8). But there are some who say, "It is hard for God to choose some and leave others." My Understanding of the Biblical Doctrine of Election Pray especially that God will raise up leaders who will stand for justice and morality, and will seek God's will in all they do. What Is the Doctrine of Divine Election? Anselm renders it, According to his good will. There is a grievous flaw in our thinking and in our affections when we are reluctant to speak about what God spoke so often of in Scripture. As well, there is an inherent imbalance between a creature's will and the Creator's will. But might it be the case that divine election is one among those many things that God keeps secret and hidden and therefore off limits to human inquiry? Why should you grumble, then, that God has not elected you to it? That is simply the way God wants it, and so it shall be. Updates? Eph 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. But I have often, since that first conviction, had quite another kind of sense of God's sovereignty than I had then. Toll Free: 1-877-247-2426. God is then thought by some to have closed his eyes and indiscriminately grabbed a handful, leaving others in the hat (or in hell, as it were). Given the descriptions of the same in the Old and New Testaments, Gods elect are believers that love God because He first loved them. Can we say anything, does Scripture say anything, about what accounts for Gods choice of one over another? For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Jesus Himself promised, All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out (John 6:37). You are a chosen [i.e., elect] race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.. Please consider the following scriptures. (10) Many folks want to seek a balance between God's sovereignty and human free will. concerns the governing idea of election. Omissions? Does God Care About the Presidential Election? 8. Many readers probably can sympathize with your attitude toward too much rhetoric or too many ads. Objection. The Bible teaches that Gods elect are those whom God foreknew would love Him. 1 Peter 1:8). In the Old Testament, God appealed to Israel to make right choices and then held them accountable for the choices they made. God has chosen you not simply to be a servant but a child! God did not sovereignly choose you so that the idea of him choosing you might merely bounce around in your brain. Those whom God chose in Christ he predestined to adoption! He doesn't need me to do the job." But another says, "No; I don't want to be holy; I don't want to give up my lusts and my vices." It should be noted as well that Paul's theology here is not in a vacuum; he begins (vv 1-3) by almost wishing that he could go to hell if it would mean that just one of his Jewish brothers would get saved! It is the highest link in the golden chain of salvation. But, as Calvin, points out, nothing is taught [in Scripture] but what is expedient to know (ibid.). 1:4 ). Bullinger did not believe that it was Gods will that one of these little ones should perish. He maintained that Christians should always hope for. (Matthew 25:34) Okay, so God has an elect, Christians are that elect, and it's awesome to be a part of that elect. Only those whom the Father has given to Jesus are granted eternal life. Our calling is according to Gods purpose. Something John Calvin said in his definition of election will thrust us into the very heart of the debate: We shall never be clearly persuaded, as we ought to be that our salvation flows from the wellspring of Gods free mercy until we come to know his eternal election, which illumines Gods grace by this contrast: that he does not indiscriminately adopt all into the hope of salvation but gives to some what he denies to others (Institutes, III.21.1). See it as a language that He uses to condescend. No one can claim God as his or her debtor. What should be our response to all this? The elect | Christianity | Britannica This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Divine Election: How and Why does God Choose? | Monergism Objections to Election - How Can God Be Just? What compelled God to choose the elect? But my first conviction was not so (Personal Narrative). Note especially the word, give in v. 17b. Pray too that our nation will turn to God, and that we may experience true spiritual revival. For many, their foundational assumption is that it is intrinsic to God as God that he do for all sinners what he does for any one sinner. I can think of no better answer than the one Peter provides in 1 Peter 2:9. Here Jesus prays to the Father and says, Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him (ESV). There is no contradiction in God, but there is finite understanding in us. My hands are tied. In this case God appears mean and unloving. . However, some people use the phrase Gods elect with the idea that God chooses some people to go to Heaven and some people to go to Hell for no reason other than He can do so because He is sovereign. The question is who are those who love God? selected to be in a covenant with God. Governments Have No Right to Dictate Belief, Franklin Graham: We Must Not Remain Silent, Front Lines: International Briefs on Issues of Abortion, Religious Persecution, LGBTQ Agenda, Report Card on Religious Liberty and Biblical Values. Paul's doctrine of election reflects on how God has chosen in the past." Christ Himself said, Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28). For many Christians nothing could be more contradictory to their concept of God than that. The word Foreknow (Greek proginsk) means to know beforehand (Acts 26:5; Romans 11:2; 1 Peter 1:20; 2 Peter 3:17). In many Christian circles, people describe believers as Gods elect. "Destined" Means God Chose Some Stuff doctrine of predestination concerning the election of those whom God wills to save. What could God foresee in us, but pollution and rebellion! 2023 BGEA Charles Haddon Spurgeon. The doctrine of this high mystery of predestination is to behandled with special prudence and care, that men, attending the will of God revealed in his Word, and yielding obedience thereunto, may, from the certainty of their effectual vocation, be assured of their eternal election. "I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels, to maintain these principles without bias, doing nothing in a spirit of partiality," ( 1 Timothy 5:21 ). Copyright 2010-2023 Telling Ministries LLC. As we saw in the book of Isaiah, because we are children of God by faith in Christ and He is in us, we also become the elect of God through Christ. Let us, I say, permit the Christian man to open his mind and ears to every utterance of God directed to him, provided it be with such restraint that when the Lord closes his holy lips, he also shall at once close the way to inquiry (III.21.3). that there is none who is good or understands, all have gone astray, all are corrupt and deserving of death. This is the force of their argument. No! ", neither can we. That's his basic answer. (Isaiah 45:22). Trump wants to keep 'communists' and 'Marxists' out of the US. Here's The purpose of this verse is a practical one. On second thought, perhaps it is ours to know, at least to the degree that God may have given us some indication of why he chose not to choose all. Jonathan Edwards spoke to this point in his sermon on the divine and supernatural light. The doctrine shows what great reason you have so to do. By the decree of God,for the manifestation of his glory, some men and angels are predestinated unto everlasting life; and others foreordained to everlasting death. Simply put, the doctrine of election is that God chooses/determines/elects/predestines who will be saved. Paul simply tries to comfort the troubled children of God and affirms to them that their salvation is secure with the Lord and that it is in the process of being fulfilled according to His plan. 19). To be his peculiar treasure! Is there any of you here this morning who wishes to be holy, who wishes to be regenerate, to leave off sin and walk in holiness? Paul made it clear in Romans 3:10ff. If the latter is correct, Pauls point is that Gods lavish grace not only provides election and redemption but also the necessary wisdom and spiritual insight to understand and live in the light of what he has done for us in Christ. Those whom He has chosen to save are referred to as " the elect " (see, e.g., Mark 13:20 ). Further, we have the explicit testimony of Romans 9 to the opposite effect. ix. You have been chosen for this goal: the proclamation of his excellencies and your extravagantly affectionate and inexpressibly joyful delight in them (cf. sense of themselves as the elect chosen by God to live godly lives both as individuals and as a community. We must take note of a serious misconception, indeed caricature, of election. In the final analysis, Calvin believes we should study divine election primarily for its ability to tell us why one person who hears the gospel comes to saving faith in Jesus Christ and why another does not. Ron DeSantis is way behind Donald Trump. Here's his comeback plan. How Should We Battle The Secularism In The Church? (8) The question of whether God is fair or not in choosing some but not others diminishes how great our salvation is--and how much our sin permeates us. (2) Election does not obliterate human responsibility. This idea underlines the aristocratic character of the kingdom of God; it consists of an elite of elect. Why that particular choice is more pleasing to God than another, or neither, is not revealed in Holy Scripture. Also, "constantly bearing in mind" (v. 3) refers to Paul's frequent, repeated prayers. And suppose he says, "I hate the preacher; I can't bear his doctrine; but still it's a shame I have not a seat." 1. The doctrine of Predestination means that all events have been willed by God and that He willed eternal damnation for some people and salvation for others. 9). However, when asking the question, who are the elect in the Bible, the word elect is an adjective that describes a group of people. "God has extended great kindness and goodness and patience and invitation . In other words, election was not haphazard or governed by nothing. Local: 704-401-2432 Others suggest that wisdom and understanding might be connected with the following participle (having made known) in v. 9; hence, the qualities referred to are therefore indispensable requisites to the publication of a mystery (Eadie, 46); i.e., the words define the method in which the mystery is disclosed (hence, God wisely and in an understandable way made known to us the mystery of his will, or some such paraphrase). God would not be choosing us; rather, we would be choosing him and he would simply know about it. Likewise, when we become a child of God by faith, we also become the children of Abraham and Gods elect as part of the family of Israel. Question. The Hebrew Scriptures are full of language about Israel's special status as God's chosen nation. The elect can refer to the people of Israel (Matthew 24:24; Matthew 24:31; Mark 13:22; Mark 13:27; Luke 18:17). Cf. Paul prays that the Ephesian believers might be spiritually enlightened so as to increase in their knowledge of God (v. 17). 4:4) and once our eyes have been enlightened by the Spirit of God, we see clearly what God has done for us. Simply stated, to be elect means to be chosen. October 22, 2020 Let them be forewarned, said Calvin, that such men will enter a labyrinth from which they can find no exit (III.21.1). Predestination holds that God determined who will be saved. God's people are not merely praying for God to give them a peaceful . When we put all of this together, we learn that in eternity past, God foreknew who would love Him. Clearly, for some, this language portrays God as unjust. . Pauls point, as I see it, is that God chose not to choose all because he wanted to put on eternal display both the justice of his wrath and the glory of his mercy. Wherefore, they who are elected, being fallen in Adam, are redeemed by Christ, are effectually called unto faith in Christ by his Spirit working in due season, are justified, adopted, sanctified, and kept by his power, through faith, unto salvation. What right do we have to claim that these two are equal? (9) Actually, three basic questions arise when discussing election: All three questions are answered in Romans 9-11, the great passage in the Bible which deals with this doctrine. Foreknowledge of God. These verses tell us that God works out all things for good to those who love Him. If he saves one person, he is infinitely merciful. God created wisdom. On the one hand, there is knowledge that is merely speculative, notional, a mere cognitive awareness of some truth. But the point is this: If we do not understand election, its basis, its goal, etc., how can we expect to bless God with any degree of intelligence or accuracy? is a pastor, author, Christian educator and Biblical counselor who has served in ministry since 2001. "There are unsaved people alive today, who, though elect, are now lost and will not be saved until they believe. Because of His great love, His lavish love. Reply. Whereas God does not choose us for faith, but to faith. Isaiah was the Shakespeare of his day; Amos was the Mark Twain. What Does It Mean That God Chose Us before the Foundation of the World We want to be able to point to factor A, or datum B, or issue C in something other than God or preferably to characteristic X, or virtue Y, or work Z in us. But never could give an account, how, or by what means, I was thus convinced, not in the least imagining at the time, nor a long time after, that there was any extraordinary influence of God's Spirit in it; but only that now I saw further, and my reason apprehended the justice and reasonableness of it. No: you would at once say, "That man does not care for it. Romans 9 answers the question of our choice, Rom 10 answers the question of the need for evangelism, and Rom 11 answers the question of God's fairness. How shall we know that God has a purpose to save us? Previous post: The Book of Acts: Summary and Overview. If God only had amoral attributes, he may well be a tyrant. 29:29 we are told that The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever. Although there are certain things about divine election we will never know or fully comprehend, at least not until heaven, I believe the doctrine of election actually is included among those things referred to in the second half of Deut. Our system may not be perfectbut its far better than that in many other nations. Each person is held responsible before Almighty God as to what they will do with his Son. i. He has chosen them to enjoy them, to see his glory, and to dwell with him forever. Instead, it continually emphasizes that God elects to eternal salvation. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned (Matthew 12:36). God was not acting to conform with some external rule. The Bibles standard is still true: Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord (Psalm 33:12). The doctrine that God predestines humans rejects a fundamental teaching of the Biblethat people have freedom of choice and that God holds them accountable for the choices they make. They envision the scenario as follows: Oh, God, please save me. Election is a pre-temporal decision by God, a choice he made before any of us ever existed. This purpose, or decree of God, is the fountainhead of our spiritual blessings. We see mention of this in God's "chosen" people Israel. concerns the governing idea of election. Here is a sovereign elixir of unspeakable comfort to those who are the called of God. When looking at the near context, it often is not fully understood. Neither are any other redeemed by Christ, effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved, but the elect only. Real Answers. Absolute sovereignty is what I love to ascribe to God. As I pointed out in my study of Ephesians 1, Paul is deafening in his redundancy to make the point that the distinction in humanity between those who believe and those who dont is ultimately Gods doing. Therefore, when God gives to one what he denies to another, we are to understand that neither deserves eternal life, but in sovereign mercy God grants eternal life to some but not all. It made him happy. THE third and last thing in the text, which I shall but briefly glance at, is the ground and origin of our effectual calling, in these words, according to his purpose (Eph. 10).We make our election sure, by making our calling sure. He has a Ph.D. from Dallas Theological Seminary, and is currently professor of New Testament Studies at his alma mater. What Does the Bible Say About Spiritual Warfare? Third, Pauls prayer in vv. It impugns Gods character. Read them in the archive below. So, God definitely chooses us for salvation. For Arminius, Gods will as unceasing love was the determinative initiator and arbiter of human destiny. This doctrine, inspired by certain writings of St. Augustine, attracted Jansen and another student who had come to study at Leuven, a Frenchman named Jean Duvergier de Hauranne, who was. If God in justice rewards our works, then they merit salvation. God has foreordained and controls all things whatsoever by his mysterious foreknowledge and providence. Edwards bases this distinction on the difference between two ways of knowing. He has given ultimate authority over all flesh, over every man, woman, and child to Jesus Christ. One of the responses to God's unconditional election is the idea that God has foreknowledge, that he knows . The real balance comes between the two broad categories of God's attributes. His Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics: An Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament More. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. In fact, non-believers are spiritually dead until the Spirit of God calls them: that is, they are unresponsive to anything outside the realm of sin (Ephesians 2:1-3). The idea of such an election is common in Deuteronomy and in Isaiah 40-66. Do we choose God | God chooses us for salvation. | carm.org 13). 8:28-30. Why should he trouble himself about other people having what they value and he despises?" Thus for God to deny eternal salvation to some folk suggests he is refusing to give them what they deserve, or what he owes them, or what he as God is obligated to give them. When it comes to evangelical Christianity, its roots are found in the soil of the sixteenth-century P Our graces are imperfect, our comforts ebb and flow, but Gods foundation standeth sure. God, by an eternal and immutable decree, out of his mere love, for the praise of his glorious grace, to be manifested in due time, hath elected some angels to glory; and in Christ hath chosen some men to eternal life, and the means thereof: and also, according to his sovereign power, and the unsearchable counsel of his own will, (whereby he extendeth or withholdeth favor as he pleaseth,) hath passed byand foreordained the rest to dishonor and wrath, to be for their sin inflicted, to the praise of the glory of his justice. What Does Elect, Election Mean? Bible Definition and References What compelled God to choose the elect? | Reformed Theology at Semper We read in 2 Peter 1:20-21 that no prophet originated his own prophecies, but was borne along by the Holy Spirit: 1:20 Above all, you do well if you recognize this: no prophecy of Scripture ever comes about by the prophet's own imagination, 1:21 for no prophecy was ever borne of human impulse; rather, men carried along by the Holy Spirit spoke from God (NET Bible). For example, as the Israelites are about to enter the land, Moses declares to them, "For you [Israel] are a people holy to the Lord your God. Is It Biblical to Plead the Blood of Jesus? ii. So, why study the doctrine of divine election? He chooses one, but not another, because it pleases him to do so. Unconditional Election by R.C. Sproul from What Is Reformed Theology? 3:17 and Ps. These angels and men, thus predestinated, and foreordained, are particularly and unchangeably designed, and their number so certain and definite, that it cannot be either increased or diminished.