know our election is needful
for us to sing, to God be the glory, and to comfort us, I've
chosen you. Look at the first mark in verse
five. For our gospel came not unto
you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost,
and in much assurance. Election doesn't make the preaching
of the gospel unnecessary. No, no. That's the very means
that God uses to call out of the world his own. You were in
the world, Christ said, but I chose you out of the world in time
he calls us by his grace. Our gospel came not unto you,
Paul says, in word only. It did that. It did that. But
it did much more than that. It also came in power and much
assurance. Look to what he says in verse
13 of chapter 2. For this cause also thank we
God without ceasing, because when ye received the word of
God, which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of
men, but as it is in truth the word of God, which effectually
worketh also in you that believe. God's word is always effectual. It never returns to him void. Paul speaks of a hearing with
the heart, an inward call, not just the outward call that all
men hear when they hear the gospel preached, but that inward call,
that word of God that Peter spoke about that liveth and abideth
forever, that word by which we're born again. And Peter says, this
is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. Look at the second mark in verse
six. And ye became followers of us
and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction with
joy of the Holy Ghost." You became followers. You proved you heard
because you became followers. This is exactly what Christ said.
My sheep hear my voice. and they follow me. That's the
evidence of our eternal election. This mark of grace, his people
follow him. They bow to him. Don't claim
to be one of his if you don't bow to him. You're deceiving
yourself. Don't claim to be one of God's
elect if you don't follow the great shepherd of the sheep.
People that live in willful, deliberate disobedience to God's
Word, no matter what they may profess, have no reason to believe
that they're a child of God. They're not carnal Christians.
No, no. A man that's never bowed to the
Lord Jesus Christ is not a Christian whatsoever. He's not a carnal
Christian that might lose some reward. He's a rebel against
God. You cannot be a believer without
bowing to King Jesus. Remember what he said in 1 Corinthians
6? Let's turn there and read it
together. 1 Corinthians 6. Now, I know
that all believers, while we're in this flesh, We're still sinners,
but the bent of our life is to follow Christ. In 1 Corinthians
6, look at verse 9. Know ye not that the unrighteous
shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived. Now, you're reading this with
me, aren't you? Be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters,
nor adulterers, nor infeminate. nor abuser of themselves with
mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers,
nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God." And he's
not going to make any exception to that. And look what Paul says
in verse 11. And such were some of you. Yeah. I sure was. He says, such were some of you.
Past tense. past tense, Lord. But God, but
God. But ye are washed, but ye are
sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus
and by the Spirit of our God. Oh, thank God. Look what Paul
says in verse 7 back in 1 Thessalonians 1. And ye became examples to
all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. He became an example
to all other believers. Someone asked, what kind of church
would my church be if everyone in it were just like me? The
same commitment, the same sacrifice, the same love. The third mark
in verse 8, from you sounded out the word of the Lord not
only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your
faith to God where it is spread abroad. All they committed to
Christ, they were committed to him and his message, the glorious
gospel of the blessed God. Paul said, from you it sounded
out. I've heard the joyful sound.
Jesus saves. Jesus saves. But they didn't
keep it to themselves, did they? Paul says it was spread abroad.
Spread the tidings all around. Jesus saves. Jesus saves. Now the fourth mark in verse
nine. For they themselves show us what
manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to
God from idols to serve the living and the true God. By God's grace and power, they
turned from their idols." You can't have God and still bow
to an idol. You can't claim to be a believer
and still kiss the crucifix, can you, Joe? Oh, no. No. The rich young ruler found out.
He couldn't have his idol and his money. He wasn't willing
to depart with that. He couldn't follow Christ. You
turned from idols, but that's not all. You turned to God. You turned away from that, but
you turned to God to serve the true and the living God. And the last mark, verse 10,
and to wait for his son from heaven, whom he raised from the
dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come, waiting
for Christ. That's what we're doing, brothers
and sisters. While we're in this world, going through the world,
preaching the gospel to every creature, as we live in this
world, we're waiting, looking for Him, the glorious appearing
of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ. Whether He comes
for us or we go to Him through death, so shall we ever be with
the Lord. Look in chapter 5 of this epistle. Chapter 5, and look what Paul
writes here, beginning at verse 8. Chapter 5, verse 8. But let us, who are of the day,
be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for an
helmet the hope of salvation. For God had not appointed us
to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ who
died for us, who died for us. He bought us with his own blood
that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with
him. Wherefore, comfort yourselves
together and edify one another with these words. I want you to look at one other
text of scripture in 2 Timothy chapter 2. 2 Timothy chapter
2. A few weeks ago, I did what I
always do, was paying a bill with my debit card, just call
a number and a little recording walks me through it. And this
Saturday, It kept saying, can't make this transaction. And after
trying three or four times, I still kept getting that recording,
can't complete this transaction. Finally, I got a human being
on the phone. And I said, can you tell me what
the problem is? She said, well, you can't complete
the transaction. I said, I know that. I know that,
but can you tell me why I can't complete the transaction? And
she came back and said, insufficient funds. And I thought, that just
kept me. I mean, there wasn't a whole
lot in there, but it was all I had. And I knew there had to
be enough to cover that little bill. And I thought, oh, my soul,
am I the victim of identity theft? Somebody done wiped out my account? Well, I come to found out that
I wasn't. Some storm had messed up their
computers or something. But that will never happen. with God's people, with God's
elect. There will never be a case of
identity theft. Look at you will, if you will
rather, at verse 19 of 2 Timothy. Paul's writing in chapter 2 and
he says, nevertheless, the foundation of God standeth sure. Sure. That's what David looked
at on his dying bed, didn't he? Though my house be not so with
God, yet he has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered
in all things insure. Nevertheless, the foundation
of God stands insure, having this seal. The Lord knoweth them
that are his. They'll never be plucked out
of his hand. There'll never be a case of identity
theft with this sheep. And let everyone that nameth
the name of Christ depart from iniquity, knowing, brethren beloved,
your election of God. And know this too, brothers and
sisters in Christ, that nothing, nothing, present, past, or future. Nothing shall separate us from
the love of God which is in Christ Jesus, Paul said. Absolutely
nothing. And so, my soul, I'll praise
your name. Exalt your grace and spread your
fame. Rather, and so my God, I'll praise
your name. Exalt your grace and spread your
fame. Eternal sovereign love and grace,
compel my heart to sing your praise. May God enable us to
do it now. Thank you for your attention.