Elect, Election

Elect

General Information

The Elect are those chosen by God for some special purpose (Ps. 106:23; Isa. 43:20; 45:4). Among the Elect mentioned in Scripture are Moses, the Israelites, Christ, angels, and Christ's disciples.

Election

General Information

Election is God's eternal decree to choose from sinners deserving condemnation those whom He will Save, providing Salvation through Christ and the Holy Spirit.

The source of Election is in God alone (John 6:37, 44; Eph. 1:4). The cause is His compassionate Mercy and His own Glory. The objects of Election are individual men (Matt. 22:14; John 15:19; Rom. 8:29; 9:13, 15, 18 22).

Advanced Information

Scripture employs a rich vocabulary to express several aspects of God's sovereign election, choice, and predestination. Five types of election call for distinction.

There is only one reference to "the elect angels" (1 Tim. 5:21; cf. 1 Cor. 6:3; 2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 6).

Election to service or office is evident in God's sovereign choice of David as Israel's king (1 Sam. 16:7 - 12) and in Jesus' choosing of the disciples and apostles (Luke 6:13; John 6:70; 15:16; Acts 9:15; 15:7).

The election of Abraham's descendants to form the theocratic nation of Israel is a common biblical theme (Deut.4:37; 7:6 - 7; 10:15; 1 Kings 3:8; Isa. 44:1 - 2; 45:4; 65:9, 15, 22; Amos 3:2; Acts 13:17; Rom. 9:1 - 5). The election of Israel originated in God's sovereign choice, expressed his covenantal love, and served the goal of redemptive history culminating in Jesus Christ.

The election of the Messiah is a fourth type of election. Isaiah referred to the servant of the Lord as "my chosen one" (42:1; cf. Matt. 12:18). Of the Synoptics only Luke refers to Jesus as the Chosen One (9:35; 23:35). Peter echoes another Isaiah reference (28:16) in 1 Pet. 1:20 and 2:4, 6. These references indicate the unique mediatorial office of Christ and the Father's pleasure in him. It is an election basic to the final type,

election to salvation, with which the rest of this article is concerned.

The most common NT reference to election is God's eternal election of certain persons to salvation in Jesus Christ. The subject is dealt with comprehensively in Eph. 1:3 - 11 and Rom. 8:28 - 11:36. John Calvin, who became a major defender of the Reformed doctrine, saw the whole doctrine of election summarized in Eph. 1. All the Reformed confessions include divine election, but the Canons of Dort, reflecting the controversy with the Arminians, provide the greatest detail. Election is part of God's eternal decree and it has a soteriological role: "That some in time are given faith by God and that others are not given faith proceeds from His eternal decree" (1.6). Election is then defined as "the unchangeable purpose of God whereby, before the foundation of the world, out of the whole human race, which had fallen by its own fault out of its original integrity into sin and ruin, He has, according to the most free good pleasure of His will, out of mere grace, chosen in Christ to salvation a certain number of specific men, neither better nor more worthy than other, but with them involved in a common misery" (1.7).

Double predestination is the typical Reformed doctrine

The Canons of Dort distinguish election and reprobation because the Scripture "declares that not all men are elect but that certain ones have not been elected, or have been passed by in the eternal election of God. These God out of His most free, most just, blameless, and unchangeable good pleasure has decreed to leave in the common misery into which they have by their own fault plunged themselves, and not to give them saving faith and the grace of conversion" and "finally to condemn and punish them eternally" for all their sins (1.15). Predestination thus includes election and reprobation, and reprobation involves both a sovereign passing by (preterition) and a just condemnation.

Principles of Election

Six main features of election deserve attention.

(1) Election is a sovereign, eternal decree of God. The elect have been "predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will" (Eph. 1:11). God chose us in Christ "before the creation of the world" (Eph. 1:4). God's sovereign decree is not arbitrary; "in love he predestined us... in accordance with his pleasure and will" (Eph. 1:5; cf. Rom. 8:29). This perspective is reflected in the definition of election quoted above from Dort (1.7).

(2) The presupposition of God's eternal decree of election is that the human race is fallen; election involves God's gracious rescue plan. It is not based on human works or God's foreknowledge of works (Rom. 9:11). The elect are chosen "to be holy and blameless in his sight"; they are "adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ" (Eph. 1:4 - 5). Hence election leads to "redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins" (Eph. 1:7). The same perspective is evident in Romans, for those whom "God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son" (8:29). The presupposition is that they are fallen, and hence God's predestination includes calling, justification, and glorification. This presupposition, that the fallen race is the object of predestination, reflects the infralapsarian perspective which is also that of the Canons of Dort (cf. I.1,8,15).

(3) Election is "election in Christ"; election involves rescue from sin and guilt and receiving the gracious gifts of salvation. Election in Christ is evident in the words already quoted from Eph. 1:4 - 5, 11, and Rom. 8:29. Christ is not merely a subsequent means to effectuate a decree of election; election is in Christ and through Christ. This is clearly expressed in the Canons of Dort: "He has. . . chosen in Christ to salvation.... From eternity He has also appointed Christ to be the Mediator and Head of all the elect and the foundation of their salvation. Therefore He decreed to give to Christ those who were to be saved, and effectually to call and draw them into His fellowship through His word and Spirit" (I.7). Thus God's election is in Christ, and Christ is both the foundation of election and the foundation of salvation. Calvin also referred to Christ as the mirror of our election.

(4) Election involves both the elect's salvation and the means to that end. This is already evident in the repeated references to election in Christ, but it is made even more specific. God chose the elect "to be holy and blameless in his sight, . . . to be adopted as his sons" (Eph. 1:4 - 5); the elect are those whom God "foreknew. . . predestined. . . called. . . justified. . . glorified" (Rom. 8:29 - 30). God chose the elect "to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth" (2 Thess. 2:13). Hence the preaching of the gospel is indispensable in effecting God's election (Rom. 10:14 - 17; cf. Acts 18:9 - 11). The salvation of the elect has its decretive origin before time, is realized through means in history, and culminates in eternal glorification.

This is echoed in the Canons of Dort: "He decreed to give them true faith in Him, to justify them, to sanctify them, and, after having powerfully kept them in the fellowship of His Son, finally to glorify them, for the demonstration of His mercy and the praise of the riches of His glorious grace" (I.7). This feature of election negates the objection that if one is elect, one will be saved regardless of whether or not one believes. It also excludes the objection that election leads to a libertine spirit; unbelief and careless living are inconsistent with the scriptural doctrine of election.

(5) Election (as well as reprobation) is individual, personal, specific, particular. Ephesians refers repeatedly to "us" and "we" in connection with election (1:4 - 5, 12). In Romans, Paul refers to "those" whom God foreknew, predestined, called, justified, and glorified (8:29 - 30).

Rom. 9 indicates that personal election unto salvation was operative within the election of Israel. Paul states that "not all who are descended from Israel are Israel" (9:6, 8) and he shows that "God's purpose in election" distinguished between Isaac and Ishmael, between Jacob and Esau (9:7, 11 - 13). This is also the implication of the expressions in John 6:37 - 40; 10:14 - 16, 26 - 29; 17:2, 6, 9, 24. Hence the Canons of Dort refer to election as the selection of "a certain number of specific men" (I.7) and also state that "not all men are elect but that certain ones have not been elected" but passed by in God's decree (I.15).

The Westminster Confession expresses this even more emphatically when it refers to the predestined as "particularly and unchangeably designed, and their number so certain and definite that it cannot be either increased or diminished" (III.4). The Arminians held to an indefinite, conditional election, the election of those who believe. The Reformed view took the above Scripture references seriously as well as the comforting assurance that nothing "shall separate us from the love of Christ" and that "in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us" (Rom. 8:35 - 39). Particular, personal election leads to the believer's comfort and does not promote carelessness or false confidence.

(6) Finally, the ultimate goal of election is the glory and praise of God. Election to salvation involves personal privilege, blessing, security, and comfort for the elect. But Scripture makes clear that it is "to the praise of his glorious grace" that everything leads (Eph. 1:6). The elect have been chosen and predestined "in order that we. . . might be for the praise of his glory" (Eph. 1:12). God's goal is "to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ" (Eph. 1:10; cf. 1 Pet. 1:1; 2:9; Matt. 13:27 - 30; 24:31). When Paul finished his long discussion of election in Romans, he concluded with doxology (Rom. 11:33 - 36). That praise is also echoed in the Reformed confessions; the final glorification of the elect is "for the demonstration of His mercy and praise of the riches of His glorious grace" (Canons of Dort I.7). The Westminister Confession concludes its discussion of God's eternal decree and predestination with similar words: "So shall this doctrine afford matter of praise, reverence, and admiration of God; and of humility, diligence, and abundant consolation to those that sincerely obey the Gospel" (III.8).

F H Klooster

Bibliography
G C Berkouwer, Divine Election; L Boettner, The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination; J Calvin, Institutes 3.21 - 24; P Y De Jong, ed., Crisis in the Reformed Churches: Essays in Commemoration of the Great Synod of Dort, 1618 - 1619; F H Klooster, Calvin's Doctrine of Predestination; B B Warfield, "Predestination," in Biblical Doctrines, "Predestination in the Reformed Confessions," in Studies in Theology, and "Election," in Selected Shorter Writings of B B Warfield, I.

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