Preach to you on the subject,
blessed is the man. As we went through the various
texts of scripture where those words are used, some of you immediately
picked up on the fact that I left out one particular text. It was
the one text that you probably thought would have been the first
I would turn to and probably the first that came to your mind
when I announced my subject. But it was not an accidental
omission. I left it out because I wanted
to preach on it today. And I'm going to preach to you
this morning from that text, Psalm 65 and verse 4. My subject this morning is God's
election, the source and cause of all blessedness. Psalm 65,
verse 4. Blessed is the man. Those blessed,
blessed words. Blessed is the man. whom thou
choosest and causest 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. God's choice and election of
his people to salvation is not the result of something that
but rather is the cause of everything He does for us in Christ the
Lord. Most people, when they read the
Scriptures, pervert the teaching of Scripture terribly, and would
suggest, would imply, would leave sinners believing that somehow,
while the Bible teaches something called election, it is election
based upon what God foresaw or foreknew you would do for Him. But nothing could be further
from the truth. The scriptures teach us that God's election
is the basis, the cause, and the source of all his wondrous
works of grace performed for us in Jesus Christ the Lord. Now, in our text, election is
spoken of as being something done in the present. though it
was actually done before the world began. And that's simply
because this great grace is known and experienced only in time
as we come to experience it, then we come to know it. No one
knows his election until he has been called by the grace of God
and given life and faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord and our Redeemer. Now look at the text carefully.
Notice the progression of grace that runs through these lines.
The psalmist began saying, blessed is the man whom thou choosest. That's God's election. God chose
to save some people from eternity. He chose them in eternity, and
those whom he chose in eternity, he graciously cuts out of mankind
and chooses in time, calling them by his grace. I thought
about this as I was preparing the message yesterday, and I
wondered how can I illustrate this properly? Back years ago,
they had range laws when I passed in West Virginia. Range laws
were still in effect, and folks who owned cattle, if they chose
to do so, could leave their cattle out running on the range, running
in the mountains, running in the open fields, and people were
required by law to leave them alone. And when it came time
to round up the cattle, time to slaughter them, time to sell
them, then they would go out and gather up their cattle. They
would just round them up. Now, the cattle were already
theirs, but they went out and selected their cattle out from
among all the cattle on the range and gathered up their particular
cattle. That's exactly what happens in
the next part of our text. We belong to God by election. before the world began, and in
his evidence and grace, he cuts us out, one at a time, from the
rest of mankind. So the psalmist says, blessed
is the man whom thou choosest. God set his heart upon these
people, and calls us to approach unto them. There's the progress.
Not only did He choose us in eternity, but those who were
chosen in eternity are caused, caused by sovereign, irresistible
grace, effectually caused to approach unto Him. People say,
well, you folks say God saves sinners whether they want to
be saved or not. Oh, no, no, no, no. A thousand times no.
What God does is He causes you to approach unto Him. He causes
you to want Him. He causes you to come to Him.
He causes you gladly with all your heart to flee to Jesus Christ. But you would never come to Him.
You would never choose Him. You would never flee to Him.
Did He not by sovereign grace give you a new heart and a new
nature and by effectual power calls you? to come unto Him. Blessed then is that man who
is chosen and called by the grace of God. Now look at the result,
that we may dwell in thy courts. Sinners who are chosen and called
by grace are called to dwell. You might underscore that word
dwell, not visit occasionally, but dwell in the courts of divine
worship. Most people take fits of religion. They are spasmodic. They have
spasms of religion. I know a lot of people around
the country, some in my own family, they have spasms of religion. When they get in trouble, they
have a little fit of religion and start going to church. When
they have a little trouble with the kids, they get a little fit
of religion, they start going to church. They get in a little
financial trouble and maybe they can't take the boat out on Sundays
anymore. They get a fit of religion and start going to church. Not
those who are chosen and called by God. Oh no. These folks dwell
in His house. They dwell in the courts of divine
worship. They being called by the grace
of God from death to life and faith in Jesus Christ are kept
and preserved by that grace unto eternal glory. Moreover, election
is the source and cause of the everlasting happiness and satisfaction
of God's saints in heaven. Read on. We shall be satisfied. Satisfied now. Yes. Right now. Brother Todd Nybert and I were
chatting yesterday. I called him to compliment him
on the article he had in yesterday's Herald-Leader. We chatted about
it a little bit. He was talking to me about a
matter of contentment. And he said, I believe that in
great measure, godliness with contentment is not talking about
contentment so much with physical things, but rather contentment
with Christ alone as our Savior. That's pretty good. That's pretty
good. Believers are meaning women who
are content with Jesus Christ the Lord. Satisfied. satisfied
with the goodness of God's house, even of thy holy temple. You
see, the house and temple of God in the Old Testament were
typical of and representations of Christ and heaven, of God's
salvation and of our everlasting nearness to and worship of God
and acceptance of God through Jesus Christ the Lord. This is
true blessedness. This blessedness, according to
our text, arises from and is effectually caused by God's election
of his people unto salvation in Jesus Christ before the world
began. Now, in consideration of those
things, no wonder David sang, Oh, the blessedness of the man.
Oh, the blessedness of the man whom thou choosest and calls
us to approach unto thee. It was this election of grace
that sustained David's heart, gave him comfort and rejoiced
his soul, even as he lay on his deathbed and he spoke concerning
God's covenant and God's election. He said, this is all my salvation. This is all my desire. And he
held himself in peace and went into eternity with joy in the
prospect of God fulfilling his everlasting purpose of grace
toward him. Now, I want us this morning to
look into the Word of God and see what God teaches us about
this glorious gospel doctrine of election. For most of you,
this will just be a refresher course. For some of you, it will
be an entirely new thing. But if God the Holy Spirit will
be our teacher and bless His Word to our hearts, we will leave
here today saying, thank God for His electing love. prepared this message, those
words kept echoing in my heart. They kept arising from my soul
to my God, thank you, thank you, thank you my God, my Father,
for your electing love and favor in Jesus Christ the Lord. All
right, let me show you six or seven things revealed in this
book about God's election. Now I'm going to be as simple,
just as simple as Bud, but I want you to Get what I'm saying, because
this is so, so blessing. Number one, God chose some to
salvation before the world began. Now there's just no question
at all about the Bible teaching the doctrine of God's election. There are some who will tell
you the Bible doesn't teach election. Now those folks who make such
statements, either have never read this book, or they have
forgotten what they read in this book, or they're just plain liars.
One of those three things. Because this matter of election
is not something done in a corner, it's not hidden back in some
obscure passages of scripture. It's written in the book of God,
on every page of the book of God, from the beginning to the
end of the book of God. You don't have to look for election,
you've got to look missing. The doctrine of election is all
over scriptures. The Word of God talks about elect
angels. It talks about an elect nation.
It talks about elect churches, an elect lady, elect people. It talks about elect saints.
This book constantly talks about election. The words choose, elect,
chosen are found constantly throughout the Word of God. So this is not
some obscure thing that we're talking about. We're talking
about that which is just as basic and just as plainly revealed
in Scripture as the fact that God lives. Not only that God
is, but that God is life. Now when we talk about election,
listen to what Scripture teaches. When the first two men were born
in this earth, the first two men, God demonstrates His election. He chose Abel and rejected Cain. Verse 2. When Noah lived on this
earth, God chose Noah and his family, eight souls, and destroyed
everybody else in the world. And it wasn't just eight more
souls. It's more than likely that the world in Noah's day
was more heavily populated than it is right now in our day. Noah
lived in a day, not a barbaric caveman. He lived in a day when
men and women had lived for hundreds of years upon the earth, but
they lived and learned to do evil and not to do good. And
Noah alone found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Noah's family
alone was brought into the ark. Everybody else was passed by.
The scripture speaks about a man by the name of Abraham. who lived
down in Ur of the Counties, and God Almighty chose Abram. Later
he made him to be Abraham, but he called Abram out of Ur of
the Counties and passed by everybody else in the nation. Everybody
else in that nation, except Abraham and those who came out with him,
his nephew Lot, and it seems that only his nephew Lot, even
among those who came out with him. We read in the scriptures
how that the Lord God chose Jacob, but not his brother Esau. God
chose Israel, Israel the fewest among all people, the smallest
of all nations, and destroyed the Egyptians. He chose Israel
to be his people and pass by all the other nations of the
earth. Now you stop and think about this. God Almighty said,
I will reveal myself to, I will give my law to, I will make myself
known only to the nation of Israel. Well, what about Egypt? What
about the Gentile world? What about the worlds of the
nations and other parts of the world and other continents that
were even unknown? God said, I'll make myself known
to Israel alone. And for 2,000 years, nobody on
the earth had an inclination of who God is except folks who
worshiped in Israel. Nobody. He chose that nation
and passed by others. The Lord God is pleased to choose
some and cast others aside, choose some and leave others to themselves. So that no one can, with any
measure of integrity, teach that the word of God does not teach
the doctrine of election. No one with any measure of integrity
and honesty can say this book doesn't teach election. The fact
is so obvious that we can't even discuss that matter. However,
the question of importance does come up. What does the Bible
teach about election? Does the Bible indeed teach that
the election of some to salvation and the exclusion of others with
regard to that salvation is the work of God Almighty? Does the
Bible teach that God chose some, but not all, that He chose some,
but passed by others, that He was pleased to be gracious to
some of Adam's sons and daughters, making them the heirs of grace
and glory in Jesus Christ, while leaving others to their sin and
their chosen remain? Now, certainly the Word of God
does teach that. Certainly it does. It does teach
the election of some to the exclusion of others. There's no question
about that. We won't look at all the relevant passages now.
We'll be looking at several in this message. But let's turn
to two or three texts. Let me look at them with you.
First turn to Matthew chapter 20. Matthew 20. Years ago I read a pamphlet by
a man, he happened to be an acquaintance of mine, he's with the Lord now,
he's an older man, and he wrote a pretty good pamphlet on election,
but the title was so terrible. He said, The Hated Doctrine of
Election. That's a terrible way to start
out this thing. This is a delightful doctrine. Those who hate it simply
don't know God. It's not the doctrine of election
to hate, it's the God of election to hate. Those who know God rejoice
in His electing love. Look here in Matthew chapter
20 and verse 16. The Lord Jesus says, so the last
shall be first. And the first last, for many
be called. Many be called. We preach the
gospel to lots of people. The word of the gospel goes out
to lots of people. Many be called. But few are chosen. Matthew 22, verse 14. The Lord
Jesus says the very same thing again. I suspect that's because
he wants us to understand. For many are called. Many are
called. I call you now to faith in Christ.
I call you now to life in Jesus Christ. I call you now to repentance
in Jesus Christ. I call you now to come to the
Son of God. But few are chosen. Those are
the folks about to hear from the call. Many are called. Many hear the word. Many are
challenged with the word. Many hear the audible voice of
the preacher. Many read the scriptures. But
few who hear and are called are chosen. And those who are chosen,
they're effectually called by God's Spirit. Look in John chapter
15. John 15 verse 16. The Lord Jesus looks at his disciples
as he's about to leave them, and what a word of grace he speaks
to them. These men who are so very much aware of their own
sin and about to be made even more aware of it. These men who
are very much aware of their fickleness and about to be made
much more aware of it. These men whom the Savior knew
soon would all forsake Him, and thus they would be made to despair
of their own knowledge of him. But to save them from that despair,
he says, now, fellas, you haven't chosen me. Your being mine and our relationship
with one another in no way depends on you. Aren't you glad? Aren't you glad? You didn't choose
me in the beginning, and you wouldn't choose me now if it
left up to you. You haven't chosen me, but I've chosen you. And
I've ordained you that you should go and bring forth much fruit
and that your fruit should remain. His choice is good. His choice
is saving. His choice is sure. Look in Romans
chapter nine. Romans the ninth chapter. Here the apostle Paul is wrapping
up his marvelous exposition of gospel truth in this book of
Romans. And he wraps it up beginning
in chapter 8, dealing with the purpose of God in electing grace. The purpose of God revealed in
his providence. The purpose of God made manifest
in the casting off of the Jews and the calling of the Gentiles.
Look in Romans 9 verse 11. For the children being not yet
born, that's important. neither having done any good
or evil. These boys hadn't spoken a good
word or a bad. They hadn't had a good thought
or a bad. They hadn't done a good thing,
they hadn't done a bad thing. The children having done neither
good nor 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. Someone said to
Mr. Spurgeon one time, we were preaching
from this passage and after the service, this lady came up to
him and she said, I don't understand. I don't understand, Mr. Spurgeon,
how you can say that God hated Esau. He said, I didn't say it,
God said it. But I don't have difficulty understanding
how God could hate Esau. That's very easy for me to understand.
My problem is understanding how He could love Jacob. Jacob have
I loved. Esau have I... Jacob got grace. Esau got what he deserved. Jacob
got mercy. God just left Esau alone. Esau
have I hated. What shall we then say? Is there
unrighteousness with God? Why, you fellows say, God chose
some past by others. That's not right. Who are you
to say what's right when God does it? Who are you to challenge
God's character? Who are you to challenge God's
doing? Men and women talk about God
Almighty as though somehow He's to be set in judgment by them.
Such men are not to be given the respect of decent answers. Who are you to reply against
God? Read what it says. God forbid. For he saith to Moses,
I will have mercy on him, I will have mercy. So I will have compassion
on him, I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that
willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.
For the scriptures saith unto Pharaoh, even for this same purpose
have I raised thee up, that my, I'm sorry, for this 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 hearteneth. There's one more text in this
regard, Romans chapter 11. We read it in Paul's day, but
what he read was applied to himself by the Spirit of God from Elijah's
day. and that which was applied by
him by the Spirit of God to himself may be applied by us also according
to the Spirit of God in the testimony of Scripture in our day. Even
so then at this present time, so long as time shall stand,
it is true, at this present time there is also a remnant according
to the election of grace. Brother Bill Carver, He's out
in Galston, North Carolina. Some of you will remember him.
He makes business out of remnants. All he ever buys is remnants.
Remnants. You know what remnants are? Those
are leftover pieces. Remnants are what most folks
just kind of discard and throw away. Remnants are the things
that You know, ladies who are really kind of uppity, they wouldn't
think about going and buying a remnant. No, we go to the store
and pay top dollar for the new cloth that we'll tell folks we
bought it over here for. We don't sell. This is good stuff. Remnants are junk. Bobby Estes,
God always deals in remnants. You got me? God always deals
in remnants. He takes the junk of the world.
He takes the offscouring of the world. He takes such things as
we are and saves them by his free grace. And here's the reason
why. He says, at this present time,
there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And
if by grace, then it's no more of works. Otherwise, grace is
no more grace. But if it be of works, then it's
no more grace. Otherwise, work is no more work.
What then? Israel hath not obtained that
which he seeketh for, but the election hath obtained. And the rest were blind. I'm standing here looking at
you, and as you sit and look at me and listen, some listen,
some kind of try your best not to, but you listen a little bit,
anyway, it gets through. And I know exactly who's going
to believe. I know exactly, I know exactly in this congregation
who I'm going to meet in glory around the throne of God. The
election shall obtain it. And I can't do anything on this
earth to open anybody else's blind eyes. The rest are blind. And when God sends blindness,
God sends blindness. Now there's absolutely no question
about the fact that the Bible clearly teaches this doctrine
of election day. God chose to save some and pass
by others. So really the only question to
be answered is what does the Bible teach about election? So
secondly, let me show you in Romans chapter 8 that the purpose
of God in all things is the salvation of his elect. God Almighty is God's purpose. The world which he made is ruled
according to purpose. We know, the apostle says, that
all things work together for good to them that love God, to
them who are thee called, according to his purpose. Now that's the
secret to understanding this book. That's the secret to understanding
everything going on in this world. This is the secret to understanding
the history of the world. This is the secret to understanding
what's going on right now in our society. His purpose! Everything is according to God's
purpose. What is his purpose? For whom
he did foreknow, 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. And we recognize,
of course, that the word of God teaches the doctrine of God's
glorious, sovereign predestination. Like election, it is a truth
so plainly revealed in scripture that it cannot be honestly denied
by any honest man. For that matter, I can't imagine
why anybody would want to. Why would anybody want to deny
the fact that God Almighty has predestined everything that comes
to pass for the salvation of His people? Predestination, you
see, is the all-inclusive purpose of God in which He sovereignly
ordained and determined all things that come to pass in time, and
He did so for the salvation of His elect. In other words, everything
that has been, everything that now is, and everything that hereafter
shall be, God has brought to pass for the saving of his elect. Well, that's good, good news. That's good doctrine. That's
good doctrine. We think we know what's best,
and we never do. We never do. I want to say, even as I speak
those words, I want to say we seldom do. That's not right,
but we never know what's best. Never. Never. If we could choose
our path, if we had it within our ability to do so, Rex, we
would never choose pain. We would never choose humiliation. We would never choose embarrassment.
We would never choose sorrow. We would never choose degradation.
Never. Ever. But God Almighty has ordained
everything that comes to pass. Everything. Did you get it? Everything. For the saving of
his elect. Everything. That which is done is done because
in eternity God inscribed the names of a chosen great multitude
in the Lamb's Book of Life before the world began. I think no one
has expressed it more beautifully than Isaac Watts since the days
of the apostles. Listen to this hymn. Keep silence,
all created things, and wait your Maker's nod. My soul stands
trembling while she sings the honors of her God. Death and
hell and worlds unknown hang on his firm decree. He sets on
no precarious throne, nor borrows leave to be. Chained to his throne
a volume lies with all the fates of men, with every angel's form
and size drawn by the eternal pen. His providence unfolds the
book and makes his counsel shine, each opening leaf and every stroke
fulfills some bright design. My God, I would not long to see
my fate with curious eyes. What gloomy lines are writ for
me, or what bright scenes may rise? In thy fair book of life
and grace may I but find my name recorded in some humble place
beneath my Lord the Lamb. This is the Bible doctrine of
predestination. In love, God our Father predestinated
us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according
to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of
his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted into beloved, in
whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated
according to the purpose of him who worketh all things unto the
counsel of his own will, that we should be to the praise of
his glory. who first trusted in Christ. I have spoken to you several
times concerning Brother Brad Johnson. Brad and his wife Iris were converted
a few years ago after a life of terrible debauchery. They married after Brad was sentenced
to His last prison term, he was serving time in Folsom Prison.
Iris was visiting the prison for reasons we'll not discuss
publicly. They married and they heard the
gospel of God's grace and God saved them. A couple of years ago, I was
preaching at a meeting and Iris was sitting Right there, and
I looked at her, dealing with this very subject, and I said,
thank God for Folsom Prison. Tears coming down her cheeks,
and she nodded her head in agreement. Because were it not for all that
preceded the time of their calling, they'd never been called. You
understand what I'm saying? God sovereignly arranges everything. He lets some men have their reigns
and run their way in their vile lusts as they will. And then
He stops them in their way. And by His grace, He takes the
very thing with which they have lived and bethathed against them
and turns it to do the good. Brings them to life and faith
in Christ. Several years ago, I've told you many times, Just, you know, one of those
lucky things. One of those fortuitous events. I just happened to be going to
Winston-Salem, North Carolina and just happened to be taking
treatments 90 miles away in Durham, North Carolina when I lived in
Lookout, West Virginia. Boy, that's roundabout circumstances. I'm taking radiation treatments
in North Carolina, just because I happened to be there at the
time. Brother Daniel Parks, dad, who was my pastor before I started
pastoring, asked me if I would preach one evening. And after
the message was over, Daniel and his wife Sandy left to go
on vacation. We were standing around the church
about 30, 45 minutes later. We were just standing there visiting.
They drove back up. And God was pleased that evening
to give his wife life and faith in Christ to make the word of
God effectual to her salvation. Now I don't know all the reasons
why God was pleased in his goodness to send me a year of debilitating
disease. I don't know all the reasons
why God in his goodness was pleased to give me that horrible disease
called cancer. I have experienced many, many
blessings as a result of it, but one thing I know, God did
it to give life to a chosen sinner whom he was pleased at that time
to save by his grace. Everything. Everything. According
to his purpose. Everything. All right, here's
the third thing. God chose to save some. It is the purpose of God to save
those whom he has chosen. And thirdly, the purpose of God
shall stand. The purpose of God is going to
be accomplished in everything. All that God Almighty purposed,
God will perform. The Word of God never talks about
God purposing what He doesn't perform, or trying to do what
He doesn't do, or willing to do that which He never actually
brings to pass, or of Him even in any way trying to prevent
anything that does come to pass. God Almighty doesn't try, He
does. He doesn't wish, He accomplishes.
He doesn't plan, He purposes. People talk about the plan of
salvation. I don't want to be too picky,
but that's not very good language. That's not very good language.
We make plans, Merle, and we have to scratch them out. But
our plans aren't much count. We can't fulfill our plans. God's
plan of salvation is not just a plan contingent upon certain
things. Oh, no. God's plan is His purpose
and determination to save His people for the glory of His name.
That's the purpose of His grace. Well, what if Satan should lift
his fist in God's face? God says this is the purpose,
it's purposed in the whole world. What if Adam should sin against
God and plunge the race into sin and death and depravity? God says, I will do all of my
pleasure, my purpose shall stand. That's the Word of God. Read
it for yourself in Isaiah 14 and Isaiah 46. God said, my purpose
shall stand. I will do all my pleasure and
you and hell will do nothing to alter it. Nothing. Nothing. God's purpose stands. He says,
I will do that which I please. I will bring to pass that which
I have purposed. I have spoken it. I will also
do it. I have purposed it. I will also
bring it to pass. that the purpose of God, we read
it in Romans 9 verse 11, according to election might stand. All
right, third, or fourthly rather, God chose us. His purpose in
all things is the salvation of his chosen. God's purpose will
stand. And fourthly, turn to Ephesians
1, this blessed, blessed chapter, and understand that God's election
is in Christ. Now I wanted to read the whole
14 verses here, but let's just, let's pick up in verse 3. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual
blessings and heavenly places in Christ, according as, according
as. Whenever you read this passage
or think of this passage, always underscore in your mind, according
as. God's blessings flow according
as He has chosen us in Christ Jesus, in Him, before the foundation
of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before
Him. In love, having predestinated
us under the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself according
to the good pleasure of His will. Obviously, I cannot expound these
verses of scripture, but I encourage you to read these first 14 verses
and learn what the Bible teaches us concerning our election in
Christ. First, Paul tells us it took
place in eternity. In eternity. It didn't take place
in time, it took place in eternity. It didn't begin yesterday, it
began before anything began. It didn't start when you decided
for Jesus, God chose us in eternity. Secondly, our eternal election
in Christ according to verse 3 and 4 is the source and cause
of all other blessings and benefits of grace. Thirdly, our election is for
the glory of God. Three times over, the Apostle
says in verses 1 through 14, we were chosen, predestinated,
redeemed, called, justified to the praise of the glory of His
grace. That in the ages to come, He
might show the exceeding riches of His grace and His kindness
toward us in Christ Jesus. So these things are clear concerning
election. We're chosen in Christ. chosen
in eternity. We were chosen and that choice
of us is the source of all other blessings. Our regeneration,
our conversion, our faith in Christ, our redemption by Christ,
our everlasting glory, everything flows from God's election. And
our election is to the glory of God. All right? Fifthly, turn
to 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. I want you to look at two passages.
When you found 2 Thessalonians, turn to 1 Peter 1. 2 Thessalonians 2.13. Here the apostle teaches us that
God's election of sinners in Christ is unto salvation. We are bound to give thanks always
to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath
from the beginning, do you see that? Chosen you, not everybody,
you. Chosen you to salvation, not
to service, to salvation. Chosen you through sanctification
of the spirit and belief of the truth. Chosen you to this salvation
through the hearing believing of the truth of God, by the regenerating
power of the Holy Spirit, whereunto he called you by our gospel for
this end, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Look in 1 Peter 1, verse 2. Peter
tells us exactly the same thing. Elect according to the foreknowledge
of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience
and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ, grace unto you
and peace be multiplied." Now, without question, the Bible teaches
eternal salvation. Those who were chosen of God
were, in a sense, saved from eternity. Paul said it himself
in Romans chapter 8, we read it a little bit ago. We were
justified, called, and glorified in Christ before the world began.
God looked on us as redeemed and justified before ever we
were born. There's no question concerning
that. But do not ever imagine that election itself is salvation. Election is a part of salvation.
Election is unto salvation. Election is the cause, according
to the text we have read, for great thanksgiving and praise
to God. Whenever you think about election,
always think about election with gratitude. God chose me. Imagine, God chose me. Of all
the peoples in the world, God chose him. Of all the peoples
in this town, God was pleased to choose him. We're bound to
give thanks to God always, for you brethren be loved to the
Lord, because he chose you. Secondly, the apostle here teaches
us that election is according to the foreknowledge of God the
Father. That is according to his everlasting love and sovereign
foreordination. When you read foreknowledge in
1 Peter 1 and 2, and some babbling Arminian, some free will worshiper
comes along and wants you to say, wants you to understand,
now you see there, God foreknew that we would believe in Jesus.
And since He foreknew, we would exercise our mighty free will
toward Him. And make our free will choice
in His favor, then He chose us. Now, whenever they say that,
always look down in verse 20, where it speaks of Christ being
the Lamb who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the
world. It's the very same word. It's the very same word. We were
chosen according to the foreordaining purpose of God Almighty who loved
us with an everlasting love and said, I will be their God and
they shall be my people. All right, read on. The text
here teaches us that election is a personal distinguishing
work of grace. Folks, talk about election, I
read a good bit of what men who claim to be theologians right,
what preachers have said, and hear what they say. And they
say, now election is true. God, certainly the Bible teaches
election, but you see, God chose everybody. God chose everybody. But salvation's up to you. You have to decide for Him. This
text of Scripture does not say God chose everybody, Ron. It
says God chose you. God chose you. The election of
everybody is no election at all. There's no choice in that. The
election, the choosing of everybody is not a choice of any kind at
all. Oh no, God chose you in his distinguishing love. He had
favor toward you out of all the ruined mass of mankind. God said, I'll be your God, you'll
be my son. And this election is unto salvation. I know there is a sense in which
some are elected to specific service in the kingdom of God.
Not all are prophets, apostles, evangelists, pastors, teachers,
deacons. Those who are, if they hold their
office in faithfulness, were chosen of God to their work. But the text is talking about
election to salvage. God chose you to save you. God
chose you to everlasting salvation, to make you holy and without
blame before him in everlasting glorification. And we were chosen
to be saved in a manner that's altogether consistent with and
honoring to the holiness and justice and truth of God. Peter
tells us that we were chosen by God unto obedience and sprinkling
of the blood of Jesus Christ. He chose to save us, but He didn't
say, I'll save them no matter what. Oh, no. He chose to save
us, but He said, I'll save them in a manner that honors my justice,
in a manner that honors my holiness, in a manner that upholds my truth
and maintains my righteousness. I'll save them through the obedience
and satisfaction and atonement made by my own dear son in the
appointed time of love. The sprinkling of blood refers
to our Lord Jesus with his blood, entering into the holy place,
having obtained eternal redemption for us. And it refers to the
Holy Spirit coming in the power of his grace and sprinkling the
blood of Christ on our consciences, purging us from dead works, giving
us life and faith in him. We were chosen to salvation through
sanctification of the Spirit. That is, through the regenerating
work of God the Holy Spirit. You see, men and women cannot be saved
without redemption and without regeneration, election notwithstanding. Did you get that? Folks say,
well, if man chose to be saved, he'll be saved no matter what.
Oh, no! That's not Bible language, that's fool's language. The language
of the Bible is God chose people. He chose you to salvation. He chose you to through the redeeming
work of Christ. And He chose you through the
sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. And He chose you through
the belief of the truth. So that you can never be saved
except Christ redeem you, except the Spirit call you, except you
personally hear and believe the truth of the gospel. Where unto
He called you by our gospel. You see, God has chosen not only
who He will save, but how he will save them and by what means
he will bring salvation and eternal life to them. All right, this
then is the doctrine of election. God chose some to be saved. Second thing, God's purpose in
everything is the salvation of his elect. Thirdly, God's purpose
of grace toward his elect is sure. Fourthly, election is God's
eternal work of grace in Christ. Fifthly, election is unto salvation. Now sixthly, look at 2 Timothy
chapter 1 and understand that God's eternal choice of his people
to salvation in Jesus Christ was and is an unconditional election
of grace. Unconditional. You know, we People talk about unconditional
love, but really that's a joke. That's really a joke. Mark Henson
sitting back there, he loves Carla and he loves Casey and
he loves Cody, but they're yours. That's not unconditional love.
And the fact is, it's quite possible for any of those three, in time,
to do something to destroy that love. Quite possible. Not God's love. Here's the only
unconditional love that's ever been. The only unconditional
love. Look here at 2 Timothy 1.9. God
hath saved us and called us with an holy calling, not according
to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which
was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. God did
not choose us and He does not save us because of our works. His choice of us was not based
upon foreseen merit, or foreseen goodness, or foreseen faith. Oh, no. Our only merit before
God is Christ. Our choice of Him is the result
of His choosing us. Our faith in Him is the fruit
and the result of His election. It was with an everlasting love
that God His own elect embraced before He made the worlds above
or earth on her huge columns placed. O love, how high thy
glory swell, how great, immutable and free! Ten thousand sins,
as black as hell, are swaddled up, O love in thee. Love, when
a wretch defiled within, at war with heaven, in league with hell,
a slave to every lust of sin, who living lived but to rebel.
Believer, hear your comfort stance. From first to last, salvation's
free, and everlasting love demands an everlasting song from thee. Look at one more thing in verse
10. Understand this, God's electing
grace is always effectual. That simply means it gets the
job done. All who are chosen in eternity
shall be called and saved in time by the irresistible power
and grace of God through the gospel. He saved us and called
us not according to our works, but according to his own purpose
and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus, but is now made
manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who
abolished death and had brought life and immortality to light
through the gospel. What does that mean? That means if you're His, He's
going to get you. That's exactly what it means. If you're His, He's going to
get you. Oh, you're going to fight against
God right up until the day He breaks your will, but break your
will, He will. You're going to live as a rebel
right up until the day until He crushes your rebellion, but
crush your rebellion, He will. You're going to continue to run
from Him right up to the day till He stands in your way. He
says, Hitherto shalt thou go in no further, but stand in your
way He will. If you're His, He'll get you. He'll get you. And I'm satisfied with that.
I'm content with that. He made in His wisdom and goodness Take you as He did this man, and lay the reins on your neck, and turn you loose. And He may allow you to run headlong
toward hell, and at last snatch you as a firebrand from the burning. or he may allow you to live on in this
world in profligate self-righteousness and bring you to faith in the
Savior from the high road. And I want to tell you now, I
want to tell you now. I said it when my daughter was
just a baby. And I would say it, and my daughter is an adult,
and I say it when your children were babies, and I say it when
your children are adults. If I had my choice, if I had
my choice, and I could keep these lovely sons and daughters in
uprightness, morality, keep them in church all the time, never Never had pain with them,
never had heartache with them, never had trouble with them.
Hold them. Boy, look at these. We're proud of them. These are
our babies. And lose them forever. Or have them ring our hearts
with pain and sorrow. so that we agonize over them
day and night, and have them lose every ounce of self-respectability,
every fiber of dignity, every thought of respect, and keep them forever. My choice is let's lose them
now and keep them forever. And some of you can say amen
to that. All of us will soon say amen
to that. Oh, may God be pleased to snatch
you today from destruction according to his everlasting purpose of
grace. Blessed, blessed, blessed is
the man whom Thou choosest and causest to approach unto Thee. Amen.