Chosen?

Good evening, friends. We're going to worship God. We're going to sing to His praise from

! Psalm 87. Sing Psalm's version of Psalm 87. You'll find that on page 115 in your psalm books.

! Psalm 87. We're going to be singing the whole of this psalm on the tune of Sussex.

Page 115, Psalm 87. On Jerusalem's holy mountain,

he has founded his abode. More than all of Jacob's dwellings, Zion's gates are dear to God.

The whole of this psalm, to God's praise.

On Jerusalem's holy mountain, he has founded his abode.

More than all of Jacob's dwellings, Zion's gates are dear to God.

Glorious things of you are spoken, Zion's city of the Lord.

Many drawn from all the nations, as your people I record.

I will name as those who know me, Egypt, Zion and Babylon.

Philistine, along with Cushite, I will count as Zion born.

Yes, it will be said of Zion, this and that one here belong.

And on her the highest blessing will descend and make her strong.

Born in Zion, God will enter in the people's register.

They will sing God's living music.

All my fountains are in heart.

So bow our heads as we call on God's name in prayer.

Let's pray together.

Our Father in heaven, may your name be hallowed.

Lord, we come into the presence of the Holy One, aware of our own inadequacies, aware of our own failings, aware that we fall short of what we ought to be.

But we thank you, Lord, that you welcome us.

You call us to come.

And we can approach you as we come in the name of our Lord and our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

And we pray, Lord, as we endeavor to draw near to you this evening, that you would be pleased to draw near to us.

You are involved in the life of your people.

We sang even in that psalm of your intimate involvement in the life of your people.

You have a record of each one.

The psalm spoke of a register where our names are recorded.

Maybe that is the Lamb's book of life.

But it's a reminder to us, Lord, that you know every one of us.

And we pray, Lord, this evening that as we come to worship you, that you would speak to us afresh this evening.

That we would hear your voice, the voice of the shepherd.

And that we would respond appropriately to it.

Our Lord said, I know my sheep and my sheep know me.

They hear my voice and they will follow me.

Lord, may we hear you tonight.

And may we be drawn into a closer walk with you.

May we desire, Lord, to be made more like Jesus.

So bless us and to be with us and help us, Lord.

Help those who are your people this evening.

Those who are Christians.

We realize that being a Christian is not a, it's no walk in the park.

The Bible describes it as a narrow way.

Jesus himself said, whoever will come after me must take up his cross daily and follow me.

And Lord, while we know there are many burdens that we have to bear.

We thank you, Lord, that we do not face these challenges alone.

We thank you that you have promised that you are with your people.

And you always will be.

You will never leave us.

And you will never forsake us.

And yet we want to pray, Lord, for any who may be struggling with some particular difficulty in their own lives.

Or their own homes.

Or their own families.

Or maybe at their work.

Maybe those who are suffering specifically because they're Christians.

And in their families do not approve.

Or in their workplaces.

Maybe those who have been overlooked for promotion simply because of what they believe.

Lord, help us, we pray, to recognize when we are being persecuted for your name's sake.

And Jesus said that if they persecuted me, they will persecute you as well.

But, Lord, what we might experience in that way is so small compared to what some of your people,

our brothers and sisters around the world experience.

And we pray this evening, Lord, for those who are being persecuted for their faith.

Those who tonight are in prison.

Those who tonight, Lord, may be facing death.

Those who've lost loved ones.

And the pain that comes with that.

Lord, be with your persecuted people.

Give them a boldness, we pray.

Even as they witness to their persecutors and pray for them.

May you hear their prayers.

And may they know your nearness in the midst of their trial.

Lord, we have to thank you for how, for the freedoms that we enjoy.

Even the freedom to come and worship you this evening.

Help us to never take these things for granted, we pray.

But help each one of us.

Be with those who are grieving, Lord.

Lord, we commit them to you.

That you would be close to them, Lord.

That you would help them.

When they maybe feel that they cannot go on, Lord.

That you would encourage them.

And you would reassure them, Lord.

That you will be with them.

We pray for those laid aside, Lord, with illness.

Whether that is at home or in hospital.

Or maybe still struggling to go about their daily lives.

Those who live with pain every day.

Lord, give them grace for that situation, we pray.

And those who may be cast down, Lord, in their minds.

We ask that you would be close to them.

And, Lord, we are aware that there will be others who have good news.

Who are rejoicing.

Rejoicing in the birth of a child.

Or in an engagement.

Or a marriage.

Or whatever it may be.

Lord, as we weep with those who weep.

We also rejoice with those who rejoice.

Bless the young people in the congregation, Lord.

We thank you for seeing so many here this morning.

Going out to Sunday school and Tweenies and Crest, Lord.

We pray for those who are with us this evening as well.

That you would bless their young lives, we pray.

And protect them, Lord.

From everything that would threaten to take them away from you.

And to draw them away from your word and from Jesus.

Watch over them, we pray.

Instead, Lord, we ask that they would be drawn closer to you.

And we pray, Lord, for those not so young as well.

For those who may be elderly.

And with that come different challenges and different struggles, Lord.

Those whose mobility is not what it used to be.

Those, Lord, whose memory is not like it used to be.

Those who maybe have become dependent on others, Lord.

For so much of what they used to do themselves.

Who are losing their independence.

Lord, we pray that you would be gracious to them.

And help them, Lord.

As they struggle to adjust with these changes.

That can come with advancing years.

So be with our elderly, we pray.

Help us to be a people who look out for them.

And to remember them.

And to pray for them.

And to seek to help them in any way that we can.

And Lord, bless our nation.

And those in authority over us.

Lord, give them wisdom, we pray.

We can quickly find fault with them.

But not be so quick to do as your word instructs us.

And to pray for those in authority over us.

So we commit them to you, Lord.

Our prime minister, our first minister, our MPs and our MSPs.

Give them wisdom, we pray.

And be with those of them who are Christians, Lord.

As they face so much opposition.

Help them, Lord, to choose their battles well.

And to be ready, Lord, to take a stand when that is necessary.

And appropriate to do so.

And give them grace, Lord, as they speak.

And as they take a stand, Lord, for the truths of your word.

Bless our world leaders, we pray as well, Lord.

And even today, as we see further unrest in Syria.

As we see one, maybe an evil leader being taken out.

Possibly to be replaced by something worse.

Lord, we commit the Middle East to you.

And all the unrest going on there.

Lord, you are the God who is enthroned on high.

And so all we can do, Lord, is bring these situations to you.

And ask that you be with those who are suffering.

With those caught up in conflict.

With those, Lord, who have lost loved ones.

And property.

And everything else, Lord.

In the midst of war.

Lord, make us thankful for the peace that we enjoy.

And make us thankful this evening as we turn to your word.

That we have that ability to meet as we do.

So presence yourself among us, we pray.

Take from us, Lord, all that is offensive to you.

Cleanse us from our sin, we pray.

Anything that would grieve your Holy Spirit and cause him to withdraw from us.

Take that away from us, we pray.

Take away all our distractions.

And may we be drawn to you.

May we be still this evening.

And know that you are God.

All these things we ask with a cleansing and forgiveness of all our sins.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

Let's continue singing praise to God.

This time from Psalm 37 in the Scottish Psalter.

You'll find this on page 254.

Page 254.

Psalm 37 and at verse 23.

I'm going to sing from 23 down to 28.

The tune is Argyle.

Psalm 37 at verse 23.

A good man's footsteps by the Lord are ordered aright.

And in the way wherein he walks, he greatly doth delight.

From verse 23 down to verse 28.

To God's praise.

A good man's footsteps by the Lord are ordered aright.

And in the way wherein he walks, he greatly doth delight.

Although he fall, yet shall he not be cast out.

And in the way wherein he walks, he will be cast out.

Because the Lord with his own hand apposed him mightily.

I have been young and now am old.

Yet have I never seen.

The just man left, nor had his scene, for great a beggar's king.

He's ever merciful and blest, this sin is blest therefore.

Depart from evil and do good and will forevermore.

For God loves judgment and his face, please not in any case.

The ark of the chamber, but God all, shall be the sinner's praise.

I'm going to read from God's Word now in the New Testament and Paul's letter to the Romans.

And in chapter 9, Romans chapter 9, we're going to read the whole of this chapter together.

Romans 9 · chapter mention

And if you're using an ESV, you'll see that there's a heading that's been added before chapter 9,

which says God's sovereign choice.

And that's going to be our subject this evening, what we call election.

But let's read the whole of the chapter together.

Romans chapter 9, reading from the beginning.

Romans 9 · chapter mention

Let's hear God's Word.

I am speaking the truth in Christ.

I'm not lying.

My conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.

For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.

They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship and the promises.

To them belong the patriarchs.

And from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.

But it is not as though the word of God has failed.

For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel.

And not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring.

But through Isaac shall your offspring be named.

This means that it's not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.

For this is what the promise said.

About this time next year I will return and Sarah shall have a son.

And not only so, but also when Rebecca 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 his call.

She was told the older will serve the younger.

As it is written, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.

What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part?

By no means.

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 depends not on human will or exertion, but on God who has mercy.

For the scripture says to Pharaoh,

For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you,

and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.

So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.

You will say to me then,

Why does he still find fault?

For who can resist his will?

But who are you, O man, to answer back to God?

Will what is molded say to its molder,

Why have you made me like this?

Has the potter no right over the clay to make out of the same lump one vessel for honored use,

and another for dishonorable use?

What of God, deciding to show his wrath and to make known his power,

has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,

in order to make known the riches of his glory,

for vessels of mercy,

which he has prepared beforehand for glory,

even us whom he has called?

Not from the Jews, but also from the Gentiles.

As indeed he says in Hosea,

Those who were not my people, I will call my people.

And her who was not beloved, I will call beloved.

And in the very place where it was said to them,

You are not my people,

there they will be called sons of the living God.

And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel,

Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea,

only a remnant of them will be saved.

For the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay.

And as Isaiah predicted,

If the Lord of hosts had not left us offspring,

we would have been like Sodom and become like Gomorrah.

What shall we say then?

That Gentiles who did not pursue a righteousness have attained it,

that is, a righteousness that is by faith.

But that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness

did not succeed in reaching that law.

Why?

Because they did not pursue it by faith,

but as if it were based on works.

They have stumbled over the stumbling stone,

as it is written,

Behold, I am laying in Zion,

a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.

And whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.

Amen.

This is the word of God,

and we trust and we pray that he will follow it with his blessing.

I'm going to sing again now,

this time from the Scottish Psalter,

from Psalm 40.

You'll find this on page 259.

Psalm 40 on page 259.

And we're going to sing from the beginning of that psalm

down to the end of the double verse marked five.

The tune is Balerma.

Psalm 40,

page 259.

I waited for the Lord my God,

and patiently did bear at length to me.

He did incline my voice and cry to hear.

Verses 1 to 5 of Psalm 40.

To God's praise.

I waited for the Lord my God,

and patiently did bear at length to me.

He did incline my voice and cry to hear.

He took me from the fearful pain,

and from the mighty clay,

And on the road he set my feet,

establishing my way.

He put a new song in my mouth,

Our God to magnify.

Many shall see it and shall fear,

And on the Lord rely.

O blessed is the man whose trust upon the Lord rely.

O blessed is the man whose trust upon the Lord rely.

O blessed is the man whose trust upon the Lord rely.

to lie.

O Lord, my God, full many are the wonders Thou hast done.

Thy gracious thought to us ward far above all thoughts are gone.

In order none can record them, to thee if them declare,

and speak of them I would say more than can be numbered are.

Well, as we seek God's help, can we turn back in our Bibles

to the passage that we read together there in Paul's letter to the Romans,

Romans 9 · chapter mention

chapter 9.

And we can read again a couple of verses, verse 10 and 11.

Romans 9, at verse 10, and not only so, but also when Rebecca had conceived

children by one man, her 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 his call.

She was told the older will serve the younger.

In order that God's purpose of election might continue.

It's that time of year where we're choosing presence for other people,

and sometimes people will ask you, well, what do you want?

What would you like for yourself?

And in choosing, I guess we all have our own criteria.

You would choose something because it was attractive,

or appealing, or appetizing.

But tonight we're looking at God's choice,

and it had nothing to do with anything of these considerations whatsoever.

When I talk about God's choice, I mean God's choice of who would be saved,

what is referred to as election.

And it has nothing to do with how good or how bad you might be.

It is simply God's sovereign choice.

Nobody else had a say in it.

Nobody influenced his decision,

and never will God regret it.

God has chosen everyone who would be saved before the world began.

Let me repeat that in case you didn't get it.

God has chosen everyone who would be saved before the world began.

Now, that is a statement that people get tied in knots about,

and it raises all kinds of objections and questions,

such as, so if a person's not saved, that's not their fault, but God's?

Or if a person is saved, does that mean they can live as they please,

because they can never be lost?

They'll be saved anyway.

People also ask, well, if this is the case,

if God's chosen, who will be saved?

And they will be saved, and nobody else will.

What's the point in preaching?

What is the point in appealing to people to come to trust the Lord,

if those who are chosen will come anyway,

and those who are not will never come?

Well, these are all reasonable questions,

reasonable objections.

And the Apostle Paul, who wrote this letter to the Romans,

he expected that people would have objections to what he's saying.

He expected that there would be that kind of reaction.

Look at what he says in verse 19.

You need to have your Bible open for this evening,

if you're going to be able to follow it.

Verse 19 of chapter 9, Paul says,

You will then say to me, why does he still find fault?

For who can resist his will?

In other words, God can't blame us,

because it's his choice.

So he was expecting these kind of objections.

So that's what I want to study with you this evening.

God's choice of who will be saved.

We call it unconditional election.

The unconditional meaning, his choosing of who would be saved,

was not conditional on anything about them at all,

or anything in us at all.

This teaching, doctrine if you want to call it that,

it may be something that you've been familiar with most of your life,

or it may be something that you're not familiar with at all.

And maybe what you know of it,

or even what you've just heard of it this evening,

you might love it,

you might loathe it,

or you might be completely baffled by it.

So I want to try my best this evening to explain it to you as simply as I possibly can.

And I'd like to do that under three headings this evening.

First of all, clarity.

Secondly, confusion.

And thirdly, comfort.

These three words, clarity, confusion, and comfort.

So let's start with clarity.

And what I mean by that is that this teaching is clearly taught in the Bible.

It is crystal clear from Scripture that God had chosen those who will be saved.

That's what the Apostle Paul is telling us here in verses 10 to 12.

He talks about Jacob and Esau.

They were two brothers.

They were twin brothers, actually.

The sons of Isaac, grandsons of Abraham.

And Paul says very, very clearly to us in verse 10 that before these boys were born,

before they had done anything good or bad,

God had chosen one of them.

God had chosen Jacob.

And while Paul probably states it more clearly and more starkly than others,

it is a teaching that you'll find in many places in Scripture.

So, for instance, in the letter to the Ephesians,

we read this,

He chose us in Christ before the creation of the world.

God chose those who'd be saved before He ever made the world.

Or going to the letter to the Thessalonians,

it says,

From the beginning God chose you to be saved.

This is what I mean by clarity.

This teaching is clearly there in the Scriptures from beginning to end.

Now, if you're on the ball, you might say,

Well, that's only Paul you've quoted.

It was Paul that wrote to the Romans.

It was Paul that wrote to the Ephesians.

It was Paul that wrote to the Thessalonians.

But Jesus was clearly aware of this as well.

Jesus speaks of His own people as,

Those whom the Father has given to me.

They were already given to Him.

And in John 6, He says,

All that the Father has given to me will come to me.

Those who had already been chosen.

Jesus says they're going to come.

So if you study the Scripture with an open mind,

there can be absolutely no doubt

that God has a chosen people,

what we call the elect,

and that they alone will be saved.

They alone will be saved.

And you'll find that clearly in passages such as in Acts 13.

We read this.

Listen carefully to this.

All who were appointed for eternal life believed.

All who were appointed for eternal life believed.

You've got to note what this is not saying.

It's not saying that they believed.

It's not saying they were appointed because they believed.

Sorry.

It's saying they believed because they'd already been appointed.

They had already been chosen.

All who were appointed for eternal life believed.

And Jesus says virtually the same thing,

although He's talking about the opposite group.

He's talking about those who didn't believe.

In John 10, verse 26,

John 10:26

Jesus says,

You do not believe because you are not my sheep.

Again, you have to think about what He's not saying.

He's not saying you're not my sheep because you haven't believed.

What He said was,

You don't believe because you're not my sheep.

You're not my chosen ones.

If you're a Christian tonight,

the very reason you believed is that God appointed you to believe,

that God chose you to be saved.

Now that much,

and I know you will already have questions and objections,

but that much is clear, crystal clear from Scripture.

You cannot argue with it,

that God has His elect people.

And it's not because they're better than others.

It's not because there's anything good in them whatsoever.

The Shorter Catechism captures that when it says this,

that God, having out of His mere good pleasure,

from all eternity,

elected some to everlasting life.

It chose them out of His mere good pleasure.

That's His prerogative.

Not because they were better than others.

Let's deal with some of the objections that you might be having

to this at this stage.

You may be saying,

Well, that's not fair.

That is not fair that God chose some and leaves others.

Well, if you really wanted fairness,

there would be no hope for any of us.

If we really wanted fairness and justice,

we would all be heading for a lost eternity.

Maybe you say,

Okay, fair enough,

but it's still unfair, surely.

It's still unfair that those who are not chosen

will go to a lost eternity

through no fault of their own.

Well, that statement's just not true.

Nobody will go to a lost eternity

through no fault of their own.

Nobody will be lost

or judged eternally

who didn't deserve that.

Everybody is condemned

by their own sin.

Coming back to the passage.

We've not done much in the passage,

but I intend to.

But verse 13.

Look at verse 13.

Now, before I read this,

this sounds harsh.

This is hard to hear.

Verse 13.

As it is written,

Jacob I loved,

but Esau I hated.

I don't believe that God hated Esau

before he was born.

The verses before that

are speaking about

what happened before birth,

that God had chosen Jacob

before he was born.

But I don't believe God hated Esau

before he was born.

God came to hate Esau

because of Esau's sin.

That's what the Bible tells us.

The Bible tells us

that God hates sin

and he hates a person

who continues in sin

rejecting God

and determined to go on

in that path

and that was Esau.

Esau was condemned

because of his own

ungodly behavior,

his own attitude

and his own actions.

So if you read about Esau,

go back to Genesis.

Genesis 25.

I think it's the last verse

of the chapter.

It says this about Esau.

Esau despised his birthright.

That was his spiritual heritage.

It doesn't just say

he couldn't care about it.

He despised it.

And then you read about Esau

in Hebrews chapter 12.

Hebrews 12 · chapter mention

It says this.

Esau was sexually immoral

and godless.

These are the things

that condemned Esau.

not the fact that

he wasn't chosen.

And that's why

in the very next verse,

verse 14,

Paul then says,

so having says,

Jacob I loved,

Esau I hated.

Verse 14,

what shall we say then?

Is there injustice

on God's part?

By no means.

He says,

you can't accuse God

of being unjust.

Esau got what he deserved.

But I want to push this

a bit further.

Hoping you're still with me.

I want to suggest

to you this evening

that God's choosing of some

to eternal life

and consigning of others

to eternal judgment,

that these two

are not symmetrical.

By that I mean

that God is not

equally involved

in both.

He's very involved

in the choosing

of those who will be saved.

But he passes

by the rest.

He passes

by the rest.

He's not equally involved

in both.

So I want to draw

your attention

to verse 22.

And when you read this,

it sounds like

I've blown my own argument.

Verse 22.

Let's read it together.

What if God,

deciding to show his wrath

and to make known

his power,

has endured

with much patience

vessels of wrath

prepared for destruction

or objects of wrath

prepared for destruction?

So you read that

at first reading at least.

And it sounds like

God created people

just to destroy them.

That's what it sounds like,

which would clearly

blow my argument.

But that verse,

you'll agree with me,

it's speaking about

what God does.

God is active

in verse 22.

This is him.

This is what he's doing.

He's active

until you come

to the word prepared.

Now this is not as clear

in your English translation,

but remember

your New Testament

was written in Greek.

And in Greek,

that word prepared

is passive.

It's a passive.

In other words,

God is not involved

in that bit.

It's not God

who prepares people

for destruction.

Who does it then?

They do it themselves.

They do it themselves.

God is passive

in that part.

Now, if you're not convinced,

let me take you

to the next verse

that speaks of

his involvement

in those who will be saved.

And you're going to notice

a very subtle difference.

Verse 23.

In order to make known

the riches of his glory

for vessels of mercy,

which he has prepared

beforehand for glory.

That prepared word

is there again.

God's preparing people

for glory.

But in this verse,

in Greek,

it's active.

It's God that does it.

Now, you will see

the difference

in your English translations

because in verse 23,

it includes the word he,

which he,

God,

prepared

for glory.

In verse 22,

there is no he.

Vettels of wrath

prepared

for destruction.

God is passive

in the first

preparation.

Those who will be lost,

he's active

in the second.

So, if you haven't

followed me,

let me just state that

as plainly

as I can.

Where these verses

are speaking

about people

being prepared

for glory,

it is God

that does that.

Where it speaks

about people

being prepared

for destruction,

they do that

themselves.

Hence my argument,

God is not

equally involved

in both.

It's not symmetrical.

He is very involved

in the choosing

of those

who will be saved.

He passes

by

the rest.

Now,

if you're on the ball,

you might have noticed

verse 18,

which again

seems to go

against my argument

because it talks

about God

hardening

a heart.

let's read

verse 18.

So,

then he has

mercy

on whomever

he wills

and he hardens

whomever

he wills.

So,

if God

hardens hearts,

then surely

that's him

preparing people

for destruction.

But you've got to

ask,

what's the context

here?

The context

here is the verse

that comes before it

that mentions

a specific person,

verse 17.

for scripture says

to Pharaoh.

This is talking

about what God

did in Pharaoh's

heart.

You can read

about that

in Exodus 8

and Exodus 9.

And in Exodus 9

you will read

that God

hardened

Pharaoh's

heart.

But you've got

to read Exodus 8

where you will

see that,

read that,

Pharaoh hardened

his heart,

Pharaoh hardened

his heart,

Pharaoh hardened

his heart.

And in chapter 9,

Exodus 9,

God gave him

what he wanted.

God gave Pharaoh

what he'd already

chosen,

a heart that

was hard

against God.

So,

that was our

first point,

longer than

the other,

clarity.

And if you're

thinking,

well,

if that was

clear,

I'm not

looking forward

to point 2,

confusion.

But confusion,

I think,

is simpler

and easier

to follow

than the clarity

was.

What I mean

by clarity

is that

this teaching

that God

has chosen

those who

will be

saved

is crystal

clear

in the Bible.

Absolute

clarity on it.

We can't

deny it.

But then let's

come to confusion.

So,

what I mean by

confusion is that

once you

maybe get over

any objections

you have

or once you

accept that

this is the

teaching of

the Bible,

you will come

up with lots

of questions,

lots of

objections,

lots of

confusing

issues,

such as,

if I'm not

in the elect,

I'll never

be saved.

So,

why bother

doing anything?

Or,

closely related

to that,

if God's

already chosen

everyone who

will be saved,

what's the point

of preaching?

Why would we

appeal to anyone?

If they're going

to be saved,

they're going

to be saved.

And then there's

this third

confusion.

confusion.

If God

has chosen

those who

will be saved

and they'll

be saved

and never

be lost,

are they not

liable to

live carelessly

as Christians?

These are all

good points

to raise.

They're real

objections,

confusions

that we have

to process

as we think

about this.

So,

I want to

address each

of these

three one

at a time

just now.

So,

first of all,

this objection

that leads

to confusion.

If I'm not

in the elect,

I'll never

be saved.

So,

what's the

point in

doing anything?

Well,

people who

reel out

that argument

usually do

so because

they don't

want to

trust the

Lord.

They don't

want to

come under

his authority.

They don't

want to

be answerable

to him.

And they're

looking for

an excuse

to justify

their position.

And let me

tell you,

God will

not allow

you to

hold on

to that

excuse.

God will

not allow

you to

hold on

to that

excuse.

Because God

has commanded

us to

seek the

Lord.

That's your

duty,

to seek

the Lord.

And he's

promised if

you do,

you will

find him.

Listen to

Acts 17.

God

commands

all people

everywhere

to repent.

No loophole.

all people

everywhere

are commanded

to repent.

That's your

duty.

And there's a

promise that

goes with it.

If you do

repent,

you turn from

your sin

and you

seek the

Lord.

Matthew 7,

ask and you

will receive.

Seek and you

will find.

Knock and the

door will be

opened to

you.

If you go

into the

next chapter,

Romans chapter

Romans 10 · chapter mention

10,

and verse

9,

we read

this.

Here's another

promise,

a clear

promise.

Romans 10,

Romans 10:9

verse 9,

if you confess

with your

mouth that

Jesus is

Lord and

believe in

your heart

that God

raised him

from the

dead,

you will

be saved.

You will

be saved.

That's

God's

promise.

So friends,

the ball is

firmly in

your court.

No excuses.

No hiding

place.

God tells

you to

seek him.

And if you

do, you

will find

him.

And you'll

find then

that you

were chosen

by God

to be

saved.

Whoever

comes to

me, he

says,

I'll

never

turn

away.

I'll

never

turn

away.

There's

no room

for excuses.

There's

no room

for a

hiding

place.

So that's

the first

objection

that causes

confusion.

If I'm

not in

the elect,

I'll

never be

saved.

The second

is this.

Why

preach?

Why

preach?

If all

who are

going to

be saved

are going

to be

saved

anyway?

And if

they're

not in

the elect,

they're

never

going to

be

saved.

Well,

we preach

because God's

choice is

his business,

not ours.

We don't

know who

are in

the elect.

So we

appeal to

all to

come to

Christ for

salvation.

That's the

instruction that

the Bible

gives us,

and that's

the example

that the

Bible gives

us.

Jesus

called us

to go

and make

disciples

of all

nations.

He didn't

tell us to

be selective.

Paul to

the church

at Corinth

said,

we plead

with you

on Christ's

behalf.

Be

reconciled

to God.

And then

there's

Jesus'

own

example.

Remember

that wonderful

invitation that

Jesus gave?

Matthew 11,

come to

me,

all you

who are

weary

and burdened,

and I

will give

you rest.

All

you.

Well,

just before

he gave

that invitation,

Jesus said

this in

Matthew 11,

he said,

I praise

you,

Father,

Lord of

heaven and

earth,

because you've

hidden these

things from

the wise

and learned

and revealed

them to

little children.

Jesus knew

that not

everyone would

believe.

He knew

that not

everyone would

believe,

and yet he

still appeals

to them all

to come.

That's his

example.

That's what we

follow.

then there's

a third

confusion or

objection that

causes confusion,

and that is

that if those

whom God has

chosen will

be saved and

cannot be

lost,

might they

get careless?

Might they

live recklessly

as Christians?

Well,

there's always

that danger

that a

Christian

could live

carelessly.

But God

will not

allow any

believer to

continue on

that route

indefinitely.

he will

bring his

own people

back one

way or

another.

He'll

either draw

them back

with his

love,

or he'll

bring them

back through

his

justicement,

maybe through

some difficult,

painful trial

that he brings

into that

experience.

But the

person who

is convinced

that God

chose them

when there

was nothing

worth choosing

within them

whatsoever,

rather than

cause you

to be

careless and

reckless in

the way you

live.

That instead

causes us to

want to

please him

in any way

we can.

And that

was God's

purpose in

choosing his

own.

Scripture says

this,

Ephesians 1,

he chose us

in Christ so

that we would

be holy and

blameless in

his sight.

that was why

he chose us,

to be holy and

blameless in

his sight.

Or Romans 8,

for those God

foreknew,

he also

predestined

to be

conformed to

the image

of his

son.

He chose

you to

make you

like Jesus.

So while

there's always

the danger

that any

believer will

stray,

God will

bring his

people back

to himself.

So that's

our second

point this

evening.

There's

confusion.

People have

all these

questions and

objections to

the doctrine

of election.

So we

talked about

clarity,

we talked

about confusion,

thirdly and

finally,

comfort.

Comfort.

This doctrine

is one of the

believers'

greatest

comforts.

things.

And if the

God who

doesn't

change,

the God

who cannot

change,

chose you

to be

saved,

and his

choice was

not conditional

on anything

whatsoever

about you,

then that's

never going

to change.

Because God

doesn't change.

So even at

your worst,

God never

chose you

because you

were good.

And he's

not going

to change

because you're

bad.

Your salvation

is not

dependent on

you,

but on

him,

and on

him alone.

Charles Spurgeon,

the great

preacher of

yesteryear,

once said,

I'm glad

God chose

me before

I was

born,

because he'd

see nothing

worth choosing

after that.

And if

you're a

Christian who

knows your

own heart

tonight,

you know

that's

true of

you too.

He'd

see nothing

worth choosing

after that.

If God

has chosen

you,

nothing

you do

will ever

affect his

choice.

Jacob,

this verse,

they're talking

about Jacob

and Esau.

Jacob wasn't

saved because

he was good.

He was saved

despite the

fact that he

was bad.

If you know

anything of

Jacob,

he was a

liar,

he was a

deceiver,

he was a

schemer.

And yet

God chose

him.

As verse

15 puts

it,

I will

have

mercy

on whom

I will

have

mercy.

I

remember

hearing

about

someone

who

went

to see

their

minister

because

this

verse

troubled

them.

And they

said,

I really

struggle

with this

verse,

verse 13.

Jacob have

I loved

and Esau

have I

hated.

How can

God hate

someone?

And the

preacher's

reply was,

well,

I struggle

with this

verse as

well.

But not

that bit,

but the

other bit.

Jacob have

I loved.

Jacob was

a deceiver.

There was

nothing

lovable

about

Jacob.

And yet

God loved

him because

God chose

him.

And God

loves still

unlovable

people like

you and

like me

this evening.

the

doctrine of

election.

And it's

a great

reassurance

to the

believer.

When Jesus

said in

John 6,

I think I

quoted this

already,

when he

said,

all that

the

father has

given me

will come

to me,

he also

said this,

and I

shall lose

none of

all that

he has

given me,

but shall

raise them

up of

the last

day.

I shall

lose none

of them,

Jesus said.

Once

saved,

always

saved.

God's

elect

cannot

be lost.

And surely

that is a

comfort to

God's

people this

evening.

But what

have you

not saved?

What have

you not

saved?

And tonight

you're

wondering,

well,

am I

one of

God's

chosen

people?

Well,

there's

one sure

way that

you can

find out.

Look again

at the

next chapter,

Romans chapter

Romans 10 · chapter mention

10,

and this

time verse

13.

Romans 10

and verse

13 says

this,

for everyone

who calls

on the

name of

the Lord

will be

saved.

Again,

no

loopholes.

Everyone.

That

includes you.

You call

on the

name of

the Lord

and you

will be

saved.

That is

God's

promise.

and then

you'll

know.

You'll

know that

you are

one of

God's

chosen

people.

You know,

the Bible

tells us that

God doesn't

want any

to perish,

but that

all should

come to

repentance.

We saw it

with Jesus.

Jesus wept

outside of

Jerusalem,

looking over

Jerusalem,

and he

said,

how often

I would

have gathered

you as a

hen gathered

her chicks

under her

wing,

but you

wouldn't

come.

You

wouldn't

come.

And is

that what

he's saying

of you

this evening?

I long

to save

you,

but you

wouldn't

come.

Tonight,

the only

thing

preventing

you from

being saved

is yourself.

The only

reason

why anyone

would be

unsaved

here this

evening

is that

you've

never

genuinely

asked

God

to do

so.

You can

change that

tonight

if you

want to.

Amen.

Let's

pray.

Lord,

there are

so many

parts of

the Bible

that we

struggle

with,

we wrestle

with,

we find

difficult,

and yet

there are

passages

that are

crystal

clear.

Believe

on the

Lord Jesus

Christ

and you

will be

saved.

no ifs,

no buts.

Lord,

if we've

never

believed

before,

help us

to do

so this

evening.

And if

we have

trusted in

you,

may we

leave this

place

humbled,

knowing

that we're

saved not

because of

any good

in us,

but simply

because of

your sovereign

choice.

Draw us

closer to

yourself,

we pray.

Give us

thankful

hearts.

We ask

all these

things in

Jesus'

name.

Amen.

I'm going

to finish

singing from

Psalm 130,

the Scottish

Psalter version

of Psalm

130.

You'll

find it

on page

421.

Psalm 130,

we're going

to sing the

whole of

this psalm.

The tune

is Martyrdom.

We're on

page 421.

Lord,

from the

depths,

to thee I

cried,

my voice,

Lord,

do thou

hear,

and to

my

supplication's

voice,

give an

attentive

ear,

and down

to the

last

verse,

and

plenteous

redemption

is ever

found with

him,

and from

all his

iniquities

he,

Israel,

shall

redeem.

Psalm

130,

to God's

praise.

Lord,

from the

depths,

to thee

I cry,

my voice,

Lord,

do thou

hear,

hear,

until I

saw,

make

ancient's

voice,

give an

attempt

tear,

to me.

Lord, who shall

stand

heaven, O Lord,

just

part

in

equity,

but yet

with thee

forgiveness

is

that fear

the

layest

be.

I

wait for

God,

my soul

not

wait,

my hope

is

in

his

work

more

than

thee,

thou,

for

morning

watch

my

soul

wait for

the

Lord.

I

say

more

than

they

that

to

watch

the

morning

light

to see.

Let

Israel

hope

in the

Lord,

for

with

mercy

mercy

be!

!

God

and

plentious

redemption

is

ever

found

within

!

And

from

all

his

in

in

in

Thank you.