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In November our country had its mid-term elections. This article was written on election day. In our great representative republic, every legal citizen is free to participate in the process of choosing who will represent them in our government and what issues will pass or fail. The place for voting is set by local officials. Whether we show up to vote or not is up to us.
God has set the place for spiritual election. Notice the first chapter of Ephesians. God blesses us with all spiritual blessings in Christ (v. 3). He chose us in him before the foundation of the world (v. 4). He predestined us to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ (v. 5). He made us accepted in the Beloved (v. 6). Jesus is the One in whom we have redemption (v. 7). Just read the rest of the chapter and highlight every time the preposition “in” is used. Most of those occurrences will reinforce the point that God elected “in Christ” as the location for receiving His promises and spiritual blessings.
Those who are “ordained to eternal life” are not those who have been “foreordained” (randomly selected by God beyond their will) to eternal life (Acts 13:48b). The word, “ordained” (“appointed,” ASV), in this text, is not used of the will of God, but the mental state of the ones who gladly heard Paul’s preaching (v. 48a). They willingly chose to believe the message preached.
Today, those who are “chosen to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth” (2 Thessalonians 2:13) are those who answer “Yes” to the call of the gospel (v. 14). Have you made “your calling and election sure” (2 Peter 1:10)?
J. Brooks Boyd Jr.
Livingston Church of Christ
Livingston, TN