Elect in GraceA Grace Focused Perspective on Biblical Election

January 14, 2018

Tom Shannon, Pastor

www.restored-life-church.com

The Word Election in Theology-Harpers Bible Dictionary• Election, a technical theological term in the Bible having nothing to

do with the democratic political process.

• The subject of election is God, who chooses on the basis of his sovereign will for his creation.

• Associated with election are theological terms such as…• ‘predestination,’

• ‘providence,’ and

• ‘covenant.’

Election: The Westminster Confession of Faith, 1646

• “By the decree of God, for the manifestation of his glory, some men and angels are predestined unto everlasting life, and others foreordained to everlasting death.

• These angels and men, thus predestined and foreordained, are particularly and unchangeably designed; and their number is so certain and definite, that it cannot be either increased or diminished.”

• Does God specifically select some for eternal life and others for eternal death. Is this congruent with what is revealed in Scripture?

Election

The Word Election in the Greek

• 1586. ἐκλέγω eklégō; • To choose, select, choose for oneself, • not necessarily implying the rejection of what is not chosen, • but giving favor to the chosen subject, keeping in view a relationship to be

established between the one choosing and the object chosen. • It involves preference and selection from among many choices.

• 1588. ἐκλεκτός eklektós; • from eklégō (1586), to choose, select. • Chosen, select. • In the group of three important biblical words, eklektós, eklégō, and eklogḗ (1589),

choice or election, selection involves thoughtful and deliberate consideration.

• 1589. ἐκλογή eklogḗ; • noun from eklégō (1586), to choose, select. • Election, choice, selection.

The Elect in Scripture

• Who does the word elect refer to?

Elect Refers to Christians

• Paul refers to the church as God’s elect…

• Colossians 3:12-13 (NKJV), “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.”

• Titus 1:1-3 (NKJV), Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness, 2 in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began, 3 but has in due time manifested His word through preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior;

Elect Refers to Israel

• Paul refers to Israel as the elect…

• Romans 11:28-32 (NKJV), Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers.

• 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

• 30 For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience,

• 31 even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy.

• 32 For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.

Israel’s Election Pivoted on Abraham

• Romans 11:1-6 (NKJV),

• I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

• 2 God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying,

• 3 “LORD, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life”?

• 4 But what does the divine response say to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”

• 5 Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

• 6 And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.

• John 8:53 (NKJV), Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? And the prophets are dead. Who do You make Yourself out to be?”

Abraham and Election, Why?

• Genesis 15:4-6 (NKJV), 4 And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.”

• 5 Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”

• 6 And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.

• The gift of righteousness by believing alone-the faith of Abraham

Abraham, the Focus of Israel’s election, Why?

• Genesis 17:1-8 (NKJV), When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless.

• 2 And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.”

• 3 Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying:

• 4 “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations.

• 5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations.

• 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you.

• 7 And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you.

• 8 Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”

Descendants

• ֶזַרע (zeraʿ) sowing, seed, offspring.

• Commencing with Gen 3:15, the word “seed” is regularly used as a collective noun in the singular (never plural).

• This technical term is an important aspect of the promise doctrine, for Hebrew never uses the plural of this root to refer to “posterity” or “offspring.”

• The word designates the whole line of descendants as a unit, yet it is deliberately flexible enough to denote either one person who epitomizes the whole group (i.e. the man of promise and ultimately Christ), or the many persons in that whole line of natural and/or spiritual descendants.

• Kaiser, W. C. (1999). 582 ָזַרע. R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer Jr., & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (electronic ed., p. 253). Chicago: Moody Press.

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Abraham, the Focus of Israel’s election

• Genesis 22:18 (NKJV), In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”

• Abraham, the focus of Israel’s election points to another, pointing to The Seed.

• Obey my voice

• Obey, 9048 ָשַמע (šā·mǎʿ): 5219. ὑπακούω hupakoúō

• Voice

The Seed• Galatians 3:19 (NKJV), What purpose then does the law serve? It was added

because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator.

• Galatians 3:15-18 (NKJV), 15 Brethren, I speak in the manner of men: Though it isonly a man’s covenant, yet if it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it.

• 16 Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ.

• 17 And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect.

• 18 For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise• Promise, 1860. ἐπαγγελία epaggelía;

• noun from epaggéllō (1861), to announce. • Primarily a legal term denoting a summons or promise to do or give something. • The thing promised, a gift graciously given, not a pledge secured by negotiation

The Elect…

• 1 Peter 2:4-6 (NKJV),

• 4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God andprecious,

• 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

• 6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.”

• 1 Peter 2:4-6 (NKJV),

• 9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

• 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy

The Elect…

• The Jews saw Abraham as their Father; Scripture reveals Jesus as their Father.

• John 8:56-58 (NKJV), Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” 57 Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”

• It was never about God choosing me, or anyone else, but rather that God has chosen He!

• He is the Elect, and one’s recognition of inclusion in He results in our being included in the Elect, not because of me, but rather He.

One Seed Not Many Seeds

• Galatians 4:21-31 (NKJV), 21 Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law?

• 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman.

• 23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise,

• 24 which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar—

• 25 for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children—

• 26 but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.

• 27 For it is written: “Rejoice, O barren, You who do not bear! Break forth and shout, You who are not in labor! For the desolate has many more children Than she who has a husband.”

• 28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise.

• 29 But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now.

• 30 Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.”

• 31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.

It Has Always Been About the One Seed!

• Romans 9:11-13 (NKJV),

• And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac

• 11 (for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls),

• 12 it was said to her, “The older shall serve the younger.”

• 13 As it is written, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.”

• Matthew 22:14 (NKJV), “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Its Always Been About Jesus!

• John 17:20-23 (NKJV), 20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word;

• 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.

• 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:

• 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.