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Written for: Prison Epistles
Date Written: 10/17/2009

Election
Ryan Watters
God’s Bible School and College


Election

This paper will briefly deal with and explain the key issues regarding the doctrine of election. We will begin with a concise definition supported by Scripture, and then move on to look at the four main components of election. We will then conclude with just when all of this takes place in time and eternity.

Election can be defined as “God the Father’s gracious act (Eph. 1:3), before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4), of choosing Christ (Isa. 42:1) and, as a result, those He foreknew (1 Pet. 1:1) would be in Christ (Eph. 1:4) and adopted as His sons (Eph. 1:5) on the basis of (Joh. 1:12) their grace-enabled (Joh. 6:44) response to the Gospel call (Mat. 22:14) (1) to be holy and blameless before Him in love (Eph. 1:4), (2) to be obedient to Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 1:2), and (3) to be sprinkled with His blood (1 Pet. 1:2). A person becomes elect in time when he believes the truth (2 The. 2:13) and is placed in Christ by the Spirit’s sanctification (2 The. 2:13; 1 Pet. 1:2). A believer, through God’s gracious enabling (Phi. 2:13), makes his election certain (2 Pet. 1:10) by adding to his faith (2 Pet. 1:5) and maintaining (2 Pet. 1:8-10) the qualities of virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love (2 Pet. 1:5-7).”

It will be helpful at this point to differentiate exactly what is meant by the term election, and what is not. Election is not an arbitrary selection, but rather God elects all those He foreknows will accept His offer of salvation and believe in Him.

Further, I disagree with the Calvinists who state, election “depends not upon their own free will, but upon the immutability of the decree of election.” This would make election unconditional. Rather, I believe that election is conditional, and contingent upon the elect persons grace enabled response to choose to continue in faith, and cooperate with God’s work in our lives. This is supported by 2 Pet. 1:10 which states, “Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble.” This caveat seems to clearly support a conditional view of election.

Election has four major points, which we will look at in turn. Election is:
1) Christocentric—“The Father chose us in Christ. Christ is both the focus and the foundation of election” (Eph. 1:4).
2) Corporate—“The Father chose us, a group, a corporate entity, the body of His son” (Eph. 1:4).
3) Comprehensive—All men are potential candidates for election, but only believers are actually elect. (1 Tim. 4:10)
4) To a Commission—“The Father chose us in Christ to be holy and blameless. Holiness is at the heart of God’s purpose in election” (Eph. 1:4).
First, election is Christocentric. This simply means that the Father chose Christ as the Elect One. Election is “centered in and on Christ” How do we know that Christ is the “Elect One”? The following Scriptures support this conclusion:
Isaiah 42:1 “Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.” How do we know that “mine elect” here refers to Christ? Because Mat. 12:15-21 supports this interpretation, especially vv. 17-18 which read, “That it might be fulfilled by which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased….” Therefore, we conclude that the Elect One in this passage is Christ.

Luke 9:35 “And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!” Here God the Father (voice out of heaven) is calling Jesus His “Chosen One.” Further still, passages such as Luk. 23:35, 1 Pet. 2:4, and 1 Pet. 2:6 also support the conclusion that Christ is the “Elect One” of God.

It should be noted that Christ was not chosen or “elected” for salvation. Rather, as Forster & Marston state, “He was chosen to be the suffering servant who would be a light to the Gentlies.” Yocum also adds, “Jesus was not chosen of God to be saved, but to be the Savior of all who would believe in Him.”

Second, election is corporate. By this we mean that the Father chose all of those he foreknew would accept His gift of salvation and would as a result be “in Christ.” This pattern can be seen throughout Scripture. God chooses a man and his seed for a specific purpose. For example, God chose Abraham and his descendents to form the nation of Israel (Gen. 12:7). God also chose Isaac, and Jacob to continue the lineage of Israel, and made specific promises to them regarding their seed as well (Gen. 26:3-4; 28:14). This model is important because it helps us to understand the significance of God’s choice of Christ.

Ephesians 1:4 states, “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:” Notice that we are chosen “in him.” He is the Elect One, and the only reason we are elect is because we are “in him.” Therefore, just as God chose Abraham and his seed to be the nation of Israel, God chose Christ and those “in him” to be elect. Forster & Marston point out, “The prime point is that the election of the church [those in Christ] is a corporate rather than an individual thing. It is not that individuals are in the church because they are elect, it is rather that they are elect because they are in the church, which is the body of the elect One.” Brown also states, “Our election is not separate from his election.”
Third, election is comprehensive. In other words, the possibility of election is open to all. As Brown states, “All men were and are potential candidates for election.” How do we know this? To answer this we must first ask, “How are we elect?” The answer to this has already been established; we must be “in him”. How are we in him? We accept God’s free gift of salvation. Is this gift offered to all? That is the crux of the matter, and I believe the following passages answer a resounding, “Yes!”1 Tim. 4:10 states, “…we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.” Also, 1 Tim. 2:4 states, “who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” Finally, 1 John 2:2 states, “and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.” So then, we know that election is offered to all because salvation is offered to all.

However, just because it is offered to all does not imply that everyone is therefore elect. It is their choice to accept or reject the invitation. “Nowhere in the NT are unbelievers called “elect.” An example of this is found in Matthew 22. In this allegory, the King sends out many invitations for a wedding feast. However, not everyone accepted the King’s invitation, and they were thus not “chosen.” Mat. 22:14 states, “For many are called, but few are chosen.” The gift of salvation is offered to everyone, but few respond to the invitation and are thus “chosen” or “elect.”

Fourth, election is to a commission. God chose Christ, and all of those “in him” (Christ’s seed), but for what purpose? What was the Father going to do with this group of people that had chosen to accept His invitation to be “in christ”? Eph. 1:4 states, “…he hath chosen us in him … that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.” God chose those in Christ to have a holy character, to be “holy and without blame.” Further, we have been elected in Christ to be obedient and sprinkled with His blood (1 Pet. 1:1-2). And, finally, we have been elected to be to the praise of his glory (Eph. 1:6).

Now, when did all of this take place? We know that God foreknew with certainty all of those who would accept God’s offer of salvation and thus become Christ’s seed, and He thus chose them before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4). Again, this was not an unconditional choice, but rather God’s response to their acceptance. A person then becomes part of the elect at a certain point in time the moment he or she responds to the truth (2 The. 2:13). So while God chose the group of those in Christ before time began in eternity, a person does not join that group, and become “elect” until he or she accepts His offer of salvation at a certain point in time.

In summary, we have seen that God the Father chose His Son, the Elect One, Christ, to be the basis and foundation for all election. By means of salvation He has offered the opportunity for all to become part of Christ, and thus, elect. Once a person has accepted this gift, they then fulfill their commission by having a holy character, continuing in obedience, and doing all of this for His praise and glory.

Reference

Brown II, Allan P. (2009). Lecture on election. Class notes.

Forster, Roger T. and V. Paul Marston. (1989). God’s strategy in human history. Bethany House Publishers. Minneapolis, MN.

Yocum, Dale. (1986). Creeds in contrast. Schmul Publishing Company, Inc. Shoals, IN.