Bible Studies

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The only way to read unconditional election in Romans chapter 9 is to read and understand it apart from the context of the first eight chapters and next two chapters.

Unconditional election in spite of the fact that God is "not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" and that He has "no pleasure in the death of the wicked."

Unconditional election is read into Ephesians 1:4 by understanding it as "just as He chose us TO BE in Him", instead of reading it as it is "just as He chose us IN Him." Not chosen TO BE in the ship, but chosen in the ship. Christ is the sphere and the foundation of election. If you are IN Him, you are elect and chosen. Question is: "Are you IN Him?"

I am not chosen and elected because of anything in me. No, I am chosen because of Him!

Ephesians 1:4 is only in conflict with 2 Peter 3:9, Ezekiel 33:11 and 1 Tim. 2:4 if we read it as "just as He chose us TO BE in Him."

Many are confused saying: "God desires the salvation of all. He sent His Son to die for all, but He only unconditionally chose some to be saved? I can't understand."

Apprehensive, self-occupied questions fill their minds: "Am I elect? Has God chosen me? What if I am not?"

Misread verses like Romans 9, Eph 1:4, Acts 11:48, 2 Thes. 2:13, 2 Tim. 2:10 , Joh 15:16 etc. fill their minds with anxiety. Instead of election driving them to Christ, since it is a very Christ-centered doctrine, it has made them look inward, which was never Paul's intention.

Just as salvation is in Christ, so is election in Christ.

Ephesians 1 is an IN CHRIST chapter. At least eleven times, the idea of being in Him is repeated over and over again. This is the key to understanding the chapter. Miss this and you fail to get what Paul is trying to say.

All the spiritual blessings enumerated in the chapter is said to be IN CHRIST, including election.

Christ is the ship that stores all of God's spiritual blessings. Anyone in Him will enjoy and possess all of these blessings. Predestination is one of the blessings inside the ship. Think of predestination as the blessed destination of the ship.

The Jews were very proud of their race. They could claim that they were God's chosen nation. They say that they were God's chosen because of physical descent from Abraham, because they had the Law of Moses etc.

They were chosen not TO BE in Israel. As if they were outside of Israel at first, but God chose them in. And so that's how they became eventually in. No, they were chosen because they were in Israel by birth. Anyone in Israel was chosen because of their relationship to Abraham. And whatever blessings that God promised to Abraham and the nation Israel, an Israelite partook.

In the same way now, a sinner is chosen in Christ by virtue of his new birth in Christ. And whatever God promised to Christ, anyone in Him will partake and enter into the good of it, to name a few: glorification, reigning with Christ, inheriting with Christ etc.

If you notice, Paul never explained election in any of his letters. He just assumed that his readers already knew about it. This is because election in Paul's view is similar to that in the Old Testament. And the Old Testament was widely read during their times, even by the Gentiles. Sadly, we get our definition of election now from theologians like Calvin etc.

Many of the Jews in Paul's day treat non-Jews (the Gentiles) as second class citizens in God's kingdom. They say that to a degree, Gentiles must become Jews to enjoy God's full blessings.

The apostle Paul had to fight tooth and nail to have this idea eradicated. In his letters, he would assure non-Jewish Christians that they themselves were chosen by God because they were in Christ. Christ is chosen (1 Peter 2:4), they are part of His body, therefore they were chosen too. No need to become a Jew. No need for Jewish rituals, regulations etc.

When Paul wrote in Romans 9:15 about God saying: "I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion", he was not using it to LIMIT God's mercy.

He was referring to God's prerogative to have mercy on anyone, NOT JUST JEWS! The verse is quoted to show that God can have mercy on anyone. He made it very clear afterwards!

Ro 10:12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.

Ro 11:32 For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all (whether Jew or Gentile).

What if God will show mercy to believing Gentiles? Can anyone object to it? He is God. He has the prerogative to do it.
The Jews need to understand that God saves not by physical descent from Abraham. That they don't have the monopoly of God's mercy exclusively.

God has chosen those who are in Christ, Jew or Gentile to enjoy His blessings He promised to Christ.

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