Few doctrines stir as much debate—or discomfort—as divine election. Critics dismiss it as cold predestination that makes God arbitrary. Sceptics worry it undermines human responsibility. Even believers sometimes struggle with questions: “Why would a loving God choose some but not others?” Yet Scripture speaks clearly about election. The Bible’s teaching on election reveals two fundamental truths: its ultimate goal is the display of God’s glory, and its ground rests solely in His sovereign will—not human merit or foreseen faith.

 

THE UNSHAKABLE BIBLICAL FOUNDATION

The doctrine of election stands on Bible passages that leave little room for misinterpretation.

• Election Preceded Even Creation: In Ephesians 1:4, Paul declares that God “chose us in him before the foundation of the world.” The timing is crucial—this choice preceded creation itself, eliminating any possibility that God’s election was a response to human actions or decisions.
• The Divine Initiative in Every Link: Romans 8:29-30 provides the famous “golden chain” of salvation: “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son… And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” Notice the divine initiative in every link. Paul doesn’t say “those who chose God” but “those whom he foreknew”—a reference not to passive observation but to God’s active, electing love.
• Election Excludes Our Works: Perhaps most striking is Romans 9:11, where Paul explains that God’s choice of Jacob over Esau occurred “though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue.” This passage deliberately excludes human works or character as factors in divine election. The choice was made “not because of works but because of him who calls.”

These passages challenge our human sensibilities, but they form the non-negotiable foundation of the Reformed doctrine of election.

 

THE GOAL OF ELECTION: MAGNIFYING GOD’S GLORY

Why does God choose? Scripture consistently points to one ultimate purpose:

The Display of His Own Glory. Ephesians 1:6 states that election occurs “to the praise of his glorious grace.” This phrase appears three times in Ephesians 1 (verses 6, 12, 14), emphasizing that each person of the Trinity works in salvation for the same end—God’s glory.

The Display of His Character: This isn’t divine narcissism; it’s perfect wisdom. God’s glory represents the full display of His character—His justice, mercy, holiness, love, and sovereignty working in perfect harmony. Through election, God creates a cosmic theatre where His attributes are displayed for all creation to see.

Consider how election showcases God’s mercy and justice simultaneously. Justice demands that sin be punished—every human deserves condemnation (Romans 3:23). Yet mercy moved God to choose some for salvation. Neither attribute is compromised. The elect receive unmerited grace, while others receive precisely what justice requires. As Paul writes in Romans 9:22-23, God endures “with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy.”

True Worship of His Name: Far from being cold or mechanical, election should lead us to worship. When believers grasp that their salvation flows from God’s eternal, unchanging purpose rather than their own fickle faithfulness, the response should be doxology, not anxiety. We can rest secure in God’s sovereign love, knowing that “those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified” (Romans 8:30).

True Assurance of Salvation For His People: The Westminster Confession captures this well: “The doctrine of this high mystery of predestination is to be handled with special prudence and care… that men attending the will of God revealed in his Word… may, from the certainty of their effectual calling, be assured of their eternal election.”

 

THE GROUND OF ELECTION: GOD’S SOVEREIGN WILL ALONE

If the goal of election is God’s glory, what is its ground? Scripture is equally clear: election rests solely on God’s sovereign will, not on any human merit or foreseen response.

This principle directly contradicts popular notions that God elects based on foreseen faith. Romans 9:11 explicitly states God’s choice was made “not because of works but because of him who calls.” If election were based on foreseen faith, it would still be based on human works—the work of believing. But Paul insists in Ephesians 2:8-9 that salvation is “not of works, lest anyone should boast,” and Titus 3:5 declares it’s “not because of works done by us in righteousness.”

The doctrine of total depravity explains why human choice cannot be the ground of election. Sin has so corrupted human nature that we are “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1) and “unable to please God” (Romans 8:8). Dead people don’t choose life; they must be made alive first. If salvation depended on foreseen human response, none would be saved because none would respond positively in their natural state.

Instead, election finds its ground in what Ephesians 1:5 calls God’s “good pleasure.” This isn’t arbitrary whim but the expression of God’s eternal counsel and perfect wisdom. As Isaiah 55:8-9 reminds us, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.”

But isn’t this unfair? This objection reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of grace and justice. Justice means getting what you deserve; mercy means not getting what you deserve; grace means getting what you don’t deserve. Since all humanity deserves condemnation due to sin, God would be perfectly just to save no one. That He chooses to save any demonstrates magnificent grace, not unfairness.

Paul anticipated this objection in Romans 9:14: “Is there injustice on God’s part?” His answer is emphatic: “By no means!” God shows mercy to some and justice to others, but no one receives less than they deserve.

 

LIVING OUT THE DOCTRINE

How should this doctrine shape Christian life?

• First, it provides unshakable assurance. Believers can rest knowing their salvation depends not on their fluctuating faith but on God’s unchanging purpose. Bad days, spiritual struggles, and even seasons of doubt cannot alter God’s eternal decree.
• Second, election fuels evangelism rather than hindering it. We don’t know who the elect are, so we proclaim the gospel to all, knowing God will use our witness to call His chosen ones. The same sovereignty that ensures the salvation of the elect also ordains the means—gospel preaching.
• Third, election cultivates humility. It demolishes human pride and self-righteousness by attributing salvation entirely to God’s grace. As Paul asks in 1 Corinthians 4:7, “What do you have that you did not receive?”
• Finally, election generates worship. When we grasp the magnitude of God’s unmerited favour, our hearts should overflow with gratitude and praise.

 

EMBRACING THE MYSTERY WITH WORSHIP

The doctrine of election remains a profound mystery in many respects. We cannot fully comprehend how divine sovereignty and human responsibility relate, nor can we fathom the depths of God’s eternal counsels. But mystery doesn’t mean contradiction or error—it means we encounter truths too grand for finite minds to fully grasp.

Rather than stumbling over what we cannot understand, we worship God for His perfect wisdom in election. This doctrine reveals a God who is truly God—sovereign, holy, just, and merciful. It displays grace that is truly gracious—unmerited, unconditional, unending.

The purpose of election is ultimately doxological. It exists to show forth God’s glory and to create a redeemed people who will praise Him for eternity. As Paul concludes his treatment of this doctrine in Romans 11:33-36: “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgements and how inscrutable his ways!… For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”

 

THE PURPOSE OF ELECTION: RELATED FAQs

How does the Arminian view of election differ from the Reformed position? Arminian teach that God elects based on His foreknowledge of who will believe, making election conditional on foreseen faith. They argue this preserves human free will and makes God’s choice seem more “fair.” However, this view still makes election dependent on human works (the work of believing) and fails to account for total depravity—how can spiritually dead people exercise saving faith? The Reformed view better preserves the gratuity of grace by grounding election solely in God’s sovereign will, ensuring salvation truly comes “not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:9).

• What did the early Puritans and Reformed scholars teach about election’s practical benefits? John Calvin emphasised election should bring comfort, not terror: he wrote it’s “a mirror in which we may behold the gratuitous adoption by which God has gathered us into his family.” Richard Sibbes called election “the sweetest doctrine in the Bible” because it secures believers’ salvation. Thomas Watson taught election makes Christians like “a tree planted by the rivers of water”—immovably rooted in God’s eternal purpose. These scholars consistently presented election as a source of assurance and motivation for holy living, not cold determinism.
• Does election apply only to individuals, or are there corporate aspects? While election certainly includes individual selection, Scripture also speaks of corporate election—God choosing Israel as a nation (Deuteronomy 7:6) and the church as His people (1 Peter 2:9). However, Reformed theology maintains corporate election doesn’t eliminate individual election but encompasses it. Even within chosen Israel, there was “a remnant chosen by grace” (Romans 11:5). The corporate dimension shows God’s electing purpose creates a unified people, but this doesn’t diminish the reality that He “calls his own sheep by name” (John 10:3).

How do Lutheran and Roman Catholic views on predestination compare to Reformed teaching? Lutherans teach single predestination: in other words, they affirm predestination in salvation but reject predestination in damnation (reprobation). Roman Catholics, following the Council of Trent, emphasise predestination is based on God’s foreknowledge of human cooperation with grace. Both positions struggle with consistency—if God actively elects some to salvation, why wouldn’t He also pass by others? The Reformed doctrine of double predestination (election to salvation, reprobation to judgement) provides a more logically consistent framework while maintaining that God is not the author of sin but rather withholds His restraining grace.

• What is the difference between “election” and “calling” in Reformed terminology? Election refers to God’s eternal decree choosing specific individuals for salvation “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4). Calling refers to God’s work in time, drawing the elect to salvation through the gospel. Reformed theology distinguishes between external calling (the general gospel invitation extended to all) and internal or effectual calling (the Spirit’s irresistible work in the hearts of the elect). All the elect receive effectual calling, but not all who receive external calling are elect. This explains why some respond to gospel preaching while others do not.
• How did Puritan pastors counsel people struggling with assurance of their election? Puritan ministers like William Perkins and Richard Baxter directed struggling believers to look for evidences of grace rather than trying to peer into God’s eternal decree. They taught the “practical syllogism”: Major premise—All who truly believe are elect; Minor premise—I truly believe (evidenced by love for Christ, hatred of sin, desire for holiness); Conclusion—Therefore I am elect. John Owen emphasised assurance comes through the Spirit’s witness with our spirit (Romans 8:16), while Thomas Brooks encouraged believers to “read their election in their sanctification.” They consistently pointed people away from introspective anxiety toward the objective promises of Christ.

If God has already chosen who will be saved, why should we evangelise or pray for the lost? This objection commits the fallacy of assuming God’s eternal decree operates independently of His ordained means. Scripture teaches both divine sovereignty and human responsibility without explaining how they coexist. God hasn’t only decreed the end (the salvation of the elect) but also the means (gospel preaching and prayer). As Charles Spurgeon famously said, “If God had painted a yellow stripe down the backs of the elect, I would go up and down the world lifting shirt tails, but since He has not, I must preach the gospel to all.” Reformed theology actually provides the strongest motivation for evangelism—knowing God’s word will not return empty and that He will use our witness to call His chosen ones.

 

THE PURPOSE OF ELECTION: OUR RELATED POSTS

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