The Baptist Bible Hour now comes to you under the direction of Elder LeSaire Bradley, Jr. O for a thousand tongues to sing, my great Redeemer's praise! Thou the resolve by God and King, thou triumphs of His grace! This is LeSaire Bradley, Jr. inviting you to stay tuned for another message of God's sovereign grace. How firm a foundation these saints of the Lord! He is laying for your faith in His excellent Word! What more can He say than to you He has said, You who unto Jesus for refuge have fled! The soul that on Jesus still leans for repose, I will not, I will not, desert to his foes. That soul, though all hell, should in never to shake, I'll never, no never, no never for a sake. We're continuing our series of messages on what is many times referred to as the Tulip Doctrine.
The T standing for Total Depravity, the U Unconditional Election, L Limited Atonement, I Irresistible Grace, and P Perseverance. Today we're bringing you the second part of our message on unconditional election. I pray it will be a blessing to you, and if it is, we'd like to hear from you. Our address is Baptist Bible Hour, P. 17, 037, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. We depend on our listeners for support, and so if you can help us, we'll certainly be thankful for it. I also encourage you to visit our website at baptistbiblehour.org. There you can read the Baptist Witness.
You can make a donation, and you can listen to both the Sunday and the daily programs. Seeing something of the definition and the proclamation, let's think about some of the objections. Oftentimes a person will say, well, it just doesn't seem fair to me. I just don't think that's fair for God to make choice of a specific number of people.
It just doesn't fit my reasoning. Well, let's turn to Romans Chapter 9 and see that that issue is dealt with as the Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to write this passage. Romans Chapter 9, verse 11, For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God, according to election, might stand.
What's the subject matter? The purpose of God, according to election, might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth. It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger, as it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. People are startled that it would say God hated Esau, but the amazing thing is that he loved Jacob. Jacob was a trickster. Jacob was many times doing the wrong thing, but God loved him. And how would it be with you if God's love was going to be based on a person who always does it right, who always thinks right, does right, never has slipped up, never has failed?
No. Must you not be amazed that he loves you as much as you would be amazed that he loved Jacob? What shall we say then to these things? Is there unrighteousness with God? There's the question somebody raises, that's not fair, that is not right. I don't think that's right. The Holy Spirit, see, knew that people were going to bring up that objection, so he raised it and gave the answer.
And what was his answer? God forbid. You say it's not right, God says it is. You may say, well I don't understand it, that's a different story. You may say, I don't understand it, that's fine, but if you're going to believe God, you'll have to say, God has the right to run his own business. And it's not left up to me to challenge it, question it, say I don't agree with it.
It's not fair. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion, so then it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. Now, the Holy Spirit once again obviously knew how men would raise objection.
That just doesn't seem fair. If God raised up Pharaoh for this purpose, then surely Pharaoh is not accountable for his action. But here is what the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write as the answer. Thou wilt say then unto me, what if he yet find fault?
How can he hold Pharaoh accountable for who hath resisted his will? Nay, but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing form say to him that formed it? Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor?
How can the vessels rise up against the potter and say, I don't like the way you are handling things? No, God is the potter, we are the clay. He has the right to do with us as he will. What if God, willing to show his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction, and that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he hath before prepared unto glory, even us whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? Soon after I started preaching the doctrines of grace, I went to fill an appointment at a church, and they had not heard that I had started preaching this doctrine. So, first night, I decided I'm only going to be here for a week, so I might as well start on day one, trying to lay out this doctrine of grace.
And when the service was concluded, one of the deacons came to me with a very solemn look on his face and said, we need to see you in the pastor's study. So, he said, we just want you to know that we don't believe that doctrine here. We believe that salvation is based on man's free will. And you have distorted the scripture because you made it sound like that election applies to us.
It has nothing to do with us. It applies only to the Jews. I said, if I can show you in the scriptures that it applies to us, will you let me stay the rest of the week?
Yeah, you show me that and you can stay. And I read verse 24, even us whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles. He was a man of his word.
He said, you can stay. So, I preached out the rest of the week about God's grace. Here is the truth of God's sovereignty clearly revealed. The idea that it is not fair is to challenge the sovereign acts of a holy God. And then an objection is made by saying that the choice is actually based on foreseen faith. God looked down through time and saw who would believe and therefore he elected them. Well, the scriptures do reveal to us that God looked down, but we need to know what he saw.
He tells us what he saw. Psalm 14 verse 2. The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any that did understand and seek God. They are all gone aside.
They are all together become filthy and there is none that doeth good, no, not one. So when God looked down, he didn't see anybody coming toward him. He didn't see anybody making the right choice. He didn't see anybody displaying faith.
He saw they were all turned to their own way. Since faith is the gift of God, if one has faith, it is an evidence of grace and not the cause of it. So if God looked down and saw somebody with faith, it would be what he gave them. Scripture declares that it is not of them that will if we read the passage in the ninth chapter of the book of Romans.
Let's go to another one. John chapter 1 verse 11. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he the power or the right to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name, which were born not of blood, nor the will of the flesh, nor the will of man, but of God. These then who rejoiced in the gospel, who rejoiced in the message that Jesus Christ was the Savior and therefore received him, it was not according to their free will, but according to the work of God in their hearts, born not of blood, nor the will of the flesh, nor the will of man, but of God. Well then someone else will argue that if you preach the doctrine of election and predestination, that will lead to a licentious life.
It will lead to careless living. A person makes the assumption, well I'm one of God's elect so it doesn't make any difference what I do. It doesn't make any difference how I live. I'm sure to go to heaven no matter what. That is not what the scriptures teach. If there is a person who says, I plan to continue in sin because I believe I'm one of God's elect, they give clear evidence they don't understand what this is all about. We look at 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 13, But we are bound to give thanks all way to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth, whereunto he called you by our gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. He hath chosen you. He hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit.
If a person gives evidence of being one of God's elect, it will not only be that they receive the gospel as those about whom we read in our text in Thessalonica, knowing, brethren, beloved, your election of God the way I know it is because when I preach the gospel to you, you receive it. But it will also be known by their sanctification. Positionally we are all completely perfectly sanctified in Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians chapter 1 tells us, But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption, that according as it is written, he that glories, let him glory in the Lord. But there is an aspect of sanctification that is progressive.
You are growing in grace. You are having victory over sin. The person that continues to wallow in sin and tries to defend it by saying, I am sure to go to heaven anyway, doesn't know anything about this experience of salvation. When God changes one's heart, when they are made a new creature in Christ Jesus, they come to hate sin. It doesn't mean they are going to be sinlessly perfect in this life, but it means that they hate sin. When they fall into it, they are grieved by it.
And so the evidence that they belong to him is that there is a progressive sanctification taking place. Then some will argue against it by saying, well, this doctrine of election must keep some people from salvation. There must be people out there who really would want to have salvation, but they can't have it because the door is closed. Predestination slammed the door in their face.
That's not the case. Jesus said in John 6 37, all that the Father giveth me shall come to me and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. Do you desire salvation? Do you desire to come to Jesus?
Then you come. What does it mean to come to him? It means to believe on him. He that believeth on the Son, half everlasting life. You come to Jesus and you will not be cast out.
Now what better news could there be than that? The person that comes to grieve over their sin, they see their deep failure. They see that they are justly condemned. They want relief. They want to be delivered from condemnation. They want to be delivered from the power of sin itself. They desire holiness. That individual gives evidence that they have been moved upon by the Holy Spirit of God. Those today who have no interest in coming to Jesus Christ are very content with their sin.
They're not looking for a way to overcome it. Oh, they would like a ticket to heaven. They'd like to know that when they come down to die everything is going to be fine and heaven is their home. But in the meantime, they don't want to part with their sin. Friends, the evidence of divine work of grace is that an individual is convicted of their guilt before God confesses it and by repentance turns from it.
They hate their sin and they are by the grace of God perpetually gaining ground in overcoming it. Revelation 22 17, And let him that is athirst come, and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. Now obviously for an individual to be interested in what's contained in that text, they've got to be thirsty. Are you thirsty? The thirsty can come and drink.
The hungry can come and eat. So the idea that election shuts the door and keeps somebody out of salvation that otherwise would have had it is a false charge. The fact is nobody would have salvation if God had not elected a people.
And then let's consider the recognition of its benefits. First of all, it gives the only right view of God. To acknowledge that God is sovereign, God is in charge, God is the author of salvation, God planned and purposed the salvation of his people before the world began.
It gives the only right view of God. God is holy and does not owe anything to man. Isaiah chapter 6 verse 3.
This was in the year that King Isaiah died. He says, as these cherubim that had six wings, he saw this vision. One cried unto another and said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts.
The whole earth is full of his glory. And the post of the door moved at the voice of him that cried and the house was filled with smoke. Now what was his response? When Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up and he heard the angelic chorus singing, Holy, holy, holy. Do you think he would have had the audacity to come in the presence of a holy God and make demands as though he deserved something? No.
What was the response? The man said, woe is me for I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips for mine eyes have seen the king, the Lord of hosts. If you get a view of the Lord of hosts, if you get a view of God, the holy God of heaven and earth that hates sin, you're going to say, woe is me.
I'm undone. I am a sinner. See, understanding this truth of God's sovereignty and salvation gives you the right view of God. Understanding that God is holy and he's not obligated to give us anything.
Anything that we get has to be given us by divine grace. It humbles man to know that he cannot rely on anything but Jesus Christ. If salvation was going to be based on your works or your choice in heaven, you could well walk down Hallelujah Avenue saying I'm so glad to be here. I'm so glad what God did, he did his part, but you know if I hadn't have done mine I wouldn't be here. I'll tell you there will be no proud Pharisees in heaven. Or anybody saying look what I did.
Look how much better I was than somebody else. Every soul there will give all the glory to Jesus Christ. And if we're going to do that in heaven we ought to start now. Give him all the glory, all the praise. It recognizes the sovereignty of God. Some will acknowledge the sovereignty of God over all things in general and then deny it when it comes to salvation. Psalm 115 verse 3 says, But our God is in the heavens, he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. There's God's absolute sovereignty.
He has worked his will, accomplished his purposes. So somebody said well I see that, I know that God's in charge, I know that God's on the throne, I know that God is sovereign in all other areas but then deny it when it comes to salvation. But to hold the idea that free will is what turns the point, takes election out of God's hands and puts it into man's hand. This is a wonderful doctrine because it acknowledges his grace. That's a concept that man does not understand and cannot relate to unless blessed by the Holy Spirit.
Just the whole idea of grace is foreign to his thinking. But it's a theme that we love to sing about, we love to read about, we love to consider it because it is the basis of our hope in Jesus Christ. Ephesians chapter 2 in the first verses it describes man's fallen ruined state and then verse 4 says, But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins hath quickened us together with Christ, by grace you're saved.
What was the turning point? Verses 1 to 3 describe man's terrible condition. Verse 4, But God, here's what turns things around. And then verse 8, For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves.
It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. The old hymn expresses it like this, What was there in you that could merit esteem, or give the Creator delight, was even so, Father, we ever must sing, because it seemed good in thy sight. This doctrine confirms that salvation is of the Lord. When Jonah was spewed out of the belly of the whale and came on dry land, he came saying salvation is of the Lord. I want to tell you, salvation is of the Lord in every category. Salvation is of the Lord when it comes to being delivered from the whale's belly, delivered from the sea, delivered from your troubles. Salvation is of the Lord when it comes to being delivered from sin, being delivered from hell. It is all of the Lord.
If you struggle with it still, I ask you the question, Do you say you're saved? Who saved you? Most everybody I've ever asked that immediately without hesitation said, The Lord did it. Then I ask you, Did he do it on purpose? Now you know there are no accidents with the Lord.
It wasn't something that just kind of slipped up. No, if God saved you, he certainly did it on purpose. And if it was his purpose to do it the day he saved you, it was his purpose to do it the day before. And it was his purpose to do it before the foundation of the world. Furthermore, this doctrine stirs thanksgiving and praise. It's profitable because it stirs our hearts to praise him. Ephesians 1-3 says, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And then describes these wonderful purposes. And then we get a glimpse of what goes on in heaven. In the book of Revelation chapter 5, we find that all the praise and glory is going to come over there.
Verse 9, And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof, and thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred tongue and people and nation. That's the song in heaven, giving him all the glory. This truth will stir thanksgiving, a thankful heart for his amazing grace and praise to his name. It gives comfort and hope. Comfort that God bestows mercy. Comfort that he has loved his people from all ages past. 1 John 4 says, We love him because he first loved us. What a comfort to know that God has loved his people from before the creation of the world. Before the morning stars sang together and the sons of God shouted for joy. God loved his people because of his love he has humbled you, convicted you of your sin, broken your heart, brought you to a state of mourning over sin. But then he said, Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted and has revealed Jesus Christ to you as your Savior. It is a message of hope because there is hope. Paul said, This is a faithful saying and worthy of all the acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief.
That's good news. You may say, I just feel that my sin is so great. I've been so far from God I don't know whether he would receive me.
This is the good news. He came to save sinners. And Jesus says, Matthew 11, 28, Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. If you've been pressed down to the burden of sin, he says, Come, come to me. The old hymn expresses it like this. Sons we are through God's election who in Jesus Christ believe by eternal destination sovereign grace we here receive. Lord thy mercy, Lord thy mercy does both grace and glory give. Every fallen soul by sinning merits everlasting pain. But thy love without beginning has restored thy sons again.
Countless millions, countless millions shall in life through Jesus reign. Pause my soul, adore and wonder. Ask oh why such love to me. Grace hath put me in the number of the Savior's family. Hallelujah, hallelujah. Thanks eternal, thanks to thee.
Since that love had no beginning and shall never, never cease. Keep, oh keep me Lord from sinning. Guide me in the way of peace. Make me walk in, make me walk in all the paths of holiness. When I quit this feeble mansion and my soul returns to thee. Let the power of thy ascension manifest itself in me. Through thy spirit, through thy spirit give me final victory. When in that blessed habitation which my God has foreordained. When in glories full possession I with saints and angels stand. Free grace only, free grace only shall resound in heavens land.
Can you say that today? Free grace only. I know I'm a sinner, but I trust in the grace of God through Jesus Christ.
Long may the sun meet at his days, O moonshot for her silver rays. As we have looked at this Bible doctrine of election, we see that God purposed the salvation of his people even before time. Salvation is of the Lord in its entirety. It's all by his amazing grace. And ultimately in heaven, every redeemed soul will delight to lift up a triumphant course and give him all the glory and praise for that which he has done. I hope that you will write a sin until next week at this same time. May the Lord richly bless you all. Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. That's the Baptist Bible Hour, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. You call the objects of his love.
