The Eternal Plan of God, Part 2

We pick up in chapter five with "The Content of God's Decrees Concerning Angels and Men". The first sub-section is that of election.

What then, is the nature of election?

First, God has elected some men and angels to glory:

The Predestinator is none other than "the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Eph. 1:3)...He is not some detached, impersonal being in a far off corner of the univers totaly unconcerned about life on this planet...He has told us in the Bible that His character is one of holiness, righteousness and love...Therefore, if something about election seems to us unfair, we know tht the problem is with our thinking and not because actual deficiencies exist in the predestination of God or in the Biblical doctrine of predestination, (Rom. 9:19f). (421)

God's election is totally unconditional...Faith is not the cause of election, it is the result of election: "as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed" (Acts 13:48). (422)

The determination of people's destinites and the election of people to eternal life are decided by God alone. (422)

Second, God has chose some men in Christ to eternal life:

It is the purpose of God to bring His chosen people to salvation, sonship and eternl glory through a Redeemer, who is the Lord Jesus Christ, and through His redemptive work. (425)

Because God has chosen us "in Christ," we must not seek assurance of our eternal election elsewhere, but in Him. (425)

What are the attributes of election?

Election is eternal.

God chose His people and predestined them to be adopted into His family in Christ "before the foundation of the world" (Eph. 1:4), i.e., in eternity before the creation of the universe. This highlights the absolute sovereignty of God's election of His people to salvation...What God planned in eternity, is absolutely certain to happen in time (Isa. 14:24, 27; 46:9-11; 55:11, 2 Tim. 1:9). (426-427)

Election is immutable.

Since God's decree of election originates with God Himself, it is fixed, certain and unchangeable, because God is the Lord who does not change (Mal. 3:6). (427)

Paul does not say simply that "the elect" obtained salvation, but that "the election" secured the salvation of the elect, denoting "not only the subject (i.e., those who are saved), but the cause (why they rather than the others obtained salvation, to wit, the eternal election of God). Therefore the apostle has said, God hath not cast away His people which He foreknew (Rom. 11:2), on account of the certainty of election." 42. Turretin, Institutes of Elenctic Theology, 1:369. (427-428)

The decree of election is so certain and unchangeable that the elect must necessarily and infallibly be brought to eternal salvation...The foundation of the salvation of the church is eternal eletion, therefore it is firm, immoveable, and imperishable. It cannot be overturned. It is "sealed" by God so tht no room for doubt is possible. (428)

Election has it's origin in nothing less than God's love.

God chose and predestined His people to adoption into His family, because of His eternal love for them. When God decided to adopt us into His family, He was motivated by love alone, and not by anthing in us; therefore, the choice of His love was the result of His supreme delight, His "good pleasure." (429)

In other words, God saves sinner, not only for His own glory, but also for His own gladness; because the salvation of sinners is rooted in God's love for His chosen sinners. (430)

Within this sectin, Dr. Morecraft goes into a rather length (non-chop-able) discussion of the meaning of "know" and "love". How "know" is not merely intellectual, but also a feeling, thus God's "knowing" His people is equivalent to saying that God "loves" His people.

The purpose of election is the praise of God and His glorious grace.

First, with reference to the elect, God's purpose in election is that: (1) They "should be holy and blameless before Him;" and (2) They should receive the "adoption of sons through Jesus Christ to Himself." (432)

To say that the purpose of election is to praise and glorify God for His grace, is not to ADD glory to Him, for "God hath all... glory... in and of Himself... not standing in need of any creatures which He hath made, nor deriving any glory from them. but only manifesting His own glory in, by, unto, and upon them: (WCF, II, ii). (435)

Election is manifested via effectual calling.

God internally and irresistibly calls to Himself only those whom He has chosen to be His. This is emphasized time and again in the Bible, "whom He predestined, these He also called" (Rom. 8:30). (438)

We can be assured of our eternal election, only as we become certain of our divine calling; and we become certain of our calling, by the effects of this calling in our lives... (1) God calls us to faith in Christ: "As many as were ordained to eternal life believed" (Acts 13:48)... (2) God calls us to holiness of life, jus "as He chose us ... that we should be holy and blameless before Him" (Eph. 1:4). Holiness of life, produced in us by the Holy Spirit with and through the Word of God, consists of a hatred, repulsion and grief regarding remaining sins in one's life, and a love for obeying and pleasing God. God calls us to the holiness of life to which He ordained us, or as Paul puts it, we are "called to be saints" (Rom. 1:7). (439) 

        Racheal