If election is God choosing to present the plan of salvation to us, what would the evidence of election be? This devotion looks at how we are advised to know and confirm our calling and election.
Nuggets
- God chose you because He loves you.
- God brings us the plan salvation through election, and then He calls us to salvation.
- God calls us to serve Him.
- The plan of salvation is about turning away from sin — our sinful, physical nature — and turning toward God and our new spiritual nature.
Devotions in the What I Believe series
Devotions in The Purpose of Grace category
Evidence of Election
We’ve been talking about election being where God chose us because of His grace. The previous three devotions looked at specific passages that shed light on this.
This devotion is going to look at individual verses.
Let's Put It into Context
We are looking at election through the lens of grace. Grace is a free and unmerited gift from Heavenly Father given through His Son, Jesus Christ that enables salvation and spiritual healing to believers. The purpose of the gift of grace is to restore God’s relationships with man and eliminate sin.
The Holman Bible Dictionary defines election as “God’s plan to bring salvation to His people and His world.”
Knowing Our Election
“Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God” (I Thess. 1: 4 KJV)
Oh, wow. Paul can be cut and dry sometimes. Take I Thessalonians 1: 4. Guys, know God chose you because He loves you.
Well, it is as simple as that. It is nothing that we did that made God choose us. It is all about what He did.
- God created us.
- God designed the plan of salvation.
- God picked the Sacrifice that was acceptable.
- God sends the Holy Spirit to convict us.
- God works all things out for good (Rom. 8: 28) so that we have a part in expanding His kingdom and growing us.
Hutchison made that connection between some of Paul’s usage of the term. He wrote, “In both cases it means selection for privilege, and therefore for service.”
God’s priority is His kingdom. Yes, He is interested in us, but His priority for us is our spiritual life — which expands His kingdom.
When we serve God, we are working for Him. What are some duties in our job description?
Job Duty #4 Proclaim the Gospel (Mark 16: 15)
Job Duty #5 Love People (John 15: 12)
Job Duty #6 Make Disciples (Matthew 28: 19-20)
The Disciple’s Job Description
Complete Job Description
Individual Descriptions
Job Duty #4
Proclaim the Gospel (Mark 16: 15)
Job Duty #5
Love People (John 15: 12)
Job Duty #6
Make Disciples (Matthew 28: 19-20)
Why does God use us as ministers? That way non-believers can do more than just read the words. They can see them being played out to determine what they really mean.
Remember, we said the knowing has to be more than just head knowledge. The service proves that it is.
Making the Effort to Be Elect
“Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble” (II Pet. 1: 10 NIV)
Election is God’s plan to bring that salvation to His creation. We become the Elect when we accept that gift.
Accepting doesn’t seem like it should take much effort at all. But here Peter is, saying, “… make every effort to confirm your calling and election …” (II Pet. 1: 10 NIV). Not only that, it should be a two-pronged effort.
We can make an argument that calling and election are the same thing. However, we do use them differently also. We are going to look at election first.
Election
God brings us the plan salvation through election, and then He calls us to salvation. He wants us to go from being spiritually dead to spiritually alive.
We have to work out our salvation, though. Getting us to change to be more like God isn’t flipping a switch.
God has to show us the sin that has a stranglehold on us. Then, He has to cut it out of us.
Calling
God calls us to serve Him. He has a specific plan for us based on what decision He knows we will make.
That means we have to work. We just did a whole series on diligence. Our goal there was to be persistent.
Here the goal is to not sin. “… For if you do these things, you will never stumble” (II Pet. 1: 10 NIV).
Look at that again. “… For if you do these things …” (II Pet. 1: 10 NIV).
If we make the effort. If we do whatever it takes. If we confirm our calling and election. If we choose daily to follow God and obey His laws and commandments.
Then we won’t stumble. Then we won’t sin. Then we will be the disciples God is calling us to be.
It isn’t about head knowledge. It isn’t even about talking abut it,
It is about doing. It is living our lives to honor God.
Viney outlines our rewards when we accomplish the goal of confirming our election and calling. He wrote, “… you shall have these three things — assurance, stability, and an abundant entrance into heaven.”
Adams cautioned us to not get too hung up on it looking like we should work our way to heaven. He wrote, “Does the apostle here attribute something to our works, as if the merit of our doing should preserve us from falling? No, he speaks not concerning the cause of mercy, but the way of grace. Our own works do not uphold us, but assure us by a token that we are upheld by God; they are the inseparable effects of that grace, by which we are kept from falling.”
On what are we to be diligently working? We are to be building our character to imitate Him. Thompson wrote, “The apostle, turning our attention to the virtues and graces of the Christian life, very distinctly points to the exercises of such virtues as the source of the assurance here more immediately referred to.”
Election Is About Repentance
“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (II Pet. 3: 9 ESV)
Election is all about one thing. It is about God “… not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (II Pet. 3: 9 ESV).
Repentance is expressing sorrow for breaking God’s laws and commandments. But it is not just feeling sorry for doing those things. It is making the commitment to changing ourselves through obedience so that we no longer do the wrong things. Obedience means to hear and carry out the instructions that God gives us.
The plan of salvation is about turning away from sin — our sinful, physical nature — and turning toward God and our new spiritual nature.
Making the Connections
Peter is, in II Peter 1: 10, talking about having assurance of salvation. There are times, isn’t there, when we really question our salvation.
That is Satan working overtime on us. He wants to keep us off balance in our relationships with God. That way he can worm his way in better and derail us.
We can have assurance. Warren wrote, “The only way of making our calling and election sure is to live in the sincere and conscientious practice of all Christian virtues.”
To read a devotion in the Christian Virtues series, click the appropriate button below.
Making the Connections to Self-Discipline
If we are to make an effort to confirm our election, that means we are to work out our salvation. Non-believers may not understand that.
We’ve been asking these questions all along so we can prepare for when we are asked. Here is the worksheet again. What would you say about making an effort when election is God presenting the plan of salvation to us through grace?
- What does the Scriptures say?
- What do I believe?
- Why do I believe the same/differently than the Scriptures?
- What are the talking points when witnessing to a non-believer?
Related Links
I have created a worksheet of the questions above. Click on the button below to access it.
How Do We Apply This?
We do have to make an effort to grow our faith. We have to diligently work to make sure we are following God’s plan for our lives.
We have to work on our character to ensure we are exhibiting the virtues: faith, goodness, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, kindness, and love. That will help us to imitate God.
We need to walk in the Spirit. We need to live in His Will.
God takes care of the election part. He will always convict us that we need to accept Jesus as our Savior — until we make it plan that we will not accept Him. Then, He is done with us.
We have to make sure we become one of the Elect. We have to accept Him and submit to Him.
Gracious Lord. We thank You, Lord, that You love us enough to forgive us. Help us to know what being one of the Elect really means. May we live for You, growing our character to be more like You. Amen.
What do you think?
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