"Elect According To The Foreknowledge Of God"

I Peter 1:2

Election is not salvation. But the salvation of your soul begins with God's eternal election. Election is not salvation. But election is an essential part of salvation. Election is the fountain from which every blessing of grace and salvation flows to sinners (Eph. 1:3-4). Peter tells us three things about God's gracious and sovereign work of election.

1. OUR ELECTION WAS "ACCORDING TO THE FOREKNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER."

Election is not the result of "foreseen faith." Faith is the result of election. Faith is one of those spiritual blessings with which God blessed us in eternity, according to his purpose of grace in election. Foreknowledge is not an attribute of God, but an act of God. God is omniscient. He knows all things. But foreknowledge is not omniscience. Foreknowledge is the act of God's love by which he ordained us to salvation in eternal election. In fact, the very same word that is here translated "foreknowledge" is in verse 20 translated "foreordained"! Our election was according to God's eternal, sovereign decree.

2. OUR ELECTION WAS "THROUGH SANCTIFICATION OF THE SPIRIT."

We were sanctified, set apart and sealed, by God the Holy Spirit before the worlds were made. In the covenant of grace the Spirit of God was one of the contracting parties of the covenant, along with the Father and the Son. The Father chose to save us. The Son pledged to redeem us. And the Spirit sanctified us, preserved us unto the appointed time of our calling (Jude 1). In this sense we were eternally sanctified.

3. AND OUR ELECTION WAS UNTO "OBEDIENCE AND SPRINKLING OF THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST."

Our election was conditioned not upon our obedience, but upon the obedience of Christ as our Substitute. We were chosen by God the Father unto salvation upon the condition of Christ's obedience unto death and the effectual application of his blood upon the mercy-seat in heaven. The sprinkling of the blood" represents the effectual accomplishment of redemption by Christ (Heb. 9:12).

"YOUR ELECTION OF GOD" I Thessalonians 1:4

If you are a child of God by faith in Christ, redeemed by blood and saved by grace, your salvation is the result of "your election of God."

ELECTION IS A BLESSED DOCTRINE OF HOLY SCRIPTURE. It is taught in every Book of the Bible, on almost every page of Inspiration. Hundreds of texts could be quoted to show this. Look up the words, "choose", "chosen", "elect", and "election", in a concordance. You will be astounded at the prominence of this doctrine in the Word of God. It cannot be denied that election is a Bible doctrine (John 15:16; Acts 13:48; Eph. 1:3-4; II Thess. 2:13-14; II Tim. 1:9; Psa. 65:4). And it is a blessed doctrine, full of consolation. Election was an act of God's eternal sovereignty (Rom. 9:11-23), an act of free, unconditional grace (Matt. 11:25-26), unalterable, immutable, and irreversible (Matt. 3:6; Rom. 11:29), infallibly effectual, securing the salvation of all whom God has chosen (Rom. 8:28-30), and the fountain of all other grace (Eph. 1:3-4). Our election by God was personal and distinguishing. It was in Christ. And the only cause for our election was the everlasting love of God for us (Jer. 31:3; Eph. 1:4).

BUT ELECTION IS A DOCTRINE THAT IS OFTEN MISREPRESENTED AND, THEREFORE, MISUNDERSTOOD BY MANY. Some people oppose the doctrine of election, simply because they have never heard it taught as the Bible teaches it. Election is not, in anyway, contrary to, or inconsistent with, the promises of God in the gospel (Matt. 11:28; John 3:36; Rom. 10:9-13; Acts 16:31; Mk. 16:16). We do not limit the invitations of the gospel. We call upon all people everywhere to trust Christ, and assure all who trust Christ of salvation by the grace of God. And election does not diminish man's responsibility before God. God commands you to repent of your sins and trust his Son. And you are responsible to do so (Isa. 45:22; John 6:29; I John 3:23; 5:10-13).

AND YOUR ELECTION OF GOD IS SOMETHING THAT MAY BE KNOWN (I Thess. 1:3-10). Repentance, faith, conversion, and good works are both the fruit and the proof of election. If you are born of God, if you trust Christ, you are one of God's elect!

Don Fortner