Every teaching of the Bible is aimed at both the mind and the heart. Doctrine is meant to be contemplated and felt; to be discussed and also lived. Some subjects more than others quickly become intellectually heavy, abstruse and technical (and debatable). One such doctrine is the doctrine of Election. This is unfortunate, because it’s typical appearance in Scripture is couched between the warm pillows of hope and comfort. Election seems to pop up in the writers mind when he is deeply excited to encourage and strengthen the believer. So my goal here is to just take a few moments to revel in what the reality of election means for the believer…  

If you are a genuine believer and follower of Christ, the Bible is crystal clear that you have been chosen by God to be one of his very own: 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14, “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved (greatly loved) of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation…” Your destiny has always been to belong to God, to know Jesus, follow him, represent him and to ultimately be raised from the dead and be given a glorified body like him. Praise God – what a destiny! You are one of those children of the promise (like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob/Israel) the Scriptures talk about!    

Before the earth was created God freely settled this decision that your destiny would be to become one of his chosen children: Ephesians 1:4-5, “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: having predestinated (pre-determined, foreordained) us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.” You are a child of God! Your Father is the King of all the kings and Lord of all the lords. He is the supreme ruler of all things! The faithful love of a good father is secured towards you forever! Romans 8:33-34, “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” No one and nothing will ever separate you from his love! 

Thankfully, God’s selection of you was not based on anything meritorious that he foresaw in you: 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.” Deuteronomy 7:6-8, “For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: But because the LORD loved you…” Romans 9:11, “(For the children being not yet born, 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;)” Among of all humanity that would be created, why did God set his love upon you to make you his very own child? We are told – mysteriously, but simply so – that the reason why God set his love upon you is because he loved you (Deuteronomy 7:8)! Also, because he has a special purpose in your life to showcase his mercy (2 Timothy 1:9)! All of this is completely undeserved. Yes, the fate of grace has fallen upon us. Thank you, Father. You deserve every ounce of praise and love from us! 

Election isn’t referring to the fact that God saves those who believe in him. God does save those who believe in him, but election is focused on what lies underneath our decision to believe (or the realities that precede our conversion). The ultimate reason behind why you developed a fear of God, was convicted of your sins, realized who Jesus was, understood the Gospel, and called upon Chist for salvation, was that you were chosen by God to have your eyes open to all of these things: Acts 13:48, “And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained (appointed) to eternal life believed.” Everyone that day heard the same Gospel preaching by Paul. Why did some believe – because they were appointed to believe. It was their destiny.  

In John 10:26-28 Jesus said, “But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” Everyone heard Jesus (the good shepherd) speak. Some yielded to his voice and some did not. Why? Because some were his sheep and others were not. I used to think that what made someone one of God’s sheep was that they believed in him. Sort of like faith being the door to the sheepfold. It seems to make sense, right? But I came to realize that the Lord classifies people as his sheep before they believe: John 10:16, “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.” Jesus had sheep that had not yet believed. They were still out wandering lost in the mountains somewhere. This passage in John 10 is revealing to us why the elect believe: because they are sheep. Only the sheep hear the voice of shepherd and come. You heard his voice and came to him when he called you because he had already chosen you as one of his sheep in eternity past. You love him. Why? Because he first loved you (1 John 4:19).  

We did not do anything to be elected by God. He did not stand on the precipice of eternity and scout through the corridors of time for all the faithful people and then stamp his seal on them. He foresaw all people as fallen, corrupted, degenerated sons and daughters of Adam. God’s justice, righteousness and good wrath was pleased to reserve many for judgment, but his goodness, kindness, grace, longsuffering, mercy and love yearned to make His-story a rescue mission. So he chose many to be redeemed through the precious work of Christ, in history. Why we were numbered among the sons and daughters of mercy is beyond our comprehension. But it is true, and it has come to pass. Hallelujah!   

How precious is all of this! Think about how differently your destiny could have been! God could have chosen you to just be an ant, but he made you a living, breathing, thinking, feeling, worshiping creature. But even then, God could have allowed you to run headlong into deserved everlasting destruction, but he didn’t. He chose you. He wanted you. 

1 Peter 2:9-10, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” You are not a believer today because karma is rewarding you for being noble in a past life. The fortune of good luck has not just happened to fall on you. You’re not a child of God because you were a Pastor’s child, grew up in a Christian home or went to a Christian school. You’re not a Christian because you were raised in western culture. You didn’t repent of your sins because you have a softer heart than others or because you are just naturally more good than others. You don’t understand and believe the Gospel because you have a high I.Q. There is nothing about you that is the ultimate cause for why you believed. Your faith is a gift from God. Philippians 1:29 “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake.” Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.” The same saving faith that was given you to start believing in Christ is the same faith that will continue to be given you forever. Jesus is the author and the finisher of your faith (Hebrews 12). God promises to never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13). God’s everlasting kingdom is your home. He has many mansions and there is a room prepared for you (John 14). 

God has promised you “an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:4-5). Do you think of this enough, how your life is going to end??? No matter the difficulties, struggles, tragedies of life – it is all going to end soon and glory will be born and you will be enveloped by it. Amen! 

God doesn’t make mistakes. He doesn’t recall any of his elections, and praise God he doesn’t miscount them either! Believer, friend, brother: rejoice today rest in his unfailing love for you. Confess your sins. Renew your commitment to him. Strive to imitate the apostle Paul and work hard in God’s harvest field so the other elect children of God will come to know him as well: 2 Timothy 2:10 “Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.”