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. Isaiah 45:4
G-d hath not cast away His people which He Foreknew. Romans 11:2a
FROM AN EARLY PROTESTANT CONFESSION:
"We teach that they only do, or can believe in Jesus Christ, to whom it is given to believe in Him by a special, gracious and powerful work of His Spirit: And that this is (and shall be) given to the elect in the time appointed of God for their effectual calling; and to none but the elect. John 6:64,65: Phil 1:29: Jer. 31:33,34: Ezek. 36:26: Rom. 8:29,30: John 10:26. This we hold against those that do maintain a freewill and sufficient ability in a man to believe; and [they] do deny election."
The First London Confession of Faith. Printed by Matthew Simmons. Sold by John Hancock. Popes' Head Alley. London, England. 1st Appendix. Section IV. 1646.
The word translated "Elect" in the New Testament means "Chosen". It comes from the Greek word "eklektos" which means "to choose one out from among many". When the "Elect" are spoken of in the New Testament it always refers to G-ds' Choice by His Will, and not unregenerate mans' choice by his.
There are two fundamental questions presented by Election for interpretation: the "How" and the "When".
HOW
"How" did we become Elect? How were we Chosen?
Is it as some suggested similar to a political election where all the principals "get to vote"? G-d votes "for" you, the devil votes "against" you and YOU get to "cast" the deciding vote? Or, is it something totally different than mans' mind has devised or is capable of conceiving in its totality?
Where did Biblical Election as a concept come from? We have found it can easily be traced back to a B.C. Jewish Concept! Go HERE and see!
Do we play any part? If we do play a part, then it is us and no more Grace at that juncture. The part that we would play we would be able to boast in that part as "our decision" or "helping G-d" based on an act of our will, or our ability to reason that we needed Salvation. Given unregenerate man is a totally fallen creature ("dead in trespasses and sins"), then he does not have the ability to do anything except sin.
But if man still contains some "divine spark" within, in spite of the fall, then he still possesses some ability in his unregenerate state to will or to reason concerning Divine matters. But he does not. [1]
MANS' WILL IS STILL FREE
Unregenerate mans' will is still "free". It is only "free" however, to operate in worldy matters and not Divine. Man cannot "will Divine Good" for himself because of the fallen state of the unregenerate will with regard to this area. He can still operate in the worldly realm very efficiently, but none of his works are acceptable in any Divine sense.
"FREE WILL"
The Doctrine of Free Will is in the Bible. Some of todays' "theologians" may try to convince people they can explain it better than as taught by Augustine and later the Reformers. They get all tangled-up in trying to explain a Doctrine they don't really understand themselves, and sometimes are not even included in the Elect, and as a result, it is often misrepresented by false teachers and is easily misunderstood by those they are attempting to "inform".
EXPLAINED:
Mans' will at all points remains "free", yet unregenrate man is only "free" to do sin or "human good" (called "works of the flesh" which are unacceptable to G-d), not Divine Good Acceptable to G-d. (Philippians 2:13)
After Salvation, the will commences in the process of becoming Sanctified and it is still "free" but Regenerated man now has the option to do "Divine Good" breaking the cycle of sin and human good by excersizing Spiritual Gifts by Faith. These are Acceptable to G-d.
In Eternity, Glorified mans' will is still "free", but only Free to do Divine Good. There will be never again be a sin option.
MANS' UNREGENERATE WILL EXCLUDED IN DIVINE ELECTION
There are numerous passages that exclude mans' will from G-ds' Election.
But (de) as many as (hosos) received (lambano)[2] him (autos), to them (autos) gave he (didomi) power (exousia) to become (ginomai) the sons (teknon) of God (theos), to them that believe (pisteuo) on (eis) his (autos) name (onoma): Which (hos) were born (gennao) not (ou) of (ek) blood (haima), nor (oude) of (ek) the will (thelema) of the flesh (sarx), nor (oude) of (ek) the will (thelema) of man (aner), but (alla) of (ek) God (theos). John 1:12,13
WHEN
According to Scripture, our Election took place before we entered this life.
WE WERE CHOSEN IN CHRIST
Blessed (eulogetos) the God (theos) and (kai) Father (pater) of our (hemon) Lord (kurios) Jesus (Iesous) Christ (Christos), who (ho) hath blessed (eulogeo) us (hemas) with (en) all (pas) spiritual (pneumatikos) blessings (eulogia) in (en) heavenly (epouranios) in (en) Christ (Christos):
WE WERE CHOSEN IN HIM BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD
According as (kathos) he hath chosen (eklegomai) us (hemas) in (en) him (autos) before (pro) the foundation (katabole) of the world (kosmos), that we (hemas) should be (einai) holy (hagios) and (kai) without blame (amomos) before (katenopion) him (autos) in (en) love (agape):
THIS OCCURRED BEFORE WE LIVED ON EARTH
Having predestinated (proorizo) us (hemas) unto (eis) the adoption of children (huiothesia) by (dia) Jesus (Iesous) Christ (Christos) to (eis) himself (autos), according (kata) to the good pleasure (eudokia) of his (autos) will (thelema),
HE DID ALL THE WORK ALREADY
To (eis) the praise (epainos) of the glory (doxa) of his (autos) grace (charis), wherein (en) (hos) he hath made (charitoo) us (hemas) accepted (charitoo) in (en) the beloved (agapao) Ephesians 1:1-6
THEN THESE VERSES SPEAK OF HIS ELECTION:
"And that He might make known the riches of His Glory on the vessels of Mercy, which He has afore Prepared unto Glory." Romans 9:23
"Having made known unto us the Mystery of His Will, according to His Good Pleasure which He hath Purposed in Himself." Ephesians 1:9
"ACCEPTING JESUS" OR "I GOT JESUS"
Some are told they can just "will to Accept Jesus" to be Saved or may be asked if they "Got Jesus" as if He were available to "snatch up" by their own efforts at a yard sale or some "convenience store" and they decided on their own to get a good deal? So now they "got Jesus"?
Scripture says just the opposite! It is WE that are Accepted by G-d, never us "accepting Him". Scripture says:
G-d Accepts no mans' person. Galatians 2:6
He purchased US we did NOT purchase Him, or Get Him with our own fallen efforts.
G-d only Accepts what He Did in Grace, never what the unregenerate thinks he "wills" to do. G-d so works on the will of the Elect by softening it that He Draws them (and only them) to Jesus. Else it were no more Grace.
No man can come to Me, except the Father which has sent Me Draw him: and I Will Raise him Up at the Last Day. John 6:44
Look and see, nowhere does Scripture say the unregenerate can "Accept Jesus" and be Saved, or "get Jesus" as a work of their own unregenerate will or mind. How did such a concept originate in Western mans' thinking? Simple. The philosophy of Socrates and later pagan Greek thinkers. Where Socrates is taught and revered they never bother to tell you that all such thought was soundly defeated by the Apostle Paul at Mars Hill.
Scripture does speak of an "Accepted Time".
...now is the Accepted Time. II Corinthians 6:2
But whose Time? Yours? Or G-ds'? The fact is, the opponents of Election twist Scripture to make their "interpretation" work.
WHY DOES IT SAY "GO YE INTO ALL THE WORLD"?
The reason the Believer is Commanded to "go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel" is that we cannot discern outwardly who is and who is not Elect. We cannot tell who will be Saved and who will not, especially in an unregenerate man.
We are therefore to witness to all that He has placed in our paths.
THIS IS WHY SUCH "TECHNIQUES" SUCH AS THE "LOVE GOSPEL" ARE WRONG
Only those who were previously Chosen by G-d will ever be affected by the Gospel and enter His Kingdom. All the "loving" or any other human effort in the world will not secure one more person than G-d has Chosen.
Does that mean we can stop preaching the Gospel? No! We are Commanded to preach it. We do not know whom G-d has Chosen, so the Gospel must continue to be preached.
Go HERE for more on the errors of the "Love Gospel".
PEOPLE OF G-D MINISTRIES
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FOOTNOTES
[1
Further, Election as rediscovered by the Reformers was totally vindicated as not some "abberant thought" of Augustines' when the Dead Sea Scrolls were unearthed in 1947 at Qumran. The 1st Century B.C. papyrii of the Essenes reaffirmed that this Doctrine existed pre-Yeshua and so before the New Testament was even written, and also was preached by the Essenes. The 1st-Century Jewish historian Josephus accurately described the Essene belief in Election.
How Augustine could have ever divined what was written in the Dead Sea Scrolls over 500 years earlier is scrupulously avoided by our opponents. Sometimes complaints against the scrolls turn anti-Semitic. Avoid those that cunningly attempt to convince you they are "just a bunch of old Jewish scrolls" so you must not consider them!?!
The Essenes from every indication were also Believers in Yeshua. Geologists have confirmed that Qumran was inhabited until about 68 A.D.
[2
We are told repeatedly that we never receive anything from G-d except that which has been Given by Him.
Unregenerate man cannot "will to take Jesus" or say they "Got Jesus" apart from G-ds' Grace in Election acting to soften his heart. The extent of Grace needed is Foreknown by G-d, and even the most obstinate will of an Elect individual is made pliable.
"...as many as received Him" also is not speaking of some "human act" of "receiving" as if the "best receivers" were the ones Saved as our opponents insist, but "as many as received Him" is in the past tense, and speaks of the PAST EVENT where G-d Gave His Elect this Gift and they then "received" it. The Elect are those that have "received" it, and this event occurred in Christ "before the foundation of the world".
...even to them that believe on His Name. are the Elect also as they are the only ones that do truly "Believe on His Name" when they are "Born Again" and become openly identified as those that have been Truly Elected: Chosen. The Salvation is not contingent upon any "human ability" in this way.
The Elect know that they were Chosen and this Truly Blessed Assurance from G-d Gives them great Comfort. The ones who are unsaved and merely "religious" or non-elect draw no comfort from these verses.
Those that say otherwise can fill up whole "congregations" with the unsaved and non-elect who believe false teaching insomuch as they may even attempt to deceive the very Elect! Go HERE for more on this subject.
Some may even be driven to rage against these verses and by so doing, "deny the L-rd that bought them". They deny the Elect were Purchased before the Foundation of the world.
Once again, How, and When? Scripture Declares:
His Wrath BURNS against those who try by any human means to attain His Salvation.
They shall nor enter into His Rest, neither know His Kingdom now.
Omein