Okay, now this morning we're
turning again to John chapter 15, and I want to read for you
one verse. John 15 verse 16. Our Lord, giving his last instruction
to his chosen apostles, he reminds them again, and us. He said,
you have not chosen me, but rather I have chosen you. And not only
that, I ordained you, ordained you that you should go. Go and
preach the gospel, that you should go and bring forth much fruit. God ordained this, and that your
fruit should remain, remain steadfast in the gospel, steadfast giving
God all the honor and glory for salvation. And that whatsoever
you shall ask the Father in my name, that that he may give you. I'm taking the title for the
message today from verse 16 that verse we just read and the title
of the message is chosen of God chosen of God we could have entitled
it elected of God elected the Lord plainly declares unto these
apostles that they were chosen that they were ordained to eternal
salvation. They were chosen to be His sheep. Remember His sheep? Hear His
voice? And He loves them and they do follow Him. The Lord
declares that these apostles were chosen and ordained of God
to be His people, to be His disciples, to be His chosen, to be His sheep. He says this again down in verse
19. He said, if you were of the world, the world would love his
own, but because you are not of this world, I have chosen
you out of this world. Therefore, this world of the
ungodly, unbelievers, they despise you and what you preach. Now, the Lord had not only chosen
these disciples, But the Lord has also chosen every believer
of the gospel. The Lord of glory has chosen
and elected a multitude of sinners unto salvation in Christ Jesus. And He did so, when did He do
so? We read just a moment ago, before
the foundation of the world. I have a little bit of an extended
introduction today. I want you to stay with me. We'll
look at verse 16 in just a minute. Now, a question for us to consider.
Does the Bible, God's holy word, the very scripture that we hold
in our hand, that is God-breathed, God-given, God-inspired, does
the Bible teach what has been known and called for years? Unconditional
election. That is, the election of God's
grace. That is, God will have mercy
on whom he will have mercy. He will pardon whom he will pardon. Does the Bible teach sovereign
grace and unconditional election? Either it does or it doesn't. Believers can answer that question
with absolute certainty, yes, yes, yes. God in His Word does
declare unto us the truth of unconditional electing grace,
electing love. Now back through church history,
And you go back all the way to the first century, Augustine
and those who followed him after the apostles were gone. If you
go back through church history, when any heresy began to be preached,
the church would gather together a council to consider the matter
and to resolve the matter and to put an end to any heresy. That is something that was contrary
to the Word of God. Something that was contrary to
the Word of God's grace. A good example of that is found
in Acts chapter 15. when there was a council held
there in Jerusalem, Peter and James and the others, when they
considered that question, that the Gentiles who were saved,
some of the Jews, they said, well those Gentiles who were
saved, they also need to be circumcised. In other words, they were saying
that Christ was not enough. Well they came together and considered
the matter, you can read about it in Acts 15, Peter stood up
after much debate after much contention Peter stood up and
said this we believe to the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we the
Jews we shall be saved just as God saved the Gentile by the
free and sovereign and electing grace of God alone that's Acts
15 11 now let me give you a brief church history lesson Now I like
to read history because it's all about his story. It's all
about what God has done down through the different years.
But one of these councils that was held years and years and
years ago, there was one of these councils held in 1618. 1618, it was called the Council of
Dort, D-O-R-T. Evidently that was the city in
which it was held. At that time and in that council,
the Dutch Reformed Church, they were Presbyterian Reformers,
There was a meeting held to discuss this matter of salvation by grace
or salvation that's a mixture of some creature merit. The first
meeting was held November 13, 1618. The final meeting was held
on May 9, 1619. So about six months, they considered
this matter of salvation by grace or salvation by works. The meeting discussed the heresy
of a preacher by the name of Jacob Arminianus. Arminianus. This is where we
get the term Arminian preaching or when I say he's an Arminian
preacher. I'll explain what that means
here in a minute. That's where we get the term. Jacob Arminianus
declared what the early church called heresy. He was considered
and branded a heretic. Those who teach what he taught
back 500 years ago, we also consider those people heretics. They preach what he Now here's
the five things that Jacob, Arminius, taught and here's the five things
that came out of that council in 1618 and 1619 to refute the
five points that he brought forth. The first thing he said was this.
He thought that man was not totally ruined by the sin of Adam. That sinner just needed some
help, not a resurrection from the dead. That is, he denied
what we call total depravity. Now the scriptures are plain
on this. There was none righteous, no not one. In Adam all sinned
and Adam all died. Therefore regeneration must be
a resurrection from the dead. We're spiritually dead, born
in sin, shapen in iniquity, dead in trespasses and in sin. And
we read in Ephesians chapter 2 verse 1, you have he quickened
who were just not sick, dead, spiritually dead in sin. But Jacob, Arminius, he denied
that sinners were totally dead, that they just needed a little
bit of encouragement and of their own free will, then they would
accept the Lord Jesus and everything would be well. Well the problem
with that is we're dead in sin. Our Lord said no man, no man
can come to me except the Father which sent me draw him. And again
in John chapter 3 our Lord said except the man be born again
he cannot see the kingdom of God. cannot understand, cannot
perceive, cannot know what salvation is in Christ. Second thing he
denied, he denied that God eternally chose a people unto salvation
in Christ. That is he denied what we know
as unconditional election. Now we read just a moment ago
in Ephesians chapter 1 that God has blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly in Christ according as he had chosen us
in him just lately. No, before the foundation of
the world. That's what we call the Bible
doctrine of unconditional election. Jacob Arminianus denied that. Thirdly, he also taught that
the Lord Jesus Christ died to make salvation a possibility
for all men if they would just meet certain conditions. That
is, the sinner would make the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ
effectual by what they brought and added to it. For example,
claim it by faith, they say in this day. The Lord Jesus Christ
did not die to make salvation a possibility. He said, I laid
down my life for the sheep. He said, I put away the sin of
my people and I obtained for them eternal redemption. So this
man, Jacob Arminius, he denied what we know as limited atonement,
or particular redemption, or definite atonement. Now, do these
things sound familiar? You see, he believed exactly
the opposite to what the truth is. He also, fourthly, he taught
that the Holy Spirit is trying to save sinners but is unable
to conquer them without the sinner giving his permission or approval.
That is, he denied what we know as irresistible grace. Now this council over a six-month
period took each of these five points. each of these five points,
and they went to the Word of God, they had a discussion about
each point, and then they wrote a document refuting and rejecting
the things that Jacob Arminius taught. We know that the Bible
teaches irresistible grace, the inventable call of the Spirit. The fifth thing, he also taught
that sinners could be saved one day, and then through their disobedience
lose their salvation another day. In other words, he did not
preach or believe in eternal security of the believer. He
denied what we know as the perseverance of the saints or the preservation
of salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ, that God's people are
kept by the power of God. As we studied in John 10, he
said, I give them eternal life, you remember? And they shall,
what's the word, never perish. This man named Jacob, Arminianus,
denied these things. Now out of this council, it was
a six-month council, out of this council was born what we know
as T-U-L-I-P, tulip. There are some brochures, little
tracts out there on the table, that define these things. T-U-L-I-P. What does that stand for? Total
Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible
Grace, and Perseverance of the Saints. This council, all the
way back, you see this debate has been going on for a long
time, hasn't it? Sixteen hundred years. or back in the 1600s rather,
at least 500 years. Now they rejected that council
of believers, rejected the teaching of this man, refuted and actually
banned him from preaching in his day, that is in the Dutch
Reformed churches. But sadly, sadly, and I say this
with a broken heart, sadly, His doctrine and his teaching is
alive and well and is still being embraced by many in our day as
the truth. When it's not the truth. When
in reality it's not according to the Word of God, but rather
what the Apostle Paul called in Galatians chapter 1, the gospel
of God's grace that has been perverted or changed. Now preaching
another gospel, preaching another Jesus, and talking about another
spirit that's not the Holy Spirit of God, brings and incurs the
wrath of God upon those who preach it and those who embrace it.
The Apostle Paul said, though we or an angel from heaven preach
any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached,
it'll be okay, won't it? No, he said, let them be damned. It's a very serious thing, it's
a very serious charge. Now, if we would go back and
study all the confessions of faith by many churches years
ago, they all embraced what we call the Doctrines of Grace.
The Doctrines of Grace. Also known as the Five Points
of Calvinism. The Five Points of Calvinism.
If you go back and look at the Philadelphia Confession, that
all the early Baptist churches in this country adopted, From
1742, all the Baptist churches in this country all started out
preaching grace. Grace. And at some point, they
quit. Now there is a movement among
them to get back to their roots, their original doctrine of grace
and grace alone. You go back to read another confession
of faith called the London Confession, 1677. They all preached exactly
what we preach right here. Salvation is all of grace. You see, the message we preach
here is not some new message. It's not some strange message.
We haven't left the gospel. Everybody else has. The message
we preach here and declare is a message that has been preached
by the Lord, His Apostles, Augustine, the Reformers, all those men. Check me out on it. I'm telling
you the truth. You look at the Westminster Confession
of Faith, 1646. All these old confession, all
believers of the past, all preach and believe the very same things
that we preach and teach right here. Right. Those great preachers
of the past, John Newton, John Owen, John Knox, Charles Spurgeon,
John Bunyan, all those men, you can name them over and over and
over, all the great champions in England and in this country.
Jonathan Edwards, and others, Ashell Nettleton, George Whitfield,
when he came and preached here in this country in the early
1700s, they all embraced the doctrine of grace, grace alone. So, we're in good company. We're in good company. Our Lord
Jesus Christ here in John 15, 16 declares unto us the Bible
teaching of the doctrinal truth of unconditional election. We
have seen this before. The Lord said, you didn't choose
me, I chose you. Now we've seen this before. Turn
back to John 6, 37. John 6, verse 37. Our Lord said, all that the Father
giveth me. Now who's he talking about here? All that the Father giveth me.
Now this is that eternal, unconditional election of grace. God from eternity
elected a people and gave them to the Lord Jesus Christ. All
that the Father giveth me, they shall come to me. My sheep hear
my voice, I know them and they follow me. They shall come to me, and him
that cometh to me, I will in no way cast them out." John 10,
he says, I give them eternal life, turn over there, John chapter
10. He said, My sheep hear my voice, verse 27, I know them,
they follow me, I give unto them It doesn't give unto all men
everywhere without exception. He said, I give unto them eternal
life. All men don't hear him with that irresistible voice,
but his sheep do. I give unto them eternal life,
and they shall never perish, neither can any man pluck them
out of my hand. My Father which gave them me
is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of
my Father's hand. I and my Father, we are one,
one, one. So we've seen this before and
we're going to see it again. Turn over to John 17 verse 2. When our Lord prays His priestly
prayer in this whole 17th chapter of John, He mentions those that
were given to Him in that covenant of grace at least five times. He mentions those that were given
to Him. For example, verse 2, John 17
verse 2, As thou hast given Him power over all flesh, that He
should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given to him."
Now, if words mean anything, and they do, these are God-inspired,
God-given words. God elected a people and gave
them to the Lord Jesus Christ in that covenant of grace. He
made the Lord Jesus Christ our sheriff, our mediator, our representative,
our intercessor, our sacrifice. We're in good hands. We cannot
be plucked out of His hands. The blessed doctrine of eternal
election is taught throughout the Word of God. We've seen in
1st Samuel, in our study in 1st Samuel 22 where Samuel said,
it pleased the Lord, it pleased the Lord to make you His people. Now, does He have the right to
do that? Does the Lord have the right to choose His bride? Choose
His wife? He loved the church and gave
himself for it. And then in Psalm 65 verse 4,
let's turn and look at that. Psalm 65 verse 4. I could turn
to many scriptures, but Psalm 65 verse 4, Blessed is the man
whom thou choosest and causest to approach unto thee, Psalm
65 verse 4, that he may dwell in thy courts, we shall be satisfied
with the goodness of thy house, even thy holy temple. Here's
a blessed man, he's chosen of God and God causes him to approach
unto the throne of mercy as a mercy beggar that he might receive
salvation. In Matthew 121, the Lord says
this, or the angel from heaven declared
about the Lord Jesus Christ being conceived and coming forth, says,
He shall save His people from their sin. That's definite atonement,
particular redemption given again. If we just look at the word elect
and election in the Word of God, it's found 26 times. You can't honestly read this
book and not bump in and bump your head against God electing
love. Jacob have I loved, Esau have
I hated. The first time we run into the
word elect in the Word of God, Isaiah 42 verse 1, where God
said, Behold My servant, My elect, in whom My soul delighteth. The
Lord Jesus Christ is the elect. We are chosen in Him. And this
elect of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, it says in that same
passage of Scripture, cannot fail. in every aspect, doing
the work of the Father, doing the will of the Father, securing
our salvation, He cannot fail. It's impossible. God can't fail. And the Lord Jesus Christ is
God. Now there are those still in
our day who try to deny or to explain away the Bible doctrine
of election. I want you to turn and look at
this verse. in 1st Peter chapter 1. And here is one of the verses
they turn to try to explain away God's electing grace. 1st Peter
chapter 1, look at verse 1. Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia,
Asia, Bithynia, elect You see verse 2, elect according to the
foreknowledge of God. Through sanctification of the
Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ,
grace unto you and peace be multiplied. So they turn to these who would
deny God's electing love and electing grace. They say, oh
we believe in election, but we believe in election according
to foreknowledge. Now, here's what they say this
teaches. They say that God looks down
through the telescope of time and sees sinners that would exercise
faith in Him. That is, He foresees that they
would exercise faith in Him, and then He elected them to it. That's not what this verse is
teaching. They're elect according to the
foreordination of God. The foreordaining of God. They
believe because they've been ordained of God. Election cannot
hinge upon the sinner's will, can it? God foreseeing what the
sinner would do? and then predestinating him to
that end. That makes the whole thing conditioned
upon you rather than God. Here's another text that they
turn to when we start talking about definite grace, effectual
grace, God's irresistible call. Turn to 2 Peter chapter 3. I've
had this verse quoted to me I don't know how many times. 2 Peter
chapter 3 verse 9 You see verse 9 there? The Lord is not slack concerning
his promise, as some men count slackness, but he's long-suffering
to everybody that ever lived. Is that what that says? He's long-suffering to usward,
not willing that any should perish. Now who's he talking about? The
usward. He's talking about the elect
of God, chosen of God, that any should perish, that all should
come to repentance. You see, The Lord is merciful
and long-suffering to His covenant people and none of those people
can perish. He secured their everlasting
salvation. Now turn back to the book of
John just a minute and here's another argument that often time
people who want to preach universal love and universal salvation
and deny redeeming grace. Turn to John chapter 3 verse
16. I had a preacher this morning
stop by here this morning when I spread some salt and he quoted
this verse to me. We had a rather frank discussion
and he disagreed with me about these matters of grace. John 3 16 often this verse is
quoted to teach universal love and to teach that salvation is
by man's free will. God so loved the world. Now this is addressed to who?
This was addressed to Nicodemus, who was a Jew, and the Lord Jesus
Christ is reminding him that he has a people not only among
the Jews, but also in all this world. And it's referring here
to the world of God's elect. That He gave His only begotten
Son. Now, here's a big word. That
whosoever. Ah, you see, there it is. Whosoever. Whosoever. Read the next word. It describes who the whosoever
are. Whosoever believeth that Jesus
is the Christ. Now what we read in Ephesians
1 verse 19, we believe according to the working of His mighty
power. You see, let's be honest with
the scripture. Let's be clear. I am a whosoever. He has given me faith is a gift
of God. I believe Him. I believe Him. There's some other whosoevers
that are in scripture that they use. In Romans 10 it says, Whosoever
shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Well, who
is the whosoever there? The whosoever that call upon
the name of the Lord. You see, He called us out of
darkness into His marvelous light and because He called us, we
call upon not sweet little Jesus who want to and can't, we call
upon the Lord Jesus Christ. Because He called us. We love Him only because He first
loved us. And then others who refute or
try to refute and reject the doctrine of God's electing grace. I tell you, my friend, election
is not the sinner's enemy. It's not. It's his best friend.
Had God not chosen people, how many would be saved? Zero. And you know why? S-I-N. Sin. We're dead in sin. Others the Scriptures teach and what
the Apostles teach. They say something to the effect,
oh, I believe in election. And they say, the devil, he voted
against me, and he voted for me, and then the sinner cast
the tiebreaker. He cast the deciding vote. You
dare put God and the devil and the sinner on the same plane? God forbid! God does all things according,
he worketh, when we read in Ephesians 1, he worketh all things after
the counsel of his own sovereign will. Not of him that willeth,
nor of him that runneth. Now, that's a lengthy introduction,
30 minutes. Look at verse 16. Our Lord said,
you didn't choose me, but I've chosen you. I've chosen you. And then he repeats that down
in verse 9, I've chosen you out of the world. Because of our
total sinfulness, because of our total depravity, we would
never have called upon the Lord for mercy, nor would we ever
love the Lord Jesus Christ, had he not in that eternal covenant
of grace chosen us unto salvation and ordained us to life in Christ
Jesus. What we read in John 3, 19. We love darkness rather than
the light. We only love Him because He first
chose us and loved us in that eternal covenant of mercy. The
Lord Jesus Christ in sovereign mercy elected a people unto salvation
and then He crosses their path with the gospel, with the good
news of the gospel. whereby when they hear the good
news of the gospel, they receive it by His grace. Now, let's turn to a couple of
scriptures here. Let's find 1 Corinthians chapter
1. 1 Corinthians chapter 1. This is the seed of the word
sown into the good ground. My sheep, they hear my voice
and they follow me. Now, look at 1st Corinthians
chapter 1 verse 21 for after that in the wisdom of God the
world by wisdom knew not God it pleased God by the foolishness
of preaching to save them that believe believe what? the gospel
for the Jews require a sign the Greeks seek after wisdom but
we preach Christ crucified and the Jews a stumbling block and
the Greeks it's just foolishness but unto them which are called
called That's that invincible, irresistible call of God. This
is not the call of the preacher. Although God uses the preached
Word, blessed with the power of the Holy Spirit, to call His
people out, this is a call of God. Both Jews and Greeks, Christ
the power of God and the wisdom of God, because the foolishness
of God is wiser than man, the weakness of God is stronger than
man, for you see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise
men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called,
but God hath, what's that word? Chosen. God hath chosen. the foolish
things of the world to confound the things that are to confound
the wise, God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound
the things which are mighty, and the base things of the world
and things which are despite hath God chosen, yea, the things
that are not to bring to naught the things that are that no flesh
should glory in his presence. Now here's the bottom line in
salvation, who gets the glory? Jacob, Arminius said, well, I'm
gonna get some glory. God said, no, you're not. No
flesh should glory in his presence, but of him are you in Christ
Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification,
and redemption, that according as it is written, he that let
him glory only in the Lord. Now turn back to the book of
Romans, chapter nine, Apostle Paul further says this,
Romans 9 verse 11, for the children being not yet born, neither having
done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election
might stand. The purpose of God. His purpose
is an eternal purpose. I had that on a radio program
this morning from Isaiah 14. 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 chosen, Jacob have I loved, Esau have
I loved less. That's not what it says. Esau
have I hated. What shall we say then? Well,
is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith
to Moses, Exodus 33, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy,
I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then,
it's not of him that willeth, it's not of him that runneth,
but of God that showeth mercy. You see, I rejoice in the Bible
doctrine of election, don't you? I rejoice in it. We read in Ephesians
chapter 1 how God had chosen us in Him before the foundation
of the world. I rejoice in this Bible doctrine
of election. Let's turn to one other scripture
on that. Find 2 Thessalonians 2 verse 13. 2 Thessalonians 2
verse 13. Second Thessalonians 2.13, we
are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved
of the Lord. You see, it's a doctrine of thanksgiving.
It's a doctrine of praise. Because God has, from the beginning,
chosen you to salvation through the sanctifying work of the Holy
Spirit. That's regenerating grace, which
brings us to the next part of that, and here's the fruit of
that sanctification of the Spirit, belief of the truth. Belief of
the truth. Whereunto he called you by our
gospel to the obtaining of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. In Acts chapter 13, Turn over
there a minute. Acts chapter 13. When Saul of
Tarsus was converted, Saul of Tarsus hated the name of the
Lord Jesus Christ. And you remember his conversion
story where the preacher said unto him, God hath chosen you. he starts right with the bible
doctrine of election. I thought, as all people, when
they dwelt at strangers in the land of Egypt, and with a high arm, he brought us out
of the pitch of darkness. I thought, as all people, when they dwelt at strangers in the land of Egypt,
and with a high arm, he brought us out of the pitch of darkness. I thought, as all people, when
they dwelt at strangers in the land of Egypt, and with a high
arm, he brought us out of the pitch of darkness. I thought, as all people, when they dwelt at strangers
in the land of Egypt, and with a high arm, he brought us out of the pitch
of darkness. I thought, as all people, when they dwelt at strangers in the land of Egypt,
and with a high arm, he brought us out of the pitch of darkness. I thought, as all people, when
they dwelt at strangers in the land of Egypt, and with a high arm,
he brought us out of the pitch of darkness. I Go back to John 15. The Lord says here, not only have
I chosen you in Christ, in me, unto salvation, but I have ordained
you. You see that word? I ordained
you that you should go and bring forth fruit that your fruit should
this ordination of God, this command of God. Sinners chosen
in Christ Jesus before the foundation of the world and ordained or
preordained to believe the gospel and to bear fruit. Now let's look at a couple of
scriptures on that. Find Ephesians chapter 2. Ephesians
chapter, he ordained us, ordained us. Now when you find Ephesians
chapter two, verse nine and 10, and let me read this verse to
you. In that same sermon in Acts 13,
The Apostle Paul, you find Ephesians chapter 2. But let me read this
verse to you over Acts 13-48. When Paul preached that message
of grace and salvation in Christ Jesus, those Jews, for the most
part, rejected him, rejected the message. But Paul said this,
the Gentiles, and when the Gentiles heard this, 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 end
of the earth. And when the Gentiles heard this,
they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord, and as
many as were ordained to eternal life, Believed the gospel. He said I've chosen you and I've
ordained you to bring forth fruit Faith temperance now Ephesians
2 Look verse 8 9 and 10 for by grace. Are you saved through
faith? And that not of yourself that is a gift of God and Not
of works which any man should boast, for we are his workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus." We are his workmanship. We are,
being man, being Christ, he's a new creature. Which God, in
Christ Jesus, created in Christ Jesus unto this fruit, good works,
which God hath before ordained that you should walk in that
fruit. You remember from our study,
herein is the Father glorified that you bear much fruit, in
verse 8. Now, go back to verse 16 again,
John 15, 16. That your fruit should remain,
that whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my name, He may
give it unto you." Now, what do sinners ask the Father in
the name of the Lord Jesus Christ? Those who have been chosen, elected,
called, and ordained unto life, what do they ask the Father in
the name of the Lord Jesus Christ? What do they ask for? Lord, He sent, right? Lord, have mercy
on me. He said, Lord, come boldly unto
the throne of grace that you may obtain mercy and find grace
to help in time of need. The Lord gladly and freely gives
salvation unto all who ask him. He never turns away a mercy beggar. Never, never. I'm going to seek mercy where
it's found, in Christ Jesus. And He freely gives all salvation
unto those who ask Him. In 1 Corinthians 12, 2, He says,
Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the
Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that
are freely given unto us of God. Salvation is a gift of God, justified
freely by His grace. through the redeeming work of
the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, I'm going to close this
message with a song and this question. Can you rejoice in
the Lord's electing love? Yes I can. Yes I can. Our Lord Jesus Christ did. In
Matthew 11, he said, I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven
and earth. Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent
and revealed them unto babes, even as, O Father, for it seemed
good in your sight. The Lord Jesus Christ rejoiced
in electing love. We read just a moment ago, the
Apostle Paul did. We are bound to give thanks unto
God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord. God has chosen you
to salvation. Oh, thank God. You see, He has
chosen us to be His friend. He has chosen us to be His friends. Oh, I rejoice in that. He's chosen
us to be sons of God. Behold what manner of love the
Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called sons of God.
He has laid down His life for His friends. Boy, without Him, I have no hope
of salvation. I say with the Apostle Paul,
we rejoice in Christ Jesus and we have no confidence in the
flesh. Not at all. One old hymn writer said this,
and I'll let you go. Josiah Condor, 1863. "'Tis not that I did choose
thee, for Lord, that could not be. This heart would still refuse
thee, but thou hast chosen me. Thou from sin that stained me
hast cleansed and set me free. Of old thou hast ordained me
that I should live to thee." You see these old timers preach
exactly what we're preaching here. When the first sermon was
preached here by Brother Mahan in 1986, that was the first message
that was preached here and has been preached ever since. God's
electing sovereign grace. He goes on, the second verse
was, Sovereign mercy called me and taught my opening mind. The world hath else enthralled
me to heavenly glory blind. My heart owes none before thee,
for thy rich grace I thirst Knowing this knowing if I love thee Thou
must have loved me first It's not that I did choose thee Lord
could not be You say we're chosen in him Before the foundation
of the world. That's what the Lord's saying
there. You didn't choose me. I chose you and ordained you
unto salvation