Wednesday, October 16
There is a lot of talk about God’s electing us or choosing us to do something. Many have different ideas on what that election means. What does the Bible say about our election?
Read Romans 8:28, 29. What does God call us to? What does He choose us for?
This passage specifically states that God predestined humans to be conformed to the image of His Son. It is not saying that God predestines us either to be saved or to be condemned, and that we have no choice in the matter. In other words, the election is for the purpose of our transformation. We are to be changed to reflect the Son of God. This transformation is then promised in the following verse (Romans 8:30), in which Paul, the author, states that those whom God calls He also justifies (makes us righteous) and glorifies (sanctifies). Thus we are not left to transform ourselves, but rather, God promises to accomplish this transformation by His power.
Read Romans 9. What kind of election or call of God is described in this chapter?
In Romans 9 Paul discusses God’s election to a specific task. The Israelites were chosen to bring the good news about God to the world. The phrase “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated” (Romans 9:13) is commonly misunderstood to mean that God loved only one of the brothers. However, in the context of this passage, Paul is saying that Jacob was chosen but Esau was not. What was Jacob chosen for? To be the father of the Israelite nation. Thus, there are two types of election/choosing that God does. First, God chooses every single one of us for salvation and wants us to be transformed into the image of Jesus. Second, God chooses different people for specific tasks.
Why should it be encouraging to know that you were predestined for salvation? Why does that not, however, mean that your choices cannot cause you to lose the salvation that God offers?
