Amen. Well, let's pray real quick. Heavenly Father, Lord, we come before you and your name is truly blessed. You truly are wonderful. God in heaven, we've been studying some deep truths about your wonderful name and your glory and your praise. And Lord, I pray that everything that we're studying, everything that we're about and everything that we're doing is to your praise and your glory, to your honor and your worship alone. God, open our eyes and open our hearts to know Your Word and Your wisdom. Teach us, Lord, so we'll be taught. Let us know the foundational truths, the deep truths of Your Word, and show us in Your Word who You are, for Your praise and glory, for all for Your worship. In Jesus' name we pray, Lord. Amen. Over the past few weeks, we've been taking a look at what we've been titling Salvation Studies. From the perspective of Dr. Luke's account, in the life of Jesus Christ. We're in Luke chapter 2, and we've been looking at the story of Simeon and Anna, and drawing out of the great treasure of God's plan of election and predestination, we've been looking at the truths that have been often overlooked in much of our modern attempts to be relevant and to appeal to those who don't have a desire to truly study God's Word, but just to be superficial, and we don't want to do those things. We seek to glorify God and to study to show ourselves approved. And in that, let's look at what the Bible speaks of and shows us about some of these deep issues. As we seek to understand more about what salvation is and how it is seen and applied both in the text here and in the lives of every believer, it's my prayer that this study will deepen your love for Christ, and all of the gospel of salvation, and that through these studies that these deep truths will develop a greater love for the proclamation of that gospel truth, the gospel of peace. So turn with me to Luke chapter 2, we're in verse 25 to 27. We're just going to take a small section of the larger whole of what we've been speaking of. And Luke chapter 2 verse 25 to 27 reads this way, from the ESV it reads, Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel. And the Holy Spirit was upon him, and verse 26 says, And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. Verse 27, And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought the child Jesus to do for him according to the custom of the law. And we're going to stop right there. To simply say that Simeon believed because he had chosen to believe would be flat out wrong. When many have tried to claim that mankind has this autonomous free will, that we have a sovereign free will, and that we can do that which we desire to do apart from any outside influence, when we say those things, it just negates Scripture. And even here in the account of Simeon, we see that he had went to meet this Messiah, this Christ, because he was called out and told that there would be a Messiah to go to. He was told who the Messiah would be by who. The Scripture reveals it's by the Holy Spirit Himself told Simeon who was a righteous and devout man. That does not mean that he's righteous in himself as we talked about last week. His righteousness was imputed to him, it was given to him by God because of what Christ would do on the cross. as we've talked about before, those that lived in the Old Testament were looking for those that believed in the Messiah to come. It wasn't their work that saved them, it was their belief in the Messiah to come. And we look as a belief in the Messiah that came. It's just two different sides of the cross. So that when Christ stretches His arm out, He truly stretches His arm out to all who would believe, both Old and New Testament. And here Simeon is living in that time before Christ's death on the cross, before his perfect work was finished, and he believed that there would be a Messiah to come, but not simply because he was a righteous man did he look for Christ, not simply because he was a righteous and devout man. It wasn't because of any goodness in Him that He did those things. Why did He do it? Because the Holy Spirit came to Him and spoke to Him. Such is the life of the believer. We are not a believer until such time as what happens? We hear the gospel call, and it has an effect on our lives, and we are drawn to belief in what? Well, first of all, we look at the belief that we are sinners. Because apart from the truth of God's Word, we don't really recognize that we're sinners until that we are effectively called. It's called the effectual call. We don't recognize our own sinfulness. We don't recognize our own inherent natural depravity. Until such time as we compare that with what? The holiness and the glory of God. And that is seen through the gospel truth. So let's examine just the idea that we've had here about Simeon's life and see if that holds true. And we're going to look and see if God has ever shown this pattern and example throughout history. And we're going to just do a quick overview. Real quick, we're going to look at Adam. Adam sinned. And God made a sacrifice and demonstrated that that sacrifice of an innocent offering was an acceptable payment for what? For guilt. It wasn't an acceptable once and for all payment because it had to continuously be given. That sacrifice that Adam made, that his family made, and that all the generations down through of Israel, all that they had made, the sacrifices that were made were what? They were a temporary sacrifice that covered over sin, but the Bible tells us in Hebrews that it was not sufficient, so that they had to continuously make sacrifice, and Christ did what? He came to be that once for all sacrifice. The blood of bulls and goats just were not enough to do what had to be done. It was not enough to completely overcome and demolish and destroy sin, the sin of our own hearts and our own lives. so that they had to continue sacrificing to God until the promised Messiah would come and he would pay that debt. Well, that was made clear in Jeremiah chapter 31 and the promise of that new covenant and the New Testament tells us that it was insufficient of the old covenant and it gives us details in Hebrews chapter 9, 10 to 10 verse 5. It actually gives us details and tells us how the old covenant was not sufficient. The blood of bulls and goats could not atone for those sins. Now the question that has to be asked here is that this promised new covenant was fulfilled in Jesus Christ, but why? Because all mankind were sinful and depraved. We're all sinful and depraved. Look at Romans chapter 9, verses 21 and 22. I'm just going to read as you go looking. says, has the potter not write over the clay to make out of the same lump one vessel, we talked about this last week, for honorable use and to another for dishonorable use? Notice in verse 22 it says, what if God desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power has endured with much patience the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? in order to make known the riches of His glory for vessels of mercy, which He has prepared beforehand for glory." Now, this is where we're going to come at. What we have to understand on the issues of election and predestination, what we have to understand on the issues of the order of salvation, we have to first come from an understanding that we are sinners. We are all made in the same likeness, as verse 21 says, out of the same lump. We are all made in the same sinful manner. We're all fallen under sin. And we talked about that last week. As we become aware of our own sinful state, and as we see who we are in our sins, that we are actually dead in trespasses and sin, that we are enemies of God in our minds through our wicked works. As we come to see those truths, what do we notice? We notice that we cannot come to God on our own standing. That has to be shown to us, and that's why we're using the way of the Master, and we start bringing out the Ten Commandments. because we want God to affect that heart. We want that gospel to go in on that tilled up soil of a heart that has been pricked and opened and has seen its own sinfulness. So, to understand election and predestination, to understand the gospel, we have to start with this foundation that we are all sinners and not one of us deserves salvation. We all deserve what? The wrath of God. So, coming from that point, to explain it as clearly as we can, we have to come from that point and say, while this was fulfilled in Christ, notice that the promise was given beforehand, as it's said here, verse 23, in order to make known the riches of His glory for the vessels of mercy. Now, does that say the riches of His glory for every one of the vessels or for the vessels of mercy? That implication of mercy there is saying that it is ones that God has granted mercy, not those that deserve mercy, not those that have worked out mercy based upon their own merit. It's saying those that were given mercy, right? Do we understand what it's saying there? It's not saying that they deserved it. It's vessels that were granted mercy out of that lump of sinful wickedness. Okay? But look next here, it says, which He has prepared beforehand for glory. So when is beforehand? Before there ever was a need for that glory, for that mercy, for that grace to be granted. That beforehand means it was done before it was ever needed to be done. Do you see that? So let's make it plain and clear. The life, the death, the burial, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, it was not plan B. It was always the plan. It was the plan that was made beforehand. Beforehand of what? The Bible makes it clear, before the foundation of the world. Ephesians chapter 1-4, Ephesians 1-4 would tell us that. So to explain this more clearly, we're going to look at God's plan of salvation. That was introduction, by the way. Did that help? That was just a little bit of introduction. But we're going to look at God's plan of salvation. To break it down into what we're going to do today, we're going to look at three pieces, and I doubt if we'll get through all three. We'll probably get just to two. But we're going to look at, the very first thing we're going to look at is called the Ordo Salutis, the order of salvation. For those of you that need it, it's O-R-D-O, capital S-A-L-U-T-I-S. Ordo Salutis, it's a Latin word and it means the order of salvation. In other words, in the Reformed theological camp, and in every camp of Christianity, there's an order of salvation. We say, I mean, we don't just say that God just says, hey, I don't know when it happened, but, you know, Gary, you're a Christian. I'm not sure when it happened. I'm not sure how it happened. We all recognize that there is some process in the scriptures of salvation. But the Bible makes it clear also that not only is there an order of salvation, but there's a doctrine that we would call the doctrine of election, and everybody would agree with the doctrine of election. They would agree with the doctrine of predestination. But we just disagree on how those things work out. Sometimes we get disagreed to the point where they're saying, even though there's election, there is not election. Even though there's predestination, there is not predestination. I've had pastors who have actually taught. As a matter of fact, one of my seminary teachers, he actually started to say that election is not found anywhere in the Bible. And of course, I raised my hand and said, hold on just a minute. Hang on just a second. If you don't believe it, that's one thing. And we can discuss that. But to say it's not in Scripture is to negate all of Scripture's credibility. You are taking away the authority of Scripture. Because not only is it found in the Old Testament, it's also found in the New Testament. And of course, he said, you know, He had a pretty good argument with a bunch of people and ended up losing a lot of people from his class. I'm looking at it from the aspect, I told my wife, I said, you know, this is not one of those issues where we can just say, oh, it doesn't exist because I don't like the terms. No, if we want to be theologically correct, if we want to be biblically correct, doctrinally correct, what do we got to do? Study to show ourselves approved. We need to know what it means. Is there a truth in election, and what does the Scriptures bear out about it? So we're going to look at all those things. And we're probably not going to get very far. We're going to get somewhere, but we're not going to get everywhere. So starting out, let's talk about the Ordo Salutis. As we said, the term Ordo Salutis is a nice Latin term, and it means order of salvation. Now, where would we get something like that in Scripture? Look at 2 Peter 1, verse 3. In 2 Peter chapter 1 verse 3, we're actually going to verse 1 and 3 and 4, is where we're going to find an order of salvation. It says here, verse 3, His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence. by which He has granted to us His precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, have escape from the corruption of the world because of your sinful desires." God does not desire that we remain ignorant about the issues, and God actually expects that we are going to grow in a desire to know Him and to know His Word more deeply. So, since this is the heart desire of every person here today, we're going to start this study and look at what the Scriptures tell us about this order of salvation. The process of salvation, that order is one that applies to every person that has ever been saved or ever will be saved, including, by the way, Simeon. And we see something of that in his life. Well, as we break down and study these different aspects of salvation, you're going to hear terms and you're going to see the doctrines of grace are not just some theological position or postulates that John Calvin thought up to make everybody mad. It's not something that he thought up just because he wanted to make everybody upset. It is actually something that has been not John Calvin's at all. It's actually something that was what? It's scriptural and defendable. Now, as you study along, you're going to see that the reasons that there is a Reformed theological faith and position is because, as Charles Spurgeon said, Calvinism is Christianity. That is to say, the truths that make up Calvinism are wrapped in the biblical truths of election and predestination, justification, glorification, sanctification. All those things that build themselves together to come up with what John Calvin would have written down as those five points, and there's a lot more to it than just that. Well now, in order to see what the Scriptures show us, we're going to jump around a little bit. We're going to jump around a little bit, so either write down or have your fingers on the pulse here, Romans 8, 29 and 30. I'm going to read, you guys can go to it if you desire. We're looking at what God's process of salvation would be. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom He predestined, He also called. And those whom He called, He also justified. And those whom He justified, He glorified. That tells me that there is a specific person or persons that God has in mind here, correct? That tells me that God foreknew some, but it's not just the fact that He knew about them. The order looks different according to your different theological perspectives. And what I'm going to do right now is I'm going to actually show you, according to a Reformed theological perspective, It's going to be 11 different orders of salvation. And you say, are you serious? Is it that complicated? Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. Now, listen to this. From a reforms perspective, the order of salvation would be, number one, election and predestination. And that obviously would mean the sovereign decree of God, whereby God chooses for His own glory and purpose to save out of the lump of wicked clay some vessels which he has chosen to bestow his grace and love upon." Does that make sense? That's what we just read. That's what we just read. And we'll go back through that. We'll go back through that a little slower because I'm sure there's one or two that's going to want to write some stuff down. In fact, I'll give it to you afterwards so that we make sure everybody has it. Okay? Number two, let's look at the general call. because you have election and predestination, but then there's a general call that goes out. The general call, through that general call, has been announced the gospel truth to the world. Many are called, but few are chosen according to what God says, according to what Jesus has said. The gospel call goes out. We go out and we present the gospel at the racetracks and all over the place, and we're out here preaching the gospel, hitting up gospel tracks, and it does not have effect on a lot of people. On most people, they're going, you're silly, you're crazy, go home, and they're too busy with their lives. Or we go out and eat, and we hand out a gospel tract, or we're a witness to somebody, and it may have some effect on them, but it does not have a gospel effect, a saving effect. That's just the fact that we've presented the gospel to as many as we can, and those whom, what? God chooses, He does what? He makes that gospel have effect on them. Now, how can that possibly be? Well, that's where we're going to talk about the very next process, is the process called regeneration. Regeneration, as we all know, is the effect of the New Covenant. He said, I'm going to take out your stone-dead heart. I'm going to take out your stony heart and replace it with a heart of living flesh. I'm going to cause you to hear my voice, you're dead in your trespasses and sin, you don't know who God is, you can't know God because you hate God. Why do you hate God? Because you're a sinner. You're angry against God and you say, but I'm not. No, I'm not. Yes, the Bible declares that we're an enemy of God in our mind through our wicked works. That's our state. And through that regenerative process, God does what? He makes us alive so that we can hear the gospel. Because it's like, I love Paul Washer's analogy of the dead man who's laying there and we say, hey, if you will just get up and go right over to the hospital, I'll take you. You know, with Lazarus, he's sitting there and he did what? What did Lazarus do for four days? Okay, so that's all he could possibly do. Did he have any ability to do anything but stink? Could he have chosen Christ? Could he have said, oh, I want you, Jesus? Could he have said, I want to live? Could he do anything? Could he respond to any outside stimulus? God Himself had to do what? Had to not only make him alive, Lazarus come forth, but He had to impart the ability for him to hear and obey, right? That's the most beautiful analogy of a dead person drawn into saving faith that I know of in Scripture. Well, maybe Ezekiel's dry bones analogy. That would probably work just as good. If not, maybe a little better. But it's a very beautiful analogy. It's showing us who we are in our sin and God calling us out and specifically calling us and making us alive. So, you have the regenerative work of God, and God having taken out our heart of stone and replacing that stony heart with a living heart that can know, fear, and love God. Okay? The effectual call is your number four. Upon hearing the gospel, you are irresistibly drawn. You ever heard of that irresistible grace? Now, see, that's coming from a Reformed perspective, wherein we would say that we cannot resist God's grace. Why? Because of God's elective purpose, He has said He will have you. And here's where I would come from to prove that thing. If Abraham was God's elect to bring about the people of Israel, what are the chances of him saying no? Couldn't have happened. Couldn't have happened. If Adam, I'll give it to you another way. Could Adam have possibly not sinned? Some would say yes, some would say no, but here's my question. Was it predestined that Adam would sin and all mankind would be dead in their trespasses and sin and Christ would be the Savior? According to all of the scriptures it says that God that God foreknew that He would send Jesus Christ whom He had chosen before the foundation of the world. So is it possible that Adam couldn't have sinned? You ever think about that? You see, a lot of us don't think of those things. Could Jesus not have died on the cross? You see, the thing is, it's inside the will of God. Is God going to go against His own will? No. You see, that's a very good question. Could Jesus have not died on the cross? Well, yes and no. If He wanted to defy His own will, yes. But He can't defy His own will, so no. Why? Because He can't do what is counter to His own will and nature, right? And our own desires do not trump God's desires, do they? No. We are seeking to be conformed to the image and likeness of God, and we are seeking to do what? To do His will. And we do His will, whether we like it or not, because we're of that same lump of clay that God has predetermined that He is going to do as He will. He says in His Word to Pharaoh, I raised you up for this purpose. I made you for this reason. Did He elect Pharaoh? Yes. Did He elect him under salvation or reprobation? Under reprobation, condemnation, whatnot. Why? Because it was God's elected purpose, but it was also because it was Pharaoh's wicked heart. He hardened his own heart. So it was a two-fold issue. We don't work against God's will because there's none of us beating on the door like we've said before. There's none of us beating on the door saying, oh, please let me in. I want to be good enough. Did Satan ever knock on the door and say, please? No, he said, I want the throne. And every person that's ever lived, including Adam and Eve, said what? When Satan came along and said, oh, by the way, you can be like God, what'd they say? Oh, I want to do that. I want that. I don't want to go through what God says I got to do. I want my own way to the throne. I want to be on the throne. And that's every one of our own position because we refuse to obey God. And because of that, what? We are all under God's condemnation. It has to be the process of re-degeneration. It has to be the effectual call where God calls out to wicked sinners and changes our hearts. You hear so often that God would not violate your will. Well, let me ask you a question. You're in rebellion against the Holy God. You hate this holy God and you want nothing to do with Him, and He comes in and He takes your stone-dead heart out. Did He violate your will to do it? One hundred percent. He forced you to have a new heart, but He changes your will and your desire. We all have a will. It's not a sovereign free will. It's not a free will to where we can do that which we want to do outside of any influence. We don't have that will. We have a heart's desire, a will to sin. And that's all we ever want to do. We willingly and gladly do that. Now does that mean that when we help the little old ladies across the street and we do good stuff for other people that we're shaking our fists at God? Well, no, not necessarily. But does that mean that we're doing it to praise and glory of God? Absolutely not. So we all fall under condemnation in that we're all sinners. And that we all do all the things that we do, are always wicked and unrighteous in the sight of God. What regeneration, what the effectual call does, is it takes our stone dead heart out and it causes us to be new creatures in Christ. A new what? Creation. Created in who? Created in Christ Jesus. Unto good works. We cannot do those good works apart from regeneration. We cannot and do not desire to do those good works apart from regeneration, apart from that effectual call. You see, that's why I'm a Reformed Baptist, because the Reformed Baptists have always taught this truth. By the way, I've got bad news for all the Southern Baptist Convention and all the pastors that aren't teaching this. This is the historic Southern Baptist view. By the way, I'll show you that next week. Next week, we're going to be discussing how is this the historic Southern Baptist view, and it's something that we've gone away from. You see, this is the historic Southern Baptist view, and it's one that everybody would say, uh-uh. No, we're not going to have that teaching. Josh, am I wrong? It is the historic view. Why? Because it's the biblical view. It's saying that we don't have it in and of ourselves to save ourselves. God in his electing purpose had to do it for us. By the way, it's also the view that's written down in our confessions of faith. It's in every single Southern Baptist church in their confessions of faith and in the books that the Southern Baptist Convention produces talking about the doctrines and theology that the Southern Baptist Convention holds. Isn't that amazing? And you've never heard of it. You don't hear about it. Why? Because it's too deep. Because you guys can't understand that big truth. Those kids over there, they can't understand that truth. We've got kids all out through here, and yes, they're sitting there, and they're being quiet, and they're doing this, that, and the other, and they're learning, and they're growing. And we saw them stand up and tell deep theological truth that most adults can't get a hold of. Amen. Amen. You see, we don't have to be shallow. This stuff, yeah, it's hard, and sometimes it causes us to wrestle with some truths. But here's the thing, one of the pastors that we all know in this area, he used to say all the time, we don't conform the Bible to fit us, we conform ourselves to fit the Word of God, right? That's what he said all the time. He didn't live it, but that's what he said. Okay? It's the truth. It's the truth. Now listen to the next thing. You have the effectual call. What happens when you see somebody under the weight and condemnation of the judgment of God? They have seen themselves in their sin. They have seen that Christ is the only Savior. By the way, how does that happen? The power of the Holy Spirit. Why did the Holy Spirit come? To convince or convict the world of what? Sin, righteousness, and the judgment to come. That was His main primary focus, His main purpose. For the world to convince them that there is sin, righteousness, and judgment to come. For us, it's to seal us, to draw us up, to teach us, to grow us, to sanctify us, to bring us to Christ, so that there would be none of us lost. But to the world, it's for the purpose of what? Sin, righteousness, and the judgment to come. The Holy Spirit's only purpose in the world is to convict and convince and to crush them under the weight of sin, under the weight of the righteousness of God's holiness and His standards, the judgment that will come upon all men. And people say they turn their back from it, they don't want it. And the gospel call, the effectual call, it draws that deep into that sinner. And when they have seen themselves in that state, godly sorrow worketh, repentance. That's our next thing. The Bible tells us, it shows us the next step would be repentance and faith. These, by the way, just so everybody understands this, the reason we're not Roman Catholic, so everybody understands this, this repentance and faith are graces that are granted according to the Word of God to the elect child of God and are the responsibility of man. That's why we say we don't have this sovereign free will. Because God has granted us repentance. He has granted us salvation. He has granted us faith. He's granted us all of these things down this line. And it is something that He holds us responsible for. See, He says, Be ye holy, for I am holy. But apart from the working of the Holy Spirit to change us, guess what? We cannot be holy. We cannot be righteous or just in and of ourselves. We don't have that capability. So listen to what Ephesians, I'm sorry, just write this down. Acts 11.18 and 2 Timothy 2.25. It says, 11.18 Acts says, When they heard these things, they fell silent, and they glorified God, saying, Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life. Repentance is something that you don't do in and of yourselves, but you're responsible to do. It's a gift of the Holy Spirit. It's granted to us a grace from God. Now, let's look at 2 Timothy 2.25. It says, Correcting his opponents with gentleness, God may perhaps grant them repentance, leading to a knowledge of the truth. God grants us those things. It's not something we have in and of ourselves. Have you ever noticed that there are people in this world who they seem to taste the things of God, they seem to taste the truths of God, or they'll walk for a good long time even? They'll have this wonderful, tremendous testimony, and they'll be the ones running up and down the halls, and they're the most prominent ones in the churches, and usually these people are gung-ho and on fire to serve God for a good while, and then they just kind of burn out. They just kind of stop. They just kind of have no real desire anymore. They just walk away. And you say, but hey man, you're a Christian. You made this profession of faith. You asked Jesus into your heart. Oh, now wait a minute. You repented of your sin and you trusted Jesus Christ just the way they say that we're supposed to do it in the Reformed Baptist churches. See, it doesn't matter. I can say I'm Reformed all day long, it doesn't make me a Christian. I can say I'm Arminian all day long, it doesn't make me a Christian. I can say I'm whatever all day long, it doesn't make me a Christian. What makes me a Christian is the fact that God grants me repentance. He shows me my sin. He regenerates and gives me, under the new covenant, gives me a new heart. Right. Does that make sense? It's not something we do. But we're held responsible in this, something that we should do. Remember what we said? The law doesn't lessen the standard of its own righteousness, does it? Just because every one of us are guilty doesn't mean the law says, oh, well, since everybody's guilty, we should stop making everybody guilty. No, it says you're guilty and here's the standard. Live up to it. Oh, you can't. then you need another imputed righteousness. You need another who does live up to the standard. That's why we all sit here and say the gospel is what we live, it's what we proclaim. It's the truth that's in us, granted to us by Christ to give to others and to show to others. It's what is inside of us that grows in us and is lived out through our lives, not only in the presentation, not only in the proclamation of the gospel, but in what we live. In the fact that we have a bunch of people running around here, we've got kids, we've got adults, we've got everybody else, and what are we doing? We're growing, we're loving, we're growing one another, we're nurturing, and we're calling out people saying, hey, yes, we're insane, and yes, we're nuts, and right off the deep end, come and fellowship with us. You'll be just as crazy as we are. That's what we're telling people. We're saying there's nothing in us inherently that's good, but we want to tell you about the good one. We want to tell you about the only one that is good. And then we have to tell you these truths. Let's look at the next, we're going to just throw these out here. We're going to go ten more minutes and we'll be done. The next in these lines, I'm just going to lay them out here. Conversion, because we're going to talk about each one of these in depth. Conversion is number six. Justification would be number seven. Adoption, number eight. Number nine would be sanctification. Number ten, repentance. I'm sorry, number ten is perseverance, not repentance. Number eleven would be glorification. Well, these are eleven things that happen to a Christian, and they're seen in different lights depending on which theological camp you're in. Now, just talking about that one starting point would be election. I want to look at this real quick. We're going to look ten minutes and we'll be done. The doctrine of election is hotly debated and a doctrine it still is. It causes a great deal of animosity and name-calling on both sides. Okay? You're not a Christian because you don't. You're not a Christian. There are points and times when you've declared yourself apostate. When you've absolutely destroyed the truth of God's Word and you've totally turned your back on it. I'm going to give you an example. When you say something is not in Scripture, because you don't like it, you're dangerously close, if not already apostate. Right? When you say, well, the Bible doesn't say that Jesus is God. Would that make you an apostate? Absolutely. I love you, baby. So just so that we come from that understanding, there are points and times when, yes, these truths can get so bad, when you've apostatized yourself or gone away so much so that you are no longer in what would be considered Christianity, okay? But that's a line that we have to be very careful of not just throwing out there, okay? And it's one that is thrown out there, I think, too often. I think too often, because I've had a friend of mine one time that says, those Armenian guys, are they even Christian? And I said, wait just a minute. What do you have that you were not given? And if it was granted and given to you, why do you boast as if it wasn't given to you? I said, do you know that scripture? I said, see here's the problem. We were all born from infant state in Christianity. We're all born without having total knowledge of the Word of God. And we'll never have it until we get to heaven. And even as a Reformed Baptist or a person that believed in the Doctrines of Grace, I'm going to mess things up and I'm going to see some truths later on that I'm going to say, hey guys, I think these things are a little more accurate. We're dealing with degrees of truth, right? We're dealing with degrees of truth to the point where we seek to be conformed to the image and likeness of God, to know His mind, to know what He's teaching us, what He's showing us. And sometimes those truths aren't revealed all at once, right? That's kind of like when you're first saved, God didn't show you all the sins that He's showing you today, right, Greg? He's not showing you every single one of your sins all at one time saying, hey, get perfect or get left. Right? That's a process of sanctification. And as we're growing, the expectation is that we will seek to be conformed to these truths. Right? Not that we'll know them all at once. Spurgeon said this, the greatest Calvinist is the one who used to be the staunchest Arminian. Guilty. Guilty. I was there. I was one of those guys that you start talking about this silly stuff and I'd say, wait a minute, no. No, sir. No. That's not what the Bible says. Because it's not fair. It's not fair. See, that was my favorite argument. That's not fair. Greg, it's not fair if God chooses anybody. What do you think? What's fair got to do with it? You want God to be fair, then everybody goes to hell. You see, it took me just a little while to reason these things out, to look at these truths. Okay, real quick. The Old Testament book of Genesis chapter 12 verse 1 tells us about Abraham who was chosen by God to be the father of many nations. And he says in chapter 18 verse 19, I'm going to read this real quick. For I have chosen him that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring Abraham what he has promised him. That sounds to me like God elected Abraham, doesn't it, to you? That He chose him out from where? Ur of the Chaldees. In other words, Iran. He came in and chose him out. Did Abraham seek after him? Abraham was Abram. Sorry, he was a pagan. As a pagan, did he seek after God? No. God came to him and said, I am going to make you the father of many nations. I'm going to make you one of My people. Don't worry about it, everybody. If you don't like that, you don't like babies. Psalm 89.3 says this, says that God made a covenant with mine elect, then specifically names David as God's elect. Whoa! God made a covenant with mine elect, and then He specifically names David. So He says He's made a covenant with Israel, mine elect, by the way, And then he says, David is my Israel, mine elect. So he's telling it to the nation and to a specific person, is my elect. This is my covenant I'm going to do to you as a nation and as a person. Isaiah 45.4 declares the nation of Israel to be God's elect. God even chose and elected Christ to be our Savior. You want me to show it to you? Isaiah 42.5-6 says, Thus says God the Lord. who created the heavens and stretched them out, who separated out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it. I am the Lord. I have called you in righteousness. I will take you by the hand and keep you. I will give you as a covenant for the people a light to the nations." This is specifically talking about, I am God, because I'm God, I'm taking you, my elect, and right here, I will give you as a covenant for the people. Jesus said, this is the new covenant in my blood. He's saying, I am the new covenant. And here God says, I've chosen you to be this new covenant. Sounds like election to me. Well, what did Matthew 20 verse 12, 18 and 21 say? Behold my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved, with whom... This is talking about the Old Testament. This is the Old Testament promise that Jesus is quoting. I'm sorry, I should have told you that beforehand. Behold my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved, with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my spirit upon him and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. Not just the Jews, the Gentiles. He will not quarrel or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets. A bruised reed will He not break, and a smoldering wick will He not quench, until He brings justice to victory. And in His name the Gentiles will hope. That sounds like God's electing purpose, doesn't it to you? God's will of election. His purpose. John 13, 18 says, I am not speaking of all of you, talking about Christ, says, I am not speaking of all of you. I know whom I have chosen, but the Scripture will be fulfilled. He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me. What's that talking about? Well, let's look. God, Jesus Christ, He chose twelve, and one of them is the devil, right? He chose eleven to be elected unto the purpose of glorifying God and preaching and proclaiming the gospel, to be apostles. He chose one for the purpose of what? To be the one that would destroy Him. To be the one that would bring condemnation upon Himself. To be the one that would be the great reviler, be used by Satan. That sounds like election two. Okay? That's a specific call upon whose life? Upon Abraham's life? Upon Isaac's life? Upon Jacob's life? Upon Peter's life? Ezekiel's life? You show me one person in Scripture that wasn't specifically called by God to do what God wanted done. Can you show me one? Can you show me anywhere in Scripture where there's somebody who wasn't called by God to do His purpose? Ezekiel? Did he just jump up and say, Hey, I'll do it? He didn't do it, did he? How about David? He did, didn't he? He said, I'm going to be king. He didn't do it, did he? Anybody? I can't think of one. I cannot think of one that did it. Now you think of this. We're going to go real quick. I've still got a minute or two. Ephesians 1, 3 to 5 says, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. Verse 4 says, Even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world. We're still just talking about election, okay? Now this is telling us about election and when it took place, okay? That we should be holy and blameless for Him, If you've got a Bible and you like to write in it, this is the section I want you to write. I want you to circle verse 4 and it says, In Love. Ephesians chapter 1. Ephesians chapter 1. I'm going to strap a... Oh, he's got a bellyache. I'm going to take one of those and put it upstairs so that we have a quiet room. No, I'm not. I'm just kidding. For everybody that just heard me cackle, I'm sorry. Alright, Ephesians chapter 1, you ready? Verse 4. Underline this. Even as He chose us in Him. Underline that. Now I want you to circle before the foundation of the world. Okay? So that shows that God elected and chose. And this tells us when. Okay? Now the purpose was this. that we should be holy and blameless before Him." I'd underline star, circle, asterisk. I would put smiley faces all around that and everything else. But why did He do it? Why did He do it? In love. You notice how that's all by itself. There's a period, which there were no periods, but you notice that it was such a profound reason that they wrote, in love, all by itself. Isn't that amazing? It's all by its lonesome. In love. Why? That's the whole purpose that God chose anybody. That's the whole purpose that He did this. He is growing us and raising us and making us His people who were not His people. Remember we saw that last week? We were not His people and He makes us His people. We were not chosen of God and He makes us chosen of God because of His electing purpose of love. He did it in love. It's not something where we sit here and fight and bicker about and we want to beat each other up. Oh, how dare you say that God did it. Let me ask you this, Mr. Arminian. Okay, so you win and you say, no, I don't have to. I can resist God. Hallelujah. You mean you get to go to hell for eternity. Good job. I can't resist God and He will have me. I can't resist God. Hallelujah. You don't believe in God's electing purpose of salvation. You think you can resist God right up to the end. Then the question is, do you realize that that means that you get to win and go to hell for eternity? Right? If you can resist God's salvation, that's what that means. Who wants to win that argument? I don't. I want God to say, I'm going to change you. I'm going to make you a new creature. I'm going to take out your wicked heart where you love doing all the sinful things. I'm going to make you a new creature. I'm going to do this so that you can be holy and blameless before me. Amen? That's what I want. Why? Because I can't do it and God deserves all the glory for it. God deserves all the praise and glory and worship and honor for His saving and electing purpose of me. and for you. Now the last thing we're going to look at, Ephesians 1.11 says, In Him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him, who works all things according to the counsel of His will. Well, we could go on for a lot longer. We could talk about election for a lot more, and we just touched the surface. But I wanted you guys to see this. We just scratched the very tip of the surface of the iceberg. But even in just scratching the tip of the surface, guess what we've seen? We've seen that God will have His will done. We wouldn't do it apart from God's electing purpose. It's not something that we would want done because we're enemies of God. Because the Bible reveals that we don't love God the way that God is supposed to be loved. We don't want His things. We don't want His will to be done. We want our will. And we read in Romans 9 that it's not according to Him that wills or Him that purposes, but according to what? According to God, it elects. It's according to God who's chosen to have His will done. Does that not bring us to a point to where we realize that God had a special purpose of love with us? Does that not bring us to a point we should see that the gospel is the greatest thing because we are looking for those that God has called out to love? That means before the foundation of the world, guys, that means before the foundation of the world, you were loved. You have a purpose. You have meaning. You have a life that is relevant. You don't have to seek relevance. You don't have a life that is just, oh, woe is me, oh, things are so terrible, everything else. But guess what? You have an eternity to be called and chosen of God because He loved you. Amen? Okay. We're going to end there and we will pick back up next week. We're going to actually read some more and study some more about election. And then from there, we're going to actually go into the predestination part of the election. OK, let's pray real quick and then we'll be done. Family, Father, Lord, we come before you. We praise you and thank you so much for your majesty. Lord, for your great glory, your plans. For your power. God, I pray that your name is glorified and magnified in our lives. Lord, I pray that you will teach us and grow us, strengthen us, Lord, because we don't understand everything that's going on. We don't understand all these truths. And I'm sure, Lord, that there's going to be hundreds of people are going to say, well, this was wrong and that was wrong. And there's going to be these theological debates. But the question is, is why did you save anyone? God, I love asking that question to my friends. You can claim all these great truths and all these things, but can you answer this one question on the sovereignty of God? Why did you, God, save me and not someone else? If someone is saved, why are they saved and not you? God, I'll never understand the gospel. I'll never understand the reason why you decided to set your love upon me. I'm just a lump of clay that's sinful and wicked. And you have made me righteous. You have made me right in your sight. And God, I pray that as we see that and as we grow in that truth, that God, that you will teach us to live the gospel and not just play games with it. For your praise and your worship, we pray, Lord, in Jesus' name. Amen.