Today I would like you to turn
in your Bible and please follow along with me. Let's turn to
1 Thessalonians. 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 and
let's begin reading at verse 3. Paul writes to these believers
and says, remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor
of love, patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the
sight of God our Father, knowing Now here's my text today. 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 Spirit,
and in much assurance, as you know what manner of men we were
among you for your sakes, and you became followers of us and
of the Lord, having received the word, having received the
gospel, believe the gospel in much affliction with joy of the
Holy Spirit. Now, my subject this morning
is a Bible doctrine of election. What does the Bible teach about
election? Any honest person who reads the
Scripture must confess that this truth is taught throughout Scripture,
not only in the New Testament, but throughout the Old Testament.
We see plainly revealed the Bible doctrine of election. Let's read some Scripture and
see if this is what the Scriptures teach Psalm 65, verse 4, we read
this, Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, whom God has chosen
and causes to approach unto God. In Jeremiah 31, verse 3, we read,
I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore with loving kindness
will I draw you unto myself. Our Lord said in John 15, 16,
He said, You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and
I have ordained you. And Acts 13, 48, when Paul preached
to those people and the Jews turned away, and the Gentiles,
some of the Gentiles embraced and believed the gospel, Paul
wrote this, as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. And in Romans 9, we read this
about God's sovereign purpose and election. The children, Romans
9, verse 11, being not yet born, neither having done any good
or evil, that the purpose of God, according to election, might
stand, not of works, but of him that calleth. It is written,
Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated." Again, in Ephesians
chapter 1, verse 3, Paul said, God has blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in the heavenlies. in the Lord Jesus Christ as He
chose us, according as He chose us in Him before the foundation
of the world. 2 Thessalonians 2 verse 13, Paul
said, We are beloved of God, and we know this because God
hath from the beginning chosen us, from the beginning, from
the beginning of this world, chosen us to salvation through
and in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now clearly, just from reading
these, six or seven verses of Scripture, we see that the Bible
doctrine of election is clearly and plainly taught throughout
Scripture. God made a sovereign choice who
would be saved. Now, we might not understand
it or even be able to explain it, but we cannot, as God's people,
as believers of Scripture, we cannot deny that the Lord and
the apostles taught sovereign electing grace. What is election? What does the Bible teach about
this blessed truth? Now here's a simple definition
of the Bible doctrine of election. Election is God's eternal and
sovereign purpose to separate and distinguish His people who
are saved by His grace from the rest of fallen mankind and to
make His people an object of His love Sovereign love, eternal
love, mercy and salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. It's simply
this. Who made you to differ from another?
God made the difference. God made the difference. Now,
here are seven undeniable facts, biblical facts. about the Bible
doctrine of election. Now, I want you to listen carefully.
Now, this is God's truth. You say, well, why does this
need to be preached? Well, because it's God's Word.
It's God's truth. And we need to hear the truth.
Here are seven undeniable truths about the Bible doctrine of election. The first one is this. This election took place in eternity. When did God choose His people?
Well, He chose them in eternity. God didn't choose His people
in time, but before time. He chose us before the foundation
of the world, when nothing existed but God Himself. And here's the
Scripture. Many Scriptures that teach that,
but here's one. Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 1.9,
it's God who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according
to our works, but according to God's own purpose and grace,
which was given us in Christ Jesus before the foundation of
the world. So first of all, we know that
election is eternal. Election happened in eternity
when God chose His people and predestinated those people to
be just like the Lord Jesus Christ. The second truth and fact about
election is this. Election is not only eternal,
but election is sovereign. Plainly, God will have mercy
upon whom He will have mercy. Now, we read this throughout
the Scripture. In Exodus 33 and again in Romans 9, Paul said,
writing of what Moses said, what God had said to Moses rather,
I will have mercy upon whom I will have mercy. So then it's not
of him that willeth nor of him that runneth, but it's God that
shows mercy. Now the destiny of man and the
salvation of man is in the hands of God. God's not in your hands,
you're in His hands. The destiny of man is not in
the hands The destiny of men is not in the hands of men, but
in the hands of God. Not in the hands of defiled sinners.
Our destiny in salvation is in the hands of God. Men love darkness
rather than the light. God will have mercy upon whom
He will have mercy. Our salvation is in His hands.
Third, the election is an act of free, unconditional grace. Free, unconditional grace. God
chose His people not because they were good or evil, but simply
because He would be gracious. Grace is always free and grace
is unconditional. This election of God was a free
act of God's unconditional grace. Grace cannot be earned. Grace
cannot be merited. The only reason for grace is
grace. We read this in Matthew 11. He
hid these things from the wise and prudent, and revealed them
unto babes, even so, Father, it seems good in your sight.
There is a remnant according to the election of grace, and
if by grace, then it is no more of works." Romans 11, 5 and 6. So we see election is eternal,
election is sovereign, election is a free act of God's unconditional
grace. Fourthly, election is irreversible. He said, I am the Lord, I change,
not therefore you sons of Jacob. The gifts and calling of God
are without change, Romans 11, 29. Those chosen in eternity
shall not be unchosen in time. God is of one mind who can change
him. That which God had purposed in
eternity, He will bring to pass in time. It cannot be changed. Election is irreversible. Fifthly,
election is effectual. Election is effectual. Every
soul chosen by God in eternity was effectually redeemed by the
blood of the Lord Jesus Christ at Calvary and will be called
by the gospel and regenerated by God the Holy Spirit. Not one
of God's elect shall perish. He says that plainly. In John
chapter 6, our Lord said, All that the Father hath given me
will come to me, and those that come to me I will in no wise
cast out. Paul said this in Romans 8, 29,
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,
then he also called. And whom he called, then he justified,
and whom he justified, he glorified." Now, what shall we say to these
things? Well, if God be for us, who can be against us? Election
is effectual. Something else we need to keep
in mind. What does the Bible teach about election? Well, election
is personal. Personal. We read in John 10,
he knows his sheep and he calls them by name. When he passed
by Matthew the publican, our Lord said, Matthew, follow me. And he rose and followed the
Lord. When he passed under that sycamore tree, he looked up and
said, Zacchaeus, make haste and come down. And Matthew obeyed
the Lord. When our Lord walked in front
of the tomb of His friend, Lazarus, who had been dead for four days,
He commanded Lazarus to come forth. And he that was dead came
forth. Election is personal. God knows
His sheep. He's known them eternally. And
in time, He calls them out one by one. Lastly, election is in
the Lord Jesus Christ. Election is in Christ. Christ
is the elect. He says that in Isaiah 42, Behold
my servant, my elect, in whom my soul delighteth. Christ was
designated as God's elect. We were chosen in Him in eternity,
blessed in Him in eternity, loved in Him in eternity, and justified
in the Lord Jesus Christ eternally. This is what God's Word teaches
about the Bible doctrine of election. Now, when Paul writes to these
believers at Thessalonica, he says, Knowing, brethren, beloved,
your election of God. Now, how did Paul know their
election? How did Paul know that these
were chosen of God in eternity? Well, how can any person know
he's one of God's elect? Well, the proof is in the evidence.
And in these few verses here, in 1 Thessalonians 1, verses
4, 5, and 6, Paul gives us some proof or evidence of election. Paul gives us several evidences
of election. If you've experienced these things,
you too are chosen in Christ before the foundation of the
world. Now, the first thing we see is this. Paul said, 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 Spirit.
These people heard the gospel. When they heard Paul preach,
they just didn't hear Paul. They not only heard the words
of Paul, but they heard the Word of God. And they received the
Word, not as the Word of men, but as it is in truth, the Word
of God, which effectually worketh in those who believe. The power
of preaching is not in the excellent speech, eloquence of the speaker
or the preacher, nor in the wisdom of men, but it's in the power
of God. It's in the power of the Word.
It's in the power of the Gospel itself. These people heard the
Gospel from God, and it was directed to their heart, and their hearts
were enlightened by God the Holy Spirit. You see, the Gospel,
that's why Paul said, I'm not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ.
It is the power of God and the salvation to everyone that believes
it. This is the first evidence of being God's elect, hearing
the Gospel in the power of God the Holy Spirit. And then the
second evidence of election is this, not only hearing the Word
with power, in the power of the Holy Spirit, but he says here,
in much assurance. God's elect have heard the Word
with assurance, assurance that the Gospel of grace is the truth,
assurance that Jesus Christ is God, manifest in the flesh, assurance
that the Lord Jesus Christ and His blood atonement is sufficient
to put away our sin, assurance that His power and His grace
will keep us safe. If you receive the gospel with
much assurance, you can say that Jesus Christ is mine, that He
is altogether lovely, and to you who believe, He is precious. Our comfort and our confidence
is in Christ alone. Paul said, said this, I know
whom I have believed and I'm persuaded that he's able to keep
that which I've committed unto him against that day. We've heard
the gospel with the power of God the Holy Spirit and he's
given us much assurance that the gospel is true. Thirdly,
he says here and you became followers of us and of the Lord. God's
elect are committed to the cause of Jesus Christ the Lord. They
are followers of the Lord. The believer says this, the Lord
is my shepherd. Those who follow the Lord Jesus
as shepherd look unto Him to provide all things in salvation.
He is my wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption. We submit to His Lordship. We
love His presence. We receive His truth and we turn
from our dead work to the Lord Jesus Christ and find in Him
and see in Him all our salvation. These are the evidences of being. chosen of God and loved of God
in eternity. Now, if you would like a copy
of this message on God's elect, the Bible doctrine of election,
I'd gladly send it to you. You can call me at 631-9053,
or you can write to me at Zebulon Baptist Church, 6088 Zebulon
Highway, Pikeville, Kentucky.