What Does It Mean To Be Elect?
“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide …” John 15:16
The doctrine of election receives criticism from some quarters. One of the criticisms is that it seems to create a special people of privilege. “Why would God choose you,” some ask, “for such great honor?” This criticism misunderstands the Christian doctrine of election. While there are certainly privileges that accompany the Christian faith, it is primarily a call to service. Jesus did not choose the apostles simply for their benefit. He chose them so he might send them into the world.
Think about the twelve apostles. The gospels say that, from among his followers, Jesus chose twelve whom he named apostles. For those chosen, this must have been quite an honor. Little did they know that their call also included a life of service. Little did they know that their service to Christ would cost them their lives. It was certainly a privilege to be an apostle, but one that came at a price.
The same is true for us. Our call from God is not primarily for privilege but service. Since we have received such grace from God, we extend his grace to others. What does God do to help us extend his grace to others? Through His regenerating and sanctifying work, the Holy Spirit grants us faith and enables holiness, so that we may be witnesses of God’s gracious presence to those who are lost. Though our witness is imperfect, our lives reflect the love of God to others. We do so through ordinary kindness, integrity of character, words of encouragement, and confident witness to our faith.
Our witness is not merely individual but corporate. That is, God gathers us into his covenant community, the church, to be instruments of his saving purposes. The Spirit builds God’s church in the world and equips it to be light, salt, and leavening yeast to a dying, wicked, and lonely world. We sometimes underestimate the importance of the church and think its role insignificant. That is not the case. When Jesus engaged in his earthly ministry, he was present bodily. Where is Jesus now? Though he is at the right hand of the Father in heaven, he is also present on earth. He is present through the church, which is his hands and feet. If someone wants to know where Jesus is today, one answer is that he is present in the world through his body, the church.
A Christian should never be bored. This is because Christ’s mission to the church is daunting and universal in scope. Christ sends us, not just to our friends and neighbors, but into the world. We are called to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that Christ has commanded us. These are the words of the Great Commission, found in Matthew 28:18-20. They keep us from getting complacent. Until Christ returns, the church, as Christ’s body in the world, has work to do and must be about doing it.