Posted on 07/14/2018 4:37:33 AM PDT by metmom
"You are a chosen race" (1 Pet. 2:9).
Election is the spiritual privilege from which all others flow.
Unlike those who are destined to destruction because of their rejection of Christ (1 Pet. 2:8), Christians are an elect race of people, bound together by God's redeeming grace. That's cause for great celebration!
First Peter 2:9 is an allusion to Deuteronomy 7:6-9, which says, "You are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but because the Lord loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the Lord brought you out by a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the Lord your God, He is God."
Like Israel, the church is the redeemed community of God, "chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit" (1 Pet. 1:1- 2). Before the foundation of the world, God placed His love on you, then brought you into His kingdom by granting you saving grace. That's the doctrine of election.
Many people misunderstand election, but it's a wonderful doctrine that brings marvelous benefits. It exalts God by demonstrating His love and grace toward miserable sinners. It eliminates pride by affirming that you are totally dependent on God's grace. It should promote such gratitude in your heart that you long to live in holiness and serve Him at any price. It should also give you joy and strength, knowing that God will never let you go and His purposes will be accomplished in you. You can face any challenge with utmost confidence in His provisions.
Rejoice in your election. Worship God and yield to His Spirit's leading so His choice of you will be evident to all who know you.
Suggestions for Prayer
What has the spiritual privilege of being chosen by God meant in your life? Express your answer to God in prayer, thanking Him for His wondrous grace.
For Further Study
Read Romans 5. What benefits of election does Paul mention?
Many people misunderstand election,
I do not believe that one has to believe in election to be saved. But I also believe it is possible for one to believe they are saved, but they are not. For example, look at the tares among the wheat in so many churches.
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Election is one of those issues which we just can not fully understand this side of heaven; and maybe not even the other side. But the Bible clearly teaches it. And there seem to be good Bible-believing people on both sides of the issue.
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A most fascinating and important topic.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
“Those Whom God ForeKnew He Predestined” “The Elect” “The Chosen”
All sounds like man has no choice- that their eternal fates are sealed-
There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man (John 1.9).
19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse (Romans 1.19-20).
God make it clear that He reveals Himself to all men, and that those that Choose not to believe in Him will be held accountable for their CHOICE- If we are predestined- against our will- to not choose Him, then we can not be held accountable for our choice- because we had no choice- Our eternal destiny would have been foisted upon us without our consent
Simply- God foreknew Who would CHOOSE Him and who wouldn’t- and those who would, God chose to give to the Son- to give them the means to be drawn to Him seeking redemption. Those who would never CHOOSE Him, God chose not to give to His Son, because their hearts would not Accept Christ
Election is a very difficult thing to understand because the counter argument then becomes “A man can not CHOOSe God unless God draws him.” But I think the answer is that God will only draw those who, after hearing the word, would be open to accepting the truth If God were to draw them. God knows who will accept Him and who won’t IF He draws them, and He only chooses to draw those that will react in the positive to His drawing. Those who would hear the truth and not accept Him would be those who were not open to the truth, would not choose Him of their own free will, and therefore are not called by God to be part of His kingdom
God’s predestination of some men is based upon His foreknowledge of all things that will happen in light of free will choices
A very interestingness concept is the idea that there is no time- God is outside of time- so all throughout history, God has operated in the ‘Now’. What this means is that God didn’t know “A Long Time Ago” that some would accept Him and some wouldn’t. He knows it Now- Even the future is “Now” to Him. He can ‘Foreknow” our choices because He operates i n the Now Realm. God knows Now whether a man will accept Him or not. Nothing comes as a surprise to Him because He knows all past present and future because He lives in the Now Realm.
What significance does this have to free will vs predestination? I’m not sure- I just thought it was interesting
As the author stated- God’s foreknowledge Determines predestination.
https://doctrine.org/predestination
Again- God enlightens every heart so that no man can claim there wasn’t enough evidence to accept God. This means God does not force people to accept Him because if He did, the unsaved could use the excuse that they didn’t accept Him because He would not accept them.
Yep, like it or not election is in The Bible. The dead cannot raise themselves, nor the carnal mind, which is at enmity with God, choose Him. Our freedom comes in Christ. We are free to do His will, or not, after we have been freed by Him. If we do not do His will there are consequences, often dire.
We are free to witness Christ to others. We must also pray for them. Our prayers, and our witness are ordained by God. How many people will be in heaven because of our blessed works of faith? How many people will be in hell forever, because we didn’t believe enough, nor care enough about them to love them into The Kingdom of God? We were too busy doing too many things that didn’t matter.
Imagine the tears shed, the horror, the sadness, many will feel to know that their loved ones aren’t there in heaven with them because they ignored God’s loving directive towards them. God works through our faith, our faithfulness to His Word. He wants to and will save many, but He works by faith, our faith. Our lives are not a test run. This is the real and everlasting opportunity to do good. Let’s do it before it is too late.
What a bond of love! What a rejoicing forever! How great and wonderful it will be to share eternity with those we have been faithful, who are in heaven with us because we believed what The Bible said, and followed it. Let all of us Christians love others into God’s eternal Heaven.
listening to Adrian Rogers this morning- he gave an example of foreknowledge that was interesting- He said “An astronomer can tell you when Halie’s comet is going to pass- because he has foreknowledge of the event, but that doesn’t mean he causes it to happen”
Thought that was pretty neat explanation
I woudl just add that forweknowing an event like the comet- one can then plan acts and events around such knowledge- such as say a comet party, or preparing a telescope and camera for the event- etc-
In a similar manner, God foreknows how we are going to choose- and as such orders events in our lives to bring us to that acceptance when He reveals His existence to us- like the observer waitign o nthe comet ot reveal itself, our souls are waitign on God to reveal Himself so that the veil is lifted from our eyes- and we see Him for the first time- This is hte ‘foreordained’ or ‘predestined’ act based on God knowing our free will choice
We are elect according to the foreknowledge of God. God foreknew we would accept Him and therefore He elected us to be His children
Romans 8:29 For Whom He did Foreknow, He did Predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son
God Calls Everyone, but Those that refuse to heed the call and accept God look God in the face and declare to Him Defiantly “Not Thy Will, but My Will be done” They WILL (Free will) not Accept Him. God tells us He is not willing that any should perish- but unfortunately many WILL themselves into hell by their own free will because their will is more important to them than bowing down in obedience and accepting Him. They make a free will choice to defy God- God doesn’t elect them to go to hell- They Elect themselves to go to hell rather than bow the knee in submission to God’s will
Good!
Thanks for that analogy.
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