Who are the Elect?

Sunshinee777 · Nov 16, 2021

“For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Matthew 22:14

Chosen: they have a mission.

So many are called but few have mission, mostly because many christians follow government not God, so they miss the mission.

Romans 12:2
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewingof your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

So chosen do the will of God, not the will of your boss.

Neostarwcc · Nov 16, 2021

MMXX said:
Are the elect all those chosen by God to receive salvation?

Or are the elect only those chosen by God to serve a certain purpose, mission, ministry?

Both. The elect are called by God for salvation and they are called by God to do the works that God prepar4ed for them to do. Make any sense?

The Elect aren't just chosen pulled out out the world with nothing to do on earth. No God makes sure that our work gets done in both our actions and his.

atpollard · Nov 16, 2021

Today's reading from Charles Spurgeon included this opening:

The Lord is my portion, saith my soul. —Lamentations 3:24

It is not "The Lord is partly my portion," nor "The Lord is in my portion"; but He Himself makes up the sum total of my soul's inheritance. Within the circumference of that circle lies all that we possess or desire. The Lord is my portion. Not His grace merely, nor His love, nor His covenant, but Jehovah Himself. He has chosen us for His portion, and we have chosen Him for ours. It is true that the Lord must first choose our inheritance for us, or else we shall never choose it for ourselves; but if we are really called according to the purpose of electing love, we can sing-

"Lov'd of my God for Him again
With love intense I burn;
Chosen of Him ere time began,
I choose Him in return."

... I just wanted to share it on this topic for any who might be inclined to see what I see (as it relates to THIS topic).

atpollard · Nov 16, 2021

Neostarwcc said:
Both. The elect are called by God for salvation and they are called by God to do the works that God prepar4ed for them to do. Make any sense?

Ephesians 2:8-10 thinks so.

John Mullally · Nov 16, 2021

Hammster said:
In those three four verses (38-41), where is election mentioned? Or regeneration? Or justification?

Those three terms are not explicitly mentioned in those four verses. This passage shows that cooperation with the Holy Spirit led to the kickoff of the church with the regeneration of 3000 souls. In verse 38, Peter tells the crowd to do something for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. If they already had those things before repenting or if repentance was unnecessary, they would not have cried out in verse 37 and Peter would not have said that - it would be very misleading. I can say there is your regeneration.

Hammster said:
However, this one does explain why, you are just choosing to ignore it.

Much of the scripture is declarative and reason why is frequently not given. I am not choosing to ignore anything - are you a mind reader?

Hammster · Nov 16, 2021

John Mullally said:
Those three terms are not explicitly mentioned in those four verses. This passage shows that cooperation with the Holy Spirit led to the kickoff of the church with the regeneration of 3000 souls. In verse 38, Peter tells the crowd to do something for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. If they already had those things before repenting or if repentance was unnecessary, they would not have cried out in verse 37 and Peter would not have said that - it would be very misleading. I can say there is your regeneration.
Much of the scripture is declarative and reason why is frequently not given. I am not choosing to ignore anything - are you a mind reader?

I don’t need to be a mind reader. I just need to read your posts.

TedT · Nov 16, 2021

John Mullally said:
God chooses to save those who respond to His promise in Acts 2:38-39. By your own definition in Post #27, Election means choosing. Therefore, God, in His Sovereignty, Elects to save those who respond to His promise in Acts 2:38-39.

This pov would mean there is no such thing as enslavement to sin... Our choice of HIM had to be before our choice to sin. Iow, we became HIS sheep by our choice of HIM then went astray into an enslaving addiction to evil and then HE redeemed us, restored our free will as the sheep gone astray but are now returned to HIM, and sanctifies us to be heaven ready.

John Mullally · Nov 16, 2021

TedT said:
This pov would mean there is no such thing as enslavement to sin... Our choice of HIM had to be before our choice to sin.

I am not following. I am sure you have a whole lot there you are referencing outside of Acts 2 that I referenced.

TedT · Nov 16, 2021

John Mullally said:
I am not following. I am sure you have a whole lot there you are referencing outside of Acts 2 that I referenced.

Follow the logic of what I wrote according to your beliefs and you will see that the interpretation of Acts 2 needs a revision...

John Mullally · Nov 16, 2021

TedT said:
Follow the logic of what I wrote according to your beliefs and you will see that the interpretation of Acts 2 needs a revision...

Again I am not following you and I am not going to make any guesses.

Hammster · Nov 16, 2021

Here’s something to consider. Slaves do not get to choose their masters. Romans 6 says we are slaves of sin, or slaves of righteousness. This means someone else chooses.

TedT · Nov 17, 2021

Hammster said:
Here’s something to consider. Slaves do not get to choose their masters. Romans 6 says we are slaves of sin, or slaves of righteousness. This means someone else chooses.

It is fruitless to think of our enslavement to sin in the social terms of slave and master... Think rather in terms of addiction. The addict is slave to his addiction, his evil desires, James 1:14 But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed, but is his own master...he just can't control himself at every decision to do right and not to sin and every ordinarily good decision is also tainted by the depth of sin in his heart.

Hammster · Nov 17, 2021

TedT said:
It is fruitless to think of our enslavement to sin in the social terms of slave and master... Think rather in terms of addiction. The addict is slave to his addiction, his evil desires, James 1:14 But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed, but is his own master...he just can't control himself at every decision to do right and not to sin and every ordinarily good decision is also tainted by the depth of sin in his heart.

It’s actually not fruitless. We need to understand it as Paul’s audience would.

LoveGodsWord · Nov 17, 2021

SOMETHING TO CONSIDER

Here is something to consider. The old man of sin and death must die *Romans 6:1-23 (A) and we must be born again to walk in newness of life *John 3:3-7; 1 John 3:4-9 (B). I wonder how we get from A to B *Romans 8:1-4; Romans 3:31; John 3:36; Ephesians 2:8-9; Philippians 2:13; 2 Peter 1:3-4? God chooses all of us to be saved (2 Peter 3:9; John 1:29; Hebrews 10:10), although we must choose God by believing and following what Gods' Word says to be His sheep *John 10:26-27. We departed God in Genesis 3:1-5 by not believing and following God's Word. God is just by giving us His promise of salvation and everlasting life through returning to believe and follow what His Word says *John 3:36. What will you choose to do with the life God has given you? Our time on earth now is only a probation and testing time for all eternity. It is only those who endure temptation to the end that receive everlasting life *James 1:12 according to the scriptures. Let's not harden our hearts and close our eyes and ears to believing and following what Gods' Word says (Hebrews 3:8; 15; Hebrews 4:1-7; Isaiah 6:9-10; Matthew 13:13-15; Acts of the Apostles 28:26-27).

Take Care

Major1 · Nov 17, 2021

MMXX said:
Are the elect all those chosen by God to receive salvation?

Or are the elect only those chosen by God to serve a certain purpose, mission, ministry?

“Who are God’s elect?”

The Body of Christ consists only of the elect whom God chose in eternity. These are the people who, in time, He draws to His Son

John 6:44 says.......
“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up in the last day”.

If God looked ahead and chose us because He saw we would believe, our election would be according to our works. But Paul says in 2 Tim. 1:8-9 that God.....
“saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before times eternal”.

Our election in eternity is according to God’s purpose and grace and has nothing to do with our works.

The Bible doesn’t tell us that God peeked ahead and saw who would be good enough to believe. It tells us in Ephesians 1:4-5 that ....
“he chose us in him before the foundation of the world” and that he “predestined us for adoption as children through Jesus Christ”.

John Mullally · Nov 17, 2021

Major1 said:
“The Bible doesn’t tell us that God peeked ahead and saw who would be good enough to believe. It tells us in Ephesians 1:4-5 that ....
“he chose us in him before the foundation of the world” and that he “predestined us for adoption as children through Jesus Christ”.

When you increase the scope of the passage to Ephesians 1:1-6, you see that God is not predetermining which individuals will be in Christ. Rather, it is about God predetermining what will become of those who are in Christ through belief in His truth.

Ephesians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 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.

The text seems to clearly indicate that God has predetermined that the “the faithful in Christ Jesus” (vs. 1) will become “holy and blameless” (sanctification – vs. 4) and they will be “adopted” (glorification – vs. 5). (Note: Romans 8:23 clearly indicates that Paul sees “adoption” as a future hope for all who come to faith.)

TedT · Nov 17, 2021

John Mullally said:
The text seems to clearly indicate that God has predetermined that the “the faithful in Christ Jesus” (vs. 1) will become “holy and blameless” (sanctification – vs. 4) and they will be “adopted” (glorification – vs. 5).

As I contend:
FAITH PRECEDED ELECTION!!!

...but those who put their faith in HIM then later fell into rebellious sin, probably a rebellion against the judgment of demonic sinners, first became sheep by faith and elected due to this faith but second, then went astray into sin by forcing GOD to delay the judgement (Matt 13:28... So the servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’29 "NO" he said, ‘if you pull the weeds now, you might uproot the (sinful) wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest.)

These are the sheep who went astray into sin that have returned to their Saviour: 1 Peter 2:25 For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have RETURNED to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. This is talking about a human conversion to Christ, right? So, WHEN (I'M SHOUTING HERE!) were they sheep NOT YET gone ASTRAY from their Lord, to later go astray and then RETURN unto Him at their earthly conversion???

Saint Steven · Nov 18, 2021

MMXX said:
Are the elect all those chosen by God to receive salvation?

Or are the elect only those chosen by God to serve a certain purpose, mission, ministry?

This is a great topic, thanks.
Interesting to see the level of confusion on the subject when one reads the replies.

The term "elect" really throws a wrench in the whole idea of "salvation" as our own free-will choice. The term "elect" infers that it was God's choice, not ours. That is, if we are his Elect. (capital "E")

And if we indeed were "elected" (predestined) for salvation, what does that say about everyone else? The non-elect, if you will. Those whom God CHOSE not to elect. Where is the free-will choice in that? Were they predestined to be "lost" forever? What sort of God would do that?

Therefore I side with your second definition. The "elect" are set aside for something specific to do. A ministry as you say.

Acts 13:2 NIV
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

Saint Steven · Nov 18, 2021

Major1 said:
The Body of Christ consists only of the elect whom God chose in eternity. These are the people who, in time, He draws to His Son ...

What percentage of his creation do you suppose that God tossed in the dumpster? (trash can) Does the "narrow way" indicate that it was the majority? (seems so)

Do you believe it was God's plan from the beginning to destroy by his choice the vast majority (countless billions) of humanity? (genocide) If so, that sounds like a crime that far outweighs anything perpetrated by the humankind he created. It makes the holocaust look like a church picnic.

Not what my Bible says.

1 John 2:2
He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

Romans 11:32
For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.

Titus 2:11 ESV
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,

1 Timothy 4:10
That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.

1 John 4:14
And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.

ozso · Nov 18, 2021

Saint Steven said:
This is a great topic, thanks.
Interesting to see the level of confusion on the subject when one reads the replies.

The term "elect" really throws a wrench in the whole idea of "salvation" as our own free-will choice. The term "elect" infers that it was God's choice, not ours. That is, if we are his Elect. (capital "E")

And if we indeed were "elected" (predestined) for salvation, what does that say about everyone else? The non-elect, if you will. Those whom God CHOSE not to elect. Where is the free-will choice in that? Were they predestined to be "lost" forever? What sort of God would do that?

Therefore I side with your second definition. The "elect" are set aside for something specific to do. A ministry as you say.

Acts 13:2 NIV
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

A problem I have with the concept, is that it seems God prefers people from certain parts of the world where people are the most exposed to Christianity.

One time I was debating with an atheist on a totally different kind of forum and he said something like, "so you just happened to be born in a country where the correct religion is so prevalent. How very convenient for you".

And then there was my upbringing. My grandmother who was like the family matriarch, was a very devout Christian. So her kids were raised to be Christians. And their kids were raised to be Christians. A good portion of my extended family through her are Christians.

My brother to went apostate, made a comment that I'm not sure I can completely disagree with, that "if Grandma had been a Mormon, most of us would probably be Mormons".

And would we all have become Christians if we had lived in Southeast Asia, or India, or somewhere in Africa? And what if on top of that what if we had lived in one of those places during say the 10th century?

Would we all still have become Christians?

Who are the Elect?

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We are saved purely by the work and grace of God.

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