Election and the many views of it?

Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,
Eph 1:4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love
Eph 1:5 he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,
Eph 1:6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
(ESV)

I am a child of God because God lovingly bestowed mercy on me, choosing me despite my sinfulness, before the foundation of the world.

 

I was going to post those verses as well, but from a different viewpoint.

We are chosen. But we are chosen "in Him". God did not sit in heaven, before He created anything, and say, "I choose Stefan to be saved and I will pass over Stefan's neighbor and he will go to hell."

We have been chosen in Him before the foundation of the world because Christ was chosen, annointed, to be the Savior of the world. We are in Him through our faith. We were predestined through Him. All those who put their faith in Christ will receive life (because He did), go to the Father (because He did), receive the inheritance (because He did). We receive these things because we are in Him. We become Christ's (or, in Him) by faith. That is why we are the elect, because Christ is the elect.

All who put their faith in Christ are the elect.

 

Amy, do the elect 'become elect' in your view?

The very nature of choosing (or electing) means selecting some and passing by others i.e. not choosing them.

 

Exactly. Either God chooses you, or you choose yourself.

 

Imho, God chooses us AND we choose him. It's mutual

GOD predestined THE WHOLE WORLD to live in paradise on earth. We are ALL the elect.

HIS PURPOSE HAS NEVER CHANGED :godisgood:


1. Adam and Eve sinned- brought death & sin into the world. See Gen 3:6

2. The LORD later saw the wickedness of man was so great on earth that he became grieved in his heart -See Gen 6:56

3. GOD the form of man (JESUS) REITERATES THAT HIS PURPOSE NEVER CHANGED-

John 3:17 "For GOD DID NOT send his son into the world to to to condemn the world, but that THE WORLD thru him would be SAVED."

Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the thoughts I think toward you says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not evil. TO GIVE YOU A FUTURE and hope.

John 3:16 "For god so loved THE WORLD, that he gave his only begotten son SO THAT EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT PERISH but have everlasting life"

John 4:14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life"



Here's the process-

1. God accepts ALL men willing to be saved, all who are willing to come to the knowledge of truth. GOD/JESUS offered HIMSELF as a ransom "FOR ALL" to be saved. See 1 Tim 2: 4-6

2. By grace thru faith, we ALL can been saved equally. It is a gift NOT of ourselves, it is THE GIFT OF GOD FOR EVERYONE See Eph. 2:8

3. The holy spirit draws us, then it is our free will choice to receive him.
We can resist the holy spirit or not-a warning about resisting the spirit is in Acts 7:51

4. We confess with our mouth the Lord Jesus and believe he was raised from the dead, THEN WE ARE SAVED. A free gift to all- See Romans 10:9



Additional tidbits-, IMHO we can loose our salvation. It's possible but not probable.

Two Examples: Lucifer the perfect angel later fell and lost salvation. Judas was one of the 12 baptized and later received the holy spirit &. He was trusted and called "friend" by Jesus.

Both betrayed our Lord thus they lost salvation imho.

IT WAS GOD'S PURPOSE FROM THE BEGINNING THAT WE ALL BE SAVED. THAT PURPOSE NEVER CHANGED

 

If God chose in the sense you are saying, then yes. But God chose us in Christ, because Christ was the elect. He didn't choose me apart from Christ. I am chosen in Christ. Because I put my faith in Christ, I became one of the elect brethren of our Lord. God chose Christ. All those who believe will be in Christ and be elect as He is.

I did not choose myself. What would I choose myself for?

I chose to believe. Didn't you? Did you believe against your will?

 

Who placed us "in Him"?

 

I love a good election debate, whether theological or political.

 

God did. Through faith. By grace "through faith".

 

God Indeed.

In Christ speaks of the federal headship of Christ being the last Adam.

Who placed you "in Adam"?

 

God did. "You shall surely die". For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. The wages of sin is death.

 

God indeed.


So you were placed "in Adam" by God. (birth)
and.. you were placed "in Christ" by God (new birth)


Who made the choice for you to be placed >> in Adam?

God or you?

 

I'm not sure exactly what you're asking, but I chose to sin and God chose to punish it with death.

 

"In Adam" means you are human. Adam was the federal head of our race.

Did you chose to be born?

 

I think the election issue goes round and round with no end in sight and never any resolution!

So I elect not to discuss election! :smilewinkgrin:

 

:laugh: I don't why I keep getting into these discussions. Maybe I was predestined to? :tonofbricks:

 

No. I don't choose to die either. What's yer point?

 

He chose us from the beginning of the world.......blah blah blah

 

There is no doubt my sister that this doctrine is much debated. But let me offer some thoughts. First, the Scriptures are clear on the matter...but not clear alike to all. This is no way suggests that the Scriptures are insufficient to teach us the meaning of the doctrine to our profit. The doctrine of election is a wonderful, holy, good, and true doctrine of Holy Scripture given for our encouragment in Christ Jesus.

That there is much debate on the subject, and a "going round and round" with a seemingly endless argument highlights our remaining sin. The Scriptures are perfect and are wholly sufficient for all things pertaining to the glory of God, faith, and godliness.

The sufficiency and clarity of Scripture must be our presupposition with which we confront every issue of faith and life.

RB