Make Your Call and Election Sure: Part 2

For us to continue our study as we look at part two and make your call and election sure. Call and election sure. Now I want to confess to you right now that as your pastor I do not have an outline to.

Go through.

I'm just going to preach the word to you and let the word of God come to you and what God has brought to my heart and my memory and my recollect as I've been studying but it's something I've really been blessed with and needed in my own personal life with the assurance and I had no idea as I was going through this I've had to resist temptations throughout the week and I'm not talking about temptations of the lust.

Temptation comes through many ways more than just lust of the flesh. Sometimes it comes through the pride of life and I'll give you one example on social media there was a person that was trying to stir up some problems about Calvinism and Arminianism and doctrine of election they were opposing.

They basically said in effect that the doctrine of election is heresy and that really stirred my heart and I said you know I wonder if I ought to just go right into this on social media and just start debating and the Holy Spirit just pricked my heart and says you know it would not be glorified to God to do this so I did not say a word.

I'm going to leave, God really needs no defense. Now there is a time to speak I'm not saying that there is a time to speak out we know this the word apologetics basically means and actually it means this in the evangelistic sense to the people that are without Jesus to give a reason for the hope that's within.

Us.

We got to be careful how we cast pearls sometimes if you cast it among very religious people you know what I'm talking about. Jesus called them swine and honestly he did to false teachers that's already convinced that's a bully trying to pick a fight.

That's calling the doctrine of election it's all through the scriptures heresy that's serious words. But I left them with God. I said Lord you can take care of this and I really sense God's leading in this.

It would not be glorified to God so that was a temptation. Now I had another temptation. I went into a grocery store and an elderly gentleman I respect started to wanting to debate and he found out I was a pastor.

He wanted to debate me about something on the doctrine of men about it and he started out. Actually he started out he quoted from 2 Peter and I said this is so interesting. And he quoted the verse 3 he even said it.

He knew the verse by heart. He said his divine power is given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by glory and virtue. And I said that's a great verse.

I said actually as a pastor you know we're going through that verse we're going through that chapter. He had something else in mind. Then he asked me he said God's given us faith hasn't he. And I said absolutely God gives us faith.

God gives each and everyone a measure of faith. I didn't realize it at the time but he's been listening to a whole other movement of heretics and I'm going to call them heretics because they are that believe that God has already done it all and God has now.

This is how they twist things. The devil is very subtle folks he says well God's done it all so it's up to you now to have dominion over the land. That's the way God has given it a stewardship but in salvation.

Then he asked me the question this and this is where he was getting. This is where I really picked up on it. He said if God's done everything then he's handed everything over to you so you're to have faith.

So therefore God's not really working. He's did everything and so he sits back on his throne and and basically he said now he's given you dominion to be on the throne. You see what I'm saying. I said hold on hold on.

I said we'd have dominion but man is not in charge here and see it's it's what this is is. And he was listening to people and I'll call him out by name Joel that teaches that man is basically his own center.

Be careful we're hearing this. It sounds good from a motivational speaker. But the devil is very subtle and cunning. And it's exactly where brother Keith went this morning. You go back to Genesis and the lie is that when man fell you shall be as little gods.

You shall be like God. And this is what they teach. They basically teach you are your own God. You could speak to this mountain and you basically like God. You just say God's word and the mountain will be removed.

But we're not God we are. And they even say little. They say little gods. No we're not little gods. That's idolatry folks. That's blasphemy. And I'm telling you. And you know and I hey and you know. So I didn't argue with the guy.

I just said I'm here to put milk in. I'm a milkman today. I started to say we. I didn't say that but maybe we can pick this up another time. But I'm not going to. He's already convinced. But anyway I said that was a temptation.

I said. And I asked brother Keith. I said these temptations come to me hard this week brother Keith. Thank you for that encouraging word. He says any wonder. Look at what you preaching on. I mean this.

This this is talking about our call and election folks. This is what God has called us to. He's called us into holiness. He didn't call us to debate. He called us into holiness. Call and election. Sure we continue this study.

2nd Peter. Look at chapter 1 verse 2 verses verse 10 and 11. The Apostle Peter inspired by the Holy Spirit of God. This is not his idea. Holy man of God was moved by the Holy Spirit. And actually he says that later on knowing this first that no prophecy of scriptures of any private interpretation right.

Prophecy never came by the will of man but by the Holy Spirit. And moved by the Holy Spirit. I were moved. God was breathing upon him. This is God's Word. Aren't you glad that this is God's Word. And what I said earlier by the way let me let me have a footnote anytime anytime.

I'm just a man. That's why we're to go to the scriptures and be good Bereans to see whether those things are so. And line scripture up with scripture. Never take in. Even though it sounds good we must be careful.

The devil is very cunning folks. There's a lot of people out there believe in this Dominion theology that you are your little God scriptures. Opposite of that we're worms with God's servants. God is God.

There's none other. There's none other beside him. Well here the word of the living God. Profound penetrating words. Verse 10. Therefore brethren be even more diligent. This is the new King James. Be even more diligent to make your call and election sure.

For if you do these things you will never stumble. Verse 11. For so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Let me stop right there.

May God richly bless his holy word to our hearing this morning and into our hearts. Just not our heads but our hearts. That's what he's after. Amen. Let's pray father we thank you so much our Lord that before we sought you you sought us.

You're the seeker you seek us. You're not the one that's lost. We're the one that was lost. And like the good shepherd you go after your sheep. Father we thank you how wonderful it is to come today knowing that we have your holy word and you have given all power and all sufficiency for it to it.

There's nothing that can compare to it a matter of fact. Lord we should rejoice in it. And we also should tremble before it. So help us Lord to have the right attitude. So come before your word this morning.

It endures forever. It converts the soul it transforms our lives forever. There's nothing like it. And you conform us into the likeness of the image of Jesus. How oh how we need to be changed. Oh how we need to be changed.

So father I pray that your word will search us out Lord that your word will try us to test us and see if there be any wicked way in us. It's me oh Lord that stands in the need of prayer not my mother not my brother not my sister but me.

Oh Lord. So Lord lead us into the way of everlasting speak unto us today father and I pray help us by your spirit to understand and to receive this truth for your glory and honor. And we pray and ask this in Jesus name.

Amen and amen. Well it's already been spoken of but Peter says as we've been looking at verse five six and seven those are the virtues the seven graces. And what he's talking about for these things are yours and abound.

You would be uh be neither barren. In other words you will neither be useless nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. And he's talking about maturity. You know honestly if we walk around with our eyes closed it's very obvious that you're going to stumble and bump into something.

And stumble not completely. He didn't say anything about going completely apostate did he. But he said you will stumble. And I believe that's happening today a lot in the churches unfortunately there's a lot of stumbling around.

But the growing Christian the Christian that is growing in the grace and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ that walks with his eyes open to the word of truth to the word of God with confidence in God that he knows that he knows that he is secure in the Lord Jesus Christ and his salvation is secure.

Now we're going to continue to unwrap and unpack all this and in probably a couple more series Lord willing next week we're going to have communion once we get the rest of our family back and we're going to have communion and I'd like to take us uh to the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And when our Lord was crucified between two thieves we're going to look at that story that Christ's greatest trophy of the assurance that the thief on the cross that he received in his last dying breaths.

So I'd like for us to look at that Lord willing next Lord's day. Warren Wearsby who's one of my favorite writers he said this it is not our profession of faith that guarantees that we're saved. It is our progression in faith our progression in in the faith that gives us that assurance.

And that is so true. It's not our perfection right. We fall far from the perfection but our direction that gives evidence that we are saved. And that is everything. It is the direction in which we are going.

It's there are evidence and we're going to look more Lord willing at the evidence next Lord's day. I don't have time to unpack it all today but we're going to touch on it now that gives evidence that we are saved.

And you see in verse uh five through nine uh that pretty much Peter the apostle speaks of that the assurance of our salvation is simply put and if you to define it is knowing for sure that for sure you know that you know that you're saved.

But as I said last Lord's day that our remaining sin as Paul speaks of in chapter 7 of Romans has clouded our vision. And then we end up stumbling. We end up stumbling but we can know for sure that we can we are saved without a shadow of a doubt.

Now again I'd like for us Lord willing next week to look into the the evidences the signs the test. We're going to look through a series of tests from the word of God that would give us the correct signs the evidence that we are God's children.

There's a lot of scriptures that speak of this and a lot of it's from first John now again it's the knowing with certainty that really matters. Right. That certainty that certainty is sometimes strangled.

That certainty is by unbelief as brother Keith said is taken away and it it clouds us and it keeps us from entering into that rest as Hebrews speaks about. And unbelief many times causes that stumbling.

Many Christians throughout history have written many many volumes of books of their personal struggles and being assured of their salvation. There's many books out there Christian books many of most of them I wouldn't even take the time to read unless they're a Puritan.

And I really mean that because the Puritans go God's word. But really the problem is that many devoted believers in Jesus Christ look stay with me now they look for the assurance of salvation in the wrong places.

The greatest place we can look is the cross looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith looking unto Jesus look and live look to Christ. But we all have a tendency in our flesh to seek assurance of salvation.

And what we do this is the flesh. You see this among churches among religion you know that is really really the bedrock of religion of all religions of this world. It's what man performs to do to get to God.

But God in Christianity true religion by the way which is pure and undefiled is God. What God has already done come to us. That's that's the difference. That's everything. We have nothing to do with our salvation.

Jesus paid it all. But there is faith and faith as you know you go to the scriptures by grace through faith. You're we're saved. Right. But that tells us. And then Paul says it is the gift of God. What's the gift of God.

The faith. Now Paul in another part of his epistle I believe it's in I want to say Romans. I think I might be wrong. Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable his unspeakable gift. It speaks of Jesus for the wages of sin.

I know this is in Romans Romans 6 for the wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. So the gift really is from the Father Jesus. But there's another gift that he gives us in regeneration or we could not be regenerated.

And that's the gift of faith the gift of believing. So regeneration always precedes faith. We don't believe in order to be born again. We're born again in order to believe. That's the order. Actually Martin Lloyd-Jones has got a whole series on this called God's unbreakable chain.

Isn't it wonderful. But it's those who believe that are appointed to eternal life or should I say the other way is appointed for those who yeah that are appointed into eternal life believed. I got that right.

Actually this Armenian guy that wanted to debate me on this tried to tell me you don't know. He was telling me you don't know hermeneutics 101 and he was wanting to argue about that one verse from Acts.

I did not respond. I said I don't have time for this. This nonsense. I said but I'll tell you this. I wanted to tell him but I didn't go there because it would be not glorifying to God. But honestly you go to the scriptures yourself that belief.

We are unable to believe. Jesus said this you you cannot believe. You are. And we don't have the ability Jesus said to strive to agonize. But see in that we seek God. It's really a mysterious thing. But we'll look at this in a few minutes from scripture because there's none to see God that's proven in scripture.

Man's lost notice back in Genesis. You go back to Genesis when man fell man ran. Man is still running. Man is still hiding. Adam hid. He took fig leaves. That's his religion. He was trying to cover his nakedness.

He couldn't cover his nakedness. God seen him. God had to cover him. God had to do the seeking. God had to kill the animal. God had to do the sacrifice. God had to do it all. And it's amazing. When God comes as like a loving parent he comes to Adam.

Adam where are you. Where are you Adam. Well God knew where Adam was right. The problem was Adam didn't know where he was. And Adam is still that that is still the order never changes. Man still doesn't know where he's at.

He's religious. And then we still have another example even after that you have Cain and Abel both were very religious. Only one was right. And the one that was right was martyred. The first martyr was Abel.

His blood was shed. Cain was very religious thought he was doing something very religious even killing his brother. Then he got angry with God right. Now that's another sermon. But let let us look here on our assurance of salvation.

We all have a tendency to seek salvation. Assurance of our salvation by our performance by we doing law keeping rather in what God has already done in Jesus Christ. Because that's where the resting place is is all in Christ.

Even our most sincere performance will mislead us. We could be sincere but we can be sincerely wrong. And we need to remember that there's a man there's a way that seems right unto man. But the end thereof is death.

You see there are so many examples in scripture on that God has to give us the way. And he has in Jesus because Jesus said absolute truth he says I am the way the truth and the life. And actually if you see in book of acts when they followed Christ the followers of Christ it was known for the way they were the way followers.

And they were persecuted for it too. Well such as our spiritual growth beloved. Even our spiritual growth can mislead us. Even our good works for Jesus can mislead us. And let me say this with boldness even our obedience to God can mislead us.

Even all these external things which are signs by the way in evidence of salvation by which they should it should be evident in our Christian walk it externally. But what about the internal. That's where it matters.

Because there's a lot of people that do these things externally and they're religiously lost. So this is why we're going through this. Because it's critical. Because look at Judas. Look at Judas and Peter two apostles.

One basically defects from the truth. The other repents repents in sorrow. He repents and he truly repents. Judas he doesn't repent could. He had repented absolutely. But Jesus already knew he was the son of perdition.

He says that while these things by the way can be should be evident in our salvation of salvation these things are always not what we should. And here's the key base the assurance of our salvation on.

We do not base our assurance by how many times we go to church. We look folks there's people that's in hell right now that's going to church their entire life very religious they probably said prayers all their life.

People say how can a person be lost doing that. But they never come to the knowledge of the truth. They never truly repent. You see what i'm saying. And here and i think this is the keystone. They really never loved God now that's that i think that's one of the greatest evidences.

Being a born again child of God is loving God and loving the brother. And that's where john the apostle goes in first john notice that he's constantly bringing that up. Well we'll touch on that later on.

But but to put it very simple we should find the assurance. We should rather i say i rest in our full confidence. And and and this is the way i put it in the objective truth of God's word not the subjective.

That is we should have confident trust in the one. And the only one that has given us that assurance in the promised one the the righteous one that is Jesus Christ. And Christ alone who died as our substitute is the Lamb of God who took our place who took our sin who died in our place is the Lamb of God.

And and i like what Spurgeon says. It's not our hold on Christ that saves us but his hold on us. That's where salvation is. That's where assurance is not even our faith. Spurgeon says though it is a gift from God to lay hold of Christ.

Though faith is an instrument to lay hold of God. It's not our faith necessarily that saves us. Even though that may not sound right to you but it's Jesus and Jesus alone that is the Savior. See a lot of times we can idolize faith.

That would be like idolizing a gift. God is the giver. He is the he is the blesser. Abraham even said you are my great you are my exceedingly great reward. That's the way we should see. Joe understood this.

God basically gave him all these gifts. And God took away the gifts. Why did God do that. People said why did God do it. God has a right to do that folks doesn't he. God could do whatever he wishes. And little man bucks up against that little worms maggots bucks up against it.

How dare you God. Well who are they to even speak about that. God gave them breath in life. God could do whatever he pleases. He's God. He's welding his will. He knows exactly what he's doing. And if you read the book of Job we see that God knows exactly what he's doing.

And brother Keith touched on that this morning. But look go with me very quickly to first Corinthians 15. I want you to see what the gospel is this. This is where our assurance is. By the way it's according to the word of God not according to man's word.

Right. Uh even if a man gets up calls himself a so-called apostle which there are no apostles today. I I can prove that from the word of God. But Paul was an apostle. He was apostle to the Gentiles. He witnessed the resurrection the resurrected Christ.

Notice what he says in chapter 15 verses 1 through 4 he says moreover brethren I declare to you the gospel which I preach to you which also you received. They received it in which you stand. We stand in it.

You receive it you stand in it. And then what is he saying. By which also you are saved. And notice what he says if you hold fast. Now what he's talking about there it's not necessarily our good works.

What he's saying is if you persevere and by the way God's children will persevere. There is perseverance. But there is also we never want to fall lax into this. Because a lot of times when we think we have eternal security.

And we got this so-called ticket to salvation ticket to heaven. And I've seen this on signs. By the way I own my milk route. I see churches put this up. They put the same thing. I can't. I said it's unbelievable.

I said they're in communication with one another. They said free ticket to heaven details inside. And I think oh folks why can't you just put God's word on them. Signs quote the scriptures. Stop quoting these little cute sayings that that really lightly.

I mean that that makes light of God's word. Ticket to heaven details inside. Now if you want to know the details really it's in the bible. A lot of these churches could be way off the wall. A lot of these churches could be churches of the tares.

So our faith is not in churches. Our faith is not in preachers. Our faith is in God faith in God's word. Paul goes to that. Notice this I preach to you also what you received in which you stand which also you say if you hold fast that word which I preach to you unless you believe in vain.

Now that's a whole sermon right there. What does it mean to believe in vain. There's people that's believed in vain. And then I said and then he says this for I delivered to you first of all notice what he says first of all priority which also I received that Christ died for our sins.

According to Paul. No according to the scriptures. According to the scriptures. And this was an apostle. And that he was buried and that he rose again the third day. According to Paul. No according to the scriptures.

Even Paul was leaning on the scriptures. The prophets the prophecies from Genesis to Malachi of all those prophecies about the coming of Jesus. So there you have basically in a nutshell the gospel. This is God's gospel.

This is the testimony of God. This is where our assurance lies is in the gospel the good news. It is good news isn't it. It's it's the greatest news that we will ever hear. And by the way always based on objective truth not subjective experiences.

And this is where people go wrong. Folks it's a subjective experience will lead you astray from the truth. That's why we go to the scriptures. Satan is very cunning like I said earlier he would even take the scriptures and misquote it and twist it.

And he did this in Genesis brother Keith pointed out. But as Jesus was going into the garden not the garden by the way he was in the desert not a garden. If you notice he was in the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights.

And the Bible says the spirit of God led him. You know what that word led means drove him drove him into the wilderness. And this is after he was baptized in the in the Jordan River by John the Baptist.

And John the Baptist said I'm not even worthy. I'm not worthy to even unlatch your shoes. Who am I to baptize you. He knew who he was by the revelation that God spoke to him. Jesus goes through it he says suffer it to be so to fulfill all righteousness.

Isn't that wonderful to feel for you know why he said that. Because he's just not representing himself. He's representing God's people. That that basically means that as he died for us passively that that means that when he died for us as the substitute the lamb of God he died in our place.

But also Jesus lived for us. He represents himself. And as he goes into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil and the devil takes the scripture every time and twist it. Jesus comes back again. It is written again.

It is written again. It is written again. And I heard I read a devotion about this years ago from Tozer. Truth has two wings. You got to have that balance. And you got to know the word of God. That's what I'm saying.

If the devil knows the word of God that much how much more should would be in this word. We should be meditating on it. We should be memorizing. We should be saturating ourselves with it. And the problem is where's the love for the word of God.

See Satan hates the word. He knows the word intellectually as a fallen angel. We are God's children. We love that word. We meditate on it. We live by it. He don't live by it. He's opposed to it. Well again it's always the objective truth never the subjective experiences.

Now the apostle Peter back to our text. Verse 10 and 11 speaks here to make your call and election sure. Make your call and election sure. Now God desires his people to be confident in salvation again.

Spurgeon says quote full assurance is not essential to salvation. But he didn't stop there. Right. But it is essential to your satisfaction. And he says may you get it. And may you get it at once. May you never be satisfied to live without it.

Amen to that we should get it. Now let me give you a question. How can we have the blessed assurance we sung about today and salvation. How can we have it. Well let's consider some verses. And I touched on this.

And at the last last lord's day from first john. Go with me to first john. And look at chapter 5. Now this is a great verse. Look at chapter 5. Look I'm just going to read verse 11 through 13. 11 through 13.

Verse 11 and this is the testimony. Now he tells you right here underscore that this is the testimony that God has given. I want you to underscore that God has given. How many times you hear people say I know Jesus.

I gave my heart to him. They are sincere folks. But they're sincerely wrong. We're not saved. A .W. Pink said this. We're not saved. This is scriptural. We're not saved by our giving. We're saved by God's giving.

You could take that to bank. You could take that and cash it in. We are saved by God's giving. That God has given us. What. Eternal life. This is what he's given us. Eternal life. And then he expounds on it.

And this life not temporary life but eternal life. This life is in his son. And notice what he says. He who has the son has life. Another translation. Or has the life. I like that even better because the life is in Jesus Christ.

That's what he said. You cannot separate Jesus Christ from eternal life because he is eternal life. It's in him. He who has the son has life. Has or the life life. He who does not have the son of God does not have the life.

Verse 13. These things have I written to you who believe in the name of the son of God that you may know. Underscore that that you may know that you have eternal life and that you may continue. There's perseverance to believe in the name of the son of God.

Now let's break this down. Very simple. Who is it. Who is it that has the son. Who is it that has the son. It is those who have believed in him. And no one can believe unless regenerated. I'll prove that from scripture in just a minute.

Go with me to john. Chapter one. We look at this. Don't you love john. Chapter one. Now if you really study the gospel of john along with first john you you will see that this apostle he was known as the apostle of love.

He he continues his writings. But he continues that writing in first john not only to warn unbelievers about salvation but to give encouragement to believers and assurance of their salvation. That's the reason.

Really he wrote it. But if you go to first i'm sorry john chapter 1 verse 12 we're going to look at some verses here. I think this is incredible. Very well-known verses here. But I want you I want us to look at very closely.

Look at verse 12. But as many as received him. Now keep that in mind what john just said in first john 5 to as many as received him to them he gave the right or the authority the power to become the children of God even to those who believe in his name.

Verse 13 is very key. And actually you we can look at the doctrine of election right from this verse here. Who were born. Notice what he says. Who were born not of blood nor the will of the flesh nor the will of man but of God.

That that's the key. Right there there's your key verse. That's the key phrase to all that God is saying is found in verse 12. As many as received him to them he gave. Now the contrast verses is found in verse 10 and 11.

Let's back up a little bit. Look what he says. He was in the world and the world was made through him. What does that tell us. Jesus Christ is the word the second person of the trinity. He is God. He created the world.

He is the word he's deity. Why was it said he was in the world. He came in flesh he was incarnate and the world was made through him and the world did not know him. And we're talking about people who are lost in the world.

And notice what it says. He came to his own his own people the Jewish people Israel. And also in some translations says his own things his own dominion his own people. And his own his very own did not receive him.

There's a rejection. And Paul talks about the rejection in Romans 9 10 and 11. He goes into that. Theologically it's very deep. But let me let me take you to Romans 3. Keep this in mind. Go to Romans 3.

Now I want you to see this it just it just blows my mind how people can reject this and think there's something good in them that they can get them to get themselves to heaven. But I'm telling you this world did not have room for Jesus when he came into this world and he was born in a stinky stable and he yet entered.

And I'm going to say this. And if we have Jesus Christ and received him the world ain't gonna have room for you either. Romans 3. Look at 10 through 12. Theologically Paul understood this. Notice how he begins in verse 10 as it is written.

You see what he's saying. He goes to the word of God. He goes to the prophecy. He goes to the scripture. There is none righteous no not one. Notice how many times he says none. There is none who understands.

There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside. They have they have together become unprofitable. There is none who does good. No not one. How many times does he say none none none none righteous no not one.

None who understands none who seeks after God. None who does good. No not one. None none. You can't get this in people's heads today. I'm telling you folks people want to have something to do with their salvation.

You want me to tell you why. It's the flesh. It's the pride of life. We're going to see this. Now back to verse 12 of John 1. As many as received him. Who are those who are those who believe in his name.

Or I should say or ask how. That's the question. How why is in in the believing. It's it's actually the why is in the believing and the how is in the receiving. Do you see that the why is in the believing and the how is in the receiving.

And the receiving is from the giving. Take it to God. God is the source. Man is not the source of his salvation. Faith is outside of him. Faith comes as a gift to us to take a hold of Christ. But the Savior is waiting.

He gives us the faith whom he the elect and but yet that we do not do away with whosoever will that again we looked at the general call is to all people. But we do know that all people is not going to be saved.

Only those who believe. And those who are believe are those who were appointed into into eternal life. It's in scripture. I almost want to shake people sometime and say like R .C. Sproul what's wrong with you people.

It's there. But to them he gave the right. Listen to that. The right the power the authority. Notice God's first. John 3 16. For God so loved the world that he what he did he gave his one and only his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.