Election, Sovereign not Presidential

“Heaven was made at the beginning of the world, but election was before.”

Elisha Coles

In Genesis 1:1 we read “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” This was the beginning of creation. The entirety of the whole universe began at this point in time. Time itself began at this point. Everything we can see, feel, touch, smell, taste, and hear traces its roots to this very moment.

Before all this, was God. Existing outside of time and space, since He is the one that created it. We know God had a plan and purpose, we, along with the rest of creation is the evidence of that. This first day of creation was a major event. It wasn’t a random thing God decided to do out of boredom or because He needed something.

Such a major event but something, in my opinion, ever bigger took place before. Way before? Yes! It was from eternity past.

Ephesians 1:3-6 but more specifically verse 4 tells gives us the answer.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, ⁴just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.”

Before God created anything, He chose His people. Now that’s a doctrine that can stir up much anger. Election and predestination can be an extremely confusing topic to discuss or study, but it is necessary. To deny it would be to deny the teachings of Paul, which were the inspired words of God himself.

Election is the act of choosing. The word elect means to choose. So when the Bible speaks of election it is simply pointing to the fact that it is God who chooses. For some that may seem like bad news, but it’s not and I will explain why at the end.

There are a 19 times where scripture talks about elect directly, using the the very word elect. We also see it used as “elected” and “election”.

Scripture teaches that God chooses His people according to His own purpose, His own desires, and own pleasure. Grace is given to very undeserving, sinful people based on nothing they do. It’s also not the case that God foreseen that certain individuals would have faith, then He elected them. He foreknew them, not their actions. He foreknew the person and placed His love upon them, before they had did anything. This is what is being spoken about in Romans 9

Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls⁠— she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

-Romans 9:10-13

There was nothing foreseen in their thoughts or actions. The process of election happened before they were born and before they were created. This election happened before “In the beginning”

There is a tendency within the church to fight against the doctrine of Election. Those who do so usually hold to a belief that we make a decision for salvation ourselves. They say the Holy Spirit works on everyone and it’s up to us to reject or accept Christ. Some say election comes after belief and faith, Once faith is placed in Christ, we become the elect of God, but Ephesians 1:4 “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world”, and Romans 9:11 “though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad⁠” both refute that idea.

Election can be seen in other ways such as “Predestination”. In Romans again we see Paul speak of this choosing by God. Of all the writers in scripture, Paul really hammered home the idea of man’s inability to do anything outside of Christ except for sinning, and laid out God’s Sovereignty in salvation. Election/Predestination is a major part of that salvation plan.

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.

-Rom 8:28-30

Here we see a the entire process laid out before us. Every step in the process of salvation listed in order. We can seperate each step and find it in other passages as well.

Rom 8:28 speaks of being “called” which refers to what is known as the Effectual Call. We see this idea in John 6:44 also

No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
— John 6:44

The “Effectual Call” is God’s sovereign work of drawing the sinner to Himself. There is a general call of the gospel for all to repent and believe, but the effectual call triumphs over the natural man’s sinful will, making him willingly place his faith in Christ. No one comes to Christ kicking and screaming, fighting against Him.

The “draw” in John 6:44 is translated from the Koine Greek word Helkō, meaning to drag, lead, impel. This verse shows that not all people are drawn by the Father, because we know that not all people will be raised up, which is the very promise Jesus gives in John 6:44.

The effectual call and the act of being drawn by God only happens to the elect. We can see it again a little later in John 6:65

And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

The idea of being elected, predestined called, drawn and granted to come comes strictly from the mind of God. Why must these come from God? Because man is dead. And dead men do what dead men do, which is nothing.

I have heard it asked “why would God choose some and send others to hell?”. Thats the wrong question to ask in the first place. One should wonder why God would choose anyone since everyone commits great sins against Him. We all deserve wrath but God purposed to have a people out of His love and mercy and to His own glory. Apart from God’s sovereign election we all would suffer the penalty.

Thankfully God is a God of much grace and mercy and He sent His Son to take on Himself the sins of His people on the cross. Die the death we deserved and was raised to life so we can be raised to life. A spotless lamb as a sacrifice for His people just like the Old Testament sacrifice for the people of Israel. The Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world (Rev13:8). No plan B. It was predestined for His elect.