I'd like for you to open your
Bibles first this morning to Romans 8. We'll come back to
the text in a few moments. What is the doctrine of election? What do we mean when we say salvations
of the Lord? Charles Spurgeon, whom many call
the Prince of Preachers, gave this definition. the whole
of the work, from beginning to end, whereby a lost, ruined sinner
is brought from death to life. From the dunghill of sin and
depravity and darkness to the throne of God, to be seated in
Christ forever. All that work from beginning
to end is of the Lord and of him only. Salvation is of the
Lord. Old Dr. J.R. Graves, who preached
and pastored in Texas many years ago, preached election. And one day one of his neighbors
came over while he was working in his flower garden She came
over and she said, Dr. Grace, she said to tell me that
you believe in election. He said, yes ma'am, I do. She
said, what is election? He said, well, are you saved? Oh yes, she says, I'm saved.
He said, who saved you? She said, the Lord saved me.
He said, did he do it on purpose or was it an accident? Well, she said he did it on purpose.
I said, that's election. Everything God does, he does
on purpose. There are no accidents with God.
And then here in Romans chapter 8, the Apostle Paul gave his
definition of salvation is of the Lord. In Romans chapter 8,
The Apostle Paul says in verse 28, And we know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are called
according to his purpose. For he said, Whom he did foreknow,
he did foreknow. In other words, salvations of
the Lord in its origination. He knew us before we knew him.
He loved us before we loved him. Known unto God are all his works
from the beginning. He foreknew us. Before this salvation
came to us, or even occurred to us, God ordained it. That's
what the word foreknew means, he foreordained it. Peter called
us the elect of God according to the foreordination of God. God doesn't know something because
it happens. It happens because he knows it,
because he ordained it. So this thing of salvation is
of the Lord in the beginning. God foreknew us. He said to Jeremiah,
Before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee. Before you came
out of your mother's womb, I sanctified you. I sanctified you. and made you a prophet before
you were formed in the belly. I knew you. He foreknew us. So salvation is of the Lord in
its origination, and secondly, it's of the Lord in his purpose.
Did you read that up there above where it says that all things
work together for good to them that love God, who are called
according to his purpose? What is his purpose? Everybody
says, God's got a purpose for your life. Perhaps he has, perhaps
he hasn't. But I'll tell you one purpose
he has for everyone whom he foreknew. Listen. Whom he foreknew, he
did predestinate, predetermine them to be conformed to the image
of his Son. That's God's purpose. God's going
to have a kingdom over which Christ is the King. and in which
every person is conformed to the image of his Son. That's
God's purpose. God's got one purpose, one tremendous,
eternal, unchangeable purpose, and that is that everybody he
saves is going to be just like Christ Jesus. Now, every time
the word predestinated is used in the Bible, all the time, it
has to do with what God's going to make those whom he saves,
he's going to make them like Christ. You check it out, every
time it's you. We're predestinated to be conformed
to the image of his Son. When we see him, we're going
to be like him. So this salvation is of the Lord,
in that he originated it, it's in the Lord, of the Lord, in
that his purpose is going to be accomplished. We're called
according to his purpose, predestinated to be like Christ. is going to
be like Christ. Everybody who is saved is going
to be like Christ. Then thirdly, it's of the Lord,
verse 30, in its application. It says, moreover, verse 30,
whom he predestinated. Whom he did predestinate, then
he called every one whom he foreknew. Every one of them is going to
be like Christ. And everybody who is going to
be like Christ will be called He'd be called by the gospel,
he'd be called to Christ, he'd be called to faith, he'd be called
with a holy calling, with a heavenly calling. He'd be called. The Apostle Paul, when he told
about his conversion, if you could hold Romans 8 and turn
to Galatians 1, when he told about his conversion, he said
here in Galatians 1, He told about what he was, verse
13. He was a religious person, a
religious leader, a religious, powerful member of the Sanhedrin
Pharisees. He says in verse 13, You heard
of my conversation, that word is behavior, citizenship, in
times past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted
the Church of God, I wasted I profited in the Jewish religion above
many of my equals in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous
of the traditions of my father. But when it pleased God, the
salvation of the Lord, who separated me from my mother's womb, he
foreknew me. He called me by his grace and
revealed his Son, not to me, in me. that I might preach him
among the heathen." That's God who foreknew me, separated me
from my mother's womb, was pleased in time to call me. Salvation
is of the Lord in its application. He applied this grace and life
and gift to Paul, called him out of his religion. Some people
the Lord calls out of the worst kind of sin. and some out of
religion and morality. But wherever his people are,
whom he knows, whom he has ordained to be like Christ, he's going
to call them. And he called them by his gospel.
Now, what's next? Salvations of the Lord, Paul
says in verse 30, Moreover, whom he did predestinate to be like
Christ, then he called, and whom he called he justified. He justified,
he's going to make them like Christ. And he starts, first
of all, with sanctifying them and justifying them and reconciling
them to himself. He's already reconciled to us.
Turn to 2 Corinthians. Let me show you this over in
2 Corinthians, chapter 5. This is powerful. 2 Corinthians,
chapter 5, verse 18. Now listen to this. God has reconciled us. He has
reconciled us in his covenant, in his foreknowledge, in his
everlasting love. He said, I've loved you with
an everlasting love, therefore with a loving kindness I've withdrawn
you. But we're not reconciled until God does the work of grace
in our hearts. Look here at verse 18. All things
are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ.
had given us the ministry of reconciliation to which, namely,
that is to say that God was in Christ reconciling the world
to himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and had
committed unto us the word of reconciliation, the gospel of
reconciliation. Now then, I'm an ambassador of
Christ. As though God did beseech you
by us, we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. lay down your shotgun, put up
your sword, put down your weapons, lay down your fist, open up your
hands, and bow to God. If you are one of his own, you
will. So salvation is of the Lord, in its origination, whom
he foreknew. In its purpose, he predestinated
to be like Christ. They're all going to be like
Christ. You say, well, the Baptist will be over here and the Baptist
over there. Not on your life. They're all going to be one,
just like they are now. Every believer is one in Christ.
They're going to be one in Christ, just like Christ. That's right. Every believer, every child of
God is going to be like Christ. And they're all going to be like
Christ. He applies that to them. He calls them. He calls them
by his gospel. And he justifies them. puts away
their sins, their sins and iniquities that I remember no more, puts
away their guilt, sanctifies them, justifies them, gives them
a righteousness, a holiness in his presence, just like Christ. Then he also breaks down all
these walls and barriers in our hearts and brings us to love
him. We love him because he first loved us. We call on him because
he called us. We love him and submit to him,
and we're reconciled to God, because God is reconciled to
us. But the work is his. And then
last, here in Romans 8, it says that the future is his work,
too. It says, moreover, verse 30,
whom he did predestinate to be like Christ, them he called.
You cross your path if you are one of his. He'll call you. And whom he calls, he'll justify.
He'll give you a new nature and a new heart. He'll justify and
reconcile you to himself, and you'll be reconciled to God.
God's reconciled to you, and you'll be reconciled to God.
You'll be friends, enemies no more. Bow to him. Then whom he justified, he also
will glorify. Our Lord Jesus Christ said, I
will, that those whom thou hast given me be with me where I am,
that they may behold my glory. And the song, and he did it all.
He did it all. It's all of the Lord. Salvation
is of the Lord. And every believer, his song
is Mary's song. Let me paraphrase Mary's song
from Luke 2. My soul doth magnify the Lord. My spirit doth rejoice in God
my Savior, for he hath regarded the lowest state of his handmaid. He that is almighty hath done
for me great things. Holy is his name. He has showed
strength with his arm. He has scattered the proud. He
has put down the mighty. He has exalted them of low degree. He has filled the hungry. and
sent the full away empty. God did it all. Salvation is
of the Lord. Turn to John 15. Our Lord defined
the doctrine of election in the most simple and short statement. John 15, verse 15 and 16. Listen to it. Speaking to his disciples. John
15, 15. Henceforth I call you not servants,
for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth. I have called
you friends. For all things that I have heard
of my Father I have made known unto you. You have not chosen
me, I have chosen you. What is election? There it is
right there. You didn't choose me. Say what
you will, do what you will, boast as you will, whatever, you didn't
choose me. Herein is love. Not that we love
God. You didn't love God, but he loved
us. We love him because he first
loved us. And the hymn writer said, Lord, it was not that I
did choose thee, Lord, that could not be. This heart would still
refuse thee, but thou hast chosen me. My heart owns none above
thee, for thy rich grace I thirst. This knowing, if I love thee,
you must have loved me first." That's election. Here is my second
question. Is it taught in the Bible? Is
election taught in the Bible? Well, if you want to do this
later, you can get a concordance and look up how many times the
word elect, elected, election, is used in the Bible. But I'll
give you just a few. Turn to Matthew 24, verse 21. For then shall be great tribulation,
such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no,
nor ever shall be. And except those days should
be shortened, there should no flesh be saved. But for the elect's
sake, those days shall be shortened." This is our Savior speaking.
Then if any man shall say unto you, O, here is Christ, or there
is Christ, don't believe him, believe it not, for there shall
arise false Christs, false preachers and shall show great signs and
wonders, insomuch that, if it were possible, they would sing
the very elect, God's elect. Look at verse 31, same chapter. And he shall send forth his angels
with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together,
his elect, from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the
other. His elect. Turn to Romans 9. Let's see if you have the scripture.
Romans 9, verses 10 through 16. And not only this, but when Rebekah
also had conceived by one, even our father Isaac, 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 to Rebekah, The elder
shall serve the younger, as it is written. Jacob hath a love,
but Esau hath a hatred. What shall we say then? Is there
unrighteousness with God? He said to Moses, I'll have mercy
on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom
I will have compassion. So then it's not of him that
will it, it's not of him that run it, it's of God that shows
mercy. Salvation is of the Lord. Romans 11, turn over just a page,
Romans 11 verse 5. You know, back in verse 3 of
Romans 11, Elijah said, Lord, they've killed your prophets,
dig down your altars, I'm left alone, they seek my life, I'm
the only one left. But what was the answer God said
unto him? God said, I have reserved to
myself, I have reserved to myself 7,000 men. Do not bow the knee
to the image of Baal, even so at this present time. And you
can say at this present time, in the year 2000, there's a remnant,
there's a remnant, there's a people, there's a church, according to
the election of grace. And if by grace it's no more
works, otherwise Grace is not grace. If it be of works, then
there is no more grace, works not works. What then? Israel,
the nation, has not obtained that which he seeketh for, but
somebody has. The election hath protected,
and the rest are blinded. It's in the Word, isn't it? 2 Timothy 2. Listen to Paul.
2 Timothy 2. Paul was in prison. writing to
young Timothy, and he said to him in 2 Timothy 2, verse 8,
Remember, Timothy, that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was
raised from the dead according to my gospel. For he and I suffer
trouble as an evil doer, even unto bonds. But the word of God
is not bound, he is in jail, fetters, chains, But I endure
all these things for the elect's sake. I'm in here and I'll endure
whatever I have to endure, go wherever I have to go, do what
I have to do for the elect's sake. That they may also obtain
the salvation which is in Jesus Christ with eternal glory. God
knows them. God chose them. God has predestinated
his elect to be like Christ. But they've got to be called,
called by the gospel. They've got to be reconciled
to God. They've got to lay down their shotguns. They've got to
believe. And how can they hear without a picture? So Paul says,
I go to preach the gospel to God's elect. Whatever route God
takes me over and whatever suffering I have to endure, I'll endure
it for their sake, because they've got the end of the gospel. But you know, look at Titus here,
one page over from where you are. It says here in Titus 1,
Paul, a servant of God, apostle of Jesus Christ, according to
the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth
which is after godliness, in hope of eternal life with God
who cannot lie promised before the world again. But you know,
if I were told to preach on election, and I had one text from which
to preach. I would choose 2 Thessalonians,
chapter 2. Would you turn over there for
a few moments? 2 Thessalonians, chapter 2. This is where I'd
turn to preach if I had just one text. I could choose only
one text. This would be Paul says in the
first part of that chapter, he told about the judgments of God
coming upon this world, the rise of the Antichrist, the mischief,
iniquity, all these things. But he says in verse 13, But
I am bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved
of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you
to salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the
truth. Election is a doctrine that gives cause for praise,
not debate, for thanksgiving, not argument. Election is a doctrine
of praise. Every time Paul mentions God's
elected grace, he praises God. He says in Ephesians 1, Blessed
be the God and Father and our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed
us. He could have left us alone,
but he blessed us. He could have passed us by, but
he blessed us. He blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in the heavenlies, in Christ, according as he chose
us, in Christ, before the foundation of the world, that we should
be holy, and without blame, before him in love, having predestinated
us to the adoption of children, to be like Christ, according
to the good pleasure of his own will. I praise God for that,
don't you? We are bound to give thanks,
always, always, without fail, to God for you. It's the doctrine
of praise. Secondly, election is a doctrine
of love. He says you are beloved of the
Lord. Beloved of the Lord. Turn to Jeremiah 31. We are beloved
of the Lord. Jeremiah 31, verse 3. This is
a scripture. to have marked in your Bible.
Jeremiah 31, verse 3. The Lord hath appeared of old
from afar, saying, Say, I have loved you with an everlasting
love. I've always loved you. And that
love is not only everlasting, it's infinite. It's infinite. It's not A little love, or a
whole lot of love, is love. It's the only way God can love,
completely, infinitely. And it's an unchangeable love.
It's eternal, it's infinite, it's unchangeable. It's in Christ. I have loved you with an everlasting
love, therefore, because I loved you, I've drawn you. With love and kindness I've drawn
you to me. Election is a cause for praise. Secondly, it's a doctrine of
love. And thirdly, it's everlasting
truth. Read our text some more. We're bound to give thanks always
to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God has
from the beginning, He has from the beginning chosen you to salvation. Election is not salvation. He
chose us to salvation. He chose us in order to save
us. He chose us that we should be holy, not because we were
holy, but we should be holy and without blame before him in love. He chose us unto life everlasting. He chose us to salvation. Now
watch this. Election is a doctrine of means. He said he chose us to salvation
through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. In other words, there are always
two things present when a person comes to God, when a sinner is
saved, when a sinner is quickened to life, and that's the Spirit
of God and the Word of God. He has chosen us through the
sanctification of the Spirit to believe of the truth. Those
two things are always present. It's an everlasting doctrine. It's a doctrine of praise. It's
a doctrine of love. It's a doctrine of need. That's
what we're doing right here. I want you to turn to two scriptures.
First of all, Romans 10. Romans chapter 10. If God has chosen people to salvation
and they're going to be saved, why preach to them? That's why
I preach to them. That's the two reasons why I
preach to them. One, God chose them. Two, they're going to be
saved. And they're going to be saved by this gospel. The gospel
is a paragraph of salvation. Watch Romans 10, verse 13. Verse
13, Romans 10, verse 13, verse 13, verse 13, verse 13, verse
13, verse 13, verse 13, verse 13. As it's written, how beautiful
are the feet of them that preach this gospel of peace and bring
glad tidings of good things, good news of the gospel. Oh,
what a wonderful day it was when God Almighty chose me. What a wonderful day it was when
God reconciled me to the death of his Son. But what a glorious,
wonderful day it was when he opened my eyes to see it. and
my ears to hear it, and my heart to believe it, and gave me peace
and hope and joy through the gospel. Here's the other scripture,
James chapter 1. I remember, I'm bound to thank
God for you brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath
from the beginning chosen you to salvation, but through God's
Holy Spirit who quickens us who regenerates us, who awakens us,
and belief of the truth that he brings in the gospel. James,
chapter 1, verse 18. Watch it. "...of his own will."
He said that. Whose will? Yours? No. Now, his
people are willing in the day of his power, but this is of
his own will. Not of him that runneth, not
of him that willeth, it's of God. It's of his own will, he
begat he us. What does begat? Gave us life.
Born again. To begat a son or a daughter,
that's when they're born. And God, that's when his children
are born. We're born of his own will. He gave us life of his
own will. He made us sons and daughters
of his. How? With the word of truth. That's how. The Word is the seed. We're born again, not a corruptible
seed, but an incorruptible seed by the Word of God. This gospel
is the actual power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes
it. So look back at my text. This
doctrine of election, it's a doctrine of praise. Thank God. It's a
doctrine of love. It's not our love for him, it's
his love for us. It's an everlasting doctrine.
He has from the beginning chosen us to salvation, eternal life. And it's through sanctification.
What is sanctified? To set something apart. God sanctified
the Sabbath day. He set it apart from all the
other days. He sanctified the temple. He
set it apart from all other buildings. He sanctified the priesthood.
He set it apart from all other people. He sanctified The vessels
in the temple were just like other vessels, so he set them
apart to his vessel. If you're his elect, he'll set
you apart and sanctify you by his Spirit. His Spirit will come.
You may be sitting between two people that hate the gospel,
but you'll hear it, you'll love it. Your whole family may turn
against it, but you won't. God sanctifies you, sanctifies
you. And then look at verse 14, whereunto
he called you by gospel, to the attaining of the glory of Jesus
Christ. That's how it comes, he calls
you. It's up to the Lord. But he calls you by the gospel.
Please understand that. He calls you by the gospel. People say, Well, if I believed
in election, I wouldn't preach. That's the reason I do preach.
Let me show you something over here in Acts 18. Paul was down there in Corinth,
and they were about to kill him, and so he was going to leave.
He was down in Corinth, Acts 18, verse 9. He was going to
leave town because they were going to kill him. Verse 9 of
Acts 18, Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision,
I don't be afraid, Paul, but you speak, and hold not your
peace. If I am with you, and no man will set on thee to hurt
thee, I have much people in this city. That's why you stay where
you are. I've got some people in this
city. And sure enough, he did have.
The Lord saved a lot of the churches of Paul stayed there 18 months. Nobody could lay hands on him
because God put him there to preach the gospel to his elect. And he said, I didn't do all
this for the elect. Well, here's my third question, and I'll close.
How does one know if he's God's elect? How does a person know
if he's God's elect? Turn with me to 1 Thessalonians, chapter 1. Now,
this is no problem, knowing you're one of God's elect. This is no
problem at all. No problem at all. Your election is determined
by your calling. Peter, when he was telling people
to determine their election, he said, Make your calling an
election, sure. Whom he predestinated, he called.
So if you've been called, you've been predestinated to be like
Christ. whom he justified, he called.
If you've been called, you've been justified. If you've been
called, you'll be glorified, guaranteed. Well, how do I know
that I'm one of God's elect? This 1 Thessalonians, this is
the first epistle Paul wrote. It was A.D. 51, only 20 years
after our Lord died on the cross at last. Paul loved these people. He said here in verse 4 of 1
Thessalonians 1, knowing, brethren and beloved, your election of
God. I know you're God's elect. He's talking to these people
at Thessalonica. I know you're God's elect, for
our gospel came not unto you in word only, it came in power. It came in power to convince
you of sin, to reveal Christ, to give you hearing ears and
a believing heart. It came in power. In the Holy
Ghost, in much assurance, our gospel came in power to reveal
Christ, to beget faith. Let me read you over, you needn't
turn to this, let me just read you what Christ told his disciples. He said, The Holy Spirit will
come, and he'll convince the world of sin, and the Holy Spirit
will guide you into all truth, he'll glorify me, and he'll take
the things of mine and show them to you. And that's how you know,
if you're God's elect, you've heard the gospel in here. Not
just here, but you've heard it in your heart. And it's come
in power, quickening power, saving power, convincing power, converting
power. All right, back to 1 Thessalonians
1. He gave a second reason, verse
6. 1 Thessalonians 1, and now verse
6. And you became followers. of
us and the Lord. You heard the gospel, you believed
it, and you became a follower of Christ the Lord and of his
people. Our Lord was preaching in Capernaum
in John 6. I want you to turn over there
in John 6. Our Lord was preaching in Capernaum, and he made some
statements over here. I want you to turn to this now,
this is very important, in John 6. He's preaching Capernaum,
and he said in verse 36, he said to them, that you also have seen
me and believed not. But all that my Father giveth
me, they'll come to me. And him that cometh to me I'll
in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven not
to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And
this is the Father's will, which is sent me, that of all which
you have given me, I lose nothing, but raise it up at the last day.
And this is the will of him that sent me, that everyone that seeth
the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life, and
I raise him at the last day.' And the Jews murmured at him.
Then over here in verse 60, many of his disciples, when they heard
this, they said, This is a hard saying, who can hear it? And
then down here in verse 65, he said, Therefore said I unto you,
that no man can come to me, except it were given him of my Father.
And from that time many of his disciples went back and walked
no more with him. That day when our Lord preached God's sovereign
mercy and grace and salvation, when he preached it, that natural
enmity to the truth of God, which dwells in the unrenewed heart,
was stirred. And these people went away. Went
away. But all of them didn't go away.
Twelve of them stayed. Look at verse 67. 66 says, From that
time many of his followers went back, wanting no more with him.
Then Jesus said to the twelve, Will you also go away? Simon
Peter answered and said, Lawrence, to whom shall we go? Thou hast
the words of eternal life. and we believe and assure that
thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." They heard. They were God's elect. And that's what he said over
there in 1 Thessalonians. He said, I know you're God's
elect because the gospel came to you in power. And you heard
it, and you believed And you became followers of the Lord,
and followers together with us, and you became examples and evangelists,
and you turned from your idols to serve the living God. Then
in verse 10 of 1 Thessalonians 1, and you are waiting for his
Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, who
delivered us from the wrath to come. Now, there are a lot of
people who are waiting for Armageddon. And there are a lot of people
who are waiting for the end of the world. And there are a lot of people
who are waiting for the kingdom to come on earth. And there are
a lot of people who are waiting for all these other things, but
the elect are waiting for the return of the Lord. That's how
you know you're his elect. The gospel came to the entire
world in the Holy Ghost. You became followers. Lord, to
whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal
life. You became examples, evangelists, witnesses to others, and you
are right now waiting on his return. For he said, I go to
prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for
you, I'll come again and receive you unto myself, that where I
am, thou may be also. May God bless the word to your
heart.