Dr. Mike Jones

Q: Can You Help Me Understand The Doctrine of Election?

Q: Dr. Mike can you help me understand the doctrine of election and what it means?

A: To try to answer that question in this short format would almost do more damage than good. One of my modern day mentors and well known theologian Dr. R. C. Sproul wrote a superb book, titled, Chosen by God, which is one of the most read devotions on the subject matter, because it is devoted entirely to a study of the sovereign biblical doctrine of election.

You will often see this question stated as, “What is the doctrine of predestination?” The apostle Paul stated in Ephesians Chapter 1:5-12 that, “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.”

Therefore, we as Christians seem to struggle with the concept of divine sovereign election; because it gives the impression that God only saves whom He wills, and that we have no say so in the matter. [In other words, I think that I’m good enough to go to Heaven; but I’m just not sure about those ‘other’ so-called good people.]

The thing that’s truly missing in our human analyses of who should be saved or elected by God to sonship, is that He considers the human race in its fallenness state, and the sinful nature that we now possess that alienates us from the presence of God and puts us in a state of rebellion against him. [In other words, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God –Romans 3:23; and if He elects to exercise His holy justice totally and completely toward the whole world, then all of mankind would perish, because none of us are good enough to merit his divine grace – and all of mankind deserves spiritual, then physical death.]

If it was up to us to choose God over what seems good to us in our fallen state, every one of us would choose what’s pleasing in our own sight, and trust me when I say, God wouldn’t be our first choice! So, why does everyone get so bent out of shape when we hear, in the doctrine of election, that Jesus said in the Gospel of John, Chapter 6, verses 44 and 65, “No man can come to me unless it is given to him by the Father.” In short, these verses are saying that, God in His sovereignty, gives whomever He wills, in this fallen world, the grace to accept the salvation that He offers through Christ’s substitutionary sacrifice on Calvary cross. The difficulty that people have with ‘election’ is found in the question, why doesn’t God offer His saving grace to EVERYONE? He answered that question in scripture, when He said in Romans Chapter 9, “I will have mercy upon whom I will have mercy.” In the final analysis, some receive do justice and some receive God’s mercy.