The Accomplishment of Salvation
Election and Predestination
Chosen Before the Foundation of the World
Description
Before time began, God the Father, in His sovereign grace, chose a people for Himself. This election was not based on foreseen faith or merit but on His own purpose and grace given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. He predestinated us unto adoption as children according to the good pleasure of His will. Election is the fountain of all saving benefits—calling, justification, sanctification, glorification all flow from this eternal decree. This doctrine humbles human pride (we contributed nothing to our salvation), magnifies divine grace (salvation is wholly of the Lord), and provides unshakable assurance (whom He predestinated, He also glorified—past tense certainty).
Key Verses
According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.
For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth; It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain.
And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.