Election And Adoption
Elder O. B. Mink
Now In Glory
"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: {5} Having predestinated
us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to
the good pleasure of his will," ( Ephesians 1:4-5 )
Verse 4 : "... He (God) hath chosen us (the Ephesians,
Paul, and the faithful in Christ Jesus, verse 1) in Him (Christ Jesus)
before the foundation of the world ..." (Before Adam had a being,
and before the world had a beginning).
Many one word questions which perplex the mind of some who try and
oppose the doctrine of divine election are answered in Ephesians
1:4 . Questions such as; Who? Where? How? Why? etc. are all put to rest
for the student desiring to honor God's word.
Who did the electing? "... He (God) hath chosen us ...
When? "... Before the foundation of the world ..." (dateless eternity)
Where? "... In Him (Christ) ..."
How? By His infinite love and mercy "Before Him in love."
Why? "...That we should be holy ..."
Verse 5 : "Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus
Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will ."
There is no firm or rigid distinction between predestination and election.
The terms are so close that they can be used interchangeably without losing
any measure of what is being conveyed. For example: To say a person is elected
for heaven is the exact equal of saying the person is predestinated for heaven.
Predestination and election relate to the same eternal decree, and for all
practical purposes, are identical. The Scriptural terms, elect, predestinate,
foreordain, determine before, are without variance references to the eternal
counsel and power of God. Whatever God does in time is an outgrowth of His
sovereign and eternal design. "According to the good pleasure of His will,"
( verse 5 ). Human destiny is determined by the will of God, thus
Paul says, "... The purpose of God according to election might stand, not
of works, but of Him that calleth," ( Romans 9:11 ). Election
is not based on any thing foreseen in the creature, but of the will of the
Creator exclusively, and for His pleasure.
ELECTION: THE CHIEF OBJECT OF ARMINIAN HATRED
Of all the doctrines hated by Arminians, the doctrine of eternal, unconditional
election is the chief object of their undiluted hatred. When this doctrine
is viewed through Holy Spirit anointed eyes, it is seen to be no harsh or
hateful doctrine, but is seen to be a glorious truth which bespeaks the love,
kindness, mercy, and grace of God; for without election there would be no
salvation. God is the eternal Arbiter, and His purpose eternally fixed, and
His will unalterable. The immutability of God's will applies not only to
His justice and wrath, but also to His love, mercy, and grace. Thus it is,
God says to Jeremiah, "... I have loved thee with an everlasting love ..."
( Jeremiah 31:3 ). God does not love the elect more after they are
saved than He does before they are saved.
The Arminian charge wherein they say predestinarian baptists make salvation
the result of a cold, impersonal, mechanical decree is a manifestation of
their ignorance of God's word, and baptist doctrine. Neither is the elective
decree born of blind fatalism, but is the product of divine love and wisdom.
The infinite counsel and grace of God are manifested by the elective decree,
and God is magnified by the execution of His purpose, 'in bringing many
sons unto glory,'. When these great truths are compared to the Arminian
doctrine of the freewill of man, it is with the least deliberation seen,
that Arminianism is the means whereby God's infinite counsel, power, and
grace suffer diminution. Yea, the Arminian scheme makes grace to be no more
grace and causes the man that willeth and runneth to be author of his salvation.
Paul says, such doctrine is to make Christ's death of none effect ( Galatians
5:4 ).
CHOSEN IN CHRIST
The saint needs to ever remember he was "Chosen in Him" (Christ). The covenant
of election has for its ground the vicarious death of Christ. The Father's
choosing would never know fruition apart from the Son's redemptive death,
and the Holy Spirit would have no gifts to bestow, for it was Christ's death,
burial, and resurrection that procured the covenant blessings. The elect
are doubly assured, they were chosen in Christ, and in regeneration Christ
indwells the believer, thus it is, Paul says, "... Christ in you the hope
of glory," ( Colossians 1:27 ) ( John 14:20 ).
God's choice is eternal and immutable. His choice was made "Before the foundation
of the world," ( verse 4 ). It was made before time was conceived
in the womb of eternity and prior to the first creative fiat of God. ( 2
Thessalonians 2:13 ). Nothing can come to pass in time that can, in any
measure, cause God to alter His determination to save and keep His people.
"But He is in one mind, and who can turn Him? and what His soul desireth
even that He doeth," ( Job 23:13 ).
THE PURPOSE OF ELECTION IS FOR GOD'S GLORY
The purpose of election is for God's glory. God never acts except to glorify
Himself. Many of the old confessions of faith contain these words, "Man's
chief end is to glorify God, and enjoy Him forever." We do not oppose the
Arminian contention that election is unto holiness. It is the ultimate folly
for a person to think he is one of God's elect while he neglects the pursuit
of an holy character. Then, too, it is folly to think a person is chosen
to holiness without having been first chosen to salvation. "... God hath
from the beginning chosen you to salvation ..." ( 2 Thessalonians 2:13
). God has chosen a number of Adam's posterity to salvation and
holiness and from the human side, this is the order of experience. God did
not choose them because of any foreseen holiness in them, nor because He
saw that they would be holy, but His choice included His determination to
make them holy. "Chosen ... that we should be holy," ( verse 4 ).
GOD HAS DESIGNED THAT HIS people should be holy and without blame ,
which are but the two sides of the same robe, our robe of righteousness.
All who are elected to wear the bridal gown ( Revelation 19: 7-8 )
are appointed to holiness as the means. The elect's salvation and sanctification
is the result of the infinite counsel and everlasting love of God. "Herein
is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His son to
be the propitiation for our sins." ( I John 4:10 ) (i.e. Revelation
13:8 ).
The design and end of election is holiness of life, and regeneration
is the initial work of the Holy Spirit in conforming the elect unto the ultimate
image of Christ. It is true, the elect are chosen to go to heaven, but it
is equally true, they are to travel the highway of holiness while enroute.
Many people want heaven beyond the grave, but they do not want holiness
this side of the grave. Yet, these people are without excuse for the Bible
plainly states, without holiness, "no man shall see the Lord," ( Hebrews
12:14 ).
"Without blame" ( verse 4 ) speaks of the sanctifying work of the
Holy Spirit wrought in the elect whereby they are "conformed to the image
of His Son." "Without blame" is a sacrificial term and carries us in our
study back to Israel's blemish less lamb ( Exodus 12:5 ), which, in
type, spoke clearly of the Lamb of God Who was to take away the sin of His
people ( Matthew 1:21 ). And Peter says, "Elect ... ye know ye were
not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain
conversation received by tradition from your fathers: but with the precious
blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot," ( I Peter
1:2 18, 19 ).
The cause of election is God. The ground of election is Jesus Christ, and
as the harvest of election is brought in from the field (world) we see that
salvation is the first fruit, holiness of life in the elects' earthly pilgrimage
is the second fruit, and finally, standing before God blemish less, and a
co-heir with Christ.
Thank God for election!
ADOPTION
Verse 5: "Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus
Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will."
Adoption embraces more than our relationship to God as children. In regeneration
the elect person is made aware he is a child of God, ( I John 5:13 ).
Our relationship as children of God is brought about by the new birth, but
our son ship in God speaks of maturity. The word adoption literally means
a "placing as sons." Thus, in adoption the child receives a place as an adult
son, his days as a minor are past. His swaddling clothes are no longer needed.
Adoption, like election, is eternal in its nature. Those given to Christ
in the eternal covenant of election were predestinated to the adoption of
children before the foundation of the world ( Ephesians. 1:4-5 ).
We need to highlight the eternal aspect of adoption to show that our new
birth, and sonship have their origin in the free grace of the Sovereign Adopter.
Therefore, adoption in no way relates to human merit. There is a doctrine
connotated "Adoptionism" which teaches that Jesus of Nazareth became son
of God by adoption, (Webster's Dictionary - Adoptionism). This is essentially
what the so-called Jehovah witnesses teach regarding Jesus. They allow that
he was a son of God, a creature of God. This is rank blasphemy, and ought
not to be given a moments hearing, ( 2 John 7-11 ). The word "adoption"
is nowhere in Scripture used to refer to Jesus Christ. In fact, Paul is the
only one of all Scripture writers to use the term, it is peculiar to him.
And in every place where it is used, it is used to refer to the privileges
of the elect which are theirs through Divine adoption. The complete manifestation
of our adoption and the full realization of its privileges are yet future,
"... Waiting the adoption (when we are literally, or experientially set before
God as sons), to wit; the redemption of our body," ( Romans 8:23 ).
In this earth as it is, we will never be recognized as sons of God, simply
because this present world does not own the existence or authority of the
true God. But one day, after a while, when election brings forth its ultimate
fruit, and we are clothed in the exact likeness of Christ, for this mortal
must put on immortality, and when the earth is brought back from the curse,
then will all men know, we are "sons of God."
The blessings which flow from Divine adoption are too numerous to mention,
but suffice it to say, they are eternal and according to the good pleasure
of His will.
(Sovereign
Grace Advocate - August, 1977)
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