Well we continue on in our study of what it means to be reformed. We have been learning together about the sovereignty of God in salvation, a very important subject by the way, that oftentimes we don't understand just how sovereign God is. I think it would be good if we could turn over to Romans chapter 9 and we'll look at verses 10 to 15 once again just for a few moments. And then I'll tell you where I want to direct our attention today. Romans chapter 9, beginning in verse 10, and not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac, for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, But of him who calls, it was said to her, the older shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not. For he says to Moses, I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion. I wanted to try to, as we go through the study of the doctrine of election, give you different perspectives on this doctrine, that is, different vantage points where we see it in the Scriptures so that we might understand just how great our God really is. This morning I want to turn our attention to the sixth point, my sixth point on the doctrine of election. And it is very simply that God is able not only to save individuals, as we've been studying, and he does save them one at a time, but also that he saves nations. God's, this is my sixth point, God's electing of some persons to eternal life and His rejection of others, leaving them in their sins as a different basis of consideration in His holy mind. We've been trying to bring out the truth that the doctrine of election and the doctrine of reprobation have a different basis altogether in God's mind. If you're ever saved, it's only because of God's sovereignty. It isn't of your works, obviously, because it says in the verses that we just read that the purpose of God, according to election Mike Stand, that it's not of works. He said, the older shall serve the younger. Last Sunday, we looked at the fact that there were two nations in Rebecca's womb, and these two nations were struggling. And we saw that in regard to that, that God has a purpose. in regard to nations, not only individuals, but also nations. The doctrine of reprobation is often misunderstood, people mistakenly thinking that we believe in what's called double predestination. I don't know if you're aware of this or not, but our confession, the 1689 Confession, is not the same as the Westminster Confession is at this doctrine of reprobation, and there is a reason for that. The reason that it's different in our confession is that we do not believe in double predestination. We believe that what God does in reprobation is that he leaves a person to themselves and to their sin, and his purpose is not to save them. That doesn't mean that he predestinates them to doom and eternal punishment. He does not create men to destroy them, but rather he has a purpose. And his purpose is that each and every person whom he's ever created might in some way bring glory to him. Now, if a person is reprobate, they're reprobate because of their own sinfulness, not because God chose them to it. Do you see that? It's really very important that you see this, because otherwise, as I said to you before, you fall into the mentality of John Wesley, who called this the horrible decree. Well, it's not a horrible decree, and it's not meant to be so in our sight. It's meant to be something that we not only take notice of, but that we glory in. That God would have mercy on such as us. who are worthy of eternal punishment and yet he's shown us such mercy. What an incredible thing. So this morning I want to turn your attention, with that preface in mind, to the thing that I'd like to show you from the Scriptures, at least begin to do so today and maybe conclude it next Sunday, that is that Election is solely based upon God's purpose, which is to show mercy on certain individuals and even certain nations. This is really quite an extraordinary thing. You recall that in Genesis 26, verses 21 to 23, that there were these two nations struggling in the womb of Rebecca. And what two nations did they become? Can you tell me? One is Israel and Edom, that's right. Israel and Edom, the two nations that God created and they began as two men, two individuals. By the way, did you know that nations begin with individuals? And that some individuals are elect and some are not? And so God's purpose in election is going to stand in regard to individuals and nations both. We need to understand this and so I want you to turn with me over to Malachi chapter 1 and we want to read verses 1 to 5. Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament and chapter 1 and verses 1 to 5. Who would like to read that when they get over there? Who's got it? Aaron, you have it? version of the words of the Lord to Israel by Malachi. I have loved you, says the Lord. He said, in what way have you loved us? It was not easy to take his brother, says the Lord. Yet Jacob I have loved, but he said, I have hated you. And laid waste the mountains and his heritage for the jackals of the wilderness. Even though, you know, as said, we have been Impoverished. All right. Thank you, Aaron, for reading that. Now there's some things here that we really do need to take notice of. I do think that we falsely get the impression that God deals with all men and nations in the same way. He does not, by any means, do so. Now notice that he says concerning Israel, he says, I have loved you, says the Lord, and yet you say, in what way have you loved us? It's as though Israel thought that God had done them some great injustice in bringing them into his judgments at various points. They want to question his love. By the way, I do think that sometimes that we believe and we question God's love to us based upon what we're going through. and what the Lord leads us into. I wonder if you've ever been a person like that. Well, it's hard not to be, isn't it? When you love somebody, you treat them right, and so you should. But in terms of the Lord, the Lord is perfectly sovereign over men and nations. And you'll notice here that he says, I have loved you. And was there any reason that he should set his love upon Israel, of all the nations? In Deuteronomy 8, if we were to go back and look at that, we would see that there wasn't any reason that he should set his love upon them. In fact, they were the smallest of the nations. They were very sinful at many, many different points. And yet he patiently bore with them through 40 years in the wilderness, even though they were stiff-necked people, he calls them at certain points. Now remember, God's evaluation of us is perfect. It isn't partially perfect. It's not incompletely perfect. It's perfectly perfect. But you notice here, he says, I have loved you, and yet you say, in what way have you loved us, they say. Was not Esau Jacob's brother, says the Lord, and yet Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated. and laid waste his mountains and his heritage for the jackals of the wilderness. You and I need to understand that God not only created us for his good pleasure, but he upholds us according to his good pleasure. That is, that however many days he wants us to live, we will live. And however our condition will be in life at any given point during our life is the condition that He ordains for us. And yet He loves all of His creatures because He created them. No doubt about it, a general love in God. We've seen this before. And He gives common grace and the blessings of food and Joy and gladness of heart, because He's kind even to evil and ungrateful men, it says in the Gospels. Jesus says that. And He gives common grace in the Gospel, in that He freely offers salvation to whosoever will believe, fully well knowing that no one will take Him up on it unless He works. Now that really is an amazing statement, but it's true. And so when he set his love upon Jacob, as we saw in previous sessions, the reason that he did so was because he chose to have mercy and he had a purpose. That's as far as you and I can take it. Now, there are reasons, obviously, that are God's reasons that go way beyond ours, but we cannot judge God, nor will He let us judge Him. But let me ask you this question. Will we be able to refute His love to us in a general sense in the day of judgment? No. Because it says in Psalm 145, he opens up his hand and he satisfies the desire of every living thing. And really that's the truth of the matter. That we live according to our desires and we are free enough to live according to our desires. Now that doesn't mean that we're free to choose in the whole realm of salvation. We've looked at this before. It's not we who choose God, but he who chooses us. And he calls us so that we might learn his love and through learning his love, then that we might bear fruit to him in our love towards others. Really, these things are plain in the scriptures, but many people want to argue with them. Let's go a little bit deeper. Why would God establish Jacob? And in the sense of Esau, he says, I hated him. Why did he hate him? Is there any indication from the scriptures why God should hate Esau? It wasn't because he was sovereign. What was the reason that he hated Esau? Because Esau was wicked and he sold his birthright. That's exactly right. In fact, it says in Hebrews chapter 12 that he did so for one morsel of food. And so he's used, in Hebrews 12, as a warning that no one should despise their own birthright for one morsel of food that they should perish, or be immoral as he was, with his wives, plural, and all the rest of it, which we won't go into detail. But out of that one man grew a nation, and it says here in verse 3, Esau, I have hated, and laid waste his mountains. That is not only him personally, because of his sin, but also his descendants. Are there any Edomites in the world today? Any descendants of Esau? I don't know, maybe some of you would know better than me. But all I'm saying here is that God said, look what it says there in verse 4, even though Edom has said, we have been impoverished, but we will return. Look at their determination. We have been impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places. They may build, says God, but I will throw down and they shall be called territory, the territory of wickedness and the people against whom the Lord will have indignation forever. I mean, those are strong words. Your eyes shall see and you shall say the Lord is magnified beyond the border of Israel." Well, I'm going to look at this more in depth in a later session, but not today over reprobation. What I want to show you here today and begin to show you here today is how good God is in His electing mercy upon nations. And I want you to turn with me over to Jeremiah chapter 1, and we want to look at verses 4 to 12. I want you to see that God is sovereign in His election of men to be preachers, whether they are preachers of the gospel or preachers to nations. And I would like someone to read for me verses 4 to 12, if they would. Who would do that for me? Jeremiah 1 verses 4 to 12. All right, Dave, go for it. Now the Lord came to me saying, before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. And before you were born, I consecrated you. I have appointed you a prophet to the nations. Then I said, alas, Lord God, behold, I do not know how to speak, because I am a youth. But the Lord said to me, do not say I am a youth, Because everywhere I send you, you shall go, and all that I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you. Then the Lord stretched out his hand and touched my mouth. Then the Lord said to me, Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant. The word of the Lord came to me, saying, What do you see, Jeremiah? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree. Then the Lord said to me, You have seen well, for I am watching over my word. Oh boy, I love that New American Standard translation of that verse. I am watching over my word to perform it. Isn't that good? And notice a couple of things here as we are going through this study. Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, verse five. Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. How did he know him? He knew him by means of electing love and his foreknowledge and purpose in regard to Jeremiah, that he would become a very great preacher of the Word. He would be so great in his preaching of the Word, as it says in verses 8 to 10, that he would cause them to know, those who he was preaching to, that he was with Jeremiah to deliver him and he would put his words in Jeremiah's mouth and in verse 10 it says, I have set you this day over the nations and over kingdoms So this was not just a simple matter of, well, I've appointed you to be a preacher. Do you feel called? No, it wasn't at all. He says, I'm going to make you into such a mighty preacher that I'm going to set you over nations and over kingdoms to root out, pull down, destroy, throw down, build, and plant, all of those things, according to the word of the Lord. It's truly an incredible thing. And then to show his providence in the matter, I'm watching over my word to perform it. In other words, I've stated that these things are going to be this way, and I'm watching over it to see that it's going to come to pass. Do you know that God does that with every single elect person that he's ever purposed should have salvation? Not that they would be a great preacher. but that he would watch over his own purpose or his word to perform it. Whether it is in terms of nations on this great level, or whether it's on a smaller level of individuals, he does both equally well. And then one other thing I want to show you from the Scriptures, and this will set the stage for what I'll speak to you about next Sunday, more in particular. Revelation chapter 7, and we want to look at verses 9 to 12. Revelation chapter 7. and verses 9 to 12. I'll read this for the sake of time. It says, After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne, before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb. And all the angels stood around the throne, and the elders, and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne, and worshiped God, saying, Amen. Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen. Now I want you to see here that it's God's purpose not only to save individuals, and not only that they would be a small and little flock, but that they would actually be a great multitude that no man could number. That's how many people are going to be in heaven. In the Gospels it says, do not be afraid, little flock, for the Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom. And so it was for them. They were a little flock then, but was it God's purpose that he always and only have a remnant? According to election? that the purpose of election might stand? No, it's not the case. What God's purpose is, is that there's going to be a number which no man can number. It will be so great in heaven. And it will be from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation. And indeed, I'll show you next week, that it will include nations themselves. That is, the majority of people in nations that He chooses. We'll see that next week, Lord willing. Well, let's pray together. Well, we have a great expectation, or we should have, as reformed people. And that expectation is that you would save a great number of people. And even in our own generation that you might do so, we know that your purposes will stand and that in some generations you do not save as many as in others. And we know that particularly in the time to come, there will be vastly more people saved than presently being saved. But we pray that we would have the expectation that we should have, that we find in the scriptures. For we pray it in Jesus' name. Amen. You're dismissed.