1 Peter 1:2 (KJV)
Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
Elect — The majority, I think, accept what is really a preconceived notion directly associated with Calvinism. The idea is so deeply ingrained that most Christians identify as either Calvinist or anti- Calvinist—not based on who the elect are, but on who can be the elect.
The Calvinist, and nearly everyone else, claims the elect are those chosen by God to be saved.
A friend of mine, who is certainly opposed to Calvinism, recently wrote:
“Calvinism does not understand that the elect is Christ the seed, not as many but Christ. To be elect you must be in Christ, and that is by grace through faith in the atoning blood of Christ and Him alone.”
Another preacher recently said, “Election is not complicated. Election equals selection.” My question is, “Selected for what?” The presumption is salvation. I don’t buy it.
- Noah was elected to build the ark—but anyone could have gotten on board.
- Jacob’s family was elected to bring forth the Word of God—but anyone could read it.
- Aaron’s family was elected to be the priests—but all Israel could bring sacrifices to God.
- David’s family was elected to bring the world the Saviour—but that didn’t mean the other tribes were eternally lost.
I once heard a man say the elect are those chosen of God to carry the gospel. In other words, Jacob’s family was elected for that job, but Esau’s wasn’t. When one person is hired over another, it’s common to say something like, “I didn’t like this one for that job.”
Based on the book of Ephesians, I take the position that election has to do with the local church. It’s God’s will, His plan—He has elected that when a soul is saved, that soul is united by baptism into a local body of Christ made up of all nations, kindreds, and tongues—a new man in Jesus Christ.
When someone is obedient to this will of God, we might rightly refer to them as elect. They are members of a local church. Or we might refer to that church body itself as the elect.
I’m convinced we don’t have to be one or the other—Calvinist or anti-Calvinist. We can simply be what the Bible says. We can be Biblicists.
It’s likely that the term elect in Scripture refers to different things in different contexts. In this passage, I see the elect as a congregation of believers—perhaps even several congregations—scattered “throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.” It could even refer to members of one church who came from those regions. They are elect according to the foreknowledge and plan of God—it is His will they be united in this church. They are elect according to the sanctification of the Spirit—the Spirit has drawn them into the local body God intended for them. And they are elect through obedience to the gospel—trusting in the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
It is a presumption, I believe in error, that election has to do with who is selected to be saved. It has instead to do with God’s will for those who are saved.
#BiblicistPerspective #1Peter1v2 #GodsElectExplained #GraceAndPeaceMultiplied #LocalChurchTruth
Who Are the Elect? A Biblicist Look Beyond Calvinism
“Who are the elect—and what does that mean for you?
Many believe election is God choosing who gets saved. Others see it as God choosing a people for a purpose. But what does the Bible actually say about the elect, the church, and the plan of God?
💬 QUESTION FOR YOU: When you hear the word ‘elect,’ what comes to mind first—salvation, service, or something else?
👇 Drop your thoughts in the comments and let’s talk about what Scripture really says!”
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