Deeper Conference 2009

Angels damned, men saved?

From Matt Johnson's blog:

Angels damned, men saved?

From Spurgeon's sermon, "ELECTION AND HOLINESS"

God has CHOSEN to himself a people whom no man can number,out of the children of Adam- out of the fallen and apostate race who sprang from the loins of a rebellious man. Now, this is a wonder of wonders, when we come to consider that the heaven, even the heaven of heavens, is the Lord's.

If God must have a chosen race, why did he not select one from the majestic orders of angels, or from the flaming cherubim and seraphim who stand around his throne? Why was not Gabriel fixed upon? Why was he not so constituted that from his loins there might spring a mighty race of angels, and why were not these chosen by God from before the foundations of the world! What could there be in man, a creature lower than the angels,that God should select him rather than the angelic spirits? Why were not the cherubim and seraphim given to Christ? Why did he not take up angels? Why did he not assume their nature, and take them into union with himself?

An angelic body might be more in keeping with the person of Deity, than a body of weak and suffering flesh and blood. There were something congruous if he had said unto the angels, "You shall be my sons."

But, no! though all these were his own, he passes by the hierarchy of angels, and stoops to man! He takes up an apostate worm, and says unto him,"You shall be my son," and to myriads of the same race he cries, "you shall be my sons and daughters, by a covenant for ever."

"But," says one, "It seems that God intended to choose a FALLEN people that he might in them show forth his grace. Now, the angels of course would be unsuitable for this, since they have not fallen." I reply, there ARE angels that have fallen; there were angels that kept not the first estate, but fell from their dignity. And how is it that these are consigned to blackness of darkness for ever?

Answer me, you that deny God's sovereignty, and hate his election -- how is it that angels are condemned to everlasting fire, while to you, the children of Adam, the gospel of Christ is freely preached?

The only answer that can possibly be given is this--God wills to do it. He has a right to do as he pleases with his own mercy.

Angels deserve no mercy: we deserve none. Nevertheless, he gave it to us, and he denied it them. They are bound in chains, reserved for everlasting fire to the last great day, but we are saved. Why, if there were any reason to move God in his creatures, he would certainly have chosen devils rather than men--Had the angels been reclaimed, they could have glorified God more than we; they could have sang his praises louder than we can, clogged as we are with flesh and blood. But passing by the greater, he chose the lesser, that he might show forth his sovereignty, which is the brightest jewel in the crown of his divinity!

Our Arminian antagonists always leave the fallen angels out of the question- for it is not convenient to them to recollect this ancient instance of election. They call it unjust, that God should choose one man and not another. By what reasoning can this be unjust, when they will admit that it was righteous enough in God to choose one race -- the race of men, and leave another race -- the race of angels, to be sunk into misery on account of sin?

Brethren, let us be done with arraigning God at our poor fallible judgment seat! God is good and does righteousness. Whatever he does we may know to be right, whether we can see the righteousness or not.

God's Election is marvelous indeed--God had unlimited power of creation. Now, if he willed to make a people who should be his favorites, who should be united to the person of his Son, and who should reign with him, why did he not make a NEW RACE? When Adam sinned, it would have been easy enough to strike the earth out of existence. He had but to speak and this round earth would have been dissolved, as the bubble dies into the wave that bears it. There would have been no trace of Adam's sin left, the whole might have died away and have been forgotten forever!

But no! Instead of making a new people- a pure people who could not sin, instead of taking to himself creatures that were pure, unsullied, without spot- he takes a depraved and fallen people, and lifts these up, and that, too, by costly means--by the death of his own Son, and by the work of his own Spirit; that these must be the jewels in his crown to reflect his glory for ever!

Oh, singular choice! Oh, inexplicable Election! My soul is lost in your depths, and I can only pause and cry- "Oh, the goodness, oh, the mercy, oh, the SOVEREIGNTY of God's grace!"

Now, when you think that God has chosen YOU, you may well pause and say in the language of that hymn- "Pause, my soul! adore, and wonder! Ask, O why such love to ME?" Kings passed by and beggars chosen! Wise men left, but fools made to know the wonders of his redeeming love! Publicans and harlots sweetly compelled to come to the feast of mercy; while proud religious people are allowed to trust in their own righteousness, and perish in their vain boastings!

God's choice will ever seem in the eyes of unrenewed men to be a very strange one-- He has passed over those whom we should have selected, and he has chosen just the odds and ends of the universe, the men who thought themselves the least likely ever to taste of his grace!

Before your sovereignty, I bow, great God, and acknowledge that you do as you wish, and that you give no account of your matters.

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