ELECTION

ELECTION    

The residents of New Brunswick have just come through an election that has seen the ruling Liberal Party defeated after only one term in office. So for the last month or so, we have been bombarded with election talk. However I have a different type of election in mind, one that is mentioned in the Bible in various places. One of these places is in (Eph 1:3-14), where Paul uses the term "in Christ" several times. This is a very important NT phrase, and implies that the moment we repent from our sinful ways (Rom 3:23), and receive Jesus as our Savior, we are "born again" into the Family of God, and are then "in Christ" for eternity. (see John 1:10-13). Then in (2 Cor 5:17) we read about anyone who is "in Christ" is a "new creation", this refers to our new birth (John 3:3-5), or our now being part of the "New Covenant".

This is the position we find ourselves in as followers of Jesus, we didn't deserve it, as members of the fallen race of human descendants of Adam, but because of God's grace, He accepted us as part of "His Forever Family"! This is the heart of the gospel, that our Creator God would make provision for us to become part of His family. This is all part of what the Bible refers to as "election", or "predestination" (Rom 8:29-30). In other words, as I understand it, even before He created our universe, He knew by His "foreknowledge", those humans who would accept His offer of grace, and receive the gift of salvation, and those who would not. He created us all with a free will to make choices, and He always respects our freedom to choose. Some people believe that predestination means that God has predestined some to be saved, and some to be lost. But this is a false teaching, based on a lack of understanding of God's foreknowledge. Because He knows everything in advance, he knows the choices we will make, before we make them! That should put the "fear of God" into the heart of all of us, and make us a lot more thankful for His grace!

A brief study of scriptures that mention election, like (Rom 11:28) and
(2 Peter 1:10-11), along with (Rom 8:29-30), should help us to understand a little more how great and marvelous God's provision for us is in His Son!
The next time you read Paul's letters, like Ephesians or Colossians, count the number of times he uses the phrase "in Christ". And then thank God for the words of Peter to "make your call and election sure" (2 Peter 1:10)!!
Sincerely submitted.
Dave Jamer