Scripture
Romans 11:33-36 (ESV)
33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?”
35 “Or who has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid?”
36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?”
35 “Or who has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid?”
36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
Devotional #73: Unconditional Election & Praising Our God
“Unconditional election is God’s free choice before creation, not based on foreseen faith, to which traitors he will grant faith and repentance, pardoning them and adopting them into his everlasting family of joy.”
-John Piper
Unconditional election will never be a doctrine that we can fully comprehend. God’s prerogative to choose whom to grant the gift of “second birth” rests solely in the mysterious will of the Godhead. Scripture simply teaches the truth of this doctrine, “For he says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion’” (Romans 9:15). “…even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world…” (Ephesians 1:4). Jesus affirms the teaching when He says, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you…” (John 15:16).
As Christians, we grow to love this doctrine as we see the deep roots of our “sinful nature.” We understand that without God election we could never had chosen Him. And without that same electing love, we could never keep obeying him. The Christian is left with nothing, but praise! Praise the Lord for his electing love! “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…” (Ephesians 1:3)! “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen” (Romans 11:36).
-John Piper
Unconditional election will never be a doctrine that we can fully comprehend. God’s prerogative to choose whom to grant the gift of “second birth” rests solely in the mysterious will of the Godhead. Scripture simply teaches the truth of this doctrine, “For he says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion’” (Romans 9:15). “…even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world…” (Ephesians 1:4). Jesus affirms the teaching when He says, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you…” (John 15:16).
As Christians, we grow to love this doctrine as we see the deep roots of our “sinful nature.” We understand that without God election we could never had chosen Him. And without that same electing love, we could never keep obeying him. The Christian is left with nothing, but praise! Praise the Lord for his electing love! “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…” (Ephesians 1:3)! “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen” (Romans 11:36).
Question
How have you come to embrace the doctrine of Unconditional Election?
Scripture
Ephesians 2:8-9 & Colossians 3:12-13 (ESV)
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
--
12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
Devotional #74: Unconditional Election & Humility
Why were you able to choose Jesus while other have not? Is it because of your intelligence? Are you morally more upright? Are you wiser than others? “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless” (Romans 3:10-12; cf. Genesis 6:5). Scripture teaches us that we were “dead in our trespasses, (Ephesians 2:5),” “enemies of the cross,” (Philippians 3:18), and “hardened of heart” (Ephesians 4:18). But because of the love of God we have been rescued and saved.
If we were able to say, “I chose God because of xyz,” then we would have reason to boast in xyz. We would have reason to judge those who did not come to faith and to judge those who were not as “spiritual” as we were! The doctrine of unconditional election eviscerates pride. We are humbled to know that God saved us out of his sheer grace and mercy!
This humility also leads to compassion. “Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive” (Colossians 3:12-13).
Let us reflect deeply on God’s unconditional election. We have been chosen to demonstrate the gospel with humility and compassion.
If we were able to say, “I chose God because of xyz,” then we would have reason to boast in xyz. We would have reason to judge those who did not come to faith and to judge those who were not as “spiritual” as we were! The doctrine of unconditional election eviscerates pride. We are humbled to know that God saved us out of his sheer grace and mercy!
This humility also leads to compassion. “Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive” (Colossians 3:12-13).
Let us reflect deeply on God’s unconditional election. We have been chosen to demonstrate the gospel with humility and compassion.
Questions
- How does the doctrine of Unconditional Election engender humility?
- “Frozen chosen” is a derogatory term used for Christians who misunderstand the doctrine of Unconditional Election. Why should this doctrine spur us on to love more rather than to sit around and “let God choose who He’s going to choose.”
Scripture
Romans 10:14-15 (ESV)
14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?[a] And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
Devotional #75: Unconditional Election & Evangelism
Imagine a scenario where a friend says to you, “I’ll give you 10 minutes to convince me that I should become a Christian.” Could you handle the pressure? Would you crack? Or perhaps after those 10 minutes of rambling, you being to have the terrible thought, “because of me, she’ll never come to Jesus.” Well, if the doctrine of unconditional election were not true, you would be right to feel this way. If God gave every person a tacit ability to choose Him then the onus of everyone’s salvation rests on us. What horror!
But salvation does not rest with us. It rests with God. Our duty is to freely and lovingly declare the good news! In the PCA, the authority of the officers is “ministerial and declarative.” So is every Christian’s! We minister to others with humility and love, and we declare the good news, praying that God would give them a new heart.
But salvation does not rest with us. It rests with God. Our duty is to freely and lovingly declare the good news! In the PCA, the authority of the officers is “ministerial and declarative.” So is every Christian’s! We minister to others with humility and love, and we declare the good news, praying that God would give them a new heart.
Question
How does the doctrine of unconditional election encourage us to share the good news?
**Pray for family and friends to come to know Jesus.
**Pray for family and friends to come to know Jesus.