Election

We have looked at grace, what it means, and how it is God’s means of providing salvation (faith in Jesus) to those whom he has called (Rom 8:29).  What about election and predestination?

In the Greek, election is from eklogē which denotes “divine selection.”  Ek is a Greek primary preposition denoting an origin/beginning and legō means to “set forth.”

The prophet Isaiah, speaking of the coming of the Christ in Isaiah 42:1-4 (KJV) says

1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.  2 He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.  3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.  4 He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.

Isaiah tells us that Jesus is coming and that judgement is coming to the Gentiles.  From this we see that Jesus is God’s elected choice for service and his “judgement to the Gentiles” is the Gospel message that will be the “true light, which enlightens everyone” (John 1:9 ESV).  His kingdom shall not fail and it will go to all the earth.  Jesus proclaims this with the Great Commission (Matt 28:18-20; Mark 16:15).  Isaiah continues in 42:5-7 (KJV)

5 Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:  6 I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;  7 To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

Here we have a grand picture of the Sovereign, all-powerful, all-knowing God, the God who merely spoke the Universe into existence speaks again, yet this time He speaks personally and intimately through His Son to do what John tells is in John 1:9–be a light.  This light will (v.7) “open the blind eyes” and free prisoners.  We see this echoed in the words of Jesus in John 15:16, speaking to his disciples, he says “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”  Jesus is telling them that he has set them forth which he also does in the Great Commission, saying “go.”

Friday, I was commenting on the myth that Satan uses of the New Year being the time for a new start and that the truth of this is refuted in the Bible by the Prophets and Jesus himself, saying that it is only God who gives new starts, through a new heart and new spirit of those who believe in Jesus, God’s Son whom He sent as the Savior of the world.

As I was reading John 3:1-21, I noticed two comments that I wish to explore further.  The first is the comment Nicodemus, the Pharisee (or teacher of the Law) who came to Jesus asking about the signs and wonders that Jesus is doing,  makes to Jesus when he approached him.   The second is made by Jesus to Nicodemus in the midst of their conversation.

Nicodemus, when he comes to Jesus, his comment to Jesus, in John 3:2,  is: “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”  He doesn’t proclaim that Jesus is the Messiah, the one prophesied about in the Old Testament, the Scriptures that the Pharisees devoted themselves to memorizing and studying and proudly proclaiming their vast knowledge to all who would listen.  He states that “we” (the other Pharisees) believe that Jesus is given power from God.  However, Jesus proclaims that he is God (John 8:58).  Jesus’ response in John 3:3 simply says that he missed the point, because he wasn’t born of God.  Jesus is critiquing Nicodemus’ view that God gave Jesus power simply as a man, but instead telling Nicodemus that God’s Kingdom is come, is standing right in front of him, yet Nicodemus can’t see it.

Jesus comments to Nicodemus in the midst of the conversation, in John 3:10, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?”  Being that the Pharisees devoted themselves to studying and memorizing the Scriptures (the Old Testament at that time), Jesus is telling Nicodemus that he missed it.  That in all his studies he didn’t see that which the Scriptures and the prophets proclaim… the Messiah is coming.  John the Baptist proclaimed that one was coming after him that was before him.  Paul, in Romans, tells us that even creation proclaim the glories of God.  Nicodemus, one of the most learned men in Israel, didn’t get it.

The reason that Nicodemus didn’t get it was because he was comfortable in the Darkness.