And my subject again is divine
election and the effects of it. Turn with me to Matthew 24. When we preach a message on divine
election, we certainly do not lack for
Bible text. The word elect, election, elected, appears in the Bible 27 times. And here in Matthew 24, I'm going
to read verses 22 through 24. And except those days, well,
he says in 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. Then if any man shall say unto
you, Lo, here is Christ, or there, 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 shall deceive
the very elect. That's not possible, thank God.
Look at verse 31. And he shall send his angels
with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together
his elect. his elect. He calls them his brethren, calls
them his sheep, calls them his church, calls them his jewels. When I make up my jewels, his
people, his elect, from the four winds and from one end of heaven
to the other. Don't turn to all of these scriptures.
I'm going to do it hurriedly, but I want to show you some more
scriptures with this the word, elect, speaking about God's people. Luke 18, he said, And shall not
God avenge his own elect, which cry to him day and night? Shall
he not avenge his elect? Shall he not vindicate them,
though he bear long with them? John 15, he said to his disciples,
You didn't You have not chosen me, I have
chosen you." John 17, in that prayer, when he lifted his eyes to heaven,
he said, Father, the hour has come. Now glorify thy Son, that
thy Son may glorify thee, as thou hast given him power over
all flesh. that he should give eternal life
to as many as thou hast given him. I pray not for the world,
I pray for them which thou hast given me, for they are thine,
and thine are mine. I would like you to turn to Romans
9 with me, and let's read this scripture, Romans Let's begin
with verse 10. It says in verse 10 of Romans
9, and not only this, but when Rebecca had conceived by one,
even our father Isaac, 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 before they were born, the elder shall serve the younger.
As it is written, Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated. Now
what shall we say then? What is our reply to this statement?
Is there unrighteousness with God? Is God unfair? Is God unjust? God forbid. He said to Moses,
when Moses asked him to show him his glory, this is what he
said to Moses. Moses, I'll have mercy on whom
I will have mercy. And I'll have compassion on whom
I will have compassion. So then it's not of him that
will it. Our wills are in bondage. Our wills are enslaved to sin.
We will not come to Christ. He said, you will not come to
me that you might have life. No man can come to me because
his will won't let him. Except my Father which sent me
drawing. So it's not of him that willeth.
It's not of him that runneth. It's of God that shows mercy. And turn to Romans 11. Romans
11 verse 5. You know when Elijah, look at
verse 4 of Romans 11. Elijah complained to God, I'm
the only one left. There's nobody on the whole earth
that believes in you but me. But what saith the answer of
God to him? Verse 4, Romans 11. Well, I have
reserved to myself. I have reserved to myself. I
did it. They didn't do it. 7,000 men who have not bowed their
knees to the image of Baal, and even so then, at this time right
now, this present time, there is a remnant, according
to the election of grace, among the Jews he is talking about.
Among the Jews. And then if you will, look at
2 Timothy 2. Sometimes it's difficult for
believers to understand the purpose and providence of God, because
often we don't understand. The world doesn't understand
it at all, but we also struggle with it. Why John Bunyan spent
12 years in prison instead of out preaching the gospel? Why
God took away from the world Augustus Toplady who wrote Rock
of Ages, a great preacher, 36 years of age. Why God raised
up David Brainerd and let him preach until he was 29 years
old. One of the greatest missionaries to the Indians this country has
ever heard, David Brainerd. And God killed him when he was
29 years old. TB, died of consumption. Robert Murray McShane who wrote
How Much I Owe, the song all of you love. 29 years old, God
took him away. You explain that to me. Charles
Spurgeon, one of the greatest preachers who ever lived, preached
to more people than any man in his day, had an orphanage, thousands
of children, preacher school, 58 years old in the prime of
his ministry, God took him away. I don't understand the providence
of God. I don't understand those things,
but I do know that it's all for his glory, our good, and to accomplish
the salvation of his elect. And here in 2 Timothy 2, verse
9, Paul was in prison, in prison. He just traveled about 11 years
and preached, and God put him in prison in Rome. Kept him there about 3 years,
and then they killed him. Explain that to me. I can't and you can't. But he
says in verse 9 of 2 Timothy 2, wherein I suffered trouble.
Paul said, I suffered trouble as an evildoer. Today's preachers
aren't in jail. There are speakers at all the
clubs. People who hate God invite the preachers to speak at their
Rotary and their Lions and all the other clubs. Nobody despises
them. Nobody hates them, none of them
in jail, none of them suffering for the gospel because they're
not preaching any gospel. But Paul preached the gospel
and he suffered as an evildoer. That's the way this religious
world looks upon men who preach the truth. They're evildoers.
They're tearing up our churches. Our churches need to be torn
up. His church can't be torn up. He said, I'll build my church
and the gates of hell won't prevail against it. You build your church
and it ought to be torn up. But I'm an evildoer, Paul said.
I suffer as an evildoer, even under bonds, in prison, chains. But the Word of God is not bound. Therefore, I endure all things.
Why? Why are you putting up with this,
Paul? Why don't you quit? Very few people paying attention
to you. Most people hate you, despise you, put you in jail.
Why do you keep on? He gave four words for the elect's
sake. For the elect's sake. Not for the world's sake. Not for America's sake. Not for
the sake of the youth. For the elect's sake. That's
why. That's why. What's that got to
do with it? That they may obtain the salvation
which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. I've got the gospel,
he says, that will save them. I have the gospel, it's the power
of God and the salvation, and I'm going to preach it. God's
elect will hear it and believe it. And in 2 Peter chapter 1, Peter
says this, listen to it. 2 Peter 1, verse 10. And he cautions and counsels
every one of us. Wherefore, the rather brethren. 2 Peter 1, verse 10. Wherefore, the rather brethren.
Give diligence. Diligence. The utmost care to
make your calling and election sure. If you do this, You won't fail. And an entrance shall be ministered
unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord
and Savior, Jesus Christ, if you are one of his elect. That's what he says. Do you know
what he says? Give diligence to make your calling and election
sure. If you do this, you won't fail. but rather an abundant, overwhelming
entrance into the Kingdom of God. What is election? We'll turn
to 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. What is divine election? I believe
the Apostle Paul answers that question here in one verse. What
it is. In one verse. Second Thessalonians
2 verse 13, But we are bound to give thanks always to God
for you brethren, beloved of the Lord, beloved of the Lord,
because God from the beginning, God hath from the beginning chosen
you to salvation. That's what election is. Number
one, God chose you to save you. He chose you. We didn't choose him, he chose
us. We heard our Lord say that a moment ago to his disciples,
you didn't choose me. We wouldn't choose him. The hymn
writer said, "'Tis not that I did choose thee, Lord, that could
not be." This wicked heart of man would still refuse thee. The true Christ, in his true
character, in his saving power, in his true nature, in his name,
I wouldn't choose thee. This heart of mine would refuse
thee, but thank God you've chosen me." He said, you will not come
to me. He was in the world, the world
knew him not. He came to his own, his own received him not.
This is where we are by nature. I want you to turn to Ephesians
chapter 2. Here's a description of what
we were. What all men are by nature. The reason they won't
choose Christ, they won't come to Christ. In Ephesians chapter
2 verse 12, that at that time you were without Christ. Aliens, strangers, enemies from
the commonwealth of Israel, strangers from the covenant of promise,
having no hope without God in this world. That's the reason
men do not choose God. They're without God. They don't
know God. They're without hope. They're without Christ. They're
strangers, enemies, outcasts, on the outside. But He chose
us. The election is this. God chose
us in Christ. All right? Secondly, why did
He choose us? He loved us. Look back at my
text, 2 Thessalonians 2, but we are bound to give thanks always
to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord. Beloved of the Lord. A lot of people talking today
about their love for the Lord. What we need to talk about is
His love for us. Herein is love. You want to preach love? Here's
love. Here's true love. Here's real love. Here's infinite
love. Herein is love. Not that we love God. Nobody
here loves God like you ought to. Nobody here. Here is love. Not that we love God. He loved
us. He loved us. He said, I've loved
you with an everlasting love. Therefore with loving kindness
have I drawn thee. An infinite love. An unchangeable
love. For God so loved, He gave His
Son. God is love. His nature is love. You see a judge on a bench, and
he's a righteous judge. He's a just judge. He's got before
him a criminal. He has before him a murderer. This fellow that killed his little
girl and put her in a trash can buried in the backyard. Now that's,
he stood before a judge. And this judge is just and holy. He administers law, God's law. And he's got to condemn that
man. But this judge is a is a father
and he sees before him somebody's son. This judge is a man who's
subject to mistakes himself and he sees before him a man that's
made a horrible mistake. And no matter how much he feels
pity and compassion for that man, he's got to damn him. If
he could find some way for that man to be set free and changed,
and made new and different. The heart of that judge within
him would rejoice. And God has you, all of us, before
Him, just as horrible as that fellow. We took God's Son and
spit in His face. Nailed Him to a cross. Holiness
came down here. Holiness came from Heaven, personified
in a man, and we spit on Him. and beat him and hated him and
despised him. Why? He went about doing because
man by nature hates true holiness. And we nailed him to a tree and
we said, let his blood be on us and our children. Think about
that. And God's holy and God's just and God's a just judge and
he has us before him, our hands dripping with the blood of his
Son and his children. and our brothers and sisters.
He's got to damn us being holy. But let me tell you something.
God's love. God is love. His nature is love. And He's
going to love somebody. He's going to set somebody free. He's going to change somebody. He's going to make them new creatures.
He's going to substitute His Son in their place and make them
holy. They can't do it for themselves.
That old fellow over yonder, if you turned him loose, he'd
do it again. And if you turned all of us loose, we'd do it again.
Oh, we'll join the church and we'll be baptized and we'll change
a few habits, a few worse habits and things like that. But to truly change, to make
us what we're not, To make us what we can't by nature be. To make us in the image of God. Sons of God. Only He can do that. And election is, He chose the
guilty. He loved the guilty. That's right. He loved us. We
didn't love Him. Won't you straighten up? No,
I can't. I want because I can't. And I
can't because I want. But heathen's changing. And then
here's election thirdly. Because God hath from the beginning
chosen you to salvation. Chosen you to salvation, to save
you, deliver you. From the kingdom of darkness
to the kingdom of His Son. From death to life, from hatred
to love. From wickedness to holiness.
From unrighteousness to righteousness. He chose you before the world
began. Because that's when God does
everything that He does, before the world began. Before He ever
made the world, He had the blueprints. Before He ever made man, He had
the blueprints for all that would happen. God declares the end
from the beginning, from ancient times to things that are not
yet done, saying, my counsel shall stand. Let me tell you
something, everybody who is going to be saved is already chosen,
loved, redeemed, justified, and they will be called. And the
Kingdom of God, every name that's in the Lamb's Book of Life will
ever be put there. That's right. Known unto God
are all His works from the beginning. It's finished, Christ said! It's not waiting something for
you to do, or me to do, or the world to do. You see, what happens
in time depends on His election. His election doesn't depend on
what happens in time. You get that? His election, His
purpose, His kingdom does not depend on what happens in time.
What happens in time depends on His election, His choice. We are His workmanship, not our
own. We hear this. Election is unto
salvation. It's not salvation, it's unto
salvation. What is election? He chose us
because He loved us. And He chose us before the foundation
of the world, unto salvation. Let me show you an example. Turn
to Luke 19. Luke 19. Come on, turn to Luke 19 with
me. Let's look at it. Zacchaeus. You're all familiar
with that. The children start singing him. Zacchaeus was a
wee little man. A wee little man was he. Climbed
up in a sycamore tree, the Savior to see. You've read it. You know
all about that. You know how many people were
around there? How many thousands of people were around thonging
Christ as He went through the city? In fact, so many that Zacchaeus,
Zacchaeus was a publican, Zacchaeus was a Jew who was working for
the Romans. That was like in World War II
in France, the Quislings and the Compromisers and the Frenchmen
who worked for the Germans against their own people. You know how they treated them,
they hated them. Even those five women that shaved
their heads, you remember all that? Marched them through the
streets. Well, Zacchaeus, that's what he was. He was a Jew who
was working for the Romans, taking taxes of his own people. And there were so many people
there that he ran and climbed up in a tree. He knew that the
Lord was going to pass that way. He was walking that way. And
when the Lord Jesus came to that tree, he stopped. and looked up and listened. Verse
5, Luke 19, when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and saw
him, and he said, Zacchaeus! He knew him. He had always known
him. He loved him. He had always loved
him. Nobody needed to introduce him. He knows his sheep. He said, I know my sheep. I know
them by name. Zacchaeus! Make haste and come down today
I must abide at your house." And he made haste and came down
and received Him joyfully. And then when the religious people
saw it, they all murmured saying, well, he's going to be the guest
of a man that's a sinner. He came to save sinners. And
Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, Behold, Lord, half my goods
I give to the poor. If I have taken anything from
any man by false accusation, he sure had, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, Our
Lord is going to explain this whole thing to us now. Why Zacchaeus? Why his house? Why the change
in this man? Jesus said, This day is salvation
come to this house. For as much as he also is a son
of Abraham, before the foundation of the world, God chose this
house, this man, Zacchaeus. The Lord Jesus came to that man. The gospel came to that man. The Lord Jesus called that man. And that man heard and believed
in his house. For he also is a son of Abraham. There were thousands of sons
of Abraham around there. No, no there weren't. There were
a lot of descendants of Abraham. There were a lot of Jews that
traced their genealogy back to Abraham. But a son of Abraham
is a believer. He that believeth on the Son
of God is a son of Abraham. Covenant son. That's right. Why'd
he call him? He's the son of Abraham. Why'd
he call him? He was elect. Why'd he call him? God chose him. That's right. The Lord explains
that to us. When God chooses a house, the
Spirit will come to that house, and the gospel will come to that
house, and that house will receive it and believe it. And that's
how you know if you're one of God's elect. Go back to 1 Thessalonians
1. You say, how does a man know
if he's one of God's elect? Go to 1 Thessalonians 1 verse 4. 1 Thessalonians 1 verse 4. Paul says, knowing, brethren,
beloved, your election of God. I know you're God's elect. How
do you know that, Paul? Our gospel came unto you. Our
gospel came not unto you in word only. That's the way most people
hear the word. Just words. Just words. But it came to you in power.
Convicting power. Converting power. Zacchaeus was
changed by the word. In the Holy Ghost. In much assurance.
Verse 6, and you became followers. You believed this guy. Zacchaeus
followed the Lord. The Lord went to his house. You
became followers of us and the Lord, having received the Word
in much affliction with joy of the Holy Ghost. Verse 7, you
were changed. You became an example. And from you, verse 8, sounded
out the Word. In verse 9, you yourself show
what manner of entering in we had under you and how you turn
from your idols, you turn from the world and the idols of this
world to the living God. And you're waiting for His Son
from heaven. How do you know when God's elect?
You hear the gospel. Not just hear it with words.
You hear it in power. You believe it. You quit arguing
and debating and quarreling and finding fault and objecting. And you believe it. And you receive
it. It changes you. Makes you a new
person. Gives you love and sheds upon
God's love in your heart. Gives you humility. Makes you
identify with the people of God. Rejoicing in the grace of God.
Loving the Word of God. It changes you. You become identified
with it. You promote that gospel. Like that man in the tombs that
the Lord healed, he said, go home and tell folks what the
Lord has done for you. You will. You'll go tell them. And you'll turn from your idols. You'll turn from your idols.
You won't try to adapt your idols to the gospel. You'll be done
with them. You turn from your idols. You don't try to find
a religion that fits your lifestyle. You have to change your lifestyle
to fit God's Word. That's right. I don't pay attention to anybody
until I begin to see them change their lifestyle and adapt it
to God's Word. It's not what I want to do, it's
what you have me do. Change your lifestyle and you're
looking for Christ to come. And another thing, I'll tell
you what a man does when he hears the gospel, he shuts his mouth.
There's no way in the world you can hear anything while your
mouth is going. But he becomes quiet, becomes a listener. You see, this workmanship, this
is God's workmanship, this salvation is something God does, it's a
quiet, Divine operation, it takes place in the heart. As the Word is preached, salvations
of the Lord, we are His workmanship created, and God gives a new
spirit and a new heart and a new nature, changes us inside. And when the insides change,
the outsides change. Religion paints up the outside
and leaves the heart corrupt. But God's grace changes the heart. And then that changes the life.
Now here's my last question. Is what are the effects of believing
God's elective grace? Believing the salvations of the
Lord? What's the effects? I read this
letter Wednesday night. Half of you weren't here. So
you didn't hear it. But I want to read it for you.
That we're not here. And it won't hurt for the others
to hear it again. This is a letter I received last
week from a couple in California who listened to our TV program
out there. Dear Mr. Mahan, five years into
our marriage, my wife gave birth to our daughter Kara. And several
months thereafter, my wife was diagnosed with multiple cirrhosis.
We were concerned. But we felt that God would use
this to make us better Christians. Six months later, she was bedridden.
She just turned 30 years of age, and we had a new baby. And I
thought, she's going to die. This disease impaired every function
of her body. I quit my job, and I stayed home
with my wife and baby for two years, until my wife was well
enough to sit in a wheelchair. The last four years we've been
living at the edge of a cliff. Spiritually, mentally, physically. See, before Julie became ill,
we were both very active in the church. Church work of all kinds. And we couldn't understand what
happened. We felt God had let us down. Our outward works of
religion became inward struggles. But we continue to find things
to be thankful for, especially our little girl. But we could
find no purpose for our lives. Several months ago, I found my
life filled with grumbling toward God. And I tell you, when you
think salvation and everything depends on you, that's where
you'll wind up, finding fault with God, when things don't go
your way. See, you're bargaining with God. You're doing this and He does
that, and that's what they were doing, bargaining with God. I
found my life filled with grumbling toward God. One night I could
stand it no longer. I laid face down on a cement
floor, naked. I begged God that I would not
come before Him having grumbled my entire life, that He would
have mercy on me and allow me some dignity. At this time, I heard your message. On TV. And the message was on
God's election. Just what I got through preaching
to you. That's all we needed to hear.
That was all we needed to hear. Salvations of the Lord. It has
changed our lives. We looked at each other and began
to cry. We knew in our spirits because
of how we were saved, that election, God's election, is the only possibility. And your message of truth has
helped us to a new, listen, your message of truth has helped us
to have a new respect and reverence for God. Our God is lifted up and glorified. And when you have the right attitude
toward God, the right respect and reverence for God, whatever
happens, it's going to be alright. Because
it's all in His hands and for your good and His glory. That's
what they found out. Thank you, again, for preaching
the truth. And thank you for the tapes you
send us. Life is always a struggle for
us, but we want you to know the impact and change that this message
has made in our lives. Isn't that something? And that's
what believing God will do for me and you. And I'm telling you, what are
the effects of divine election? Number one, it glorifies God. saw God in His glory. This woman. Glorifies God. The only gospel that will glorify
God is the gospel that gives God all the glory. Secondly,
it will bring joy to the heart. Blessed is the man whom the Lord
chooses. Psalm 65. Blessed is the man,
happy is the man whom God chooses and causes to approach His presence. That's the only way I can approach
Him, if He says, you come. You come. In Christ. Thirdly, it promotes humility. Pride and grace are incompatible. Pride and faith are incompatible. No. Not in the same heart, both
cannot live together. What do I have I didn't receive?
What do I know that God didn't teach me? What hope do I have
that He didn't give me? Everything I am and have is by
the grace of God in Christ. I'm nothing. And you're nothing. Man can receive
nothing except be given him from above. Arrogant, proud, religious
people. And if it wasn't for His grace,
I'd fall today. You would too. Fourthly, it brings
comfort. I know that all things work together
for my good and His glory. These dear people have learned
salvations of the Lord, and they're comforted. We think, sometimes I think I
haven't had it that tough. But He'll give us grace to endure,
comfort in our trials. This message will give you strength
to die by. We've watched some of our beloved
ones die. And they died in peace and rest
and joy because they had a hope in Christ. Covenant mercies. David said on his deathbed, the
Lord hath made with me an everlasting covenant, and this is all my
salvation and all my desire. And then I'll tell you this,
it'll give you assurance. Those five questions. If God
be for us, who can be against us? He spared not His own Son,
I share not with Him, fill ye, give us all things. Who can lay
anything to the charge of God's elect? It's God that justifies.
Who can condemn Christ as God? Who can separate us from the
love of Christ? That's assurance. And then, it
gives us incentive to preach. Keep preaching. Because tomorrow
I may get another one. Somebody else just might hear. Well, they will if He opens the
ear. They will if he opens air. But
if he doesn't, they won't.