Whatchu Talkin' 'bout Paul?
Can you preach the doctrine of election as good news? We want to but can we? We want to say that there are those whom the Father has chosen from the foundation of the world to eternal salvation, yet the flip side of this is reprobation. Which is clearly anti-good news. Who wants to be reprobate? How does Paul use election? How does he communicate to the churches he was instrumental in helping form?
Ephesians 1.4 the Apostle Paul says very clearly that “He [God] chose us in Him [Jesus] before the foundation of the world. . . having predestined us to adoption as sons”. To whom is Paul writing this letter? He says he is writing to the saints who are in Ephesus. This is an open letter that is to be read to all who are in the church in the town of Ephesus. So everyone who is in church on that Sunday, and every day that this would be read, would hear that they personally are chosen by God. They were and are elect. As this epistle was spoken were the parents of the children of the congregation looking at their children saying to them,
“You realize that he is talking to your Mom and I but not you, right? You still have to have some sort of conversion experience. You need to believe in Jesus and what all this baptism stuff means. This all will apply to you if you say the prayer right and at the right age.”
“But, I do love Jesus,” child's response.
“I know you do, but you see your Mom and I don’t think you really know what you mean by that. See your only four years old and I don’t think you fully comprehend what is going on here. Now lets be quiet as Paul is saying some more things that only apply to your Mother and I.”
See how ridiculous this all sounds. Why not just leave the kids outside to tend to the horses if none of this applies to them (or better yet why not put them in some sort of age segregated group where you can corral all those who have no connection with these wonderful promises), if they too are not called by God to be the people of God. Moses led God’s people through the Red Sea and through the Wilderness. That generation was not allowed to enter God’s rest symbolized by the Promised Land. Who did enter it? God’s people. Who were they? I thought God let His people perish outside of the Promised Land. Those who entered the Promised Land were the descendants of those adults who were Gods people. They were the children who passed through the Red Sea. They were the same children who were guided by Moses throughout the wilderness, who had the protection and covering of the cloud by day and pillar of fire by night, those who ate manna every day for 40 years and who drank water from the rock in the Wilderness. They were the the people of God. They entered the Promised Land and had children who also were the people of God.
When someone starts to talk outside the systematic view of election those who believe in the Doctrines of Grace may begin to feel their undergarments getting wadded up but fear not for this teaching is nothing new to the Christian faith. The apostle Paul had talked this way long before our systematic theology books were written. Our system of viewing scripture, although good, is one sided. To be sure God knows whom is eternally redeemed and no one can be lost or added to this number. He knows who is getting into heaven, but we are not privy to such information. We don’t have the ability to peer into heaven and see whose name is written in the Book of Life and whose isn’t. We have what God has given us, His word and we must speak as it speaks.
Our systematic theology books would seem to have us speak as though if you say one is elect then that would mean that they have their ticket to heaven and it doesn’t matter what he does in the course of their life now because they have their ticket to heaven. However, scripture does not speak this way. Over and over again the apostle Paul, as well as the apostle Peter, speak the clear and unapologetic voice of election to those who are in the church and at the same time he warns them of grieving the Holy Spirit and of falling away (apostasy). Why would he do this? If they are elect then they can’t apostatize, right? Wrong. Paul warns of apostasy to those in the church because it is a very real and frightening thing. Why else would Peter counsel us to “be even more diligent to make your calling and election sure” (2 Pet. 1.10) if the ability of falling away was not a reality? Therefore, if our system can not accommodate the language of scripture then we must change our system and let scripture speak for itself.
So we must confess that those who are members of the church are elect. They are the chosen people of God and because of their election they have certain responsibilities placed upon them due to their union with Christ. There are many people throughout scripture who were elect, part of the chosen people of God, who did not persevere to the end. Just read Deuteronomy 28. Those who spurn the grace of God should expect a worse fiery torment than those who never knew God as Hebrews 10. 29 would point out, “How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?” Realize that this person is reaping great punishment because he spurned the grace of God by refusing to live for the Son of God, but also realize that this blood of Christ also sanctified this one who has fallen away. So not only does this blood sanctify but it also puts upon the recipient duties that must be met. So if there is a stairway to heaven then one must continue using ones legs to get to heaven or risk falling down the stairs and meeting a far worse end than one who never knew there was a staircase.
Therefore, those who are in Christ are elect. You are elect by being in union with Christ and you are in union with Christ through baptism. Baptism is the visible sign and seal of our union with Christ and yet this does not get us into heaven ‘automatically’. There are responsibilities that we must meet in order to persevere and see the Lord on the last day. Salvation is not a gift that you can put into your pocket and bring out whenever someone asks for proof. We can’t do something to get it, such as going forward at church and praying a prayer, it is something that is lived out. It is a gift of God and not of works. We can not do anything to generate it nor can we do anything to bring it about. The modern evangelical madness has people go forward and say ‘the prayer’ and then they leave without any connection to the church and live however they wish and those people expect, because of this profession/experience to get into heaven.
When questioned they pull this experience out of their pocket and say,
“Don’t tell me I’m not saved. I’ve got the ticket. I’ve said the prayer. You see I went to this retreat and had this amazing experience with God.” All this has done is made them more responsible to the knowledge of the covenant of God. Read the Old Testament and you will see God dealing with His people in grace, kindness, and vengeance. They are His people and yet with some He bestows His blessing and with others He kills and does not let them enter His rest.
God is not niggardly in bestowing His grace as the church has made Him out to be. God is full of grace and mercy and yet at the same time He is a jealous God who has expectations for those who bear His name. We can not take the Lord’s name in vain as we do if we are His children and live in such a way that is contrary to His reveled word. We need not presume upon the grace of God. We should not read the words of election in scripture as only applying to those people as if the apostle Paul had some sort of magical Lambs Book of Life vision. He didn’t know who would persevere to the end but he did know who was in covenant with God and to those he called elect, chosen of God. Those who are in Christ are members of the church and the word of God is for the church, therefore, these words of election are meant to encourage us and to strengthen us in our walk with Christ.
“Oh, the depth of the riches of both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to Him again? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.” Romans 11.33-36.
Ephesians 1.4 the Apostle Paul says very clearly that “He [God] chose us in Him [Jesus] before the foundation of the world. . . having predestined us to adoption as sons”. To whom is Paul writing this letter? He says he is writing to the saints who are in Ephesus. This is an open letter that is to be read to all who are in the church in the town of Ephesus. So everyone who is in church on that Sunday, and every day that this would be read, would hear that they personally are chosen by God. They were and are elect. As this epistle was spoken were the parents of the children of the congregation looking at their children saying to them,
“You realize that he is talking to your Mom and I but not you, right? You still have to have some sort of conversion experience. You need to believe in Jesus and what all this baptism stuff means. This all will apply to you if you say the prayer right and at the right age.”
“But, I do love Jesus,” child's response.
“I know you do, but you see your Mom and I don’t think you really know what you mean by that. See your only four years old and I don’t think you fully comprehend what is going on here. Now lets be quiet as Paul is saying some more things that only apply to your Mother and I.”
See how ridiculous this all sounds. Why not just leave the kids outside to tend to the horses if none of this applies to them (or better yet why not put them in some sort of age segregated group where you can corral all those who have no connection with these wonderful promises), if they too are not called by God to be the people of God. Moses led God’s people through the Red Sea and through the Wilderness. That generation was not allowed to enter God’s rest symbolized by the Promised Land. Who did enter it? God’s people. Who were they? I thought God let His people perish outside of the Promised Land. Those who entered the Promised Land were the descendants of those adults who were Gods people. They were the children who passed through the Red Sea. They were the same children who were guided by Moses throughout the wilderness, who had the protection and covering of the cloud by day and pillar of fire by night, those who ate manna every day for 40 years and who drank water from the rock in the Wilderness. They were the the people of God. They entered the Promised Land and had children who also were the people of God.
When someone starts to talk outside the systematic view of election those who believe in the Doctrines of Grace may begin to feel their undergarments getting wadded up but fear not for this teaching is nothing new to the Christian faith. The apostle Paul had talked this way long before our systematic theology books were written. Our system of viewing scripture, although good, is one sided. To be sure God knows whom is eternally redeemed and no one can be lost or added to this number. He knows who is getting into heaven, but we are not privy to such information. We don’t have the ability to peer into heaven and see whose name is written in the Book of Life and whose isn’t. We have what God has given us, His word and we must speak as it speaks.
Our systematic theology books would seem to have us speak as though if you say one is elect then that would mean that they have their ticket to heaven and it doesn’t matter what he does in the course of their life now because they have their ticket to heaven. However, scripture does not speak this way. Over and over again the apostle Paul, as well as the apostle Peter, speak the clear and unapologetic voice of election to those who are in the church and at the same time he warns them of grieving the Holy Spirit and of falling away (apostasy). Why would he do this? If they are elect then they can’t apostatize, right? Wrong. Paul warns of apostasy to those in the church because it is a very real and frightening thing. Why else would Peter counsel us to “be even more diligent to make your calling and election sure” (2 Pet. 1.10) if the ability of falling away was not a reality? Therefore, if our system can not accommodate the language of scripture then we must change our system and let scripture speak for itself.
So we must confess that those who are members of the church are elect. They are the chosen people of God and because of their election they have certain responsibilities placed upon them due to their union with Christ. There are many people throughout scripture who were elect, part of the chosen people of God, who did not persevere to the end. Just read Deuteronomy 28. Those who spurn the grace of God should expect a worse fiery torment than those who never knew God as Hebrews 10. 29 would point out, “How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?” Realize that this person is reaping great punishment because he spurned the grace of God by refusing to live for the Son of God, but also realize that this blood of Christ also sanctified this one who has fallen away. So not only does this blood sanctify but it also puts upon the recipient duties that must be met. So if there is a stairway to heaven then one must continue using ones legs to get to heaven or risk falling down the stairs and meeting a far worse end than one who never knew there was a staircase.
Therefore, those who are in Christ are elect. You are elect by being in union with Christ and you are in union with Christ through baptism. Baptism is the visible sign and seal of our union with Christ and yet this does not get us into heaven ‘automatically’. There are responsibilities that we must meet in order to persevere and see the Lord on the last day. Salvation is not a gift that you can put into your pocket and bring out whenever someone asks for proof. We can’t do something to get it, such as going forward at church and praying a prayer, it is something that is lived out. It is a gift of God and not of works. We can not do anything to generate it nor can we do anything to bring it about. The modern evangelical madness has people go forward and say ‘the prayer’ and then they leave without any connection to the church and live however they wish and those people expect, because of this profession/experience to get into heaven.
When questioned they pull this experience out of their pocket and say,
“Don’t tell me I’m not saved. I’ve got the ticket. I’ve said the prayer. You see I went to this retreat and had this amazing experience with God.” All this has done is made them more responsible to the knowledge of the covenant of God. Read the Old Testament and you will see God dealing with His people in grace, kindness, and vengeance. They are His people and yet with some He bestows His blessing and with others He kills and does not let them enter His rest.
God is not niggardly in bestowing His grace as the church has made Him out to be. God is full of grace and mercy and yet at the same time He is a jealous God who has expectations for those who bear His name. We can not take the Lord’s name in vain as we do if we are His children and live in such a way that is contrary to His reveled word. We need not presume upon the grace of God. We should not read the words of election in scripture as only applying to those people as if the apostle Paul had some sort of magical Lambs Book of Life vision. He didn’t know who would persevere to the end but he did know who was in covenant with God and to those he called elect, chosen of God. Those who are in Christ are members of the church and the word of God is for the church, therefore, these words of election are meant to encourage us and to strengthen us in our walk with Christ.
“Oh, the depth of the riches of both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to Him again? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.” Romans 11.33-36.
posted by T A Lucas | 11/01/2005
5 Comments:
TA, I enjoyed reading this post. You brought up some good points and even gave us answers to your questions. :) Thanks! I really liked the point you bring out about living a life that brings glory to the Lord.
"Salvation is not a gift that you can put into your pocket and bring out whenever someone asks for proof. We can’t do something to get it, such as going forward at church and praying a prayer, it is something that is lived out. It is a gift of God and not of works. We can not do anything to generate it nor can we do anything to bring it about."
Our lives should at all time bring glory to the Father.
The ending verse is perfect.
Thank you for sharing.
A
Thanks. These thoughts are still in process. One of the great things about God is that all that He requires of us He provides for us, therefore it is what ever we do it is all of grace.
A, who is the 'us'?
Everything that we learn for the rest of our lives is a process, so I understand what you mean. Thanks for that last reminder. He does provide all that He requires of us.
Us, hmmm. Well, I guess I was talking about me & my Mom, we were both reading it. It is funny that you would ask though.:)
Oh, I can not stand when something post and I am not ready. Sorry about that. I wasn't done with that last paragraph.
It is funny that you would ask who us is, because I have a friend that is always saying, A, you say us, we too much. Say I, me, and such. I thought is was funny that I had done it again without even meaning to. :)
God Bless, and thank you again for sharing. :)
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