V. God's Purpose of Grace

Philippians 1 verse 6

if you're able to one more time, but you two stand with me to honour the reading of God's word.

Philippians 1 verse 6 being confident of this that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Maybe the one more time being confident of this that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. This is God's word. You may be seated.

today, I want to start in Reverse from typically how I orchestrate the sermons at least for the past several weeks in a couple of months. That is I want to begin by reading together the Baptist faith and message is statement on God's purpose of Grace. And this is again what the Baptist faith and message says about God's purpose of Grace. If you will and if you'd like, please read this with me out loud. Election is the gracious purpose of God According to which he regenerates justifies sanctifies and glorify Sinners. It is consistent with the free agency of man and comprehend all the means in connection with the end. It is the Glorious display of God Sovereign goodness and is infinitely wise. Holy and unchangeable. It excludes boasting and promotes humility.

All True Believers endure to the end Those whom God has accepted in Christ and Sanctified by his spirit will never fall away from the State of Grace but shall persevere to the end Believers may fall into sin through neglect and Temptation, whereby they grieve the spirit and pear their Graces and Comforts and bring reproach on the cause of Christ and temporal judgments on themselves yet. They shall be kept by the power of God through faith under salvation. To this morning, we're diving Into the doctrinal Depths for a bit because today we're considering two very big and frankly quite contentious Doctrine and that is the doctrine of predestination and the doctrine of the perseverance of the Saints 22 piece for your predestination perseverance of the Saints those sound a little weird to you. It's quite simple really God chose us and God will keep us if you are Christian if you are faithful and actively following Jesus I messaged you is quite so God chose you and he will keep you. God chose you. He will keep you and those two doctrines are slightly distinct that have their own nuances, but they are actually Inseparable and they're very intertwined together in that perseverance. Keeping you holding on to you is really an outworking of God's prior work of choosing you in a first bringing you into his family. I like to think of it that predestination in the perseverance of the saints that they are like twin turbines that uphold a plane in the air. They they go together concerning predestination j.i. Packer who's a Canadian Theologian? He said the doctrine of election like every truth about God involves mystery and sometimes stirs controversy and that is certainly true of these two doctrines this morning. There's a lot of mystery involved in them yet at the same time. God does speak God is clear and at the same time these two doctrines sister quite a bit of controversy amongst Christians across the globe. Took this morning again. My messages simple God shows you he will keep you and walk through it. I want to look at election or God's choosing you. Secondly, I want to look at perseverance forgot keeping you and then Leslie conclude with some practicalities and maybe hopefully address some of the questions that you might have about these two. They're quite something in terms of the controversy. They stir up at the doctrine of election if that sounds a little weird or you might initially revolt against that right at the outside when I say it so if you're Christian I say God chose you and for some reason you don't like that initially, you know, the Frank reality election is all throughout the Bible. You cannot Escape it when you read God's word is unquestionable God chooses whom he will say is he chooses his people We see that in the very first chapters of Jeremiah Malachi John X 1st Corinthians Ephesians 1st Thessalonians 1st, Peter and all those books of the Bible. The very doctrine of election comes up where there's phrases such as God chose you I'm writing to the chosen ones and they're there are explicitly clear statements John 15 verse 16. Jesus said, you did not choose me but I chose you and appointed you Colossians 3 verse 12. Therefore as God's chosen people. Holy and dearly loved. And you might be saying alright. Well, that's just a new testament type of thing will know think about the Book of Genesis yet again, right? I'll bring up Genesis every time I been preaching through these statements of Faith what happened in the Book of Genesis? Out of all the nations all the people in the world whom did God choose as the forefather of the faith? He chose Abraham out of all the people on Earth and then you look at the successive Generations between Isaac and Ishmael. Shows Isaac between Jacob and Esau God chose Jacob. So on and so forth. We see this throughout the Old Testament. We see it in the New Testament God chooses whom he will save That's unquestionable. You cannot doubt that if you are Christian and if you believe God's word the controversy comes when you pick that question apart. How does God shoes on? What basis does he choose? When did God choose How firm is his choice? That's where you get into some controversy in differing opinions here. Okay. Now as you know, it fully aware right is 1/30 minute sermon, I can only do so much right, but I'm going to try my best to help give you some things to think about the hold onto primarily from what God says about this Doctrine. Okay. So here's a few components of what God's election is how to understand it biblically from a few key text. Number one. This is not too controversial practice in our group today. God chose you not because of your good works God chooses. You not because of your good works because you deserved it because you were worthy because you had you merited it where we see that second Timothy chapter 1 verses 8 to 9. He got a mighty he has saved us and call us to a holy life not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and Grace this Grace was given in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it's now been revealed the appearing of our savior Christ Jesus. explicitly clear geophagus Chords to Holy life not because of anything you've done. It's totally on his own purpose and Grace. We see the same truth and Ephesians chapter 2 verses 8 and 9 very familiar text is by Grace. You have been saved through faith. It is not from yourselves. It is a gift from God not by works so that no one can boast themselves. God chooses you not because of your good works that here is a slightly contentious one for your number to God chooses you or God chose you in the past. Not because he sees into the future. Okay. God chose you not because he sees into the future what I mean by that when it comes to election predestination and God's foreknowledge. What is foreknowledge. It's knowing beforehand right prior knowledge. God knowing what's going to happen, right or absolutely that's not what I'm talkin about. Let me explain when we think about election for destination for knowledge. I think it's easier or made it common for us to think about God's work choosing through the lens of the tunnel of time you may have heard this before but I mean by that so that is God created everything right in the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth God created everything. God is now in heaven looking down upon the universe and also looking ahead into the future to see how things are going to play out. He sets it all up in a sense and then also innocence he passively sit back and kind of just let it play out what's going to happen. But let's just see how things unfold. For example, you get a little more concrete. God creates Bob. God looks into the future. What's a bob is born in February of 2024 God looks into the future and sees you know what I see that Bob is going to come to know Jesus he's going to come to the church is going to respond to the gospel message in 20 years from 2024 to 2044. I'm glad he's going to choose me. So it's all because of that because I see what's going to happen how things going to play out. I'm going to orchestrate all of life so that that actually does happen so that that possibility become certain Is that what God means when it comes to for knowledge in the Bible? That might be how you think of it? But is that how God's word portrays this Doctrine? to give you an answer look up 1st Peter chapter 1

this is one of those books where election is Right scene right at the outset.

1st Peter 1 verses 1 and 2 so Peter is the author that the human author God is the Divine author, of course working through Peter Peter says Peter an apostle of Jesus Christ to God's elect to God's chosen people to God's chosen believes Chosen Christian to God's elect Exile scattered throughout the province has a capital c Asian Bethania. Look at Varsity right there. You got me like who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father? The elect chosen have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. So that brings up a question. What does foreknowledge mean? What the Greek word there for knowledge is prognosis. That's we use that word in English, right prognosis gnosis is knowledge. So and then Pro-Rite the prior for knowledge. To get an idea of what Peter means by that word look at verse 20 because Peter uses the same word there in the Greek text. in verse 20 the same chapter Peter says he referring to Jesus Christ. Jesus was chosen. Or for known or for ordained the Greek word there is prognost manoo. You hear the similarities prognosis prognost Manu the same word there except here. It's in the verbal form. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. You catch that. I'm going to explain it. What what what am I trying to point out? Jesus was chosen was for known for ordained before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in God's sight was revealed in these last time for your sake. What are meat bring this up? The father when it comes to Jesus, he did not simply look into the future and see you know, what I'm going to send my son to the Earth around 08 BC. I don't know what the next four years. I'm going to send my son into the Earth Ground Zero. And you know, what is i c e 30s years after that. I see that the Jewish people are going to put my son to death.

Well, that's what happens. That's what's going to happen. So, let me just orchestrate everything because that's what me and freely chose to do and this is true because that's what's going to play out the father saying I'm going to orchestrate everything so that it happens like that. Is that how the father sent Jesus into the world as a passive spectator? Separate or question. It's an easy answer for you know, that is not at all. How God did it. You don't believe me Acts 2 verse 23 this man Jesus. This man was handed over to you by God's deliberate plan and foreknowledge. God has a plan this from all of eternity stubbornly orchestrated that this was going to happen but this is how things will play out not as a passive spectator. What is an active participant in orchestrator of every single event in human history if that is how meticulous Lee involved God is with Jesus. Why would we think differently when it comes to people? Why would we think differently? Where do we get that thinking from? When God chooses us this leads us to a third point when God chooses Christians he does. So how and what basis according to his Sovereign will Why does God choose you? How does he choose you according to his Define sovereign good mysterious will. Ephesians chapter 1 turn there with me so you can see it with your own eyes.

I just know right this whole talk talk about choosing. I'm going to address a little bit about Free Will and all that kind of stuff at the end.

But God chooses you out of his mysterious good Sovereign pleasure in Divine will season chapter 1 verses 3 to 11. I just want to highlight a few phrases here for you. Okay, praise be to the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in the Heavenly Realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ with the verse 44. He the father he shows us in him in Christ. The father chose us in Christ before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight and then look here in love. He predestined that's for adoption to sonship who Jesus Christ is a key phrase in accordance with his pleasure and will You fast-forward a little bit. And then in the text receipt in accordance with the riches of God's Grace been lavished on us. Is that a 7 in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us for a little bit. He made known to us. The mystery of his will according to his good pleasure as for a little bit according to the plan of him who works out everything in Conformity with the purpose of his will. It can't be any clearer than this chapter. God chose you because of his Sovereign Divine pleasure and will 2nd Timothy 1 8 2 9 I read that earlier. It says the same thing. He has saved us and called us to a holy life not because of anything you've done but how and what basis because of his own purpose and Grace? God chose you. Not because of your good works not because he can merely predict the future. God chose you out of his Divine Sovereign pleasure. Okay, that's clear. Absolutely clear and God's word. Number to help keep you God chose you he'll keep you this is from Philippians 1:6 and few other places Philippines this morning being confident of this he who began a good work in you will see it to completion will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. God takes the initiative. He chooses you god holds onto you and helps you to persevere through life. Romans 8 also turn there if you will. Romans 8. This is a another key text for you. bright night and I say that because you're more than welcome and invited to study these passages on your own right when you think about predestination got choosing when you think about persevering to the Ender. Holding onto you a fusions one is crucial in Romans chapter 8 is also very crucial for your understanding. Romans 8:28 many of you may know that primarily because of the true good verse because of the hope that we have is Christian's that no matter what happens God is working out all things for the good of those who love him. I want to focus on the second part of that verse 2 verse 30 and particular basically those who love God. So today if you love God if you're a Christian if you love God speaking about you those who love God have been called according to his purpose. Hi, this is the universe 28 those who love God have been called. According to God's purpose for 29 for those God for knew. He also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters those he predestined. He also called those he called. He also Justified those he justified. He also glorified.

This is what's known as the golden chain in scripture as theologians often times call it it's a Golden Chain that cannot be broken. That is if God and His Sovereign will for new for ordained that you would be saved. What are the different things it's foreknowledge predestination calling justification glorification. All of these things are interwoven and you can't have one without the other if God has chosen you you will be glorified if you will be glorified. If you're going to heaven that means God shows you and Eternity past.

John chapter 6 Turn the John chapter 6. This is another very key text.

So what are you saying Romans 8 the golden chain if he chooses you is going to keep you if he justifies you if you become a Christian is going to see it that you go in the heaven. a true born again Christian write a John 6:35 to Fort Shafter, but I'm highlighting verse 35 verse 40 and also a 44 John 6 vers 35 Jesus declared I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But as I told you you have seen me still you do not believe all those the father gives me will come to me and whoever comes to me. I will never drive away for I've come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me this is the will of him who sent me that I shall lose. None of all those he is giving me but raise them up at the last day for my father's will is that everyone who looks to the son and believes in him shall have eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day. Numbers 44 no one can come to me unless the father who sent me draws them and I will raise them up the last day. two observations for you from that text verse 36 the text says that those who come to Jesus by 4:35. Sorry those who come to Jesus will never go hungry. Never be thirsty. The text does not say if you come to Jesus you serve him you have a connection with him for a year was in for a year. You're not going to go hungry for a year not going to go thirsty. And Jesus is walking spiritually right in your soul. He's not saying that what does Jesus say if you truly come to me, you will never go hungry. You will never be thirsty. verse 37 all those the father gives me will come to me whoever comes to me. I will never drive away. The father has chosen some they give to Christ. If it's clear based on the the plane reading all those the father gives me will come to me. So the father has chosen some to give to Christ and listen to the precise wording Those whom the father gives to Jesus. What does the text say? They will come to Jesus. It's not they might come to Jesus that they will come to Jesus not some of them but all of them all of those whom the father gives to Jesus will come but then there's 37 last phrase for in terms of God holding onto you. Whoever comes to me, I will never drive away. When I have them in my possession. When they are mine, I will protect them. I will hold onto them. Nothing will harm them. They will never be driven away. verse 38 I've come to do I've come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me Jesus said this what's the father's will for Jesus right here in the text from that versus 3940. This is the will of him who sent me this is the will of my Father in Heaven that I shall lose. None of all those he is giving me raise them up at the last day. The father's will hear me clearly. The father's will is for Jesus to hold on to all those who were his the father's will is for Jesus to raise up all of his chosen ones at the last day. This is reiterated explicitly inverse 40. My father's will is that everyone who looks to the son and believes in him shall have eternal life and I will raise them up at the last day. This is talking about heaven eternal life right at the end of time. I will raise them up at the last day. They're looking for us 44. No one can come to me unless the father who sent me draws them and I will raise them up at the last day.

Sometimes how many of you have heard that phrase or the pastor or maybe a evangelist says something to be effective come-to-jesus put your trust in him. Never heard that phrase before somebody preaching encourages you to do that. That's biblical. That's clear Jesus himself use of that language. Come to me right come to Jesus put your faith in him believe in him those go hand-in-hand. But notice what Jesus says here. No one can come to me unless the father draws them. I lost a father who sent me draws him. The only way you can go to Jesus. Is that the father first draws you That may sound a little weird a little somewhat controversial but it's really not 1st John 4:19. We love God because he first loved us. If you chose to become a Christian which we all do if your Christian here right there is Free Will and responsibility involved. If you've chosen to follow Jesus praise the Lord, but you have to understand first and foremost. God took the first step. He took the first initiative to draw you to himself. We can only love God because he first loved us 1st John 4:19. and the second part of verse 44 I will raise them up at the last day. You see how it's removing these two are right God chooses you get your all's you. He keeps you he holds onto you and protect you until the end of time. all of that practicalities if God chooses us out of his own will God keeps us by his power. What does that mean for my life today to practicalities for you? Then we're done. number one God reveals the truth to you so that you might praise him more. God reveals the truth to you that you might praise him more. We see this in a fusions chapter 1

Yo, sometimes feel ojans. And also newsflash. Everybody in here is a theologian for the Theologian. It's somebody who thinks study responders theology. Who is God if you've ever thought about who is God your Theologian the question is are you a good one or not? He doesn't have to go to Seminary and all that kind of stuff. Every Christian is a theologian. Everybody has thoughts about God or your thoughts biblical. Are they good? Are they sound? God speaks the truth to us not so that we can merely have a fun intellectually stimulating exercise and thinking about, you know, eternity past eternity present as we try to reconcile sovereignty and free will have those pieces fit together. That's not why God gave us reveal this truth to us in the first place. He did it that we might Praise Him Ephesians 1 verse 3 praise be that Apollo opens up here praise be to the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ and then 46 the interject as he's talking about all this to the praise of his glorious grace verse 12 for the praise of his glory and then verse 14 you can lose this whole section by saying to the praise of his glory. This Doctrine fuel sprays. That's what I thought to do in your own life. Is One Pastor said we cannot fully extol God and His grace if we were refused to acknowledge his acts of election and predestination.

Number to this Doctrine keeps you from posting. This is in the Baptist faith and message as we read it that the Baptist faith and message said it excludes boasting and promotes humility. That's very true. And I think so many of us so many of you may be. How many Christians in general and non-christians that matter so many people resist this Doctrine this truth is clear teaching in scripture. I think because of the inherent private people have really think about it if what I'm saying makes you uncomfortable and in terms of God choosing you and it's not based on your your marriage or effort or God looking in the future. Why do you resist that? Maybe it's because if you acknowledge the true, you have to give up control. You have to say Lord. Ultimately. I'm not the one in charge. I'm not the one in charge of my life you are. It's humans hate doing that. We hate doing that. We hate acknowledging God you're in charge and we hate submitting to the one in charge. I think that's why so many people have trouble with this Doctrine at least on the surface. But Converse the more you and I study this the more you and I Delight in this understand it. I think the more humble we will be because it cultivates humility helps us keep from boasting a helps us to think. You know, what Lord I'm a Christian because I chose to be Christian and it's all because I'm strong. I'm wise enough. I'm powerful enough. I'm smart enough. I'm not foolish like those other people. I'm a Christian and right that's very boastful as opposed to Lord. Thank you for opening my eyes. Thank you for drawing me to yourself. Thank you for revealing your word to me apart from you. I would have never seen this truth. Thank you. Holy Spirit for what you've done in my life. Cultivate you melody number 3. Number three and four are kind of related. This does not negate your responsibility in your walk with God. This truth does not negate your responsibility in your walk with God because if God Sovereign Liscio's you if you're Christian now and if God is going to keep you until the end of time. You could maybe say then I can just Coast then I can just chill throughout the rest of life if what I do doesn't have any bearing upon my destination. I have a fun easy life now. Far from it 2nd Peter chapter 1 not going to go and death here. But Peter is right into Christians. He's riding the chosen Christians who been called out by God. He doesn't say God has given you great promises. He's giving you precious powerful promises and because of that you can just Coast Peter says in verse 11 there for my brothers and sisters make every effort to confirm your calling in election. To those of you who were chosen those of you who are true Christians make every effort to confirm your calling in election. What does that mean? The prior versus explain was that mean live a good life? Grow in the knowledge of God grow in the doctrines of the Bible practice self-control actively persevere through hardship cultivate godliness by putting pen to death live a genuine life of love. That's what it means to make your election. Sure.

number four in finally when it comes to evangelism.

Right easy and I think semi Fair initial objection a response to this Doctrine if God has chosen All Those whom he's going to save. And if it's going to happen with an why do I why should I worry if I should I am I here doing the gospel work if it's just going to happen. Anyways without my help God is sovereign. Simple answer God has ordained to the end and God has ordained the means to the end.

acts 13 verse 48 and 49 the last last text Paul and Barnabas they were speaking God's word to large crowds.

Listen to what the text says next 13 when the Gentiles heard this they were glad and honored the word of the Lord and all who were appointed for eternal life believed the word of the Lord spread through the whole region. Did you catch that? sovereignty and responsibility fuse together God's sovereignty is like what it was a text say all who were appointed for eternal life believed. But how did they come to believe? So the preaching of the word for the spreading of the word do the calling of Paul and Barnabas another's spreading the word so was that mean for you and I the reality is we don't know those whom God has chosen. Are we don't know who's who and who's but we're not really supposed to but you and I called to do is pray for all lost people 1st. Timothy Chapter 2 recalled to make disciples of all Nations Matthew chapter 28. We're called to preach the gospel to all creation Mark chapter 16. God chooses Those whom he loves he will save those whom he has chosen. Our role is to be his hands and feet to spread the message. So getting to be clear. Yes human beings have free will by human beings have responsibility. Human beings do actively make a choice. Yes. I want to follow Jesus. But I tell you in two thousand years of history of Christian history theologians have not figured out how to precisely pick that apart of sovereignty and Free Will Go hand-in-hand right? It's something we continually do every single day. But what I'm here to tell you this morning if it's for your cludes clear truth of scripture and it's simply this month. He chose you he'll keep you God chose you. He'll keep you and that should call his praise inside of us. sprayable close with the doxology