Focus: Divine Election

Text: 1Thes.1:4

"Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God."

In Christ we are God's elect. God has sovereignly picked us out and made us His own. Paul calls it "the election of grace" (Rom.11:5). It means that God did not choose us because of our good works or by our acts of righteousness, which we have done, but because God delighted in us through Christ. 

Peter writes, "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ…" (1Pet.1:2). The foreknowledge of God implies that God in knowing us loves us. It is love expressed through knowing. God loves us enough to elect us to salvation. 

Peter writes, "Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious…" (1Pet.2:6). The stone that the builders reject God elects to be the chief corner stone of His building. That rejected stone happened to be Jesus Christ. The rejection of men is never final. Peter writes, "The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you…" (1Pet.5:13). Everywhere God is picking people out of the world and setting them apart for His purpose. 

No individual is elected alone; many others partakers of the same. Every saved individual belongs to the company of the elected.

Paul writes, "Paul, 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" (Tit.1:1). We are God's elect who live by faith. Indeed it is by faith that we receive and embrace our election. In Col.3:12, we are called the elect of God.

Paul asks, "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth" (Rom.8:33). God has graciously justified His elect, so that no prosecutor anywhere in this world can ever find anything with which to accuse or charge us. The accuser of the brethren is forever defeated. Our case file containing all of our offenses have been nailed to the cross of Christ. We are free from all charges. Paul says, "Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory" (2Tim.2:10). Our elected is connected to salvation and eternal glory. 

Eternal glory awaits us as those who have been elected by God and saved by Christ.

One of the many benefits of being elected by God is that God is committed to defending His own elect. Christ says, "And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?" (Lk.18:7). Our tears are sacred to God. He never takes them lightly. He answers our prayers and wipes our tears. He fights for us and tackles our issues. Whatever concerns us also concerns Him. God is the avenger of the elect.

One more thing: Peter passionately appeals to us, "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall" (2Pet.1:10). Child of God, do everything in your power to make your election sure! You have a price to pay. Take advantage of the grace of God! Appreciate and treasure your election! Guard it! Don't behave like Esau, who lightly esteemed his birthright, and who for a pottage sold it to his brother and ultimately lost the blessing connected to the birthright. You can't sell the birthright and still keep the blessing. Whoever has the birthright will also possess the blessing. 

Don't trifle with your election! It is election to salvation and eternal glory. Know your election! Understand the eternal value of what you possess in Christ! In Christ you are called and chosen. In Christ you are insured and assured. In Christ you have been elected and elevated. There's no vacancy for you in hell and heaven is not complete without you.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter