Election

He that believes is elect. Those who are elect are elect unto sanctification and unto faith; and if you have faith you are one of God’s elect; you may know it and ought to know it, for it is an absolute certainty.

There have been thousands of men who have been ruined by misunderstanding election; who have said, “God has elected me to heaven, and to eternal life;” but they have forgotten that it is written, God has elected them “through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.” ‘This is God’s election — election to sanctification and to faith.

Faith is the gift of God. Every virtue comes from him. Therefore it cannot have caused him to elect men, because it is his gift. Election, we are sure, is absolute, and altogether apart from the virtues which the saints have afterwards.

If you will cast yourself on Jesus you are elect. I tell you — the chief of sinners — if you will come to God without any works of your own, cast yourself on the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ: if you will come now and trust in him, you are elect — you were loved of God from before the foundation of the world, for you could not do that unless God had given you the power, and had chosen you to do it.

When God chooses any men by his sovereign electing grace, and makes them Christ’s, he does it not only for their own sake, that they may be saved, but for the world’s sake.

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If you want to be humbled, study election, for it will make you humble under the influence of God’s Spirit He who is proud of his election is not elect; and he who is humbled under a sense of it may believe that he is.

No man will be so bold as he who believes that he is elect of God. What cares he for man if he is chosen of his Maker? What will he care for the pitiful chirpings of some tiny sparrows when he knoweth that he is an eagle of a royal race 1 Will he care when the beggar pointeth at him when the blood royal of heaven runs in his veins?

Do not fancy that election excuses sin — do not dream of it — do not rock yourself in sweet complacency in the thought of your irresponsibility. You are responsible. We must have Divine sovereignty, and we must have man’s responsibility.

You may come to Christ as a sinner, but you may not come to Christ as an elect person until you can see your holiness. Do not misconstrue what I say — do not say, “I am elect,” and yet think you can be living in sin. That is impossible. The elect of God are holy. They are not pure, they are not perfect, they are not spotless; but, taking their life as a whole, they are holy persons. They are marked, and distinct from others; and no man has a right to conclude himself elect except in his holiness.

Whoever believes God’s truth, and believes on Jesus Christ, is elect.

Pause, my soul, and consider this. God loved thee before thou hadst a being. He loved thee when thou wast dead in trespasses and sins, and sent his Son to die for thee. He purchased thee with his precious blood ere thou couldst lisp his name.