Am I wired? Good. Father, our hearts are made glad by the notion that the gospel is the power of God under salvation for everyone who believes, for people of all classes and nationalities and socioeconomic distinctions. And we praise you that you are gathering, a people who you have given to your son before the foundation of the world. And you are gathering that people from every nation and language and tribe and tongue. And we praise you for that and we celebrate that. We pray for the Ryerson's and bowing before you, gladly acknowledging that all of our moments are in your hands, that these visas ultimately are in your hands. We give you thanks that they have not come through yet, for we trust that you do order all things well. In that regard, we pray that you give them patience and you give them encouragement while they wait. But we together would implore you that you would move the hands of kings and cause those who serve you and who serve your purposes to grant these visas so that they can leave on the 15th. We implore you for this, O Lord, believing that you want to plant churches in Leone, France and in the surrounding area, believing that these folks are an important part of that. We ask that you move in such a way that they would get there and begin to use their gifts in supporting and enlarging the effort in Leone, France. And Lord, we pray for the mission's conference and ask that our people would be stirred up and greatly encouraged by our time together. And we pray for this class this morning asking again for your spirit as we wrestle with things that are profound and that do overwhelm us in many ways. You are a great and majestic God and we ask that you grant us your spirit that we might wrestle with your truth and that your truth might be an encouragement to our souls. Hear these prayers, we make them in Jesus name. Amen. Yes, there are other copies of the outline around and who does not have a copy of the notes or the outline? Yes, a new one today. If you could just kind of circulate, there's a big stack of them making its way toward the front. All right. We are going to talk about chapter three. Obviously we're behind and we're going to have to do some condensing as I've looked ahead at coming chapters. I think some of the other things that we're going to be dealing with are a little bit less difficult to handle than this. I think we'll be able to condense some things, we'll look at creation and providence next week and probably merge some other things, have to merge some other things together in subsequent weeks. But I want to take time this week because of the the number of questions that I sensed people had last week. I want to take some time with chapter three of the confession, the decree of God. Let me get us up to speed. If you're doing this with Williamson, this begins on page 30 and goes through page 41 or a 40, I'm sorry. What I did last week to introduce this was refer you actually to the last section of this chapter of the confession and wanted to encourage us not to lose sight of a couple of things, things which the framers of the confession incorporate into this
into this last section. I spent a lot of time last week talking about the mystery that there is associated with this and the framers recognize that, the mystery of predestination. I just want to say this again one more time. We have to remember that when we're dealing with God, we're dealing with somebody who is a lot bigger than we are. His ways are inscrutable or unsearchable is what Paul says at the end of chapter 11 of Romans after he himself has tried to explain the doctrine of election and predestination through those three chapters. He gets to the end of it and I would commend this to you again. He gets to the end of his discussion of the whole of the gospel which begins at chapter 1 verse 18 but then gets to the end of that discussion of election and predestination, chapters 9, 10, and 11 and he ends with a song of praise. That is how that 11th chapter ends and it is in that connection that Paul says that the ways of God are unfathomable or unsearchable or inscrutable. God is bigger than we are and if this one doesn't baffle you or mystify you, something else will. When finite creatures bump into the infinite creator and we ought not be afraid of this, we really ought to celebrate this because this is some of what elicits from us the worship and praise that are due God's name. When you bump up against God you are going to be surrounded in mystery, not confusion or chaos but things that are bigger than you, things that are overwhelming and the framers recognize this. The second thing to remember about this is, well it is actually the first in your outline, the mystery is the second thing, the first thing, they recognize that great care has to be exercised in talking about the decree of God generally which is God's one purpose for the whole of human history and then more narrowly considered the doctrine of election predestination. Great care has to be handled in discussing this because it is difficult and we have tried to do that and want to encourage you to do it as well. And then lastly the purpose, I'm convinced of this from reading comments on the confession from reading John Calvin and from reading and other people, Augustine and reading the scriptures themselves, care has to be exercised. The real purpose which God has in disclosing this element of truth to his people is that they might have assurance of his love for them, assurance of their salvation, assurance that his favor rests upon them not only in this moment in history but from before the foundations of the world and forever. This doctrine is a doctrine of comfort, that is its design, that is its intent and that is how we should think of it and that is how we should employ it. I believe that's how I should employ it as a pastor. When people are in trouble, what do I go to them with? I don't go to them with a fatalistic view of their lives. Who is the woman, Patti Page? It was a Patti Page who was saying, Kesar Ross or whatever it will be, Doris Day, whomever, I lose track of these things. Doris Day, Patti Page, Kesar Ross or whatever it will be, you don't find comfort in fatalism. You find comfort in the idea of providence, God ordering all things well for the good of His people, but you find great, the greatest comfort in providence attached to a fatherly affection which is grounded in God's love, being focused upon particular sinners before the foundation of the world. So the doctrine of election predestination, this whole issue of the decree of God in the larger sense, really is to bring great encouragement to God's people, great comfort to God's people, okay? I know that it is hard for us when the Ryerson's came in and we were chatting that Jim made reference to God's good providence, well that's the only kind of providence there is, even though it doesn't always feel that way, that's the only kind of providence there is. God is a good God, He orders all things well for His own glory and for the good of His people. It's hard to see that, and in the midst of the struggle, the Scriptures communicate these ideas to us so that in the midst of the struggle, in the dark days, in the hard times, we might be reminded and have assurance of God's favor, all right? Now what I'd like to do as we move on, and I'll try and do this quickly, although this is, I hope you realize this is real tough, it's hard for me to do anything quickly, hard to do this quickly. What I want to do is move from the general notion of the decree of God, which is God's purpose, and you remember last week, I talked about the decree in its relationship to creation and providence, decree is God's purpose or plan, creation is God building the house, building the dwelling, God beginning the execution of the plan, and then providence is His maintenance of that which He has made in the execution of His purpose or plan. What we're talking about today is the decree next week, we talk about creation and providence which are connected to this. What I want to do is move from the decree, the general idea of the decree of God or the purpose of God, to the specific ideas of predestination and election. The decree of God is larger, if you will, than predestination and election. The decree of God has to do with everything, with everything, ants as well as humans, trees and butterflies, the O2 in the air, whatever, the University of Michigan's national championship, I mean, it's all of those things, it's everything. Predestination and election have to do with men generically understood and angels with men and angels, rational thinking, volitional creatures. Predestination has to do with men and election have to do with men and angels. What is the decree of God? Well, again, it is His purpose or His plan, it is God ordaining to use the language of the confession, it is God ordaining what so ever comes to pass. Chapter 3, section 1, God from all eternity, did by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely and unchangeably ordain what so ever comes to pass. That is God designing the blueprint for all of human history. The significant things, the apparently are seemingly insignificant things. Let's look at some passages, Isaiah 46 verses 8 to 11. Remember this and show yourselves men. Recall to mind OU transgressors. Don't you just love it that when God speaks He always reminds us who we are, men and transgressors, finite sinners. The perspective, fortunately, the Lord never loses sight of the proper perspective. Remember the form of things of old for I am God, and there is no other, I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, my counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure. Calling a bird of prey from the east, the man who executes my counsel from a far country, indeed I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass, I have purposed it, I will also do it. God declares the end, He knows the final outcome, He declares the end, and He declares that end from the beginning, and the clear implication is that there is a connection between the beginning and the end, and the connection is all of the intervening moments and incidents and occurrences along the way, and all of those connections lead inevitably to the end which God has determined. He knows the end, He declares the end, He knows it from the beginning, He declares it from the beginning, and He does that and is able to do it because before in the beginning He determined the end from its beginning. Look at Ephesians 1. While you are on your way to Ephesians, stop, you have to back up,
Job 42. Job answered the Lord, you know the context here, this is a man who has endured,
I mean really, has endured unimaginable suffering, personal illness, the deaths of his children, the loss of his relationship to his wife, who told him he was a fool, cursed God and died, you idiot, a man whose friends sought to be of help to him, but basically said to him, it's your fault you're suffering the way you are Job, you're a miserable scoundrel, and if you just clean up your act, these things wouldn't be happening to you. There's a lot of wisdom in the things that they said, but there's a bottom line sort of a judgment that they make about Job, and Job gets to the end of this whole experience, we're over and over and one way or another, he cries out and asks for an audience with the Pope, you know, he finally gets it, he finally gets to see God and all of his glory, and God rather, if you notice, God rather than answering Job's questions, asks him questions, where were you, where were you, where were you, where were you, do you know this, do you know that, do you know the other thing, and basically his point is, Job, you trust me with the stars that are suspended in the heavens, and you don't know why they're there, how they got there, how they hang there, you trust me with all that, you don't think twice about it, trust me with your life, I know what I'm doing, okay, and after that, Job says this, Job answered the Lord and said, I know that you can do all things and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted, no purpose of yours can be thwarted, you asked, who is this who hides counsel without knowledge, therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. Listen, please, and let me speak, you said, I will question you and you shall answer me. I've heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you, therefore I have harmed myself, and repent and dust and ashes. In a different sort of way, that is Job's way of acknowledging God's utter and entire sovereignty, purpose for his particular life, which purpose cannot be thwarted by any power in the heavens or on the earth. Ephesians 1, in outlining in grand but concise language, the real nature of salvation, referring to election, predestination, adoption, redemption, through the blood of Christ and the forgiveness of sins, identifying all of those things, the grand and multifaceted nature of our salvation, says this in verse 11, in him also, that is in Jesus Christ, we have obtained an inheritance being predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, works all things according to the counsel of his will, not some things, but all things. That is a reference to the eternal purpose and plan of God, the decree of God, God, ordaining and working out whatsoever comes to pass. The reference to Matthew chapter 10 is Jesus reminding us disciples that a bird doesn't fall from the sky apart from the will of your father in heaven and even the hairs on your heads are numbered. And when they're lost, there's a retabulation so that there's always a recognition of the number of hairs on your head. That points to the idea of my new detail. And again, Jesus in speaking to his disciples reminding them that not a bird falls to the ground apart from the will of your father who is in heaven is reminding them that the father who loves them, if he's concerned about the sparrow that falls, if he knows the numbers of hairs on your head, he's concerned about you. You've not slipped out of his sight, you've not slipped out of his plan. He is accomplishing his purpose. That's the implication of that. Now, in some of the examples that I have listed there, I've sort of anticipated the second point. We're saying and believe that the scriptures teach that God has ordained whatsoever comes to pass. But we are not fatalists, we are not determinists. You know what I mean by that? That the universe is like a wind-up toy and it is driven entirely by mechanical processes, by the simple and sheer laws of cause and effect. We are not fatalists and we are not determinists. We believe that people have freedom, have the ability to make choices and do that. Where the mystery is is in the convergence of these two realities, that God ordains whatsoever comes to pass. He also ordains as a part of what he has ordained to come to pass the free acts of volitional willing agents, men and angels. And those acts are free. Now, you see examples of that throughout the scriptures, but look at Acts chapter 2, first of all, and then Acts chapter 4. This is Peter's first sermon. Verse 22, Men of Israel, hear these words, Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did through him in your midst as you yourselves also know him, him being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified and put to death, whom God raised up having loosed the pains of death. You see both things there? That's what the scriptures affirm. That's what we want to affirm, that this was done according to the predetermined foreknowledge, purpose of God.
What did Job say? I know that you can do all things and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. God knows the end from the beginning and all of the things that connect the end to the beginning. And the death of Jesus, the betrayal, the arrangement, the guilty verdict, the execution, all of that conformed perfectly to God's predetermined foreknown purpose. And yet the other thing that you see here is that it was accomplished by lawless hands. You have taken Jesus and crucified him and put to death.
The free willing of volitional people who have the ability to make choices, agents, accomplishes the purpose of God. And Paul places responsibility for the death of Jesus right at the feet of men of Nazareth, people who were there or men of Jerusalem, those who were there and living at that time and who witnessed all of these events. You did this. The responsibility is yours. Now you read the confession and it acknowledges these two things. And unfortunately for us, it all it does is affirm what the scriptures teach.
And you hear various kinds of explanations, attempts to explain how these two things come together. The confession simply acknowledges that they are both there. God from all eternity did by the most wise and Holy Council of His own will freely and unchangeable or unchangeable or ordain whatsoever comes to pass. Yet so as thereby neither is God the author of sin, nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures, nor is the liberty or contingency if second causes taken away but rather established.
It is an acknowledgment of these two things which are found in the scriptures. God ordains whatsoever comes to pass. Human beings, free, willing, volitional agents, make choices and those free, willing choices accomplish the purpose of God, execute the purpose of God. You see it in Acts chapter 4 as well, verses 27 and 28. This is Peter
praying and giving thanks to God for truly against your Holy servant Jesus whom you anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together to do whatever your hand and your purpose determined before to be done. You determined it, they accomplished it, they executed it, and those two things are held side by side in the scriptures. You are here, your presence here this morning can be explained in two ways and should be explained in two ways. You were here because as soon as you set your alarm clocks, you got up, you had some breakfast, you came, you felt either some duty to be here or hopefully you felt some desire to be here and it wasn't just duty, but anyway you're here and you're here because you got up and you came. You're here because God purposed before the foundation of the world that you should be here and both of those things are true. I remember listening to a tape that John Gersoner did on this subject and as bright and insightful and well-read and conversant with these things as he was, that's all he would do is set these twin realities before those who were listening to the tape, okay, said basically the same thing. I'm here in front of this camera for two reasons. I'm here because God determined before the foundation of the world that I should be here. I'm here because I got up and I came here and those two things have to be set alongside one another. Now the distinction is the distinction between ultimate cause and secondary cause and God is the ultimate and final cause of everything that happens and in what God has ordained and this is what the framers mean and this is real hard to understand I know, in what God has ordained he has ordained secondary causes and that's what the framers mean when they say secondary causes are established by the first statement which describes God as ordaining all things that come to pass. In ordaining whatsoever comes to pass God has also ordained secondary causes, the choices that people make and that sort of thing and it is those things not alone but it is those things which are a part of what accomplishes the purpose which God has set for history from before the foundation of the world. So God is the ultimate sovereign, He is the ultimate cause but these other choices that are made are a part of what is called secondary causation and God has ordained that so that the purpose which He has determined before the foundation of the world might be accomplished and we set these two things side by side and bow before the mystery of it all. Now we want to narrow this to a general description of the decree and talk about election and predestination and I want to point out a couple of things first of all there is a difference in words these words are not synonymous they refer to the same basic thing but they do have slightly different meanings election is the idea of choosing when you elect someone you choose that person predestination has to do with the ultimate outcome or goal of that choice okay it's a the prefix is pre which means before or prior destination
has to do with the end or the outcome so what this word is referring to is the outcome or the goal or the end that is in view in God's electing all right so there is the idea and they're and they're twin sides to the same coin and they are used somewhat interchangeably but there are these nuances of difference that that election has to do with the choice predestination has to do with the outcome of that choice what is the goal of this choice what is the end that is in view a third thing that we need to see and recognize and and the confession recognizes this that is that this election is in Christ okay let me have you look at at a couple of sections in this regard you need to skip over a few pages to sections five and six let me read five those of mankind that page 33 in the Williamson book
those of mankind that are predestinated until God before the foundation of the world was laid according to his eternal and immutable purpose and the secret counseling good pleasure of his will have chosen in Christ unto everlasting glory and then look over it at the section six on page 35
as God hath appointed the elect unto glory so hath he by the eternal and most free purpose of his will for ordained all the means there unto wherefore they who are elected being fallen in Adam are redeemed by Christ all right now I point that out because I don't want us to lose sight of this very important fact and that fact is that the fall is always in the background when considering election and predestination okay it is it is the descendants the seed of Adam and Eve who are in view in this electing and predestining purpose of God now what's the significance of that
that's right election and predestination have to do with God determining before the foundation of the world to save sinners those who are the seed of Adam those who are fallen those who are helpless those who are in bondage those who are powerless to do anything for themselves those who are even disinclined to consider doing anything for themselves because they love so much the condition in which they find themselves and that's what Romans one is all about all right so whenever we consider election and predestination it has to be it always has to be in connection with Christ who is a redeemer right and the election and predestination are in Christ and we are chosen in Christ because God recognizes us apart from Christ as being in Adam and worthy of judgment and death because of our sin because of our participation in his sin and because of our own sin okay that's that's right that our condition in Adam is a condition of entire or complete depravity and you understand what we mean by that we're not as bad as we could possibly be the reason we're not as bad as we could possibly be is because the restraining grace of God keeps us from being as bad as we could possibly be that's the significance of the covenant God made with the earth after destroying the earth with the flood God put the rainbow in the heavens and said I'll never do this again all right and he ensures that he won't have to do it again by restraining evil so that we don't become as bad as we could possibly be okay if we're left to ourselves we will destroy ourselves and one another and every once in a while in history God God sort of withdraws his own restraint and we get pictures of what life would be like if God completely withdrew his restraining influence every once in a while we get glimpses of that and you know it's not a pretty picture okay so it is in view of our entire depravity the corruption that we inherit because of the sin of Adam and Eve touches every facet of our being it extends to the deepest levels the remotest recesses of our souls and that sin and corruption bring forth fruit consistent with that basic nature and it's only because of the restraining influence of God that we're not as bad as we could possibly be and it's against that backdrop that you have to understand the ideas of predestination and election and and that is why the framers when they talk about election and predestination always have election and predestination connected to Christ okay election is in Christ because Christ is the Redeemer who delivers us from the effects of sin if there's no sin there's no need of the Redeemer you see the mere mention of the name of Christ is an acknowledgement of the fact of our need okay so man I'm doing my best but let me let me just let me just describe for you how this works here you have here you have history and you have one decree of God for all of history okay the purpose of God for all of history and God is working out his purpose this very moment and in every moment right and an aspect and element of that and the most glorious part of that is his determination to save the people for himself to bring glory to his name and gladness to their hearts by redeeming them by Satan okay his God looks down the carters of history what he sees is history filled with sinners and in grace and mercy before the foundation of the world as a part of his decree his whole purpose for the whole of history God elects
chooses a people for himself and he chooses that people again in Christ that's a Ephesians 1 okay Ephesians 1 4 blessed be the God and Father our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world being chosen in Christ presupposes the need of a Redeemer you see and so God chooses a people in Christ before the foundation of the world and that that elected people is predestinated to be conformed to his image section 6 of chapter 3 the 1st sentence God has appointed the elect unto glory okay he has chosen us unto glory the outcome of all of this is that we be glorified that we'd be brought into conforming the image of Christ section 5 says those of mankind that are predestinated until life rather than death you see the outcome of this the outcome of this choice which God has made is life for us is glory for us is being conformed to the image of his son that's what we've been been chosen to Ephesians 1 tells us that the outcome of all of this is that we might be holy and blameless before him in love okay holy and blameless so God before the foundation of the world is an aspect at the central aspect of his decree elects of people sets them apart in Christ and determines beforehand predestinates them that they unto holiness and blamelessness unto glory and then in the fullness of time after all of this through types and symbols and prophecies after all of this time has passed in the fullness of time the Christ in whom we have been chosen is incarnate and lives faithfully before the law satisfying all of the demands of the law in our place and then suffers having lived the perfect life and not being required to suffer for himself now suffers in behalf of this people whom the father had given him before the foundation of the world okay that's John's language John 17 Christ in the fullness of time is incarnate lives faithfully before the law doesn't have to die for his own sins now suffers and dies on the cross for those who have been chosen in him before the foundation of the world those whom the father had given him before the foundation of the world he then suffers and dies and is raised and then ascends to the right hand of the father all of that is his work as an intermediary his living his dying his being entombed his being raised and his ascending to the right hand of the father all of that is his work in behalf of his people he has gone ahead of us to prepare a place for us and he has promised that at the end of history he will return for us and gather us to himself and take us to that place that we might be with him forever all right that's what history is about it's about a lot of things but right at the center of it is this purpose of God to redeem a people for himself who he's chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world that they might be wholly and blameless before him in love okay it is a specific number I don't I don't know the number I don't know who they are you don't either Christ alone knows it's not my business to know that's his business my business is to preach the gospel my business is to pray for people my business is to send the rire since the France so that they can preach the gospel in France believing that God see this is why this is why I get excited about the 75 year plan okay this is not wishful thinking this is us taking seriously the idea of secondary causation that God has appointed in fact if you look at again at chapter 6 I'm sorry section 6 as God has appointed the elect under glory so has he by the eternal and most free purpose of his will for ordained all the means there are two okay he's not only appointed the end he's also appointed the means I can think about the rire since going to France I can think about the fluke shons in France I can think about the Japan team in Japan and and have every reason to be confident that because Christ has set a part of people for himself before the foundation of the world from every nation and tribe and tongue that work is going to be effective God is going to use these means which he is appointed for the gathering of this people doing so he's going to do it we just got to be there Woody Allen says 80 percent of living is just showing up I mean the other 20 percent is preaching the gospel you just get there and preach the gospel and God accomplishes the rest okay so that's okay that's what election and predestination are about in in the context of the whole of the decree of God now the the heart the other part of this is this is you know this is the wonderful thing the hard thing is the rest the rest and that is addressed as well
in section seven as is this third chapter the rest of mankind God was pleased according to the unsurchable council of his own will I mean here these disclaimers all through this thing right like the unsurchable council of his own will and the the framers of this confession they they don't want the burden of responsibility for explaining the inscrutable ways of God they recognize this okay the unsurchable council of his own will whereby he extends or withholds mercy as he pleases for the glory of his own sovereign power over his creatures God has been pleased to pass by and ordained them to dishonor and wrath for their sin to the praise of his glorious justice okay now that is hard that is hard but I want to underscore the language that God has passed by the rest okay what do sinners deserve judgment and wrath is the justice of God made manifest and is God glorified in the administration of justice yes he is yes he is and I'll tell you that the part of this whole thing the first part of it makes your knees strong the second part of it makes your knees weak because you realize that if it were not for this grace of God this would be my fate this would be my fate okay and and again this is important language God passes them by God passes them over and and though the rest receive what they this is so hard but they receive what they deserve we don't get what we deserve at no point does the Christian get what he deserves he gets what God is pleased to give and God is glorified in the manifestation of his grace and mercy upon sinners who deserve to be passed by oh boy I really wanted to give you the time to ask questions and I didn't I better we better try and do that next week and we're going to do with creation and providence and and this stuff doesn't exactly leave the scene when you talk about creation and providence but let's take a few minutes at the beginning of the time next week to ask questions that you might have okay because this is tough that's a stuff do you you're going to say something or ask something you're not going to be here next week so we'll give you a chance purpose that from the beginning yes yes I know that right yeah the hard part in this is that God purposed this from before the foundation of the world God purposed to manifest his justice by visiting his wrath upon those whom he passed by yeah Jacob and Esa yeah it came enabled same same thing okay we'd better maybe take another minute with this next week because that's you know you're making the right observation this is all the the purpose of God from before the foundation of the world very very hard and we wrestle with it Paul wrestled with it and when Paul anticipated the question
he said verse 19 of Romans 9 you will say to me then why does he still find fault for who has resisted his will okay and you know what Paul's answer that is it's basically this God is God you're not and sin confuses the first two basically says but indeed oh man who are you to reply against God will the thing formed say to him who formed it why have you made me like this I mean it's not very satisfying I realize but that that is how Paul responds I do think that the emphasis for us needs to be upon the fact that the grace of God has been extended to us and and as I think I said some point along the way the response to all of this for us is is wonder and amazement and great gratitude that God should be pleased to shower his love and affection upon us in this way okay let's pray
Father we bow before you acknowledging that these things are beyond us that you are incomprehensible and yet you have not remained hidden from us shrouded in mystery you have revealed things to us and we thank you for that and pray that you would help us to focus upon those things which you have revealed to bow before you and to receive them with gratitude and I do pray that you would stir up in our hearts a deep sense of thankfulness and amazement at a love that should be extended to us as it has we thank you for Jesus your son and we pray in his name amen