God’s Purpose of Grace

Election is the gracious purpose of God, according to which He regenerates, justifies, sanctifies, and glorifies sinners. It is consistent with the free agency of man, and comprehends all the means in connection with the end. It is the glorious display of God’s 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, impair 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 unto salvation.

Genesis 12:1-3; Exodus 19:5-8; 1 Samuel 8:4-7,19-22; Isaiah 5:1-7; Jeremiah 31:31ff.; Matthew 16:18-19; 21:28-45; 24:22,31; 25:34; Luke 1:68-79; 2:29-32; 19:41-44; 24:44-48; John 1:12-14; 3:16; 5:24; 6:44-45,65; 10:27-29; 15:16; 17:6,12,17-18; Acts 20:32; Romans 5:9-10; 8:28-39; 10:12-15; 11:5-7,26-36; 1 Corinthians 1:1-2; 15:24-28; Ephesians 1:4-23; 2:1-10; 3:1-11; Colossians 1:12-14; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14; 2 Timothy 1:12; 2:10,19; Hebrews 11:39–12:2; James 1:12; 1 Peter 1:2-5,13; 2:4-10; 1 John 1:7-9; 2:19; 3:2.

Memory Verse

John 10:27–29 CSB

My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.

Introduction

God’s plan to save sinners began before the Creation. We were not around then, so we had nothing to do in the planning of this salvation. God knows all things: past, present and future. Therefore, mans fall into sin was not a shock to God. It did not catch God off guard. Despite this, God still created man.

Knowing this, understanding this, is powerful in your walk. Your security, in salvation, comes from God’s power, desire, and purpose; not your own. He is holding you, not you holding Him.

I want you to picture a moment, something everyone can relate to. A child by a pool. The little child is playing and having a good time, he wants to jump off the side and into the pool, but he is scared. Dad stands in front with his arms out: I got you buddy! The child is still nervous, but the child jumps. Why? Because the child trusts that the Father is going to catch them, that the Father is strong enough to hold them.

The Father is holding you, will always catch you, and won’t let go when He has you.

The Gracious Purpose of God

Election

God saves sinners.

Election is the gracious purpose of God, according to which He regenerates, justifies, sanctifies, and glorifies sinners.

The doctrine of election explains how God’s grace brings salvation to sinners.

It is important to remember: God chose man. Specifically, God chose Israel.

Deuteronomy 7:6 CSB

For you are a holy people belonging to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be his own possession out of all the peoples on the face of the earth.

This calling of the people occured LONG before the nation of Israel even existed; in fact, it occured before the namesake of Israel was ever born!

Genesis 12:1–3 CSB

The Lord said to Abram: Go from your land, your relatives, and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, I will curse anyone who treats you with contempt, and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.

This is the calling! As you look through the Word of God, you will see these words repeated:

The God of Abraham, and of Issac, and of Jacob!

God’s calling started with Abraham, and Israel is named after his grandchild Jacob; whose name is changed to Israel!

BUT WAIT, It goes BEFORE Abram!

Genesis 6:8 CSB

Noah, however, found favor with the Lord.

God called Noah to build an Ark!

Abram is a descendent of Noah!

Family Tree:

Noah father Shem

Shem fathered Arpachshad

fathered Shelah

fathered Eber

fathered Peleg

fathered Reu

fathered Serug

fathered Nahor

fathered Terah

Fathered Abram!

And of course, we can trace Noah back to Adam, because we are all the children of Adam and Eve.

God always planned on saving sinners!

And eventually, God called Israel, and then from Jacob (Israel) to Moses:

Jacob fathered Levi

Levi fathered Kohath

Kohath fathered Amram

Amram fathered Moses!

Deuteronomy 4:33 CSB

Has a people heard God’s voice speaking from the fire as you have, and lived?

The people of God, in Moses’ time, heard the voice of God! No one else could say that, because no other nation was chosen by God, through which salvation would come!

Now in time, Israel would break the covenant that God made with them. They would pervert the teachings of God and stray like an adulterous bride.

The prophet Jeremiah spoke of a new covenant.

Jeremiah 31:31–34 CSB

“Look, the days are coming”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. This one will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors on the day I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt—my covenant that they broke even though I am their master”—the Lord’s declaration. “Instead, this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days”—the Lord’s declaration. “I will put my teaching within them and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will one teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know me, from the least to the greatest of them”—this is the Lord’s declaration. “For I will forgive their iniquity and never again remember their sin.

Jesus is the fulfillment of that covenant!

Luke 22:20 CSB

In the same way he also took the cup after supper and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

The covenant was fulfilled in the redemptive blood of Christ.

This is a whole lot to show: Election proves that God took the initiative, NOT MAN!

Regenerates

justifies

sanctifies

glorifies sinners

The Free Agency of Man

Enduring to the End