Knowing You are Chosen

Election is one of the doctrines of grace and a great means of assurance. But when twisted, it becomes the opposite–how do I know, how do I know?!

“The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law” (Dt. 29:29).

There is a systematic theological doctrine of election that pertains to what is addressed in this verse. God knows from eternity past all that will come to pass, including who will come to faith, and we are not able to see those decrees except in hindsight as they come to fruition in history. Because of this important systematic theological truth, many come to all sorts of unnecessary doubts. Don’t think so? Run this little thought experiment. In Reformed Churches, you know the ones with the guys who like to read big fat books about election, are most Christians more assured or less assured of their salvation than in non Reformed churches? If you were to take an average week of a Reformed pastor, is he more likely to encounter a pastoral problem dealing with doubts about faith and salvation, or a problem with boastful presumption?

This is because we neglect the biblical doctrine of election. This is not the sort of knowledge that pretends to peer back into the secret things of God, but rather insists on seeing the things that are revealed to us and our children. Those will small people need to hear this. “For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction” (1 Thess. 1:4-5). How does Paul know about the Thessalonians? They were certainly less zealous than the Bereans and from Paul’s letters apparently had really screwed up eschatology. But this didn’t change the power manifest in their response to the gospel. Their response wasn’t “yeah, uh huh” easy-believism, but they were faithful to spread the Word to Macedonia and even down into Achaia. Paul sees what the Holy Spirit did through them and  knows they are elect, part of God’s chosen church. He even encourgaingly tells them so. This is how election should be for us. Remaining sin and error in every Christian and every church does not negate the validity of what God has objectively done in our lives. Now we need to see and declare it.

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