A great many people are troubled about election, and are occupied in trying to discover whether they are elect or not.
Now God never puts election before unsaved souls; He never says a word to them about it; on the contrary, when He speaks to a sinner, He says, "Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely" (Rev. 22:1717And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. (Revelation 22:17)). And again, "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16). Could anything be freer than that? It is a strait gate that leads to life, but if it be, it is set wide open, wide enough to admit "whosoever will" without t h e question of election being raised.
God has never yet met a needy sinner that wanted Jesus, with the reply, "He is not for you because you are not one of the elect"; and blessed be His name, He never will. He cannot deny Himself, and when He says, "Whosoever will," He means it.
It is quite certain, however, that God has an elect people in this world. I read in Eph. 1:1-41Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: 2Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: (Ephesians 1:1‑4), where the Apostle Paul writes "to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus," that they (the saints) had been chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. But observe they are saints, not unsaved sinners, who are told this. These people to whom Paul was writing had a 1r e a d y got "redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace" (see verse 7). And to such only, in Scripture, God ever says a word about election.
The truth is, election is a family secret, only known to the family of God; and so instead of a sinner wasting time in trying to find out if he is elect or not, far better would it be to seek to know how he, a poor guilty sinner can become one of the children of God.
In Rom. 3:2323For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23) I read, "All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God"; so each one may be quite certain he has sinned, for this verse says all have sinned. Now in Romans I read of God as the Justifier; of whom, do you think? I suppose you would say, The righteous, but the 10th verse of Romans 3 says, "There is none righteous, no, not one." How then can God be the Justifier of any one? I get the divine answer to this question in verses 24 to 26 of this same 3rd of Romans: "Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ. Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness;... that He might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." And so I find it is because Jesus has died, because God's righteousness and holiness in dealing with sin have been shown at the cross, and God has been glorified there, that He is now just in being the Justifier of the one that believes in Jesus.
Thus the cross of Christ has placed the righteousness of God on the sinner's side, the moment he believes on Jesus.
It is not that God has become indifferent to sin. That could not be; but having dealt with it at the cross-a spotless victim having suffered in the sinner's stead—the moment the sinner takes his true ground and justifies God in condemning him, God is just in justifying him, and would not be just if He did not.
I find from these verses that God JUSTIFIES the ungodly sinner who believes in Jesus, and that those whom God JUSTIFIES are called "God's elect."
None ever knew, or ever will know, his election of God before coming to find out in the presence of God that he is a sinner, and receiving Jesus as his Savior. It is the mere folly of utter indifference to say, "If I am elect, I shall be sure to get to heaven." It is but a deception of Satan that has made many a one careless about his soul, only to find out his mistake when too late.
Suppose a man is drowning, and a rope is thrown to him, but instead of grasping it he says, "If it is ordered that I shall be saved, I will be," and then refuses the rope within his reach. Surely he deserves to drown.
So now, when God has come down with salvation to men, and has brought it to them where they are, when one look of faith at Jesus, crucified for sinners, saves the soul, and men will not look because they do not know if they are elect or not, surely they deserve to perish in the lake of fire.
O sinner (if such should read these lines), trifle not with God's salvation. Come to Jesus now while you may. He does not say, "If you are elect, come"; but He says, "'Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely" (Rev. 22:1717And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. (Revelation 22:17)). And when you have come, and have been met like the prodigal in Luke 15 by the Father, and have been forgiven, and have got on the best robe, then He will put on your finger the ring that tells of His eternal purpose for your blessing—that tells He has had His eye on you from all eternity, that banishes the thought forever from your heart that you chose Him, but opens your lips in praise and thanksgiving forever and ever for the boundless sovereign grace of which you have been the object.
One more illustration and I close. If a letter comes addressed to you, and you want to know what is inside, it is clear you must open it. Well, God's salvation is like that; it comes addressed to you on the envelope- To "Whosoever believeth in Him" (see John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)), or to "'Whosoever will" (see Rev. 22:1717And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. (Revelation 22:17)).
Now, you say, "If I only knew if I were elect or not, I would open the envelope." Well then, you will never know; the secret is inside, and you must open the envelope to find it. I never heard of anyone who opened it—that is, who came to Jesus-who failed to find his own name inside, chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world.
Reader, I do not ask you, "Are you one of the elect?" but, "Are you a poor sinner who believes in Jesus, and whom God has justified?" If so, you are one of "God's elect," and will sing with joy:
"Why was I made to hear Thy voice,
To enter while there's room,
While thousands make the wretched choice,
And rather starve than come?
"'Twas the same love that spread the feast,
That sweetly forced me in;
Else I had still refused to taste,
And perished in my sin."