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Topic:
Election
Of Grace
With regard to the term "election of grace," the Scripture
speaks (1) of the election of individuals to office or to honour and
privilege, e.g., Abraham, Jacob, Saul, David, Solomon, were all chosen
by God for the positions they held; so also were the apostles. (2) There
is also an election of nations to special privileges, e.g., the Hebrews
(Deut. 7:6; Rom. 9:4). (3) 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).
Derived from Easton's and Smith's Bible Dictionaries
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