Though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of Him who calls – So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. – Romans 9:11,16
We had an election on Tuesday, but it doesn’t really seem like election season is over. Campaign signs have been blocking views at intersections for so long that they seem like regular fixtures – more permanent than the tentative Stop signs propped up in five-gallon buckets at the corner of Indianola’s Front and Main Streets. (I’m wondering if the red traffic lights dangling overhead, poised to signal the three-way stop, will ever flash again.) Moreover, politicking in the era of social media continues daily – droning on constantly before and after elections take place. The all-too-prevalent efforts to overturn the results cloud the very essence of electing: deciding.
Americans are skilled deciders. It is one of our core competencies. We exercise and defend vigorously our right to choose. Deciding is at the core of our value system. Every day, we face a lot of decisions. What time to wake up. What to eat. What time to go to bed. We are given many options. Look at the cereal shelves at Walmart. Look at the menu at Guadalajara. We are trained to choose and trained to push back fervently when others choose for us. As a nation, we declared the unalienable right of liberty for all people. Over the years, society’s debates and battles have secured this freedom for each person to make his own decisions. Take the Pepsi challenge – you decide. Go to Burger King and have it your way. Practice whatever religion that you see fit.
This national penchant for choosing sets us up for an unpleasant surprise when it comes to a vital personal decision. We want to decide what we will do for eternity. My effort counts! So, we balk when we hear that God is the one who chooses who will dwell with Him forever. As good Americans, we find this arrangement a hard pill to swallow. Individuals want to be the ones who decide their future, decide to go to heaven. But this is absurd. It is absurd for several reasons.
Each person enters this world spiritually dead in sin: he cannot respond in faithful obedience to his Creator. Moreover, he is an enemy of God by nature, so he will not choose to submit to God’s authority. Instead, he naturally rebels. Our focus on serving ourselves means that we refuse to serve Him. An orange tree is free to produce apples – after all there are no laws nor agriculture police to prevent it – but the tree won’t produce apples because it goes against its nature. We are born enslaved to our sinful desires. We are allowed to choose God, but we won’t.
Then isn’t everyone, by nature, condemned to suffer for and from sin? Definitely not. Before the foundation of the world, God knew that we would strive after evil and that this evil would cause great pain to His creation. So, in love, God chose whom He wanted to rescue from the shackles of sin. Because God makes this definitive decision, the Bible calls God’s chosen “the elect”. And because God is God, His election is sure. His gift of life – free of conditions – is given to the elect. There is no re-count. After all, there is only one voter, so only one vote to tally.
Because God elected before the foundation of the world, He chose without any condition on what we will or will not do. Reformed Theology has a term for this: Unconditional Election, which is that free, sovereign act of God whereby He chooses from fallen humanity those whom He wills to save in Jesus Christ. God alone elects whom He chooses. And this election is not based on our campaign promises, foreseen faith, or good deeds. God alone elects whom He chooses. A Christian’s faith and good works are the result of election, not the cause of it.
“And Jesus said, ‘This is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless it is granted him by the Father.’ After this many of His disciples turned back and no longer walked with Him.” (John 6:65-66) Difficult as it seems, as Americans, we ought to defend vigorously God’s freedom to love and dwell forever with whomever He elects. We love because He first loved us [unconditionally]. (1 John 4:19) Rejoice in God’s free gift of unconditional love!
