“According as he hath chosen us (the elect) before the foundation of the world…having predestinated us (the elect) to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ …”
Ephesians 1:4, 5
(1834-1892).
God’s Attributes:
- Faithfulness – Deuteronomy 7:9, 539, assurance, trust, continuance
- Foreknowledge – “A misinterpretation of foreknowledge can repudiate man’s depravity” (AW Pink). This word is not found in the OT but instead it is the word “know”, which has a personal flavor when used of God choosing someone.
- Grace – God shows His goodness to all, but His salvific favor to the elect.
We cannot forget about God’s Will(s) when discussing the doctrine of election.
The doctrine of election is perhaps one of the most disliked doctrines of the Bible because it puts salvation solely in the hands of God, whereas those who are opposed to limited atonement want to put salvation in the hands of man. This doctrine validates monergism.
Definitions:
- Elect – Taken from Strong’s Concordance and Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, this word means–favorite, chosen, elect, picked out, the source of election is God’s grace, not human will.
- Elected – Taken from Strong’s Concordance, this word means chosen in company with that is co-elect (fellow Christian)—elected together
- Elect’s – Taken from Strong’s Concordance and Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, this word means — chosen in company with, i.e. co-elect.
- Election – Taken from Strong’s Concordance and Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, this word means–(divine) selection: — chosen, elect, denotes the “picking out”, selection.
Old Testament Scriptural uses:
ELECT, 972
Isaiah 42:1- “Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect…”
Isaiah 45:4- “For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel mine elect…”
Isaiah 65:9- “And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect…”
Isaiah 65:22- “…for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect…”
New Testament Scriptural uses:
ELECT, 1588
Matthew 24:24- “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”
Matthew 24:31- “And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”
Mark 13:22- “For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.”
Mark 13:27 – see Matthew 24:31 above.
Luke 18:7- “And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?”
Romans 8:23- “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.”
Colossians 3:12- “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering.”
I Timothy 5:21- “I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one to another, doing nothing by partiality.”
Titus 1:1- “Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness.”
I Peter 1:2- “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.”
I Peter 2:6- “Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.”
II John 1- “The elder unto the elect lady and her children.”
II John 13- “The children of thy elect sister greet thee. Amen.”
ELECTED, 4899
I Peter 5:13 – The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you…”
ELECT’S, 1588
Mark 13:20- “And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect’s sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.”
ELECTION, 1589
Romans 9:11- “For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth.”
Romans 11:5- “Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.”
Romans 11:7- “What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.”
Romans 11:28- “As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes, but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father’s sake.”
I Thessalonians 1:4- Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.”
II Peter 1:10- “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fail.”
Other biblical terms connected to Election or used interchangeably
- Choose, chose (John 15:16)
- Foreknowledge (Romans 8:29)
- Ordained (Acts 13:48)
- Predestination (Ephesians 1:5)
And then there are “other sheep.” (John 10:16)
Opposing views:
- Arminianism – Their view is that election is conditional based on God seeing in the future what they would do toward any faith in Jesus Christ.
- Bishop T.D. Jakes shared his view on predestination and election in a Facebook post, stating, “I believe everyone is predestined to accomplish certain things for the Lord. Somewhere in your heart there should be an inner knowing that directs you toward God’s expected end for you.” But what does Jeremiah 17:9-10 and Hebrews 3:10 say?
- Billy Graham stated:“Unfortunately, God has no power over the will of man. That is to say, He cannot save a person against his will, but at the same time, He is not willing that any should perish. He has made it possible for all men to be saved. But the Bible indicates that salvation depends upon man’s willingness to be saved.” (Billy Graham answers in the Standard Bearer, 1966) Billy G. has a total misunderstanding of II Peter 3:9 and denies the sovereignty of God.
- Adrian Rogers states: “There are those who believe that some being born today, no matter what age they may attain, whether they die in infancy, or whether they die of old age, will never have an opportunity, a chance, to be saved, no matter what else happens, if they are not one of the elect, they cannot be saved.” (Let the Earth Hear His Voice, 2004) Opportunities include decisions and we are not saved by “making a decision”, neither are we saved by “chance.”
Why do people reject the biblical doctrine of election?
- Denominational influence – Arminian churches
- Lack of biblical knowledge – We are told to Study (Acts 17:11; II Timothy 2:15). This does not mean that one who holds the doctrine of election dear to them is full of biblical knowledge and smarter than everyone else. Conversely, if someone has no understanding of any of the doctrines of grace, it does not mean that they are lost sinners.
- Unregenerated – John 3:1-8, but some may also have an intellectual grasp of election
- God has mercy on whom He chooses – Romans 9:15
- Spiritual deadness – Ephesians 2:1-3
- The cry of unfairness – Romans 9:21
- Pride – II Timothy 3:2
- Self-centeredness – II Timothy 3:2
Lapsarian views
- Infralapsarianism (after the lapse) -creation-the fall-decree to save some-decree to provide salvation
- Sublapsarianism (under the lapse) – creation-permitted the fall-decree of salvation for all—God chose some to receive salvation
- Supralapsarianism (before the lapse) – God decreed election for some and condemnation for others-God decreed to create some elect and non-elect – God allowed the fall-God provided salvation for the elect
Ordo salutis
- Predestination
- Election
- Effectual calling
- Regeneration
- Repentance/faith
- Justification
- Sanctification
- Glorification
Some biblical proofs that the doctrine of election is all of God and none of man
- Deuteronomy 7:6-9
- Romans 8:29-30, 33
- Romans 9:11, 21; 11:5, 7
- Ephesians 1:4, 11
- I Peter 1:2
- Revelation 13:8
God protects His elect
- Matthew 24:22, 24
- Mark 13:20
- Romans 8:33; 11:26
Is the doctrine of election only applicable to people?
- Nations – Israel, Deuteronomy 7:6-9, Psalm 33:12; 106:5; Isaiah 45:4
- Places – Jerusalem – Psalm 132:13, 14
- Angels – Mark 8:38; I Timothy 5:21 (But angels do not have souls.)
Election and Reprobation – both are for the glory of God
- Jeremiah 18:5-7
- Romans 9:11-13
- Nowhere in scripture does it say that God has to treat everyone the same.
If everyone truly understood the doctrine of election, then it would frighten a lost person to their knees and humble a saved person to their knees.
Questions:
- In the doctrine of election, who chooses who?
- Did God have to elect people to salvation?
- If God elected people to salvation, does that mean that He elected others to damnation?
God is sovereign. Man is not.
