Chosen by God from eternity past

The Bible teaches that every believer was chosen by God from the beginning of time to be saved (2 Thess. 2:13) and promised to be gathered to God on the last day (Matt. 24:31).

2 Thessalonians 2:13 (NKJV)

But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth

Matthew 24:31 (NKJV)

And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Even Jesus in His high priestly prayer mentioned the elect  as those chosen before the foundation of the world. His saving and preserving prayers are purely for the elect, not for the whole world.

John 17:9 (NKJV)

“I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours.

(More verses that speak about God’s election: John 6:37, 39; 10:28; Rom. 8:29–30; Eph. 1:13–14; Phil. 1:6; 1 Thess. 5:23, 24; 1 Peter 1:5; Jude 1, 24)

Am I one of the elect?

Naturally, some anxious believers are led to ask if they could know if they are one of the elect or if God did choose them?

John 6:44 (NKJV)

No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.

In the above verse, Jesus described the ‘one’ who would come to Him (the Son) as the ‘believers’ chosen by the Father. It might seem confusing, but here’s how it works:

• From God’s point of view – we are given to the Son by His sovereign decree and purpose.
• From Human’s point of view – we come to Christ by believing in His work on the cross.

In these two simple truths we can rest in knowing that the Lord would never reject anyone who comes (sincerely and submissively) as a love gift from the Father.

It is only those who are given to the Son by the Father who will come to Him (John 6:44). Yet all who thirst may partake of the water of life, which is freely given (Revelation 22:17).

Here we also see the interplay between divine sovereignty and human responsibility. While these two truths may seem incompatible, there is no conflict between them in the infinite mind of God.

Deuteronomy 29:29 (NKJV)

“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

The perseverance and protection of the saints;

The doctrine of the perseverance / protection of the saints is based on the promise of the Holy Spirit given to believers enabling to continue in the faith and persevere.  By the promise of the Holy Spirit, those who come to Christ will continue in the faith and persevere.

Paul says the following in Romans;

Romans 8:29-30 (NKJV)

29. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

30. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

The repeated phrase “He also” links the entire salvation process from eternity past to eternity future in an unbreakable chain. All orchestrated and obtained by God.

Everyone whom God foreknew, He predestined, called, justified, and will glorify one day, and no one will be lost along the way (Romans 8:30–39 / Philippians 1:6 / Col. 3:3–4).

According to the Scriptures, the obedience of the saints and their submission to Christ demonstrate that the Father has ‘elected’ them as gifts for the Son. Our obedience to God does not save us, but it shows whether we have genuine saving faith.

According to James Montgomery Boice, for those wondering if they are among the elect the following question should be asked;

How does one tell who are the elect of God? How do we judge who are Christians and who are not? … There is only one answer, the answer given by the Lord Jesus Christ [speaking] of those who were truly his disciples [in John 17:6–8]. According to these verses, the only way to tell whether one is a Christian or not is to see whether he or she believes and continues in the words of the Lord Jesus Christ.

(The Gospel of John [Grand Rapids: Baker, 1999], 1276)”

John 17:6-8 (NKJV)

“I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me.

Also listen to Jesus’ words:

John 6:38-39 (NKJV)

For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.

It must be noted that the doctrine of perseverance of the saints is never a license for the elect to do whatever they want. It is simply a way for people to evaluate their lives and see if God is at  work within them.

Believers are able to work out their salvation as God is at work in them.

Philippians 2:12-13 (NKJV)

12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 

13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

It is part of God’s redemptive application that we live for Him as changed people.

Also the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints implies a sense in which God’s reputation is at stake in that if He has promised to sustain us then He will see it through. His promises never fail.At the end of the day, in spite of all our highs and lows, our inconsistencies, our moments of doubt, our backsliding, etc. we can hold onto this one encouraging truth that God’s elect will persevere until the end.

Philippians 1:6 (NKJV)

being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

Conclusion on Election

Ephesians 1:3-4 (NKJV)

3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

4. just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,

If you possess a deep conviction in your heart about the things of Christ and your heart is filled with love and submission to Him, then you can be assured that you are among the elect.

If you do not have this conviction, the call for salvation is still available for you today to believe in the saving work of Jesus Christ, repent of your sins and come to Him.

Ultimately predestination / election is a family secret, known only from the inside. By an act of the will, we step through a gateway of salvation placarded by the words of Christ ‘Whoever is thirsty, let him come.’ And as we enter into heaven, we see the caption on the inside of the gate, which reads ‘chosen in Him before the foundation of the world’ (Eph. 1:4).

Ephesians 1:4 (NKJV)

just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,

(For further reading, see following scriptures that show that God chooses those redeemed for salvation since eternity past – Acts 11:18; 13:48; Rom. 8:28–30; Eph. 1:4–5; Col. 3:12; 1 Thess. 1:4; 2 Thess. 2:13; 2 Tim. 1:9; Titus 1:1; 1 Peter 1:1–2; 2:9)