Question:

67.2—How do we clear up that some are chosen for heaven and reason that others are “not chosen”? I do not know if I can fully answer this question which we had in the class on election. Would appreciate any help with it, thank you. 

Answer:

67.2—There are two parallel truths found in Scripture: (1) God’s sovereignty in choosing His people, and (2) Man’s responsibility to receive His Son as his personal Saviour by faith. I don’t believe that our finite minds can bring them together, nor are we told that we should try to do so. God wants us to realize regarding each of His marvelous truths that: “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9). The only reason we understand His things at all is because He reveals them by the Spirit of God to those who have faith in His Word. “As it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him. But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

First of all, let us realize that, as the Creator, God has the right to have “mercy on whom He will have mercy, and whom He will He hardeneth” (Romans 9:18). Also, it isn’t our place as His creatures to attempt to prove the justice of God in electing some and not others, nor should we try to vindicate our Master. He will speak for Himself, and He does so: “Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to Him that formed it, Why hast Thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?” (Romans 9:20,21). 

God’s election of His people is (1) an absolute fact: “God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation,” not for sanctification, but “through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth” (2 Thessalonians 2:13). The Spirit of God set me apart and convicted me of my sins, presented the Word to me of the good news of God’s love that Christ suffered for my sins, and gave me faith to believe the truth. Some will say that “God elected them because of His foreknowledge of their faith.” But not so, for God is the one who gives faith, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8), and “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17). We had no faith “before the foundation of the world” when He chose us. God’s election of His people is (2) a personal election of individuals, “For He saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion” (Romans 9:15). And (3) it is eternal: “According as He hath chosen us in [Christ] before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love” (Ephesians 1:4).

Why did God chose me? I don’t know why, because there was nothing but enmity in my heart toward God before I was saved. I was an enemy of God by nature and practice but “when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son” (Romans 5:10). The only reason God gives for choosing His earthly people Israel was because He loved them: “The LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto Himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. The LORD did not set His love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: But because the LORD loved you” (Deuteronomy 7:6-8). The Lord tells us another reason: “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit” (John 15:16), and God “hath chosen us in [Christ] before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love” (Ephesians 1:4). That God loved me, wants me to bear fruit for Him, and be holy and without blame before Him in love are reasons enough for us to rejoice that we are “elect of God” (Colossians 3:12). We can say with the apostle: “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” (2 Thessalonians 2:13,14).

God states many times in the Scriptures that He has chosen His people, and the very fact that He repeatedly states this truth shows in itself that He wants to bless His people by their knowing that He has chosen them. He chose the nation of Israel to be His earthly people in Deuteronomy 4:37; 7:6-8; Mark 13:20,22,27; Luke 18:7, and we learn that He chose individual believers to be His heavenly people with heavenly blessings in Romans 8:33; Ephesians 1:4; 1 Thessalonians 1:4; 2 Thessalonians 2:13,14; 1 Peter 1:2; 2:9; etc. A few of the blessings the truth of election gives the Christian are: First it takes away all trust in the flesh or reliance on anything but God for it teaches us that we owe everything to God. I know of nothing more humbling than the truth of election, for without God choosing us we would be forever “lost” in every sense of the word. Secondly, this blessed truth gives us holy boldness. Realizing that I am chosen of God and precious; though the world may throw me out, I fear not. A sense in my soul that God loved me enough to choose me in Christ, empowers me to be holy and without blame before Him in His love. “For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again” (2 Corinthians 5:14,15).

Now, regarding the truth of man’s responsibility—it is important to realize that the Scriptures never tell us that God chose anyone to be lost. The very opposite is true for God is: “Not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). God has also made provision so that all men can be saved. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation [satisfying sacrifice] for our sins” (1 John 4:10). Christ made propitiation—satisfied a holy God about the sins of everyone who believe—on the cross of Calvary. Christ now “is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2). His sacrifice was sufficient for all the world to be saved and He is available for all, but His work is only effectual to those who believe in Him.

We always do well if we accept without question what God tells us in His Word, for we can be sure that He has blessing accompanying each truth He lets us know about, and the truths of God choosing His people and man’s responsibility to believe are no exception to this. These precious truths are both found in one verse—Jesus said in John 6:37: “All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.” The truth of God choosing is expressed in the fact that everyone that the Father has given Christ will come to Him, and the truth of man’s responsibility is presented by stating that each person who comes to Christ by faith is saved. Salvation is dependent on both these truths, and the Lord joins them together by telling us that everyone God chooses will come to Him and will be saved. 

What does election say to the unbeliever? If you are an unbeliever, it has much blessing for you, as well. It says: Take courage, take hope, for God has elected many! That God has chosen His people is a joyful and hopeful thing for you. What if it were true that none could be saved or none could have eternal life? Wouldn’t that be hopeless? But, praise God, there are many who are elected—more than man can number. Therefore, take heart, if you are still in your sins. May not you be one of the elect as well as another? You have nothing to lose by coming to God with all your sins and receiving Christ as your own personal Saviour and Lord. God does not love your sin but He dearly loves you, dear friend, and Christ assures you: “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37).