Riff's Christian Journal

Reformation theology believes and teaches that man will never, of his own will, ever choose to believe in Jesus as Lord and come to Him to receive forgiveness for sins, and so be saved from the wrath that is to come from God.

They cannot do so for they are spiritually dead in their sins; enslaved to their sin and bound by Satan; and that they do only what their sinful and selfish will allows them to do. Being in this state of total depravity is the reason that the Bible teaches that no one seeks after God. Even Jesus says in John 5: 40:

“You will not come to me that you might have life.”

Basically, since this is the condition of man, God in His wisdom and love has chosen to save a people for Himself, even if no one deserves to be saved. So, God has chosen those who will be saved, and all He has chosen for salvation will come to Jesus to have life.

When I talk with people about the doctrine of election someone will always ask me, “what if I am not chosen?” My response is this. What makes you think that you are “not” among the elect?

It is not for us, you me or anyone, to know who are the elect. What we are to know is if whether or not we want to be among the elect and so be saved. If someone says that they do not want to be so, then they have no right to be upset if they are not; for they already believe what they want to believe.

Someone else might say, “But what if I want to come to Jesus and I am not among the elect?” Again, one needs to ask themselves “why” they want to come to Jesus and believe on Him, and how come it is that they want to do so?

Jesus said in John 6: 37

“All that the Father gives to me will come to me; and he that comes to me I will in no wise cast out.”

If you find that you have an urge to confess that Jesus is Lord, that you know you are a sinful person and want to be forgiven for your sins, and you believe that only Jesus can forgive you and save you from the coming wrath of God, and you believe in your heart that God the Father has raised Him from the dead know this. You can only do so because it is God’s will that you do so!

Think of this. In the second part of 1 Corinthians 12: 3 we are told:

“No man can say that Jesus is Lord, but by the Holy Spirit.”

Only they who have born again by the Spirit of God have the Holy Spirit living in them, and it is the Holy Spirit Who gives them the freedom to confess that Jesus is Lord. In fact, only by having the Holy Spirit can they understand the spiritual things of God, like the good news of salvation found only in Jesus.

In 1 Corinthians 2: 14 we read:

“But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned.”

As you can see, unless one has the Holy Spirit in them they cannot understand the Gospel of Jesus, neither can they call Jesus Lord and to believe on Him as the Savior of their sins. Only they who have been born again will have the Holy Spirit in them, and only the elect of God will be born again.

They who choose “not” to believe in Jesus do so of their own will for it is the only thing their enslaved and sinful will allows them to do.

So, if you are worried that you are not among the elect the answer lies in you. If you are, the answer is already in your heart and in your mouth as you confess that Jesus is Lord and that you believe that He has been raised from the dead.

If you still have worries about being among the elect remember this from Acts 2: 21

“whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Can you do that? Do you have the desire to call upon the name of Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Remember what Jesus said, “ whoever comes to me I will not cast away”.

Will you not do so right now? Call upon Jesus and be saved. Then you will find out that “yes” you are among the elect of God, chosen to be forgiven for your sins and that you have been saved from facing the wrath of God which is to come on that great and final day of judgement.

Do you want to be among the elect? Then confess with your mouth that only Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that He was raised from the dead and you will be saved. Then you will know that “yes” you are chosen. That you are among the elect of God…