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So you're there in 2nd John and the name of the sermon this morning is actually the election. The election. So it's actually kind of a clickbait sermon title because I'm not really gonna get that much into the actual physical election that's going on because I just don't care. But I do want to give a couple principles before I get into the election that really matters. Okay, so in 2nd John here look at verse 9. So I just kind of want to preface it with this as far as the election that's coming up on Tuesday or just any election in general, biblically my thoughts on, you know, voting or election and all that. So in 2nd John verse 9 there it says, Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed. But he that bideth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds. So the principle here is that if someone, you know, this is why you don't let a Mormon come into your house, right? If there's a Mormon that knocks on your door or Jehovah's Witnesses that knocks on your door or anybody that's bringing a false gospel, you don't bid them into your house and you definitely don't say God bless you. You know, you don't say like, well God bless you in your endeavors, you know what I mean? Like, you know, the Bible says if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that you have received, let him be accursed, okay? Not blessed. So the principle is talking about, you know, basically, you know, the doctrine of Christ which is the gospel, salvation by grace through faith, you know, holding, you know, if someone basically just goes completely contrary to that doctrine, you know what that means is that they went out from us but they were not of us. If they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us. But they went out that they might be made manifest, they were not all of us, right? Because it says that, you know, that Antichrist shall come, even now are there many Antichrists. Wherever you have heard that is that last time and even now, you know, it goes on in 1 John. So the idea is that, okay, you don't want to bid someone God speed that's evil, right? And I apply this to voting, okay? Now no one's perfect, okay, when it comes to voting. But you got to look at what they're going to do, right? And if you vote for somebody and then they end up doing very wicked things, you put your stamp of approval on that person. You know, you're basically saying, hey, I am the one, I am one of the people that said, okay, I wanted this person to be in office, okay? So it gets into a gamble, right? You're almost gambling with, are you going to be partaker with this person's evil deeds when they get into office or whatever, okay? So I'm not saying that it's always wrong to vote or anything like that, but it's kind of like making a vow. It's kind of like, you know, swearing something. Is making a vow or swearing inherently wrong? No, okay? Because obviously I made a vow to my wife, you know, and all those that are married here made a vow. But, you know, that's a very serious thing, okay? So you got to understand that, you know, when we vote for somebody, it's not just this thing on paper that doesn't really mean anything, okay? So just something to think about. Now go to 1st Timothy chapter 5 and then I'm going to get into the election that matters. Say, well, this is the, this election is the most important election in our lifetime. It's funny because it always seems to be that. Next, next election will be the most important election in our lifetime too. And it just, I've never come to an election season where they're like, this one doesn't matter as much. This one, ah, you know, it doesn't really matter who gets in. So, and, you know, I'm not here to say, you know, who to vote for, who not to vote for. I'm just basically saying my principles on voting. And I'm not saying I would never vote for somebody, but it has to be someone good. Ron Paul was someone that, that I voted for, you know, in the past. And was he perfect? Was he someone that I would look up to and say like every little thing he ever did was right or wrong or whatever? And, but the thing is, is that he pretty much lined up on everything that really mattered, okay? And his history said that, okay? But it's still risk, right? It's still basically saying I'm gonna put my stamp of approval on this guy, but you know what? I felt confident enough to where I was like, yeah, I can do that, okay? But let your, ask yourself that question when you think about who's running. Whether president, whether governor, whether senator, whether, you know, people that are local officials. Do you even know who these people are? Do you know what they're going to do? Do you know what they've done in the past? And are you gonna put your stamp of approval on that? In 1st Timothy chapter 5 verse 22, it says this, lay hands suddenly on no man and why is that? Okay, now the idea here is that suddenly means like you, you're basically just like I just met this person and I'm gonna lay hands and ordain this person, okay? So that's what it means by suddenly. Don't do it suddenly, okay? So it's not saying never lay hands on somebody and basically ordain somebody, but it's saying don't do it suddenly. Why? Neither be partaker, partaker of other men's sins, keep thyself pure. That means that if I ordain somebody and then they go out and do a whole bunch of sins, I'm partaker in that because I'm the one that ordained it. I ordained that person, okay? So when it comes to ordaining people, you know, for the ministry and stuff like that, that's a very serious deal, okay? I don't take that lightly. So if anybody here is wanting to be ordained one day, you know, that's something I take very seriously and I will vet that to the third, fifth, sixth, seventh degree as far as know, for me to know, be confident, say I know this person enough to where this person is not, you know, a Judas, obviously, but this person also is going to do great things for God and I have my utmost confidence in him, okay? So both these verses here, you're dealing with the ministry, okay? You say, well show me a verse on voting for officials. Well, show it to me first and then I'll talk about it, but I can't find it, okay? And even when it comes to, you know, Israel and the king, God chose the king, okay? So did they vote on Saul or did Saul say the same, you know, hey go anoint Saul to be king, okay? So that being said, you know, I can't find a whole bunch of verses on voting. So you know what that tells me is that it's not that important for a Christian to worry about, okay? So and like I said, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it's inherently wrong to vote or you're a sinner if you vote, but all I'm saying is be cautious, be careful, and you know what? And you say, and you say, well are you gonna vote? No, because I do not have confidence in our president and what he stands for and everything else. You say, well the economy is great. The economy is not everything, okay? Now the economy is a big thing, but you want to have a discussion about all the money that's being printed in the bubble that's being made economically and see whether this is a true economic boom or if this is fictitious and it's just going to go into a depression one day. We could talk about that because it's not really as great as I think it is, a lot of people think it is, okay? Now that being said, let's get into the election that matters, okay? The election of God, okay? Now go to Romans chapter 11, Romans chapter 11. I was actually gonna have this as my text passage, but sometimes I try to be nice to the people that are gonna be reading and I don't give them like really long passages to read. I mean, and I was gonna be hitting on 2 John 1 anyway, so. But I want to talk about the election that matters. The election of God, which is the election of grace, which is the election that really matters today. Because you say, well, you know, in the world, the election, this election is coming up on Tuesday. By the way, most people have already voted, right? I think it's like 70 million people have already voted before this election, this Tuesday, so it's kind of like this big, who knows, like who's even going to be going out to vote. But you say, well, doesn't this thing matter a lot? Listen, let's say Trump wins again, okay? Is our country really gonna be that great if he wins again? Don't we still have this big, immoral, like black hole that's in our country right now, which is people that that aren't going to church, that aren't saved, that have, you know, just a horrible moral compass. So what it comes down to is the election that matters is those that get saved and changing the minds of Americans today. And the only way that you're going to do that is to get him saved first, because the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually deserved. And so good luck trying to convince America that's not saved to observe the Bible, to observe, you know, the truths and morality of the Bible. Good luck with that, because if you're not saved, you're not going to receive it. And I'm talking about the hard truths of morality that people do not want to handle, and a lot of Christians can't even handle, let alone unsaved people, okay? Now that being said is that we need to focus on that. That's what we're called to do. We're called to see people saved, and we were called to be saved, okay? Now go to Roman chapter 11. Roman chapter 11, this is the Zionist favorite passage, but it's interesting because this passage literally destroys Zionism. You say, what's Zionism? Zionism is basically a movement to say that the Jews, by genealogy, by the flesh, by nature, Jews are God's chosen people even to this day, and there's a blessing on them even though they don't believe in Christ. Now I think I remember we just read 2nd John where it says, whosoever confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is a deceiver and an Antichrist. I think I remember we just read that, right? So this idea that the Jews are God's chosen people and that He's blessing them and, you know, He's gonna curse them that curse, you know, or curse those that curse them and bless them, you know, that bless them, that is such a farce. Show me that in the Bible. Show me that in the New Testament. And you say, well, you know, He made that promise to them. No, He made it to Abraham. Said, I will bless them that bless thee and curse them that curse thee, and that is to Abraham and to his seed. Now the promises were made to Abraham into the seed. He saith not unto the seeds as of many, but as of one unto thy seed, which is Christ. So those promises of blessing them that bless thee and cursing them that curse thee and multiplying them, you know, and multiplying them with multiplying I will multiply thee, that was made to Abraham and to his seed, which is Christ, and you are Abraham's seed if you're in Christ. So, you know, that that's just kind of a preface here, okay, but let's really see what Romans 11 is talking about. Notice what it says in verse 1. Paul's obviously speaking and writing to the Romans here. It says, I say then, hath God cast away his people? God forbid, for I also am an Israelite of the seed of Abraham of the tribe of Benjamin. Now what people try to do with this verse is they say, well, seed hasn't cast off the Jews. Was Paul unsaved? Did Paul reject Christ? Was Paul saying that Jesus Christ was, that Jesus was not the Christ? Okay, then why in the world would you say that that verse is talking about unsaved Jews that reject Jesus Christ? It's unbelievable. He's making a point. He's saying, listen, I am an Israelite. So he's obviously didn't cast off all of Israel, okay, that's the whole point of this chapter, is they didn't cast off every single one of them, because case in point is 12 disciples. Case in point, all those that were saved that were Israelites. How about Nathaniel, you know, an Israelite indeed, you know, in whom is no guile, but obviously Peter, James, John, Matthew, Bartholomew, going on down the line of all the disciples, those were all Jews, you know, except for Simon the Canaanite, which was also a Jew, but he was just not by nationality, right? He was someone that became a Jew, okay? Now keep reading there in verse 2, it says, God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. See that? There's a, you know, basically it's predicated that he didn't cast them off whom he did foreknow, okay? What's he not? What the scripture said of Elias, how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and dig down thine altars, and I am left alone, and they seek my life. But what set the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Even so, then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. So here's the election that matters. The election of grace. And basically saying, listen, it wasn't different back in Elijah's day. There's nothing new under the sun, it's always been this way, okay? Meaning that in Israel's day, did you know that not all of them were saved? Like not all the Israelites were saved? Back in the Old Testament, let alone in the New Testament, when Paul's writing this, but he's saying, listen, there are still, there's a remnant. There was seven thousand that didn't bow the knee to Baal in Elijah's day, and guess what? There's still this day, in Paul's day, a remnant according to the election of grace. Meaning this, is that there's still people, you know, in Paul's day that were Jews, Israelites, that were saved, that believed on Christ, okay? I'll keep reading there. It says, And if by grace, then is it no more of works, otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace, otherwise work is no more work. Notice this in verse 7. So when we're talking about the election of grace, what are we talking about? For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. That's the election of grace. That you're saved by grace through faith, okay? Now the last verse I want you to see there is verse 7. It says, what then? Israel hath not obtained that which you seeketh for, but the election hath obtained it and the rest were blinded. How could anyone look at this verse right here and say, well Israel as a nation is the elect? How could you look at that and say that? Like how, I just, I'm racking my brain to figure it out here. How can you say, Israel hath not obtained it, but the election hath obtained it, right? So how can you say that Israel as a whole in a nation is the elect? And isn't that what they say today? This is where you get a lot of pre-Trib rapture stuff coming out. They're like, well when it says he's going to gather together his elect, he's talking about Israel. Well it says Israel isn't the elect here. Now the election that he's talking about in particular in this passage is the election of the Jews, those that got saved that were Israelites, okay? So he's basically saying, he's putting a subset here, but I first want you to see that when it says that they had not obtained it, why didn't they obtain it? Why did Israel not obtain that which you seek it for, right? Notice, and go back to Romans 9. Go to Romans 9 verse 30. Romans 9 verse 30. So this sermon is going to be about what is the election, who are the elect, and why does that matter, okay? And Roman chapter 9 and verse 30 here, because it says, remember in Romans 11 7, and you should probably read chapter 9 before you get to chapter 11, okay? It says in verse 30, it says, what shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness even the righteousness which is of faith. Wherefore, I'm sorry, verse 31, but Israel, okay? So it's talking about the Gentiles in Israel right here, and saying the Gentiles, they've obtained righteousness, they've attained it by faith, okay? But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore, so it's basically, you know, wherefore would be basically like saying, why? Why didn't they attain unto the righteousness of the law? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law, but they stumbled at that stumbling stone as it is written, behold I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and a rock of offense, and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. So why did Israel, why is Israel not attained? Because they don't, they're not doing it by faith, they're doing it by works, okay? And this is something that's always been that way, right? Abraham believed God and was imputed unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that just justified the Angali, his faith is counted for righteousness. Talking about Abraham believing God, right? Believing that, you know, in that promise and being fully persuaded that what he had promised he's able also to perform and therefore was imputed unto him for righteousness. Guess what? That's how it's always been. But Israel and Jesus' day, they were stumbling at that stumbling stone just like everybody else does today. When we go out sowing, what's the stumbling stone? You got to be a good person. That hasn't changed. It's still the same today. It was there in Israel's day, it was there before Israel's day, and it's gonna be there until Jesus comes and, you know, new heaven, new earth, and we're not worried about that anymore, okay? So Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for. Why? Because they sought it by works and not by faith. That's why they didn't, they didn't get there because we're talking about the election of what? Grace, okay? Now go back to Romans chapter 11, Romans chapter 11 verse 25. Romans chapter 11 verse 25. So I want to make it very clear that Romans chapter 11 is not saying that Israel, because by the way, there is nowhere else that a Zionist can go in the New Testament besides this passage right here, and it's still baffling to me that they can go here because it's literally saying the opposite. But this is where they'll go, and they'll go to chapter 11 verse 25 here, and notice what it says, verse 25, it says, For I would not, brethren, that ye should should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits, that blindness in part is happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. Now notice that it says blindness in part. Well that, that's because he just got done saying the election hath obtained it and the rest were blinded, okay? So you see it's not Israel as a whole. We're not saying that all of Israel was just reprobate, no one got saved. It's ridiculous. Okay, Paul's saying I'm one of them, so obviously that's not true. He didn't just cast off all of Israel, okay? And he came unto his own, his own received them not, but as many as received him, that to them gave you power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name, which were born not of blood, nor the will of flesh, nor the will of man, but of God, okay? So it's not by your lineage, it's not by your blood, it's by faith that you're a child of God. You're all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. Who's ever believed that Jesus the Christ is born of God? It's always been that way, always will be that way, but keep reading there. So I want you to see that the blindness in part has had, has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. Now I don't believe that's happened yet or I believe that's basically when the seventh trumpet sounds. That's when the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, okay? That's, the times of Gentiles just means the time of nations and stuff like that that's going on, okay? Now verse 26, and so all Israel shall be saved. As it is written, there shall come out of Zion the deliverer and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob, but this is my covenant unto them when I shall take away their sins. Now people, what they do with this is they say, well this is when Jesus comes in the clouds and all of Israel, all the Jews are gonna get saved, okay? I know that's what you saw when you read this, right? But it's interesting because they'll go to Zechariah and be like, they shall look on him whom they pierced, but this is not where that's at, okay? And it baffles me. Every time it's just like, Zechariah, it's like this is literally a quote from the Old Testament. It's not like it's just like they're like, I think this is talking about Zechariah, right? It's literally saying what in verse 26, as it is written, okay? So this is actually found in Isaiah 59, okay? Isaiah 59 and it's talking about the New Covenant. You say, well how do you know it's talking about the New Covenant? Because when it says, but this is my covenant unto them when I shall take away their sins, or I'm sorry when it says there shall come out a sign and deliver it and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. I don't have this in my notes, but I just feel like this is important that I nail this down. This happened when Jesus came. When it's talking about the Deliverer coming, this is not talking about the Second Coming right here. This is talking about the First Coming. That passage there says this is my covenant. When you look at that in Isaiah 59, at the very end of Isaiah 59, it's talking about my spirit shall be in them and my words shall be in them and all that, okay? We're talking about the New Testament, the Holy Ghost indwelling us. By the end of Acts chapter 3, he's talking to the Jews. He's talking to the Israelites and at the end of Acts chapter 3, I want you to see if this sounds familiar because it says there shall come out of Zion the Deliverer and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob and it says unto you first, at the last verse, verse 26 of Acts chapter 3, unto you first God having raised up his son Jesus sent him to bless you and turning away every one of you from his iniquities. Sound familiar? Because guess when did that happen? It says that he sent him unto them first. Why? To the Jew first and also to the Greek because the gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God to the Jew first and also the Greek because he came unto his own first and then he went out to the Gentiles after that, okay? You say why did he say I'm only going to the lost sheep of the house of Israel because that would be true that he said I went to you first and you rejected me. And by and large, okay, because it says that there is an election just like there was a remnant in Elijah's day that believed but the rest were blinded and they're still blinded, okay? And until they believe on Christ, you know, they're blinded. Now go to Romans, I'm sorry, keep reading there. Or actually go to Romans chapter 9. Romans chapter 9 because it says all Israel shall be saved. So what's that talking about? All Israel shall be saved. Again, you got to read chapter 9 before you get to chapter 11, okay? So when it's talking about all Israel being saved, what are we talking about? Are we talking about just Israelites in general, okay? Or are we talking about believers as being that all Israel? Now in Romans chapter 9, verse 6, notice what it says. It says, not as though the Word of God had taken down effect, for they are not all Israel which are of Israel. Now I want you to riddle me this. How could you read that verse and not see that there's two different Israel's, okay? That there's a subset to Israel of some sort, right? They are not all Israel which are of Israel, okay? That means that there's an Israel that is not made up of just Israelites, okay? And notice what it says as you keep reading because you say, well, I'm not sure if that's what that's saying exactly. Well, let's keep reading because it's gonna clarify. Verse 9, neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all children, okay? So it's basically saying, hey, you're fleshly of Abraham? That doesn't mean that you're a child of Abraham. That's what it's saying. Notice, keep reading there. In verse 7, it says, but in Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, they which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. And if you be in Christ, then are you Abraham's seed and theirs according to the promise? You know, all those that are of faith are the children of Abraham, it says in Galatians chapter 3. Now keep reading there. It says in verse 9, it says, for this is the word of promise. At this time will I come and Sarah shall have a son. Talking about Isaac, okay? So Isaac was that son that was promised. Isaac obviously represents the Lord Jesus Christ. He's a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ in many ways, but the idea that he's a promise and not of the law and not of the flesh and all that, right? It says in verse, verse, yeah, verse 9, for this is the word of, I'm sorry, verse 10, and not only this, but when Rebekah also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac, for the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, notice this, that the purpose of God according to election might stand not of works but of Him that calleth. Sound familiar? The election of grace, and if by grace then is it no more of works, otherwise grace is no more grace, but if it be of works then is it no more grace, otherwise work is no more work, that the election is talking about the fact that we're saved by grace, not by works, not by doing, you know, it's talking about neither done good or evil. It had nothing to do with what you did, whether good or bad. It has to do with the fact that it's by grace, it's not by works, okay? Now, that being said, when you look at Romans chapter 11 again, I want to answer this next portion right here and then we'll move on from Romans chapter 11, okay? So you see that when it says all Israel shall be saved, what are we talking about? Talking about all those that believe on Christ, all those that are of the election of grace, whether Jew or Gentile. And so it's, all Israel is the spiritual Israel, the Israel that walk according to this rule, okay? Meaning that in Galatians chapter 6 it says, you know, as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them and upon the Israel of God, okay? What rule? That neither circumcision avail the thing nor uncircumcision, but a new creature, okay? Or faith which worketh by love, you know? That's who's the Israel of God, okay? Or an Israelite indeed, as Jesus said to Nathanael, okay? Why wouldn't he just say, hey look, here's an Israelite? Because that would be really strange to point that out, right? Be like, we're in Israel. The point he's making indeed means here's truly an Israelite. He's putting a distinction there and he says, in whom is no guile, which is pointing you back to Psalm 32, talking about what David said. David described the blessedness of the man under whom God impudeth righteousness without works. And he goes on to talk about Psalm 32 and it says, in whose spirit is no guile, it says in Psalm 32. So it's very consistent. Now in Romans chapter 11 verse 29, notice what it says here. I'm sorry, not verse 29, verse 28. Because I want to answer this because this is where people say, well, you know, they'll try to pull back the Jews in here somehow. And when I'm saying Jews, I'm talking about unbelieving Jews, okay? If you're descending from Israel or like you came out of Judaism and you believe on Christ, then you're a part of the election. You're a part of Israel. You know, that's not who I'm talking about here. What they're talking about when they talk about this election as far as Israel, they're saying they're not blinded in part. They're saying Israel as a whole is God's chosen people and God's elect. And I don't understand how you can get that out of this passage when it says, Israel hath not obtained it but the election hath obtained it. How can you get that out of there? Okay. Now in verse 28 here it says, as concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes. Who? Whose are enemies? For the Gospels? For, you know, who is concerning the gospel? Who is the enemies? Okay. Israel, right? I mean, context. What is the chapter starting off? What's chapter 9, 10, and 11 talking about? Israel. Israel is our enemies according to the gospel. You say, well, I thought the Romans were the enemies. Have you read Acts? I think I see the Romans saving Paul most of the time and saving the Apostles. It's the Jews that are trying to kill them. Why? Because of their doctrine. Because of Christ. Because of the resurrection. Because they hate the truth. Okay. Now today, you know, I wouldn't consider them enemies like they were back then. Okay. Obviously, I'm not saying they're our friends. You know what I mean? Because obviously anybody that rejects Jesus Christ and is, you know, basically out to get you for preaching the gospel, that's our enemy. Okay. But, you know, and you can say, well, you know, they control the media. Okay. You know, they control, like, these media outlets. You could probably make a case for that. But it's not like right now I have Jews that are bringing me up before the magistrates right now. Does that make sense? Like, they're not in power right now, like, taking me before a judge and saying this person can't preach the gospel. Okay. So it's a little different today. But back then, when Paul's writing this, I mean, when he, how does the book of Acts end? Is the Jews trying to kill him? And you have the Romans saving him and he's appealing on the seizure about, you know, the Jews that are trying to kill him. Okay. Now, that being said, let's keep reading there. So I want to make that point. It's Israelites, according to the flesh, not the sake, according to the flesh, that there are the enemies of the gospel, according to this verse. Okay. And keep reading. But as touching the election, notice what it says. As touching the election, they are beloved for the Father's sakes. So there's two different groups here. You have Israel, according to the flesh, that reject Christ, that are blinded. They're enemies. There are enemies, according to the gospel, concerning the gospel, right? But as touching the election, they're beloved. Now, what does that mean? Those that believe on Christ, like Paul the Apostle, like John, James, like all those that are of Israelite, I mean Mary the mother of Jesus, all, you know, all those people that are believers, they're beloved for the Father's sakes. Okay. So the election that's being talked about in this passage is saying, listen, there are Jews or there are Israelites that are in that election. Okay. Because the whole point that's being made at the very beginning is saying, it's not all of them that are cast away. Okay. The whole point that's being made is that there are still Israelites that believe on Christ. Okay. It's not everybody that just denied them. But there's still an election, and there's still a remnant according to the election of grace, meaning there's still a remnant that's in that election. Okay. But the point I want to make, go to Colossians chapter 3, is that the election is made up of Jews and Gentiles. Okay. I mean, good night. In the Old Testament it was that way, too. I mean, how about, you know, Ruth the Moabitess, Rahab the harlot, right, of Jericho. How, you know, by faith, you know, like she's in the Hall of Faith. And so there's many people, Naaman the Syrian, you know, other people that believed on Christ or that were believers that weren't of that seed or of the seed of Abraham and all that. Okay. So that being said, you know, this isn't something new, but the New Testament is very clear about this. And the thing about the New Testament is, is that that middle wall partition has been broken down, so now we don't have to go to Israel and go to Jerusalem and keep these feasts and do these sacrifices and do all these ordinances that were located at a single location. Now it's better. It's better because now you have local houses of God all throughout the world, and so it's spread out. Okay. So get it in the Old Testament, you had this local place that people were being sent out from Israel to go preach the gospel to be the light unto the world. Now you have houses of God all throughout the world that are going out and preaching the gospel. Okay. And it's interesting because, you know, back then, you know, as far as the scope of where everybody was at was a little less far away, right? You didn't have people like necessarily, I think you may have had some people in South America or something like that at that time, but if you look at the population of the world where people were at at that time, pretty much everybody on this continent or this whole area was not here. Okay. And then the New Testament, people are all over here. Imagine trying to get over there and like, you know, how everybody spread out, the population is so big now, trying to do that now. Okay. Now Colossians chapter 3 and verse 9, notice what it says. Colossians 3 and verse 9, it says, "...lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him." So we're talking about you have that new creature, the inner man, to put it on. It says, "...where there is neither Greek nor Jew." Now what are we talking about? The new man. Okay. So your inner man, that spiritual man that is in you, is neither Jew nor Greek. Okay. It's circumcision or uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bond or free, but Christ is all and in all. Notice in verse 12, "...put on therefore..." Okay. So therefore is calling back to that. Right. Calling back to what? That new man that's neither Jew nor Greek. Okay. "...put on therefore as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering, forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any, even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye." Okay. So when it's talking about putting on the new man, putting off the old man, put on new man, what does it say? Put on as the elect of God, because the new man is the elect chosen new creature that is saved. Okay. Now go to 1 Peter chapter 2. 1 Peter chapter 2. So I just want to prove to you that the election is not just the remnant of Israel, right, because if you look at that passage you'd be like, well, the election is just the remnant that believe of Israel. Okay. But what I'm going to show you is that the elect are all those that believe whether Jew or Gentile, right. It says in Colossians that, "...put on as the elect of God..." What is that talking about? Put on the new man that's neither Jew nor Greek. Okay. And by the way, he's talking to Colossians. Okay. Colossae. Last I checked, that's not in Israel. Okay. So and 1 Peter is written to the strangers scattered abroad throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. That's also not in Israel. Okay. So we're talking about people that are Gentiles and it says in verse 9, so 1 Peter chapter 2 and verse 9 says, "...but ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood and holy nation, a peculiar people, that you should show forth the praises of him who have called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." Now chosen, you're like, well that's not elect. Chosen is elect. If you elect somebody, what are you doing? You're choosing them. Okay. It's just another way of saying the same thing, you know. If you say, we've elected Donald Trump to be president, or we elected Joe Biden to be president, oh that hurts. What are you saying? We choose him. Right. So think about that too. When you think about that, I'd be like, I chose Donald Trump. Oh it hurts. But all I have to say is that choosing or being the chosen, being the election, being elect, we're all talking about the same thing. Okay. Is that we are a chosen generation. We are an elect generation, right? Meaning that, and you say, well, you know, that's talking about the Jews. Okay. They're the chosen generation. Well, keep reading right there. It says in verse 10. Did I read the rest of it? Yeah. Verse 10, "...which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God, which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy." Well that's kind of hard to get around because that's in Hosea talking about the Gentiles. And it's not Israel. Okay. Which makes sense because he's not writing to Israel in this letter, right? And the whole passage even starts off saying, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. Right. He's talking to strangers in these areas and he's saying, listen, you're elect according to the foreknowledge of God. And then you're a chosen generation. It flies in the face of this Zionism garbage. Now go to Matthew chapter 20. Matthew chapter 20. Because you have Zionist problems with the idea of this election. So the point of this sermon is to really just clear this up. What is the election? Who are they? Who's in it? How do you get in it? Okay. How do you become an elect, you know, or whatever the case may be? Because you have two things that you're dealing with here. You're dealing with Zionism, okay, which is saying, well, the Jews, God's not done with them yet. Listen, yeah, God's not done with somebody that needs to get saved, okay. But he's also not done with the Arabians. He's also not done with the Indians, and I'm talking about India, right. And he's not done with, you know, the Chinese, the Japanese. He's not done with them because he wants them all to get saved, okay. But this idea that there are still God's chosen people after the New Testament was instated and all that, that's ridiculous, okay. No scripture to back that up. But you had the other thing when it comes to this. You're dealing with Calvinism, okay. You know, well I know I'm saved because I'm of the elect, which you never meet a Calvinist that's not elect, okay. I'm a Calvinist, but I'm not, sorry to say, I'm not the elect, you know. It's interesting how that works, you know. They just happen to be the elect. And notice, and this is what I, you know, I'll say this on the surface. Go to Matthew 20 and verse 16. I don't know how they can answer this, okay. Now I know how they answer it. It's stupid, but how do they answer this? Because they'll say, well, you know, the elect are all those that believe on Christ, but they didn't choose it, which doesn't make any sense, you know, like. But then, but then they'll say, but he only calls those that he knows, that he, that will believe, right. Because the idea of irresistible grace, right. You can't resist it. So if he calls you, then you have to get saved. Like you can't resist that. It's irresistible grace. So how do you answer this? Verse 16, so the last shall be first and the first last, for many are called, but few are chosen. Many are called, but few are chosen. How do you answer that? Okay, because he's obviously calling more people than are being chosen. And chosen, again, is just another way of saying elect. Okay, so many are called, few are chosen, or few are elect, okay. So if he's calling them and it's irresistible, then how does that work? Go to Matthew chapter 22, Matthew chapter 22. And this is where you got to get into the philosophical land. Well, there's the general call and there's the effectual call. Show me that in the Bible and then we'll talk about it. But you're just making up stuff, okay. And so, and you say, well, it says that we're the called. Well, if he calls everybody, then obviously we'd be the called. What are you talking about? If everybody's called and then only those that believe on him are elect, then of course all the elect would be called too. Okay, what's the problem? So people would be like, well, it says we're the called. Okay, does that mean that it's a different calling? Okay, now Matthew 22 and verse 12, I just want you to see this because it has to do with a wedding garment, okay. Now when he brings this up, the many are called, but few are chosen, okay. And the idea is the reason that this person is not chosen is because they're not wearing a wedding garment, okay. So Matthew 22 and verse 12, it says, And he saith unto him, Friend, how cameest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, for many are called, but few are chosen. Okay, so when we're talking about this, we're talking about salvation. We're talking about heaven and hell here. This isn't just talking about that when he says many are called, but few are chosen. We're talking about heaven, hell, life, death, okay. And the idea here is that I believe that that parable is talking about the Battle of Armageddon and when you're talking about that friend there, you're talking about the Antichrist, the son of perdition, okay. We're not talking about someone in heaven and they're being kicked out of heaven. We're talking about, you know, basically the marriage supper of the Lamb, which is what that's talking about. It's talking about a marriage, right. The marriage supper of the Lamb is the Battle of Armageddon where all the saved, all the elect are gonna come down and what are we wearing? Do you remember? We're wearing white raiment because his wife hath made herself ready. We're wearing wedding garments, okay. But is the Beast wearing wedding garment? He's the Antichrist. He's the one that's supposedly supposed to be Christ, okay. But this idea of many are called but few are chosen and saying, well, this is saying, you know, the many, that's talking about this general call, like he's just generally calling. That's stupid, okay. You know, if I be lifted up, I'll draw all men unto me, Jesus said. And I don't have time to get into all their stupid arguments when it comes to that. He's like, well, you know, it does say that no man can come unto me except the Father draw him. Well, yeah. Okay, what's your point? Like, well, there's people that the Father doesn't draw. Yeah, I'm gonna get to that, don't worry. But in Matthew chapter 7, I want to show you how ridiculous this is, you know, because this is talking about salvation. Because they'll say, well, many, it's funny how they'll change what they mean by many, right, because when it says that he, you know, he'll shed his blood for many, they'll say, well, see, that doesn't say all, okay. You know, it doesn't say all. But anyway, going on from this, I want you to see that this is talking about salvation. When it says many are called but few are chosen, I want you to see the correlation to this, okay. In verse 13, enter ye in at the straight gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat, because straight is the gate and narrows the way, which lead unto light, and few there be that find it. Sound familiar? Many are called but few are chosen, okay. Now go to Luke chapter 13, because I want to prove to you that when it says few be there that find it, it's talking about being saved, okay. And then I'm going to get into this idea of like, well, the Father, because they get that from John 6, you know, where it says that, you know, no man can come unto me except the Father, you know, draw them. And they'll use that and say, well, see, there's certain people that the Father doesn't draw. And I'll say yes to that, amen. There are certain people that God the Father doesn't draw anymore. But there's also certain people that the Holy Ghost doesn't draw anymore and that Jesus doesn't draw anymore, okay. Now, in Luke chapter 13 verse 23, parallel to what was said there in Matthew 7, it says, Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? Okay, so Jesus is going to answer that with what we just read in Matthew 7 pretty much. And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the straight gate, for many I say unto you will seek to enter in and shall not be able. Okay, so when it says, when it says are there a few that be saved, what's the answer to that? Yes. Why? Because in Matthew 7 it says, entering at the straight gate and it says few there be that find it. Okay, so he's already answered that saying there's few that find it. What's that mean there's few that are saved? Unfortunately, okay. Now, what it says here, many I say unto you will seek to enter in and shall not be able. See, they'll say, well, you know, those people that he called aren't able. Okay, but here, go to Proverbs chapter 1 because I'm going to answer this, you know, when it comes to this, you either have to be a Calvinist or you have to believe in the reprobate doctrine, if you're going to answer all these passages. Okay, I'm not saying that you have to choose one of those signs to be saved, okay, but if you're going to answer doctrine, if you're going to understand, you know, how to rightly divide the Word of Truth, you have to either say people are born not able to believe and not able to enter and not able to come into the knowledge of the truth, or you have to believe that people, you know, were born being able to do that and now there's a certain point where there's people that can't. Okay, there's no way to get around that unless you're just going to just blindly just try to figure out some other way to say it, but there's no logical way to get around it in my opinion. Proverbs chapter 1 and verse 20, it says, Proverbs chapter 1 and verse 20, it says, Wisdom crieth without, she utters her voice in the street, she crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates in the city, she uttereth her words, saying, How long, ye simple ones, will you love simplicity? And the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge. Turn you at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. Okay, so it's basically this wisdom is crying out saying, hey, you know, receive me, you know, receive wisdom, receive knowledge, receive understanding, right? Calling out from the streets and the gates and all that, right? Verse 24, notice this, because I have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded, but ye have said it not my counsel and would none of my reproof. So what's the reasoning about what's just about to be said? Because when he called, no one answered. Now this is wisdom personified here, so it's talking to it as if it's a woman, right? But when you're talking about wisdom, it's an attribute, it's like something that you would have, it's not a person, right? But it's personifying it, so obviously it's basically saying wisdom is going to do this, right? But notice in verse 25 there it says, but ye have said it not my counsel, all my counsel, and would none of my reproof. I also will laugh at your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh, and when your fear cometh as desolation and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind, when distress and anguish cometh upon you, okay? So it's basically saying, hey listen, you know what? There's going to be a time, you know, I called unto you, there's going to be a time when you call and I'm not going to answer. And that's what Jesus is talking about and it's interesting because who's he talking to in John chapter 6? He's talking to people that were murmuring against him and then he starts saying, hey no man can come unto me except my Father, you know, who has sent me draw him. I wonder why he's saying that to them? It may be because the Father isn't drawing them anymore, okay? So, but that doesn't negate the fact that if I be lifted up I will draw all men unto me, you know, Jesus said. So the idea here is that, yeah, he's drawing everybody, but there does come a point where he's not drawing you anymore, okay? Now in Proverbs chapter 29, dealing with these same people, Proverbs 29, it says, he that being often reproved, hardened at his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed in that without remedy. There are people in this world that are without remedy. They're called psychopaths. They're called reprobates. They're without remedy. There's no helping them. If God has rejected them, how are you going to help them? Okay? So that being said is that there's people that God has been calling to. He's calling them, calling them, calling them, calling them, and they would just refuse, refuse, refuse, refuse, and eventually, you know what he does? He stops doing it, and even if they try to call for him, he's not answering, because if he doesn't call you, if he's not calling you anymore, then there's no hope, and you know what? It talks about the Spirit of God shall not always strive with man. It says in Genesis chapter 6, and that's right before the flood happens when there was violence in the world. The world was filled with violence, and there comes a point where, you know, you either blaspheme the Holy Ghost, you know, as they did in Jesus' day, or you keep rejecting him to the point where he's like, I'm rejecting you then, and reprobate silvership, and call them because the Lord has rejected them, and he gives people over to a reprobate mind to do those things which are not convenient, because it says, and even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind to do those things which are not convenient. Now, can you say that of a child? Okay, because what they want you to believe in Romans 1 is that, well, that child, you know, like basically there's people that are born reprobate, and true hardcore Calvinists have to believe that most babies that either die in the womb, or die at a young age to where they can't believe on Christ, that most of them are going to hell. That's what you have to believe. If many are called, but few are chosen, that means the majority of them would not be elect, okay? And it's stupidity, okay, because we know what we believe, right? That all children are people that can't, that are unable to understand the knowledge of good and evil, they don't need saved, right? They have not died spiritually. Their flesh has sinned because that's, you get that through your father, right? That's why the body dies, but the spirit, the soul is not fallen, right? Is not in a state of being dead and trespasses and sins until the moment that you understand the knowledge of good and evil, then the commandment came and, you know, by it slew me, Paul said. And there comes a point where you die spiritually, but that's not what Calvinists believe. Calvinists believe that you are totally depraved, totally depraved. You can't even believe on Christ, you know. You have no ability to put your faith in Christ. I mean, even faith is a gift to them. You know, basically faith is like, you know, he just forces people to get saved. No free will and that election is forced upon you, okay? So let's get into what that means to be the election, okay? Now go to Ephesians chapter 1, Ephesians chapter 1. Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 3. Now we know that the election is according to grace, right? So it should be very clear that when we're talking about being elect, we're talking about that you believed on Christ, therefore now you're the elect, okay? That's really how simple it is. But to get down a little deeper here because this is what they're going to go to is saying, well, but you are elect from the very beginning, okay? Now what they're missing in this is that God's foreknowledge. He knew who would believe, okay? So it's really this simple. I'm going to read this to you, but I'm just going to explain it just on the surface. I'm not coming at you to try to trick you here or anything like that. God foreknew who would believe and He elected them from the foundation of the world. Can't blame God for being God, okay? So He knew who would be the election before the world ever began, okay? Because He knew what was going to happen. He knew who would believe. But does that mean that He chose who would believe? Does that mean He elected who would believe? No, He knew who would believe and He elected them based off that, you know, there's a predication of believing. Now in verse 3 here, so hopefully that makes sense to you, okay? That we're predestinated, we're elected from the foundation of the world because He knew that we'd believe in the future, okay? He didn't force us to believe. He knew that, okay? In verse 3 it says, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings and heavenly places in Christ according as He had chosen us in Him before the world began. Now remember, chosen, election, those are synonymous, okay? Meaning that if He chose us, that means He elected us from the foundation of the world. That we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself according to the good pleasure of His will, okay? Now did you see anything in there about He chose us to believe? He chose us to put our faith in Him. Nothing about that, right? All this stuff that He's saying He chose us for is something that happens after you believe. Does that make sense? What happens when you believe? You become a child of God. What happens when you believe? You're going to be to the praise of His glory eventually, right? And we're talking about the resurrection that's coming up. But anything that's being said that you're predestined or elected for, it didn't say He elected us to believe on Him. He chose us to put our faith in Him. No. And actually it's going to say something different than that, you know? It's going to actually be very clear what it's saying. Verse 6, it says, to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted and the beloved, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace, wherein He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known unto thus the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure, which He hath purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of times He might gather together and won all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in Him, in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him, who worketh all things, after the counsel of His own will. Notice this, that we should be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ. Everything that was said there, as far as being chosen from the foundation of the world, being predestinated from the foundation of the world, is predicated on the fact that we first trusted in Christ. Now if you, you're like, I can't wrap my mind around that. Well, wrap your mind around that God is three persons in one, and that He knows the end from the beginning, that He knew before the world even began your name, and that you believe on Him. He knew that. And He knew that, therefore, He knew that you believe on Him. And since He knew that you trusted in Him, you know, in the future, He chose you from the foundation of the world and He predestinated you from the foundation of the world. But you know what? If everybody in the world believed, it would have been all the same for them too. If you say, well, what if everybody believed on Him? Then everybody would have been predestinated from the foundation of the world, they would have been chosen from the foundation of the world, because he would have known that everybody would have believed in Him. But obviously, we know that that's not true, that not everybody believes on Him, okay? Now keep reading there. It says, in whom also ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also after that ye believed, you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of His glory. Very simple, right? You believe, you hear the gospel, you believe, you're sealed unto the day of redemption with the Holy Spirit of promise, and you know what? The moment you believe, you know, obviously you become a child of God, but God knew that, okay? And what He predestinated, He said, basically you can look at it this way, He predestinated everyone that will put their faith in Him to be conformed to His image, to be a child of God, and just go on the list of all the inheritances that come with that, okay? Now in 1 Peter chapter 1, 1 Peter chapter 1, go to 1 Peter chapter 1, I'm just going to read to you Romans chapter 8, because it says, for whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. So again, He foreknew us. What did He foreknow? Who first trusted in Christ. He knew who would believe on Him. It says in A.M. chapter 1, the Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knoweth them that put their trust in Him. So when it says, whom He did foreknow, what did He foreknow? He foreknew those that would put their trust in Him. He foreknew who would first trust in Christ, because the first trust in Christ means that that's the predicate, right? That's what happens first. They first trusted in Christ before they were predestinated. You're like, that doesn't make sense, because this is 2020. If someone believes on Christ right now, how can they first trust in Him before the foundation of the world? Because God's foreknowledge, that's why. Because God foreknew that. That's how that works. You can't do that, right? You can't first do something later on and have it predestinated back here, okay? Now, predestination just in the Word just means that something that was designated before, okay? But in First Peter chapter 1, in verse 1, it says, Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, the stranger scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. So there again, you see that same thing that's being said there, right? Whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate, but we're also elect according to the foreknowledge of God, okay? So the predestination, the election, the being chosen, but it says, elect according to the foreknowledge of God, notice this, through sanctification of the Spirit, okay? Then it goes on on to obedience and sprinkling the blood of Jesus Christ. So obviously it's through Jesus Christ sprinkling the blood, and it says, you know, grace be multiplied. It goes into the resurrection of the dead. That's how it's possible for us to be purified, right? But notice that it says it's according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through sanctification of the Spirit. So when we're in, in Ephesians chapter 1, what was it? It was the fact that we're predestinated, we're chosen from the foundation of the world who first trusted in Christ, right? Predicated on that. Well, you know, being the elect according to the foreknowledge of God was through the sanctification of the Spirit. Well, go down in the same chapter in verse 22, and let's see what that means to be sanctified. How do you get sanctified through the Spirit? Well, in the same chapter, it's going to tell you that. It's going to tell you what it means to be sanctified through the Spirit. Verse 22, it says, seeing ye have purified your souls. Now, purifying, sanctifying, you know, like all those things would be something that's very similar, right? You're purifying your soul, you're sanctifying your soul, right? It says, seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit, okay? Well, we're not done, okay? Because right there, it says, well, how do you get sanctified? How does your soul get purified? Through obeying the truth, through obeying the Gospel, through the Spirit, right? Unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that you love one another with pure art firmly. Being born again, that sentence is not done. It's saying, you know, being purified, you're purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit, and it says, being born again, not of corrupt will see, but of incorrupt, by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth forever, and faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. You obey the truth, you believe the Gospel, you were born again through the Spirit, and you say, well, you know, is that really true? Not of works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to His mercy, He saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior. That is how we're saved, but notice that the election was foreknown because He knew who would believe, and even in this passage right here, you see that same thing. Go to 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. So I'm trying to take you to some places where they would take you, to try to prove that, right? Try to prove that while the election, that was something that was predetermined that has no, basically that you have no control over. In all these cases, do you have control over it? Who first trusted in Christ, you had control over whether you were the elect. In 1 Peter chapter 1, if you don't obey the truth, then you're not going to be elect, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. If you don't believe on Christ, you're not going to be born again, okay? 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 and verse 13, notice what it says here. 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 and verse 13, it says, but we are bound to give thanks all the way to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation. Now, I want you to notice, did it say chose you to believe on Christ, chose you to faith, chose you to trust in Christ? Is that what it says? No, he's chosen you to salvation. Oh, it's interesting. What's the next phrase there? Through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth. You know what he chose is that that's how people got saved. From the foundation of the world, it's always been that way. So put that in your dispensational pipe and smoke it, because it's always been by faith. It's always been sanctification through the spirit by the belief of the truth, obeying the truth, purifying your souls by faith. It's always been that way, and that has been chosen from the foundation of the world. That's how salvation would be. He chose salvation from the salvation of the world. He chose us to be saved from the foundation of the world by faith in him. That does not say he chose you to believe, and that's what Calvinists want you to believe. They want you to believe that he chose you to put your faith in him. That is not what the Bible says. It never says that. So, until you show me a verse that says that he chose, elected, forced, willed me into believing, you don't know. It's a free choice. Now, it's true that if you don't have the spirit drawing you and you don't have the word of God, then you can't believe on him. But that doesn't mean that it's forced upon me, because there's many people that we go, we give them the gospel, you're spirit-filled, the Holy Ghost is convincing them of sin and reproving them of sin, and they are hearing it, understanding it, and they don't believe. All the time. All the time. If it was irresistible, they'd be getting saved. So, how does that apply to us, or how is that important to us? Well, go to 2 Peter 1. I'm going to be ending with this, because obviously, if we believe on Christ, we are the election. This is the election that matters, though. But how do you affect that election? Because today, we're like, how are we going to affect the election? Now, if you live in West Virginia, you shouldn't even have to worry about voting, because I'm sure it's going to go Trump. So, you're like, if we don't vote, how many people do we have in this room right now that can vote? Half our church are kids. And I'm not downgrading the fact that our church is a smaller church, but let's just be honest. If we have 50, 60 people, half of those are kids. On the high number, we have 30 adults. And I don't think it's that. We have over 50% are kids. Do you think 30 people in our church are going to affect the election in West Virginia? And we have some that are from Pennsylvania, right? We have like four people that can vote in Pennsylvania. Those four people. Yeah, that's going to determine the election, okay? So, you're like, I can't believe you're preaching against voting and all this stuff. Listen, you think it's going to affect it anyway, but you know what we can affect is the election that matters, okay? Go to 2 Peter 1. First of all, you know, we're not only called to be saved. We're also called to be a soldier of Christ. We're chosen to be a soldier of Christ. We're chosen, we're elected to be preachers of the Gospel. And notice what it says in 2 Peter 1 and verse 8. It says, For if these things be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see afar, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore, the rather brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you shall never fall. For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Now, people will take this passage and be like, well, see, you need to make sure that you're saved. No, that's not what it's talking about. It's talking about the fact that, hey, you haven't a calling and an election to do a lot of things in Christ, right? He has created you to be a workmanship unto him. And making it sure, what that means is that you're not going to fall from your own steadfastness. And in the next verse, it says, so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom. It doesn't say, well, make it sure so that you'll enter into the everlasting kingdom. Is that what it says? No, it says that you may abundantly. You know what? Jesus says something very similar to this. Jesus says, go to John chapter 10, John chapter 10 in verse 9. He says something very, very similar to this, that you know what? You can have life. You can have everlasting life. You can have your election and your calling, obviously, but you can also have that more abundantly, okay? And this is the choice that Christians that believe, or people that believe on Christ have to make. Are you just going to say, I got my everlasting life. I have, I'm the election. That's all that matters to me. I'm done. Or are you going to make it sure? Are you going to have that abundant entrance? Notice in John chapter 10, verse 9, it says, I am the door by me. If any man enter in, he shall be saved and shall go out in and out and find pasture. So, you know, enter in at the door. Very simple. The thief cometh not, but for to steal and to kill and to destroy. I am come that they might have life. And notice this, and that they might have it more abundantly. See, do you want to just stop where it says they might have life, right? Because for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believe in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life, okay? He came into the world that they might be saved, right? The idea is that, you know, the whole point of believing on Him is that you'll be saved, that you'll have everlasting life, okay? But is that where you want to end it, or do you want to have life abundantly? Do you want to have an abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? Now go to 2 Timothy chapter 2, and I want to answer this passage right here. So this is the last thing I really want to hit here. I know we're kind of going a little long here, but this is kind of a doctrinal sermon, hitting a lot of, I'm stabbing a lot of things this morning. Zionism, you know, Calvinism, so you got to have, you got to spend some time doing it here. But there's a passage here dealing with the elect, and I just want to talk about it, and actually it's a great passage, because if you understand what it means to be elect, that that's predicated on people believing, but then you understand that from the foundation of the world, God knows who's going to believe, then this verse is going to make a lot of sense, okay? But notice in verse 3 there, it says, Thou therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ, no man that worth entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. So we're chosen, you know, we have an election to fight for Christ, fight for the cause of Christ, right? Verse 5, And if any man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. The husbandmen that laborerth must be first partaker of the fruits. Consider what I say, and the Lord give the understanding in all things. Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel, wherein I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even on the bonds, but the word of God is not bound. Verse 10, Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. Now what Calvinists will say is that, well, the elect, if you're saying, well, then there's people out there that are already elect, okay, do you see the logic that they're saying, right? You're trying to talk to people, you're saying I'm doing this for those that are elect out there that are going to obtain it. Do you understand the logic that they're trying to say there? But if you understand that God knows from the foundation of the world, there are people that have been elected from the foundation of the world, but it's predicated on whether we go, okay? Does that make sense? And if we don't go and preach them the gospel, they're not going to get saved, okay? And it's basically just stating that, hey, there's people out there that will believe. There are people out there that God knows will believe if you just preach them the gospel. Why would He endure hardness if they're just going to get saved anyway? The whole point is that I'm enduring this so they would obtain salvation. Well, if you know it's going to happen anyway, if you know they're already elected, what are you doing it for? But He knows that, hey, there are still people out there that God knows will believe from the foundation of the world. He knows that they will believe in Him. We just need to go out and get them. That's the election that matters, my friends. That's the election that we should be worried about is that the souls of men. Let's go find those people that God knows who will believe. He's working on their hearts. He knows from the foundation of the world that they're going to put their faith in Christ, but how should they hear without a preacher? And how should they preach except they be sent? As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, that bring glad tidings of good things. That is the election that matters. Those that will believe on Christ that God has elected from the foundation of the world, but listen, God knows whether you're going to go. As much as He foreknows who will believe, He knows who will go and who won't, and He knows that from the foundation of the world, okay. So you can't affect that election because if you don't go, they won't get saved. And you say, well, then they weren't elected from the foundation of the world. I know, but they could have been. They could have been elected from the foundation of the world. Like, that doesn't make sense. Well, you got to understand that God knows the future. He knows every freewill choice that you'll make. And everything that He touches, He knows that that will affect everything else. It's the determinant counsel and foreknowledge of God. God knows the end from the beginning, and He knows that if you don't go, they won't believe, therefore they weren't elected from the foundation of the world. But He knows that if you'll go, they'll believe, and He elected them from the foundation of the world. We endure hardness for the elect's sake. We endure hardness for the election of grace. We endure hardness so that they may obtain eternal salvation and that will bring many with us into heaven. That's our crown of glory that we're waiting for, and that's why we do what we do. That's the election that matters today, and if we win more people to Christ and get more people on fire for God, then our country will finally get back to God. But electing somebody into office right now when our country is just so immoral today, when it comes to anything that would deal with Christianity or just any type of moral compass, you're living in La La Land. You're living in a fantasy world to think that that's going to fix the problem. Because if we keep doing wickedness and our country keeps going down the path that we are with killing babies and the debauchery and wickedness and homosexuality and pedophilia and all that garbage that's going on today, if that continues on this path, I don't care how much our GDP is, I don't care how good our economy is, God can crush it like that. And the only thing that's going to change the minds of this world is us to get people saved. Get people saved, get the Holy Ghost inside of them, to teach them to observe all things, and then talk to me about elections. Then talk to me about who's running our country. Because you know what, who runs our country? Those that are of our country. And if our country is filled with wicked people, then people that are wicked are going to rule our country. But that's the election that matters, and I just want to, you know, first of all debunk some false doctrine, but also give you some motivation that, hey, there is an election that we can be a part of. Every time you win someone a Christ, you're winning an election. Think about it that way. I mean, you won somebody to Christ, and they've been chosen. You won, right? So fight for that, because that's where it really matters. And let's end with a prayer to Heavenly Father, we thank you today, and thank you for your word, and thank you for the truths of the election of God, the election of grace, and Lord just pray that you'd help us to see the need to win people to Christ, and not to be like these Calvinists that believe it's all just going to happen anyway, whether we go or not, and Lord just pray that you would just help us to see the need to win people to Christ, to go out, and know that they won't get saved, and that you want them to get saved. But if we don't go, Lord, we know that they won't hear it, they won't believe it, unless they have a clear presentation of the gospel. And Lord, we just pray that you'd be with us today, and throughout the rest of the day, and this week, and Lord we love you and pray all this in Jesus Christ's name. Amen.