"I Have Chosen You"
John 15:16
What could be more astounding, amazing,
aweinspiring, humbling, and glorious to a hell-deserving, sinful wretch than
the assurance of his personal election to salvation by God? Do not talk to me
about saved sinners who hate the doctrine of election! No such creatures
exist!Find a sinner,I mean a person who knows something of the utter depravity
of his heart,his complete spiritual impotence,and his just condemnation.Let
that sinner be assured by Christ himself that he is the object of God's
everlasting love,infallibly and unconditionally chosen to salvation before the
world began, and immutably predestinated to obtain heavenly glory in Christ
(Jer.31:3; Eph.2:4-6; II Thess. 2:13; Eph. 1:11; Rom. 8:29-30). Find such a man
and you will find a man full of love, gratitude, and praise to God, whose soul
is overwhelmed by the realization of God's electing love. Saved sinners bow
before God with adoring hearts and cry, "Who am I, O LORD God, that thou hast brought me hitherto?" Humbled at
the knowledge of God's election, they cry, "What is thy servant that thou
shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?"
Only arrogant, self-righteous men and
women, who vainly imagine that they deserve special recognition from God reply
against God's electing, distinguishing grace, "That's not right!"
Believers always thank God for election (II Thess.
We know that we would never have chosen
Christ. We had no desire for him. Had we a desire for him we had no ability to
come to him. We were dead in trespasses and in sins.
Yet, he chose us! He chose us because he
loved us. He loved us because he would. Nothing else can be said about it.
God's election is a matter of free, unconditional, everlasting grace.
When does the Son of God say to a sinner,
"I have chosen you"? As soon as he believes! We make our calling and
election sure by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith in Christ is both
the fruit and the confirmation of election.
Don Fortner