Who Are The Elect of God?

But why did God choose them? And what does that mean for us today? Does God choose some to salvation and others to damnation? And if God chose those people for various purposes, does God choose us the same way today? What about my responsibility? Am I not supposed to choose to serve God?

These questions come with some tension! Lines have been drawn in theological sand between camps of believers over the election of saints. This idea is known as the Doctrine of Election. And indeed it is this topic that led to a great schism within the Reformed Protestant church in the 16th century.

Furthermore, this conversation continues to divide camps today. Recently, during a study on the Exodus, one man mumbled, “What, are we Calvinists now?” as the teacher recounted the difficult reality that Pharaoh didn’t seem to have much choice in the condition of his heart. (Exodus 4:21, Exodus 7:3, Exodus 7:22, Exodus 9:7, Exodus 9:12, Romans 9:17, etc.)

This leads to two very important questions: What is the Doctrine of Election? And Who Are The Elect of God? We must first address the ‘What’ before we can fully identify the ‘Who’.

What is the Doctrine of Election?

It is first and foremost critical to highlight that the doctrine of Election is both Biblically sound and Biblically illustrated. I have known people to say, “I don’t believe in Election,” and my response could be, “Then you don’t believe the Bible.” However, to their defense, there is a third option here, which is to ask, “What version of Election do you disagree with?” This means it is also Biblically misunderstood.

Critical Point 1: God does the Electing.

The word elektos simply means to choose. When Jesus picked his disciples, later to be known as Apostles, he was choosing them for a position and purpose. Like God choosing Noah. And indeed, even Jesus himself is called the Elect One, chosen by God to bring about the salvation of His people. (Isaiah 42:1)

This is akin to modern-day elections, where the one being chosen, or elected to an office, does not elect themselves. They may make themselves available, but the choice isn’t theirs to make. For instance, when Paul says, “If a man desires the office of a bishop”, it is clear that it is an honorable goal, but that choice of election is made by Church elders through God’s guiding spirit, not the one desiring the office. (1 Timothy 3:1)

Critical Point 2: Election is not based on Merit

This is where the modern-day elections analogy breaks down. We elect officials based on whether we like them, agree with their politics, speeches, and past. In God’s economy, He seems to choose those whom we look at and think, ‘But, why God?”

For instance, Israel is the chosen (elektos) of God, not by any choice they made as a nation, but by the promise God made to Abraham. (Deut 7:8, 8) If it were based on their choices…they would have been unchosen hundreds of times. Additionally, God chose their leaders and kings, their geography, and more. And we have this same language from Christ when he foretold of his return to gather the elect. In the doctrine of Election, God is the subject, and mankind is the recipient. (Mark 13:20, 27)

It is fairly clear in the Biblical narrative that if being elect, or saved, were by the pure volition of man, none would be saved. This means that we are all saved by the promise. (Galatians 4:28) Thus, election is simply God fulfilling His promise, for His Glory. But how does God elect?

The Two Camps: Unconditional Election vs. Prevenient Grace

Remember that schism I mentioned in the Reformation? This is it. Unconditional Election vs. Prevenient Grace. Otherwise known as Calvinism and Arminianism. If that’s confusing, it is basically Presbyterian and Reformed Baptists (Calvinism) vs. mostly everyone else, with some gray areas. (Arminianism)

You see, while election and predestination are Biblical words and doctrines, John Calvin argued that election was not conditioned upon the choices of mankind nor by their own free will, arguing that the total depravity of the human heart makes it impossible for mankind to choose God. Lazarus could not have chosen to be resurrected (John 11) any more than a spiritually dead heart can choose spiritual life. (Ephesians 2:1-4)

Unconditional Election says that God decrees who will and will not be saved.

Because the election is unconditional, John Calvin and Calvinists had to find language to reason out what that meant, and they eventually settled upon the term decree. That is to say, our election, our salvation, our justification, and glorification are then based upon the decree of God. He chooses whom he will have mercy on. He chooses us; we cannot choose Him. (Ephesians 1:4, John 15:16)

Jacobus Arminius, while an admirer of John Calvin, openly opposed Unconditional Election and instead codified the theology of Prevenient Grace. He believed that ultimate predestination required the belief that God was also the author of sin, and that could not be possible. However, he could not deny the clear statement of election in Scripture. Thus, Arminius and his followers, including John Wesley, likewise had to develop language to base their argument upon.

This led them to Preventient Grace. Arminius agreed that the heart of man was too wicked and fallen to choose God without the quickening of grace. (Jeremiah 17:9, John 5:21) Thus, the real difference is only that God, in his foreknowledge, quickens or makes alive the hearts of those whom He foreknows would choose Him, given the opportunity. While this may seem rather semantic and nearly pedantic on the surface, it is quite a distinction, leaning on the connection in Romans 8:29, “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son…”

Prevenient Grace says that God foreknows who will choose him and enables them to do so.

What unites and brings this all together, to answer the question, Who are the Elect of God, is the Spirit of God. Either by decree or foreknowledge, none of us could choose God without His aid. Romans 8:14 tells us, “For all who are led by the Spirit are sons of God”. Jesus told us, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him” (John 6:44), and Paul told us that “All things work for the good of those who love Him” Romans 8:28

Who Are the Elect of God?

Thus, the elect of God are those who love God and are the called (elektos) according to His Purpose. At whatever stage of the journey they are in, infantile, growing, or mature, if they are seeking to know God, to serve the Father, and to be obedient to Christ, they are the elect of God.

Both Arminius and Calvin agreed that without the supernatural enablement of God, we could not choose to serve Him. The elect are those who are setting their minds on the things of God. And if called (elect, chosen) of God, then justified in God. And if justified by God, they will be glorified by God.

Stay on the lookout for the next two articles, where we will deep-dive into Calvinism, Arminianism, and the effects these two positions had on the Christian world.

—

Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. ~ Romans 8:33

For you are a people holy to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. ~ Deut 14:2

On that day, declares the Lord of hosts, I will take you, O Zerubbabel my servant, the son of Shealtiel, declares the Lord, and make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you, declares the Lord of hosts.” ~ Haggai 2:23

Therefore, I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. ~ 2 Timothy 2:10

And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. ~ Acts 13:48