MORE SCRIPTURE REFERENCES TO THE ELECT.

“Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect?“ (Rom. 8:33.)

The Apostle is here pointing out that although this called class accepted of God to be his elect, and to run with patience the race set before them, and make their calling and election sure, have weaknesses of the flesh, in the overcoming of which they, as new creatures, are not always wholly successful, nevertheless, God looks upon the heart, and their judgment is not according to the flesh, but according to the spirit, the will. Lest such should fear failure after all, he points out that in the great heavenly court there would be none to condemn them; – because God the Judge who once condemned us in Adam has himself justified us in Christ, – accepting on behalf of the Adamic sin and the resultant weaknesses the sacrifice of Christ. And then he points out that Satan, our Adversary, will have no hearing before the heavenly Court, and that there will be none to appear against us, and that on the contrary our Lord and Master, who redeemed us with his precious blood, will be our Advocate.

Who then could lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? – those whom God has justified, whom God has called, whom God has accepted, and who, according to the divine arrangement, make their calling and election sure. Who would they be who could find fault with these whom God accepts on his own terms? Surely none! “Yea, we are more than conquerors, through him who loved us and bought us with his own precious blood!”

“Elect, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father…through sanctification of the spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.” (1 Pet. 1:2.)

The Apostle here marks out the terms of our election; none can remain in this elect company, nor make his calling and election sure, without 1) being under the sprinkling of the blood – justification through faith in the great sacrifice; nor can any attain it without 2) sanctification, a setting apart to God; and such a sanctification as will lead to 3) obedience to God – to the full submission of his will to the will of the Father in heaven.

Such must be the character of those who will be of the elect, and this class of which we are seeking to become members was predetermined, foreordained by God; it was not a new thing, but the carrying out of the original divine purpose, in which also our Lord Jesus shared. This the same Apostle shows (1 Pet. 2:4-6), declaring that our Lord Jesus himself was the elect of God, and that we who are now being chosen from amongst men to be “members of the body of Christ,” members of the elect class, are chosen in him, chosen as members of his body, and as such must be conformed to the likeness of his character. He says: “To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen [elect] of God and precious, ye also, as lively stones, are built up, a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up sacrifices* acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.”

*The word “spiritual” is omitted in this verse as spurious, by old MSS. It is the flesh that is sacrificed, not the new creature.

“Wherefore also it is contained in the Scripture, Behold I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious, and he that believeth in him shall not be confounded.” Thus, the whole Church of Christ, the elect little flock, are now being shaped, fitted and prepared for positions in the Temple of God, of which the dear Redeemer himself is the chief cornerstone, the foundation.

“They that are with him are called and chosen [elect – the same word in the Greek] and faithful.” (Rev. 17:14.)

Here in symbol our Lord Jesus tells John, and us through him, of the glorious exaltation of the elect in the Kingdom, when they shall be with him and share his glory as the Apostle declares, and with him judge the world; – granting trial, with gracious opportunities to every member of Adam’s race to return to full harmony with God through the merit and by the assistance of him who redeemed the race.

“Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delights: I have put my spirit upon him. He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.” “I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob and out of Judah, an inheritor of my mountain: and mine elect shall inherit it.” “They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall make them continue long.” – Isa. 42:1; 65:9,22, margin.

Here our Lord Jesus, the Head, and the Church, “members in particular of the body of Christ,” are unitedly declared to be God’s elect, in whom he is well pleased. The Father was well pleased in the Son, who came not to do his own will but the will of him that sent him, and by his obedience won all the gracious things promised under the Law Covenant, and redeemed Adam and his race; and the Father is well pleased also in us, whom, though “we were children of wrath even as others,” he has accepted in Christ, justified and sanctified by his Word and spirit, and who, if we abide in Christ, faithful unto death, will be fitted and prepared for his promised Kingdom.

In these statements of the Prophet reference evidently is made to the work of the Lord’s anointed (Head and body) in conferring restitution blessings upon the world of mankind during the Millennial age; and this is in full accord with all the New Testament declarations respecting the work of the elect.

“Brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure.” 2 Pet. 1:10

This our text is one of the most forceful of the many references to God’s elect, and is particularly clear in marking out the conditions upon which election may be surely attained by each one whom the Lord our God shall call or nominate to this grand office – the Royal Priesthood.

The Apostle has been mentioning the various graces of the Lord’s spirit which those who are seeking to be of this royal and priestly class must develop in their characters. He shows us that there is more or less of an addition in the matter: we put on one grace and add to it another, and to that another, and so on; and do this repeatedly in respect to all the graces, which keep growing, developing in us and rounding out and deepening and broadening us as spiritual new creatures. And he shows that those who do not have such experiences of growth in grace and in knowledge are deficient, and cannot hope to make their calling and election sure.

But seeming to understand that some would question the possibility of their gaining so great a prize, the holy spirit, through the Apostle, gives to this called and chosen class a word of special encouragement, saying, “For if ye do these things ye shall never fall.” There may be more or less stumbling on the part of the elect, not through weakness of the spirit, the heart, the new mind, but “through manifold temptations” of the flesh, the earthen vessel, in which temporarily resides the new creature, begotten of the spirit, the elect. The Apostle proceeds to give further assurances, saying, “For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

The elect will not be received of the Lord with chidings and upbraiding’s for the imperfections of the flesh, which were unwillingly theirs, but on the contrary all the weaknesses of the flesh will be ignored, and the intents of the heart alone will be judged, and the heart-character formed will alone be tested and approved; and this will determine whether or not we shall stand the Lord’s approval and be granted the glorious things which he has promised to them that love him – “glory, honor and immortality” and a share in the Kingdom and its work of blessing.

“He that hath this [election] hope in him purifies himself even as he [the Lord] is pure.”

But how is it with those who have not this hope, and who are totally ignorant of this election, – even though they be Christians, in the sense of believing in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Redeemer?

Surely, they are at a great disadvantage, lacking as they do the proper conception of the exceeding great and precious promises which are the channel of the power of God working in the elect both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

If we have seen that there is an elect class, it follows that there must be a non-elect class – those who are not making their calling and election sure, and it is proper in this connection that we see something respecting this class, and what provision God has made for them. This phase of the subject we reserve for our next issue.

Continued with next post.