Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, Doctrine of Election. Part 2
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Prepare yourself for learning the Word of God!
Before we begin, if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ (that is; you have believed [trusted] in Him for His promised gift of eternal life), it is important to prepare yourself to learn God's Word so take a moment to name, cite or acknowledge (confess) your sins privately to God (i.e.; with your thoughts directed only to God the Father).
1 John 1:9 says: "If we confess our sins, He (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins (known sins) and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness [unknown or forgotten sins]." NKJV (New King James Version) [italics added]; we call this REBOUND, read the full doctrine as to “why” we need to use 1 John 1:9 to grow spiritually. REBOUND
If you have never personally believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, that He is the Son of God, the promised Messiah, as your Savior (that is, believed in Him for eternal life), the issue for you is not to name your sins; the issue for you is to simply exercise faith alone in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life; when you do, you will instantly receive Eternal Life: John 3:16, 5:24, 6:47, 20:30, 31.
John 6:47 says: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me [Jesus Christ] has everlasting life." NKJV [italics added]
Notice again what Jesus said in John 6:47: "…he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life." It doesn't say, "will have"; it says, "has." Therefore, the very moment you believe in Jesus Christ for His promise of everlasting life, you have it (it's really just that simple; nothing more and nothing less), and it can never be taken away from you (John 10:28-29). Furthermore, the gift (Ephesians 2:8c) of everlasting life (also called eternal life in scripture) is available to every human being; there are absolutely no exceptions.
John 3:14-15, 16, 17, 18, says: "14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." NKJV
Let us now bow our hearts and take a moment to prepare for worship and learning God's Word. If there is any known sin in your life, this is the time to just cite it privately to God the Father with your thoughts directed towards Him. With your head bowed and your eyes closed, you have total privacy in your mind and soul:
Study to show yourself approved to God!
Grace Bible Church
Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries
The Tree of Life is a weekly teaching summary:
God’s Word is taught Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday
God’s Word is taught Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday
STUDY TITLE:
Isaiah cries out concerning Israel,
Doctrine of Election. Part 2
Under the principle of Election, there are three categories of the grace of God which need to be understood.
First of all, there is common grace, which is totally the work of God, especially God the Holy Spirit, whereby He brings the Gospel to all mankind, Tit 2:11, For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,
Then there is the call of God in passages like, Rom 1:6; 8:28-30; 11:29; 1Co 1:26-29, when after we understand the Gospel there is a divine invitation that comes with the understanding.
Thirdly, there is the principle of efficacious grace, which is when God the Holy Spirit takes the useless faith of the person who is spiritually dead and makes it effective for salvation. So, common grace, the call of God, and efficacious grace, are all vital to understand when it comes to the Doctrine of Election.
All three of these ministries are based upon the grace of God which unveiled our eyes so that we could see spiritually and opened up our ears so that we could hear spiritually.
Matt 13:9-16, “He who has ears, let him hear.” And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” And He answered and said to them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. For whoever has, to him shall {more} be given, and he shall have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, ’You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; And you will keep on seeing, but will not perceive; For the heart of this people has become dull, And with their ears they scarcely hear, And they have closed their eyes Lest they should see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart and return, And I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.’”
Election is a subject that cannot be viewed apart from God’s integrity. God is just and righteous and He will never violate your free will. Election does not mean that God chose you to do something or be something or be someone and you have no say in the matter. So, when He elected us, He elected us according to His sovereign choice linking up with His omniscience and knowing what decisions we would make if given the proper equipment needed to understand spiritual phenomena.
Now, all of this is a part of our first point; Introduction and Definition.
Election is the expression of the sovereign will of God in eternity past before the universe existed and before mankind lived on planet earth. In fact, the doctrine of election is an important part of understanding the mystery doctrine of the Church-age.
The first question that naturally arises is does man have a free will? And of course, the answer is yes. The next question is; if man has a free will then what part does the free will play in the Doctrine of Election? In 2Pe 1, we see the importance of the principle of doctrine of election and the importance of repetition.
2Pe 1:1, Simon Peter, a bond servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:
Notice Peter says, “to those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours,” meaning that the faith to believe and even to learn is a gift from God. And anything God gives is given by means of grace which means we can never take credit for what He gives because grace says that what God gives to man, He gives by means of grace which takes away any system of works. Everything we are and everything we do is because of grace, never works. Over and over again, human good or the works of the flesh are rejected by our Lord.
So, 2Pe 1:1-2, Simon Peter, a bond servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: Grace and peace [prosperity] be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;
“in the knowledge of God” is literally by means of the epignosis knowledge of God, (not gnosis which is simply just knowing something but epignosis which means applying what you know to your personal life). It is through PMA [positive mental attitude] of Bible doctrine that gnosis which is simply knowledge becomes epignosis which is wisdom.
So, 2Pe 1:2-9, Grace and peace [prosperity] be multiplied to you [by means or epignosis or metabolized doctrine] concerning God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted or graciously given to us everything pertaining to [this natural life] and godliness [the spiritual life], through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these [in context, His divine power, His own glory and excellence] He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith [doctrine] supply moral excellence [virtue], and in your moral excellence [virtue], supply gnosis knowledge; and in your knowledge, self control, and in your self control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness; and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge [epignosis knowledge] of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.
Verse 10 actually says to make sure, certain or be stabilized concerning calling and election.
2Pe 1:10, Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you [election]; for as long as you practice these things [in context the virtues developed from living the spiritual life found in 2Pe 1:5-7], you will never stumble;
What things is Peter referring to? To the things mentioned in verses 2Pe 1:2-9 which we just read.
2Pe 1:11, for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.
Nothing is more important in our lives than Bible doctrine, since Bible doctrine reveals the invisible assets and how to glorify God and receive our fantastic inheritance from God.
So, Peter says in 2Pe 1:12, Therefore, I shall always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you.
This is Peter’s advice in the last days of his life. He understood the doctrine of election. He understood why he was still alive and why God had sustained him. He understood his invisible assets and the fantastic inheritance God had for him! He is now 75 years old, giving us this advice, and he’s about to die! So, Peter says in the last days of his life, age 75, the year 67, just before his death, “I shall always be ready”
Peter was a prepared pastor and God uses prepared men and women. The purpose of repetition is to fulfill a deliberate objective which is to inculcate Bible doctrine in the believer’s soul so that the believer will remain in the PPOG [predesigned plan of God]. A well taught congregation is one that has been repeated to over and over again. There are 2 principles that you should never forget which are brought out in this passage:
1. In eternity past the blessings placed in your escrow account called in the Bible your inheritance were made contingent upon the future performance of each believer. This, when you go from salvation to SSE [spiritual self-esteem], from SSE to SA, from SA [spiritual autonomy] to SM [spiritual maturity]. And your advance to spiritual maturity is the potential on which the blessings are transferred.
2. Spiritual maturity is the result of doctrines being repeated over and over again to the congregation, and spiritual maturity is the place that the believer graduates from.
And this is when the believer will be qualified to be rewarded from heaven. For you see, when God elected you before the foundation of the world, (Eph 1:3-4), He not only elected you to be saved but He also chose you or elected to have the opportunity to have His highest and best with blessings tailored just for you.
No one receives all the blessings, they are tailored just for you because in His omniscience, He knew exactly what would make you happy.
For Heaven will reward soul winners, Dan 12:3.
Heaven will reward humble servants, Matt 10:42.
Heaven will reward faithful stewards, Matt 25:23.
Heaven will reward those who give, Luk 6:35.
Heaven will reward those who produce divine good, Rom 2:10.
Heaven will reward those who are persecuted, Matt 5:11-12.
Heaven will reward those who suffer un-deservingly, 2Ti 2:12.
Heaven will reward those who master the O.S.N., 1Co 9:25.
Heaven will reward those who love His appearing, 2Ti 4:8.
Heaven will reward those who endure temptations, James 1:12.
Heaven will reward the faithful pastor teacher, 1Pe 5:4.
Psa 31:19, How great is Thy goodness, Which Thou hast stored up for those who fear Thee, Which Thou hast wrought for those who take refuge in Thee, Before the sons of men!
Matt 25:34, “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”
This is why spiritual failure is brought in the scriptures such as in Matt 7:26-27; building upon the wrong foundation.
Matt 7:26-27, “And everyone who hears these words or doctrines of mine, and does not act upon them, will be like a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and it fell, and great was its fall.”
Spiritual failure is brought in Matt 17:16 as not being able to perform the work that God has given the believer the opportunity to perform (equal privilege, equal opportunity).Remember Eph 2:10, For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Luk 14:30, spiritual failure is revealed by starting but not being able to finish. Heb 4:6, refusing to enter into God’s rest.
Now, what causes spiritual loss on the part of the believer?
However, the main reason for spiritual loss is ignorance, 2Pe 1:8-11, For if these qualities are yours and keep on increasing, they render you or prevent you from being neither useless [ineffective] nor unfruitful [unproductive] in the true knowledge or the epignosis knowledge [M.D.] of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks or does not have these qualities is blind or short sighted, [blind in the sense of blindness in the soul or blackout of the soul] having forgotten his purification or being cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent [perceiving doctrine and seeking those things above] to make certain about His calling and electing you; for as long as you practice these things [the execution of the PPOG], you will never stumble; [i.e., become a loser in cosmic system]. For in this way [executing the PPOG] the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you. [conveyance of eternal believer’s inheritance blessings to winners].”
So with all of that in mind, Peter also says in 2Pe 1:12, Therefore, I shall always be ready to remind you of these things or repeat these doctrines, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you.
We also need to note what the Bible says about spiritual loss related to sin, Jer 5:25, “your iniquities have turned these away, and your sins have withheld good from you”
Matt 25:27, spiritual loss results from not using your spiritual gift or talent.
In Mark 8:36 spiritual loss results from worldliness, “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul”?
So having doctrine repeated to you over and over again is the only way you’ll ever become a winner and not suffer spiritual loss.
And this is why some believers have the most fantastic blessings in time while other believers are discontent, filled with self-pity, filled with self-induced misery, and constantly off balanced from divine discipline.
Just because you have some problems in your life that does not mean you are a failure.
For remember the words of our Lord in Mark 10:28 Peter began to say to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You.”
Here we go again with Peter, insert foot in mouth or talking before thinking. How dare Peter say, “Behold or literally YO, we have left everything and followed You.”
And who did he say this to?
He said this to the one described in 2Co 8:9, For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.
So, Mark 10:29-30, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, but that he shall receive a hundred times as much NOW in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life.
This is the reason why some believers enter the eternal state very rich at the Bema seat and others, at the bema seat, very poor. Being poor in eternity means having a resurrected body in eternity, and that’s all. All believers enter eternity in a resurrected body but escrow blessings and their distribution are for winners only. So we have the concept then of the spiritually rich and the spiritually poor in eternity, just as we have the concept of winners and losers in time.
The spiritually rich are those believers who receive the distribution of their fantastic inheritance for time and eternity. The spiritually poor are those believers who, as losers in the “world system”, do not receive their blessings from their inheritance, why?
They used their volition to go negative.
They were negative toward doctrine.
They were negative toward God’s plan!
They were negative toward God’s way!
They were negative through ignorance or even worse, negative through cognizance!
But, whether negative through ignorance or negative through cognisance it all adds up to the same thing….a loser in time and a loser in eternity.
2Pe 1:13, And I consider it right, as long as i am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder,
Verse 13, we see the duty of doctrinal repetition.
It is the duty and the responsibility of the pastor to repeat.
Now how does the pastor repeat?
Well, by teaching expository teaching, which is verse by verse teaching that causes you to suddenly discover that the apostle Paul, Peter, John, James, the human writers of the N.T. [new testament], all under the ministry of God the Holy Spirit repeated doctrines.
Therefore, as these doctrines come up in context they are repeated.
2Pe 1:13 And I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder,
A good pastor stirs up his congregation. A good pastor forces his congregation to think.
He forces them to get mad! He gets them face to face and nose to nose with the doctrinal principles of the word of God! A Pastor is not a little panty politician always smiling and drooling over people!
A pastor has to lay it on the line to friends and enemies, alike!
2Pe 1:13 And I consider it right or my solemn duty, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder,
Peter considers it his solemn duty to repeat, repeat, repeat, to the royal family of God. And as long as he is alive, he is going to continue his solemn duty. And it has nothing to do with counseling, visitations, or being a politician and buttering up people. It has nothing to do with personality, or sweetness, or any of the other stupid things that people expect from pastors.
2Pe 1:13 And I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling human body, to stir you up by way of reminder,
Peter is saying that as long as God sustains me to remain in this earthly tent, I have the responsibility to teach repetitiously!
Rev 4:11, “Worthy art Thou, our Lord and our God, to receive glory”
The teaching of Bible doctrine repetitiously brings glory to Christ not to the communicator. In fact, the solemn duty of repeating doctrine separates the true student from the arrogant one! Repetition irritates those who are negative toward doctrine!
2Pe 1:13 And I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up
“to stir you up” is the pres-act-inf of diegeiro which means to wake up, to arouse you, to stir up.
Rev 3:2, ‘Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God.
Eph 5:14, For this reason it says, “Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead ones, And Christ will shine on you.”
This is a progressive present tense which signifies action in a state of progress or persistence. And of course, from time to time everyone gets stirred up in one way or another. Everyone resents at some time hearing something that they’ve heard a hundred times before. And this is a part of the test, it’s a part of indoctrination or doctrine becoming ingrained into the believer!
This is one of the things that the apostle Paul had in mind Eph 4:1 when he said, “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,
Eph 4:2 With all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love,
Remember that when you hear something that there may be others in the audience who never heard before, so you operate with the type of love…..”showing forbearance to one another in love”,
When you like something repetition doesn’t mean a thing, whether it’s your favorite food or beverage or sport or whatever.
And, as long as your positive toward doctrine it shouldn’t make a difference how many times you hear it.
And if you listen carefully and concentrate under the ministry of the Spirit something new always breaks through!
But the arrogant person says, “I’ve heard it all before!”
So, Peter says “And I consider it my duty, as long as I am in this earthly body to stir you up”
The active voice of “stir you up”, Peter produces the action of the verb through repetition.
The repetition of Bible doctrine will stir you up.
The infinitive is an infinitive of purpose, it is the purpose of the repetition of Bible doctrine to stir you up!
Now how will he stir them up?
The next phrase tells us how!
2Pe 1:13……by way of reminder,
“en plus the instrumental singular noun,
hupomnesei which means by reminding or repeating.
Believers often forget doctrine and have to be reminded again and again.
So in verse 14 we see the dying words of the apostle Peter.
2Pe 1:14 knowing that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent, as also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me.
Peter knows he’s about to die!
He is 75 years old and still filled with energy, and yet he knows that very shortly he is going to die!
And knowing he is going to die makes the words of Peter even more significant!
2Pe 1:14 knowing that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent, as also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me.
2Pe 1:15 And I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you may be able to call these things to mind.
Peter is about to die, and inasmuch as he is about to die, he will leave behind a legacy which is the greatest of all…the legacy of Bible doctrine.
This also dramatizes the fact that death cannot hinder or destroy the communication of Bible doctrine and the declaration of spiritual truth.
No one is indispensable as Peter recognizes, though he’s about to die, Bible doctrine still goes on!
2Pe 1:15 And I will also be diligent
We have the fut-act-ind of spoudaso which means to be diligent, to make an effort, and to study, (2Ti 2:15).
The future tense is for a statement of fact or performance which may be expected under the circumstances of his approaching death.
The active voice, Peter produces the action of the verb…..he knows that he is about to die so he’s making “every effort”.
The indicative mood says this is a reality that Peter is working hard to get this message across before his death.
2Pe 1:15 And I will also be diligent or make every effort that at any time after my departure you may be able to call these things to mind.
Prin-Doctrine is always available in every generation.
Second prin-The only thing that keeps a believer from doctrine is his own negative volition and his “erroneous priorities.”
Peter is not making a big thing out of the fact that he’s going to die, however, his departure is not going to make one bit of difference!
He’s done a good job,
He’s a great Bible teacher, but his departure is not going to make one bit of difference.
He is going to emphasize the fact that it is not the “man” but the “message”!
And, no one is indispensable in the plan of God but the members of the Godhead.
And again, in verse 15 Peter is emphasizing the importance of “remembering.”
prin-Apostles, pastors, good Bible teachers die, but Bible doctrine is permanent.
Bible doctrine continues no matter what!
So it is inevitable that all those who teach doctrine die, but the doctrine that they teach goes on.
Bible doctrine is permanent and eternal.
Local assemblies are not!
Gifts of the spirit are not!
but…..only doctrine!
Therefore, it is obvious that it is not the man but the message of doctrine that counts!
Believers must not lean on the man but on the doctrine of the word of God.
Your local assembly should depend upon the doctrine being taught, nothing else.
Men come and go….,
Ministries come and go….,
But the word of God abides forever!
Matt 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words shall not pass away.
1Pe 1:25 But the word of the Lord abides forever. “And this is the word which was preached to you.
prin-Every pastor who is faithful in teaching Bible doctrine will build something permanent.
Something which will live beyond his own lifetime.
In other words, the pastor’s memory is the doctrine resident in the soul of his own congregation.
So Peter says, 2Pe 1:15 And I will also be diligent or make every effort that at any time after my departure you may be able to call these things to mind.
The following link is to a good news message describing how one can receive eternal life: Ticket to Heaven, it was written for anyone not absolutely certain about their eternal future.
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