(Ephesians) Election: Pure and Simple — Jeff Noblit

Election in Ephesians 1:4

Look at Ephesians chapter 1 verse 4. We're going to find out how he works. We don't understand it all but we can see something of how he works as we look at Ephesians chapter 1 let me just read verses 1 through 4 to get the flow of the context and then we'll Nestle in on the first part of verse 4 and look at a message that I'm entitling election pure and simple.

Ephesians chapter 1 beginning in verse 1. Paul an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God. To the Saints who are at Ephesus who are faithful in Christ Jesus. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessed be God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ? Just as he chose us in him Before the foundation of the world that we would be holy and blameless before him in love.

Now in verse 3 the Bible tells us that we are blessed beyond Comprehension. He says we are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. One way to view that is we have all the blessing and infinite heaven can contain.

God has bestowed that on us and of course that includes salvation coming to God through the Lord Jesus Christ. But the question is How do we get these blessings? But first of all, let's look at his elaboration on these particular blessings and we see that beginning in verse 4 let me do something of a a quick running overview of verses 4 through 14 and look at how he Mentions the various aspects of the blessings we have that come from heaven.

The Spiritual Blessings of Election

All right first of all in verse 4 he says just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we would be holy and blameless before him in love. So he says first of all, you're going to be holy and blameless before a just God.

Now, that's a blessing folks. All right, then he goes to verse 5 he predestined us to adoption as sons. God says not only that I'm not just gonna make you right. I'm gonna make you one of my sons who's right with me.

Not just a slave not a not a bond slave. Not a worker. Not an employee. Not a demeaning lower person. I'm gonna make you one of my sons. I'm gonna adopt you. That's a spiritual blessing. Verse 7 in him we have redemption through his blood.

Now he begins to elaborate on the the process of bringing about our salvation that came through Jesus Christ. Dying on the cross pouring out his life's blood as he received the judgment of God on our behalf.

Now as he died receiving the judgment of God on our behalf the Bible says that was a redemption. Now that word redemption comes from the slave market of this day. When you could go to the slave market and buy one out of slavery you purchased their redemption so Jesus Christ who has through his blood has Purchased our redemption bought us out of the slave market of Satan and sin and made us a child of God.

Well, that's another spiritual blessing and notice how he words it in verse 8 which he lavished on us. He's talking about grace. He lavished on us in all wisdom and Insight so we have a lavishing grace that's been put on us.

In other words, God didn't just say I'm going to just bestow some grace on you. No, he says if you look at what I have done for you, it's a it's a pouring of the full load of grace on you lavishing grace.

Then he goes on and says in verse 8 that in this one of these spiritual blessings is wisdom and insight. When you're saved you begin to understand the ways of God and the truth of God as other men cannot understand.

For example as these Gentiles these non-jews were coming to Christ. They begin to see that the way to God was not through Judaism and not through the works of the law and not through the ceremonies of religious Judaism.

But it was through Christ. That was a whiz that was wisdom. That was insight. They did not have before and though not many of the Jews came to Christ in this day those who did come. What did they do? They gained wisdom.

It's not through the works of the law and it's not through the ceremonial rites of Judaism. It's through Christ that we come to God. That's a blessing and then he says in verse 11. Also, we have obtained an inheritance.

That inheritance we inherit everything that is Christ. That's a blessing verse 12. To the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ. We have hope in Christ. Now remember the biblical concept of hope is not I believe it's going to happen.

I I hope it happens and maybe it'll happen. No, this hope is a full assurance. We know that we're God's child and we know we're gonna make it all the way we're gonna make it somehow. Well to us it somehow to God.

He knows how we just can't see it all yet verse 13 in him you also after listening to the message of the truth the gospel of your salvation. Having also believed you were sealed in him with the Holy Spirit of promise verse 14.

Who is given as a pledge of our inheritance? He said on top of everything else I've mentioned another blessing is the Holy Spirit of God the third person of the Godhead Lives in your heart and that presence and that awareness of God in your life is a seal.

That God's going to finish the work and a pledge our down payment that the rest is coming. So it's all ours and it's all given to us. But now here's the real question. How do we possess these? How do we know that these are ours?

Human Attempts to Gain Heaven

Well Here's some ways some others have tried to possess heaven and its blessings. Perhaps we could try to possess heaven and its blessings by force. I Mean, we'll just fight our way there. We'll just war our way into heaven.

We'll demand our way into heaven. Well, that was Satan's way and by the way that way doesn't work. So we're not gain heaven and heaven's blessings by force. Well, maybe we can gain heaven and heaven's blessings by earning them.

We'll just work and we'll just stop doing bad and we'll start doing good and we'll dot all of our eyes. Religiously and we'll cross all of our T's religiously and we'll make sure we take the Lord's Supper.

We'll make sure we get in the baptism baptistry. We'll make sure we join the church and we will work our way there. Our Church of Christ friends and our Roman Catholic friends their doctrine teaches that very concept.

You have to merit your way in. Work your way into heaven. But my friend the problem is if you're gonna have if you're gonna earn your way or work your way into heaven. You have to have heaven's currency.

I Mean heaven's blessings have to be purchased with heaven's coin. And we don't have any of that. Let me just give you a couple of texts right. Quick. Romans chapter 3. Would you turn back there with me.

Romans chapter 3 and. By the way, if I was witnessing to someone like I did this past week. I would start with Romans chapter 3 and Just show them the great truth of sin in the life of all humanity. Are in the lives of all men so that they understand that and maybe the Holy Spirit will apply that to their understanding.

Romans chapter 3 beginning in verse 9. Let's see if we can work our way. There's is there some way we can sort of earn or achieve our way into heaven verse 9. What then are we better than they not at all for we have already charged that both Jews and the Greeks are all under sin.

In other words they start in a position whereby everything they are and everything they do is tainted by sin. Therefore none of what they can achieve is acceptable in God's economy. Verse 10 as it is written.

There is none righteous. Not even one. What if there's none righteous? Perhaps there's some of them that are trying to understand and trying to get to God. No, look at verse 11. There is none who understands.

There is none who seeks God. All have turned aside together they've become useless. There is none who does good. There's not even one. Well, wait a minute. What about all of these Jewish Pharisees who live such upright moral a religiously.

Consistent they kept all the laws and even added to the laws of Scripture and they kept all of those. Well, the Bible says there's not run unrighteous. There's not a one of them that's doing good. It's a self-righteousness.

It's not a true righteousness. Verse 13 their throat is an open grave with their tongues. They keep deceiving the poison of asp is under their lips. He says listen to what comes out of their mouths and you will see something of the condition of their hearts.

Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness their feet are swift to shed blood destruction and misery are in their past verse 17 and The path of peace they have not known and there's no fear of God before their eyes.

Look at verse 19. Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law. So that every mouth may be closed and all the world become accountable to God. So that's what man is.

Can that kind of man merit his way into heaven? Absolutely not. But when Jesus was baptized of John the Baptist Luke 3 22 tells us what did heaven say about Jesus? This is my son in him. I'm well pleased I'm not pleased at all with man's effort in man's works and man's striving in man's religion.

I'm only pleased with my son. And that's why you get into heaven in Christ or you don't get into heaven at all. You go on in one sense on the coattails of his righteousness. You'll not get in on your own righteousness.

So we're not going to earn our way into heaven and get all of heaven's blessings. Well a third way maybe that a man would try and that's inheriting these maybe we can somehow inherit these blessings. Well, that won't work because To inherit something the owner has to die and the owner of heaven and all of heaven's blessings is God and he never dies.

So you can't inherit them. Well, maybe then you can get into heaven by asking for them as a gift. God I have enough good in me that I know that it's wise to ask you for heaven and for the blessings of heaven and Relationship with you.

So I'm just gonna do that. I'm gonna ask for them as a gift. Will that work? That alone will that work. Look at Ephesians chapter 2 just a second. Back to our original book Ephesians chapter 2 and look at verse 1.

Ephesians chapter 2 verse 1 and you literally it reads being Dead, you're dead and you remain dead in your trespasses and sins. Now the question is how dead are you? Dead people can't ask. So you can't even in and of yourselves get into heaven just by asking for it as a free gift.

Then how are you going to do that? How is it going to happen now, that's what Paul addresses here in Ephesians chapter 1 as you begin in verse 4. Because in verse 3 he says we have every spiritual blessing and the heavenly place is given to us.

But how do we possess that? Well, here's he here. He goes verse 4 telling us how. Just the word just as there the phrase just as in the New American Standard Literally means because or you could amplify it and say this is how you obtain them.

This is how you get in on heaven and the spiritual blessings of heaven. Just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world. Paul says that's how you get it. You get it if he chooses you before the foundation of the world.

Now is that trouble your soul? That makes me rejoice. That gives me peace. That gives me comfort and assurance. Well, wait a minute, what about poor old God looks like God's not fair looks like God's not just.

I'll deal with that thoroughly. But listen, I want to say something to you Baptist brothers and sisters. There's no way on earth. You can make that text mean anything other than what it says. Unless you interpolate and rape the spirit and the proper interpretation of the text.

How do you get in on it? You are chosen in him before the foundation of the world. Now, what does that Greek word choose literally mean? That Greek word in this text that says that he chose us literally means to pick out or select.

Means the exact same thing it means for us today in the English to pick out or select to choose for oneself so Paul says the fundamental first cause of all the benefits and all the blessings of salvation is God's electing choice.

You might call it his eternal election now the word elect or election is the very same idea of choosing here God in eternity past. Elected or chose to save certain ones and that's how they get in on salvation.

That's what Paul is saying. Now you may say I don't agree with that. You don't have to agree with that, but you can't make Paul say it any other way. That's what Paul is saying. And by the way, I will look at this more thoroughly later.

The great majority of all Baptist theologians and scholars through the ages taught and believe these doctrines thoroughly. It's just in the last 70 or 80 years that there's been a drifting away from it.

And that is very tragic. Hodge said it this way election is the cause or source of all subsequent blessings and That's what Paul is emphasizing. Paul in verse 3 we have every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.

How do we know we've got them if you are chosen in him before the foundation the world you get them. They are yours. Now. There's another text that teaches this very thoroughly. Turn there with me. If you would look at Romans chapter 8, would you turn there?

Foreknowledge, Predestination, and Calling

Romans chapter 8 and begin in verse 29. Romans chapter 8 beginning in verse 29. So this takes is emphasizing the same thing and that it's going to talk about the great blessings that are ours in Salvation and it's going to also emphasize very clearly how you got in on those great blessings of salvation.

You've seen it. Here's what's happening in some of our hearts and minds. Are you listening to me that old wicked? Wicked rude of pride starts rising up in your heart and you want to say I had something to do with it.

I get some credit. I did something. I Chose Jesus. I was smart. I was wise. I believed I and God wants to say nope. God did it all. Even the believing was a grace gift that came from God. Romans chapter 8 verse look at verse 29.

For those whom he foreknew and that means more than just knew beforehand what they would do. That that foreknow there literally means selection or choice. It has the idea of election in it. And if that were if that were not true He makes it clear by the next phrase in verse 29.

He also Predestined to become conformed to the image of his son. Now acts 2 23 gives an insight on foreknowing and predestined and how they go together. Acts 2 23 says this man delivered over. Listen now by the Predetermined plan and the foreknowledge of God you nailed to the cross by the hands of godless men and put him to death.

Preaching on the day of Pentecost. Peter says you guys Crucified Jesus, but let me tell you something. You didn't just do it. God predetermined and for all day ordained that you would crucify Jesus. God chose that for his son.

His son wasn't helpless to save himself or our prevent this tragedy from happening. No, God Almighty orchestrated these events. He used your hands to carry them out. All of a sudden God's getting big, isn't he?

Also, he says not only in verse 29 whom he foreknew he also predestined. The word predestined can't mean anything else other than to mark out or determine beforehand. To mark out or determine beforehand.

Well, he foreknew and he predestined to what end? We'll look at verse 29 as we continue to become conformed to the image of his son. So that he would be the first more born among many brethren. Now now get this in your mind.

To be conformed to the image of his son so that he the son Jesus would be the firstborn among many brethren. In other words God made a covenant with his son Jesus Christ. And God says to his son God the son Jesus Christ I'm going to give you a people who will be with you and be like you and bring you glory for all eternity.

So God for new certain ones and he predestined certain ones that they would belong to Jesus and Jesus would be the first of that. Type for all eternity the firstborn among many brethren. Jesus was the first one to go to heaven and be glorified forever after being on the earth and all those that are his those Who are foreknown and predestined will also be glorified and spend eternity with him in heaven.

They'll be conformed to the image of his son. Well now how does that take place. Paul give me some help here. Well verse 30 and These whom he marked out beforehand predestined. He also called. There was a point in time in history.

When those whom God foreknew and marked out chose are elected use your own word. He called them to come to Jesus. Now calling here means Effectual call. It's an efficacious call which simply means it accomplishes what it sets out to perform.

When God calls one of his elect to saving faith it accomplishes what he sets it out to perform. That's what the Lord Jesus meant in John 6 44 when he said this. No one can come to me unless the father who sent me draws him.

Jesus says you can't just come if and when you choose. It's not of man. You can't come to me unless the father who sent me draws you and the father who sent me calls. That's the text in and Romans chapter 8 are draws those who are foreknown and predestined.

There's no way you can make the text mean anything else. That's what it means. Now don't get mixed up between God's effectual call and our universal call. We are commanded in Scripture to give the universal call of the gospel to everyone everywhere all that we can.

Amen. We don't go around choosing who the elect are. We urge all men to come to Christ. But when they come to Christ, then we begin to teach them how glorious their salvation is. Because our God deserves glory from their lives and they need to glorify him according to the knowledge of who he is and what he's Really done and he is the Almighty Sovereign God who absolutely dictated every element of their conversion even foreknowing and predestined and calling them to that salvation and When they begin to understand that they come into the song servants ready to sing because God's big and wonderful and glorious.

This little old pitiful God of the Armenian this little low anemic Impotent little God that sits in heaven and rings his hands and hope somebody who's might Receive him and accept him somehow and make poor little old Jesus feel better about dying on the cross hogwash.

That's not what God teaches. God teaches that all of those whom Jesus Christ paid for on the cross who are foreknown and predestined Will be called will be saved will be glorified and Christ Holy Bride will be complete in heaven for all eternity.

Just as God designed from the foundation of the world. I Don't understand all that way. You just be glad you got in on it, brother. I'm telling you God's a big God. I Wouldn't have done it this way. Now you'd say yeah, I know I'd let everybody in it.

No, I'd send everybody to hell probably I Mean if you're a just and holy God it you see that's the problem. We don't have any understanding of how abhorrent and abominable our sin is before a holy God.

If you were God, you'd probably send them all to hell not saved and elect few but send them all in to adjust condemnation. Which they deserve. Well, there's a point in time when God calls you to salvation.

Upon which you believe and trust in Christ, but notice something else here in verse 30. Those whom he predestined these he also called in whom he called he also Justified now the word justified is a legal term of the day.

It means a declaration of being just. God declares that one who is called just in his sight Righteous or having a right standing before him in heaven and these whom he justified he also glorified. In other words God says all the way from eternity past when I foreknew them and chose and elected them and I predetermined I marked That beforehand that they were they belong to Jesus and they would be with him for all eternity.

And then at a point in time I sent Jesus to pay for their sins on the cross then another point in time Individually, I drew them. I called them to salvation and as I called them to salvation I declared in heaven another one's justified another one's justified another one's justified and I predetermined and it cannot be altered that those Very ones will be glorified with me for all eternity.

So what is the whole? Summarizing general truth of this. Well look at verse 31 of Romans chapter 8. What then shall we say to these things? Well, let's just stop right there. Now, what are you gonna say about these things?

That's what y 'all say. Amen and hallelujah. Some folks were Tending to debate with Paul as he taught these things in chapter 9. And he says well, who are you old man to answer back to God? Who are you to trouble God about the way God did his certain things such as building his church?

What are you gonna say to these things if God is for us who is against us? Who can possibly defeat us who can possibly thwart us? Who can possibly bring us to an end? So he says we're conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.

We're going to be called where we're justified if we're called he's going to glorify us and then in verse 31 He says if God's for us who can be against us? Well, how does all those blessings take place or how do you possess all of those wonderful blessings one way?

You have to be foreknown and predestined are back in Ephesians chapter 1. You have to be one who is chosen from the foundation of the world. That's how you get in on that's how you possess those blessings.

And that's the flow of Paul's thinking as he writes this letter to the believers at Ephesus now. Two things I want to mention as far as the body of the message number one is some various views of election.

We're gonna look at that and then secondly some objections to election. We'll look at that next. But under the various views of election number one, first of all, there's denial just flat denial. There are those folks who simply say I just don't believe that's right.

I just don't believe God did that. In my intellect, I can't put that all together. So I just rejected I just denied what I believe is. Is that God sent his son and his son died on the cross for the sins of the world?

That's true. But then they'll tell us well he told us to spread the good news and then after that God sort of out of the way and it just. However good we aren't spreading the news and have a thorough.

We aren't spreading the news and however good we aren't preaching the gospel and winning our friends. That's who gets in and the rest don't get in. That's it. So just a denial of God's sovereign electing choice.

But when we just looked at Romans 8 28 through 31, it didn't seem like God just sort of set back and lets it happen. Does it? Those whom he foreknew he predestined to become conformed to the image of his son and those whom he predestined these He also called sound like God's active in this.

And those whom he called he justified and those whom he justified he glorified. Then Ephesians chapter 1 verse 4 sounds like God is initiating something here verse 4 He chose us in him from the foundation of the world.

God didn't just send this son. He did that but he didn't just do that. He took some initiative. He took some action in working out our salvation. John 6 44 Jesus says no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.

That sounds like God's active in this thing and Just to be honest, it's taken me years of growth in the word to realize That the souls of men are not up to me. I Get to be God's agent in the process of bringing the elect into God's kingdom, but they're not up to me.

Hey, I want to ask you something. You really think that God in heaven is gonna leave the souls of men up to us. I Slip and slide and are unfaithful and inconsistent. No, my friend well another view of Election is that God just knew beforehand God is omniscient.

So he just knew beforehand who would be saved and since he knew Who before the fact would believe then he went ahead and elected those as his children. So what they're saying is is that God Foresees a future response of faith and so he elects those whom he saw would in the future respond in faith.

Now this is the Pelagian or the Armenian view. The Pelagian or the Armenian view simply teaches that man fell in the Garden of Eden. You know an Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden though all of all of mankind fell with them.

They fell into spiritual darkness they fell in out rather out of the family of God they fell into to condemnation in sin and all the posterity of Adam inherits that fallen nature. But the Pelagian Armenian says man fell but he didn't fall all the way right before rock bottom man sort of stopped.

So in one sense the Armenian or the Pelagian view is that there's a spark of goodness there in man. There's an element of goodness there and so man has something in him that is inherently good and that inherent goodness in man enables him to choose Christ, which is a good thing and.

So what we've got to do is convince these people to choose Jesus. And I'll get into this more in more detail. But I think this is what's led to some of the ridiculous extreme Shenanigans in the name of evangelism that we see in the world today everything from muscle-bound men breaking ice over their heads to extreme Dramatic Presentations to sort of stir the emotions and scare people and all kinds of stuff.

Not all of which is evil. But all this extreme stuff why. Because man has a spark of goodness man is able to believe on his own. So if we can be creative enough charismatic enough dynamic enough Weedy enough we can somehow get these people to decide for Jesus and get them into heaven.

That's the Armenian Pelagian view and God in his omniscience, they would say knows who these are going to be and so those are the ones he elects. But turn again, if you will to Ephesians chapter 2 and as you're turning to Ephesians chapter 2 Let me ask yourself.

What good could God see in this crowd? What good is there in this group that's being described before us in Ephesians chapter 2 and you being dead in trespasses and sins? In which you formerly walked according to the course of this world.

According to the Prince of the power of the air the spirit that's now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we to all formerly lived in the lust of our flesh indulging in the desires of the flesh and of the mind and Whereby nature children of wrath even as the rest.

Now you could stop in verse 1 with your dead in trespasses and sins a dead man Can't choose a dead man can't decide a dead man can't come a dead man can't receive anything Romans chapter 3 verse 11. There is none who understands.

And He's talking in the context of the gospel here He's saying if you show these people Christ and his salvation in and of themselves Without any divine intervention. They won't get it. They won't choose Christ on their own.

They're incapable. There's no good there. There's none who understands. There is none who seeks God Again John 6 44. No man can come to me. Jesus says unless the Father who sent me draws him. Why because there's no good there in Genesis chapter 6 verse 5 the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth and That every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

So I ask you if you hold to the Armenian Pelagian view that there's some spark of goodness in man and therefore man with that Innate goodness has the capacity to do a good thing. That is choose Jesus Christ.

From those texts of Scripture what good could be there? There's nothing good there. Listen friend God didn't save you because of some worth you have God saved you in order because of the worth he possesses.

Because of the glorious attribute of grace that he and only he possesses an entire universe. I Want to just read this to you as we close. I know not why God's wondrous grace To me he hath made known. Nor why unworthy Christ in love redeemed me for his own.

Now listen, I know not how this saving faith to me. He did impart. I Didn't just come up with faith. He imparted the capacity to have faith guys our old songwriters sang it for years. Where you been? Are you with me?

It's been there forever 2 ,000 years anyway, I know not how this saving faith to me. He did impart. Nor how believing in his word wrought peace within my heart. I Know not how the Spirit moves convincing men of sin.

Spirit has to move first Revealing Jesus through the word Creating faith in him faith has to be created. It's not a view. There's no good spark in you that will have faith. It's created by the working of God.

I Know not when my Lord may come at night or noon day fair nor if I walk the veil with him or meet him in The air, but I know whom I have believed it and am persuaded that he is able To keep that which I've committed unto him against that day.

Isn't that a great truth? Pastor. Why is it some good sweet faithful people just don't get our convictions just don't get the truth. We stand on I Think many times it's because God hadn't revealed it to them.

They can't see it. Does that make us better know it ought to put us on our face weeping and humility. God we don't deserve to have been enlightened have faith burst in us and come into your family. But we're grateful to you for it.

Election Pure and Simple

We come to the third view of election and that is what I call election pure and simple. Election pure and simple and I want you to hear very clearly this very simple definition. You might even want to jot this down.

God chose those whom he would save and he secured their salvation. God chose those whom he would save and He secured their salvation from before the foundation of the world. Ephesians 4 and other texts.

God elected chose selected those he would say and Then in time and space history He sent his son to die. His son paid for the sins of his people on the cross and then also in time and space history He called those whom he had chosen whom his son paid their sin debt to come to himself and believe in him and be everlastingly saved.

That's election pure and simple. Now, let me give you some supporting text here to show you how prominently this is taught throughout the scripture. Matthew 22 verse 14. The Bible simply says for many are called but few are chosen.

There's a call that goes out to everyone and by the way Let me reiterate here that that is our job to call everyone to repentance to urge everyone to trust Christ and if I were to ever hear as your pastor that you're sitting on your laurels or you're Not passionate are diligent to reach the loss.

Because the election is just going to save those who are going to get saved then I'm going to rebuke you. We are to be passionate about the gospel. Begging and praying and pleading with God to save souls.

But also knowing many are called but few are chosen. John 15 16 Jesus says You did not choose me. But I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain.

And we can just give a side note here how what is a good evidence that one is truly an elect of God. They're truly a believer. They're truly saved. Well, they have fruit that remains in The parable of the souls the Lord talks about seed that's cast on the ground and some lands on the hard walkways by the field and that's just gobbled up by birds doesn't do any good and then some soil lands on the The rocky places that means there's a Level a layer rather a soul and under that bedrock.

So it doesn't have any deep root and it sprouts up and it looks great, but it doesn't last no abiding fruit and Jesus was giving that parable to illustrate to us to be ready and prepared for a lot of things that look like Conversion, but they don't last.