Election (ἐκλογή), 'Choice'

Narrator: Chris Genthree

• 2 min. read • grade level: 8

Spoken of

1. The Lord Jesus: “Behold My servant, whom I uphold; Mine elect (bachir) in whom My soul delighteth” (Isa. 42:1¹Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. (Isaiah 42:1); 1 Peter 2:6⁶Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. (1 Peter 2:6)). He was fore-ordained to be a mercy-seat through faith in His blood (Rom. 3:25²⁵Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; (Romans 3:25), margin; 1 Peter 1:20²⁰Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, (1 Peter 1:20)).

2. Cyrus, who was called by God to be His “shepherd” to work out His will, saying to Jerusalem, “Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid” (Isa. 44:28²⁸That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid. (Isaiah 44:28); Isa. 45:1-4¹Thus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut; ²I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: ³And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the Lord, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. ⁴For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me. (Isaiah 45:1‑4)). It was Cyrus who released the captives to go to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple (Ezra 1:2-3²Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The Lord God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. ³Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem. (Ezra 1:2‑3)).

3. When Jacob and Esau were born, Jacob was elected for blessing, and his descendants as the only nation chosen by God for His special favor (Rom. 9:11-13¹¹(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) ¹²It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. ¹³As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. (Romans 9:11‑13); Amos 3:2²You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities. (Amos 3:2)).

4. When God again restores Israel into blessing it will be a remnant that will be chosen, whom He calls His “elect” (Isa. 65:9,15,22⁹And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there. (Isaiah 65:9)
¹⁵And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen: for the Lord God shall slay thee, and call his servants by another name: (Isaiah 65:15)
²²They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. (Isaiah 65:22); Matt. 24:22,24,31²²And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. (Matthew 24:22)
²⁴For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. (Matthew 24:24)
³¹And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (Matthew 24:31); Rom. 11:28²⁸As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes. (Romans 11:28)).

5. Elect angels (1 Tim. 5:21²¹I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality. (1 Timothy 5:21)).

6. Election of persons to eternal life (Rom. 8:29-30,33²⁹For 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. ³⁰Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. (Romans 8:29‑30)
³³Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. (Romans 8:33); Rom. 11:5,7⁵Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. (Romans 11:5)
⁷What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded (Romans 11:7); Col. 3:12¹²Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; (Colossians 3:12); 1 Thess. 1:4⁴Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. (1 Thessalonians 1:4); 2 Tim. 2:10¹⁰Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. (2 Timothy 2:10); Titus 1:1¹Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness; (Titus 1:1); 1 Peter 1:2²Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. (1 Peter 1:2); 1 Peter 5:13¹³The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Marcus my son. (1 Peter 5:13); 2 Peter 1:10¹⁰Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: (2 Peter 1:10); 2 John 1:1,13¹The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth; (2 John 1)
¹³The children of thy elect sister greet thee. Amen. (2 John 13)).

The reason Christians feel a difficulty as to the doctrine of election to eternal life, is because they do not see the extent of the fall of man, and his utterly lost condition. Were it not for election, and the prevailing grace that follows it, not one would be saved. Christ died for all, and the gospel is proclaimed to all (Rom. 3:22²²Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: (Romans 3:22); Heb. 2:9⁹But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. (Hebrews 2:9)); but alas, except for the election and grace of God, none would respond (Luke 14:18¹⁸And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. (Luke 14:18)). God must have all the glory.

Another error that has caused a difficulty as to “election” is the idea which some maintain that as some are ordained to eternal life, others likewise are fore-ordained by God to perdition, called “reprobation.” But this is not taught in scripture—God desires that all men should be saved (1 Tim. 2:4⁴Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:4)), and His election to life ensures that some will be. It was not before Esau was born, nor until long after he was dead, that it was said he was hated of God (Mal. 1:3³And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness. (Malachi 1:3)). Some even judge that it refers, not to Esau personally, but to his descendants after their deeds had been fully manifested (compare Obad. 10¹⁰For thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever. (Obadiah 10); Ezek. 35).

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