This morning for our Bible study,
I would encourage you to turn to Ephesians chapter 1, and we'll
begin reading at verse 3. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as he hath
chosen us in him before the foundation of the world. that we should
be holy without blame before Him in love, having 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 in the Beloved, in
whom we have redemption, that is, in Christ we have redemption,
salvation, through His blood, the forgiveness of sins according
to the riches of His grace. Now, the message I want to bring
this morning from this text is entitled The Bible Doctrine of
Election. The Bible Doctrine of Election. What is this Bible Doctrine of
Election? The truth of election is taught
throughout the Word of God, Old Testament and New. And here's
a good definition. Election is the sovereign, eternal
choice of God to choose and determine who will be justified before
God. That is to say, God's election
of His people guarantees and secures their eternal salvation
in Christ Jesus. All who were chosen by God in
election and given to the Lord Jesus Christ in that covenant
of grace shall be saved. Not one of these elect, not one
of these chosen of God shall ever perish. Our Lord said, I
give my sheep eternal life, and they will never perish. Listen
to this scripture in John chapter 6, verse 37 and following, All
that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh
to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven,
not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me. And
this is the Father's will which hath sent me, all which he hath
given me. This is the Lord declaring that
Bible doctrine of election, all that the Father hath given shall
come to me, and I'll lose nothing, but I'll raise him up again at
the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that
every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have
everlasting life, and I'll raise him up in the last day." Now,
this is the Bible doctrine of election. Now, from this text,
Ephesians chapter 1, I want to ask and answer several questions
about the Bible doctrine of election. Now, who does this selecting?
What we read in the text here is plainly revealed that God
is the one who does this choosing. Now, here is Ephesians chapter
1 again, verses 3 and 4, "...blessed be the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings
in heavenly places in Christ, according as he chose us in Him. We read in John 15, verse 16,
Our Lord said, You didn't choose Me, but I have chosen you and
ordained you. So plainly we can see the one
who does the choosing, blessed be the God and Father who had
blessed us according as He had chosen us. So God is the one
who does His choosing. In Romans 9, verse 11 and 13,
we read, for the children. being not yet born, neither having
done any good or evil, that the purpose of God, according to
election, might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth. It was said unto her, The elder
shall serve the younger, as it is written, Jacob have I loved,
Esau have I hated." Now clearly we see from these scriptures
that God is the one in eternity, He made a choice of His people. from all eternity. Secondly,
when was this choosing, this electing grace, when did it take
place, this election of grace? Well, we read here, according
as He had chosen us in Him, in Christ, before the foundation
of the world. So God is the one who has done
this choosing, made this determination, who would be justified in Christ
Jesus. before the foundation of the
world." Now, the Scriptures give us a clear and definite answer.
God's election of grace is eternal, unconditional, and in Christ
Jesus. God made a choice who would be
justified before the foundation of the world. We read in Acts
15, verse 18, known unto God for all his works from the beginning. Now, let me give you two other
scriptures. This is the first one found in
2 Thessalonians 2.13. We are bound to give thanks always
to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath
from the beginning," did you hear that? God hath from the
beginning, "...chosen you to salvation through sanctification
of the Spirit," that's the new birth, "...and belief of the
truth." Here's another scripture in 2 Timothy 1.9. I'm trying
to establish the fact that God did this choosing of his elect
before the foundation of the world, eternally. Here's 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
his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus
before the world began. Now, who does this electing?
Who does this choosing unto salvation? It's God. Salvation is of the
Lord. When did this take place? Eternally,
before the foundation of the world. Now, thirdly, third question
is this. Why did this election of grace
take place? Well, we read in this text again,
Ephesians 1, according as He has chosen us in Him before the
foundation of the world, that we should be holy, Now, he didn't
choose us because we were holy. He chose us that we would be
holy in Christ Jesus without blame that is justified in Christ. Having predestinated us under
the adoption of children, he chose us that we might be heirs
of God by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure
of his will. Salvation is by God's purpose
and to this glorious end, to the praise of the glory of his
grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved." The
reason of election is found in God's own eternal purpose and
sovereign love. In Ephesians chapter 1 verse
11 we read, "...in whom also we have obtained an inheritance,
being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh
all things after the counsel of his own will." Had he not
chosen us? We never would have chosen Him.
We read in Psalm 65, verse 4, "...Blessed is the man whom thou
choosest, and causes to approach unto God." Had He not chosen
us because of our sinful nature, we never would have chosen to
trust God for all of our salvation. And here's the reason, because
of our sinful nature, Our Lord said this is condemnation, that
light is coming into the world, and men love darkness rather
than the light because their deeds were evil. Had He not chosen
us, we never would have chosen Him because of our sin. God chose
His people that they should be just like Christ, holy without
blame, before Him in love. According to the richness of
His grace, according to His sovereign purpose, His sovereign mercy,
He chose a people and gave them faith and caused them to believe
Christ. Now, fourthly, where is this
electing love revealed? Well, we read in the text here,
Ephesians 1, to the praise of the glory of His grace wherein
He hath made us accepted in the Beloved. The love of God, the
salvation of God, is revealed in Christ Jesus, in whom we have
redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according
to the riches of his grace. The Lord Jesus Christ is the
elect, and believers are chosen in him. The first time we read
that word in Scripture, Isaiah 42, Behold my servant, mine elect,
in whom my soul delights. Christ is the elect. We're chosen
in Him, and this election is revealed in Him, in Christ. Everything God does for and gives
to and requires of the sinner is found in the Lord Jesus Christ,
in Christ, all blessings. Notice we read in Ephesians 1
verse 3, Bless God who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings
in Christ. You see, He's made unto the believer
wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. It pleased God
that all the fullness of salvation and glory would dwell in the
Lord Jesus Christ, and believers are complete in Christ. So this
electing love, this electing sovereign salvation is revealed
in Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ provides
for us perfect righteousness. That's why He came. He came to
honor the law, to execute perfect righteousness, to satisfy God's
justice. The apostle said, Blessed is
the man to whom God would impute righteousness with how it works.
The Lord Jesus Christ provides not only perfect righteousness,
but He also provides perfect atonement for sin. He appeared
once in the end of the age to put away sin for His elect. for his sheep. He said, I'm the
good shepherd. I lay down my life for the sheep.
You see, this electing love in Christ Jesus and that salvation
and righteousness provided in Him guarantees the salvation
of God's elect. It is certain and sure based
upon His performance. And the Lord Jesus Christ is
the only ground of our salvation in Christ. Where is this electing
love revealed? in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now,
let me close with this last question. How can I know if I'm one of
God's elect? Now, election is so. It's true. God chose a people unto salvation. That's so. It's revealed all
the way through the Scriptures. How can I know if I'm one of
God's elect? Well, let me ask you this. What
do you think of the Lord Jesus Christ and this salvation that's
revealed in him? Is He everything to you? Is He
your wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption? Is He precious
to you? Do you see in Christ how God
can be just and justify the ungodly? How He can be a just God and
Savior in Christ and redeem me by His grace in Christ Jesus
freely without a cause found in me? You see, faith in the
Lord Jesus Christ and dependence upon Him is evidence of being
chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. Do you find yourself
trusting Christ or yourself for all your hope of salvation? You
see, those chosen of God and blessed of God and given faith
in Christ Jesus, they look totally to Him and they rest in Him,
the foundation of salvation. Now, the elect of God have a
peculiar testimony. Let me give you two of them found
in the Scripture. This is the Apostle Paul from
Philippians chapter 3. But what things he said were
gained to me, now I count all things lost for Christ. Yea,
doubtless I count all things but lost for the excellency,
the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered
the loss of all things, and do count them but dumb that I may
win Christ and be found in him. You see, his hope of salvation
now, before when he was Saul of Tarsus, it was all in him.
Having a revelation of Christ to his heart, he now says, Oh,
that I may win Christ and be found in him. Not having my own
righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through
the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. Here's
another testimony of God's elect. You see, the faith of God's elect
acknowledges the truth. that salvation is all of God
and in Christ Jesus. In Revelation chapter 1, we read
the testimony of the elect, and here's what they say, "...unto
him that loved us," that's God's eternal purpose in love, "...in
Christ, and washed us from our sin in his own blood, we have
redemption through the blood, and made us kings and priests
unto our God, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever."
Now, this is the truth of God's electing great