GRACE FOR TODAY Radio Message #416

 

          DOES THE BIBLE TEACH THE DOCTRINE OF ELECTION?

         

          Pastor Don Fortner

          Grace Baptist Church of Danville

          2734 Old Stanford Road

          Danville, Kentucky 40422-9438

 

Does the Bible teach the doctrine of election? If the Bible teaches it, believers bow to it, believe it, and rejoice in it. We do not have and do not want to have the option of believing what we want to believe. We believe God. If the Word of God teaches this doctrine, it matters not who opposes it, all believers bow to it. If God does not teach this doctrine in his Word, then we must reject it and denounce it, no matter who believes it, no matter who teaches it.

 

          I ask only that you read the Word of God. Let God speak for himself. Let God be true, and every man a liar. This is the question - Does the Bible teach election? Because we are, of necessity, limited by space, I will not attempt to show you how fully this doctrine is taught in the Old Testament, though it is written upon every page of it. Adam had two sons. God chose one and passed by the other. There were untold millions in the earth in Noah’s day; but Noah alone found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Abraham had two sons. God chose one and passed by the other. God chose the nation of Israel to be his peculiar people, and passed by all the other nations of the world. God gave his law to Israel alone, sent his prophets (with rare exception) to Israel alone, and established his worship in Israel alone. However, I refer you only to the New Testament at this time for this brief study. I read to you only a few of those many, many passages of Scripture where the very words elect, elected, election, chosen, and ordained are used. I will not even mention those numerous texts where the doctrine of election is only implied. In these texts it is plainly stated by Divine inspiration! These few passages will suffice to answer our question, “Does the Bible teach the doctrine of election?” Let the Scriptures speak.

 

John 15:16  "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you."

 

Acts 13:48  "And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed."

 

Romans 8:33  "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth."

 

Romans 11:5  "Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace."

 

Romans 11:7  "What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded."

 

Ephesians 1:4  "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love."

 

2 Thessalonians 2:13  "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."

 

Titus 1:1  "Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness."

 

          Make a mental note of this fact:  The Word of God makes no attempt to explain how God can be righteous and just in showing mercy to whom he will, while passing by whom he will. In fact, rather than answering such carping objections from unbelieving men, the Apostle Paul simply says, God does things this way because God has determined to do things this way (Rom. 9:11-23).

 

          Without question, the Book of God teaches the glorious, gospel doctrine of election. No honest person can even question that fact. It is impossible to read the Scriptures, even casually, without realizing that the doctrine of election is written in boldface letters throughout the Sacred Volume. No one can reject the doctrine of election without rejecting the Word of God entirely. One may be confused as to what the Bible teaches about election; but no one can deny the fact of God’s sovereign, eternal, electing grace.

 

AMEN.