DONE BITES 230524: Election

God, based upon His own sovereign will, graciously elects some to salvation and some justly to judgment

FUNDAMENTAL UNDERSTANDING All humanity is sinful and deserving of death

Every human, because of Adam’s sin, has a sin nature

Romans 3.23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

Romans 5:12 “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned—”

We are dead and unable to alter our judgment

Colossians 1.21 “And although you were formerly alienated and enemies in mind and in evil deeds,”

Ephesians 2.1 “And you were dead in your transgressions and sins,”

No one deserves to be saved

Deuteronomy 7.7 ““Yahweh did not set His affection on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples,”

Ephesians 2.8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, so that no one may boast.”

Sovereignty - God is Sovereign and completely in control

God is All-Knowing and All-Powerful and completely in Control

Free will - He graciously calls to all but not all respond

Matt 11.28 ““Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.”

Matt 7.13-14 ““Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. “For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

John 8.43 ““Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word.”

Col 1.23 “if indeed you continue in the faith firmly grounded and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.”

It is only by the acted out Will of God that some learn of their sinful state, repent and believe

Matt 16.17 “And Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.”

Some are dragged kicking and screaming into heaven and some are persuaded but only by the work of God does anyone believe - because we are all spiritually dead

Acts 16.14 “And a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening, whose heart the Lord opened to pay attention to the things spoken by Paul.”

Acts 9.3-8 “And as he was traveling, it happened that when he was approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; and falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, but rise up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do.” And the men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. And Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing. Leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus.”

Election/Predestination

The Bible teaches that God chose some, out of all humanity doomed to hell, to be saved

Romans 9.14-18 “What shall we say then? Is there any unrighteousness with God? May it never be! For He says to Moses, “I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION.” So then it does not depend on the one who wills or the one who runs, but on God who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE I RAISED YOU UP, IN ORDER TO DEMONSTRATE MY POWER IN YOU, AND IN ORDER THAT MY NAME MIGHT BE PROCLAIMED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE EARTH.” So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.”

Ephesians 1.3-5 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him in love, by predestining us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,”

Acts 13.48 “And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.”

Romans 8.29 “Because those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers;”

1 Peter 1.1-2 “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as exiles, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to the obedience of Jesus Christ and the sprinkling of His blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.”

Can God find fault with people if we sin?

Absolutely, we were made in the image of God for relationship and all have sinned

Genesis 1.26-27 “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, so that they will have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

Genesis 2.16-17 “And Yahweh God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may surely eat; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat from it; for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.””

Takeaways

Comfort, peace that salvation cannot be lost

John 15.16 ““You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would abide, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.”

Encouragement to persevere

2 Timothy 2.12 “If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we will deny Him, He also will deny us;”

Colossians 1.21-23 “And although you were formerly alienated and enemies in mind and in evil deeds, but now He reconciled you in the body of His flesh through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach— if indeed you continue in the faith firmly grounded and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.”

Bearing fruit is evidence of Christ at work in us

Matthew 13:19–23 ““When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road. “And the one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away. “And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the one who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. “And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.””

Patiently do the work given by God (Evangelism) like Christ did

John 6.37 ““All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will never cast out.”

John 6.44 ““No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.”