Election, or God's choice of certain individuals to salvation in Christ, is one of the great themes of Scripture. It runs like a silver thread from Genesis to Revelation, and embraces such different characters as Noah, Abraham, Rahab, Ruth, David, Peter, Paul, the woman of Samaria, the dying thief and a host of others whose names are in the Lamb's book of life. When the believer is 'honestly subdued to the doctrine of God's sovereignty' (the phrase is that of Elisha Coles) and viewed as a branch of the wider truth of predestination, this truth brings the believer indescribable comfort. For as James Packer says, it resolves three vital questions, which we will re-state in catechetical form:

Question: Why am I a Christian today?Answer: Because God chose from eternity to make me one.

Question: How sure can I be of reaching heaven?

Answer: Absolutely sure; because having brought me to Christ by faith, he has also promised, according to his electing purpose, to keep me in Christ till I reach heaven.

Question: What have I to thank God for?

Answer: Everything; because my whole life is the fruit of his electing love.

Thus all the grace which I as a believer have stored up for me in Christ is by election lawfully mine and will certainly be applied to me as my life unfolds according to God's purpose. 'Election is therefore called "a preparing unto glory" (Rom. 9:23).' Being chosen in Christ from before the foundation of the world, I am assured by God himself that I shall finish my course of faith and holiness and finally share his glory. Is this not a great comfort?

Election in Romans⤒🔗

Now when we turn to Paul's Letter to the Romans we discover God's purpose and plan of salvation unfolded to us in a most wonderful and panoramic way. This is why Martin Luther says of it (in the Preface to his commentary on it): 'This epistle is really the chief part of the New Testament, and is truly the purest gospel ... it is a bright light, almost sufficient to illuminate the entire holy Scriptures.'

As we read through this tremendous letter (tremendous both in the vastness of its scope and in the awesomeness of the issues it handles), we note that the topic of election (or predestination to salvation as applied to individuals) does not appear till the eighth chapter. First, Paul states the subject of his letter: the glorious gospel (1:16-17). Then on a canvas of dark background he proves the whole world's absolute need of it (1:18­-3:20). From 3:21 to 5:21 he shows us what this gospel is in terms of the righteousness of God; in relation to Christ its sum and substance; and how its blessings become ours, as they became Abraham's, through faith in the gospel promise. From 6:1 through to 7 and most of 8 he indicates its fruit (holiness and a life-long conflict with sin which invariably accompany justification and lead to ultimate victory through the power of the Holy Spirit). And since all this tends to the comfort and establishment of believers in the faith, he finally assures us that our salvation is invincibly secured by the eternal election or predestination of God (8:28-30). The rest of chapter eight is sheer exultation in the glorious God whose purpose has secured such a wonderful outcome.

There is a deliberate purpose in placing election where it is in the Letter; that is, after the doctrines of universal guilt and depravity, after the announcement of God's perfect remedy for them, after explaining the way in which that remedy is wrought out in believers' hearts and lives by the grace of God, and after assuring them of their ultimate victory. That purpose is to minister to believers all the joy and peace that is rightly theirs through knowing that their salvation was all along secured by the electing love of God in Christ. So John Calvin reminds us that 'our minds cannot find calm repose until we arrive at the unmerited love of God' seen in 'his eternal election', since our entire salvation 'proceeds from the fountain of God's gracious electing love'.

Elisha Coles, in his Practical Discourse of God's Sovereignty, points out other New Testament passages which introduce the doctrine of election, not initially, yet always with the purpose of establishing and comforting believers in their most holy faith. Ephesians is an exception. Here Paul can hardly wait to dwell rapturously on the amazing source of our salvation.

Election in Calvin←⤒🔗

When we look at the plan adopted by John Calvin in his monumental Institutes of the Christian Religion, we find him placing his teaching on election precisely where Paul places it in his Letter to the Romans. Following the order of the main topics in the Apostles' Creed, he divides his four books into

1. our knowledge of God as Creator,
2. our knowledge of God in Christ as Redeemer,
3. our knowledge of the grace of Christ, and
4. the means God has provided to direct us to and keep us in this grace.

A brief survey of his plan confirms this. We gain the true knowledge of God only from Scripture (I. 1-9). There we learn that God is triune and sovereign in creation and providence (I. 10-18). Yet by nature we are guilty, blind and helpless in sin (II. 1-5); but God in mercy has procured salvation for us through Christ, the God-man mediator (II. 6-17). This salvation can only be enjoyed through faith, God's gift (III. 1-2), which begets repentance and a holy life (III. 6-10). The believer's justification (III. 11-18) brings with it free, voluntary obedience (III. 19) and a life of prayer (III. 20). It is only at this point that Calvin introduces God's eternal election of believers, and for precisely the same reason as the Apostle Paul in Romans; namely to assure them that it secures and guarantees their complete salvation (III. 21-24).

True, Calvin dwells on reprobation, the dark side of predestination; yet he neither allots it equal space with election nor regards it as a prime concern of believers. His aim is pastoral, not controversial or academic, to confirm to them that their calling, justification, holiness and perseverance are all evidences of their election, and to make them 'feel over-awed' (his own phrase) at the unfathomable love of God out of which our salvation springs.

James Packer admirably summarizes the main thrust of Calvin's treatment of salvation when he writes:

God saves sinners. Here is the wonder of grace; God saves sinners through Jesus Christ; Jesus is the mediator of grace; God saves sinners in Jesus Christ – by uniting them to him in his risen glory – God saves sinners. First to last, salvation is of the Lord. He who began the work by election, redemption and the gift of faith can be trusted to complete it for all believers. Here is the stability of grace, and also the point at which knowledge of God's election brings comfort and strength.

And so Dr Packer answers the important question: 'Why in the Institutio did Calvin treat of predestination and election, not in Book I, where he handled divine sovereignty in creation and providence, but later on in Book III, after dealing with the gospel and the Christian life? The reason seems to be that he wanted the theme to appear in the same evangelical context in which it appears in Romans. There it first enters in 8.29f, not for any controversial purpose, but to encourage the people of God by assuring them that as their justification and calling sprang from free grace, so God's gracious purpose will stand, and they will be preserved to the end. If God resolved to save them, and gave his Son to that end before ever they turned to him, he will certainly not abandon them now that they have turned to him. This is the 'unspeakable comfort' which the doctrine of election brings in Romans 8:29-38; and it was in order that it might bring the same comfort to his readers that Calvin held it back till he could set it in an equivalent context in the Institutio.'

Election in Cranmer and Spurgeon←⤒🔗

Significantly, Thomas Cranmer placed the topic of election or particular predestination seventeenth (not earlier) in the Thirty-Nine Articles of the Reformed Church of England for the same reason. After stating the doctrine, he continues:

The godly consideration of predestination and our election in Christ is full of sweet, pleasant and unspeakable comfort to godly persons, and such as feel in themselves the working of the Spirit of Christ mortifying the works of the flesh and their earthly members, and drawing up their mind to high and heavenly things, as well because it doth greatly establish and confirm their faith of eternal salvation to be enjoyed through Christ, as because it doth fervently kindle their love towards God.

Spurgeon is thus in the best company – the company of the holy apostles, saints and martyrs – when he reminds us that on the outside of the gate of the city of salvation is written 'Come Unto Me', while on the inside the saints may read 'Chosen In Him'.

Conclusion←⤒🔗

1. We need to be on our guard against over-systematization of God's truth. We may with Packer draw three concluding lessons concerning the place and purpose of election in God's way of salvation.
    
2. We must come at election biblically, not speculatively or controversially.
    
3. We must come at election pastorally, as the New Testament always does.
    
4. We must come at election Christ-centredly, for at its heart we find God the Father by his Spirit securing a people for his Son, who were chosen in him before the foundation of the world. The glory of Christ our Saviour is inseparable from the truth of electing grace, 'and God forbid that we should ever say – or believe – anything whose tendency is to rob Jesus Christ of His glory' as the only Saviour of his people.