Unconditional Election

Now, let me just jump right in. This is the day we're going to do unconditional election.

It's February 23rd, 2016. First of all, what is election? Election is the act of God's sovereign will where, before the creation of the world,

He chooses an individual or group of people to accomplish a purpose that He has designed.

Therefore, election designates being chosen for a purpose. Now, out of Dr.

Wayne Grudem's systematic theology, here's the quote. This understanding of election has traditionally been called unconditional election.

It is unconditional because it is not conditioned upon anything that God sees in us that makes us worthy of Him choosing us.

Now, in the context of these five points, the term unconditional election is this.

It's the sovereign act of God where, from before the foundation of the world, He chose those whom

He would save, Ephesians 1 -4, 2 Thessalonians 2 -13. This election to save is not conditioned upon any foreseen faith,

Romans 9 -16, or any foreseen good works of any individual, Romans 9 -11, 2

Timothy 1 -9. We'll go over these verses in a bit. This election is based completely on God's sovereign choice according to the kind intention of His will,

Ephesians 1 -11. God chose the elect because He decided to bestow His love upon them,

John 3 -16, Ephesians 2 -4, based solely on His sovereign grace,

Galatians 1 -15, and for His glory, Isaiah 43 -7. Now, let me read these verses that I just referenced.

This is Ephesians 1 -4, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world that we would be holy and blameless before Him, 2

Thessalonians 2 -13 says this, but we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren, beloved by the

Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the

Spirit and faith in the truth, Romans 9 -16. So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but upon God who has mercy,

Romans 9 -11, for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad so that God's purpose according to His choice would stand not because of works, but because of Him who calls, 2

Timothy 1 -9. It's God who has saved us and called us with a holy calling not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity,

Ephesians 1 -11, also we have obtained an inheritance having been predestined according to His purpose, who works all things after the counsel of His will,

John 3 -16, for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life,

Ephesians 2 -4, but God being rich in mercy because of His great love with which

He loved us, Galatians 1 -15, but when God who had set me apart even from my mother's womb and called me through His grace was pleased,

Isaiah 43 -7, everyone who is called by my name and whom I have created for my glory, whom

I have formed, even whom I have made. This is what the Bible says.

These are the verses that hopefully will help to demonstrate that we do not in any way become elected because of anything in us.

This is what it means when it says unconditional election. Unconditional election means

God does not look into the future to see who's going to do what under any circumstances, doesn't see any good quality in us, and then decides to save us based on any foreseen anything.

It's not conditioned on us, it's conditioned on God. So it's unconditional in that.

This is what it means. It's not conditioned on anything in us or any foreseen quality in us at all. Now, some will object to this.

They'll say this is not right that God unconditionally chooses people for salvation because it means it's

God showing partiality. And the Bible says God does not show partiality, Romans 2 -11, for there's no partiality with God.

In Acts 10 -34, opening his mouth, Peter said, I most certainly understand now that God does not want to show partiality.

People say, well, Matt, you know, the Bible says no partiality, and here you have God electing people and choosing people for salvation.

That is showing partiality. It's the very opposite of what you say, Matt. And I say, well, let's see what the

Scripture says. Because a proper understanding of the biblical definition of partiality is the issue, not what you think it is.

What does the Bible say partiality is? And what does the Bible condemn as partiality?

You go to James 2 -1 -4. James says, my brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.

For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who was wearing the fine clothes and say, you sit here in a good place, and you say to the poor man, you stand over there or sit down by my footstool, have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil motives?

That's the partiality that God condemns. The very partiality that unconditional election avoids.

The partiality of looking at a person and saying, look at the quality, look at the possession, look at the attributes of that person, and then showing favoritism based on what is in that person.

Even James says to do such a thing is wrong. That's the partiality that God speaks of. Unconditional election means that God, out of the sovereignty of his own will, chooses people for salvation, not based on any quality in themselves and not based on anything foreseen in regard to that individual.

Now, I just said foreseen. Well, that brings us to the issue of God's foreknowledge. Because sometimes people say, you know what?

Under different circumstances, whatever it might be, God looks into the future, and he knows who's going to choose him, and then he makes his choices based on that.

Well, that's not true, and it's wrong for several reasons. First, it's a violation of God's statement that he does not show partiality.

See, if God looked into the future to see who would pick him under different circumstances, then he is showing favoritism to them based on the foreseen good quality in them, namely that the good quality of them choosing

God. So then he chooses them because he sees that they're going to choose him. So that would be

God showing partiality based on a quality in that person. God doesn't do that. You know,

Romans 9, 9 through 11, for this is the word of promise, at this time I will come and Sarah shall have a son.

And not only this, but there was Rebecca also when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac.

For though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God's purpose according to his choice might stand, not because of works, but because of him who calls.

Then it says, Jacob I loved and Esau I hated. This is God's choice. Now, I know a lot of people do not like this.

They don't like the idea that God is that sovereign. Okay. Well, I have a recommendation. Take a magic marker or an exacto knife and just go to the

Bible and cut out those verses you don't like. This is what it says and we got more. There's another problem with this idea of the foreknowledge of God.

If God looks into the future to see what would happen under different circumstances, then that violates the doctrine of God's omniscience.

See, 1 John 3 .20 says that God knows all things. He doesn't look into the future to see under what conditions people might pick him and then pick the ones who are going to pick him under different circumstances.

See, this is a dangerous idea. It implies that God gains knowledge by looking into the future.

That can't be. Since God is one who creates the future, how could he look into the future to see what would happen if he's the one who creates that very future?

That can't work. Here's another problem. The third problem is it contradicts the scriptures that tells us that no one seeks for God, Romans 3 .10,

11, and 12. That they cannot understand spiritual things, 1 Corinthians 2 .14. That they are slaves of sin,

Romans 6 .20. That their hearts are desperately sick and wicked and they're deceitful, Jeremiah 17 .9.

That their righteous deeds are filthy rags before God, Isaiah 64 .6. In short, to say that it's by foreknowledge as an answer to the unconditional election, it violates the very scriptures about the sinful condition of man.

God, he's not going to look into the future to see who's going to pick him because no one's going to pick him. No one's going to.

Total depravity means that they're slaves of sin, haters of God. They're not going to pick God. There isn't any circumstance that God might give where their free will in their sinful selves is going to be somehow enabled by which they will then come to God.

It's not what the scriptures teach. Fourth, foreknowledge is often misunderstood by a lot of Christians.

As I've already mentioned, many Christians think that God's foreknowledge means to look into the future and then he bases his decisions there.

That's wrong. Okay. But there is a sense in which the word foreknow deals only with the believers and not the non -believers.

And it's, well, it's a reference in a saving way. And let me explain something here. There's a kind of a trick question.

Does God know everyone? Well, 1 John 3, 20 says he knows all things. Does he know everyone?

Well, some people would say right away, of course he knows everyone. That's not what he says. See, Jesus says in John 10, 27, 28, my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me.

So he knows his sheep. In Matthew 7, 22 and 23, many will say to me on that day,

Lord, Lord, do we not prophesy in your name and in your name cast out demons and in your name perform many miracles and then

I will declare to them, I never knew you. Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.

See, if you're there before God on the day of judgment and he says, I don't know you, it means you're damned.

We look at what the scriptures teach about how God uses the word know, gnosko, and then prognosko, foreknow, and I'll get to that in a minute.

Here's another verse, Galatians 4, 8, and 9. However, at the time when you did not know

God, you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods. But now that you have come to know

God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary things to which you desire to be enslaved all over again?

Notice what Paul says here. Now that you've come to know God, or rather are known by him.

See, God doesn't know unbelievers. That's not denying his omniscience.

What it is is saying that there's a sense and a terminology that God himself uses, and you have to look and see what

God says. He says he knows you, it means you're saved. If he says, I don't know you, it means you're not saved.

You never find any place in scripture, in all my research, you don't find any place where, for example,

Jesus says, I know you, to an unbeliever. Except in one place, John 5 .42,

he says to the unbelievers, but I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves.

He's talking about, I know you, you're evil. That's what he says when he says that, and he qualifies it right there.

So we don't find any place where God simply says to anybody, except for Christians, I know you, and that's it.

He doesn't do that to unbelievers. Now that word there, to know, K -N -O -W, is the

Greek word ginosko. The word for foreknow is pro -ginosko.

Now check this out, Romans 8 .29, for those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to become conformed to the image of his son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brethren.

Notice what it says, those whom he foreknew, he also predestined.

You get that? For those whom he foreknew, he also predestined.

It does not say he looked into the future, and the vast array of all people and all circumstances, looked to see who would do what, and then predestined some of them.

It doesn't say that. For those whom he foreknew, he also predestined. They're the same group.

The foreknown ones are the predestined ones. You see that? We have in 1

Peter 1 .20, get this, for he, Christ, was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you.

See, there's a sense in which the word foreknow has to do with a relationship with God. We are foreknown and predestined.

The foreknown ones are the predestined ones of, excuse me, Romans 8 .29. And 1 Peter 1 .20,

Jesus is called the one who's foreknown. So it implies relationship, not just knowing something in the future.

That's really important, and I want you to understand that, because a lot of people just miss it. All right, back to this issue of unconditional election.

In the context of Reformed theology and unconditional election, it is the teaching that God, before the creation of the world, elected some people to be saved and not others.

His election was not based on foreseen decision or qualities in these people.

I have to reiterate this. I want people to understand what unconditional election is. See, it is the choice of God based solely on His sovereign will.

Election is based on what is in God, not what is in man. God chose us for salvation because He decided to bestow

His love and grace upon us, not because we're worthy of being saved. So now let's take a look at this election, this term elect.

Now, I like to use the NASB, the New American Standard Bible. I consider it to be more accurate, and we're going to get another show.

But nevertheless, Matthew 24 .22, for false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.

In Mark 13 .27, and then He will send forth the angels and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven.

In Romans 8 .32 and 33, He who did not spare His own Son but delivered

Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God's elect?

God is the one who justifies. So as you can see, God speaks of His elect people, those who are the chosen of God.

Now, some people say, well, wait a minute, Matt. That means a group of people. Really? Well, stay tuned.

Let's see if that's the case. Let's see if that's always the case, because it is sometimes, but not every time.

See, the term is used in both senses, in the election or choosing of groups of people, but also of individuals.

Now, there are different Greek words that are used to translate into the English, elect, chosen, choose, and things like that.

So I'm going to go through a few of them. Here's eklektos. This is the Greek word eklektos. In Matthew 24, 22, for the sake of the elect, the days will be cut short.

In Matthew 24, 24, to mislead, if possible, even the elect. In Matthew 24, 31,

God will gather His elect from the four winds. This is the word eklektos. In Mark 13, 20, for the sake of the elect, the days will be shortened.

Mark 13, 22, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. Mark 13, 27, God will gather

His elect. Luke 18, 7, God will bring justice to the elect. Romans 8, 33, who will bring a charge against God's elect?

1 Timothy 5, 21, elect angels are mentioned there. Elect angels, that's another topic, another time.

The Greek word eklektos is also translated as chosen. In Matthew 22, 14, many are called, but few are chosen.

Check this one out, Romans 16, 13, Rufus chosen in the Lord. Rufus was an individual who's chosen, who's elected.

Colossians 3, 12, those who have been chosen of God. There's a plurality there. 2 Timothy 2, 10,

Paul endures all things for the sake of the chosen. In 1 Peter 1, 1, Peter writes to those who are chosen of God.

1 Peter 2, 4, Jesus is chosen of God. That's the Greek word eklektos.

That's an individual, Jesus. 2 John 1, the elder to the chosen lady and her children.

That's another individual. 2 John 13, the children of the chosen sister greet you.

Another individual there. Revelation 17, 14, those with Jesus are the chosen ones.

Now there's another Greek word that deals with the issue of chosen and election. It's the Greek word eklegai.

It means to choose, to select, to elect. Romans, excuse me, Acts 9, 15, Paul is a chosen vessel.

He's an individual here who's chosen, elected. Romans 9, 11, God chose to love Jacob and hate

Esau. Romans 11, 5, God has a remnant of believers due to his choice.

In Romans 11, 7, those who are chosen obtained salvation. Romans 11, 28, God chose

Israel to love. 1 Thessalonians 1, 4, God chose the brethren. And finally, the

Greek word eklegamai, which means to select, to choose among alternatives.

Ephesians 1, 4, and 5, just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him.

In love, he predestined us to adoption as sons through Christ Jesus to himself according to the kind intention of his will.

We can also go to James 2, 5. Listen, my brethren, did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to those who love him?

Now, if you'll notice these Greek words, I wanna pronounce them with a bit of an emphasis on the first syllable.

I want you to hear something. We have these words, the chosen ones, chosen for salvation, chosen individuals, chosen groups.

The words are eklektos, eklegai, eklegamai.

Guess what the Greek word for church is? Ekklesia. See, the term, and I'm reading from Spiros Zodhiates, the

Complete Word Study Dictionary of the New Testament. The term ekklesia denotes the New Testament community of the redeemed in its twofold aspect.

First of all, all who are called by and to Christ in the fellowship of his salvation, the church worldwide of all times, and only secondarily to an individual church.

See, the word ekklesia is the word church. It's similar to the word for calling, and election, eklegai, eklegamai, eklektos, ekklesia, the called out ones.

Now, election, of course, is associated with predestination in the

Bible. Again, Ephesians 1, four and five just says he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before him.

In love, he predestined us to adoption. You see, he chose us and he predestined us.

Now, the word in Greek for predestined is proerizo.

It means to determine beforehand, to decide. Therefore, God has, from all eternity, determined whatsoever shall come to pass.

Predestination and election are interconnected. God predestines events beforehand, and he also elects people to salvation.

Therefore, God predestines those who have been elected, he predestines them to infallibly obtain salvation.

Now, check this out, this is different ways the word proerizo, predestined, is used in the

Bible. Acts four, 27, 28. For truly, in this city, there were gathered together against your holy servant,

Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel to do whatever your hand and your purpose predestined to occur.

What did he predestine to occur? Jesus' crucifixion. They are the ones that did what

God predestined to occur. They had to sin in order to do that. Now, this gets into another topic.

God does predestine sin, but he doesn't cause it. That's another topic for another time, we don't have time today.

But God ordains whichever shall come to pass. That's Ephesians 111, we'll get to that in a minute. But nevertheless,

Romans 8, 29. Those whom he foreknew, he also predestined. Romans 8, 30.

And whom he predestined, these he also called. And whom he called, he also justified. And to be justified, he also glorified.

First Corinthians 2, 7. But we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which

God predestined before the ages to our glory. Ephesians 1, 5. He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to himself.

Ephesians 1, 11. Also, we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to his purpose, who works all things after the counsel of his will.

Obviously, God predestines and elects individuals to salvation, he calls them. He does this because he is the sovereign

Lord who knows the end from the beginning because he has ordained the end from the beginning.

And furthermore, let me just tell you, without his election and predestination, no one would be saved.

No one would be saved left up to their own devices. The unbeliever, in his sinful condition, who's a hater of God, who does no good, doesn't seek for God, cannot receive spiritual things, he cannot of his own free will, his sinfully enslaved free will, simply choose

God. God must intervene. People don't understand the depravity of our own hearts.

They don't understand the debauchery of sin and its effect upon our hearts and our minds.

People somehow think that this great horror of sin, rebellion against God and our unholiness, that in the state of the unbeliever, that in and through it, they can do good things.

They can simply choose God. In my opinion, and I may offend people here, in my opinion, that is arrogance.

Because it's saying that they themselves, in the wisdom of their own sinfulness, were able, in their own wisdom, to choose

God. Then why didn't somebody else? Well, because they weren't wise enough. They weren't smart enough.

What are you saying? I wasn't wise enough. I wasn't smart enough.

I wasn't good enough. It wasn't up to me. I already went through this.

We're born again, not of our own will, John 1, 13. We've been appointed to eternal life, Acts 13, 48.

It's not us. It's God. But still, people will say, but Matt, this idea of election, well, it negates evangelism.

Why even bother telling people about Jesus? Well, if everybody's predestined, why bother?

Well, that's a fair question. First of all, we bother because God tells us to.

He tells us to go evangelize. This is scripture I'm reading to you. This is what the scriptures teach.

And yet, at the same time, Jesus says, go out there into the world and make disciples. Let me tell you something, folks.

I don't know how God's election works. I don't know what criteria he has when he has elected people from the foundation of the world.

I do not know. It's above my pay grade. It's not my job to question him.

It's not my job to say, why bother? Because he's elected people to salvation, so I don't have to do anything.

Now, this may be, well, maybe something that a lot of people might say, you're inconsistent there,

Matt, and I'm gonna admit something here. Sometimes when I'm praying for someone, I don't know if they're saved or not, or I want them to be saved,

I'll say, Lord, if they're not elected, please elect them. What I'm saying is, God, I don't know how it works, but I know in your sovereignty, you're the one who chooses.

Second Thessalonians 2 .13, you say you choose us for salvation. I know that's what you say, therefore

I believe it. Would you please choose that person for salvation? You see, I don't have all the answers, but I quote the scriptures, and I try and understand things in light of what the scripture says.

I don't stop with John 3 .16. I don't stop with a few verses. Second Peter 3 .9,

he wants all to be saved. Say you can't be elected then. I don't stop there. There's more verses, and I wanna harmonize as much as I can in the word of God, and as an apologist,

I need to have answers. And people ask me all the time questions related to this. And sometimes

I just tell them, I don't know how it works. I just know it's what God teaches. Now, some will say to me, but Matt, it's a violation of human free will if God elects people to salvation and not others.

Well, how is it? Now, we'll get into regeneration preceding faith with irresistible grace in a couple more lessons.

We'll get into that. But it's not a violation of free will. In fact, what happens is

God changes us. He regenerates us, and then we believe because of the regeneration. We freely choose to believe.

That's the short answer. It's not a rejection of freedom of choice.

We have freedom of choice. It's just that, as I spoke about in the teaching on total depravity, that the unbeliever's a slave of sin, and he's free to make sinfully desired choices, sinfully restricted choices, because that's all he can do.

Another objection is that it's not fair because God chooses one person over another. I've already addressed that.

God doesn't show partiality based on what's in us. He has his sovereign realm, his sovereign way.

But let me turn to Romans 9, 9 through 23. I mentioned this before on the topic of total depravity.

I wanna go through this a little bit again. It'll take me a few minutes, but you need to understand that this is what

God's sovereign work is, not man's. Salvation is the work of God, not man.

God is the author and finisher of our faith, not us. Romans 9, starting at verse nine, for this is the word of promise.

At this time I will come, and Sarah shall have a son. And not only this, but there was Rebecca also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father

Isaac. For though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad so that God's purpose according to his choice would stand, not because of works, but because of him who calls, it was said to her, the older will serve the younger, just as it is written,

Jacob I love, but Esau I hated. And notice what he's saying here. Doesn't depend upon the man. Doesn't depend upon their goodness, what they would do, what he saw that they would do.

They'd not even yet born, not done anything good or bad. It wasn't based on anything in them. It was said to her, the older will serve the younger, just as it is written,

Jacob I love, but Esau I hated. Wait a minute, man, are you saying, man, are you saying that God hated one and loved another simply because that's what

God decided to do? Yes, that's what I'm saying. Oh, people are probably gonna change the channel.

Oh, they don't wanna hear such a ludicrous thought. They're objecting. Well, that's interesting.

If you are objecting, good, I'm glad. That means you're understanding what

Paul is teaching because his next verse is this. What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there?

May it never be. You see, if you're understanding the text, you have to object.

Say, wait a minute, how can that be right? How can that be fair? Paul raises the objection. How's that just,

God? How's that just if he loves one and hates another based on nothing in them? And if you understand that, then you're understanding the text.

If you understand the text, then you should believe it and not reject it. But this is why some people say, no,

Matt. No, no, no, it's not about individuals. Jacob and Esau were nations. Really?

If that's the case, then why have the objection? If it's just nations and people make their freewill choices within those nation groups, then why say, hey, that's not fair.

Is God unjust? You see, when you change it, then the objection can't be raised.

You have to understand it in such a way that the objection is raised. Otherwise, you're not getting it.

Let me continue. Verse 15, for he says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom

I have compassion. The word whom there is in the singular. Verse 16, so then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but upon God who has mercy.

Do you hear that? Doesn't depend on you. When God's mercy, his loving you and hating you doesn't depend on you.

It depends on him. That's what it says. For the scripture says to Pharaoh, for this very purpose

I raised you up to demonstrate my power in you that my name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth. So then he has mercy on whom he desires and he hardens whom he desires.

Are you, you like that? Are you upset by that?

Are you objecting to that? I hope you're objecting. I hope you're saying that's not right. I hope you're saying, why would he find fault in anybody?

Why would he judge them if he hardens one person and shows mercy on another? Well, that's good if you say that.

I'm glad if that's what you're saying. Because verse 19 says, you will say to me then, why does he still find fault for who resists his will?

You, if you're asking the same basic question, you're understanding what Paul the Apostle's teaching. If you understand it, you gotta make a decision.

You gonna believe it or not? Again, if you wanna say, oh, it's just a nation's. Really? Then there's no objection if it's just a nation's, is there?

Look at what verse 20 says. On the contrary, who are you, oh man, who answers back to God?

The thing, that's singular, it's not a people group. The thing molded will not say to the molder, why did you make me like this, will it?

Or does not the potter have it right over the clay to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use?

What if God, although willing to demonstrate his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much patience, vessels of wrath prepared for destruction?

And he did so to make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory.

Now let me tell you something, folks. When I first encountered this, I didn't like it. But it's not an issue of what

I like. It's an issue of what is the word of God says. If you follow the text and you raise the same basic objections that Paul does, then you'll understand the text.

If you don't raise the same objections, you don't understand the text. Romans 9, 9 through 23 clearly tells us about God's sovereign election, his choice.

Our salvation, our election, being chosen of God, by God, is his choice, not ours.

That is why Paul says, it is not dependent upon the man who wills or the man who runs, but upon God who has mercy. Romans 9, 16.

God says he has mercy on whom he desires and he hardens whom he desires, Romans 9, 18. But people are gonna say, that's not fair.

We've already gone through that. That's what the scriptures teach. That's what the scriptures teach.

Of course God is fair. You just don't realize what the real situation is. None of us deserve salvation.

All of us are by nature children of wrath, Ephesians 2, 3. All of us belong damned.

And God, in his mercy, saves us. Does he love us? Yes, he does.

Eternally in the Son. And our election is only in and through Jesus.

That's the truth. That's the truth. It's not about nations there, because the term vessel, one vessel for honorable use and another vessel for dishonorable use.

Whenever you look at the word vessel in reference to people, it's always about individuals. It's never groups of people.

It's always individuals. Read it again. Go read it again and check it out.

But people will say, well, wait a minute, Matt. That means God is choosing some for damnation by not choosing them to be saved.

Yep. Yeah. He is letting them go their natural way and he's choosing out of the vast realm of those who belong in hell.

He has chosen to save a certain group of people. Now I know that people are gonna get mad at me for that.

But I believe that God has made everything, even the wicked, for the day of evil.

That's what I believe, that God's even done that. Now people are gonna probably say to me, Matt, now you're talking blasphemy.

Proverbs 16, four. The Lord has made everything for its own purpose, even the wicked, for the day of evil.

Romans 9, 20 through 23, or does not the potter have a right over the clay to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use?

What if God, although willing to demonstrate his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much patience, vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and he did so to make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory?

So let me tell you, you don't have to like this. You're free to not like it.

You're free to complain. You're free to raise your fist up in the sky and yell at God and say it's not fair.

You're free to turn the channel. You're free to call me a heretic. You're free to do whatever you want. Exercise your free will.

But the issue is, what does the scripture teach? Does it teach that we're chosen?

Second Thessalonians 2 .13 says so. Does it teach that God makes one vessel for honorable use, another one for dishonorable use?

Does it? Yes, it does, Romans 9 .20 to 23. Does it say he makes all things, even the wicked for the day of evil,

Proverbs 16 .4? Yes, it does. Does it say that individuals are chosen and elected?

Yes, it does. Is God's condition, his election of you, if you're a

Christian, based on anything in you? If you think so, then you're the one full of pride.

You're the one full of arrogance. If you think God looked into the future and picked you because he knew you'd pick him, well, pat yourself on the back.

Look how good you were. Good thing God looked in the future to see what you would do and mercifully chose you because you chose him.

He predestined you because you chose him. That's reverse. That means

God predestined you because he saw what you would do, the good quality in you. That's partiality refuted by James 2.

And they say, this makes God to be a meanie. No, it's just a side of God that people don't like.

So many prefer the blonde -haired, blue -eyed, Caucasian surfer Jesus standing at the door of your heart. He's dressed in a woman's nightgown.

He's soft, he's gentle, and he's waiting for permission and your sovereignty and your will to come into your heart.

And that's just not what the scriptures present. We need to believe what the word of God says, not what we want.

Now, at this time, folks, if you want to call and you want to raise some objections about this topic, and because we didn't have time for the callers to discuss the issue of total depravity yesterday, then

I'm only gonna take calls on any questions on total depravity and unconditional election.

Samantha from Boise, how are you? Hi, Matt. Hi. So, got a question, comment?

I have a comment. Okay. Before today, I really didn't understand exactly why, you know, or what

God meant by unconditional election. I just,

I knew the truth, but I just couldn't pinpoint exactly where it was.

And you're right, we don't know, so we need to ask. Right. You know, if we have somebody that we, you know, that we feel is going in the wrong direction, you know, we need to ask him.

We need to pray and ask. Right, right. In fact, a lot of people will say, as non -reformed individuals, they'll actually pray like a

Calvinist. They'll say, God, would you change their heart? Would you change them? Would you do this? They appeal to the sovereign

Lord. They don't appeal to the free will of the individual. Yeah, but I am reformed.

Oh, okay. Well, good, praise God. That was Samantha from Boise. We're gonna get to Nathan from Boise next.

Nathan, how are you? Pretty good, how are you? Doing all right, by God's grace. What do you got, man? Well, I've just been struggling with this recently because I'm reformed, but how do you know if you want to be elected

God and not self -deceived? That's an excellent question. I wish I had covered that in the objections, but how do you know if you're elect?

Well, you know, in Matthew 7, I believe it is, if you ask for a fish, you won't get a snake.

If you ask for a bread, you won't get a stone. If you ask for an egg, you won't get a scorpion. And what that is is if you're asking

God for the truth and you want him, he's not going to give you something fake. So because there was a fish that looked, it was long and skinny in the

Sea of Galilee that looks like a snake. And there's a scorpion that when it curls up, it looks like an egg. And bread in that day when it was made, resembled a stone.

You ask of God, he's going to give you the truth. Now, people say, well, okay, I get that.

But how do I know if I'm really saved? 1 John 5, 13 says that these things are written so you may know you have eternal life.

And 1 Corinthians 2, 14 says a natural man cannot receive or understand the things of God. He cannot receive them.

Now let me ask you, do you believe in the Trinity? Oh, yeah. Do you believe Jesus Christ is God in flesh? Oh, yeah, that's like central to pretty much everything.

Okay, do you believe in justification by faith alone in Christ alone? Yes, I do. That Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead in the same body he died in, right?

Yeah, that's. Okay, well, the Bible says the unbeliever can't receive those things. And the only ones who can receive that are the believers and you can't be a believer if you're not elect.

Okay, so if what you're saying is, if I cry out to God saying,

God, please save me, that I believe Jesus, what other things, all those things, then

I'm a believer. Of course you are. Okay, I just wanna, I'm like, because I've heard some people say, oh, you can't have true assurance if you're

Calvinist because you don't know if you're self -deceived or not. Well, you see, I know I'm saved.

I know I'm one of the elect. It's not because I'm so great, no. On the contrary, I know that God saved me and I know that I put my trust and my faith and my hope in what

Jesus has done and nothing else. I can't do that unless that's been granted to me to believe, Philippians 129.

Unless it's been granted to me to have repentance, 2 Timothy 2 .25. I've been born again not of my own will,

John 1 .13. So these things are the manifestation of the work of regeneration in me and I can look internally and I say, yes,

I know. I don't judge other people's salvation unless they're Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Roman Catholics holding to various obvious denials of the essentials of the faith.

But you can know that you are saved by simply looking. Are you saved? Of course you are.

You put trust in Christ, there you go. Good enough, okay? Okay, right.

Make sense? Okay, yeah, that does make sense. Confess Christ and that he is everything he says he is and you're a believer.

That's right. You can't be a believer unless you're chosen of God to be enabled to believe.

Some people say, well, what if you want to be saved but you're not elect, then what?

Well, that's a non -sequitur. If you're not elect, you're not gonna want to be saved. Right, so the very fact that you want to be saved by grace alone through faith alone and Christ alone, there's evidence that you're the elect.

Yeah, that the work of regeneration has occurred in you and it only occurs to the elect.

Gotcha, and whenever time God chooses them to, they can regenerate. That's right, which is irresistible grace.

That's what that is and we'll talk about that on Thursday. But tomorrow, I'm looking forward to limited atonement.

That's gonna be interesting because all this ties in together, but at any rate, hope that helps, okay?

Yeah, it does, thank you. All right, man, praise God, okay. Thank you. All right. Scott from Idaho, how you doing?

All right, last time I talked to you, I guess I used the word feelings and you said, skip that, that's not, but you just finished saying that if you ask yourself a question and you don't get the answer, then you're not chosen, you haven't been chosen, it hasn't been revealed to you.

I didn't say that. Well, okay, what did you say? Well, I'm not sure what you're referring to, but I didn't say that, that's not what

I said. But what's your question, though? Well, my question is, if in fact I've asked myself that question, and I'm allergic to intellectuals, okay, but I've asked myself that question and if I examine it,

I mean, it makes perfect sense, so I want with all my heart to believe, but if I actually ask myself that,

I'm not 100 % sure. Well, welcome to the club.

If you want a real answer. Welcome to the club. I don't know any Christian who's not doubted sometime, some way.

We live by faith, not by sight. Right. And sometimes, I have a head full of all kinds of understanding of things.

I have a relationship with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I encountered him personally when I was saved at 17 years old, and yet there's times when

I say, is that real? And I look back and I say, of course it is. We all do that at some point.

Paul even talks about the struggle against his own sinfulness in Romans 7, 18 through 25.

Just continue to give all of that to Jesus at the cross. Okay? All right, so just keep putting one foot in front of the other and stay the course is what you're saying, right?

That's what the Bible says. Persevere. You will, and you will because of God's work in you.

Philippians 2, 12 through 13. And also, I like Philippians 1, 6.

God is faithful, excuse me, he'll perfect, God has promised he'll perfect in you the work he's started.

Okay? I'm not sure I'm ever gonna catch up with you, Matt, but I'll stay reading it.

Thanks, man. Okay, man, God bless. All right, that was Scott from Idaho, and we've got a few minutes left in the show.

And we'll get to Adam from Ogden next if you wanna give me a call. Well, we don't have much time after that, so let's get to Adam right away.

Hey, you there, Adam? I sure am, and thank you very much for taking my call.

I definitely want to give God praise first and foremost just for your wisdom and willingness to serve.

Well, I don't know about wisdom, but willingness, yes. so I'll make my question brief. Okay. My question's actually in regards to the degrees of election.

And the reason why I bring that up is because of folks who come to mind like Jonah or Elijah, who were obviously elected by God, but it almost seems to me that they had limited free will in that they didn't have a choice but to do what it was

God had them do. And so I get that we're all elect, God's chosen,

God's people are elect in that sense to salvation, but what is your explanation as to certain degrees of election?

Well, there aren't any degrees of election. You're either elected for salvation or you're not elected for salvation. But people can act in ways that are contrary to the will of God, and God certainly permits that.

Jonah is a case of that. Paul is a case of that. Peter, me, anybody, everybody.

God - Sure. Yeah? Okay. But where Jonah was, he didn't want to do what

God had him do he still ended up being spat out on the shores whether he liked it or not.

Right. I guess that's kind of what I mean by he didn't have that same degree of free will. Of course he had free will.

He was able to resist God, but God trumps him. God arranges things.

He's a sovereign, not us. We're out of time, okay, Adam? I like it. All right, man. Yes, thank you, sir. Okay. Hey, folks, by God's grace, we'll be back in the studio tomorrow on Wednesday being able to talk to you about, hopefully, limited atonement.