Satan's Disastrous Fall, Christ's Decisive Victory

Ezekiel 28:11 "Again the word of the Lord came to me saying, 'Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God....'".

Introduction:As we turn our attention today to Ezekiel 28, we will be looking at verses 11-19. Ezekiel 28 represents a series of prophecies against the nations of Tyre (28:1-19) and Sidon (28:20-24), with a final section promising the restoration of Israel at Messiah's (Christ's) return to earth. (28:25-26) The wider context prior to Ezekiel 28 shows an extended denouncement by God of Tyre, beginning all the way back in Ezekiel 26. It is important to consider the context because it provides the springboard into what will be the prophetic account of Satan’s disastrous fall.1 The King of Tyre here in Ezekiel's prophecy would had exhibited the traits of pride and violence, thus mimicking the cosmic, disastrous fall of Satan right after creation's completion.2 Undoubtedly Tyre was held responsible for introducing idolatry into Israel - most notably the worship of Baal, during the days of Ahab and Jezebel in 1 Kings 16. Fast- forwarding some 250 years later, the meteoric rise, unimaginable pride and polluted character of the King of Tyre in Ezekiel's day propels us into the text that speaks of an ancient disastrous fall of cosmic proportions - namely Satan's fall.


Satan's identity and disastrous fallAs we turn our attention to Ezekiel 28:11-19, we see a shift in scenery from the earthly to the heavenly. As already mentioned, God is using an earlier event to emphasize why it was he was proclaiming judgment against Tyre. The figure depicted in the text is called an "anointed cherub". Depending on how much we parallel Isaiah 14:12 with this text, the name "Lucifer" or "Star" is assigned to this angelic being. His activity in heaven would not only identify him as an angel, but a very powerful one and perhaps the greatest of God's angelic creations (or at least one of them). The late great W.A Criswell notes this about Lucifer: "Who is that Lucifer whose pride, whose beauty, whose wisdom lifted him up against God Almighty? The Book says: "Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth,' the one whose wings outstretched over God's creation and in whose beauty and wisdom and care, God gave the keeping of all His vast universe. In his pride and his beauty, he lifted up himself against God brought sin into heaven, brought sin into this world and destroyed God's beautiful creation." 3


From what we can gather, this grandest of Cherubim's fall was disastrous and tragic. This wondrous angel, created good by God, chose evil and thus became Satan. This disastrous fall is the first among the many subsequent judgments that God issues and will issue against Satan in scripture.4 In this particular disastrous fall, we can note the following details about him gathered from the text:


1. Master of Heavenly ceremonies. 28:11-15aWe know that Ezekiel is shifting gears by the wording of Ezekiel 28:11 "Again the word of the Lord came to me saying....". As you go down through the text, you see how Lucifer (or the anointed Cherub as deemed here in Ezekiel 28) was undoubtedly a master of ceremonies among the angels. The main verbs in the text tell us how wonderful God had made this amazing creature.


First, we see this master of ceremonies in regards to his perfection. 
Ezekiel 28:11 - “You had the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty...". The tragic tone is in what Lucifer, now Satan, "had". The original text brings out the fact that he had all these qualities as much as a creature could have. God spared no effort in his creation of this amazing angel. Among the firmament of heaven's hosts, Lucifer outshone them all. Whenever Lucifer led the proceedings of heaven's throngs, all eyes were on his leadership as he in turn directed all eyes to the uncreated God who gave each of them, including this former master of angelic ceremonies, the gift of life.


Then we see Satan in regards to the place he dwelt. 
Ezekiel 28:12 these words: "You were in Eden, the garden of God....". No doubt the earthly Eden had some type of heavenly counterpart, paradise of heaven as so termed by Jesus Himself to that thief on the cross in Luke 23:43. The Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:4 also speaks of this Heavenly paradise, the "third heaven". This was the former grand Cherub's home and his "tromping grounds" so to speak. Right now Satan is a transient visitor who at times appears before God, like He did throughout the Old Testament, to bring accusation (for that is what the name "Satan" means = accuser). However when God created Him, he was a perfect created being, at home in heaven.

Thirdly we see the position he once held          
Ezekiel 28:14 “You were the anointed cherub who covers....". By the wording in the original we gain the sense that Lucifer stood as a screen between the angels of God and the infinitely High and exalted Triune God. Though Lucifer was just as infinitely inferior to God as the rest of creation, nevertheless among the angelic orders, Lucifer was held in the highest esteem for his integrity, character and magnetic influence. This former Cherub’s mighty wings shielded the angelic choirs who sang their praises to the God of glory. His position was about as high as any created being could be.

Fourthly, we see this creature's former perfection.                                               
Ezekiel 28:15 “You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created until unrighteousness was found in you." He was, in the wording of the original language: sound, without flaw, complete in every respect, peerless, full in every creaturely way. Then that terrible word spells the beginning of the end, "until". Unrighteousness, evil, was chosen in the heart of the creature, by the creature. Lucifer began reflecting on his creaturely perfection, rather than God's infinite perfection. He choose the good over the supreme, and a rotteness, a void, a fissure appeared, and Lucifer chose to rebel.

This Master of Ceremonies, with unrighteousness being found in him, went headlong into his...

2. Massive Fall. 28:16-18This massive fall of disastrous proportions was motivated by....aggression (28:16); Absolute Selfishness (28:17) and Alluring rebellion (28:18; Revelation 12:4). Satan's belief was that he had somehow been cheated by God, even though God gave him, above all other created beings, the most beauty and most wonderful position any creature could have. We get a clue that this former grand anointed cherub believed God was holding out by the lies he speaks to Adam and his wife in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3:1-5. His aggression was fueled by his absolute selfishness. Evil's character is that of self-consumption. The more it gets, the more it wants. Evil in and of itself is not so much a substance as the absence thereof. Like a rotted place in a piece of fruit, or a shadow in an otherwise lit room, evil's dark flame consumed Satan (Ezekiel 28:18), and would soon consume 1/3 of the Angelic host in an alluring rebellion that ended in Lucifer's first disastrous fall. (Revelation 12:4)

The consequences of this massive fall would lead to....

3. Morbid outcomes.As you survey scripture, what morbid outcomes can we note? For sake of space and time we will note three main morbid outcomes of Satan's disastrous fall: 

a. Demonic realm or fallen angels (Jude 6; 2 Peter 2:4)
b. Fall of man (Genesis 3:1-14)
c. Curse (Romans 8:21-25

But that's not where the Bible ends. Remember, this all took place at the beginning, right after the creation week. God's plan and purposes for His creation were not frustrated. Why? Because God had already planned for....

4. Christ's Decisive victory 

Thanks be to God, Satan's disastrous fall did not render God's will frustrated and mankind without hope. Indeed, Lucifer, who became Satan and those angels who rebelled with him forever sealed their doom. However Christ would come to win a decisive victory that would aim specifically at the morbid outcomes of Satan's disastrous fall.

1. Defeated the darkness. Colossians 2:11-15
2. Delivers by grace all who by grace through faith believe on Him. Ephesians 2:11-12
3. Reverses the curse. 

Because of what Christ did, the disastrous fall of Satan did not frustrate God's will. Christ's decision to come to this earth in His incarnation eternally prefaced creation and was an agreement He, The Father and the Spirit worked out as the One glorious God. (Ephesians 1:11) How do we know that Christ's victory on the cross and at the empty tomb truly accomplished the decisive victory? Because the promise God gives to Israel in Ezekiel 28:25-26 will take place at Christ's second coming. Unless Christ had been victorious in His first coming, there would had been no basis for God promising Israel's restoration at His second coming. If God's will for Israel will succeed (and it will), then we know that His promises of redemption for His people in the here and now are not frustrated. Satan's defeat at Calvary spells his eternal destruction.

Endnotes:

1. The great commentator Albert Barnes notes: "The prophecy against the prince of Tyre. Throughout the east the majesty and glory of a people were collected in the person of their monarch, who in some nations was worshipped as a god. The prince is here the embodiment of the community. Their glory is his glory, their pride his pride. The doom of Tyre could not be complete without denunciation of the prince of Tyre. Idolatrous nations and idolatrous kings were, in the eyes of the prophet, antagonists to the true God. In them was embodied the principle of evil opposing itself to the divine government of the world."                                 

2. According to history and scripture, Ithabaal I (or Ethbaal I) was the father of Jezebel, the wicked queen who married Ahab in 1 Kings 16:30-31. Much later on another King, Ithbaal III, ruling in the days of Ezekiel's prophecy. The pride of Tyre and the wickedness that ensured from its history came to shape its place in God's program of judging the nations in Ezekiel's prophecy against it in Ezekiel 26-28. Tyre had carried the traits of pride and foolishness throughout its existence in antiquity and experienced repeated falls, never learning from its errors. Little wonder that God, in His providence, finds Tyre's propensities as being similar to those of the enemy of our souls and his ongoing efforts to rebel.
3. W.A Criswell. Expository Sermon's on Revelation - Volume 3. Zondervan. 1961. Page 49. Sixteenth Printing. 1982

4. These subsequent falls or defeats of Satan will be covered in future messages. For reference sake I will list them with their respective scriptures:

a). Disastrous fall at creation: Ezekiel 28 (Isaiah 14?)b). Disabled in Christ's earthy ministry: Luke 10:18
c). Defeated at the cross: Colossians 2:11-15; Hebrews 2:14-15; 1 John 3:8
d). Decisive outcasting during Tribulation. Isaiah 14:12-23 (Ezekiel 28?); John 12:31; Revelation 12:7-17; 13:1-15:8
e). Debilitated at the Millennium (Revelation 20:1-3)
f). Destroyed eternally in Lake of fire (Revelation 20:7-10)

God sits on The Throne - Revelation 4:1-6

Revelation 4:1-2 After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.” 2 Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne."

Introduction:
How much does it comfort you to know that your life is not pointless and random? Commentator Sam Hamstra Jr. writes the following helpful comments about Revelation 4 - "John provides a vision that affirms the Sovereignty of God, who holds the affairs of the world in His hands. This vision serves as a postscript to the previous vision and a prelude to all the follows." He later writes: "Yet, no matter what the church endures on earth, it should never forget that God is Sovereign. In the midst of trial, the church should gaze on the One who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords".1 The Sovereignty of God is the headliner doctrine of this text.  As Christians, we believe that the universe, life and humanity is not governed by pointless chance, but by the Sovereign God Who governs with a pointed purpose. John quite simply under the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit sees in prophetic vision "One sitting on the Throne". (Revelation 4:2)2  This gives us the chief central focus and title of today's post: "God sits on His throne". As we focus our attention on what exactly is happening around God's throne, and why this scene is both meaningful and practical to our application of the book of Revelation, we will use the acrostic "s.i.t" to draw out three comforting truths that derive from knowing that God sits on His throne:

1. Sovereign Savior occupies the throne. 4:1-2
The first two verses of Revelation 4 give us the identity of the One Who is on the Throne.  Two phrases are key to our understanding of this opening sequence in Revelation 4:1-2. The first is where John states in Revelation 4:1 -  "and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet."  Who was addressing John? Thankfully the Book of Revelation has its own built in interpretive system.  When we turn back to Revelation 1:9-10 we read - "I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet." John saw the Savior, Jesus Christ, in His ascended glory in Revelation 1.  Jesus Christ, the Savior and His church, became John's focus in Revelation 1-3. How appropriate to begin this second sequence of Revelation 4-5 with the voice of the Savior summoning John to come and behold "what must take place after these things". 

Jesus the Savior will become more of the focus in Revelation 5, being that He is seated in equal glory at the right hand of the One Who is the focus of the second important phrase in these verses: "The One sitting on the Throne" in Revelation 4:2. Who is this "One"? The Sovereign Father, the First Person of the Triune God. When the text says that He is the One "sitting on the throne", that is in reference to God as Sovereign. Sovereignty is God's comprehensive authority over all peoples, places and times. God reigns Sovereignly not only over every place and space but time itself. He is Sovereign over the now and the future. Revelation 4-5 overlaps the present age depicted in Revelation 1-3 and previews the ending of history and the age to come in Revelation 6-22.  Daniel 2:21 reminds us - “It is He who changes the times and the epochs;He removes kings and establishes kings;
He gives wisdom to wise men. And knowledge to men of understanding." God rules over all places and times from His throne. The term "throne" speaks of the seat of His authority.  For example, when we speak of the City of Idabel, it is referred to as the "county seat" of McCurtain county. In other words, the center of the governmental affairs of our county is located in Idabel. John here is seeing in vision the Divine seat, throne of the universe. How Sovereign is God on His throne? Jeremiah 17:12 for instance - "A glorious throne on high from the beginning." Isaiah 57:15 gives us the comfort of God's Sovereignty - "For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, “I dwell on a high and holy place, And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit In order to revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of the contrite."  And so the Father is the focus of Revelation 4:2, and the Son is the One referred to in 4:1.  

So now in what way is John is seeing the Father and Son Who are the One God, the One Sovereign Savior? We must be reminded that though John is seeing the Son and the Father, He is seeing One God. To say the Father is Sovereign is to also say the Son is Sovereign, since both share the same fully Divine nature. Hebrews 8:1 states - "Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens." Jesus Himself had to remind His disciples in John 14:9 "Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?" The Father is called "The Savior" in the sense that He is the source and planner of salvation. (Isaiah 43:10-11; 2 Corinthians 5:15-21; Ephesians 1:3-6)  1 John 5:20 tells us why we can say that in seeing the Father and the Son, John is seeing the Sovereign Savior who is One: "And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life."  

Though you and I may not be able to comprehend the Triune God in all His Sovereign glory, nevertheless it is our job as Christians and readers of Revelation to find comfort in knowing God is on the throne.  This Sovereign God is the Father of every child of God. It is He Who authored salvation and planned by His grace definite opportunities for sinners to believe and be saved. This Sovereign God is also the Son who accomplished salvation and purchased forgiveness to be applied to everyone who by the Spirit's convicting work believes on Him.  
So John's vision of God sitting on the throne beholds the Sovereign Savior.  But notice secondly how this Sovereign Savior, on His throne...

2. Interracts with His saints. 4:3-4
When you read Revelation 4:3-4, two particular ways of interaction between God and His saints are depicted.  

God interacts by clear promises
First, we note that there is a rainbow around the throne. Now when you search the scriptures concerning the meaning of rainbows, you discover that they are connected to God's promises.  Genesis 9:16 is the first mention of a rainbow, connected to God's promise that He would never again destroy the world with a flood.  Isaiah 54:9, pointing back to that promise made to Noah, reiterates God's promise and pledges to His people. 2 Peter 1:3-4 says this of God's promises - "For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust." At least 8,000 promises exist in the Bible, awaiting our interaction with the Sovereign Savior who made them.  The colors which John sees associated with the rainbow around the throne reveals an additional truth: that these promises are ever associated with Jesus.  How so? The colors and the stones mentioned correspond to the stones and colors worn by Israel's High Priest. The emerald stone in particular was the stone used to represent the Tribe of Judah from whence Christ is humanly descended.  All of God's promises are confirmed in Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 1:8) We also see a second way in which God is interacting with His saints around the throne, namely....

God interacts through Christ's righteousness
Revelation 4:4 states - "Around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads."
These 24 elders are most likely representative of the Old and New Testament saints. Other scriptures speak of 24 orders of priests and singers representing Israel in 1 Chronicles 24-25, as well as 12 patriarchs or sons of Jacob and the 12 apostles of Jesus. These 24 elders are representative, are human beings, and depict for the reader the activities Christians are and will be doing around God's throne.  The robes in the passage speaks of the righteousness of Jesus Christ that is credited to every sinner who by grace through faith believes on Jesus Christ. (Romans 4:3; Revelation 7:13-14) God's interaction with the saints, both here on earth and in heaven, is by way of Christ's credited righteousness.  The crowns that we see on the heads of the saints represent the rewards they acquired in exercising their practical righteousness in this life.  The practical righteousness exercised by the Christian is experientially based upon the credited righteousness of Jesus Christ. Five such crowns are mentioned in scripture, standing for various acts of faithfulness done by Christian's in sanctification following their conversion.3  God is the Sovereign Savior who interacts with His saints and Who desires their interaction. Whether we are speaking of the church triumphant in Heaven or the church militant here on earth, we ought to be about making our relationship with the Sovereign God the chiefest of priorities. Heaven will be highly interactive.  As powerful as the Sovereign Savior is over His people, He is also very Personable. So when we say God is sitting on His throne, we are speaking of the Sovereign God, who interacts with His saints and Who does so by the testimony of the Spirit.

3. Testimony of the Spirit. 4:5-6
We have seen the Sovereign Savior on the throne and we have witnessed His interaction with saints around the throne, and now John is going to focus upon the One Who is bearing testimony of these things proceeding out from the throne. The thunderings and lightenings bring back to mind the wonderous visions of God witnessed by Moses and the Israelites on Mount Sinai or the visions witnessed by Isaiah and Ezekiel. The phrase of interest in this text is where John sees "seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirit's of God." Again we turn to Revelation itself to understand what exactly John is meaning, as well as scripture.  First, the terms "seven lamps" and "seven spirits" are closely linked, being that John saw the churches to which he wrote as represented by the lamps, with the Holy Spirit speaking seven times in each of the seven letters to the seven churches. (compare Revelation 1:20). We furthermore know that the "seven spirits" is most likely referring to the "seven-fold" character of the Holy Spirit due to Isaiah's seven-fold description of the Spirit in Isaiah 11:2 as being connected closely to the ministry of Christ. Christ of course is the One showing John this vision. The Spirit's role in scripture is to make known to Christians the Person and work of the Son. John 16:13 states - "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come."  Just as a physical thunder and lightening storm causes us to rush to the windows to look up into the sky to see what is happening, the Spirit's role is to get the saints of God to look up to the throne of the Sovereign Savior with Whose glory He equally shares. The Spirit's testimony is truly the testimony about Jesus Christ, the focal point of all prophecy. (Revelation 19:10)  Were it not for the Holy Spirit constantly speaking through the scriptures, you and I would not know who God is, nor His Son. As Professor Mark McClellan 
writes concerning relating to the Father, Son and Spirit: "to know Christ is to know the Father and to know the Spirit is to know the Son, and thus the Father."4 Truly the Holy Spirit is the One who bears witness to the Christian about all the great things of God and His Word. (1 Corinthians 2:10-13) As John is writing under the Spirit's Divine Inspiration, the same Spirit superintending the writing of Revelation is the Same Spirit who eternally proceeds from the throne, pointing the way to the Sovereign Savior, who interacts with His saints by the Spirit's testimony. 

Endnotes:
1. Stanley Gundry., Series Editor; C. marvin pate, General Editor., Sam Hamstra. Four Views on the Book of Revelation. Zondervan. 1998. Page 103

2. The word "throne" dominates this section of Revelation 4:1-6, appearing seven times in five verses, with one commentator noting that the word "throne" appears some 47 times in Revelation.  

3. Those crowns are: Imperishable crown, given to all Christians in 1 Corinthians 9:25; the crown of life or martyr's crown in Rev. 2:10; the pastor's crown or crown of glory in 1 Peter 5:4-5; the crown for those looking forward to His appearing in 2 Timothy 4:8 and finally, the soul-winner's crown in 1 Thessalonians 2:19. 

4. Mark McClellan is the Dean of Hershel H. Hobbs College of Theology and Ministry, and Professor of Theology and Missions at OBU.

A Biblical survey of Election - 2 John & Revelation

2 John 1:1 "The elder to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in truth; and not only I, but also all who know the truth."

We will be bringing our Biblical survey of Sovereign election to a close today as we consider what the Apostle John teaches in his letters and the book of Revelation.  There are over 100 texts throughout scripture that speak on the subject of God's elective purpose of grace.  In this study we have discovered the following five truths:

1. Election's purpose - Godliness
2. Election's motive - God's love
3. Election's targets - helpless people
4. Election's blessing - comfort
5. Election's timing - Eternity

We have also labored to understand that when the Bible speaks about the subject of Sovereign election, it also teaches the responsibility of every person to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and repent of their sins.  The scripture clearly teaches that anyone who rejects the Gospel does so of their own choice. Likewise anyone who trusts in Jesus does so because of God's elective purpose of grace.  As the Baptist Faith and Message notes: "Election is the gracious purpose of God, according to which He regenerates, justifies, sanctifies, and glorifies sinners. It is consistent with the free agency of man, and comprehends all the means in connection with the end. It is the glorious display of God's sovereign goodness, and is infinitely wise, holy, and unchangeable. It excludes boasting and promotes humility."

What John has to say about God's elective purpose
2 John 1:1 refers to the church he wrote as the "elect lady".  Depending upon which interpretation on takes, whether she be an individual lady who was elected or a church full of elected people, the point is that John uses this description of God's people.  We can by this point include the entire counsel of God's word in stating what John is saying here in 2 John.

In Revelation 17:14 stands as quite possibly the final mention of the word "chosen" in the Bible.  John writes in Revelation 17:14 "These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.” Why would John make mention about the Christian's sovereign election? Again to bring comfort to a people who were under persecution and pressure.  In that final passage we see mentioned together the doctrines of Sovereign election and the Christian's free moral decision making - i.e faithful.  Though God has chosen the Christian unto salvation and godliness, yet it is at the same time the Christian's responsibility to live out the Godly life. (Galatians 2:20; Philippians 1:6; 2:12-13)  

Conclusion
As we draw our study to a close, we have discovered, in the course of surveying the entire Bible's treatment on Sovereign election, the following five truths and crucial observation:

1. Election's purpose - Godliness
2. Election's motive - God's love
3. Election's targets - helpless people
4. Election's blessing - comfort
5. Election's timing - Eternity

The crucial observation of course has been that only God can design a salvation wherein there is no contradiction between Sovereign election and human responsibility in salvation.  This means then that election does not quench the need for evangelism, but only heightens it, since God ordains the ends and has so included the means (soul-winning Christians) to accomplish His ends.  May we be faithful to go forth in obedience in the domain of the Spirit's sanctifying work and Christ's finished work and bring glory to King Jesus - the purpose for which God chose believers in His Son. (Ephesians 2:8-10)

Biblical Survey of Election - 1 Peter

1 Peter 1:1 "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen".

Review
Over the past couple of days we have covered much ground in our biblical survey of the doctrine of Sovereign election.  The Baptist Faith & Message notes: "Election is the gracious purpose of God, according to which He regenerates, justifies, sanctifies, and glorifies sinners. It is consistent with the free agency of man, and comprehends all the means in connection with the end. It is the glorious display of God's sovereign goodness, and is infinitely wise, holy, and unchangeable. It excludes boasting and promotes humility."  We truly can agree with the BFM 2000's last statement of how Sovereign election is a truth that humbles.  Election gives no room for boasting.  Among the five main headings that we have discovered in summarizing the doctrine of election, the blessing of election, being that of comfort, defines Peter's mention of the doctrine in 1 Peter.  In today's post we aim to understand Peter's use of Sovereign election.

Comparing Peter and Paul in their treatment of election.

1 Peter 1:1-2 has Peter diving into the deep end of the theological pool.  Why would Peter begin his letter by opening with the doctrine of election? Because he knows that election's blessing brings comfort to the Christian. In 1 Peter 5:14 we see the purpose of the letter aimed at urging Christians to stand firm in their faith. It is instructive to compare Peter in 1 Peter 1:1-2 and Paul in Ephesians 1 to see what they teach about election:

a. Both begin their respective letters with the doctrine of election, Paul in Ephesians 1:4 and Peter in 1 Peter 1:1.

b. Both use election as a source of comfort for Christians, with Paul using it to urge his readers to walk worthy of their calling in Ephesians 4:1 and Peter urging his readers to endure persecution in 1 Peter 1:6-7.

c. Election and its purpose of godliness (predestination) and motive (love or foreknowledge) are mentioned in both texts. 

What Peter teaches on election in His letter
Whenever you look at 1 Peter 1:1-2, you discover that Peter is discussing most if not all of the major themes of election found in the Bible.

a. Election's targets: Helpless people. 1 Peter 1:1
The people to whom Peter wrote were "scattered" and "aliens" throughout the regions of Asia and beyond.  God had searched out each one of the people Whom He aimed to call, and convict unto salvation.  I find it interesting that some of those provinces were people groups present at Peter's first sermon in Acts 2 as well as areas were the Apostle Paul had preached (i.e Galatia).  God had more people to reach in the over 30,000 square mile region to which Peter wrote.  God once again was giving these people another chance and He indicated that others who were chosen had responded in saving faith to the Gospel.  

b. Election's motive: God's love. 1 Peter 1:2
Much like what we saw in Romans 8:29 yesterday, foreknowledge is the basis for God's electing grace.  Foreknowledge, if you will recall, could also be just as easily translated "foreloving".  God chose to set His affection upon those who dwelled in the areas whom Peter wrote.  Every Chrisitan can say they have been loved by God from all eternity, even though they may had believed only a few days, months or years prior.

c. Election's purpose: Godliness. 1 Peter 1:2
Peter writes in 1 Peter 1:2 "according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood...". What is the "sanctifying work of the Spirit" and "sprinkling of blood" referring to in Peter's text? As John MacArthur points out, both refer to the sphere in which God's electing purpose becomes a true reality in a person's life in saving faith.  Unless the Spirit has set apart a person to be called and convicted to believe, no process of sanctification will occur.  Election is the work of the Father wherein the work of the cross took place, which in turn is the grounds for the believer's salvation in saving faith.   
We know that Peter is looking at election as being the driving force behind the Christian's growth in godliness due to what he writes in 1 Peter 2:9 "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."

Election's Blessings: Comfort.  1 Peter 1:2
Peter states at the end of 1 Peter 1:2 "May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure."  As we already mentioned prior, Peter utilizes election to bring comfort to Christians who were suffering persecution.  Being that they were chosen by God, that meant they were being kept by God and had access to all the blessings of grace and peace. 

Election's timing: Eternity.  1 Peter 1:1-2
This final observation is reinforced by what we already saw in our comparison of Peter with Paul.  Whenever you see words like "election' and "foreknowledge" in 1 Peter 1:1-2, you can assume they are referring to choices God made in eternity as Paul states in Romans 8:28-30 and Ephesians 1:1-5. 

Conclusion
As we have surveyed Peter's teaching on election, we discover that there is perfect unity with that of Paul as well as the rest of scripture. We saw the five main truths of election are taught in 1 Peter like they are in Paul and the other sections of God's Word.  

more tomorrow........

A Biblical survey of Election - Paul's letters

Romans 8:28 "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."

Review
We have explored what the Bible teaches on God's elective purpose of grace through the writings of Moses, the prophets, the words of Jesus in the Gospels and the Apostles' preaching in the Book of Acts.  We have discovered five main headings that we can use to summarize the Bible teaching on election:

1. Election's purpose: Godliness
2. Election's motive: God's love
3. Election's targets: Helpless people
4. Election's timing: Eternity
5. Election's blessings: Comfort

We also have noted that the doctrine of election in the Bible in no way conflicts or is at odds with the Biblical teaching of man's responsibility to believe and repent in salvation. 
Perhaps no other writer in scripture gives us as much detail on the subject of election as the Apostle Paul.  Thus in today's post we will survey what God has to say about Sovereign election in the Apostle Paul's writings.

A survey of the places where Paul deals with the doctrine of election
You cannot help but notice how much Paul talks about election in His letters.  A quick survey of some of the more major sections of His letters to reveal the amount of space he devoted to the subject:

1. Romans 8:28-30; 9:14-15; 11:17
2. 1 Corinthians 1:27-28
3. Galatians 1:15
4. Ephesians 1:1-13
5. Colossians 3:12
6. 1 Thessalonians 1:4
7. 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14
8. 1 Timothy 5:21
9. 2 Timothy 2:10
10. Titus 1:1 

Out of the thirteen letters attributed to Paul, 10 mention the doctrine of election.  An entire blog series could be devoted to the Apostle Paul's teaching on election.  For sake of space we will need to confine today's post to one passage that gives clear and additional detail to this teaching: Romans 8:28-30.  As you will soon see, all five of the headings we have discovered in having surveyed over 100 passages on election in scripture are contained in Romans 8:28-30.

1. Election's Blessing: Comfort  Romans 8:28
Romans 8:28 notes - "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."   How does Paul know that all things will work together for the good? He knows so because of what is to follow, namely the unfolding of the revelation on God's Sovereign election.  Election's chief practical point is to bring comfort to the Christian who is doubting, being persecuted or hurting.  But notice also...

2. Election's motive: God's love.  Romans 8:29
Romans 8:29a states: 29 "For those whom He foreknew....".  God's foreknowledge in salvation could just as easily be translated "foreloved".  How so? The word "know" in the word "foreknow" is the same word that Genesis 4:1 uses to describe Adam "knowing" his wife Eve or in Deuteronomy 7:7-8 and Amos 3:2 where God's "loving" of Israel above all nations and "knowing" of Israel above all nations can be equated.  1 Corinthians 8:3 states - "but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him." 1 John 4:19 says similar words: "We love, because He first loved us."  The link between God's foreknowledge of the believer and Eternal love for the believer is unmistakable.

3. Election's purpose: Godliness  Romans 8:29
Paul writes on in Romans 8:29 - "For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren."  Predestination is often the subject of hot debate among Christians.  However when considered in Paul's "golden chain" of salvation, predestination has to do with God purposing to make those whom He has chosen into the image of His Son.  As we have noted this whole time, election's main purpose is the godliness of the Christian.  Predestination in the original Greek literally pictures someone drafting out an architectural plan or drawing out a horizon line. God literally planned every trial and triumph for the Christian that would forward their growth in Christ likeness, doing all without taking away the means of their growth: Bible reading, prayer and church attendance.

4. Election's Target's: Helpless people  8:30
Romans 8:30 states: "and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified."  Throughout the book of Romans we are told that while we were yet sinner's, Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:6-8)  Ephesians 2:1-4 and 2:12 underscores the fact the all sinners, were helpless, without God and sons of disobedience and children of wrath.  Unless grace had intervened, no one would be saved.  God's foreknowledge (fore-loving) is the source of election, which in turn leads to predestination, which in turn leads to the Spirit's calling.  When does justification occur? According to Romans 4:3, justification occurs at the moment of saving faith. 

Again we repeat that Sovereign election does not negate, but rather includes the response of faith, being that faith is a Divine gifting that in turn is received to be a definite response of trust in Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 2:8-9) In a text that is heavy on doctrines such as election, foreknowledge and predestination, Paul is quick to remind the reader that justification by faith is part and parcel of God's ordained plan of salvation.   

5. Election's timing: Eternity  Romans 8:30
Romans 8:30-31 states - "and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?"  So when does that last stage of "glorification" occur? When every believer is presented faultless and blameless before His throne with exceed joy. (Jude 24-25) God's elective purpose conceives of our salvation from the end back to the beginning.  What Paul has done is literally summarize how it is that salvation stretches from eternity unto eternity.  Such truth is also comforting, which is what prompts Paul to write what he writes in Romans 8:31-32.  

Conclusion
We have sketched out today how election is treated and discussed by the Apostle Paul in his letters.  By focusing on Romans 8:28-32 we saw all five of the headings we have discovered thus far in this study:

1. Election's purpose: Godliness
2. Election's motive: God's love
3. Election's targets: Helpless people
4. Election's timing: Eternity
5. Election's blessings: Comfort

More tomorrow....