Biblical election is an important concept to understand.  The Calvinists have hijacked it.  As a result, many think of Calvinism when they think of God’s election.  Yet that is wrong.  The connection of God’s election with Calvinism should be discarded (see my study “The Five Points of Calvinism Refuted in Seven Minutes- the entire system of Calvinism logically falls apart and loses all credibility, in all of its points, when even one of its points is soundly refuted Biblically).

For an important illustration in understanding true Biblical election, we read in Judges 7:1-8: “Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley.  And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.  Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead.  And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.  And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.  So he brought down the people unto the water: and the Lord said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink.  And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.  And the Lord said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place.  So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets: and he sent all the rest of Israel every man unto his tent, and retained those three hundred men: and the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley.”

300 was not a fixed number.  Everyone who met the condition which God had set for going to battle against Midian was chosen to go.  Though God was deliberately seeking to reduce the size of the army here, the final number chosen could have been more or less.  And though this story applies to those chosen to go to battle with Gideon against the Midianites at that particular moment, and not to obtaining God’s grace nor to obtaining salvation, the principle seen here about choosing (or election- they’re interchangeable terms) does indeed apply to obtaining God’s grace and to obtaining salvation- when it comes to the terms God has set down in the Bible regarding these things.  And though God does not deliberately seek to diminish the number of those saved like he was seeking to reduce Israel’s army under Gideon as they went out in battle to face the Midianites, it is only His will to save people who cooperate with, and run according to, the terms of His covenant in Jesus Christ.

1 Timothy 2:4-6: “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.  For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.”

Yet there’s more.  Though no man comes to the Father but through Jesus, like Jesus said in John 14:6, there are principles which must be heeded in order to obtain God’s grace, and to continue in God’s grace, through Jesus Christ’s mediation between God and men.  It must happen on God’s terms; not man coming to Jesus on his own terms.  You’ve likely heard someone just openly admit “I will worship Jesus Christ in my own way” or something similar to that.  That’s not acceptable.  Look at how Paul continues in 1 Timothy chapter 2.

1 Timothy 2:7: “Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity (truth).”

There would be no point in Paul being ordained as a teacher in faith and verity if we could just come to the Father through Jesus Christ in our own way and still be accepted by Him.

Jesus is the truth, and not just the way, to eternal life with the Father.  The entire Word of God is a testimony of Himself.

John 14:6: “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

The Bible says in Isaiah 26:7-8: “The way of the just is uprightness: thou, most upright, dost weigh (that is, make level) the path of the just.  Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O Lord, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.”

This describes the elect ones.  They were not randomly chosen.  They didn’t earn God’s grace either.  God’s grace is rather freely offered to all- on a conditional basis.

Isaiah 55:1-7: “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.  Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread?  and your labor for that which satisfieth not?  hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.  Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.  Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people (this was after David died; this is obviously talking about the Jewish Messiah who would come through David’s lineage).  Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the Lord thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.  Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”

We thus read in Romans 11:1-5: “I say then, Hath God cast away his people (Paul is asking rhetorically whether God has cast away the group of people, the natural Isrealites, whom He chose to work among in a special way to bring forth His Christ through)?  God forbid.  For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.  God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew (meaning that it was according to His plan and purpose with man to separate Israel to Himself in a special way for His redemptive purposes with mankind as a whole).  Wot ye not (Know ye not) what the scripture saith of Elias (Elijah)?  how he maketh intercession to God against Israel saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.  But what saith the answer of God unto him?  I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.  Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.”

There were many, many many wicked Israelites who were not in God’s grace before Christ came.  Those who were faithful to the covenant were the remnant according to the election of grace.  That was already so before Christ came.  Now that Christ has come and finished His redemptive work, the purpose for the separate political nation of Israel as God’s special vineyard has now been obtained.  

The remnant according to the election of grace are the faithful worshipers of the Christ (or, Messiah) whom Israel was raised up to bring forth.  The descendants of natural Israel who have received Israel’s Messiah are yet among the remnant which God deems as His own through the election of grace.  

Then, and now, many natural Israelites (and many, many others) seek to work around the terms of that election of grace.

Romans 11:6-7: “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace.  But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.  What then?  Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for (that is, justification with God); but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.”

Whether one blatantly rejects the Elect One (Jesus Christ) whom God’s covenant rests upon, or whether one professes to believe in Him yet doesn’t actually walk in the terms of His covenant, the Elect One who made a way for them to obtain God’s grace, and who thus extends grace to them, rather becomes a stumbling block to them.  

Those who heed the Elect One and walk in the light of His Word obtain God’s grace, and thus become elect, through their proper relationship to the Elect One.

John 1:9-14: “That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.  He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.  He came unto his own, and his own received him not.  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

That is very direct and plain in showing that there is an Elect One who offers grace to all, and people become elect with God or not based upon their adherence to, or shrinking away from, the light that is in Him.  

Yet if it is possible to be even more direct and plain in saying this, Peter is so in his instruction to the Christians whom he wrote to in 1 Peter.

1 Peter 2:1-10: “Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.  To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.  Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect (or, chosen), precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.  Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light; Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.”

Peter is not saying in verse seven that the disobedient to Christ were appointed to be disobedient.  He is saying that those who are disobedient to Christ are appointed to His wrath and judgment.  The chief cornerstone of God’s spiritual house, who was set as such for their own rescue, will rather crush them and seal their damnation- since they didn’t properly esteem His blood which He shed to redeem them to God and thus didn’t bow to His righteous reign.

John 3:35-36: “The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.  He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not (that could have and probably should have been translated “obeys not”) the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”  

Matthew 21:23-44 (this was very shortly before Jesus died and rose again): “And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things?  and who gave thee this authority?  And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things.  The baptism of John, whence (from where) was it?  from heaven, or of men?  And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him?  But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet.  And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell.  And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.  But what think ye?  A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.  He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.  And he came to the second, and said likewise.  And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.  Whether of them twain (two) did the will of his father?  They say unto him, The first (note that the first was not considered a doer of the will of his father because of the amount of his work, but rather because he put himself in his proper place in going to work in his father’s vineyard in accordance with his father’s instructions- working on other terms was unacceptable- we’re about to see that Jesus is relating this to heeding John the Baptist’s call to repent, bring forth fruits worthy of repentance, and heed the then coming Messiah who is the Son of God)).  Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans (that is, the tax collectors) and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.  For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.  Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen (that is, farmers), and went into a far country: And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.  And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.  Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.  But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.  But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.  And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew (killed) him.  When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?  They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.  Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?  Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you (that is, from the political nation of Israel and its accompanying religious establishment), and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof (that is, the faithful  Christian church which walks in the light of God’s Word and brings forth the righteous fruit which the Father seeks through obedience to the Son).  And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder (and think back here to 1 Peter chapter two which was recently looked at).”

To sum up Biblical election then, Galatians 6:14-16: “But God forbid that I should glory, save (except) in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.  For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.  And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.”

And since the Israel of God, whom His peace and mercy are upon, are those who receive Jesus Christ properly in embracing death to sin with Him and walking in newness of life with Him to the glory of God (as Romans chapter 6 speaks about in detail), than any other entity which claims to be the Israel of God must be an impostor entity.  All who practice deceit are under His wrath.

John 4:23-24: “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”

John 3:17-20: “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.”

Philippians 3:3: “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.”

Aaron’s email is: [email protected]

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