ELECTION

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By John W. White

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The doctrine of election has long been a subject for debate. Calvinism and Arminianism are the two extremes. The two contradict each other and they both use the same Bible to prove their doctrinal position. Calvinism teaches that only the elect will be saved and Arminianism teaches that those who persevere will be saved. The Bible plainly states that God is not the author of confusion 1 Corinthians 14:33.

SALVATION

Simply stated, Jesus Christ "Died for all, then were all dead." 2 Corinthians 5:14, and "He lighteth every man that cometh into the world" John 1:9. Every man that comes into the world can be saved. To be saved is to "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" Acts 16:31. Paul used the aorist tense of the verb 'believe' and not the present tense. The aorist tense is graphed by using a dot (·), an event.  The present tense is graphed by using a line (¾).  You believe one time and you are saved and you do not have to continue to believe to stay saved, as would be the case if the present tense were used.  John 3:3 "...I say unto thee, Except a man be born [also in the aorist tense] again [above], he cannot see the kingdom of God." When we are born from above we are placed into the family of God, and that can not be reversed. Earthly and heavenly DNA can not be altered. We are forever in the family.

CALLING

2 Timothy 1:9 "Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began," Salvation comes before the calling. In Matthew 22:14 "For many are called, but few are chosen." NOT ALL are called. The 'many' that are called are not called unto salvation, because the invitation  to be saved is not limited to just many, but is extended to every man that cometh into the world. The calling is a holy calling and is given after one is saved. Out of the many that are called only a FEW are chosen, or Elect. The holy calling is a heavenly calling (Hebrews 3:1) and is unto His Kingdom and glory. 1 Thessalonians 2:12  "That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory." All the saved will SEE His kingdom [John 3:3], but not all of the saved will ENTER into His coming kingdom.  Matthew 7:21 "Not every one [THAT IS SAVED] that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall ENTER into the kingdom of heaven; but he that DOETH the will of my Father which is in heaven." Not all of His children are doing His will.

John 14:15 "If ye love me, keep my commandments."

ELECTION

Ephesians 1:4, 5 "According as he hath chosen [Elected; ejklegw= e>k, out from + le>gw,  to say] us IN HIM [that is in Christ vs. 3] before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated [pro>, before + oJri>zw, to ordain or  to determine] us unto the adoption of children [from one Greek word: ui>oqesia = uijo>v, son + ti>qhmi, place] ...according to the good pleasure of  his will," Election takes place in the Body of Christ, among those whom He knew would be saved. The elect are to become sons, having been predestinated according to the good pleasure of his will. Romans 8:29, 30 "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son.  Moreover whom he did predestinate, them [the saved] he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified."

GOD IS SOVEREIGN IN ELECTION

Romans 9:11 "(For the children [Esau and Jacob] being not yet born [but in the womb], 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)" JACOB WAS ELECT.

 Romans 11:5, 6 "...there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace...." NOT OF WORKS BUT GRACE. (Galatians 5:4  "...whosoever of you are justified by the law ; ye are fallen from grace.")

Romans 9:12  "It was said unto her, The elder [greater] shall serve the younger [lesser]." Position in the family.

Romans 9:13  "As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated." PREFERENCE . Love/hate are relative terms. We are to Love God and hate our parents.

Romans 9:14 "What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid."    SOVEREIGNTY.

Romans 9:15  "For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy , and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion."  JACOB BLESSED

Romans 9:16  "So then it is not of him that willeth [Esau or Jacob], nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy." GOD'S WILL, THE LAST SHALL BE FIRST

Romans 9:20  "Nay but, O man [Esau], who art thou that repliest against God?"   SPIRIT OF ESAU, I OBJECT!

Romans 9:21  "Hath not the potter power over the clay [JACOB AND ESAU], of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour [JACOB] ,and another unto dishonour [ESAU]?"    GOD IS SOVEREIGN

1 Corinthians 6:19, 20  "What? know ye not...YE ARE NOT YOUR OWN? For ye are bought with a price..."

1 Corinthians 12:18 "But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it HATH PLEASED HIM."

2 Timothy 2:20, 21 "But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honor, and some to dishonor. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto HONOUR, SANCTIFIED, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work."   

WHO ARE THE ELECT?

Jacob was last in the family and had a bad reputation. In 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 "For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence."  we see that the ELECT are those who can not glory in their own ability or position in life. Jacob could not glory in anything that he had done. God did later change his name to Israel, A PRINCE OF GOD. James 2:5 "Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world [ko>smov, earthly] rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom [heavenly] which he hath promised to them that love him?"

THE ADOPTION

Adoptions speaks of a child being born to one set of parents and then being adopted by another set of parents. Many speak of being adopted into the family of God. When one is born from above he is born into the family of God, therefore adoption INTO the family is not necessary. Adoption is placing a child that has been born into the family into a position of a son. A good illustration of this is when a Jewish boy becomes a 'son of the commandment' and a full member of the congregation at his bar mitzvah. The Hebrew word bar means "son", and the word mitzvah means "command" and the root word, tsavah means to "enjoin" and is translated "appoint", "charge", "put" or "command".  The elect were chosen to become sons before the foundation of the world, but have not been made manifest. Romans 8:19  "For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God." The manifestation of the sons of God will be made at the resurrection of the body. Romans 8:23 "We ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit [that is to say], the redemption of our body."

THE ELECT WILL BE SONS OF GOD

In Job 1:6  "Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them."; Psalms 82:6,7 "I have said, Ye are gods [judges]; and all of you are children [sons] of the most High."; and Daniel 10:13 "But the PRINCE [Jacob's name was changed to A PRINCE OF GOD] of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia." These passages of scripture show that the angels of God whether they be fallen or not, are known as the sons of God and they are principalities, rulers, and powers in heavens. We are told that if we are victorious over our enemies and keep his works to the end, that we will have positions of authority over the nations and we will rule them with a rod of iron. Revelation 2:26, 27 "And he that overcometh [ones being victorious], and keepeth [guarding] my works unto the end, to him will I give power [authority] over the nations: And he shall rule [feed or tend] them with a rod of iron..." This is confirmed in Revelation 17:14 "These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen [ELECT], and faithful." The words "called", "chosen", and "faithful" are adjectives describing the kings and lords that are with him. The apostles were told by the Lord when Peter ask Him in Matthew 19:27,28 "Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

BRETHREN GIVE DILIGENCE

2 Peter 1:4-7  "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue... knowledge... temperance... patience... godliness...to brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity" 2 Peter 1:10 "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence [spouda>zw, strive, be bent upon, to hasten] to make your calling and election sure [be>baiov, stedfast, stable, firm]: for IF YE DO THESE THINGS [verses 4-9], ye shall never fall [ptai>w, stumble, stagger]:" The charge in this verse is to strive for stability in our calling and election and do not waste time in accomplishing this objective. We may stumble,  as the nation of Israel stumbled, but, we do not have to fall as Israel and were cut off. Romans 11:11 "I say then, Have they stumbled that they [Israel] should fall [pi>ptw]? God forbid: but rather through their fall [para>v + pi>ptw] salvation is come unto the Gentiles..." In Romans 11:16, 17  "For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. And if some of the [holy, living,] branches be broken off, [being alive,  they can be graft in again, v. 23] and thou, being a wild olive tree [GENTILES], wert grafted in among them [You don't graft dead branches into a living tree and expect fruit.], and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree [the blessing of the nation of Israel];" To be cut off in the Old Testament was not to lose their salvation, but to lose their inheritance in the promised land.  All that left Egypt were cut off but Joshua, Caleb [Caleb was a Gentile, his name means DOG in Hebrew], and the children 20 years and younger. Hebrews 3:19 "So we see that they could not enter in [to the promise land, because they were cut off] because of unbelief [ajpisti>a = no faith]." The same is true here in Romans 11:20, 21 "Well; because of unbelief [ajpisti>a = no faith] they were broken off, and thou standest by FAITH [pisto>v, the opposite of ajpisti>a]. BE NOT HIGH-MINDED, but FEAR: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee." The Nation of Israel fell because they did not have faith. Israel was just, they kept the law, but they would not live by faith, more than keeping the law. Hebrews 10:38 "Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him."  Those who have faith need to add to their faith so that they can stand and not fall.  Those who fell and cut off did not lose their salvation, otherwise, Moses and Aaron lost their salvation. If  we are cut off, we do not lose our salvation either, but we will not have an abundant entrance into the Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:11 "For so an entrance [not just seeing] shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting [aijw>niov, 'age' used as an adjective], kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." Romans 11:21 "Be not high minded [brethren], but FEAR" We should give diligence to confirm our calling and election by adding to our FAITH those things outlined in verses 4-9, then we will be SPARED and not be cut off as were some of the nation of Israel even though they were ELECT.  Revelation 20:6 "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first [best] resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years."

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EXAMPLES OF THE CALLED AND THE CALLED OUT IN ELECTION