INTRO. - You’ve been elected! How do these words grab you? If some politician said, “you’ve been elected,” would you be excited? Or how about if God said those words to you?
ILL.- One day when preacher Lyman Beecher agreed to exchange pulpits with a neighboring preacher who believed strongly in predestination. As the preachers passed each other on the designated Sunday, Beecher’s friend said, “Dr. Beecher, I wish to call to your attention that before the creation of the world God arranged that you were to preach in my pulpit and I in yours on this particular Sunday.”
“Is that so?” Beecher exclaimed. “Then I won’t do it.” And he turned his horse around and started back to his own church.
There are at least two schools of thought when it comes to this predestination business. And maybe more.
1- There are apparently some who believe that a person is predestined to accept Christ and be saved. The problem with this thinking is that it rules out the matter of choice, which God gives to all mankind. We get to choose our own destiny, in a sense. He has paved the way to eternal life but we won’t go there unless we make this choice.
Joshua 24:15 “But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” YOU CHOOSE WHOM YOU WILL SERVE!
John 7:17 “Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.” You can choose to do His will or not.
2- There are those who believe that God predetermined salvation in heaven, in the sense of making the plan before He even created the world. This seems most sensible to me. God planned for man’s salvation in Jesus before He created the world. He knew that man would sin and would need a way to be saved from sin and hell. HE MADE THAT PLAN BEFORE CREATION.
And it’s true that God knows the road that every human person will take in life, but I don’t believe that He predetermines the way we will go, like we are robots. God did predetermine, however, that those who would choose His Son as their Savior would be His “elected” ones. WE ARE ELECTED IN CHRIST. WE ARE GOD’S ELECTED ONES! And it’s all because of Christ and because we have chosen Christ.
ILL.- A black preacher was once asked to explain the doctrine of election. Said he, “Brethren, it is this way: The Lord he is always voting for a man, and the Devil he is always voting against him; then the man himself votes, and that breaks the tie!” AMEN!
People need to choose Christ and become an elect child of God!
PROP.- The faith God’s elect consists of several important matters.
1- The faith of God’s elect leads to godliness
2- The faith of God’s elect rests in hope
3- The faith of God’s elect trusts in God
I. THE FAITH OF GOD’S ELECT LEADS TO GODLINESS
1 Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God's elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness.
If we are truly elected in Christ we will see the truth of God which leads to godliness. Is godliness your goal or a goal in your life? What is godliness? It could well be “God-likeness.” To be godly is to be like God! What a tall order for us sinful human beings.
If we are truly elected by God I think we will want to be better and different people. We will want to become more holy, like God who is totally holy.
The problem is that today we live in a world where we are surrounded by ungodliness or by things that completely distract us from the will of God.
ILL.- I know that by all health standards I am overweight, not excessively, but I am overweight. And at my age, it’s easy to give in to it and not fight it. I know that for my health’s sake I should walk, exercise, and eat less junk and lose some weight. It’s highly possible for me to do, but it’s much easier to eat ice cream, hamburgers and french fries.
And this is the same problem that we all have when it comes to spirituality as well. We know what we should do in order to become a better person and more like Christ but it’s much easier to give in to the world and do what everybody does. Indulge ourselves on the things of the world instead of abstaining and growing in Christ. MANY THINGS IN THIS WORLD ARE JUST A WASTE OF OUR PRECIOUS TIME!
What will it take to become godly? Some strict spiritual discipline for one thing.
Psalm 1:1-2 “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.”
Psalm 119:9-11 “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”
II Timothy 2:15 “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth."
Are you doing your best to be approved by God through your handling of His Word? Could you read it more?
II Timothy 3:14-15 “As for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”
Scripture will not only lead you to salvation in Jesus but also, make you a new and different person in Jesus. New and better.
ILL.- A mother visited her boy at college. On entering his room, her eyes swept across the walls, which were covered with more than a dozen suggestive pictures. Her heart was grieved, but she said nothing.
Several days later, the mailman delivered a package to the young man. It was a gift from his mother—a beautifully framed picture of the head of Christ.
Proudly the boy hung the picture on the wall above his desk. That night, before he went to bed, he removed the pin-up picture which hung closest to the face of Christ. The next day another picture was consigned to the wastebasket. Day after day the pictures began to disappear from the walls until only one remained—the picture of the Savior.
The more we’re in the Lord’s presence, (scripture and prayer) the less attractive the things of the world will be! We need to be in His presence every day through prayer, study and praise in order to become what He wants; like Him in holiness. Our faith leads to Godliness.
II. THE FAITH OF GOD’S ELECT RESTS IN HOPE
2 A faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life
ILL.- John and Roy had not seen each other for five years. Then they happened to bump into one another. "How is your wife?” asked John.
"My wife has gone to heaven," said Roy. "Oh, I'm so sorry," said John. Then, realizing that his friend had actually said his wife went to Heaven, he added, "I mean, I'm so GLAD that she’s gone!"
Then he put his hand to his face, and said with embarrassment, "Actually, I meant to say I’m so SURPRISED!"
We may be shocked about someone’s passing but we should not be surprised as to what happens when a Christian leaves this world.
However, many people are not sure about eternity or at best, they have poor ideas as to how to get there.
ILL.- How Do You Get Into Heaven? Here are a variety of opinions that were gathered for the Radio Bible Class:
- "God wouldn't send you to hell." (New York)
- "I'll cross that bridge when I get there." (Boston)
- "You have to believe in God." (Miami)
- "There is nothing I can do about it." (New York)
- "I don't dare say that I know I'm going." (Los Angeles)
- "Keep the Ten Commandments." (San Francisco)
- "How I live my life...being kind to other people." (Boston)
- "Jesus gave His life for my salvation." (Los Angeles)
- "I couldn't care less." (Boston)
- "Be a good person." (Gainesville)
- "I feel I'd go to hell." (San Francisco)
We can know that we’re headed for heaven, but apparently, many people haven’t figured it out yet. The promise is made sure through the Lord Jesus Christ and what He did for us on the cross! We put our hope and trust in Him who became sin for us. OUR HOPE IS IN HIM!
II Corinthians 8:9 “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.”
ILL.- I like that story about the boy and his father who were planning a fishing trip for the next day. That evening as the father was putting his son to bed, the boy hugged his father's neck and said, "Daddy, thank you for tomorrow."
We all can pray, “Thank you, Father, for tomorrow. Thank you for what’s coming. Thank you for eternal life in Jesus.” The elect of God rests in the hope of eternal life through Christ.
III. THE FAITH OF GOD’S ELECT TRUSTS IN GOD
2 A faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time.
GOD, WHO DOES NOT LIE. What a statement! What a God!
ILL.- Four high school boys agreed to skip class and go see a movie. Reporting to school the next day, they told the teacher that the car in which they had been riding had a flat tire. Much to their relief, the teacher smiled and said, “That’s OK. You missed a short test yesterday, so you four take your seats apart from one another and take out a piece of paper.” As the boys found seats in different corners of the room she asked, “Which tire was flat?”
It’s bad when young boys lie but it’s far worse when grown adults lie constantly in order to get approval, get their way, etc.
ILL.- A USA Today poll found that only 56% of American teach honesty to their children. And a Louis Harris poll turned up the distressing fact that 65% of high school students would cheat on an important exam. Recently a noted physician appeared on a network news-and-talk show and proclaimed, "Lying is an important part of social life, and children who are unable to do it are children who may have developmental problems."
Pretty sad, wouldn’t you say? Lying is fast becoming a way of life for Americans.
II Timothy 2:13 “If we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.”
Enter stage right; GOD. Even when we are faithless, GOD IS FAITHFUL. God is always faithful to us whether we are faithful to Him or not! And the same principle applies to lying. And even when we lie, God does not lie. And we, the elect of God, trust Him who never lies.
I’ve never gambled at a casino. I’ve never bet on horses. And I’ve only one bought one lottery ticket in my life and of course, it never paid off. BUT IF I EVER THOUGHT THERE WAS A SURE THING, I’D BET MY LIFE ON IT AND I AM! God does not lie. His Word is true.
CONCLUSION----------------------
I’m so glad I’m a part of the family of God
I’ve been washed in the fountain
And cleansed by His blood
Joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod
For I’m a part of the family
The family of God
I’m just so glad to be the elect of God in Jesus. And being His means godliness for us, trust in God who is always true and faithful, and the hope of eternal life.
Steve Shepherd, Jonesboro Christian Church, AR
jonesborochristianchurch@suddenlink.net
