THE DOCTRINES OF GRACE: (4 of 12) UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION

Homework, Reading, and the Purpose of the Class

Who who was able to do the homework assignment this week? Okay. Okay. We got we got a circle right in here a Little bit you get close. Okay. Okay. So who read chapters 10 through 17 of the Gospel of John?

Okay, that's good. That's a start. Who read chapter 9 of the 1689 London Baptist Confession. That's good. What about the total depravity there in appendix 3 that was the unknown author. Man, that was a great article wasn't it for those of you that were able to read it?

Great article pass. Half I thought you said pass. I was like, okay Brenda wasn't a fan. No, she got half of it though. Who who did the suggested memory verse? We don't have Wesley here this week. Wesley's not here.

We were on a roll there with that. All right. Did anyone? Consider the additional resources. Has anyone read the bondage of the will by Luther? Okay, you've read a bondage of the will. Justin had a question first.

Botner. Yep. That one was yep. That's a great question. It didn't make it on to the to the reading assignment. Did you do it? You read it. We got we the two. Keith's did it. Yes. Oh, yeah the third one.

Yes, okay. That's true. Yeah, Keith has read the book. So he's cheated a little bit. By the way, if you want to you can go back that is actually a really great article. I don't know how it didn't make it on to here, but we'll we'll we'll get there.

Okay, so Number of you did the homework somebody did half the homework somebody did none the homework. That's okay. Does anyone want to speak to how it helped you better? Understand total depravity from last week.

Does anyone got any thoughts on that when you did the homework when you did the reading assignment? How did it help you formulate your thinking your thoughts on the topic? Anybody I think that's one of the greatest things I would ask for y 'all to be able to get as a takeaway because what that does is that completely?

Does away with the world's way of thinking of libertarian free will you know? I told you last week that that people will say to me they're like, well, I don't believe in these doctrines. I believe in free will and I'm like, well, so do I.

You know, they're like, well, you can't believe in free will you believe that we're robots and I'm like, no. That's not what we teach at all. Now if you mean libertarian free will like you are free to make whatever choice.

Whatever choice that is is set before you at all. Then not even the philosophers of this world would acknowledge that kind of free will they themselves would even acknowledge. There is no such thing as that.

Everybody is driven by their desire. Everybody is influenced by something outside of themselves. And so for us to be able to to make that distinction there. I think that was helpful. The reason I asked and thank you Keith for for, you know Speaking up and that is that I want everyone to understand that this homework is designed to help you.

I I'm talking about some massive Extremely important doctrines for the Christian faith in about 45 to 50 minutes. That's that's not a lot of time for you to be able to formulate your thoughts. The homework is given there for you to go and sit down and read and to be able to Dive in a little bit deeper and that's why I asked about the Martin Luther book the bondage of the will which would be an excellent Resource by the way, if anybody wants to pursue that.

Prayer for Help and the Topic of Unconditional Election

Well, let's pray today before we get started here. We need God's help and we're jumping on to another another area the second point here and the doctrines of grace. Let's pray dear only Father Lord. We we come before you and we Acknowledge that.

That we desperately need your mercy and grace. We desperately need your working in our hearts and in our minds. Yeah, we need you to mold the way we think we need your word to formulate and And inform us as to what truth is God, I pray that you would help me as I speak of of this This immensely important doctrine to the Christian faith.

Lord, I pray that I would represent it. Well God, I pray that you would prepare all of us as we grow in the fear knowledge of you. We thank you in Christ's name. Amen. Before we jump in here. I put down a quote from John Piper on this topic that we're talking about tonight.

He said election refers to God's choosing whom to save. It is Unconditional in that. There is no condition Man must meet before God chooses to save him. Man is dead in trespasses and sins. So there is no condition he can meet Before God chooses to save him from his deadness.

Now this this summarizes the topic that we're going to be discussing today. And you you will begin to see how as I've continued to remind you as these doctrines build on themselves. Right this doctrine builds upon the first.

What do we talk about last week? Total depravity, right? And so this doctrine stems from that we must come to some of the conclusions biblically as we look at some of the passages of Unconditional election based upon the fact that we are depraved.

We are totally depraved not that we act on that depravity at all times as we talked about last week but our nature is that of Not choosing God. Yes, I wish I knew who wrote that. It's a is that the Lorraine Botner or is that the unknown?

Okay. Yeah, that's good. Okay. Go ahead. Yeah, that's a good book. Do we have that on our recommended list on the back? I Don't think we put it on there. Maybe we should have. You dropped the ball Keith.

Why Election Is Not Based on Foreseen Faith

All right. Well guys. Turn to page 33 in your booklets. Does anyone not have a booklet with you that wants a booklet? We have some in the back. Ryan could you go in that closet and grab a couple books just in case somebody's in need of one so a definition of Unconditional election.

Number one. Unconditional election does not mean that God saves people whether they believe in Christ or not. Unconditional election does not mean that God saves people whether they believe in Christ or not.

Right underneath there you'll see Romans 10 verses 13 through 14. Where Paul declares for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord? What is it? Will be saved. And look at what it says next though. How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed and how are they to believe in him of whom they?

Have never Heard and how are they to hear without someone preaching. When we teach these doctrines, I cannot emphasize enough. Don't swing the pendulum, right? Don't do it. Don't go to the extreme where you say unconditional election God's gonna save whom God's gonna save and so I'm just gonna let God do it and we're just gonna go on with our lives.

Because that's what Paul is Reprimanding there in Romans 10 in that passage, right? It's the call to evangelism. We have no idea Who God's elect are. We have no idea we spread the gospel to all liberally, right.

We that this this is a call of the Christian all are called but few were chosen. You get that right all are called the call of the gospel is to the whole world repent and believe. You call them to repent and believe and then you trust a good and gracious God to awaken those from that total depravity that are that the consequences of that original sin.

You let him to sort all that out and. And it's why I always say around here evangelism when you finally understand salvation according to the scriptures. Evangelism has a 100 success rate. Because all you're doing is being the obedient mouthpiece because how how are they to believe if no one preaches to them?

That's it's the power of God and a salvation. That is the gospel of Jesus Christ. That's why we continue to declare it. So if you come in here and you go, okay, I've got total depravity down I've got I've got unconditional election pastor.

I'm with it and then you just quit evangelizing then you don't get it. You're not hearing me tonight. You are not understanding the doctrine of unconditional election. I promise you you're not. You're distorting it because you're being sinfully lazy.

God's Sovereign Basis for Election

Okay, I want you to I want you to understand that and that is a propensity. Okay number two. The question is this. On What basis does God elect individuals for salvation on what basis? Does God elect individuals for salvation?

We see a Familiar passage as we've recently been going through Ephesians there in chapter 1 in verse 4. Where Paul says even as he who's that? The father. Chose us in him before the foundation of the world.

That we should be holy and blameless. Before him on what basis does God elect individuals for salvation? Look there in that block there. There's a fray. There's kind of a breakdown of Romans 3 12, you know.

All have turned aside together. They have become worthless. It's the foundation for God's election is found only in himself. That's the kicker the foundation for God's election is found only in him in his love.

That's what it's all based off of. We get it distorted and we think of election and we go. Okay election that just seems like a hateful mean God that that that that only chooses some but doesn't choose others.

But that's not how scripture shows us this picture. It shows us the wonderful amazing love of God. Which by the way, if you think of it in scripture love God is love. Right. It doesn't say God is wrath.

It doesn't say doesn't say God is justice. God is just God is wrathful. Those are attributes of himself, but God is love. That's who he is. Everything is stemming from this great love and he says that Paul says there in Romans 3 all have turned aside together.

They have become worthless. No one does good not even one. But everything is grounded and founded in God himself only in himself in his love. Even as he chose us before the foundation of the world. What did he choose us to to love we should be holy and blameless before him?

It's all grounded in love. Now there is pushback to all of this look at number three. We have the classical Arminian it do y 'all remember when we talked about the definitions, right the Arminian view sometimes when we say Arminian, it's not really an Arminian view as much as it is just Pretty much we we kind of lump every other position other than Calvinism into the Arminian view a lot of times or a semi Pelagian view but the Arminian view is is one that is Denying these tenets of total depravity unconditional election, right?

It's all based on man and everything but this is kind of the the main predominant view the classical view of God's election teaches a conditional election. That is based upon his foreknowledge. An election that is based upon his foreknowledge essentially he foresees who will have faith and Elects them unto salvation.

This is this is the answer this is how they get around it because they see election and Predestination and choosing and they see all of it in Scripture and they can't get around it. They can't avoid that language.

And so they redefine it and we're gonna see that here in just a moment but if you notice in that block down below we have two observations about the the the Arminian view which is really The anti Calvinist view I should say it's easier.

The first it embraces the concept of election as biblical. Like I said, right they can't get around it. It's in Scripture. It's there we have to make it we have to define it in some way. But secondly, it holds that man's response is Ultimately the determining factor in salvation, right?

God gave man more power than himself. It's ultimately Man's response. Yes. Yeah, so I think the modalist view is so convoluted and philosophical that there's there's no logical sense whatsoever To it, but the foreknowledge view is they and they hate this phrase.

They get really mad at me and they they attack me online on this. They say what how big is this corridor you speak of? But this is the basics of how it gets down into the foreknowledge view is it's a corridor.

God has to look down this corridor of time and he sees who will choose him and who will not and he elects them based Upon that information. Now, they would not they would fundamentally deny that they would hold that view.

But that's ultimately the only Outworking of that their view could possibly land in. Am I wrong about that Adam? Yep, we're actually gonna talk a little bit about that here in a little bit, too. So we'll be able to define some of that.

But as far as the modalist view, it's it's heresy. It's outside of the faith and it has to it has to undermine Basic fundamental principles of attributes of God to obtain so I don't even entertain it.

It's it's not even a it's not even an option on the table. It's complete and utter heresy that leaves you outside of Christianity because you've you've you've put God into this box of Of Really being less than man, it's good.

God's Sovereign Decree and the Rejection of Conditional Election

All right number four on the next page. Unconditional election insists that God's elective decree rests solely on his sovereign decree. To save whom he wills. There is no foreseen condition that people meet There by inducing them to elect them and conditional election Insists that God's elective decree rests solely on his sovereign decree.

This is the difference we must see God for who he is. I like how RC puts it all the time. RC Sproul. He'll tell you guys you can't even begin to understand these doctrines until you begin to understand the holiness of God.

Until you begin to see just how altogether separate God is from humanity and creation. You can't eat you don't even have categories for this because what you're going to do is you're gonna come to these doctrines and You're going to imprint anthropomorphic thought onto God the Creator.

You're gonna bring your human way of thinking your human logic your human fairness. Your human love your human everything and you're gonna imprint that on God and then you're gonna leave these doctrines ago.

Well, those aren't fair. That's not right. That's not good. And that's why RC says no. No, no, we got to go to Scripture. We have to go and we have to look and see the holiness of God. We have to see the immensity of God.

We have to see his attributes like like we were just talking about with the modalist view or even the the foreknowledge view. Like if he's looking down the corridor of time, guess what? God's no longer omniscient.

God learned something and If God learned something he's not omniscient. That's not a God and that's most certainly not the God of Scripture. So we must start with who God is in order to get there and it's sovereign decree to save whom he wills.

He does as he pleases. He does all that he pleases. There is no foreseen condition that people meet. That would that would in any way? Drive God to elect them as the foreknowledge view would hold to. Look at look there at the passage Ephesians 1 5 and 5 through 7 he predestined us.

Well, there's a there's one of the words they can't get around that they hate that they have to do they have to define it. Some way he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ.

Why and how? According to the purpose of his will to the praise of his glorious grace. With which he blessed us in the beloved. It's his will. It's his purpose. Look down at Romans 9 15 16 there in your in your notes for he says to Moses I will have mercy on whom I have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion so then it depends not on human will or exertion but on God who has Mercy if God looked down the corridor of time and saw that you chose him, which by the way is impossible.

Let's do away with total depravity. Let's set that aside for now and assume and pretend like that doesn't exist and that we're not Hell-bent on our own will against God which scripture most certainly shows us but let's assume that's not the case.

It is has nothing to do with anything that you do. Not accepting a gift. Not getting baptized not anything Romans 9 23 in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory.

Vessels of mercy that he prepared beforehand. But before what? Before the foundations of the world, right? Before he had even created anything he had already prepared vessels for honorable use. Vessels that he would pour his mercy out the unconditionally elected Children of God.

Objections to Conditional Election

Be the objection to conditional election. This is conditional election. This is an objection to it. Conditional election would be what we're talking about. Like God saw all look down the corridor of time and saw that you would choose him or for any other reason.

Maybe Nathan was was smarter than his best friend in high school. So Nathan's the one that got elected. Maybe there was something more lovable about you than your neighbor. Right something conditional but there's objections to this that we see in Scripture number one.

It discounts that Radical corruption of man that we talked about last week that total depravity. It completely does away with it discounts it. That radical corruption your will will never choose God. What are you going to do with that?

Our non Calvinist brothers who would affirm radical corruption or total depravity as we've titled it. They they affirm this as a consequence of original sin. Which we talked in detail about yet. They denounce Unconditional election our brothers that do this.

They see total depravity and then denounce Unconditional election and they want to have some conditional election are simply being inconsistent. You can't have your cake and eat it too. You can't man is either unable and unwilling to come to Christ or he's not and if he is Then there's no condition where that man would would choose God.

It completely does away with the corruption the radical corruption the total depravity from original sin. And we've we've read this passage time and time again. Romans 3 11. No one understands. No one seeks for God all to has turned aside together.

They become worthless. No one does good not even one not one. John 6 63 it is the Spirit who gives life. The flesh is no help at all. There's nothing in your flesh that would make this election conditional.

There's nothing you have nothing to offer the Creator. He doesn't need us. He has no need of us. You're not gonna hear that on Caleb. Are you he doesn't need you? He has no need of you. There's no deficiency in the all all-knowing all-powerful Creator none in none.

He doesn't need Nathan. He is not deficient in any way without me. He in his good and gracious love Has chosen to bring me into his goodness. You see where it all starts with God. We got to keep going back or we can't even begin to understand these things.

But it discounts this radical corruption that is going on. No flesh. Look next page. We have a couple more passages. John 2 24 and 25. But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about Man for he himself knew what was in man.

He knows what's in man. Old Testament passage Jeremiah 17 the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick who can understand it. I the Lord search the heart and test the mind to give every man according to his ways according to the fruit of his Deeds and what are his deeds in his ways always corrupt apart from God's good grace.

Allowing him to walk in righteousness through Christ even the Old Testament Saints. There's not a single Old Testament saying that walked in his own righteousness, right? Not Abraham not David. Not one.

Those men were saved just like we are but we're looking back and seeing the Messiah. They were trusting in a coming Messiah that's how they were saved and they only had righteousness that was given to them when they were awakened by the Holy Spirit and Brought to faith and repentance and then they walked in that righteousness number two.

It misconstrues the biblical concept of foreknowledge, which is what we were just talking about a moment ago misconstrues the biblical concept of foreknowledge. In Romans chapter 8 starting in verse 29 we see some of this language for those whom he foreknew.

They say they stop there. They say see he knew of their faith and then predestined. Again, they can't get around the the words the foreknew the predestined the elect they can't get around it. So they have to redefine it.

You see he knew their faith. So that's how they were predestined. But he says for those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

And those whom he predestined he also called and those whom he called he also Justified and those whom he justified he also glorified. Well, y 'all know what this is called in Scripture. What's this portion of Scripture called?

The golden chain of redemption. This is these are this golden chain these links they link together and they're in secession. Right he foreknew he predestined he conformed. He called he justifies he will glorify.

What then shall we say to these things if God is for us who can be against us? Down below we have some thoughts here. This cannot refer to the prescient knowledge. Which simply which is simply? Knowledge of events.

Prescient knowledge just means it's like it's a pre-science knowledge. It's a it just simply means a Knowledge of events to come or knowledge of something that is to come. Like we would say that that somebody that foretells the future they have a pre-science a prescient knowledge of something in the future which is Really demonic don't trust anybody that says it.

They're really just kind of gambling and shooting in the dark and sometimes they hit the nail on the head. But it's for another time. All right. Since God possesses this kind of pre-science concerning all men and events.

This verse cannot be referring to that form of knowledge. That modalist view that you talked about a moment ago or open theist open theism. God cannot know the future because the future has not happened yet.

So again, notice that we're starting at a point to where we say Okay, we're looking at who God is and if we then take okay, Nathan's like this God is bigger than Nathan, but he says he's like up here.

Well, then I'm I'm going when they think can't see the future. So I don't I can't I don't have a category for a God that can see the future. And so God's learning just like us. He's on the timeline. Just like us.

He sees events as they happen and their argument would be well God's just he's been around a long time. He's much smarter. He's much wiser. He his predictions. They're real good. Like he he can really predict it down to the down to the money, right?

He's got it down pat and that's the kind of their answer, but that is not the God of the Bible the God of the Bible is. Right now a kabillion years that way and a hundred kabillion years that way and everything in between and everything passed right now.

He is not constrained to time. He knows everything. He's all-knowing. He's never learned a single thing. He knows all things and he has ordained every single molecule in the all of creation to precision.

That's the God we worship right we have to get that into our heads. But because if we don't it leads us to these interpretations and scripture that are false. For for new. Well, we have Acts 15 18 here.

I think he quotes. I think it's Isaiah 45. Where he says known from of old it I think he was referring to the Gentile Christians at the Jerusalem Council there if I'm not mistaken. And he quotes that Old Testament known from of old.

It's it's God didn't God didn't just look down the corridor of time from back then and know them. There's an understanding to this known as a matter of fact, look at the next thing. No for new is Made up of two Greek words.

First one pro means before. Okay. For new is made up of two Greek words. First one pro means before in front of or prior to Gnosko to know intimately. Gnosko pro gnosko, right pro gnosko is to know someone intimately.

Beforehand you guys get a little taste of the Greek class coming up, don't you? It's important that we look back to the language because otherwise we just take our preconceived ideas of well if if I say.

If I say well, I for know somebody it's like well I just have this idea this concept or maybe I I'm a future. I can see the future and I can see that person and when we bring these ideas to this language.

But that's not the language. It means before intimately beforehand to know someone intimately in the context in the context. It is not what faith he knew about this person. It is whom? The person he knew.

Okay, so remember how I said a moment ago where we saw that for new and they'll say see. He knew of their faith and then that's how he predestined them. That's not the word. It's to know someone intimately beforehand.

To know someone intimately beforehand. It's not that faith. That he knew about the person. It's the person that he knew intimately before. As a matter of fact biblical examples here that give us some better understanding turn the page.

1st Samuel 1 19. See they rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord. Then they went back to their house at Ramah and Elkanah. I know if I'm saying that right. Knew Hannah his wife. What does that mean?

It's that same language, right? It means that they had intimate relations. And what did it do? It produced a son. This is the the Gnosko. Luke 1 34 and Mary said to the angel. How is this to be since I am a virgin.

Other translations say since I do not know a man. Because the word there is Gnosko that same word. I do not have an intimate relationship with any man. How can I possibly be of child? Matthew 7 23. And then will I declare to them I never knew you.

Depart from me you workers of lawlessness. Yes, that's right. Yep. It's it's an intimate love beforehand. Yeah, that's good. This is this is what Paul is talking about in Ephesians 1. When he when he says he chose us before the foundations of the world.

He had an intimate passionate love for you before. This is for new this completely does away with with this idea of him learning something and some type of Knowledge has nothing to do with a knowledge of something.

It's not a knowledge of anything but a knowledge and intimate knowledge of the person. That's important when we see this. Okay, the third objection to conditional election. Number three it destroys the concept of sovereign grace.

The moment that grace is not carried out and given by God alone. It ceases to be grace. It's now earned. Paul said there in Romans 11 what then Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it.

But the rest were hardened. As it is written God and he quotes Isaiah 29 here. God gave them a spirit of stupor. Eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear down to this very day. Oh What do you think God did that?

Based on his sovereign choice. His sovereign grace. 2nd Thessalonians 2 13. But we ought always to give thanks to God for you brothers beloved by the Lord. Because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved.

John 15 16 you did not choose me. That's Jesus. He didn't choose me. I chose you and I appointed you. Next page shows Romans 9 18. So then he has mercy on whomever he wills and he hardens whomever he wills.

What what kind of response do we have for that? You see there in the box election cannot be based on merit for two reasons. Man is not capable of merit in his fallen state. We've already covered that and grace is Negated if merit is present.

Even if like I said total depravity wasn't true and we were morally Capable of turning to God then our turning to God Expecting his accepting his free gift of grace, right? That's how we define it except it is free gift or grace while others reject that gift is most certainly merit.

Yes. Did I put I have negated on this and negotiated on that. Thank you. It is negated negated in EG AT ED. Negated. That's funny. What's that? Yeah, it's negotiated. Good catch. All right. Get out, okay.

All right, let's move on to see I got a move here. Hopefully we got no more of those if they are just let me stay in my stay in my in my ignorant bliss, right? See a Consideration of Romans 9 10 through 23 this this passage of Romans 9 is is a highly debated chapter.

As a matter of fact the last I heard I think at the last debate that you guys were at The debater actually said what Romans 6 and on was only Israel. I was like James White looked at him like did he really just say that like What.

But the point was is that that debater needed that to have to be the case because if Romans 8 on Isn't talking just about Israel then All of this has to be true and they know that. But there's no way it's it is any of its talking about Israel alone.

As a matter of fact, that's easy to deal with. We don't even we're not even gonna deal with that. We're just gonna look at some considerations here of Romans 9 number one. God's election is found in God alone, right.

Easy enough in verse 11 of Romans 9 Paul says though they were not yet born and had done nothing good or bad. In order that God's purpose of election might continue not because of works but because of him who calls God's election is found in God alone.

Everything starts and ends with God. He's the Alpha and Omega. He's the beginning in the end. Everything is because of God. He works all things out, right? The question of God's Fairness is raised. The question of God's fairness is raised.

That's what Paul. Paul does this in verse 14. Paul knows the mind of people. He's a person He knows he knows when you read something like what we just read that that These two these two boys that were that were born by the same family same mother at the same time.

They're twins that that God chose one and rejected another. Before they'd ever done anything good or bad like what and then in verse 14 says, what shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? Is that unjust of God?

Is he is he unfair? Is this fair because if I choose someone and not another based off of not just nothing. Then then that is unfair. Is this unfair of God and he says by no means. Paul poses the question he beats everyone to the punch in his writing.

He goes you're gonna ask the question. I did we're all gonna ask the question because we're not understanding who God is by no means. And in the box there it says does the Arminian or semi Pelagian viewpoint answer the fairness question.

Does it? No, they have no answer to the fairness question. They have no answer to the fairness question. Right. I think Brian wouldn't mean you were talking about this when you were first kind of dealing with this stuff.

I remember at one point at the dining table is you were asking that fairness question, right? I'm putting you on the spot, but we've talked about this way. You were like the fairness question. I said well the non Calvinist has the same problem.

Because if God is omniscient and God has written the days of the birth and the death of every human being and he knows That that person is going to reject him and spend eternity in hell, but still creates them.

You still have a problem based on our earthly interpretation affair. Everyone has the problem they give no answer to the fairness question. None whatsoever. Look at these these list of questions here.