Does God Choose Who Gets Saved? Romans 9 & Election Explained

Welcome to Through the Bible with Les Fellow, a 30-minute walk through the Scriptures teaching in-depth Bible truths that change people's lives. Now here's your host, Les Fellow. Okay, good to have everybody right back and we're going to keep right on going in Romans chapter 9. You remember I made mention of the fact we started teaching the book of Romans that I had heard of a pastor out in Pennsylvania who taught every Sunday morning in his 11 o'clock service from the book of Romans for 25 years. I'm not going to take quite that long, but it'll be a while because I think this book of Romans is so basic to not only our understanding of these doctrines of grace, but even as Paul brings out here in these middle three chapters of God dealing with Israel and where Israel stands in his program even today. Again we'd like to welcome all our television audience, especially those of you that may be catching us for the first time. You know it's unreal class, every day we have people call that they just caught our program for the first time. So when I speak of this I have a reason. But whatever, we're not associated with any group, with no denomination, we don't wear any label on our sleeve, and we just simply try to teach the Word as we feel the Lord wants us to teach it. We will not compromise. We certainly like to reach across the whole spectrum of groups and denominations, but we compromise with none. And if people don't agree, that's fine. That's their privilege. I remember one old pastor I had years back said, it's a free country. People want to be wrong, and that's their privilege. And so I do teach with that in mind. I don't expect everybody to agree with everything I say, but as I've said so often on this program, if by my agitating a little bit I can get people to get into the Book, then I've still accomplished what the Lord wants me to accomplish, and that is to study this Book. Study it. Don't just read it, but study it. And very few people want to do that, it seems. All right, now again for those of you who are just tuning in, we have all the past programs of course available on videotapes. We've taken 12 programs and put them on one 6-hour tape, and then good volunteers, Jerry's right over here, Jerry Poole and his wife have been transcribing them now for the last several years, I guess, from the videotape into the printed page. And like I've said more than once, maybe someday the Lord gives me the time and the wherewithal, we'd still like to get all this into a hardcover book, but that's somewheres down the road. But whatever, we're glad you're tuned in, and now we're going to jump right back where we left off, and that is in Romans chapter 9, and the last verse we covered was verse 8, that is, they who are the children of the flesh, that is those from Ishmael and then later on from Esau, these are not the children of God, oh, they're children of Abraham, but they're not in the line of the covenants. But the children of the promise are counted for the seed. Now you remember the word seed, those of you that were with me way back in Genesis, is the Greek word zera, z-e -r-a, and with various other endings of course, but it is a word much like our English word sheep. It is always used the same way, whether it's in the singular or in the plural. In other words, if you look at one sheep over here, it's a sheep. If you look at a flock of sheep over here, it's still sheep. Now the word zera in the Greek is in the same context, so you have to determine from the text, is he speaking of many in the seed, or is he speaking of one? Now the article here designates that it's the singular seed, and so only those who are of the children of the promise are counted for the seed. Now let's go back, I think, to Genesis again. We're going to use Genesis a lot throughout this chapter. Genesis 21. Genesis 21, I think, is verse 12. I'll have to look a second, honey. Yeah, Genesis 21, and in fact, just to pick up the flow, I like to go back to verse 9, because here we have the situation now that Isaac and Ishmael are going to have to be separated. So verse 9 of chapter 21, 21. Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne unto Abraham, mocking. Verse 10. Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son. Now remember, that's of the flesh. For the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, the son of promise, even with Isaac. And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight, because of his son, Ishmael. Abraham loved Ishmael, but Abraham still did not have the long-range concept of the Abrahamic covenant of a Messiah coming through his loins. All right? Verse 12. And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight, because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman. In all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice. For in Isaac shall thy steed, Zerah, not plural, but what, singular. And now again, it's speaking of the coming of the seed, singular, of the woman who is Christ. The seed of the woman could not take off through Ishmael. The seed of the woman could not come down through Esau. It had to come through the son of Phamas, who was Isaac. Now we're going to run into the same thing in the next generation, when Rebekah now has twins in her womb. All right, now let's go back to Romans chapter 9, verse 9. For this is the word of promise. Now I can't emphasize enough this word, promise, as I did in the last program. Abraham's almost 100, Sarah is almost 90. It had to take a miracle of God for her to conceive, and that miracle, of course, is a result of the promise of God. And these promises go all the way back to eternity past, before Adam was ever created. All these things were already set in God's concrete, if I can use that term. Verse 9, is that what I said? No, I'm in the wrong chapter. The wind blew it. Okay, chapter 9, verse 9. For this is the word of promise. At this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son. Now God's speaking. Now in a little bit, if not in this program, I will in the next. We're going to delve into the sovereignty of God. Now ever since day one, from our earliest programs, people have written that they appreciate my standing constantly on the sovereignty of God. And I will never back away from that. God is sovereign, and we're going to see that especially in some of these coming verses. All right, so God made the promise that through Abraham and Isaac, not Ishmael, would come this next son of promise, verse 10, and not only this, but when Rebecca also conceived by one, even our father Isaac, now remember, Rebecca has twins in her womb, for the children, Esau and Jacob, being not yet born, neither having done anything good or evil, that the purpose of God, according to election, might stand not of works, not of what man deserves, but of Him that, what, qualla, now who are we talking about, the sovereign God. Now I'm going to have to stop before I go any further, and the thought just struck me this morning as I was mulling all this over while I was getting dressed. You know, I put it on the board a few weeks ago, a few programs ago, that as mankind moves down the river of life, remember I drew it on the board, on both sides of that river on the bank are constant doors of opportunity over which is what was written. Whosoever will may come. But as soon as we respond to that whosoever will, we step through the door and we look back now on the headpiece of the door, what do we read? Chosen from before the foundation of the world. Now then, in these next series of verses in chapter 9 are some things that are mighty hard to swallow, that are mighty hard to teach, because people are going to confuse the issue and they're going to fall into the trap of saying, well, if it's all up to my being elected, then why should I worry about it? I'll just go my own way, and if God sees fit to grab me by the nap of the neck and I'm elected, great, I'll go to heaven. If not, I'm going to go to hell because I've got no choice in the matter. Listen, the Bible never teaches that. But here's where I'm going to clarify it. These succeeding verses now, and everything that we've been covering touching the election, the calling of the believers since eternity past, is a doctrine that really should be studied only by the believer. Because as a believer, now God wants us to know that in our exalted position, we didn't come in by accident. We came into this position because in eternity past, God chose us. Now you see, that's something that only the believer can take by faith. God said it. I can't argue with it, but for the unbeliever, he can't comprehend this and I don't expect him to, because it isn't for the unbeliever to try and swallow. The unbeliever has to understand whosoever will may come. The unbeliever has to understand that God has said, I'm not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. The Scripture says that Christ died for every man. And I ran into a verse the other night, and I've read it for as old as I am, I guess, as long as I've been able to read my Bible, and I've never seen it before. And of course, that's the beauty of this book, you're never exhausted. Come back with me to John's Gospel, and I hope I can find it. I certainly didn't intend to use that this morning, this afternoon. John's Gospel, chapter 1, verse 7. John's Gospel, chapter 1, verse 7. Speaking of John the Baptist, the same came for a witness to bear witness of the light, capital L, speaking of Christ, that all men through him might believe. How many? All. Not just a few, but he came that all might believe. Now John was not that light, verse 8, but was sent to bear witness. Now verse 9, that was the true light, Jesus the Christ, Jesus of Nazareth. He was the true light which lighteth, here's something I had never seen before. He was the true light that lighteth, what are the next two words? Every man, every man, and the book doesn't lie. Now I know a lot of us get all hung up when we realize that folk down in the Amazon Valley and maybe in certain other dark, spiritually dark places of the world, have never heard the gospel, and we can't comprehend a righteous God sending them to an eternal lake of fire. But listen, the book says over and over that for some reason or other, they have received the light. They have a certain amount of knowledge. I can't explain it, but that's what the book says. And this is what it says right here, that when Christ came into the world, His light lighted every man that cometh into the world. Now that's future tense verb. So it wasn't just speaking of those living at Christ's time, it was speaking of those coming on the scene even today. They have received somehow or other the light. All right, let me take you another verse before we go back to Romans. Turn all the way over to Titus chapter 2, and it's another verse that I've even struggled with myself, but I take it by faith. I believe it with all my heart and mind, because the book says it, Titus chapter 2. And Paul, of course, is now at the end of his earthly ministry. He's going to be martyred before much longer. But look at this amazing statement, Holy Spirit inspired. It's the Word of God. Holy Spirit inspired, Titus chapter 2, verse 11. And again, I want this one on the screen. Titus chapter 2, verse 11, for the grace of God, that unmerited favor that God has poured out on the whole human race, the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath, that's a past tense verb, has already appeared unto how many? All men, not just a favored few, all men. All right, now let's back up to a verse in Romans that, again, has thrown a curve at a lot of people. And it's hard for me to teach it, because it just seems so impossible. But it isn't, because the book says it. Romans chapter 1, beginning at verse 18. Romans 1, verse 18, 19, and then the closing verses of verse 20 are what I really want them to see. All with me? Romans 1, verse 18, for the wrath of God. Now remember, we're not under the wrath of God today. We're under the grace of God. But it's coming. We're getting closer every day. One of these days, God's going to have His stomach full, and He's going to start pouring out His wrath. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness, because that which may be known of God. Now watch this. That which may be known of God is manifest in them. Now that word manifest is a multi-type term. In other words, there isn't just one little segment of knowledge. They've got a whole bunch. Just like a manifold on a V8 engine's got eight portholes, one for every cylinder. That's a manifold. And the same word is associated with this word manifest. There's a complete unveiling of knowledge. See? All right. So it's manifest in them, for God has already showed it to them. For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood, see? Understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they, the whole human race, are what? Without excuse. Now that doesn't mean we can just sit in our living room and let the world go to hell. No way. The constant admonition is that we are to promote the gospel to the ends of the earth. Absolutely we are. When Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5 that we're ambassadors, that's exactly what he wants us to be. We are to be ambassadors of the tremendous message of reconciliation. But man will never come up before God at the great white throne and say, You're unfair. I never had a chance. I didn't know. And He's going to say, Depart from me. I never knew you, ye workers of iniquity. But they had a certain amount of understanding. All right, now then back to Romans chapter 9. So this whole concept of election, of foreknowledge of God as to who would become believers, is something that the unsaved person doesn't have to worry about. He doesn't have to fret over it. He doesn't have to take the attitude, Well, I don't have a chance unless God elects me. The whosoever will on the bank of that life stream river is always open. You know, when I teach John's Gospel chapter 10, the analogy of the shepherd and the sheepfold, no man cometh into the sheepfold but by the door. If they come up some other way, they're thieves and robbers. How have I always put it? Where is the door to that sheepfold? Ground level. It's not up on some high sheer cliff. It's not across some raging river. It's not on the other side of some impossible mountain range. The door to that sheepfold is ground level. It's in front of every human being that walks this life. And all they have to do is choose to go through it. But if they don't, tough. I mean, it isn't God's fault. And we're going to see this now as we come down in these succeeding verses in Romans chapter 9. So always temper this with the fact that we can't comprehend this, even though God's Word says it, until we're a believer. And then it is a point of assurance. It is a point of rejoicing. Look, I'm secure in the body of Christ because God chose me. Let me give you another analogy. I don't remember the man that wrote it. I read it years ago, and I had to struggle with it. But the more I've struggled with it, the better I can see it. He gave the analogy of 10 men sitting on death row in a state penitentiary, all of them there for almost an identical type of murder. In other words, one hadn't committed a more bizarre murder than the other. But they were all on death row because they had committed murder, were found guilty. And so they were awaiting the death sentence. And then in the midst of their waiting, the governor sends down a decree that pardons three of those 10 men. And so they just at random pick out three of them, you might say, and give them their pardon, and they're sent home a free man. Now then, what right do the other seven have to say, you have to let me go then too? Can they? No, because what are they still deserving of? Their sentence. They're still guilty murderers who deserve death. But the other three, by virtue of a governor's pardon, have been set free. Now, they didn't deserve it. They were just as guilty as the other seven. But what got them their freedom? Well, the grace of somebody, the governor or the warden or whatever. But the other seven can never say one word because they were guilty, they were sentenced, and they're going to what they deserve. Now I think that is a pretty good analogy of how God's sovereignty in grace works. For you and I, we were hell-bound sinners just like everybody else. We were just as deserving of God's punishment as anybody could be. But why have we escaped? Because we accepted God's pardon. And now here we are, we're set free, and the rest of maybe many of our families and loved ones and friends are going on to their just dessert. But why are we escaping? The grace of God. Never lose sight. It's only by the grace of God that God put the finger on you. He put the finger on you and the finger on me. We can never boast and say, Boy, aren't I glad that I was smart enough to read and that I had the wherewithal to... No, we don't. It's only by the grace of God that after we're saved, we can understand, Yes, God had me in His sights before the world was ever created. You remember, I gave the illustration way back, maybe four or five years ago, and at the time I read it, I almost shook my head in unbelief. But again, the more I think about it, the more I believe it. And he gave the illustration that within the human reproduction system, every female of our human species has within her body the potential to produce thousands upon thousands of ova. Within every human male is the potential for billions upon billions of sperm. And yet it takes one sperm and one ova to make a child. Now, he put this forth. He felt that the sovereign God supernaturally predetermines which sperm fertilizes which ova. Now, that's mind-boggling. When you think of the billions of people on the planet tonight, that every one of them are a sovereign act of God, yes, I'm believing it more and more. The same way I think in our everyday experience. I make no apology every morning without exception. I thank God for the day that somehow miraculously, and I was thinking of it again this morning, all the things that had to transpire in our two lives to bring my little wife and me to cross paths, fall in love, and now spend 43 years together. An act of God, absolutely. And not just for the two of us, for most of you. You can look back and you can say, wasn't it a miracle that my husband and I got together? And that's one of the first things I like to hear from people that I've just recently met. How did you and your wife get together? And invariably, it's almost like she and I. It was just bizarre how that somehow, yeah, see, I see a lot of heads nodding. And never sell short the sovereignty of our God. And that it was only by His grace that He reached down and chose us. But again, I have to be careful for the unbeliever, and I know we've got a lot of you out there listening. Don't worry about whether you're chosen or not. You believe the gospel. And once you believe the gospel, God will move in grace, and He will show all these truths to you. Not all at once, but little by little, they'll come sifting through. All right, now then, let's move on. I hope I've clarified my view on that, lest we get into this and people say, well, then why should I be concerned? You better be concerned, because Christ died for every human being. He did not die for just the few. He died for every one of us. But it's up to us to accept His offer of pardon. All right, what do we got left? A minute. Verse 11, For the children Jacob and Esau now in the womb of Rebekah, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth, it was said unto her, the elder shall serve the younger. Now that was contrary to Middle Eastern custom. Even in the case of twins, whichever twin was born first, he would be the eldest son, and he would be the rightful heir then of the inheritance. And so this just flew in the face of what Isaac and Rebekah understood, that the younger, the second twin, Jacob, he would be the ascendant one, he would be the one through whom the promises would come. Oh, it's against human reason, see? But God again in foreknowledge, I have to look at it this way anyway, I suppose some deep theologian will disagree with me, but again I have to feel that God in His foreknowledge, before those lads were ever born, being able to see the end from the beginning, knew that Esau would be destitute of faith. Thank you for watching Through the Bible with Les Feldick. Through the Bible is a partner-supported ministry. If this program has been a help to your study of the scriptures, and you'd like to see others enjoy the teaching, your support would be greatly appreciated. Write to us at Les Feldick Ministries, Route 1, Box 760, Kenta, Oklahoma, 74552, or call 1-800-369-7856. Remember, all programs are available in printed form, audio cassette, and videotape. Be sure to tune in next time to Through the Bible with Les Feldick.