Election and Repropation
Making Sense of Salvation • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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So far we have talked about the sovereignty of God, the sinfulness of mankind and how God can take sin into account for His perfect will without Him being guilty of sin or the cause of the sin.
I want to highlight as a reminder a few passages before we talk about tonight’s topic to refresh our memory.
What are here studying? Salvation
Why are we studying salvation?
To understand who God is better, our theology.
To better appreciate this gift of salvation.
Our discussion about studying theology, who God is, it came with some warnings right?
Who remembers some of those warnings?
We talked about having a right view of God should remove our opinions if it doesn’t align with God’s Word.
We talked about being cautious about saying things like,
“I don’t think God would….”
Or
“If I were God, I would….”
We talked about the dangers of thinking or saying theses like that.
What gets to define who God is to us?
Grudem? No.
What you pastor taught you growing up? No.
The Word of God gets to define who God is to us today.
There are a few passages about God’s sovereignty that I want to bring back to the forefront of our minds.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
There will always be aspects of God that are beyond or higher than our thoughts.
And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.
God will be gracious and merciful to whom He decides to be.
Job said,
“I know that you can do all things,
and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
declaring the end from the beginning
and from ancient times things not yet done,
saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,
and I will accomplish all my purpose,’
Who will accomplish all God’s purposes?
What is God sovereign over in this world?
Everything. All of His purposes are fulfilled by Him.
The following week, we talked about the sinfulness of man.
Some of the verses that we highlighted.
Sin is aiming at the wrong target.
Transgression is willful rebellion against the authority of God.
Iniquity is evil and sinful at the moral level. Literally, calling that which is good evil and that
We talked about sin can be actions, attitudes and by our nature.
We talked a lot our sinful nature.
We talked about Romans 5 and Paul talking about because of the sin of Adam, ALL mankind is deemed sinful.
Just like because of Jesus’ righteousness, ALL who believe can be deemed righteous.
We talked about original sin. Like David, we were all brought forth in iniquity and conceived in sin.
And we talked about how complete that sinfulness is within before Christ.
To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled.
as it is written:
“None is righteous, no, not one;
no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.
Anyone remember how they felt at the end of that discussion about sin?
Do you remember the gratitude for grace?
Anything else stand out from those two discussions?
This week, we are going to look at the first of the 10 in the Order of Salvation.
Show slide
Election and reprobation
Election and reprobation
First lets look at the term Predestination
Predestination-is a broader term and included the two aspects of election and reprobation.
Predestination-is a broader term and included the two aspects of election and reprobation.
The term is to say the destination of a person is predetermined.
As much as we for some reason cringe with that word, its a completely Biblical concept.
Most famously the word is used 4 times in the NT.
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
And
he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,
In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,
Why do we cringe when we hear these passages?
In those 4 passages, who is the main character? Who is taking the actions?
“HE”!
Is it possible that it causes us fear to think about the possibility that don’t have control over our own destiny?
Is there any argument against the passages the God does the work of predestining mankind?
There are two categories that God predestines mankind.
There are two categories that God predestines mankind.
The Elect and the Reprobate
The Elect and the Reprobate
Now, as we discuss this, remember that we are seeking to see God according to His Word and to better appreciate God’s salvation for you.
Try to do you best, during this conversation to think about you and God. We will discuss others in a bit. But first think about you and God.
This topic of election will naturally lead to other topics and questions that I intend to cover later in this study.
For instance, where does our belief come into play or our choice? That is not something we will be able to get into tonight. Tonight we are going to micro focus on the doctrinal truth of election.
I do think this topic will take us a couple of weeks to get through.
But what is election and what does the Bible say about it.
Let’s define the word
Election-an act of God before creation in which he chooses some people to be saved, not on account of any foreseen merit in them, but only because of His sovereign good pleasure.
Election-an act of God before creation in which he chooses some people to be saved, not on account of any foreseen merit in them, but only because of His sovereign good pleasure.
According to Ephesians 1:4
even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love
Before the world began, He chose us to be in Him.
It can have nothing to do with our good merit or good works that can cause Him to choose us. Otherwise it would be earning God’s election.
It has to be according to His good sovereign will and plan that the elect are saved.
And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.
The end of that verse says a lot! What does it say?
What does your translation say?
Who believed? As many were appointed to eternal life. Appointed by who?
The Lord!
One of the biggest passages of scripture to see this doctrine is Romans 9.
We will be spending more time in this chapter. And I would encourage you to read the entire chapter at home for this topic.
But tonight, let’s read
And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
Break that one down.
Jacob and Esau. Brothers in the womb. Before they did either good or evil was divided.
One was chosen by God for the continued work of election.
He stresses its not about Jacob’s works but because of Him who calls!
Let’s look at two other examples in scripture.
But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.
This doctrine of God choosing you before you believed or were even alive is repeated throughout scripture.
What did Jesus say about it?
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
How about Old Testament?
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
How old was Jeremiah when God chose and appointed him?
How about Abraham?
Isaac?
Jacob?
Who chose who first?
What about Jacob’s sons? What became of Judah? And the rest of his brothers?
Can you see why the first step in the order of salvation is God’s sovereign election of those who would be saved? Who would believe?
Now, looking at election from the view of God and you. If you are in Christ, what does that do for you?
Don’t think of other people right now, think about just you and God.
There are three reasons that scripture tells us that the doctrine of election should do for us as believers. As the elect.
First, the doctrine of election is meant to be a source of comfort to us, God’s elect.
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Those who are called according to His will and love God, we can take comfort that all things work together for our good.
Another reason of comfort that we will cover later on in our study of salvation is that we can take comfort in the doctrine of God’s sovereign election because God’s purposes are always fulfilled, then if you are saved, how can you loose that salvation?
But more on that later.
Another reason the Bible teaches us this doctrine is to give us a reason to praise Him and be thankful!
These are passages that we read before but look at the emphasis in them this time.
he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.
If you are in Christ, the concept that God chose YOU even through you were dead, even though you were an enemy of God, in active opposition to Him and yet God saw and knew that and yet before you were born, not because of any merit or anything good within you or good that you would do, God chose YOU to be saved!
That is absolutely something that is worthy of praising Him for!
We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers,
For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you,
And again, we read this but look at the focus,
But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.
It should fill our hearts with praise and thanksgiving that our God chose us!
Lastly, the doctrine of election will also give encouragement for us to evangelize.
Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
When we are intentional and go out to share the gospel, we can be encouraged by the fact that there are people out there that WILL receive Christ not because of how good you can present the gospel but because God chose them before the foundation of the earth that they would be saved!
How does the doctrine of election encourage you to share the gospel?
