THE KEY TO ELECTION
George N. H. Peters, The Theocratic Kingdom of Our Lord Jesus, the Christ, 1:402 says:
The doctrine of the kingdom in its covenanted aspect gives us the key to the doctrine of election. The language referring to election based (1) on the Divine Purpose relating to this Theocratic Kingdom; (2) on the Plan embraced in that Purpose, of gathering out of a people, - whose character, etc., is predetermined – to whom it can be entrusted; (3) on the acceptance of the conditions by persons through which they come into the line of that purpose. The election then (a) is, so far as God is concerned, pre-ordained; such a people will be gathered (as even Moses predicted) for such a kingdom of kings and priests to be established and, as God changes not, it will most assuredly be carried into execution.; (b) on the part of man, he comes in the line of the predestined order, or elect, or chosen, just as soon as he accords or falls in with the determined process of engrafting through faith in Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:14 speaks of Christ breaking down the “middle wall of partition” between Jews and Gentiles. Note that this is between Jewish and Gentile believers in Christ and not between Jewish nation and Gentile nations. No Gentile nation has been chosen in place of the Jewish nation, for this would violate God’s oath-given covenants. Israel as a nation rejected their Messiah, but in other that God’s promise and His purpose to establish His kingdom on the earth might be fulfilled to the elect nation, He continues the election by incorporating Gentile believers. He requires a certain determined number for the accomplishment of His purpose: This is “the blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in” (Rom. 11:25).
This plan for the Church and Israel is explained in Romans 9-11. Notice several important points:
1.The passage is dealing with the election of Israel, not the Church (9:3, 4).
2.It has to do with election to religious privileges rather than with personal salvation (9:4, 5).
3.It speaks of both national and individual election (9:4, 6-7).
4.The consequences are earthly; election is not said to be to heaven or hell.
5.This chapter reveals that corporate or national election does not save individuals. National election is to national privileges, but each individual person needs salvation, and Paul was burdened for his Jewish brethren.
6.This passage records and explains the fall and restoration of Israel (because they rejected their Messiah). They are being chastised in this age (Deut. 28:63-68; Acts 13:46; 18:6).
7.All Israel is not the true Israel – the unbelieving ones are excluded from the ministry and privilege (Rom. 9:6) as well as eternal life (9:31-32).
8.Isaac and Jacob were elected for the privilege of being the pathway of the seed from which Christ was born (9:7-13).
9.God overrules evil for His own purpose. Pharaoh is an example. Exodus says that on occasion God hardens Pharaoh’s heart, and that at other times He hardened His own heart. God hardened his heart by letting him exercise his own will, which became a little harder each time he resisted God. The word fitted in Romans 9:22 can be translated in the middle voice to read, “What if God, willing to show His wrath, and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath [who have] fitted [themselves] to destruction.”
10.Whether for Jews or Gentiles, righteousness always comes by faith (9:30-32).
UNITED WITH CHRIST
God does not arbitrarily give away what He promised by an oath to give to Israel. By faith we are identified with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection (Rom. 6:3-4). “For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection” (6:5). The words planted together, from a biological work in the Greek, are used to mean grafted into or joined with Christ. Because of our position in Christ, who is God’s Elect (Isa. 42:1), corporately we are also called elect (1 Pet. 1:2; Rom. 8:33; 2 Tim. 2:10; Tit. 1:1; Col. 3:12). And because of this union with the living Christ, we are said to be chosen “in him” (Eph. 1:4). This is positional truth. We are not said to be chosen and “put into him.” Because of our position “in him” we receive these blessings. Both individual Jews and Gentiles are being added to His body, the Church. We have unique privileges as “the body of Christ” and in Christ as “the seed of Abraham” (Gal. 3:6-9, 14, 16, 18).
The word predestination in its various forms only appears four times in the Bible (Rom. 8:29, 30; Eph. 1:5, 11). It is always used in connection with the saved and tells about the special character of blessing that is theirs: “to adoption,” “to the praise of his glory,” or “conformed to the image of his Son.”
Hubert Lockyer in his book: All the Doctrines of the Bible, Pg. 153 says:
What must be born in mind is the fact that predestination is not God’s predetermining from past ages who should and who should not be saved. Scripture does not teach this view. What it does teach is that this doctrine of predestination concerns the future of believers. Predestination is the divine determining the glorious consummation of t all who through faith, and surrender become the Lord’s. He has determined before had that each child of His will reach adoption, or “son-placing” at his resurrection when Christ returns. It has been determined before hand that all who are truly Christ’s shall be conformed to His image (Rom. 8:29; Eph. 1:5).
From The Kingdom Of God Visualized, Pg. 123
George N. H. Peters, The Theocratic Kingdom of Our Lord Jesus, the Christ, 1:402 says:
The doctrine of the kingdom in its covenanted aspect gives us the key to the doctrine of election. The language referring to election based (1) on the Divine Purpose relating to this Theocratic Kingdom; (2) on the Plan embraced in that Purpose, of gathering out of a people, - whose character, etc., is predetermined – to whom it can be entrusted; (3) on the acceptance of the conditions by persons through which they come into the line of that purpose. The election then (a) is, so far as God is concerned, pre-ordained; such a people will be gathered (as even Moses predicted) for such a kingdom of kings and priests to be established and, as God changes not, it will most assuredly be carried into execution.; (b) on the part of man, he comes in the line of the predestined order, or elect, or chosen, just as soon as he accords or falls in with the determined process of engrafting through faith in Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:14 speaks of Christ breaking down the “middle wall of partition” between Jews and Gentiles. Note that this is between Jewish and Gentile believers in Christ and not between Jewish nation and Gentile nations. No Gentile nation has been chosen in place of the Jewish nation, for this would violate God’s oath-given covenants. Israel as a nation rejected their Messiah, but in other that God’s promise and His purpose to establish His kingdom on the earth might be fulfilled to the elect nation, He continues the election by incorporating Gentile believers. He requires a certain determined number for the accomplishment of His purpose: This is “the blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in” (Rom. 11:25).
This plan for the Church and Israel is explained in Romans 9-11. Notice several important points:
1.The passage is dealing with the election of Israel, not the Church (9:3, 4).
2.It has to do with election to religious privileges rather than with personal salvation (9:4, 5).
3.It speaks of both national and individual election (9:4, 6-7).
4.The consequences are earthly; election is not said to be to heaven or hell.
5.This chapter reveals that corporate or national election does not save individuals. National election is to national privileges, but each individual person needs salvation, and Paul was burdened for his Jewish brethren.
6.This passage records and explains the fall and restoration of Israel (because they rejected their Messiah). They are being chastised in this age (Deut. 28:63-68; Acts 13:46; 18:6).
7.All Israel is not the true Israel – the unbelieving ones are excluded from the ministry and privilege (Rom. 9:6) as well as eternal life (9:31-32).
8.Isaac and Jacob were elected for the privilege of being the pathway of the seed from which Christ was born (9:7-13).
9.God overrules evil for His own purpose. Pharaoh is an example. Exodus says that on occasion God hardens Pharaoh’s heart, and that at other times He hardened His own heart. God hardened his heart by letting him exercise his own will, which became a little harder each time he resisted God. The word fitted in Romans 9:22 can be translated in the middle voice to read, “What if God, willing to show His wrath, and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath [who have] fitted [themselves] to destruction.”
10.Whether for Jews or Gentiles, righteousness always comes by faith (9:30-32).
UNITED WITH CHRIST
God does not arbitrarily give away what He promised by an oath to give to Israel. By faith we are identified with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection (Rom. 6:3-4). “For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection” (6:5). The words planted together, from a biological work in the Greek, are used to mean grafted into or joined with Christ. Because of our position in Christ, who is God’s Elect (Isa. 42:1), corporately we are also called elect (1 Pet. 1:2; Rom. 8:33; 2 Tim. 2:10; Tit. 1:1; Col. 3:12). And because of this union with the living Christ, we are said to be chosen “in him” (Eph. 1:4). This is positional truth. We are not said to be chosen and “put into him.” Because of our position “in him” we receive these blessings. Both individual Jews and Gentiles are being added to His body, the Church. We have unique privileges as “the body of Christ” and in Christ as “the seed of Abraham” (Gal. 3:6-9, 14, 16, 18).
The word predestination in its various forms only appears four times in the Bible (Rom. 8:29, 30; Eph. 1:5, 11). It is always used in connection with the saved and tells about the special character of blessing that is theirs: “to adoption,” “to the praise of his glory,” or “conformed to the image of his Son.”
Hubert Lockyer in his book: All the Doctrines of the Bible, Pg. 153 says:
What must be born in mind is the fact that predestination is not God’s predetermining from past ages who should and who should not be saved. Scripture does not teach this view. What it does teach is that this doctrine of predestination concerns the future of believers. Predestination is the divine determining the glorious consummation of t all who through faith, and surrender become the Lord’s. He has determined before had that each child of His will reach adoption, or “son-placing” at his resurrection when Christ returns. It has been determined before hand that all who are truly Christ’s shall be conformed to His image (Rom. 8:29; Eph. 1:5).
From The Kingdom Of God Visualized, Pg. 123
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