Another Look at Election

Q: What does the Bible say about election?

The Bible teaches that election is God's sovereign choice of certain individuals for salvation. Election is strongly affirmed in the scriptures, notably in Ephesians 1:4-5, where it states that God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. This doctrine emphasizes that God's choice is not based on any foreseen merit in us, but solely on His own good pleasure and sovereign purpose. Scriptures such as Romans 9:10-13 further illustrate God's sovereignty in election, where it is shown that He chose Jacob over Esau before they were born or had done any good or evil. Thus, election is fundamentally a demonstration of God's grace and love towards those He has chosen.

Q: How do we know election is true?

Election is affirmed through multiple Bible passages and the historical teachings of the church. The truth of election is supported by numerous scripture references, as seen in passages like Matthew 24:31 and John 6:37, which affirm that God has a chosen people. Acts 13:48 encapsulates this by stating that as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. Historical church teachings, particularly from the Reformation, further validate the concept of election, emphasizing that it is God's purpose and grace that secures our salvation. The clarity of these biblical testimonies underscores the reality of divine election in God's plan of redemption.

Q: Why is election important for Christians?

Election is vital as it assures believers of their secure and purposeful salvation in Christ. The doctrine of election assures believers that their salvation is not a result of chance or human effort, but is grounded in God’s sovereign choice and His eternal plan. Understanding that we are elected to salvation allows Christians to grasp the depth of God’s love and grace, as highlighted in 2 Thessalonians 2:13. This knowledge comforts believers during trials and strengthens their faith, reinforcing that they are part of God’s redemptive plan. Additionally, it compels Christians to share the gospel, as we are called to proclaim the truth to all, trusting that God will call His elect through our efforts.

Q: What are the consequences of not believing in election?

Rejecting the doctrine of election can lead to a misunderstanding of God's sovereignty and grace. Not believing in election can result in the minimization of God's sovereignty over salvation, leading individuals to think that their own efforts or choices are the primary factors in their relationship with God. This perspective can undermine the assurance that comes from understanding that salvation is a gift from God, as emphasized in Romans 9:16. Moreover, it can foster a reliance on works rather than faith, creating anxiety over one's standing before God. Recognizing election shifts the focus from human ability to divine grace, freeing individuals to trust fully in Christ’s work for salvation.

Well, it was 1950. I was about
24 years old. I'd come back to Ashland, Kentucky
for the second time. I was here in 1947 as youth director
of the Pollard Baptist Church. I served there about six months
and then went away to school. And I studied at school for a
few years and pastored a church for about three years and then
came back here to Ashland. And when I came here in April
1950, there was a preacher holding a revival at the Pollard Baptist
Church by the name of Roth Barnard. They'd call me back here as assistant
pastor. We were having morning services
and evening services. Each morning at 10 o'clock, there'd
be about 30 or 40 people there, and each evening at 7.30. But
this was in a morning service on Tuesday morning in April 1950,
26 years ago. I was sitting on the front row,
and Brother Barnard was up preaching. And he stopped his preaching
for some reason unknown to me, and he looked down at me and
he said, Young man, can you quote Romans 8, 28? I said, Yes, sir. He said, How about quoting it?
So I got up in front of that crowd and I said, All things
work together for good to them who love God. And I sat down. And he just stood there. And
he said, what's the rest of it? Do you know the rest of it? I
said, I think so. And I had to think a minute.
And finally I said, yes, I know it. And I stood up and I repeated
it. And we know that all things work together for good to them
who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. And I sat down. He said, do you
believe that? I said, yes, I believe it. But he said, I'll tell you
this, if God ever gives you understanding of the word purpose, purpose,
that book of Romans will open up for you. I don't know how
he knew I didn't understand the book of Romans. When I was pastor
down in Chattanooga, Doris and I were reading the Bible, our
devotions each night, we came to the book of Romans and I told
her, skip it. I don't know anything about that
book, let's just don't read it. Now that's a pretty convenient
way of getting around the word of God, just skip it. Go to something
you do understand or like. You skip it. Well, I took that
word purpose, and I went over to the parsonage where the pastor
lived. We hadn't moved up yet. I was up here by myself. She
was still in Birmingham. So I took that word purpose and
the book of Romans, and that whole afternoon I sat over there
in that study, and I read that book in the light of purpose.
God never does anything by accident. Everything God does, He does
on purpose. And do you know it opened that
book? In fact, it opened the Bible to me. It turned me around. It turned my ministry around.
And I'll tell you another verse of Scripture that God used just
a few days later. I began to search then. I began
to hunt messages along this line. And I found a message preached
by Charles Spurgeon from Jonah 2, the second chapter of Jonah,
which says, Salvation is of the Lord. And the outline of that
sermon went something like this, salvation is of the Lord, and
it's planning. God plans salvation. No human
wisdom, human intellect, human counsel entered into the planning
of salvation. Before there was a sinner, there
was a Savior. That's right, Christ was the
Lamb slain before the foundation of the world. God plans salvation. It's all of God. It's God planned
and God purposed. Salvations of the Lord in its
execution. It pleased God to bruise him.
All men crucified Christ, they'd hang him on a tree, but it pleased
the Lord to bruise him. Pilate said, well, I can do with
you what I want to. I can release you or crucify
you. Christ said, you don't have any power over me at all. Not
at all, except it be given you from above. And the power to
let him go had not been given. The power to crucify him had
been given. We carried out the determinate
counsel and foreknowledge of God in the death of Jesus Christ. Man did what he wanted to do,
and in doing that, he did what God wanted him to do. That's
so. Salvation is of the Lord in its
execution. It's of the Lord in its application.
Who called you? Who awakened you? Who convicted
you? God did. Paul said, it pleased
God, who separated me from my mother's womb. to reveal his
Son in me." It was God who revealed Christ to you. Oh, Dr. J.R. Graves, Texas Baptist preacher,
was out working in his rose garden one day. His next-door neighbor
was a kind, beautiful, white-haired, elderly Christian woman whom
he liked very much. They were good friends. She came
over to him. She finally decided to have it
out with him. Settle the matter. She came over
and she said, Dr. Graves, he said, yes, ma'am.
Said, you believe in election, don't you? She said, yes, ma'am.
Well, she said, I wish you'd explain it to me. Well, he said,
I'll try. He said, are you saved? Well,
she said, yes, I'm saved. Well, he said, who saved you?
Well, she said, God saved me. Well, he said, did he do it on
purpose or was it an accident? Well, she said, he did it on
purpose. He said, that's election. And he went on trimming his roses.
And that's it. God Almighty, salvations of the
Lord in its application. You were on your, when Saul was
on the Damascus road, on his way to hell, did God stop him
on purpose or was that an accident? When Christ met the Samaritan
woman at the well, was that an accident or on purpose? When
our Lord Jesus walked under the tree and called Zacchaeus, was
that an accident or on purpose? When God walked by and said,
Matthew, follow me, was that an accident or on purpose? When
He passed James and John and said, I'll make you fishers of
men, accident or on purpose? Huh? And when you heard the gospel
and God whittled you down and knocked your foundations of flesh
out from under you and stripped you, was that an accident? You
better hope it wasn't. Or was it according to His purpose? Huh? Salvations of the Lord in
its application, salvations of the Lord in its sustaining power.
Let me ask you a question. Who's keeping you right now from
falling into hell, huh? Are you keeping yourself? Is
the law keeping you? Is your pastor keeping you? Are
your resolutions and vows keeping you? Or are you kept by the power
of God, huh? Not apart from faith, I'll get
to that later, but God keeps us. He upholdeth us with his
mighty hand. No man can separate us from the
love of God which is in Christ Jesus. I am the Lord, I change
not, therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed. If it were
possible for one sheep of Christ to fall away, you and I, we'd
fall a thousand times a day. God keeps us. It's of the Lord
in its sustaining power. Well, let me ask you this. You're
not like Christ yet, are you? You still haven't gone through
that, through the grave. Let me ask you, who's going to
bring you out of that grave? By your free will, are you coming
out? By your own volition, are you coming out? By your own,
well, I think I'll rise from the dead now. God's going to
bring you out. And God's going to make you like
Christ. And God's going to raise you to glory. And God's going
to give you an eternal, undying inheritance. Who's going to do
it? God's going to do it, or it's not going to be done. Salvation's
of the Lord in its ultimate perfection. It's God's Word. And brethren,
I came face to face with this thing. We're preaching a God
of purpose. And it changed my ministry and
turned me around. We faced, let me tell you this,
we faced six stubborn statements. You've got to deal with them.
Six stubborn statements. Now God is either sovereign or
He's not. The scripture says that He doeth
according to His will in the armies of heaven and among the
inhabitants of the earth, and giveth it to whomsoever He will.
Now that's either so or it's not so. He said, I am the Lord,
I change not. I am the Lord, none can stay
my hand or say unto me, what doest thou? I create light, I
create darkness, I create good, I create evil, I give life, I
kill. I, the Lord, do these things.
I declare the end from the beginning and from ancient times the things
that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand." Is that
true? It's either so or it's not so.
Secondly, we face this issue, this question. Man in the garden
either totally fell and totally died, or he didn't. Now, both can't be true. Some
people teach that in the garden man was slightly wounded. The
Word of God says he died. As in Adam, all men die. Death
and judgment passed upon all men. What happened in the garden?
Was the sinner slightly wounded or was he slain? Was he blinded
in one eye or did he lose all spiritual sight, hearing, ability,
and will? The third statement we face is
this, God either elected a people or He didn't. One man said, well,
God votes for you and the devil votes against you and you cast
a deciding vote. Well, there's two things wrong
with that. Number one, it's not so. And number two is that the
devil and God don't have the same vote. And number three is
this, I don't have the deciding vote. That makes me stronger
than God or the devil. The whole lot's cast into my
lap. God has an equal vote, the devil has an equal vote, but
I'm chairman of the board. But it's just not so. God either
chose a people in Christ or He didn't. And that's what I'm facing
you with tonight. And then the fourth thing we
face is this. Christ either completely saved
us, totally saved us, effectually saved us from all sin, redeemed
us, justified us, or He didn't save anybody. Old John Owen said
this. And I gave this statement to
the Northern Baptist Convention in Ireland, and some of them
were shocked. But I'm not afraid to shock people,
especially if I'm telling the truth. John Owen said this. Now listen to it. Three things. Christ Jesus, if He died for
all the sins of all people, then all people are going to be saved.
Now, if Christ died for all the sins of all people, all people
are going to be saved. That's universal redemption.
That's what the universalists teach. Secondly, if Christ died
only for some of the sins of all people, say He died for all
our sins but the sin of unbelief, who's going to take care of that?
Then He didn't save anybody. Now think. But if He died for
all the sins of some people, then some people are going to
be saved. I don't know who they are. But our Lord Jesus Christ
knows who they are, for He said He knew from the beginning who
would believe on Him and who wouldn't. Now He either effectually
saved us, He either effectually redeemed us by His substitution,
He put away all our sin, or He didn't save anybody. And the
fifth question is this, the Holy Spirit either effectually, irresistibly
calls men to Christ, or he does not have the power to draw anybody
to Christ. If the Holy Spirit works the
same in all men, then he's really not responsible for any man's
call. And then the fifth question is
this. All of the saints of God will persevere, or none of them
will. If our Lord can lose one believer,
he can lose them all. Now those are six stubborn statements,
and you sit and wrassle with them if you want to. But I don't
have to wrassle anymore. The Lord's revealed to me through
His Word, His triumphant purpose. Is election taught in the Bible?
Well, let's take your Bible tonight and turn to just a few scriptures.
First of all, let's turn to Matthew 24. The 24th chapter of Matthew,
verse 24. You know, nearly every time I
read some scripture on election, nearly every time, I've been
through this a lot, somebody will come running down with a
verse over here somewhere to say, well, now, what about this?
Well, I'm going to tell you what old Brother Mews said one time,
I'm not going to do anything with your whatabout till you
do something with my whatabout. Now, we're going to deal with
my whatabout tonight, and we'll deal with your whatabout another
night. But don't you flip over there to the book of Timothy.
God is not willing that any should perish. Christ tasted death for
every man. Don't come with me to me with
those whatabouts until you deal with these whatabouts. Now Matthew
24, verse 24. Listen. For there shall arise
false Christs and false prophets, and shall show great signs and
wonders insomuch that if it were possible, if it were possible,
they shall deceive the very elect. Now look at verse 31, same chapter,
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. All right, turn to Mark 13. Mark the thirteenth chapter,
verse 20. Mark 13, 20. And except the Lord
had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved. But for
the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the
days." Are we going to deal with my whatabout? Huh? Let's deal
with that verse. Let's face it. Let's face it
as Christians, as believers. It's God's Word. What about it? The elect, whom he hath chosen.
Oh, I turn to John 6. John 6, verse 37. I'm just hitting
the high points. hundreds and hundreds of verses
on elect. The whole Old Testament. He chose
Israel and passed by the whole world. He chose Israel and passed
by the Amorites, the Hittites, the Philistines, and all the
rest of them. It is Israel who had the covenant,
Israel who had the promise, Israel who had the tabernacle, Israel
who had the Word of God, Israel who had the law, Israel who had
the sacrifices, Israel who had the prophets. What about the
fallen angels? They failed, there's no redemption
for them. Christ took not on himself the
nature of angel, but the seed of Abraham. I don't hear anybody
complaining about the fallen angel. Why doesn't God save them? I don't know, I just know he
doesn't. Why did God choose Israel? I don't know, because he did.
Why did God choose me? I don't know, I'm glad he did.
I didn't deserve it. All right, John 6, 37. All that
the Father giveth me shall 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 my own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this
is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he
hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise him up again
at the last day." Turn to John 15, verse 16. John 15, verse 16. Listen to
this. Christ speaking to the disciples.
You have not chosen me. But I've chosen you. Look at
John 17. This is his priestly prayer.
John 17, verse 9. Six times he talks about those
that the Father hath given me. And here in verse 9 he says,
I pray for them. I pray not for the world. I pray
for them which thou hast given me. They are thine. Isn't it
strange to you that if Christ should die for the world, not
pray for it? Ain't it strange to you that Christ should die
for every human being and not pray for them? Ain't it strange
to you that Christ's will is the salvation of every son of
Adam, yet he didn't pray for them? And he decidedly said,
I pray not for the world. All right, look, if you will,
at Acts 13.48. I'm just reading the Word of God to you. Acts
13.48. Listen to this. Paul preached
to the Gentiles. And when the Gentiles heard this,
they were glad, and they glorified the word of the Lord, and as
many as were ordained to life, they believed. That's how you
can tell who the elect are. They don't have a mark on their
forehead, or a mark on their hand, or a mark on their thigh.
You can tell them this way. When God sends the gospel, they
hear it. He said, My sheep hear my voice,
and they follow me. If you will, turn to 1 Thessalonians
1. I'll show you an example of this. 1 Thessalonians 1, verse 4. Paul said in 1 Thessalonians
1, 4, "'Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God, for our
gospel came not unto you in word only," that's how most people
hear it, just words, "'but it came to you in power, in power
that convicts, in power that humbles, in power that regenerates. in power that reveals Christ.
Our gospel came to you in life-changing, converting power. That's how
it came. And he said, that's the reason
I know you're one of God's elect. Look with me at Romans chapter
9. In the ninth chapter of Romans,
verse 10. Romans 9, verse 10. Here's a
good whatabout. 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 her, The elder shall serve
the younger, as it is written, Jacob have a love, but Esau have
a hated." Now what shall we say then? What have you got to say
about that? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. He said
to Moses, Moses said, show me your glory. God said, I'll cause
all my goodness to pass before you. I will be merciful to whom
I will be merciful. I'll be gracious to whom I will
be gracious. Look, if you will, at Romans
11. Romans 11, verse 5. Even so then, at this present
time, there's a remnant according to the election of grace. And if it's by grace, it's no
more work. Look at 2 Timothy 2, verse 10. 2 Timothy 2, verse 10, the Scripture
says, Therefore, listen to Paul, I endure all things for the elect's
sake, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Jesus
Christ. Now there's some elect here in
Ashland, Kentucky, because God sent me here to preach the gospel.
And everywhere he sends his preachers, there's some of his elect. That's
what we're in the sheep-gathering business. That's what we're doing.
We're out here hunting God's sheep. I don't know who they
are. He told me to go and preach the gospel to every creature.
But I'll tell you how you can recognize one of his sheep. They
got a mark on their ear. They hear his voice, and they're
branded on their feet. They follow him. That's right. Look, if you were at Titus 1,
Titus, the first chapter, verse 1. Titus 1, verse 1. Listen to this verse. Paul, a
servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to
the faith of God's elect. Paul was down preaching in a
city, and he was just about to leave. And God came to him and
said, Paul, don't you leave there. Not yet. I've got much people
in that city. And Paul stayed there about two
or three more years, and God called out his people. God called
out his people. Now, is election taught in the
Bible? I've just given you all those Scriptures. But I want
to deal with one tonight, 2 Thessalonians 2.13. And Mr. Spurgeon said,
if this birth was the only birth in the Bible that taught election,
he said, I'd have to receive it. Do you believe in the new
birth? Why, sure I do, preacher. How
many times does it say in the Bible, you must be born again? One time. That's all. Christ said, Nicodemus, ye must
be born again. That's the only time. And yet
preachers preach hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of sermons
on that every year. How many times does it say in
God's Word, he elected a people? I read you about 13 verses just
a moment ago. How many sermons have you ever
heard on it? And I'll tell you why. A Baptist preacher stood
right down here in this hospital a few weeks ago talking to a
man whom I know. And he said this. This is verbatim,
almost. I believe everything Brother
Mahan preaches. The man said, Do you preach it?
He said, No, sir. Why don't you preach it? It split
my church. Yeah, it will. It'll split your
church, but it won't split God's church. And that's what I want. I want to preach to God's church.
I don't want a church. I hear preachers say, well, my
church does this. I don't have a church. My people
say this. I don't have a people. My Bible
says this. I never wrote a Bible. It's God's
church and God's people and God's Bible. And we're supposed to
preach God's Bible to God's people in God's church. And if it splits
it, well, let her split. Now isn't that right? If it offends
people, let it offend them. It's God's Word. Christ offended
them so much, they nailed him to a cross. The Apostle Paul
offended them so much, they beheaded him. John the Baptist offended
Herod so much, he cut his head off. Peter offended them so much,
they crucified him upside down. John offended them so much that
they exiled him to the Isle of Patmos. woe unto you when all
men speak well of you. One thing that ought to reveal
to every preacher in this day that we're not preaching God's
Word is preachers are too popular. Now I want you to look carefully
at this verse which is my text tonight in 2 Thessalonians 2.13.
There's six things about election that Paul points out here, and
I'll give them to you as quickly as I can. And it'll help you
to understand the doctrine of election. First of all, election. contrary to most people's idea,
is a doctrine of praise. That's right. Look at the verse.
We are bound to give thanks always to God. There was a man down
in Florida who wrote a book years ago on the subject, The Hated
Doctrine of Election. And he sent a copy of it to a
friend, another preacher friend, and he said, I want you to read
this book and tell me what you think of it. Well, this man was
a very wise old man. He took the book and he wrote
across the title, changed the title. It's not the hated doctrine
of election, it's the beloved doctrine of election. Election
is not the sinner's enemy, it's his friend. Election doesn't
shut men out of the kingdom of God, it opens the door that they
might come in. Election is not keeping you from
Christ. You're keeping yourself from
Christ. If you wanted Him, you could
have Him. Isn't that right? Election is not your enemy. If
God hadn't chosen me, I never would have chosen Him. Isn't
that right? Old John Newton, who wrote Amazing
Grace, was preaching one Sunday, and one of the dear ladies in
his church came out, and he stopped her. He called her by name, and
he said, Do you believe God loved you before you were born? She
said, yes, sir. He said, how do you know? She
said, well, his word tells me so, but secondly, if he hadn't
loved me before I was born, he never would have loved me after
I was born. That's a good answer. It's a doctrine of praise. Paul
always praised God for election. Turn to Ephesians, the first
chapter. I want to show you something
that every Christian ought to see. And every preacher ought
to preach it. In the book of Ephesians, chapter
1, I want you to look at this carefully. In the book of Ephesians,
in verse 3, Paul said, Blessed be the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings. What are they? The knowledge
of Christ, repentance, faith, sanctification, justification.
God's blessed me. He's blessed me. Has he blessed
you? Thank God He's blessed me. Look at the next verse. According
as He chose me in Him, God chose me in Christ before the foundation
of the world. Look at verse 5. Having predestinated
me to be a son, to the blessed gift of adoption, to be conformed
to the image of Christ. Look at the next line. According
to the good pleasure of His will. You see that? The work of the
Father in salvation. Paul starts where he is. God
has blessed me. He takes a step back. He said
he blessed me because he chose me. And he takes a step back
and he said he chose me because he predetermined and predestinated
that he'd have a people like Christ. And he goes back another
step and he said it was all according to the good pleasure of his will.
If you want to start salvation from God's end, you start with
God's will. And then you come to God's purpose,
predestinating purpose. And then you come to God's choice.
And then you come to God's calling. And what's the next verse? And
He did it to the praise of the glory of His grace. Praise God
from whom all blessings flow. The blessings of divine election,
the blessings of the eternal covenant, the blessings of eternal
salvation, it all comes from God, and it's to the praise of
His glory. Now look at the next verse. Here's the work of the
Son. in whom we have redemption through
his blood in Christ. We have redemption through his
blood. Look at verse 9. He made known unto us the mystery
of his will. He's the prophet to reveal God.
Philip said, show us the Father. He said, if you've seen me, you've
seen the Father. He came down here to reveal the
Father. No man knoweth the Father but the Son, and he to whom the
Son will reveal it. He's revealed the mysteries of
God's attributes, God's grace, God's love. Look at verse 11.
in whom we have obtained an inheritance." There's the work of the Son.
He redeemed us, He enlightened us, He enriched us. Now look
at verse 12, "...that we should be to the praise of His glory."
Huh? Why'd He do it? That men might
praise Him. Praise Him. All right, look at
verse 13, "...in whom you trusted." God doesn't save any man against
His will, He makes him willing. You trusted Christ. The Holy
Spirit enables me to believe, but I believe. The Holy Spirit
enables me to repent, but I repent. The Holy Spirit enables me to
come to Christ, but I come. "...in whom you trusted after
you heard the gospel, the word of truth." And look at verse
13, "...you were sealed with the Holy Spirit." Did you ever
watch a woman can? I know you never helped her.
Did you ever watch her? But they'll put those beans and stuff in
a jar and put a lid on it. And then they'll put it in hot
water or something. I think that's the way they do it. I never helped
either. But anyway, when they get through heating it where
they want it, they'll set it up on a shelf. And they'll go
on about their business, but they got their ears trained on
that jar of beans. And after a while, they'll hear
them go, what's happened? It's sealed. It won't spoil. Another one, it's sealed. It
won't spoil. The Holy Spirit enabled us to
hear the gospel, we heard it and trusted Christ, and He sealed
us, and they'll never fall. They're sealed with the Holy
Ghost. Verse 14, which is the earnest, that word earnest is
token or pledge of our inheritance until it all comes true, until
the redemption of the purchased possession. What's that next
line? To the praise of His glory. That's what I'm saying. Election,
God's choosing, God's grace, God's mercy, God's salvation
is all to His praise. The work of the Father, the work
of the Son, the work of the Spirit is all to the praise of His glory. He gives these three works in
three divisions, and at the end of each division He says, Praise
God. And that's what Paul is saying
over here in our text. We are bound to praise God, to
thank God. All right, look at the next word.
Election is a doctrine of love. Beloved of the Lord. God has
always loved us. Turn to Jeremiah 31. That's right,
I said just what I meant. God has always loved us. God
Almighty doesn't learn anything new or doesn't forget anything.
God doesn't change. The gifts and calling of God
are without change. God's always loved His people.
He said in Jeremiah 31, 13. The Lord hath appeared of old
unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved you with an everlasting
love. Therefore with lovingkindness
have I drawn thee." That's right. When you were drunk, God loved
you. That's right. When you were rebelling against
Him, He loved you. When Saul of Tarsus was killing
Christians, God loved him. He was one of God's own. And
God loves us in Christ. He loved us when we were unlovely.
Look at Ephesians chapter 2. Here it says in the second chapter
of Ephesians that we were just like other people, children of
wrath, following the lust of the flesh, fulfilling the desires
of the flesh and of the mind, but God who is rich in mercy
for his great love wherewith he loved us. We didn't love him,
he loved us. That's what it says, here in
his love. Not that we love God, he loved us. We love him because
he first loved us. That's right. He first loved
us. He chose us because He loved
us, and He loved us enough to give His Son. God so loved the
world that He gave His Son. What's more precious than a son?
What's a greater gift than the death of a son? That's how much
God loved us. Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made, And every stonk on earth
a quill, And every man a scribe by trade, To write the love of
God above, Or drain that ocean dry? Nor could the scroll contain
the whole, Though stretched from sky to sky." It's a doctrine
of love. If you can't preach it in love,
don't preach it. God loved His people. All right,
look at the next line. Paul says the election is a doctrine
of praise. Praise God. for his love. It's a doctrine of love. Look
at the third thing. Election is a doctrine of eternal
salvation because God hath from the beginning chosen you. Now, my friends, I want you to
take your Bibles and turn to Acts 15-18. This is a verse you
ought to know. Acts 15-18. Now listen to it. Acts 15-18. Is salvation God's
work or man's work? God's work. Is it the preacher's
work or God's work? God's work. Is it the church's
work or God's work? All right, read this. Known under
God are all His works from the beginning. From the beginning. All right, read this one, John
6, verse 64. John 6, verse 64. Listen to this
scripture. Christ said, there are some of
you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning
who they were that believed not, and who should betray him." Can
you tell me when the beginning is? Now, this is what it says,
God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation. Can you tell
me when the beginning was? Well, I'll tell you when it was.
The Scripture says John 1 in the beginning was the Word, and
the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The beginning was
when Christ, when Christ, Jesus the Lord, with the Father, created
the world. In the beginning, God created
the heavens and the earth. In the beginning. That's what
the scripture says. And 1 John 1 says, that which was from the
beginning. So you and I, in elective grace,
we go back a long time. We go back a long time. God hath
from the beginning when he declared in the beginning was the word,
when he declared that which was from the beginning, when he said
in the beginning he created the heaven and the earth. I date
back that far. Let me ask you three questions.
You answer them from the word of God. Did you choose God or
did he choose you? Now you have to say he chose
me because Christ said I chose you, you didn't choose me. It
says he chose us. The second question, when did
he choose you? Well, before the foundation of the world, that's
what the Bible said. Now the third question, why did he choose
you? Your neighbors, many of them
don't love the Bible, they don't love Christ, they don't love
the gospel. You do. Why? Even people in your own
family. When you were a child, brought
up around your table at home, there's your brother and sister,
mother and father, cousin, grandmother, granddaddy. Maybe you're the
only Christian. They ate the same food, went
to the same church, grew up under the same parents, lived in the
same community. Read the same Bible. How come
you know, believe, and trust, and they don't? You better than
they are? Uh-uh. You have to say this according
to the good pleasure of his own will. Christ said, Father, you've
hid these things from the wise and prudent and revealed it to
me. Who maketh you to differ? Paul
said in 1 Corinthians. What do you have that you have
not received? Now, if you received it, why
do you boast as if you didn't receive it? Who made you to differ? God made you to differ. He chose
you from the beginning. Now, watch this fourth thing
quickly, and I've got to hurry. Election, and this is the most
important thing I'm going to say tonight. Election is a doctrine
of redemption. We are bound to give thanks always
to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath
from the beginning chosen you, one little two-letter word, to
salvation. My friends, election is not salvation. It's unto salvation. No man in
this world is ever forgiven of his sins because he was elected.
No man is ever redeemed because he was elected. No man is ever
made a child of God because he was elected. No man is ever made
a new creature because he was elected, but because Christ died
for him. Now don't you forget that. Somebody
says, well, brother man, are you teaching that God elected
some to heaven and some to hell? I'm not teaching that, and I
don't know anybody that's got good sense that believes it.
That's right, I'm being honest now. I'm not trying to be facetious,
I'm being honest. It says here, you were elected
to salvation. Not to hell, to salvation. There's
no such thing taught in the Bible as a double election and a double
predestination. John R. Rice put out a whole
book with this title, Predestinated to Hell. No. Well, that's building
a straw man and beating the daylights out of him because nobody preaches
that. God elected men to salvation. Election's not the Savior. Nobody
said, well, if you teach election, you're teaching that a man will
be saved whether he ever hears the gospel. No, sir. He'll be
saved whether he ever believes on Christ. No, sir. Election
is not salvation. Christ is salvation. We're saved
because Christ lived and died. We're saved because we trust
Him, we believe Him, we rest in Him, we have received Him. We're righteous before God because
Christ obeyed the law for us and satisfied God's justice for
us. We're justified by faith. Elected to salvation. That's
what it says. God hath from the beginning chosen
you to salvation. And what's the next verse? Now,
election is a doctrine of holiness. Well, if you believe that, you
believe that a fellow can live just like he pleases, he can
live in sin and still go to heaven. Not what the Bible teaches. The
Bible teaches he has chosen us to salvation through what? Sanctification
of the Spirit. Brethren, any man who uses election
as an excuse for sin is a rebel. Any man who looks for an excuse
to sin and bases it on God's eternal choice is a rebel. Turn
to Ephesians 1, 4. Let me read one verse of Scripture
here, Ephesians 1, 4. According as he hath chosen us
in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should
be H-O-L-Y, what does that spell? Holy. Holy. If any man be in Christ, he's
a new creature. If he's not a new creature, he's
not in Christ, I don't care whether he's elected or not. If any man
have not the Spirit of Christ, he's none of his. And if you
have not the Spirit of Christ, it doesn't matter if you're elected
or non-elect, you are not his. If any man love not the Lord
Jesus Christ, let him be anathema, Marantha, accursed when Jesus
comes. If any man love not his brother,
the Scripture said he's a liar and the truth's not in him. That's
so. Election is a doctrine of sanctification,
a doctrine of holiness. And any man who knows Christ
in redeeming love and redeeming grace, the tenor of his life,
the bent of his will, the direction of his thoughts is holiness unto
the Lord. God has chosen you to sanctify
salvation through sanctification of the Spirit. Now the sixth
thing, and I close, it's a doctrine of me. God has chosen you to
salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and what? Belief
of the truth. Belief of the truth. Turn with
me to 1 Peter 1. Now, brethren, no man can be
saved without the gospel. The gospel is Christ, and Christ
is salvation. And in order to know Christ,
you've got to know the gospel. In order to receive Christ, you've
got to believe the gospel. In 1 Peter 1, verse 23, it says,
being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible seed
by the Word of God. The Holy Spirit is the agent
in the new birth. The Word of God is the seed,
the means. Turn to James, chapter 1, verse
18. In James, the first chapter, verse 18, the Scripture says
this, Of his own will, beget he us, gave he us life, with
the word of truth. That's how it comes, the word
of truth. Our gospel came not to you by
word only, but power through the Holy Ghost, and much assured.
How shall they call on him in whom they've not believed? And
how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?
And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they
preach except they be sent? Do you see that? John 10, verse
23, and then I close. And Jesus walked in the temple
in Solomon's porch. And then came the Jews round
about him, and said to him, How long do you make us to doubt?
If you be the Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus answered them,
I told you, and you didn't believe me. The works that I do in my
Father's name, they told you. They bear witness of me. But
you believe not, because you are not of my sheep. As I said
unto you, my sheep hear my voice." That's how they come. He calls
them through the gospel. Have you felt your sins? Have
you felt your dead works? Have you felt your inability?
Have you seen Christ as your righteousness? Have you seen
Christ as your justifier? Have you seen Christ as your
mediator? Have you cried, Lord Jesus, have
mercy upon me, a sinner? Have you believed on Him? Have
you received Him? How did that take place? God
had chosen by the foolishness of preaching to save them that
believe. That's how men are brought to
Christ, the preaching of God's Word. What is election? Well, it's a doctrine of praise. A doctrine of praise, praise
unto our Lord. It's a doctrine of love, beloved
of the Lord. It's a doctrine of eternal choice,
God hath from the beginning. It's a doctrine of redemption,
chosen you to salvation. It's a doctrine of holiness,
through sanctification of the Spirit. It's a doctrine of means,
through belief of the truth. And it's precious to all who
know it. Our Father, bless Thy word, that
our prophet chiefly to thy glory." We're not here to win friends
and converts and followers to ourselves. We're here that men
might turn their eyes on Christ, that they might see not a defeated,
frustrated Jesus who has a will that he cannot accomplish and
a purpose and a program he cannot fulfill, but to kiss the

Another Look at Election

What does the Bible say about election?

How do we know election is true?

Why is election important for Christians?

What are the consequences of not believing in election?

Sermon Transcript

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Another Look at Election

What does the Bible say about election?

How do we know election is true?

Why is election important for Christians?

What are the consequences of not believing in election?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

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