Now, don't you turn to these
scriptures. If you're taking notes, you can
jot them down, but let me, for the sake of brevity and for time,
just read them to you. This is my opening statement.
The doctrine of election is scriptural. It is according to the Word of
God. In Romans chapter 9, verse 11, the scripture says that children
being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the
purpose of God according to election, 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. And
then in Romans 11, verse 5 through 7, listen to these words. Even
so then at this present time, also there is a remnant. according
to the election of grace. According to the election of
grace. There's a remnant. And if it's by grace, it's not
of works. Otherwise, grace is not grace.
But if it be of works, it's not of grace. Otherwise, work is
not work. What then? Israel hath not obtained
that which he seeketh for, because they sought it by works. But
the election hath obtained it, and the rest are blinded." Now
Titus chapter 1, verse 1, the Scripture says this, Titus 1,
1, Paul, a servant of God, an apostle of Jesus Christ, according
to the faith of God's elect, to the acknowledging of the truth
which is after godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God
that cannot lie promised before the world began, the faith of
God's elect. And then in 1 Peter 1, this is
the way Peter starts the first epistle, he says this, Peter
an apostle, 1 Peter 1, of Jesus Christ to the strangers scattered
throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, Bithynia, according to
the foreordination of God. The cause is the foreordination
of God. The means, through sanctification
of the Spirit. The end, unto obedience and the
sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. All right, let me read
you just two or three more. Matthew, chapter 24. Listen to
our Lord here. Matthew, chapter 24, verse 24. And it says, For there shall
arise false Christ and false prophets and they'll show great
signs and wonders in so much that if it were possible they
shall deceive the very elect. Now verse 31, and he shall send
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. And then you're familiar with
Romans chapter 8. I won't read that one but let's
Romans chapter 8, let's look at 1 Thessalonians 1-4. 1 Thessalonians
1-4, Paul writing to the church at Thessalonica says this, Brethren,
knowing, brethren, beloved, your election, your election of God. And then in 2 Peter 1-10, Peter
said, give diligence to make your calling and election sure. So election is without question
a scriptural doctrine. Is that not right? I could go
on and read many, many more, but there's 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,
7, 8 scriptural references to election, election. But the teaching
of election has been terribly abused, terribly abused, and
held up to ridicule. This precious doctrine of election
has been held up to ridicule by religious people. And I say
this. I say this very candidly. No
one that I know, no one that I've ever read after, whose writings
I've read, ever believed the doctrine of election as I hear
it stated today by its enemies. No one ever believed it. I've
never heard anyone. who preached or taught or believed
the doctrine of election as I hear it defined by the enemies of
the gospel. I've never met anyone who believed
or preached what they say we believe. I've never met anyone
that believed what they say we preach and we believe. I'll give
you some examples. Here's one charge that comes
our way. You preach and believe that God
predestinated some to heaven and some to hell. emphatically,
God forbid, I say no. Predestination has nothing to
do with hell, nothing whatsoever. God elected his people, the scripture
teaches, and he predestinated them to be like Christ. Predestination
has nothing to do with judgment, has nothing to do with hell,
has nothing to do with damnation. Is that not correct? Nothing
to do with it whatsoever. Every time the word predestination
is used in the Bible, and that's four, possibly five times, that's
all it's ever used. You know, I wish people would
buy a commentary, not a commentary, but a concordance, and look up
these words, and read what the Bible says, not what Aunt Maude
says, what the Bible says. And the word predestinate is
used four times, maybe five, if you count over in Peter. But
every blessed time the word predestination is used in the Bible, it has
to do with what God's people are going to be. They're going
to be conformed to the image of Christ. He predestinated us
to be conformed to the image of Christ. That is, God elected
His people and He predetermined the means and the way that He
would bring them to that final goal, to be like Christ. That's
what predestination is. God predestinated this book right
here to be in French. The story I told you a while
ago was a long roundabout story, but this book's in French. And
God predestinated every stop along the way. God predestinated,
predetermined that Joseph would be king of Egypt. How'd he get
there? By the means God devised. You see what I'm saying? He was
his father's favorite, he had the coat, he was cast into the
pit, he was sold into slavery, he went to Potiphar's house,
he seemed to be going back two steps and forward one all the
time, you know. Back in jail, then over here, there, finally
on the throne. But where was God when all this
was happening? He told his brothers, you meant
it for evil, God meant it for good. That's what I'm saying. We don't teach, preach, or believe
that the death of Christ condemns anyone. He didn't come to condemn
the world. The world was already condemned. All that God has to do for a
man to go to hell is leave him alone. He doesn't have to predestinate
anybody to hell. Just leave you there. You go. Just leave you alone. Just keep
his hands off of you. You go. You're hell-bent and
hell-bound and hell-determined by nurture, by birth. God doesn't
have to do anything for you. Just leave you alone. Isn't that,
you see that? He said, I didn't come to condemn
the world, the world was already condemned. Already. Oh, here's another thing to say.
Well, they say if a man's elected to salvation, he'll be saved
no matter what. Why, you preach that if a man's
elected, he'll be saved even if he never hears the gospel,
even if he never believes the gospel, even if he never believes
on Christ, even if he never continues in Christ. God forbid, that's
not so. Our Lord gathered his disciples
about him before he ascended back to the Father and he said,
you go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth, he that believeth,
he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. He that believeth
not shall be damned. That's the words of my Lord.
If anybody here does not believe on Christ intelligently and willingly
and lovingly and continually, he'll be damned. That's exactly
right, if you do not believe Christ. And those who do believe
Him, believe Him with the heart. With the heart man believeth
unto righteousness. He that believeth on the Son
hath life. He that believeth not the Son
will never see life. Election's not salvation, it's
unto salvation. Salvation is not in election,
it's in Christ. And we've got to be brought to
an intelligent, loving, willing relationship by faith with the
Son of God from this heart right here. The Holy Ghost enables
me to believe, but I believe. The Holy Ghost makes me willing
to believe, but I believe. The Holy Ghost brings me to Christ,
but I come to Christ. Of His own will beget He us. with the word of truth. The gospel
is a power of God unto salvation, and the word of God plainly says
that we are his if we continue in the faith. And I'll tell you
this, any man who draws back, God says, my soul has no pleasure
in him, none whatsoever. All right, here's another word
they say. Well, if a man's not elected, If you consider him
not elected, you preach he couldn't be saved even if he wanted to.
Hold on now. God forbid. I never said any
such thing. I say what my Lord said. Listen.
That last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood and said,
if any man thirst, if any man thirst, let him come to me and
drink. Is that what he said? And the
last, one of the last verses in the Bible says this, and the
spirit and the bride say come, and let him that heareth say
come, and let him that is thirsty come, and whosoever will, let
him take that water of life. If he's thirsty, come on. And
my Lord said, he lifted his eyes to heaven, he said, I thank you,
Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you hid these things from
the wise and the prudent, but you revealed it to me. Even so,
Father, it seemed good in your sight. Come unto me, all ye that
labor and are heavy laden. I'll give you rest. Does that
sound like a man couldn't be saved if he wanted to? Anyone
who wants Christ can have Christ. Anyone who wills, truly wills
to come to Christ, it's Christ who made him willing. Thy people
shall be willing in the day of thy power. If I thirst, God gave
me the thirst. Oh, my, my, my. Here's another thing they say.
You preach babies in hell. I highly resent that. I highly
resent that. I just... Somebody said one time,
they preach there's infants in hell a span long. No, I've never heard anybody
preach that. Have you ever heard anybody preach
that? I know a lot of grace preachers all over the world. I've been
here and there and yonder, and I have absolutely in all my life
never, never, never read or heard from any grace preacher Those
words, I think. I'll tell you this. Now, I'm
going to give you three things to think about. Infants. I know some of you here have
infants who died. I know two or three of you that
babies died in birth or shortly after. Let me ask you three questions. Number one, are those babies
sinners? Now, come on, were they sinners? Let me show you that in the scripture.
Let's look at it. It's Romans 5, Romans chapter 5. Now, are
there sinners? Let's see what God's Word says,
Romans chapter 5, verse 12. Now, listen to this. Wherefore, as by one man sin
entered into the world, and death by sin, so death passed upon
all men, spiritual death, sin and death, for all sin. For until
the law, sin was in the world. But you say, sin's not imputed
where there's no law. Sin was in the world from Adam
to Moses. Till the time Moses received
the law on Mount Sinai, sin was in the world. But you say, sin's
not imputed where there's no law. But there was a law, the
law of God. The law wasn't on tablets of
stone, but the law was there. The very character of God is
His law. And verse 14, nevertheless, even though there was no written
law, Death reigned from Adam to Moses, from the time of Adam
to the time of Moses when the law was given on Sinai. Death
reigned over people, didn't it? Even, even over them that had
not sinned openly after the similitude of Adam's transgression. You
know who that is? That's the infants. See, you
and I have sinned after the similitude of Adam, willingly, openly, publicly,
out of our own will and heart. And death reigns over us, but
death reigns over infants who have not sinned as Adam sinned,
openly, willingly against God. But yet they died. Why did they
die? They were sinners. Sin in them. They're conceived
in sin, shaped in sin, brought forth speaking iniquity. If there
was an age of accountability for sin, nobody would die until
he reached that age. Do you understand that? That's
what Paul is saying here, that these infants died, even though
they had never openly, publicly, willingly transgressed God's
law like Adam. They still died. Why? They were
sinners. All right? Babies are sinners.
All right, here's the second question. Will God punish all
sin? Now come on, all sin. Will God
punish all sin? The Scripture says He will. He
will by no means clear the guilty. God will by no means clear the
guilty, whether they're adults or infants. God will in His justice
and holiness by no means clear the guilty. Do you know that
if an infant was taken into heaven unregenerate, you'd have a devil
in heaven? Now come on. You take, well, now that you
had a baby dying infant. Say, I suppose God took that
infant to heaven, matured it. You know what it'd be without
regeneration? It'd be a devil. It'd be a lost man or woman.
You see what I'm saying? All right, here's the third question. Then how are we going to get
these infants saved? They can't accept Jesus. Is that the way a man's saved?
Is that where everybody is saying? By making a decision, making
a profession. Now they got to be regenerated,
they got to be converted, they got to receive a new nature,
they got to receive a new heart, they got to receive a new life
from somebody, and it's too late for you to give it to them, and
impossible for the preacher to give it to them. There's a little
infant comes forth from his mother's womb, a one day, a two day, or
six months old infant, It is a sinner, is it not? It is a
daughter or son of Adam, is it not? It's permeated with sin,
is it not? If it wasn't, why'd it die? And
it can't accept Jesus, and God can't take it to heaven like
it is. It's got to be born again. It's got to be regenerated. It's
got to have the life of Christ. Now come on, how are we going
to get them there? If you're an Arminian, every
infant's in hell right now. If salvation is by works, every
one of your babies are in hell. I'm a Calvinist. I'm a covenant
grace, and by God's covenant grace, every infant was regenerated
and saved by the blood of Christ. Now that's where the infants
are, they're with God, but not by a decision of mother and daddy
or anybody or the baby, but by God's decision and by God's election. That's what I believe, and that's
the only way you can get a baby into heaven, by sovereign covenant
grace through the blood of Christ. I challenge the world on that
right. Is that, now you're a teacher, does that make sense to you?
It makes Bible sense, doesn't it? If God's who he is and that
baby's what it is, take it to heaven. You can't do it. God
can't have it. Why, there'd be enough babies
up there to turn that place into hell. It'd be more unregenerate
than you are regenerate in heaven. Wouldn't it? I guarantee you
everyone that's there is mature, full grown, worshiping Christ,
and with the Spirit of God, and rejoicing in the blood of Christ.
Every one of them. I feel like David. He wrote under
divine inspiration. When his baby died, he said,
he can't come to me, but I can sure meet him in God's presence.
Because that's where David figured on being. I'll dwell in the house
of the Lord forever. So these people talk about, I
preach infants in hell. I don't. They do. I don't. I believe God has a covenant
that includes them and the blood of his son that redeems them.
Here's another thing they charge us with. Well, if you believe
in election, you have no interest in preaching to the lost. You
have no interest in preaching to sinners. Now, I'd love to
tell this whole country this. Quite the contrary, and God forbid, there isn't a church in this
area, and I say most of them put together, nor a church anywhere
in the world the size of this church that preaches the gospel
to more lost people than this church does all over the world.
There are 100,000 Ronnie Thompson and Ron Traban has sent over
100,000 tapes all over this world. And they've been played 24 hours
a day, 365 days a year. There are books all over the
world. Our television message reaches a 120-mile radius. We have a television program
in St. Lucia. We sent last year $70,000,
$68,000 to missionary salaries alone to preach the gospel. We
have missionaries all over this world. And I resent
that kind of talk. Paul was a missionary and he
believed in election. William Carey, Judson, the pioneer
missionaries, David Brainerd, need I mention Bunyan, Spurgeon,
Luther, Knox, Whitfield, Keech, Latimer, Newton, Watts, all of
these men believed what we believe and preach and they turned the
world upside down. Now, sir, I'll tell you this,
quite the contrary. To know that God has a sheep
will send you out looking for her. That's what makes me preach.
I know, I know, just like that little church in Indiana, where
I went over there and had such an unpleasant experience, I believe
in that place God has some sheep, or I wouldn't have been there.
And they're going to hear. They're going to come to hear.
You see, The doctrine of election is not the sinner's enemy. It's
the sinner's friend. And I'm going to show you how
to meet the doctrine of election. Turn to Matthew 15. I wanted
to define it, but it's going to take too long. I'll do that
maybe Sunday morning. But let's turn to Matthew 15.
Matthew 15. How does one meet the doctrine
of election? How does one deal with it? Well,
let's look at Matthew 15, verse 21. Then Jesus went then and departed
into the coast of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan,
now this is a Gentile woman, a Gentile woman of Canaan, came
out of the same coast and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy
on me, O Lord, Christ, thy son of David. You see who she's calling
him? Thy son of David. O Lord, have
mercy on me, thy son of David. My daughter is grievously vexed
with the devil, but he answered her not a word." This woman,
first of all, Charlie, was confronted with the silence of God. The
silence of God. Now this is awesome. If God does
not speak, we have no quarrel to make with Him. That's right. He's not obligated, Richard,
to speak to us. He's not obligated to tell you
anything about it. You have no quarrel. If He, if
in our, us traitors, dirty, rotten, corrupt rebels that crucified
His Son, if He doesn't even reply to us, we've got no quarrel. He's not under obligation. God
is not a ballet. God is not our servant. He's
not under obligation even to reply to our request. And he
didn't answer her a word. But she didn't leave. She didn't
leave. I'll tell you, it's to the point
today that people are looking for a reason to leave the church. They're looking for a reason
to be offended. They want to be offended. It
justifies them in their rebellion. Do you know that? We have to
walk on eggshells to keep from hurting somebody's feelings all
the time from the pulpit. Afraid we're going to hurt somebody's
feelings. Afraid they're going to leave. But our Lord didn't even answer
her. I wouldn't, if I pull that, think
about She came up and asked for His mercy and He didn't even
reply. He didn't even reply. And when
He did reply, listen, He answered her, not a word. His disciples
came and besought Him, saying, Send her away, she cries after
us. But He answered and said this. Now listen, here's the
doctrine of election. And this woman was confronted
with it right here. He said, I am not sin, but to
the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Our Lord, when He did
speak in her presence, He expressed His sovereign right to show mercy
to whom He will. The lost sheep of the house of
Israel. He didn't even include the Gentiles.
She was a Gentile. Remember I said that, Canaanite?
He not only didn't include the Gentiles, he didn't include the
bulk of Israel. He just said, I'm sent to the
lost. I'm sent to the elect of Israel. That's what he said. Well, now, what's to be done?
There's election. What's to be done? Let's see
what she did and see if we can imitate it. Verse 25, and I can
get something out of each word here. Then. Then. when she had run full force into
sovereignty, full force into God's elective grace, full force
into the election of His grace and the truth that mercy is enthroned,
that grace is enthroned, and that Jesus Christ came to redeem
and elect people, that God the Father sent Him on purpose to
a people. She ran full force into that,
and even then, What she do? We don't. Then came she. Where did she come to? She came
to Christ. She came to Christ. Where else
could she go? You know, the disciples, our
Lord said, will you go away? And they said, to whom? If he's
the sovereign Christ, well, you still better come to him. If
He doesn't show you mercy, you still better come to Him. There's
nowhere else to go. Tell me where else there's to
go. Lord, thou hast the words of
eternal life. If He declares that He is the
sovereign Savior who saves only His sheep, you must still come
to Him because He's the only Savior. He's the just God and
the Savior. Whether there's mercy for me
or mercy for you doesn't change the fact that he's the fountain
of mercy. You may not like the fountain,
but it's the only one. Where are you going? And even
he said, I came to save my leg. And then when she heard that,
Instead of getting mad and running off, instead of getting mad and
finding fault, instead of getting mad and saying, I think, she
came to him and did what? And she worshipped him. She worshipped
him. I'll tell you this. I've made
this statement often. I wish we could learn it. Actually,
that's the only kind of God a man will really worship is a sovereign,
almighty, omnipotent God. You're not going to change His
omnipotence, His omniscience. He is God. Beside Him, there's
none else. And she came and fell down, fell
down in worship, fell down and kissed His feet, fell down and
bowed before Him. Him, Jesus Christ, to whom God
has committed all flesh and over whom, over all flesh, He has
complete authority. She bowed down, for only before
a sovereign God will men worship. Only before a sovereign God will
men bow. Only from a sovereign God can
men receive salvation, for He's the only one who's able to say. And only a sovereign God can
give us a good hope. And listen to her. Then, right
there in the face of God's sovereignty and elective grace, then she
came to Him, and she bowed down, and she worshiped, and she said,
Help me. That's the way to meet the doctor
of election. Because you know what he said then? But he answered
and said, further trying her faith, he said, it's not right
to take the children's bread and give it to dogs. And she
said, that's so, Lord. I'm a dog. But I'm your dog. You're my master. And dogs eat
the crumbs that fall from their master's table. And then my Lord
said, O woman, O woman, you say this kind of crawling and bowing
and humility and lying in the dust is not for me. Then this
promise is not for you either. O woman, great is thy faith.
God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble. The Lord
is known to them that be of a broken heart and a contrite spirit."
Do what you will. Go where you will. But I'll tell
you what this old sinner is going to do, just what this one did.
I'm going to come to his feet. Judas kissed his cheek and went
to hell. The harlot kissed his feet and
went to glory. That's where you're going to
find this old sinner, right where she is, confronted by the write
the crown rights of my Lord, sovereign Lord, to save whom
He wills. And I'm going to say, true Lord,
and I'm going to keep getting closer and closer and nearer
and nearer and bow more humbly and contrite and kiss His feet
and say, Lord, you helped me now. You're the only help I've
got. Well, you don't deserve the bread. That's true, too.
And you're a dog. That's true, too. Double dog.
But I'm your dog. i'd just take some crumbs i guarantee you on the part of
this book nobody ever went away from our lord unblessed with
that kind of spirit the hymn writer put it this way come humble
sinner in whose breast a thousand thoughts revolve come with your
guilt and fear oppressed and make this last resolve, I'll
go to Jesus. Though my sins act like a mountain
rose, I know His courts I'll enter in, whatever may oppose,
and prostrate I'll lie before His throne, and there my guilt
confess, and I'll tell Him I'm a wretch undone without His sovereign
grace. I'll to the gracious King approach
whose scepter mercy gives, Perhaps he'll command my touch, and this
old sinner lives. Perhaps he will admit my plea. Perhaps he will hear my prayer.
But if I perish, I will plea and perish only there. I can
but perish if I go. I'm resolved to try. For if I
stay away, I must forever die. How do you meet the doctor of
election? You meet it with a broken heart, and a chondrite spirit,
and a submissive heart, and you get saved. All right, Mike, come lead us
in a song, if you will.