Hebrews 6:1
Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto
perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works,
and of faith toward God.
Faith is always exercised toward God, but it is Christ who makes this
possible. We are to examine every principle of the doctrine of Christ.
Everything that is of God, we ought to know what He says about it, not being
concerned about the opinions of people. Human beings accept knowledge
that they have received through the five senses: seeing, hearing, smelling,
touching, and tasting. These senses all involve physical information,
physical knowledge. The mind receives and processes this information in
order to draw conclusions about circumstances; things and events taking
place around it. Faith is spiritual, not physical. It is a confident assurance,
which comes from the Spirit of God in the mind of a born again human
being. The election understands that it is the faith of Jesus…his actual
faith in us, that justifies us, makes us righteous.
The doctrine of unconditional election should have a tremendously humbling
effect on us. What did we do to deserve faith…nothing. God gives it by grace,
we don't deserve it. The ultimate ground of our standing before God is God
and God alone. God never meant for any of us to go through life in this world
alone, that is, in our own power and understanding. God has tremendous
power just waiting and available for us to access, and the result is an
enormous resource that we never thought possible. We were chosen in spite
of what we are and do and not because of it. Forever then, give all credit and
glory to God for every aspect of our salvation. We don't believe so that we
will be elect. We are elect so that we would believe. That's the doctrine here.
Ephesians 2:8
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the
gift of God.
Luke 17:5
And the apostles said unto the Lord, increase our faith.
Because election is unconditional, it never has, nor ever will it be dependent
on our righteousness. And so we have confidence in election that no sin
pattern is ever so great that God's grace and mercy cannot forgive. The
grace of our Lord was poured out on us abundantly along with the faith and
love that are in Christ Jesus. Faith came with the package. Yes, it did. It was
poured out on us as a gift. And what we are to realize is that we need more
faith to have the power needed to effectively live this life. And here is a
trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. Christ Jesus came into the
world to save sinners of whom I am the worst. But for this very reason, I was
shown mercy, so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display
his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on Him
and receive eternal life. And because of Jesus we know, no amount of sin
disqualifies us. God's grace is so powerful, we can be forgiven, we can be
saved.
II Thessalonians 2:13, 14
But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of
the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation
through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called
you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
This is a calling which secures our justification and glorification. God
effectually calls us and we come. If God is foreseeing our faith, he is simply
foreseeing something he has given, and something which he gives us on
purpose. In other words, there is really nothing for God to foresee that is not
already included in his eternal purpose which he sovereignly brings to
pass. God gives faith, and gives it unconditionally, so that in the end, God’s
purpose of election is an unconditional election. There is a remnant made up
of individuals according to the election of grace. This is given to believers
before the world began – this is what it means to be elected. We are chosen
in Christ, and we are called to salvation, a calling which springs from God’s
gracious choice. It is not our works, but God’s call that is determinative in our
salvation. We are called to eternal life.
We, as believers ourselves are such only because we were predestined to
this grace as God's gift. We are expressly taught that both faith and
repentance originate from God, not from ourselves.
Romans 12:3
For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you,
not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly,
according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
Ephesians 2:8, 9
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the
gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
II Timothy 2:25
In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure
will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth.
Do not think that this does away with the freedom of the will, by which we
earn the esteem of God by the good of piety, or offend him by the evil of
impiety. God loved the one and hated the other before either was even born
and could have done either good or evil. We answer that God did this by His
foreknowledge, by which He knows the character even of the unborn…
Therefore God did not elect anyone's works by foreknowledge, but rather by
foreknowledge He chose faith, so that He chooses precisely him whom He
foreknew would believe in Him; and to him God gives the Holy Spirit, so that
by doing good works he will as well attain eternal life.
Here's how the 2520 prophecy prepares the very elect of God. Israel was the
seed of Abraham and heirs of God's oath-bound covenant of grace. Yet Israel
is under judgment because of disobedience and their possession of the law
is of no profit whatsoever if they are found to be transgressors under the
cruel and relentless dominion of sin. Will God then thoroughly annull His
covenantal commitment to Israel? Will God now eradicate them? This takes
us deep into the divine purpose of God. Does predestination make God
unjust? Israel was entrusted with God's oracles; to her belongs the adoption,
the glory, the covenants, the Law, the priestly service, and the promises. And
the unspeakable condescension, the incarnate Son of God himself deigned
to be born as a son of Abraham, not as the son of any other tribe. And so,
through the vast stretches of eternity Abraham will be known as the father of
all the sons and daughters of God. And Jesus by his incarnation as the seed
of Abraham and as the Root and Branch of Jesse has sanctified that Israelite
rootstock. But sonship in the Abrahamic line does not guarantee that one is
a child of God, an Israel of Israel.
Romans 11:16; 9:6
For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are
the branches. Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For
they are not all Israel, which are of Israel.
Privileged Israel betrayed the true import of her inheritance through unbelief
and disobedience. But God has a promise. And being found in elect Israel
has always depended solely upon God's personal election of individuals.
Romans 11:1-8
I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an
Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast
away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of
Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, Lord, they
have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone,
and they seek my life. But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have
reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to
the image of Baal. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant
according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then is it no more of works:
otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more
grace: otherwise work is no more work. What then? Israel hath not obtained
that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were
blinded (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber,
eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this
day.
These are said to be such as He foreknew, that is, had thoughts of love to,
before the world was; for whom He thus foreknew He did predestinate. Here
lies the ground of the difference. These are called the election, that is, the
elect, God's chosen ones, whom He calls the election, because that which
first distinguished them and dignified them above others was God's electing
love. Believers are the election, all those and those only whom God hath
chosen. Now, this chosen remnant is really more and greater than one would
think it is, which intimates likewise that it is no new nor unusual thing for
God's grace and favour to Israel to be limited and confined to a remnant of
His people today; for as it was in Elijah's time. There was a remnant, seven
thousand, left under the Old Testament, when the displays of grace were less
clear and the pourings out of the Spirit less plentiful, much more now under
the gospel of Christ, when the grace of God, which bringeth salvation,
appears more illustrious in our day. We are such as were chosen from
eternity in the counsels of divine love to be vessels of grace and glory. If the
difference between them and us be made purely by the grace of God, as
certainly it is, then it must needs be according to the election; for we are sure
that whatever God does He does it according to the counsel of His own will.
Now concerning this remnant which we are, we may observe, first, from what
source do we take rise…from the free grace of God, and that grace excludes
works. The eternal election, in which the difference between some and
others is first founded, is purely of grace, free grace; not for the sake of works
done or foreseen; if so, it would not be grace. It is not grace if it be not
perfectly free. Election is purely according to the good pleasure of His
will. Faith has a peculiar fitness to receive the free grace of God. This faith
gives us justification and acceptance with God. We are of this election
because of faith. For we see that Israel of old did not this faith that we have.
For we know in whom we are found.
Romans 9:31
But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to
the law of righteousness.
Philippians 3:9, 12, 20
And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law,
but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of
God by faith. Not as though I had already attained, either were already
perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am
apprehended of Christ Jesus. For our conversation is in heaven; from
whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.
If we trust only as far as we understand, then we have every reason to worry
about the various trials and hardships that come over our life. After all, we
don’t know what their purpose is. We don’t know what the outcome will be,
or what long-term effect they’ll have on us. And as for the morrow? There’s
a whole lifetime of unseen circumstances over which we could agonize.
But if we choose to have faith, to trust in God, then we are freed from
worrying about our life. God has a perfect plan for us in everything He sends
our way. He sends us trials and He tests us, so that we can overcome sin
and the virtues of Jesus can grow in us. He knows the end result. He has
planned our whole life out, with love and care. When we truly believe that,
we don’t have a single reason to be anxious. We can cast all our care on
Him and focus our energy on doing His will instead of worrying about
everything past, present, and future. What gives us confidence in our trials
is the faith that we have in the scriptures. In us the promise of God has its
accomplishment, and God's ancient kindness for that people of old is
remembered. God calls us, the remnant of believers, not the elect, but
the election. This shows that the sole foundation of all our hopes and
contentment is laid in election. We are the persons whom God has in His eye
in the counsels of His love; we are the election; we are God's choice. Such
is the favor of God toward us…the chosen remnant. Some are chosen and
called, and the call is made effectual. But others are left to perish in their
unbelief; they are made worse by that which should have made them better.
The gospel, which to those that believed was the savor of life unto life, to the
unbelieving was the savor of death unto death. These held not the truth being
in accord with reality. They held truth as being what they believed. Truth is
the experience of fact, and a fact is indisputable. Where belief and fact
conflict there cannot be the truth. These failing to reason were blinded. They
could neither see the light, nor experience the touch of fact, of gospel grace.
Blindness and hardness are expressive of the same senselessness and
stupidity of spirit. They shut their eyes, and would not see; this is their sin:
and then God, in a way of righteous judgment, blinded their eyes, that they
could not see; this is their punishment. This seems to be harsh doctrine. Let
the Holy Spirit qualify it.
Isaiah 29:10-12
For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath
closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.
And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed,
which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and
he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed: And the book is delivered to him that is not
learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.
II Thessalonians 2:11
And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should
believe a lie.
Isaiah 66:4; 6:10
I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them;
because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear:
but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.
Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their
eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand
with their heart, and convert, and be healed.
Matthew 13:15
For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and
their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes,
and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should
be converted, and I should heal them.
John 12:39, 40
Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, He hath
blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with
their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should
heal them.
II Corinthians 4:3, 4
But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this
world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the
glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
The eternal benefits of God's covenant of grace have always been assured
only to those upon whom God has from eternity chosen to show mercy.
Jacob, not Esau, was the heir of the promise. And this promise cannot be
broken, because all of God's promises are fulfilled in Christ Jesus in whom
all elect Israelites, whether Jew or Gentile, become children of promise. God
does not answer to us or to any other human standard of justice for his
actions.
Romans 9:19-29; 11:33-36
Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted
his will? Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the
thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath
not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto
honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, willing to shew his wrath,
and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels
of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his
glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, Even
us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? As
he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people;
and her beloved, which was not beloved. And it shall come to pass, that in
the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they
be called the children of the living God. Esaias also crieth concerning Israel,
Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a
remnant shall be saved: For he will finish the work, and cut it short in
righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth. And
as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we
had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha. O the depth of
the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are
his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind
of the Lord? or who hath been his counseller? Or who hath first given to him,
and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him,
and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
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