Utumishi Blog

We’ve been going through Genesis in staff devotions and one of the big themes we’ve been seeing is election. No wonder Paul went there for his doctrine of election (Rom. 9). And one of the things that has particularly struck us is that at each stage in Genesis there is only ONE elect. Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph. It comes out really clearly in Gen. 27 where there is no blessing left for Esau – it is a singular blessing for a singular ‘seed’. The question for most people in the narrative is not whether you are the elect one it is whether you will ‘bless’ / ‘bow to’ the one blessed elect man (Gen. 12:3; 27:29c; 37:9).

And then at the ministry training course we saw in Ephesians 1 that, again, all the blessing is in one man (v3). We are chosen, predestined, redeemed, forgiven, sealed in him (v4-14). We were chosen before the foundation of the world when we didn’t even exist and there was just Father, Spirit and the Elect Son (v4).

Having a Jesus-centred view of election totally changes how you look at it. Here’s the end of a sermon by Rich Owen on Genesis 27:

Most Christians I know fear God’s election. It sows doubt in people’s hearts, or resentment. Am I elect? Is my husband elect? Are my children elect?

I want to gently and respectfully suggest that our fear comes because we are coming at this from the wrong end.

We tend to think that election is all about us, am I elect? I don’t know. And that is where the fear comes from. But its not about us, it is about Christ. Scripture wants you to know that Christ has been chosen, Christ is has been elected to be the champion of salvation.

Being elect is not like having a winning lottery ticket. The Father has only made one choice, and that is in Christ Jesus. Christ Jesus is God’s choice in human flesh, not me and not you.

We are chosen because Christ is chosen, we are elected because Christ is the Elect One of the Father, chosen before the foundation of the world to be it’s Lord.

So run to Jesus, become one of his children, stand in his election – then you know you are elect. You don’t need to be scared by this.

So if you find yourself asking that question – am I elect – then ask yourself – why am I asking that question?

Assurance?

If I ask that question for assurance, then I’m looking for assurance outside of Christ – in my own flesh. Its not all about me! It’s the wrong question because assurance is not found within me, but in Christ. Christ Jesus is God’s choice in human flesh.

I should ask the question – is Christ elect? And I go to scripture and see that all the purposes and promises of the Father find their yes and Amen in Christ Jesus (2 Cor 1:20).

Christ Jesus is God’s choice in human flesh – trust him and see full assurance. Run to Jesus, become one of his children, stand in his election – then you know you are elect

The Father has desired that fallen humanity should be rescued. He loves this broken world, desires to have that fellowship with us and to restore paradise on Earth. He is moved in his heart so much that he sends forth his one and only Son, the eternal Word that whoever would believe in him would not perish but have eternal life, and be restored. Jesus is the promised seed.

I’ll end with a quote from Spurgeon: “So you ask if you are elect, you ask what you do not know. Go to Jesus, just as you are in all your guilt.  Go straight to Christ and hide in His wounds, and you shall know your election.  The assurance of the Holy Spirit shall be given to you, so that you shall be able to say I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.”