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Something to think about for those who believe only the elect are saved. Usually when one has that belief, they also count themselves among the elect. (Does anyone believe only the elect are saved, AND not count themselves among the elect?)
How do you know you are elect at all? Scripture tells us that Satan will deceive the world, even the very elect, if it were possible.
So essentially, there are two groups:
- the elect, who are not deceived
- the non-elect, who are deceived
So how do we know if we are deceived or not? We must examine the scriptures closely to see what the truth is.
Ephesians 1:3-11 talks about the elect being predestined. But verse 9-10 gives us a clue to know if you are elect or not. Do you understand the mystery of God's will? Its not hard, because verse 10 tells us!
Eph 1:9 Making known to us the mystery (secret) of His will (of His plan, of His purpose). [And it is this:] In accordance with His good pleasure (His merciful intention) which He had previously purposed and set forth in [a]Him, 10[He planned] for the maturity of the times and the climax of the ages to unify all things and head them up and consummate them in Christ, [both] things in heaven and things on the earth.
There is God's plan in a nutshell. To bring everything together in Christ! But only the elect understand this right now. If you don't understand this, you might be deceived.
--
In scripture, the elect are known as Abraham's seed or offspring (Gal 3:29, Rom 9:8). Through the elect, everyone who has ever existed will be blessed:
Gen 28:14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.
Did you know the elect would have such an honorable calling, to bless all the peoples on earth? Furthermore did you know the elect will be ministers and priests?
Isaiah 61:6 And you will be called priests of the LORD, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast.
Rev 5:10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign on the earth.
Who will they be preaching to? The non-elect of course.
Peter tells us to make are election sure:
2 Pe 1:5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. 10 Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure.
The key is love. We make are election sure by understanding we are to love:
1 Cor 13:1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
If you have knowledge, but lack love, then you gain nothing. If you are elect you will understand all this: God will unify all things in Christ, and we are called to be ministers and priests, to bless all peoples, and to love.
So are you elect or are you deceived? If you believe only the elect are saved, you had better make sure.
The elect are true believers, the elect are those who believe, repent and put their trust in Christ, the elect will be changed; conformed to the likeness of Christ, the elect will be the bride that will marry Jesus, the elect will have the Holy Spirit dwell in them, the elect were in the Lamb's book of life before He laid the foundation of the earth
The elect are true believers, the elect are those who believe, repent and put their trust in Christ, the elect will be changed; conformed to the likeness of Christ, the elect will be the bride that will marry Jesus, the elect will have the Holy Spirit dwell in them, the elect were in the Lamb's book of life before He laid the foundation of the earth
Agreed. But that is not all the elect are. Very few have been elected. They are the few chosen out of the many called.
Rev 2:7 To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
Rev 2:11 He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.
Rev 2:17 To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna.
Rev 2:26 To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations
Rev 3:5 He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white.
Rev 3:12 Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God.
Rev 3:21 To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne
Only the elect will overcome. They will overcome evil with good. That is why Peter tells us to make our election sure and to add to our faith: goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, kindness, and love.
If we are elect, it is by God's will. This is the reality if one is elect.
Being a Christian is not all it takes to be Elect. What of the other verses above? The elect are chosen to be conformed to the image of Christ, and they are chosen to understand the mystery of His will.
What would you say is the mystery of His will? (scripture tells us)
Being a Christian is not all it takes to be Elect. What of the other verses above? The elect are chosen to be conformed to the image of Christ, and they are chosen to understand the mystery of His will.
What would you say is the mystery of His will? (scripture tells us)
Don't you think that will happen after we are given our new bodies?
Don't you think that will happen after we are given our new bodies?
I'm not following you exactly, are you saying we won't understand the mystery of his will until we are given new spiritual bodies?
What I am saying is that the scriptures TELL US what the mystery of his will is NOW. Read it in Ephesians 1:9-10. Here it is:
[He planned] for the maturity of the times and the climax of the ages to unify all things and head them up and consummate them in Christ, [both] things in heaven and things on the earth.
It sounds to me like God plans to unify all things (every person and every thing) through Christ. This is confirmed by Col 1:20, which tells us God will reconcile all things to Himself, through Christ. What does it sound like to you?
Being a Christian is not all it takes to be Elect. What of the other verses above? The elect are chosen to be conformed to the image of Christ, and they are chosen to understand the mystery of His will.
What would you say is the mystery of His will? (scripture tells us)
The "mystery of his will"?
The "Elect" are the Christians--not just those that may attend church once a week--but Christians that embrace him as Lord and Savior. People that do his will.
I'm not following you exactly, are you saying we won't understand the mystery of his will until we are given new spiritual bodies?
What I am saying is that the scriptures TELL US what the mystery of his will is NOW. Read it in Ephesians 1:9-10. Here it is:
[He planned] for the maturity of the times and the climax of the ages to unify all things and head them up and consummate them in Christ, [both] things in heaven and things on the earth.
It sounds to me like God plans to unify all things (every person and every thing) through Christ. This is confirmed by Col 1:20, which tells us God will reconcile all things to Himself, through Christ. What does it sound like to you?
Yes that is what I am saying. I pray I am the elect.
Being a Christian is not all it takes to be Elect. What of the other verses above? The elect are chosen to be conformed to the image of Christ, and they are chosen to understand the mystery of His will.
What would you say is the mystery of His will? (scripture tells us)
*
I presume that you suppose yourself to be elect, are you perfect? if you were climbing a mountain it would not matter how far you had climbed if you were not at the peak, you are in the same condition as the people climbing below. But all are on the mountain as you are. were all at Corinth elect? yes [those in the church I mean] even the man who had committed an atrocious sin and who was later restored to fellowship.
Paul specifically uses Jacob to put forth the elect, Jacob was very far [oft-times] from being Christ-like. Also we are elected before we have done either good or bad so election does not depend at all on us but on God who elects.
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