Election

I hate to disappoint those of you who were looking for something about what is to take place in our nation on November 6 which is just three days away.  Wonder how long the pundits will discuss the results?  Probably until the campaign for 2016 begins.  Groan!!!!!!!  Most of you are aware of my political leanings which have become more certain as the days go by.  John MacArthur put it very well in his recent two sermon series on abortion and homosexuality - The Democrat party is a Godless party.  This can be confirmed by reading their party platform.  They support the death of an unborn baby at any time prior to delivery, I suppose even one second before delivery would be all right with the Democrats.  Their total support for same-sex marriage is an abomination to Almighty God.  The LGBT organization is one of the favorites of the Democrats.  Next, they will probably support beastiality except that PETA would probably not support it.

Anyway, this post is about a different kind of election; the one spoken of in Holy Scripture.  Below is an except from the writings of Dr. Sam Storms, who is currently the senior pastor at Bridgeway church in Oklahoma City.

Series: Divine Election

The Calvinistic concept of divine election proceeds on the assumption that God saves men and women in accordance with a plan formulated in eternity past. The events we see unfolding in time and history are not haphazard or chaotic, appearances notwithstanding. They are the divinely ordained means by which God is bringing this universe to its proper consummation in Jesus Christ. We would not think very highly of God if we knew him to have created all things without a clue as to what he intended to do with them. We marvel at God’s wisdom and find him worthy of praise precisely because we know that all things have been created not only by Jesus Christ but also for him (Col. 1:16).

This world and all that is in it exist principally as means to the fulfillment of a divine purpose, “the summing up of all things in Christ” (Eph. 1:9-10). Jesus himself declared that he came to this earth in order to accomplish the Father’s will (John 6:38). That is why our Lord’s redemptive sufferings occurred as a result of the “predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God” (Acts 2:23); cf. Acts 4:27-28; 1 Peter 1:20). In sum, God works all things according to the counsel of his will (Eph. 1:11).

No less a part of this divine plan is the salvation of fallen sinners. However else one wishes to conceive it, God’s election of individuals to eternal life antedates creation. It is a pre-temporal act which the biblical authors describe as having transpired “before the foundation of the world” (Eph. 1:4; Rev. 13:8; 17:8) or “from the beginning” (2 Thess. 2:13). Election is a result of God’s gracious purpose to save sinners, according to which we have been “predestined” to obtain an inheritance (Eph. 1:11). All of which, Paul tells us, “was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity” (2 Tim. 1:9). One may wish to argue about the basis upon which God made his choice, but that it was a choice made in eternity past seems beyond dispute.

Like everything else that God does, election has a goal. The immediate goal of election is the salvation of those chosen. God has chosen us from the beginning “for salvation,” declares Paul (2 Thess. 2:13; cf. 2 Tim. 1:8-10). Of course, this does not mean that the eternal destiny of individuals is the only objective in election. The nation Israel was the recipient of God’s elective blessing, in that the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were chosen to be the heirs of temporal, earthly, theocratic privileges (Deut. 4:37; 7:6-8; 10:15; 1 Chron. 16:13; Hos. 3:1). We have already seen that Jesus Christ was himself the object of an electing act by God the Father. He is, in a very special sense, God’s “chosen one” (Isa. 42:1; Matt. 12:18; Luke 9:35; 1 Peter 1:20).

The church as a collective body is also chosen of God (1 Peter 2:9). And even in the case of individuals, election is not always to salvation and life. Some, such as kings (1 Sam. 10:24; 16:7-12), priests (Deut. 18:5), prophets (Jer. 1:5), and apostles (John 6:70), are chosen to office and service. Our concern in this study, however, is with that form of election in which individual men and women are “ordained to eternal life” (Acts 13:48, RSV).

But the will of God for his elect does not terminate when they come to saving faith in Jesus Christ. Paul makes it clear that God the Father chose us in Christ in order that “we should be holy and blameless” in his glorious presence (Eph. 1:14). The apostle Peter likewise insists that God has chosen a people in order that they might “obey” Jesus (1 Peter 1:1-2; see also 1 Peter 2:9; Rom. 8:29). But surely the ultimate or final goal of God’s electing love is God’s own glory. He chose us that we should be both justified and sanctified, all of which is designed to redound to “the praise of the glory of His grace” (Eph. 1:6,12,14; cf. Rom. 9:17-23).

I am sure that many Arminians have agreed with much, if not all, that I have said to this point. They have no quarrel with the idea that God elects men and women from eternity past, and that he does so in order that they might have eternal life. They certainly would insist, no less than I, that the eternal life graciously bestowed on fallen sinners serves to bring glory and honor to his most holy name. It is when the basis or ground for God’s choice is discussed that the Arminian parts company from the Calvinist. As we saw above, the Arminian insists that God elects men and women on the basis of what he, from eternity past, knows that they, in present time, will do when confronted with the gospel. Thus the basis or ground for being chosen by God is one’s own freewill choice of God. God’s election of us is, in effect, a divine response to our election (or choice) of him.

The Calvinist, on the other hand, insists that election is not grounded or based upon any act of man, for good or ill. Election “does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy” (Rom. 9:16). That God should set his electing love upon any individual is not in any way dependent upon that person’s will (Rom. 9:16), works (2 Tim. 1:9; Rom. 9:11), holiness (Eph. 1:4), or obedience (1 Peter 1:1-2). Rather, election finds its sole and all-sufficient cause in the sovereign good pleasure and grace of God (Eph. 1:9; Rom. 9:11; 11:5; Matt. 11:25-26; 2 Tim. 1:9). Were election to be based upon what God foreknows that each individual will do with the gospel it would be an empty and altogether futile act. For what does God foresee in us, apart from his grace? He sees only corruption, ill will, and a pervasive depravity of heart and soul that serves only to evoke his displeasure and wrath.

What this means is that Calvinism is monergistic (made up two words that mean “one/sole” and “energy/power”) when it comes to the doctrine of salvation. This simply means that when a person is saved it is due wholly to the working of one source of power: God. Arminianism is by necessity synergistic, in that it conceives of salvation as the joint or mutual effort of both God and man. However, in fairness to my Arminian friends, it must be pointed out that virtually all of them insist that God takes the initiative and that people then respond. Thus the word “synergism” simply means two or more forces or powers working together with each other to accomplish a common goal. Some believe that the implications of this serve to undermine saving grace. G. C. Berkouwer, for example, says this:

“In no form of synergism is it possible to escape the conclusion that man owes his salvation not solely to God but also to himself. Still more accurately, he may thank himself – by virtue of his decision to believe – that salvation actually and effectively becomes his in time and eternity. To be sure, synergism is constantly seeking to avoid this conclusion, and it is seldom expressed in so many words that salvation really depends partly on man. Nevertheless, this conclusion cannot in the long run be avoided and it is clear that we actually are confronted here with the real problem of synergism as it results in a certain amount of human self-conceit” (Divine Election, 42). 

 

How, then, may we define election as it is conceived by those who call themselves Calvinists? Divine election may be defined as that loving and merciful decision by God the Father to bestow eternal life upon some, but not all, hell-deserving sinners. This decision was made before the foundation of the world and was based not upon any act of will or works of men and women, but solely upon God’s sovereign good pleasure. One does not enter the ranks of the elect by meeting a condition, be it faith or repentance. One enters the ranks of the elect by virtue of God’s free and altogether gracious choice, as a result of which he enables us to repent and believe. Thus, election is both sovereign and unconditional.

 

The following is from the Baptist Faith and Message by Ernest C. Reisenger.

ELECTION

"Election is God's eternal choice of PERSONS unto everlasting life -- NOT BECAUSE OF FORESEEN MERIT IN THEM, but of His mere mercy in Christ - in consequence of which choice they are called, justified, and glorified."  

Election is such an important biblical doctrine that if it were not for the doctrine of ELECTION no one would be saved, and Christ's death would be of no effect, that is, it would not affect any one savingly. I want to show that it is not only in the Bible, but our Baptist fathers believed it, taught it and preached it.

JOHN A BROADUS, former president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary: "From the divine side, we see that the Scriptures teach an eternal election of men to eternal life simply out of God's good pleasure. "

B. H. CARROLL, founder and first president of the Southwestern Baptist Seminary: "Every one that God chose in Christ is drawn by the Spirit to Christ. Every one predestined is called by the Spirit in time, and justified in time, and will be glorified when the Lord comes."

JAMES P. BOYCE, founder and first president of Southern Baptist Seminary: "God, of His own purpose, has from eternity determined to save a definite number of mankind as individuals, not for or because of any merit or works of theirs, nor of any value of them to Him; but of His own good pleasure."

W. T. CONNER, professor of theology, Southwestern Baptist Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas: "The doctrine of election means that God saves in pursuance of an eternal purpose. This includes all the gospel influence, work of the Spirit and so on, that leads a man to repent of his sins and accept Christ. So far as man's freedom is concerned, the doctrine of election does not mean that God decrees to save a man irrespective of his will. It rather means that God purposes to lead a man in such a way that he will freely accept the gospel and be saved."

CHARLES HADDON SPURGEON, The Prince of Preachers, in a sermon delivered on Matthew 24:24 (April 22, 1860): "I do not hesitate to say, that next to the doctrine of the crucifixion and the resurrection of our blessed Lord - no doctrine had such prominence in the early Christian church as the doctrine of the election of Grace."

If Spurgeon is correct (and he is) there sure have been a lot of preachers successful in avoiding a very important and prominent Bible truth. Spurgeon said, "There seems to be an inveterate prejudice in the human mind against this doctrine, and although most other doctrines will be received by professing Christians, some with caution, others with pleasure, yet this one seems to be most frequently disregarded and discarded."

If it were true in Spurgeon's day, I wonder what he would say now when most pulpits are silent about it, and therefore, the pews ignorant of it.  The Old Baptist Confessions, such as, The Baptist Confession of 1689 (London Confession): The Philadelphia Confession of 1742; The New Hampshire Confession - all these confessions are crystal clear on the blessed doctrine of Sovereign Election.

There is no doctrine so grossly neglected and misrepresented in all the Bible. One of our Fathers said, "From hostile lips a fair and correct statement of the doctrine of election is never heard."

The treatment the doctrine of election receives from the hands of its enemies is much like that received by the early Christians from pagan Roman Emperors. The early Christians were often clothed in the skins of animals and then subjected to attack by ferocious wild beasts. So the doctrine of election is often clothed in ugly garb and held up to ridicule and erroneous attacks.  In my thirty-plus years as a Southern Baptist, I never heard one word about the doctrine of election; how sad.  Now read what John MacArthur has to say about election.

Is the Doctrine of Election Biblical?

by

John MacArthur


Adapted from The Body Dynamic, © 1996 by John MacArthur. All rights reserved.

 

Among the most hotly contested and persistent debates in the history of the confessing church, the doctrine of election is perhaps the greatest of all. The question goes like this: Does God choose sinners to be saved and then provide for their salvation? Or, Does God provide the way of salvation that sinners must choose for themselves?

Where’s the evidence?
This question of choice is called “election” because of the Greek word for those who are chosen—the Bible calls them eklektos. There are many such uses in the Bible (cf. Col. 3:12; 1 Tim. 5:21; Tit. 1:1; 2 John 1), but one of my favorites is in Romans 8:33: “Who will bring a charge against God’s elect?” The answer is, “no one,” but why? Is it because I chose God, or is it because God chose me?

One passage that is critical to the discussion is in the opening chapter of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. Immediately after his customary greeting, Paul launches in Ephesians 1:3-14 with a great song of praise. It’s only one sentence—but, with 200 words in the Greek, it may be the longest single sentence in religious literature.

Paul touches on all the great biblical themes in that hyper-complex sentence—sanctification, adoption, redemption, and glorification—and all of them rest on one foundational doctrine, the doctrine of election. The most superlative spiritual blessings stand on Ephesians 1:4—“He chose us [elected us] in Him before the foundation of the world.”

So the doctrine of election is biblical, but what does that passage really teach? I want to help you get a better grasp of that by pointing out what Paul teaches about election. If you are a believer, you can equip yourself for your next conversation on this topic. But more important, as one of His elect you can rejoice in the astonishing kindness God showed you before the world began.

What does it mean?
Paul’s song is essentially his reflection on the amazing truth that God “blessed us with every spiritual blessing … in Christ” (v. 3). And how did He bless us? “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world” (Eph. 1:4).

God didn’t draw straws; He didn’t look down the corridor of time to see who would choose Him before He decided. Rather, by His sovereign will He chose who would be in the Body of Christ. The construction of the Greek verb for “chose” indicates God chose us for Himself. That means God acted totally independent of any outside influence. He made His choice totally apart from human will and purely on the basis of His sovereignty.

Jesus said to His disciples, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you” (John 15:16). And in the same Gospel, John wrote, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (1:12-13, italics mine). And Paul said, “But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth” (2 Thess. 2:13).

Those statements defining God’s sovereign choice of believers are not in the Bible to cause controversy, as if God’s election means sinners don’t make decisions. Election does not exclude human responsibility or the necessity of each person to respond to the gospel by faith. Jesus said, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out” (John 6:37).

Admittedly the two concepts don’t seem to go together. However, both are true separately, and we must accept them both by faith. You may not understand it, but rest assured—it’s fully reconciled in the mind of God.

You must understand that your faith and salvation rest entirely on God’s election (cf. Acts 13:48). And yet the day you came to Jesus Christ, you did so because of an internal desire—you did nothing against your will. But even that desire is God-given—He supplies the necessary faith so we can believe (Eph. 2:8).

Think about it—if your salvation depends on you, then praise to God is ridiculous. But, in truth, your praise to God is completely appropriate, because in forming the Body before the world began, He chose you by His sovereign decree apart from any of your works. The doctrine of election demonstrates God being God, exercising divine prerogatives. For that we must praise Him.

“But that’s not fair!”
Some are shocked to find that God didn’t choose everyone to salvation. Jesus said, “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day” (John 6:39, italics mine). God the Father chose certain individuals to form a Body as a gift to Jesus Christ. Every believer is part of that love gift to Christ—a gift of the Father’s love to His Son.

To those who say that is unjust, Paul answers: “What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! For He says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion’” (Rom. 9:14-15).

So why does God still find fault in unrepentant sinners when He didn’t choose them? Doesn’t this deny human responsibility? Is it fair for God to still hold them accountable?

Paul answers all such questions with a rebuke—“who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, ‘Why did you make me like this,’ will it?” (v. 20). Does the clay jump up and ask the potter why it looks the way it does? Not at all.

Some believe that is terribly cold and calculating. But that is only one side of God’s sovereign election. Paul continues in the next chapter by saying, “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved … for ‘whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved’” (10:9, 13).

How these two sides of God’s truth—His sovereignty in choosing us (Rom. 9) and our responsibility to confess and believe (Rom. 10)—reconcile is impossible for us to understand fully. But Scripture declares both perspectives of salvation to be true (John 1:12-13). It’s our duty to acknowledge both and joyfully accept them by faith.

Besides Jesus and Paul, some names that you might recognize that teach or have taught this doctrine include Augustine, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, A. W. Pink,   J. I. Packer, R. C. Sproul, Charles Swindoll, John MacArthur, and the list could go on and on.  A doctrine that gives all the credit and glory to the God of the Universe certainly deserves our consideration.

 I have believed both sides of the doctrine of election - Arminianism and Calvinism.  It should be easy for you to figure out on which side I now stand.  I will close with a paper I prepared from a series of messages taught by John MacArthur entitled "Chosen for Eternity".

Advantages of Election from message Chosen for Eternity, Part 3 by John MacArthur

1 Peter 1:1-2 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen according to the foreknowledge or God the Father by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.

So we see the truth of election:  its nature, condition, source, sphere, purpose, security...lastly the advantages of our election.

What are the advantages of election?  We think about the doctrine of election and we sort of shrivel up, we don't want to talk about it, it's too deep, too confusing, too hard to understand.  Let me tell you what election ought to raise in your heart, the responses that it ought to have.  You shouldn't run for it, you should run to it.  You shouldn't be afraid of it, you should rejoice it it.  Here's why.  Election is, first of all, the most pride-crushing doctrine in Scripture.  That's right.  It produces humility.  It is the most humiliating truth there is, that you had absolutely nothing to do with your salvation.  It just crushes your spiritual and religious pride.  Spurgeon called it the most stripping doctrine in the world, it strips you of everything.  He wrote this, "I know nothing, nothing again that is more humbling than this doctrine of election.  I have sometimes fallen prostrate before it when endeavoring to understand it, but when I came near it and the one thought possessed me "God hath from the beginning chosen you unto salvation,' I was staggered by that mighty thought.  And from the dizzy elevation down came my soul, prostrate and broken saying, 'Lord, I am nothing, I am less than nothing, why me?  Why me?'"  It is a pride-crushing doctrine and that is a blessing because God gives grace to the humble.

Secondly, it is a God-exalting doctrine, it gives all the glory to God.  It declares that repentance is from God, that faith is from God, that the power for obedience is from God.  That even when we fail, His part of the covenant is to cover our failures.  No wonder we respond, "Not unto us...not unto us, O Lord, but to Thy name give glory."  Psalm 110:3 says, "He made us willing in the day of his power."  The very fact that our will acted was a result of His movement.  It is the most God-exalting element of the doctrine of salvation just as it is the more pride-crushing element.

Thirdly, it is joy producing...it is joy producing. Listen folks, our only hope is to be elect.  Did you get that?  That's our only hope.  So that brings us supreme joy.  When I think about the fact that God chose me, that is the supreme joy because I would have no hope of salvation apart from that.  I would have no hope if God in His sovereign mercy had not chosen me.  What a joyous thought, it fills my heart.

Fourthly, it is the most privilege-granting doctrine in salvation because it grants to us all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus, Ephesians 1:3 says.  We receive benefit upon benefit upon benefit.  We have been made, according to chapter 2, verse 9, a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of God's own possession in order that we might proclaim the excellencies of Him who called us out of darkness into light.  Look at the privileges we have, incredible privileges out of election.  You ought to love that doctrine.  You ought to cling to that doctrine.

Fifthly, it is the most holiness-promoting of the elements of salvation.  What...what other compelling thing could there be for me to live to the glory of God than to know that He chose me out of His own love?  Out of absolute gratitude I should be compelled to a life of purity.  I really feel, people, that when the doctrine of election is not properly taught and understood, people run around under the assumption that they did something for their salvation and because they feel that it was partly them, they are not compelled to serve and love and glorify the God whose alone was the will and the act of salvation.  You don't help people by not having them understand this.  Why do you think Paul in Colossians 3:12 says, "And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience," and so forth.  Get your act together because you're the chosen of God.  What a compelling thing, what an absolutely compelling thing that is.  Election should produce obedience.  Spurgeon again said, "Nothing under the gracious influence of the Holy Spirit can make a Christian more holy that the thought that he is chosen.  Shall I sin, he says, after God has chosen me?  Shall I transgress after such love? Shall I go astray after so much loving kindness and tender mercy?  Nay, my God.  Since thou hast chosen me, I will love Thee, I will live to Thee, I will give myself to Thee to be Thine forever, solemnly consecrating myself to Thy service."  It's a compelling thing.

Sixthly, the doctrine of election is the most strength-giving of the elements of salvation.  What do you mean?  If I'm the elect, I'm secure.  If I entered into a covenant of obedience through the sprinkling of blood and the blood was sprinkled on the altar representing God, it means that God is bound to keep covenant.  My part is to obey, His part is to forgive my disobedience, I'm secure in that.  It's the most strength-giving element to know that He which has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ, or perfect it.  Jesus said, "Him that comes to Me I will in no wise cast out, all that the Father gives to Me, will come to Me, I've lost none of them, I'll raise them all up at the last day."  Why?  They're the elect.  Listen, beloved.  If you are elect, that seals your eternity.  What a strengthening truth that is.  That's right.  What do we fear?  We're the elect.  Nothing can make a man more bold, more strong, more courageous, more secure than that.  You see how wonderful this doctrine is?  Wonderful doctrine.  It crushes our pride, makes us humble.  It exalts our God.  It produces joy...joy from deep down within.  If grants privileges, compels holiness, gives strength and boldness.  Can you ignore that kind of doctrine?  If the church ignores that doctrine look what it loses, look what it misses.  Beloved, we need to understand what God has given us in His grace and we need not to be ignorant because in every doctrine that God provides there is the privilege of giving a response of praise to Him.  And therefore to be ignorant of the doctrine of election would be to be retarded in an ability to praise and glorify God. 

Lastly, Joyce and I attended an Expositors' Conference at Christ Fellowship Baptist Church in Mobile, AL on September 24-25.  The speakers were John MacArthur and Steve Lawson.  The video below is an except from one of Dr Lawson's messages that sums it up pretty well.  It is less than ten minutes long and well worth listening to.