God's Sovereign Grace: Assurance and Hope for All

why does Moses ask to see the glory of God I think the reason is this Moses knew that he had asked something Unthinkable he knew that if it were dependent on anything in Mr Moses or anything in the people there's no way there could be any assurance that God would be gracious to the stiff necked people so he probes into God show me something about your character your nature Your Glory your name that will enable me to have Assurance you really can have enough Mercy to go with a stiff necked people up to the promised land [00:00:06]

Moses asks to see his glory god proclaims to him his name and he isn't playing word games with Moses Show Me Your Glory this is my name God can talk like that because the manifestation of his name is the revelation of his glory if you know the names of God God you know the glory of God and his name in verse 19 is yah way the same name that we saw in chapter 3:14 of Exodus last week but this time it's explained with different words I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and I will show Mercy to whom I will show Mercy [00:01:40]

Exodus 3:14 focuses on the existence of God I am who I am there is no influence coming from without me shaping me into the way I am he simply is who he is without any external Powers determining his being but Exodus 33:19 focuses on God's gracious action he does what he does without any external influence determining his choices and verse 19 says that is his glory that is his name so here's the doctrine that I would draw out of this passage for us to consider this morning it is the glory of God to be gracious to whomever he pleases apart from any constraints originating outside his own will [00:02:49]

God is utterly free with no constraints exerted upon him by his creatures the inclination of his will flow in the directions that he himself determines and whatever influences come from outside God appearing to change God are influences that he himself has ordained Exodus 33:18 to19 teaches that this self-determining freedom of God is his name and his glory if he were to surrender his freedom to man he would cease to be god [00:04:24]

and God answers him in verse 19 I will make my goodness pass before you and will Proclaim before you my name Yahweh and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and I will show Mercy on whom I will show Mercy in other words when Moses asks for a glimpse of what the possible glorious basis of this act of Grace could be he gets the answer I'm the basis I show Mercy on whom I show Mercy I am gracious to whom I am gracious that's the foundation you can't go behind it [00:09:33]

the Bible never reveals for our understanding the great doctrines of God merely to be discussed intellectually never it reveals them to our understanding that we might bow in reverence before the Living God trust him love him obey him with all our heart it is the glory of God to show Mercy or to be gracious on whom he will apart from any constraints originating outside his will that is his glory that is his name that's what it means to be God [00:10:45]

election is the work of God by which he chooses whom he will save and unconditional means that his choice his election is not based on anything in man but solely on his Sovereign electing will last week we asked this question why is God the way he is tell us God why are you the way you are and we heard him give us the answer I am who I am there is nothing to say behind me nobody and no thing is making me the way I am [00:11:45]

Romans chapter 9 verses 14 to 18 Paul says in verse 14 of Romans 9 what shall I say then is there Injustice Justice on God's part by no means for he says to Moses then he quotes our text I will have mercy on whom I have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion so it depends not on man's will or exertion but upon God who has Mercy for the scripture says to Pharaoh I have raised you up for this very purpose of showing my power in you so that my name may be proclaimed in all the Earth so then he has Mercy on whomever he wills and he hardens whomever he Wills [00:13:23]

it is not your belief that gets God to ordain you to eternal life it is God's Sovereign and gracious choice to ordain you to eternal life that enables you you to believe faith is a gift of God's grace and God's grace is given sovereignly and freely I will be gracious on whom I will be gracious [00:15:17]

humility for the best of saints there is no Doctrine brothers and sisters which will humble you to the dust like this Doctrine oh how we need to meditate on the truth that whatever virtue whatever Faith what whatever willing whatever running we can produce it is of God grace and not of ourselves oh how it will humble us and keep us meek and lowly and tenderhearted and guard us from flaring up in Anger against God or against each other [00:19:39]

the doctrine of unconditional election means hope for the worst of Sinners and this is why it is a sweet and precious Doctrine this is what it meant to Moses Moses said how can I know that you will go with me with this stiff neck people and God answers their stiff neck has nothing to do with my capacity to be gracious I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious do you see the hope that gives us in our gospel offering [00:21:04]

if there is hope for the worst of Sinners is there not help for the cause of missions you know the most discouraging thing for missionaries hard people hard Societies fruitlessness in the work David reard the missionary to the Indians in New England in the mid 1700s loved this Doctrine and died 29 years old in Jonathan Edward's House of tuberculosis spent himself for the Indians for two years he wrote in his journal again and again about his how this Doctrine strengthened him for the work [00:23:39]