Otherwise, we'll be in Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 3, Paragraphs 6 through 8. Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 3, Paragraphs 6 through 8. If you're using the hymnal version of the Confession, that's on page 921. And so last week, we started with this important chapter on God's eternal decree. And we worked through the first five paragraphs, which gave us a lot of basic information, namely that God has a decree, and that that decree, while it is completely sovereign and completely of his own will, does not remove our accountability for our own free choices to sin. Chapter 3, paragraph 2 tells us the origin of God's decree is from himself. He did not decree anything because he foresaw it, because he accurately predicted it, or because he knew what you would do, and so he decreed according to that. No, the origin of God's decree is within himself. Things happen in a very real sense because God meant for them to happen. And then in chapters, or chapter three, paragraphs three to five, started to bring up the very important doctrine of election. Tonight we'll address that doctrine further because that's where the rest of the chapter goes. Before we do that, though, I just want to kind of give you all a roadmap for where we're going tonight and how we're going to work through this material. Because the doctrine of election, not in our church, but broadly speaking in the evangelical world, is considered a controversial doctrine, We're going to look at several different passages just to establish that this is a phrase the Bible uses. This is a concept the Bible uses. So first, we're going to look at several passages that just bring it up. Then I will explain and summarize what the paragraphs of the Confession say, and then we'll look at one passage of Scripture that I think makes clear that what the Confession says is the Bible's doctrine of it. Does that make sense? We're going to look at several passages just to say this is something we have to deal with. We're going to look at how our church understands it according to the Confession, and then we're going to look at Romans 9 to see if that matches what the Confession says or not. Reese, could you do me a favor and push that all the way? Thank you. All right, so that's kind of where we're going tonight, big picture. Let's just look at a couple of Bible passages just to establish that whatever interpretation we may take of it, election is at the core, a biblical concept. Somebody flipped to 1 Peter 1, and while you guys flip there, I'm gonna read for us from Ephesians again, just to kind of get our feet under us. So somebody get to 1 Peter 1. And I'll read Ephesians chapter one beginning in verse three. Paul writes, blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly place, even as he chose us in him before the foundations of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love, he predestined us for adoption. And then chapter one, verse 11 of Ephesians says, In him, that's in Christ, we obtained an inheritance having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will. So three different times in Ephesians chapter one, we have some language that indicates God chose those who Paul is writing to and that he did so before they chose him. There is a predestined aspect to this. Now who's got first Peter chapter one verses one to two. Mr. Gamble. Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who are elect exiles of the dispersion in Pontus Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father and the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood. May grace and peace be multiplied to you. All right. Thank you. Mr. Gamble. So right there we see he's writing to who the elect. How are they elect according to the foreknowledge of God? So in some sense, God elected these people that Peter's writing to. That's, that's the only point I'm trying to draw out from there. That's very plain on the surface. Somebody else, Matthew 24, 22. And while you're getting there, I'll just explain that. Matthew 24, contextually, is part of a longer discourse of our Lord that's called the Olivet Discourse. He's talking about persecution and end times things that will come down on the church. And in Matthew 24, 22, Jesus says, who's got it? Miss Coggins. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. For the sake of the light, those days would be cut short. So for whose sake were the days cut short? The elect, there's this group of people that Jesus is talking about. He says, for their sake, this will not go on forever. So there's a people known as the elect in scripture. A couple other passages just to really drive this home. John chapter 13, verse 18. John 13, 18. And then somebody else do 15, 16. Miss Babington, John 13, 18. I do not speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen, but that the scripture may be fulfilled. He who eats bread with me has lifted up his heel against me. All right. So Jesus is in the upper room. He's talking to his disciples. I'm not talking about all of you, but I know who, whom I have chosen. And then this is a very good one to share with anyone. who denies election and wants to say that they chose God. These are the words of our Lord Jesus, John 15, 16. Mr. Johnson. You did not choose me, but I chose you. I'm sorry, wait, what? You did not choose me. You did not choose me. But what happened? But I chose you. Okay. Whatever spin you want to put on that, Jesus says, you're not here because you chose me. You're here because I chose you. And then one last one, Acts 13, 48. Acts 13, 48. Mr. Weathers. Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as have been appointed to eternal life, believe. As many as have been what? So there are those that were appointed, that were elected to eternal life, and those are the ones that believed. And so, again, just several passages, and there's a billion more we could, not a billion. There's a lot more we could go to that would show very plainly the Bible has some category for this. And so the question is not, does the Bible teach it? The question is, what does the Bible teach about how it works? Does that make sense? There is no question. There is no way to get around the fact that the Bible has some category of thing called election. The question is, what does the Bible teach about it? And so as Christians who believe God's word, we need to know. So let's see here. Let's look at what it is that the Confession says. Well, let's back up. Months ago, we studied the doctrine of God out of Chapter 2 of the Confession. You guys might remember we used a lot of words to talk about God. He is all-powerful. He is all-knowing. He is the supreme authority, right? There is nothing above God. And I said at that time, and you may not remember it, but remember it now, what really sets Reformed Christianity apart from all other branches of Christianity is that we take what we said about the doctrine of God, and we remember that, and then we apply it consistently to every other doctrine. So if God is the supreme authority who is all-powerful and all-knowing, and there's something called election, who gets to make the decision on that? because that's consistent with saying he has all authority and all power and all wisdom. You guys see where that's going? So now let's flesh out what the confession says. I'm gonna read for us chapter six of, or excuse me, section six of chapter three, and we'll just summarize it briefly. As God hath appointed the elect unto glory, So hath He, 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, are 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, effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved, but the elect only." So this is saying that not only has God elected who will be saved, but he's also ordained or instituted the means by which they would be saved. It's not quite as simple as, I like this one, I don't like that one. So this one's in and that one's out and on through. It's not quite like that. What it is, is God ordained that He would send His only begotten Son to die on the cross. And then he would send to purchase redemption. And then he would send his spirit to apply that redemption to his chosen people. He would send his spirit to work faith in us. And through that faith, unite us to Christ. The text to go to for this is Ephesians chapter two, verses eight and nine. And I just got that drilled into my brain. So I'll just recite it for you. For by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this is not of yourselves, but it," referring back to everything else, the grace and the faith, it is the gift of God. God gives us the faith and then through that faith unites us to Christ. Those are the means that he has ordained, that he has instituted to bring about faith. And when we are united to Christ, we get all the benefits that are listed in this paragraph, namely justification, adoption, sanctification, and even perseverance. And all of these benefits come to the elect. Now we'll spend due time on each of those doctrines, each of those blessings when we get there in the confession. But for right now, the point is, No one is halfway saved. No one is halfway elect. You get the whole package. You get the whole bundle. It's all one thing, though differentiated as different categories, but you either get it all or nothing. Now, paragraph seven is going to deal with kind of the other side of the coin. Paragraph seven says, the rest of mankind, so everybody else, God was pleased. according to the unsearchable counsel of his own will, whereby he extendeth or withholdeth mercy. That's a key word. It is mercy. He extends or withholds mercy as he pleases for the glory of his sovereign power over his creatures. And what's he do as a result of that? To pass by and to ordain them to dishonor and wrath for their sin to the praise of his glorious justice. Now that, that, that phrase, passed by is absolutely key to understanding this. He leaves them as they are. It is where they desire to be. The big pushback against election is this hypothetical person that desires salvation, and God says, nope, you're not elected, it's not for you. That person doesn't exist. We are all born fallen sinners in Adam, by nature, children of wrath, following the prince of the power of the air. Now there may be some people that would say, heaven, paradise, hell, eternal torment, I'll take paradise, that are not regenerate. That's true. But do they really want heaven as the Bible describes it, as a place where every knee bows and confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord and surrenders to his glory being supreme above all? No. There is nobody who desires that, who is not actually already showing evidence of being redeemed. I actually received two emails this week from people that are not part of our church, they watch online. And they emailed me, and both of them, independent of each other, said, Pastor Early, Thank you for your message. Would you please pray that God would save me? Because I'm really concerned and of course I pray for them That goes without saying I'm delighted to pray for any and everyone to be saved But I told both of them that the fact that you're concerned about your spiritual state The fact that you're concerned about your sin the fact that you want to be saved from the penalty for sin and that you want to believe in Jesus is actually a very good sign that you already are Because the Bible says that the natural man, that is, those who have not been redeemed, those who have not been regenerated, don't care about the things of God. They have no interest in it. And so that hypothetical person that wants to be saved, but God just hasn't elected them, isn't a real scenario. So many times our objections come from misunderstandings of what the Bible's broader teaching is. That category doesn't exist. As Ephesians 2 says, and I'll reiterate, we were all born, fallen in our sin, and by nature, walking after that way and not after the way of God. It is only the mercy of God that has been shed abroad in our hearts that changes that. And now, for the last paragraph, and then we're gonna spend the rest of the time in the Bible and looking at what the Bible says. The last paragraph of the confession that we're gonna look at tonight is paragraph eight, the doctrine, and by the way, if there is one paragraph of the Westminster Confession that I could like burn into the minds of so many flippant, disrespectful internet Calvinist theologians that just like to argue, it would be this one. This very first line is very important. The doctrine of this 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 vocation, be assured of their eternal election. So shall this doctrine afford a matter of praise, reverence, and admiration of God, and of humility, diligence, and abundant consolation to all that sincerely obey the gospel." The point is, the doctrine of election does not exist so that you can win a theology debate with your friend who doesn't believe. Now, it's a true doctrine, it's a biblical doctrine, I'm gonna make that case in a minute, and it's worth defending, but it's not there so that we can say, ha ha, you silly so and so that doesn't understand this, I'm smarter than you. That's not why this is here. And we should not be flippant in our explanations of it. It needs to be explained carefully. And so with all of that said, and I'll entertain questions broadly after we finish this passage of Scripture. Let's look at Romans 9 and see what the Scripture says regarding this doctrine. And while you flip to Romans 9, I'm actually going to read a little bit earlier on in Romans 8. And we know This is Romans 8.28, that for those who love God, all things work together for good. And who are those who love God? For those who are called according to His purpose. 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 also glorified. So this passage is telling us that there's a group of people called by God to receive all of those benefits that we just talked about and were listed in the confession of faith. It's almost as if they're trying to follow Paul's logic here, which they are. And the grounds of that election is not found in them. The grounds of that calling is not found in them. Rather, Paul says in Romans 8.32, He, that is God, who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? And they just list a ton of things that cannot separate us from God. Why? Because of the love of God that is ours in Christ Jesus. He ends the chapter there. Now here comes the objection. So Paul has said, God, whom he called, he justified, whom he justified, he glorified, and on down. What's the objection any and every time you mention election with your friend who doesn't believe it? That's not fair. That's not fair. That's the objection every single time. And what I want to say to my friends who answer that way is we are not the ones who get to determine what's fair and what's not. God and God alone determines what's fair. So what his word says is true and right. And if we don't agree, it is we who are wrong. So let me just read for us beginning in verse one of Romans nine, Paul says, I am speaking the truth in Christ. I am not lying. My conscience bears me witness in the Holy spirit that I have a great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. Paul's upset, why? For I wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. They are the Israelites, and to them belong adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is Christ, who is God, over all, blessed forever, amen. Paul said, I wish that I were cut off from Christ so that my brothers my people might know the salvation that is offered to them. But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel. And not all are children of Abraham, because they are his offspring. But through Isaac shall your offspring be named." So where's Paul going? He's going back to the Old Testament. Abraham had two sons. Who's the first one? Ishmael. He had Ishmael through Hagar. And he had the second son, Isaac, through Sarah. What's the miraculous thing about that? Sarah has been barren for decades. And the point that Paul is bringing forward in that is it is by divine intervention that the promise is fulfilled, that the covenant is carried forward. It is not by the will of man. And then he goes on for this is what the verse nine for this is what the promise said about this time next year I will return and Sarah shall have a son. And not only that, but also when Rebecca had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works, but because of him who calls. She was told, the older will serve the younger. As is written, Jacob I have loved, and Esau I have hated. Again, the challenge is that's not fair. And I just wanna say, and I've said this to some of you individually, and I'll say it to all of you now. If your presentation of the gospel and of election gets the exact same objection that Paul's did, that's a good sign that you're doing what? You're saying what Paul said if you're getting the same objection Paul got. Do you guys see how that works? If I'm saying what Paul said and I'm getting the same pushback that Paul did, that's a confirmation that I'm actually understanding Paul correctly. What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means. Then Paul goes right back to scripture. He says, for he, that's God says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God who has mercy. The issue that people don't understand is that salvation is mercy. Fair is everybody pays for their own sins in hell forever. That is what's fair. That would be completely just. But God, out of his love for his people, chooses rather to show mercy to them. Nobody deserves mercy or else it's not really mercy. Nobody deserves grace or else it's not really grace. The very idea of mercy or grace implies that I actually deserve something else. So imagine this with me. A lot of you guys are driving now. Imagine you're driving down the road, and you're being responsible, and you're stopping at the stop signs, and you're slowing down at the yellow lights, and you're doing everything right. Somebody else is texting while they're driving. You've got the green light, and they're not paying attention, and they T-bone you, and they total your car. And you go to court. And the judge says, there's no question about it. This person is guilty. There's no appeals. There's no nothing. It's straight up. And so the just sentence from the judge is you're going to reimburse any costs. You're going to pay for a new car. You're going to do all of this. Now imagine a benevolent billionaire happens to be there. he pays the full fine. He doesn't have to. It's not required to. He chooses to. Justice is still done to the offended party. The victim still gets paid what they're owed, but the person who was guilty received mercy. Now, for those of you who've never been to traffic court, the judge is going to hear that same case in five minutes because it's the same thing all day long. And this time, The Netherland billionaire decides, I'm going to keep my money. And the offending party has to pay it in full. Is that unfair? No. It's his right to do with his money what he desires to. In the same way, it is God's right to spend his mercy in the way that he desires to. It's not a question of fair. It's a question of, is it God's right? And the answer is, yes, it is. Now this passage also deals with the hardening of Pharaoh's heart. He says, for the scripture says to Pharaoh, this is Romans 9, 17, for this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. So then, verse 18, he, God, has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. Now here's a question. What book of the Bible is Paul talking about? We got Moses. We got Pharaoh. Exodus. Very good. Brave answer. Who hardened Pharaoh's heart in Exodus? Can you say that a little louder? It says Pharaoh hardens his heart sometimes, but sometimes it says God. Yeah, that's exactly right. So God hardened Pharaoh's heart according to Exodus 4.21, 9.12, 10.1, 11.10, 14.4. You can give those to anybody that wants them later. But then Exodus also says that Pharaoh hardened his own heart. Exodus 8.15, Exodus 8.32, Exodus 9.34. The answer is God hardened Pharaoh's heart by giving him what he already wanted, by letting him persist in his own rebellion. The hardening of the heart consists in letting him be, in not intervening. And that's the way Paul argues for the cycle of sin in the beginning of Romans. For this reason, God gave them up to a debased mind. For this reason, God gave them up to the lust of their hearts. He didn't plant sin in there. He let them persist therein. That is what the confession means when it says that God passed by those who are reprobate. Now let's look at Romans 9, 19. You will say to me then, why does he still find fault? For no one can resist his will. And notice again, this is still the same objection that gets leveled against Calvinism all the time. Well, if God is sovereign and he has mercy on whom he wills and he hardens whom he wills, then how can he say that we're wrong? Paul's gonna give the answer to that. But who are you, oh man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, why have you made me like this? Has the potter no right over the clay to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make his power known, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy? which he's prepared beforehand. The explanation then for why not do it my way or why not do it the way you think is right and save everybody is ultimately God does things for God's own glory. That is his primary motivating factor. And in his wisdom, God has seen fit that it will give him glory as both redeemer and as a just judge to have mercy on whom he will and to justly punish sin where he will. And beyond that, we can't go. I can't tell you what the Bible doesn't say. That's the answer the Bible gives. God has deemed in his wisdom, which is higher than ours, that this gives him the most glory. How does that give him more glory? I've got ideas. I've got theories, but ultimately the Bible just says, that's what God does. Then that's what he has chosen to do for his glory. Now we're going to end on this because it's where the confession ends and it's where This passage of Romans ends as Paul really finishes his assessment of the doctrine of election. What does the last paragraph of chapter 3 of the Confession say? The very last line or two. Back up a little bit more. So shall this doctrine afford matter of praise, reverence, and admiration of God. and of humility, diligence, and abundant consolation to all who sincerely obey the gospel." In other words, if we go back to Jacob I have loved and Esau I hated, everyone's always shocked at Esau I hated. No one's ever shocked about Jacob I loved. And yet, that really is the surprising part. Jacob, the schemer, the trickster, the liar, the deceiver, the manipulator, the backstabber, God was gracious to him. And so the glorious thing is, is you realize, I should be Esau. I should be the one receiving God's wrath for all of my sin against him, even now. And yet he's been gracious. And so when we look at election, the point that the confession makes, and I think it's the point that Paul makes, I can't tell you all the ins and outs of it. But the reason the Bible gives it to us is that we might be assured that God's love is not contingent on me. God doesn't love me because I obey him just good enough. God doesn't love me because I think just the right way about him. No, God loves me because he loves me. And that's where Paul ends. For God has co-signed, this is Romans 11, 32. For God has co-signed all to disobedience that he might have mercy on all. He co-signed all people to disobedience that he might have mercy on all who are his. And then Paul ends, oh, the depth and the riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of God, how unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways. For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid? For from him, and through him, and to him are all things. To him be glory. Amen." The point is, Paul began tackling this question with great sorrow, anguish, and grief in his heart for those that he would love to see saved. And as he works through it, and is reminded again that he doesn't deserve it either, The only thing that you can be left to say is, praise the Lord that he was merciful to me. Let's pray. God in heaven, you are all mysterious, but you are all wise. And your mercy and your grace are gladly received and so undeserved. And Lord, I pray that as we try and wrestle through these deep doctrines of your word, that we would, Do so in a spirit of reverence and humility. Just taken aback by the fact that for reasons that are incomprehensible, you have loved us when you should not. Lord, we're thankful for that. We're thankful for the cross that gives us assurance thereof. I pray, Lord, that you would help us to grow in a love for you and in a dependence on your will for our lives. We ask in Christ's name, amen.