Election is Not God's Arbitrary Work
"At first glance election seems to be an archaic idea, confined to the biblical mindset and more troublesome than helpful for modern audiences. We have difficulty thinking that God chooses some and ignores the rest. How can God be a God of love and do this? But such conclusions go far beyond the text of Ephesians. ...
"Election, as it relates to humans, expresses two ideas: the value given to human beings by God and responsibility they owe to God. Both are still important.
"The election language in Ephesians 1 is primarily about God and shows why God should be praised. Any conclusions drawn must derive from the fact that this is a doxology, not a systematic theology. This is not to ignore the theological significance of doxologies, but to stay within Paul's intention with his worship. His purpose is to focus on God at work, planning and drawing people to himself through Christ. If the focus is corporate rather than individual and if people are elect only in the Elect One, Christ, then this text has nothing to do with our fear that God chooses some and ignores others. That is a nonbiblical conclusion about the result of election and the question who is elect. The focus of the biblical text is on the cause of election -- God --and its purpose -- that Christians live holy and blameless before God. God values human beings and draws them -- both Jews and Gentiles -- to himself in Christ. The focus is God's grace, and this text will not support any discussions about arbitrary decisions from God.
Questions in the Debate About Election
"Numerous questions remain about election, and Christians will no doubt disagree on the answers. Can election be lost? Is it possible to have once been in Christ and then be out of him? But this text (and most others) do not treat our questions and suggest they may be misguided. Paul was more interested in praising God for his grace. While granting an element of mystery in the subject of election, certain points must be emphasized.
(1) Election is God's grace in action.
(2) God chose Abraham and then Israel for a task -- to bless all the nations of the earth (Genesis 12:3).
(3) Jesus took on the task of Israel as God's Elect One.
(4) People are elect in Christ for relation to God.
(5) While God chooses, people still have choice and are responsible for their decisions.
(6) Election does demonstrate God's favor, which can be a strong support in a time of difficulty, but it is never to be treated as a sign of superiority.
(7) More important, election always implies responsibility. People are chosen to do something.
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The ultimate goal of election is the revelation of God's own character, which Ephesians expresses as the praise of his glory.
"Consequently, most of the debates about election should be politely set aside. If we focus on praising God for valuing us and if we realize the responsibility that his valuing brings, we have understood Paul, and the other questions on election recede in importance. No one should worry whether he or she is elect. The main question is: "Are you in Christ and one with him?"
SUMMARY
If we understand that even among those denominations in Christianity which subscribe to the most rigid views of divine election, there are elements which reject those rigid views (i.e. Free Will Baptists), we begin to see that the broad doctrine of election is not uniform in its acceptance nor in its application. This should cause Christians to be cautious in hurling anathemas at those who differ with them concerning the specifics of election.
The elimination of free will, and therefore personal responsibility, as taught in extreme views of election and predestination, results in crippled Christians. It is both spiritually detrimental and spiritually impossible to reconcile an arbitrary God with the God of the Cross. Thus it is the view of this researcher that God's sovereignty is more visible and more firmly established on the cross wooing mankind to himself, than it is in angrily and arbitrarily assigning some to heaven and others to hell.
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