The Elect and the Sovereignty of God

Speaking of faith, it is a matter of trusting God and honoring His majesty that we leave many mysteries to Him. It is to be expected that since God created this entire vast universe with all its intricacies, He certainly perfectly understands a great many things that are beyond human understanding. The term, Elect⁹ appears frequently in this Sum. Scripture teaches that due to original sin, all people not only come into the world as rebels against God, but due to their sin nature, are completely unable of their own power to make the choice to repent and believe in Jesus Christ for salvation. They do not even want to be saved. “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:44 ESV). Even before Creation however, God chose or elected some people whom the Holy Spirit would regenerate so as to make them able and willing to savingly repent and believe in Christ. The rest of mankind, God simply passed over, leaving them to the just punishment for their sins in eternal hellfire. The Apostle Paul, speaking for God, sternly rebukes those who would complain that God is somehow not fair or somehow does not “respect” our own choices: “But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” (Romans 9:20 ESV).

Please! Do not let this doctrine get between you and Christ! If you want to be saved and you obey the Gospel as offered, Christ will most certainly save you from your sins. Your desire is strong evidence that you are one of the Elect. “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out” (John 6:37 ESV).

9 The editor capitalizes Elect as is common for names of people groups.