The Doctrines of Grace Unconditional Election Grace Planned.pdf

The Doctrines of Grace (2)
Unconditional Election - Grace Planned
I. Introduction and Review
Providential overlap w/sermons: Some repetition
A. Because Mankind is Totally Depraved, None Could be Saved Apart From God's
Election.
1. Mind and Will enslaved to sin
2. "Swaggart" Then if one teaches the total depravity of
man, one must also teach
unconditional
election
B. Why Study and Proclaim Such a Sensitive Subject?
1. Some Say don't discuss: controversial, upsetting;
a. FLBC (Dallas) - doesn't want a preacher w/strong
opinion either way
b. Some preachers believe, but don't ever teach/preach
2. Why Upsetting?
a. Goes completely against pre-conceived notions about God
If my ideas about God are wrong >I must change
b. Crushes all human pride! No place: self sufficiency
3. Yet Doctrine of Election=Basic to the Bible.
a. On virtually every page from Genesis to Revelation
Encourage you: daily Bible reading: think about
>amazed!
b. II Tim. 3:16 Every truth in the Bible is worthy to
be proclaimed.
God hasn't fed us any unhealthy food!
(illus: wife/mother: not put poison on the dinner
table!)
c. Acts 22:14 Among 1st truths Paul taught as new believer, spoke of to non-Xn
C. I Don't Have all of the Answers. Rom. 11:33-36 Deut. 29:29
Especially the why questions!
1. God is Incomprehensible!
a. Shouldn't surprise you if you can't fully put facts together.
b. Greatest harm: someone tries to take what the Bible teaches about Divine Sov
and human responsibility and unite them by human logic. Always results
in one or the other being crushed - fatalism, or
Pelagianism.
c. Illus: dog Cocoa: how does she view my actions;
nature (Chewing up trees,
digging holes
right before rainy season..., where does food come from...)
d. You believe many things you don't completely
understand (i.e. how a car
works, or a
telephone, computer, fax machine - except Verne and John)
2. You may ask a Question: given verse/concept:
a. I can't answer right away: >Better to take time to give well though through
answer next time than shoot from the hip.
b. Answer may be coming up: outline >Try to keep in somewhat logical order.
c. Yet: I want to encourage you to ask questions!
D. Everyone Who Believes the Bible Believes in Election in Some Sense! Luke 18:7
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Matt 24:22,24,31 Rom. 8:33 Col. 3:12 Titus 1:1 I Pet. 1:1-2 Rev. 17:14
Mark 13:20 James 2:5 II Thess. 2:13-14 II Tim. 2:10 God chooses some to be saved
Just as Issue in Depravity is whether it is Total
(Effecting will)
The Issue here is Whether Election is Conditional or
Unconditional.
1. Conditional - God chooses based upon something man is or does. ("Arminian")
"God has elected salvation to all who in freedom of
will will come upon Him or
who will meet the
conditions of the elected plan of salvation"
2. Unconditional; God's Sov. Choice: not foreseen merit or faith;
Man's choice (Faith) depends upon God's.
3. Back to Original Question: What is the Difference: Saved & Lost?
On Whom Does Salvation Really Depend?
II. God Unconditionally Chose Some for Salvation from Before the Foundation of the World.
Eph. 1:3-11
A. Who Makes the Choice? God the Father. Eph. 1:3-5 John 15:16,19 Rom. 9:16
Ps. 65:4
B. When Was the Choice Made? From Before the Foundation of the
World. Eph. 1:4 Rom. 9:11-12 Rev. 13:8 17:8 Gal. 1:15 Jer. 1:5
Story preacher: call to salv: golden pen >you name will
be written (Ink already dry)
1. God has Predestined Every event in History. Eph. 1:11 Rom. 8:28
Isa. 46:9-11 14:24,27 55:11 Ps. 115:3 135:6 Illus: snowflake, dust
Predestination includes all of God's decrees
2. Election Refers to His Predestination of Our Salvation.
Before Adam: plan fall, cross
C. Why Did God Choose Some and Not Others?
1. Not Arbitrarily (Blind Fate).
a. Enemies of this truth make sound capricious:
b. Swaggart: "God arbitrarily assigns certain people to heaven of hell"
c. Not dartboard, pin the tail on the elect...;
d. God did have a good reason; however, not fully
revealed to us.
2. Not Based Upon Human Merit. Rom. 5:6,8 Eph. 2:1-3,8-9 II Tim. 1:9
Titus 3:5 I Cor. 1:26-31
a. God's Reason is not something about us!
b. Not even merit of our faith

3. Not a Single One of His Elect will be Lost! Rom. 8:29-30 John 10:27-28
Golden chain, Sheep
You hear & believe because you are a sheep (not in
order to become a sheep)
E. What are We Chosen to? Holiness, Adoption, Glory Eph. 1:4 2:10 I Pet.
2:9-10 Phil. 1:6 2:12-13 Rom. 8:29-30
1. Justification - Forgiveness of Sins.
2. Sanctification - Holiness.
3. Glorification - Perfection in Christlikeness.
III. Some Questions Answered.
A. Does God Treat Everyone Equally?
1. Israel in the Old Testament. Genesis 12:1-3 Amos 3:2 Deut. 7:6-8 10:15
Ps. 147:20 Israel did not choose God!
a. Abraham: context: all of the table of nations: 1 man
chosen >God's purposes
worked out.
b. Whole OT: Other nations rejected while God deals
w/Israel! They have no
revelation/law/sacrifice: point them to God.
c. Read God tells Moses, Joshua, Saul: Wipe them out:
Men, women, infants!
d. Bible Makes no sense w/o this doctrine!
2. Opportunities to Hear the Gospel Under the New Covenant. Rom. 10:13-14 2:12
John 14:6 Acts 4:12 9:1ff Illus: Paul
a. Our children: born USA, Xn homes, taken to church
b. Another child: born in Mecca: or remote village China
c. Could God send the gospel to them if He wanted?
d. Why doesn't He give everyone an equal chance? Is it really only up to
us?
>People lost and going to Hell < we didn't give and
go?
e. "Arminian" Hell is a ghastly monument to the failure of
the Triune God to
save the multitudes who are
there. Sinners go to Hell because God almighty
couldn't saved them. He did all he could. He failed.
Blasphemy!
3. Manifestations of Providence. John 5:1-9 Eph. 1:11
a. Some children born in Somalia: starvation and darkness, others in USA.
Why? Could God have done it differently?
b. Could God end all poverty, hunger, war, disease?
Why doesn't He? (sin)
Why are some more affected than others?
c. Jesus' ministry John 5:1-9 Many sick people that day: why only heal
one.
His whole ministry!
d. Your IQ, not mentally handicapped; disaster:tornado, flood, earthquake, car crash
B. Does the Bible Teach that we are Chosen because God Foresaw that we Would Freely
Believe? Rom. 8:29 11:2 Acts 2:23 I Pet. 12,20 Crystal Ball theory: God
looked ahead and saw who would freely believe: >Sweep
all teaching rest of Bible under
this rug (Illus: boys
clean up toys: lump under oriental rug)
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1. Foreknowledge speaks of God's Knowledge of Persons, not Merely Events.
Amos 3:2 Matt. 7:23 Rom. 11:2-5 Psalm 1:6 Gen. 4:1
Not make sense: never knew about you...
2. Foreknown is Foreloved. Jer. 1:5 John 10:14,26-27 Rom. 9:13
a. Illus S. Procter: before met; knew and loved
b. God's eye was set upon us before we were born: Bride of Christ!
3. God's Foreknowledge Involves the Accomplishing of His Eternal Purpose.
Acts 2:23 4:27-28 I Pet. 1:2,20
Cross: not God foresaw events beyond His control!
Not make sense: God merely knew what would happen.
4. Foreknowledge based upon Man's foreseen Faith Invalidates any Concept of God's
Sovereignty in Salvation. Instead it Makes Man Sovereign!
Arminianism takes election out of God's hand>puts
into man's
a. Because of man's total depravity, he would not choose God on his own.
John 6:44,65 8:43-44 Rom. 3:11ff 8:7-8
b. Faith itself is a gift from God which comes as a consequence of election.
Eph. 2:8 Acts 13:48 16:14 Phil. 1:29 I Thess. 1:4-5
Faith is not the one good work that distinguishes
the saved from the lost.
! Not the one condition of election: You are elected
to faith! (result)
Acts 13:48 Faith is the consequence of God's decree!
c. Repentance also is God's gift. II Tim. 2:25-26
5. Election Based Upon Foreseen Faith Does not Solve the Arminian's Concern
Because Even in his view of Foreknowledge the Future of Every Person is still
Predetermined!
a. God allows people to be born whom he knows will
choose hell
b. He could prevent. Nothing can possibly happen to
change their minds.
C. Do the Elect have to Believe in Order to be Saved? John 1:12-13 6:37 Rom. 11:33-36
Some give picture: we are drug to throne of grace
kicking and screaming:
No! God makes us willing
1. Are We Puppets Pulled Unwillingly to God?
2. Do we Make a Choice?
God makes us willing: real choice. Illus: me courting
CN >win her heart
3. What is the Difference Between Predestination and Fatalism?
a. Not blind impersonal chance (Islam)
b. But loving good Father.
c. Story Boetner: man overboard: if Allah's will he will
live; perhaps God's will we
throw him a
rope.
D. Is Election Unfair? Rom. 6:23 3:23 Matt. 20:1-16
Swaggart: "I can't think of a more perverted
discouraging, or sick theory.
1. Not in Light of Mankind's Sin and Guilt. All deserve hell - wages
a. Problem: assumption that everyone deserves oppty Heaven: not realize gravity
of own sin and guilt. Demand My Rights?? You have 1 right
in God's eyes
b. No-one is robbed of the good he deserves.
c. Some receive undeserved good. Illus: Philanthropist: give $ 1
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organization, not
others
others; adopt 1 orphan, not
2. God has the Right to Do as He Pleases. Rom. 9:13-23
Rom. 9:14,19 anticipates our objections
3. The Basis of the Condemnation of the Lost is not that they Weren't Chosen, but
that They Were Wicked. Election keeps no-one out of heaven:
hurts no-one!
Not "what if not elect and want to come?
4. You Can Solve the Question of Whether You are Elect Today.
II Cor. 2:15-16 Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ! Cry out to the good
shepherd: Save Me! Your response will show whether sheep or goat.
E. Why Evangelize if God has Already Chosen Those Who will Believe? Rom. 10:13-14
Matt. 28:18 22:14 Isa. 55:11 Acts 18:9-10 13:47-48
Swaggart: "It immediately destroys all evangelism... Why
should people work, labor,
give money, build
churches and preach the Gospel if the fate of each person
has already been determined?..." (Point=it destroys man-centered,
preacher centered evangelism!)
1. Some of the Greatest Missionaries and Evangelists in History have Believed This.
Whitfield, Edwards, Carey, Spurgeon
2. God Uses Means: preaching/prayer/Word to accomplish His ends
3. How Does Divine Sovereignty Encourage Evangelism?
a. Not up to me: If so >impossible: RCC, Mormon, Moslem, Pagan
b. God has many people here: my job to find.
IV. The Other Side of Election - Reprobation. Very Hard!
A. The Fact that God has Chosen Some Logically Leads to the Conclusion that He has
Passed by Others. Elect=choose some of the possibilities > out
of other possibilities
B. Election and Reprobation in Romans 9:6-23.
1. The Context: since God's chosen nation has rejected Christ,
has God failed?
>God never intended to save all
2. The Election of Isaac and the Rejection of Ishmael. v. 6-9
3. The Election of Jacob and the Rejection of Esau. v. 10-13
a. Unconditional Election.
b. How Can God "Hate" Esau? Story lady w/Spurgeon: Problem
Rom. 1:13
How could God hate Esau > Not my problem...
4. The First Objection Answered.
a. That's Not Fair! v. 14
b. God Sovereignly Dispenses His Mercy. v. 15-16
5. Pharaoh is an Illustration of Reprobation. v. 17-18
6. The Second Objection Answered. v. 19-23
a. How can you blame one whose actions are determined by God's will!? v. 19
b. Who are you O man to answer back to God?! v. 20-23
Puts humanity in his place
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C. Election and Reprobation in Other Texts.
1. God's Purpose for the Wicked is Destruction. Prov. 16:4 Jude 4 Rev. 13:8
Luke 2:34 I Pet. 2:8 John 17:9 10:26
Some whose names are not written in the book of life
2. God Hardens and Blinds. Isa. 6:9-10 Luke 10:21 8:10 John 12:39-40
Matt. 11:25-26 13:10-15 Rom. 11:8-10 9:17-18 1:18-32 Acts 28:27 Deut. 2:30
Josh. 11:20 I Kings 22:20-33 Ex. 7:3 Mark 4:12 II Thess. 2:11
Yet Pharaoh hardened his own heart (like faith: acts
willingly) Ex. 8:15,32 9:34
3. He Allows them to Commit Their Wicked Acts. Rev. 17:17 Acts 2:23 4:27-28
Matt. 26:21-24 Luke 22:22
They are Still Held Fully Responsible! Ex. 8:15,32 9:34 John 5:40
D. The Bible Views All People as Sinful and Deserving of Punishment. Ecc. 7:29
Rom. 3:23 6:23
1. People Go to Hell Because of Sin for which they are Fully Responsible. Wages!
a. Pharaoh, Sodom, Noah's day: Acted freely
b. God does not send men to Hell < not elect
c. Nor does he send to heaven: grounds chosen: grounds=blood of Christ in
which they are personally trusting.
2. God Sovereignly Chooses to Pass by Some Men and Leave them in Their Sins.
a. No-one has a right to God's mercy.
(1) Illus: 3 men: guilty of capital crimes: King pardons
one < father=once
saved his live; other
2 hang >nothing:complain about: got what deserved
(2) Illus: Send you to your house tonight: ... You were
already going!
b. Our focus should be upon God's grace: (like Jacob); marvel that He saved
scoundrels like us!
3. What is God's Good Purpose in Passing by the Non-Elect? Rom. 9:22-23 8:28
Gen. 45:5-8 50:15-21 Ex. 9:16
V. Answers to Further Objections Raised Against the Doctrine of Election.
A. How can God Who is Good Allow Evil? Gen. 50:15-21 Isa. 45:5-7 I Sam. 24:1,10 reis*
I Chron. 21:1 Ps. 81:12 James 1:13-17 Gives them over to sinful
inclinations
1. Illus: Joseph's brothers: trying to do something bad, but God does good.
Uses evil spirits >deceive false prophets; Satan himself >test Job
2. Illus: stream flows down hill; but you can point it in
a direction >for your purposes: Wicked men
are used by God who gives them opportunity to express
their evil natures for His good purpose.
B. Is this Inconsistent with the Love of God? John 3:16
1. Biblical Concept of Love=Choice: Rom. 9:13
2. God Still Gives Undeserved Benefits to the Reprobate. Matt. 5:45
3. World: John 17:9 12:19 Next time!
C. If God has Predestined Everything, Why Bother to Try to Do Good? Rom. 6:1
Eph. 2:10
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D. Other Passages
1. II Pet. 3:9
2. Ezek. 33:11
3. I Tim. 2:4
4. John 1:12-13
5. John 6:37
VI. Practical Usefulness of this Doctrine
A. Humility. I Cor. 4:7 1:27-31
1. My Salvation Give testimony: not "I decided" (as if doing
the Lord a favor),
but God saved me!
2. Salvation of Others: not congratulate sinner or preacher or song leader!
B. Worship Rom. 11:33-36 Eph. 1:3-11 Luke 10:20
C. Assurance of Salvation. Rom. 8:31-39 John 10:26-27
D. Boldness and Hope in Evangelism. Acts 18:9-10 Rom. 10:1ff
If you don't believe in Election/Irresistible Grace: Don't
waste time evangelizing
How will a Belief in God's Sovereignty Affect Our Methods of Evangelism?
E. Grateful Obedience. Eph. 2:10
F. Optimism and Faith. Rom. 8:28
Illus: architect foreknowledge: not plan to please contractor
John 1:10 the world did not KNOW Him
Gal. 1:1
Acts 26:5 Foreknew(?)
Hymn: I sought the Lord.....
People object: too deep/hard: uneducated/slaves
Angels I Tim. 5:21 Mark 8:38 Jude 6 II Pet. 2:4
Reconcile: Friends don't need to be reconciled
Illus: order steak from waiter: how know not hotdog?
Work of Trinity: Purpose, Purchase, Possession
Final Judgement=reprobation Matt. 25:41
Illus: Islam fatalism: man overboard
No-one is concerned for the fallen angels.
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