Old Testament Reading: Psalm 89:1-37

“A MASKIL OF ETHAN THE EZRAHITE. I will sing of the steadfast love of the LORD, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations. For I said, ‘Steadfast love will be built up forever; in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness.’ You have said, ‘I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: ‘I will establish your offspring forever, and build your throne for all generations.’’ Selah Let the heavens praise your wonders, O LORD, your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones! For who in the skies can be compared to the LORD? Who among the heavenly beings is like the LORD, a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones, and awesome above all who are around him? O LORD God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O LORD, with your faithfulness all around you? You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them. You crushed Rahab like a carcass; you scattered your enemies with your mighty arm. The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours; the world and all that is in it, you have founded them. The north and the south, you have created them; Tabor and Hermon joyously praise your name. You have a mighty arm; strong is your hand, high your right hand. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you. Blessed are the people who know the festal shout, who walk, O LORD, in the light of your face, who exult in your name all the day and in your righteousness are exalted. For you are the glory of their strength; by your favor our horn is exalted. For our shield belongs to the LORD, our king to the Holy One of Israel. Of old you spoke in a vision to your godly one, and said: ‘I have granted help to one who is mighty; I have exalted one chosen from the people. I have found David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him, so that my hand shall be established with him; my arm also shall strengthen him. The enemy shall not outwit him; the wicked shall not humble him. I will crush his foes before him and strike down those who hate him. My faithfulness and my steadfast love shall be with him, and in my name shall his horn be exalted. I will set his hand on the sea and his right hand on the rivers. He shall cry to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.’ And I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth. My steadfast love I will keep for him forever, and my covenant will stand firm for him. I will establish his offspring forever and his throne as the days of the heavens. If his children forsake my law and do not walk according to my rules, if they violate my statutes and do not keep my commandments, then I will punish their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes, but I will not remove from him my steadfast love or be false to my faithfulness. I will not violate my covenant or alter the word that went forth from my lips. Once for all I have sworn by my holiness; I will not lie to David. His offspring shall endure forever, his throne as long as the sun before me. Like the moon it shall be established forever, a faithful witness in the skies.’ Selah” (Psalm 89:1-37, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Luke 10:17-24

“The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!’ And he said to them, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.’ In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.’ Then turning to the disciples he said privately, ‘Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it’” (Luke 10:17–24, ESV).

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

The passage of Scripture that is open before us today is very precious, for here we are given a rare glimpse into the prayer life of Jesus. We know that Jesus was a man of prayer. He prayed unceasingly. The Scriptures report that he would, from time to time, retreat to a solitary place to pray.  We know that Jesus also taught his disciples how to pray. But here in Luke 10:21-22, the content of a prayer of Jesus is reported to us. Here we are given a glimpse into the heart of our Lord and of the communion that he enjoyed with the Father.   

This is not the only passage of Scripture that reveals the content of a prayer of Jesus. I think of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night before his crucifixion. We know that he spent much time in prayer on that dark night. Matthew reports in his gospel that at one point Jesus, “fell on his face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.’” (Matthew 26:39, ESV). That passage is precious too, for there we are given a glimpse into the mind and soul of Christ and his intimate relationship to the Father. 

I think also of when Jesus cried out to the Father on the cross, saying, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34, ESV), and “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46, ESV), and “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46, ESV). These prayers of Jesus are precious because they reveal the desires of his heart, the relationship he enjoyed with the Father, and his thoughts concerning the mission the Father had given him to accomplish. 

There is another passage of Scripture that reveals the content of a prayer of Jesus, and that is John 17.  This passage is often referred to as the High Priestly prayer of Jesus. It begins like this: “When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. ‘I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word…’” (John 17:1–6, ESV), etc. 

The prayer of Jesus that is recorded in John 17 is much longer than the one that is recorded here in Luke 10:21-22, but there are similarities. In both instances, Jesus cried out to the Father a prayed concerning God’s elect. In John 17 we hear Christ pray for those that the Father had given to him in eternity. In verse 9 of John 17, we hear Christ explicitly say, “I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours” (John 17:9, ESV). And in verse 20 of John 17, we hear Christ extend his prayer for his elect to include those who had not yet believed, but who would believe through the word of his disciples. Christ said, “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word…” (John 17:20, ESV). If you have faith in Christ Jesus today, you can hear Christ pray for you in John 17:20. As I have said, the prayer of Luke 10:21-22 is similar to the prayer of John 17. Here we find a prayer of Jesus, and it is a prayer about the elect of God, that is to say, those predestined to eternal life, and effectually called.  

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The Doctrine Of Predestination

Where is the doctrine of election or predestination in our passage? It is found in Luke 10:20. Remember, the 70/72 disciples of Jeues returned from their mission and they marveled over the fact that they had the power to cast our demons in Jesus’ name. Jesus encouraged them further by saying, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you” (Luke 10:18–19, ESV). We considered this text last Sunday. It is a marvelous text. In it, we see that the establishment of Christ’s everlasting kingdom involved the simultaneous overthrow of Satan’s kingdom. Demons were cast out by Christ and his Apostles. Satan himself would be cast down from heaven and bared so that he could no longer accuse God’s people there, as he did in the days before Christ’s victory on the cross (see Job 1 and Revelation 12:7-17). These were very exciting times, marked by incredible events. But Christ spoke to his disciples saying, “Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20, ESV). This is the doctrine of election or predestination. To have your name written in heaven is to be chosen by God in eternity, destined for eternal life, by God’s grace alone, through faith in Christ alone. This is what the disciples of Jesus are to rejoice in supremely. 

What is the doctrine of election or predestination? 

It is the Biblical teaching that those who come to faith in Christ – those who willingly and freely turn from their sins to trust Christ and follow after him unto salvation – do so because they were chosen by God in eternity. In eternity, or we might say, before the creation of the world, God determined, decreed, or decided, to set his saving love on some of the fallen children of Adam and to bring them to salvation through a redeemer, Christ the Lord. 

Why did God choose whom he chose? The Scriptures are very clear about this – it was not based on anything in the creature. God did not base his choice on what he foresaw in them, be it faith, good works, intellectual ability, or any such thing. No, his choice was sovereign and free. God has decreed according to his good pleasure and according to the counsel of his will. God did not predestinate on the basis of what he foresaw – no, he foreknew individuals. This means he set individuals apart to be recipients of his saving love, for the purpose of bringing honor to his name, and unto glory. 

Where does the Bible teach the doctrine of predestination or election? It is everywhere. I’ll present you with a few examples this morning. 

First, there are other passages of Scripture like the one open before us today that speak of the doctrine of predestination in terms of the Book of Life. Paul mentions the Book of Life in Philippians 4:3. The Book of Life is also mentioned in Revelation 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12&15; 21:27 and 22:19. It is Revelation 13:8 that says this book was “written before the foundation of the world.” There the book is given a longer title. It is called “the book of life of the Lamb who was slain” (Revelation 13:8, ESV). Who wrote this book? God did. When was it written? In eternity, or before the foundation of the world. Whose names are written on it? All who will be saved through faith in Jesus the Messiah. The Book of Life is a metaphorical way of speaking of God’s decree as it pertains to the salvation of God’s elect. It is this book that Christ refers to in Luke 10:20 when he tells his disciples to rejoice supremely over the fact that their names are “written in heaven” (Luke 10:20, ESV). 

These references to the Book of Life are interesting, but other passages speak even more clearly about the doctrine of predestination. For example, listen to Ephesians 1:3-6. Paul wrote to Christians in Ephesus, saying, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:3–6, ESV). This passage is very rich. Notice a few things: 

One, it reveals that those who have faith in Christ were chosen by God. This is another way of speaking of God’s election or predestination (v. 3)

Two, those who come to faith in Christ were chosen in Christ. That is to say, they were predestined to be united to him by faith (v. 4). 

Three, this choice is said to have been made “before the foundation of the world”, that is, before creation, or in eternity (v. 4) 

Four, Paul tells us what the choice was based on. The choice was made, “according to the purpose of [God’s] will” (v. 5). In other words, the choice was not made based upon any merit in the creature. 

Five, this text reveals what the result of God’s choosing will be for those who are chosen. They will be made “holy and blameless” before God (v. 4). They will adopted as sons of God (v. 5). They will be blessed in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (vs. 3, 6).

Six, Paul tells us what the end goal of God’s choosing is. It is “to the praise of [God’s] glorious grace” (v. 6).

Romans 8:28-30 is also a very important text. Their Paul writes, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified” (Romans 8:28–30, ESV). 

Notice a few things about this text. 

One, notice the past tense (aorist indicative in the Greek). Those who love God – those who have been called to faith in Christ – may rest assured that all things will work for their good. Why? For they were foreknown, predestined, called, justified, and glorified. It might seem strange to speak of our glorification in the past tense. Yes, we are eager to enter into the state of glory in the future. But there is a sense in which everyone who has faith in Christ is glorified already. How? Through our union with Christ. Ephesians 2:6 says that we are seated with Christ in the heavenly places even now. So, the Christian may rest assured that all things – yes, even the really hard things – work together for good, because they have been foreknown, predestined, called, justified, and glorified in their Spirit-wrought, faith-bound union with Christ.

Two, notice that God is the active subject. It is God who has foreknown, predestined, called, justified, and glorified his people in Christ Jesus. 

Three, notice that all of the actions are linked together as an unbreakable chain. Listen to the text again: “For those whom [God] foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son… And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” The language is very repetitive. “And those he… he also…” In this way, Paul links these activities of God together into an unbreakable chain, the result being that all who are foreknown and predestined will be glorified in Christ Jesus in the end.  

Four, notice that the first link in this chain is God’s foreknowledge of people not his foreseeing of their actions. The text says that God foreknew the people he predestined for glory. The text does not say, he foresaw their faith, repentance, obedience, or any such thing, and thus predestined them in response. 

I’m sure that many of you are aware that many professing Christians today do not care for this doctrine of predestination. In fact, some who claim to be Christians hate it. And given that many of these also claim to believe the Bible, they must find a way to dismiss the clear and pervasive teaching of Holy Scripture on this subject. How do they do it? Many of them will attempt to turn the whole situation on its head by claiming that it is first man who chooses God, that God foresees this choice of theirs (given his omniscience), and then chooses them in response.

As I have said, this turns the entire situation on its head. The Scriptures describe God as the active subject in predestination, and the human as passive. In other words, God is the one who predestines and we are predestined. Or, to use the language of election and choice, we are called the elect, not the electors! We are called the chosen ones, not the ones who chose. But these professing Christians who deny the doctrine of predestination turn the whole situation upside down. To do so they must ignore the plain teaching of Scripture. They must ignore straightforward statements like this from Jesus. He spoke to his disciples, saying, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide…” (John 15:16, ESV).

One of the favorite passages of those who wish to explain away the doctrine of predestination is Romans 8:29. They especially like the word “foreknew”. They try to use it as an opportunity to read their foreknowledge view into the text, but it doesn’t work for one simple reason. The text does not say that God foresaw the faith that people would have ahead of time. No, it says that he foreknew people. Again, the text does not say that he foresaw their actions (as if this were about his omniscience), but that he foreknew them – this is not about God’s ability to see the future, but God’s eternal decree. When the text says, “those whom he foreknew…” it is a highly personal and relational way of speaking about predestination. If you are in Christ today, God knew you in eternity. This means that he set his love upon you in eternity. He set you apart as a person and determined to show you unmerited favor. He set you apart in Christ Jesus and gave you to him to redeem, in eternity before the world existed. Perhaps it would be good for you to go and read the high priestly prayer of Jesus as recorded in John 17. He spoke openly to the Father about these things in that prayer. He prayed for those people given to him by the Father in eternity. To use the language of Romans 8:29, these were the ones who were foreknown by God, “predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also calls to himself in due time, and those whom he calls, he also justifies, and those whom he justified he also glorifies” (Romans 8:28–30, ESV). 

I have a question for those who interpret the word ”foreknew” in Romans 8:29 to mean that God foresaw the faith that these people would one day have and then responded to their choice by predestinating them. Will you interpret the word in the same way when you encounter it being used to speak of Jesus Christ and his work of redemption in Acts 2:23 and 1 Peter 1:20?  

The same Greek word that is used in Romans 8:29 is used in Acts 2:23 in reference to Christ and his work on the cross. The only difference is that it appears as a verb in Romans 8:29 and as a noun in Acts 2:23. Listen to Acts 2 beginning in verse 22. We hear Peter preaching the gospel, saying, “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it” (Acts 2:22–24, ESV). My question is for those who interpret foreknowledge to mean that God foresaw something that happened and then responded to what happened in time by predestinating. Will you say the same thing as it pertains to the life, death, and resurrection of Christ? Did God formulate his “definite plan” for Christ based on what he foresaw Jesus of Nazareth do? What an absurd idea! No, the person of Jesus Christ was foreknown by God (being the person of the eternal Son). And God decreed in eternity that he – the eternal Son – would become incarnate for us and our redemption. The Father did not respond to the man Jesus based on what he saw him do ahead of time. No, the Father decreed that the Son would take to himself a true human nature, live for sinners, die for sinner, and be raised for sinners, to rescue them from Satan’s kingdom, the guilt of sin, and the curse of death. It was the “definite plan” of God to the person of the Son, whom he foreknew. And who did Christ come to save and to keep in Christ Jesus? Those foreknown by God and predestined – that is to say, the elect (again I say, see John 17). These are the ones for whom Christ lived, died, and rose again (Christ laid his life down for the sheep – John 10:15 ). The sheep are God’s elect, his chosen ones. They are his flock. They are the ones who hear his voice and follow him (see John 10:27). They are the bride of Christ, and the Scriptures say that Christ laid down his life for her (see Ephesians 5:25). 

And the very same argument can be made from 1 Peter 1:20, where the verb “foreknown” is used to speak of Christ, his person and work. There Peter reminds Christians that we are “ransomed from the futile ways inherited from [our] forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God” (1 Peter 1:18–21, ESV).

It should be clear to all that in these passages, which have very much to do with God’s eternal decree, to foreknow is not to foresee. To foreknow is to personally predestine. When the Scriptures speak of God’s foreknowledge, they speak of God’s sovereign and free act in eternity to graciously set some people, from amongst the fallen children of Adam, apart unto salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, the only redeemer of God’s elect. Hear it again: “He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God” (1 Peter 1:20–21, ESV).

To then, this view that God chose or predestined based upon what he foresaw is to be rejected for three reasons. One, it turns the biblical teaching about predestination on its head – it makes man the active party and God reactive in predestination, which is absurd. Two, it is a misinterpretation of what it means to be foreknown.  To be foreknown by God is to be known by God lovingly and savinly before the foundation of the world. To be foreknown is to be personally predestined unto salvation in Jesus Christ. Thirdly, this view that God chose or predestined based upon what he foresaw is to be rejected because the Scriptures say otherwise. 

Listen to these verses that provide us with insight into the motive behind God’s act of predestination or decree. 

Romans 9 has a lot to say about the election of individuals. In verses 11-13 the twins, Jacob and Esau are put forward as examples. And God’s word says, “Though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s pur­pose of election might continue, not because of works but because of his call—[Rebekah] was told, ‘The older will serve the younger.’ As it is written, ‘Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.’” In verse 14 Paul anticipates the objection that sinful men and women who are unaware of the severity of their sin and what their sins truly deserve will often make: “What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part?” His reply is emphatic: “By no means!” (Romans 9:14, ESV). And then in verse 15 Paul quotes Exodus 33:19. That is a very important text. It’s the one where Moses asks God to reveal his name and to show him his glory. “And [God] said, ‘I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The LORD.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy” (Exodus 33:19, ESV). So then, this concept that God is good and that he will show grace and mercy, not to all, but to whomever he wills, is tightly linked with the very name of God, YHWH. An dit is the words, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion”, that Paul sites in Romans 9:15. Finally, in verse 16 of Romans 9, Paul concludes, “So then it depends…” What does “it” refer to? Election or predestination – the predestination that Paul was talking about in chapter 8! I quote verse 16 again,  “So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy” (Romans 9:16, ESV). Here in Romans 9, Paul addresses the question, what was God’s predestination of certain indaviduals based upon? What motivates it? The answer could not be more clear. “It depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy” (Romans 9:16, ESV). In other words, the choice is made by God, according to his good p[pleasure. He is YHWH. He “will be gracious to whom [he] will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom [he] will show mercy” (Exodus 33:19, ESV).

There are other passages that reveal the same thing. Romans 10:20 says, “I have been found by those who did not seek me; I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.”

2 Timothy 1:9 says that God “saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.”

1 Corinthians 1:27—29 says, “But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak, in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.” 

Lord will, we will look at Luke 10:21-24 together. In particular, we will focus our attention on the doctrine of effectual calling. But I want you to see that the doctrine of unconditional election is also there. After commanding his disciples to rejoice that their names were written in heaven, “In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” (Luke 10:21–22, ESV)

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Conclusion

Brothers and sisters, it has been some time since I have taught explicitly on the doctrine of predestination or unconditional election. Why have I done so today? Look again at Luke 10:20 and consider the command that Jesus gives to his disciples – “rejoice that your names are written in heaven”, he says. 

Many of you are aware of how hated this doctrine of unconditional election is by some who claim to be Christians. You are probably also aware of the approach taken by many pastors today. Many, even if they themselves are convinced that this doctrine is true, will not preach it or teach it to their people. It’s too controversial, they say. It’s too divisive. It’s too hard to understand. And while I have no issue with ministers being very careful with this doctrine and taking a slow and methodical approach in teaching it to their congregation if it is new to them, I find the decision to withhold this doctrine from God’s people to be very troubling. Pastors are called to preach and teach the word of God – the whole counsel of God’s word. Are we wiser than God? Is it left up to ministers to decide what God should and should not say to his people? I think not. If God’s word says it, pastors must teach it. And I hope you would agree with me that this doctrine of unconditional election is not hidden off in the corner of some obscure place in Scripture. It is everywhere present in the Old Testament and the New.  And Christ has commanded his followers to “rejoice that [their] names are written in heaven.”

This doctrine must be taught for three reasons:

The first reason is the most important, and it has already been stated. It must be taught because it is a Scriptural doctrine. 

Two, the doctrine of unconditional election or presentation must be taught because it is a sanctifying doctrine. How does God use the doctrine of election to sanctify his people? In many ways. First and foremost, it is humbling. The doctrine of eternal and unconditional election – that is, election not conditioned or based upon something worthy or meritorious in the creature, be it faith, repentance, obedience, or any such thing – leaves no room at all for pride or boasting. When someone hears about the doctrine of election for the first time they will sometimes in their ignorance say, what! Do you think you’re better than everyone else because God chose you? That person does not understand the doctrine, do they? To the contrary. We confess that it is “by grace [we] have been saved through faith. And this is not [our] own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9, ESV). In fact, we are very much aware that not many who are wise according to worldly standards, not man powerful, not many of noble birth” have been called. But God “chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God” (1 Corinthians 1:26–29, ESV). The doctrine of unconditional election is a sanctifying doctrine. Above all, it humbles all who comprehend it.

Thirdly, and finally, the doctrine of unconditional election is a soothing doctrine, one that should cause us to rejoice. How is it soothing? It reveals that if we have faith in Jesus and salvation in him it is not because we have earned it, but because God is determined to set his love upon us in eternity, and God does not change. When do we come to be forgiven? When is it that our sins are washed away? When are we rescued from the kingdom of darkness and brought into the kingdom of Christ? When are we reconciled to God, justified, and adopted? Not until we willingly and freely turn from our sins and place our faith in Jesus Christ. This is a choice that we must make. It will involve everything in us – the mind, the will, even our affections. And it will result in obedience to Christ and perseverance in him until the end. But here I am addressing the question, why? Why have you turned from sin to trust in Christ? Why have these benefits been lavished upon you, the greatest benefit of all being God’s love and reconciliation with him? If we were to burrow down as far as we can go – if we are to push this question as far back as we can take it – we would come to see that it is all rooted in God’s decree. God loves you in Christ Jesus because he has determined to set his love upon you. This is what the Apostle John means when he says, “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19, ESV). 

The doctrine of unconditional election is a soothing doctrine, one that should cause us to rejoice. The Apostle Paul understood this well. And that is why, after teaching the doctrine of foreknowledge and predestination in Romans 8:28-30,  he burst forth with these comforting words of application for the believer in verse 31: 

Minister: “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, ‘For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’” 

Congregation: “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:31–39, ESV)

Below is an excerpt from the book, The Five Points Of Calvinism, by Steele, Thomas & Quinn, pgs 29-35.

A Chosen People

There are general statements in Scripture that God has an elect people, and that He predestined them to salvation, and thus to eternal life.

Deuteronomy 10:14-15: “Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it. Yet the Lord set his heart in love on your fathers and chose their offspring after them, you above all peoples, as you are this day.”

Psalm 33:12: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!’’

Psalm 65:4: “Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple!’

Psalm 106:5: “, . . that I may look upon the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory with your inheritance.”

Haggai 2:23: “On that day, declares the Lord of hosts, I will take you, O Zerubbabel my servant, the son of Shealtiel, declares the Lord, and make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you, declares the Lord of hosts.”

Matthew 11:27: “No one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

Matthew 22:14: “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Matthew 24:22, 24, 31: “And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short…. For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. . . . And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Luke 18:7: “And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night?”

Romans 8:28-30:’”And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justi­ fied, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

Romans 8:33: “Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect?”

Romans 11:28: “As regards the gospel, they are enemies of God for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers.”

Colossians 3:12: “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved…”

1 Thessalonians 5:9: “For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Titus 1:1: “Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness.”

1 Peter 1:1-2: “To those who are elect exiles . . . accord­ing to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanc­tification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood …”

1 Peter 2:8-9: “They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

Revelation 17:14: “They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”

Election Not Based on Foreseen Responses

Before the foundation of the world, God chose particular individuals for salvation. His selection was not based upon any foreseen response or act performed by those chosen. Faith and good works are the result, not the cause, of God’s choice.

1. God did the choosing.

Mark 13:20: “And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days.”

See also 1 Thessalonians 1:4 and 2 Thessalonians 2:13, quoted below.

2. God’s choice was made before the foundation of the world.

Ephesians 1:4: “. . . even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.”

See 2 Thessalonians 2:13, 2 Timothy 1:9, Revelation 13:8, and Revelation 17:8, quoted below.

3. God chose particular individuals for salvation—their names were written in the book of life before the foundation of the world.

Revelation 13:8: “And all who dwell on earth will wor­ ship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that was slain.”

Revelation 17:8: “And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foun­dation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come.”

4. God’s choice was not based upon any foreseen merit resid­ing in those whom He chose, nor was it based on any foreseen good works performed by them.

Romans 9:11-13: “Though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s pur­pose of election might continue, not because of works but because of his call—she was told, ‘The older will serve the younger.’ As it is written, ‘Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.’”

Romans 9:16: “So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.”

Romans 10:20: “I have been found by those who did not seek me; I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.”

1 Corinthians 1:27—29: “But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak, in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.” 

2 Timothy 1:9: “. . . who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.”

5. Good works are the result, not the ground, of predestination.

Ephesians 2:10: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before­ hand, that we should walk in them.”

John 15:16: “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”

6. God’s choice was not based upon foreseen faith. Faith is the result and therefore the evidence of God’s election, not the cause or ground of His choice.

Acts 13:48: “And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.”

Acts 18:27: “He greatly helped those who through grace had believed.”

Philippians 1:29: “For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake.”

Philippians 2:12-13: “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salva­ tion with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

1 Thessalonians 1:4-5: “For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.”

2 Thessalonians 2:13-14: “God chose you as the first fruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

James 2:5: “Has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?”

See appendix C, “The Meaning of ‘Foreknew’ in Romans 8:29.” See also those verses quoted below under “The Efficacious Call of the Spirit or Irresistible Grace,” which teach that faith and repentance are the gifts of God and are wrought in the soul by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit.

7. It is by faith and good works that one confirms his calling and election.

2 Peter 1:5-11: “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with god­liness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and broth­erly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffec­tive or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so near­ sighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”