ELECTION AND PREDESTINATION.
The Biblical history of salvation is nothing more than the tireless attempts of God to draw men and women away from their sin and it’s destructive consequences, and to Himself. “Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!” Deuteronomy 5:29 NKJV
Concerning election and predestination, we might use the analogy of a great ark on its way to heaven. The ark (the church) is chosen by God to be His very own vessel. Christ is the Captain and Pilot of this ark. All who desire to be a part of this elect ark and its Captain can do so through a living and obedient faith in Christ, by which they come on board the ark. As long as they are on the ark, in company and fellowship with the Captain and one another, they are among the elect. If they chose to abandon the ark and Captain, they ceased to be part of the elect
. Election is always only in union with the Captain and His ark. Predestination tells us about the ark’s destination and what God has prepared for those remaining on it. God invites all to come aboard this ark; but as in the days of Noah, most mock God’s ark builders. God’s choice of those who believe in Christ is an important doctrine of the apostle Paul (Rom 8:29-33, 9:6-26, 11:5-28; Col 3:12; 1 Thes 1:4; 2 Thes 2:13, Tit 1:1). Election (Gk eklegó) refers to God choosing in Christ a people whom He destined to be holy and blameless in His sight.
Paul explains this election as expressing God’s initiative as the God of infinite love in giving us as His finite creation every spiritual blessing through the redemptive work of Christ. Election involves the following:(1) Election is Christocentric. Meaning, the election of humans occur only in union with Jesus Christ, “He has chosen us in Him”. Jesus Himself is first of all the elect of God. Concerning Jesus, God states, “Behold My servant, whom I have chosen”.
Christ, as the elect Son, is the foundation of our election. Only in union with Christ do we become members of the elect. No one is elect apart from union with Christ through God’s plan of repentance and faith. There is no other way to enter the ark. (2) Election is in Christ “in Him…through His blood”. God purposed before creation to form a people through Christ’s redemptive death on the cross. Thus election is grounded in Christ’s sacrificial death. No shedding of blood=no entrance on the ark. (3) Here’s where many get it wrong: election is corporate, it is an election of a people. This is the same idea as in the OT, the elect were a people, Israel, as they identified themselves with God and one another.
God has not changed. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. The elect are called “the body of Christ”, “my church”, “a peculiar people”, the “bride of Christ” and “saints of God”. Therefore election is corporate and embraces individuals only as they identify and associate themselves with the body of Christ, the true church.
An individual is selected and called for a specific mission; but the “elect” is corporate. “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, 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, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.” Ephesians 1:3-6 NKJV#runyourrace
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