LCG Commentary: The Election

Today’s LCG commentary has the following:

The Election

By Roger Meyer (guest columnist) | Tuesday, November 06, 2012

The election cycle in the U.S. has been in full swing for months and it is quickly drawing to a close. All of the candidates for public office are trying to make their election sure. What about your election? Are you making it sure?

From year to year, elections to public offices come and go. Each candidate strives hard to win their election. They campaign for office by giving speeches, meeting people, shaking hands and kissing the babies of voters at picnics, rallies, dinners and public events. To win their election, they work very diligently, hour after tiring hour, for weeks and months.

But we see candidates fail for many different reasons. For every one that wins an election, there is usually one who loses.

The Bible speaks of a different kind of election—an “election of grace” that the Apostle Paul speaks about in Romans 11:5. “Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace.” Paul is speaking about Israel, how it appeared that Israel had lost out from having been the chosen people. Physical Israel had largely failed as the chosen people to live up to the covenant with God. Paul is describing that only a remnant at the present time had received the election of grace. Of course, Gentiles from many nations have also received this election.

This election of grace is about being elected by God as stated in 1 Thessalonians 1:2-4: “We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God.”

As a Greek dictionary or lexicon shows, the “election” (Strong’s G1589—ekloge) being discussed by Paul is an act of God picking or choosing people who then become His elect. Rather than people picking and voting for a candidate as in political elections, the Almighty God does the picking and choosing of His elect.

The Apostle Peter encouraged Christians regarding this election to be diligent: “Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure…” 2 Peter 1:10. To make something sure means to firmly establish it, to make it firm and steadfast.

How can we do that? Peter gives the answer. “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:2-11).

Millions around us are caught up in the excitement of worldly elections, hoping for a good result. As Christians, however, we are called to focus on our own “election”—an election with eternal consequences—as we prepare ourselves not for the present world of voting and politics, but rather for our God-ordained future roles of service in the coming Kingdom of God.

For more information about what it means to be a real Christian, go online at tomorrowsworld.org, or write today for your free copy of Restoring Original Christianity and What Is a True Christian?

As far as the US Presidential election, as I advised yesterday, biblically people should pray (1 Timothy 2:1-3) and in my view consider also fasting (US Presidential Election Tomorrow: Pray and Fast).

Make Your Calling and Election Sure

As far as personal election, those of the Philadelphia remnant of the Church of God differ from people like the Protestant Reformer John Calvin who felt that one called/elected by God cannot fall away. There are many verses in the Bible that back that COG position. Here are two:

10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; 11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:10-11)

5 Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? — unless indeed you are disqualified. (2 Corinthians 13:5)

Notice Jesus admonished the necessity of enduring to the end to be saved:

22 And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. (Matthew 10:22)

13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. (Matthew 24:13)

13 And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. (Mark 13:13)

The grammatical implications of the above are that they that do NOT endure to the end will NOT be saved. Furthermore, the Book of Revelation records 7 statements that it will be those who overcome who will make it (Revelation 2:7,11,17,26;3:5,21;21:7).

Jesus also taught:

11 Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. (Revelation 3:11)

Again, there would be no point in Jesus making such a statement if there was no freewill. The elect can make decisions that will affect them eternally.

In case the above verses are not clear enough, the Apostle Paul indicates that even he could have lost his election and salvation:

12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12-14)

27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. (1 Corinthians 9:27)

While saints are to persevere (Revelation 3:10), they still can lose their election and salvation or Paul would not have written what he did. Even carnal politicians can lose their positions once elected.

Today’s US presidential election should not affect your personal election if you will truly submit to God and His will and endure to the end. And as far as both elections, pray for God’s will to be done in your life and that His kingdom will come (Matthew 6:7-10, Acts 21:14). There are more important elections than political ones.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Should a Christian Vote? This article gives some of the Biblical rationale on this subject. Would Jesus vote for president/prime minister? Is voting in the Bible? This is a subject Christians need to understand.
John Calvin, Calvinism, TULIP, and What is Predestination? Who was John Calvin? Did he believe in sola Scriptura or did he hold to unbiblical doctrines? TULIP analyzed.
What is the Gospel? True religion should be based upon the true gospel. What are some of the different gospels and where did they come from? Do you believe the true or a false gospel?
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God was the Emphasis of Jesus and the Early Church Did you know that? Do you even know what the gospel of the kingdom is all about?
What Do You Mean — Repentance? Do you know what repentance is? Have you truly repented? Repented of what? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject.
Are You Saved? Do You Love Jesus? What is a True Christian? What is the Gospel? Evangelist Richard Ames answers those important questions.
True vs. False Conversion Are you really converted or willing to be? What is true conversion? What is false conversion? What are the dangers of false conversion? Evangelist Roderick Meredith provides information on those important questions.
Some Dissimilarities Between The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and the Genuine Church of God The genuine Church of God is not related to the Mormons and this article explains some differences and a couple of similarities. It also discusses a prophecy that some suspect could be fulfilled by Mitt Romney.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States This is a 160 page book for people truly interested in prophecies related to Barack Obama and the United States, including learning about many that have already been fulfilled (which the book documents in detail) and those that will be fulfilled in the future. It also has a chapter about Mitt Romney. This book is available to order at www.barackobamaprophecy.com. The physical book can also be purchased at Amazon from the following link: Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States: Is Barack Obama Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic, Catholic, Kenyan, and other America-Related Prophecies? What About Mitt Romney?
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States–Amazon Kindle edition. This electronic version is available for only US$2.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon’s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States–Amazon Kindle edition.)