Election in God’s Plan of Salvation

Transcript

GRM 983
7/29/2007
Election in God's Plan of Salvation
I Peter 1:1-2
Gil Rugh


This morning we are going to be looking in the book of I Peter in your Bibles, I Peter 1. This will have a connection to our consideration out of James 1 in our previous study, although we will not be building on that study. In James 1, James talked about the place of trials, testing in our lives as believers. And it is interesting that the letter of Peter has as its theme suffering. And it's just a reminder that through the scripture, and particularly through the New Testament, the letters to the churches, the reminder is constantly there of the trials, the pressures, the difficulties that come upon us as God's people as we faithfully walk with Him and serve Him in this world. And the difficulties for the readers of Peter's letter are intense. Look over in chapter 4 verse 12, Peter says, beloved do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you. Peter was a man acquainted with trials and difficulties, sufferings and hardships, so it's not light thing that he would describe the trials of his readers as a fiery ordeal. It comes upon you for your testing. Remember, God brings trials and testings into our lives to refine us, to purify us, to prepare us for glory. Don't be surprised as though some strange thing were happening to you. This is not unusual for believers to suffer. Often our first response is, what's wrong? Why is this happening? And in many ways that's the lot of a believer in this world, a world of darkness, a world that opposes our Savior, the god of this world is opposed to all those who belong to the Savior, and so on. But to the degree you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so also that at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exaltation.

Suffering is a major theme in this letter. Words for suffering are used about 15 times, but that's put in perspective, because the word grace is used 10 times in this short letter. The word glory is used 10 times in this letter. So we put our sufferings in perspective as we are reminded of God's grace, which is preparing us for glory beyond the comprehension. And that focuses out attention on our God who is sovereign and rules over all. And as we noted when we studied testings in James, He is with us, He cares for us, and He is the source of our strength.

So really the book of I Peter is about God. You know the names God appears 39 times in this short letter. It's almost an average of 8 times a chapter that Peter refers to God, and that doesn't include the other names that would refer to God like Father and so on. Just the name God is used 39 times, because we need to be reminded we have a God who is sovereign, He rules over all, He is in charge of all and our times are in His hands. Where Peter is going to start out is reminding his readers of their salvation and the wonder of their salvation, and that their salvation is a result of the work of the triune God. And that puts everything in life in perspective. Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, has been involved in an intimate and personal way in my life and the result of that work of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I belong to the living God and live this life as a stranger and pilgrim in this world, looking forward to a home prepared for me in glory.

I want you to note who Peter is specifically writing to. Doesn't become real clear in our English translation, but it's a very important note in this letter. He starts our in verse 1 of chapter 1, Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who are chosen. Now as often happens when going from one language to another, here from Greek to English, sometimes the translators rearranged things to smooth it out in our English, and that's necessary. But here I think some of the point is lost. You might get the idea he is writing to those who reside as aliens who are chosen, but this is generally to believers wherever they are. But this is the specific group of believers that he is addressing. Literally, he begins here, to the elect sojourners of the dispersion, to the elect sojourners of the dispersion. We have it to those who reside as aliens who are chosen. And then we have the regions where they are scattered. But literally, it's to the elect sojourners. We're going to talk about the word elect and election in a moment.

But the sojourners, the aliens of the dispersion, those scattered. The word dispersion, they are said to be scattered, they are of the diaspora. That's the Greek word here, diaspora. It becomes almost a technical expression for Jews who have been scattered out away from the land of Palestine.

Go back to John 7. And here during Jesus' earthly ministry, verse 32, the Pharisees heard the crowd muttering, thinking maybe that Jesus is the prophesied Christ of Old Testament scriptures, and the chief priests and the Pharisees are looking for an opportunity to seize Him. And Jesus said in verse 33, for a little while longer I am with you. Then I go to Him who sent Me. You will seek Me and will not find Me, where I am you cannot come. Of course He is talking about returning to heaven to His Father. But verse 35, the Jews listening are confused. They said to one another, where does this Man intend to go that we will not find Him? He is not intending to go to the dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks, is He? The dispersion, the diaspora, among the Greeks refers to Jews who had left Palestine. Diaspora, the word spora meaning a seed being sown, scattered; dia, through. So something sown throughout, and it's used today to Jews scattered outside of Palestine. They are still part of the diaspora. Here these Jews in Palestine say, will He go to the diaspora, the dispersion among the Greeks and preach to the Greeks? Not that He would go to Gentiles, but He would go to the Jews who had become Hellenized. They had moved and scattered outside of Palestine, now they live and have been absorbed, if you will, into the Greek culture, Greek language and so on. What I want you to note is the word dispersion here, the diaspora. Even while Jesus was on earth it became the expression the Jews referred to Jews scattered outside of Palestine.

Come back to James 1. It begins, James, the bond servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the 12 tribes of the diaspora. We have it to the 12 tribes dispersed abroad. They are the 12 tribes of the diaspora. So both Peter and James were writing to Jews who had become believers, who had been scattered away from Palestine for various reasons, including persecution. And yet they are now believers in Jesus Christ so the truth is sent to them by these two writers.

Turn back to Peter. You can jot down Galatians 2:7-9. There the Apostle Paul says that God specifically appointed him to be an apostle to the Gentiles, just like He specifically appointed Peter to be an apostle to the Jews. So even though Paul preached to Jews, the primary focus of his ministry was to Gentiles. And even though Peter preached to Jews and Gentiles, the primary focus of his ministry was to the Jews. I just remind you of that because when you work through Peter you have to keep in mind he is writing to Jewish believers scattered outside of Palestine. Some of what he says will apply specifically and only to them, whereas other things that he says will apply to all of us. For example chapter 2 verse 9, but you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession. The church is not a holy nation, believing Israel is that line of God's chosen people, Israel, that demonstrates God's faithfulness. In writing to the Romans, the Apostle Paul says, has God cast away His people whom He foreknew? May it never be. God hasn't completely cast away the Jewish nation, Israel. Then Paul goes on to say, I, too, am a Jew, I'm of the tribe of Benjamin. And his salvation is an indication that God is not done with Israel. There is yet a believing remnant that will culminate in the salvation of the nation at a yet future time, when according to chapter 11 about verse 26, all Israel will be saved.

Now I mention that, you have to be careful, otherwise people come and think, the church has become Israel because now the church is a chosen race. We are not a race, we are all kinds of races here. And the church is comprised of different races all around the world. But Israel is a nation, it is a race of people. So we come to this, and don't be set off by verse 10, you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God, had not received mercy, but now you've received mercy, as though that refers to Gentiles. Go back and read Hosea 1:6-10, Hosea 2:1, Hosea 2:23. That quote comes from Hosea. God is talking about Israel, that because of sin came under judgment and were rejected by Him. But He said, I've not cast you off permanently. Those who were not My people will be My people once again.

So he is writing to the dispersion, and the elect of the dispersion. To the elect sojourners of the dispersion, those who are aliens, pilgrims, living in this world, the elect. We have to talk about the word elect. I want to talk about election, foreknowledge, sanctification, obedience. Elect. Some people say, I don't believe in election. Well, I am saddened to hear that, because that means you don't believe the Bible. We all believe in election ___________ Bible-believing Christians. How do I know? Well the word translated chosen here is the Greek word eklectos. We just carry it over, elect. So Peter is writing to the elect sojourners of this dispersion. Now you may have a different view of election than someone else, but you have to study the scripture because, yes, I believe in election. I don't believe in it the way some other people may believe in it, but of course I believe in it, because the Bible says He has elected, God has elected, He has chosen. The word means to choose, select some. So he is writing to the elect Jews who are scattered outside of Palestine, that believing remnant in Israel. How they've come to know Christ we're not sure, perhaps some of them on the Day of Pentecost when people from all parts of the Roman Empire had come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Pentecost. And in Acts 2 they heard Peter preach the gospel, and 3,000 are saved, and many of them would have returned to their home areas. Things like that would have been part of the ways that God used.

Election simply refers to God's sovereign work in choosing from among fallen, sinful human beings some to come to faith in Christ. Now as soon as we hear that, we think, oh, I'm troubled by this. Well, that's not surprising. You understand that at the root of our sin is our sovereign control. We think man must be in charge, but he's not. That's why the book of I Peter mentions God by name 39 times. He is sovereign, He is in control, we are not. Now the doctrine of election, what troubles us is we talk about God choosing some to salvation and not choosing others, that's just not fair. Well first we have to understand that when God does choosing, He is choosing from among fallen, sinful human beings. All of us have sinned, all of us have fallen short of the glory of God. There is none of us, not one of us righteous or good in the sight of God. That's what we have in common in our humanity. We are all sinners, there is none righteous, no not one. All have sinned. There is not a righteous man on the earth who does good and never sins, the Old Testament tells us. That person just does not exist. And the wages of sin is death. In that sense every person born into the human race is on the same ground of equality. We are all lost sinners. And the penalty for our sin is death—physical death, spiritual death, eternal death. Eternal separation from God in hell is the payment for sin. Salvation is provided by Jesus Christ, the Son of God, coming and dying on the cross. We'll get to that in a moment in Peter, but let me bring it to the fore right now.

Those chosen of God who will come to believe in His Son, but anyone and everyone is invited to come and can come if they want. Jesus said while He was on earth, come unto Me all you who labor and are heavyladen, and I will give you rest. All of you, anyone, come to Me. God says whosoever will call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Anyone who wants to be, can be saved. So don't walk out of here saying, well, Gil Rugh at Indian Hills, he just believes that a certain select few can be saved and too bad for the rest. No, you understand anybody who wants to be, can be saved, anywhere in the world, day or night. Of the billions of people in the world, anyone of them who wants to be saved can be saved. The problem is whether men want to be or not. And the biblical indication is men don't want to be saved. They are in rebellion against God, they are in opposition to God, they will have it their way. They will have it according to their church, my religious beliefs. God says, no, it will be My way, that's the only way to heaven. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but by Me. There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man, Christ Jesus. Only one mediator between God and men. Anybody else trying to come any other way is on the way to hell. You say, that's awfully narrow. That's what Jesus said. The gate to life is narrow, the road to life is narrow. There are few that find it. The gate to destruction is broad, the road to destruction is broad, and many travel that way. So we don't have any disagreement. We are all sinners, there is only one way to heaven and that is through Jesus Christ. Now God offers His salvation to all, but because we are sinners, selfish and stubborn and disobedient, we are unwilling to place our faith in Christ. God in sovereign mercy has chosen from among fallen sinful humanity to do a special work of grace and draw some to Himself. That's the biblical doctrine of election.

When did it happen? Turn back to Ephesians 1. And we are doing more of an overview, there are materials available at Sound Words if you would like to pursue these matters a little more in depth, and some of the studies and tapes we did in Peter and other places. Ephesians 1:3, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ, just as He chose us in Him. There is our word, to elect, to choose. He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. So when did this work of choosing take place? Before the world was created God sovereignly determined that He would select out from among fallen sinful human beings some for Himself.

Go to Romans 9. Paul in his writings that we're looking at now presents this as a great encouragement to God's people. Peter is doing the same thing. He's starting out talking about the sufferings, the fiery ordeal they are going through. But let's start out by focusing attention on God and the wonder of it all, that you are the object of His special affection and love. The triune God has been involved in your salvation, now you belong to Him, and that puts everything in life in perspective. In Romans 9 Paul talks about God's choice. In verse 11 he talks about choosing from among twins, had the same father and the same mother and they are twins. And yet before they were born and had done anything good or bad, according to verse 11, so that God's purpose according to His choice, according to election might stand. Not because of works but because of Him who calls, it was said, the older will serve the younger. Jacob I loved but Esau I've hated. And right away we say, is there injustice with God? That's just not fair. Paul's response is may it never be. The Greek expression is magnoito, such a thought is inconceivable. We may not be able to resolve all of our questions, but one of the answers we know for sure is it's not that God could be unjust or unfair.

The next verse, for He says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy. I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. So that it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. Verse 18, so He has mercy on whom He desires, He hardens whom He desires. You know we might as well face up to reality, God doesn't owe us anything. God is not obligated to save anyone. We often use the angels as an example. You know what? The angels in one act of rebellion rebelled against God and for all time and all eternity they are under condemnation and will spend eternity in hell. God is not obligated. He never provided salvation for them. For God to be just all He has to do is punish sin. He doesn't have to be merciful. That's why God says in verse 15, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy. You can't deserve mercy. If it's deserved, it's not mercy. So we're talking about what God is going to do for the human race, every single one who has rebelled against Him. One option is do the same thing He is doing with the angels—send them all to hell. That will be fair, that will be just, they will get what they deserve. But God is determined to do something different for human beings than He did for the angels. He provided His Son to be the Savior, to come to this earth, become a human being Himself and suffer and die on the cross to pay the penalty for sin. And God offers His mercy to everyone. Come unto Me all you who labor and are heavyladen and I will give you rest. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, in order that whosoever believes in Him might not perish but have everlasting life. He that has the Son has life, he that has not the Son of God shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on Him. It's simple. There is a cure for your disease. The disease is sin and it will destroy you. The cure is Jesus Christ. Believe in Him.

Why isn't everybody on the face of the earth saved? They don't want to believe. Churches are filled today with people, but they are offended if you tell them they're going to hell unless they believe in Christ, as though going to a church building will save them, getting baptized will save them, being confirmed will save them. God never said that. But my church teaches it. Then your church is teaching you how to get to hell. Stay on the road you're on. So God in sovereign mercy has reached down to this rebellious groups of people and through the work of His Spirit He will move some. Why doesn't He move all? Because He is sovereign. He will have mercy on whom He will have mercy, He will have compassion on whom He has compassion. And He doesn't see Himself as accountable to me. So He can have mercy on whom He has mercy. Just because you show mercy to someone doesn't mean therefore if you don't show mercy to everyone you are not a fair person. When I lived in Philadelphia I used to go to the city mission, would walk the streets and people were begging. And I'd stop, sometimes I'd give some money to someone, sometimes I'd buy them something to eat or drink. But I didn't do that to every single needy person in the city. Oh, you're not a fair person then. No, I could show mercy on whom I chose to show mercy. Because I show mercy to one person doesn't mean I have to show it to everyone. God is gracious. He so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. Anyone who wants to, come.

Okay, so that's election. That's not everything that could be said about election. Turn over to II Timothy 1. Paul is telling his faithful servant, the one that he has prepared to carry on the ministry after he is gone with other men that he has equipped and trained. He tells Timothy, verse 7, God has not given us a spirit of timidity, a spirit of cowardice. That doesn't come from the Lord. You know that fear I have, that reluctance, that shrinking back from sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with that lost person, that doesn't come from God. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner. Join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, who saved us, called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity. We can't get saved by our works, you know why? The problem is I'm a sinner, I'm already condemned, I'm on death row, I am already sentenced to hell, if you will. I need mercy. So He called us with a holy calling according to His own purpose and grace.

Turn over to II Timothy 2:10, for this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, the elect, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus, with it eternal glory. You know if I don't have a good handle on my salvation and how it came about, that it was the sovereign work of God, it is God's work and not man's work, I will begin to corrupt the process of presenting the gospel. Remember when Paul came to Corinth? We have studied Corinthians, some of you have been here for that from the beginning. He said, when I came to the city of Corinth I determined to know nothing among you except what? Jesus Christ and Him crucified. There are people who think that we'll do good works. What could we do if people only knew how nice believers really are, they would be more receptive to our ministry. If we only had a softer, more loving approach to them, they would be more receptive to our ministry. If we would only spend more time meeting their needs and showing them we're interested in them, they would be more receptive to the gospel. None of those things in and of themselves are wrong, but the theology is a lie. It fails to come to the grips with the depravity of the human heart. Humanly speaking, the failure of Jesus Christ during His 3-year public ministry....... You know after three years of public ministry in Palestine, relatively limited area, He had riled up so many people that they crucified Him. What did He do wrong? Should have spent more time softening them up, more time winning friends and influencing people. Of course not. What about the Apostle Paul? He comes to Corinth. How much time did he spend trying to deal with infanticide, trying to deal with sexual promiscuity, trying to deal with fill-in-the-blank. When I came here I just had one thing I'm going to deal with, one issue I'm going to address—your sin. Jesus is the Savior, He is the crucified one. I'm enduring all things for the sake of those who were chosen so that they may come to salvation. We're doing all we can to get as many people as we can to like us. You can't soften the human heart by goodness and kindness. Now again, don't misunderstand. I'm not saying we as believers shouldn't be good people, kind people, loving people. I'm saying that's not the reason people aren't saved. Is there anyone who has more mercy than God? Is there anyone more gracious than God? Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, walked this earth and after three years of public ministry is crucified. He told them the truth, that's what He told them. You want to kill me, a Man who has told you the truth. People like us if we do nice things, but that doesn't mean they are more open to our Savior.

Try it out this week. Go to your closest friends and sit down and tell them, I have to tell you something, it can't wait. You are lost and on your way to hell, you are a sinner without hope in the world. Jesus Christ, God's Son........ Not saying to say it in a way that will purposefully offend them, but you have to present the truth. Do it this week, do it for the month of August. Find out then how many friends are still your friends. I want to be your friend, but the truth is offensive, the gospel is offensive. That's why God had to intervene in mercy and grace to bring us to salvation. Salvation is a sovereign work of God. The fact that you are sitting here, a believer in Jesus Christ, ought to cause you to fall before Him and say, God, why did I receive your mercy? Why did you get mercy? You don't deserve it, you can't deserve mercy. Why was He compassionate on you? You can't deserve compassion. These things are undeserved, unmerited. It's grace.

All right, back to I :Peter 1. How does this election work out? They are elect. Three prepositional phrases that modify our election and explain it. They are elect according to the foreknowledge of God, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, unto obedience and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Three prepositional phrases—according to foreknowledge, by the Spirit, unto obedience. And following there.

According to the foreknowledge of God. God's foreknowledge is His sovereignly determining to place His love on certain ones. Remember who Peter is writing to. He's writing to Jews who have become believers in Jesus Christ. The background for the Jews is what? The Old Testament. When Peter tells them they are elect according to the foreknowledge of God, what would be the background for these Jews? Well, what did Adam do? Adam knew his wife Eve and she conceived. There the Hebrew word to know is used. When he knew his wife, what did that mean? Anybody knows, right? He knew his wife and she conceived. It means they had intimate relationship and a child was conceived. The word to know carries what? A sense of intimacy, an expression of love. Not just to have facts about someone.

Come back to Genesis 18. Some people read this and say that simply means God foreknew who would believe. He doesn't say He would foreknow who would believe, it says it's according to the foreknowledge of God. They were chosen according to the foreknowledge of God. We read into that, that He foreknew that they would believe. We'll see that won't make any sense. In Genesis 18 God is talking about Abraham and He's going to tell him that He intends to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. Look at verse 18, since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed, for I have chosen him. There the Hebrew word is I have known him. Some of you have that as a marginal note in your Bible. So that he may command his children and his household after him. Well God is omniscient, He knows everything and everyone. But when He says I have known him, Abraham, He's talking about something special. Our Bible translates it chosen him. I have placed My love upon him, I have decided he will be the object of My special intimate affection, and thus from him will come the nation that I choose for Myself.

Turn over to Jeremiah 1. We sang from the writings of Jeremiah, particularly in Lamentations in our songs this morning. Jeremiah 1:5, God says to Jeremiah in the context of calling him and appointing him to his prophetic ministry. Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, verse 5. Well if God is omniscient, He knew every single person who has ever been formed in the womb before they were formed in the womb. It's a meaningless statement unless there is something special here for Jeremiah's case. Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I consecrated you. Before you were born from the womb I consecrated you and set you apart? I appointed you a prophet to the nations. So to know him, I chose you, I selected you to be special before Me, I have a relationship with you that is unique.

You could jot down Amos 2:3. God says to Israel, you only have I known among all the families of the earth. Might be translated chosen in you Bible. You only have I known among all the families.......... God says to Israel, you are the only nation I have known among all the nations. In other words, God is not omniscient, the only nation He knows anything about is Israel. No. That's the only nation He has placed His love on, that's the only nation as a nation He has chosen for Himself.

Now this is the background these Jews have. When Peter writes to these Jews and says, God chose you according to His foreknowledge. Oh yes, that's what He says about Abraham, that's what He said about Jeremiah, that's what He says about Israel. And we could go through a number of other passages in the Old Testament as well. And every Jew would agree, God has placed His favor upon the nation Israel, and these believing Jews would understand and we as believing Israel have been the special recipients of His saving grace, His mercy, His loving knowledge, if you will.

Come back to Peter. The word foreknowledge is used five times of God in the New Testament, so there is a good study for you—Acts 2:23, Romans 8:29, Romans 11:2, I Peter 1:2, and I Peter 1:18-19. And we're going to look at the two verses in I Peter, we're in the process of looking at I Peter 1:2, but look down in I Peter 1:18-19. You were redeemed, not with perishable things like gold or silver, the things you inherit from your parents. You were redeemed, verse 19, with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. Now verse 20, for He was foreknown before the foundation of the world. God did not just look down the corridors of time and see that Christ would be crucified, so included it in His plan. One book that caused quite a stir, written on Calvinism and Arminianism, I was interested, I couldn't find anywhere in the scriptural index or as I went through the book. Somehow this book on foreknowledge got dropped out. He was foreknown. What did God foreknow about Him? That He would believe, that He would be faithful? No, He foreknew Him, He placed His love on Him, He chose Him, He selected Him. This was God's sovereign plan for Christ, to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

So we have been chosen by God's foreknowledge. Why? I don't know. He has mercy on whom He has mercy, He has compassion on whom He has compassion. I don't know why He would choose you. That has to be a puzzle to everyone else. Why did He choose me? That has to be a puzzle to you. But He did.

We were chosen by the foreknowledge of God, we're chosen by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, back in I Peter 1:2. The word sanctify means to set apart, it's the same basic word we have as saint and as holy. Sanctified, saint and holy, all come from the same root Greek word. Basic idea is to be set apart. God is holy because He is set apart from sin, we are to be holy be being set apart from sin. We have become saints because we have been set apart from the world, from sin, by God for Himself. We are sanctified by the Spirit, set apart by the Spirit. So God chose us for Himself as those upon whom He would put His affection and love and it is the sanctifying work of the Spirit who sets us apart for God. By the sanctifying work of the Spirit. That's why Paul said in II Timothy in the passage we read, I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they might come to the salvation which is in Jesus Christ. Paul saw himself going everywhere preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, offending people right and left, creating riots in towns and cities, because he knew when the elect heard the gospel, the Spirit of God would use the gospel in their heart and they would be drawn to believe. Now be careful. That doesn't mean that just because a person reacted negatively or rejected the gospel God is done with him. Because Paul heard the gospel a number of times before he was gloriously saved. And the gospel he heard so offended him, he became a major persecutor of the early church. But the last chapter wasn't written yet, because God intended to save him. So don't think, I went out and shared the gospel with 30 people, and all I did was create a lot of enemies. No, all you did was sow the seed of the gospel so that the Spirit could do with that seed as God intended to be done. We need to be careful we don't get sidetracked. Salvation is God's work. It is through the preaching of the gospel that the work of the Spirit will take place.

That brings us to the third prepositional phrase here, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, unto obedience. To obey Jesus Christ. Unto obedience and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. The Jesus Christ in the phrase here in the flow here is connected with the sprinkling of the blood. It's unto obedience and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. In other words, God sovereignly chose us through His foreknowledge, determination to place His love upon us and enter into a relationship of intimacy with us. The Spirit of God goes out among fallen people and sets apart, if you will, draws out those that God has chosen by His foreknowledge. And they are set apart and it's unto obedience. They are to obey. The obedience here is obeying the gospel. They become obedient to God, God commands all everywhere, every single person in every single place, God commands all everywhere to repent. For He has appointed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead. Now that's the command of God. You either obey it or you disobey it. If you obey it, you enter into life; if you disobey it, you continue on the road to destruction.

Turn over to I John 3:23, this is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ. You either obey that command or you don't. Don't get confused here. Salvation is not by works. But the obedience of faith is not a work, it's a result of the Spirit of God moving us to believe. So obedience and faith in that sense become synonymous, because he is talking about obeying the gospel by believing it, because God has commanded us to believe. And when you don't obey that commandment, you disobey; when you obey, you believe.

Come back to Romans 1. These expressions are repeatedly used interchangeably and connectedly. Romans 1:5 Paul talks about his ministry as an apostle. Romans 1:5, that through Jesus Christ we have received grace and apostleship. Note this, to bring about the obedience of faith among the Gentiles. Remember Paul in Galatians said he was the apostle whose ministry focused on the Gentiles? I am minister of the gospel to bring about the obedience of faith among the Gentiles, that they would hear the gospel and believe it, they would obey it.

You know in the Bible, we enter into God's saving grace at the moment of our salvation, when we believe. And we continue to live in that grace and by that grace. We are saved by grace, we live by grace. We believe, truly believe, God for the first time when we believe the gospel. But from that point on we live a life of faith, we become obedient to God for the first time in our life when we believe in Jesus Christ. We obey by believing the gospel. But the rest of our life, now, is a life of obedience. We ought not to get confused. No one anywhere in the world ever believes God, ever obeys God who has not believed in His Son, Jesus Christ. That's why the Bible says, there is none who seeks after God, no not even one. What about all the religious people in the world, all over the world, sometimes sacrificing so much as they seek God? Well the Bible says they don't seek Him. They've created their own God and now they are seeking that God that they've made, according to Romans 1. So we don't want to get confused here. That's why I said we have to have our theology of salvation clear. People say well the doctrine of election is not essential, whatever it is, I'm accepted. Well wait a minute, I don't understand how salvation works. We have people out doing good works, thinking that will result in people getting saved. It will not. The unregenerate, ungodly heart, the depraved heart......... We don't understand sin, we think it will be softened by good works. Not saying believers don't do good works, but you understand, Jesus Christ did the greatest good works, He healed the sick, He raised the dead, and they crucified Him. Because the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked above all things.

I say that because we need to be sure we are following the instruction of scripture, the example set down for us by our Savior, by Paul, Peter and the apostles. We go and preach Christ. You can't preach Christ to a hungry person. I've done it many times. Doesn't mean if I have opportunity, I won't feed them. But you know what? They die of starvation, it's much more important that they hear the gospel and believe in Christ than they go to hell on a full stomach. Go to heaven on an empty stomach. Oh I don't think people will hear if their needs aren't met. Well, we don't understand depravity.

So you see what happens when our doctrine of salvation is not clear, then the purpose and function and the way believers function and the church functions gets turned off half a twist. You understand we are no longer going the right direction. We should be going here, and we're going here. And we think we're going here because we're going to end up here. It isn't going to happen. We can't be confused on the doctrine of salvation. People must come to believe the gospel, they must come to obey the gospel.

Come to Romans 10:16, great section on salvation. Verse 14, remember whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved. That verse is quoted again, it's quoted in Acts 2 on the Day of Pentecost. It's quoted from the Old Testament—Joel 2. Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? How they will hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they be sent? So then, verse 17, faith comes from hearing and hearing by the Word of God. That's what it's about. We think, well we don't do enough good works, we don't do this, we don't do that. You know what they need? They need to hear the gospel, they need to hear the gospel, they need to hear the gospel. The church is the pillar and support of the truth. There are many organizations, government organizations, social organizations, religious organizations trying to meet the physical needs of people, but there is only one organism established on the earth through which people will hear the gospel. That's the church of Jesus Christ. We must not be diverted. Why aren't more people getting saved? Well, how many people have heard the gospel from you this week?

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Nobody gets saved who doesn't hear the gospel. We think, I tried to share the gospel with two people but they didn't like it, so I'm going to mow their lawn for a month and then I'm going to try again. Well go ahead. But remember _________________________ be presenting the gospel. I'm not against doing kind deeds, but you understand the issue is the gospel. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.

But we came here for a different reason. Romans 10:16, however they did not all heed the good news. That word translated heed, that's the word to obey that we're talking about, unto obedience. They did not all obey the good news. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our report? You see believe and obey are used interchangeably. That's why unbelievers, those who have not believed in Christ, are called the sons of disobedience. Their whole life can be characterized by one word—disobedience. The unregenerate person never obeys God. The first act of true obedience to God is when he places his faith in Jesus Christ. I don't want to confuse people, I don't want to be mean, I want to be kind and loving.

I had a doctor's appointment this week. I didn't go there for the doctor to say nice things about me. We had a nice conversation, enjoyed it. But what I really want to know from him is how am I doing. Check this mole. Oh don't worry about it, everybody has moles. That wasn't what he was doing, but just an example. But if that mole is showing signs of cancer, I don't want him to be nice to me because nobody wants to hear they have cancer. So, I wouldn't tell him, and then he tells his nurses not to tell him, that wouldn't be nice. Well, I have the gospel, I know it's moronic, it's stupid, it's offensive to unregenerate people. But until they hear it and believe it they are lost. They must come to obedience, the obedience of faith.

One more verse in Romans, Romans 16:26. Verse 25, now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel, the preaching of Jesus Christ. This is what it's all about, the gospel, proclaiming Jesus Christ. This was hidden down through history until Christ came and suffered and died. Verse 26, now it's been manifested and by the scriptures and the prophets according to the commandment of the eternal God, it's been made to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith. Paul says that's what my ministry is all about, I'm going all over the Gentile world telling them to believe in Jesus Christ, obey the gospel and be saved. That's what it's about.

We have to come back to I Peter. You could look at chapter 2 verse 8. He talks about those who were disobedient to the Word, those who are lost and doomed to hell because they are disobedient to the Word. Chapter 3 verse 1 talks about unbelieving husbands as those, I Peter 3:1, who are disobedient to the Word. Chapter 4 verse 17, judgment is coming and what will be the outcome? The end of verse 17, for those who do not obey the gospel of God, good news concerning His Son. It's an issue of obedience and disobedience. You can share the gospel, why are you always disobedient to God? Why do you refuse to obey Him? I don't, I'm just as religious as you are, I've been baptized, I go to church. Yes, but God said that's all disobedience. We don't want to delude them into thinking, it's good you try to obey God. It's not good to try to obey God. Unregenerate people are never trying to obey God, they are deluded, they live in spiritual darkness, they've deceived themselves. They are not trying to obey. If they wanted to obey God, they'd just obey Him. Believe in His Son, Jesus Christ. I can tell you how you can quit trying to please God—obey God and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. That's why Christ came and died.

So I Peter 1 says that we are elect unto obedience. That begins the life of obedience. The first act of obedience is faith in Christ, and then it's a life. And the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Any Jew would know exactly what he is saying. We don't have time to go back but Exodus 24, Hebrews 9, when Moses established the covenant between God and Israel, he slew the animals and took the blood and sprinkled it on the people. Now the provisions of this covenant cover you, the blood has been applied. So when you place your faith in Jesus Christ, the blood of Christ is applied to you, so that down in verse 19 Peter can say, you were redeemed, not with perishable things, but with the precious blood of a Lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. These Jews are reminded, Jesus Christ's death has been applied to your account, you become the beneficiary of His death. His blood is applied to you.

That's the wonder of our salvation. You'll note here, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit have all been personally and intimately involved in our salvation. What a wonderful salvation. We're not out with something exclusive, we go out and offer to everyone. I know everyone is not going to believe it, but Paul said in II Corinthians 2, everywhere he went people heard the gospel, they were given an opportunity to believe. You come and hear the gospel. Have you believed? Not, were you raised in this church; not, do you come here every week. Are you continuing to live in disobedience to the living God? Are you continuing to refuse to obey Him by bowing in faith and placing your faith in His Son? I think my coming here ought to be good enough. I come, I listen, I do what everybody else does. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, didn't we do many might things in your name and .......... I never knew you. You only enter into life by placing your faith in Jesus Christ.

Let's pray together. Thank you, Lord, that you are a saving God. The wonder of it all. The wonder is not that people are lost and on their way to hell, we all were. Lord, we were deserving of hell. Our only testimony is grace, mercy. We were recipients of grace. Why you? I don't know. It's in the mind of the eternal God who is gracious and merciful. And Lord, yet it's wonderful to know that anyone is invited to come, everyone is invited to come. How sad, how tragic that men, women and young people choose to continue in their rebellion, continue to reject the wonder of your love, the love that caused you to give your only begotten Son to die on the cross so that anyone who believes in Him could be forgiven, would not have to perish, but have eternal life. Lord, I pray for those who are gathered here today, that they might consider carefully, each one, their relationship with you, the wonder of your love. And Lord, for those of us who have experienced that love, the joy and privilege of trusting in Jesus Christ alone as our Savior, Lord, may we never lose sight of the wonder of the gift of salvation that has come from you, the sovereign God. We praise you in Christ's name, amen.