Understanding God's Sovereign and Electing Love
Summary
In exploring the profound nature of God's love, it is essential to understand it in conjunction with His other attributes. God's love is eternal, immutable, loyal, and steadfast. Today, we delve into the concept of God's electing or sovereign love, a topic that often raises questions and even controversy. This aspect of God's love is not abstract but deeply rooted in the biblical doctrine of election, as seen in Paul's letter to the Ephesians. Paul speaks of God's choice, made before the foundation of the world, to bless us with every spiritual blessing in Christ. This choice is not based on anything we have done but is according to the good pleasure of His will.
The doctrine of election is often misunderstood as unfair or arbitrary. However, it is crucial to recognize that God's grace is unmerited and undeserved. Those who receive His grace do so not because of their own merit but because of God's sovereign choice. This choice is not whimsical or capricious but is made according to His good pleasure, which is always good and just. The ultimate purpose of this election is our sanctification, that we might be holy and blameless before Him in love.
God's electing love is familial, adopting us as sons through Jesus Christ. It is a love that triumphs over our natural hostility and estrangement from God, bringing us into a relationship of love with Him. This love is not something we can boast about, as it is entirely the work of God's grace. Instead, it should lead us to praise the glory of His grace, recognizing that our salvation rests solely in the righteousness of Christ.
Key Takeaways:
- God's love is intertwined with His other attributes, such as His sovereignty and justice. Understanding His electing love requires recognizing that it is not arbitrary but deeply rooted in His eternal purpose and character. [01:15]
- The doctrine of election is not about fairness in human terms but about God's sovereign grace. Those who receive grace do so not because of their merit but because of God's choice, which is always good and just. [12:26]
- Our sanctification is the goal of God's electing love. He chooses us to be holy and blameless, reflecting His character and fulfilling the original purpose of creation. [07:05]
- God's electing love is familial, adopting us as His children through Jesus Christ. This love triumphs over our natural hostility towards God, bringing us into a loving relationship with Him. [11:08]
- The glory of God's grace is the ultimate purpose of His electing love. Our salvation is entirely the work of His grace, leading us to praise and glorify Him for His mercy and love. [20:00]
Youtube Chapters:
[00:00] - Welcome
[00:35] - Understanding God's Love
[01:15] - The Sovereign Love of God
[02:38] - Election in Ephesians
[04:00] - Predestination in Scripture
[05:16] - Spiritual Blessings in Christ
[06:31] - Chosen Before the Foundation
[07:43] - Purpose of Predestination
[09:11] - Love Triumphs Over Hostility
[10:25] - Adoption into God's Family
[12:26] - The Good Pleasure of His Will
[14:14] - Mercy and Justice
[16:36] - God's Will and Human Will
[18:53] - The Goodness of God's Pleasure
[20:00] - Praising the Glory of Grace
[22:19] - Redemption Through Christ
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- Ephesians 1:3-6
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Observation Questions:
1. According to Ephesians 1:3-6, when did God choose us, and for what purpose? How does this align with the sermon’s explanation of God’s electing love? [02:38]
2. What does the sermon say about the relationship between God's sovereignty and His love? How is this reflected in the passage from Ephesians? [01:15]
3. How does the sermon describe the nature of God's choice in election? What does it mean for this choice to be according to the "good pleasure of His will"? [12:26]
4. In what way does the sermon explain the concept of adoption into God's family, and how is this supported by Ephesians 1:5? [11:08]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the sermon interpret the purpose of God's electing love as it relates to our sanctification? What does it mean to be "holy and blameless before Him in love"? [07:05]
2. The sermon discusses the common objection to the doctrine of election as being unfair. How does the sermon address this concern, and what is the significance of understanding grace as unmerited? [14:14]
3. How does the sermon explain the familial aspect of God's electing love, and what implications does this have for our relationship with God? [11:08]
4. What does the sermon suggest is the ultimate purpose of God's electing love, and how should this influence our response to His grace? [20:00]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on the idea that God's love is eternal and immutable. How does this understanding impact your view of your relationship with God? [00:35]
2. The sermon emphasizes that God's choice is not based on our merit. How does this challenge or affirm your understanding of grace? How can this perspective change the way you view others in your community? [12:26]
3. Consider the concept of being adopted into God's family. How does this shape your identity as a believer, and how can you live out this identity in your daily life? [11:08]
4. The sermon discusses the triumph of God's love over our natural hostility. Can you identify areas in your life where you have experienced this transformation? How can you share this experience with others? [09:11]
5. How can you actively praise the glory of God's grace in your life? What are some practical ways you can express gratitude for His mercy and love? [20:00]
6. The sermon mentions that our sanctification is the goal of God's electing love. What steps can you take to pursue holiness in your life, and how can your small group support you in this journey? [07:05]
7. Reflect on the idea that God's will is always good and just. How can this assurance help you trust God more deeply, especially in difficult circumstances? [18:53]
Devotional
Day 1: God's Love Intertwined with His Attributes
God's love cannot be understood in isolation; it is deeply connected with His other attributes, such as sovereignty and justice. His electing love is not arbitrary but is rooted in His eternal purpose and character. This love is a reflection of His nature, which is always good and just. Understanding this helps us see that God's decisions, including His choice to love us, are made with wisdom and purpose. His love is a deliberate act of His will, designed to bring about His divine plan for creation. [01:15]
Ephesians 1:4-5 (ESV): "Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will."
Reflection: How can you see God's attributes of justice and sovereignty reflected in the way He loves you today?
Day 2: Sovereign Grace Beyond Human Fairness
The doctrine of election challenges our human notions of fairness, emphasizing that God's grace is sovereign and unmerited. Those who receive His grace do so not because of their own merit but because of God's sovereign choice. This choice is always good and just, reflecting His perfect will. It is important to recognize that God's ways are higher than our ways, and His decisions are made with a wisdom that surpasses human understanding. This perspective invites us to trust in His goodness and to rest in the assurance that His grace is a gift, not a reward. [12:26]
Romans 9:15-16 (ESV): "For he says to Moses, 'I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.' So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy."
Reflection: In what ways can you let go of your own sense of fairness and trust in God's sovereign grace today?
Day 3: Sanctification as the Goal of Electing Love
God's electing love has a purpose: our sanctification. He chooses us to be holy and blameless, reflecting His character and fulfilling the original purpose of creation. This process of sanctification is a journey of becoming more like Christ, growing in holiness and love. It is a transformative work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, shaping us to reflect God's image. As we embrace this calling, we are invited to participate in God's redemptive work in the world, living out His love and grace in our daily lives. [07:05]
1 Thessalonians 4:3-4 (ESV): "For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor."
Reflection: What specific steps can you take today to align your life more closely with God's call to holiness and sanctification?
Day 4: Adoption into God's Family
God's electing love is familial, adopting us as His children through Jesus Christ. This love triumphs over our natural hostility towards God, bringing us into a loving relationship with Him. As adopted children, we are given a new identity and a place in God's family, where we are loved and accepted unconditionally. This relationship is not based on our performance but on God's grace and love. It invites us to live in the freedom and security of being His beloved children, knowing that nothing can separate us from His love. [11:08]
Galatians 4:4-5 (ESV): "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons."
Reflection: How does knowing you are adopted into God's family change the way you view your relationship with Him and others today?
Day 5: Praising the Glory of God's Grace
The ultimate purpose of God's electing love is the glory of His grace. Our salvation is entirely the work of His grace, leading us to praise and glorify Him for His mercy and love. This understanding shifts our focus from ourselves to God, recognizing that all we have is a result of His grace. It calls us to live lives of gratitude and worship, acknowledging His goodness and faithfulness. As we reflect on His grace, we are inspired to share His love with others, becoming vessels of His grace in the world. [20:00]
Ephesians 1:6-7 (ESV): "To the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace."
Reflection: In what ways can you intentionally praise and glorify God for His grace in your life today?
Quotes
"Today, I want to look at a somewhat controversial aspect of the love of God, in fact, a dimension of God's love that raises such serious questions in some people's mind that they think that the very idea is somewhat self-contradictory. And I'm talking now about the electing love of God, or another way of stating it -- the sovereign love of God." [00:00:46]
"Just as God's love is sovereign, so his sovereignty is a loving sovereignty. And when we come up against the Biblical teaching of the doctrine of election, those who embrace this doctrine see within it the consummate manifestation of the eternal love of God, while others who resist the Biblical notion of election and predestination struggle with the doctrine's thinking that the whole idea that God would from all eternity elect some people unto salvation but not all reflects some kind of shadow side to God's character that obscures the very essence of his love." [00:01:19]
"But when we encounter the teaching of election in the New Testament we never meet it as an abstract idea, but one that is cloaked and grounded in the love of God itself. Let's take a look then at Paul's letter to the Ephesians, in the very first chapter where he introduces this concept. In verse three of chapter one after Paul identifies himself in his greetings he says, 'Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.'" [00:02:07]
"Just as he chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace by which he made us accepted in the beloved." [00:02:59]
"The goal of predestination is our sanctification. The purpose of God's sovereign election is to create out of this fallen mass of humanity a holy seed, a redeemed portion, a remnant that will fulfill the original purpose of creation: that human beings might mirror and reflect God's own holiness, God's own character. Remember the first mandate that we are given is 'you shall be holy, even as I am holy'." [00:07:19]
"And from all eternity, God looks down at this race, knowing in advance of its corruption, of its fallenness, and is not willing that the fall should be the final chapter to creation. But rather out of this mass of fallen humanity, he determines by the great love wherewith he loves the world to redeem a portion of these people in Christ Jesus that they might be what mankind was destined to be in the first place, holy and without blame, before him in love." [00:08:13]
"One of the hardest concepts it is to communicate to people in our day is that man, in his normal, fallen nature, hates God. Not one person in a hundred who is an unbeliever will admit to that. They will say, 'Well, I'm indifferent', or 'I don't really believe in God', or 'I'm not against God', but the Biblical view of the natural state of fallen humanity is one of estrangement, of enmity, of hostility that beats within the heart of fallen man towards God." [00:09:22]
"But those who receive the grace of God's sovereign love love him back. That is, we love him, because he first loved us. And that's the power, or the triumph of his love that triumphs over our hostility, over our estrangement, and brings us back to himself in a posture and relationship of love. So we are chosen, in Christ, and we are to be presented before him in love, and listen in verse 5, 'having predestined us here now' to what? 'Adoption.'" [00:10:00]
"We are predestined to be adopted into the family of God. This is the beauty of this sovereign, electing love. It is a familial love. It is a love that reaches down to fallen enemies of God. As we saw before, this kind of love that David showed toward Mephibosheth, the love for the sake of Christ, God loves us, and adopts into his family." [00:10:56]
"One of the most frequent objections that people raise against the Biblical doctrine of election is the idea that God from all eternity decides to choose some people to be adopted, while passing over others. The normal complaint that Paul has to deal with in Romans 9 is that this indicates a certain injustice in God -- that God is unfair. But from all eternity he looks down and he sees a race of people, all who are opposed to him, estranged from him, who hate him, and some of these people receive his mercy, receive his grace." [00:12:26]
"The rest are passed over and receive justice. These people get exactly what they deserve, while these people receive mercy. And again, when Paul teaches that in Romans 9, he anticipates the common objection where people say, 'That's not fair', and Paul says, 'Is there unrighteousness in God? God forbid.' Because the assumption we make is this: that if all are guilty, and God decides to spare some, he must spare everybody." [00:13:16]
"And it is, in the next phrase, 'to the praise of the glory of his grace.' I've never met a person who believes the Biblical doctrine of election who sees that as a ticket or a license for arrogance. Some people think that that's what the response is -- we're saying, 'Well, I'm numbered among the elect. You know it must be.' Again, if you understand this doctrine, you understand you have absolutely nothing of which to boast." [00:20:00]
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