Great Doctrines of Salvation, Election
2 Corinthians 3:18 · Mike Doyle · Sep 10, 2006
Great Doctrines of Salvation, No. 11
Holly Hills Bible Church
https://hollyhillsbiblechurch.org/teaching/messages/49260138513

Transcribed from the recording by SermonAudio, so expect the occasional misheard word.

A question came up last week after class and the people that brought it up of course aren't here today. Isn't that typical? But it has to do with the chart that's on the board. Last week we ended up talking a bit about spiritual growth in the sense that it's imperative that someone know and understand identification truths in order to grow spiritually. After class, two people came to me and said, well, gee, I know all these really spiritual people that don't know the identification truths and they're just as spiritual as they can be. Which means you're full of it and they're not. So what I thought I'd do is explain, and my graph isn't very clear over there, but I'll explain it to you.

Tell me what the goal of spiritual growth is. What is it? 2 Corinthians 3.18 Spiritual growth is to be conformed to the very image of Christ.

So you have at the top of the scale you have the conformity to Christ and at the bottom of the scale you have the flesh. Now people can either be operating at 100% spirituality at any given time. or totally in the flesh. There isn't any 60-40, 50-50, 80-20. Do you agree with that? You're either totally in the flesh as a believer and functioning out of the flesh, or you're totally in the spirit functioning out of the spirit of God, beholding Christ. Do you agree with that?

So how come some believers are more mature than other believers? Well, I think that this line really is not straight, it's sort of jagged like this, you know. A brand new believer, right here, can function at 100% of his spiritual capacity. Understand what I mean by that? He may not be able to function like this more mature believer down here, but he's functioning totally spiritual to his capacity. He may not know the identification truths. He may not have any idea what they are.

But if you were to encounter this person, they are functioning totally to their spiritual capacity. Right? 100% full on. But in terms of conformity to Christ, they're only here. Alright? Same thing with the next person. So you and I know people that are here, functioning to their fullest capacity, don't understand identification truths and operate spiritually. Right? They're terrific people.

But if you're going to move on, at some point, you've got to know Romans 6.6 and the Romans 6 truths. You've got to know that your old man was crucified, buried and resurrected.

Because Corinthians and Hebrews talks about milk and meat. The milk of the word and the meat of the word. And Hebrews talks about the fact that if If you're not skilled in the word of righteousness, then you're a milk drinker. So you can only go so far on milk. Those of you who have raised kids know that. If your son is 17 and you're still feeding him milk, he's about this tall. And they're going to put you in jail for abusing him.

Right? Because he wants to know where McDonald's is as soon as he can. So he gets introduced to solid food. Believers get introduced to solid food at some point, which is the identification and positional truths, and then they can begin to be conformed. Because at some point you have to leave Adam behind, and you have to be spiritually intelligent and understand.

Does that make sense? So I think it answers the question, somebody could come up to me and say, well gee, I know a guy who's just a totally spiritual person. Who doesn't know identification position, doesn't know anything that you guys talk about? How come? Or the inference is that spiritual growth is to hear and then it stops. This is max. Am I doing alright?

So, you know, as a believer gets more mature and more mature, and this has, it may have a lot to do with how long you've been a believer, but not necessarily. We all know believers that have been believers for a long time that never get past here. And I think the reason is because they're uninformed, they're ignorant about the growth truths. We also know younger believers haven't been believers all that long, they're up in here someplace. And the minute that we check out of here, the conformity to Christ is automatic and perfect. Because why? You behold him to the absence from the bodies, to be present with the Lord face to face, no obstructions, you're conformed.

Any questions about this? I didn't mean to have them different colors and make it look like, but anyway. Okay. Like I say, I was hoping Matthew was here because he was, he had that issue a couple of weeks ago on Thursday night. What's that? Okay. All right. Today we're going to talk about election. Nasty subject. Right. Oh, we have two more. Yeah, we have several coming up in a row here.

I am telling you what does the word election mean to be chosen? What do you think? One of the interesting points that the author makes that I think from the very beginning puts it in the right perspective is that Whose function is it to do the electing? God's function, right? He gets to do that, sorry you can't. And so, election being the kind of word it is, you mean to tell me that what God really did is He said, well, I'm going to elect Norm and I'm not going to let the guy sitting next to him.

Is that what He did? Of all mankind, of the whole sea of mankind, God elected Jessica. Is that what he did? He said, you're it. Is that what he did? Come on. Yes or no? It's not that tough a question. Well, what did he do then? If election means to choose, to choose out from, Did Jessica do enough spiritual push-ups so God would say, oh, I see, I think I'll pick her up. What do you think? If it isn't that, what is it?

He knew who would believe. So he knew who would believe, and that's what we'll talk about next week, which is foreknowledge, what foreknowledge is. Election by itself, not foreknowledge, not predestination, just election. God walked into the room and said, I elect you and you, I'm going to skip you and you, I'm going to take you and you, I think I'll skip you. Is that what he did? Well, if he didn't do that, then what did he do? He foreknew he predestined. What's that? He foreknew he predestined. Foreknew what?

You're going to be surprised next week when I tell you I totally reject that argument. He died for all mankind. Boy, I'm telling you, it just isn't fair for God to be like that, is it? That's the problem you're having. God just... I mean, it's not fair. Isn't that the problem you're having with election? If he came in the room and said, Norm, I'm taking you, but Eleanor... That's not fair. It isn't fair.

So if Christ was chosen, I've been wondering if chosen means that if we are in Christ, like it says there, therefore we are chosen. Because we're not chosen outside of Christ, we're only chosen as a result of our position and have heavily accepted our life in Christ and what he's done. If I'm outside of it, if I'm not chosen, if I'm in it, I'm chosen. Alright, well the question comes down to who makes the decision? God. God make the decision or do I? We make the decision. whether you would be one of the chosen ones, one of the elect ones. You made the decision. Go to Romans chapter 9 verse 11. Somebody read it. for the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God, according to election, might stand not of works, but of him that calleth."

Uh-oh. Sounds to me like God does it all on his own. Doesn't it? The only decision that you ever make is whether or not to believe him. Okay. After that, everything is his. You're one of the elect. Why? Because God decided. This is a function on God's side of the ledger only. You're not an elect because you did anything.

Let's put it in perspective. Because every single human being comes from Adam. Right? What kind of standing do you have before God and Adam? So, you can't go to God and say, I've got a little bit more standing than the guy next to me. Or, you know, I've done something in Adam. In Adam, all die. All of them. You know? So, I think you have to go to understand that God is, if you want to put it in this framework, God is sitting in front of all humanity. eight, however many there are, for all time frame. Every single human being.

Except for one who is a son, there isn't a single human being that is any better than any of the others. And there's no reason that any of them should be elected or chosen. You agree? Nothing. Is there anything that qualifies any human being to be an elect of God?

So if you start with that premise, then if there is going to be just one single person elected of God, it's got to be his doing. It has to be. So on what basis does he elect? I can't use that example, it's too gross. If the choices are all bad, in terms of the condition of the objects that are going to be chosen, then there isn't any value in who is going to be chosen or not, right?

So God elects on his own. Because if God were just We talk a lot about the attributes of God and those in Adam and everybody, especially we politically correct Americans. Fairness is really important, right? We've got to be fair. Let's say that the only attribute God has is fairness. Let's say he's ultimately fair. Where are all of you? You're all in hell. Because if he's fair, you're all die. If that's the only thing about him, if he's going to be fair, because you're a sinner, you deserve hell and he's going to be fair with you, goodbye. You're toast.

If fairness is the issue. But you say, but gee, God loves and he's gracious and all that kind of thing. Well, he loves and he's gracious, but he's also fair. So he's got a dilemma, if God has a dilemma. How can he exercise his grace and his love towards his own creation if on the other side he's holy, righteous and good and all of those who he'd like to love hate him? How can he do it?

It's not based on anything that we have done. Any part of us is based on what Christ did. Christ's satisfaction. You have to start with that premise. You have to start with the premise. Even the premise, and we'll talk about this next week. Well, he chose you because he knew you'd choose him. Nope. That's not why he did it. And that is not what he did. He was not willing to do anything for us. That's right. That's exactly right. So the choosing was for all mankind. So it says according to his purpose, so is that where Christ is wrapped up in? That's right. He has a specific purpose. He has an agenda in mind.

So he's going to elect, or he's going to choose out from this sea of lost humanity, elect some. Yes, you said it when Christ was the only one. make the cut in elections. It's kind of what Steve was saying. He doesn't see all. He does make a fair choice in the one person, which is Christ. And that's how he sees us.

So it isn't based on good, bad, whatever. There's only one that was worthy of election or fair or whatever. And that was Christ. And he only sees us through Christ. We are elect fairly. through being in Christ. The politically correct is that he only sees us through Christ. Those that are elect is only through him.

It's not what we do. It's the new creature in Christ in him. And it's all based on in him. He doesn't see us as being bad. I think the issue goes to who God is. He is God and it doesn't become the creature to judge him respecting his divine election. He can do what he wants with his creation.

So what would be a concise description of what God's purpose is? Do you want a whole paragraph? Oh, his purpose. But a concise description of what that purpose is, because that's what this is saying. It's according to his purpose. Let me read a paragraph.

Because God is God and he has the right to do with his creature as he wills, and when it is understood that God is infinitely righteous and holy and that he is actuated by infinite love, difficulty arises in the natural mind over how God can have elect people for whom he achieves more than others, and how some can be blessed and others not. Isn't that the issue? The problem is that we're trying to figure out how can God do this election thing from my natural mind.

And once you enter into that, what are you doing? You're judging God. You see what I'm saying here? You're judging God. We don't have the right to go to God and say, well you can't elect or you can't, you know, there must be something valuable in us where you, you know, I don't know. I'm thinking along what Steve's saying there.

You know what Hal talks about, that the goal is that God's glory would be manifested. Rather than looking at us, it looks to Him. That's exactly right. What is God's purpose in everything that He did by creating? What do you want to do? Just to have fun? Nothing to do in this fourth million years? Think we'll create?

Glorify Himself. To glorify Himself. So what does that mean? When you come up with the statement that God is doing everything to glorify himself, what does that mean? What does it mean, glorify himself? What's he doing there? In one of those terms we throw around and we think, I wonder what that really means? He does everything to reveal himself.

And my natural mind, infected with sin, looks at that and says, gee, that's pretty egocentric, isn't it? No. A loving God says, look, I'm creating so that I can manifest to my creation. And I've also created these sentient beings. They can see how wonderful I am. I'm loving and everything I do, I'm going to do to manifest my person to my creation. Because the central character of myself is love. And I want to show what that's like.

And not only that, I've created these creatures in such a way that they can love me back. Pretty cool, huh? I think, in our simple nature, it doesn't... yeah, it doesn't... we can't grasp that, but it's for our full benefit. I mean, it's infinite. It's what you're created for. Infinite benefits. Sure, sure. To be connected with God.

I'll just throw this out because it's something I thought about too. It's almost like we were created with that time-space qualification that's built in our heart. When you think about eternity, it really tilts us. And so when we get to these kind of issues, or that we died when Christ died, I mean it becomes a matter that can only be received by faith. Because logically you can't go there. Your mind can't go there.

I still claim, it says very specifically in the Bible, whom he for whom he destined. And he knew everyone that was ever going to live before he even created the world. Okay. You're going to force me to answer a question that you're going to get next week, but I'm going to do it.

Does foreknowledge mean that God knew what you were going to do, and because he knew what you were going to do, you're elected? Is that what foreknowledge means? No. What does it mean? Foreknowledge means to know somebody personally. It has nothing to do with knowing how you're going to act. It has everything to do with knowing you as a person. God knew everybody in this room personally before he ever created you. physically. You know how he knew you? He knew you in his mind. And once he knows you in his mind, guess what? You're real. And he knows us, like Korten was saying, in Christ. In Christ. So, unbelievers are not people that we'll never believe? He doesn't know? Not know personally. No, he knows them. He knows about them. Now, how do you relate man and his wonderful free will, and God electing. How do you put those two together?

Because, I mean, you're going to go out this week and the first person you're going to run into is a non-believer and they're going to say to you, well, if I'm not one of the elect, why do I care? There's no reason for me to respond to your evangelistic efforts because I'm not one of the elect. What are you going to say to that? That's right. How do you know when somebody's elect? When they're in Christ.

That's the only way you know. My point is, one of the questions is, the last conversation you ever want to engage in with a non-believer is election, predestination, foreknowledge. You don't want to go there with them because God doesn't go there with them. What does God do with the lost? What's his sole thrust towards them?

You're lost. You're condemned in sin and trespass. My Son has made it available for you by your faith to enter into Christ and to be saved. There's no other conversation with somebody who's lost other than that conversation. And you get sucked into the trap if you start talking about predestination, election, foreknowledge with a non-believer. You don't ever go there with them. You see why? There's only one issue with a non-believer. That's their sins and their lack of relationship with God and God has provided a way. That's the only issue with them. There is no other issue.

Do you agree with that? So that's why you don't go there. I agree with that, but once in a while, just out of experience, you have to sort through sometimes because that may be their issue. But their questions and all their stuff is a bigger panorama that you have to pierce through to get to that issue.

Yeah. And we get to predestination. If you study your Bible very closely... Okay, here we go. Jumping ahead. In the Word of God, there's only one group of people that are talked about as being predetermined. Who are they? Jews. No. Believers. There's no discussion anywhere in the Word of God about any predestination for a non-believer. None whatsoever. Predestination has to do only with the outcome of what's going to happen to a saint. Not what's going to happen to somebody who's lost. Now, you can say to a person, well you want to talk about predestination, it's real simple.

You're outside of Christ, you're going to hell. You're predestined. See ya. That's where you're going. Unless you believe in the person and work of Christ. You're going there. As a matter of fact, this is the best hell is ever going to be for you. It gets worse from here on. You don't live on the yellow line. You don't get to choose left and right. You're in hell already.

This is the best it's going to be. The trial's over. You were judged guilty. The sentence was passed. You're condemned. And unless you believe in the person and work of Christ, you're going to stay there. Predestined? In that sense, absolutely. Questions?

What's wrong with the statement, God votes for you, the devil votes against you and you're the one vote in the middle that determines? What's the problem with that? It's putting the onus on you. Well, neither the devil nor man have anything to do with your election. Satan has nothing to say about your election and neither do you.

So, we've already covered this, but the message that God has for the lost is 1 Corinthians 15, 3 and 4, which is the gospel. That's the entire message. Romans 1, 16. Somebody turn to that while I'm reading. The gospel is, Paul says to the Corinthians, I deliver to you first of all that which I also receive. And here it is.

This is the gospel. Nothing more, nothing less. that Christ died for our sins according to the scripture and that he was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the scripture. And there is a period after that. There is nothing more to the gospel than that information. That's it. That's the good news. You see that? You don't need to make Jesus the Lord of your life. You don't need to commit. The gospel is the gospel is the gospel and it's very simple and that's all it is.

Romans 1.16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone of that believer, to the Jew first and also the Greek. So you wouldn't think, unless God told us, that 1 Corinthians 15, 3 and 4 would be powerful. But it is. It's the gospel, the good news is the power of God unto salvation.

The other reference I had is Revelation 22, 17. Yeah, Revelation 22, 17. I think that's accurate. Let the Spirit and the Bride say, Come. And let the one who hears say, Come. And let the one who is thirsty come. Let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost. There's the message. Here's the Gospel. It's the power unto salvation and here's the call to all mankind. Come on. Come on. Here it is. Come ahead. Isn't that right?

Isn't that what God does? God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. It does not say God so loved the elect that he gave his only begotten son. And the deal about sins is that all the sins of all men for all time and all sins by all creatures for all time were paid for on that cross. All of them. Not just the elect. All of them.

So God is satisfied about the sin issues so he can say, come on! The author says this, and Miles Stanford used to say this, that a non-believer walking up to the gates of heaven sees this big sign over the gate that says, whosoever will may come. Right?

That's the only message. If you want to, come on. But when you're saved, and you walk through the gates, there's a sign on the back of the gate that says, chosen from the foundations of eternity. So the message to the lost Come on. Believe. That's all. The message is not, well, let's see how you do and see if you're one of the elect. No. The gospel is for you. It's for you. It's for every man. Now, if God's election is for the saints, what are they elected to? We already talked about it. What are they elected to? What's that? Life. Rome is 828 to 30.

Let me look that up and somebody else. Ephesians 1, 4 and 5. to be conformed to the image of his son when he was first born among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called, and whom he called, them he also justified, and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

Okay, so it's interesting. If you're one of the elect, look at all the stuff that God has called you to. He's called you to his purpose. He's got a specific purpose in mind. If you're also one of the called, he foreknew you. And he predestined you to what? What does he predestined you to? To be conformed to the image of his son.

And he is, what does it mean in 29 where he said that that Christ might be the firstborn among many brethren. What does that firstborn thing mean? Is he the firstborn in time? Yeah, but it means more than that. Yeah, the issue is that Christ being the first means that he's the first not only in time, but also he's the...

You know the feast of the first fruits in the Jewish economy? You remember what the theory was behind that? Anybody? What's a first fruit? What does it represent? The whole crop, doesn't it? The first fruits given to God is a representation of what the whole crop is going to be like. So the Lord Jesus is the representative of what? The whole crop.

So you're going to be just like him. Predestined or elected to that. Moreover, those he predestined he called, you're one of the called. Whom he called he also justified, which means he declared you righteous, and those he justified he also glorified.

Now, there's a couple of issues here. Both those are in the past tense, and where is sanctified in there? How come it's not there? How come there's no spiritual growth in this deal? Yeah, it's positional truth. So, you could say, as one of the called, I have already been, called, justified, and glorified. It's already done. A little fodder for your faith. Ephesians 1, 4, and 5.

According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will. Okay, I would cross out children and put sons in there. So he chose us in him before the foundation of the world. In him.

For what purpose? that you would be holy and blameless. Who cares if you're holy and blameless? He cares, because you're going to be before Him. Do you see that? He cares. What's holiness mean? We talked about it two weeks ago. Same word as sanctification. What's it mean? It means to be set apart. So God chose you to be set apart for His own purpose. And not only that, be before Him blameless. No marks against you. And He adopted you as sons by Jesus Christ.

Remember we talked about adoption? What does adoption mean? If you don't remember, you must have missed that class. What's adoption? What does it mean? Not only the place in the family, but what does it mean from an ancient viewpoint? Right at that point you are considered an adult son entitled to all the rights and privileges of an inheritor. In the ancient world, adoption did not mean that you went and got a baby and now the baby was part of your family.

What adoption was, was a ceremony in which the father said to the adopted son, you are my heir and you get it now. You don't have to wait until I die. I'm giving you the code to the checkbook. The house is yours. Everything is yours. You're an adopted son. So we have been elected by God to be an adult adopted son.

And why did he do it? according to verse 5. You can't read? Why did he do it? He did it because he wanted to. He did it because it was the pleasure of his will to do it. Do you think God is fair in his elections? How many think yes, he is? How many think no, he's not? The answer is no, he's not fair. He's gracious. You get a lot more than you deserve.

Now, the author talked about corporate election and individual election. Did he talk about that? What is corporate election? You don't understand what I mean by the word corporate election, what he meant by corporate election. A group election rather than individual. What's a group election?

Israel is a good example. And one of the interesting things that you'll find in discussions with those of the covenant persuasion, who think that the church is just an extension of Israel, One of the key factors in understanding what has gone on and what will go on with Israel is that it's not individual. The whole dealing with God to the nation of Israel is as a nation, not as individuals. And if you study their history, it's very interesting.

The whole nation goes in a dumper. Why? Because the king and all the individuals deserve it. When he blesses them, he blesses the entire nation. Do you see that? It's a national corporate deal. One of the big changes in salvation of the lost when the Spirit of God came was this individual issue. God deals with mankind now individually. He saved you, and He saved you, and He saved you. How did you get to be a Jew? You're born into the corporation. You're born into the nation. I'm a Jew by birth. That's how you got it. How did you get to be a Christian? You individually were born into the body of Christ.

Individually. He didn't take all those that live from this block to this block and this block to this block in southeast Denver and I'm extending my favor to that group of people. No. Maybe this guy over here. He elects some. The blessings aren't earthly for us. Some people like to equate earthly blessings with that God has blessed them because of their belief or growth or whatever. Yeah, they walk around seven times or something. Yeah, and then when they have a trial, it's not seen as a blessing. It's just kind of blown off. It's questionable.

Yeah, it's very interesting. don't understand God's grace and you operate on the premise that God's emotional attachment and grace towards you is based on your behavior, just to think like that. If I'm good, God will bless me. If I'm bad, he's going to punish me. What's the other aspect about election that's different for believers that the author said, assuming you all read the chapter? What did he say is the other thing? Corporate or group election has to do with salvation and glory. Remember that part?

You use 2 Thessalonians 2.13 or 1 Thessalonians. Individual election has to do with what?

Service. So all of us are gifted in the body of Christ. You've been elected to serve in some capacity. Everybody in this room. And whether you're high profile, low profile, or no profile, you're serving because you've been elected to serve. You're serving someone. And in most cases it's invisible. You're doing something nobody else knows about except the Lord. If you're just a flower along the side of the road that somebody comes by and enjoys, just because you're there, you're serving.

Acts 9.15. So every believer been elected to a specific service, huh? What do you think? If we don't know what we're doing or aren't doing much. What's that? If you're ignorant of it, then it doesn't count? Is that what you mean? Well, gee, if I'm not in on it, then how...

Or we're missing the specific ones that God had in mind for us. Ephesians 2.10 says that we are His workmanship. We were created in Christ Jesus for good works. good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. So I love the question. Are you going to miss one? No, we're not going to. Are we going to miss one? Are you going to, because you're a real diligent guy, do one more than God predestined you to do?

John, let's see. John 15-16 says this. The Lord Jesus talking to his disciples says, You didn't choose me, but I chose you. Next part. And I appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain. That whatever you ask the Father in my name, He may give to you.

Now, I think you can, from an edifying standpoint, you can kind of go at this two ways. Well, you can focus in on the works and whether you're going to accomplish them or not, right? Or am I going to miss some? Or am I going to get them all in? Or I'm really a type A, so maybe I can up the ante and get one more. Boy, will God be really happy with me if I do that. I can hardly wait until I get to the BMO. It's going to owe me big time.

Or you can have the attitude or the focus on the person of the Lord Jesus Christ himself. And what he does through you is for his glory and it's amazing. I love the way God set it up. He's going to reward us for what he does. It's pretty cool. If you find a gig like that other than Christ Let Me Know, I want to sign up. He's going to reward us for what he does through us. The glory is, we're involved.

It's amazing that God set it up so that every single believer would be a dynamic part of the energy of his body's function. Every single believer. Every one of us. No matter how crummy you think it looks. No matter where you are in that chart, you can be the guy just starting, or the guy way on this end. Every single one of us. are involved in the manifestation of the glory of God in these works. Every single one of them. And we're equal. Equal, yeah.

I mean, I remember Miles Stanford, some guy said to Miles, you know, we're in a class like this, and Miles was teaching it, and some guy thinking, oh, well, I'm going to make some points with Miles Stanford, said, Miles, you know, when the beam of judgment comes, boy, you're really going to get a lot of rewards, right? Polish that apple. Miles said, he said, I'm going to be happy just to be there.

All the moms are going to be in the front row. Because they did just what God called them to do. Be moms. Isn't that cool? We'll do it. Just before this, what was that axe burst you said? 915. Easy question, how can you tell if a person is one of the elect? They're believers, that's how you know. You don't know until they are. According to Peter, what gives us the certainty of our salvation?

2 Peter 1.10. Let me read that.

Second Peter 1.10. You mean I found one, Earlene, that you don't have memorized? No, no, no. I'm sorry. I feel bad. Second Peter 110. Yes, second Peter 110. Okay.

Wherefore, the brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you shall never fail. All right. Now, you can look at that from a legal standpoint that, oh, I've got to hustle down the road so I don't stumble. Or you can look at it from a gracious standpoint. Now, here's the gracious view.

You have an ability to walk, and it proves that you're saved. Do you see that? God exercising his grace towards you enables you to function as one of his sons. And what does that prove? I am a son. Because if you weren't, you could not walk that way. That make sense? You cannot imitate the fruit of the Spirit. You can try, but you can't. Somebody sent me... Have the buzzers gone off? Anybody seen the Hoyt tape? You know who the Hoyts are? The father-son marathon people? I ought to send it to all of you.

You'll cry so hard you can't look at it. 42 years ago, this man and his wife in Boston had a son who came out with a cord around his neck. choked off the oxygen and he was considered to be so brain damaged that they recommended that he be put away. And so they didn't buy that because they loved him and they kept taking him to different places. And when he was a young boy, they took him to Tufts University and the guys there said, yeah, the best thing you can do is just put him in a home someplace.

And the dad said, well, tell him a joke. So the guy told him a joke and the kid smiled. And he was, you know, really incapacitated. And they had him in a school, special school, and a kid in the special school was injured and became a paraplegic and the school was going to have a fun run to raise money to help this kid's expenses. And by that time, the boy had figured out that he had a computer pad next to his head. and he could communicate with his parents like this. And he communicated to his dad, he said, I want to run in that. So his dad said, okay. So he put him in a chair and they ran, they went in this fun run. Well, the dad noticed that when he had finished it, that the excitement in his son's face from doing that was so exhilarating that he thought, gee, this is something for me to do.

So they started running in these races. They got to the point where they did a marathon. And then they applied for the Boston Marathon and couldn't get in because they weren't in the wheelchair category and they weren't in the individual category, right? They didn't have a category for it, so they wouldn't let them in. So they went and ran it anyway.

Two years later, they ran a qualifying race and they qualified. And since that time, they have run 24 Boston Marathons. And I get tears thinking about this because I watched this tape, man. They have done 212 triathlons and four Ironman. And this guy pulls his son in a boat, puts him on a bike, rides 100 miles, 112 miles, and puts him in a thing and runs 26 miles with his son. And I got to thinking about that. That is the most incredible demonstration of human love I've ever seen. But it doesn't measure up to the way God loves us. Not even close. I should send you the tape. You wouldn't be able to watch it.

Some people that are runners know about the Hoyts. My buddy Terry even ran in a race with them once. The boy is now 42 years old and his dad is 64 and they're still running. They're still doing it. The reason I brought that up is that that appears to be godly living, and maybe it is, I don't know if they're believers or not, but I'm convinced that what God has called us to do and to live is superior even to that. To demonstrate the love of God and the glory of God surpasses what that father and son combination have done all these years.