God’s Choices (part 4) - Election
Introduction. When speaking of God’s election (those who are picked out, selected or chosen), confusion often arises because there are two distinct and different uses of election. The first centered on God’s need to be just. As a God of righteousness and justice, He saw everything that would need to be accomplished and paid for in order to offer salvation to those who had incurred the debt of sin (Rom. 3:21-26). He therefore created an eternal purpose that would bring Christ and the church into being (Eph. 3:8-11) and chose those who would work with Him to do it. A second election centered on the choices God made because of His love and mercy. As a God of grace and compassion, God foresaw those who though they had sinned and fallen short of His glory, still loved Him, trusted Him and sought to serve Him. This second election and selection would identify and draw all His elect into a single family of God with Abraham as their father.
Abraham was chosen and became one of God’s true elect ones because of his faith. He was the perfect embodiment of everything God desired in men and women after they sinned and fell short of His glory. They can no longer bring God a perfect life, but they still want to bring Him a humble and penitent heart and a full submissive faith and trust that never questions and always submits. Abraham had all of this. He was the perfect person to become the father of all those in the future who would share his spiritual characteristics.
Everything God told Abraham to do, he did as soon as possible and exactly as God asked and expected him to do. Three of these things are recorded and used in the New Testament to give us an example to follow. When God called him at the age of 75, he went (Heb 11:8-10; Acts 7:2-5). When God made him wait until he was 99 and no longer possible to have a son, Abraham never wavered, but always and completely trusted God to fulfill His promise (Rom. 4:16-32). Finally, when God asked Abraham to offer his son and all the promises Isaac represented as a sacrifice, he got up the next day and did exactly what God asked him to do (Jas. 2:20-24). Because of these things, God chose Abraham to become the father of all His elect ones. (Rom. 4:9-17; Gal. 3:6-9; 4:21-31; Isa. 51:1-3).
Both elections are revealed in God’s command and promise to Abraham. If Abraham would “get out of your country, from your family, and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you,” then God promised: “I will make you a great nation” and “And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Once Abraham arrived in Canaan, this covenant promise was sealed. After Abraham offered Isaac, God also added an oath. “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son … I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore … in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” (Gen. 22:16-19). Thus God bound Himself by promise and oath that he had elected and chosen to bring the Christ through the nation of Abraham’s descendants.
Paul spoke of these two separate elections in Romans 9-11. There was “God’s purpose of election” (Rom. 9:11) speaking only of Abrahams’s fleshly seed “from whom is the Christ according to the flesh.” (Rom. 9:5). But there was also the “election of grace” (Rom. 11:5), which referred only to Abraham’s spiritual seed. They are placed side by side in Romans to help us understand exactly what the Holy Spirit meant by election.
The distinction between these two elections is summed up: “For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel.” We know that every physical and fleshly descendant of Abraham “descended from Israel” and was included in “God’s purpose of election.” God had promised and sworn with an oath that a great fleshly nation from Abraham (through his grandson Jacob also called Israel) would bring the seed: “‘your Seed,’ who is Christ.” (Gal. 3:16). But in the midst of this Israel was a second Israel: Those who “descended FROM Israel who ARE Israel.”
Thus in the midst of fleshly Israel was another much smaller true Israel. God never intended that “the children of the flesh” alone would be the true “children of God.” It would only be “the children of the promise” who would be “regarded as descendants.” (Rom. 9:6-9). The children of the promise are those who had Abraham’s true spiritual likeness. The “children of promise” are those in which Abraham is “the father of all those who believe,” “who also walk in the steps of” and “who are of the faith of Abraham.” (Rom. 4:11-16). “Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.” (Gal. 3:7). Thus, God elected in eternity that the fleshly children of Israel would be chosen to be the nation through whom the Christ would come. This election is called “God’s purpose of election.” (Rom. 9:11). God also elected and chose that only those who had a true spiritual resemblance to Abraham, who had his faith, submission and obedient heart, would be a part of His “election of grace.” (Rom. 11:5).
These two elections are based upon the fleshly and spiritual descendants of Abraham. The children of the flesh were selected and elected only to bring the Christ into the world. When the Pharisees proclaimed “Abraham is our father”, Jesus pointed out the very error the Holy Spirit used Paul in Romans 9-11 to explain: “If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham.” Jesus then revealed the bitter truth to them, that even though they were physically of Israel, they were not spiritual children of Abraham. “You do the deeds of your father. … You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do.” (Jn. 8:39-45).
Though fleshly Israel did become “as the sand of the sea,” the vast majority of them were just like these Jewish leaders. Among all these, only “the remnant will be saved.” (Rom. 9:27). From the moment God called them out of Egypt until the moment Rome destroyed them in AD 70, a small remnant in each generation were the true spiritual children of Abraham. God used these “elect according to grace” as “vessels of honor” and “vessels of mercy.” As true spiritual descendants of Abraham they would do everything God asked them to do in a humble and submissive way. This was why He chose Moses, Joshua, Samuel, David, Elijah, Elisha, and all the prophets, and it is why they all did His will. They were true spiritual children of Abraham, “walking in his steps” and doing the “works of Abraham.”
“But the rest were hardened.” The more God called them and sought to change them into His “vessels of mercy,” the more they became “vessels of wrath.” They were of Israel, tied to Abraham by blood and made part of God’s purpose of election to bring Christ into the world. But they had no interest in Abraham’s spiritual characteristics. Far from being the children of Abraham or of God, they actually shared the spiritual characteristics and were therefore only children of the devil, or as John called them a “brood of vipers.” (Lk. 3:7).
These “in flesh only” children of Abraham could only be part of “God’s purpose of election.” They stubbornly refused to become part of God’s scheme of redemption. God therefore elected them to bring salvation to His true elect ones. This is what the Holy Spirit revealed in the first gospel sermon: “Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death.” (Acts 2:23). God had “endured with much longsuffering” those “who were Israel, but not of Israel.” Even with all that God had done to keep them from it, they had only made themselves “vessels of wrath prepared for destruction.” He had “endured with much longsuffering” through the centuries, but would now use them “that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles.” (Rom. 9:22-24).
Conclusion. The Scriptures reveal the sad contrast between those who were only used for “God’s purpose of election” (Rom. 9:11), and those who were part of the “election of grace.” (Rom. 11:5). Beginning with Abel, Enoch and Noah, God worked out His “election of grace” and has continued to do so right up until today. All of those who have the spiritual characteristics of Abraham are “elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.” In this way, “God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which He called you by our gospel.” (2Th. 2:13-14). Therefore, all who “were baptized into Christ” are “Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.” for “we brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise.” (Gal. 3:27-29; 4:29). Thus like Isaac, true “children of promise” are brought to Abraham by the power of God through the gospel.
Abraham was chosen and became one of God’s true elect ones because of his faith. He was the perfect embodiment of everything God desired in men and women after they sinned and fell short of His glory. They can no longer bring God a perfect life, but they still want to bring Him a humble and penitent heart and a full submissive faith and trust that never questions and always submits. Abraham had all of this. He was the perfect person to become the father of all those in the future who would share his spiritual characteristics.
Everything God told Abraham to do, he did as soon as possible and exactly as God asked and expected him to do. Three of these things are recorded and used in the New Testament to give us an example to follow. When God called him at the age of 75, he went (Heb 11:8-10; Acts 7:2-5). When God made him wait until he was 99 and no longer possible to have a son, Abraham never wavered, but always and completely trusted God to fulfill His promise (Rom. 4:16-32). Finally, when God asked Abraham to offer his son and all the promises Isaac represented as a sacrifice, he got up the next day and did exactly what God asked him to do (Jas. 2:20-24). Because of these things, God chose Abraham to become the father of all His elect ones. (Rom. 4:9-17; Gal. 3:6-9; 4:21-31; Isa. 51:1-3).
Both elections are revealed in God’s command and promise to Abraham. If Abraham would “get out of your country, from your family, and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you,” then God promised: “I will make you a great nation” and “And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Once Abraham arrived in Canaan, this covenant promise was sealed. After Abraham offered Isaac, God also added an oath. “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son … I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore … in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” (Gen. 22:16-19). Thus God bound Himself by promise and oath that he had elected and chosen to bring the Christ through the nation of Abraham’s descendants.
Paul spoke of these two separate elections in Romans 9-11. There was “God’s purpose of election” (Rom. 9:11) speaking only of Abrahams’s fleshly seed “from whom is the Christ according to the flesh.” (Rom. 9:5). But there was also the “election of grace” (Rom. 11:5), which referred only to Abraham’s spiritual seed. They are placed side by side in Romans to help us understand exactly what the Holy Spirit meant by election.
The distinction between these two elections is summed up: “For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel.” We know that every physical and fleshly descendant of Abraham “descended from Israel” and was included in “God’s purpose of election.” God had promised and sworn with an oath that a great fleshly nation from Abraham (through his grandson Jacob also called Israel) would bring the seed: “‘your Seed,’ who is Christ.” (Gal. 3:16). But in the midst of this Israel was a second Israel: Those who “descended FROM Israel who ARE Israel.”
Thus in the midst of fleshly Israel was another much smaller true Israel. God never intended that “the children of the flesh” alone would be the true “children of God.” It would only be “the children of the promise” who would be “regarded as descendants.” (Rom. 9:6-9). The children of the promise are those who had Abraham’s true spiritual likeness. The “children of promise” are those in which Abraham is “the father of all those who believe,” “who also walk in the steps of” and “who are of the faith of Abraham.” (Rom. 4:11-16). “Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.” (Gal. 3:7). Thus, God elected in eternity that the fleshly children of Israel would be chosen to be the nation through whom the Christ would come. This election is called “God’s purpose of election.” (Rom. 9:11). God also elected and chose that only those who had a true spiritual resemblance to Abraham, who had his faith, submission and obedient heart, would be a part of His “election of grace.” (Rom. 11:5).
These two elections are based upon the fleshly and spiritual descendants of Abraham. The children of the flesh were selected and elected only to bring the Christ into the world. When the Pharisees proclaimed “Abraham is our father”, Jesus pointed out the very error the Holy Spirit used Paul in Romans 9-11 to explain: “If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham.” Jesus then revealed the bitter truth to them, that even though they were physically of Israel, they were not spiritual children of Abraham. “You do the deeds of your father. … You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do.” (Jn. 8:39-45).
Though fleshly Israel did become “as the sand of the sea,” the vast majority of them were just like these Jewish leaders. Among all these, only “the remnant will be saved.” (Rom. 9:27). From the moment God called them out of Egypt until the moment Rome destroyed them in AD 70, a small remnant in each generation were the true spiritual children of Abraham. God used these “elect according to grace” as “vessels of honor” and “vessels of mercy.” As true spiritual descendants of Abraham they would do everything God asked them to do in a humble and submissive way. This was why He chose Moses, Joshua, Samuel, David, Elijah, Elisha, and all the prophets, and it is why they all did His will. They were true spiritual children of Abraham, “walking in his steps” and doing the “works of Abraham.”
“But the rest were hardened.” The more God called them and sought to change them into His “vessels of mercy,” the more they became “vessels of wrath.” They were of Israel, tied to Abraham by blood and made part of God’s purpose of election to bring Christ into the world. But they had no interest in Abraham’s spiritual characteristics. Far from being the children of Abraham or of God, they actually shared the spiritual characteristics and were therefore only children of the devil, or as John called them a “brood of vipers.” (Lk. 3:7).
These “in flesh only” children of Abraham could only be part of “God’s purpose of election.” They stubbornly refused to become part of God’s scheme of redemption. God therefore elected them to bring salvation to His true elect ones. This is what the Holy Spirit revealed in the first gospel sermon: “Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death.” (Acts 2:23). God had “endured with much longsuffering” those “who were Israel, but not of Israel.” Even with all that God had done to keep them from it, they had only made themselves “vessels of wrath prepared for destruction.” He had “endured with much longsuffering” through the centuries, but would now use them “that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles.” (Rom. 9:22-24).
Conclusion. The Scriptures reveal the sad contrast between those who were only used for “God’s purpose of election” (Rom. 9:11), and those who were part of the “election of grace.” (Rom. 11:5). Beginning with Abel, Enoch and Noah, God worked out His “election of grace” and has continued to do so right up until today. All of those who have the spiritual characteristics of Abraham are “elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.” In this way, “God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which He called you by our gospel.” (2Th. 2:13-14). Therefore, all who “were baptized into Christ” are “Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.” for “we brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise.” (Gal. 3:27-29; 4:29). Thus like Isaac, true “children of promise” are brought to Abraham by the power of God through the gospel.