Your Election by God

1 Thessalonians 1:4 NKJV

4 knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God.

Some translations have this scripture as Paul and his companions know the Thessalonians were chosen by God and others have it phrased where the Thessalonians know they were chosen by God. I tend toward the former belief because Paul is finishing his previous thought of their work of faith, labor of love, and patience in the hope KNOWING they were elected by God. Knowing means perceived. I.e. they saw fruit that proved their election by God.

It’s also implied that the word, power, and Holy Spirit conviction revealed their election in verse 5. But let’s get into the word ELECTION because it’s an important one to understand and one that’s been misunderstood.

Election

The word election is “ekloge,” which is two words “ek” and “logos.” Ek means “out of” and logos is “authentic thought, spoken word, the word.” It’s the Greek word used to refer to the “Word becoming a human being and living among us.” Jesus is God’s authentic thought and expression of His idea of mankind in relationship with Him. Jesus expressed all of God’s thoughts when He lived here, including taking our place in the judgment and death required for man’s fallen state and sin. Jesus is God’s idea to restore us to His original intent and idea.

The Mirror phrases it, “you are God’s idea to begin with!” I.e. those who are born again and Spirit-filled are the restoration of God’s original intent for mankind but with an upgrade! When the Bible says that “many are called and few are chosen,” it’s the same word used for election in our text but not in the way that’s been taught by some called PREDESTINATION.

Predestination is the idea that God has already predetermined who will be saved and who won’t be saved. This doctrine or what’s called Calvinism killed off preaching the good news to sinners because why do so when only some have been selected to be born again. How people even came up with this is beyond me? And extremely arrogant. Listen to this verse in TPT.

Matthew 22:14 TPT

14 For everyone is invited to enter in, but few respond in excellence.”

The phrase “many are called” was a Semitic figure of speech referring to everybody. I.e. all of mankind are invited but few respond or are chosen. TPT chose the word “excellence” here due to the context of the parable, which is fitting. The Passion says, “The Greek word eklektoi can mean “chosen,” but it can also be translated “worthy,” “pure,” “choice,” “excellent.” I.e. everybody is invited but few choose to accept the invitation to God’s pre-ordained idea of what being born again looks like, which we’ll get into in a second. So some refuse or choose to not even accept the initial invite into salvation and others do but refuse the way of excellent election.

The Greek word eklektoi can mean “chosen,” but it can also be translated “worthy,” “pure,” “choice,” “excellent.”

Simmons, B. (Trans.). (2017). The Passion Translation: New Testament. BroadStreet Publishing.

The secular use of the word “election” spoke of the “selection of rulers and guardians, i.e. officials with specific tasks.” The emphasis of the word was not on WHAT is selected but the ACT of selecting meaning there was “always careful sifting on the basis of aptness and serviceability for a specific end.” For example, in the military sphere EXCELLENT ELECTION meant that out of the many of a legion, only a few were selected to be core troops. It also referred to appointment for special tasks like knowing the nightly password or dangerous missions. It applied to the selection of elders. I.e. IT WAS THE SELECTION OF THE ELITE, THE CREAM OF THE CROP, which is the cream that rises to the top of sitting milk and tastes the best.

So we see two applications of election:

Choosing to accept Father’s invite to being born again

Choosing to set oneself apart by meeting the excellence needed for special tasks in the kingdom of God

The choice is yours. If you want to live your Christian life as a nominal and average believer, that’s your choice. But if you know that you are designed for special, elite, and important tasks in the kingdom, then you must choose to do more than the average. You must pursue EXCELLENT ELECTION with all of your being so that you are the CREAM OF THE CROP. And this is all reflected in your choices. You pray when everyone else is comfortable at home watching TV. You study your heart out when everyone else is sleeping. You choose excellence and integrity when no one is looking. You set yourself apart.

Whom He Foreknew He Predistined

Romans 8:29 NKJV

29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

This is one of the main scriptures that supports Calvinism, so I want to break it down and see what’s really being said. The word “foreknew” is an important word. It means “advance knowledge” and “prophetic foreknowledge.” What was His foreknowledge? That Jesus Christ would die for us (lamb slain before the foundation of the world); therefore, when He “foreknew” us, He was thinking of us in a “personal, saving relationship” with Him (Spirit-Filled Life Bible notes). HIS IDEA OF US, HIS AUTHENTIC THOUGHT OF US PRE-EXISTED IN HIM and He sent Jesus to the earth to show us what a “personal, saving relationship” looked like and what excellent election looked like. TO PUT IT PLAINLY, FATHER HAS IN HIS HEAD AN IDEA OF WHAT RELATIONSHIP WOULD LOOK LIKE WITH HIM FOR THOSE WHO WERE BORN AGAIN. He designed it before mankind even fell!

Of these born-again ones, He predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son. Predestined simply means “to decide beforehand, determine ahead of time.” What did He decide beforehand? That we’d be CONFORMED to the image of His son (whose image is the EXACT of the Father’s; therefore if we’re conformed to His image, we’re conformed to Father’s).

The word “conform” originally had the idea of “in the midst, between persons, and together (coming together).” It was also used in some writings in the sense of “in co-operation with.”

Listen to this:

The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament I. σύν.

The basic meaning of the preposition σύν with the sociative dative is “with,” and the term has a personal character. It denotes the totality of persons who are together, or who come together, or who accompany one another, or who work together, sharing a common task or a common destiny, aiding and supporting one another. It can also denote sharing things or their possession, which brings into a connection with the owner.

It’s BEINGS BEING TOGETHER. It’s “to act together with the goal of supporting and helping one another.” It’s fellowship. It was a constant phrase used among the Greeks and found in all epochs of Greek literature. It “denotes the conviction that man’s life, word, counsel and acts stand under the good-pleasure and helpful co-operation of the deity. The hoped for good-pleasure of the deity is thus a spur to resolute action and confident activity in the sphere of earthly life.” IT IS GOD WITH YOU, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit! God has bound Himself to man and as we enter into deeper intimacy of our personal, saving relationship with Him, we BECOME ONE. What is already a reality in our Spirit (the image of God in all of His perfection) now transformed our soul so that the two become one in HIS likeness!

He pre-designed and engineered us from the start to be jointly fashioned in the same mold and image of His Son according to the perfect blueprint of his thought. We see the original and intended pattern of our lives preserved in His Son. He is the firstborn from the same womb that reveals our genesis. He confirms that we are the invention of God. (THE MIRROR)

How much you share in His divine nature, look like Him, and live an above-average life is determined by your ABOVE-AVERAGE DECISIONS, which takes me to the final point and best example of what we’re discussing.

The Election of Israel

Why did God choose Israel out of all of the nations? Short answer—He didn’t. He chose a man who chose Him.

Genesis 18:16–19 NKJV

16 Then the men rose from there and looked toward Sodom, and Abraham went with them to send them on the way. 17 And the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, 18 since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.”

Genesis 18:16-

Abraham accepted God’s invitation to leave his country and go to a land God would show him. From that point on, he lived in the sphere of excellent election going above and beyond in his decisions and walk with the Lord. He, of course, made mistakes, but his heart was bent toward God’s and doing what He desired even when not voiced. This intentional living prompted the Lord to share with Abraham what He was there for but notice the words: “…since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation…for I have known him...” Why? “…In order that he may command his children and household after him, that they may keep the WAY of the Lord…and that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.”

ISRAEL WAS CHOSEN BECAUSE ABRAHAM LIVED AS ONE CHOSEN. He responded in faith to God’s invitation and passed down his faith to his children. Each child and grandchild had to choose excellent election as well. And as they did so, a mighty nation was formed.

This is good news! It’s not pedigree, financial status, race, gender or anything else that determines whether your future is mundane or extraordinary. YOU choose your future. The Bible says to draw near to God and He will to you. God responds to our response. What will it be, today?

The Bible says to draw near to God and He will to you. God responds to our response.

GO INTO ELECTION ESPECIALLY :29. GOD CHOSE ISRAEL OUT FROM AMONG THE NATIONS. WHY? WERE THEY SPECIAL? NOPE. BUT HE FOLLOWING THE BLOODLINE LINE OF THOSE WHO RESPONDED TO HIM IN FAITH. COULD IT HAVE BEEN OTHER LINES. YEP? BUT HIS INITIAL TURNING TOWARD A LINE WAS THEIR TURNING TOWARD HIM!