 Our sermon title this morning is Chosen by God, Chosen by God. Principle text is Romans chapter 9 verses 1 through 24, the text right in your hearing. We'll look at several texts on this subject this morning. It's a joy and a privilege for us to come together again as we consider our series in the essentials together. And again, our series in the essentials is one sermon, one foundational theological subject essential to the growth, to the maturity of the Christian, and this morning we come to the subject in our series on the essentials. We come to the subject of God's sovereign election. Now we live in an age of theological lawlessness, all but a small remnant, just a small section of the evangelical or professing church, has abandoned solo scriptura. And apart from biblical authority, now everyone seems to believe what's right in his own eyes. If it accords with what they think, then it must be true. If it doesn't, then it's not. Professing Christians are largely governed by emotion, rather than by biblical convictions. It seems like feelings rule the day, opinions rule the day, but God's word does not. We've abandoned good sound exegesis. We've abandoned the authority of God's word governed by what sounds right to them versus what is right according to the Bible. That's our responsibility as the people of God, our responsibility as Christians to maintain a biblical perspective through sound doctrine. To give you solid food that by reason of use you have your senses exercised to discern both good and evil. We are to stand in the old paths, so to speak. We're to ask for the old ways, ancient words, right, ever true, wisdom from above. It's there that we find rest for our souls. On any issue, on any issue, particularly one like this, we must stand firm on the Word of God and say to the law and to the testimony, right, like Luther, my conscience is bound to the Word of God. I must hold fast to the Word. Last Lord's Day, we introduce the biblical doctrine of predestination. This Lord's Day, our aim will be to consider in more detail two components of predestination, namely election and reprobation. In other words, when the biblical doctrine of predestination is applied to the eternal destination of individuals, we are speaking of either election or reprobation. Our confession of faith refers to it this way in chapter 3, article 3, where the confession states, by the decree of God, for the manifestation of His glory, some men and angels are predestined or foreordained, in other words, they are chosen, to eternal life through Jesus Christ to the praise of His glorious grace, that's election. Others, the confession states, being left to act in their sin to their just condemnation to the praise of His glorious justice, that's reprobation. Now what then does it mean to be elect? What does it mean to be elect? It simply means to be chosen from a larger group. Means to be chosen from a larger group. In the case of election to salvation, it means to be chosen by God from the mass of fallen humanity to be saved eternally through Jesus Christ to the praise of His glorious grace. Both election and reprobation are components or functions of predestination. Both election and reprobation fall under the doctrine of God's sovereign decree. Now let's make a fundamental assertion as we get started on our subject this morning. It's this. It is impossible to come to the Bible without acknowledging the fact that God chooses or elects. If you're going to do that intellectually, honestly, you're going to come to the Bible honestly. It's impossible to come to the Bible without acknowledging the fact that God chooses or elects. Jesus Christ is described as the elect of God or chosen in 1 Peter 2 verse 4. He, Christ, is a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen, eclectas. It means elect. He is elect of God and precious. Paul charges Timothy in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels, chosen angels. Same word in 1 Timothy chapter 5 verse 21. God is said to have elected or chosen the patriarchs in Israel. On Acts chapter 13 verse 17, Bible reads that the God of this people, Israel, chose our fathers and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt. Moses in Deuteronomy chapter 4 verse 37 says that God, having loved their fathers, then chose their seed after them or elected the nation of Israel out of all the other nations on the earth. As Moses said in Deuteronomy chapter 7 verse 7, they were elected, they were chosen of God not because they were more in number than any other people for they were the least of all the peoples but because the Lord loved them and because He would keep the oath which He swore to their fathers. God elected the children of Israel. Some would say then, some would say, well it's obvious then that God elects nations but God does not choose or elect individuals and particularly God does not elect individuals to salvation. Well what are nations but groups of individuals? What are nations but groups of people, individual people? Besides that obvious fact, God chose not only nations in the scriptures but God chose individuals in the Bible. God chose or elected Noah, didn't He? God elected or chose Abraham. God chose Isaac. Chose Jacob. Chose Joseph. God chose Moses. God chose David. God chose Jeremiah. And God chose many, many, many, many others in the Bible. In fact, it is impossible to come to the Bible without acknowledging the fact that God chooses or elects. God not only chooses or elects, God chooses or elects some people to salvation. There is no deficiency for this truth in the biblical witness. It is replete with this truth. Jesus explained Himself that many are called, few are chosen. John chapter 15 verse 19, Jesus said, you do not belong to the world, why? Because I have chosen you out of the world. Turn with me quickly, just a few pages of the right, to 1 Corinthians chapter 1. First Corinthians chapter 1, and look there beginning at verse 26, it's impossible to come to the Bible without acknowledging the fact that God chooses or elects some people to salvation. First Corinthians chapter 1 beginning at verse 26, for you see your calling now, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. But God has what? He's chosen. God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the things that are wise. Even in this it shows that God's choice or God's election is not arbitrary. God has purposed in Himself who He would choose. God has a purpose to what He does. God has a plan to choose those whom He would select for salvation. But God is the one who's chosen in verse 27. God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise. And God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty. And the base things of the world and the things which are despised, God has chosen. And the things which are not to bring to nothing the things that are. You know that, verse 29, no flesh should glory in His presence. That's a purpose of election, do you see? But of Him you are in Christ Jesus. You cannot say in verse 30, but of my faith I am in Christ Jesus. No. Of my decision I'm in Christ Jesus. It's because I walked the aisle, said that prayer that I'm in Christ Jesus. It's because out of an act of my own will I chose Him. And that's why I'm in Christ Jesus. No. It is of Him. It's a way of saying that it is all of grace. It is according to God's sovereign election that you are in Christ Jesus who became for us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption. That as it is written, then he who glories, don't let him boast in himself. Don't be caught boasting in yourself. He who glories, let him glory in the Lord. In Ephesians chapter 1 verse 4, just as God chose us in him, Christ, before the foundation of the world. 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 13, God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. It's impossible to come to the Bible without acknowledging that God elects some people to salvation. 2nd Timothy chapter 1 verse 9, God has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, not according to our foreseen faith, not according to what we've done whether good or evil, not according to anything found within ourselves. But God has saved us, called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began. As you see the compounding of the points there that Paul is making to Timothy, he puts on top of God being the one who chooses. He adds to that nothing conditioned in man, and he adds to all of that that it was before time began, before anyone was born, right? Chapter 13 verse 48, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. In other words, our election was not a result of foreseen believing, but rather our believing was the outcome of our having been elected. I consider Acts 13 and 48, and as many as were appointed to eternal life, what did those who were appointed to eternal life do they believed? Do you see? Turn with me to John chapter 10, another example of this, John chapter 10, just a quick hit if you will, quick snapshot of various examples in the Bible of many that teach this doctrine. I was once listening to a sermon one time, terrible sermon, false teacher, and he got up and essentially said, listen, all they've got, talking about quote-unquote Calvinists, right? All they've got is Romans chapter 9 and Ephesians chapter 1, they've got nothing else. And then he proceeded to absolutely butcher Ephesians chapter 1 and Romans chapter 9. Listen, let me ask you, if all you had was Romans chapter 9 and Ephesians chapter 1, is that enough? Amen, right? Give me one that's enough, right? But if you've got, so, but that's not the case, this is all over the Bible, it's all over the Bible. Listen, to not see it all over the Bible like this, you've got to be blind, ignorant, stupid, or you don't read your Bible, or you're a deceiver, or any combination of those factors, right? John chapter 10, verse 11, John chapter 10, verse 11, Lord says, listen, I am the good shepherd, the good shepherd gives his life for everyone. No, gives his life for the sheep. Not the sheep and the goats, but he gives his life for the sheep. Now who are the sheep? Drop down to verse 14. I am the good shepherd, verse 14, I know my sheep, and I am known by my own. There's this group called the sheep that the Lord knows, they know him, they are his own, they've been given to him, right? I am the good shepherd, verse 14, I know my sheep, and I am known by my own. As the Father knows me, even so I know the Father, and I lay down my life for everyone. No, I lay down my life for the sheep, not the sheep and the goats, I lay down my life for the sheep. And verse 16, clear pronouncement of election, there are other sheep I have which are none of this fold. Them also I must bring, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock and one shepherd. In other words, the Lord can speak of other sheep outside the fold that belong to him. The Lord can speak of other sheep not currently in the fold that belong to him. Why do they belong to him? They are sheep. They've been elected to belong to him. They've been given. They are his by sovereign divine election and yet not yet in the fold. Them, that group, the Lord says, I must bring. And those, that group, will hear my voice. One motivating factor in the Lord's evangelism, right, was that God would ensure that his sheep would absolutely hear the voice of their good shepherd and follow him. It's a tremendous motivation to evangelism. The Armenian would claim the opposite. It's like, if that's the case, then why even evangelize? If people are going to be called and God's going to do all that, then what part do we have in any of that? A glorious privilege, a glorious blessed part in all of that. Look at verse 24, drop down to verse 24. So then the Jews surrounded him and said to him, listen, how long do you keep us in doubt? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly. They're somewhat thickheaded. It takes a while to get it through to them, obviously, by this point in John chapter 10. Jesus answered them, verse 25, I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me, but you do not believe why because you are not of my sheep. As I said to you, my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me. Profound statement of God's electing purpose in Christ to give the Lord a people to his name. One commentator told the story of an old preacher who taught this text in John chapter 10. As he was teaching this text, taking a very simplistic approach, simple approach that wasn't simplistic at all, very simple approach, clear approach. He takes two chalkboards, puts them on either side of the platform, and on one chalkboard he writes, do not believe on a chalkboard. On the other chalkboard he writes, believe. And he asks the people, what group are you in? Do not believe or believe. Why is it that they do not believe or why is it that they believe? He goes to the chalkboard that says, do not believe. He flips it over and on the back of the chalkboard is written, goat. Right? He goes to the other chalkboard, believes. And he flips over the chalkboard on the back of the chalkboard is written, sheep. Why is it that these do not believe because they are goats? Is it that they do not believe because or that they are goats because they do not believe? No. They do not believe because they are goats. Do you see? It's the way the chronology and the text is so important. You do not believe why because you are not of my sheep. That means if you do believe, praise God. You are His and He is yours. What does the Lord Jesus Christ then do for the sheep? This is application. This is what the doctrine of divine election, sovereign election should do for us. We should consider this doctrine in our worship. Consider this doctrine in our praise. Consider this doctrine as we read and study His Word. Consider this doctrine as we evangelize. Consider this doctrine as we live the Christian life. Why? Verse 28, look at what the Lord does. I give them eternal life. It can be taken away. Listen, if it can be taken away from you, it's not eternal. It doesn't give us temporary life until you do something to mess it up. Verse 28, I give them eternal life and they shall never perish. Neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand. My Father who has given them to me is greater than all and no one and no thing is able to snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one. Do you see what's at stake here? With divine election, what is at stake is God's faithfulness to His Word. God's faithfulness to His promise. He says, I give them eternal life. God is faithful to His promises, is He not? An election is one of the means that the Lord uses to assert that fact. God is faithful to His Word. Verses 28 through 30 are the blessing, they are the joy, the assurance, the security of the believer. The security, the joy, the blessing, the assurance of election. It's many, many, many texts like these that compel any honest reader of the Bible to acknowledge that the Bible clearly teaches the election of some people to salvation. It's often not that point that is argued. For many, the basic issue of disagreement between them is whether or not God's election is conditional or unconditional. That's where the problem really rests. In other words, why does God choose one and not the other? Does God condition His choice on some foreseen faith in man, or is God's choice entirely free of any condition to be found in man? Is God's election conditional or unconditional? One would say, God foresees that man will, in his free will, God or a man will freely choose to believe, and so God elects him based upon that condition. God elects based upon the condition of foreseen faith. The other would say, no, no. God sees and foreknows that no man will ever believe on his own. That's what God foresees and what God knows. He is dead in his trespasses and sins, and despite this fact, despite this fact, God in mercy and grace purposes to give some life from the dead. And with that new life, He gives them faith in His Son who died to redeem them. This is not a question, this question of conditionality. It's not a question to be trifled with, a very serious issue. It's not merely for the academic or the philosopher or for the shelf of some seminary student. It's for all of us to grapple with, wrestle with and understand what the Bible teaches. It's a very important question. The implications of this question are staggering. It's not just a simplistic thing. It's extremely important. Think with me. The Gospel isn't preached equally to all, is it? It's not preached equally to every creature on the earth. There has been an innumerable mass of humanity that has died never hearing the Gospel, never hearing the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Among those to whom the Gospel is preached, some sit under biblical preaching for years. Some sit under the biblical preaching of God's Word for their entire lives. They die and they perish eternally. Others hear the Gospel only once. That was some of you. You heard the Gospel one time. You turned from your sin, put your trust in Christ, you came to church. You've been here ever since, right? The preaching of the Gospel for our salvation is met with various responses. Some put faith in Christ with all their heart upon a first hearing. Some are deceived. They're deceived by false Gospels, false teachers. Others reject the Gospel out of hand. Right at the hearing of the Gospel they don't say, they say, I don't want to have anything to do with that. It sounds like the most foolish thing I've ever heard. Is it that some people are simply smarter than others? Does our intelligence have anything to do with it really? Is it because some people can grasp it and other people can't grasp it? Does intelligence make it more difficult? Is they're too big for their own bridges and does it take a simplistic child-like mind to get the Gospel right and to be able to receive it, to be able to believe, to put faith in Christ? Is it really? Is that what it depends upon? In the final assessment, if in the final assessment their salvation ultimately depends on my ability, for example, to be persuasive, then guess what? I quit right now. It's too great of a weight to bear. Is our eternity really dependent upon circumstances like these? If you believe that somehow salvation is determined upon some conditionality in man, and that's the logical end of your theology, and you need to grapple with that. Is our eternity really dependent upon circumstances like these? The Bible would say absolutely not. Absolutely not. These are questions without an acceptable answer apart from the Bible's clear teaching about God's sovereign and unconditional election. Our salvation is, and listen, it must be, all of God's sovereign grace. Everything flows entirely from the fountain of God's free mercy in Christ. Any work, any condition in man has been entirely set aside such that no flesh may glory in his sight, and God ensures the salvation of those that he has chosen from before the foundation of the world. God sees to it that it will happen, it will come about. You know, when you and I, when we go into Orlando, we go into our neighborhoods to preach the gospel. We go into the parks, into the mall from door to door to preach the gospel. When we plant a church in Guatemala, or we plant a church in New York, or we plant a church in Dajabon, when we preach the gospel in Haiti, it's not because we're hoping that you'll have the ability to be smart enough and persuasive enough and intelligent enough to get decisions for Christ by your own effort. Listen, if you say it this way, you'll get them. But if you don't say it this way, you won't. Really? It's not because we think we can get decisions for Christ by our own effort. It is entirely because we know that God has chosen a people from every tribe, tongue, and nation. We know that God blesses the preaching of his word. We know that his sheep will hear his voice and will follow him. We know that he will give them eternal life. Those who are saved out of this fallen and sinful and wicked perverse world are saved because God has chosen to save them. He elects them to salvation. That should motivate our evangelism, right? That should fuel, charge up our evangelism. We can't lose. We go into the world preaching the gospel. Why? Because God has designated, elected a people to himself out of every tribe, tongue, and nation. And when they hear the preaching of God's word, if it's God's will, if it's according to his sovereign decree, they will believe. They will hear his voice and they will follow him. And when the doctrine of sovereign election comes up, and it will if you're reading the Bible, it will if you're preaching the Bible. God's will concerning election will come up. It's striking to me, amazing to me how evaded this truth is. It's all over the Bible, all over the Bible. You can't read a book in the Bible without hearing, without learning of, without coming face to face with, God's sovereign election. But it's amazing to me that in pulpits all over the place, it is entirely avoided, entirely twisted, entirely perverted as many men do, those teachings of Paul to their own destruction. It's going to come up. And when it comes up, there are two basic objections that are most frequently raised in response to this doctrine. First objection is this. It's not fair. It's not fair. That's not fair. The second is it violates man's free will, violates man's free will. If God chooses unconditionally, choosing some for salvation, leaving others in their sin with no respect to man's choice, no respect to man's decision, that's not fair, they will say. Calls into question God's justice and makes God in their sight to be unrighteous. And if God chooses unconditionally, choosing regardless of man's decision one way or the other, then that's a violation of man's free will. How can God hold man then responsible for his sin? What about whosoever will, right? It's not fair. And it calls into question God's justice and makes God in their sight to be unrighteous. Well, the Bible answers clearly both of those objections for those that are willing to look and to study and to work at it. The Bible clearly answers those objections. The Bible gives us clear, unapologetic answers to our questions. And as always, those answers come through good exegesis. Doesn't matter how you feel about it. At the end of the day, exegesis is not based on your feelings. It's not based on your emotions, not based on what you think or what your opinion is. And listen, you can't, you have a set of instructions before you write your child's gift toy. You've got the set of instructions in front of you. Sometimes those things are exorbitantly frustrating. You've got the picture on the front of the box. You know what it's supposed to look like and be. So what do you do with the instructions? It's like, and I'm just going to put it together to make it look like the picture on the front of the box. So you labor to do that and you end up with some aberrant quasi thing that somewhat looks like the picture on the front of the box, but it doesn't work. Why? Because you didn't go to the instruction manual, right? We can do that with our theology, can't we? You have some ideas, some opinions, some thought about the way this whole thing is supposed to work out. And what if you are sincere but sincerely wrong, full of confidence, but wrong nonetheless, right? We have to resort to good exegesis. It doesn't matter that 51% or 71% or 99% of Baptists believe one thing or another. What matters is the sound and biblical interpretation of relevant texts in the Bible. You want to be safe from error, practice good exegesis. Error persists on poor exegesis. An error persists on traditionalism. Error persists on emotionalism. Error persists on all of those things. We have to get back to the Bible. And listen, that's the responsibility of every Christian. Every Christian. Good exegesis. The problem is, is often is when people get dug in on their theology like a tick on a hound dog and you can't dig them out. They'd rather feed on their dog than to understand or know the truth. And they, to the teeth, defend their position on the dog rather than coming to the truth. We need good exegesis. With that, turn to Romans chapter 9. Romans chapter 9, a text read earlier in your hearing. Romans chapter 9, we're going to begin in verse 1. Romans chapter 8, last week in our study on predestination. In his letter to the church at Rome, Paul had been building up to a glorious soteriological climax in chapter 8. Glory upon glory in chapter 8. He begins with the depravity of man in chapters 1 through 3. If you think about the letter as a whole, Paul begins with the depravity of man in chapters 1 through 3. We are all irreparably depraved as a result of the fall without excuse under the righteous judgment of Almighty God. There is no one righteous, no, not one. Are there any good people in the world? Not a single one, right? Men are inherently evil. The Bible says that we are essentially worthless, unprofitable. The whole world, their mouth is stopped. They have no defense. They are guilty before God under His holy and just law. That's your condition if you are apart from Christ this morning. You are outside of God, outside the promises. You are depraved, thoroughly corrupted by sin and currently under the judgment and condemnation of God. Who will judge you for your sin and cast you into hell? You have no defense. You cannot rely on anything good about yourself. You think to yourself, well, I'm going to do the best that I can. I'm just going to trust that it all works out in the end. It doesn't work out in the end. It never will. The Bible says that is foolish. It simply doesn't work out in the end. What works out in the end is your eternal damnation, right? Turn from your sin. Why? Because in chapter 4 of Paul's letter to the church at Rome, the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed. It's revealed in the person and work of His own Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. That righteousness that we don't have, we're bankrupt of any righteousness before God. That righteousness, that perfection, that holiness that we need to stand before a holy God is given to us as a gift, a free gift of God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ. It's given to us as a gift by faith in Jesus Christ, His own Son. In other words, when I trust in Christ alone for His perfect life, for His perfect obedience, for His perfect substitutionary sacrifice on my behalf, stood in my place at the cross and died for me. And when I trust Him, that work, that life and that work applies to me. When I believe upon Him for that, then His righteousness, His perfect life, His perfect obedience is given to me. It's credited to me as a gift. And it is given to me such that I myself can be declared righteous in God's sight as if I obeyed in Him or with Him. His righteousness given to me as a gift. And then all the promises of God for His people are mine through trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ. Promises for salvation, promises of forgiveness, of sins, promises of eternal life in Him are all mine through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now with that, with that then, I am dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus, Romans chapter 6. With that, I am dead to the law as a covenant of works, Romans chapter 7. And with that, there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, Romans chapter 8. Glory, right? In all of this, all of this, building up to this argument in Romans chapter 8, listen, all of that, all of that is because of God's faithfulness to His decreed purpose in Romans chapter 8, verse 28. This glorious salvation, rooted and grounded in the counsels of His eternal will, not in my own goodness, not in my own merit, not in foreseen faith, it's rooted and grounded entirely in the counsels of His eternal will because those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, verse 30. Moreover, those whom He predestined, these He also called, those whom He called, these He also justified, those whom He justified, these He also glorified. In other words, the Christian's hope for salvation, the Christian's hope is founded upon the eternal and immutable word of God and His faithfulness to His Word. Do you see? The faithfulness of God to His promises. It's all rooted and grounded in Him, not in me, in Him. His faithfulness, God has predestined us to salvation, therefore we trust in Him, right? God has predestined us to salvation. We were chosen by God before time began and at the end of Romans chapter 8, nothing then shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Nothing can separate us from Him. His building to this climax and all of this depended upon God's faithfulness to His inviolable Word. God's steadfast faithfulness to what He has decreed. Sounds a lot like John 10, doesn't it? No one will snatch them out of my hand. No one is able to snatch them from my Father's hand. Why? Because God had elected them to salvation. God has predestined them. However, now listen, if you think about the context, Romans chapter 9 then, if you think about the context, what is the one reality that would seem to undermine all of that confidence? If someone didn't know any better and they were thinking about this assertion, thinking about God's faithfulness to His promises, God's faithfulness to His Word, God's steadfast, trustworthiness to all that He has decreed, all that He has promised, what reality would seem to undermine all of that? What current reality might put a big hole in their hope? The unbelief of the nation of Israel. The unbelief of the nation of Israel. God had elected them too, hadn't He? God elected the people of Israel, and they abandoned the covenant. And it appears as though God has abandoned them, doesn't it? From what the Bible says. How can a Christian then trust God's Word with respect to his own election when it appears that God's purpose according to election has failed the Jews? How is it then that we are to trust? If God's decreed Word of promise cannot be trusted, then our faith is in vain. Our faith is in vain. That's the subject taken up by Paul in Romans chapter 9 through 11. Romans chapters 9 through 11. Paul is going to prove his point here by explaining how God's ultimate purpose according to his own sovereign election stands, even where it concerns the ethnic people of Israel. He's going to take up that subject beginning in Romans chapter 9, beginning in verse 1. Romans chapter 9 verses 1 through 5, Paul points to his pain and Israel's privileges. Paul's pain and Israel's privileges. Look with me at verse 1. Paul begins his case with this. He says, I tell the truth in Christ. I am not lying. My conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. Why, Paul? Why the pain? For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen, according to the flesh. We all know, we see, working through Second Corinthians, for example, we saw Paul's heart for lost people. Paul has a heart for lost people. Particularly, though, here is Paul's grief and sorrow over his countrymen according to the flesh, the Jewish people. Paul has a heart to see his countrymen according to the flesh saved. They are themselves, though, anathema. They are cut off from Christ. Paul, if you look at verse 27, Paul understands, even though they are accursed from Christ, his brethren, verse 3, verse 27, Paul understands there's a remnant of them that will be saved. There will be a remnant saved, right? But Paul's heart, Paul's mind, is occupied now in verses 1-5 with how many individual Jews who will not be saved. There are a vast number of individual Jews who will not be saved, and Paul is grief. I wish that I myself could be accursed and cut off from Christ for their salvation, right, if that were possible. They've been given such privileges, these people, and yet so many of them do not believe. Well, what privileges have they been given? Look at verse 4. Verse 4, they're Israelites. They're the chosen physical nation of Israel. They're Israelites to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises of whom are the fathers. Those who were in covenant began the covenant relationship with God, from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came. The Messiah came out of the Jewish nation, who is overall the eternally blessed God, amen. A bitter pain of Paul's heart in Romans 9, 1-5, is that so many individual Jews will be eternally lost. That's the pain of Paul's heart. There are so many individual Jews who will be eternally lost. It's the same grief or sorrow of heart that the Lord Jesus Christ experienced, that you see him experience in Matthew 23, when he stands outside Jerusalem, weeping over the city, right? Long would I have gathered you in as a hen, and gather her own chicks, but you are not willing. The Lord laments that state, their condition weeps over the city. Now, Paul knows that this rejection by the Jews might undermine someone's confidence in the Word of God. Undermine someone's confidence in the promises of God. It might call into question God's election and God's eternal saving purpose. So in verse 6, then, Paul begins to explain why that's not the case. Now follow along with me, right? You understand the connection that's being made here. This is something that God had purposed to do. It appears to someone who doesn't understand, someone who hasn't seen or heard the Bible's teaching on this. It appears as though because the nation of Israel now appears to be cut off, and so many individual Jews are lost that God's promise has failed. God's faithfulness to his Word is being called into question, right? The whole thing is undermining the faith, and Paul is defending that with this argument. Now if you remember, Moses had the same concern, shared the same concern that Paul has here in Romans chapter 9. When Moses intercedes for the Israelites in the wilderness, Moses comes down from the mountain, for example, right? Moses comes down from the mountain, and finds that the children of Israel have fashioned for themselves a golden calf. What does the Lord say? Moses, get away from them. I'm going to kill them, consume them in a moment, and I'm going to make of you a great nation. What does Moses do? Moses instantly, he intercedes on their behalf with God. He says, God, don't do that. Don't do that, Lord, please. The Egyptians might hear, the Egyptians will say that God was not able to bring them to the Promised Land. Moses had in mind the glory, the faithfulness, the testimony of God's faithfulness. Moses had in mind the glory of God in his response, in his intercession for the children of Israel. Remember when the spies came back with a bad report? The people complained against God and they were about to stone Moses and God threatened to wipe them out and make of Moses a great nation. Moses intercedes again. Numbers 14 verse 15 saying this. He says, now if you kill these people as one man, then the nations which have heard of your fame will speak saying because the Lord was not able to bring these people to the land which he swore to give them, therefore he killed them in the wilderness. You understand from Romans 9, it's essentially the same point that Paul is making. If God, if it doesn't work out, if none of this comes about, then the people would say, God, you're not faithful to your word. You couldn't bring them into eternal life as you promised. You couldn't bring them into the land as you promised. Your promises, God, are void because look at the nation of Israel. God's faithfulness is being questioned. God's righteousness is being questioned. That's the point of Romans 9, 10 and 11. Paul is concerned for the same reason. God's faithfulness is steadfast. His word is inviolable and true. It cannot be broken. No one can thwart God's plans. Look at verse 6. Here's the point that Paul is making, verse 6. But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. He wants to make that point clear. It's not that the word of God has taken no effect. Why? Because they are not all Israel who are of Israel. Powerful point for many. That would have been the Copernican Revolution. We've talked about that over the last couple of sermons. The mind shift, the paradigm shift that would have just blown them away. They are not all Israel who are of Israel. Many of you in this room, myself included, that was a Copernican Revolution for us at one point. They are not all Israel who are of Israel. What are you talking about, Paul? God had in mind all along a spiritual seed of Abraham. A spiritual seed of Israel. True Israel are the elect of God. True Israel are the elect of God. The elect of God chosen when? From before the foundation of the world. Paul wants us to know that the rejection of Jesus Christ by a vast majority of ethnic Jews is in no way an indication of powerlessness or failure on the part of God. No way. Why? Because they are not all of Israel who are of Israel. They are not all Israel who are of Israel. Or seven, nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham. But in Isaac your seed shall be called. In other words, your heritage as an ethnic Jew matters not when it comes to your election to salvation. It doesn't matter on your heritage. Your ethnicity does not matter in that respect. That is verse eight. Those who are the children of the flesh these are not the children of God. Do you see? But the children of the promise are counted as the seed. There's so many passages in the Bible. Virtually all of them. Where you can just read the passage and it's like drop the mic, close the book. There's nothing more that should or could be said. It's just clear. Verse eight. Those who are the children of the flesh these are not the children of God. But the children of the promise are counted as the seed. Clear, right? Paul uses here, listen in Paul's argument, Paul uses individual, unconditional, sovereign election to prove that God is true to his word. To prove that God's word is trustworthy and true and that we can put our faith and trust in him. Individual and unconditional, sovereign election here is the proof that God's word never fails. Now listen, God will certainly save all of his elect. He will not lose not one single one of them. God will lose none of them, right? His elect are the seed of Abraham according to the promise but the spiritual seed of Abraham according to individual, sovereign, unconditional election in Jesus Christ. That's the seed, okay? That's the spiritual seed. Those are the children of God. Paul, if you're following me so far, Paul brings out then two examples from Israel herself to make this point and it's a very important point. The first example that Paul brings out is the election of Isaac over Ishmael. Verse 9, for this is the word of promise. At this time I will come and Sarah shall have a son. Verse 7 says, in Isaac, your seed shall be called. Now, here's an example of two biological descendants, ethnic descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Ishmael, right? One is chosen, one is elect, that's Isaac. One is rejected, one is reprobate, that is Ishmael. Both from Abraham, descendants from Abraham but based upon God's sovereign, unconditional election, his promises are fulfilled through Isaac and not through Ishmael. So then, again, just because you are a physical descendant of Abraham does not make you one of the elect of God, do you see? Now, a Jewish person might object to that. They certainly often would object to that and say, that's not fair, it's not fair. They had different mothers and only Sarah was Abraham's wife, Hagar was a slave woman. And so then Paul brings out his second example. Look at verse 10. And not only this, you objector, but when Rebecca had also conceived by one man, there it means that Rebecca had one conception or literally it means that she had one act of intimacy that produced two children. That's literally what the text means. Not only this but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man or one act of intimacy even by our father, Isaac, we're talking about Jewish people here, right? Verse 11, for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil so that the purpose of God according to election might stand not of works but of him who calls, it was said to her, the older shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob I have loved but Esau I have hated. Wow, okay? Clear statement of election. Let me ask you, thinking about verses 10 through 13, is the election of some sinners to salvation based upon foreseen faith? Absolutely not. Is it based upon anything in them? No. Good or evil? No. Based upon their birth, their heritage? No. Or, verses 10 through 13, is election the sovereign decree of God before the foundation of the world in which he chooses certain sinners for salvation entirely according to the good purpose or good pleasure of his own will upon no condition of faith or merit found in the person. That's what sovereign election is. You see here, God is not making a point about the faithfulness of God by referring to the election of a nation. That's what some people would say. Well, God's speaking about the election of nations here, the nation that came from Jacob or the nation that came from Esau. Listen, Jacob and Esau also had to make a profession of faith in order to be saved, if there to be saved. He's talking about individuals here, not nations. The nation has rejected their Messiah. Paul is making a point about the faithfulness of God in election by referring to God's specific election of individuals within that nation. Specifically here, Jacob and Esau. Jacob exercised repentance and faith. Esau did not exercise repentance and faith. In fact, Hebrews chapter 12 verse 17, he found no place for repentance even though he sought for it with tears. Why did Esau not believe? Why did Esau not believe? We flip the chalkboard and on the back of it says goat. Why did Esau not believe? Because he was not a sheep. That's what verses 10 through 13 are asserting. He sold his birthright for a pot of stew. He despised the promises of God. He showed contempt for the promises of God. He despised all of his privileges. And Esau did those things in accord with his own nature, responsible for his own sin, depraved just as Jacob was, but Esau was not of God's elect people. So he did not believe. Biological dissent being Jewish has no bearing on individual salvation. Either in the example of Isaac and Ishmael or in the example of Jacob and Esau. The reason that God chose Jacob over Esau was listen to verse 11. The reason that God chose Jacob over Esau was so that for the purpose that his purpose might be seen as determinative. As seen in the election of individuals to salvation, that purpose might stand. So that God could be seen to be faithful to his word. Faithful to his decree. It's not by works, right? Whether they've done good or an evil. It's rather by him, verse 11, who calls. In other words, election is entirely of God. Has nothing to do with man. Has nothing to do with man. The further evidence of all this is that it happens before time. Before man is born. Before man can do anything good or evil. It happens before time. One elect, that's Jacob. Four ordained to eternal life through Jesus Christ to the praise of his glorious grace. One reprobate. Esau being left our confession states, right? Being left to act in their sin to their just condemnation to the praise of his glorious justice. It actually does, verse 13, uphold God's sovereign electing eternal purpose in saving Jacob, but verse 13 also upholds God's sovereign eternal purpose in rejecting Esau. Both are true, do you see? Clear from the text, is it not? Now two basic objections come up to this. You could almost, if you're, actually this happened to me a couple of times, reading the text to someone and without commentating at all, without offering any explanation whatsoever, you just get done reading the text and someone says, that's not fair. That doesn't sound right. I just read the Bible. It's a New King James translation, right? I'm not reading a weird, I didn't write it myself, right? But they want to say that it's not fair. Two basic objections, one is that it's not fair. If God chooses unconditionally, God chooses sovereignly, choosing some for salvation, leaving others in their sin, with no respect to man's choice, no respect to man's decision, that's not fair, they would say. Calls into question God's justice, makes God unrighteous then. Many have an emotional reaction to what's being asserted by Paul in Romans chapter 9, and I was struck by Wesley's reaction in particular. Let me read this reaction from Wesley. Hang in there with me, okay? Let me read this reaction from Wesley. And often, that's entirely what the reaction is to this doctrine, is merely emotional. It grates against sensitivities that we have in our fallen nature. And oftentimes, natural man cannot stand it. Listen to Wesley. This is a doctrine full of blasphemy. Such blasphemy, this, as one might think, might make the ears of a Christian to tingle. This is blasphemy clearly contained in the horrible decree of predestination. And here I fix my foot. On this, I join issue with every asserter of it. You represent God as worse than the devil. More false, more cruel, more unjust. But you say you will prove it by Scripture. Hold! What will you prove by Scripture that God is worse than the devil? It cannot be. Whatever that Scripture proves, it cannot prove this. Whatever be its true meaning, it does not mean this. In other words, I don't know what its true meaning is, but it doesn't mean that. Like, you understand how serious of a statement that is. Whatever it means, it doesn't mean it means I'm not going to accept that. Regardless of what it says. Whatever it means, it doesn't say that this is John Wesley. Whatever that Scripture proves, it cannot prove this. Whatever be its true meaning, it cannot mean this. Do you ask what is its true meaning then? That's a good question, Mr. Wesley. If I say I know not, you have gained nothing. For there are many Scriptures, the true sense whereof neither you nor I shall know till death is swallowed up in victory. And there it lies, right? Going to abandon the study of doctrine. Going to abandon the clear teaching of the Word of God. Because it simply doesn't line up with my sensibilities. And whatever it says, it doesn't say that. And that's just going to have to be something that we wait till we get to heaven to find out the truth of. Terrible, terrible approach to the Word of God. Paul answers this emotional reaction. That's not fair. He answers this reaction in verse 14. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not strongest negation in the Greek. He says to Moses, verse 15, I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy. And I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion. I don't know how much clearer it can be said. Without any commentary at all, someone might rise up and say, well, whatever it means, it doesn't mean that. Listen, I just read the verse to you. So then, verse 16, explanation from Paul. It is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, for this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show my power in you and that my name may be declared in all the earth. Therefore, he has mercy on whom he wills and whom he wills he hardens. Election and reprobation. Now remember from our discussion of the heresy of equal ultimacy. Reprobation does not mean that God, in the same way that God works in the heart of a sinner to cultivate within them faith, such that they might turn from their sin and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, God does not in the same way work in the sinner's heart to produce sin such that that one would be reprobated forever by God's active work. What does God have to do for anyone to be reprobated? As our confession states, simply let them alone in their sin. How does God harden Pharaoh? By simply removing his restraining hand and Pharaoh does what is in accord with Pharaoh's sinful and wicked nature. That's reprobation. They are left in their sin to be condemned to the praise of his glorious justice. Well, the second basic objection then is raised. Well, that violates man's will then. Violates man's free will. If God chooses unconditionally choosing regardless of a man's decision one way or the other, that is a violation of man's free will. How can God hold man responsible for sin then if God is the one doing these things? What about the whosoever will passages in the Bible? That's not fair. Calls into question God's justice. Somehow makes God unrighteous. So Paul answers that objection verse 19. You will say to me then, why does he then still find fault? How can God hold me responsible for my sin? For who has resisted his will? If God has made up his mind before the foundation of the world, all these things are already set, what's the point of it all? What do I have to do with anything? Who has resisted his will? But verse 20, indeed, oh man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it? Why have you made me like this? Does not the potter have power over the clay from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? The election and reprobation. Do you see? Two components of predestination. What if God, verse 22, wanting to show his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction and that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he had prepared beforehand for glory. God will save or elect some sinners to salvation to the praise of his glorious grace and he will leave other sinners in their sin to their just condemnation to the praise of his glorious justice, election and reprobation. There's a further clear statement. Just flip the page. Look at Romans chapter 11. Look there beginning at verse 5. Romans chapter 11. In verse 5, Paul goes further when he says this, even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. Verse 6. And if by grace then it is no longer of works otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works it is no longer grace otherwise work is no longer work. What then? What then? Verse 7. Israel has not obtained what it seeks but the elect have obtained it. Powerful statement. Profound statement. Israel has not obtained what it seeks. The elect of God have obtained it. The rest were blinded. Election, reprobation. Just as it is written God has given them a spirit of stupor. Eyes that they should not see ears that they should not hear to this very day. Think about this doctrine so clearly laid out on the pages of the Bible. What is it that Wesley and others missed about the glory of this? About the majesty of it. About the grace and mercy of it. One is this. That this doctrine of sovereign unconditional election is absolutely, fully, entirely necessary when you consider the depravity and hopelessness of man apart from it. If it weren't for God's sovereign unconditional electing purposes to save sinners out of the world no one would be saved. No one would choose him. No one would come to Christ. No one would repent. No one would believe. It simply would not happen. We need God to sovereign unconditionally elect to salvation. Therefore, and this doctrine, man is humbled. It's taken out of your hands. And it's all to the glory of God. There's nothing about with. Nothing about which you can boast. I said that prayer. Why are you saved? Well, when I was two years old. I did. I white knuckled it. I did what I needed to do. I walked that aisle. I'm poking fun on purpose. Nothing about which we can boast. Nothing about us moved God to choose us. We were fashioned out of the same lump as vessels of dishonor. We were ourselves before Christ dishonorable, unprofitable, worthless. And yet, all of grace we've been redeemed. And if we had nothing to do with it ourselves in the sense, then it's never taken from us. Why? Because the second thing that Wesley and others miss is that all the glory for this goes to God. God is immeasurably, unquestionably infinitely faithful to his promises, faithful to his word. Our salvation is sure. Our salvation is secure because God has done it. Start to finish. It elected us the logical outcome of Arminian theology. In fact, the first you could say, I sort of dread to describe them in this way, but intellectually honest Arminians, the outcome of their theology is that you can lose your salvation. Those who have really bad, like Arminian theology is bad, but do you have really bad Arminian theology? You attach eternal security to it. So now that in your bad theology you choose to follow Christ, that choice can never be taken from you no matter how you. If you walk out of the front doors of the church and said, listen, walking the aisle and saying that prayer and asking Jesus into my heart, what's the stupidest thing that I've ever done? It doesn't matter because you did it and it can never be taken away from you, right? That's the logical outcome of their theology. And yet most Arminians today deny that. All the glory goes to God in election. All the glory. There's no room for human boasting in any part of our salvation. At least to the third, our salvation is sure. What was Paul's concern? God is faithful. God is righteous. God is just. God has never abandoned his word and you know what? He never will. Never. And the rejection on the part of the Jews of their Messiah doesn't undermine that truth. One wit. God is faithful to his promises and this is why and this is how. Romans chapter 9, Romans chapter 10, Romans chapter 11. And, brothers and sisters, listen, we then should preach the gospel with confidence in him. Great confidence. Great confidence. He's determined. He's determined what will come about. So cast off the fear of man preach the gospel without discouragement. Don't be discouraged. Right? Don't be discouraged. We live in an age of, in a place that is hard to the gospel. Hard to the truths of the gospel. But God has determined those who are his. What does Elijah say? Right? Elijah exasperated. Like cries out to God. God, I alone have left. He's being hunted down by Jezebel. And what does God say? Elijah? Don't be discouraged. I have 7,000 people in that city who have not bound the need to bail. They are mine. Go preach the gospel that I might use that as a means to bring them to me. Right? That's what we're doing when we preach the gospel. The Lord Jesus Christ has been given a love gift from God the Father. It is a reward for the perfect obedience of Lord Jesus Christ. It's a reward of his suffering. And what is the church to do? The church is to go out and bring them in. The church is the means by which God gathers his elect. Go be that means. Right? Preach the gospel at work, at school, in your neighborhood, at the parks. Preach the gospel. It is certain that God has his. And that his will hear his voice. Will follow him. And he will give them eternal life. And they'll be with us in heaven for all eternity. Right? All praise, honor, and glory to the one who is sovereign over salvation. Amen? Let's pray. Take a few moments. And pray silently. And consider with me that if you think to yourself, you know, I'm not sure I'm one of the elect. Or how would I know if I'm one of the elect? Listen, the Bible gives us absolutely no room whatsoever considering man's responsibility. It gives us no room to think fatalistically about these things. The way to consider whether or not you are the elect of God is by repenting and believing the gospel. He holds out the offer of his grace freely to you and says to you, come, come to me. You come to me, the one that comes to me, I will in no wise cast out, I will in no wise cast out, come to me and be saved. If you're here, my brother and sister, you're considering the doctrine of election. Consider the victory that we have, the invincibility that is inherent in this doctrine. And let's praise the Lord together for it and let's serve him with a fervent boldness as a fruit of it. When you're done praying, I'll pray with us together and then we'll be dismissed. Let's pray. Father in heaven, all praise, honor, and glory be to your name. Thank you for your sovereign, unconditional election of centers of salvation in your Son, Lord Jesus Christ, to the praise of your grace. And may you, Lord, be magnified, exalted, extolled may the Son be glorified, honored, and praised for this glorious work. Spirit of God, may you apply it to the heart of the center, may you cultivate within us faith in the Son that we might worship and praise and obey the one who has called us and may you in all things be glorified. We love you, we praise you, we thank you for these blessed truths. We're in pray that you would continue to do that work even among us. Allow us, Lord, bless us with the grace of being willing, fervent participants in the spreading of the gospel and church plants and local evangelism and preaching the gospel to those we come across and help us to be faithful in that good work for your glory and may you receive the full reward of your suffering. We love you, we thank you for this time and praise you in Jesus' name. Amen.