Eternal Election

ETERNAL ELECTION

Titus 1:1

Does anyone here know what November 2nd is. That’s right it is election day! That day when we get to exercise our right to vote for the man or women of our choice for certain offices. It is a right that many American hold near to their hearts, and that is rightfully so. Now while we may think we are in charge of who gets into office when we look at the big picture we should realize that in the end every government on this planet is there because God allows them to be.

Regardless of what we think of our Governor, congressmen, Representative, or our own president, each on of those people hold that office because God, for one reason or another, (reasons that I cannot always figure out), has placed them in that position.

But anyway the election of our government is something that is important to many of us.

Today I would like to talk to you about another kind of election. This is the doctrine of election, which is an eternal election, also known as the doctrine of predestination.

While there was a lot of controversy surrounding the our earthy elections there is a lot of controversy surrounding the doctrine of election.

There will be some of you today who will not agree with me concerning this teaching and that is ok. But I would urge those who do not to look over the scripture for yourselves and see what the word of God teaches.

I believe that even though this doctrine is plainly taught in scripture, it is one of the most disregarded doctrines. Yet a doctrine that has been taught since the early church.

Before I begin I would also like to say one more thing. Of all the sermons I have preached I have to say that I have put perhaps more hours of study into this one doctrine then any other. Because it is a controversial doctrine, I wanted to be sure that what I will present to you today is the truth from the word of God.

Please turn with me to our passage today. We are continuing our study into the book of Titus. Please turn to Titus chapter 1 verse 1. That is page 1032 in your pew Bibles.

"Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness,"

We noted a couple weeks ago how Paul begins his letter by describing himself as a "bondservant" to God, or as being in bondage to God, a slave to God. We make note of how that is how it ought to be in our own lives.

Paul goes on to say that he is an "apostle of Jesus Christ according to the faith of God’s elect". Last week we discussed what kind of faith Paul was speaking of here, that is a sound faith, a healthy faith. A faith that seeps into our intellect side, our emotion side, and our physical side, that is it displays itself through the works we do. Today I want to attempt to answer the question of "What does Paul mean by God’s elect?"

The Greek word that Paul uses here is "EK-LEK-TOS" it literally means to "pick out", "to chose". This word is also translated "chosen" in some cases.

It is used by our Lord Jesus on less then 7 times when speaking of the saints, By Paul at least 7 times, by Peter at least 5 times and John at least 3.

When something is mentioned that much within the scripture is should cause us to want to know what these men and our Lord meant when that call the saints of God the elect of God.

I believe that we can see this type of election, or choosing in three ways within the scripture, both in the Old and New Testaments.

First we have chosen to an office. In 1 Samuel 10:24 scripture states that Saul was "chosen" or elected by God for the office of King.

It reads "And Samuel said to all the people, "Do you see him whom the LORD has chosen, that there is no one like him among all the people?" So all the people shouted and said, "Long live the king!""

David is also said to be chosen to be king by God. 1 King 8:16 God states "but I chose David to be over My people Israel."

Now none of us have any problems with that, we think it is ok for God to choose who ever he wanted to be king of Israel.

The second way in which we see God’s election is the choosing of a certain people to a special privilege. In Deuteronomy 7:6, Moses tell the people of Israel, "The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the people on the face the earth to be his people, his treasured possession."