As a child, maybe you memorized this verse, we love Him because He first loved us. Well, along that line, would you say that we choose Him, choose God, because He first chose us? Let's ponder that question next on Grace To You. Charles Spurgeon put it this way, from the Word of God, I gather that damnation is all of man, from top to bottom, and salvation is all of grace, from first to last. Well, what do you think about that? If getting saved is completely by God's doing, what role, if any, do you have in it? Bottom line, is salvation a matter of the sinners choosing Christ or Christ choosing sinners? Well, hopefully, John MacArthur's current series will help clear up any questions you may have about the doctrine of election. The title of the series, Chosen for Eternity. Let's study here on Grace to You, and let me encourage you to give careful attention to today's message as here's John MacArthur to begin. John MacArthur First Peter 1, 1 and 2. Will you turn to that text? And we are in store for wonderful riches as we share together in God's precious truth. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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? Can I submit to you that in the death of Jesus Christ, there was not only provided in the new covenant salvation, but also there was bound in that a covenant of obedience. When we come and accept the sacrifice of Christ for us, We are not just accepting the benefit of His death on our behalf, we are covenanting with Him in obedience. And that is consecrated by blood, by the death of Christ. The sprinkling of the blood on the altar is seen in the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, satisfying God. In fact, you might be interested to know that Jesus, when He died, quoted Exodus 24, the exact words. When He spoke of His sacrifice as the blood of the covenant and inherent in the new covenant, was a promise. And the promise was that the Lord would come and redeem us and we would respond to keep His Word. To create a salvation without that covenant is to create a false covenant. The sprinkling of blood presupposed a shedding of blood. The consecration of the new covenant presupposed the sacrifice on the cross where Christ offered His life, blood for the sake of men at the will of God, He did it in order that there might be a covenant. Peter's point, summing it up, is this. The work of Christ satisfies God. as He dies as a perfect atonement for sin. But it goes beyond that and it brings men into a covenant of obedience sealed in blood, a vital and profound truth. And so we say that what Peter is concluding is that when you were set apart by the Holy Spirit, you were set apart to God for a life of obedience sealed in the blood of Christ. Obedience is inseparable from sprinkling of blood. When Christ shed His blood, there was a covenant of obedience provided. That's why it says in Acts 5.32, we are witnesses of these things, so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him. Obedience is inherent in the covenant. Salvation and obedience are two sides of the New Covenant. They are two sides of the New Covenant. In Romans 6, And about verse 17, I believe, thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient. You can't talk of salvation without talking of obedience. You can't talk of a new covenant without talking of obedience. And the blood was sprinkled symbolically on us as our part of obedience and on God as His part of faithfulness. We have been elect to obey, elect unto obedience. And there's one more thought, and this is one that thrills me. Listen to this. You say, well, now, why the blood sprinkled on the altar? What is God's part? Listen to this. The blood sprinkled on us symbolizes our commitment to obedience. The blood sprinkled on the altar on God symbolizes His commitment to forgiveness. Did you get that? To grace. Marvelous thought. That's the covenant. The covenant is we promise to obey and God promises to forgive when we don't. Is that a marvelous covenant? That's what the blood provided. That's the two sides of the covenant of obedience, and that's the security of our election. We are secure as elect because of the covenant. We are brought into a covenant of obedience, and our life is characterized by obedience. And if you say to someone, become a Christian and don't worry about obedience, you're not giving them the true message. When you call someone to salvation, you are calling them into a covenant. Our part is obeying and God's part is forgiving when we fail. And that's the covenant. That's the covenant. When you come to God through Christ, you say, Oh God, I give my life to you. I want to obey you. I promise to live for you, to love you, to serve you as best I can. and you're sprinkled with the blood of Christ symbolically and your sins are washed, you become His child, the blood sprinkled on the altar on His part is His bond to you that when you fail to keep that covenant, He is eager and gracious to forgive your sin. Tremendous thought. Tremendous thought. The security of our election comes in the fact that not only were we sprinkled in the covenant, but God in the altar was sprinkled, and He'll keep His side when we fail to keep our side. Same blood that sealed the covenant covers the sin of the disobedient Christian. That's the security of our election. That's why He keeps on cleansing us from all what? Sin. What a truth. So we see the truth of election. It's nature, condition, source, sphere, purpose, security. Lastly, the advantages of our election, and I'm just going to extrapolate off of the concluding statement in verse 2, may grace and peace be yours in fullest measure. That is repeated often in the New Testament by the writers of the epistles. The gift of salvation is grace. The result is peace. Peter says, I want you to have it in abundance. That's his wish. It's an optative verb. You Greek students know that expresses a wish. I wish for you grace. I wish for you peace in maximum measure. I wish for you all the best, all that God has, all that God can give. multiplied again and again and again. In other words, I wish you all the blessings of being the elect. Isn't that good? And let me tell you something, there's some tremendous blessings in being elect. Can I jump off Peter's thought and close by just giving you a little list? What are the advantages of election? We think about the doctrine of election, and we sort of shrivel up. We don't want to talk about it. It's too deep, too confusing, too hard to understand. Let me tell you what election ought to raise in your heart, the responses that it ought to have. You shouldn't run from it. You should run to it. You shouldn't be afraid of it. You should rejoice in it. Here's why. Election is, first of all, the most pride-crushing doctrine in Scripture. That's right. It produces humility. It produces humility. It is the most humiliating truth there is, that you had absolutely nothing to do with your salvation. It just crushes your spiritual and religious pride. Spurgeon called it the most stripping doctrine in the world. It strips you of everything. He wrote this, I know nothing, nothing again that is more humbling than this doctrine of election. I have sometimes fallen prostrate before it when endeavoring to understand it, but when I came near it and the one thought possessed me, God hath from the beginning chosen you unto salvation, I was staggered by that mighty thought. And from the dizzy elevation down came my soul, prostrate and broken, saying, Lord, I am nothing, I am less than nothing. Why me? Why me? It is a pride-crushing doctrine, and that is a blessing because God gives grace to the humbled. Secondly, it is a God-exalting doctrine. It gives all the glory to God. It declares that repentance is from God, that faith is from God, that the power for obedience is from God, that even when we fail, His part of the covenant is to cover our failures. No wonder we respond, not unto us, not unto us, O Lord, but to Thy name give glory. The very fact that our will acted was a result of His movement. It is the most God-exalting element of the doctrine of salvation, just as it is the most pride-crushing element. Thirdly, it is joy-producing. It is joy-producing. Listen, folks, our only hope is to be elect. Did you get that? That's our only hope. So that brings us supreme joy. When I think about the fact that God chose me, that is the supreme joy because I would have no hope of salvation apart from that. I would have no hope if God in His sovereign mercy had not chosen me. What a joyous thought. Fills my heart. Romans chapter 9. except the Lord had left to us a posterity, we would have become as Sodom, verse 29. We'd be destroyed like the rest of the ungodly if the Lord hadn't chosen us. Psalm 65, 4 says, blessed is the man whom you choose, listen to this, and cause to approach you that he may dwell in your courts. Psalm 65, 4, blessed is the man whom you choose. Oh beloved, that ought to inspire joy. God has loved you since He was God, and He's always been God, and He'll always love you. Fourthly, it is the most privilege-granting doctrine in salvation. It is the most pride-crushing, God-exalting, joy-producing, privilege-granting truth. because it grants to us all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus, Ephesians 1, 3 says. We receive benefit upon benefit upon benefit. who we have been made according to chapter 2, verse 9, a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of God's own possession, in order that we might proclaim the excellencies of Him who called us out of darkness into light." Look at the privileges we have, incredible privileges out of election. You ought to love that doctrine. You ought to cling to that doctrine. It is the most holiness-promoting of the elements of salvation. What other more compelling thing could there be for me to live to the glory of God than to know that He chose me out of His own love, out of absolute gratitude I should be compelled to a life of purity. I really feel, people, that when the doctrine of election is not properly taught and understood, people run around under the assumption that they did something for their salvation, and because they feel that it was partly them, they are not compelled to serve and love and glorify the God whose alone was the will and the act of salvation. You don't help people by not having them understand this. Why do you think Paul in Colossians 3.12 says, And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and so forth. Get your act together because you're the chosen of God. What a compelling thing. What an absolutely compelling thing that is. Election should produce obedience. Spurgeon again said, nothing under the gracious influence of the Holy Spirit can make a Christian more holy than the thought that he is chosen. Shall I sin, he says, after God has chosen me? Shall I transgress after such love? Shall I go astray after so much loving kindness and tender mercy? Nay, my God, since Thou hast chosen me, I will love Thee, I will live to Thee, I will give myself to Thee to be Thine forever, solemnly consecrating myself to Thy service." End quote. It's a compelling thing. Sixthly, the doctrine of election is the most strength-giving of the elements of salvation. What do you mean? If I'm the elect, I'm secure. If I entered into a covenant of obedience through the sprinkling of blood, and the blood was sprinkled on the altar representing God, it means that God is bound to keep covenant. My part is to obey, His part is to forgive my disobedience. I'm secure in that. It's the most strength-giving element. To know that He which has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ, or perfect it. Jesus said, Him that comes to Me, I'll in no wise cast out. All that the Father gives to Me will come to Me. I've lost none of them, I'll raise them all up at the last day." Why? They're the elect. Listen, beloved, if you are elect, that seals your eternity. What a strengthening truth that is. And again, I go back to what Spurgeon said on this subject. Listen to this rather lengthy quote, but rich quote. He said, no man will be so bold as he who believes that he is the elect of God. What cares he for man if he is chosen of his maker? What will he care for the pitiful chirpings of some tiny sparrows when he knows he is an eagle of a royal race? Will he care when the beggar points at him? When the royal blood of heaven runs in his veins? Will he fear though the whole world stand against him? If earth be all in arms abroad, he dwells in perfect peace, for he is in the secret place of the tabernacle of the Most High in the great pavilion of the Almighty. I am God's, says he. I am distinct from other men. Is not my name written in God's book? Does he care for the world? Nay, like the lion that careth not for the barking dog, he smiles at all his enemies. And when they come too near him, he moves himself and dashes them to pieces. He walks about them like a colossus, while little men walk under him and understand him not. His brow is made of iron, his heart of flint. What does he care of man? Nay, If one universal hiss came up from the wide world, he would smile at it and say, he that hath made his refuge God shall find a most secure abode." That's right. What do we fear? We're the elect. Nothing can make a man more bold, more strong, more courageous, more secure than that. See how wonderful this doctrine is? Wonderful doctrine. It crushes our pride, makes us humble. It exalts our God. It produces joy, joy from deep down within. It grants privileges, compels holiness, gives strength and boldness. Can you ignore that kind of doctrine? If the church ignores that doctrine, look what it loses, look what it misses. Tremendous truth. Beloved, we need to understand what God has given us in His grace, and we need not to be ignorant because in every doctrine that God provides, there is the privilege of giving a response of praise to Him. And therefore, to be ignorant of the doctrine of election would be to be retarded in an ability to praise and glorify God. Let's pray together. How thankful we are for Your choosing us. We are awestruck, and yes, we do not fully understand it. But, oh God, how we rejoice in it, how we rejoice in it. We are in the covenant of obedience. When we came to Christ, it was our heart's desire to obey Him. We're so thankful that it was Your desire and Your promise through blood to forgive our disobedience. We, like Israel of old, have made the grandiose promise that we will obey, and we, like them, have failed. Thank You for the blood that covers those failures. Thank You for choosing us. Thank You for choosing Your church. Oh, mystery, mystery, mystery. But what is mystery to our intellect is sunshine to our hearts. Thank you for what you've done for us. Amen. Repeating what John MacArthur just said, nothing makes you more bold, strong, courageous, and secure than being God's elect. That's the wonderful reality of being chosen for eternity, and that's the title of John MacArthur's current study here on Grace To You, Chosen For Eternity. John, throughout the study you focused your attention on the benefits of election. Today alone you looked at six of those benefits with all the good things the Bible says about election. Why do you think that so many folks are hesitant to embrace it? Well, I think there might be a few reasons, Carl, why people don't embrace it. There is a whole branch of Christianity coming out of Pelagianism through John Wesley, Charles Finney, down to the modern time, which shows rejection of the doctrine of election, rejection of it from a biblical viewpoint. There are people who have been exposed to that, raised in those traditions and taught those things. There are a large number of people who, while not being Wesleyan in the sense that they fully reject the doctrines of grace, as we believe the Bible teaches them, they reject some of them. They want to hang on to the sovereignty of God in saving someone without works. They want to hang on to the perseverance of the saints, eternal security, but they don't like the idea that God chose people to be saved, so they pick and choose a little bit. And so I think the first reason that people reject the doctrine is because they've been taught not to accept it, and they have been taught that it's not fair, it's not just, God would never do that, and so it's sort of loaded with negative connotations. I think it becomes the most hated doctrine in Scripture. for this primary reason, because sinners want to think they make a contribution to their salvation. What the doctrines of grace do, what the doctrine of sovereign election says is that every person is utterly unwilling and incapable of contributing to his or her own salvation. That is a mighty blow against human pride. There are many more issues in this discussion. I want to tell you about something that will help you with all of them. It's a CD entitled Answering the Key Questions about Election and we'll send it to you free of charge if you ask. Does election discourage evangelism? Is free will a biblical concept? Should new believers be taught the doctrine of election? Those are three common and difficult questions John answers in this interview. Again, the CD answering the key questions about the doctrine of election is yours free. Request your copy today. Make that request by email the address letters at gty.org. Or, if you're using the regular mail, that address is graced to you, Post Office Box 4000, Panorama City, California, 91412. Or, call the toll-free number anytime, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 1-800-55-GRACE. Now be sure you ask for the free CD of Answering the Key Questions about the Doctrine of Election. Send an email to letters at gty.org or write to Box 4000, Panorama City, California, 91412. Or call 1-800-55-GRACE. Now, I'd also like to encourage you to visit the Grace To You website, gty.org, because there you can download John's current study, Chosen for Eternity. Those lessons and 3,000 other sermons by John are free of charge in MP3 or transcript format. You can also download the Grace To You application for your iPhone, Android, or iPad. It gives you immediate, free access to John's verse-by-verse Bible teaching wherever you are. Again, get the app that you need to download any of the free messages. That's at gty.org. And now, for John MacArthur, our Director of Communications, Jay Flowers, and the entire staff, I'm Carl Miller, inviting you back tomorrow for another 30 Minutes of Unleashing God's Truth, one verse at a time, on Grace To You. How does election affect your day-to-day life? Be here tomorrow as John walks you through a watershed passage that pulls this challenging doctrine together. On the next Grace To You!