THE ELECTION OF GRACE - A RESERVATION OF GOD'S PEOPLE -

SOVEREIGNLY PRESERVED AND CALLED EVEN WHILE THEY ARE STILL IN THIS WORLD

Many words used by professed Christian teachers today reflect their bias to the Arminian or "free-will" doctrine, and the connotation that they put upon these terms have become common parlance and thought in modern religious jargon.

I first come to the usage of the terms "save", "saved", etc.

Most religionists use this word as referring to a special "work" that they experience in time, and nearly all teach that this phenomenon can be worked up (and out) in their own time and way, just as they may please; hence, they use such terms as "I got saved", "When I got saved", "Come and get saved", "God wants to save you". etc.. As if the work of salvation was left nearly, or perhaps entirely, in the hands of man. Now, I must say that I have not so learned Christ, neither do the Scriptures teach anything vaguely related to this idea, - And God forbid that it should, because it turns the grace of God in the work of salvation into nothing, and only relies upon and substitutes the desires of the flesh of fallen man for the free grace of God, and fosters the concept of a mere legalistic idea and relationship between God and man in the business of salvation.

The word "save" as used in the Scriptures merely means to be "delivered" from something; for instance:

" ...And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call..." Joel 2:32.

"... Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling,..." etc. 2 Tim 1:9.

Here it is plain that the Apostle is speaking of the work God did in Christ for the called before they were called in time to His kingdom, and since He "hath saved us", it follows that God has also "called" them to grace and glory.

"...But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth... Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ..." 2 Th 2:13-14.

Therefore, since God has "chosen" them and "saved" them (through scantification of the Spirit and belief of the truth), He also has "called" them by the gospel. This is not to say that there is something "magical" in the word and preaching of the gospel, as some would teach, but merely shows that they, through the Spirit, are called to the gospel kingdom to be made recepients and partakers of this "good news" that informs them and builds them up concerning their salvation. This calling is always effectual to those of whom it concerns. To say and teach otherwise, is to plainly deny the power of God as He works through His Own Spirit.

"...Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together..."Isa 48:14.

"...And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear..." Isa 65:24.

"...For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God... 1 Cor 1:21-24.

There are no conditions whatever to be fulfilled on the creature's part in this calling, because the Apostle goes on to describe the nature of it:

"...Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence..."

It seems to the writer that when persons attempt to teach that the "called" must cooperate in this calling according as they teach the calling is an offer, or a condition left to the option of the creature, either to partake of or reject just as they may please, they thereby destroy the whole meaning and beauty of this truth; for if this is so, 'the foolishness of men would be wiser than God, and the strength of men stronger than God' , instead of the opposite, as Paul has stated, Because it would then appear that God's will is frustrated in this calling, and that He did'nt really know what He was all about when He first chose them, and called them according to His choice of them to salvation. This can also be said in a general way concerning all of free grace; The glory of God's salvation is that it is a free gift, and this is proven in the gospel. If man were to help in the performance of the work of salvation as it is left to his option of "making it sure" by the exercise of his "free" will, then I can't see how God would receive ALL the glory for the (free) gift of salvation.

"....For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?..1 Cor 4-7.

"... Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God..." 1 Cor 2:12.

Some have attempted to break down the work of salvation into segments or phases in order to consider a part of it as absolute, and part of it as conditional on the creature's part. Why anyone with a true experience of grace would want to do this, I cannot tell, except they are still walking a great measure after the flesh, or have just become confused in their minds by constant exposure to erronous teaching.

"...I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?..."

The many admonitions and exhortations to the called that are found in the Scriptures do not mitigate, much less stultify the truth that any one of them shall not fail in their calling, or come short of it, (though they may rather sometimes doubt that they truly have a calling) - and sometimes they may feel that they are in this danger, or haved "seemed" to come short of it; ( Heb 4:1.) For God in His Wisdom and Purpose in dealing with His children uses these very things as means in their gospel salvation; sometimes to stain their fleshly pride, confidence and presumption, lest they settle on their lees - God is always faithful to His promises, whether His children are or not, and in His own good time He will have them to know this truth by experience. Besides, some scriptures may be taking all professors in a certain place and time under consideration, and is it therefore not a doubt that all there were truly called by grace, but some may have been imposters of whom the Apostles warn?

"...Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things...1 John 2:18-20.

(The Apostles, on occasion, addressed some imposters - for reasons known to God. Acts 8:21-23.).

"...Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God......
...For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity...".Acts 8:22-23

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"... For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you. Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates. Now I pray to God that ye do no evil; not that we should appear approved, but that ye should do that which is honest, though we be as reprobates. For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth..." 2 Cor 13:4-8.

Believers are exhorted to "make their calling and election sure".....

"...Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

... But this confidence must be in appearance to their own conscience and to their own satisfaction as they travel through this world, and perhaps in the apprehension of other brethren also, for how could they "make it sure" to God, Whom is the very Author of their salvation and omnipotent?

God most certainly knew in eternity, all His works that He would perform in Time, including the calling of His people to grace and glory here in Time:

"...That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things... Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world..." Acts 15:17-18.

But many, it seems most, attempt to separate God's Prescience or Foreknowledge from His Determinate Counsel. How can this be done, and it be understood by normal human intellect? Can God foreknow an uncertainty? Not only so, but the Scriptures are replete with the teaching, that God by His Eternal Wisdom and Power has predetermined all the events of Time, regardless of the nearly universal efforts to prove otherwise.

God has either called His people (to grace and glory), or He has not. We may sometimes doubt of our inclusion in the number, but does our unbelief make void the faithfulness of God in fulfilling His promises?

"...For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged..." Rom 3:3-4.3

"...It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself. Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers..."2 tim 2:12-14.