Unraveling the T.U.L.I.P. Part 2

Introduction

Good morning. If you will open in your New Testament with me to Ephesians chapter 5. Ephesians chapter 5, as we go towards concluding and continuing our two-part series on Calvinism, we are unraveling the tulip. If you recall, in part one, we talked about how Calvinism can be and is taught by Calvinists to be broken down under the acronym tulip, with T standing for total depravity. The idea that if you understand that God is sovereign and it tends towards the idea that man doesn’t really have any choice of any kind, total depravity makes sense because you are born in sin. You cannot and will not choose to do what is righteous. We talked about total depravity and how the Bible answers that, and we’ll see that in a moment.

We talked about unconditional election, the fact that there is good news for that terrible, horrible, bad news that you cannot and will not choose God. The good news for some is that God has unconditionally elected them to eternal life. That’s the good news if you’re part of the elect. And we talked about how the Bible’s response is made clear to that, and we’ll see that as I flip through as a reminder in a moment. This morning we’re going to discuss the final three elements of tulip, the idea of limited atonement, that Jesus did not die for the whole world. He did not die for everyone, but according to the limited atonement, Jesus died only for the, you guessed it, the elect. Then there’s the idea of irresistible grace.

How are those who are unconditionally elected to God going to reach him if they are born into and practicing total depravity? The good news is not only did Jesus die for them and them alone, but God will call them to him through his irresistible grace. I have a quotation there I think is important to look at in a few moments. And of course, finally, if you are born without a choice of choosing God or seeking after him, even if you desired, which you wouldn’t under this system. If God has unconditionally elected you, Jesus has died for you and you alone, and you have been called and sealed through God’s irresistible grace, then of course the pea and tulip would be correct under this system of thinking of the perseverance of the saints.

That is, once you are saved, you are always saved. Now, as we examine the first two, we saw that just because the Bible says in some aspects that sin entered the world through Adam, what was the truth about that statement? Death spread to all men, Romans chapter 5 and verse 12, the end of that, because all sinned. Even you find in verse 14 of that very section of Scripture, why did sin spread? Because all sinned? Our sinning was not like the transgression of Adam. We have our own sin. We have rejected God’s will, and in so doing find ourselves opposed to God, not because we inherited our father’s sin, as Ezekiel 18 makes very clear.

The Son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the Son of the Father, nor shall the Father suffer for the iniquity of the Son. We answer for our actions before our great and mighty God. Of course, we saw secondly about unconditional election, and I promise you, I will try to slow down at least a tad. With unconditional election, we saw that God has foreordained a set number of creations. Sometimes this includes angels to eternal life. While the rest, of course, then, if they’re not going to inherit eternal life, these are the unconditionally unelected, you might say, and they are cast into everlasting punishment. And yet the Bible teaches, if you study the idea of the Passover and what Jesus or what God did in delivering his people in Exodus chapter 12, was he delivered those who he made salvation possible to, who accepted his offer by faith?

In the time of the Passover, how did the Israelites accept God’s offer by faith? It’s mentioned that by faith in Hebrews chapter 11, Moses kept the Passover, but what did they do? God chose to save the Israelites, the death of the firstborn, that tenth and final plague that went across all the land of Egypt, including even into the livestock. And what were they to do? They were to put the blood on the lintels and the doorposts of the home. And those who found the blood there, the Spirit would not go into their home, would save them, would give them salvation. The Israelites, yes, were spared by God because they were a chosen people, but the ones who were spared by God as his chosen people had faith in God to do what he said, to trust in his righteousness, to trust that what God has said is true, what God has promised will always come to pass.

1. Limited Atonement

The question of God’s sovereignty that underlies this entire background is one that says, does God’s sovereignty mean he has to puppet all of mankind? Or can our sovereign God choose to make a wonderful covenant with his people? Choose to make it possible to seek him. Of course, the only way to be right with God, as we come to our first part of the lesson this morning, the only way to be reconciled to him is to be touched and washed and cleansed by the blood of Christ. The idea of limited atonement rejects that all can do that. The idea of limited atonement very simply says Jesus died on the cross so that only the elect would be saved. I ask you to open to Ephesians chapter 5, note verse 25.

Perhaps you never noticed this in there before. Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. Who did Christ die for? Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 25. He gave himself up for the church. In Acts chapter 20 and verse 28, another passage we’re familiar with, but perhaps not in this context. Who did Jesus shed his blood for? What did he purchase? The church of God. Jesus purchased the church of God with his blood. Doesn’t that seem like the scriptures are teaching? Jesus did not die for all. Rather, he died for the elect. If you look with me in Romans chapter 9, this is one of the two most important passages we’re going to discuss this morning. Turn with me to Romans chapter 9.

This is the centerpiece, frankly, not only of limited atonement, but the idea of interpreting God’s sovereignty in such a way that there are some who can never come to him, and that’s just the way it is. We can’t question it. And there are some who, fortunately, will be of the elect. Note with me in Romans chapter 9. It’s very important. Verse 13 is going to be the standout for our study. But note with me, please, very importantly the context. Romans chapter 9 is a very important text to understand. In Romans chapter 9 and verse 1 beginning. I’m speaking the truth in Christ. I am not lying. My conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.

For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all. Blessed forever. Amen. But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel. And not all are children of Abraham, because they are his offspring, but through Isaac shall your offspring be named. This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.

For this is what the promise said. About this time next year I will return, and Sarah will have a son. And not only so, but also when Rebecca had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born, and had done nothing either good or bad, in order that God, you see this in verse 11, purpose of election might continue. Not because of works, but because of him who calls. She was told the older will serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated. You see where this is going, of course, beginning in verse 6, you see, it’s not as though the word of God has failed. Not all the descendants of Israel belonged to Israel. It didn’t matter that, according to this viewpoint, that the Israelites were God’s chosen people.

What the Calvinist takes this text to mean is that in verse 13, God chose Jacob, and he rejected Esau. Verses 14 and 15 underlie that. What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means. For he says to Moses, I will have mercy, on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God who has mercy. You see the problem, and you see the intertwining with unconditional election in this in this chapter, Romans chapter 9. As you note with me, the Bible obviously clearly teaches, like in 1 John chapter 2 and verse 2, that Jesus died for the sins of the whole world. In Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 9, Jesus tasted death for everyone.

The Bible is clear. It can’t just say in one place Jesus died only for the elect, in another place Jesus died for the sins of the whole world. So how do we reconcile a verse that seems to interpret it a different way? In Romans chapter 9, in verse 14, when it says, What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means. The Calvinist says, this means you can’t question God. You can’t say, if you’re not of the elect, that’s too bad. In fact, I saw a video that had prominent Calvinists on a stage. It seemed to be some sort of question and answer session. And a woman came up and asked, if natural man cannot get to God in his unaided condition, and yet she didn’t say this, but Acts chapter 17 says, God has commanded all people everywhere to repent.

How does that work? And one of the leading Calvinists, John MacArthur, replied, I don’t know. But that doesn’t mean it’s not what it seems like. You see, this idea is so foreign to Scripture that while he would defend other scriptures and say Romans chapter 9, which came up in this discussion, he’d say Romans chapter 9 shows God chose who? Jacob. He rejected Esau. What is the text about? Is it about the salvation of Jacob’s soul and Esau’s soul? Or is it something different? If it’s about the soul of Jacob and Esau, we have a point to consider. But go back in the context. How does Paul start this? He makes an incredible statement in verse 3. I wonder if we have this kind of love for anyone.

In verse 3, Paul says, I wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for what? For my brethren. For my kinsmen. For who? For the Jews. Paul’s love for them was so strong that if it meant that they could understand who God is and be with him, he wishes even himself could be cut off. That’s a powerful statement. But of course, Paul understood it didn’t work that way. And so what is the point? Well, in verse 4, you see all these special terms about how God had chosen Israel. For what purpose? In verse 4, they are Israelites. To them belonged the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. What was special about Israel? Why did God choose Israel?

They were the family through whom Jesus would come. And through Jesus would come not to die only for the elect, but for the sins of the whole world. What did he choose Israel for? What did he choose Abraham? Isaac, who’s mentioned, Jacob. What was Jacob chosen for? Salvation and eternal life in Christ Jesus? No. He was the promised lineage of the promised Savior. What was Jacob chosen for? In verse 13, when it says, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated, Jacob received the birthright. Now, granted, that’s a wonderful story to study how he came across it, but we see God’s providence in play there. Note back in verse 10. Not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, 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 him who calls.

Is that talking about the salvation of Jacob and Esau? No. It’s the promise that can be traced through Sarah’s son, who was Isaac, and through the son of Isaac and Rebekah, who was Jacob, receiving the birthright. God chose who he would establish. The Israelites could not fall back to Paul and on their own argument saying, We are Jews. God chose us, we’re special. Note in verse 3, what was Paul saying he was willing to do? Cut himself off if they would know Christ. This is for the same group of people who verse 4 and 5 had every spiritual blessing imaginable at the time. They had the law. They had God’s promised election, you might say, as a people. If the Israelites could be found rejecting God, as the text makes clear, we all can be found rejecting God.

The question is, when God says in verse 13, Jacob I have loved, but Esau I hated, is that a matter of salvation? No. It’s a matter of election for what purpose? God’s purpose to lead to Christ, who came and as 1 John chapter 2 and verse 2 says, died for the sins of the whole world. The Son, the Savior in Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 9, who tasted death for everyone. I should note that many Calvinists, some Calvinists, I should say, are actually divided on this point. There are five-point Calvinists that are tulip, and there are four-point Calvinists who even acknowledge that limited atonement doesn’t quite add up to the biblical order. But we can see from the scriptures, not only did Jesus die for the sins of everyone, not only did Jesus die for the sins of the whole world.

2. The Idea of Irresistible Grace

What God elected was a system of salvation to those who would believe. Just like he did with the Israelites during the tenth plague. He offered to the Israelites a chance to be saved if they had faith in his instructions and kept his will. See with me secondly. The idea of irresistible grace. This is a quotation from Gotquestions.org. If you don’t know, gotquestions.org often answers questions in a reasonably scholarly way, but they are openly Calvinists, so I hope you know that as you Google, this is often one of the first websites that pops up. This is their quotation on irresistible grace. The Holy Spirit will work in the lives of the elect so that they will inevitably come to faith in Christ. Now, this sounds like irresistible grace, but yet in this very article, they mention that there will be no one taken into heaven kicking and screaming against it.

They say irresistible grace, they make the argument essentially is resistible. And yet you see phrases like this the Holy Spirit will work in the lives of the elect so that they will what? Inevitably come to faith in Christ. This is the system all over again. If we are totally depraved, but God has unconditionally elected you, Jesus died in a limited fashion for you. If God calls and seals you with his irresistible grace, you wouldn’t reject him. It’s not that you would be dragged to heaven, kicking and streaming. It’s the idea that if God was in you and he worked his magic, he worked his Holy Spirit seal, that you would just be saved and you would want to be.

Jesus. You see in verse one, what are you dead? And you’re dead in your trespasses in your sins. The problem for the Calvinists is that verse 2 begins very clearly, in which you once walked. So you’re guilty of your own sins, first of all, which goes back and kind of defeats the uh Adam brought sin into your life. But in verse 2, continuing, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience, you just don’t have a chance. You’re stuck in your sins, but there’s good news, verse 4. God being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, did what?

Made us alive together with him. Now that scripture is true. But the question is, what is it teaching? Is it teaching that Jesus just reaches out and picks only the elect, and he does something to their heart when the gospel is called, and they all of a sudden become committed to righteousness? They say that’s what happens in Acts chapter 16. Turn with me there, the well-chronicled account of Lydia. In Acts chapter 16, is this what you see in Acts chapter 16? This is perhaps the first proof text. In Acts chapter 16, as they are approaching Lydia in verse 11. Excuse me, verse 11, yes. So setting sail from Troaz, we made a direct voyage to Samathras, and the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is the leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony.

We remained in this city some days. And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the woman who had come together, the women who had come together. One who had heard us was a woman named Lydia from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who is a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart. Do you see that? The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. And after she was baptized and her household as well, she urged us, saying, If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay. And she prevailed upon us.

When did Lydia respond? Only when the Lord had opened her heart. But there’s a couple of contextual ideas, not to mention other Bible passages that make that interpretation lacking. First of all, look back at verse 13. Where were they? And why were they there? They were searching for a place of prayer. Who were they looking for? You could say people to worship with or to pray with, but it seems very clearly they were looking for people to evangelize to. And how is Lydia described in verse 14? A worshipper of God. And note where in that section worshipper of God comes. Is that before or after the Lord opened her heart? It’s before. You know what the problem with that is? If God has to irresistibly open your heart because you’re in a totally depraved situation, that becomes a major problem and a cog in the system of Calvinism.

Consider with me a couple passages that make it clear. How are we called? What is God’s hand in our salvation? Because sometimes we are in the risk of belittling this idea so much that we go and say, You’ve got to do it. You’ve got to earn your salvation, and that’s just not so. In 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, turn there with me.

Did you know that we are called? Sometimes we reject that language. In 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 and verse 13. But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits to be saved through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. Boy, that sounds like a Calvinist idea. Until you get to verse 14. To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter. How are we called? What are we called by? The gospel. This makes Romans chapter 10 and verse 17 make all the sense in the world.

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. What system is God calling us to? How is God allowing us to have a relationship with him? Is it through irresistibly reaching out a call and reaching within you and changing you? Or is it something that we can choose to stand firm for in verse 14? Note what verse 14 says. It doesn’t say, go ahead and take the victory. It says in verse 15, excuse me, stand firm and hold to the traditions that were taught to you. Stand firm. Hold to the traditions. We have an expectation of our God. Yes, that he has offered salvation to those who would humbly seek him. But that we have an obligation that if he is our God, he is the creator, and we take advantage of the sacrifice Christ, we sacrifice ourselves to him.

It doesn’t take away from the majesty of God, it doesn’t make us earn salvation. But what we note in Acts chapter 10 that we noted under unconditional election is what is God’s view on how he decides who is saved. In verse 34, what did Peter understand from Acts chapter 10? That there is no partiality with God. But in verse 35, any nation, in every nation, anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. God laid down the boundaries. Salvation is for everyone. It is for those who fear him, those who do what is right. That is our choice to accept or reject God’s solemn offer. And it’s something we need to take seriously and not sweep under the rug or think that we can coast on.

3. The Perseverance of the Saints

We need to fear him. We need to do what is right. We need to stand firm and hold to that which is taught, that which is from God. Consider with me one final point this morning. If you are elected by God, pulled from your total depravity, an analogy for which I’ll give you in a moment. When you think of the perseverance of the saints, we think of once saved, always saved, but with the Calvinists, there’s a little bit of a different wrinkle. But first of all, essentially it is once saved, always saved, with one tiny difference. Rather than just being saved once and for all and looking at various passages that talk about how no one can be yanked from Jesus. Think about this idea. When you stand before God, when you are there at the day of judgment, first of all, consider if you stood before God in judgment this day, how would it go?

Are you ready for him? But secondly, when God judges you on that criteria that you considered, would I be ready for him? Does God see you? Or is Jesus kind of standing in between you to where God is not tricked but willingly looking at Jesus’ righteousness imputed to you instead of your own? How are we judged? The scriptures are clear. 2 Corinthians chapter 5, Romans chapter 14, we will give an account of our lives to God. It makes those passages a mockery to think that Jesus would stand in our way and our actions no longer have any bearing on our judgment scene. We are judged by our actions, we are judged by our faith or lack thereof. Consider with me, though, in Romans chapter 8. If you note this isn’t too far from Romans chapter 9.

But in Romans chapter 8, consider this text, consider it a proof text for the idea of perseverance of the saints. And Romans chapter 8 and verse 35. 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. 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.

You see, the problem in verse 39 becomes if you say that you can reject God’s salvation, you’re saying that you can do something, verse 39 says you can’t. I love the catch-all at the end of verse 39. Do you see that in the second phrase? Nor anything else in all creation. And so the idea is if nothing can separate us from the love of God, of course that’s speaking of those who are faithful to him, obviously. How do we understand this text? How is Romans chapter 8, verse 35 to 39 supposed to apply to life of Christians? It’s obviously meant to give us boldness, to give us strength, courage, and faithfulness, but is it calling us to recognize that we cannot be lost? No, of course not.

If you think about this, this is talking about if we have love for Christ. It can’t be that Jesus would let us go. Because Jesus wouldn’t get care or be tempted by separating because of tribulation in verse 35. Do you think it could mean Jesus’ love for us goes away if we are suffering distress? If we are suffering tribulation or famine or nakedness or danger of sword? Of course not. This is if we love Christ. If we love Jesus.

Romans chapter 8 does not tell us that Jesus will stop loving us. It’s not telling us something we know to be obvious that Jesus won’t stop loving us because of various situations in this life. He’s telling us that for those that love the Lord, those that commit themselves to righteousness, to loving Him, we have a hope. We have an assurance of salvation possible, not that can’t be lost, but that with Jesus we’ll be won. And that’s the key difference. It’s not saying you can go ahead and spite Jesus once you’ve been saved, or that you won’t be able to because you won’t want to, because you have the irresistible grace of God working within you and encouraging you to not be that way. The idea is that if you are truly a child and servant of Jesus the Christ, you have the victory that comes with faith.

Faith is the victory, 1 John chapter 5. And that victory is found through Jesus who didn’t just die for the elect, but Jesus who died for the sins of the whole world. This is how this was always set up by God. And when you consider the numerous Bible passages that indicate that leaving the faith is possible, it makes it clear this idea is impossible. In Hebrews chapter 3, note with me what I think it sufficiently stands as a nail in the coffin of this belief, not only to the Calvinists, but to any who hold it. Hebrews chapter 3 and verses 12, 13, and 14. As you’re turning there, I’m going to tell you something about how people respond to once saved, always saved dilemmas. Some say that if you fall away, a Calvinist would say, and Godquestions.org is basically open and giving this answer.

If somebody sins and falls away from the church, how do you think that reconciles with perseverance of the saints? They say they were never really a Christian to begin with. On the other hand, I’ve had a discussion with someone who did believe the idea of once saved, always saved, and I ask, what about someone who just turns against God? And they basically indicated in a separate conversation that you’re going to be saved no matter what. You can’t do anything about it, even if you wanted to. You are saved no matter what. You see, the problem is it takes you into two extreme categories of either saying you’re saved no matter what, you can’t do anything about it because God wrote your name in the book of life, or you come to this side and you see what?

Well, they were never really saved to begin with. Is that what Hebrews chapter 3, verse 12, 13 and 14 indicates? In verse 12, take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart. Note this carefully, leading you to fall away from the living God. I often give this analogy. Normally it works better that I’m standing than when I’m sitting, because while I have fallen when I’m sitting, that’s ridiculous. If I’m standing up here, can I fall? Yes. But if I’m standing on the ground, can I fall from up here? No. You have to be somewhere to fall from it. Notice what he says in verse 12. Be careful. Why? That you have an evil unbelieving heart. Who is this written to? Hebrew Christians.

Be careful that you have an evil unbelieving heart. I thought you were always saved. I thought you couldn’t be changed. What would happen if you keep an evil unbelieving heart? You can fall away where? From the living God, which implies you are at one time with the living God. Verse 14 makes this clear as well. For we have come to share in Christ if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. If is one of the smallest words in the English language, and yet it’s one of the most important. It is a word that by its very definition is a conditional statement. If you can have this if, you won’t have this if. If we hold our original confidence firm to the end, if we trust in God by faith in Christ Jesus our Lord, if we trust in Him by reading about how great our God is, and that God is faithful to His promises, that He will not neglect us, that there is victory in Him and trusting in Him alone, then we will hold fast to the end, and then we will find ourselves with our God.

But we have to be very careful that we don’t make verse 12 and 14 to be ridiculous line items. Verse 12 cannot mean be careful that you take on an evil, unbelieving heart and recognize that you were never a Christian to begin with. That simply doesn’t work. Verse 12 and 14 also don’t work on the opposite extreme. You can’t say that if you’re saved regardless of how you feel about it, verse 14 then makes no sense at all. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end, and if you don’t, oh well. That can’t be what it means. We have to understand the context of these verses to mean what they say. We have an imploration from our God that we have to trust him.

Conclusion

We have to obey him, we have to have faith in our God. Consider with me one final passage that frankly stands as the counterline between accepting this idea of Calvinism and accepting the idea of what the Bible teaches for how to have a relationship with God. It’s found in Ephesians chapter 1. Turn with me to Ephesians chapter 1, and we’re going to conclude on this passage this morning. Ephesians chapter 1. As you think about the system of total depravity, that you’re born into sin and you can’t do anything about it. As you think about the idea of unconditional election, limited atonement, Jesus only died for the elect, irresistible grace that calls you, seals you, and of course, perseverance of the saints, that you’re saved. One major question comes up, and it’s similar to that one that that woman asked the Calvinist preachers.

One of the examples in the following discussion that came up. One preacher said, The thing you have to understand about God is this illustration. He said, Imagine Adam being told to work by God. He says, Tend to the garden and don’t go get stuck in this pit. He says, Work in the garden, don’t go get stuck in this pit. He said, Imagine if Adam went ahead and got stuck in the pit and he couldn’t get himself out. And a little while later God comes up and says, Adam, where are you? And Adam says, Here I’m stuck in the pit. Imagine if God comes over and says, Why haven’t you been working in the field? And Adam says, Because I’m stuck in the pit, I couldn’t do it.

The Calvinist says, that’s exactly what our situation is. We are responsible for our sin. And if you are not a member of the elect, you don’t have a hope at God’s redeeming grace. There’s a lot of problems with that analogy, starting with the idea that God did not send Jesus to die for the sins of the whole world. But also, we answer for our own sins. We didn’t inherit it. And according to their system, you wouldn’t go into the pit, you would be born into it. And that’s not the analogy at all. And you see perhaps some sleight of hand there. In Ephesians chapter 1, note with me beginning in verse 3. 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 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. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us in all wisdom and insight, making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In him we have obtained an inheritance, verse 11, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.

In him you also, when you heard the word of the truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promise of the Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. There it is. In verse 11, we have been predestined according to the purpose of God. In verse 13 and 14, we are sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance. And yes, of course, in verse 3 and 4 and 5, we were predestined, we were chosen before the foundation of the world, right? Is that what God is teaching here? There’s basically two ways to look at this text. The first one is to say that God chose names.

I don’t know out of a hat or how he would have done it, but before the foundation of the world, God chose who would be saved, and he rejected the rest. Or there is the idea that God chose Jesus to die on the cross for the sins of the whole world, that he promised that there would be a plan of salvation. It’s often taught God chose the plan, not the man. Note that in verse 3, is that not what we see? Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us how? In Christ, with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world. How? Who? That we should be holy and blameless before him in love.

He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ. But what about Jesus Christ? In verse 9, how would the purpose of God come to pass in verse 9, according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ, who would come in the fullness of time, the very fullness of time mentioned in Galatians chapter 4? Jesus came when it was time for God’s plan to take shape. You see this throughout the Old Testament, time and again, that Jesus would come, and that those who would accept the Savior would accept the salvation that God offers and so desires for all men to be saved, as it’s written in 1 Timothy chapter 2 and verse 4. When we understand in verse 7 that it is in Jesus that we have redemption through his blood, that we have the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of his grace, we recognize we need the sacrifice of Jesus.

Did Jesus die only for the elect? Did God only choose some to be saved? Imagine as I conclude this this morning. Imagine if we had a contest. And I said, whoever was in the doors of the local, now probably closed Radio Shack. Whoever was at a Radio Shack on Monday morning at 8 a.m. would make a hundred dollars. Probably a few of us would go there. I certainly would be there. Although I do like my sleep. At 8 a.m. on Monday morning, if you’re in the Radio Shack, you receive a hundred dollars. Did I choose who would win? On one hand, no, I didn’t call names, but what did I decide? What did I choose? Those who accept the terms of the offer. Anyone in that room at 8 o’clock would win the prize of $100 dollars.

What did God do? His plan from before the foundation of the world, was it us or was it Jesus? It was, yes, that God would make us. Yes, that we would need a Savior. But it’s always been about Jesus. It’s been about how Jesus would come. He would die for the sins of the world. Our choice is do we accept that offer by faith or do we reject it? Who do you believe? Do you believe the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob who willed so that Jesus would come and live? Or do you believe those who say that you’re born totally depraved? You can’t do anything about it. You just have to hear the gospel call and have that miraculous working with inside of you. The Bible rejects Tulip at every turn.

Children are not born sinners. We are not stuck in sin. We are not unconditionally elected. We are to choose to have faith in him. Jesus did not die for the elect, but he died for the sins of the whole world. We are not irresistibly called, but in fact we can turn against him, and so perseverance of the saints is struck as well. We have to have believing hearts, kind, good, and pure, like our pure, loving Savior. Will you go to God in prayer with me? Our dear God, our most gracious and loving Heavenly Father, we thank you for making your will available to us. We pray that we’re always found pleasing in your sight. Forgive us of when we sin, forgive us of when we do what is wrong, when we transgress your will, of when we sin against you.

Help us to never grieve you, nor to leave things undone which must be done, or to do those things which ought not to be done. We thank you so much for sending Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. We pray that in all things and all ways that we glorify you. And that this very morning we’ll worship you in spirit and truth, recognizing that you are spirit and you are to be so worshipped. Thank you for being our loving, merciful God. Be with us always. And it’s in your Son’s name we do pray. Amen. We’re now dismissed to our Bible classes.