GRACE FOR TODAY Radio Message #444
CHRIST DIED FOR
GOD’S ELECT, ONLY FOR GOD’S ELECT
Pastor
Don Fortner
Grace Baptist Church of Danville
2734 Old Stanford Road
Danville,
Kentucky 40422-9438
The objects of election and
redemption are the same. It is written, "Who shall lay anything to the charge
of God's elect?--It is Christ that died!" That bold challenge of
faith makes sense only if you understand that Christ died for God’s elect and
infallibly secured the salvation of the elect by his death.
The “us all” for whom God delivered up his Son are the same as those
whom he foreknew and predestinated, whose calling, justification, and
glorification were secured from eternity by God’s sovereign purpose of grace
toward them. Paul teaches this same thing in Ephesians 1:4 and 7. The “us” who are there said to be chosen in
Christ before the foundation of the world are the same as those who have
redemption in him through his blood and the forgiveness of sins. The objects of election and redemption are
the same. No more were redeemed by Christ at Calvary than were chosen in
him before the foundation of the world, and no less.
God’s
elect are special to him above all people in the world. Special things belong
to them which belong to no one else. Yet, we see that everything which is said to be true of the elect is also true of the
redeemed. Therefore, we must conclude, according to the Scriptures, that
the elect and the redeemed are the very same people.
Are the elect the beloved of the Lord? Does the act of
election spring from love? Election presupposes love. So the redeemed are the
beloved of God and Christ. And our redemption by his blood flows from God’s
everlasting love toward us in Christ.
Are the elect a people whom
God has chosen for his peculiar
treasure? The redeemed are purified by Christ to be a peculiar people to
himself.
Do the vessels of mercy,
afore prepared for glory, consist of Jews
and Gentiles alike? So Christ is the propitiation, not for the sins of the
Jews only, or the Redeemer of the Jews only, but for the sins of the Gentile
world also, the Redeemer of his people among the Gentiles.
Are God’s elect a great number, a multitude which no man
can number out of all nations, kindred, peoples, and tongues? So Christ’s
redeemed ones are those he has redeemed unto God, out of every kindred, tongue,
people, and nation.
Is it true of the elect that
they shall never perish, that they
cannot be totally and finally deceived and perish? So, too, it is true of the
ransomed of the Lord. They shall come to Zion with everlasting joy. Christ will
never lose any part of the purchase of his blood.
It is
ludicrous to imagine that the Lord Jesus Christ died in the place of any whom
he did not come to save. He came into this world to save his people (THEY WERE HIS PEOPLE BY DIVINE ELECTION
LONG BEFORE HE CAME TO SAVE THEM!) from their sins by the sacrifice of
himself as their Substitute. THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD, chose
his people, and them alone. He redeemed his people, and them alone. He prays
for his people, and them alone. And he will save his people, all of them, and
only them.
AMEN.