Election - God personally chose you

 

Election - the called

Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 

This is an exclusive verse that applies to a special group of people who are referred to as "the called". Who are these special people? We shall come to them shortly. The word “called” here is translated as “appointed, specifically the saints”.

The plan for your salvation did not begin on the day that you believed in Jesus Christ.  It was a plan designed long before you were born. We shall see this as we look into this further.

Additionally salvation is also not choosing between God and satan. As a matter of fact satan has never been part of the equation. It is all about you and God. Let us look at the biblical evidence of this.

Rom 8:29  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 

Rom 8:30  Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. 

The highlighted verses are all in the past tense. What do they mean though?

1.      Foreknew - to know beforehand

2.      Predestinate - to limit in advance, determine before,

Example: Eph 2:10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. 

The works we do as believers are predetermined by God, planned in advance.

Therefore according to Romans 8:29 we are ordained beforehand to be conformed to the image of Christ.

3.      Called - to call aloud, to bid.  This call is different from the "called" in verse 28

John 10:3  To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.

Heb 3:15  While it is said, Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. 

The Lord calls you the same way that the shepherd in John 10:3 calls his sheep and they recognize his voice and come to him.

4.      Justified - to render or regard as just or innocent. This is what happens when we believe in Jesus and are saved, because we receive His righteousness and our sins are not counted against us anymore.

5.      Glorified - render or esteem glorious. I believe that this is what happens when we receive our resurrection bodies.

Note that all these verbs described in Romans 8:28-29 are done by the Lord not by us.

The first two happened before we were even born! We were foreknown and predestined to be born again in the image of Christ.

 Then God places the call upon our hearts. How?

Rom 10:17  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 

For people to believe in Jesus Christ they must first hear the Word of God. That is how faith comes. The call is thus when people hear the word of God and He deposits faith in their hearts. Remember that faith is a gift from God according to Ephesians 2:8-9.

Ephesians 2:8-9  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. 

Once we have this faith, the next step happens - justification

Rom 5:1  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 

Then we are glorified. I believe this happens when we receive our immortal bodies when we physically die here or are raptured.

When do you come into this?

So where do you come in in this 5-fold process of God? At number 4! And even here  it is still God that justifies you after He has put faith in your heart so that you may believe in Jesus and be justified!

Do you see God’s great love that does everything for you? Do you realize that salvation is not about choosing between God and satan? It is actually about you stepping into Gods glorious plan for your life.

Note the final step - glorification.  This is still God's doing and is a guarantee of our eternal life.

We are God's elect

Rom 8:33  Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. 

Elect here means select, favourite - the favoured one, as in the one who has received grace (unmerited favour)

Titus 1:1  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;

Lest you imagine that the elect are from the Jewish nation alone,

1Peter 1:1  Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 

1Peter 1:2  Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.  

The word stranger in verse 1 refers to foreigners.

Because of His care for His elect during the tribulation, the Lord shortens those days:

Mat 24:22  And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. 

This is the great salvation that we have received. We are not just favoured, we are highly favoured.

Are you willing to step into God’s eternal plan for your salvation today? Simply put your trust in Jesus Christ and the payment that He made on the cross for your sins. By believing in Him you’ll receive eternal salvation for your soul.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 

God bless you.