What is God's gracious election?

Some teach that fallen man still has a free will and can choose to believe or not believe. Others teach that God predestines some to be saved and others to be damned. Which is right? Can a sinful human being make a decision to accept Christ of his own will or choosing? Or, is a person saved or damned because of the irresistible will of the Almighty God? We look to the Bible, which is God's Word, for God's answer and find that neither of the two teachings above are correct.

God's Word teaches that God has, from eternity, chosen some to obtain eternal salvation through faith in Jesus Christ and that this election and choosing of God is entirely of God's grace and mercy in Christ Jesus, without any merit or worthiness on the part of men.

The Bible teaches us, as believers, that God "hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel" (2 Timothy 1:9-10).

The apostle Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, wrote: "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: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: that in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: that we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3-12).

Thus, we see, as believers, that God chose us before the foundation of the world and predestined us to be His own dear children through faith in His Son, Messiah Jesus (cf. Matthew 22:14; Acts 13:48). He did so, without any merit or worthiness on our part, but solely of His grace and mercy in Christ. In time, He sent His Son into the world, a true man, to make atonement for the sins of all; and He sent to us His Word and Spirit that we might hear of Christ's sacrifice for us and place our faith in Him. And He continues this gracious working in our lives, moving us to continue in repentance and faith in Jesus, our Savior, until we are brought into His eternal kingdom in heaven where we will be perfectly conformed to Christ's image and reign with Him forever.

The Bible teaches that all those whom God has graciously chosen before the creation of the world will, in time, be brought to saving faith in Christ through the Gospel and be sanctified and preserved in that faith unto life everlasting.

The Word of God to the Thessalonians (2:13-14) reads: "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: whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ."

God's Word also says (Romans 8:28-30): "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified."

Therefore, this doctrine of Scripture gives to believers the assurance that "He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6).

Though God, entirely of His grace, predestined some to be saved, He did not predestine anyone to be damned. Christ died for all, and God desires the salvation of all people.

The Word of God teaches us that "God our Saviour ... will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time" (1 Timothy 2:3-6).

In 2 Peter 3:9, we read of God's promise of impending judgment: "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

Why then, are some condemned? The Bible tells us: "As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?" (Ezekiel 33:11); and, in Jesus' own words, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!" (Matthew 23:37).

Therefore, holding to God's Word alone as our source and judge of Christian doctrine, followers of Christ reject as contrary to the Holy Scripture the teachings that: God does not desire the salvation of all men; that He has also predestined some to damnation; or that God's election is based upon some merit or quality in men, upon lesser resistance to the Gospel, or in view of future faith.

As to why some are saved and others are lost, we can only say with the Bible that God's elect are saved entirely by God's grace for Christ's sake, and that the lost are so entirely of their own fault, "because they have not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God" (John 3:18; cf. 12:48; Ephesians 2:8-10; Acts 7:51).

Randy Moll is the managing editor of the Westside Eagle Observer and pastor at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Rogers. He may be contacted by email at [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author.