Election

There is probably no teaching of Scripture that arouses more emotion among Christians than the doctrine of unconditional election. On the other hand, there is probably no doctrine more needed to be preached and taught. The reason being is that there is no teaching so designed to humble man and exalt God's grace.

The fact that election so abases man and exalts God's love and mercy may account for the fact that in nearly every great movement of God, unconditional election and God's free mercy was at the center of what was preached. Luther, Calvin and Zwingli, God's primary agents of the reformation of the 16th century, taught and preached it freely. The leaders of the great awakening in the 18th century, such as George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards (among others) taught it. The leaders of the Puritan movement in the 17th century taught it as well. Of course Charles Spurgeon, whose ministry shook England and the English speaking world in the 19th century made it a central feature of his preaching in London.



As can be seen, it not only doesn't hinder evangelism, it has been at the center of the great movements of the Spirit of God in church history. God honors the preaching and teaching of unconditional election. It helps people become God-centered and God dependent. It extols the Lord's great love toward His people. It abases man's pride. It gives a great assurance of being loved perfectly and eternally by the Lord. With this in mind, we want to look in detail at the importance of preaching and teaching election and its reality as taught in Scripture.

The Definition and Demand for Election

A good place to begin is to give a brief definition. Election can be defined as the Biblical teaching that "God in eternity past, apart from anything foreseen in them, chose the specific individuals who were to be saved". Election is based upon the reality of man's total depravity in sin. Man is dead in his sin (Ephesians 2:1). He is hostile to God, unwilling and unable to subject himself to God's Law (Romans 8:7). He doesn't seek God (Romans 3:11). Man is a free moral agent and as such does as he chooses, but his choices are always sin and self. His will however is not free. As a part of his fallen nature, it is enslaved to sin. He always chooses what his nature loves and he loves darkness and doesn't come to the light. Jesus said it this way, "and this is the judgment that light is come into the world and men loved the darkness rather than the light, for their deeds were evil; for everyone who does evil hates the light and doesn't come to the light, lest his deeds be exposed" (John 3:19,20).

Therefore, recognizing man's slavery to sin, and apart from anything foreseen in them, God chose those to whom He would show mercy and save from among mankind. Any
perceived difficulty with God's justice is usually based on a mistaken and deficient idea of man's sinfulness. Man is not knocking on heaven's door desiring to be with God or Christ. He loathes the very idea of a holy Christ and a holy heaven. Spurgeon speaking of natural men apart from the Spirit's work said:

"If you were elected you would not like it, according to your own confession. If God this morning had chosen you to holiness, you say you would not carefor it. Do you not acknowledge that you prefer drunkenness to sobriety, dishonesty to honesty? You love this worlds pleasure rather than religion; then why should you grumble that God has not chosen you to religion?...According to your own confession,
...you do not want religion, do not want a new heart and a right spirit, do not want forgiveness of sins, do not want sanctification, you do not want to be elected to these things; then why should you grumble?...who are you that you should find fault with God, when it is your own desperate will that keeps you from loving
these things-your own simple self makes you hate them...You do not like holiness, you do not like righteousness; if God has elected to me to these things, has He hurt you by it?"

In other words, election does not mean that God chooses some to heaven and some to
hell. The reason men go to hell is their own enslaved and rebellious will. God simply passes them by and leaves them to their own preference, which is sin. This is the testimony of Scripture and experience. Therefore, why should men reproach God for giving to others that which they detest and despise? Why should God be railed for showing kindness on some when none deserve it or want it? Men are often commended for what God is railed and reproached for. If a wealthy heiress were to take some orphans out of a orphanage, no one would rail her for not taking them all. Yet, God is reproached for choosing to save some out of a race of rebels. These are rebels none of whom love His Son, but on the contrary despise Him. We will look more at the perceived difficulty with God's justice later.

Election: Steve Fernandez