God’s Election is Unconditional

Transcript

GRM 543
11/02/1997
God's Election Is Unconditional
Selected Verses
Gil Rugh

I want to pick up on a subject that we touched on in our study of Colossians a couple of weeks ago on Sunday morning where as the apostle Paul was exhorting us regarding our conduct in Colossians chapter 3 verse 12 he said, “so as those who have been chosen of God holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness [and so on.]” I want to talk with you tonight and look into the Scripture on the subject of the sovereignty of God particularly as it relates to the doctrine of election. This is a subject we have considered at various times and from different perspectives. Probably the fullest treatment that we have given it has been in our studies of Romans chapter 9 where Paul walks through a rather detailed consideration of the subject of God’s sovereignty in His work of salvation. And particularly as regards to choosing of individuals to experience His salvation. I want to approach it in a litter different way in our study today. More topically than looking into an exposition of Romans chapter 9.

It’s a subject I think that we need to be clear on. I receive a newsletter, actually a number of them, but one has done articles from time to time on the subject of election and the sovereignty of God. And one from a few years ago was entitled, “Thinking Together.” But we don’t think together on this subject. He thinks that those who hold the view that I am going to represent tonight are really turning men into machines. And we have done away with the humanness of humanity and made men and women little machines. And he says, “Salvation in this view comes not to whosoever will but only those who are the objects of unconditional election. By this they mean that the divine choice is the only factor in one’s personal salvation. The individual makes no choice, bears no responsibility and is not consulted in his own salvation.” I don’t think he is exactly correct in the way he represents this view, but I do believe in unconditional election which is simply God elects or chooses not conditioned by anything that we do. It is an unconditioned choice rather than being conditioned by something in us.


In a more recent newsletter on the subject of election, he says, “This subject despite its importance is made known to many Christians and misunderstood by many more.” And from my perspective he is one of the “many more” who misunderstand it. He makes the point “divine election is according to the foreknowledge of God. This means that election is a special standing before God that comes to the individual on the basis of divine foreknowledge. God foreknows. He sees in advance that we will accept Christ as personal Savior and become His children. He therefore elects us on the basis of our faith already having been exercised in Christ.” So you see he believes in a conditional election. It is conditioned by people believing in Christ. And when you believe in Christ, then God chooses or elects you on the basis of your having believed. “In salvation we exercise faith in the finished work of Christ. We choose Him in response to the invitation that whosoever will. In election we, now saved, are sealed by God.” So he really sees election as a follow up to our salvation rather than the cause or foundation of it. And this is not an uncommon view.

I think all of us struggle with the subject of the sovereignty of God. The sovereignty of God and the will of man, the responsibility of man, the free will of man. There is something in the doctrine of the sovereignty of God that strikes at the heart of human pride. For me to be told that I did nothing and God did everything is a humbling thing to consider, and yet I believe it is a biblical truth. So, let’s just simply walk through what the Scripture says about God and His character, our condition, His conduct and this whole subject of God’s sovereignty. We will be focusing it in primarily as that sovereignty relates to salvation, but we will start out a little more broadly.

One thing to keep in mind as we study the Scripture in every area but in this area particularly. We study the Scripture to find out what God does, not to pass judgement on what God does. What God does is right. I cannot start with a preconceived idea of what is right in that sense. Oh it wouldn’t be right for God to choose some and not to choose others. If I study the Scripture and find out that God has chosen some and not others, well I know that’s right. Now I have to just try to understand that and bring my thinking into line with it. There is not some external standard that God must conform to. He Himself is the standard and out of that flows everything else.

Alright first on the character of God. And I’ll be just summarizing some of these areas. But the first thing we have to understand is the character of God. He is totally sovereign. That’s almost a given when you say He is God. He is sovereign over everything and in everything. Daniel chapter 4 and I am just going to pick out a representative passage in each of these areas. In Daniel chapter 4 and verse 34 and following Nebuchadnezzar after his time of insanity has his senses returned and he in effect is saved. He comes to understand who God is and something of His power. Verse 34, “but at the end of that period I Nebuchadnezzar raised my eyes toward heaven and my reason returned to me and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever. For His dominion is an everlasting dominion and His kingdom endures from generation to generation and all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing.” So much for self-esteem, human worth as is often presented. He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. You see His total sovereignty. No one can ward off His hand or say to Him, “what have you done?” In effect He is the One who is above question. He owes no one an answer. No one can call Him to account. He is absolutely sovereign and does according to His will in the host of heaven. Now He always functions consistently with His character, which is righteous and Holy but He is free to do as He wills among His creation.


Over in chapter 5 Daniel confronts Belshazzar, a later king over Babylon. He confronts him about his pride and arrogance. And he learns nothing from what had happened to Nebuchadnezzar and Daniel reiterates Nebuchadnezzar’s experience. At the end of verse 21, for time, he says that Nebuchadnezzar became insane and became like an animal until he recognized that the Most High God is ruler over the realm of mankind and that He sets over them whomever He wishes. So the sovereignty of God demonstrated in who He sets to rule. Belshazzar didn’t recognize that he ruled because God had divinely appointed it to be so. God put him up; God can set him down. Before the night was over, He was going to remove Belshazzar. So God is totally sovereign. It is inherent in His being God. To be totally sovereign means He does things according to His will among all creation. Not my will, His will.

Now with this God is not only totally sovereign, He is totally selfish. By that I mean He does everything for Himself. Now that grates on us. We think, it is wrong to be selfish. It is wrong for us to be selfish because all glory, all honor, all attention and all praise is to be given to God and God alone. So He, if I can use the word selfish which is usually colored by its negative connotations, by that we mean He works all things for His glory. That is the purpose of man, to glorify God. So He does everything for Himself. Ephesians chapter 1. Ephesians chapter 1 is one of the great chapters on the sovereignty of God in our salvation.

In Ephesians chapter 1, verse 5 and verse 6. “He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will” or literally “according to His good pleasure.” He did it according to what pleased Him. Note verse 6, “to the praise of the glory of His grace.” So the ultimate purpose of God is not the salvation of mankind. The salvation of mankind fits with the ultimate purpose of God which is to bring glory to Himself. So even our salvation is to the praise of the glory of His grace. God is doing all things for His glory, for Himself in that sense, for His honor. It doesn’t mean that we don’t benefit from what God does. We do in an overwhelming way. We are the recipients of His grace. But that is so that His grace will be exalted and glorified and praised for all eternity. And there are a number of other passages in these areas that we could look at, but that is enough on the character of God. Just a reminder, our God is totally sovereign and He works all things for His own glory, for Himself. He is the one being to whom and for whom all things are to be done.

All right, that is the character of God, a mini foundation. The condition of man is the second area which is foundational to understanding God’s sovereignty in salvation. The condition of man. You are in Ephesians. Just turn over to Ephesians 2. We will stay here. The condition of man, number 1, is he is dead in sin. Ephesians 2:1. “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins.” “The wages of sin is death.” We were dead in our trespasses and sin. That is the condition of fallen, sinful humanity. Furthermore, we are enslaved to our sin. Verse 2 of Ephesians 2, “In which [in your trespasses and sin] in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit which is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh indulging of the desires of the flesh and of the mind and were by nature children of wrath even as the rest.” We were enslaved to our sin.


Back up to Romans 6. I want to say something out of Romans 6 here that perhaps is a way to bring the concepts together in one passage. Romans 6, verses 17 and 18, this concept of free will. As I understand the Scripture, free will, in the way that we want to often use it is non-existent. We get concerned about man’s free will. Well, you understand sinful man is not free. In John chapter 8 verse 34 Jesus said, “He who sins is the slave of sin.” The Scriptures tell us all have sinned. All have sinned, and he who sins is the slave of sin means there are no such things as sinners who are free. So you read in Romans chapter 6 verse 17, you ought to underline it if you don’t already have it all marked up and scribbled over. In verse 17 it starts out, “But thanks be to God” [and you ought to have this marked or highlighted] “you were slaves of sin.” “You were slaves of sin.” Then in verse 18, the last part of verse 18, “you became slaves of righteousness.” So those are the only two conditions existent in the human race: those who are slaves of sin and those who are slaves of righteousness. The concept of free will as is often bantered about is non-existent. Any concept of free does not exist in fallen, unredeemed humanity. But “if the Son shall set you free, you shall be free indeed.”

But freedom in that concept of freedom is freedom to function in the manner for which you were created. I was created for a relationship with the living God and to live my life in obedience and honor to Him. Jesus Christ in salvation sets me free. I can function fulfilling the purpose for which I was created. So in that sense I have become free. But fallen humanity is enslaved to sin, serves sin, the flesh, the devil. This concept of free will, we get all tied in knots. If God is sovereign in salvation, what about man’s free will? He forfeited it in the fall into sin. No, he is not free. He is enslaved to sin. And furthermore, according to Romans 6:18 when I had been freed from the slavery to sin, I was not set free to do whatever I want. I am now set free to obey the living God and serve Him so I become a slave of righteousness. The human race is divided into two groups of slaves: those who are slaves of sin, those who have been redeemed from sin and are now slaves of God and of righteousness.

So keep that in mind as the concept of free will comes up in people’s concerns and discussions. We don’t have a good clear understanding of the concept of sin. And that’s true often even of those who profess to be believers. We are dead in sin. We are enslaved to sin, and we are accountable to God for our sin. Romans chapter 2, we deal with the accountability of all humanity for example. We are dealing with rebellious sinner’s not innocent people. Adam and Even in the garden of Eden before the fall in Genesis chapter 2, that’s the only people and the only time where humanity lived in quote “innocence”, untried holiness as it is sometimes defined. But from Genesis chapter 3 on we are dealing with fallen, sinful humanity. And that’s what the Scripture is focused on. So we can’t bring into our thinking here some concept of poor, innocent people who haven’t had a chance. We will talk more about that as we move along.


Alright. We have the character of God, the condition of man. Let’s look at the conduct of God now and how He functions with His sovereignty in the area of salvation. Election is a fact. We have mentioned this on numerous occasions. If you believe the Bible, you believe in election. The noun to elect is used seven times. Get these numbers right. The adjective is used 23 times. The verb is used 20 times. And those counts are dependent on my accuracy in counting. They are not inspired. Roughly speaking 50 times these various words for election are used, not always of God. But you can’t say, “Well, I don’t believe in the doctrine of election.” Well I have to believe in the doctrine of election. The man whom I quoted at the beginning of our study believes in the doctrine of election. He does not believe it the way I believe it, but he believes the doctrine of election. So you can’t start out the discussion and say, “Oh, I don’t believe in the doctrine of election.” You have to believe in the doctrine of election because the Bible talks about God working in election, that He has chosen or elected some for salvation.

So why don’t you go to 1 Peter, 1 Peter chapter 1. We won’t take the time to go through the different passages that use the words, nouns, adjectives, the verb for “elect.” The word for elect, to choose, the adjective is eclectos. So, elect, to choose, to call out, eclogay, eclegomai. Those are the words. You can get the flavor. We’ve got the English word to elect, to choose, to select, to call out. Just pick out a passage, 1 Peter chapter 1, look at the end of verse 1. Peter is writing “to those who reside as aliens” [and so on. Look at the last part of verse 1.] “who are chosen.” “Who are chosen.” There’s our concept, who have been elected by God, selected by God, the idea. He is writing to those chosen of God. Now we move right into verse 2. They are “chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father by the sanctifying work of the Spirit that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood.” There is a package here that goes on for those that God chooses. They are chosen according to His foreknowledge. He will take the sanctifying work of the Spirit that sets apart those who are chosen to God. As they are set apart by the Spirit they will believe or obey the truth and thus the blood of Christ will be applied to them, and they will be forgiven. Very concise explanation of our salvation. It is founded in God’s election, God’s choosing.

He has chosen us according to foreknowledge, and foreknowledge is just like our English word. The Greek word is a compound word, to know before. In fact, we bring it over into English, prognosis. One form of the word. We have it as prognosis. What is the prognosis? Well that is the Greek word for foreknow. Give me your opinion is what you are saying. Your knowledge beforehand on the basis of what you have, what is your guess? Is often what we are saying, the prognosis, the foreknowledge. Now when we talk about human beings’ foreknowledge, obviously all we are talking about is knowing something ahead of time. But theologically the concept of God’s foreknowledge is more set and more determinative. This goes back into the Old Testament. In fact, as you are well aware of the word know or knowledge, to know in the Old Testament is used as sexual relations. Adam knew his wife and she conceived. There is a concept of intimacy associated with the very word.

In the Old Testament, go back to Exodus chapter 2 verse 25, and here has to do with the bondage of the Israelites in Egypt. God is getting ready for the exodus. So in Exodus 2:25 we read, “And God saw the sons of Israel, and God took notice of them.” Now some of your Bibles, if you have marginal notes like mine does, it says at the little number one before “took notice.” The margin says literally “knew them.” Now that is what the Hebrew say. God say the sons of Israel, and God knew them. Obviously this is saying more than God looked down from heaven and say these Jews and said, “hey, I know them.” I mean, nobody reads this and gets that idea. The idea is God puts His favor upon them. God is now going to operate on their behalf. It comes close to choose.


Go over to Amos chapter 3 verse 2. And this verse has been mutilated with various translations, even within the New American Standard Bible I think there is three of them or so. Most recent on says, I believe, “you only have I chosen” [something to that affect] “of all the families of the earth”, mine says you only have me among the families of the earth, which doesn’t accurately translate it at all. So they have corrected it. “You only have I chosen.” Literally what Amos 3:2 says, “you only have I known among all the families of the earth.” God says to Israel out of all the nations on the earth you’re the only one I have known. Well, that obviously means more than have knowledge of, God knows about the Babylonians. God knows about the Assyrians. God knows about the Greeks. I mean there are prophecies throughout the Scripture and information regarding those things. That doesn’t mean God only knows Israel. But Israel is the only nation God has chosen. You only have I known. You are the only nation I have entered into a relationship of intimacy with. That I have placed my favor on. That is the background for the word as you come into the New Testament when it is used of God. And Peter is writing to Jews who would have this Old Testament background. He is writing to Jews that are scattered, the Jews of the dispersion. In fact, Paul wrote to the Jews regarding the Jews in Romans chapter 11 verse 2. It says “God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew.” That concept of God foreknowing means more than just knowing something about them. He means God choose the nation Israel and that emphasis pervades the Old Testament. God choose them when they were nothing, when they weren’t even a nation God choose them.

This concept, look in Acts chapter 2. The word foreknowledge is used 5 times in the New Testament of God and so whatever definition we have of foreknowledge must meet these passages. Acts chapter 2 verse 23 referring to Jesus Christ as Peter gives his sermon on the day of Pentecost. Acts 2:23, “This man delivered up by the pre-determined plan and foreknowledge of God you nailed to a cross.” Now would it be proper to say that Jesus Christ was nailed to the cross not because God had planned for Him to provide redemption, but He looked down in time and saw that when His Son came to earth, His Son would be rejected and crucified so by His death would provide salvation, so God choose that as the means of salvation? All of a sudden God is not in charge, God is not the author. God is just a passive observer. He just didn’t foreknow because He looked ahead and saw what would happen to Christ. Scripture is abundantly clear that it was the eternal plan of God to provide salvation through the death of His Son. It wasn’t man’s actions that God simply responded to. So, we want to be careful that we don’t define foreknowledge in a way that simply puts God on the shelf as a passive observer. Incidentally this is making inroads now. There are theologians writing saying that God does not even know what choices you will make tomorrow because He cannot know for sure what has not already happened.


He simply has the ability to make a better guess because He has observed all the choices that have been made down to the present time, but He cannot know for sure what choices will be made tomorrow. What kind of God are we left with, with this kind of theology? You see man wants to protect the freedom of humanity and He will do so even at the expense of the character and sovereignty of God. In the construction here, in Greek, the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God refer to the same thing. And foreknowledge of foreknowledge is simply a further expression of predetermined. Granvil Sharp’s rule of grammar applies here. The predetermined plan, the foreknowledge of God are basically talking about the same thing. So God’s foreknowledge it is in effect the same as His predetermined plan. For what God foreknows, He determines. He knows it because He determines it. Not because He looked ahead and saw it. He is sovereign in the process.

Now we were in Peter. I was going to get you to keep you place there, but jump back to 1 Peter. We won’t go through the other uses of foreknowledge as relates as it is used of God. But we will pick up this one in Peter. First Peter 1:20 talks about our redemption. “We were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold,” in verse 18. In verse 19 of 1 Peter 1, “but with precious blood as a lamb that is unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world.” Well, again you don’t have God sitting in heaven looking down through the corridors of time to see what would happen to His son and then making a decision on the basis of what He saw would happen. You don’t have a God who is sovereign in the affairs of His creation then. You have a God that is just an extra sharp observer. That doesn’t fit where we started out in Daniel. God rules; He puts on the throne whom He wills. It doesn’t say He looks down to see who will be on the throne. He determines who will be on the throne. The foreknowledge of God concerning Christ. Christ was foreknown with the predetermined plan of God, settled before the foundation of the world that Christ would come and die for the sins of humanity.

So be careful we don’t read a word like foreknowledge and decide, oh, well that means you know something ahead of time. So God just knew who would believe and so He chose them. Because then you have to say that God just knew that Christ would be crucified and He chose that as the way to provide salvation. Well then the world is running on a course that God is not sovereign over. He is just a super powerful observer, if you will, perhaps with some freedom to intervene. But even that would be limited depending on how much responsibility and liberty and freedom you want to give to man. Even the man whose article I read to you, if I had gone on and read the rest of the article, he said with the doctrine of election you want to be sure that you are greatly encouraged to know you can never lose your salvation. Now he sees it a great limitation on human freedom if God makes the choice. But you understand once you are saved, you have no choice anymore. You have to stay saved. Well, I’m glad that’s true. But there’s just as much problem with that argument that he tries to make regarding how you get saved as there is how you stay saved. Talk about freedom.


When did this election occur? We don’t have time, and we won’t go into it but the foundation for God’s election is Himself. Ephesians chapter 1 again, verse 5, verse 9, verse 11. He did it according to His good pleasure out of His sovereign will. That’s as far back as it goes. Why did God choose some and not others? Because He sovereignly chose to do it. The choice is founded in Himself, not in something you or I do. I don’t know if I like that. How Paul answered that question, “Who are you oh, man who answers back to God?” What is a lump of clay like you asking the Potter what he does? So there is a certain humbling aspect to this doctrine of sovereignty which is why I don’t like it. I like to think of God and me as a partnership and we did it together. You tell me I’m a lump of clay and He just molded me according to His plan, that’s humbling. You know there’s an element that is true biblically that God has called us to be co-laborers in a sense. Be careful we don’t run these areas together in an unbiblical way.

When did election occur? Well, maybe we ought to go back to Ephesians 1 verse 4. Ephesians 1:4. “Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world.” So God’s work of election was done before Genesis 1:1. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the world, and the earth.” But before the foundation of the world was set down, Genesis 1:1, God had chosen us. That’s the dividing line for us. We go back before Genesis 1:1, we are in what we call eternity past. I have no way to mark time there. So, before the foundation of the world God chose.

Look over in Revelation 3:5. “He who overcomes shall thus be clothed in white garments, I will not erase his name from the book of life.” The argument is well everybody starts out with their name in the book of life. It’s not my position, but this is the argument like in the article I read to you at the beginning. So those who die without believing in Christ, their names get erased. So everybody’s name is in the book of life to start out, but you die without believing in Christ, your name gets erased. You are no longer in the book of life, and you won’t go to heaven. Well you might take it that way if this was the only verse we had. I take it, it is a promise to those whose names are in the book of life that their name will never be erased. But we are secure. Those who are overcomers have their name in the book of life. And the names in the book of life are there permanently. They will never be erased. That’s supported by Revelation 17:8. Revelation 17:8 says, “The beast that you saw was and is not and is about to come out of the abyss and to go to destruction.” Now note this, “and those who dwell on the earth will wonder whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world.” It wasn’t there when the earth was created. So you can’t say all the names started out there because there are names that haven’t been in the book of life. So, we want to be careful that we compare Scripture with Scripture. I will not erase their name from the book of life is a promise to those who have their name in the book of life. There are going to be no erasers. But you understand there are names that have never been in the book of life and never will be in the book of life. Before you were born, before I was born, the names that were in the book of life were already there. We like the song, “There’s a New Name Written Down in Glory and It’s Mine”. I appreciate the sentiment, but it is not good theology. There are no new names written down in glory, only the names that have been there since before the foundation of the world.


Well, that’s what this doctrine leads to. Here we are the machines. Why should I witness? Why should I bother sharing the gospel. The elect will get saved. The non-elect won’t. Why should I pray? I’m going home to watch television. Well, we have to go back to where we started. Number one: Who is sovereign? God is sovereign. It’s enough He said, I told you to do it, right. Sometimes you come to your children and you tell them to do something and they say, “why?” And what is your response? “Because I told you.” What happens if they say, ”That’s not good enough for me.” Well, that could get messy. Well what makes us think that with God that’s the way we react. You go and share the truth. Why? Because I told you. Well, that’s not good enough.

And God has ordained the means as well as the end. This sovereign God has appointed the ends of the salvation of the elect. He has also appointed the means, the proclamation of the gospel so that when the elect hear, the Spirit will speak to the heart and cause them to believe. That’s why Paul says this in 2 Timothy 2:15, “I endure all things for the sake of the elect that they might come to salvation which is found in Jesus Christ.” God has ordained the means as well as the ends. The means for the salvation of the elect, and we say well it won’t matter if the elect hear the gospel. Their name is in the book of life, they have to get saved. Well, God is sovereign. He has determined that those He has chosen will hear the gospel and upon hearing the gospel by the gracious work of the Spirit they will be caused to believe. So the concept of well, what would happen if one of the elect would die without hearing the gospel. I mean you know, let’s say, what would happen if God in not sovereign and God has determined? Can you imagine the sovereignty? Billions of people in the world and God has to wake up certain believers and send them out so that the elect will hear the gospel and be saved. That is why we want to share the gospel with everyone we can. We don’t know who the elect are. You know Paul says, “I become all things to all men that I might by some means save some.” This is the same Paul who says that “I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they might come to the salvation that is in Christ.” Paul was well aware that only the elect would be saved. So that was settled before the creation.

Whatever your view of election, even if it is based on foreknowledge, you can’t say, well what is the sense in witnessing? Because whatever your view of election, Scripture is clear, the names were in the book of life before the creation of the world. So even if you don’t hold election the way I hold it, even if you base it on foreknowledge, it doesn’t change the fact that the names are in the book of life. And there are some names that are not in the book of life. However, they got there, we’d still be at the same point, the same position. So don’t let people use the argument, oh well, no sense of witnessing against you, because they have the same problem. They may disagree on how the names got in the book of life, but the fact is some are there and some aren’t. and that is the way it has been before the foundations of the world. So in our actual functioning there are no stronger positions to argue than we are.


The justice of God’s election. The timing of election is before the foundation of the world. And God is sovereign in this whole process. Jeremiah 1:5, there are so many verses we could go to. Jeremiah says God had appointed it from the womb for His ministry. Where does Jeremiah’s choice come in? In fact Jeremiah didn’t even want to do it. It wasn’t his choice. Okay, the justice of election. How does this fit with Justice? I mean “shall not the judge of all the earth be right?” Isn’t that what Abraham asked God when He was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah? Could God destroy the righteous with the wicked? “Should not the judge of all the earth do right?” Was he holding God to a standard? No. He is holding God to His own character that God always functions consistent with His character. Well, then it is fair that God would choose some for His salvation and not choose others? Well, you know we let our theology get tangled with our emotions. First thing we have to resolve is, God is not obligated to save any sinners. Well, the idea is, it is not fair if God doesn’t save any sinners.

Just jot down Hebrews chapter 2 verses 14 through 17. We have been there numerous, numerous times. The angels sinned, Hebrews chapter 2 verses 14 to 17. Jesus Christ did not become an angel and die for angels. You know what that means? That means there was never any salvation provided for angels who sinned. The multiplied millions of angels it would seem who followed Satan in his rebellion. I say that because Satan is not omnipresent. He is a created being. He can only be in one place at one time. Yet his work is carried on throughout the world. Carried on throughout demonic beings who represent him. How many are there? I don’t know. Revelation 12 may indicate as many as a third of the angels followed Satan in his rebellion. We know there are myriads upon myriads of angels in the book of Revelation. But you know what? There was never any salvation provided for even one angel who followed Lucifer in his rebellion. Is that fair or isn’t it? Well Hebrews 2 verses 14 to 17 make clear Jesus Christ provided no salvation for fallen angels. There is no salvation for fallen angels.

We ought to grab that point. God is not obligated to save sinful beings. If God provided salvation for no one in the human race that would be fair, that would be just, that would be right. God is not obligated to show mercy and grace, otherwise it wouldn’t be mercy and grace. Mercy by definition is undeserved. We express this at one point in our theology, and then we abandon it in the next. So what? God is obligated to save. No, He is not. If He did with us what He did with angels who sinned it would be fair. All He is obligated to do is meet out a just and right punishment on those who are wicked. And that is demonstrated, and we who are believers ought to understand it. There are people who are born and die in parts of the world who have never seen a Bible, who have never heard a word of the gospel, who have never heard about Jesus Christ. And they are going to die and spend eternity in hell. Is that fair? Yes, it is fair because they are sinners and the wages of sin is death. The judge of all the earth will do right. He will meet out a just and fair punishment for the sin of His creation. Salvation is not something we deserve. That is why it is offered on the basis of God’s grace.

Romans 11 verse 5. Talking here about Israelites, Jews who have been saved by God’s grace as the apostle Paul writes. Says in verse 5 of Romans 11, “in the same way then there is come at the present time, to be a remnant according to God’s gracious choice.” Literally God’s election of grace or a remnant according to the election of grace. An election based upon the grace of God. Well, it can’t be an election of grace if it was based up on God looking into the future seeing that some would believe and choosing those who believe. Then it would be election based upon the choice of man that God saw in the future. But no this is an election of grace. “If it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.” We understand this and say yes we are saved by grace, but we want to infuse human effort and human works into it. Even the faith that a person exercises is a result of the gracious work of God in their life in causing them to see and believe the truth concerning Christ.


That’s why we have to be careful, one of the reasons we have to be careful. We don’t try to help God out. Say, well people don’t want to hear the simple gospel today. People don’t want to sit and hear the truth of the word of God today. Well, you know what? The elect will want to hear it. So why do we want to fill the church with the goats? Well, we want to carry the gospel to everyone, but the non-elect will not be genuinely interested. And we ought to understand that and expect it. The question is not can He be just in condemning people He has not chosen, it is can He be just in saving people He has chosen? How is God going to save anyone who is a sinner, deserving of death, deserving of hell? That is the issue. And the amazing answer is He provided His Son to intervene and pay the penalty.

Well, I thought the Bible said “whosoever will, may come.” Yes, “whosoever will, may come.” And “God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come,” yes. How does that fit with “He chose?” The problem is not that God is not willing, it is man is not willing. So what? You have is fallen, sinful humanity rebelling against God, rejecting God, refusing to honor and acknowledge God, refusing even the offer of salvation. Refusing whatever revelation God gives even beginning with the simple revelation of creation, Romans chapter 1. So man is unwilling, and whosoever will, may come.

You say, oh, I can’t come, I don’t think I am one of the elect. Who made you God? I mean where did you get that knowledge? Well, I don’t think I am. Well, certain things you don’t have to think about. Would you like to be saved? If you want to you can, whosoever will, may come. “Whosoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.” Well, what if I am not one of the elect? Quite frankly if you are not one of the elect you won’t want to. If you aren’t one of the elect, you won’t call on His name. It is just that simple. Whosoever will may come. I have no problem. I am comfortable offering that salvation. Whosoever will. To share the gospel with someone and say if you will bow the knee before Christ and believe in Him you will be saved. But I also know it is biblically true, unless God has sovereignly worked in their heart, unless He has chosen them they will not believe. I cannot argue them into it, I cannot reason them into it. That is why Paul when he went to Corinth, what did he say? I didn’t use wisdom because I didn’t want your faith to depend on the wisdom of men. Because I could have argued into it, but that wouldn’t make you saved. I just came and presented the simple gospel of Jesus Christ. I have determined to know nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified, God’s power is turned loose, the elect hear and believe.


Let me just summarize. A couple of statements. The purpose of election, Ephesians 1:4 “that we should be holy and blameless before Him.” Ephesians 1:11 to 12 “that we should be the praise of His glory.” 1 Peter 2:9, “that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you.” John 15:16 “You should go and bear fruit.” Jesus said “you have not chosen Me, I have chosen you. That you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain.” So the conclusion, man is totally lost and helpless, and every single person refuses to believe. God in eternity past, out of this unbelieving multitude, the lump of clay in Romans chapter 9 is sinful humanity, out of this unbelieving company God chose a group to believe in Him and He just left the rest in their just place. All of it is for God’s glory. Proverbs 16:4 “I have made all things for Myself, even the wicked for the day of destruction.” God will be exalted in the destruction of the wicked because His righteousness and holiness will be demonstrated. His justice will be shown. God’s mercy, grace and kindness will be shown in the salvation of the elect. Every man is justly condemned.

You say it is not fair. What if I haven’t been chosen? Would you like to be saved? Don’t hang the blame on God. If you want to be saved, you can be saved. Accept by faith the free gift of life in Christ. Cry out to God. God, I’m a sinner. God, I’m lost. God, I believe Your Son died for me. I want the salvation that is only in Him. God says He will save you. Don’t try to hide behind the excuse, oh I don’t think I am one of the elect that just shows how sinful you are. You are looking for an excuse not to believe. And furthermore, you want to blame even God for you refusal to believe. It just shows how sinful we are in our heart. The elect are brought to salvation by the gracious work of God.

I find it a tremendous comfort. This is not a doctrine that ought to discourage us. And we constantly run and say what if my husband is not elect? What if my wife is not elect? What about my children? I mean these children of mine, what if they are not elect? What if one of my children are elect and three of them aren’t? Well, I would rather have the salvation of my children in God’s hands than my hands. What makes you think that you are more gracious and loving and kind than God is, that it would be better that God was not involved, that it was a process that is dependent on human action? I can’t say all your children are elect, I don’t know. I know what God says you are responsible to do with those children. The truth that these children need to hear, what must be modeled before them. And I pray for God’s gracious work in their life. But it is in His hands, and I have to leave it there. “Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?” Am I afraid I can’t trust God with my kids? I am afraid of the decision He has made? You know these kinds of concerns that I have come back to the character of God. God I know You do what’s right because that’s Your character. It’s in His hands. I find a great comfort to note, God, it’s Your sovereign work. I don’t have to lay awake at night and say I wonder if I had done this or I had done that would they have been saved. I would hate to think that the salvation of my kids depended on my faithfulness. That doesn’t mean I don’t want to be faithful. But even in my best efforts of trying to be faithful, I seem to fall so far short.

I am glad it is God’s grace and not my works that ultimately will work to bring about salvation. So I find a great comfort in the doctrine of election and the doctrine and the whole subject of knowing my God is sovereign. He is sovereign in the doctrine of salvation. God has raised us up in the context of proclaiming the gospel to the lost that we might be vessels and vehicles through whom the Spirit works to draw the elect to salvation. How many that will be I don’t know. I would desire that every person possible would hear the gospel so that God might use us in the salvation of those that He has chosen. Let’s pray together.


Father, we praise You for Your greatness, the majesty of Your person. So often we glibly talk about Your greatness, Your sovereignty, Your power, Your rule overall. Lord, it’s so easy for us to block out areas of our life that we don’t want to be touched by that power, that we are afraid for You to be sovereign over. Lord, we dread to think of where we would be if salvation rested upon us. We, part of that multitude that includes every single person in the human race, when you have declared “there is none that seeks after God, no not one.” Father, we are in awe of Your love and grace that would reach out to such a rebellious, hateful people and bring them to a salvation that we did not desire, that we did not seek, that we did not want. But in grace You ruled and overruled and brought us to see what we could not see for ourselves, that we were lost and without hope, and Jesus Christ is the Savior. We give you the glory. For all eternity we will be trophies testifying to the marvelous grace and the love of God. Lord, its our privilege to declare that grace before a lost world. And may we do it with boldness and love and a desire that You might be glorified in the salvation of the lost. And we praise You in Christs name, amen.