!Since the fruit of Election is made manifest in Predestination, let us take that part of it first.

That God has the perfect right to predestinate by His foreknowledge, and that He has exercised it in creation, is incontrovertible in Scripture.

No sensible person could read all that He has unambiguously declared in chapter and verse and deny the truth that God can and does predestinate.

Our opening text of Romans 8:27-30 is proof enough already.

But if further proof is needed, a consideration of these scriptures should seal the verdict in the most discretionary mind.

Isaiah 41:9 « Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away. »

Jeremiah 1:5 « Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. »

2 Thessalonians 2:13 « But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: »

Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

2 John 1:1 « The elder unto the elect lady. » “A particular Church, probably that at Babylon, was intended. Among the Romans and Athenians means the same as ecclesia, the term appropriated to designate the Church assembly.”

(JFB Commentary)

Moreover, we could set forth Paul’s argument against the unbelievers in Election during the early years of the church.

Romans 9:9 For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son.

10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;

11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)

12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.

13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.

15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.

17 For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.

18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?

20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?

21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor?

22 What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:

23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,

Consider that if God did not foreknow and could not foreordain, how would He give Noah the exact dimensions of the ark 120 years before anybody would board it for salvation from judgment?

What if more people accepted Noah’s message than what God had estimated?

Eight souls got on, but what if it had been 8,000, or 8,000,000?

There would be no room because the ark would already be completed.

Let’s face it, it was large, but it would still only hold a finite amount of people, not to mention all the animals. God would have to know in advance, in this case, 120 years in advance, exactly how many would be saved, and He designed the ark to hold ONLY what He knew was needed, more than a century in advance.

The exact same logic can be applied to the New Jerusalem that John saw inRevelation 21:2.

God has already given the exact dimensions of that city, and Jesus was already gone to prepare the place even before the birth of the New Testament church at Pentecost.

The gospel has been sent forth on no uncertain mission, Calvary was not a dice roll, or a lottery ticket, and has nothing to do whatever with uncertainty.

!When we speak of Election there are a number of distinctions that must be pointed out first in order to get a clear understanding of this complex subject.

As outlined in the Introduction, if ever there was a complex subject this is it, because the understanding must grasp the very attributes of a being so great, He defies all attempts to fully comprehend Him.

When we think of the English word “election”, we think of a person, or in this case God, making a selection based on various merits or personal prejudices.

But this is the fundamental cause of misunderstanding the accurate Bible teaching of Election. True Election must be understood as having nothing whatever to do with those things. Election is related strictly to and comes exclusively from a spiritual part or seed of God being expressed.

« Any son is the attributes of his father, and just as you were in the genes of your father, in the body of your father when he was a young boy. You were in him. Yet, he could not have fellowship with you, because he didn’t know you. But then, through the bedding grounds of a mother, you were brought forth into the earth and become in the image of your father, then he could fellowship with you.

“And so were you, sons of God and daughters of God, before there even was a moon, stars, or a molecule. You were sons and daughters of God, for you are only the physical manifestation of the attributes that was in God at the beginning. For, there’s only one form of Eternal Life, and that was you, before. You don’t know nothing about it. Neither did you know when you was in your earthly father, but you are manifested in his image. In the image of God you are made, and you were manifested for the glory and the fellowship of God.

« Therefore, as sure as your gene had to be in your father, before your natural birth, your spiritual gene had to be in God, because you’re an expression of the attributes of His thoughts, before the foundation of the world. No way around it. That’s right. Now, we notice, then, that Life being in you, God’s Life being in you, from the foundation of the world. » [William Branham]

The Election of God’s family can only ever be related to something that had no beginning, just as God had no beginning, it is an eternal quality that has always been there. Being born again by the Holy Spirit baptism is strictly a bringing forth of the life that was in seed form, in the soul all along of the man or woman.

Put another way, Election is eternal because it is something that came forth from God, out of God, and is that which is a part of God leading to an expression.

Just as when Paul was describing Jesus Christ inHebrews 1:1 « God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person. »

The term “express image” is: 5481. χαρακτηρ

« This impression with its particular features was considered as the exact representation of the object whose image it bore. In the New Testament it occurs only inHebrews 1: 3 where it is translated ‘express image,’ referring to Jesus Christ.

“Here He is described as the charakter tes hupostaseos autou, that is to say ‘the exact image of His [God’s] essence.’ Whatever the divine essence is, Jesus is said to be its perfect expression. » [Dr. Spiros Zodhiates].

Since Election is an expression from an eternal being, Election must be understood as “Eternal Election.” That is to say, having no beginning.

This takes on a wonderful significance for the Bride body of Jesus Christ, because it demonstrates that His Bride is part of Him, just as Eve was part of Adam, and included in the inheritance of the eternal family of God, as Paul describes Christ inColossians 1:12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins;

15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

Jesus Christ is presented as the image of God, the invisible One (John 1: 18). Eikon (1504) « image, » always assumes a prototype (the original form from which it is drawn), not merely a thing it resembles. Paul was telling the Colossians here that Jesus Christ has a « prototype, » God the Father who is invisible.

[Dr. Spiros Zodhiates].

The other significant word is prototokos (4416), translated « firstborn. » This term means that there are more like him, that is to say a family.

We further see this principle of the eternal being expressed inJohn 1:18 « No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. »

What it means in these passages is that God had a lost family from the fall in Genesis that were as yet not expressed in the world, but a part of His eternal attributes none the less. These He would redeem back to himself in Christ, thus fulfilling one of His first noticeable attributes, that of a redeemer.

Have you ever stopped to think of how God could ever be a redeemer if there was nothing lost? How would He ever be a Savior if there were none to save?

The rights of Redemption could only be applied to family members. This is why Boaz could do the work of a kinsman redeemer for Naomi and Ruth in The Old Testament account,Ruth 3:9. In fact, the word « redemption » means to buy back that which had already been part of your own.

The family that Jesus came to redeem and save was His own, and part of His very being (Election). They enter the world born in sin but through the plan of Redemption were elected to Eternal Life and are born again through a spiritual birth by the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

!When we speak of being foreordained to eternal life, or predestinated to receive the victors crown in the coming kingdom of Christ, we should point out some often overlooked scriptural truths.

By now it should be well established that there are a chosen people called the elect of God. A singularly unique people, who were foreordained as an integral component in the redemptive work of God in Christ.

They alone are predestinated to be seated with Christ on the great white throne. They are the only people, who at the time of the second general resurrection already share His life and are the only ones seated with Him at the gathering of the dead both small and great inRevelation 20:11-15.

They are not judged here because they have already passed from death to life at this point and can never come into the condemnation (Judgment). [John 5:24]

After that, there is everybody else.Revelation 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

What about the remainder of humanity that stand before the throne?

The Scriptures make clear that God offers a chance to everyone to accept salvation, and truly God desires all to be saved, and would that none should perish, but that all come to repentance.John 3:14-17;2 Peter 3:9

The Bible is filled with opportunities for all to find God’s Mercy and Grace.

It was God who slew the first lamb and offered bloody lambskins to humanity as a proper covering for their sins, for without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.Genesis 3:21;Hebrews 9:22

It was God who revealed to Abel the path to acceptance.Genesis 4:4;Hebrews 11:4

It was God who reasoned with Cain of mercy and judgment.Genesis 4:6,7

It was God who approached Noah to build an ark for salvation.Genesis 6:8,14

It was God who revealed Himself to the antediluvian people by His revelation in the natural creation, so that they are without excuse.Romans 1:18-28

It was God who provided a Ram for Abraham to sacrifice instead of Isaac.Genesis 22:13

It was God who provided water for the salvation of Hagar and Ishmael.Genesis 21:17-21

It was Christ in Joseph who provided sustenance and salvation to all of Egypt, who forgave his brethren, and took a Gentile bride.Genesis 41-45

It was God who gave the instructions for Moses to raise the brass serpent, for all who would believe.Numbers 21:8.

It was God who spoke to the people through Moses, prophesying of a coming prophet likened unto himself, who would bring salvation. Deuteronomy 18:15

It was God in Boaz, portraying Christ, first to Naomi representing the Old Testament church and Ruth representing the New Testament church, who redeemed them back to their original station from their fallen position.Ruth 3:9

It was God who made covenant with David in declaring that mercy would always come before judgment, and to Isaiah that in mercy would his throne be established.Psalm 89:14;Isaiah 16:5

It was God using Elijah to call ALL Israel to repentance.1 Kings 18:19, 30, 37

It was God who said to Israel why will you die, that God has no pleasure in the death of him that dieth.Ezekiel 18:31-32

It was God in Hosea who ran to forgive even his adulterous bride, trapped by the weakness of her flesh.Hosea 2:14-23

It was God who sent John the Baptist, baptizing unto repentance for all at the approach of the Lamb of God.Matthew 3:5

It was God in Jesus who loved the rich young ruler who rejected Him, yet He showed him the path to eternal life.Mark 10:17-22

It was God in Jesus who accepted Judas without guile, who called him friend up to the last moment, and asked him concerning the certainty of his decision to betray with a kiss.Matthew 26:50;Luke 22:48

It was God in Jesus who reasoned with Pilot, and the Sanhedrin Council.Matthew 26:58-64;John 18:36-38

It was God who raised Jesus from the tomb that he might be a propitiation for all who would believe on him.Romans 3:21-26

It was God as Jesus who speaks to all, in every New Testament church age “he that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches”.Revelation 2-3

These are only a small notable portion of the times that God offered universal mercy to any who would accept it, and many more could be recorded here. Truly God has always had a way that all men might stand accepted of him, from the earliest days of the fall in Genesis, to the consummation of the ages in Revelation.

!There is another point to see here. In the great White Throne judgment, there will be a separation of people. The Book of Life will be opened and another book will be opened.Matthew 25:31-46;Revelation 20:11-15,

There will be both the righteous and the unrighteous in this judgment. It says so. THESE RIGHTEOUS WILL NOT BE THE BRIDE FOR THE BRIDE SITS WITH HIM IN JUDGMENT.I Corinthians 6:2-3;Revelation 3:21

See, the bride is with Him in the throne. As she is to judge the world she has to be sitting in the judgment with Him. That is exactly what Daniel saw inDaniel 7:9-10.

It is the same scene, for the thousand thousands who are ministering to Him are the bride, for who ministers to the husband but the wife?

The question now arises, why are these righteous ones in the judgment? There is no other place that they can come up, for there are but two resurrections and since they could not qualify for the first resurrection they must come up in the second, which is a resurrection unto judgment. The ones who qualify for the first resurrection (the bride) are not in the judgment.John 5:24

But notice carefully, Jesus must have yet another group in mind who at a certain resurrection will receive eternal life. They will receive it at the resurrection, NOT HAVING PREVIOUSLY RECEIVED IT AS A MEMBER OF THE BRIDEJohn 5:28-29

Now we all know thatJohn 5:28-29 is NOT THE RAPTURE for only the dead in Christ will arise from the graves at that time along with the living bride who still is on the earthI Thessalonians 4:16-17

But it says inJohn 5:28-29 that ALL are going to come forth from the grave. This is the very same resurrection that is spoken of inRevelation 20:11-15 wherein THE DEAD were brought before the Lord and judged according to their works, and all whose names were not in the Book of Life were then cast into the lake of fire.

We now face the question as to why they should be given eternal life at the judgment since the Epistles seem to conclusively point out that one must possess the Spirit of Christ or perish. Though it seems thus, we must not discredit the words of Jesus Who most pointedly sets forth that there are some found in the Book of Life who will either receive eternal life before the general resurrection or after it.

Paul does not evade this truth for he most clearly says inPhilippians 3:11, « If by any means I might attain to the resurrection of the dead. »

Now this statement is most peculiar. We all know that we are ALL going to be in a resurrection whether we want to be or not. All will be resurrected. So Paul could hardly be saying, « If by ANY MEANS I might attain to a resurrection of the dead. » The truth of the matter is, he is not saying that. The literal reading is, « If by any means I might attain to the ‘out-resurrection’ from among the dead. » This is not the attaining to the general or second resurrection, but attaining to the first resurrection, of which is said, « Blessed and Holy is he who hath part in the first resurrection, on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with Him a thousand years » Revelation 20:6. The first resurrection has nothing to do with the second death. That is at the end of the thousand years when ALL THE REST of the dead live again. And in that day there will be those who come forth to eternal life and those others who are caught in the second death. Now we do not need to guess about those who in the second resurrection are given life. We are told it is given to them on the grounds that they have been kind and good to the « Brethren ». Those who are raised and cast into the lake of fire will be so treated because of their mistreatment of the « Brethren ». Since this is the Word of God we simply accept it. There is no argument here, just a simple statement of fact.

To further clarify, notice specifically the words ofMatthew 25:31-46. It does not say that a shepherd is literally separating sheep from goats, but it is AS a shepherd dividing sheep from goats. These are not sheep in this particular area of time (White Throne Judgment). The sheep are in His fold, they heard His voice (Word) and they followed Him. THEY ALREADY HAVE ETERNAL LIFE AND CANNOT COME INTO THE JUDGMENT. But these do NOT have eternal life, and they are in the judgment. They are allowed to GO INTO eternal life. But upon what grounds do they enter into life eternal? Certainly not upon the fact that they already have His life as does the bride, but they receive it because they were kind to His brethren. They are not His brethren: that would make them joint-heirs with Jesus. They are NOT heirs to anything but life. They share no throne, etc. with Him. THEIR NAMES MUST HAVE BEEN IN THE BOOK OF LIFE AND NOT REMOVED. Now because of their love of the people of God they are recognized and saved. No doubt these served and helped the children of God. Perhaps like Nicodemus and Gamaliel, they stood for the children in a time of trouble.

If this seems to smack of « restoration, » watch carefully now, for the wicked are NOT restored, but turned into the lake of fire. The names of many of those destroyed were in the Book of Life also; but they were blotted out because they failed to honor the people of God who were the living manifested Word (living epistles) for their day.

« Now let us be very clear here. These are not nations being judged and going into the millennium because they have harbored and helped the Jews. That is very clear because of the conclusion of these verses. « And these (the wicked) shall go away into everlasting punishment (lake of fire), but the righteous into everlasting life. » There is no record of TWO judgments set where the wicked are cast into the lake of fire. Only the beast and false prophet are judged at the end of the great tribulation. No, this is the White Throne judgment, and they are judged according to what is written in the books. » [William Branham]

The bride, seated with Him in the throne already has eternal life and is thusly seated with him on the throne, having already passed from death to life by the purpose of God, according to His purpose and choice.Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;

9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

10 That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise,

14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

 

!Common objections are that mankind has a free will, being made by God as a free moral agent.

The Scriptures are replete with example’s of God also having a will and eternal purpose, and you only need to ask yourself one question, who’s will and purpose wins, the will and purpose of the Creator or the created?

InEphesians 1 He predestinated unto the adoption of children « according to the good pleasure of his will » (v. 5). He has made known to us « the mystery of his will » (not « grace ») and that « according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself » (v. 9). And then, as though that was not sufficiently explicit, the passage closes with « being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will, that we should be to the praise of his glory » (vv. 11, 12).

The answer is inescapably that the will of the Creator always takes priority.

The very one that the Scriptures declare,« For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things. » Romans 11:36.

And again speaking of the WILL OF GOD ALONE in2 Timothy 1:9, « Who hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, »

Many object on the grounds that the events of Calvary in 33 AD override God’s election.

Eternal Election being a part of God himself, it was before there was anything, so that nothing coming after overrides what was before. The grand truth of Election takes us back to the beginning of all things. It predated the entrance of sin into the universe, the fall of man, the advent of Christ, and the proclamation of the gospel.

Truly free will was given to man when he was made a living soul inGenesis 2:7, because being made in the image of God he was a free moral agent. But again Election predatedGenesis 2:7. Moreover before the fall ADAM always chose to live by the Word of God. He was not deceived as was the woman, who was a bi-product of the man. Not being in the original creation, she allowed the serpent to reason away God’s Word. Adam in a perfect portrait of Christ moved to redeem her and was willing to become guilty before God in order to save his bride, because she was a part of Adam.Genesis 2:23 « And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. »

This pattern is seen again in Moses, who was willing to become guilty of the sin, though he was innocent of it, and be destroyed in order to save IsraelExodus 32:32 « Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin—; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. » It was the spirit of Christ moving in Moses to save the wife of Jehovah. « And it shall be at that day, saith the Lord, that thou shalt call me Ishi; and shalt call me no more Baali. »Hosea  2:14

“Ishi”, H376. אִישׁ iys: “this word describes Gods special relationship to Israel. He will be their protective husband” [Dr. Spiros Zodhiates]

What a wonderful example of Jesus Christ at Calvary, who was willing to become guilty of sin before God, and take the penalty of death as judgment. All to save the church, the body of Christ, the Bride! Knowing that God would raise him up again, and this would allow a just God to redeem the whole family back to Himself, because He took our guilt, we receive His innocence and are now accepted in the Divine.

Calvary was a foreordained and necessary part of the plan of redemption that had Election AS ITS CAUSE.

It’s the same principle we find inGalatians 3:17 « And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. »

The Apostle Paul was proving to the Jews that an event after the original, which came for the express purpose of restoring the original, never overrides the original. That would be placing the effect ahead of the cause.

Simply put, Calvary in 33 AD was the event that was necessary in order to restore the original. The original being God’s Elected family that was a part of His attributes, but had been lost by the fall of Adam’s race. Only in this way do you have proper cause and effect.

A valid objection to the thought of Eternal Election arises from1 John 2:1 « My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. »

This is certainly 100% true and worthy of all praise, but could hardly be declaring that the whole world will be saved. Consider this passage:Hebrews 9:28 « So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. »

John is saying for the sins of the “whole world”, but Paul is saying “sins of many”, suggesting not all. Do we have a contradiction? No, not in the least. It only requires a closer look at what John is actually pointing to.

Because of the fall and the way we come by a sexual birth, all are born into this world the children of wrathEphesians 2:3 Which is precisely why Jesus had to be born by virgin birth, apart from sexual contact, in order to redeem them that were lost by the original Sin of adultery inGenesis 3:6 [cf. The Original Sin” article on this website]

All have gone astray. The whole world has become guilty before God.Romans 3:9-25

In Adam all die, but in Christ all live.Corinthians 15:22

John could hardly be saying that all will be saved. He is simply pointing out that through faith in Christ all CAN be saved, because God is not unjust. He must give every man a chance for salvation. But that would have no bearing on His ability to foreordain their destination by His foreknowledge.

It should also be noted that John is firstly addressing members of the family of God “little Children” (Election), but is secondly pointing out that God will grant salvation to any outside of His elected family if they believe on Him. Here we see a difference to be made between “redemption” and “salvation.”

God has reserved the right to have mercy (salvation) on whom He will, and Christ has made the way through faith in His sacrifice for the whole world, whomsoever.

But “redemption” is to buy back what was previously owned, and that is the family who are a part of Him.

Jesus Christ, the redeemer of the family, the firstborn among many brethren is Himself the elect one, as described by the prophetIsaiah 42:1 « Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; »

As Paul points out inGalatians 3:16, « Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. »

And all who shall ever be redeemed are elected in Him, given to Him of the Father, chosen in Him before the foundation of the world. It was to accomplish their redemption that God gave His only begotten Son, and that Jesus Christ assumed the guilt of the fallen family and gave His life a ransom.

!Another valid challenge to Election is found in:John 3:14-18

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Again 100% true, but it does not declare that everyone will be saved, only that those who believe would be, just as the words of Peter and Paul are taken into account also.

Acts 11:13 « Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter; 14 Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved. »

Acts 16: 30 « And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. »

Once again the requirement is to believe, and the scriptures are not silent on who will believe. The bible says that those who are ordained to eternal life believed.

Acts 13:48 « And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. »

Another valid challenge to Election is found in: 2 Peter 3:9 « The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us- ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. »

There is a great compound meaning here that we will deal with under another heading, but let us look closely at the verse for part of its meaning.

The key to this verse is found in the word « us-ward »: « the Lord is…longsuffering to us-ward, » for He is not willing that « any » of them should perish.

And whom are these “any” referred to in the verse? The “beloved » of verse 1. The same ones mentioned at the beginning of the First Epistle, « elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit », and because He has purposed that « all » of them should come to repentance, » All who were“chosen in Him before the foundation of the world” Ephesians  1:4

Those persons who were redeemed1 Peter 1:19 “with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20 who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world. »

And whose names are recorded in“the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Revelation 13:8

Christ will not return until the last of those names are redeemed.

Another verse that has been misunderstood many times simply by not reading the full context of the passage isJohn 1:9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

If taken alone and emphasized smartly as I have done, this would not only appear to contradict Eternal Election, but eliminate even some of those who were elected. But let Scripture answer Scripture by reading the rest of the passage.

13 « Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. »

Which agrees perfectly withRomans 9:16 « So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. »

Salvation originated not in the will of man, but in the will of God!

No matter how you read it, you cannot read God’s will defeated. All things accomplish His will and purpose, even the rejection by His people for a season.

Romans 11:25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. 28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers ‘sakes. 29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. 30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: 31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

Consider that if it had not been for THE WILL OF GOD ALONE none would be saved at all, because as a result of the fall, man has lost all desire and will unto that which is good in the first place.John 5:40 “And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life”;Romans 3:11 « There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. »

Even the elect themselves have to be made willing,Psalm 110: 3 « Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. »

Let it be remembered that Jesus taught emphatically“no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.” John 6:65

!Some may argue that this type of teaching would lead to the attempted abuse of God’s grace.

First of all, that is not new, a backslidden priesthood and nation tried to do that in the Old Testament in the days of Eli. Hophni and Phinehas placed the ark of God before the army of Israel presumptuously, and went out to fight the Philistines in1 Samuel 4. It didn’t work, the priests were killed, the army was slaughtered and the ark was captured, because you cannot use God’s Word in this way of coercion. God had made it clear inNumbers 10:35,14:44 that whatever army took the ark before it would be victorious, but it had to accompany obedience to the Word, (Numbers 14:43-45) and be according to a true faith in God’s provision. Hypocrites need not apply.

So also was it with the brass serpent erected by Moses inNumbers 21:9.

All a man was required to do, was look and he lived, but it had to be a looking in faith, and there had to be obedience to the Word. Because that Israel began to take advantage of God’s provision, it was destroyed by Hezekiah in2 Kings 18:4. « The Israelites had come to worship the object that had been a symbol of Yahweh’s healing grace. » [Constable]

It is no different than some of the modern Evangelical and Charismatic movements of today, who take a true and accurate understanding of the atonement of Calvary superficially. They proclaim to the world that they are redeemed and set about to build great churches and attract many followers by religious program, yet they never allow the literal life of Christ that Calvary made a way for, to come into them for true redemption. Their sinful lives are little changed and their day to day walk bears little resemblance to the power, faith and piety of the early church. It will be this group who stand in shock and dismay at the judgment seat of Christ.

Matthew 7:21-23

21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Paul intercepts some of the natural objections of the human mind to Election inRomans 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.

Again inRomans 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.

16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

Some will charge that this type of Election is a form of « elitism. »

We present Paul’s argument that the charge is not valid.

Romans 3:1 What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?

2 Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.

3 For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?

4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.

5 But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man)

6 God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?

7 For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner?

8 And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just.

9 What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;

10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

« You will want to know if I believe in the doctrine of preexistence. I don’t believe in that Mormon doctrine of the preexistence of souls any more than I believe in reincarnation or the transmigration of souls. Be careful here and see this. It is not the person that comes predestinated eternally from God, IT IS THE WORD, OR SEED. That is it. Way back there, too far back for the human mind to grasp, the Eternal God with eternal thoughts, thought and decreed,« JACOB HAVE I LOVED, BUT ESAU HAVE I HATED, (Romans 9:13) AND NEITHER WAS BORN, AND NEITHER HAD DONE GOOD OR EVIL. » See, it was the THOUGHT, and then that thought became expressed, and God bought back Jacob, because Jacob alone was SEED. Jacob, alone had the seed; that is why he had respect to the birthright and covenant of God. If you are true seed, you will hear that Word; the Spirit will baptize you into the body of Christ, filling you and empowering you, and you will receive the Word for your day and age. See how clear the true evidence becomes when the Word is revealed to you? Again, note, Jesus was the Royal Seed. He lived in a human body. When the Spirit called to Him (the Word-Manifested Thought), He went to Jordan and was there baptized in water. Upon obeying the Word, the Holy Spirit came upon Him and the voice said,« This is My beloved Son, hear ye Him. » The voice did not say, « This has become My Son, » Jesus WAS the Son. The Holy Ghost positioned Him as that Son before them all. Then having been filled thus (and the same pattern holds at Pentecost and ever after), He went in demonstrated power, receiving the full revelation of God and from God, for that day. » [William Branham]

!Throughout the history of the world after the fall in Genesis, mankind has always resisted God’s plan of redemption.Acts 7:50;Romans 3:9-20. This is because the fallen mind of man will never choose the will of God without the direct intervention of the spirit of GodRomans 8:6-7.

God made man a free moral agent, but he can never find his way to back to God unless God provides an understanding of the way back. God shows His way to all in one form or another, and is never without fairness.

It should be remembered that the Bible refers to Adam as “the Son of God” inLuke 3:38, but makes a distinction that Cain was of that evil one in1 John 3:12.

“Thus we see the two vines that were planted in the Garden of Eden. As the Seed of the woman was literally God reproducing Himself in human flesh, so the seed of the serpent is the literal way that Satan found he was able to open the door to himself into the human race. It was impossible for Satan (for he is only a CREATED spirit-being) to reproduce himself in the manner which God reproduced Himself, so the Genesis account tells how he produced his seed and introduced or injected himself into the human race.” [William Branham]

When we considerGenesis 5:1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;

2 Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.

3 And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth [in the stead of Able]: NO MENTION OF CAIN IN HIS LINEAGE WHATEVER.

We recommend that you reference another article on this website titled:

It will guide you to a full understanding of How God effected Election in the world.

!Things That Are To Be 65-1205, Rialto, California

«  32       †          Now, the only way that you can be a son, a daughter of God, because you have to be the… have to have Eternal Life. And there’s only one form of Eternal Life, and that’s God’s Life. Only one form of Eternal Life, that was God. There, to be a son of God, you had to be in Him always. The gene of your Life, spiritual Life, tonight, was in God, the Father, before there was even a molecule. See? And you are nothing but the manifestation of the gene of Life that was in God, as a son of God.

Now you’re expressed, after His Word has come in you, to Light up this age. You are expressing God’s Life in you, because you are a son or a daughter of God. Therefore, you get what I mean? [Congregation says, « Amen. »–Ed.] See? You are in… You are now made, you’re setting in this church, tonight, because your duty is to express God to this nation and this people, and this neighborhood where you associate.

Wherever you are, God knew that you would be here, because you have to be one of His genes, or His attributes. You had to be. If you ever, if you’ve got Eternal Life, then It always was Eternal Life. And God, before there was a foundation, world, knew that you would be here. And when the Word, or the water, « the washing of the water of the Word » fell upon you–you, it was expressed in a being. Now you have fellowship with your Father, God, just as you have with your earthly father. See? You are citizens of the King; not citizens, but you are children, sons and daughters of the living God, if it be that the Eternal Life dwells in you. [William Branham]

Things That Are To Be 65-1205, Rialto, California

«  64       †          Now, the next thing you receive, was the baptism of the Holy Ghost and Fire.

Now, God, when this Millennium is over, God is going to give the world a baptism of fire. It’s going to blow the whole thing up. « The heavens and earth will be on fire. » Peter said so. And the thing will have a baptism of fire, renovation of the whole thing. And then there’ll be a new heavens and a new earth. That’s, when, where dwelleth righteousness.

That’s where we are. We have become from mortal beings, from time beings, to Eternal beings. When the Word of God lit our souls, and we become sons and daughters of God, with the attributes, the gene of God in us, to be sons and daughters of the Father, God in Heaven, crying, « Abba, Father! My God, my God, in my Father’s House. » [William Branham]

Modern Events Are Made Clear By Prophecy 65-1206, San Bernardino, California

«  74       †          The man who’s seen the vision or heard His voice, never altogether understood It. In many cases he didn’t know, because he’s just an instrument of God. It’s God’s thoughts expressed through man’s lips; a thought, course, is a word expressed. God does His Own choosing by His–His predestinated choosing. He done it in every age, He set forth the man for each age. Like when Moses, when he was to fulfill what He told to Abraham. Moses was born a proper child, he couldn’t help being that way. He was born that way because he was born for that purpose.

75    And so we find out that God does that in every age. God does His Own choosing by His Own predestinated choosing, choose His prophets and things for the age. Fixes–fixes his nature, the man’s nature, the man’s style of preaching, to honor His gift, and all that He does is to meet the challenge of that day. God creates that man and sent him. And in His Own mind, as I preached on last night, we are a germ of the gene of God. He knowed that man would be there at that age, before there ever was a molecule, or a light, or anything else in the earth. [William Branham]

Modern Events Are Made Clear By Prophecy 65-1206, San Bernardino, California

«  76       †          For you’re a gene of your father, and you were in your father, yet your father had no fellowship with you because he… You was in there, but you knew it not and he knew it not, but you was manifested that you might… that he might fellowship with you. And you being born again, you’re born of Eternal Life. And that’s the only one form of Eternal Life, and that’s God’s Life, Zoe, the Greek word « Zoe, » only one form of Eternal Life.

77    Then if you are a son of God or a daughter of God, you were in God all the time. But He knew what bed and time that you’d be planted. So now you’re made a creature, a son of God, manifested son or daughter of God to meet the challenge of this hour to vindicate the true and living God of this hour, the Message that’s coming forth in this time. That’s right! You was done there before the foundation of the world. If it wasn’t… If you wasn’t chose that way, no matter how much you try to impersonate It, you’ll never make it. How can you get blood from a turnip when there’s no blood in there? [William Branham]

Modern Events Are Made Clear By Prophecy 65-1206, San Bernardino, California

«  172       †          But the real, ordained of God, that real gene, that real germ, a soul of God that was in God before the foundation of the world; remember, you that’s really got the Spirit of God in you tonight, you were here in Christ because He was the fulness of the Word. He was the fulness of the Godhead bodily. God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself. Do you believe that? Look, He was in Christ. Then if you were in God, a gene, a word, a attribute from the beginning, then you walked with Him here on earth, you talked with Him on earth, you suffered with Him on earth, you died with Him at Calvary, and you rose with Him again; and now you’re setting in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, communing with Him (the Word) as It feeds into your soul, that, « Man shall live by ever Word that proceedeth. »

173    Not the Methodist word, the Baptist word; remember, if there was any left over in the sacrifice, it must be burned before morning, ’cause tomorrow’s another church age. That right? Exodus, It’s true. A symbol, type of the Sacrifice. [William Branham]