Christian
Community Church
of
Franklin, Indiana
Election: A Work of God
NOTE: All Scriptures used here are from The New International Version of the Bible.
Also see A Study in Predestination and God's Foreknowledge and the Origin of Evil
The following article draws heavily upon The
NIV Application Commentary, by Klyne Snodgrass, on Ephesians, pages 48-50
and 57-99.
"For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will--to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves." -- Ephesians 1:4-6
Election Defined
Ephesians 1:4-6 "emphasizes God's activity in planning and choosing people in Christ. Election means that God chooses people, and this teaching cannot be turned around to the thought that people choose God. Election means that the existence of the people of God can be explained only on the basis of God's character, plan, and action, not on some quality in the people who are chosen. The initiative is always God's based on his 'grace.' Salvation is not some accident or afterthought on the part of God. His purpose always was to draw humanity to himself. 'Before the foundation of the world' does not mean 'just prior to creation'; rather it expresses that God's purposes are rooted in the depths of his nature. ...
Another Way of Speaking About God's Grace
"Election is not some strange, unnecessary doctrine, but merely another way of speaking of God's grace and salvation. Words like 'chose' and 'predestined' underscore God's activity in setting apart a people for himself. Election results in 'saints.' ... The purpose of election is relational. God, for no other reason than that he is a loving God, chose to adopt people into his family through Jesus Christ. Adoption is family imagery used to explain the salvation experience, both present and future. ...
Who Benefits From Election?
"Usually when people speak of divine election, they think of the election of individuals and the benefit to them. But biblical texts have a different emphasis, for election is primarily a corporate term. Nothing in Ephesians 1 focuses on individuals; rather, the text focuses collectively on those who are in Christ. This changes the theology. People become elect only in the Elect One -- Christ. Whereas Israel was chosen to convey the blessings of God to the world, now Christ has taken on that task. ... Election takes place in him and through him. Individuals are not elected and then put in Christ. They are in Christ and therefore elect.
"Election does indeed bring privilege, but not so that people can bask in privilege or disdain others. Election always brings responsibility; God has chosen us to do something -- namely, to live holy and blameless lives before him. ... God's choosing enlists people in his work and gives them responsibility. ... The ultimate aim of election is the glory of God, ... the purpose of God's electing activity is to reveal his own character as a loving, saving God.
Election is Not God's Arbitrary Work
"At first glance election seems to be an archaic idea, confined to the biblical mindset and more troublesome than helpful for modern audiences. We have difficulty thinking that God chooses some and ignores the rest. How can God be a God of love and do this? But such conclusions go far beyond the text of Ephesians. ...
"Election, as it relates to humans, expresses two ideas: the value given to human beings by God and responsibility they owe to God. Both are still important.
"The election language in Ephesians 1 is primarily about God and shows why God should be praised. Any conclusions drawn must derive from the fact that this is a doxology, not a systematic theology. This is not to ignore the theological significance of doxologies, but to stay within Paul's intention with his worship. His purpose is to focus on God at work, planning and drawing people to himself through Christ. If the focus is corporate rather than individual and if people are elect only in the Elect One, Christ, then this text has nothing to do with our fear that God chooses some and ignores others. That is a nonbiblical conclusion about the result of election and the question who is elect. The focus of the biblical text is on the cause of election -- God --and its purpose -- that Christians live holy and blameless before God. God values human beings and draws them -- both Jews and Gentiles -- to himself in Christ. The focus is God's grace, and this text will not support any discussions about arbitrary decisions from God.
Questions in the Debate About Election
"Numerous questions remain about
election, and Christians will no doubt disagree on the answers. Can
election be lost? Is it possible to have once been in Christ and then be
out of him? But this text (and most others) do not treat our questions
and suggest they may be misguided. Paul was more interested in praising
God for his grace. While granting an element of mystery in the subject of
election, certain points must be emphasized.
(1) Election is God's grace in action.
(2) God chose Abraham and then Israel for a task -- to bless
all the nations of the earth (Genesis 12:3).
(3) Jesus took on the task of Israel as God's Elect One.
(4) People are elect in Christ for relation to God.
(5) While God chooses, people still have choice and
are responsible for their decisions.
(6) Election does demonstrate God's favor, which can be a
strong support in a time of difficulty, but it is never to be treated as a sign
of superiority.
(7) More important, election always implies
responsibility. People are chosen to do something.
(8) The ultimate goal of election is the revelation of God's
own character, which Ephesians expresses as the praise of his glory.
"Consequently, most of the debates about election should be politely set aside. If we focus on praising God for valuing us and if we realize the responsibility that his valuing brings, we have understood Paul, and the other questions on election recede in importance. No one should worry whether he or she is elect. The main question is: ‘Are you in Christ and one with Him?’"
SUMMARY
If we understand that even among those denominations in Christianity which subscribe to the most rigid views of divine election, there are elements which reject those rigid views (i.e. Free Will Baptists), we begin to see that the broad doctrine of election is not uniform in its acceptance nor in its application. This should cause Christians to be cautious in hurling anathemas at those who differ with them concerning the specifics of election.
The elimination of free will, and therefore
the elimination of personal responsibility, as taught in extreme views of
election and predestination, results in crippled Christians. It is both
spiritually detrimental and spiritually impossible to reconcile an arbitrary
God with the God of the Cross. Thus it is the view of this researcher
that God's sovereignty is far more evident and far more firmly established by
God wooing all mankind to Himself on the Cross -- even while He allows them the
free choice to reject His sacrifice -- than it is by a God who capriciously and
arbitrarily assigns some humans to heaven and others to hell regardless of
their desires, motives, faith, deeds, or choices.
© 1998 Sydney Cleveland