the elect/chosen

[Hedgehog]

I believe ONLY the faithful people have been Gods elect from the beginning.
Faithful people ONLY were/are the chosen from the beginning.

I believe this is speaking about people of faith. Ethnic Israel may not have known that, but that doesnt change the truth.

Deu 7:6 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.

Deu 7:7 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
Deu 7:8 But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.(Pharoah represents Satan, and Egypt respresents sin)

Deu 7:9 Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he [is] God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;

Deu 7:10 And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face.

eu 10:12 And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,


Deu 10:17 For the LORD your God [is] God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons,

Jdg 5:31 So let all thine enemies perish, O LORD: but [let] them that love him [be] as the sun when he goeth forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years

Psa 145:20 The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.

Jhn 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

Jhn 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.


1Cr 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

Jam 1:12 Blessed [is] the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

Jam 2:5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?


Psa 33:12 Blessed [is] the nation whose God [is] the LORD; [and] the people [whom] he hath chosen for his own inheritance.

The faithful

Psa 89:3 I have made a covenant with my chosen,

spoken to the faithful:

Isa 41:8 But thou, Israel, [art] my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend.

Isa 41:9 [Thou] whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou [art] my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.

Isa 41:10 Fear thou not; for I [am] with thee: be not dismayed; for I [am] thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

Isa 41:11 Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish.

which is speaking about the rest of ethnic Israel who are not faithful.


Ok, now we see the "elect" is the chosen.

Mar 13:20 And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.

now we are among the chosen, and we see that its been from the beginning that God chose for us to be a part of the"chosen"

2Th 2:13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

1Pe 2:9 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:

Rev 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, and faithful.

Eph 1:4 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:

 

[Dispy]

Hedgehog:
Are you saying that one is "predestinated"/"chosen"/"elected" for salvation?

God Bless.
Live Well, Laugh Often and Love the Lord!

 

[JM]

http://withchrist.org/slavetosin.htm

I found the above link very helpful in comparing different views on deterministic theology, in fact it is re-shaping the way I view election. I still firmly believe in election but see it more in light of a compatiblistic view.

I'm going through a period of spiritual growth and pray the Lord leads me!

AMEN.

 

[JM]

"...Scripture surely teaches human freedom, [but] it does not state what kind of freedom is in view. Thus, one must turn to the philosophical discussion for an explanation of the ways in which human freedom can be understood."

There are..."two kinds of causes which influence and determine [human] actions. On the one hand, there are constraining causes which force an agent to act against his will. On the other hand, there are nonconstraining causes. These are sufficient to bring about an action, but they do not force a person to act against his will, desires or wishes. According to determinists such as myself, an action is free even if causally determined so long as the causes are nonconstraining."

"...God is absolutely sovereign, and thus possesses absolute self-determination. This means that God's will covers all things and that the basis for God's sovereign choices is not what God foresees will happen nor anything else external to his will. Rather, God's good pleasure and good purposes determine what he decrees. Since God's decree covers all things, it must include both the ends God envisions as well as the means to such ends. God includes whatever means are necessary to accomplish his ends in a way that avoids constraining the agent to do what is decreed. Human actions are thus causally determined but free."

"Unfortunately, some Calvinists, because of their [mis]understanding of God's sovereignty, have denied that humans are free."

God Ordains All Things, PREDESTINATION & FREE WILL, p. 20.​

 

[Dispy]

PART 1

From the Book, The Power of God Unto Salvation - Is The Gospel Enough?", by Joel Finck.

Chapter Six:

ELECTION

In the study of Scripture, you will find that the misunderstanding of just one or two words can often lead to disastrous results. It certainly can lead to great misunderstanding of what God is really trying to tell us. Such is the case with the words "election" and "predestination."

In this chapter, we want to answer the question, "What does election actually mean in the Scriptures?" What we will find is that it does not mean what either Calvinism or Arminianism teach. Both of these theologies will tell us that election means "chosen to be saved." This is taken for granted and becomes the major premise from which we are supposed to work. But as you know, if you know anything about logic, if the major premise is wrong then the rest of the equation is going to be wrong as well.

We will see in this chapter that election in Scripture does not mean, "chosen to be saved" at all. Actually, it primarily means to be "chosen to a position of service." We will do two things by way of introduction. We are going to look at the literal meaning of election and then we are going to summarize the meaning of election as used in Scripture.

The word "election" comes from the Greek word "eklectos." In our modern vocabulary, the word "eclectic" is a direct transliteration of this word from the Greek. What does eclectic mean? It has to do with being very selective about certain things. Where does this word originate? The prefix "ek" simply means "out of" and the word "lego" (which is actually the root word) means "to call" or "to speak." So, "eklectos" means to call out, to speak for, and call someone out unto yourself for a purpose. The word that is translated "election" is also translated "chosen," therefore, these two words can be used interchangeably. In the course of this study, we will be giving many examples of how the word is used in Scripture.

The big question then is, "to what are we chosen?" We will answer this by looking at five Biblical elections. We will show that in each case there is a special purpose for the election, and give several Scriptures for each. We will begin with the most important election of all: the "election of Christ."

God Bless.
Live Well, Laugh Often and Love the Lord!

 

[Dispy]

PART 2

THE ELECTION OF CHRIST

In Isaiah 42:1 we read, "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 this is referring to Christ? The text goes on to say, "He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall He not break, and the smoking flax shall He not quench: He shall bring forth judgment unto troth" (Isa. 42:2,3). This passage is quoted in Matthew 12:18- 21, clearly identifying this "elect" person as the Lord Jesus Christ.

If Isaiah 42:1 teaches us anything, it shows that "election" does not necessarily mean "chosen to be saved." It certainly does not mean this in this context, for Christ was never lost! We will see time and time again that this is not the intent of the word "election" in Scripture. Now, let us continue in this passage and see what is the purpose of Christ's election. Isaiah 42:4 says, "He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till He have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for His law." Is not this a fantastic statement? "He shall not fail nor be discouraged." How often we get discouraged when things do not seem to be going right in the earth. But it says here, Christ will not be discouraged. Verse 5 continues, "Thus saith God the Lord, He that created the heavens, and stretched them out; He that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; He that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to Him that walk therein: I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house." For what was Christ chosen? Obviously, for a very important position and a very important job: that He might bring judgment in the earth and that He would be a covenant for the people. What people does He have in mind? The people of Israel. And as He was received by the covenant people of Israel, then He could also be a light unto the Gentiles under the kingdom program. The Israelites then were to reach out with the message of Christ according to prophecy and be a light unto the Gentiles. Here in Isaiah, the Lord Jesus Christ is not elected to salvation, but to be a channel of blessing to the people of the earth. A second Scripture we want to look at is in Luke chapter 23. Here we find a little different slant to the use of the word "elect," because it is actually used here by those who were opposed to the Lord Jesus Christ. Luke 23:35 says, "And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided Him, saying, He saved others; let Him save himself, if He be Christ, the chosen of God." Here, the word translated "chosen" is the same as the word "elect." As Christ was hanging on the cross, these unbelievers were questioning the fact that He is the elect of God. They were asking, in effect, "If He is the elect, why does He not do something about this? Why does He not show Himself to be the elect, the chosen one?"

Was He really the elect? Yes, and later on Peter does refer to Christ as the elect in I Peter 2:4,6, "To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious." And to what was He chosen? Verse 6 tells us, "Wherefore also it is contained in the Scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief comer stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded." Here, the Lord Jesus Christ is elect to be the chief cornerstone, which, of course, meant to be in a position of privilege and honor. The chief cornerstone is the most important stone of the building. It sets the direction of the entire building and establishes its purpose. But again, it is clear that Peter does NOT mean that Christ was chosen to be saved.

Let us summarize the purpose of Christ's election. Christ was chosen by the Father to occupy the office of Savior. As such He is the one chosen to bring blessing to mankind. It has nothing to do with Him being saved, for He was never lost. It has everything to do with His position and His calling in God's plan.

THE ELECTION OF ISRAEL

A second election that we find in Scripture is the election of the nation of Israel. Once again, let us go back to the Old Testament to establish a foundation for this election. In Isaiah 45:4 we find another election, "For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me." Here, Jacob, or Israel is called the elect of God. Again this brings up a question. Does this mean that all who are Israelites are automatically saved? Absolutely not! Israel was made a covenant nation before God. She was chosen in that respect, yet individuals within the nation still were responsible to exercise faith. Of course, under that program one had to demonstrate appropriate works in order to be counted as a part of Israel. Israel as a nation was considered elect. And yet to be a part of that nation, one had to be identified with that nation. How was one identified with that nation? Circumcision provided the means for identification (Gen. 17:9-14). Gentiles could also become part of the elect nation through circumcision (Gen. 17:12), and later, by taking hold of the covenant that was given to Israel (Isa. 56:6). These things identified a person with Israel and with the Lord. If one identified with Israel under that dispensation, he too was elect.

We might ask, "Why is Israel elect?" The answer, ultimately, is because Israel was identified with Christ through the covenant, and Christ is elect. We will see that all of the elections that follow have to do with the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. He is ultimately the elect of God. If you want to be elect, you must be identified with Him.

Another key Scripture to compare with Isaiah is found in Deuteronomy, where we find an interesting statement dealing with the question of why God chose or elected Israel. Here Jehovah puts it in the negative. Deuteronomy 7:7, "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, and because He would keep the oath which He had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt." Here again we see this principle of identification. Why did the Lord choose Israel according to this text? Israel was chosen because of the fathers. Who did we learn was already the elect from Isaiah 45:4? Jacob, or Israel was elect. Therefore, because of the fathers, and the covenant God made with the fathers, Israel as a nation was also considered elect.

Now let us go to several New Testament passages which give further insight into the election of the nation of Israel. One of the key passages is Acts 13:17, where we read, "The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an high arm brought He them out of it." Why did God choose (or, "elect") Israel according to this passage? Israel was chosen to be exalted, and it is based on their identification with the fathers.

A second passage very crucial to this study is 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. It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated." As we pointed out before, Jacob and Esau represent two nations according to Genesis 25:23, "And the Lord said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb...." The issue here is not which man was chosen to be saved, but rather, which nation would be chosen to serve God.

A third passage echoes this theme of God's choice of Israel as a nation. Romans 11:28, "As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes." Once again we see that identification with the fathers is the basis for Israel's national election. Because of the fathers (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob), the Israelites held a special position of blessing.

A fourth passage dealing with Israel's election is I Peter 1:2, "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ." Once again we find an election. Many (perhaps most) Bible teachers take this particular verse to mean election of the individual to salvation. But this is not Peter's intent at all. First of all, he is addressing the Jews. In verse 1, he calls them the "strangers scattered abroad." These words come from one Greek word, "diaspora," or literally, the dispersion. This refers to the Jews (and proselytes) who had gathered in Jerusalem for Pentecost, but were subsequently scattered. James refers to them as the twelve tribes which are "scattered abroad" (again, "diaspora"). In chapter 2:9, Peter clearly identifies this election as national, "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation..." (I Pet. 2:9).

Peter is consistently using the word "election" in the same way that it was used of Israel in the Old Testament: that they were a covenant people, elect according to the foreknowledge of God. The thought here is not that God picked out certain individuals to be saved, but rather, God chose a certain nation through which blessing would come to the world. To become elect, one had to identify with the nation of Israel, whether as natural Jews who believed or as Gentile proselytes who joined their faith.

Another passage which refers to Israel's election is I Peter 5:13, "the church that is at Babylon." Notice that the word "church" here is in italics and the passage literally reads, "she that is at Babylon elected together with you saluteth you." Again, in this context, Peter is writing to Jewish people, under the kingdom program and is simply informing them that those kingdom saints in Babylon were also a part of that elect nation.

In II Peter 1:10 we find a reference which ought to really make us stop and think. "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall." To what election is he referring? Remember what Peter has already told his readers in I Peter 2:9, "ye are... an holynation." II Peter is written to the same group (II Pet. 3:1). It is the election as a nation which Peter has in mind and is saying to these people, give diligence to make your calling and election sure. In other words, make sure of your identification with the nation Israel through doing the things listed in II Peter 1:5-7, "And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity."

Peter is literally telling these Jews of the kingdom program that the way to make their election sure is to do these things along with their faith. If they obeyed this, Peter tells them, "ye shall never fall: for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." Revelation 17:14 says, "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." Who are the "elect" in this passage? Again, it is Israel who is in view in the Book of Revelation: "And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth" (Rev.5:10). Who is identified in Scripture as a "kingdom of priests"? It is the nation Israel: "And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel" (Exod. 19:6). It will be this elect nation who will be with Christ when He overcomes the ten kings who are empowered by the beast (Rev. 17:12-14).

Two more passages in the gospels need to be mentioned in this regard. Matthew 24:22 and Mark 13:20-27 are parallel passages. Matthew 24:22 says, "And except those days should be shortened, there shall no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened." The context here is the great tribulation (Matt. 24:21), "for then shall be great tribulation." Who bears the brunt of the great tribulation? The nation Israel. These are the elect that Christ is referring to and it is because of the elect that the days will be shortened. In Luke 18:7 the word "elect" is used in the context of a parable, "Shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, though he bear long with them." Again, the teaching here has to do with the tribulation period and how God will avenge His elect, his nation Israel, very speedily.

Let us summarize the election of the nation Israel. Israel was elected by God for this purpose: she was to hold a privileged position as a vessel through which God could bless all people. This purpose goes all the way back to God's call of Abraham, "And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed" (Gen. 12:2,3). And God chose the people of Israel to be the channel of salvation to the earth. In John 4:22, the Lord Jesus Christ, speaking to the woman at the well said, "salvation is of the Jews." They were that chosen channel of salvation through which all the people of the earth could come to God. Unfortunately, there were times when they were such a poor testimony that they could not be used of God even though they were chosen to be that vessel.

Once again, we see the purpose of election here is not picking certain ones to be saved, but rather, it has to do with putting them in a privileged position, where they can then minister unto others.

God Bless.
Live Well, Laugh Often and Love the Lord!

 

[Dispy]

PART 3

THE ELECTION OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES

Now, let us move on to the election of the twelve apostles. The first passage we will consider is Luke 6:13. Here is another passage which reemphasizes our point that election is not God's choice to save someone. Our verse states, "And when it was day, He called unto Him His disciples: and of them He chose twelve, whom also He named apostles." Does their election here mean that they were automatically saved? Notice the list of names found in verse 14, "Simon, (whom He also named Peter) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor." We remind the reader that back in verse 13, it does not say "He chose eleven, whom He named apostles," it says He chose "twelve," and one of those twelve was Judas. Now, Judas, obviously, was an unbeliever because we read later that he fell from his office and is referred to as "the son of perdition." Judas was obviously not elected to salvation, yet the Scripture says he was chosen right along with the other apostles.

Our next passage further explains the position to which Judas was chosen. Was Judas a real apostle? Let us see what the Scripture says. Acts 1:15 says, "In those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty), Men and brethren, this Scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus. For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry." Verse 18 continues, "Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood. For it is written in the Book of Psalms, let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishopric let another take." Judas was "numbered with" the apostles, he "obtained a part of this ministry," he was referred to as an "apostle" when the Lord chose him, and he did hold a "bishopric." He definitely was an apostle. But he definitely was lost. Once more, it is clear that election does not mean "called to salvation," but rather, it is being "called to a position of service."

Several other Scriptures illustrate the same thing: John 6:70, "Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?" John 13:17-18, "If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me." Some might interpret the words, "I know whom I have chosen," to mean that Christ really only chose eleven of these and the one who would lift up his heel was not actually chosen. But this is not what He means at all. Christ is literally saying, "I know whom I have chosen," that is, "I know thoroughly the thoughts and the intent and the innermost of ideas of those whom I have chosen." He is not at all saying that Judas was not chosen. Rather, Christ is affirming that He knows the intentions of each one that He chose, including Judas. Because of this, Christ could predict Judas' actions.

Actually, it was crucial for Christ to predict Judas' actions, if for no other reason, so that the other eleven apostles would not question His authenticity after Judas' betrayal. After all, they might have thought, "If Christ could not even recognize Judas as a betrayer, how do we know He was the genuine Messiah?" Therefore, Christ told them, "Now I tell you before it come, that when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am He" (John 13:19). Then, still in the context of Judas' betrayal, Christ states, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth Him that sent me" (John 13:20). This verse illustrates how Judas could be chosen as an apostle and even bear fruit, all the while he himself was an unbeliever. Inevitably, as the apostles, including Judas, went preaching, people believed on Christ and, therefore, on the Father as well. In verse 20, Christ is simply confirming to the eleven apostles that even though Judas would betray him, those who came to faith under his preaching had genuinely received Christ and the Father. This once more reaffirms the fact that election is not God's choice of whom He will save, but rather it is His choice of those who will serve.

John 15:16 states, "ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you." It is essential to remember that the context here is with regard to the twelve apostles. "I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, He may give it you." This is spoken in particular to the twelve apostles as those who will have great authority in the kingdom. Verse 19 continues, "If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." The choice God is making here relates not to salvation, but rather to God's desire that the apostles bear fruit, and that whatever they ask will be given to them of the Father. This last statement definitely pertains to the apostles under the kingdom program, and is not a "blank check" promise for all believers today. But again, the election taking place is not to salvation, but rather to a privileged position of service.

Finally, Acts chapter 1 again uses the word for "elect" in the context of the apostles. Acts 1:2, "Until the day in which He was taken up, after that He through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom He had chosen." Acts 1:24, "And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest ate hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen." This, of course, refers to God's choice of Matthias, "that he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell" (Acts 1:25).

What was God's purpose in choosing the twelve apostles? The apostles were elected to a special position so that they could bear fruit and minister to others. A major aspect of this ministry was to be a channel of blessing, and salvation to the world.

God Bless.
Live Well, Laugh Much and Love The Lord!

 

[Dispy]

THE ELECTION OF THE BODY OF CHRIST

The next category of election which is found in Scripture, is the election of the Body of Christ. At this point we must emphasize that the doctrine of "identification" is the key to understanding election, particularly, the election of the Body of Christ. Ephesians 1:3,4 says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 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." The two little words "in Him" hold the key to understanding election. Some teach and even misquote this verse by saying, "According as He hath chosen us before the foundation of the world."

This is not what the passage says. Rather, it says, "as He hath chosen us IN HIM." Our election is based on being identified with Christ.

Beginning in verse 4, Paul enumerates some of the "spiritual blessings in heavenly places" that he has just referred to in verse 3. One of the spiritual blessings which accompanies our salvation is the fact that we are elect in Christ. In the following verses, He proceeds to list several other blessings as well. Verse 5 says, "Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of His will." Notice that he does not say that some people are predestined to be saved, but rather, those who are in Christ are predestinated unto the "adoption of sons" (the word "children" in verse 5 is actually the Greek, "huios," or "sons"). Verse 6 goes on to say, "To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved." Here is another of our "all spiritual blessings in heavenly places." We are made to be "accepted," But again, notice that this blessing is only "in the beloved," that is, "in Christ." You see, election to a privileged position of service is just one of many spiritual blessings which we receive when we are "in Christ." These blessings were all planned by God, "before the foundation of the world" (Eph. 1:4), to be given to anyone who would believe. They apply to the believer the moment that person trusts in Christ. "That we should be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise" (Eph. 1:12,13). The question is not, "am I one of the elect?" Rather, the question should be, "how can I be 'in Christ'?" And the answer given in this text is: by believing the gospel of your salvation.

Now let us consider Romans 8:33. Here we find another reference to the election of the Body of Christ. "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect"? It is evident that Paul is using the word "elect" here in reference to a group, for it is in the plural. The question is, what group does he have in mind?

One elect group we have already considered is the nation which would proceed from Jacob, "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; It was said unto her (Rebekah), The elder shall serve the younger" (Rom. 9:11,12). It must be remembered that the context in which this was stated was not with regard to Esau and Jacob individually, but rather with regard to the nations which would proceed from them, "And the Lord said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger" (Gen. 25:23). Now, is Paul referring to THIS group of people, the nation of Israel, when he speaks of "God's elect" in Romans 8:33? Surely not, for in Romans chapter 11, Paul speaks of the "fall" and the "casting away" of Israel (Rom. 11:12,15). Then, he speaks of a new group in chapter 12, the Body of Christ: "So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another" (Rom. 12:5). This Body of Christ is God's elect today.

Romans 8:28-30 is often used by some to teach that there is a certain order that has to be followed; that God picks certain people to be saved and then several other things happen afterwards. This text will be covered in chapter 7 of this book which examines the subject of predestination.

The next reference where we find election used with regard to the Body of Christ is in Colossians 3:12. Here the elect again are simply mentioned almost in passing. Paul writes, "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long suffering." How do we know he is referring here to the Body of Christ? Two things should be noted.

First, in the broader context of the Book of Colossians, Paul has already identified himself as a minister to Christ's body, "which is the church" (Col. 1:24). Therefore, these Colossian believers were a part of this body.The second reason we know Paul is addressing the Body of Christ is that in the immediate context, he has just stated that as believers who are "risen with Christ" (Col. 31), we "have put on the new man" (vs. 10). What is the "new man"? Most commentators say it refers to "the new nature" of the believer. However, Paul defines the "new man" as the Body of Christ in Ephesians. Referring to Jew and Gentile, Paul writes, "For He is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in His flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make IN HIMSELF of twain ONE NEW MAN, so making peace; And that He might reconcile both unto God IN ONE BODY by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby" (Eph. 2:14-16). The "new man" in Colossians 3:10 is the Body of Christ which we have "put on" by faith.

Now, why does Paul bring up the subject of the elect in this context? He is doing so to impress upon us the seriousness of our living before the Lord and before the world around us. He is trying to catch our attention so that we will stop and ask, "Why should I live a holy life? Why should I put on the 'bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind' etc."? Why should we do these things? Paul is stating a very profound thought here: he is saying that you should do this as the elect of God. We should live a holy life because we are part of the Body of Christ!

The next passage we want to consider is I Thessalonians 1:4. The context, beginning in verse 2 says, "We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of God and our Father; Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God." Here again he associates their privileged position of being the elect of God with the practical aspect of living the Christian life. In verse 3, we have a summary of what the Christian life is all about. Remember what Paul wrote when he told the Corinthian believers about the passing away of the gifts of tongues, prophecy and knowledge (I Cor. 13:8-10). What did he say would remain as the normal course of the Christian life? "Faith, hope, and love" (I Cor. 13:13) would remain.

When we come to I Thessalonians chapter 1, we see this same theme. Actually, this theme is developed in all of Paul's writings. Here, Paul praises them for their "work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope" (I Thess. 1:3). The work of faith here has to do with the outworking of the faith that you have in Christ and really putting some shoe leather onto what you believe. The labor of love has to do with the labor that we expend in behalf of others. Finally, the patience of hope refers to waiting for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, which really is the major theme in I and II Thessalonians. The point Paul is making here is that because we are the elect of God, we should exercise the three graces of "faith, hope and love." He has not addressed how we became the elect of God, but rather, how we should live as the elect of God.

Our next passage is II Timothy 2:10, "I endure all things for the elect's sakes that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory." This verse has often been twisted by some to teach something other than what it is really saying. For example, some would suggest that Paul is saying that he is doing something so that the elect may obtain salvation, period. The Calvinist would suggest that he means that the "elect" are out there just waiting to be saved, and Paul is suffering so he can be at the right place at the right time when they finally believe.

This is not at all what Paul is talking about! Notice that when he says, "I endure all things for the elect's sake," it is not merely that they obtain salvation. He qualifies his statement at the end of the verse by saying, "that they may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus WITH ETERNAL GLORY" (II Tim. 2:10). The people he is referring to already have salvation, "which is in Christ Jesus." That is, the way to have salvation is to be "in Christ," and the way to be "in Christ" is to believe the "gospel of your salvation" (Eph. 1:13). And when you are "in Christ," you are now "elect" because Christ is "the elect of God" (Isa. 42:1). Here in II Timothy, the apostle is not merely talking about getting to Heaven (which we do not want to diminish), but Paul had a greater burden. He wanted people not only to get to Heaven but he wanted them to get there "WITH ETERNAL GLORY." That is, he wanted them to get there and receive rewards because when you receive rewards, you receive greater glory throughout eternity. This, in turn, glorifies God, which was Paul's greatest goal in life (as should be ours)!

The next passage is Titus 1:1, "Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness." What "truth" is Paul referring to here? Verse 2 continues, "In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; But hath in due times manifested His word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour." The "truth which is after godliness" is the revelation given to the apostle Paul for the Gentiles, also known as the "Dispensation of the Grace of God" and "the Mystery" (or, "secret") hidden from past ages and generations (see Eph. 3:1-3). Paul's point again is not to show how anyone became the "elect of God," but rather to show that those who are a part of God's elect (i.e., the body of Christ) can become godly through faith in the message which God committed to Paul.

Let us now consider a passage that is sometimes used to prove that election means "elected unto salvation." II Thessalonians 2:13 says, "But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth." To properly understand this verse, two things should be noted. First, the word for "chosen" in this text is not the usual word for election. Rather, it is a word which simply means to "take unto yourself' or to "receive unto yourself." This is very important in this context.

The second thing to note is the context of II Thessalonians chapter 2. The Thessalonian believers had received a teaching that they might have missed the resurrection and that they were going to be exposed to the tribulation period. The purpose of this letter is to explain to them that that simply is not the case. In chapter 2, Paul speaks to them of the tribulation period, and "the man of sin" (verse 3), which is the Antichrist. In verse 8, he speaks of how that wicked one will be= revealed, and the Spirit of the Lord will consume him with the spirit of His mouth and destroy him with the brightness of His coming. He is definitely talking about the tribulation period in this context. But then, to give a word of comfort unto the Thessalonians, Paul says in verse 13, "But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation." Salvation from what? In this context, God has chosen us to be saved (or, delivered) from the tribulation period.

Of course, Paul taught this same truth in I Thessalonians 5:9 where he very clearly said, "For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation." Again, the salvation spoken of here is from the tribulation period. II Thessalonians 2:13 is a reminder of what Paul had already taught them in his previous letter. God has chosen to deliver the Body of Christ from the tribulation period. How can an individual sinner become a part of this blessed company? The end of verse 13 tells us, "through sanctification of the Spirit and (or, 'even') belief of the truth." That is, the setting apart of the Spirit for this blessing is made effective when one believesthe truth. And again, what "truth" does Paul have in mind here? He tells us in verse 14, "Whereunto He called you by our gospel." Once more, it is the gospel which is "the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth" (Rom. 1:16).

What is the purpose of the election of the Body of Christ? It is to serve as ambassadors of Christ and to be channels of God's blessing to mankind. Today it is not the nation Israel which is the channel of God's blessing to the earth. Instead, it is the Body of Christ. This is whom God has chosen in the Dispensation of Grace to be the channel through which the source of blessing (Christ) is proclaimed.

Perhaps II Corinthians 4:7 illustrates this best, "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us." Is this not beautiful? "We have this treasure in earthen vessels." What is the earthen vessel? It is we, as it were, "clay pots." The vessel is not glorious in and of itself. But what do we have in us when we trust Christ? We have the most glorious message that has ever been revealed to man, "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them" (II Cor. 4:3,4). The glorious Gospel of Grace is a precious trust deposit which has been entrusted to us. This is the treasure in an earthen vessel that the excellency might be in God, the power might be of God, not of us. This is our calling. This is the purpose of our election: that we might be that channel of blessing today.

 

[Dispy]

PART 5

THE ELECTION OF THE APOSTLE PAUL

A final "election" which is found in Scripture is the election of the Apostle Paul. Paul's election differs from that of the twelve apostles in that his calling pertains to the heavenly program rather than the earthly program which was committed unto them. To the twelve apostles was committed the kingdom upon the earth. Christ clearly told Peter and the Twelve, "...ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel'' (Matt. 19:28). But, to the Apostle Paul was given the ministry which pertains to the heavenly program, "For our conversation (citizenship) is in heaven" (Phil. 3:20).

The Book of Acts makes reference to Paul's election and its purpose: "But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel (or an elect vessel) unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel" (Acts 9:15). Also in Acts 22:14, Annanias "a devout man according to the law" (verse 12) states, "The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of His mouth." Paul's calling was clearly to be an apostle, as he himself states, "Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God" (I Cor. 1:1) This apostleship is further defended in chapter 9, "Am I not an apostle? am I not flee? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are ye not my work in the Lord?" (I Cor. 9:1). Paul was very clearly called unto apostleship and to a position of privilege as a source of blessing to the Gentiles. This is consistent with the purpose of all of the five elections that we find in Scripture, including Christ's.

The election of Christ (Isa. 42:1) as the source of all blessing establishes the foundation on which the other four elections of Scripture rest. The rest of the elections "channel" those blessings, whether they be the earthly blessings, including the spiritual blessings that were promised to the kingdom saints, or whether they be the "spiritual blessings in heavenly places" (Eph. 1:3) to the Body of Christ. All of these are channels through various individuals. It is interesting to note the balance in these elections. Christ is ultimately "the elect of God." The nation of Israel was a chosen nation with chosen apostles to go along with that nation. This nation of twelve tribes was given twelve apostles. On the other hand, God's chosen vessel today is the Church, the Body of Christ, which is "one Body" (I Cor. 12:13; Eph. 4:4). Accordingly, this one Body was given one apostle which corresponds to that one Body.

God Bless.
Live Well, Laugh Often and Love the Lord!

 

[Augustine_Was_Calvinist]

Union between Christ and his people was planned already in eternity, in the sovereign pretemporal decision whereby God the Father selected us as his own. Christ himself was chosen to be our Savior before the creation of the world (1 Pet. 1:20); Ephesians 1:4 teaches us that when the Father chose Christ, he also chose us.

1 Peter 1:20-21;
20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you 21 who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

Ephesians 1:3-6;
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

 

[Augustine_Was_Calvinist]

Election is the unchangeable purpose of God, whereby, before the foundation of the world, He has out of mere grace, according to the sovereign good pleasure of His own will, chosen from the whole human race, which had fallen through their own fault from the primitive state of rectitude into sin and destruction, a certain number of persons to redemption in Christ, whom He from eternity appointed the Mediator and Head of the elect and the foundation of salvation. This elect number, though by nature neither better nor more deserving than others, but with them involved in one common misery, God has decreed to give to Christ to be saved by Him, and effectually to call and draw them to His communion by His Word and Spirit; to bestow upon them true faith, justification, and sanctification; and having powerfully preserved them in the fellowship of His son, finally to glorify them for the demonstration of His mercy, and for the praise of the riches of His glorious grace; as it is written "For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will--to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves." (Eph 1:4-6). And elsewhere: "And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified." (Rom 8:30).
- [font=Book Antiqua, Verdana]Canons of Dort (1619). First Head: Article 7[/font]

 

[Augustine_Was_Calvinist]

John Calvin on Election Part 1

 

[Augustine_Was_Calvinist]

John Calvin on Election Part 1

1. ELECTION



Malachi -- introduction.

Next comes the book of Malachi. Many imagine him to have been an angel, for we know that an angel is calledmala'kin Hebrew. But it is easy to see what an absurdity that idea is. At that time, God did not send angels to announce his oracles, but used the regular ministry of men. And since thei,yod, is added at the end of the name, as is usual in proper names, we may conclude that Malachi was the man's name. But I readily admit that there may have been a reason for the name which today escapes us. I am more ready to agree with others who say that he was Ezra and that Malachi is a second name given him because God had called him for a splendid and magnificent work.

But whatever the fact may be, he was certainly one of the prophets and we can assume with reason that he was the last. In the end of the book he urges the people to stand fast in the pure teaching of the law; and this he does because thereafter God was not to continue sending a succession of prophets as he had done before. . . . Now I come to his words:



The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by the hand of Malachi. Mal. 1:1.

Those who explainmassa'as simply another word for prophecy are mistaken, as I have said elsewhere. Not every prophecy is called aburden. Further, whenever the word is used, some impending judgment of God follows, and it is clear enough from Jeremiah (23:36) that the word was generally detested. Godless people, when they wanted to insult the prophets, used to say as a common proverb, " This is a burden," implying that you could expect nothing from prophets but threats and terrors; that it was better to shut one's ears and to avoid all prophecies as omens of evil. Malachi's teaching is properly called aburden, because, as I have said and explained more fully elsewhere, it was necessary to summon the people to God's judgment court, on account of the infamy which was once again rampant and had to be stopped. Therefore he says that God's judgment is upon them. . . .

Hand, as we have seen, meansservice. It means that this teaching is from God, with Malachi as the intermediary. The prophet is bringing nothing of his own; he is faithfully reporting as God, the author [of the prophecy], has commanded him.



I loved you, saith the Lord. And you said, How didst thou love us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the Lord. And I loved Jacob, and Esau I held in hatred. . . . A son honoreth his father, and a servant his master. And if I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of hosts. Mal. 1:2-6. (Calvin's wording).

I am compelled to read all these verses together because otherwise the meaning of the passage would not be clear. God is here remonstrating with a perverse and ungrateful people who doubly deny him his right since they neither love him nor fear him. He rightly claims the name and position of both Father and Lord. When the Jews show him no reverence, he reproaches them for denying him a father's right; and when there is no fear of him, he accuses them again because they do not recognize him as Lord, although they cannot elude his authority. But before he comes to the accusation, he shows that he is both Lord and Father. And above all he shows that he is a father, in that he has loved them freely. . . .

God could have appealed to the Jews on other grounds. Even if he did not love them, they were bound to him by his sovereignty. However, here God is not speaking of his universal love toward the whole human race. He is reproaching the Jews because, having been freely adopted by him as a holy and special people, they had forgotten his honor and despised him and had paid no heed to his teaching. When, therefore, God says that he loved the Jews, we can see that in this way he wants to convict them of ingratitude because they have spurned the singular favor by which he had honored them alone, rather than to convince them of his universal Kingdom to which all men are subject.

God could have said to them: " I created you and I am your father who feeds you. The sun shines daily upon you and the earth bears its fruits. In fact I hold you bound to me by the innumerable benefits I confer upon you by my kindness." God could have dealt with them in that way; but as I have already pointed out, he preferred to bring before them the free adoption of Abraham's seed. The disloyalty of the Jews was all the more intolerable because they were rejecting an incomparable favor. For God had raised them above all nations not because of any merit or worth of their own, but because he was pleased to do so.

The prophet begins by saying thatGod loved the Jewsin order to make them realize that their scorn for God's teaching was the worst possible response to his love. This is the first point.

Next, it is obvious that he is indirectly reproaching their ingratitude when he makes them say,How didst thou love us? With this God implies, " If you should say, or rather, should ask, In what way have I loved you? my answer is, Truly in that I set aside Esau and chose your father Jacob, although they were brothers. . . ." We see, as I mentioned above, that the prophet reminds the Jews of the free covenant to leave them no excuse for their wickedness in repaying God so badly for his special grace toward them.

He does not accuse them because they were created like the rest of mankind, or because God has given them the light of his sun, and provided them with food out of the ground. He says that if they have been set above other peoples, it is not by their own merit but because God had seen fit to choose their father, Jacob. The prophet could have named Abraham; but since Jacob and Esau were both descended from Abraham, with whom God had made his covenant, God's gracious favor was the more conspicuous in Jacob. First, God chose Abraham alone, and put the other families of mankind aside. Then, out of this one family whom God had adopted, one man was chosen and the other rejected.

The point is not merely that Esau and Jacob were brothers. We must notice other facts which the prophet does not state because everybody knew them. . . . All the Jews knew that Esau was the first-born, and that it was contrary to nature for Jacob to obtain the first-born's right. . . . But Jacob was divinely chosen and his brother, the first-born, was rejected.

If we seek the reason for this, we shall not find it in a difference of root or origin. The two men were brothers; and even before they came out of their mother's womb, God had already declared by oracle that Jacob would be the greater of the two. So we see that the primary source of every good we find in the descendants of Abraham was derived solely from the free love of God. Indeed Moses says often, Not because you excelled other nations, or were more numerous, did God honor you with so many kindnesses, but because he loved your fathers (Deut. 7:7). The Jews were continually warned not to look for the reason for their adoption elsewhere than in God's free favor. He had seen fit to choose them; this alone was the source of their security.

After having briefly recalled the benefits which should have filled the Jews with shame, the prophet comes to his main point, which is, as I said above, that God declares himself defrauded of his right in two ways: the Jews neither revere him as Father nor fear him as Lord. He could indeed, by right of creation, call himself both Father and Lord, but I have already explained that he refers rather to their adoption because God's grace is the more striking when he out of all mankind chooses some few to be his own people. . . . Those whom he honors with such an election he binds to himself with a most holy chain; and if they desert him, there is no excuse whatever for their treachery.

Since we now understand the prophet's purpose and the aim of the whole reproof, it remains to adapt his teaching to our own use. We are not descendants of Abraham or of Jacob, according to the flesh; but God has given us sure evidence of his adoption, which singles us out from other peoples whom we in no way excel. Clearly, then, if we do not respond to God's call, we are found no less guilty than the Jews. I am touching on this briefly now, to point out that this teaching has no less importance for us today than it did for the Jews at that time.

Although the method of our adoption differs from that which affected one seed or one family, it is true of us as it was of them that we are raised above others not by our own worth but because God has freely chosen us for his people. Since he has so chosen us, we belong to him, more especially because he has bought us by the blood of his Son. By granting us participation in his inestimable grace through the gospel, he has made us both sons and servants. Therefore, unless we honor him as Father and fear him as Lord, the same (and no less) ingratitude will be found in us as was found in that ancient people. Today I dealt with the main points of this passage in a summary way; tomorrow I shall speak of election, as the text itself requires. It was necessary to discuss first the prophet's purpose, which I have done. Next I will treat single topics more fully so far as necessary.

 

[Augustine_Was_Calvinist]

Part 2



Prayer



Grant, Almighty God, who hast not only given us life in common with all men in this world, but hast also separated us and illuminated us by the Sun of Righteousness, thine only-begotten Son, in order to lead us into the inheritance of eternal salvation, grant I beseech thee that since we have been rescued from the darkness of death, we may ever attend to that heavenly light by which thou guidest and invitest us to thyself. May we walk as children of light, and never wander from our holy calling, but continually go forward in it, until we shall at length reach the goal which thou hast set before us, so that we may put off the uncleanness of the flesh and be transformed into that ineffable glory of which we have now the image in thine only-begotten Son. Amen.



Yesterday we explained the purpose of Malachi the prophet. . . . But to appreciate the justice of his remonstrance, first, we must consider under what obligation we are to God, because he created us as men, in his own image and likeness, for he could equally well have created dogs and donkeys instead of men. We know that Adam was made of the earth as were the other animals, and therefore as to body there was no real difference between men and the dumb beasts. God is said to have breathed the breath of life into men, but we should not take this as the Manichaeans dream about it, as though men receive their souls by way oftransplantation. (By using this word, they teach that the human soul is of the substance of God.) Moses on the contrary means that the human soul was created out of nothing. We are born by generation, but our origin is clay. Still, there is something special in us, a creation from nothing which is the soul. We see, therefore, that we differ from the beasts only because God by his gracious favor willed to create us men. Therefore, if we do not worship him, he has every right to charge us with ingratitude, since we were created in his image for this very purpose.

This passage, however, has to do with the special favor of God in taking the seed of Abraham to himself. As the Song of Moses declares, All peoples belong to God; and yet he has thrown a rope and separated Israel for himself (Deut. 32:9).[90]With the whole earth under his dominion, he pleased to choose one family as his own.

If we look for a reason for this, we shall not find it in men. All men alike were created out of the earth, and all had souls created from nothing put into their bodies. If this be so, we see that when God gives precedence to one race over others, the distinction among them must have its source in his gracious favor. . . . The prophet speaks here of the third step in election by which God set apart a branch of Abraham's descendants. But we must keep in mind the first step, by which mankind was bound to God in a special way, because while he could have created them donkeys and dogs, he chose to form them after his own image. The second step was his choice of the race of Abraham, although his power extended over all peoples without exception. . . . In the third stage, to which Malachi refers, we must note that, having promised to be the God of Abraham and his seed, God distinguished also between the sons of Abraham, rejecting some, taking others for his own. This is emphasized by Paul in the ninth chapter of Romans. . . .

Now upon the third step follows a fourth. From the sons of Jacob, God chose whom he would, and rejected others. The Scripture is full of statements like the words of Moses (Deut. 9:6), " I did not choose you from other nations because of your virtue, for I knew that you were a rebellious people, stiff-necked and obstinate." Even while God knew the perverse spirit of this people, he chose to reveal in them an example of his wonderful kindness. Therefore, we must not look for the cause of their adoption outside of God.

But if the election of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was a free act of God, we must conclude that the individuals whom God singles out from the whole body are freely chosen. And so I come to the fourth step. . . . For when many who are descended from Jacob according to the flesh are rejected no less than Esau, it is clear that when God elects individual men his choice is governed by his free favor and pure compassion. This is the line of argument which the apostle follows in the letter to the Romans.

It seems harsh to many to think that God chooses some and rejects others, and does not consider men's worth, that by his own free will he chooses whom he pleases and moreover rejects others. But what is this scruple except a desire to call God to order and subject him to their judgment? We must return to the first step. If it is unreasonable for God to choose one of two men and reject the other, how can we defend God's justice in creating a donkey and a man -- if it needs defense? For as I said the bodies of donkeys and men come from the same clay. And all of a donkey's strength and energy he possesses because he was so created by the secret life-giving power of God. As for man's soul, although it is immortal, it is also a creation from nothing. Now let these good critics explain what wrong they think is done to God, and how he is slandered by the statement that the salvation of men depends on God's will to reject some and choose others. For, if they wish to satisfy human judgment, they have the same problem in the universal election of men and beasts at their creation.

As we have said, there is no real difference among men, except in their hidden election. Some theologians would make foreknowledge the mother of election, and that very foolishly and childishly. They say that some men are chosen and others rejected by God, because God, from whom nothing is hidden, foresees of what sort each man will be. But I ask, Whence comes virtue to one and vice to the other? If they say, " From free will," surely creation was before free will. This is one point. Besides, we know that all men were created alike in the person of Adam. . . . And what does this mean except that the condition of all who come from the one root is the same?

I am not discussing " special gifts." I admit that if our nature had not been corrupted and we all had the same assurance of blessedness, we would be endowed with a variety of gifts. . . . But since in Adam all are sinners, deserving of eternal death, it is obvious that nothing but sin will be found in men. Therefore, God's foreknowledge cannot be the reason of our election, because when God [looks into the future and] surveys all mankind, he will find them all, from the first to the last, under the same curse. So we see how foolishly triflers prattle when they ascribe to mere naked foreknowledge what must be founded on God's good pleasure. . . .

When Moses prays to God not to break his covenant with Abraham, God answers, " I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion." What does he mean? He means that the reason for God's keeping some for himself and rejecting others is to be sought nowhere but in God himself. When he says, " I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion," the repetition may seem empty and dull; but it is in reality emphatic. . . . The reason for compassion is compassion itself.



At that time, Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, O Father, so it seemed good in thy sight. Matt. 11:25-26.

It is certain that he gave thanks to the Father on their behalf and for their sakes, so that they might not be offended because the church appears so lowly and mean. We are always looking for splendor, and nothing seems more absurd than that the Heavenly Kingdom of the Son of God, the glory of which is celebrated with such magnificence by the prophets, should consist of the dregs and nobodies of low-class peoples. And surely it is an amazing counsel of God that when he had the whole earth in his hands he chose his people out of the contemptible folk, rather than out of the upper classes who might have brought the name of Christ greater credit through their own excellencies. But here Christ sets his disciples apart from the proud, from the high and mighty, so that they will not dare to despise the mean and obscure condition of the church with which he himself is well pleased and happy. Besides, in order to suppress more effectively the curiosity which is constantly creeping into people's minds, he goes beyond the realm of cause and effect, and contemplates the secret judgments of God, in order to lead others to wonder at them with him. Even though God's judgment shows him certainly to be of a mind quite different from our own, our pride is nonetheless insanely blind if we cry out against God's judgment while Christ who is our Head bows his head to it and adores it. But let us consider further the statement,I acknowledge to thee, O Father. With these words, he testifies to his acquiescence in the decree of the Father, which accords so ill with the mind of man. There is here a hidden contrast between the praise which he renders to God and the malicious calumnies, and even the insolent barkings, of the world. It is clear that he glorifies the Father, because even though he is the Lord of the whole world, he has preferred babies and simple folk to those who are wise. Now, in this context, it is not without significance that he calls the Fatherthe Lord of heaven and earth. In this way he declares that the distinction between the wise who act as blind men, and the uncouth and ignorant who embrace the mysteries of the gospel, depends on nothing else than the will of God. There are many other passages of this kind, where God shows that those who attain salvation are the ones whom he himself has chosen freely; for he is the Creator and Fashioner of the world, and all nations are his own.

This verse is impressive in two respects. The fact that not all receive the gospel is not due to the impotence of God, who could readily make all creatures submit to his empire. Secondly, that some arrive at faith, while others remain stupefied and obstinate, is due to his free election. He draws some to himself and passes others by; and in so doing, he himself distinguishes among men, whose situation by nature is the same. It is for his own glory that he elects little children rather than the wise. The flesh is much too zealous to set itself up. If clever and learned men were to have an advantage, then everybody would assume that faith is acquired by human skill, or industry, or knowledge. There is no other way in which the mercy of God can stand out more clearly than in God's way of choosing; for thus it becomes evident that men come to God empty-handed. Therefore, it is right that the wisdom of men should be overthrown; because in this way it will not obscure the glory of God's grace.

But someone will ask, Whom does Christ call the wise, and whom, little children? Experience teaches us clearly that not all those who are ignoramuses and uncultivated men receive the light and believe; and not all who are prudent or literate are left to their blindness. Therefore, they who are here called prudent and wise are those who, inflated with the devil's own arrogance, cannot bear to hear Christ speaking to them from his own height. And yet, as we are taught by the example of Paul whose fierce zeal was overcome by Christ, it is not always the case that God reprobates those who have too high an opinion of themselves. And when we go down and look at the uncultivated crowd, we find that the majority of them are poisonously mean, and left for destruction together with those who are great men and noble. . . . Christ is the master of the humble, and the first principle of faith is, " Let none be wise in his own eyes." But what matters is not the willingness of men to become like children. Rather, Christ's discourse enlarges upon the grace of the Father, who does not disdain to go down to the weak, and to pull the paupers out of their filth. . . .

Even so, Father. These words remove every excuse for the kind of unlawful nosiness which always pleases us. Nothing is more difficult for God than to draw out of us an unquestioning acceptance of his will as rational and just. He teaches us often that his judgments are a deep abyss; and still we are impetuous enough to plunge headlong into its depths. And when anything does not suit us, we growl and murmur against him; and many break out in open blasphemy. Against all this, God has laid down the rule that we accept whatever pleases him as right. Sober wisdom is precisely this, that one good pleasure of God is more than a thousand reasons. Christ certainly could have brought out many reasons for the distinctions God makes among the people. But, satisfied with God's good pleasure, he did not search further into God's calling children rather than others to salvation; nor did he ask why God wills to fill his Kingdom with these sheep and nobodies. It is evident from this that people rage against Christ himself when they raise a hue and cry upon hearing that by the will of God some are freely chosen and others are rejected; they do it because they cannot bear to let God have his way.

 

[holdon]

However, here God is not speaking of his universal love toward the whole human race.

Just as an interject, not to derail the thread: Calvin says implicitly that God does have a universal love toward the whole human race....

 

[Augustine_Was_Calvinist]

Part 3



Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Matt. 25:34.

. . . Christ does not invite the believers to possess the Kingdom as though they were fit for it by their own merits. He says explicitly that it shall be given to the heirs (of God's promise). He has also another purpose in saying these words. Since the life of the godly is nothing but an exile full of sorrow and misery, so that the earth itself can hardly bear them; since they are hard pressed by want, and are covered with shame and other afflictions -- the Lord testifies to them of a Kingdom all ready for them, so that with fortified and buoyant spirit, they may be able to overcome these odds against them. For it is no common inducement to patience that men be persuaded with certainty that they are not walking in vain. Therefore, if our souls are not to be cast down by the pride of the godless in which they now exult before our face; if our hope is not to be turned into despair by the troubles we undergo -- we must always keep in mind our inheritance in heaven, which depends not upon doubtful contingencies, but was prepared for us by God before we were born. This I say to each one of the elect, for it is he whom Christ calls the blessed of the Father. It is no contradiction that here we readfrom the foundation of the world, and elsewhere,before thecreation of heaven and earth. Here Christ is not fixing the exact time when the eternal inheritance was destined for the sons of God. He rather calls us back to the Fatherly care and protection of God which embraced us before we were even born; he confirms the certainty of our hope by reminding us that all the turbulent agitations of this world shall not have the force to make our lives sway and come down in ruins.



What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it; and the rest are blinded. Rom. 11:7.

Since the elect alone by God's grace are drawn away from destruction, it follows that those who are not elected, in the nature of the case, remain in their blindness. With regard to the rejected, Paul means that those who are left aside by God have the principle of their ruin and damnation from themselves. The Scriptural proofs which he puts together, from not one but several places, when examined in their proper context, do not seem to serve his purpose; for in all these passages, the scourges of God, such as blindness and hardening, are visited upon those who are already wicked. Paul, on the other hand, is trying in this place to prove that the blinded are not those who deserve it through their wickedness, but those who have been rejected of God before the creation of the world.

Let us untie this knot briefly as follows: the source of wickedness which in itself provokes the wrath of God is in the perversity of natures which God has left alone. Therefore, it is not without reason that, according to Paul, such natures proceed from the eternal rejection of God as fruit from the tree or a river from its source. It is true that the godless are punished by God justly with blindness because they are wicked. But if we look for the source of their ruin, we must ultimately come to this, that being cursed by God, all that they do, say, or intend, only furthers and increases their curse. Yet, the cause of eternal rejection is so hidden that there is nothing left for us to do but to be amazed at the incomprehensible mind of God, as will appear finally from the conclusion of this passage. It is stupid, as soon as an immediate cause is mentioned, to make this an excuse for trying to deny the ultimate cause which is hidden from our view; as though, because God condemns the corrupt and depraved seed of Adam, and then repays individuals with the reward of their crimes, according to their deserts, God had not freely ordained, before the Fall of Adam, what seemed good to him for the whole human race.



What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. Rom. 9:30.

Nothing seemed more absurd and less congruous [with justice] than that the Gentiles, who cared nothing for righteousness and wallowed in the debauchery of the flesh, should have been called to partake in salvation and obtain righteousness, and that the Jews, on the contrary, who gave themselves wholeheartedly to doing the works prescribed by the law, should have been deprived of every reward due to the righteous. Paul states this amazing paradox boldly so that he may temper its bitterness with the reason he gives for it: namely, that the righteousness which the Gentiles acquired was by faith, which depends not upon human worth but upon the mercy of God. The zeal with which the Jews plied the law was preposterous, because they sought to be justified by their works; they strove after what no man can attain. What is more, they stumbled at Christ, who alone opened the way by which we obtain righteousness.

In the first part of this verse, the apostle intended to exalt the marvelous grace of God; he looks for the reason behind the call of the Gentiles nowhere except in that God deigned to embrace those who were unworthy of his favor. He speaks particularly of that righteousness without which there is no salvation. But by saying that this righteousness consists in faith, he means that the righteousness of the Gentiles is effected by the free act of God which reconciles them to him. For, if anyone fancies that their own faith prepared the Gentiles for regeneration by the Spirit, he is far from what Paul is talking about. It could not have been true that they had attained what they did not even seek after, unless God had freely taken hold of them while they themselves were lost and wandering, unless God had offered them a righteousness which they could neither have pursued nor practiced, because they were ignorant of it. Whence it must be noticed that the Gentiles were made fit for righteousness by faith, because God had anticipated their faith with his grace. And if it is by faith that they first aspired after righteousness, it was by faith also that they followed it. Thus faith itself was an element in grace.



Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if thy mighty works, which have been done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. Matt. 11:21.

Since Tyre and Sidon, being nearby, were infamous for their godlessness, their pride, debauchery, and other vices, Christ draws this comparison between their works and those of the Jews, so as to pierce more deeply into the hearts of his countrymen. There was not one among the latter who did not blame the people of Tyre and Sidon for their wicked contempt of God. Therefore, Christ intensified his curse greatly when he said that there was more hope for repentance in those godless places than in Judea itself.

However, to avoid thorny questions about the secret judgments of God, let us hold that this discourse of our Lord is intended to apply to the common mentality of men. By comparing the people of Bethsaida and their neighbors with those of Tyre and Sidon, he is not arguing that God foresaw what these or those would do; he is simply stating what the latter would have done, so far as one can see from the facts of the case. The corrupt ways of their cities and their unbridled profligacies could be explained as due to ignorance, because they had not heard the voice of God, and no miracles had been performed to bring them to their senses. On the other hand, the cities of Galilee which Christ upbraids had shown a more than iron obstinacy, which had led the people to witness a multitude of miracles without learning anything from them. In short, the words of Christ mean nothing except that, in malice and incurable contempt of God, Tyre and Sidon were surpassed by Bethsaida and Chorazin.

And yet, we are in no position to bring a case against God, because, neglecting some from whom more might have been hoped for, he revealed his power among those who were worse and altogether hopeless. God is just when he destines for perdition those who are not worthy of his mercy. Who is to blame God with injustice, because he withholds his Word from some and allows them to perish, whereas he seeks others out in various ways and calls them to repentance to make the latter all the more inexcusable? Therefore, knowing our weakness, let us learn to contemplate this high matter with reverence. We must not tolerate in the least the pride and ill-humor of those who cannot bring themselves to pay the tribute of praise to God's righteousness, except in so far as their mind can grasp it, who spurn with disdain those mysteries which they should in justice adore, because the reason for them is not obvious.



For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose haveI raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout the earth. Rom. 9:17.

Now he comes to the second part, which is the rejection of the ungodly. Since this seems to be quite absurd, the apostle not only tries to make it plainer than ever that God is without blame in his willing to reject (reprobando), but also shows the excellence of his wisdom and justice. Therefore, he makes use of the witness of Ex. 9:16, where the Lord asserts that it was he who had stirred up Pharaoh and that his purpose in so doing was to give evidence of his invincible arm, which he did when he overcame and overthrew Pharaoh, who was obstinate enough to make a great show of resisting the power of God. There is no power of man which can stand up under the power of God, much less break it down. God used Pharaoh as an example.

Wherefore, there are two things to be considered: first, the predestination of Pharaoh to destruction, which must be referred to the just but hidden counsel of God; and secondly, its purpose, which was to declare the name of God. It is the latter that Paul wants primarily to bring out. If God's purpose in hardening Pharaoh's heart was to declare his name, it is wicked to construe this work of God as unjust. Considering its purpose, it was quite the contrary.

Since many interpreters pervert this passage by trying to soften it, let us notice in the first place that the Hebrew word forstir upmeansappoint. God wanted to show that in spite of Pharaoh's obstinate resistance, He would make his people free: not only that He had foreseen the Pharaoh's obduracy and was ready with the means of restraining it, but that He himself had ordained it, with the purpose of establishing a shining evidence of his own power. . . .

But let no one imagine that the Pharaoh acted by an ordinary and indefinite prodding from God. We must keep in mind the particular reason and purpose in this matter. This verse means that God not only knew what Pharaoh would do, but also destined his deed for the special use of declaring God's glory. It follows that it is futile to quarrel with him, as though he were bound to give a reason for his ways. In fact, he presents himself to us and, anticipating our objection, declares that the reprobate appear by his providence, so that by them he may glorify his name among the people.



For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counselor?Rom. 11:34.

Therefore, since we are utterly incapable of exploring the secrets of God with our own faculties, we are admitted to a certain and clear knowledge of them by the grace of the Holy Spirit. And if we are to follow his guidance, where he puts us there we ought to stop and there as it were put down our foot. And if anyone sets out to know more than God has revealed, he shall be overwhelmed by the infinite brightness of his inaccessible light. We must be sure to bear in mind the distinction I made above, between God's secret counsel and the will of God revealed in Scripture. Although the doctrine of Scripture is too high for human ingenuity, still believers are not excluded from access to it when they follow the guidance of the Spirit with sobriety and reverence. But the secret counsel of God is something else. It is so deep and so high that no exploration can attain to it.



For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; in so much that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Matt. 24:24.

This is added to fill the faithful with fear, and so to make them more watchful and on their guard. For, when false prophets are given unbridled freedom and allowed to flourish, and when they are even given power enough to deceive, the careless are readily caught in the net of their frauds. Christ therefore calls and arouses his disciples to stay at their posts. Besides, he admonishes them not to be troubled when they see the strange spectacle of many all around abducted into error. As he invites them to be watchful, so that Satan may not come upon them in their sleep, he adds ample ground for confidence and peace by promising them that by the help and protection of God they shall be safe against all the snares of Satan. Therefore, no matter how weak and slippery the condition of the godly, here they shall find a firm support upon which to stand, for it is not possible that those who have the Son of God as their faithful protector should fall away from salvation. It is not that they have at their disposal arms enough to resist the armaments of Satan, but rather that they are Christ's sheep, whom no one shall be able to snatch away from his hands (John 10:28). But we are not to forget that the stability of our salvation is not in us but in the secret election of God.

[90]Calvin's paraphrase bears little verbal resemblance to anything in Deut., ch. 32, although the main point is made in the Song.

 

[Augustine_Was_Calvinist]

Just as an interject, not to derail the thread: Calvin says implicitly that God does have a universal love toward the whole human race....

The Bible says God does not have a universal love toward the whole human race.

"Jacob I have loved, Esau I have hated."

That was before either was born or had done anything.

 

[Augustine_Was_Calvinist]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]...Go

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]...God chooses us, not because we believe, but that we may believe... [/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]- Augustine (354-430)[/font]

d chooses us, not because we believe, but that we may believe... [/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]- Augustine (354-430)[/font]

 

[Augustine_Was_Calvinist]

"God chooses us not because we believe, but that we may believe."--Augustine(354-430)

 

[Markea]

The Bible says God does not have a universal love toward the whole human race.

"Jacob I have loved, Esau I have hated."

That was before either was born or had done anything.

Actually, this is blatantly incorrect..

The scripture says.. AS IT IS WRITTEN..

And IT WAS WRITTEN in Malachi.. many many years after they lived their lives..

This is very important in my estimation... and Romans 9 is speaking of God's purpose according to ELECTION.. (ie, the ELDER shall serve the YOUNGER).. not salvation..