Unconditional Election, Brokenness, and the Success of the Gospel

This is the second part in my five part series on the doctrines of grace and evangelism. It is my earnest hope that through these articles the Holy Spirit might awaken a deep and abiding passion for the truth of God's electing love and a hunger to teach the untaught peoples this doctrine. One objection to Historic Calvinism that I could never understand was, "Calvinism destroys evangelism!" Perhaps the main reason I struggled to see this as a legitimate concern was because I saw how clearly the lofty doctrine of election was wedded to the very, this-worldly command to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18-19). It is quite clear that without the electing love of God the Father in eternity past, there would be no Christians and evangelism itself would be futile. And without the effectual, irresistible call of the Holy Spirit to those beloved of the Father, no one would come to faith in Christ (John 6:44, Ephesians 2:1). There is no antagonism between election and evangelism because one cannot exist without the other. If there was no election, the goal of evangelism would be impossible (Matthew 19:26). And precisely because God has elected a people from eternity past, the means by which God will bring those people into his kingdom, evangelism, must happen. God only has sheep and those sheep are either lost or found. God cannot lose any of His people (John 10:29) so therefore He must bring all of them to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). As Jesus said of his sheep, "I must bring them also" (John 10:16) and the way Jesus brings his sheep is through the preaching of the gospel (Romans 10:17). Therefore, the foundation of evangelism is the sovereign, electing purpose of God.

That God has forever joined a people to Himself is evident from Scripture (Ephesians 1:4-11, Romans 9:6). However, the theme of distinguishing, electing love is even prominent in the discussion of God's selection of Israel. As Yahweh told His people:

For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. 7 It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, 8 but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. (Deuteronomy 7:6-8)

Here, the Lord clearly explains why he chose the nation Israel. It was "not because you were more in number" but because "the Lord set his love on you (v.7). " This is the doctrine of unconditional election. Surely there were other nations larger in number, more prosperous, and more famous than the nation of Israel! Why not the Egyptians? Or the Assyrians? Even the Canaanites would have seemed a more likely pick. Yet, God did not choose based upon anything good or bad in Israel. But he chose unconditionally and because he is free and sovereign. It is precisely because Israel was an obscure, weak nation on the face of the earth that the Lord's glory would be manifested most radiantly. For to choose a lowly, desperate people and provide to them "the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises" (Romans 9:4b) would demonstrate the power and the mercy of God much more than if he had chosen a more prosperous nation and enhanced their prosperity. This is God's aim in election: to shame the proud and the elite by choosing that which is spurned and rejected by the world. As Paul notes:

26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, [2] not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being [3] might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him [4] you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord. (1 Corinthians 1:26-31)

What a marvelous concept indeed! God has chosen that which is "weak in the world to shame the strong" (v.27), "so that no human being might boast in the presence of God"(v. 29). How then should this impact the way we share the gospel? This is the matter to which we turn.

1. We must preach the gospel with brokenness and humility.

The doctrine of unconditional election ought never to breed in the people of God a feeling of superiority. In fact, it should do just the opposite. It should bring man down to the dust. Brothers, when we preach the truth of God's sovereign, distinguishing love let us reflect lives of humility and brokenness. Remember that the condition of the people to whom we preach is the same condition that each of us were in before God effectually called us (Eph. 2:1, Rmns 1:30, Col. 2:13). Just as Israel was not chosen because of its large number (Deut. 7:7), neither were we, who have come to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, chosen based on some merit in us. But rather, we were chosen before we were born, before we had done anything good or evil (Rmns 9:11). The doctrine of unconditional of election is a very humbling and pride crushing doctrine. Therefore, let us avoid the error of self-righteousness and preach the unconditional, electing love of Christ knowing that we ourselves were once "alienated from the life of God" (Eph. 4:18). Let us be meek and humble when speak of vast and solemn truths like election and testify that God is free to have mercy on whomever He chooses (Rmns 9:15). Let us preach the freedom and sovereignty of God in such a way that it does not preclude a person, no matter how heinous their sin, from being a recipient of such grace. God is not bound to have mercy by our laws of who should receive it. He is free to do just as He pleases (Psalm 115:3). And when we consider ourselves and how far off we were, then we will do as Paul did and say, "But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us (2 Corinthians 4:7)."

2. We must preach the gospel boldly.

The doctrine of unconditional election not only gives meaning to evangelism but it also ensures its success. Jesus has other sheep that he means to rescue (John 10:16) and he will only save them through the gospel (Romans 10:17). Therefore, if Christ makes his absolutely certain ends (i.e. to save his sheep) conditioned upon certain means (i.e. the preaching of the gospel), he will make those means absolutely certain. God will raise up men to preach the gospel and nothing less than the gospel. Let us not fear if the gospel is an offense. Why should we? For the Lord himself has promised it would be (Matthew 5:11, John 15:18). However, though "the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing", it is the "power of God" to those who are "being saved" (1 Cor. 1:18). Therefore, we must know that though we are "killed all day long" (Ps. 44:11, Rmns 8:36), yet still "the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea (Habbakuk 2:14)." Just as the Lord Jesus said to Paul, "for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people (Acts 18:10)." Undergirding all the promises in Scripture that God will save his people and that he will do it through the means of the gospel is the promise that Christ will not leave us orphans (John 14:18). This promise was made in reference to the Holy Spirit, the Comforter and Advocate who will abide with us forever (Jhn 14:16-17). How then can we shrink back from such a monumentous task of the gospel when we know that the deputy of our Lord Jesus Christ is inside of us, controlling us and working in us both to desire and actually work to accomplish his great mission (Phil. 2:13)? The objector may reply, "It is too great. The risks are too much." Yes the risks are great. You may lose your life. But Christ says, "whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it (Mark 8:35)." The task indeed is great, impossible even. But all the commands in Scripture are impossible apart from God. However, we have God living inside of us in the person of the Holy Spirit, so we can say, as Christ did, "with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26)."

3. We must preach the gospel mercifully.

Though we preach boldly, we mock the doctrine of election if we preach the gospel unaccompanied with mercy and love. As James mentions the futility of telling someone to "be warmed and filled" and not give them the things needed for the body (James 2:16), so we must adorn our preaching of the gospel with a "faith working through love (Galatians 5:6)." Just as the meaning of evangelism is wedded to the doctrine of election, so too are our acts of mercy united to the teaching that we were recipients of the greatest mercy. Apart from this understanding, all acts of mercy are pure moralism and worthless in the sight of God, because they proceed not from faith (Rmns 14:23). Therefore, let us preach the gospel not only with brokenness and humility, but also with mercy knowing that we have been loved by our Father before the world began on no basis other than his free love (Ephesians 1:4-5, note the phrase "in love"). When we truly grasp the grace and mercy we have been shown, then we will have the heart of Paul when he said, "Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory (2 Timothy 2:10)."

Let us marvel then at the wonders of electing love, not for the mere purpose of speculations on God's eternal decree but so that we overflow with love to others. Let us preach as those who hold treasure in jars of clay so that the glory goes to God alone! And may we always preach the gospel boldly knowing it will be efficacious because it is the power of God (Rmns 1:16)! Soli deo gloria!