(18) The Good News of Election (BC 16)

Immanuel Fellowship Church

The Bible's story moves briskly from the heights of the glory of creation to the depths of the despair of sin and corruption. When Adam exercised his free will contrary to God's will, his descendants fell "into perdition and ruin."But even at this low point in mankind's brief history God was at work. He had eternally and unchangeably committed to save sinners "without any consideration of their works." God had "elected and chosen in Jesus Christ our Lord" a people to be his very own. That should sound to us like good news.Some people dislike the idea of election. They think it reduces humans to manipulated objects, cancelling human freedom. But election is clearly biblical. According to Jesus God has his "elect," those "whom he chose' (Mark 13:20). God chooses some and not others (Rom. 9:10–13). The question isn't Does God elect? but What is election and what difference does it make?And many objections to unconditional election can be overcome when we consider the doctrine in light of the tragic and damning reality of original sin. If original sin is "So vile and enormous in God's sight that it is enough to condemn the human race" (art. 15; see Rom. 5:18) then only the sovereign choice of almighty God could rescue people from their calamity. That is just how the Belgic Confession frames the doctrine of election.