III
His Purpose In Election
There is only one hope, "just as you were called to one hope when you were called." [Ephesians 4:4] That is the hope of salvation for the chosen.
"Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things." [1 Peter 1:10-12]
The early church did not have the New Testament to guide them. It was being written. They had the prophecies of the Old Testament and the apostles as eyewitnesses to the fulfillment of those prophecies in the person of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Just as the prophets of the Old Testament were serving the believers to come, the apostles of Jesus were also serving future believers, even those of us living today. All the prophecies of the New Testament are just as valid and unconditional as those of the Old Testament that were fulfilled by Jesus and his disciples. The message has not changed; his eternal purpose has not changed; His purpose in election still stands.
"You are my witnesses," declares the Lord, "and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me. I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no savior. I have revealed and saved and proclaimed- I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses," declares the Lord, "that I am God. Yes, and from ancient days I am he. No one can deliver out of my hand. When I act, who can reverse it?" [Isaiah 43:10-13]
"Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." [2 Peter 1:20-21]
Jesus told his disciples,
"I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you." [John 16:12-15]
And that is why Jesus said,
"Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth." [John 4:23]
Only the true worshipers, those chosen in Christ before the creation of the world, are given the indwelling Spirit of truth to guide them into all truth Only they are enabled to worship in spirit, because only they have the Spirit within them.
"He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation- if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant." [Colossians 1:15-23]
"I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. I did not receive if from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ." [Galatians 1:11-12]
"But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!
Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ." [1:8-10]
"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God- having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them." [2 Timothy 3:1-5]
"For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths." [4:3-4]
The most widespread myth to which men have turned aside is this: "Christ has extended to you a personal invitation; now it is up to you." There is just no truth in that statement.
The truth that Jesus told is,
"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day." [John 6:44]
He also said,
"No one can come to the Father except through me." [John 14:6]
The will of man is excluded.
"Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name. But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. He did not need man's testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man." [John 2:23-25]
In the parable of the Sower, not all the seed fell on good soil. Jesus said of some,
"They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away." [Luke 8:13]
"When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away." [Matthew 13:21]
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are all God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." [Ephesians 2:8-10]
"Not only that, but Rebecca's children had one and the same father, our father Isaac. Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad- in order that God's purpose in election might stand; not by works but by him who calls- she was told, "The older will serve the younger." Just as it is written; "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated." [Romans 9:10-13]
"It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy." [9:16]
"Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden." [9:18]
Even an unspoken desire is considered a work of man, and is excluded. God has ruled out even our own thoughts and emotions.
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified." [Romans 8:28-30]
God foreknew all of us by name, each and every one of his chosen family. He predestined us to be conformed to the likeness of Jesus, and at the time he chose for each one of us, individually, he calls us.
"When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed." [Acts 13:48]
Notice that their belief came after their appointment. Their appointment was made before the creation of the world.
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?" [Romans 8:35]
"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." [8:37-39]
These assurances are only applicable to those whom God has chosen. It does not automatically apply to everyone who professes belief.
"He did not need man's testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man." [John 2:25]
An example of "man's testimony about man" is for a man to say, "I accept Jesus as my personal Savior." We know that there will be many who believe for a while, but they will fall away. Only the chosen will be enabled by his Spirit to persevere.
Just as Rebecca's unborn twins were unable either to accept or reject that for which God had predestined them--
"in order that God's purpose in election might stand; not by works but by him who calls" [Romans 9:11-12]
--neither do we today have such a choice-- "in order that God's purpose in election might stand."
On the night of his betrayal, in praying for his disciples and all true believers, Jesus said,
"I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word [John 17:6]
... I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours [17:9]
... I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world [17:14]
... Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth [17:17]
... My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me [17:20-21]
... May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.
Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known, in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them." [17:23-26]
In that prayer, Jesus used the pronouns "they" and "them," and the words "those you have given me," meaning the disciples and all true believers, from that time and on into the future. All others, the unbelievers, he collectively called "the world."
He prayed for unity among the believers, "to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them (the chosen) even as you have loved me. Have loved them... before the creation of the world... even as you have loved me... before the creation of the world."
"The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word." [Hebrews 1:3]
"Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life; that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began." [John 17:1-5]
His authority over all people includes the authority to reject those not chosen before the world began, as he rejected those in Jerusalem who saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in him.
"But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men." [John 2:24]
"And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day." [6:39]
"Yet there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him." [6:64-65]
"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me- just as the Father knows me and I know the Father- and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd." [10:14-16]
"The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one." [10:25-30]
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