The Distilled Christian Life
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Intro
Intro
The biblical concept ofg the Elect can be a confusing and contravercial one.
But it is actually quite simple.
The bibvle tell us:
14 For many are called, but few are chosen.
God’s call to people is universal:
9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
However, not everyone who is called will respond by faith. The “elect” refer to those who are called AND to those who respond by faith to the call of God.
True called christians are God’s elect, howver those who cointine to live in disobediencve are those who NEGLECT their salvation.
Today we are goinmg to look at the charicterists of God’s elect and compare the attitude to the NEGLECT.
What is that elect Christian life?
Christianity is just 3 things:
Faith, Love and Hope.
But these are not just arbatary words thrown around, or words which make a sweet tatoo on your wrist.
They are specific words, with specific meanings and specific functions which remind us of sopecific Christian truths and fundimentals.
Faith, Love and Hope
Faith, Love and Hope
2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;
3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;
4 Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.
Tuyrns out that Faith, Love and Hope are the true, pure charicterists of God’s elect people.
God’s elect manifest:
1: Works of Faith
2: Lobours of Love
3: Patience of Hope
What are these 3 things?
1: Works of Faith
1: Works of Faith
What are works of faith?
Well, there is actually only 1 major work of faith, which manifests itself in other works of faith.. Simple hey?
Jesus told us exacally what this work is:
29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
The work of faith is simply to believe by faith in Jesus Christ.
But not just that he exists, even demons do that - it is to believe who he is and what he has done and what he is doing and what he is going to do.
The works of faith are place Jesus at the highest authority, under nothing, ruler over everything, king of all kings and Lord of all lords.
To have him as the Lord of your life and the Lord of Heaven and the Lord of all.
To know that he is the Alpha and Omega, the Author and Finisher.
The giver of life and sustainer of Life. The Lord who gives and the Lord who takes away.
Magesty on high, all powerful, all,knowiung, all present might of God.
6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Unless faith has worked this reality into you, you are not part of God’s elect.
God’s elect do not see God as a pal, a guru, a buddy, a life improver, a problem solver, a last resort.
We see Him for He is in His Power:
28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, That the everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Fainteth not, neither is weary? There is no searching of his understanding.
5 Great is our Lord, and of great power: His understanding is infinite.
3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, The moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him?
And we see Him for who He is on His Love:
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
The second Element of Pure Christianity:
2: The Labour of Love
2: The Labour of Love
When you know who God is and how much he loves you, the elects responce is to love God back.
19 We love him, because he first loved us.
But this is not just a passive love, in the same way as His love for us what not passive. He loves us so much that he acted on His love and send Jesus to save us - It was love in action.
So too, our love to Him must be love in action - that is why it is called a LABOUR of love.
What is this labour that we do towards God which is motivated by our love for Him?
Again, Jesus tells us exacally what it is:
15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Keeping the commands of God is a labour, buty it is not a labour of loathing, but a labour of Love. This is what sets the elect apart from the neglector.
An false convert sees God’s commandments and finds them heavy and hard and a pain:
“Church every sunday? Bible studes? a 10th of my salary? Oh no!”
But the elect see these as wonderful occasions to serve the living God.
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
To the elect they are challanging at times but always joyful.
The neglect says “Not church again!”
The Elect say:
1 I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.
The neglect says; “The bible can be so boring”
The Elect say:
47 And I will delight myself in thy commandments, Which I have loved.
48 My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved; And I will meditate in thy statutes.
The neglect says: “Im not going to give God a 10th of my money! No ways!
The elect say:
24 And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
This leds to the 3rd and final element of pure christianity:
3: The Patience of Hope
3: The Patience of Hope
Paul made it very clear:
19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
In other words, If Jesus is just for us here and now, then we will be the most misrible of all people.
But the promise of Jesus is NOT just for now.
He has given us a hope, a hope so wonderful that in God’s elect it manifests as patience.
If i say you can have R10 000 who wants it?
But what if iu say you can have R10 000 now or if you wait 1 year i will give you R1 000 000.
Who wojuld rather wait?
Exacally! The promise of the greater gives you patience to go without the R10 000 now for the greater later.
Well, Jesus has promised us the greater later - This is known as the Blessed Hope.
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
Jesus told us:
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
Heaven is our great promise and hope. Heaven is where all injustices, all pain, all sorrow, all suffering, all misery, all sickness, all loss, all depression, all hurt will be gone forever more!!
Life on earth in not easy. And many want God to give them a small, temparory easy life here and now. And when they dont they get impatient and angry with God.
But the elect, knowing that:
9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
Are pleased to be patient while they wait.
12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
Works Faith - Believing in God.
Labour of Love - Serving him gladley
Patience of Hope - Waiting on his return.
These are the distilled traits of any one of God’s elect people.