Election

<<selected, appointed>>

This can be described as God’s sovereignty freely shown through undeserved favour and grace towards fallen humanity to which He owes nothing but wrath (Rom 1:18, 5:8). The sovereign choice does not depend on anything the individual has or will do, nor involves any injustice on His behalf

Being elected by God is the ultimate expression of love

because He is not obligated to show mercy to anyone as He can do with His rebellious creation whatever He pleases. ‘Predestination’, ‘election’ and ‘chosen’ are interchangeable terms referring to His act of choice. “It does not depend on man’s desire or effort” – it is solely an act of God’s mercy…“He has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy” (Rom 9:10-23).

God in His foreknowledge knows those who will respond to His offer and it is these who He chooses to be saved, yet they must still decide to yield to Christ as no one is a puppet with their freewill over-ridden (Jn 1:12, 6:44; Act 13:48; 2 Thes 2:13; 2 Tim 1:9; 1 Pet 1:2). It is our responsibility to preach the gospel to all, and although God would like all people to be saved many will reject the offer of salvation; only He knows those who will accept and who will reject that offer (Mk 16:15; 1 Tim 2:4).

Some of the individuals God chose for specific tasks include: Moses, the disciples, and Paul (Ps 106:23; Lk 6:13; Act 9:15). Jesus, Himself, was the ‘elect of God’ (Mt 12:18). In the OT God choose Abraham and gave a promise to him and his descendants that they would be a special people, blessed by Him as they responded in obedience. A covenant was established with this group of people we know as the Jewish nation (Gen 12:1-3; Deut 7:6).

In the NT election is further defined as God’s gracious choosing or predestination of individual sinners to be saved and glorified in and through Christ. This choice was made before the foundation of the world for God’s eternal purpose is that we should be

Saving faith is evidence of salvation

conformed to the image of His son and grow into the fullness of Christ, to live holy and blameless lives, for the praise of His glory (Rom 8:28,29; Eph 1:4,5,11,12, 3:11, 4:13; 1 Thes 1:4). Our responsibility is to believe, to receive Jesus Christ as Saviour by grace through faith, trusting in Him alone for salvation (Jn 3:16; Eph 2:8,9). No one seeks after God's plan of salvation on their own accord for we are blind to our need of salvation (Rom 3:10-18; 2 Cor 4:4). This only changes when God draws us to Himself and grants us the privilege to repent (Jn 6:44; Act 11:18). God intervenes in the lives of the elect by the Holy Spirit so they respond in faith to Him and receive God's perfect grace, the non-elect receive His perfect justice.

Our being chosen should result in our continual praise to God, and living obedient lives, pleasing to Him who has called us out of darkness into light and life with the divine life we claim to possess (Phil 2:12; 1 Pet 2:9; 2 Pet 1:10). Rather than questioning the

Show God He made a good choice

impartiality and fairness of God that only some are chosen for salvation, we should marvel at His mercy why He would choose any at all.