Subj : The Elect of God
To   : All
From : Newborn
Date : Mon Sep 26 2005 23:41:00

"Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect?  It is God that
justifieth" (Romans 8:11)

The doctrine of election is a key doctrine of Scripture, but it is also
controversial, so any discussion of it should mostly, let the Scriptures speak
for themselves.  The Greek and Hebrew words for the "elect" are the same as for
the "chosen", and it is clear that whenever the elect are mentioned, it is God,
NOT MAN, who has done the choosing.

For example, Christ elected the twelve to be His Apostles of His OWN volition.
They are called, in fact, the Aposstles whom He had chosen" (Acts 1:2).  The
Scriptures also speak of "the elect angels" (1 Timothy 5:21 and even of Christ
Himself as being the "the chief cornerstone, elect, precious"  (1 Peter 2:6)

Most often, however, the term is applied to those who have been SAVED thru
Faith in Christ and His substitutionary death, and they are said to have been
"chosen...in Him before the foundation of the world:  (Ephesians 1:4)

Having been chosen, the elect ones are then, the fullness of time, drawn to
Christ.  As He said, "No man came to me, except the Father which hath sent me
shall draw him"; and He also said: "All that the Father giveth me shall come to
me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:37,44)

Finally, to make it crystal cler who does the choosing, Jesus said: "Ye have
NOT chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and
bring forth fruit" (John 15:16).

None of the above eliminates OUR individual responsibility to "make [our]
calling and election sure" (II Peter 1:10), but the grand purpose of this
great doctrine is simply this: "Base things of  this world, and things which
are despised, hath God chosen...That NO flesh should glory in His presence"
(I Corinthians 1:28-29).

Newborn

Christianity is a personal relationship, not a religion
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