Let me start by saying that although much misunderstanding and controversy surrounds this subject, the doctrine of election should not be something that divides us as Christians. To walk this out practically requires a great deal of maturity, because emotions can often be ignited when this issue is discussed. This though should be our starting point as brothers and sisters in Christ.

Here’s a quote from the Prince of Preachers, C. H. Spurgeon. “We give our hand to every man that loves the Lord Jesus Christ, be he what he may or who he may. The doctrine of election, like the great act of election itself, is intended to divide, not between Israel and Israel, but between Israel and the Egyptians, not between saint and saint, but between saints and the children of the world. A man may be evidently of God’s chosen family, and yet though elected, may not believe in the doctrine of election. I hold that there are many savingly called, who do not believe in effectual calling, and that there are a great many who persevere to the end, who do not believe the doctrine of final perseverance. We do hope the hearts of many are a great deal better than their heads. We do not set their fallacies down to any willful opposition to the truth as it is in Jesus but simply to an error in their judgments, which we pray God to correct. We hope that if they think us mistaken too, they will reciprocate the same Christian courtesy; and when we meet around the cross, we hope that we shall ever feel that we are one in Christ Jesus.”

So if the doctrine is controversial, why even discuss it? Well first of all, if you think about it, most of the doctrines at the heart of the Christian faith are controversial. Not everyone who names the name of Christ embraces the Trinity, the full Deity and humanity of Christ, the substitutionary atonement of Christ, or justification by grace alone, through faith alone, because of Christ alone – but these truths need to be heralded because although they are controversial to some, and not everyone likes to hear these things, we’re convinced they are the clear doctrines of the Bible.

Obviously words like “election,” “predestination,” and phrases such as “God’s chosen people,” are found throughout the Bible. God wants us to know His truth and has revealed these things to us for a purpose. Everyone who believes the Bible to be God’s Word has to deal with these terms. We cannot simply ignore them. Instead, we need to make sure we have a biblical understanding of what these terms mean. Therefore, the question is a very important one.

Dr. J. I. Packer gives what I believe to be a biblical definition of Divine election when he writes: “The verb “elect” means to select, or choose out. The biblical doctrine of election is that before the Creation, God selected out of the human race, foreseen as fallen, those whom he would redeem, bring to faith, justify and glorify in and through Jesus Christ. This divine choice is an expression of free and sovereign grace, for it is unconstrained and unconditional, not merited by anything in those who are its subjects. God owes sinners no mercy of any kind, only condemnation; so it is a wonder, and matter of endless praise, that he should choose to save any of us; and doubly so, when his choice involved the giving of his own Son to suffer as sin-bearer for the elect.”

The word “election” therefore means to choose or to select, and conveys the idea that those of us who are believers are so, not by accident, but because God chose us. When we speak of Divine election we are saying, quite simply, that God chose a certain group and called them out from the world to be His own special people.

In the Old Testament, His chosen people were Israel (although there were some isolated Gentiles who were chosen to be included in redemption). God said to Israel, “The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but because the LORD loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the LORD brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.” (Deut. 7:7, 8).

In a similar way, Deuteronomy 10:14,15 says, “Behold, to the LORD your God belong heaven and the highest heavens, the earth and all that is in it. “Yet on your fathers did the LORD set His affection to love them, and He chose their descendants after them, even you above all peoples, as it is this day.”

God’s love was directed toward Israel in a way in which it was not directed toward the other nations. When Israel is contrasted with the other nations around them, there is no mention whatsoever of a distinguishing feature within Israel. In other words, there was absolutely nothing in the way of personal or national merit within Israel that caused God to be more inclined to set His love and favor upon them rather than the other nations. The only distinguishing feature mentioned in this passage and in all of scripture, is the electing love of God. He chose to set His love on them.

Obviously, not everyone in the world were a part of Israel and therefore not everyone was chosen. When He Sovereignly chose Israel to be His covenant people, He was choosing not to deal with the Hittites or the Amalekites in the exact same way. This immediately raises all kinds of questions, which in fact, we will find that the Bible answers. Yet I believe that this concept needs to be the foundation for anyone seeking to understand this doctrine; namely, that God has chosen a people for Himself, on whom He has set His redemptive love and favor.

2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 declares, “But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Ephesians 1:4-6 unveils more of this mystery when it says, “just as He chose us (believers in Christ) in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.”

The word for “chose” in Ephesians 1:4 in the original language is the Greek word eklego, which is a compound of the words ek and lego. The word ek means “out”, and lego means “I say.” Putting these two words together forms the word eklego, which means “Out, I say!” It conveys the idea of a calling out, a selection, or personally choosing.

Ephesians 1:4 reveals to us what God was doing before the foundation of the world. Before the words, “Let there be!” ever came from His mouth, as we read them in Genesis 1, God chose us to be in Christ. To quote Rick Renner, “God looked out on the horizon of human history – and He saw us! And when He saw us, His voice echoed forth from Heaven: “Out I say!” In that flash, our destinies were divinely sealed! We were separated by God from a lost and dying world, and He called us to be His own.” That’s absolutely mind boggling isn’t it!? But it is what Ephesians 1:4 clearly affirms.

Why did He do this? Well we are never told in the Bible why God decided to set His love upon us. Certainly it was not because of anything He found in us. There was nothing in Israel that was inherently special about them that would provoke God to show mercy to them in a way He did not for other nations, and the same principle is true for all those to whom God shows mercy. We were hostile rebels and enemies of God. We were children of wrath just like the rest and yet God reserves the right to show mercy to whom He will.

Let me quote Romans 9 and simply supply some comments in brackets, “11 though they (the twins, Jacob and Esau) were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election (or God’s choice) might continue, not because of works (this election was unconditional) but because of him who calls— 12 she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” 13 As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

(What should surprize us is not God’s animosity to a rebel sinner such as Esau, but His love for Jacob. However we interpret the word “hate” in this passage, one thing is immediately clear, God had a different measure of love for Jacob than He did for Esau and chose to show mercy to him in a way He did not for his brother.

In stating this doctrine of election being on the basis of God’s choice rather than human action, Paul then anticipates the objection that the reader might raise immediately follow by asking if this is somehow unjust for God to show favor to one and not to another in the same way)

14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? (what is Paul’s answer?) By no means! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”

(Paul’s answer to the question he himself had raised regarding whther or not God is unjust to act in this way is that God has every right to dispense mercy as He desires. Mercy by very definition can never be demanded, and who do we think we are to challenage God’s right to sit on His throne?.

Paul then summarizes the entire passage by stating that human action or human will is not the basis of election, but God’s choice to dispense mercy as He sees fit, “So then it (divine election) depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.” (v. 16)

He goes on): 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18 So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.

19 You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?”

“20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?”

(The obvious answer to this rhetorical question is that God does indeed have a right to dispense mercy as He wishes).

According to Ephesians 1 the reason or basis of God’s choice is found in God Himself not in creature man. In other words, He chose us, not because of us, or because of anything He found in us, but “according to the kind intention of His will” (Eph 1. v. 5), “to the praise of the glory of His grace,” (v. 6), “according to the riches of His grace” (v. 7), “according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him” (v. 9), “to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.” (v. 12)

God’s measureless kindness and the riches of His glorious grace would be revealed by Him setting His love on us, all to the praise of His glory. No other reason for His choice is ever mentioned in Scripture.