Election of Grace
The Scripture speaks…
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…of the election of individuals to office or to honor and privilege, e.g., Abraham, Jacob, Saul, David, Solomon, were all chosen by God for the positions they held; so also were the apostles.
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There is also an election of nations to special privileges, e.g., the Hebrews ( Deut. 7:6; Rom. 9:4).
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But in addition there is an election of individuals to eternal life (2 Thess. 2:13; Eph. 1:4; 1 Pet. 1:2; John 13:18).
The ground of this election to salvation is the good pleasure of God ( Eph. 1:5, 11; Matt. 11:25,26; John 15:16, 19). God claims the right so to do ( Rom. 9:16, 21).
It is not conditioned on faith or repentance, but is of soverign grace (Rom. 11:4-6; Eph. 1:3-6). All that pertain to salvation, the means (Eph. 2:8; 2 Thess. 2:13) as well as the end, are of God (Acts 5:31; 2 Tim. 2:25; 1 Cor. 1:30; Eph. 2:5, 10). Faith and repentance and all other graces are the exercises of a regenerated soul; and regeneration is God's work, a “new creature.”
Men are elected “to salvation,” “to the adoption of sons,” “to be holy and without blame before him in love” (2 Thess. 2:13; Gal. 4:4-5; Eph. 1:4). The ultimate end of election is the praise of God's grace (Eph. 1:6, 12)
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