Playlist: God's Election (topic)
The Sovereignty of God (Part Seven)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughGod's election is a profound demonstration of His sovereignty, as seen in Acts 13:48, where only those appointed to eternal life believed. This appointment, or ordination, signifies that God has adapted or set certain individuals in a specific order for eternal life, a process involving predestination, justification, and …
The Sovereignty of God (Part Six)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughGod's election is a profound demonstration of His sovereignty over all creation. He determines who comes into contact with His grace, each person in their own order, as ordained by the Sovereign Creator. It is not by our own doing that we are chosen, but by the grace of God that we are made to differ spiritually. What we have, …
Boundaries, Incursions, Migrations, and God (Part Two)
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)God's election stands at the center of the relationship between Himself and mankind. Estrangement began when Adam and Eve refused to believe what God says about Himself, about man, about sin, about death, and about the direction of human life. This refusal continues because man insists he can initiate contact with God through …
The Faithfulness of God (Part Three)
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)God's election originates in heavenly places in Christ, where He chose believers before the foundation of the world to be holy and without blame before Him in love and predestined them to adoption as sons according to the good pleasure of His will. This choice establishes the source of all spiritual blessings and sets the …
The Faithfulness of God (Part Two)
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)God elects individuals according to His own sovereign choice alone, establishing an unchanging pattern that begins with Abraham, whom He alone elected and called. He then elected Isaac rather than Ishmael, making Isaac the child of promise, and elected Jacob over Esau while both were still in the womb, ensuring that nothing …
Free Will or God's Sovereignty?
Sermon by David C. GrabbeGod's election is presented as a deliberate act of divine sovereignty in which the Father chose specific individuals for salvation before the foundation of the world. He selected them in Christ to become holy and without blame, predestining them according to the good pleasure of His will and the counsel of His purpose. This …
Living by Faith: God's Grace (Part Three)
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Grace implies empowerment for growth. It is the single most important aspect of our salvation, and His giving of it is completely unmerited on our part.
The Faithfulness of God (Part One)
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)God has a very real concern for us, promising to never leave us. We have to strongly believe in His faithfulness to build a relationship with Him.
Why Is God Doing This, This Way?
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)We must learn to see ourselves and our function as God sees us—as a distinct, unique entity, a holy people, a special treasure.
Facing Times of Stress: When God is Silent (Part Four)
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsPaul demonstrated inner peace during turmoil, showing consistency in times of instability and faith in God during persecution, fulfilling the role God gave him.
God's Workmanship (Part 1)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughGod's creation did not end with the physical creation or our election, but God continues to work, giving us the motivation and the power to do His will.
What Is Your Calling Worth?
Sermonette by Richard T. RitenbaughGod specifically chooses those He wants to be part of Christ's Body according to his purpose. It is a holy calling according to His purpose and grace.
Our Precious Calling
Sermonette by James BeaubelleGod has ordained that His chosen grow while residing in an environment of transience and corruption created by Satan and perpetuated by those rejecting God.
Recognizing Our Obligation
Sermonette by Richard T. RitenbaughHow different would our lives be if God had not called us? God's intervention in our lives improved their quality exponentially, and we must respond in kind.
The Vessels of Wrath
Sermonette bySometimes we see God as unfair, but when we remember that we are worthy of death, we understand that God has demonstrated far more mercy than harshness.
Maintaining Good Health (Part 6)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughWe can do nothing to gain the favor of God before our calling, but we are empowered by God to carry out a particular part of His plan to edify the body.
Limited Atonement
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughThe prospect of atonement and salvation is available to everybody, but only those called by the Father—not by an evangelical altar call—are eligible.
Faith and the Christian Fight (Part Six)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughGod's calling is personal and individual rather than general, opening otherwise closed minds, replacing spiritual blindness with spiritual understanding.
Elements of Motivation (Part Five)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughWe can become energized and motivated by our high calling and summons to do the will of God, seeing how vitally important we are to God's purpose.
Faith and the Christian Fight (Part Two)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughEverything that we go through has been engineered by God. We are His workmanship, created for good works, a response to the faith He has given us.
Deuteronomy (Part 2) (1994)
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. RitenbaughDeuteronomy, which is to be reviewed every seven years, provides us with vision and instruction for living in our spiritual Promised Land.
The Doctrine of Israel (Part Nine): Romans 11
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughPaul poses two questions in Romans 11: Has God discarded Israel for all time? Will God graft physical Israel into the Covenant people of Abraham?
Belief with Obedience
Sermon by John O. ReidCatholics and Protestants, because of lack of belief, do not find the Bible a sufficient guide to salvation. They claim to believe Christ, yet disobey.
Abraham (Part Four)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughAbraham is the only biblical character singled out as a type of God the Father. He is also the only one to be called 'friend of God,' and is a good model.
Don't Be a Prudent Agnostic
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughSome of us, facing the stress of the times, may simply be going through the motions but losing every vestige of faith. We must strengthen our convictions.
Psalm 51 (Part Two): Psalm 51:1-4
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughThe phrase, 'a man after God's own heart' modifies God rather than David's carnal character. God chose David because He discerned a heart He could work with.
Our Hope
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Our hope is based on having a living Savior. At times we are discouraged and overwhelmed, but God has not left us—though unseen, He is in the trials with us.
Who Deserves Our Loyalties?
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)When we are called, we are asked to count the cost and plan accordingly. We must totally give ourselves over to becoming fashioned into His image.
Unity (Part 3): Ephesians 4 (A)
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. RitenbaughGod alone chooses the servants through whom He works His will. Sometimes the rationale God uses for selecting His vessels defies worldly wisdom.
Many Are Called, But Few Are Chosen (Part One)
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsJesus Christ warns us to hold fast to true doctrine. Secular historians help us discover the identity of the small flock repeatedly rescued from apostasy.
Deuteronomy Opening
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe book of Deuteronomy is addressed to the Israel of God, a group of God's called out ones who have been convicted that the Law has not been done away.
Trumpets Is a Day of Hope
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughWe are on the threshold of the greatest period of testing ever to come upon mankind. We need a sense of hope and faith to stay focused on our calling.
Facing Times of Stress: Forewarned of Persecution!
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsUnder the best of times, God's people are not immune to persecution. Persecution for righteousness' sake is evidence that God's people have Christ's Spirit.
Sabbathkeeping (Part 3)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe biblical instructions for Sabbath keeping apply far more to the church than to the Israelites, who did not have the fullness of scriptural counsel.
The Doctrine of Israel (Part Twelve): Joseph
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughGod frequently bypasses the firstborn, selecting for His purposes another sibling. Jacob selected Joseph's second son, Ephraim, to receive the blessing.
Letters to Seven Churches (Part Eleven): Laodicea
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughThe Laodiceans fail to reciprocate Christ's love for them. The comfort of prosperity blinded them to their spiritual condition, especially their need for Christ.
Sanctification and Holiness (Part 2)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughDathan and Korah agitated for a democratization of priestly responsibilities. God shows that not everybody set apart is holy in the same way.
Freedom's Dark Underbelly
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughAny freedom to choose must be accompanied by a set of standards against which choices are made. The people of the world do not have this freedom.
Psalms: Book Two (Part One)
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughThe Pentecost season generally corresponds to Book II of the Psalms, Exodus, and the story of Ruth. Major themes include exile, separation, and redemption.
Deuteronomy (Part 1)
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. RitenbaughDeuteronomy is the heartbeat of the Old Testament and the constitution of Israel. It is a condensed form of the entire Bible, quoted 195 times in the New Testament.
Sanctification and Holiness (Part 3)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughIn Numbers 16-18, God performed several miracles to demonstrate conclusively that not everyone is called to the same function and that He remains the Boss.
Maintaining Good Health (Part 7)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughJeremiah compares studying and meditating upon God's Word to physical eating, enabling a person to receive spiritual energy, vitality, and health.
The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Twenty-Five)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughIn Galatians, Paul took issue with the Halakhah, not God's word. Halakhah was a massive collection of human opinion that placed a yoke on its followers.
The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Twenty-Four)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe days, months, and times of Galatians 4:10 do not refer to God's Holy Days (which are not weak or beggarly), but to pagan rites the Galatians came out of.
Joseph: A Saga of Excellence (Part One)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughJacob's son Joseph receives the least criticism and the most praise, a sterling record of character and human accomplishment surpassed only by Jesus Christ.
The World (Part 1)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughOur worldview must be shaped by a fear of God, a love for His people, and a hatred for the world's practices that destroy our relationship with God.