In Colton Neifert's sermon on the paragraph from the 1689 Second London Baptist Confession of Faith, the focus is on God's decree concerning the elect and their journey to glory. Neifert emphasizes that God appoints the elect to glory and foreordains the means to achieve this, which includes redemption by Christ, effectual calling, justification, adoption, and sanctification. Through scriptural references, the sermon highlights that these steps are part of God's eternal and free will. The sermon contrasts the assured salvation and sonship of the elect with those who do not know Christ, who remain fallen in Adam and are not effectually called or redeemed. Neifert concludes with a call for believers to recognize their destination in glory and the grace-filled promises of God, urging them to work out their faith and ensure their calling and election are secure.

This paragraph is very, very comforting for the people of God, and it's very sobering for those who do not know Him. The beginning of the paragraph states, as God hath appointed the elect unto glory. So it's God, God is doing the appointing. He appoints the elect unto glory. That's the direction that they're heading.

And this is the thrust of the paragraph here. So he hath by the eternal and most free purpose of his will, foreordinated all the means thereunto. So all the means that he gives us to get to our destination which is glory. Wherefore they who are elected being fallen in Adam are number one redeemed by Christ Christ paid the price to purchase us though. We are fallen in Adam There's nothing in us.

That's deserving of this sacrifice of Christ. But from the beginning he determined this was his plan that he would make that sacrifice that he would pay the price to redeem us. Number two we are effectually called unto faith in Christ by the work of his spirit in due season This isn't an ineffectual calling. It is an effectual calling that he guarantees By the work of his spirit Number three were justified Romans 8 verse 30 moreover whom he predestined, these he also called. Like I said, it's that effectual calling.

Who he called, these also he justified. In whom he justified, these he glorified." Again, highlighting that our final destination. Number four, we are adopted. Ephesians 1 verses 3 through 5, 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. Just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love, Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to himself According to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace By which he made us accepted in the beloved So this highlights this verse highlights what we read in the confession that this was his decision from eternity past that was made by his free will.

There was no reason that he had to decide to do this, but out of his love for us. He called us effectually, he justified us, he adopted us as sons, and number five, he sanctifies us. If you think about this sanctification that he works in us, In light of the fact that he adopted us as sons You think about how how does he work this sanctification in our lives? He's our father He fulfills what was commanded in Deuteronomy 6 6 through 7 and these words Which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children.

God teaches us what he's commanded us. He teaches us of himself. He draws us to him. He does it when we sit in our house, when we walk by the way, when we lie down, when we rise up. God is always with us.

He fulfills these commands that we don't keep perfectly for our children. 1st Peter 1 verse 5, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that does not fade away. It's another testimony of our sonship. Reserved in heaven, This is already pre-appointed by God from before the foundations of the world Reserved in heaven for you who are kept by the power of God through faith for our salvation Ready to be revealed in the last time Which is the last bullet point here. We are kept by his power through faith unto salvation.

I Think of When it says we're kept by his power. I think of that also in light of the adoption you think of your father and how he protects you and how he keeps you. We are kept by the power of God, our Father. So what shall we say then to these things, Romans 8, 31 through 39? If God is for us, who can be against us?

He who did not spare his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is it that condemns? It is Christ who died and furthermore also is risen.

Who is even at the right hand of God? Who also makes intercession for us? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword. As it is written, for your sake we are killed all day long.

We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present or things to come nor height nor depth nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. What a comfort that is. What a joy.

And now I get to the last part of the paragraph which says, neither are any other redeemed by Christ or effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved, but the elect only. In Jesus' high priestly prayer he says, I pray for them, I do not pray for the world but for those whom you have given me for they are yours. If you do not know Christ these things are not true of you You are not kept by his power You are not sanctified you may grow in maturity, but you won't actually be sanctified You are not adopted You're not called God's son You are not justified There's still a debt to be paid You are called to faith in Christ, but not effectually. You are unable to answer that call. You are not redeemed by Christ.

You are still fallen in Adam. Matthew 22, 11 through 14. But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. So he said to him, friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment? And he was speechless.

Then the king said to the servants, bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, for many are called but few are chosen. Praise God for that effectual calling that he works in us, that he doesn't Leave us in our sin, leave us fallen in Adam. But he calls us to glory. Let's remember that that's our destination, and let's look to these these graceful promises, these things that God is doing for us. And let's try to work out our faith and make our calling in election sure.