When it comes to choosing salvation, what exactly does that mean? Who does the choosing? Does God choose you, or do you choose Him? Let me invite you to join us today for a long-standing debate on today's edition of Grace To You. It's known as the doctrine of election, and to say the least, it has fueled much discussion among thoughtful Christians for centuries. So, what do you think? Does God choose who gets saved? End of story? What about where scripture commands you to confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord? or where it says to choose this day whom you will serve. How do you balance God's drawing sinners to himself with your coming to the Lord in faith? Well, as Charles Spurgeon said, the foreordination of God is no degree interfering with the responsibility of man. Well, I trust your lesson that you're about to hear today will help you understand why that's so. So, let's follow along as John MacArthur continues a provocative study titled, Chosen for Eternity. We need to talk about the source of our election, and that brings us to a very, very important thought. Verse 2, when he says, chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, he means the predetermined relationship which God established in His own mind in the predetermined plan. That's exactly what he means. The source of sovereign choice then is God's previously determined act of establishing a relationship with us. That was all a part of His plan. It's not God looking down through history and saying, I'll have to react to what they do. God knew it because He ordained it. You want to hear something? Get this, will you please? Every single thing that exists in the universe exists because God allowed it, willed it, thought it into existence. Did you get that? You say, what about sin? He didn't do it, but He allowed it. There is nothing that happens, has happened, will happen, that is not happening, has happened, will happen, because God knew it into happening. You got that? You say, how does sin fit in? I don't know. But He allowed it, and He has a purpose for it. If nothing else, He allowed it to exist in order to destroy it forever. so that it would no longer be a potential to mar His holy kingdom. This is not an easy thing to grasp, but what you must understand is that God predetermined in His plan to set His love upon certain people. That's foreknowledge. He foreknew you. Christ certainly is a good model. Christ, 1 Peter 2.6, was The elect stone, chosen, precious, just as He elected Christ through foreknowledge, He elects us through foreknowledge. Tremendous truth. So, the nature of election, chosen by God. The condition of election, aliens in the world. The source of election, it came out of a predetermined relationship with God which He ordained as a part of His plan. Fourthly, in considering election here, so many more things to say, but let's go to the fourth thought, the sphere of our election, the sphere of our election. Verse 2, this is so marvelous. Now notice this. by the sanctifying work of the Spirit. By the sanctifying work of the Spirit. Now listen, please. Being elect and being saved are two different things. Are you with that? Two different things. You ready for this? You can be elect and not be saved. What do you mean by that? All of us were elect and unsaved at some time, true? It isn't saying, well, I'm elect, I guess I don't need to get saved. No. The sphere in which election goes from being a plan to a reality is salvation. The reality of election comes to the elect through the sanctifying work of the Spirit. This is how the divine and eternal decree becomes a fact of history. How long have the elect been elect? Do you remember? How long have you been elect? Forever. How long have you been saved? A few years. You've been elect a long time before you've been saved. You were elect when you were alive and lost. There's a difference. Election, the plan of God, becomes reality in the life of the elect in the sphere of the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. This is a marvelous thought, for here you have the term sanctifying used to refer to the whole of what the theologians would call the salvific work, the work of salvation. And I believe that what Peter has in mind by the sanctifying work of the Spirit is the new birth, salvation, regeneration, faith, repentance, all that the Spirit produces. This sanctifying work, hagiasmos, from the word from which we get holy, means to be separate, set apart, hallowed, consecrated, holy. And the subjective genitive here seems to indicate that the Spirit produces this sanctification. The Spirit comes along, makes you holy, which means makes you separate, sets you apart, hallows you, consecrates you to God in the work of salvation. You've been elect and so have I from all eternity, but all of us at one point in time were a part of the mass of unredeemed humanity. We were milling around in unredeemed condition until the Holy Spirit came and set us apart, saved us. Sanctify means to set apart, and it can refer to salvation and all that comes out of it. The Holy Spirit does that marvelous work. Chapter 2, verse 9 of 1 Peter, look at it for a moment. You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has," and here's your sanctifying work, "...called you out of," what? "...darkness into His," what? Marvelous light. That's your setting apart. That's your consecration. That's your hallowing. And then verse 10, for you once were not a people, even though you were elect, now you are the people of God. At one time implied you had not received mercy, now you have received mercy. And so he is saying you've been chosen all along, but you've only been saved since the sanctifying work of the Spirit took place. when He set you apart from sin unto God, set you apart from darkness unto light, set you apart from unbelief to faith, set you apart from the love of iniquity to repentance. That's all the sanctifying work of the Spirit. In Titus, you remember this, we go to this verse so often because it's such a tremendous verse. Listen, He saved us, Titus 3, 5, not on the basis of deeds which we have done. He didn't look down history and say, oh, that's what they were going to do, so this is what I'll do. No, He saved us with no regard for what we have done, but according to His mercy, and here's how He saved us, by the washing of regeneration and the renewing by the Holy Spirit. God planned salvation. Christ purchased salvation. The Holy Spirit applies salvation. He does the regenerating work. What does Paul say to the Corinthians? Chapter 6, verse 11, such were some of you, that is, you used to be fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, effeminate, homosexuals, thieves, covetous, drunkards, and all that, but you are washed, you were sanctified. So we often think of sanctification, I think, as something that happens after you're a Christian. It embraces everything. It means you're set apart from sin to God. It's a synonym here for salvation in 1 Peter. And it is the critical work of the Holy Spirit at conversion. He sets us apart. That's why we must remember that we are born of the Spirit. Now, listen, once you're set apart, He continues to hallow you and consecrate you and make you more holy, and that's the process of sanctification. And it goes on all our life. Now, this doesn't mean perfection. It means separation. I'm holy. Did you know that? You're holy if you're a Christian. I'm not as holy as I ought to be and you're not as holy as you ought to be. I'm not as holy as I'm going to be. You're not as holy as you're going to be. But I was once not holy at all. I wasn't separate from sin, unbelief, darkness. Now I am. And now I'm growing more and more to be like Christ. As I grow spiritually, the decreasing frequency of sin is the increasing reality of holiness. That's a process, but it begins with the saving act of the Holy Spirit. This is really the new covenant in a great way. In fact, let me just take a footnote here for a minute. It would be a contradiction to say, and I need to make this point so it's good that I thought to do it. It would be a contradiction to say that God chose a man to be in Christ but didn't make him holy. Got that? Total contradiction. Total contradiction. If you've been taken out of darkness and placed into light, if you've been taken out of death and placed into life, if you've been taken out of unbelief and given faith, if you've been separated from sin, you're holy. You're not as holy as you ought to be, but you're holy. It would be absolutely impossible for God to choose a man to be in Christ, send the Holy Spirit to do the work, and not separate that man from sin somehow. I mean, to put it simply, take the words of Paul in Romans 6, 22. having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit resulting in sanctification." Of course. Of course. So, somebody says, well, I'm a Christian, but there's never been a change in my life. Wait a minute. What does that mean? What are you saying by that? If the Holy Spirit separated you from unbelief to faith, If He separated you from love of sin to hate of sin, if He separated you in all those ways from death to life and darkness to light, you're holy and it'll show up in the way you live. Failure to understand that has created some diabolical misunderstanding of the gospel. You cannot say to me that there are people who have been sanctified by the Holy Spirit, set apart from sin to God, but you can't tell it. Wait a minute. There has to be a difference. There has to be. You used to be the slaves of sin. Now you're the servants of righteousness. It's a total change in your nature. Thinking of Galatians 4, 6, because you're sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts. Oh, my. That's another thing the Holy Spirit does, comes to live in our hearts. Do you think that makes you a different person? I hope to tell you it does. How can anyone say that a person can be saved by the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, and as some are saying today, and not believe, and not be separate? Certainly flies in the face of what Scripture teaches. Well, the sphere of election, what is it? The environment of its realization is salvation. It occurs in salvation, the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit that makes the unholy person holy. 2 Peter 1.3, let's look at it. The salutation in this letter, verse 2 is similar, grace and peace and so forth, speaks about Jesus our Lord, seeing that His divine power has granted to us, look at this, everything pertaining to life and godliness. How do we get it? Through the true knowledge of Him. When you come to truly know Christ, you get all that pertains to life and godliness. You say, what is that? Repentance has got to be part of it. Certainly repentance pertains to spiritual life and godliness. Faith, virtue, righteousness, love for God, delight in the work of the Spirit. It's all there. Well, the nature of election, God chose us independent of any outside influence. You say, why? We don't answer those questions. He did, that's all. The condition of our election, we are aliens residing in a foreign place. We love each other, we live by a whole different standard of life, and we have to resist the temptation to get so ingrown we lose the purpose of our being here, which is to be salt and light, scatter the seed. The source of our election, it came out of a predetermined plan in which God, before the world began, knew us. Knowing us not in the sense of observation. He knew everything in the sense of observation. Knowing us in the sense of a predetermined relationship. That's the source. It was in His own mind. He knew it into reality. He knew it into existence before it ever happened. And what is the sphere where election becomes reality? The sphere of salvation. Theoretically, If you were to die without ever embracing Christ, you go to hell, even if theoretically you were elect. Now that's an impossibility, but you understand what I'm saying. Election is invalid until it's confirmed by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, and that's the sphere in which it takes place. I've got to give you a preview. Number five is the purpose of our election. Are you ready for this? What is the purpose of our election? I mean, this is so straightforward. In order that you may do what? Obey Jesus Christ. Now that's the purpose of our election. He saved you that you may obey Jesus Christ. That's so basic. That is not a wish, that is a fact. Ephesians 2.10, you're His workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto what? Good works which God has before ordained that you should walk in. That's not a wish, that's a fact. We're going to talk about the fact of obedience. And then we're going to talk about what it means to be sprinkled with His blood, that truth alone. is one of the most compelling I've ever found in the New Testament. But I want to save it because it has to be fully developed. So we'll wait till next time. Listen, don't tune me out. Don't close up your mind. The doctrine of election is so practical. It is so powerful. When I understand it, It literally changes one's entire life to understand this doctrine. When you understand that you're elect, the practical ramifications of that will change the way you live every day. The doctrine of election will deal with your pride. That's right. It'll deal with a matter of worship in your heart. It will deal with the issue of joy. The doctrine of election will tell you all you need to know about benefits and spiritual privileges. The doctrine of election will compel you to certain kinds of behavior like no other doctrine will ever compel you. The doctrine of election will produce power in your life in ways that perhaps you would never be able to understand if you didn't understand this doctrine. You can't ignore it. You absolutely cannot ignore it. Listen to what Spurgeon said and I'll close. Before salvation came into this world, election marched in the very forefront and it had for its work the billeting of salvation. Election went through the world and marked the houses to which salvation should come and the hearts in which the treasure should be deposited. Election looked through all the race of man, from Adam down to the last, and marked with sacred stamp those for whom salvation was designed. He must needs go through Samaria, said election, and salvation must go there. Then came predestination. Predestination did not merely mark the house, it mapped the road in which salvation should travel to that house. Predestination ordained every step of the great army of salvation. Predestination ordained the time when the sinner should be brought to Christ, the manner how he should be saved, the means that should be employed. It marked the exact hour and moment when God the Spirit should quicken the dead in sin and when peace and pardon should be spoken through the blood of Jesus. Predestination marked the way so completely to the house that salvation does never overstep the bounds and is never at a loss for the road. In the everlasting decree of the sovereign God, the footsteps of mercy were every one of them ordained." Beautiful imagery, isn't it? The election marked the house. Predestination laid out the path and the timing, and salvation followed that path. A gift from God. Let's bow together in prayer. We confess, Father, that we're overwhelmed. Overwhelmed to think about Your infinite grace to us. We don't understand it. Why would You choose us? but we'll always rejoice. Oh God, thank you. Thank you. We bless you. Lord, how our lives should reflect our gratitude. Help us, Lord, to always remember that we are aliens here. We are chosen by you for another place, perfect place. Don't let us get attached here. Keep us with a clear focus on our true home, our eternal destiny. Fill our hearts with such gratitude for grace that we are compelled to dedication, generosity, untiring service, investment of time and talent and money in the exaltation of Your blessed name. Save us, Lord, from fooling with this fading world to which we have no kinship. Thank You, O God, for setting us apart. Spur us on the path of sanctification. Become daily more like Christ, for we know that's the continuing work of the Spirit. And Lord, we would pray that there would be some whose election becomes reality even this hour. who having been chosen of God are now the recipients of mercy and saving grace, who are granted repentance and faith and set apart from sin unto you. Do that work, Lord, for your glory. Amen. That's John MacArthur, president of the Master's College and Seminary, continuing his study on Grace to You titled, Chosen for Eternity. Now today, John said doctrine has some big implications for our obedience, but what about the implications for evangelism? John, how does a commitment to and a love for this doctrine of election show itself or work itself out in our approach to evangelism? well for me carl it affirms the fact that that what i do is not dependent on me When I'm called to proclaim the gospel, to preach the gospel to every creature, to go into all the world and make disciples of all people and all nations, when I'm told that it's my responsibility to show the truth of the gospel to the people that I meet, to give to every man who asks me an answer, a reason for the hope that is in me, that I can be confident that God will take that truth and that proclamation and bring it to bear on the heart of those who are His chosen people. You know, the Apostle Paul in the book of Acts said he was going to a certain city because he said the Lord has many people in that city. And we can say that even today, that there are people upon whom God has determined to set His electing love. This was what was going on in Isaiah 6 when Isaiah was told, you know, they're not going to listen, they're going to harden their hearts, they're going to shut their eyes, they're going to close down their ears. And Isaiah says, how long do I do that? He said, keep doing it because there's a stump, there's a holy seed, there's a remnant. That is what is so encouraging, that God is going to use us as believers to reach His people. Thanks, John. And friend, as you've read Scripture that you've had questions about, like the one that John just answered, if so, let me encourage you to go to the MacArthurCommentaries.org website. That's a special place. And leave your question there for John. You'll hear answers to many frequently asked Bible questions, maybe even yours. Again, that's a special website, MacArthurCommentaries.org. And to purchase CDs of the Current Radio Study, contact us here today. Chosen for Eternity, the title of the current series is available as a four CD album or on four MP3 downloads. The CDs are ideal for a group study on the topic of salvation. The cost of the album is $20 and shipping is free. Order it by phone. Dial 1-800-55-GRACE or order from the website gty.org. And while you're online, download the four Chosen for Eternity MP3s. They're free of charge at gty.org. And again, the website where you can ask your questions, MacArthurCommentaries.org. Something else to keep in mind, at that website you can purchase any of John's commentaries. He has a total of 29 that cover nearly the entire New Testament. Individual volumes cost $19 each and shipping is free. Again, you can order those at MacArthurCommentaries.org. Now friend, we're able to broadcast today and distribute such a large volume of Bible resources free of charge because friends like you support us financially. Now that's critical as we bring spiritually hungry people the biblical truth they need. So please express your support as you write. Grace to you, Post Office Box 4000, Panorama City, California, 91412. And now, for John MacArthur, thanks for joining us today. Please return tomorrow and each weekday for this half hour of Unleashing God's Truth, one verse at a time, here on Grace To You. So far this week, John MacArthur considered what the doctrine of election is, but there's an important question to consider, the why. Why does God save sinners? That's the question we'll entertain tomorrow on Grace To You.