SERMON
X
___________
From: Sermons on Important Subjects – 1836 by
Charles G Finney
And modernized by Cliff Collins
“Just as He chose us in Him before the
foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in
love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself,
according to the good pleasure of His will”
(Eph 1:4-5)
The subject of this discourse is the doctrine of
election, and in discussing it; I will pursue the following order:
A. Show what this doctrine does not mean.
B. What this doctrine means.
C. That this is a doctrine of the Bible.
D. That it is a doctrine of reason.
E. Why they are elected.
F. When they were elected.
G. That it is not a partial election.
H. There is no injustice in it.
I. That it opposes no obstacle to the salvation
of the non-elect.
J. That it is the best that could be done for
the world.
K. That it does not eliminate the need to labor
for the salvation of the elect.
L. That
it is the only ground to encourage us to work for God.
M. How one may know he is elected.
A. Let me show you what this doctrine does not
mean.
1. This
doctrine does not mean that some will be saved no matter what their moral
character is. We cannot assume that the
elect will be saved no matter what they do.
2. This doctrine does not mean that the elect
will be forced to go to heaven against their will.
3. This
does not mean that there is any particular provision made in the atonement for
their salvation that is not provided for the salvation of the non-elect.
4. This
does not mean that the unconverted elect are any better than the non-elect.
5. This
does not mean that the unconverted elect are any more loved by God than the
non-elect.
6. This
does not mean that the non-elect are created for damnation, and cannot be saved
no matter what they do or say.
B. But, the doctrine of election means that
members of the human family are chosen to eternal salvation. Not only are they chosen as a whole, but as
individuals. Every one of them will be
saved.
C. This doctrine is taught in the Bible. It is clearly taught in the text we just
read. Peter directs his first epistle
“To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and
Bithynia, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in
sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of
Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through
the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible
and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are
kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in
the last time.” (I Peter 1:1-5)
The apostle says, “Who has saved us and called
us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but
according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before
time began”.
I will not waste your time reading any more
passages of Scripture. I don’t know if
any other doctrine of the Bible is more abundantly and unequivocally taught
than this one. A lot of ingenuity has
been exercised in explaining these passages to show that they do not teach
election as I have stated it. But the
manner in which the attempts to explain this doctrine away fully demonstrates
that it cannot be explained away, and that the doctrine as it lies on the face
of the Scriptures is that which is contained in the proposition I have stated,
and that is, that a part of mankind is chosen to eternal life and
salvation.
D. This
is a reasonable doctrine. This will
make sense to us if we first consider the foreknowledge of God. God must have foreknown who would and who
would not be saved. Many people try to
evade the inference of election from the omniscience of God. They say that God's being omniscient does
not mean that He actually knows everything that can be known any more than His
being omnipotent proves that he does everything that can be done. They observe that His omnipotence is under
the control of His wisdom, so that He only does what His wisdom directs; and He
only exerts His omnipotence in those cases where wisdom calls it to act. Therefore, they maintain that the
omniscience of God is likewise under the control of infinite wisdom, and
although He might know everything there is to know, He actually knows only
those things that are wise for Him to know.
This argument, if it can be called an argument,
hardly deserves an answer.
Nevertheless, since it is often relied on and brought forward as sound
and conclusive reasoning, I will simply respond by asking the following
question. How could God know whether
something was best to be known, without a previous knowledge of that
thing? It is clear that He must first
have a perfect knowledge of something before He could know whether it was wise
or unwise to know it.
Peter affirms the foreknowledge of God by
addressing Christians as elect according to the foreknowledge of God. Paul, in the eighth chapter of his epistle
to the Romans, says, “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed
to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many
brethren. Moreover whom He predestined,
these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He
justified, these He also glorified.”
(Rom 8:29-30)
Again.
If God foreknew whom He would save, He must have had some plan to save
them. He must have planned that they
should either be saved, or not be saved; otherwise, He would have no plan at
all. It is unreasonable to believe that
God had no plan, or planned that they should not be saved; therefore, He must
have planned that they should be saved.
Again.
If any are to be saved, God must save them. If God saves them, He either chooses to save them, or chooses not
to save them, or He chooses to have no choice about it. However, it is impossible that He should have
no choice about it. It is a
contradiction to say, that He knew what would occur and had no choice in the
matter.
Again.
The doctrine of election may be inferred from the unchangeableness of
God. Suppose all of us are gathered
around the judgment seat, suppose all His saints are gathered at his right
hand, and now the final sentence is passed, and now God plans to take all His
saints to heaven. Has God suddenly
changed his mind? Is this decision
new? Has He any new revelation on the
subject? When did God first form this
plan? "He is of one mind, and who
can turn him?"
Again.
The doctrine of election may be inferred from the fact that with God
there is no past or future time, but that all eternity is present time to
Him. The beginning and the end of time,
all the events of time and eternity, past to present, the judgment day, and
eternity beyond, with all their events, are present to His mind. The name and character and eternal destiny
of every creature are present to Him.
It is a very unworthy view of God that presents Him as having no definite
plan in relation to all the concerns of His infinite universe; indeed, it is
virtually denying God, and robbing Him of the essential attributes of his
nature.
Again.
If God does not know who will be saved, it is impossible that He should
know that any would be saved. If he has
planned to save his saints as a body, he must have planned to save them as
individuals, for the body is made up of individuals.
E. Let me show you why they are elected.
1. It is
not because the elect are any better by nature than anybody else. Paul says, “who has saved us and called us
with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own
purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time
began”. (II Tim. 1:9)
2. Not because God desires the salvation of the
elect more than the non-elect.
3. Not because Christ agreed to purchase some of
humanity and suffered so much suffering for so much sin, and selected His elect
from among men, just like we would choose from among a flock of sheep.
4. Not because He was partial towards the
elect. There was nothing in the nature
or character of men that led Him to make this distinction, and to choose some
in preference to others.
Nor are we to suppose that God chose the elect
without good reasons.
God must have had a good and substantial reason
for choosing one man in preference to another.
Some speak of election in such a way that gives us the idea that God
acts arbitrarily, and election basically turns on a sovereignty that operates
for reasons that are far beyond our understanding. But this is certainly not the doctrine of election. For although God has not told us why He has
selected one individual in preference to another, yet He has told us certain
things from which we may justly conclude what the reasons are which led Him to
this selection. The Scriptures inform
us that God is good, yes infinitely good, and that He does good; and from the fact
that He is infinitely good, we must conclude that He does all the good he can.
Moreover He asks, “what more could I have done
for my vineyard that I have not done”.
If God does not save all men, it must be because all men cannot be
saved; because the salvation of all men would require such a change in the
administration of His government that it would generally do more harm than good
in the universe. For if the salvation
of all men would generally be wise and best for the glory of God and for the
best interests of His kingdom, we may rest assured that all men would be
saved. But it is a matter of fact that
the conversion of all men would require a very different arrangement and
administration of God’s government from what we now experience, in order to
bring sufficient moral influence to bear on this world to turn all men to
God. It is also easy to see that this
change in the administration of God’s government might in many ways so
disarrange the concerns of the universe, of the worlds that roll around his
throne, that it would do more harm than good.
It also follows, that if any part of mankind is saved, it is because God
can wisely save them. In the best
possible administration of His government, God can bring sufficient moral
influence to bear on them to convert them.
Now, the same amount of moral influence cannot be brought to bear on
every individual of the human family.
Nor can every individual experience similar circumstances in everything
they do. This is a natural
impossibility.
The elect then, must be those whom God foresaw
could be converted under the wisest administration of His government.
God administers His government in a way that
would benefit all worlds by exerting just the right amount of moral influence
on every individual to produce the greatest good to His divine kingdom. God foresaw that certain individuals would,
with the wisest amount of moral influence, be reclaimed and sanctified, and for
this reason they were chosen to eternal life.
This does not mean that He foresaw that some men would be better by nature
than others, and that because of this, they could be more easily turned to God;
but that circumstances would dictate that it would be wise in God and in the
administration of His government, to bring enough moral influence to bear on
them to subdue their opposition and to save their souls.
F. I am to show when the election was made.
The apostle says it was before the world began,
or from eternity past. It must have
been when the plan of God was settled in His mind, and the present mode of
administration was formulated. Some
suppose that men are not elected until they are converted, and confuse election
with conversion. But this is neither
reasonable nor scriptural. Christ will
say to his saints on the judgment day; “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit
the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” (Matt 25:34) Certainly, it is unreasonable to suppose that an unchangeable God
has changed his mind concerning an individual, made a new choice, and elected
that person to eternal life when He sees that individual converted.
G. Let me show that this election is not
partial.
Now partiality is undue bias or favor towards
one individual or party, based on some interest or prejudice; some particular
liking we have for one individual more than for others. I have already shown that election does not
turn on anything in the character of the elect, or any particular prejudice or
partiality, which God has in their favor.
The question of their election did not turn upon anything in them, but
on the best interests of His government.
In electing them, God did not look over the human family to see whom He
loved best, but on whom in the wisest administration of his government He could
bring sufficient moral influence to bear to save them. This is not partiality. It was a high and holy regard for the
interests of His kingdom that led to their election.
H. There is no injustice in this.
God was under obligation to no one. He would have been perfectly just to send
all mankind to hell. The doctrine of
election will damn no one. By treating
the non-elect according to what they deserve He does them no injustice. Surely, His exercising grace in the
salvation of the elect is no act of injustice to the non-elect. We will see that this is true if we take
into consideration the fact that the only reason why the non-elect will not be
saved is because they consistently refuse salvation. God offers mercy to everybody.
The atonement is sufficient for everyone. All may come and all are under an obligation to be saved. God strongly desires their salvation and
does all that He wisely can to save them.
Why then should anyone think that the doctrine of election is unjust?
I. Election is not an obstacle to the salvation
of the non-elect.
The choice of some to eternal life, on the
ground that they can be converted under the wisest administration of
government, is by no means throwing any difficulty in the way of the conversion
of the non-elect; for with them God uses all the means that are consistent with
wisdom to reclaim and save them. The
conversion of the elect, instead of being an obstacle in the way, is a powerful
inducement to the non-elect to turn and live.
The conversion of the elect, because of the relationship they have with
the non-elect, is one of the most powerful motives that could be presented for
converting the non-elect.
J. This is the best that could be done for the
inhabitants of this world.
It is reasonable to conclude from the infinite
benevolence of God that the plan of His government includes the salvation of
more souls than could have been saved under any other method of
administration. This is true because
infinite benevolence must prefer a greater to a lesser good. To suppose that God would prefer a method of
administration that would accomplish the salvation of fewer people than could
be saved under some other method would be to accuse God of a lack of love. It is no doubt true that He could change the
course of events as to save other individuals than He does, or to convert more
in one particular neighborhood, or family, or nation, or at one particular
time, than he does.
Suppose there is a man in this city, who has so
strongly entrenched himself in error that there is only one man in the entire
country who is so acquainted with his refuges of lies that he could answer his
objections and rout him from his hiding-places. It is possible that if this individual could be brought in
contact with him he will be converted.
Yet if this person is employed in some distant part of the vineyard, his
removal from that field of labor to this city might not on the whole be in the
best interest of God's kingdom because more might fail to receive salvation if
he traveled here, than would be converted if he continued to minister in his
own neighborhood.
God has in view the overall good of His entire
kingdom. He works on a vast and
comprehensive scale. He is not partial
toward certain individuals, but moves forward in the administration of His
government with his eye on the general good, planning to convert the greatest
number, and produce the greatest amount of happiness within His kingdom.
K. Election does not eliminate the need for us
to use the proper means to convert the elect.
They are chosen to salvation through the sanctification of the spirit
and belief of the truth. As a result,
they must hear, believe, and obey the truth.
If the end is to be accomplished, the necessary means must be used. Lets say that God chose a certain person to
be a farmer. This would not be an
excuse to avoid doing any of the work necessary for producing a crop, like not
planting because he feels that if he is to have a crop he will have it whether
he sows his land or not. Would a sick
man neglect to do whatever is necessary to regain his health because he knows
that God has numbered his days, and God knows whether he will die or not? Certainly not! If a farmer is to have a crop, he must sow his field and take the
necessary steps to produce a harvest.
If the sick man is to live, the means required for his recovery must be
used. The same is true in the salvation
of sinners, if the proper steps are not taken, not even the elect can be saved,
and people who neglect the means will never make their calling and election
sure. (See Rom 10:13-17)
L. The
doctrine of election affords the only ground for encouraging people to take the
proper steps for the salvation of sinners.
We know that the carnal mind is enmity against
God. (Rom 8:7) We know that men are completely opposed to
the way of salvation. We know that they
hate the Gospel and all the efforts that are made to save them. What encouragement could we have to preach
the Gospel if it wasn’t for the fact that we know that God has chosen some to
eternal life, that many or all who listen to us may be chosen to eternal life,
and that His providence has brought you here with the purpose of reaching you
with the arrows of his truth. This
consideration encourages me to preach to you the word of life.
M. I will show you how we can know who is
elected.
The elected who are already converted can be
known by their character and conduct.
They demonstrate that their election is real by obeying God. Those that are unconverted can settle the
question of whether he is elected or not today. Right now, you can have the most satisfactory evidence whether
you belong to that happy number. If you
will submit yourselves to God right now, you may know that you are
elected. But every hour you don’t
submit, the evidence that you are not elected increases.
INFERENCES AND REMARKS
1) Foreknowledge and election are consistent
with free will, and are based on it.
The elect were chosen to eternal life because God foresaw that, in the
perfect exercise of their free will, they could be induced to repent and
embrace the Gospel.
2). Do you see why so many people are opposed to
the doctrine of election, and try to explain it away?
First, they misunderstand it, and secondly they
draw false conclusions from it. They believe
that it means that the elect will be saved no matter what they do. They also conclude from the doctrine of
election that there is no possibility of the salvation of the non-elect. Their understanding of election would
encourage the elect to persevere in sin, knowing that their salvation was sure;
and their conclusion would drive the non-elect to despair on the ground that
for them to make efforts to be saved would be useless. As they understand it, both the doctrine and
their conclusions are false. For
election does not secure the salvation of the elect regardless of their
character and conduct; nor does it throw any obstacle in the way of the
salvation of the non-elect.
3). The proper view of election provides no ground for presumption on one hand, or for despair on the other.
None of us can justly say, “If I am to be saved,
I shall be saved, no matter what I do”.
Nor can anyone say, “If I am to be damned, I shall be damned, no matter
what I do”. But the question, as far as
we are concerned, depends entirely on our choice. Sinners, your salvation or damnation is as totally dependant on
your own choice, as if God neither knew nor planned any thing about it.
4). This doctrine lays no foundation for a
controversy with God. But rather, it
lays a broad foundation for gratitude, both on the part of the elect and the
non-elect. The elect certainly have
good reason to thank God that they are elected. Oh what a thought, to have your name written in the Lamb’s Book
of Life, to be chosen by God to be an heir of eternal salvation, to be adopted
into his family, to be destined to enjoy His presence, and to bathe your soul
in the boundless ocean of His love forever and ever. But the non-elect are obligated to thank God also. You should be grateful for every one who
receives salvation. If everyone were
lost, God would still be just. And if
any of your neighbors or friends, or anybody in this dying world receives the
gift of eternal life, you should to be grateful and render everlasting thanks
to God.
5). The non-elect may often enjoy as great or
greater privileges than the elect. Many
men have lived and died under the sound of the gospel, have enjoyed all the
means of salvation during a long life, and have, after all that, died in their
sins, while others have been converted the first time they hear the
Gospel. Nor is this difference because
the elect always have more of the striving of the Holy Spirit than the
non-elect. Many who die in their sins
appear to have been convicted for most of their lives. They have often been deeply impressed with a
sense of their sins and the value of their souls. But they have strongly entrenched themselves under a refuge of
lies, have loved the world and hated God, and fought their way through all the
obstacles that were thrown around them to block their way to death, and have
literally forced their way to the gates of hell.
6). Why should the doctrine of election be made
an obstacle in the way of sinners? Election
doesn’t turn the purposes and designs of God into a stumbling block. And yet, in everything else but the subject
of religion, God's purposes and designs are settled and have an absolute influence. God has certainly designed the day and
circumstances of your death and whether your soul shall be saved. It is not only mentioned in the Bible, but it
is also a doctrine of reason. What
would you say if you got home from this meeting and you were called out to
visit a neighbor who was sick? And when
you arrive, you discover that he will neither eat nor drink, and that he is
dying of starvation. When you ask him
about his conduct, he calmly replies that he believes in God’s sovereignty,
foreknowledge, election, and decrees.
And so his days are numbered, the time and circumstances of his death
has been settled, he can't die before or after his time, and so all the efforts
he could make would not change the time of his death one minute. He says, “It doesn't matter what I do, I
won't die until God's time”. You try to
rebuke his conclusions, showing his abuse and perversion of God's decreed
doctrine, but he accuses you of being a heretic, and of not believing in Divine
sovereignty.
Now if you saw someone reasoning and acting like
this on worldly subjects, you would say that he was crazy. If farmers, mechanics, and merchants
reasoned like this concerning their worldly business, they would be considered
mentally unstable.
7). The perversion and abuse of this doctrine
clearly illustrates the madness of the human heart, and its utter opposition to
the terms of salvation. The fact that
God foreknows and has plans concerning every other event should not be an
excuse for remaining idle or worse than idle on these subjects. But it is where their duty to God is
concerned that they seize the Scriptures and twist them to their own
destruction. How impressively does this
fact bring out the demonstration that sinners want an excuse for disobeying
God, that they desire an apology for living in sin, that they seek an occasion
for making war upon their Maker?
8). I have
said that the question is as open for your decision, that you are perfectly
free to exercise your free will, as if God neither knew nor planned anything
concerning your salvation. Suppose
there was a great famine in this city, and that the richest man, Mr. John J.
Wealthy was the only one who had enough food to feed everybody. He was benevolent, kind, and a liberal-minded
man, willing to supply the whole city with food free of charge. Now suppose there existed a universal and
most unreasonable prejudice against him, so universal that when he advertised
in the daily papers that his store-houses were open, that whosoever would might
come and receive free food, they all made excuses and obstinately refused to
accept his offer. Now suppose that he
hired all the truck drivers he could find to carry the food around the city,
and stop at every door. Still they
united against him and would rather die than be indebted to him for food. Many had said so many evil things against
him that they were completely ashamed to feel and acknowledge that they really
needed his food. Others were so much
under the influence of the people, that they were unwilling to offend them, and
so strong was the tide of public sentiment, that no one had the moral courage
to break free from the multitude and accept that free gift of life.
Now suppose that Mr. Wealthy knew beforehand the
state of the public mind, that all the citizens hated him, and would rather die
than be indebted to him for life.
Suppose he also knew from the beginning that there were certain
arguments that he could bring to bear on certain individuals that would change
their minds, and that he should urge them with these considerations until they
had given up their opposition, had most thankfully accepted his gift of food,
and were saved from death. Suppose he
used all the arguments and means that he wisely could to persuade the rest, but
that in spite of all his benevolent efforts they stuck to their resolution and
would rather die than submit to his proposals.
Now suppose he knew from the beginning every detail of this whole
matter, would not the question of life and death be as entirely open for the
decision of every individual as if he knew nothing about it?
9). Some may ask why does God share His gospel with the
non-elect, if He is certain they will not accept? I answer because He desires that they should be without
excuse. He will demonstrate His
willingness and their obstinacy before the entire universe. He will rid His garments of their blood; and
although He knows that their rejection of His offer will only enhance their
guilt and aggravate their deep damnation, still He will make the offer, since
there is no other way in which to illustrate His infinite willingness to save
them, and their perverse rejection of His grace.
10). Finally, God requires you to give all
diligence to make your calling and election sure. In choosing His elect, please understand, that God has thrown the
responsibility of your being saved on you, that everything depends on your
consent to His terms. You are all
perfectly able to give your consent, and, right now, to grab hold of eternal
life. No matter what your decision is,
no election can save you, and no reprobation can damn you. “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. And whoever desires, let him take the water
of life freely.” (Rev. 22:17) The responsibility is yours. God does all that he wisely can, and
challenges you to show what more He could do that He has not already done. If you go to hell, you must go stained with
your own blood. God is clear. Angels are clear. To your own master you stand or fall. Mercy waits, the Spirit strives.
Jesus stands at the door and knocks.
Do not then pervert this doctrine, and make it an occasion of stumbling
until you are in the depths of hell.