Transcribed From Cassette Message COL42 by Tim Crews
Copyright 2001 by author * This is a transcript, not a manuscript.
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Open your Bibles with me to Colossians Chapter 3.
If you were to ask me what the underlying theme of God’s dealings with humanity is, I would unhesitantly reply, "The sovereign glory of God"; and by that I mean from Genesis to Revelation we find that all things -- all of creative history, all of redemptive history -- work out to the glory of God as he sovereignly orchestrates the happenings of the universe.
I think this is the greatest revelation man can experience, even greater than understanding God’s love, as great as that is. But there’s nothing greater than gaining a sense of the sovereign glory of God. I think back to Isaiah Chapter 6 where Isaiah saw the Lord and declared "Woe is me, for I am ruined!" And you might remember the angels, the seraphim, who were at the heavenly throne; they didn’t declare "Love! Love! Love!" (and again, I’m not trying to demean the love of God), but they declared "Holy! Holy! Holy! is the Lord God almighty!" The glory, the majesty of God, the theme that rings like a bell throughout all of Scripture.
Most of you are familiar with the story of Daniel. Daniel was a Hebrew prophet taken into captivity by Babylon under the rule of King Nebuchadnezzar in 605 B.C., and Daniel then served as a servant and as an interpreter of dreams to the king. And after several encounters with the power of God (and I want to specifically talk about King Nebuchadnezzar’s experience here, as it’s recorded in Daniel Chapters 1 - 4), it says that Nebuchadnezzar "comes to his senses". And you might remember that this follows his time of humiliation, where he’s banished out to a field and eats grass, like a cow. And it says that "he comes to his senses". And what does he declare when he comes to his senses? In fact, this he made a public declaration. He says,
"But at the end of that period..." (What period? The time of Nebuchadnezzar’s humiliation before God.) "...I raised my eyes toward heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored Him who lives forever, for His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom endures from generation to generation, and all the inhabitants of the Earth are accounted as nothing, but He [that is, God] does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the Earth, and no one can ward off his hand, no one can say ’what hast thou done?’
Nebuchadnezzar came to his senses and declared what? The love of God? No! The healing touch of God? No! What!? He declares the sovereign glory of God!
Sounds like a lot like Psalm 135, verse 6: "Whatever the Lord pleases, He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps." Or Proverbs 16:9: "The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps." Proverbs 20:24: "Man’s steps [that is, his ways] are ordained [or they are directed] by the Lord." Psalm 139:16: The psalmist declares, "Thine eyes have seen my unformed substance [that is, before I was even born], and in Thy book they were all written, The days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them." That’s a sovereign, majestic, glorious God. That’s a constant theme throughout Scripture. And we’ve seen it in Colossians.
I think back to Chapter 1, verse 1, Paul’s opening statement, where he says, "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the ..." what of God? "By the will of God". This means much more than that Paul sought God’s will and found it. God literally ordained Paul, not only to Jesus Christ, but He ordained him to apostolic ministry. Read Acts chapter 9 sometime. Paul (Saul at that time), breathing threats against the church, an antagonist against the church of God. God what? God knocks him to the ground! Literally! Saying, "Enter Damascus and I’ll tell you what you are going to do." And in Damascus there’s a man named Ananias, who’s going to serve as God’s messenger to Paul, and what does God say to him? "Go [to him, that is, to Paul], for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel." (9:15)
The sovereignty of God. Paul experienced it first hand.
In Chapter 1, verse 11 and 12, it says that "strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience, joyously giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light." The word "qualified", hikanoô, has the idea of empowering someone to do something. God has "qualified" the unqualified. Before Jesus Christ delivered you, those of you that know Him, you were Christless, stateless, covenant-less, hopeless, Godless, helpless. Your mind was darkened. You were dead. You were hell-bound. And what happened? God qualified you. Listen, if your salvation wasn’t the sovereign work of God then you’re not saved, because it would have been impossible for you to have extricated yourself from your sinful position apart from the enabling work of God. You see that throughout Scripture.
More on the majesty and sovereignty of God: Chapter 1, verses 15-17, talking about Jesus Christ -- God the Son. That He is the image of the invisible God, the Firstborn of all creation, by Him all things were created. Was there anything that exists, anything that was created that wasn’t created by Jesus Christ? No! All things were created by Him. Both in the heavens and on Earth, visible and invisible, that is things you see, things you can’t see, whether thrones or dominions, rulers or authorities, all things have been created by Him and for Him, and He is before all things. That is, He’s sovereign over all things. He’s prominent over all things. He’s King of kings and Lord of lords over all things. And in Him all things hold together.
Chapter 2, verse 3. It says that "in Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." Chapter 2 verse 13, it says that "when you were dead [that is, talking to believers in Jesus Christ]... when you were dead [that is, lifeless] in your transgressions and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive." So again and again we see the sovereignty of God, the glory of God, throughout the pages of Scripture.
With this in mind, let’s read together a section we’ll spend the next two or three weeks in, at least. Colossians Chapter 3, verses 12 through 15, where Paul writes,
"And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving each other. Whoever has a complaint against anyone, just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. And beyond all these things, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you are called in one body, and be thankful."
Verse 12 (as I translated it): "Now then as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on hearts of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience." I want you to note the first two words of verse 12, "Now then". "Now then" translates the Greek particle oun. It marks a transition to a new thought, to a new subject. The idea here is, “Okay folks it’s time to move on. Time to go from the elementary to the mature.” And what would indicate here that Paul is referring to the mature, or appealing to the mature? He says, "Now then, as..." what? "As the elect of God," or "As those who have been chosen of God." He’s talking to believers here.
Paul uses the same phrase in two other places. In Romans 8:33: "Who will bring a charge against the elect of God?" (or "against God’s elect?") In Titus 1:1: "Paul, a bondservant of God, an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God," or "through the faith of the elect of God." It’s a phrase with a strong Jewish background, eklektoi tou theou.
Now what does it mean to be "the elect of God"? The Greek noun eklektos, which Paul uses here, means "elect, selected, or chosen". Bauer Arndt and Gingrich, which is a standard Greek lexicon, has this to say about the word eklektos:
"chosen, select, used generally of angels, First Timothy 5:21 [We find out in that passage that there are elect angels and non-elect angels, and the non-elect angels fell with Satan.] Of the Messiah [Luke 23:35, ’who is called God’s chosen’]. Especially of those whom God has chosen from the generality of mankind and drawn to himself."
It’s a word used in classical literature of individual soldiers who were the chosen. That is, they were drafted, they were selected for special service. The same word is used by Jesus in Matthew 22:14, "Many are called, but few are eklektos, or "few are chosen." That is, the Gospel goes out to many, but few respond. Not everyone responds to the calling that goes out to the many. It’s used in Mark chapter 13 verse 20, speaking of the tribulation: "And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no life would have been saved, but for the sake of the..." what? "the elect, the eklektos, whom He chose, He shortened the days." So who are the elect? They are those whom God chose.
So what does it mean to be "elect" or to be "chosen"? It means that, if you’re a Christian, if you’re in Jesus Christ, from God’s perspective it’s because He chose you. It’s as simple as that. It’s so simple it makes me wonder how anyone who believes in the authority and the sufficiency of God’s word would question what it means. It’s elementary!
It amazes me how many Christians misrepresent, misunderstand, or vilify the Biblical teaching on God’s sovereignty or God’s election or on God’s predestination. To be eklektos is to be chosen, it’s that simple. That’s what it says. It’s to be chosen of God. Chosen for what? Chosen for salvation. It’s that simple.
You responded to God because God responded to you first. He opened your eyes; He softened your heart; He made the foolishness of the Gospel the power of God to you for salvation. Then you freely responded to Him in faith. There’s great comfort in that, and that’s why I believe Paul begins this section affirming this wonderful truth.
We’re calling this "The Christian’s 7-11". It has nothing to do with convenience stores, folks. "Seven Biblical facts about the believer’s election in Christ", and then, from that flows our conduct, and that is "eleven essential characteristics of the elect."
I want to say I don’t pretend to have all this figured out, and there is a point of tension here. There is a point of paradox here, but I think God’s word is clear, and so there is a point at which we allow God to be God and let His word speak for itself.
Seven biblical facts about the believer’s election in Christ: Turn over to 2 Thessalonians 2:13. And the first fact is:
Election is unto salvation.
"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."
Let me ask you a few rhetorical questions: Who does the choosing here? God. Who does God choose? You, that is individual believers. And he has chosen individual believers for what? For salvation! Through what? Sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.
Turn over to John 6:37.
Jesus says, "All that the Father gives me shall come to me. The one who comes to me I will certainly not cast out. For I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of Him who sent me." And this is the will of Him, this is God’s will, the will of Him who sent me, that "’of all that He has given me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him may have eternal life, and I myself will raise him up on the last day.’ [Verse 41] The Jews therefore were grumbling about Him because He said ’I am the bread that comes down from heaven’. And they were saying, ’Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does He now say "I have come down out of Heaven?"’ Jesus answered and said to them, ’Do not grumble among yourselves. No-one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him and I will raise him up on the last day.’ "
"No one can come unto Me unless the Father draws him." The word “draws” is from the Greek verb helkuô -- “To drag, to draw.” The same word is used in Acts 16:19 of Paul and Silas being dragged before the authorities in the marketplace. It’s a strong word, it has the idea of an irresistible force. It’s used in Greek literature of a desperately hungry man being drawn to food, or of demonic forces being drawn to animals when they were not able to possess men.
So nobody comes on their own terms. I don’t see how it could be any more clear than that. Nobody comes to Christ unless the Father draws him or her to Jesus Christ. In fact, if you follow the thread of verses 37 through 44, you’ll find three impossibilities: It’s impossible for anyone to come to Christ unless the Father draws him (verse 44). It’s impossible for someone whom God draws not to come to Christ (verse 37). And it’s impossible for the one who comes by the will of God to be cast out. (That’s eternal security, also in verse 37.)
We could also look at John 6:65, where Jesus said, "For this reason I have said to you, ’No one can come to me unless it has been granted him from the Father.’" And it’s very interesting, if you look at verse 66, and note the response, it says that as a result of this, and I think directly reflecting on the difficult statement that Jesus uttered, "as a result of this, many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore."
We could look at John 10, verses. 26 and following, where Jesus says, "You do not believe because you are not of My sheep. My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow Me and I give eternal life to them. And they shall never perish and no one shall snatch them out of My hand." That is, sheep are not an empty class. They hear, they know, they believe, they trust, they follow, they love the shepherd.
Someone says, "Well, I chose God!" Well, sure you did! I’m not denying that. But you chose Him, because, from His perspective, He chose you first. This reminds me of 1 John 4:19, "We love Him because He first loved us."
I think there’s even a parallel here to the calling of the disciples. You can think of Matthew Chapter 4 where it says, "As Jesus was standing beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net in the lake because they were fishermen, and Jesus said, ’ Come follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.’" And what they do? They left their nets. They followed him. He gave an invitation. They freely responded. He didn’t violate their wills, did He?
But then you note John Chapter 16, where He says, "You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I’ve called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you to go and bear fruit -- fruit that will last." So who did the choosing here? God, or man? Well, we could say both, right? But whose choice was logically prior? God’s.
Second point:
Election is unconditional.
That is, it’s not conditioned on anything but God, and it’s based entirely on God’s sovereign will to His glory. Among the many books I have in my library is a four or five volume set, The Dictionary of New Testament Theology, which is a dictionary of Greek words and their meanings. And it says this, on this word group,
"If it be asked what are the principals which underlie God’s choice, the only positive answer that can be given is that He bestows His favor upon men and joins them to Himself solely on the basis of His own free decision and His love, which is not dependant on any temporal circumstances." [DNTT: 1:542]
Turn over to Ephesians Chapter 1, verse 3. Again, Paul is addressing believers in Jesus Christ here. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ." Believers in Jesus Christ have been blessed with every spiritual blessing. Now, he elaborates on that in verse 4. "Just as He..." what? "...chose us in Him, [that is, in Christ] before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before Him." And I might note this word or this phrase, "He chose us" is again, eklegô, to choose, to elect. It’s an aorist middle, which indicates past action, and it’s reflexive, that is it’s God’s independent choice. It could be translated here "to choose for one’s self." So He chose us in Him before when? Before the foundation of the world. Why? That we should be holy and blameless before Him.
“In love He predestined us.” The word proorizô means "to determine beforehand." That’s exactly what ”predestined” means! He predestined us to what? Adoption as sons! This isn’t referring to the church, as some people like to say: "Well this is referring to the church as an entity, not individuals." It says "adoption as sons" here. It’s not referring to the church. Except that the church is made up of believers. He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ according to what? “To the kind attention of His will. With the purpose of the praise of His glory, of his grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the beloved.”
Someone else might say, "Well, it’s foreknowledge. God looks ahead, and He chooses those who choose Him, right? I mean, isn’t that Romans 8? "For whom he foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son"? Well, it sounds good. Problem is, it’s not true. God doesn’t have "foreknowledge" in the sense of prescience alone. God isn’t some celestial fortune-teller who predicts random future happenings. He’s actively involved in those happenings. Planning out those happenings. He has a plan.
God has complete knowledge of all things, past, present and future, at all times. To say that God just simply looks ahead is an attempt to define God by our human terms and reasoning, and it ultimately destroys His omniscience and His omnipotence. Besides, it doesn’t work grammatically. The words [that translate] "foreknowledge" that are used (proginoskô, prognôsis, and related cognates of those words, are intimate words which imply a relationship. It’s like saying, "I know my wife." There’s intimacy there. To foreknow is to forelove. That’s the idea.
These Greek words parallel in meaning the Hebrew word yada, which means, "to know and experience", or "to know with intimacy". Yada is used in Genesis Chapter 4, verse 1, of Adam having sexual relations with his wife. Literally, "he knew his wife." It’s used of personal friendships in Genesis 29, verse 5. It’s used of knowing good from evil in Genesis 3:5. It’s used of knowing the true God in Jeremiah 3:22.
And the Greek word, or the Greek parallel to the Hebrew yada is used the same way in Matthew 1:25 of Joseph and Mary, where it says, "He kept her a virgin." Remember that passage? That’s literally, in the Greek, "He did not know her." It’s intimate!
So the words "foreknow", "foreknowledge" mean much more than simply looking ahead. I mean, that’s defining the Greek word in terms of our English language. It’s not even close to that. It’s much more than that.
By the way, the same word is used of God’s relationship to Israel in Romans 11:2. "God has not rejected His people, whom He foreknew." That doesn’t mean that God looked ahead in time, saw this nation of Israel, and said, "Well, they’re going to be my people somehow. I foresee, so I’ll choose them on that basis." Of course not! That’s ludicrous!
The words are also used of Jesus, Acts 2:23, "...this man, delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God." 1 Peter 1:20: "He [that is, Christ] was foreknown before the foundation of the world." Well, what does that mean? Does that mean God looked ahead and saw that somehow Jesus fit into His plan, and He planned accordingly? Of course not! It means He was foreloved before the foundation of the world.
So the foreknowledge argument is a baseless, weak argument. And if you stopped to think about it, the results are the same, because what’s foreknown is foreordained. I mean, if God knows that something is going to happen, if He knows definitely that something’s going to happen, is anything going to change that? No!
I think of the Lamb’s book of life. Revelation 13:8, Revelation 17:8, where it says that "believer’s names were recorded in that book from before the foundation of the world." Those names are either there or they are not. Could anything change it? From God’s perspective, from God who has the book, who can read the book? No. But remember, as I said, we’re dealing with God’s perspective here. God’s sovereignty. And I’m not denying that there’s a human element here as well, and we’ll get to that.
Third:
Election is necessary because of sin.
Remember back to Colossians Chapter 1, verse 21, when we talked a bit about the depravity of man, the sinful state of man, and at that time I shared ten theological truths related to the believer’s past position. That is, your state of affairs before you came to Jesus Christ. Very briefly, those ten were:
You were alienated, hostile, engaged in evil deeds. [Colossians 1:21]
Two, you were dead in sin, you were by nature a child of God’s wrath. [Ephesians 2:1 and following]
Third, you were under a curse, that is, the curse of the law. [Galatians 3:10-13]
Fourth, you were an enemy of God. [Romans 5:10]
Fifth, you were darkened in your understanding. [Ephesians 4:18]
Sixth, you were unable to please God. You were hostile to Him. [Romans 8:5-7]
Seventh, you were unable to even understand and comprehend spiritual truth [1 Corinthians 2:14]
Eighth, you were unable to truly seek after God [Romans 3:11, "No one seeks for God."]
Ninth, you were blinded by Satan. [2 Corinthians 4:4]
And tenth, destined for Hell, that is eternal separation from God. [Revelation 20:13]
And you might remember, back on that Sunday I asked the question, "Why do people reject Jesus Christ, in light of this?" Because they choose to. Why do they choose to? Because they’re alienated, hostile, dead in sin, children of wrath, under a curse, darkened in understanding, unable to please God, hostile to Him, unable to understand, unable to truly seek God, blinded by Satan. Do we need any more reasons?
British expositor D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones in his book The Plight of Man and the Power of God wrote,
"Man’s very nature is fallen. Man is wrong at the center of his being, and therefore everything is wrong. He cannot be improved, for finally, nothing will suffice but a radical change, a new nature. Man loves the darkness and hates the light. What can be done for him? Can he change himself? Can he renew his nature? ’Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?’ Can a man change the whole bias of his life? Give him new clothing, provide him with a new house, and new surroundings, entertain him with all that is best and most elevating, educate him and train his mind, enrich his soul with frequent doses of the finest culture ever known, do all and more, but still he will remain the same essential man, and his desires and innermost life will be unchanged."
That’s why A. W. Tozer wrote, "Before a man can seek God, God must have first sought the man."
I can’t understand how any Christian, even looking at his or her own experience and coming to Christ, or his or her own experience in sharing the gospel with others, can deny those truths. I think of my mom’s testimony: I became a Christian in 1981, and I worked on her faithfully for two years. I remember that back in 1983, all I knew to use was the Four Spiritual Laws, sitting there, going through Law 1, Law 2, Law 3, Law 4. "Mom, do you understand? Do you get it?" "No, it just doesn’t make sense to me." She didn’t understand. She wasn’t lying. Time after time after time. And by the way, I give this as an encouragement, for keeping at it and "stick-to-it-iveness" and faith with people you love. In other words, it seems like the hundredth time I sat down with her, and I repeated, "Law 1, here Mom, Law 2, you know, you’ve heard them all before, you can share them with me!" And we came to the point of the prayer, and I said, "Well, does it make sense to you?" And she said, "Yes! It made sense! I get it!" Did I happen to share it in a better way then? No. Before man can seek God, God must have first sought the man. It takes the working of the Holy Spirit in the heart.
Think of Jesus and Peter. Remember when Jesus asked him in Matthew, "Who do you say that I am?" After He asked him, "Who do men say that I am?" then He said, "Well Peter, who do you say that I am?" "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God!" (Way to go, Peter, you get an A on your test! You’re smarter than the rest! How did you come up with that, Peter?) Remember what it says? "Flesh and blood didn’t reveal that to you, but my Father in heaven."
Can it be any more clear than that?
That’s why I said that every Christian is a spiritual Lazarus (John 11.) Think back, if we could go back to Lazarus’ tomb, we’d beat Jesus there by a few hours, saying, "Let’s scream into the tomb! Lazarus, come out! Wake up! Lazarus, walk the aisle and be saved! You’re late for dinner!" What would have happened? Would he have come out? It takes a miracle to make a physical resurrection, right? In the same way, it takes a miracle to make a spiritual resurrection. And remember, the Bible says that, apart from Jesus Christ, you’re dead. Lazarus was dead physically. We were all once dead spiritually. That’s why you have Acts 13:48, "As many as were ordained to eternal life believed." How many believed? All those that were ordained. And you have Acts 16:14: Lydia, who hears Paul preach a message, and what does it say? "The Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken of by Paul." That verb "to open", dianoigô, was also used by Luke to describe Jesus’ illumining the minds of the disciples to recognize Him in Luke 24:31. He opened their minds. It was also used in Like 24:45, where it says that Jesus opened the disciples’ minds to understand the scriptures.
Before man can seek God, God must have first sought the man.
Fourth:
Election is presented as a comfort for the believer, not as an opportunity to question God’s justice.
This is so important. Scripture always speaks of God’s sovereignty or His work in predestinating things to come to pass in terms of those who are Christians, in other words the truth given to Christians, as a comfort and as an encouragement and as a greater glimpse into the glory and majesty of God.
Never, never is it an opportunity to question God’s righteousness. Never. It’s never presented that way! And when it comes to our salvation, it’s comfort in knowing that our life in Christ was no accident, and yes, it’s secure!
Listen to what Lloyd Ogilvie says.
"We [believers] are a chosen people, the elect of God. The Greek term means selected out of a number. We have been called to be God’s people, not because of our goodness, but because of His grace. This results in praise, not pride. The overflowing gratitude for the call of God is what creates in us the desire to allow Him to guide and control our actions. Responsibility to emulate Christ is in our response to the amazing love we have experienced. We are ’holy and dearly loved.’" [Lloyd Ogilvie, Colossians, 107]
It’s a comfort.
Look at Romans Chapter 9. Let me say, whenever I lay in bed at night, pondering deep theological truths, and maybe I start pondering a little bit too deeply, and start to become uncomfortable, I always come back to Romans Chapter 9, and then I go to sleep. That always settles it for me.
’ll give you a little background. Paul is wrestling with a problem here. He’s wrestling with the problem of Israel as God’s chosen nation. But Israel, as God’s chosen nation, had rejected her Messiah. And many may have been asking the questions, If salvation was from the Jews and for the Jews, why did they reject Jesus Christ as their Messiah? Is God done with Israel? Has God somehow failed? Has God’s Word somehow failed? (In that, the Word is going out to the Gentiles, and yet Israel from it’s leadership on down, for the most part has rejected its Messiah?) Is His Word a failure?
So Paul is dealing with that issue. And of course, he says God’s Word hasn’t failed. And he goes on to say in Chapter 11, verse 26, that in God’s timing all of Israel would be saved, that God wasn’t done with Israel. So he begins in verse 1 of Chapter 9:
"I am telling the truth in Christ. I am not lying. My conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit [in other words, my conscience isn’t misguided here; it’s not seared; I believe my conscience is in tune with the Spirit of God] that I have great sorrow, and unceasing grief in my heart, for I could wish that I myself were accursed [that is, devoted to destruction] separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh..."
He uses in the Greek here what’s called a voluntative imperfect. It expresses hesitation due to the impossibility of the desire. Paul is saying, "I know it’s impossible. I can’t be separated from Christ, but I could almost wish, for my people Israel, that I could be separated and accursed on their behalf." Because they’re Israelites. Verse 4:
"...to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law, and the temple service, and the promises. Whose are the Father’s, and from whom is the Christ, according to the flesh, who is over all. God blessed forever."
That’s the problem. But what’s the answer? Verse 6:
"But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel."
In other words, salvation isn’t nationalistic. Yes, they have the promises, they have the covenants, they’re God’s favored people. But, not all Israel is Israel. The true complete Israelite is the one who has received Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Verse 8:
"That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants. For this is a word of promise: ’At this time I will come and Sarah shall have a son.’ And not only this, but there was Rebecca also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac.’"
Now note verse 11:
"For though the twins were not yet born, and had not done anything good or bad, in order that God’s purpose according to His choice might stand, not because of works [that is, not because of human achievement or human effort], but because of Him who calls, it was said to her, ’The older will serve the younger.’ Just as it is written [quoting from Malachi 1] ’Jacob I have loved but Esau I have hated.’ "
Now, Paul’s a step ahead here. He knows he’s setting himself up for an argument. So what does he say in verse 14?
"What shall we say then, there is no injustice God, is there?"
Well, if God’s so sovereign, then he must be unfair! And what does Paul say? No way! He uses that phrase, mç genoito, that he uses in Romans 6. He uses it some ten times in the book of Romans. It’s one of the strongest Greek phrases available. "No way! A thousand times no!"
Verse 15:
"For He says to Moses, ’I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.’ [And verse 16:] So then, it does not depend on the man."
Hear that? It doesn’t depend on the man! Listen, God doesn’t owe anyone anything but Hell!
Verse 17:
"It doesn’t depend on the man who wills, or on the man who runs, but on..." Who? "...God who has mercy. For the scripture says to Pharaoh, ’For this very purpose I raised you up, to demonstrate my power in you, that my name
might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth.’ [Verse 18, Paul says] So then, He has mercy on whom he desires, and he hardens whom he desires."
It’s a mystery in God’s mind. Now again, Paul says, "I’m going to be polemical. I feel another argument coming."
"You will say to me then, ’Why does He still find fault, for who resists His will?’"
Man, I’ve heard this countless times from people, when discussions of God’s sovereignty come up, and it’s amazing that Paul dealt with this almost two thousand years ago, and it still comes up. If God’s sovereign, why is anyone responsible? Who can resist His will? Look at verse 20. I’ll tell you what, this brings it into perspective.
"On the contrary, who are you...?" [Did you get that?] "...who are you, oh man, who answers back to God?"
I’ve found myself in this position many times. God, why is this happening? God, why did You plan it this way? Why does your plan include this? Why did You choose to do it this way? Maybe this seems unfair. And I have to come back to that every time. And it silences me every time.
"Who are you, oh man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder ’Why did you make me like this’, will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay to make from the same lump a vessel for honorable use and another for common use? And what if God, although willing to demonstrate his wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared before him for destruction, and He did so in order that he might make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared before Him for glory, even us whom He also called."
One commentator writes,
"It’s obvious from Paul’s wording [that is, his polemic] that the ones who might be asking such questions [that is, questioning God’s fairness] would not be seeking God’s truth, but rather self-justification. Attempting to excuse their own unbelief, sinfulness, ignorance, and spiritual rebellion, they would be apt to accuse God of injustice. But human understanding is so limited, even sincere questions about God’s sovereign election and predestination ultimately must go unanswered... It is one of the many truths about God that we must accept by faith, simply because He has revealed it in His word." [MacArthur, Romans 9-16, 37-38]
As Bob Jones used to say, "The problem isn’t with me, if you don’t like what it [Scripture] says, call up heaven."
So election is presented as a comfort for the believer, not as an opportunity to question God’s justice.
Fifth:
Election finds its roots in the history of the church.
From the pages of scripture to the early church fathers, men such as Tertullian, who died in 220, Ambrose, who died in 397, Athanasius who died in 373, and Augustine who died in 430, the church has predominately held to the absolute sovereignty of God. In fact, it’s interesting to note that Augustine, early in his ministry, held to a conditional election view, believing that it was contingent on God’s foreknowledge, and he later, through serious study, changed his position, calling his former view "the pest of the Pelagian heresy." Pelagianism denied the depravity of man.
From Augustine to the time of the Reformation, where you have men such as Calvin and Luther, who both tenaciously held to God’s absolute sovereignty. (Read sometime Luther’s book The Bondage of the Will, which I have in my library.) Following the Reformation, you have many men, more numerous than I can name in the time allowed, significant church creeds such as the Belgic Confession of 1561, the Westminster Confession of Faith of 1647, and even the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith, which is out on our literature table, that all uphold what’s been named later (unfortunately to John Calvin) a "Calvinistic" view of God’s sovereignty. In fact, Arminianism, the opposite view, was condemned in the church synod. It was condemned at the Synod of Dort in 1619.
Then you have contemporaries, such as Spurgeon in the last century, and I could name many many more. Men today such as MacArthur, Swindoll, R.C. Sproul, J. I. Packer, Warren Weirsbe, and I could go on and on, through pastors, writers, scholars, and theologians that all uphold God’s absolute sovereignty.
I remember someone once asked me if a particular theological book that I had in my library upheld the position of predestination. And I replied, "You’re hard pressed to find one that doesn’t." Now that says something! God’s absolute sovereignty has been the dominant position of the church from the first century onward. Now, I’ll admit, that in itself doesn’t prove anything, but it’s a strong consideration, especially in light of the fact that the church is called "the pillar and support of the truth" in 1 Timothy 3:15. And I’m going to be very careful before I disagree with something that has been the dominant historical position of the church throughout its history.
There’s a quote in the preface to R.K. McGregor Wright’s book, No Place for Sovereignty (What’s Wrong with Free-Will Theism?):
"Evangelicals are clearly being asked to accept an idea of God very different from the God of traditional orthodox theology. Were this an isolated incident, it would not be so alarming. That it is being echoed by a growing chorus of evangelical thinkers is quite another matter. Ideas that would have immediately been considered heretical fifty years ago are now promoted without so much as the batting of an eye. It seems that as we enter the third millennium, much of evangelicalism has lost its bearings."
Sixth point:
Election doesn’t negate evangelism.
In fact, election guarantees results! I’ve had people ask me, "If you believe in predestination, why do you believe in evangelism?" Well, it’s simple. I believe in predestination because it’s biblical. And I believe in evangelism because it’s biblical. Do I need another reason? No! In fact, Paul the apostle believed in both. In 2 Timothy 2:10, he said, "For this reason, I endure all things, for the sake of those who are eklektos [for the sake of those who are chosen, for the elect], that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus, and with it eternal glory." There is a paradox there, sure, but Scripture upholds both.
Bob Ricker, the president of the BGC, has recently written,
"I am encouraged by the doctrine of divine election, because I know that ’all the Father gives me will come to me’ [John 6:37] Even though people coming to Christ are entering into and believing the miraculous (virgin birth, substitutionary death, atonement, resurrection, second coming, just to name a few), I know that when a person is drawn by the Holy Spirit, he or she will come. It is a happy privilege of being part of this by our life and witness."
Listen, to say that because God is absolutely sovereign, evangelism is unnecessary is like saying because a true believer in Jesus Christ can’t lose his salvation, it’s unnecessary to live an obedient Christian life. It’s the same argument. Don’t lose sight of the facts. Scripture is clear. Those who come to Christ ultimately, from God’s perspective, come because of his drawing work in their hearts. And the Bible’s also clear that we are to evangelize, and that is the means that God uses. I mean we looked at Romans 9, the sovereignty of God, but read Romans 10! "Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved. And how shall they call without a preacher?" Faith comes by hearing, hearing by the word of Christ.
Now fortunately, we’re not privy to the knowledge of God from His perspective. I don’t know whose names are recorded in the Lamb’s book of life. If I did, it would make, evangelism much easier, in a sense. You would just find their addresses and go there. We don’t know that information. That’s God’s information, but it’s there. So our responsibility transcends that, and brings us back to Scripture, and Scripture is clear, that we are to share our faith. We are to be accountable for that. And the results are up to God. I mean, that’s great comfort! I’ve learned to really rest in that when I’m sharing my faith. If they reject it, they’re not rejecting me! It’s not because, maybe I didn’t say the right thing. Maybe I wasn’t clear enough. I mean, don’t get me wrong, we have to be clear in our presentation. Our doctrine needs to be good. We have to be presenting the right gospel, not a false one. But I can’t walk away saying, "Man, I didn’t manipulate that person into the kingdom. What’s wrong with me?" There’s great comfort in knowing that God knows those who are His, and His sheep will hear His voice. I’m just to broadcast seed, man! I’m a seed-scatterer. God does the growing.
So listen, we’re accountable. You can’t deny that. We’re accountable. The issue isn’t whether the elect will come to salvation, the issue is whether or not we will be obedient in leading them there! That’s the issue.
And seventh, and our last point:
Election is balanced by human responsibility.
Now note the word "balanced". Now listen, if you’ve been part of this church for any length of time, and if you know me, you know I’m balanced, right? Right ? There’s no reason why any of you should have an issue with anything I’ve said this morning, because I’ve said it all before, I’ve just never given you such a big dose of it. But there is a balance between human responsibility and God’s sovereignty. And as I’ve told some of you, I’m committed to preaching and teaching what the scripture means by what it says. And if something comes up that talks about human responsibility, I’ll preach and teach that. If something comes up that talks about God’s sovereignty, and uses a controversial word like election or predestination, I’m sorry, I’ll preach that and teach that. That’s what I’m called to do. And that’s what you expect from me.
Since the Bible upholds both with an apparent tension, who am I to do less? If Scripture lays these truths side by side without a problem, why can’t we uphold them in the same way? God’s big enough to take care of it.
I’ll give you a classic example. I had to really cut this thing short. I could have preached on this from now until the rapture, but I want to give you an example. Acts Chapter 4, verses 27-28. Turn there, you’ve got to see this. I want you to note this.
"For truly in this city, there were gathered together against Thy holy servant Jesus, whom Thou [that is God] didst appoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Thy hand and Thy purpose..." [What? Your Bibles all end at verse 28?!] "...predestined to occur." [emphasis added.]
Think about that. Here you have people coming against the Son of God. Was that sin? Was that a great injustice? Was that horrible? I mean, we thank God, because we receive the benefit of it. You have human responsibility, human actions, and right after that, it says "to do whatever thy hand and thy purpose predestined to happen." Wow! Now I get excited when I see stuff like that! I mean, that testifies to the divine nature of God’s Word, doesn’t it? I mean, man wouldn’t write that out like that. Now, I don’t know how it all works together. There’s a point where I can’t reconcile the two, but I know they’re both there, so I’ll uphold both.
So I have no problem with passages like this, or passages like Philippians 2:12-13,
"Work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” (Be disciplined in your spiritual life. Count the cost. Be a soldier of Christ. And what does the next verse say?) "For it is God who is at work in you, both to work and will according to His good pleasure."
I don’t completely understand it, but I can’t because I’m not God, and neither are you. So there’s a sense in all this where Deuteronomy 29:29 applies, right? Things revealed belong to us, but the secret things belong to whom? God.
So to pull this into perspective, Colossians 3:12,
"Now then, as the elect of God. [Let me give you a little more perspective on what that means.] Holy and beloved, with hearts of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, [and do this] bear with one another and forgive each other whenever anyone has a complaint against anyone else. Just as the Lord himself has forgiven you, so also should you. And above all these things, put on love, which is the perfect bond of perfection. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts to which you were called in one body, and be thankful."
I want to close with this rather lengthy quote by John MacArthur, but listen to this quote and see if you can’t rest in this truth. Rest in the paradox here:
"God’s sovereign election and man’s exercise of human responsibility in choosing Jesus Christ seem opposite and irreconcilable truths, and from our limited human perspective they are opposite and irreconcilable. That is why so many earnest well-meaning Christians throughout the history of the church have floundered trying to reconcile them. Since the problem cannot be resolved by our finite minds, the result is always to compromise one truth in favor of the other, or to weaken both by trying to take a position somewhere between them. We should let the antinomy remain, believing both truths completely, and leaving the harmonizing of them to God.
...Because we cannot stand the tension of mystery, paradox, or antinomy, we are inclined to adjust what the Bible teaches so that it will fulfill our own systems of order and consistency. But that presumptuous approach is unfaithful to God’s word, and leads to confused doctrine and weakened living. It should be noted that other essential scriptural doctrines are also apparently paradoxical to our limited capacity. It is antinomous that Scripture itself is the work of human authors, yet the very work of God. That Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. That salvation is forever, yet saints must remain obedient and persevere to the end. That the Christian’s life is lived in total commitment and discipline of self, yet is all of Christ. Such inscrutable truths are an encouragement that the mind of God infinitely surpasses the mind of man, and are a great proof of the divine authorship of Scripture. It is not that God’s sovereign election or predestination eliminates man’s choice in faith. Divine sovereignty and human response are integral and inseparable parts of salvation, though exactly how they operate together only the infinite mind of God knows."
Some years ago, John Chadwick wrote,
"I sought the Lord, and afterwards I know He moved my soul to seek Him, Seeking me! It was not that I found, O Savior true, no, I was found by thee."
Let’s pray:
Lord, we thank you that those of us that know you as the Savior of our lives can say with John Chadwick that we were found by you. And Lord, we can look back at the circumstances of our life, where we born, whom we were born to, our families, people we knew, experiences, all of that, and know Lord that we weren’t a mistake in your eyes. And yet how our choice and our responsibility completely intertwines with your sovereignty and your election. Only you know, but Lord we affirm that you are big enough in our hearts and in our minds to take care of that. And so we rest in the truth of your Word as we see it, and we rest in the fact that we were chosen before the foundation of the world. And yet Lord, the gospel goes out to unbelievers with the invitation to come and receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. And so we rest in those truths. Lord, I pray that you would help our minds and our hearts to reflect on the truth of your sovereignty, and use it as a means to glorify you, and as a means to rejoice in our salvation. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
