For the past few days, John MacArthur has been considering basically what the doctrine of election is. But there's another important question to consider, the why. Stay here as he examines God's purpose in saving sinners on this edition of Grace to You. It's true in any team sport really, at least at the professional level. The athletes who enjoy healthy contracts year after year are typically the best at what they do. They produce on the field or on the ice, on the court. They don't make many mistakes and clearly they have their teams because of the skills that they bring to it. Now, compare that scenario to salvation. Frankly, there's nothing you bring to the game in this case, if you will. God needs no one, and there's nothing that you or I or anyone can add to God's greatness. So, the natural question is, why did God choose to save sinners, and how should that change your view of God and the way you live your life? Let me encourage you to keep the questions at hand as John MacArthur returns now to continue the study chosen for eternity here on Grace To You. Here's John. Peter opens this epistle, as you know, by calling his readers chosen, chosen. What a tremendous thought. We are the chosen of God, chosen by God for the privilege of knowing Him through His Son, Jesus Christ. This is not new. It has always been God's pattern to choose sovereignly Nehemiah chapter 9 verse 7 tells us God chose Abram. Genesis 21, 12 tells us God chose Isaac. Romans 9, 8 through 15 says God chose Jacob. The prophet Haggai in chapter 2 verse 23 says God chose Zerubbabel. Isaiah 42, 1 and 1 Peter 2, 6 says God chose Christ. The gospel of John even reminds us, the words of our Lord in John 15, that he chose the disciples, the apostles. Galatians 1.15 tells us that he chose Paul, a chosen vessel. And here we are again confronted with the fact that He chose the church. By sovereign choice, God elected those who would belong to Him. We remember Ephesians 1, where it says in verse 4, He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world. And 2 Thessalonians 2.13, God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation. And we've been examining this great and rich truth that we are the chosen of God. Peter begins his epistle with that because he wants to remind his persecuted brothers and sisters that they may not be the chosen of the world, but they are the chosen of God. They may not be choice by the world's standard, but they are choice by God's standard. His purpose for them unfolds throughout all eternity, no matter what the world may do. They are, at the time He writes, being rejected, persecuted, suffering for their faith, and He reminds them that they are God's chosen people. What a tremendous encouragement that is to persecuted believers. And as he introduces the fact that they are chosen, he gives us some of the elements of the great doctrine of election. In the word chosen is the nature of our election. That is, we are the select of God by His grace. He then discusses the condition of our election. Because we are the elect, we reside, verse 1 says, as aliens. We don't belong here. We are citizens of another kingdom, members of another family. We are aliens here in temporary exile, if you will. That's the condition of our election. Thirdly, the source of our election in verse 2, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. God chose us based upon a predetermined relationship. We are chosen by God based upon His own foreknowledge. And we said that does not mean foresight. That does not mean information gained by observation. That is a predetermined relationship. That same term, foreknowledge, is used in chapter 1 verse 20 where it says, Christ was foreknown before the foundation of the world. It cannot mean that God chose Christ to be the Savior on the basis of foresight or observation. It must mean a predetermined relationship and plan, deliberate design. So the source of our election is bound up in God's predetermined plan called foreknowledge. The sphere of our election came next, and we noted in verse 2 that we enter into the actual experience of our election by the sanctifying work of the Spirit. That is, the election becomes a reality in the life of the chosen person through the setting apart work of the Holy Spirit. Sanctification means to set apart. We were set apart from sin. We were set apart from the world. We were set apart from being children of Satan to being children of God. We were set apart from death unto life. That's the sanctifying or setting apart work of God's Holy Spirit. Sanctification then began at salvation and is a process of purification that goes on until we see Jesus Christ face to face. We have been chosen, says Ephesians 1, 4, to be holy. We have been chosen to pursue holiness. And so the sanctifying work begins at salvation when we're set apart from sin to God, from death to life, from Satan to Christ, and then that setting apart continues progressively until we get more and more holy and more and more like the Lord Jesus Himself. So the sphere of our election is an environment of sanctification. The sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit makes the unholy holy. And that brings us, fifthly, and those were just reviews, to the purpose of our election in verse 2. The sanctifying work of the Spirit has been done that you may obey Jesus Christ. Now, listen to this, it's very basic. We were set apart from sin to God in order that we might obey Jesus Christ. Obedience, then, is the byproduct. Ephesians 2.10 says that we have been made masterpieces, as it were, the workmanship of God, ordained unto good works. which God has predetermined that we would do. In other words, salvation is, by definition, a life of obedience. Very important truth. We have been set apart to God by the work of the Spirit in order that we may obey Jesus Christ. That is consequent to the previous reality. Election then brings through salvation to a life of obedience. Now, we don't obey as we ought to obey fully, but we are nonetheless redeemed unto obedience, separated unto obedience. It becomes a pattern in our new life. We become submissive to the law of God. Romans 7. We become submissive to God as our master. Romans 6. No longer the slaves of sin, but now the servants of God. Righteousness characterizes our behavior. Virtue is a pattern of our life. We become faithful and fruitful and serving and loving Christ. True salvation produces obedience. Not perfect obedience, but obedience. In 1 Timothy 6.3, Paul says, if anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ and with the doctrine conforming to godliness. And what he means there is that the true doctrine of Christ, the true doctrine of salvation has inherent in it a conforming to godliness. The blessed reality of salvation yields the lovely fruit of obedience, and that too is the work of the Spirit. Would you look with me for a moment at 1 Thessalonians 1 where Paul writes along with his companions Silas or Silvanus and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians, he gives thanks to God always for them, verse 2. Verse 3, bears in mind their work of faith, labor of love, steadfastness of hope. And then he says in verse 4, notice this, that he knows, brethren, beloved by God, His choice of you. I know your elect, he says. I know your chosen. How do you know that? Because our gospel didn't come to you in word only, but in power, in the Holy Spirit, and with full conviction. Notice verse 6, and you also became imitators of us and of the Lord. And verse 7, you became examples to all the believers. And verse 9, you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God and to wait for His Son from heaven. He says, I know your elect. How do I know? Because you said so? Because you raised your hand? Because you were once baptized? No. I know your elect. Because you imitated us, you imitated Christ, you received the word in tribulation, you experienced joy, you became an example. Verse 8, you sounded out the word. Verse 9, you turned from idols. Verse 10, you're waiting for Christ. All factors of a regenerate experience, a regenerate life. Those are the things that mark true election. That's basic. A.W. Pink poses this question. He says, how may I know my election? How may I know I'm elect? And then he answers it this way. First, by the Word of God having come in divine power to the soul so that my self-complacency is shattered and my self-righteousness is renounced. Second, by the spirits having convicted me of my woeful, guilty, and lost condition. Third, by having had revealed to me the suitability and sufficiency of Christ to meet my desperate case, and by a divinely given faith causing me to lay hold of and rest upon Him as my only hope. Fourth, by the marks of the new nature within me, a love for God, an appetite for spiritual things, a longing for holiness, a seeking after conformity to Christ. Fifth, by the resistance which the new nature makes to the old, causing me to hate sin and loathe myself for it. Sixth, by avoiding everything which is condemned by God's Word and by sincerely repenting of and humbly confessing every transgression, failure at this point will most surely and quickly bring a dark cloud over our assurance, causing the Spirit to withhold His witness. Seventh, by giving all diligence to cultivate the Christian graces and using all legitimate means to this end, thus the knowledge of election is cumulative. How do you know you're elect? How do you know you're elect? Summing up what he said, you know it because the Word of God teaches you and moves into your life and convicts you of sin and shatters your complacency. You know it because all of a sudden your spirit has come awakened to your sin, to the reality of Christ, and then you receive that new nature. You love God, you love His Word, you long to serve Him, to glorify Him. You hate sin, you want to resist it, and so forth. All of that really is, in the commonest term, reflective of an obedient heart. You obeyed the Word. You obeyed the conviction of the Spirit. You obey the work of Christ. You obey what the Scripture calls you to do. Obedience is the mark. It is the result. It is the response that comes to one who is truly redeemed. So Peter is telling us, then, that that electing work produces obedience to Jesus Christ. It is not perfect obedience, and where we fail, there will be a heart of brokenness and confession, but it is characteristic of a true believer to obey Jesus Christ. And then to seal that truth, If Peter mentions the sixth aspect of election that I want to call to your attention, let's call it, and there are many things we could call it, let's call it the security of our election. We could even call it the obligation of our election or even the covenant of our election. But I want you to see it. It's profound, wonderful, practical. He says this, that you may obey Jesus Christ, and notice the next phrase, underline that in your Bible and in your mind, and be sprinkled with His blood. That phrase needs very careful attention. What does Peter mean that sprinkling blood on people is somehow connected to obedience? What does he mean? You say, well, he means salvation. No, he doesn't. The chronology of the verse puts this as consequent to salvation. At what phrase did salvation occur in verse 2? At what phrase? We were chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. That was in eternity past. And then salvation occurred under the phrase by the...what?...sanctifying work of the Spirit. That's where salvation took place. It led to obedience and being sprinkled with His blood. It is consequent to salvation which is expressed in the phrase, sanctification by the Spirit. Well, what does it mean then? What consequent to salvation act involves a sprinkling of blood? Well, if you study Scripture as I did, pursuing this, there are only a few occasions when people were actually sprinkled with blood. and not at the atonement, not on the day of atonement where the people sprinkled with blood. On none of the occasions of the sin offerings, the trespass offerings, none of those was anyone ever sprinkled with blood. The altar was sprinkled with the animal's blood. The person was not. In fact, blood was sprinkled on people in two cases in Levitical law. Very interesting, by the way. One of them was a leper. And in the symbolic cleansing of a leper, Leviticus 14, 6 and following, the blood of a bird was sprinkled on a leper. And the blood of a ram was sprinkled on Aaron and his sons in the symbolic cleansing and consecration of Aaron and his sons to the priesthood, according to Leviticus 8, Exodus 29. The only two occasions, the blood of a bird sprinkled on a leper, Leviticus 14, the blood of a ram sprinkled on Aaron and the priests when they were set apart to the priesthood. Neither of those fit this. Peter's not talking about a leper and he's not talking about priests. What other occasion occurs in the Old Testament that comes to Peter's mind that has to do with sprinkling blood on people? There's only one, and it only happened one time. And it is very clear that that is exactly what Peter has in his mind. It only occurred one time, and it occurred before the Levitical legislation It is outside the Levitical legislation, it was not a part of that legislation for Israel, yet that one time is so significant that it is mentioned twice in Hebrews, Hebrews 9, 19 and Hebrews 12, 24. The only two times reference is made to this one incident. Now let's go to find it in Exodus chapter 24. This is fascinating. Exodus chapter 24, I'm going to read verses 3 through 8, you follow as I read. Then Moses came, Exodus 24, 3, and recounted to the people all the words of the Lord and all the ordinances and all the people answered with one voice and said, all the words which the Lord has spoken we will do. And Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. Then he arose early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain and twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel. And he sent young men of the sons of Israel, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as peace offerings to the Lord. And Moses took half of the blood from those offerings and put it in basins, and the other half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. Then he took the book of the covenant, the word of God, the instruction from God, and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be," what? Underline that, obedient. So, verse 8, Moses took the blood and sprinkled it, where? On the people and said, behold, the blood of the covenant which the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words. There is the only occasion where blood was sprinkled on people other than the two we mentioned. It only happened one time. It is called the blood of the covenant. Now, let me track back through, listen very carefully, and you'll see what this means. The main points to notice are these. Moses proclaimed to the people God's word, and the people responded with a promise to do what? Obey it, verse 3. All the words which the Lord has spoken will do. Moses then wrote the words down, he built an altar, he sent young men to offer burnt offerings and sacrifice peace offerings of oxen to Jehovah, and then half of the blood of those sacrifices he sprinkled on the altar and the rest, according to verse 6, he put in some kind of bowls or basins. He then took the book of the covenant, which is the Word of God that He had written, He read it before all the people again, and they answered with another promise of obedience. In verse 7, they said, We'll do it all, we'll be obedient. Now listen carefully. They were making a covenant of obedience with God mediated through sacrifice. It was a promise of obedience. The other half of the blood Moses then took from the basins, and on the people he sprinkled it, saying, Behold, the blood of the covenant which the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words," verse 8. In ancient times, when two people made a covenant, that covenant was usually cut in blood. And on occasion, that blood was placed usually on both parties. And that was a blood covenant of commitment to keep a pact. It was common in ancient cultures. And it happened that day. And the covenant was this. We promise, O God, that we will do what? Obey your word. It was a covenant of obedience. a covenant of obedience, sealed in blood. The primary purpose of sprinkling blood was to consecrate, to obligate the parties in the covenant. There was a bond being made between God and the people. Now, follow this. You don't want to lose this because there's a tremendously thrilling conclusion to this. There is a bond made between the people and God. The people are promising to keep His Word, and the blood on them indicates their part of the covenant. The blood on the altar indicates God's part of the covenant. Sprinkling the blood on the people symbolized their commitment to obedience. Sprinkling the blood on the altar symbolized God's commitment to faithfulness. And I believe that is exactly what Peter had in mind. That is the only place in Scripture where you have that connection between obedience and the sprinkling of blood. And Peter, of course, being a Jew and knowing that passage well, finds in it a tremendous parallel for the Christian and the matter of election. When these believers were saved, to whom Peter wrote, when they were saved by the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, making their past election a present reality, they were brought into a covenant with God that was sealed by blood. Sealed by blood. It was a covenant of obedience. Chosen for Eternity. That's true of every believer, and Chosen for Eternity is the title of John MacArthur's study here on Grace To You. Now friend, could be that this series has opened your eyes to the doctrines of grace, foundational teaching that tends to get purposefully avoided in churches today. Of course, John, you've spent a lot of time recently talking and writing about another overlooked truth, one closely connected to the doctrines of grace. We all love the doctrines of grace, obviously, because we're the recipients of grace and all those doctrines are eternal realities in our lives. I wanted to come up with a new and a fresh way to teach those doctrines of grace as we know them, and I found that when I discovered the principle in the New Testament that the Christian is a slave. Christian is a slave. I wrote a book called Slave. I know that's a provocative title, I intended it that way. The subtitle, The Hidden Truth About Your Identity in Christ. How many Christians, how many of you listening, understand that as a Christian you are a slave of Jesus Christ? Within the content of that identity, Within the framework of that perspective, the doctrines of grace take on, I think, their most beautiful and magnificent meaning. So you could say that slave is more than just the hidden truth about your identity in Christ. It is the paradigm in which you understand all of the wonderful Reformed doctrines of grace. They're all in that paradigm. The book, Slave, is affordably priced, relatively new, been very well received, love to get one into your hands, just order it today. Friend, this book will help you understand exactly what the Bible teaches about God's electing grace and help you see God's rightful place in and over the lives of those who belong to Him. The title again of that book, Slave. Order your copy today. You can order at the website gty.org or by dialing the toll-free number 1-800-55-GRACE. The cost for the book, Slave, is $15. Shipping is free. Again, order a copy of Slave. It's a compelling hardcover book. Call 1-800-55-GRACE or log on to gty.org. Now, to review John's current study, Chosen for Eternity, or to pass it along to a friend, order the four-CD album by that title. The cost is $20. Shipping is free. Purchase the CDs online at gty.org or by calling 1-800-55-GRACE. And remember, you can also download the four messages in the MP3 format free at gty.org. A friend, as you tap into these resources, thanks for remembering that we're listener-funded. For many folks, these broadcasts are a main source, perhaps their only source, of in-depth Bible teaching. When you give, you help us keep that spiritual lifeline coming to them. So please express your support as you write. Grace to you. Post Office Box 4000, Panorama City, California, 91412. Or call toll-free 1-800-55-GRACE. And now for John MacArthur, we're wishing you a great weekend and encouraging a return on Monday. Keep in mind that you can see Grace to You television Sundays on DirecTV channel 378 or watch online at gty.org. And then join us next week as John continues unleashing God's truth one verse at a time here on Grace to You. Still don't quite understand election? That's okay. Just keep your questions in mind and join John McArthur next week as he continues his study, Chosen for Eternity, here on Grace To You. you