ELECTION

I think we understand the doctrine of election better if we look at in the light of God’s purpose for the church. In the Old Testament we see that the nation if Israel is God’s elect: Isaiah 45:4=Israel Mine elect. This seems to include both saved and unsaved. In II Timothy 2:10 Paul writes about working to save some of the elect.

With the New Testament church it is different. There it seems touch more on
the individual. In II Timothy 2:19 we read: The Lord knoweth them that are His. In
Ephesians I:5 Paul tells us that we are chosen before the foundation of the world.
We need to begin by asking: “What is God’s purpose for the church “? James, (in Acts 15:14) saw that God is (from the Gentiles) calling out a people for His Name The specific reason is that in this age God the Father is winning a bride for His
Son.
Note the following verses:
John 3:29: John the Baptist calls himself the friend of the Bridegroom. He fully expected to be at the wedding.
Matthew 22:2; Matthew 25:1-13 and other parables all show Jesus as a coming Bridegroom.
II Corinthians 11:2 and Ephesians 5:27: Paul’s ministry was working to present the Church to Christ as the perfect bride.
Revelation 19:7: The marriage itself.
This, then is God’s purpose for the present age; to win a bride for His Son. This explains the delay in the Lord’s return. The bride must be completed. First of all Jesus said in John 14:6: “No man comes to the Father but by Me”.
This is an absolute statement. Another absolute is in John 12:32, “ And I, if I be lifted up will draw all men unto Me”. The Pharisees claimed to love the Father but they hated the Son.
If we read carefully through John 6: 35-40 we see the steps.
One; all those who come to the Father can only come through the Son.
Two: all who come to the Father are then given to the Son as His bride.
Three: the Father knows who will receive Christ as Savior through His foreknowledge:
! Peter 1:2 and in Romans 8:29.
Four: as God knows who will accept the free offer of salvation the rapture of the church
will happen when the bride is completed.
As deceit grows fewer and fewer people will believe the gospel. The only thing that will then wake the multitudes will be the rapture and the horrors of the tribulation.
For man’s part we could give many passages but one is Ephesians 5:14: “Awake thou that sleepest and Christ shall give thee light.