Four Facts Revealed In The Bible About Election                  

Psalm 65:4

            With regard to the things of God, in spiritual matters, believe nothing because it is written in a creed, commonly accepted, or logically necessary. Believe only what God has revealed in his Word, and all that is revealed in the Word. True faith always bows to the Word of God. We do not come to understand the Word of God by figuring it out in our minds. We understand God’s Word by bowing to it. Here are four things plainly revealed in Holy Scripture about God’s wondrous work of election, by which our salvation was determined before the world began. As you bow to the teachings of the Word about election, you will understand it and rejoice in it.

1. God Chose Some To Salvation And Eternal Life In Christ Before The World Began. There are some who will tell you, “The Bible does not teach the doctrine of election.” Those who make such foolish statements have either never read the Scriptures, or totally forgotten what they read, or they are out and out liars. Election is taught every where in the Bible. The Scriptures speak of “elect angels,” an “elect nation,” an “elect lady,” and “elect churches.” God chose some angels, and passed by others. Of the first two men born in the world, Cain and Abel, he chose one and passed by the other. He chose Noah and his family, and left the rest of the world to perish. He chose Abram, but no one else in his father’s house. He chose Jacob, but not is brother Esau. God chose Israel, the smallest of all nations, to be the nation to whom he would reveal himself. All other nations were left in utter darkness. He chose Joseph, but not Pharaoh. No one can, with any measure of integrity, teach that the Word of God does not teach the doctrine of election. That is too obvious to even discuss. However, the question of importance is this - Does the Bible teach the election of some to salvation to the exclusion of others? Does he Bible teach that God chose some, but not all, of the sons and daughters of Adam to be the heirs of grace and glory in Christ? Indeed it does (Matt. 20:16; 22:14; John 15:16; Rom. 9:11-18; 11:5-7). There is absolutely no question about the fact that the Bible clearly and distinctly teaches the doctrine of election. God chose to save some and passed by others. Really, the only question to be answered is - What does the Bible teach about election?

2. The Purpose Of God In All Things Is The Salvation of His Elect. We recognize, of course, that the Word of God teaches the doctrine of God’s glorious, sovereign predestination. Like election, it is a truth so plainly revealed in Holy Scripture that it simply cannot be denied by honest men. For that matter, I cannot imagine why anyone would want to deny it (Rom. 8:28-30). Predestination is the all inclusive purpose of God in which he sovereignly determined all things that come to pass in time for the salvation of his elect. In other words, everything that has been, is now, and hereafter shall be was purposed by God in eternity and is brought to pass by God in time for the salvation of that great multitude whose names were inscribed in the Lamb’s book of life in sovereign election before the world began (Eph. 1:4, 5, 6, 1,12).

3. The Purpose Of God Shall Be Accomplished. All that God has purposed, God will perform. The Bible never talks about God purposing what he does not perform, trying to do what he does not do, willing that which he never actually brings to pass, or of him in any way trying to prevent anything that does come to pass. God almighty does not try. He does! He does not wish. He accomplishes! He does not plan. He purposes. Men talk about God’s plan, because men can do nothing but plan. God does not talk like that. God talks about his purpose. His purpose of grace is much more than some imaginary plan of salvation. A plan may be interrupted, hindered, altered, or utterly rejected. That is not God’s purpose of grace. God’s purpose is the eternal determination of his heart to save the people of his love whom he chose to salvation before the world began. That purpose cannot be frustrated, altered, or even hindered to any degree. Not even the rebellion of Lucifer or the fall of Adam hindered God’s purpose of grace. Oh, no! Those events were just part of that which was and is necessary to accomplish God’s sovereign purpose of grace according to election (Isa. 14:24, 26, 27;.46:9-13; Rom. 9:11).

4. Election Is In Christ. Read Ephesians 1:3-14 again, and learn that everything God does for, gives to, and requires from sinners is in Christ. God does nothing for us, requires nothing from us, and gives nothing to us apart from Christ. Specifically, I want you to see three things in this passage of Scripture concerning our election in Christ. Election took place in eternity, before the worlds were made. God’s love for us did not begin yesterday. It is from everlasting to everlasting. He chose us in Christ before time began. He inscribed our names in the book of life from the foundation of the world. Our eternal election in Christ is the source and cause of all the other benefits and blessings of grace. Apart from election, there are no blessings of grace here or glory hereafter; but for the elect all the blessings and blessedness of grace and glory are sure. Read verses three and four again. God’s blessings of grace and glory flow to sinners “according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world.” Adoption, acceptance with God, redemption and forgiveness, regeneration, preservation, resurrection, and the heavenly glory of the inheritance awaiting us, all are ours, all are sure to all the elect, according to the election of grace! All the chosen shall obtain all these things according o the purpose of God. Election is for the glory of God. Here is the reason why God chose to save sinners, why he chose some unto eternal life, and why he saves us in a manner that clearly demonstrates both his supreme sovereignty and his glorious grace. It is, as Paul here declares three times, “That we should be to the praise of his glory!” "That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus."

Don Fortner