STU:The Divine Basis for an Effective Gospel   1 Thess 1:1-4

   Introduction: The passage before us brings us to consider the
doctrine of Divine election. This is not a new doctrine to the church,
but it is one that has been overlooked and put on the back shelf by
many. For believers, it is a doctrine that should cause gratitude and
thanksgiving to arise in our hearts. Election also gives us hope; hope
that unsaved friends and loved ones can be saved. Most of all, it is a
precious truth which should humble us before the throne of the Almighty
Sovereign of the universe. In examining out text let us see three
aspects of election, or as Pastor C. H. Spurgeon has so aptly named it,
the Doctrine of Distinguishing Grace. We shall endeavor to see:

   I. The DEFINITION of election

   II. The EXPLANATION of election

   III. The ATTESTATION (proof) of election

   I. The DEFINITION of election

   A. The Greek word used in verse 4 is "ekloge". It means to chose
out; to make a selection; to pick out.

   B. Various definitions of election by other men of God and documents.

   Boyce (founder of Southern Seminary) -- "Election is God's eternal
choice of some persons unto everlasting life, not because of forseen
merit in them, but of his mere mercy in Christ - in consequence of
which choice they are called, justified, and glorified."

   Kent (President of Grace Theological Seminary) - "God's sovereign
choice of certain individuals...prior to Adam's appearance on the
earth."

   Ryrie (Dallas Theological Seminary) - "God's uncon- ditioned and
pretemporal choice of those individuals whom he would save."

   Scofield (Scofield Reference Bible) - "The sovereign act of God in
grace whereby certain persons are chosen from among mankind for
Himself."

   1st London Confession (Baptist, 1644) - "God hath before the
foundation of the world, foreordained some men to eternal life."

   Broadus (early Southern Baptist Convention president) - "From the
divine side, we see that the Scrip- tures teach an election of men to
eternal life simply out of God's good pleasure."

   Articles of Religion (Church of England) - "Predestination to life
is the everlasting purpose of God, whereby (before the foundations of
the world were laid) he hath constantly decreed by his secret counsel
to us, to deliver from the curse and damnation those whom he hath
chosen in Christ out of mankind, and to bring them by Christ to
everlasting salvation."

   C. These quotes are from a wide spectrum of the church, and are
given to show that this is not a new or strange teaching.

   II. The EXPLANATION of election

   A. Election is God's choice of man, not man's choice of God.

   1. God chose whom he would save before the foundation of the world.

   2. Man's choice of God through repentance and faith is a secondary
response to the initial choice by God.

   a. Notice verse 4 of the text - "His choice of you" (NASV). The
"you" represents the object of the choice.

   b. We cannot contort the passage to mean "your choice of God."

   3. Other Scripture references

   a. John 15:16 - "You did not choose Me, but I chose you."

   b. Ephesians 1:4 - "Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation
of the world."

   c. Romans 9:11 - "God's purpose according to His choice."

   d. John 13:18 - "I know the ones I have chosen."

   e. 2 Thessalonians 2:13 - "God has chosen you from the beginning for
salvation."

   4. There can be no doubt then, that in the realm of salvation, no
man can be saved unless he has first been chosen by God to be saved.

   a. The election took place in eternity past (Eph. 1:4, 2 Thess.
2:13).

   b. It took place before man had done anything to merit salvation
(Romans 9:11).

   Spurgeon - "As long as that (Rom. 9) remains in the Bible. . . not
the most violent con- tortions of the passage will ever be able to
exterminate the doctrine of election from the Scriptures."

   Josiah Conder, the hymnwriter has penned these words:

   'Tis not that I did choose Thee,

   For, Lord, that could not be;

   This heart would still refuse Thee,

   Hadst Thou not chosen me.

   Thou from the sin that stained me

   Hadst cleansed and set me free;

   Of old Thou hast ordained me,

   That I should live to Thee.

   My heart owns none before Thee,

   For Thy rich grace I thirst;

   This knowing, if I love Thee,

   Thou must have loved me first.

   B. Some other aspects of election.

   1. For God's glory (Eph. 1:6, Rom. 9:21-24)

   2. It is not actual salvation, it ensures or is unto salvation (Rom.
11:7, 2 Thess. 2:13)

   III. The ATTESTATION (proof) of election

   A. The elect are not known unto man prior to salvation. God has not
provided us with a listing of their names.

   B. All the elect will come to salvation in God's appointed time
(Acts 13:48, John 6:37, John 10:14,

   2 Peter 3:9).

   C. A person's election will be proven by outward, visible
manifestations (verse 3 of our text).

   1. Work of faith - literally, "work produced by faith." This work
refers to general deeds and activities.

   Geoffrey Wilson - "Theirs was no barren assent to a dogma...but the
dynamic outworking of a life-transforming principle."

   a. James 2:17

   b. Ephesians 2:10

   NOTE: When properly understood, the doctrine of election is a life
changing doctrine. Those whose verbal profession of faith is a genuine
heart-faith, will be characterized by evangelism, missionary efforts,
deeds of kindness to both saved and lost, and by a visible
manifestation of the fruits of the Spirit.

   2. Labor of love - literally, "labor prompted by love." The labor
spoken of here refers to hard, toilsome, exhausting labor. The love
mentioned is a sacrificing love that gives itself unself- ishly in the
service of others.

   Findlay - "Work may be easy and delightful; labor is toilsome; no
selfish man will endure it for another's good. Hence labor is the test
of love."

   a. Love will prompt the elect to "go the second mile" just as Christ
did on behalf of his people.

   b. The elect will have a love that labors to see others come to
Christ.

   Spurgeon has said concerning the man who properly under- stands
election:

   Such a man will become kind to others. He will hold his opinions,
but he will not hold them savagely, nor will he teach them bitterly,
because he will say, "If I have light and others have not, my light was
given me from God, therefore I have no cause to plume myself upon it. I
will try to spread that light, but not by anger and abuse. For why
should I blame those who cannot see, for could I have seen if God had
not opened my blind eyes?"

   NOTE: Some of the most caustic believers are those who claim to
understand God's workings of grace, yet are not gracious themselves.
Instead of being patient and considerate of those who do not hold to
these great truths, they often ignore them or jokingly ridicule them.
We often expect others to understand in five minutes what may have
taken us months or years to comprehend.

   3. Steadfastness of hope - literally, "steadfastness that is
inspired by hope."

   a. This is a hope of final victory in the Lord.

   b. Calvin - "Intent on the hope of the mani- festation of Christ
they are to despise all other things, and armed with patience are to
rise superior both to wearisome delay and all the temptations of the
world."

   Conclusion:

   We have defined and explained election; that pretemporal choice by
God of those whom he would save in Christ. We have also seen that the
only way to recognize the elect is by the outward display of their
lives. 2 Peter 1:10 tells us to be all the more diligent to make
certain about his calling and choosing us. Let those who claim to
believe the doctrine of election hold an examination of their lives.
Are we gracious?