Monday: Elected
“It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated” (Rom. 9:12-13).
As stated in the introduction for this week, it is impossible to understand Romans chapter 9 properly until one recognizes that Paul is not speaking of individual salvation.
Image © Lars Justinen from GoodSalt.com
He is here speaking of particular roles that God was calling upon certain individuals to play. God wanted Jacob to be the progenitor of the people who would be His special evangelizing agency in the world. There is no implication in this passage that Esau could not be saved. God wanted him to be saved as much as He desires all men to be saved.
Read Romans 9:14-15. How do we understand these words in the context of what we have been reading?
Again Paul is not speaking of individual salvation, because in that area God extends mercy to all, for He “will have all men to be saved” (1 Tim. 2:4). “The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men” (Titus 2:11). But God can choose nations to play roles, and although they can refuse to play those roles, they cannot prevent God’s choice. No matter how hard Esau may have willed it, he could not have become the progenitor of the Messiah nor of the chosen people.
In the end, it was no arbitrary choice on the part of God, not some divine decree, by which Esau was shut out from salvation. The gifts of His grace through Christ are free to all. We’ve all been elected to be saved, not lost (Eph. 1:4-5; 2 Pet. 1:10). It’s our own choices, not God’s, that keep us from the promise of eternal life in Christ. Jesus died for every human being. Yet, God has set forth in His Word the conditions upon which every soul will be elected to eternal life – faith in Christ, which leads the justified sinner to obedience.
| As if no one else even existed, you, yourself, were chosen in Christ even before the foundation of the world, to have salvation. This is your calling, your election, all given to you by God through Jesus. What a privilege, what a hope! All things considered, why does everything else pale in comparison to this great promise? Why would it be the greatest of all tragedies to let sin, self, and the flesh take away from you all that’s been promised you in Jesus? |
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I believe that the Faith of Christ and the Mind of Christ which is the Mind of God are essential for us to obtain if we are to be in the Kingdom of God.
This comes through receiving continual motivation of the Holy Spirit of God's Love to produce our thoughts and feelings like God's thoughts and feelings resulting in His Righteousness performed in our lives.
Here is a post published back in April, on how we become God's elect, that may shed some light on today's lesson.
https://ssnet.org/blog/get-elected-god/
I believe this: God is able to see the end from the beginning
Esau was the progenitor to the Messiah until the day he said WHAT IS THIS BIRTH RIGHT TO ME THAN THAT I SHOULD DIE OF HUNGER.
Jacob was willing to do whatever it took to be the progenitor
Could it be that we've read but have forgotten?
TWO NATIONS ARE IN YOUR WOMB.
WE R EITHER IN JACOB OR ESAU
LOVED OR HATED
Esau was never in line to be the progenitor. Before they were born God said, the older shall serve the younger. So God had a plan to give Jacob the birth right, Jacob didn’t have faith and went to get it himself.
ESAU was in line to be the progenitor, he chose not to be by selling his birthright
The point is being missed here. God, who has foreknowledge, knew Esau would reject the birthright. The fact that he predicted it before Esau was born did not force Esau to do so. One can argue that Esau was never "in line", but only based on God's foreknowledge of how Esau would exercise his free will. Or one can argue that Esau would have been the progenitor had he not chosen not to. Either way, God knew and predicted it before it happened. The rest is semantics.
Something to consider on this point concerning Esau; what Paul quoted was written centuries after Esau had died. Paul is quoting Malachi, through whom God was again pleading with those returned from captivity to return to Him so the promised blessings could be theirs again. Through this prophet God reminded them of His love and favor toward Jacob, and His "hatred" for Esau, whom history had long shown to be rebellious toward God and evil toward the children of his brother Jacob. When saying "Esau", God was referring to the whole nation of Edom, beginning with Esau.
The reason for this favoring one over the other is because one had faith while the other refused to receive the promised blessings of God because the cost (renouncing self) was considered too high. Most of Israel came to the same conclusion, and Malachi was sent to remind them of the blessings if they would return in faith to the God of their father Jacob.
The point is this: foreknowledge was not needed in this case. It was a matter of history and many warnings to Edom through God's prophets. Yes, God actually loves all people, but unable to bless as He wished, God seemed as one who "hated" the enemies of His people.
Knowing what God has done for me in order to be saved. It is clear to see that I of myself will be the cause not to be saved. At the time of Christ Second coming, there is no excuse to defend my unsaved state. I pray that I may love others as Jesus has loved me (at least try). To walk on the path of righteousness, (at least try). Because when I fail to do so, I know I have an advocate who is willing to forgive a contrite heart. Dear God, help me not to throw away this chance of a like time. The time is here the time is now, when I hear Your voice may I not harden my heart.
Stephen, I believe that the plan of salvation is much greater than what your words imply.
Christ has *already* purchased your salvation. You do not need to *try* to be like Jesus or to *try* "to walk the path of righteousness" in order to be saved. Your salvation is assured, as long as you trust fully in Jesus, committing yourself to Him day by day and moment by moment.
The battle is in your heart and mine: Will we trust Jesus our ourselves in our daily decisions that affect our salvation? Will we put our effort into nurturing our relationship with Jesus, or will other things in life absorb our attention?
Salvation is a free gift purchased for us at a high price. But it costs us everything in that we must surrender ourselves *fully* to Jesus. He must be Lord of all, or He is not our Lord at all.
If He is Lord of all of our life, we will do His will as we understand it. We make the decision, and He supplies the power.
AMEN, Inge. Walking "after the Spirit" of Christ we cannot go wrong because He is always right.
what l learnt from this lesson is that God chooses people to play His role regardless of them agreeing or not. The choice is yours for you to be saved or lost.
That’s precisely the point Jonah was predestined to go to Nineveh, Jonah was not predestined to be saved!..Royce
HiRoyce - God predestines us all to be saved (not willing that any should perish) and he has a plan for our lives however, he also allows us free will - choice! We can continue in the path he leads or rebel and go our own way. that is the love of God . If we choose him then he can use us for his purpose.
Saints; are we not mixing 2 very distinct things here?
One is Salvation. Which according to the Word of God is for all mankind. And this is directly linked with choice. I believe the Holy Spirit works in everyone for conviction without prejudice. Hence the commission to spread the Gospel to all peoples, lands and all languages. This way, everyone gets to know about God's love through Christ and have the Holy Spirit work in his heart for conviction and then have the choice to either repent and be saved or refuse and be condemned.
Election on the other hand, is as I see it, a choice of God. He chooses whom he wills to use. And while not all of us are elected for great works, this does not mean I cannot be saved or I cannot do my part in the work of God.
This is also evidenced by the fact that not all of us a ordained pastors/deacons/elders etc. But not being in office does not mean I am missing out on salvation.
That's true wat you are saying Tichaona, salvation is for all but election is through choice of God.
Peter writes: "give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:". Seems that we have the final choice to make, and not God, who has already universally offered pardon to the world in Christ, which will only save those who believe in Him. Not in the way the devils believe, but with the faith that leads to a transformed life. We are called to "deny ungodliness and worldly lust" that we might receive the Holy Spirit to live "sober, righteous and godly in this present world". This is the point of examination that Paul counseled those who professed to follow Christ to do (2 Cor 13:5). No change in the life = unbelief.
God has provided all He can for the salvation of every sinner. So many will be lost for lack of acting in faith to receive this offer of grace.
Yes, Tichaona, the Demoniac, after being delivered and saved "elected," by Jesus, wanted to be among Jesus apostles to work for Jesus but Jesus ELECTED him to work elsewhere for Him in His vineyard.
Jesus chose everyone. When Jesus died, He died for all human kind.it is by choice that one remains in the things of the world or choose Christ who chose you.
Maurice did ask me a number of questions in the introduction of the lesson. Thank brother you made me pray and God revealed the answers. So I woke up this morning and researched.
here are my findings:
Who are the elect and the called and the saved?
Webster's 1828 Dictionary
Definition 1.
ELECT, n. One chosen or set apart; applied to Christ.
Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth. Isaiah 42:1.
1. Chosen or designated by God to salvation; predestinated to glory as the end, and to sanctification as the means; usually with a plural signification, the elect.
Shall not God avenge his own elect? Luke 18:7.
If it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Matthew 24:24.
He shall send his angels--and they shall gather his elect from the four winds. Matthew 24:31.
2. Chosen selected; set apart as a peculiar church and people; applied to the Israelites. Isaiah 45:4.
Definition 2
CALLED, pp. Invited; summoned; addressed; named; appointed; invoked; assembled by order; recited
Definition 3
SAVED, pp. Preserved from evil; injury or destruction; kept frugally; prevented; spared; taken in time
Application in the bible
Matt 22:14 and Rev 20:8, John 3:16, Rom 10:13.
What does it mean to be called and then chosen and saved?
Who calls who, who chooses who and who saves who?
It seems calling and choosing isn't one and the same thing in the Scriptures. Taking into consideration the definitions of these two words and how Christ used them in Matthew 22. He said "many" not sure why not all. Does this mean "whosoever"? I can't speculate. However, it seems "whosoever" in John 3:16 has limits too. The benchmark set by Christ himself is found in Matthew 7:21 "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." Is this a contradiction to Romans 10:13 "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Again "whosever" appears. But Paul is quick to address that "whosoever". It it they who have believed by they have Christ being preached to them(verse 14). Yet Christ says it's not a matter of calling his name that saves. It is the doing of the Will if the father who is in heaven that entitles salvation. This is in consistency with John's description in Revelation 14:12 "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." True some have the testimony and faith of Jesus but don't see it a requirement to "keep the commandments of God". Interesting also is the 144 000 in the same chapter which have led many to believe that this is the number of people who are saved Taking again into consideration the definition of these words, the 144 000 is assumed to be the elect. The description of them is found in verses 4 and 5 of that same chapter yet that same John talks of the SAVED which he describes as "the number of whom is as the sand of the sea (20:8). It can therefore be concluded that the 144 000 is the number of the elect which means ,"chosen, designated by God to salvation; predestinated to glory as the end, and to sanctification as the means; usually with a plural signification, the elect" as in Noah Webster's 1828 Dictionary.
Who calls who and who chooses who?
Paul's calling. Choice or free will see Acts 9:10-15. John 6:26-65.
Coming to the lesson. It seems the lesson doesn't separate the three terms.
The issue Paul is addressing is salvation rather than servitude. The Jews rejected Christ as God sent Messiah. So Paul was addressing their unbelief in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
When I read Romans 8:29 the other day, I was struck by the order in which Paul put foreknowledge and predestination. As I understand it "foreknowledge" is God's ability to see future choices of His created beings. And it seems to me that Paul is saying here that God "predestined" those to be "conformed to the image of His Son" who, by their choice, would allow Him to do this for them. The way I see it, freedom to reject God's advances is a necessary prerequisite to a genuine love relationship with Him, and it is that love relationship that He seeks with His created beings.
I also don't believe that Webster's 1828 dictionary was inspired. 😉 Dictionary simply reflect common usage in society at the time of their collation. Thus they also reflect the theological understanding of the editors. So they are unable to provide definitive answers. And, of course, that doesn't address the theological leanings of Bible translators which also affect the choice of words they use. That's why I find that looking at the "big picture" as Maurice likes to do may be a better way to understanding truth.
Agreed, Inge. I even see evidence of Bible writers and prophets who seem to manage to convey the prevailing image, of that time, of a vengeful God. So for me also, the big picture is so much more important to keep in focus. And that big picture for me is of an eternally loving God who longs to reveal Himself to mankind, who continually calls His people to seek His face, to be saved, and to go and share what they have seen with all who will listen.
2 Things of concern when i read the story of Jacob and Esau
1) the word "hated" in (Rom. 9:12-13) is so offensive that anyone may be tempted to think God is a God of preferences who can just decide to hate some people while loving others!
2) The story of these two guys Jacob and Esau, and how eventually one of them becomes the progenitor of the Messiah confuses me. It seems like a comedy of errors where a thief who deceives his father with the help of his mother becomes the winner and surprisingly God sides with him. The victim of birthright grabbing (We say he sold it out but again, it appears like all was a plan of God) eventually vanishes from the books of History and today we hear nothing concrete about Esau and his descendants Edomites! Google has different versions of the modern location of this clan...However, even the seeming victor does not get it easy. He suffers untold torture in his flight to Aram and there, encounters his type; a fellow conman who makes him toil 20 good years for a woman as if God is making him pay for his crookedness against his elder brother; Honestly, the whole of this episode looks like a well orchestrated machination by a supreme being the reason for which may be as obscure as a myriad other secrets in religion.
Pascal, I think you know that there's much more to the story than you seem to imply.
Spiritual things are spiritually discerned (1 Cor 2:14), and the Lord is willing to reveal to anyone who asks, if they will but pray for them.
I challenge you to ask the Lord to reveal the spiritual lessons in this story to you. It will be far more rewarding than anyone else telling you what is there. 🙂
Welcome aboard Inge
True the dictionary isn't inspired. But looking at verses quoted we do understand that Romans 10:13 and John 3:16 are talking about provision. We do understand that Matthew 22:14 is talking about many who are called and only a few chosen. Deductive reasoning says the three aren't the same.
We also understand that "calling" is vocation. If chosen is the same as called Christ would not have used the two words in one sentence?
We do understand that all these are acts of God. I also understand that this act independent from man's input. I think Romans 9:16 explains that.
Now the conversion of Paul, will we say he had the freedom to reject God's advances?
Let's recall Jonah's predicament. Didn't he try to run away and God forced him.
To me Inge I believe we are not being spiritual in tackling Romans 9.
Jonah was not given a choice of whether to go to Nineveh. But he had a choice whether to be saved, himself. That is the difference under discussion. In Rom. 9, Pharaoh had no choice but to let Israel go, but he did have a choice about the conditions under which he did so, and about his own salvation. Nebuchadnezzar didn't even have a choice about his seven years of insanity, but he did have a choice as to how he responded to God at the end of it. And Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar made opposite choices in the end. We don't know what choice Jonah made in the end.
While every sinner is called, it is WE who make our "calling and election sure"(2 Peter 1:10, read also the previous verses of this chapter). It is up to us to decide our eternal destiny, while God has made every provision to make that choice possible, which ultimately decides. All who are lost chose not to be saved. (I'm not sure that anyone chooses to be lost, though most will choose not to be saved according to God's way.)
That God is The Prophet proves His divinity doesn't it? He speaks of things that will be as if they are. God LOVED Esau, but could not bless such an impenitent soul, which would have only increased Esau's boldness in transgression. God never "hated", but could not bless, and thus looks like hate. In the end, the wicked will perish feeling the "wrath" of God, but will never perceive the infinite sorrow that God will experience in their destruction. We cannot look at the Cross and believe that God "hates" as we experience hate.
God hates all workers of iniquity Ps 5:4-6; 11:5; 34:16
Beloved, God loves each and everyone and His salvation is there for all. Unless we choose not to accept Him, reject having faith in Him and lead disobedient life. Salvation is all about choice.
There is no time nor space to go into all the details, but I think that eternal selection and prededtination in Romans is within the context of justification by faith. As faith in Christ is the condition of receiving the righteousness of God in Christ, so eternal selection and predestination is tied to the condition of believing in Christ. Both are gifts of grace received by grace. In this context election and prediedtination is tied to individual salvation apart from the role of the church als vehicle of promise.
Winfried Stolpmann
I do believe, as Paul does, in predestination. He goes to great lengths to show that through Adam, we are all predestined to die in sin. He then shows that through the second Adam we are all predestined to be saved. Now, seeing as we are predestined for both, it is our choice which destiny becomes ours.
Ian I have already made mention elsewhere of God's foreknowlege which is linked to predestination. There also was a text in Matt22:14 given by Anele Dube that says many are called but few are chosen. I believe this is saying, the ones called are not the ones being chosen. The ones being chosen are those that make a choice to answer the calling.
its a lovely thought that in first Adam we lost the choice to live
but through the second Adam we have the choice to live. The overall plan of God is to save all .
Ian, I think you are very right, to a point. Adam’s rebellious decision against God sold himself and his posterity into Satan’s hands thus becoming children of wrath, relative to God (Eph 2:3). Scripture affirms that Adam being head of the human race all his seed (in him) sold themselves that day under sin and Satan (Rom 5:12). Unless we acknowledge this truth we will never arrive at succeeding truth. Adam’s posterity didn’t have to make any decision as to their state and destiny. Our head, Adam, did that for us.
Christ’s decision to submit His will to God and obey Him establishes the status and destiny for His posterity, all of them - like it happened for all of Adam’s children (Rom 5:15-21). Scripture reveals Christ’s posterity.
I think God's foreknowledge is often mistaken for predestination