The election of Jesus Christ, part 3; Logistical grace; John 15:16.

Title: The election of Jesus Christ, part 3; Logistical grace; John 15:16.

 

Imagine a great king, and I mean great in every way. He rules his kingdom with grace, he is fair, just, and he always makes right decisions concerning his subjects. If there are criminal acts he acts swiftly with justice, yet he is compassionate; where criminals are falsely accused he reigns in fairly and that is the best part of his day. He is the most wealthy, the most powerful man alive, and as such he always does things right and fair. He has built the most powerful military the world has ever seen. It’s amazing. It has big weapons and small and all of his army work in a fashion that could only be found in those who practice over and over and over. Whomever are under him find that they are the most blessed people in history. No need for balance of power, no need for a constitution, He is a man of integrity in every way. His kingdom will prosper.

 

Many have tried to do this, but no one in history ever has because no one ever had the ability or power, not even satan who had the best shot at it as God’s greatest creature. Many have followed men who have promised all of this, and yet they go down in history as failures and unknowns.

 

Imagine, One did actually pull it off. A great king in every way who rules His kingdom with grace and truth. Now, imagine that you are His first born, boy or girl, making you the heir to all things.

You were given every help. You were given position by royalty, tutors, instruction, protection, and even a get out of jail card as the sondaughter of the king. There is an inheritance, a calling on your life that is just right there; you only have to reach up and take it.

 

This was all planned for your before you were even born. This is your election, but it is based on your father’s success, therefore you have the opportunity to share in his election that he earned.

 

Can you gain it or fulfill it? No, you already have it.

 

EPH 1:3 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,

 

EPH 1:4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him.

 

If you just live the normal Christian way of life, all of God’s desire for you is realized. It’s actually a no-brainer. It’s already given to you; it’s yours; and the doctrine given has shown it to you. You’re the prince or the princess who has all things given and all you have to do is to follow the way, not perfectly, but choose for it yourself.

 

When you believed in Christ this immediately became your perfect and obvious destiny. It’s in Him, with Him, and friendship with Him.

 

You don’t fulfill your election, Christ already fulfilled it, you only throw it away, discard it, ignore it, or become apathetic towards it.

 

The fulfillment of your election is completely yours if you just be a normal Christian; a follower of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

 

1 Cor 3:10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But let each man be careful how he builds upon it.

 

1 Cor 3:11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

 

1 Cor 3:12 Now if any man builds upon the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,

 

1 Cor 3:13 each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is to be revealed with fire; and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work.

 

1 Cor 3:14 If any man's work which he has built upon it remains, he shall receive a reward.

 

1 Cor 3:15 If any man's work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire.

 

 

1. The election of Christ is the salvation plan of God and is the only basis for the other two elections.

 

The humanity of Christ is the only person ever elected by God. Israel shares in His election in one way and the Church-age believer shares in His election in a greater way.

 

2. Christ was elected in eternity past. 1 Peter 1:13; ACT 2:23; MIC 5:2; PSA 90:2; ISA 9:6.

 

3. The beginning of His election in time is through the virgin birth, ISA 7:14; PSA 2:7.

 

4. Christ is the unique one of the universe: COL 1:15-20.

 

No one is like Him, not in the Trinity or in angel or human. He is the unique One and He has been elected to fulfill the victory of this seemingly impossible situation amongst God and His creatures.

 

5. All of history centers on and depends on the election of the Lord Jesus Christ, ISA 42:1-4.

 

ISA 42:1 "Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold;

My chosen one in whom My soul delights.

I have put My Spirit upon Him;

God the Father sustained the humanity of God the Son during the first advent.

 

This means that God the Father sent God the Holy Spirit to indwell the humanity of Christ during the period of His incarnation. In other words:

 

Jesus Christ did not depend upon His divine attributes during His first advent; He depended upon the ministry of the HS and therefore set the pattern for our dependence upon the HS in the Church Age.

 

ISA 42:1d He will bring forth justice to the nations [the cross as well as the Second Advent as well as the GWTJ].

 

ISA 42:2 "He will not cry out or raise His voice [trials],

Nor make His voice heard in the street [carrying His cross].

 

ISA 42:3 "A bruised reed He will not break,

And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish;

 

The bruised reed about to snap off and the dimly burning wick about to go out each refer to fallen mankind - weak and without energy.

 

ISA 42:3c He will faithfully bring forth justice [the cross is the basis for justification].

 

ISA 42:4 "He will not be disheartened or crushed,

Until He has established justice in the earth;

And the coastlands [Gentiles] will wait expectantly for His law."

 

He will not become weak or without energy until justice has been accomplished through His cross, which is a prophecy of His logistical grace support.

 

Notice the phrase “Until He has established.”

Election cannot be fulfilled if predestination cannot be completed. The plan of God for your life must be completed in order for you to realize the fullness of your election; therefore, logistical grace support becomes a major factor in election. This is true for all three elections. Israel cannot fulfill her election if a remnant is not preserved in every generation. Your election cannot be fulfilled if you perish before the time. Christ had to be sustained logistically after His birth, during His childhood, at the start and end of His ministry, and most importantly, while He hung on the cross until every sin was imputed to Him. He even had to be sustained a small time after it was finished so that He could give up His own spirit into the hands of the Father.

 

6. Jesus Christ was sustained by the Father’s logistical grace support throughout the entire first Advent.

 

Logistical grace: A military term referring to a constant supply of needed materials to the front line in battle. Beans and bullets.

 

In the plan of God, God promises to sustain the believer’s needs in time until he fulfills the plan of God. This is promised to winner and loser believers’ alike.

 

Logisitical grace is also known as providence. God has provided and will provide so that all that has been decreed will come to a conclusion, all being sustained by His power.

 

The only thing that can stop this flow of needs is the sin unto death.

 

Logistical grace includes: Food, water, air, shelter, warmth, clothes, transport, GHS, a Bible, a local church, and a pastor teacher.