Romans: Election, Israel, and Covenant Mercy

The Doctrine of Election - 1

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: New Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2009-01-27

Synopsis: John Weaver introduces the doctrine of unconditional election, defining it as God's eternal, free, and irreversible choice of certain persons in Christ to everlasting life. He argues that election is foundational, difficult, important, blessed, distasteful, separating, and evangelical, and that it must be preached because God commands the whole counsel of God. The sermon serves as an introduction to a study of Ephesians 1:1-14, emphasizing that salvation originates in the triune God's decree and that understanding election is essential for proper worship and witness.

[John Weaver] Ephesians 1, reading verses 1-14. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Jesus. Grace be to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace, wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known unto us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he hath purposed in himself, that in the dispensation

[John Weaver] of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in him, in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. That we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ, in whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise who is the earnest of our inheritance. until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory."

[John Weaver] Lord willing, this morning I want to begin a study on one of the most hated and most misunderstood doctrines in Holy Scripture, and that is the doctrine of God's unconditional election. The Word of God makes it very plain that unregenerate men cannot understand this doctrine. For the Bible says very plainly in 1 Corinthians 2 and verse 14, For the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned, and therefore they are foolishness unto him. But the sad fact is, not only do unregenerate men not understand this particular doctrine, but many professing Christians will not understand it, either through lack of study or because of heretical distortions and misrepresentations. It is, however, a very clearly elucidated doctrine in the word of God. You may begin by asking what is election, and I would like this morning to give you a short, simple definition and then a rather lengthy one. Simply stated, election has been defined as God's eternal, free and unconditional and irreversible choice of certain persons in Christ to everlasting life.

[John Weaver] If you want a longer definition, I ask that you turn when you get home to your Philadelphia Confession of Faith to page 14, or beginning on page 13, but let me just read very quickly three short paragraphs. beginning with paragraph 3 of God's decree. By the decree of God, for the manifestation of His glory, some men and angels are predestinated or foreordained to eternal life through Jesus Christ to the praise of His glorious grace, others being left to act in their sin to their just condemnation to the praise of His glorious justice. These angels and men, thus predestinated and foreordained, are particularly and unchangeably designed, and their number so certain and definite that it cannot be either increased or diminished. Those of mankind that are predestinated to life, God, before the foundation of the world was laid, according to His eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret counsel and good pleasure of His will, have chosen in Christ unto everlasting glory, out of His mere free grace and love, without any other thing in the

[John Weaver] creature as a condition or cause moving Him thereunto." As God hath appointed the elect unto glory, so he hath by the eternal and most free purpose of his will foreordained all the means thereunto. Wherefore, they who are elected, being Paul and Adam, are redeemed by Christ, and effectually called unto faith in Christ by His Spirit working in due season, are justified, adopted, sanctified, and kept by His power through faith unto salvation. Neither are any other redeemed by Christ, or effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved, but the elect only." And then the concluding paragraph goes on to say,"...the doctrine of this high mystery of predestination is to be handled with special prudence and care, that men attending to the will of God revealed in his word, and yielding obedience thereunto, may from the certainty of their effectual calling be assured of their eternal election."

[John Weaver] And so we have a rather short definition and then a rather lengthy definition. Ephesians 1, verses 1-14 is a doxology of praise to the triune God. I do not know if you noticed as I read it or not, I certainly had to pause for all of the commas, but in the Greek New Testament, Ephesians 1, 1-14 is one sentence. And if you look in your English Bibles, you will find a period only after the end of verse 14. All of the others are commas, colons, and semi-colons.

[John Weaver] What the Apostle Paul is doing is this. In this sentence, in one swoop of the pen, the mighty Apostle Paul praises the triune God for the work of that triune God in salvation. If you were to divide this section, you could do it rather easily in three divisions. First of all, there is the will of the Father in verses 1 through 6. That refers to God's election. The will of the Father, that is election, in verses 1 through 6. Secondly, the work of the Son in redemption, verses 7 through 8. And thirdly, the word of the Spirit in salvation, verses 12 through 14. And so you have then the will of the Father, election, the work of the Son, redemption, and the word of the Spirit, salvation. Now, if you've noticed, it has mentioned the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

[John Weaver] In theology, this is referred to as the economical trinity. Everything is out of the Father, through the Son, and in the Holy Spirit. And so Paul lays down this clear doctrinal precept and praises God for his work in salvation.

[John Weaver] Now, one might ask this morning, why should this doctrine be preached and taught? Well, for one simple reason, and that is this, that God has commanded that the whole counsel of God be preached and proclaimed. If you would turn in your Bibles, holding Ephesians chapter 1, but look first of all to Acts chapter 20, you will find that this is how the Apostle Paul cleared himself from blood guiltiness. He makes the statement in verse 26 of Acts chapter 20, wherefore I take you to record this day that I am free or that I am pure from the blood of all men. Now Paul says I am pure, I am free from the blood of all men.

[John Weaver] No doubt you have heard and no doubt I have heard all of my life. But the only way that any Christian could be free from the blood of all men is to witness to every single individual. And if you do not witness to every single individual, then their blood is on your hands. Well, do you realize it is humanly as well as physically impossible to witness to every person that you ever see? If I started home from this meeting and witness to every person that I ever saw, I never would get home. I could not.

[John Weaver] For I would be seeing people constantly. I would never do anything else. Well, what does the Apostle say? Watch it first of all in verse 20. Paul is defending his ministry and he tells these Ephesian elders, and how I've kept back nothing that was profitable unto you. but have showed you and have taught you publicly and from house to house." Now, Paul said, I held back nothing that was profitable.

[John Weaver] I hope that rings a bell in your mind of another scripture. For in 2 Timothy 3, verse 16, the Word of God makes this statement, for all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable.

[John Weaver] Now, if Paul said, I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, it meant that he declared unto them the whole counsel of God. Now, look back at verse 26 again, for he says, Wherefore, I take you to record this day that I am pure from the blood of all men. Why? Verse 27, For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. And so the only way that we can be pure from the blood of all men is to preach all of the counsel of God. And so God has commanded that every doctrine be clearly taught and enunciated. But someone is going to answer, and someone will come back and say, but the doctrine of election is such a difficult doctrine, and it's very easily misunderstood. And then I would come back and say, all the more reason to preach it, and to clarify it, and to elucidate it, and to teach it, in order that it might be understood. But some would come back with another objection and say, ah, but the unconverted cannot understand this doctrine.

[John Weaver] And what if there are unconverted people in the audience? Well, I would ask this question, how many doctrines of the Word of God can the unconverted understand apart from the Holy Spirit? And the answer is none. For the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, neither can he know them."

[John Weaver] Now, if he understands not one doctrine, and if God is sovereign, and he most certainly is, it means that God can use this doctrine to bless his eyes to be opened and his ears to be opened and his heart to be converted just as easily as he could any other doctrine. And so God has very clearly commanded that all of his word be preached and taught. Now, why preach the doctrine of election?

[John Weaver] Well, let me give you several reasons this morning. First of all, I want you to notice that it is a foundational doctrine. In Ephesians chapter 1, Paul is laying down the very origin of our salvation. And he says our salvation has as its origin the triune Godhead. Many Bible teachers all down through the years have historically begun their teaching of systematic theology on a study of the attributes and the decrees of God. If you were to study Calvin's Institutes, you will find that he began on the doctrine of God. If you go in my office and pick up any of the thirty or so theological books that I have on one particular chapter, you will find that every one of them begins with the study of God. Why? Because that is the foundational doctrine. How in the world can sinners turn to God if they do not know who God is? How in the world can men worship God aright if they do not know who that God is and what he demands? If you would look in your Bibles, holding Ephesians 1 to the book of Acts chapter 15 and look at verse 18, here is a statement concerning the work of God.

[John Weaver] Acts chapter 15 and verse 18. Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world. In other words, the divine counsel and the divine decree of God is eternal, before the foundation of the world. God knew the end from the beginning because he is the one that ordained what the end should be. Nothing has ever caught God by surprise. That is why you and I, when we begin to build, we sit down before and draw up our plans so that we may take our plans and look and know exactly what goes where, and everything is already laid out before we begin building. And so the divine architect predestinated everything before a single creature was ever called into existence.

[John Weaver] The word of God tells us, yea, that even the very hairs of our head are numbered, and that a sparrow cannot fall to the ground apart from God. Many of you have no doubt viewed construction work And you stop and look and you see two or three men running around and four or five doing this, and you shake your head and you say, I don't understand how there could ever be a building made out of what's going on over there. And especially if you see some of those high-rise buildings with 20 or 30 or 40 stories.

[John Weaver] The first thing they'll do is go down several hundred feet into the earth, putting a solid footing and a solid foundation. But although you may look at a building in construction and everything is apparently in confusion, all you need to do is step over to the architect and look at his plan. And then by looking at those plans or those blueprints, you then are able to visualize in your mind what the finished product is going to look like.

[John Weaver] And then all of a sudden, this which was confused here and confused there, all of it suddenly falls into place. And so it is with God. You see, beloved, without an understanding of God's eternal purpose, without an understanding of God's eternal decree, History remains an insoluble enigma. God is not working at random. The gospel has not been sent forth on an uncertain mission. The final conflict and the final outcome between the conflict of good and evil has not been left indeterminate. How many shall be saved and how many shall be lost has not been left to the will of the creature.

[John Weaver] Everything has been infallibly determined and immutably fixed by God, the great and granted glorious architect, before he ever laid the foundation of this earth. And you see, beloved, in reality, this is our only hope and comfort. If you would turn over in your Bibles to 2 Timothy chapter 2 and look at verse 19. 2 Timothy chapter 2. And look there at verse 19. And once again, here it is. Nevertheless, the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his.

[John Weaver] And let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. Notice, the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal. The Lord knoweth them that are his." To quote John Aris Smith, he said,"...election, having once pitched upon a man, it will find him out and call him home, wherever he be. It calls Zacchaeus out of a cursed Jericho, Abraham out of idolaters, Ur of the Chaldees, Nicodemus and Paul from the college of the Pharisees. Christ sworn enemies Dionysius and Demarius out of superstitious Athens. In whatsoever dunghills God's elector hid, election will find them out and bring them home."

[John Weaver] And then John Barlow said,"...whom he choosing shall be created, called, justified, sanctified, glorified, because his purpose cannot be altered, his promise cannot be revoked." Let Manasseh repair the high places, rear altars for Baal. Let the prodigal run from his father, drink and swill, and consume his portion. Let Saul make havoc of the saints, put them in prison, and do many things contrary to Jesus of Nazareth.

[John Weaver] Yet they shall come to themselves and mourn for their sins, and be saved and converted. For they are elected, beloved of Him who is the same forever. Were it not thus, what hope could the faithful have to see Babel ruined, the Roman whore burned, the Jew called, the devil's kingdom destroyed, and Christ perfected? And thus, that's why the Apostle wrote, nevertheless, the foundation of God stands sure having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his."

[John Weaver] Now, everyone knows that if the foundation is faulty, then the building erected upon that foundation cannot be sound. And beloved, if your understanding of the doctrine of election is faulty, if your conceptions are unscriptural, then that throws off all the other doctrine to the degree that you do not understand God's decree of election. To that same degree, you're going to be off in every other doctrine in the Word of God, and particularly those that relate to God's salvation and to the fall of man. And so, election is a foundational doctrine.

[John Weaver] Secondly, I want to point out that it is a difficult doctrine. It is difficult in three areas. First of all, it is difficult as to our understanding. Men, by nature, just simply do not understand spiritual truths. We must be taught them, and the Spirit of God must open our eyes and let us see his truth. We must be taught, as the Word of God says, hear a little and bear a little.

[John Weaver] Line upon line, precept upon precept. And I'm afraid to confess, but I believe it's the truth. It is a difficult doctrine to our understanding, not because we are incapable of understanding it, but because most people are unwilling to understand it. I was preaching in Alabama, and I preached from 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. And many of you know verse 4 in that chapter says, knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. Now, there are only 10 verses in 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. I was not preaching on the doctrine of the election. I was preaching from some other verses in there, but since it was such a short chapter, I read the entire chapter, all 10 verses. Well, after service, one man came up to me and said, I don't think you ought to have read what you read. I said, well, what is that? He said, that verse about election, verse 4. I said, well, why not? It's in the Word of God, and I'm not ashamed of anything in the Word of God. Why can I not read that publicly?

[John Weaver] Well, he said, because many people do not understand it. I said, what you're trying to tell me is this, that I should not have read it because you do not understand it. I said, have you ever had anyone sit down and take the Bible and go through every verse on the doctrine of election and show you what it is in the Bible? No. I said, well, I'll tell you what, if you will come to my room after lunch today, the word occurs 73 times in the New Testament. We will sit down and I'll take my Bible and we'll go through all 73 passages. And I will show it to you from the word of God, that by God's grace you might understand." Fine, he said, I'll meet you at your room at two o'clock. Well, I hurried through dinner that Lord's Day and got to my room, and about fifteen minutes to the telephone rang, and the man said, Brother Weaver, and I recognized his voice right off.

[John Weaver] He said, This is so-and-so. I said, Yes. This is exactly what he said. I've never forgotten it. He said, I just wanted to call and let you know that I am not coming to your room. Because my mind is already made up and I don't want to be confused with a bunch of scriptures." And I said, Dear Brother, it would be best if you stayed there and I got a good nap this afternoon. That way both of us would benefit from this afternoon.

[John Weaver] It's not that we're incapable of it. It's usually that we don't want to understand it. And so it is a difficult doctrine as to our understanding. Secondly, it is difficult as to the acceptance of it. You see, the mind of man is loathe to accept such a humbling, flesh-withering doctrine. If you would turn in your Bible to John chapter 15 and look at what our Lord said, I will show you very quickly what our flesh would rather do. In John chapter 15 and verse 16, our Lord says very clearly to his disciples, you have not chosen me, but I have chosen you. But man by nature wants to say, God did not choose me, I chose God.

[John Weaver] And that's why in the average testimony, you can hear men say, I'm so glad I decided to come to Jesus. That's why you hear individuals say, I'm so glad that I chose God. No, our Lord said, you have not chosen me, but I have chosen you and ordained you that you should bring forth fruit and that you're a part of the Holy Scripture. It is a difficult doctrine, not only in our understanding, but to our acceptance of it. And then thirdly, I might add, it's difficult as to the proclamation of it.

[John Weaver] Have you ever stopped to meditate how? Do you teach the doctrine of election? I mean, where do you begin? How can you soften the blow of the doctrine? And the answer is, you can't. You're either faced with one of two things. You either must obey God and proclaim it exactly the way He has recorded it, or you must either disobey God and be quiet and refuse to proclaim it.

[John Weaver] And so it's very difficult. You see, difficulties are designed to humble us and to make us see our need for divine wisdom. If you will notice, in 2 Timothy 2, verse 7, the Apostle Paul told Timothy this, Consider what I say, and the Lord give thee understanding in all things. He's saying, Timothy, number one, understanding comes from God. It is God's gift. But then he says, secondly, Timothy, understanding does not come automatically. It comes only as you and I consider God's truth. And although this is indeed a difficult doctrine, yet God says it is one that ought to make us cry to him for understanding as we meditate upon it. then God will very clearly open our eyes that we may behold the truth from his word. And so it's not only a foundational doctrine, it is indeed a difficult doctrine.

[John Weaver] Thirdly, I might point out by way of introduction, it is an important doctrine. You realize most of us have never really thought about how important election really is. In fact, most of us, I'm afraid, never even think about election. But may I point out to you just how important election really is? Apart from divine election, or let me say it another way, if there was no divine election, there would be no Jesus Christ and no divine gospel. If God had not chosen some before the foundation of the world, there never would have been a Jesus Christ to save those individuals. There never would be a gospel to proclaim. In other words, if God had not chosen some to be saved, none would ever be saved.

[John Weaver] For there would be no Messiah. And to show you I didn't make that up, turn in your Bibles to Romans 11. And look, if you would, please. Romans chapter 9, it is, and verse 29. Romans 9 and verse 29. Notice what the Apostle Paul says. And as Isaiah said before, he's quoting Isaiah. Here it is. Notice now, except the Lord of the Sabbath had left us a seed, that is, if God had not chosen some, we would have been as Sodom had been made like unto Gomorrah. He said if God had not reserved to himself a remnant, none would be saved, all would be destroyed.

[John Weaver] And it is so important But without it, there would be no salvation. If you would look back in your Bibles to Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 3, and please remember, I will get into the exposition of this passage later. This morning is just introduction to the passage. But in Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 3, notice what it says. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings and heavenly places in Christ." Every blessing that you and I have is in Christ. If there was no election, there would be no Christ. If there was no Christ, there would be no blessings. And this doctrine is extremely important.

[John Weaver] Beloved, may I say it and say it right now? Until and unless you grasp and comprehend in some degree the doctrine of God's election, you will never really worship and thank God as you ought for your salvation. You will always take your salvation for granted and believe in some sense that God owed it to you. But when, by the grace of God, your eyes are opened and you see, as Paul plainly teaches, that God did not owe you anything but damnation and destruction, you will bow before God and worship at his throne and thank him that in his infinite grace he chose you, one who was unworthy in

[John Weaver] yourself and deserved of nothing but hell." It's a very important doctrine. We cannot have any concept of salvation apart from it. Fourthly, let me point out, it is a blessed doctrine. And let's read verses 3 and 4 together. Watch it now. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings and heavenly places in Christ, according as he hath chosen us in him.

[John Weaver] Now, I hope you notice the connection there. He talks about all the blessings that are in Christ. And then he said these blessings are, in verse 4, according as he hath chose us. In other words, our blessings are uniquely linked to our election. You see, beloved, God is not like man. God does not draw a bow at a venture. Everything is sure and everything is settled. And we can only derive comfort and hope from that fact. All of our blessings are uniquely related to our election.

[John Weaver] If you would hold Ephesians 1, but turn in your Bibles to 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, and let me point this out by reading verses 12 and 13. 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. Notice what the apostle says, that they all might be damned who believe not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

[John Weaver] Now he's talking about a group of individuals who receive not the truth. They love wickedness, they love sin, they love ungodliness. And he says that they all might be damned who loved not the truth, but they had pleasure in unrighteousness. But look at the contrast in verse 13. There's that word but. But we're bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you unto salvation. through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth. You see what he's doing? He's saying, over here are these that receive not the love of the truth. They love sin and wickedness and rebellion and ungodliness. But he says, but thanks be unto God, you love holiness and truth because God hath from the beginning chosen you unto salvation. And an interesting thing is this, every time you find in the word of God the doctrine of election, it's always found in the context of praise. He says we are bound to give thanks unto God. And by the way, that word bound is a very strong word.

[John Weaver] It means we owe thanks to God for our election. Beloved, we can never understand how much we owe God thanks until we understand election. Fifthly, I want to point out that it is a distasteful doctrine. It's not only foundation and difficult and important and blessed, it is a distasteful doctrine. No doctrine is so detested by a proud human nature as this one. You know, one would think that a doctrine that is so God-honoring and so Christ-exalting would be readily and happily received by men who profess to love Christ. But alas and woe, it's different. As the doctrine of eternal punishment is that one doctrine which is so hated by the unconverted. Even so, the doctrine of God's unconditional election is loathed and reviled by many professing believers. You see, you begin to proclaim that salvation is by the free grace of God instead of the free will of man, and that even the elect must be made willing to come to Christ.

[John Weaver] And the humanist will rail and revile and cry with great indignation. And yet it's the truth. If you were turning your Bibles, first of all, to the book of John, look in John chapter 1, and let's begin reading very carefully with verse 11 and read through verse 13. John 1, beginning with verse 11, and probably most people can quote this, But Scripture says, he came unto his own, and his own received him not. That is, to those Jews, national Israel, he came unto those Jews, and those Jews received him not. Verse 12, But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. Now, he came unto his own, but they received him not. But, in verse 12, some received him, some believed. Why did they believe? Why did they receive? Verse 13, who were born not of blood, that is, their ancestry had nothing to do with it, nor of the will of the flesh, that is, human merits had nothing to do with it, they did not earn it, nor of the will of men.

[John Weaver] Their own will didn't have anything to do with it, but of God. So you could read it like this. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them who believe on his name, who were born of God. The only reason anyone ever receives Christ The only reason anyone ever believes is because they are born of God.

[John Weaver] It's not because they're children of Christians. It's not because they've been church members all their life. It's not because they have human merits, that they're better than someone else. It's not because they have used their will and other people have not used their will. It's simply because of God. And if you will look in your Bibles to Romans chapter 9, And verse 16, you will see Paul making it very plain again. Romans chapter 9 and verse 16, here it is in plain English language. So then, it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. So it's not of man, it's of God. And it's a very distasteful doctrine, because it abases man. And man will not have the place of abasement, he will have only exaltation. And yet the very scriptures say, concerning even the elect in Psalm 110 verse 3, Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. It is God's power that must make us willing to come to Christ.

[John Weaver] You know, the sad thing is that many Baptists, that many Protestants, agree with the Roman Catholic Church. I told that to one preacher. He was very angry with me. Of course, he came to my office to straighten me out. And he pastored a certain Baptist church, and I told him, I said, Dear brother, you ought, in all honesty, to change the name of your church to such-and-such Roman Catholic Church." And he was horrified. I said, because what you have just got through telling me is the official doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church. You're not Baptist.

[John Weaver] I said, you have followed the same line that they set forth in the Council of Trent. which is the official position and theology of the Roman Catholic Church. And let me just read one of the anathemas of the Council of Trent. I quote, If anyone should affirm that since the fall of Adam, man's free will is lost, let him be accursed. Most Baptists and most Protestants say that man has a free will and that man must do this and that man must do that. The same theology that is taught by the Roman Catholic Church. They said, if any say that man's free will is lost, let him be accursed. And what they were doing was fighting against Luther and Calvin and Zwingli, who were saying very boldly and very proudly, it is not free will that saves man, but free grace.

[John Weaver] You see, the whole argument is this. When it all boils down, who is God? God or man? Who is it that saves, God or man? Who is it that determines the future, God or man? You see, everybody believes in predestination. There is no argument over that. Everybody believes in it. The only argument is who is doing the predestinating. Does God do it, or does man do it? And most men will deny God's predestination that they might usurp their own predestination in that place. And so the argument comes back, who is God? God or man. And it's a very distasteful doctrine, for it humbles man and puts him in the dust at the throne of God. And then, sixthly, I want to point out it is indeed a separating doctrine.

[John Weaver] What do I mean by that? If you would turn in your Bibles to two passages to begin with. The first one, John chapter 8 and look at verse 47. It is a separating doctrine. John 8 and verse 47. Notice the very plain words of our Lord. John 8 verse 47. He that is of God God's words. Ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God." Now, he puts it very plainly. Those that are born of God listens to God. Those that are not of God, they refuse to listen to Him. Look what the same Apostle said in 1 John chapter 4, verses 5 and 6. 1 John chapter verses 5 and 6. 1 John 4, verse 5,"...they are of the world. Therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them." We are of God. He that knoweth God heareth us. He that is not of God heareth not us.

[John Weaver] Hereby know we the spirit of truth and the spirit of error." In verse 5 he says,"...the world hears these individuals, for they are of the world. But he that is of God hears God's word, and he that refuses God's word is not of God. Hereby we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error." Every man that has been born of God will bow to God's word. And if you have problems with it, it's a very unsettling evidence that you're not genuinely born of God.

[John Weaver] If you would look in your Bibles of John chapter 6, and let's read verses 65 and 66. You see, even our Lord had this problem. Even our Lord lost disciples because of the word of God. Notice what he said in John chapter 6 and verse 65. And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. Now watch this. No man can come.

[John Weaver] You remember can is a term of ability. He did not say that no man may come, for all are invited. But what he did say is no man can come. No man has the ability in and of himself to come to Christ. Then he said, and I said, no man can come unto me except it were, and in the Greek this is a perfect tense. No man can come unto me except it has been given unto him of a father. The perfect tense means something that has happened in the past with continuing results. In other words, God gave it to the man in his election.

[John Weaver] And it continues to be. No man can come unto me except it hath been given him of my Father. And so our Lord is very clearly teaching the inability of man to come to Christ savingly. The inability of man to save himself. Yea, he's teaching the unconditional election of God and that if any man is ever saved, God must save him. What was the result? Verse 66.

[John Weaver] From that time, many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him." You see, beloved, it's a very separating doctrine. It will separate the chaff from the wheat. It will separate those who truly love God from those who do not love will separate those who want to bow before the word of God from those that do not want to bow, will separate the humanists from the Christians. And then lastly, by way of introduction, I want to point out that it is an evangelical doctrine.

[John Weaver] What do I mean by that? I simply mean it is a doctrine that produces in us a real evangelical witness when it's rightly understood. You hear people say all kinds of stupid things, and they'll make some statement, wow, if I believed in the doctrine of election, I never would witness. Well, the truth is, if I didn't believe it, I wouldn't witness. I mean, you know, if it's left up to man, and all men are totally depraved according to the Word of God, there's no reason to witness.

[John Weaver] But when you understand that God hath chosen some, but he has also appointed the means whereby they are called, then, beloved, that is indeed the argument and the ground for witnessing. If you would turn in your Bibles, first of all, to Acts chapter 18, notice what God told the Apostle Paul. And you know, I like this passage for several reasons, not only because of the theology that it teaches, but it even shows me that the Apostle Paul was human. And I know that all of those men were human, but we tend to think that somehow they were all superhuman. But notice he said in Acts chapter 18, and began reading there with verse 9,"...then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by vision, being not afraid." Ah, the mighty Apostle Paul was afraid. Actually, in the Greek it says, stop being afraid. Can anyone imagine Paul being afraid? Paul was at Corinth. You remember that Corinth was the seaport town.

[John Weaver] In fact, it had three seaports. Wickedness abounding like you wouldn't believe. There were temples where there were temple prostitutes. An ungodly town. And here Paul is coming in with a gospel of pure grace. Maybe some began to threaten him, I don't know. But God says, stop being afraid. Evidently, Paul was afraid. Then he says, but speak and hold not thy peace. Evidently, Paul was refusing to preach because of his fear. And so God tells Paul, stop being afraid, but go ahead and preach.

[John Weaver] Look at it in verse 10, for I am with thee. And no man shall settle me to hurt thee, for I have much people in this city." He said, Paul, you do the preaching, I'll do the saving. I've got them here, and I'm going to save them through you. And if that will not fortify you to preach, I don't know what will. To know that God does have his own.

[John Weaver] even in the most wicked and most vile cities. And to show you that Paul rightly understood it, if you will turn over in your Bibles to 2 Timothy chapter 2 and look at verse 10, you will see that Paul learned his lesson at Corinth, for he makes this statement. 2 Timothy chapter 2 and verse 10. I endure all things for the elect's sake, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory." Paul said, I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may be saved. Whoever they are, wherever they may be, I'll endure it for them.

[John Weaver] This is really the only sure ground for evangelists. Adoniram Judson, that great Baptist missionary to Burma, was in Burma for fifteen years without one convert. And the thing that kept Judson going was the fact that he knew that God has some of his sheep in Burma. And he knew that God in his own time would bring them to repentance and faith. And Adoniram Judson labored for fifteen years without one convert. There's probably not a Baptist church in America today that would support him now, for he doesn't produce. But yet one lady under a burden for Judson wrote him. and said, Mr. Judson, is there anything you need over there that you can't get that I could get here and send to you? And Judson wrote back and said, Send a communion set. And he didn't even have a convert. But by the time that communion set got there, he needed that one and a dozen more like it. For the power of God broke out in one of the greatest awakenings in our world history.

[John Weaver] came to those Burmese people under the ministry of Adenauer and Judson, thousands were converted. And the thing that kept him going was the fact that he knew God had some people in that city. David Brainerd, missionary to the American Indians, labored for three years without one convert. David Brainerd believed the truth of God's And one day while he was preaching through a drunken interpreter to some adult Indians, through that drunken interpreter, the power of God fell and fifty of those male Indians who had gone through torture, tests of fire and everything to prove their manhood, that they would not cry and that they were absolutely men, fell on their faces weeping and begging God for mercy. The thing that kept Brainerd going was he knew that God had his sheep there, too.

[John Weaver] Bloody, this is God's doctrine, and may he enable us to bow to it, to understand it, and learn to apply it, that we, by the grace of God, may receive comfort and strength and hope. Father, we ask in the name of Jesus Christ for thy grace and thy mercy. Teach us thy word, O Lord, and we do pray for thy elect, whoever and wherever they may be, that thou wouldst convert them by thy grace and draw them to thyself. Help us, O Lord, to love thee with all of our hearts and to bow to thy word. In the name of Jesus Christ we ask and pray. Amen.

The Doctrine of Election - 1

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	127091254533
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans: Election, Israel, and Covenant Mercy
Genre	Sermon
Date	2009-01-27
Dictation Name
Book	Book 118: The Doctrine of Election — Chapter 1
Source Timed Segments	62

Formatted Transcript

Introduction and Scripture Reading

Weaver reads Ephesians 1:1-14, a single sentence in Greek praising the triune God for salvation, and announces a study on the hated and misunderstood doctrine of unconditional election.

Ephesians 1, reading verses 1-14.

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 1:1-14

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Jesus. Grace be to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved, in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace, wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known unto us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he hath purposed in himself, that in the dispensation

of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in him, in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. That we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ, in whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise who is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory. Lord willing, this morning I want to begin a study on one of the most hated and most misunderstood doctrines in Holy Scripture, and that is the doctrine of God's unconditional election. The Word of God makes it very plain that unregenerate men cannot understand this doctrine. For the Bible says very plainly in 1 Corinthians 2 and verse 14,

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 2:14

"For the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned, and therefore they are foolishness unto him."

But the sad fact is, not only do unregenerate men not understand this particular doctrine, but many professing Christians will not understand it, either through lack of study or because of heretical distortions and misrepresentations. It is, however, a very clearly elucidated doctrine in the word of God. You may begin by asking what is election, and I would like this morning to give you a short, simple definition and then a rather lengthy one. Simply stated, election has been defined as God's eternal, free and unconditional and irreversible choice of certain persons in Christ to everlasting life.

Definition of Election

Election is defined simply as God's eternal, free, unconditional, and irreversible choice of certain persons in Christ to everlasting life, with a longer definition from the Philadelphia Confession of Faith.

If you want a longer definition, I ask that you turn when you get home to your Philadelphia Confession of Faith to page 14, or beginning on page 13, but let me just read very quickly three short paragraphs, beginning with paragraph 3 of God's decree. "By the decree of God, for the manifestation of His glory, some men and angels are predestinated or foreordained to eternal life through Jesus Christ to the praise of His glorious grace, others being left to act in their sin to their just condemnation to the praise of His glorious justice. These angels and men, thus predestinated and foreordained, are particularly and unchangeably designed, and their number so certain and definite that it cannot be either increased or diminished. Those of mankind that are predestinated to life, God, before the foundation of the world was laid, according to His eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret counsel and good pleasure of His will, have chosen in Christ unto everlasting glory, out of His mere free grace and love, without any other thing in the

creature as a condition or cause moving Him thereunto. As God hath appointed the elect unto glory, so he hath by the eternal and most free purpose of his will foreordained all the means thereunto. Wherefore, they who are elected, being fallen in Adam, are redeemed by Christ, and effectually called unto faith in Christ by His Spirit working in due season, are justified, adopted, sanctified, and kept by His power through faith unto salvation. Neither are any other redeemed by Christ, or effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved, but the elect only." And then the concluding paragraph goes on to say, "...the doctrine of this high mystery of predestination is to be handled with special prudence and care, that men attending to the will of God revealed in his word, and yielding obedience thereunto, may from the certainty of their effectual calling be assured of their eternal election."

And so we have a rather short definition and then a rather lengthy definition. Ephesians 1, verses 1-14 is a doxology of praise to the triune God. I do not know if you noticed as I read it or not, I certainly had to pause for all of the commas, but in the Greek New Testament, Ephesians 1, 1-14 is one sentence. And if you look in your English Bibles, you will find a period only after the end of verse 14. All of the others are commas, colons, and semi-colons.

The Triune Structure of Ephesians 1:1-14

Paul's doxology divides into the will of the Father (election, vv. 1-6), the work of the Son (redemption, vv. 7-8), and the word of the Spirit (salvation, vv. 12-14), reflecting the economical trinity.

What the Apostle Paul is doing is this. In this sentence, in one swoop of the pen, the mighty Apostle Paul praises the triune God for the work of that triune God in salvation. If you were to divide this section, you could do it rather easily in three divisions. First of all, there is the will of the Father in verses 1 through 6. That refers to God's election. The will of the Father, that is election, in verses 1 through 6. Secondly, the work of the Son in redemption, verses 7 through 8. And thirdly, the word of the Spirit in salvation, verses 12 through 14. And so you have then the will of the Father, election, the work of the Son, redemption, and the word of the Spirit, salvation. Now, if you've noticed, it has mentioned the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

In theology, this is referred to as the economical trinity. Everything is out of the Father, through the Son, and in the Holy Spirit. And so Paul lays down this clear doctrinal precept and praises God for his work in salvation.

Why Preach Election: God Commands the Whole Counsel

Paul declared himself pure from the blood of all men by preaching the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:26-27); thus, every doctrine, including election, must be taught.

Now, one might ask this morning, why should this doctrine be preached and taught? Well, for one simple reason, and that is this, that God has commanded that the whole counsel of God be preached and proclaimed. If you would turn in your Bibles, holding Ephesians chapter 1, but look first of all to Acts chapter 20, you will find that this is how the Apostle Paul cleared himself from blood guiltiness. He makes the statement in verse 26 of Acts chapter 20,

Scripture Reading — Acts 20:26-27

"Wherefore I take you to record this day that I am free or that I am pure from the blood of all men."

Now Paul says I am pure, I am free from the blood of all men. No doubt you have heard and no doubt I have heard all of my life, but the only way that any Christian could be free from the blood of all men is to witness to every single individual. And if you do not witness to every single individual, then their blood is on your hands. Well, do you realize it is humanly as well as physically impossible to witness to every person that you ever see? If I started home from this meeting and witness to every person that I ever saw, I never would get home. I could not.

For I would be seeing people constantly. I would never do anything else. Well, what does the Apostle say? Watch it first of all in verse 20. Paul is defending his ministry and he tells these Ephesian elders, "...and how I've kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have showed you and have taught you publicly and from house to house." Now, Paul said, I held back nothing that was profitable. I hope that rings a bell in your mind of another scripture. For in 2 Timothy 3, verse 16, the Word of God makes this statement, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable."

Now, if Paul said, I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, it meant that he declared unto them the whole counsel of God. Now, look back at verse 26 again, for he says, "Wherefore, I take you to record this day that I am pure from the blood of all men." Why? Verse 27, "For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God." And so the only way that we can be pure from the blood of all men is to preach all of the counsel of God. And so God has commanded that every doctrine be clearly taught and enunciated. But someone is going to answer, and someone will come back and say, but the doctrine of election is such a difficult doctrine, and it's very easily misunderstood. And then I would come back and say, all the more reason to preach it, and to clarify it, and to elucidate it, and to teach it, in order that it might be understood. But some would come back with another objection and say, ah, but the unconverted cannot understand this doctrine.

And what if there are unconverted people in the audience? Well, I would ask this question, how many doctrines of the Word of God can the unconverted understand apart from the Holy Spirit? And the answer is none. "For the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, neither can he know them."

Now, if he understands not one doctrine, and if God is sovereign, and he most certainly is, it means that God can use this doctrine to bless his eyes to be opened and his ears to be opened and his heart to be converted just as easily as he could any other doctrine. And so God has very clearly commanded that all of his word be preached and taught. Now, why preach the doctrine of election? Well, let me give you several reasons this morning. First of all, I want you to notice that it is a foundational doctrine. In Ephesians chapter 1, Paul is laying down the very origin of our salvation. And he says our salvation has as its origin the triune Godhead. Many Bible teachers all down through the years have historically begun their teaching of systematic theology on a study of the attributes and the decrees of God. If you were to study Calvin's Institutes, you will find that he began on the doctrine of God. If you go in my office and pick up any of the thirty or so theological books that I have on one particular chapter, you will find that every one of them begins with the study of God. Why? Because that is the foundational doctrine. How in the world can sinners turn to God if they do not know who God is? How in the world can men worship God aright if they do not know who that God is and what he demands? If you would look in your Bibles, holding Ephesians 1 to the book of Acts chapter 15 and look at verse 18, here is a statement concerning the work of God.

Election as a Foundational Doctrine

Election is foundational because it reveals the origin of salvation in God's eternal decree; without it, history is an enigma and other doctrines are distorted.

Acts chapter 15 and verse 18.

Scripture Reading — Acts 15:18

"Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world."

In other words, the divine counsel and the divine decree of God is eternal, before the foundation of the world. God knew the end from the beginning because he is the one that ordained what the end should be. Nothing has ever caught God by surprise. That is why you and I, when we begin to build, we sit down before and draw up our plans so that we may take our plans and look and know exactly what goes where, and everything is already laid out before we begin building. And so the divine architect predestinated everything before a single creature was ever called into existence. The word of God tells us, yea, that even the very hairs of our head are numbered, and that a sparrow cannot fall to the ground apart from God. Many of you have no doubt viewed construction work and you stop and look and you see two or three men running around and four or five doing this, and you shake your head and you say, I don't understand how there could ever be a building made out of what's going on over there. And especially if you see some of those high-rise buildings with 20 or 30 or 40 stories.

The first thing they'll do is go down several hundred feet into the earth, putting a solid footing and a solid foundation. But although you may look at a building in construction and everything is apparently in confusion, all you need to do is step over to the architect and look at his plan. And then by looking at those plans or those blueprints, you then are able to visualize in your mind what the finished product is going to look like. And then all of a sudden, this which was confused here and confused there, all of it suddenly falls into place. And so it is with God. You see, beloved, without an understanding of God's eternal purpose, without an understanding of God's eternal decree, history remains an insoluble enigma. God is not working at random. The gospel has not been sent forth on an uncertain mission. The final conflict and the final outcome between the conflict of good and evil has not been left indeterminate. How many shall be saved and how many shall be lost has not been left to the will of the creature.

Everything has been infallibly determined and immutably fixed by God, the great and glorious architect, before he ever laid the foundation of this earth. And you see, beloved, in reality, this is our only hope and comfort. If you would turn over in your Bibles to 2 Timothy chapter 2 and look at verse 19. 2 Timothy chapter 2. And look there at verse 19. And once again, here it is. "Nevertheless, the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his."

"And let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity." Notice, "the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal. The Lord knoweth them that are his." To quote John Aris Smith, he said, "...election, having once pitched upon a man, it will find him out and call him home, wherever he be. It calls Zacchaeus out of a cursed Jericho, Abraham out of idolaters, Ur of the Chaldees, Nicodemus and Paul from the college of the Pharisees, Christ sworn enemies Dionysius and Damaris out of superstitious Athens. In whatsoever dunghills God's elect are hid, election will find them out and bring them home." And then John Barlow said, "...whom he choosing shall be created, called, justified, sanctified, glorified, because his purpose cannot be altered, his promise cannot be revoked." Let Manasseh repair the high places, rear altars for Baal. Let the prodigal run from his father, drink and swill, and consume his portion. Let Saul make havoc of the saints, put them in prison, and do many things contrary to Jesus of Nazareth.

Yet they shall come to themselves and mourn for their sins, and be saved and converted. For they are elected, beloved of Him who is the same forever. Were it not thus, what hope could the faithful have to see Babylon ruined, the Roman whore burned, the Jew called, the devil's kingdom destroyed, and Christ perfected? And thus, that's why the Apostle wrote, "Nevertheless, the foundation of God stands sure having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his."

Now, everyone knows that if the foundation is faulty, then the building erected upon that foundation cannot be sound. And beloved, if your understanding of the doctrine of election is faulty, if your conceptions are unscriptural, then that throws off all the other doctrine to the degree that you do not understand God's decree of election. To that same degree, you're going to be off in every other doctrine in the Word of God, and particularly those that relate to God's salvation and to the fall of man. And so, election is a foundational doctrine.

Election as a Difficult Doctrine

Election is difficult in understanding, acceptance, and proclamation because it humbles human pride, but God grants understanding to those who consider His truth.

Secondly, I want to point out that it is a difficult doctrine. It is difficult in three areas. First of all, it is difficult as to our understanding. Men, by nature, just simply do not understand spiritual truths. We must be taught them, and the Spirit of God must open our eyes and let us see his truth. We must be taught, as the Word of God says, here a little and there a little. Line upon line, precept upon precept. And I'm afraid to confess, but I believe it's the truth. It is a difficult doctrine to our understanding, not because we are incapable of understanding it, but because most people are unwilling to understand it. I was preaching in Alabama, and I preached from 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. And many of you know verse 4 in that chapter says, "Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God." Now, there are only 10 verses in 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. I was not preaching on the doctrine of the election. I was preaching from some other verses in there, but since it was such a short chapter, I read the entire chapter, all 10 verses. Well, after service, one man came up to me and said, "I don't think you ought to have read what you read." I said, "Well, what is that?" He said, "That verse about election, verse 4." I said, "Well, why not? It's in the Word of God, and I'm not ashamed of anything in the Word of God. Why can I not read that publicly?"

Well, he said, "Because many people do not understand it." I said, "What you're trying to tell me is this, that I should not have read it because you do not understand it." I said, "Have you ever had anyone sit down and take the Bible and go through every verse on the doctrine of election and show you what it is in the Bible?" "No." I said, "Well, I'll tell you what, if you will come to my room after lunch today, the word occurs 73 times in the New Testament. We will sit down and I'll take my Bible and we'll go through all 73 passages. And I will show it to you from the word of God, that by God's grace you might understand." "Fine," he said, "I'll meet you at your room at two o'clock." Well, I hurried through dinner that Lord's Day and got to my room, and about fifteen minutes to the telephone rang, and the man said, "Brother Weaver," and I recognized his voice right off.

He said, "This is so-and-so." I said, "Yes." This is exactly what he said. I've never forgotten it. He said, "I just wanted to call and let you know that I am not coming to your room. Because my mind is already made up and I don't want to be confused with a bunch of scriptures." And I said, "Dear Brother, it would be best if you stayed there and I got a good nap this afternoon. That way both of us would benefit from this afternoon." It's not that we're incapable of it. It's usually that we don't want to understand it. And so it is a difficult doctrine as to our understanding. Secondly, it is difficult as to the acceptance of it. You see, the mind of man is loathe to accept such a humbling, flesh-withering doctrine. If you would turn in your Bible to John chapter 15 and look at what our Lord said, I will show you very quickly what our flesh would rather do. In John chapter 15 and verse 16, our Lord says very clearly to his disciples, "You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you." But man by nature wants to say, "God did not choose me, I chose God."

And that's why in the average testimony, you can hear men say, "I'm so glad I decided to come to Jesus." That's why you hear individuals say, "I'm so glad that I chose God." No, our Lord said, "You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you and ordained you that you should bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain." It is a difficult doctrine, not only in our understanding, but to our acceptance of it. And then thirdly, I might add, it's difficult as to the proclamation of it. Have you ever stopped to meditate how? Do you teach the doctrine of election? I mean, where do you begin? How can you soften the blow of the doctrine? And the answer is, you can't. You're either faced with one of two things. You either must obey God and proclaim it exactly the way He has recorded it, or you must either disobey God and be quiet and refuse to proclaim it.

And so it's very difficult. You see, difficulties are designed to humble us and to make us see our need for divine wisdom. If you will notice, in 2 Timothy 2, verse 7, the Apostle Paul told Timothy this, "Consider what I say, and the Lord give thee understanding in all things." He's saying, Timothy, number one, understanding comes from God. It is God's gift. But then he says, secondly, Timothy, understanding does not come automatically. It comes only as you and I consider God's truth. And although this is indeed a difficult doctrine, yet God says it is one that ought to make us cry to him for understanding as we meditate upon it. Then God will very clearly open our eyes that we may behold the truth from his word. And so it's not only a foundational doctrine, it is indeed a difficult doctrine.

Election as an Important and Blessed Doctrine

Without election there would be no Christ, no gospel, and no salvation; all spiritual blessings are linked to election, and it evokes thanksgiving and worship.

Thirdly, I might point out by way of introduction, it is an important doctrine. You realize most of us have never really thought about how important election really is. In fact, most of us, I'm afraid, never even think about election. But may I point out to you just how important election really is? Apart from divine election, or let me say it another way, if there was no divine election, there would be no Jesus Christ and no divine gospel. If God had not chosen some before the foundation of the world, there never would have been a Jesus Christ to save those individuals. There never would be a gospel to proclaim. In other words, if God had not chosen some to be saved, none would ever be saved.

For there would be no Messiah. And to show you I didn't make that up, turn in your Bibles to Romans 9, and look, if you would, please. Romans chapter 9, it is, and verse 29. Romans 9 and verse 29. Notice what the Apostle Paul says. And as Isaiah said before, he's quoting Isaiah. Here it is. Notice now,

Scripture Reading — Romans 9:29

"Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed,"

that is, if God had not chosen some,

Scripture Reading — Romans 9:29

"we would have been as Sodom, and been made like unto Gomorrah."

He said if God had not reserved to himself a remnant, none would be saved, all would be destroyed.

And it is so important. But without it, there would be no salvation. If you would look back in your Bibles to Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 3, and please remember, I will get into the exposition of this passage later. This morning is just introduction to the passage. But in Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 3, notice what it says. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ." Every blessing that you and I have is in Christ. If there was no election, there would be no Christ. If there was no Christ, there would be no blessings. And this doctrine is extremely important.

Beloved, may I say it and say it right now? Until and unless you grasp and comprehend in some degree the doctrine of God's election, you will never really worship and thank God as you ought for your salvation. You will always take your salvation for granted and believe in some sense that God owed it to you. But when, by the grace of God, your eyes are opened and you see, as Paul plainly teaches, that God did not owe you anything but damnation and destruction, you will bow before God and worship at his throne and thank him that in his infinite grace he chose you, one who was unworthy in yourself and deserved of nothing but hell. It's a very important doctrine. We cannot have any concept of salvation apart from it. Fourthly, let me point out, it is a blessed doctrine. And let's read verses 3 and 4 together. Watch it now. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as he hath chosen us in him."

Now, I hope you notice the connection there. He talks about all the blessings that are in Christ. And then he said these blessings are, in verse 4, "according as he hath chosen us." In other words, our blessings are uniquely linked to our election. You see, beloved, God is not like man. God does not draw a bow at a venture. Everything is sure and everything is settled. And we can only derive comfort and hope from that fact. All of our blessings are uniquely related to our election.

If you would hold Ephesians 1, but turn in your Bibles to 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, and let me point this out by reading verses 12 and 13. 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. Notice what the apostle says,

Scripture Reading — 2 Thessalonians 2:12-13

"That they all might be damned who believe not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness."

Now he's talking about a group of individuals who receive not the truth. They love wickedness, they love sin, they love ungodliness. And he says that they all might be damned who loved not the truth, but they had pleasure in unrighteousness. But look at the contrast in verse 13. There's that word "but."

Scripture Reading — 2 Thessalonians 2:12-13

"But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you unto salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth."

You see what he's doing? He's saying, over here are these that receive not the love of the truth. They love sin and wickedness and rebellion and ungodliness. But he says, but thanks be unto God, you love holiness and truth because God hath from the beginning chosen you unto salvation. And an interesting thing is this, every time you find in the word of God the doctrine of election, it's always found in the context of praise. He says we are bound to give thanks unto God. And by the way, that word "bound" is a very strong word.

It means we owe thanks to God for our election. Beloved, we can never understand how much we owe God thanks until we understand election. Fifthly, I want to point out that it is a distasteful doctrine. It's not only foundational and difficult and important and blessed, it is a distasteful doctrine. No doctrine is so detested by a proud human nature as this one. You know, one would think that a doctrine that is so God-honoring and so Christ-exalting would be readily and happily received by men who profess to love Christ. But alas and woe, it's different. As the doctrine of eternal punishment is that one doctrine which is so hated by the unconverted, even so, the doctrine of God's unconditional election is loathed and reviled by many professing believers. You see, you begin to proclaim that salvation is by the free grace of God instead of the free will of man, and that even the elect must be made willing to come to Christ.

Election as a Distasteful and Separating Doctrine

Election is loathed by proud human nature because it abases man and exalts God's free grace; it separates those who are of God from those who are not.

And the humanist will rail and revile and cry with great indignation. And yet it's the truth. If you were turning your Bibles, first of all, to the book of John, look in John chapter 1, and let's begin reading very carefully with verse 11 and read through verse 13. John 1, beginning with verse 11, and probably most people can quote this, but Scripture says, "He came unto his own, and his own received him not." That is, to those Jews, national Israel, he came unto those Jews, and those Jews received him not. Verse 12, "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." Now, he came unto his own, but they received him not. But, in verse 12, some received him, some believed. Why did they believe? Why did they receive? Verse 13, "Who were born, not of blood," that is, their ancestry had nothing to do with it, "nor of the will of the flesh," that is, human merits had nothing to do with it, they did not earn it, "nor of the will of men."

Their own will didn't have anything to do with it, "but of God." So you could read it like this. "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them who believe on his name, who were born of God." The only reason anyone ever receives Christ, the only reason anyone ever believes is because they are born of God. It's not because they're children of Christians. It's not because they've been church members all their life. It's not because they have human merits, that they're better than someone else. It's not because they have used their will and other people have not used their will. It's simply because of God. And if you will look in your Bibles to Romans chapter 9, and verse 16, you will see Paul making it very plain again. Romans chapter 9 and verse 16, here it is in plain English language.

Scripture Reading — Romans 9:16

"So then, it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that

showeth mercy." So it's not of man, it's of God. And it's a very distasteful doctrine, because it abases man. And man will not have the place of abasement, he will have only exaltation. And yet the very scriptures say, concerning even the elect in Psalm 110 verse 3, "Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power." It is God's power that must make us willing to come to Christ.

You know, the sad thing is that many Baptists, that many Protestants, agree with the Roman Catholic Church. I told that to one preacher. He was very angry with me. Of course, he came to my office to straighten me out. And he pastored a certain Baptist church, and I told him, I said, "Dear brother, you ought, in all honesty, to change the name of your church to such-and-such Roman Catholic Church." And he was horrified. I said, "Because what you have just got through telling me is the official doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church. You're not Baptist."

I said, "You have followed the same line that they set forth in the Council of Trent, which is the official position and theology of the Roman Catholic Church." And let me just read one of the anathemas of the Council of Trent. I quote, "If anyone should affirm that since the fall of Adam, man's free will is lost, let him be accursed." Most Baptists and most Protestants say that man has a free will and that man must do this and that man must do that. The same theology that is taught by the Roman Catholic Church. They said, "If any say that man's free will is lost, let him be accursed." And what they were doing was fighting against Luther and Calvin and Zwingli, who were saying very boldly and very proudly, it is not free will that saves man, but free grace.

You see, the whole argument is this. When it all boils down, who is God? God or man? Who is it that saves, God or man? Who is it that determines the future, God or man? You see, everybody believes in predestination. There is no argument over that. Everybody believes in it. The only argument is who is doing the predestinating. Does God do it, or does man do it? And most men will deny God's predestination that they might usurp their own predestination in that place. And so the argument comes back, who is God? God or man. And it's a very distasteful doctrine, for it humbles man and puts him in the dust at the throne of God. And then, sixthly, I want to point out it is indeed a separating doctrine.

What do I mean by that? If you would turn in your Bibles to two passages to begin with. The first one, John chapter 8 and look at verse 47. It is a separating doctrine. John 8 and verse 47. Notice the very plain words of our Lord. John 8 verse 47.

Scripture Reading — John 8:47

"He that is of God heareth God's words. Ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God."

Now, he puts it very plainly. Those that are born of God listen to God. Those that are not of God, they refuse to listen to Him. Look what the same Apostle said in 1 John chapter 4, verses 5 and 6. 1 John chapter 4, verses 5 and 6. 1 John 4, verse 5, "They are of the world. Therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them."

Scripture Reading — John 8:47

"We are of God. He that knoweth God heareth us. He that is not of God heareth not us."

"Hereby know we the spirit of truth and the spirit of error." In verse 5 he says, "...the world hears these individuals, for they are of the world. But he that is of God hears God's word, and he that refuses God's word is not of God. Hereby we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error." Every man that has been born of God will bow to God's word. And if you have problems with it, it's a very unsettling evidence that you're not genuinely born of God. If you would look in your Bibles at John chapter 6, and let's read verses 65 and 66. You see, even our Lord had this problem. Even our Lord lost disciples because of the word of God. Notice what he said in John chapter 6 and verse 65. "And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father." Now watch this. "No man can come."

You remember "can" is a term of ability. He did not say that no man may come, for all are invited. But what he did say is no man can come. No man has the ability in and of himself to come to Christ. Then he said, "And I said, no man can come unto me except it were," and in the Greek this is a perfect tense. "No man can come unto me except it has been given unto him of my Father." The perfect tense means something that has happened in the past with continuing results. In other words, God gave it to the man in his election.

And it continues to be. "No man can come unto me except it hath been given him of my Father." And so our Lord is very clearly teaching the inability of man to come to Christ savingly. The inability of man to save himself. Yea, he's teaching the unconditional election of God and that if any man is ever saved, God must save him. What was the result? Verse 66. "From that time, many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him." You see, beloved, it's a very separating doctrine. It will separate the chaff from the wheat. It will separate those who truly love God from those who do not love, will separate those who want to bow before the word of God from those that do not want to bow, will separate the humanists from the Christians. And then lastly, by way of introduction, I want to point out that it is an evangelical doctrine.

Election as an Evangelical Doctrine

Rightly understood, election motivates evangelism because God has appointed both the elect and the means of their calling; examples include Paul, Judson, and Brainerd.

What do I mean by that? I simply mean it is a doctrine that produces in us a real evangelical witness when it's rightly understood. You hear people say all kinds of stupid things, and they'll make some statement, "Wow, if I believed in the doctrine of election, I never would witness." Well, the truth is, if I didn't believe it, I wouldn't witness. I mean, you know, if it's left up to man, and all men are totally depraved according to the Word of God, there's no reason to witness.

But when you understand that God hath chosen some, but he has also appointed the means whereby they are called, then, beloved, that is indeed the argument and the ground for witnessing. If you would turn in your Bibles, first of all, to Acts chapter 18, notice what God told the Apostle Paul. And you know, I like this passage for several reasons, not only because of the theology that it teaches, but it even shows me that the Apostle Paul was human. And I know that all of those men were human, but we tend to think that somehow they were all superhuman. But notice he said in Acts chapter 18, and began reading there with verse 9,

Scripture Reading — Acts 18:9-10

"Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by vision, Be not afraid."

Ah, the mighty Apostle Paul was afraid. Actually, in the Greek it says, "Stop being afraid." Can anyone imagine Paul being afraid? Paul was at Corinth. You remember that Corinth was the seaport town.

In fact, it had three seaports. Wickedness abounding like you wouldn't believe. There were temples where there were temple prostitutes. An ungodly town. And here Paul is coming in with a gospel of pure grace. Maybe some began to threaten him, I don't know. But God says, "Stop being afraid." Evidently, Paul was afraid. Then he says, "But speak and hold not thy peace." Evidently, Paul was refusing to preach because of his fear. And so God tells Paul, "Stop being afraid, but go ahead and preach."

Look at it in verse 10, "For I am with thee. And no man shall set on thee to hurt thee, for I have much people in this city." He said, "Paul, you do the preaching, I'll do the saving. I've got them here, and I'm going to save them through you." And if that will not fortify you to preach, I don't know what will. To know that God does have his own. even in the most wicked and most vile cities. And to show you that Paul rightly understood it, if you will turn over in your Bibles to 2 Timothy chapter 2 and look at verse 10, you will see that Paul learned his lesson at Corinth, for he makes this statement. 2 Timothy chapter 2 and verse 10.

Scripture Reading — 2 Timothy 2:10

"I endure all things for the elect's sake, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory."

Paul said,

Scripture Reading — 2 Timothy 2:10

"I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may be saved. Whoever they are, wherever they may be, I'll endure it for them."

This is really the only sure ground for evangelists. Adoniram Judson, that great Baptist missionary to Burma, was in Burma for fifteen years without one convert. And the thing that kept Judson going was the fact that he knew that God has some of his sheep in Burma. And he knew that God in his own time would bring them to repentance and faith. And Adoniram Judson labored for fifteen years without one convert. There's probably not a Baptist church in America today that would support him now, for he doesn't produce. But yet one lady under a burden for Judson wrote him and said, "Mr. Judson, is there anything you need over there that you can't get that I could get here and send to you?" And Judson wrote back and said, "Send a communion set." And he didn't even have a convert. But by the time that communion set got there, he needed that one and a dozen more like it. For the power of God broke out in one of the greatest awakenings in our world history.

came to those Burmese people under the ministry of Adoniram Judson, thousands were converted. And the thing that kept him going was the fact that he knew God had some people in that city. David Brainerd, missionary to the American Indians, labored for three years without one convert. David Brainerd believed the truth of God's election. And one day while he was preaching through a drunken interpreter to some adult Indians, through that drunken interpreter, the power of God fell and fifty of those male Indians who had gone through torture, tests of fire and everything to prove their manhood, that they would not cry and that they were absolutely men, fell on their faces weeping and begging God for mercy. The thing that kept Brainerd going was he knew that God had his sheep there, too.

Study Guide

Major Themes

The Sovereignty of God in Salvation

Summary: Salvation originates in God's eternal decree, not in human will or merit; God predestines, elects, and effectually calls His people.

Evidence: Ephesians 1:4-5: 'he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world... having predestinated us unto the adoption of children.'

The Necessity of Preaching the Whole Counsel of God

Summary: Ministers must declare all of God's Word, including difficult doctrines like election, to be free from blood guiltiness.

Evidence: Acts 20:26-27: 'I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.'

Human Inability and Divine Grace

Summary: Natural man cannot understand or receive spiritual things; salvation is entirely of God, not of human will or effort.

Evidence: 1 Corinthians 2:14; John 1:13; Romans 9:16: 'So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.'

Election as the Ground of Assurance and Comfort

Summary: The unchangeable decree of election provides certainty and hope for believers, knowing that God's foundation stands sure.

Evidence: 2 Timothy 2:19: 'Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his.'

The Offense of the Doctrine to Human Pride

Summary: Election is distasteful because it humbles man, denies free will in salvation, and exalts God's free grace alone.

Evidence: John 6:65-66: 'No man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father... many of his disciples went back.'

Election as a Motive for Evangelism

Summary: Knowing God has chosen a people encourages bold witness, as seen in Paul, Adoniram Judson, and David Brainerd.

Evidence: Acts 18:9-10: 'I have much people in this city'; 2 Timothy 2:10: 'I endure all things for the elect's sakes.'

Key Arguments

Election is a foundational doctrine that shapes all other doctrines.

Summary: If one's understanding of election is faulty, it distorts other doctrines, especially those related to salvation and the fall of man.

Evidence: Weaver states: 'if your understanding of the doctrine of election is faulty... that throws off all the other doctrine.'

The doctrine must be preached despite its difficulty because God commands it.

Summary: Objections that election is hard to understand or that unconverted cannot grasp it are invalid; all doctrines require the Spirit's illumination.

Evidence: Weaver argues: 'if he understands not one doctrine... God can use this doctrine to bless his eyes to be opened.'

Without election, there would be no Christ, no gospel, and no salvation.

Summary: If God had not chosen a remnant, all would be like Sodom; every spiritual blessing is in Christ, and election secures those blessings.

Evidence: Romans 9:29: 'Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodom.'

Election is uniquely linked to praise and thanksgiving.

Summary: Every time election appears in Scripture, it is in a context of praise; believers owe thanks to God for their election.

Evidence: 2 Thessalonians 2:13: 'we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you... because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation.'

The doctrine separates true believers from false professors.

Summary: Those who are of God hear God's words; rejection of election may indicate an unregenerate heart.

Evidence: John 8:47: 'He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.'

Election provides the only sure ground for evangelistic endurance.

Summary: Missionaries like Judson and Brainerd persevered because they knew God had elect people who would be saved through their preaching.

Evidence: Weaver recounts Judson's 15 years without a convert, sustained by the truth of election.

Scripture References

Ephesians 1:1-14

Context: Read as the primary text; a doxology praising the triune God for election, redemption, and sealing by the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 2:14

Context: Cited to show that the natural man cannot understand the things of the Spirit, including election.

Acts 20:26-27

Context: Paul's declaration of being pure from blood because he declared the whole counsel of God; used to argue for preaching election.

2 Timothy 3:16

Context: All Scripture is profitable; linked to Paul's statement that he kept back nothing profitable.

Acts 15:18

Context: Known unto God are all his works from the beginning; supports God's eternal decree.

2 Timothy 2:19

Context: The foundation of God stands sure, having this seal: the Lord knows those who are His; used to show the certainty of election.

John 15:16

Context: You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you; contrasts human boasting with divine choice.

2 Timothy 2:7

Context: Consider what I say, and the Lord give thee understanding; understanding comes from God through meditation.

Romans 9:29

Context: Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we would have been as Sodom; without election, none would be saved.

Ephesians 1:3-4

Context: Blessed be God who has blessed us... according as he hath chosen us; blessings are linked to election.

2 Thessalonians 2:12-13

Context: Contrast between those who perish and those chosen to salvation; election evokes thanksgiving.

John 1:11-13

Context: Those who received Christ were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Romans 9:16

Context: It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

Psalm 110:3

Context: Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power; even the elect must be made willing by God.

John 8:47

Context: He that is of God heareth God's words; rejection of God's words indicates not being of God.

1 John 4:5-6

Context: We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; hereby know we the spirit of truth and error.

John 6:65-66

Context: No man can come to me except it were given him of my Father; many disciples left after this teaching.

Acts 18:9-10

Context: God tells Paul to stop being afraid and preach, for He has much people in Corinth; election motivates witness.

2 Timothy 2:10

Context: Paul endures all things for the elect's sake, that they may obtain salvation; election drives evangelistic suffering.

Historical References

Philadelphia Confession of Faith (Chapter 3, Of God's Decree)

Context: Weaver reads paragraphs 3-6 as a longer definition of election, emphasizing predestination, particular redemption, and the means of calling.

John Calvin's Institutes

Context: Mentioned as an example of systematic theology beginning with the doctrine of God, showing election's foundational nature.

Council of Trent (Roman Catholic Church)

Context: Weaver quotes an anathema from Trent: 'If anyone should affirm that since the fall of Adam, man's free will is lost, let him be accursed,' to show that many Protestants agree with Rome against the Reformers.

Adoniram Judson (missionary to Burma)

Context: Judson labored 15 years without a convert, sustained by the truth that God had elect in Burma; eventually a great awakening occurred.

David Brainerd (missionary to American Indians)

Context: Brainerd labored 3 years without a convert, believing election; God brought revival through his preaching to hardened warriors.

Important Quotes

Election has been defined as God's eternal, free and unconditional and irreversible choice of certain persons in Christ to everlasting life.

Significance: Provides Weaver's concise definition of election, setting the stage for the entire sermon.

I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.

Significance: Key verse (Acts 20:27) used to argue that all doctrines, including election, must be preached.

Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.

Significance: Supports the eternal decree and foreknowledge of God in election.

Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his.

Significance: Highlights the certainty and comfort of election for believers.

You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you.

Significance: Christ's words that counter human boasting in choosing God.

No man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.

Significance: Teaches human inability and the necessity of divine enablement for coming to Christ.

Discussion Questions

Why does Weaver argue that the doctrine of election must be preached despite its difficulty and potential for misunderstanding?

Context: Weaver addresses objections to preaching election, citing Acts 20:26-27 and the command to declare the whole counsel of God.

How does Weaver use the analogy of an architect's blueprint to explain God's eternal decree?

Context: He compares the apparent confusion of history to a construction site, which makes sense only when viewed through God's sovereign plan.

In what ways does Weaver say election is a 'blessed' doctrine, and how does it relate to thanksgiving?

Context: He links Ephesians 1:3-4 and 2 Thessalonians 2:13 to show that election is always in a context of praise and that believers owe thanks to God.

Why does Weaver claim that many Baptists and Protestants agree with the Roman Catholic Church on free will?

Context: He quotes the Council of Trent's anathema against the loss of free will and contrasts it with the Reformers' emphasis on free grace.

How does the doctrine of election serve as a 'separating' doctrine according to John 6:65-66 and John 8:47?

Context: Weaver explains that those who are of God hear God's words, while others reject them, and that even Jesus lost disciples over this teaching.

How does Weaver use the examples of Adoniram Judson and David Brainerd to illustrate election as an evangelical doctrine?

Context: Both missionaries endured long periods without converts, sustained by the belief that God had elect people who would be saved through their preaching.

Applications

Preach and teach the whole counsel of God, including difficult doctrines.

Summary: Ministers and teachers must not avoid election but clarify and proclaim it, trusting God to give understanding.

Evidence: Weaver states: 'God has commanded that every doctrine be clearly taught and enunciated... all the more reason to preach it, and to clarify it.'

Humble yourself before God's sovereign choice in salvation.

Summary: Recognize that salvation is entirely of God's grace, not human merit or will, leading to worship and thanksgiving.

Evidence: Weaver says: 'when... your eyes are opened and you see... God did not owe you anything but damnation... you will bow before God and worship.'

Find assurance and comfort in the unchangeable decree of election.

Summary: Believers can rest in the certainty that God's foundation stands sure and that He knows those who are His.

Evidence: Weaver quotes 2 Timothy 2:19 and says: 'this is our only hope and comfort.'

Examine your response to God's Word as evidence of regeneration.

Summary: Those who are of God hear and bow to God's Word; rejection of biblical doctrines like election may indicate an unregenerate heart.

Evidence: Weaver warns: 'if you have problems with it, it's a very unsettling evidence that you're not genuinely born of God.'

Let election motivate bold and enduring evangelism.

Summary: Knowing God has chosen a people encourages witness even in hard places, as seen in Paul, Judson, and Brainerd.

Evidence: Weaver says: 'if I didn't believe it, I wouldn't witness... when you understand that God hath chosen some... that is indeed the argument and the ground for witnessing.'

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T12:50:47Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-05T22:52:05Z

Clean Transcript

The Doctrine of Election - 1

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

Ephesians 1, reading verses 1-14. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Jesus. Grace be to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved, in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace, wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known unto us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he hath purposed in himself, that in the dispensation
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of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in him, in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. That we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ, in whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise who is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory.
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Lord willing, this morning I want to begin a study on one of the most hated and most misunderstood doctrines in Holy Scripture, and that is the doctrine of God's unconditional election. The Word of God makes it very plain that unregenerate men cannot understand this doctrine. For the Bible says very plainly in 1 Corinthians 2 and verse 14, "For the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned, and therefore they are foolishness unto him." But the sad fact is, not only do unregenerate men not understand this particular doctrine, but many professing Christians will not understand it, either through lack of study or because of heretical distortions and misrepresentations. It is, however, a very clearly elucidated doctrine in the word of God. You may begin by asking what is election, and I would like this morning to give you a short, simple definition and then a rather lengthy one. Simply stated, election has been defined as God's eternal, free and unconditional and irreversible choice of certain persons in Christ to everlasting life.
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If you want a longer definition, I ask that you turn when you get home to your Philadelphia Confession of Faith to page 14, or beginning on page 13, but let me just read very quickly three short paragraphs, beginning with paragraph 3 of God's decree. "By the decree of God, for the manifestation of His glory, some men and angels are predestinated or foreordained to eternal life through Jesus Christ to the praise of His glorious grace, others being left to act in their sin to their just condemnation to the praise of His glorious justice. These angels and men, thus predestinated and foreordained, are particularly and unchangeably designed, and their number so certain and definite that it cannot be either increased or diminished. Those of mankind that are predestinated to life, God, before the foundation of the world was laid, according to His eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret counsel and good pleasure of His will, have chosen in Christ unto everlasting glory, out of His mere free grace and love, without any other thing in the
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creature as a condition or cause moving Him thereunto. As God hath appointed the elect unto glory, so he hath by the eternal and most free purpose of his will foreordained all the means thereunto. Wherefore, they who are elected, being fallen in Adam, are redeemed by Christ, and effectually called unto faith in Christ by His Spirit working in due season, are justified, adopted, sanctified, and kept by His power through faith unto salvation. Neither are any other redeemed by Christ, or effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved, but the elect only." And then the concluding paragraph goes on to say, "...the doctrine of this high mystery of predestination is to be handled with special prudence and care, that men attending to the will of God revealed in his word, and yielding obedience thereunto, may from the certainty of their effectual calling be assured of their eternal election."
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And so we have a rather short definition and then a rather lengthy definition. Ephesians 1, verses 1-14 is a doxology of praise to the triune God. I do not know if you noticed as I read it or not, I certainly had to pause for all of the commas, but in the Greek New Testament, Ephesians 1, 1-14 is one sentence. And if you look in your English Bibles, you will find a period only after the end of verse 14. All of the others are commas, colons, and semi-colons.
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What the Apostle Paul is doing is this. In this sentence, in one swoop of the pen, the mighty Apostle Paul praises the triune God for the work of that triune God in salvation. If you were to divide this section, you could do it rather easily in three divisions. First of all, there is the will of the Father in verses 1 through 6. That refers to God's election. The will of the Father, that is election, in verses 1 through 6. Secondly, the work of the Son in redemption, verses 7 through 8. And thirdly, the word of the Spirit in salvation, verses 12 through 14. And so you have then the will of the Father, election, the work of the Son, redemption, and the word of the Spirit, salvation. Now, if you've noticed, it has mentioned the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
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In theology, this is referred to as the economical trinity. Everything is out of the Father, through the Son, and in the Holy Spirit. And so Paul lays down this clear doctrinal precept and praises God for his work in salvation.
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Now, one might ask this morning, why should this doctrine be preached and taught? Well, for one simple reason, and that is this, that God has commanded that the whole counsel of God be preached and proclaimed. If you would turn in your Bibles, holding Ephesians chapter 1, but look first of all to Acts chapter 20, you will find that this is how the Apostle Paul cleared himself from blood guiltiness. He makes the statement in verse 26 of Acts chapter 20, "Wherefore I take you to record this day that I am free or that I am pure from the blood of all men." Now Paul says I am pure, I am free from the blood of all men.
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No doubt you have heard and no doubt I have heard all of my life, but the only way that any Christian could be free from the blood of all men is to witness to every single individual. And if you do not witness to every single individual, then their blood is on your hands. Well, do you realize it is humanly as well as physically impossible to witness to every person that you ever see? If I started home from this meeting and witness to every person that I ever saw, I never would get home. I could not.
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For I would be seeing people constantly. I would never do anything else. Well, what does the Apostle say? Watch it first of all in verse 20. Paul is defending his ministry and he tells these Ephesian elders, "...and how I've kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have showed you and have taught you publicly and from house to house." Now, Paul said, I held back nothing that was profitable.
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I hope that rings a bell in your mind of another scripture. For in 2 Timothy 3, verse 16, the Word of God makes this statement, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable."
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Now, if Paul said, I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, it meant that he declared unto them the whole counsel of God. Now, look back at verse 26 again, for he says, "Wherefore, I take you to record this day that I am pure from the blood of all men." Why? Verse 27, "For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God." And so the only way that we can be pure from the blood of all men is to preach all of the counsel of God. And so God has commanded that every doctrine be clearly taught and enunciated. But someone is going to answer, and someone will come back and say, but the doctrine of election is such a difficult doctrine, and it's very easily misunderstood. And then I would come back and say, all the more reason to preach it, and to clarify it, and to elucidate it, and to teach it, in order that it might be understood. But some would come back with another objection and say, ah, but the unconverted cannot understand this doctrine.
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And what if there are unconverted people in the audience? Well, I would ask this question, how many doctrines of the Word of God can the unconverted understand apart from the Holy Spirit? And the answer is none. "For the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, neither can he know them."
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Now, if he understands not one doctrine, and if God is sovereign, and he most certainly is, it means that God can use this doctrine to bless his eyes to be opened and his ears to be opened and his heart to be converted just as easily as he could any other doctrine. And so God has very clearly commanded that all of his word be preached and taught. Now, why preach the doctrine of election?
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Well, let me give you several reasons this morning. First of all, I want you to notice that it is a foundational doctrine. In Ephesians chapter 1, Paul is laying down the very origin of our salvation. And he says our salvation has as its origin the triune Godhead. Many Bible teachers all down through the years have historically begun their teaching of systematic theology on a study of the attributes and the decrees of God. If you were to study Calvin's Institutes, you will find that he began on the doctrine of God. If you go in my office and pick up any of the thirty or so theological books that I have on one particular chapter, you will find that every one of them begins with the study of God. Why? Because that is the foundational doctrine. How in the world can sinners turn to God if they do not know who God is? How in the world can men worship God aright if they do not know who that God is and what he demands? If you would look in your Bibles, holding Ephesians 1 to the book of Acts chapter 15 and look at verse 18, here is a statement concerning the work of God.
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Acts chapter 15 and verse 18. "Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world." In other words, the divine counsel and the divine decree of God is eternal, before the foundation of the world. God knew the end from the beginning because he is the one that ordained what the end should be. Nothing has ever caught God by surprise. That is why you and I, when we begin to build, we sit down before and draw up our plans so that we may take our plans and look and know exactly what goes where, and everything is already laid out before we begin building. And so the divine architect predestinated everything before a single creature was ever called into existence.
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The word of God tells us, yea, that even the very hairs of our head are numbered, and that a sparrow cannot fall to the ground apart from God. Many of you have no doubt viewed construction work and you stop and look and you see two or three men running around and four or five doing this, and you shake your head and you say, I don't understand how there could ever be a building made out of what's going on over there. And especially if you see some of those high-rise buildings with 20 or 30 or 40 stories.
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The first thing they'll do is go down several hundred feet into the earth, putting a solid footing and a solid foundation. But although you may look at a building in construction and everything is apparently in confusion, all you need to do is step over to the architect and look at his plan. And then by looking at those plans or those blueprints, you then are able to visualize in your mind what the finished product is going to look like.
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And then all of a sudden, this which was confused here and confused there, all of it suddenly falls into place. And so it is with God. You see, beloved, without an understanding of God's eternal purpose, without an understanding of God's eternal decree, history remains an insoluble enigma. God is not working at random. The gospel has not been sent forth on an uncertain mission. The final conflict and the final outcome between the conflict of good and evil has not been left indeterminate. How many shall be saved and how many shall be lost has not been left to the will of the creature.
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Everything has been infallibly determined and immutably fixed by God, the great and glorious architect, before he ever laid the foundation of this earth. And you see, beloved, in reality, this is our only hope and comfort. If you would turn over in your Bibles to 2 Timothy chapter 2 and look at verse 19. 2 Timothy chapter 2. And look there at verse 19. And once again, here it is. "Nevertheless, the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his."
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"And let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity." Notice, "the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal. The Lord knoweth them that are his." To quote John Aris Smith, he said, "...election, having once pitched upon a man, it will find him out and call him home, wherever he be. It calls Zacchaeus out of a cursed Jericho, Abraham out of idolaters, Ur of the Chaldees, Nicodemus and Paul from the college of the Pharisees, Christ sworn enemies Dionysius and Damaris out of superstitious Athens. In whatsoever dunghills God's elect are hid, election will find them out and bring them home."
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And then John Barlow said, "...whom he choosing shall be created, called, justified, sanctified, glorified, because his purpose cannot be altered, his promise cannot be revoked." Let Manasseh repair the high places, rear altars for Baal. Let the prodigal run from his father, drink and swill, and consume his portion. Let Saul make havoc of the saints, put them in prison, and do many things contrary to Jesus of Nazareth.
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Yet they shall come to themselves and mourn for their sins, and be saved and converted. For they are elected, beloved of Him who is the same forever. Were it not thus, what hope could the faithful have to see Babylon ruined, the Roman whore burned, the Jew called, the devil's kingdom destroyed, and Christ perfected? And thus, that's why the Apostle wrote, "Nevertheless, the foundation of God stands sure having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his."
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Now, everyone knows that if the foundation is faulty, then the building erected upon that foundation cannot be sound. And beloved, if your understanding of the doctrine of election is faulty, if your conceptions are unscriptural, then that throws off all the other doctrine to the degree that you do not understand God's decree of election. To that same degree, you're going to be off in every other doctrine in the Word of God, and particularly those that relate to God's salvation and to the fall of man. And so, election is a foundational doctrine.
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Secondly, I want to point out that it is a difficult doctrine. It is difficult in three areas. First of all, it is difficult as to our understanding. Men, by nature, just simply do not understand spiritual truths. We must be taught them, and the Spirit of God must open our eyes and let us see his truth. We must be taught, as the Word of God says, here a little and there a little.
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Line upon line, precept upon precept. And I'm afraid to confess, but I believe it's the truth. It is a difficult doctrine to our understanding, not because we are incapable of understanding it, but because most people are unwilling to understand it. I was preaching in Alabama, and I preached from 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. And many of you know verse 4 in that chapter says, "Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God." Now, there are only 10 verses in 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. I was not preaching on the doctrine of the election. I was preaching from some other verses in there, but since it was such a short chapter, I read the entire chapter, all 10 verses. Well, after service, one man came up to me and said, "I don't think you ought to have read what you read." I said, "Well, what is that?" He said, "That verse about election, verse 4." I said, "Well, why not? It's in the Word of God, and I'm not ashamed of anything in the Word of God. Why can I not read that publicly?"
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Well, he said, "Because many people do not understand it." I said, "What you're trying to tell me is this, that I should not have read it because you do not understand it." I said, "Have you ever had anyone sit down and take the Bible and go through every verse on the doctrine of election and show you what it is in the Bible?" "No." I said, "Well, I'll tell you what, if you will come to my room after lunch today, the word occurs 73 times in the New Testament. We will sit down and I'll take my Bible and we'll go through all 73 passages. And I will show it to you from the word of God, that by God's grace you might understand." "Fine," he said, "I'll meet you at your room at two o'clock." Well, I hurried through dinner that Lord's Day and got to my room, and about fifteen minutes to the telephone rang, and the man said, "Brother Weaver," and I recognized his voice right off.
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He said, "This is so-and-so." I said, "Yes." This is exactly what he said. I've never forgotten it. He said, "I just wanted to call and let you know that I am not coming to your room. Because my mind is already made up and I don't want to be confused with a bunch of scriptures." And I said, "Dear Brother, it would be best if you stayed there and I got a good nap this afternoon. That way both of us would benefit from this afternoon."
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It's not that we're incapable of it. It's usually that we don't want to understand it. And so it is a difficult doctrine as to our understanding. Secondly, it is difficult as to the acceptance of it. You see, the mind of man is loathe to accept such a humbling, flesh-withering doctrine. If you would turn in your Bible to John chapter 15 and look at what our Lord said, I will show you very quickly what our flesh would rather do. In John chapter 15 and verse 16, our Lord says very clearly to his disciples, "You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you." But man by nature wants to say, "God did not choose me, I chose God."
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And that's why in the average testimony, you can hear men say, "I'm so glad I decided to come to Jesus." That's why you hear individuals say, "I'm so glad that I chose God." No, our Lord said, "You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you and ordained you that you should bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain." It is a difficult doctrine, not only in our understanding, but to our acceptance of it. And then thirdly, I might add, it's difficult as to the proclamation of it.
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Have you ever stopped to meditate how? Do you teach the doctrine of election? I mean, where do you begin? How can you soften the blow of the doctrine? And the answer is, you can't. You're either faced with one of two things. You either must obey God and proclaim it exactly the way He has recorded it, or you must either disobey God and be quiet and refuse to proclaim it.
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And so it's very difficult. You see, difficulties are designed to humble us and to make us see our need for divine wisdom. If you will notice, in 2 Timothy 2, verse 7, the Apostle Paul told Timothy this, "Consider what I say, and the Lord give thee understanding in all things." He's saying, Timothy, number one, understanding comes from God. It is God's gift. But then he says, secondly, Timothy, understanding does not come automatically. It comes only as you and I consider God's truth. And although this is indeed a difficult doctrine, yet God says it is one that ought to make us cry to him for understanding as we meditate upon it. Then God will very clearly open our eyes that we may behold the truth from his word. And so it's not only a foundational doctrine, it is indeed a difficult doctrine.
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Thirdly, I might point out by way of introduction, it is an important doctrine. You realize most of us have never really thought about how important election really is. In fact, most of us, I'm afraid, never even think about election. But may I point out to you just how important election really is? Apart from divine election, or let me say it another way, if there was no divine election, there would be no Jesus Christ and no divine gospel. If God had not chosen some before the foundation of the world, there never would have been a Jesus Christ to save those individuals. There never would be a gospel to proclaim. In other words, if God had not chosen some to be saved, none would ever be saved.
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For there would be no Messiah. And to show you I didn't make that up, turn in your Bibles to Romans 9, and look, if you would, please. Romans chapter 9, it is, and verse 29. Romans 9 and verse 29. Notice what the Apostle Paul says. And as Isaiah said before, he's quoting Isaiah. Here it is. Notice now, "Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed," that is, if God had not chosen some, "we would have been as Sodom, and been made like unto Gomorrah." He said if God had not reserved to himself a remnant, none would be saved, all would be destroyed.
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And it is so important. But without it, there would be no salvation. If you would look back in your Bibles to Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 3, and please remember, I will get into the exposition of this passage later. This morning is just introduction to the passage. But in Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 3, notice what it says. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ." Every blessing that you and I have is in Christ. If there was no election, there would be no Christ. If there was no Christ, there would be no blessings. And this doctrine is extremely important.
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Beloved, may I say it and say it right now? Until and unless you grasp and comprehend in some degree the doctrine of God's election, you will never really worship and thank God as you ought for your salvation. You will always take your salvation for granted and believe in some sense that God owed it to you. But when, by the grace of God, your eyes are opened and you see, as Paul plainly teaches, that God did not owe you anything but damnation and destruction, you will bow before God and worship at his throne and thank him that in his infinite grace he chose you, one who was unworthy in
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yourself and deserved of nothing but hell. It's a very important doctrine. We cannot have any concept of salvation apart from it. Fourthly, let me point out, it is a blessed doctrine. And let's read verses 3 and 4 together. Watch it now. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as he hath chosen us in him."
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Now, I hope you notice the connection there. He talks about all the blessings that are in Christ. And then he said these blessings are, in verse 4, "according as he hath chosen us." In other words, our blessings are uniquely linked to our election. You see, beloved, God is not like man. God does not draw a bow at a venture. Everything is sure and everything is settled. And we can only derive comfort and hope from that fact. All of our blessings are uniquely related to our election.
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If you would hold Ephesians 1, but turn in your Bibles to 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, and let me point this out by reading verses 12 and 13. 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. Notice what the apostle says, "That they all might be damned who believe not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness."
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Now he's talking about a group of individuals who receive not the truth. They love wickedness, they love sin, they love ungodliness. And he says that they all might be damned who loved not the truth, but they had pleasure in unrighteousness. But look at the contrast in verse 13. There's that word "but." "But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you unto salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth." You see what he's doing? He's saying, over here are these that receive not the love of the truth. They love sin and wickedness and rebellion and ungodliness. But he says, but thanks be unto God, you love holiness and truth because God hath from the beginning chosen you unto salvation. And an interesting thing is this, every time you find in the word of God the doctrine of election, it's always found in the context of praise. He says we are bound to give thanks unto God. And by the way, that word "bound" is a very strong word.
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It means we owe thanks to God for our election. Beloved, we can never understand how much we owe God thanks until we understand election. Fifthly, I want to point out that it is a distasteful doctrine. It's not only foundational and difficult and important and blessed, it is a distasteful doctrine. No doctrine is so detested by a proud human nature as this one. You know, one would think that a doctrine that is so God-honoring and so Christ-exalting would be readily and happily received by men who profess to love Christ. But alas and woe, it's different. As the doctrine of eternal punishment is that one doctrine which is so hated by the unconverted, even so, the doctrine of God's unconditional election is loathed and reviled by many professing believers. You see, you begin to proclaim that salvation is by the free grace of God instead of the free will of man, and that even the elect must be made willing to come to Christ.
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And the humanist will rail and revile and cry with great indignation. And yet it's the truth. If you were turning your Bibles, first of all, to the book of John, look in John chapter 1, and let's begin reading very carefully with verse 11 and read through verse 13. John 1, beginning with verse 11, and probably most people can quote this, but Scripture says, "He came unto his own, and his own received him not." That is, to those Jews, national Israel, he came unto those Jews, and those Jews received him not. Verse 12, "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." Now, he came unto his own, but they received him not. But, in verse 12, some received him, some believed. Why did they believe? Why did they receive? Verse 13, "Who were born, not of blood," that is, their ancestry had nothing to do with it, "nor of the will of the flesh," that is, human merits had nothing to do with it, they did not earn it, "nor of the will of men."
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Their own will didn't have anything to do with it, "but of God." So you could read it like this. "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them who believe on his name, who were born of God." The only reason anyone ever receives Christ, the only reason anyone ever believes is because they are born of God.
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It's not because they're children of Christians. It's not because they've been church members all their life. It's not because they have human merits, that they're better than someone else. It's not because they have used their will and other people have not used their will. It's simply because of God. And if you will look in your Bibles to Romans chapter 9, and verse 16, you will see Paul making it very plain again. Romans chapter 9 and verse 16, here it is in plain English language. "So then, it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy." So it's not of man, it's of God. And it's a very distasteful doctrine, because it abases man. And man will not have the place of abasement, he will have only exaltation. And yet the very scriptures say, concerning even the elect in Psalm 110 verse 3, "Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power." It is God's power that must make us willing to come to Christ.
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You know, the sad thing is that many Baptists, that many Protestants, agree with the Roman Catholic Church. I told that to one preacher. He was very angry with me. Of course, he came to my office to straighten me out. And he pastored a certain Baptist church, and I told him, I said, "Dear brother, you ought, in all honesty, to change the name of your church to such-and-such Roman Catholic Church." And he was horrified. I said, "Because what you have just got through telling me is the official doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church. You're not Baptist."
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I said, "You have followed the same line that they set forth in the Council of Trent, which is the official position and theology of the Roman Catholic Church." And let me just read one of the anathemas of the Council of Trent. I quote, "If anyone should affirm that since the fall of Adam, man's free will is lost, let him be accursed." Most Baptists and most Protestants say that man has a free will and that man must do this and that man must do that. The same theology that is taught by the Roman Catholic Church. They said, "If any say that man's free will is lost, let him be accursed." And what they were doing was fighting against Luther and Calvin and Zwingli, who were saying very boldly and very proudly, it is not free will that saves man, but free grace.
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You see, the whole argument is this. When it all boils down, who is God? God or man? Who is it that saves, God or man? Who is it that determines the future, God or man? You see, everybody believes in predestination. There is no argument over that. Everybody believes in it. The only argument is who is doing the predestinating. Does God do it, or does man do it? And most men will deny God's predestination that they might usurp their own predestination in that place. And so the argument comes back, who is God? God or man. And it's a very distasteful doctrine, for it humbles man and puts him in the dust at the throne of God. And then, sixthly, I want to point out it is indeed a separating doctrine.
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What do I mean by that? If you would turn in your Bibles to two passages to begin with. The first one, John chapter 8 and look at verse 47. It is a separating doctrine. John 8 and verse 47. Notice the very plain words of our Lord. John 8 verse 47. "He that is of God heareth God's words. Ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God." Now, he puts it very plainly. Those that are born of God listen to God. Those that are not of God, they refuse to listen to Him. Look what the same Apostle said in 1 John chapter 4, verses 5 and 6. 1 John chapter 4, verses 5 and 6. 1 John 4, verse 5, "They are of the world. Therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them." "We are of God. He that knoweth God heareth us. He that is not of God heareth not us."
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"Hereby know we the spirit of truth and the spirit of error." In verse 5 he says, "...the world hears these individuals, for they are of the world. But he that is of God hears God's word, and he that refuses God's word is not of God. Hereby we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error." Every man that has been born of God will bow to God's word. And if you have problems with it, it's a very unsettling evidence that you're not genuinely born of God.
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If you would look in your Bibles at John chapter 6, and let's read verses 65 and 66. You see, even our Lord had this problem. Even our Lord lost disciples because of the word of God. Notice what he said in John chapter 6 and verse 65. "And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father." Now watch this. "No man can come."
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You remember "can" is a term of ability. He did not say that no man may come, for all are invited. But what he did say is no man can come. No man has the ability in and of himself to come to Christ. Then he said, "And I said, no man can come unto me except it were," and in the Greek this is a perfect tense. "No man can come unto me except it has been given unto him of my Father." The perfect tense means something that has happened in the past with continuing results. In other words, God gave it to the man in his election.
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And it continues to be. "No man can come unto me except it hath been given him of my Father." And so our Lord is very clearly teaching the inability of man to come to Christ savingly. The inability of man to save himself. Yea, he's teaching the unconditional election of God and that if any man is ever saved, God must save him. What was the result? Verse 66.
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"From that time, many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him." You see, beloved, it's a very separating doctrine. It will separate the chaff from the wheat. It will separate those who truly love God from those who do not love, will separate those who want to bow before the word of God from those that do not want to bow, will separate the humanists from the Christians. And then lastly, by way of introduction, I want to point out that it is an evangelical doctrine.
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What do I mean by that? I simply mean it is a doctrine that produces in us a real evangelical witness when it's rightly understood. You hear people say all kinds of stupid things, and they'll make some statement, "Wow, if I believed in the doctrine of election, I never would witness." Well, the truth is, if I didn't believe it, I wouldn't witness. I mean, you know, if it's left up to man, and all men are totally depraved according to the Word of God, there's no reason to witness.
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But when you understand that God hath chosen some, but he has also appointed the means whereby they are called, then, beloved, that is indeed the argument and the ground for witnessing. If you would turn in your Bibles, first of all, to Acts chapter 18, notice what God told the Apostle Paul. And you know, I like this passage for several reasons, not only because of the theology that it teaches, but it even shows me that the Apostle Paul was human. And I know that all of those men were human, but we tend to think that somehow they were all superhuman. But notice he said in Acts chapter 18, and began reading there with verse 9, "Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by vision, Be not afraid." Ah, the mighty Apostle Paul was afraid. Actually, in the Greek it says, "Stop being afraid." Can anyone imagine Paul being afraid? Paul was at Corinth. You remember that Corinth was the seaport town.
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In fact, it had three seaports. Wickedness abounding like you wouldn't believe. There were temples where there were temple prostitutes. An ungodly town. And here Paul is coming in with a gospel of pure grace. Maybe some began to threaten him, I don't know. But God says, "Stop being afraid." Evidently, Paul was afraid. Then he says, "But speak and hold not thy peace." Evidently, Paul was refusing to preach because of his fear. And so God tells Paul, "Stop being afraid, but go ahead and preach."
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Look at it in verse 10, "For I am with thee. And no man shall set on thee to hurt thee, for I have much people in this city." He said, "Paul, you do the preaching, I'll do the saving. I've got them here, and I'm going to save them through you." And if that will not fortify you to preach, I don't know what will. To know that God does have his own.
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even in the most wicked and most vile cities. And to show you that Paul rightly understood it, if you will turn over in your Bibles to 2 Timothy chapter 2 and look at verse 10, you will see that Paul learned his lesson at Corinth, for he makes this statement. 2 Timothy chapter 2 and verse 10. "I endure all things for the elect's sake, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory." Paul said, "I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may be saved. Whoever they are, wherever they may be, I'll endure it for them."
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This is really the only sure ground for evangelists. Adoniram Judson, that great Baptist missionary to Burma, was in Burma for fifteen years without one convert. And the thing that kept Judson going was the fact that he knew that God has some of his sheep in Burma. And he knew that God in his own time would bring them to repentance and faith. And Adoniram Judson labored for fifteen years without one convert. There's probably not a Baptist church in America today that would support him now, for he doesn't produce. But yet one lady under a burden for Judson wrote him and said, "Mr. Judson, is there anything you need over there that you can't get that I could get here and send to you?" And Judson wrote back and said, "Send a communion set." And he didn't even have a convert. But by the time that communion set got there, he needed that one and a dozen more like it. For the power of God broke out in one of the greatest awakenings in our world history.
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came to those Burmese people under the ministry of Adoniram Judson, thousands were converted. And the thing that kept him going was the fact that he knew God had some people in that city. David Brainerd, missionary to the American Indians, labored for three years without one convert. David Brainerd believed the truth of God's election. And one day while he was preaching through a drunken interpreter to some adult Indians, through that drunken interpreter, the power of God fell and fifty of those male Indians who had gone through torture, tests of fire and everything to prove their manhood, that they would not cry and that they were absolutely men, fell on their faces weeping and begging God for mercy. The thing that kept Brainerd going was he knew that God had his sheep there, too.
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Beloved, this is God's doctrine, and may he enable us to bow to it, to understand it, and learn to apply it, that we, by the grace of God, may receive comfort and strength and hope. Father, we ask in the name of Jesus Christ for thy grace and thy mercy. Teach us thy word, O Lord, and we do pray for thy elect, whoever and wherever they may be, that thou wouldst convert them by thy grace and draw them to thyself. Help us, O Lord, to love thee with all of our hearts and to bow to thy word. In the name of Jesus Christ we ask and pray. Amen.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T12:50:47Z

The Doctrine of Election - 1

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

John Weaver introduces the doctrine of unconditional election, defining it as God's eternal, free, and irreversible choice of certain persons in Christ to everlasting life. He argues that election is foundational, difficult, important, blessed, distasteful, separating, and evangelical, and that it must be preached because God commands the whole counsel of God. The sermon serves as an introduction to a study of Ephesians 1:1-14, emphasizing that salvation originates in the triune God's decree and that understanding election is essential for proper worship and witness.

Introduction and Scripture Reading

Weaver reads Ephesians 1:1-14, a single sentence in Greek praising the triune God for salvation, and announces a study on the hated and misunderstood doctrine of unconditional election.

Ephesians 1, reading verses 1-14.

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 1:1-14

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Jesus. Grace be to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved, in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace, wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known unto us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he hath purposed in himself, that in the dispensation

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 2:14

"For the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned, and therefore they are foolishness unto him."

Definition of Election

The Triune Structure of Ephesians 1:1-14

Why Preach Election: God Commands the Whole Counsel

Paul declared himself pure from the blood of all men by preaching the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:26-27); thus, every doctrine, including election, must be taught.

Scripture Reading — Acts 20:26-27

"Wherefore I take you to record this day that I am free or that I am pure from the blood of all men."

Election as a Foundational Doctrine

Election is foundational because it reveals the origin of salvation in God's eternal decree; without it, history is an enigma and other doctrines are distorted.

Acts chapter 15 and verse 18.

Scripture Reading — Acts 15:18

"Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world."

Election as a Difficult Doctrine

Election is difficult in understanding, acceptance, and proclamation because it humbles human pride, but God grants understanding to those who consider His truth.

Election as an Important and Blessed Doctrine

Without election there would be no Christ, no gospel, and no salvation; all spiritual blessings are linked to election, and it evokes thanksgiving and worship.

Scripture Reading — Romans 9:29

"Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed,"

that is, if God had not chosen some,

Scripture Reading — Romans 9:29

"we would have been as Sodom, and been made like unto Gomorrah."

He said if God had not reserved to himself a remnant, none would be saved, all would be destroyed.

If you would hold Ephesians 1, but turn in your Bibles to 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, and let me point this out by reading verses 12 and 13. 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. Notice what the apostle says,

Scripture Reading — 2 Thessalonians 2:12-13

"That they all might be damned who believe not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness."

Scripture Reading — 2 Thessalonians 2:12-13

"But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you unto salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth."

Election as a Distasteful and Separating Doctrine

Election is loathed by proud human nature because it abases man and exalts God's free grace; it separates those who are of God from those who are not.

Scripture Reading — Romans 9:16

"So then, it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that

Scripture Reading — John 8:47

"He that is of God heareth God's words. Ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God."

Scripture Reading — John 8:47

"We are of God. He that knoweth God heareth us. He that is not of God heareth not us."

Election as an Evangelical Doctrine

Rightly understood, election motivates evangelism because God has appointed both the elect and the means of their calling; examples include Paul, Judson, and Brainerd.

Scripture Reading — Acts 18:9-10

"Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by vision, Be not afraid."

Ah, the mighty Apostle Paul was afraid. Actually, in the Greek it says, "Stop being afraid." Can anyone imagine Paul being afraid? Paul was at Corinth. You remember that Corinth was the seaport town.

Scripture Reading — 2 Timothy 2:10

"I endure all things for the elect's sake, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory."

Paul said,

Scripture Reading — 2 Timothy 2:10

"I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may be saved. Whoever they are, wherever they may be, I'll endure it for them."

The Doctrine of Election - 1

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	127091254533
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans: Election, Israel, and Covenant Mercy
Genre	Sermon
Date	2009-01-27
Dictation Name
Book	Book 118: The Doctrine of Election — Chapter 1
Source Timed Segments	62

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction and Scripture Reading: Weaver reads Ephesians 1:1-14, a single sentence in Greek praising the triune God for salvation, and announces a study on the hated and misunderstood doctrine of unconditional election.
Definition of Election: Election is defined simply as God's eternal, free, unconditional, and irreversible choice of certain persons in Christ to everlasting life, with a longer definition from the Philadelphia Confession of Faith.
The Triune Structure of Ephesians 1:1-14: Paul's doxology divides into the will of the Father (election, vv. 1-6), the work of the Son (redemption, vv. 7-8), and the word of the Spirit (salvation, vv. 12-14), reflecting the economical trinity.
Why Preach Election: God Commands the Whole Counsel: Paul declared himself pure from the blood of all men by preaching the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:26-27); thus, every doctrine, including election, must be taught.
Election as a Foundational Doctrine: Election is foundational because it reveals the origin of salvation in God's eternal decree; without it, history is an enigma and other doctrines are distorted.
Election as a Difficult Doctrine: Election is difficult in understanding, acceptance, and proclamation because it humbles human pride, but God grants understanding to those who consider His truth.
Election as an Important and Blessed Doctrine: Without election there would be no Christ, no gospel, and no salvation; all spiritual blessings are linked to election, and it evokes thanksgiving and worship.
Election as a Distasteful and Separating Doctrine: Election is loathed by proud human nature because it abases man and exalts God's free grace; it separates those who are of God from those who are not.
Election as an Evangelical Doctrine: Rightly understood, election motivates evangelism because God has appointed both the elect and the means of their calling; examples include Paul, Judson, and Brainerd.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Election is a foundational doctrine that shapes all other doctrines.

If one's understanding of election is faulty, it distorts other doctrines, especially those related to salvation and the fall of man.

Weaver states: 'if your understanding of the doctrine of election is faulty... that throws off all the other doctrine.'

The doctrine must be preached despite its difficulty because God commands it.

Objections that election is hard to understand or that unconverted cannot grasp it are invalid; all doctrines require the Spirit's illumination.

Weaver argues: 'if he understands not one doctrine... God can use this doctrine to bless his eyes to be opened.'

Without election, there would be no Christ, no gospel, and no salvation.

If God had not chosen a remnant, all would be like Sodom; every spiritual blessing is in Christ, and election secures those blessings.

Romans 9:29: 'Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodom.'

Election is uniquely linked to praise and thanksgiving.

Every time election appears in Scripture, it is in a context of praise; believers owe thanks to God for their election.

2 Thessalonians 2:13: 'we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you... because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation.'

The doctrine separates true believers from false professors.

Those who are of God hear God's words; rejection of election may indicate an unregenerate heart.

John 8:47: 'He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.'

Election provides the only sure ground for evangelistic endurance.

Missionaries like Judson and Brainerd persevered because they knew God had elect people who would be saved through their preaching.

Weaver recounts Judson's 15 years without a convert, sustained by the truth of election.

Scripture References

Ephesians 1:1-14: Read as the primary text; a doxology praising the triune God for election, redemption, and sealing by the Spirit.
1 Corinthians 2:14: Cited to show that the natural man cannot understand the things of the Spirit, including election.
Acts 20:26-27: Paul's declaration of being pure from blood because he declared the whole counsel of God; used to argue for preaching election.
2 Timothy 3:16: All Scripture is profitable; linked to Paul's statement that he kept back nothing profitable.
Acts 15:18: Known unto God are all his works from the beginning; supports God's eternal decree.
2 Timothy 2:19: The foundation of God stands sure, having this seal: the Lord knows those who are His; used to show the certainty of election.
John 15:16: You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you; contrasts human boasting with divine choice.
2 Timothy 2:7: Consider what I say, and the Lord give thee understanding; understanding comes from God through meditation.
Romans 9:29: Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we would have been as Sodom; without election, none would be saved.
Ephesians 1:3-4: Blessed be God who has blessed us... according as he hath chosen us; blessings are linked to election.
2 Thessalonians 2:12-13: Contrast between those who perish and those chosen to salvation; election evokes thanksgiving.
John 1:11-13: Those who received Christ were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Romans 9:16: It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
Psalm 110:3: Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power; even the elect must be made willing by God.
John 8:47: He that is of God heareth God's words; rejection of God's words indicates not being of God.
1 John 4:5-6: We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; hereby know we the spirit of truth and error.
John 6:65-66: No man can come to me except it were given him of my Father; many disciples left after this teaching.
Acts 18:9-10: God tells Paul to stop being afraid and preach, for He has much people in Corinth; election motivates witness.
2 Timothy 2:10: Paul endures all things for the elect's sake, that they may obtain salvation; election drives evangelistic suffering.

Historical References

Philadelphia Confession of Faith (Chapter 3, Of God's Decree): Weaver reads paragraphs 3-6 as a longer definition of election, emphasizing predestination, particular redemption, and the means of calling.
John Calvin's Institutes: Mentioned as an example of systematic theology beginning with the doctrine of God, showing election's foundational nature.
Council of Trent (Roman Catholic Church): Weaver quotes an anathema from Trent: 'If anyone should affirm that since the fall of Adam, man's free will is lost, let him be accursed,' to show that many Protestants agree with Rome against the Reformers.
Adoniram Judson (missionary to Burma): Judson labored 15 years without a convert, sustained by the truth that God had elect in Burma; eventually a great awakening occurred.
David Brainerd (missionary to American Indians): Brainerd labored 3 years without a convert, believing election; God brought revival through his preaching to hardened warriors.

Important Quotes

Election has been defined as God's eternal, free and unconditional and irreversible choice of certain persons in Christ to everlasting life.

Provides Weaver's concise definition of election, setting the stage for the entire sermon.

I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.

Key verse (Acts 20:27) used to argue that all doctrines, including election, must be preached.

Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.

Supports the eternal decree and foreknowledge of God in election.

Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his.

Highlights the certainty and comfort of election for believers.

You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you.

Christ's words that counter human boasting in choosing God.

No man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.

Teaches human inability and the necessity of divine enablement for coming to Christ.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

Why does Weaver argue that the doctrine of election must be preached despite its difficulty and potential for misunderstanding?

[Context]

Weaver addresses objections to preaching election, citing Acts 20:26-27 and the command to declare the whole counsel of God.

[Question]

How does Weaver use the analogy of an architect's blueprint to explain God's eternal decree?

[Context]

He compares the apparent confusion of history to a construction site, which makes sense only when viewed through God's sovereign plan.

[Question]

In what ways does Weaver say election is a 'blessed' doctrine, and how does it relate to thanksgiving?

[Context]

He links Ephesians 1:3-4 and 2 Thessalonians 2:13 to show that election is always in a context of praise and that believers owe thanks to God.

[Question]

Why does Weaver claim that many Baptists and Protestants agree with the Roman Catholic Church on free will?

[Context]

He quotes the Council of Trent's anathema against the loss of free will and contrasts it with the Reformers' emphasis on free grace.

[Question]

How does the doctrine of election serve as a 'separating' doctrine according to John 6:65-66 and John 8:47?

[Context]

Weaver explains that those who are of God hear God's words, while others reject them, and that even Jesus lost disciples over this teaching.

[Question]

How does Weaver use the examples of Adoniram Judson and David Brainerd to illustrate election as an evangelical doctrine?

[Context]

Both missionaries endured long periods without converts, sustained by the belief that God had elect people who would be saved through their preaching.

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