Pillars of the Faith 2: Election

No, not the Barack v. Mitt election silly.  I'm talking about the doctrine of the Christian faith that says because of Adam we are completely depraved, totally wretched, and would not seek a Holy God if he did not call us to do so first.  That is the Doctrine of Election, and it is the center of much controversy. 

I believe the doctrine of election is soooooo controversial because our limited human understanding of it causes us to think that God, by not electing everyone,  has doomed many people to hell by simply not calling them to His grace.  Is that not a hard way to view God?  Especially when we know for a fact that far better people than us may not be called. 

To those who think that way, and I am one of them sometimes, I will quote Issaiah 55:

"My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the LORD. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.

Concerning the doctrine of election and everything else, who are we to question God?  Who are we to judge God?  The scripture is clear, God calls whom he wants to call, and he does not have to answer to us for it.  God calls who he will.  What we have to understand is that without God calling us, we would never seek Him.  We would continue in our rebellion, even unto death and hell. 

Paul writes the following in his epistle to Rome:

9:6 It is not as though the word of God had failed. For not all those who are descended from Israel are truly Israel, 7 nor are all the children Abraham’s true descendants; rather “through Isaac will your descendants be counted.” 8 This means it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God; rather, the children of promise are counted as descendants. 9 For this is what the promise declared: “About a year from now I will return and Sarah will have a son.” 10 Not only that, but when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our ancestor Isaac – 11 even before they were born or had done anything good or bad (so that God’s purpose in election would stand, not by works but by his calling) – 12 it was said to her, “The older will serve the younger,” 13 just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” 14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice with God? Absolutely not! 15 For he says to Moses: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then, it does not depend on human desire or exertion, but on God who shows mercy. 17 For the scripture says to Pharaoh: “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may demonstrate my power in you, and that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18 So then, God has mercy on whom he chooses to have mercy, and he hardens whom he chooses to harden. 19 You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who has ever resisted his will?” 20 But who indeed are you – a mere human being – to talk back to God? Does what is molded say to the molder, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Has the potter no right to make from the same lump of clay one vessel for special

It is important for us to understand this so we don't begin to glory in our decisions for Christ.  Certainly the decisions for Christ are the best decisions we could have ever made.   But, when we begin to congratulate ourselves for believing in Christ, and repenting of our sins, then we are giving credit to the wrong party.  God gets the glory for every true conversion because it was He who called us to Him, and he did it before we could commit our first sin. 

So, Brothers and Sisters, let us all rejoice that we have been called.  Let us give honor and thanks to the one who called us.  But let us also remember that in our flesh we are totally deprived, and it took a Holy God to call us to recieve His grace. 

Jesus says in the Book of John:

43 “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. 44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’[a] Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. 46 No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. 47 Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. 50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”




I hope it is clear now how the Doctrine of Total Depravity and the Doctrine of Election are linked together.  God calls us out of our Total Depravity through his Election process.  He draws us to him.  Election allows us open our hearts to the truth of the Gospel.  When we are in the flesh our hearts are hard and we are so attuned to our wickedness and the wickedness in the world that we cannot comprehend the Gospel.  When God draws us, those obstacles are removed.

How then do we have the ability to choose our destiny either in Christ, or in the world?  Next week Brothers and Sisters we will discuss Free will.  Stay tuned.