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“The Elect” Colossians 3:12
There are some people described in the Book of God as “the elect.” They are a people who were chosen in Christ unto salvation before the world began and predestinated to be conformed the Lord Jesus in perfect holiness of being in resurrection glory. Obviously, if some are elect, others are not elect. God did not choose all; but, blessed be his name, he did choose some! And all the chosen, all the elect shall be saved with everlasting salvation in Christ.
Blessed Revelation Election is a blessed revelation of the Gospel. It brings joy to the hearts of God’s people, inspires songs of praise, and causes all who experience it to consecrate themselves to God. With David, we sing, “Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple” (Psalm 65:4). God’s choice and election of his people is not the result of something we do, but the cause of everything he does for us in Christ. In Psalm 65:4, election is spoken of as being in the present tense, though it was done before the world began, because this great work of grace is known and experienced in time. No one knows his election until he has been effectually called by the Holy Spirit to life and faith in Christ.
Chosen Notice the progression of grace running through that verse of Scripture. “Blessed is the man whom thou choosest.” — That is election. God chose to save some in eternity; and those he chose to save in eternity he graciously cuts out from the rest of mankind in time, like a rancher at round up time cuts his own cattle out of the many roaming the open range. They were his cattle before. He simply rounds them up at the appointed time.
Caused “And causest to approach unto thee.” — This refers to irresistible, saving grace, the effectual call of God the Holy Spirit. Election both precedes and is the source and cause of this call. Look at the next line. “That he may dwell in thy courts.” — Sinners chosen and called by grace are caused to dwell, not to visit, but to dwell in the courts of Divine worship. Those who are chosen and called by the grace of God to life and faith in Christ are kept and preserved by that same grace unto eternal glory.
Satisfied Moreover, election is the source and cause of the everlasting happiness and satisfaction of God’s saints in heaven. “We shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple.” — The house and temple of God in the Old Testament were typical of and representations of Christ and heaven, of God’s salvation and our everlasting nearness to and worship of him. This is true blessedness; and this blessedness, according to Holy Scripture, arises from and is effectually caused by God’s election of his people unto salvation in Christ before the world began. No wonder David sang, “O the blessedness of the man whom thou choosest and causest to approach unto thee.” No wonder God’s election was so much on his mind and heart. It was the thought of God’s election that made him leap and dance before the ark of God (2 Samuel 6:21). It was the fact of his election by God unto salvation and eternal life in Christ that sustained his heart and rejoiced his soul as he lay upon his deathbed. Indeed, this is a doctrine full of joy and comfort to every child of God. Let us bless and praise him for his free, electing love in Christ, the fountain of all past blessedness and the guarantee of all future blessedness for his people. God does everything in accordance with his electing love toward us, just for “the elect”.
Don Fortner
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Pastor Fortner’s
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