The 2012 Election

News media are filled with reports concerning Tuesday's Presidential
Election in the U.S. According to recent polls, the front runners -- Obama
and Romney - are in a very tight race. Because of the disparity of the
platforms of these candidates that will direct the future of this country,
many are calling this "a monumental election."

Yet, there is an even more important "election" that is revealed in God's
Word.

The Apostle Paul opened his letter to Christians in Ephesus with these
words:

"3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us
with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4just as He
chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy
and without blame before Him in love, 5having predestined us to adoption as
sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,
6to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in
the Beloved." -- Ephesians 1:3-6

Some use this passage to teach that before God created the world, He
arbitrarily decreed that certain individuals would be lost and others would
be saved apart from any choice that the individual might make. This
doctrine suggests that God has already decided if YOU are going to be saved
or lost, and there's nothing you can do about it. Proponents of this idea
advocate that the "election" is complete, and if you weren't "picked," then
you have (or are) lost and are doomed to destruction.

Is that what the Bible teaches? Is the "election" over?

The key phrase of the passage above is "in Him," which means, "in Christ."
"In Christ" is where every spiritual blessing is found (v. 3). "In Him" are
found those who have been adopted by God (v. 5). "In the Beloved" is where
those whom God has saved were made acceptable to God (v. 6). Also observe
the next verse: "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the
forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace" (Ephesians 1:7).

It is our sins that condemn us. But God loves us so much that He gave His
Son to die on the cross for our sins (John 3:16; 1 Peter 2:24), so that we
might receive forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life. He devised
this PLAN to redeem sinful man through Christ before He even created the
world (1 Peter 1:18-20).

It was not the case that God chose certain individuals to be either saved or
lost; rather, the Lord foreordained that those who are "in Christ" would be
saved.

How does one "get into" Christ?

"For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of
you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ." - Galatians 3:26-27

We are placed "in Christ" when we respond to the call of the Gospel ("Good
News" of Christ by placing our faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31),
turning from sin in repentance (Acts 17:30-31) confessing Him before men
(Romans 10:9-10), and being baptized (immersed) into Christ for the
forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2:38; Galatians 3:26-27).

Wayne Jackson has written: "To say the same thing in another way, before the
world's foundation, God elected to save those who would be obedient to His
Son." *

Won't YOU trust and obey Jesus so that Christ can give you the victory of
being a part of God's elect?

David A. Sargent* Wayne Jackson in "Ephesians 1:4 - Predestination."
www.christiancourier.com

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