Doctrines of Grace - Part 2

Okay, team, we continue our series in the doctrines of grace.

If we were to pose to Scripture the question, take me to the very beginning of my salvation,

! the very dawn of its unfolding, the very fountainhead of its first springs, where would

Scripture lead us? Its answer is a beginning before our beginning. It would trace the fountainhead

of our salvation to an ancient choice. What do we mean by ancient? If our thoughts could

strain to make the journey, back to the beginning of time, back when the morning stars were begotten

and the galaxies sprang forth and the sun and the moon were launched into their orbs by the

word of God's mouth, back farther still when our created world slept in the mind of the

Creator. There, we, the elect people, before we even had a created existence, were the objects

of God's loving purpose. But here, inevitably, words fail. For how could we designate a time

before time? The Apostle's phrase is simple, yet majestic. Before the foundations of the world.

Ephesians 1.4. It was then the triune God set their loving choice upon their beloved, a people who would

become the everlasting bride of the Son who would take on flesh. There is the fountainhead of our salvation,

an ancient choice and purpose of God, an ancient compact of Father, Son, and Spirit to unite

everlastingly with the people of their sovereign, gracious love. Across the pages of Scripture,

the objects of this ancient choice are called God's elect. The Apostle expresses to the Thessalonian

believers, we are bound to give thanks always for you, brothers and sisters, beloved of the Lord,

because God has, from the beginning, chosen you to salvation. 1 Thessalonians 2.13 and 14.

Spurgeon once said of this verse,

If there were no other text in the sacred word except this one, I think we should all be bound to

receive and acknowledge the truthfulness of the great and glorious doctrine of God's

ancient choice of God's life. True enough, it would suffice, but it need not, for such assertions

crowd the sacred text. From Abram chosen out of all the multitude of nations and their brimming

population, through the patriarchs and through Israel, as the psalmist exclaims in wonder,

blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his inheritance.

Psalm 33.12.

At the coming of Christ, we have his choosing of a new Israel in union with himself, the twelve.

You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, John 15.16.

A new people of his choice, elect from every tongue, tribe, and nation, described as, quote,

chosen and destined by God the Father. 1 Peter 1.12.

Some of those elect now gathered around the heavenly throne.

Others in the midst of their earthly pilgrimage of faith.

Others still chosen, but yet to be gathered by the proclamation of the gospel.

As the apostle Paul wrote momentarily in prison as he sought to reach the ends of the earth with his gospel

proclamation, I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain salvation

that is in Christ Jesus, 2 Timothy 2.10.

So God chooses his elect.

The expression is really redundant, for that's precisely what elect means.

Chosen.

As to the basis of this ancient choice, we are not told what inspired or revoked it,

other than God's good pleasure expressed in the language of love.

He simply declares of Christ's bride to be,

I have loved you with an everlasting love.

Jeremiah 33.3.

Or as Moses told the Israelites,

Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens,

the earth and all that is in it.

Yet the Lord has set his heart in love on your fathers

and chose their offspring after them, you above all the peoples.

Deuteronomy 10.14 and 15.

Though beyond his own distinguishing love,

we are not told what his choice is based upon,

it is clearly disclosed to us what it is not based upon.

It is not based upon our worthiness.

As if the choice were somehow predictable and evident by virtue of some distinguishing quality in us,

the beloved.

As if the choice were elicited and found its source and origin in some attractiveness or excellency

or comparatively surpassing virtue of our own.

No.

The testimony of Scripture is uniform and forceful in shutting the door on that supposition.

As Moses assured Israel concerning God's choice of them,

The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession

out of all the peoples who were on the face of the earth.

It was not because you were more in number than the other peoples

that the Lord set his love on you and chose you.

For you were the fewest of all the peoples.

Note bene, don't flatter yourself.

No, it was because the Lord loves you.

Deuteronomy 7.6 and 7.

It is as if Scripture knew such a supposition would naturally occur to us.

The recipients of his loving choice.

Imagining that something native to us caught the divine eye

and ensorcelled his heart and so elicited his choice.

We flatter ourselves to imagine his choice of us as somehow explicable

in virtue of our superiority, whether number or character

or some endearing attractiveness relative to others.

That the ground of God's selection of us is our blue ribbon qualities.

Bigger, better, faster, stronger, wiser, more virtuous, more faithful, more pious.

And so more worthy than the competition.

Such a notion the Scriptures soundly dispel.

Such self-congratulatory fancy is snuffed out.

Taking the very categories we naturally think might commend us to God's choice of us.

Eye-catching wisdom, power, nobility, strength.

The apostle writes to the believers in Corinth.

For consider your calling, brothers and sisters.

Not many of you were wise according to worldly standards.

Not many were powerful.

Not many were of noble birth.

But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise.

God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.

God chose what is low and despised in the world, even the things that are not,

to bring to nothing things that are,

so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.

1 Corinthians 1, 27-29.

Spurgeon observes of this passage getting to the heart of the matter as he always does.

We select those who are best because they are most deserving.

He, God, selects those who are worst because they are least deserving.

That so his choice may be more clearly seen to be an act of grace and not of merit.

Spurgeon goes on to observe how very gracious God's choice is.

For he writes, what a fabulous thought this is.

God's choice is gracious even in its exclusion.

It does not say, Spurgeon writes, not any wise man.

It only says not many.

So that the great ones are not altogether shut out.

Isn't that marvelous?

Even gracious in his exclusion.

At least one is appreciated at this point.

The Countess of Huntington of English nobility upon reading these verses exclaimed,

Thank God for the M.

Thankfully, it does not say not any of noble birth, but not many of noble birth.

Thank God for the M.

Clearly, Scripture inscribes false over the notion that it is anything in us,

whether nobility or ignobility,

or any virtue or excellency or religious or moral exertions

or attainments that elicit God's choice.

As the Apostle insists concerning God's election,

it depends not on human will or exertion,

but on God who has mercy.

Romans 9, 16.

One vivid way Scripture rather forcefully makes this point,

excluding our imagined superior profile or fancied worthiness

and underscoring its sheer graciousness,

is by asserting that God's choice of his own

was before they had any possible worthiness at all,

for it was a choice of them before they were born.

Thus, before they could have assembled some supposedly impressive,

morally majestic, or religiously resplendent CV.

As the Apostle presses,

taking the example of the twins,

Jacob and Esau,

I mean twins,

I mean about as close as you can get,

He writes,

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, the mother,

was told the older will serve the younger.

As it is written,

Jacob I have loved,

but Esau,

I hate it.

Romans 9,

11 through 13.

To clarify the matter,

we might frame the question this way.

What is cause,

and what effect?

Does God's choice flow from our goodness,

good works as scripture often terms it,

or do our good works flow from God's choice?

which is the cause,

which the effect?

Here again,

the scripture is crystal clear.

As the Apostle writes to the Ephesians,

even as God chose us in Christ

before the foundation of the world,

that we should be holy and blameless before him.

1-4.

That,

we should be holy,

expresses purpose.

We are chosen not from our good works,

but for good works.

Why is this so seemingly important

for scripture to clarify?

Because there is a vital principle

and purpose at stake.

The insistent principle

is what we have abundantly seen,

that God's choice of his elect

is gracious.

It is all of grace.

God's choice is according to his own free favor,

utterly unconstrained

or influenced

by anything that arises

from the objects of his choice.

There is no cause

or trigger

of God's choice

in the elect.

The ground and cause

has its source

and sustenance

entirely

and exclusively

in the heart of God

and his heart purposes.

There is in the gospel

an illuminating phrase

Jesus said of

those full of animosity

toward him

they hated me

without a cause.

John 15 25

That is,

they hated me

without there being

any cause in me

to elicit their hatred.

It arose entirely

from their own heart stance.

And so it is

with God's loving election

where we might equally say

God lovingly elected me

without a cause.

That is,

without a cause in me.

Literally in the Greek

gratuitously

or gift wise.

One might even

translate that

graciously.

They hated me

graciously.

And why

is this

of crucial significance?

That God's election

of his beloved

is a gracious choice.

grace.

Ah,

because

it is his grace

that God seeks

marvelously to display.

It is his grace

that is so praiseworthy.

As the apostle

writes to the Ephesians,

God chose us

according to the purpose

of his will

to

the praise

of his glorious

grace.

Ephesians 1.6

That is,

the unfathomable

graciousness

of his electing

choice of his people

will be the

ceaseless theme

of God's

eternal praise.

The great

non-perial display

of his glory.

And because

his electing love

is all of grace,

without a moat

of credit

going to us,

so shall

no speck

of praise

be transferred

from the creator

to the creature.

All of grace

means

none of us.

Not to us.

Not to us,

O Lord.

But to thy name

be glory.

Psalm 115.1

Thus,

there is not

a dry

morsel of credit

to energize

a breath

of self-congratulation.

So,

as the apostle

expresses it,

so that

no human being

might boast

in the presence

of God.

1 Corinthians 1.29

This

is what is

at stake

and the ultimate

purpose

behind the principle,

God's exclusive

and unrivaled

glory

with which

he will share

with none.

For as

Jehovah declares,

I am the Lord.

That is

my name.

My glory

I will give

to no

other.

Isaiah 42.8

Now,

if,

or rather

since,

this is

indeed

the testimony

of Scripture

that God

elects to salvation

those he will

passing over

others

according to

his sovereign

unconstrained

choice,

perhaps

one may

feel

what we

might call

splinters

in our

sensibilities.

Let us

acknowledge

and interrogate

some of

these splinters.

Here's

one

which has

been voiced

and

perhaps

we may

feel,

we ourselves

may feel it,

maybe even

forcefully.

if

God

chooses

some

to life

and not

others

based

alone

on his

sovereign

choice,

that

doesn't

seem

fair.

A

distinguishing

love?

A

choice

of some

and not

others?

Jacob,

have I

loved?

Esau,

have I

hated?

This is a

hard saying.

Who can

hear it?

It

certainly

cuts against

our

contemporary

notion

that

none

should get

favored

treatment.

It

rubs us

the wrong

way,

that

anyone

should get

anything

not given

to all.

Indeed,

in our

times,

this is a

sensibility

on steroids.

John Rawls,

the political

theorist,

asserts that

our liberal

democracy

here in

America

is based

on this

notion

of fairness.

But

the

scriptures

challenge

this

sensibility

and

reframe

the

relevant

issue.

they

recognize

the

objection

but

pose

a

counter

question.

As

the

apostle

states

in Romans

9,

14,

what shall

we say

then?

Is there

injustice

on God's

part?

By no

means.

For God

says to

Moses,

I will

have mercy

on whom

I will

have mercy.

and I

will have

compassion

on whom

I will

have

compassion.

That is

the

scriptures

response

to our

dis-ease

with

an

assertion

of God's

sovereign

prerogative.

He has

mercy

on whomever

he

wills.

Verse

18.

This is

the

decisive

answer.

But the

apostle

recognizes

that for

some

this

dis-ease

may not

be entirely

set to

rest

by this.

Puzzles

persist.

So he

continues.

Will you

say to

me then,

why does

God still

find fault

for who

can resist

his will?

Ah,

but this

persistent

question

fails to

recognize

whose

will

it is

we are

speaking

of.

It is

the will

of the

creator

who

as

creator

has

sovereign

rights

over his

creatures.

So as the

apostle insists,

who are

you,

O man,

to answer

back to

God?

Will

what is

molded

say to

the

molder?

Why

have

you

made

me

like

this?

Has

the

potter

no

right

over

the

clay

to

make

out

of

some,

out

of

the

same

lump,

one

vessel

for

honorable

use,

and

another

for

dishonorable

use?

Verse 20

and 21.

Notice

the

apostles

reframing

the issue

from one

of

fairness,

whatever

shape-shifting

sense that

term has,

to

justice.

Is there

injustice on

God's part

by no

means?

Verse 14.

Jesus

takes up

the same

question

and answers

it in the

same key

as the

apostle.

In his

parable of the

laborers in the

vineyard,

Matthew 20,

at day's

end,

the

master

pays

some

a day's

wage

for a

day's

work.

Good to

his pledge

to give

whatever

is right.

Verse 4.

He acts

in regard

to some

according

to strict

justice.

To others,

astonishingly,

he gives

with extravagant

generosity

a whole

day's

pay

for a

mere

hour's

work.

He acts

according

to grace.

When those

dealt with

according to

strict

justice

grumbled

and protested,

the master

replies,

Friend,

I am

doing you

no wrong.

Did you

not agree

with me

for a

denarius,

a day's

wage

for a

day's

work?

Take

what belongs

to you

and go.

I choose

to give

to this

last worker

graciously.

Am I

not allowed

to do

what I

choose

with what

belongs

to me?

Or

do you

begrudge

my

generosity?

Verse 13

through 15.

Again,

as with

the apostle,

Jesus

frames the

issue

in terms

of God's

sovereign

prerogative.

Am I

not allowed

to do

what I

choose

with what

belongs

to me?

And

neither

will his

choice

ever

fall

foul

of

justice.

We

need

not

worry

here.

He

will

never

give

less

than we

are due.

Friend,

I am

doing you

no wrong.

God

will

never,

neither

can he,

fall

short

of

whatever

is

right.

Though

in his

sovereign

freedom,

he may

act

with

extraordinary

generosity

of grace.

Would

we,

from our

fairness,

sensibility,

begrudge

and deny

him such

free

generosity

to some

of his

choosing?

I don't

think so.

Another

worry has

arisen for

some.

Some have

felt such

a choice

of God's

as the

decisive

determination

in salvation

can't be

right.

For such

would be to

show

partiality.

And

scripture

assures us

God

shows

no

partiality

or

favoritism.

Or as

the old

King James

version put

it,

God

is no

respecter

of

persons.

Romans

2,

11.

Wouldn't

electing

some

and not

others

make

him

so?

While

it might

appear

choosing

some

and not

others

could be

an instance

of

favoritism,

the way

God

chooses

is

actually

the

very

opposite.

It

does not

violate

the

no

favoritism

principle,

it rather

fulfills

it.

God

in his

choosing,

we have

noticed,

does not

show

favoritism

to the

noble

over the

ignoble,

the Jew

over the

Gentile,

the morally

presentable

over the

manifestly

dissolute.

He does

not even

show

favoritism

to the

ignoble

over the

noble,

the poor

over the

wealthy,

for he

chooses

his elect

from all

of those

categories,

excluding

none.

None

of these

are conditions

for God's

choice.

In fact,

they are all

non-conditions.

His election

is non-conditional

or

unconditional

and so

shows no

partiality,

none.

As

Thomas Goodwin

tersely

answers the

objection,

as God

respects no

persons,

so he

respects no

condition upon

which he

gives salvation

to us.

Or as we

might update

the language,

as God

shows no

favoritism,

so he

favors no

condition upon

which he

gives salvation

to us.

Now,

some have

attempted to

draw out

the splinter

by proposing

that perhaps

God's

choice of

us

is

actually

based on

our choice

of him.

God

looks down

the corridors

of time

and sees,

foresees,

that we

are ones

who respond

with faith

to the good

news declared.

We believe

and accordingly

we choose

Christ and

so,

in response,

he chooses

us.

He doesn't

discriminate.

He chooses

any and all

who choose

him.

His choice

of us

is based

on our

choice

of him.

He chose

us because

we first

chose him.

Well,

that is a

way to

frame and

to describe

it.

It is,

in fact,

not an

uncommon

way,

but it

is certainly

not the

Bible's

way to

do so.

The

Bible,

unambiguously,

affirms

the

opposite.

No,

he chose

us,

sorry,

not

he chose

us

because we

first chose

him.

Rather,

we choose

him because

he first

chose us.

Or,

as the

Apostle John

expresses it,

we love

him because

he first

loved us.

1 John 4,

19.

his ancient

choice of

love was

the

wellspring

from before

the beginning.

Our love

and choice

of God

follows.

It does

not precede

God's

loving choice

of us.

Our

loving choice

of God

is the

effect

of God's

loving choice

of us,

not the

reverse.

But the

ultimate

defeater

is that

this

formulation

falls

upon

the

wrong

side

of the

great

watershed.

Whose

is the

glory

and the

right of

boasting?

Is

the

pivotal

decision

on which

our salvation

hangs

triggered

in us

or in

God?

It's

clear where

the Bible

comes down

on this

and this

proposal

falls

fatally

elsewhere.

If,

as this

proposed

scheme

would have

us believe,

election

and with

it salvation

is triggered

by our

faith,

then salvation

is ultimately

determined

by human

will and

exertion of

faith,

not on

God who

shows mercy.

And quite

apart from

Scripture

asserting

the opposite,

it depends,

quote,

not on

human will

or exertion,

but on

God who

has mercy,

Romans 9.16.

Quite apart

from that,

this

construal

would furnish

the elect

with grounds

for boasting.

For the

reason that

they are

heaven-bound

and their

twin in

every respect

is not

is because

they,

unlike their

neighbor,

her twin,

had the

good sense

to believe

that he,

in contrast

to his

unsaved

neighbor,

had the

moral virtue

to repent.

Well done,

that man.

And while

you might

not think

to boast

of your

spiritual

prowess

in relation

to God,

you certainly

would have

grounds for

such a

boast relative

to your

less

spiritually

perceptive

neighbor,

who lacked

these

salvation-securing

sagacities

and sensibilities.

Again,

well done,

that man.

Go with

the smiling

satisfaction

in the

knowledge of

your moral

and spiritual

superiority

through the

gates of

glory.

But,

of course,

this whole

way of

thinking

conspicuously

fails the

litmus test

of the

gospel of

grace.

God chose,

writes the

apostle,

that no

human being

might boast

in the

presence of

God.

1 Corinthians

1.29.

And,

that faith

and repentance

that you

propose as

your

salvation-triggering

contribution,

well,

actually,

they're gifts

of God

flowing from

election,

not

securing

election.

As the

scripture says,

Philippians 1.29,

it was

granted

to you

to believe.

Acts 11.18,

to you,

God has

granted

repentance

that leads

to life.

As the

apostle explains,

any difference

in the elect?

Well,

what do you

have that

you did not

receive?

If you

received it,

if then you

received it,

why would you

boast as if

you didn't

receive it?

1 Corinthians

4.7.

Oh,

sisters and

brothers,

do you

not feel

this

to be

so

deep in

your bones

that when

it comes

to our

salvation,

God's

grace is

all,

and we

contribute

nothing?

But,

let's

close with

one further

heart-rousing

truth

concerning

God's

electing

love.

His

ancient

choice

of his

beloved

is

immutable.

God's

calling

is

irrevocable,

writes the

apostle,

Romans 11.29.

Election

having once

pitched upon

a person,

writes John

Aerosmith,

it will

find him

out and

call him

home,

wherever he

be.

In

whatsoever

dunghills

God's

elector hid,

election

will find

them out

and bring

them home.

Isn't that

great?

I should read

that one more

time.

Election,

having once

pitched upon

a person,

it will

find him

out and

call him

home,

wherever he

be.

In

whatsoever

dunghills

God's

elector hid,

election

will find

them out

and bring

them

home.

Well,

as to the

dunghill

in which

all God's

elector

found,

the woeful

and wrathful

condition of

our lost

estate,

and what

God's

electing

love must

do to

draw them,

to draw

us out,

and to

bring us

home.

Those are

the subjects

of our

scriptural

attention

next week,

Lord willing.

Well,

we have

some time

for any

questions or

comments or

observations or

praises.

Yes,

Richard.

I would ask

you to

do me a

favor,

please.

I'm not as

good a

student as

some yet.

Could you

tell me the

scripture in

1 Corinthians

where he

says it

is granted

to you

to do

it?

Well,

that was in

Philippians

129.

Yeah,

Philippians

129.

I told you

I wasn't

that good

as

you.

Yeah,

no,

no,

that's

all right.

And then

Acts 11,

18,

God has

granted

repentance

that leads

to life.

I see.

Yeah.

And at

the very

beginning,

the scripture

from 1

Thessalonians

that you

mentioned.

Yes,

that is,

that's the

one that we

opened up

with.

15.

Yeah,

thank you,

Elizabeth.

2.15.

I thought

it was 1

Thessalonians

2,

maybe 13

and 14.

I think

it's a

little

before

15.

Yeah,

yeah.

problem.

Yeah,

it's funny

how we

assign

blame to

God

regarding

election

and redemption

and all

that,

and justification,

and we

say he's

biased

and he's

unfair,

that it

leads to

cynicism,

but not

many

say,

how do

I get

elected?

How do

I get

to God?

It's

blaming

God.

Immediately

we put

God

in the

dock.

He's

unfair.

He's

not a

good

God.

He's

biased.

Instead

of,

where can

I find

him?

How can

I get

a hold

of this

God?

It's

because

we're

dead

in our

sins

and

trespasses.

It's

like we

can't

come to

God.

It's

like a

ship

and

you're

dead

in the

water

and they

throw you

a lifeline

but you

can't

grab

that

lifesaver

because

you're

dead.

Somebody

has to

make

you

alive

so

you

can

grab

that

lifesaver

and that's

salary.

I'm going

to start

taking notes

Raul because

that's

going to

be my

lecture

next week.

Just one

quick comment

on that

and then I'll

get the

other.

Yes,

and that's

so good.

We don't

look for

our salvation

to our

election.

because that

is hidden

with God.

We look

for our

salvation to

the Savior

that is

offered to

all.

We look to

Christ and

live.

So don't

try to find

out your

salvation

in election.

That's not

visible.

but the

Savior of

the world

has been

set forth

and we

can look

to him

all the

ends of

the earth

and live.

So that's

where we

look.

Yeah.

Yeah.

In any

of your

subsequent

sessions

are you

going to

be

delving

more on

the

assurance

of

grace?

You know,

just not

Yeah,

yeah,

yeah,

yeah,

yeah.

Our

good

brother

Tyler

is going

to be

taking up

one of

the

glorious

truths

of

the

security

of the

true

believer.

And in

that

context

per

adventure

he

might

distinguish

between

the

absolute

Gibraltar

truth

of

scripture

that

the

one

that is

in

union

with

Christ

is

in

union

with

him

forever.

He

has

eternal

life

for it

to be

eternal

life

means that

it can't

suddenly

cease

in some

sort of

crisis.

So there

is

absolutely

eternal

security

for the

one who

is in

union

with

Christ,

for

everyone

who has

an interest

in

Christ.

There is

a distinction

between

that being

the case

and

knowing

and

drawing

deep

personal

existential

comfort

that it

is

so.

Okay,

so there's

it's a

metaphysical

absolute

truth,

it's an

epistemological

what we can

know

blessing,

but it is a

blessing that

God intends

for us

as believers

to enjoy.

1 John 5,

and these

things I write

to you who

have eternal

life that

you might

know that

you have.

These things

I have

written to

you that

have Christ

that you

might know

that you

have eternal

life.

So that's

something that

he,

that's a

blessing that

he wants

us to

enjoy.

And that

we would

call

assurance.

And the

grounds of

assurance

are going

to differ

and thus

need to be

pastorally

applied.

with skill

because the

grounds of

doubt

differ.

So depending

upon your

grounds of

doubt about

your interest

in Christ,

then we

would need

to address

what,

what those,

what your

assurance should

be.

I could

make it a

little bit

more explicit

maybe for

if, for

example,

you think,

well, you

know,

I don't

know if I

am,

I don't

know if I

am indeed

Christ's.

Oh, why

do you say

that?

Well, because

I just so

persistently

live and

quite delightfully

and delectably

live for the

world, the

flesh, and

the devil.

Well, that

might be

good grounds

for having

doubt.

So I

wouldn't just

say,

well, no,

ignore those.

Here's just

a promise

of salvation.

That would

be a

pastoral

abuse.

No, it

would be,

hey, the

gospel involves

repentance.

Look to

Christ.

So if,

if rather,

like some

Scottish

Presbyterian

saint in the

Outer Hebrides

hasn't taken

the Lord's

Supper for

six years

because he

just doesn't

know if he's

worthy enough

to receive

it,

you know,

I might say,

whoa,

friend,

brother,

don't look to

yourself and

your relative

degree of

holiness or

unholiness,

look to

Christ and

his righteousness.

It's his

record, not

yours, that

gives you

access.

So you

deal with

it in a

completely,

in a different

way, but it

should be, it

should be the

privilege of

every believer.

It is the

privilege of

every believer

to have that

assurance.

Yeah.

I was going

to say,

I'm going to

this issue,

predestination

would be one

that really

reveals the

human heart

is like,

I don't

know, I

don't know

if deceitfulness

is the right

word, but