The Ultimate Election

As of Monday, the United States of America new Chief Executive Officer. This was done by a process described as an election by the people. In Jesus Christ we have a different, and much more important election.

In Matthew 13:10-17 Jesus explains that the purpose of speaking in parables is because he wants the people that he wants to hear to hear, and he doesn’t want the people that he doesn’t want to hear to hear. You hear all that? Is that surprising? Not if you remember what Jesus says in John 6:44:

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.

Why does Jesus say these things? Doesn’t He want everyone to be saved? John 3:16-17 quotes Jesus as saying, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” So what gives?

For that matter, when did God start choosing specific people to work with? Believe it or not that happens as soon as humanity begins to stray, in Genesis 3:14-15. God’s judgment on the serpent is to “put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”

This is not a reference to a literal battle between snakes and women. This a separation between lovers of God and lovers of Satan, the serpent. For instance, in Matt 12:34 calls the lawyers and Pharisees a “brood of vipers.” Jesus says to his detractors in John 8:44 that they claim to be children of Abraham, but actually follow their father, the Devil. This becomes the universal human conflict between good and evil. All of this conflict happens by God’s sovereign choice as a result of His judgment on the serpent in Eden.

The apostle Paul speaks to the issue of some hearing and others not hearing in Romans 8-11. He says, in 8:28-29:

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. 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. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

The first part of that should probably be translated “And we know that in all things God works for the Good with those who love him…” In other words God plans to work with the people who love Him in the process of producing the maximum good for all. This is the purpose of “foreknowing” and “predestining,” “calling,” ”justifying” and “glorifiying.” God is not explicit about the details of how He goes about that, but lets Christians know that there is work for them to do to make “the good” happen.

He goes on in chapters 9 to 11 to describe situations where God chose some individuals to further His plans and rejected others, including siblings. He chooses Abraham out of the whole world population to start a nation. He chooses Isaac over Ishmael, implying that He chooses Sarai over Hagar, their respective mothers. (God’s election is not only for men.) God chooses whoever He wants and rejects whoever He wants.

Paul then asks the obvious question: is God unfair? His answer is “no.” God has a bigger plan than we human beings can fathom. His conclusion in Romans 11:25-32.

I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written: “The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.

“And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.”

As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable. Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you. For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.

Notice that the end result of all of this predestinating is that God will somehow “have mercy on them all,” Israelite and Gentile. Those two categories include the entire human race. Paul explains the important role of Jesus in Romans 14:9-12.

For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.  You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.11 It is written: “ ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’ ” So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.

The idea of Jesus being “Lord of both the dead and the living” is also captured in the statement in Ephesians 2:8-11.

And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,  that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

For those with eyes to see and ears to hear, God has everything figured out “for the good.” God intends to use those “who love Him” to assist in this mission. For this reason, it is important for Christians to “make your calling and election sure. (2 Peter 2:10).

Our election is a priceless privilege! It depends entirely on God’s grace, not anything we bring to the Lord.

Peter give this advice in how to prepare and ensure effectiveness in our calling in verses 3-11.

His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.

For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Let us look forward to receiving that “rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” by making every effort to confirm that calling and election. And be encouraged to work with the Lord in “working for the good” while we can.