Sermon Tone Analysis

*Why Choose to Study about God’s Choosing?*

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Before we continue our study from last week and look at some questions, perhaps we should address the most basic question as to whether it’s even necessary to study about God’s choosing, calling, electing of sinners, and to determine who chose whom.

Many would probably think that doctrines of grace are not that practical or don’t have much of an impact on everyday life, but most of the greatest men in church history disagree.

George Mueller was an amazing man of faith and prayer and founder of several orphanages in Britain in the 1800's.

He is well known as a great and godly hero of the Christian faith, beloved by so many, and a kind and warm-hearted man of deep prayer and incredible trust in God.

It’s unfortunate, though, that although many have heard /about/ him, not many are aware of the theology that undergirded his faith and life and made it possible.

In 1829, he became sick in God’s providence and went to a small town called Teignmouth to recover.

Piper writes:[1]

There in a little chapel called Ebenezer at least two crucial discoveries were made: the preciousness of reading and meditating on the word of God, and the truth of the doctrines of grace.

For ten days Mueller lived with a nameless man who changed his life forever: “Through the instrumentality of this brother the Lord bestowed a great blessing upon me, for which I shall have cause to thank Him throughout eternity.”

--George Mueller, A Narrative of Some of the Lord's Dealing with George Muller, Written by Himself, Jehovah Magnified.

Addresses by George Muller Complete and Unabridged, 2 vols.

(Muskegon, Mich.: Dust and Ashes Publications, 2003).

Vol. 1, p. 39. [hereafter simply “Narrative”]

 

“Before this period I had been much opposed to the doctrines of election, particular redemption, and final persevering grace; so much so that, a few days after my arrival at Teignmouth, I called election a devilish doctrine. . .

I knew nothing about the choice of God's people, and did not believe that the child of God, when once made so, was safe for ever. . . .

But now I was brought to examine these precious truths by the word of God …

Being made willing to have no glory of my own in the conversion of sinners, but to consider myself merely as an instrument; and being made willing to receive what the Scriptures said; I went to the Word, reading the New Testament from the beginning, with a particular reference to these truths.

To my great astonishment I found that the passages which speak decidedly for election and persevering grace, were about four times as many as those which speak apparently against these truths; and even those few, shortly after, when I had examined and understood them, served to confirm me in the above doctrines.

As to the effect which my belief in these doctrines had on me, I am constrained to state, for God's glory, that though I am still exceedingly weak, and by no means so dead to the lusts of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, as I might and as I ought to be, yet, by the grace of God, I have walked more closely with Him since that period.

My life has not been so variable, and I may say that I have lived much more for God than before.”

[Mueller, /Narrative, /1:46]

He was led to embrace the doctrines of grace—the robust, mission-minded, soul-winning, orphan-loving Calvinism that marked William Carey, who died in 1834, and that would mark Charles Spurgeon, who was born in 1834.

About forty years later, in 1870, Mueller spoke to some young believers about the importance of what had happened to him at Teignmouth.

He said that his preaching had been fruitless for four years from 1825 to 1829 in Germany, but then he came to England and was taught the doctrines of grace.

“In the course of time I came to this country, and it pleased God then to show to me the doctrines of grace in a way in which I had not seen them before.

At first I hated them, ‘If this were true I could do nothing at all in the conversion of sinners, as all would depend upon God and the working of His Spirit.’

But when it pleased God to reveal these truths to me, and my heart was brought to such a state that I could say, ‘I am not only content simply to be a hammer, an axe, or a saw, in God's hands; but I shall count it an honor to be taken up and used by Him in any way; and if sinners are converted through my instrumentality, from my inmost soul I will give Him all the glory; the Lord gave me to see fruit; the Lord gave me to see fruit in abundance; sinners were converted by scores; and ever since God has used me in one way or other in His service.’”

(1:752)

 

This discovery of the all-encompassing sovereignty of God became the foundation of Mueller's confidence in God to answer his prayers

 

This subject of God’s election is not mere theological minutia, and we are not looking at this subject merely for the sake of academic interest.

Salvation is not an irrelevant subject.

God’s glory is not a secondary matter, and who gets the glory and credit in salvation is not an insignificant question.

These doctrines of sovereign grace ignited the Reformation.

They helped transform entire societies in Europe.

They were the views of the Pilgrims and most of the early settlers in this country, and in fact schools like Harvard and Princeton were founded to train ministers to preach these doctrines.

The Southern Baptist Convention was founded on these principles and the majority of Baptist until the 20th century firmly believed these things.

These convictions fueled the Great Awakening and revival in America under Edwards and Whitefield, they drove the Great Missionary Movement, and although many today no longer believe in predestination, man’s depravity, or God’s absolute sovereignty, God is awakening many to a rediscovery of these truths.

Whether or not you believe God is truly and fully sovereign will have a profound impact on your everyday life, prayer, and trust in God.

Like George Mueller, we want to go back to the Bible, even though our flesh or minds may initially resist God’s absolute sovereign right to do as He wills, we want to humbly receive what the Scriptures say, and like him, be willing to ascribe all glory to God in everything and be content to merely be an instrument in His sovereign and saving hand.

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*Common Questions about Divine Election*

 

The following resources go more in-depth into answering questions and objections than is possible with this study:

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*Online articles:*

http:~/~/www.monergism.com~/directory~/link_category~/Election~/Objections-to-Unconditioanl-Election-Answered~/

(Numerous articles by noted scholars and teachers)

http:~/~/www.spurgeon.org~/sermons~/0041.htm (“Election” sermon by C. H. Spurgeon)

http:~/~/www.biblebb.com~/mac-a-g.htm

(scroll down to “Election” series by MacArthur)

 

*Online audio*:

http:~/~/www.monergism.com~/directory~/link_category~/Election~/Multimedia~/

(see especially links on above to Steve Lawson, parts 5 & 6, MacArthur, Curt Daniel, etc)

http:~/~/www.monergism.com~/thethreshold~/articles~/onsite~/histtheocalvin.html

(complete series by Curt Daniel above)

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*Books*:

/Sinners in the Hands of a Good God, /by David Clotfelter (especially chapters 4-6)

/Chosen// by God, /by R.C. Sproul

/The Doctrines of Grace, /by James Montgomery Boice, and Philip Graham Ryken

/The History and Theology of Calvinism, /by Curt Daniel (very thorough textbook format)

 

For those who find themselves disagreeing with God’s sovereign election or predestination, I would encourage you to continue to study, with both open Bible and open mind and heart to humbly submit to whatever God’s Word teaches.

As we pray for God’s illumination and guidance in pursuing the truth of His Word, we should not ignore the past of what great God-centered thinkers and Christians have written before us on these topics they have studied more deeply than us.

Do not be quick to argue or quarrel about these issues, which far greater and godlier men than us have wrestled with and written on.

We must also recognize our mind and logic cannot overturn clear scriptural teaching.

For those of you already convinced of these doctrines of grace, let us make sure we communicate that same grace towards others we interact with who may differ (we are all growing, and the longer we have been taught otherwise, the harder it is to embrace a whole new world of scriptural truth).

May God’s grace grow us all, not to be better /debaters/, but to be better disciples and mature gospel-bearers of our Sovereign Savior.

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*Does the Bible teach election (that God chooses, predestines, calls, and effectually draws all who will be saved)?*

YES /<See handout for last week>/

- Hebrew word for God’s choosing estimated over 100x used of sovereign election

- Greek forms of this word for God’s choosing estimated 50x used in similar ways

- Word “called” used over 3,000x, a good number of which are divine sovereign calling

- As we saw last week, virtually every N.T. book contains such language in 1st chapter

Steve Lawson has demonstrated (/Foundations of Grace, Vol.

1/) that every biblical writer and virtually every O.T. book teaches these things, including history ~/ minor prophets

A few examples from one book (gospel of John) should be enough:

 

John 15:5 (NASB95) \\ 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

\\ \\

John 15:16 (NASB95) \\ 16 “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.

\\ \\

John 15:19 (NASB95) \\ 19 “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but *I chose you out of the world*, because of this the world hates you.

\\ \\

John 17:6-9 (NASB95) \\ 6 “I have manifested Your name to the *men whom You gave Me out of the world*; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.

\\ 7 “Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You; \\ 8 for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me. \\ 9 “I ask on their behalf; *I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me*; for they are Yours; \\ \\

John 6:37-40 (NASB95) \\ 37 “*All that the Father gives Me will come to Me*, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.

\\ 38 “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. \\ 39 “This is the will of Him who sent Me, that *of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day*.

\\ 40 “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”

\\ \\

John 6:44 (NASB95) \\ 44 “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.

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John 6:63 (NASB95) \\ 63 “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.

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John 6:65 (NASB95) \\ 65 And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.”

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‘Chose’-    Select groups ~/ individuals out from a bigger group (Ps.

78:67-70, Jn. 15:19)

–        Jesus told His disciples “You did not choose me, but /I chose you/” (Jn.

15:16)

–        In the middle voice in Greek, the word emphasizes God /Himself /choosing (Eph.

1:4), in other words “by Himself and for Himself”

‘Elect’ -    /Chosen one(s)/ - Mt. 24:22, 31, Lk 18:7, Rom.

8:33, Rev. 17:14, etc.

‘Called’-   A saving summons by God (Rom.

8:30, 1 Tim.

6:12, 2 Tim.

1:9)

‘Predestined’ – God’s prior plan of salvation and adoption (Eph.

1:5, 11, Rom.

8:29-30)

 

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*Does the Bible teach man’s responsibility for his sin and response to God?*

/YES <See handout for last week>/

John 5:40 (NASB95) \\ 40 and *you are unwilling to come* to Me so that you may have life.

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John 6:37 (NASB95) \\ 37 “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and *the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.*

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John 6:47 (NASB95) \\ 47 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.