Election: A Practical
Doctrine
By Medford Caudill
Goshen, Indiana
“Who shall
lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.”
(Romans 8:33)
Election
is a Bible doctrine. As such, it ought to be believed and preached by all
Sovereign Grace, Landmark, Missionary Baptists. You understand the word
doctrine means teaching. When we say that election is a Bible doctrine
we mean simply that it is a Bible teaching.
Election refers to the fact that God has chosen a people to glorify Himself.
This choice was made without any preconditions. It was indeed unconditional
election. It was not made because of anything that we have done or will
do but was motivated solely by the love of God. As our text says;
“It is God that justifieth.” Salvation is of the Lord. Every aspect of
it whether predestination, election, regeneration, conversion, atonement,
justification, adoption, perseverance, preservation, or glorification is
of the Lord and of the Lord alone. God does no vote for you and then
the devil votes against you and then you have the deciding vote. No, no
my friend, God votes and the election is done and over with.
However plainly the Bible teaches this doctrine of election there are those
who object to it. Some object to it by saying it is unworthy of God. It
makes God to be a respecter of persons and violates the free will of man.
To these we can only say with the Apostle Paul in Romans 9:20; “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?”
Most people who object to election do so, because they realize it is part
and parcel of predestination. The natural man does not like the idea of
being subject unto God. Man would rather worship his own idea of free will
than worship the Sovereign God of the universe.
There are also some who object to this doctrine but say they believe in
it. They may believe it but do not preach it. Their objection is because,
(they say), it is not a practical doctrine. That is that the teaching of
it is merely abstract theology and has nothing to do with daily life.
We want to speak to you today on the subject; “Election: A Practical Doctrine”.
After saying a few things about doctrine and practice we intend to show
that election is a practical doctrine as far as both evangelism and righteousness
is concerned.
Whatever your doctrine might be you will practice it. If you believe in
freewill for instance, you will beg men to change their minds about God...
You will use every method that you can think of, including trickery to
get them to change. If on the other hand you adopt the fatalistic antinomian,
hardshell view that election is only to eternal salvation and that God
controls only the ends not the means to the end, then you will have the
tendency to resist any and all efforts at evangelism or missions. Either
way your practice will be controlled by your doctrine.
Let me say this also, that doctrine always comes before practice. We mean
by that statement that practice is a follower not a leader. You will practice
what you genuinely believe but you belief will not necessarily follow your
practice. Think of the sovereign grace churches you have been in
which give long drawn out invitations or of those Primitive hardshells
who are presently doing mission work in the Philippines. Both of these
are certainly being inconsistent as to their practice following their doctrine.
As an individual and as a church you need to first of all determine what
the Bible says concerning election, and then make sure that your personal
life and your church life is carried out in the practice of that doctrine.
We say then, first of all that election is a practical doctrine as far
as evangelism is concerned. Being missionary Baptists we are active in
evangelistic efforts. Our Lord has told us to go into all the world and
to preach the gospel to every creature.
e are encouraged in
these efforts by the doctrine of election. After all we know that God has
a people. We do not know who they are but we know they are there. We can
preach the gospel to everyone then knowing that the results are in God’s
hands not ours.
This removes a terrible burden from us. We do not need to worry about the
person we are giving the gospel to. We do not need to worry about picking
out a likely prospect or about our ability (or inability) to present the
gospel. We do not need to memorize the Romans Road or God’s simple plan
of salvation. Indeed we do not need a system. All we need is the scripture
which tell us of God’s sovereignty and man’s depravity. The Scriptures
that tell us that Christ was born of a virgin, was the son of God and the
son of man, died upon the cross of Calvary for the sins of his people,
was buried, and rose from the dead on the third day. Away with all of these
systems of salvation. Just give the elect the truth and they will believe
it.
Election is not only a practical doctrine as far as evangelism is concerned
but is also a practical doctrine as to righteousness.
After all the doctrine of election implies predestination does it not?
If God has chosen a people, has He not also chosen their works? Does
not Ephesians 2:8-10 tell us; “For by grace are ye saved
through faith and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God not of works
lest any man should boast for we are his workmanship created in Christ
Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk
in them.” If we are truly one of the elect we will live a righteous
and holy life not on our own but by the Spirit that dwells within us.
If you are adopted do you not want to please the parents who chose you?
If you are married do you not want to please the spouse who chose you?
When you are picked to be a team do you not want to please the coaches
who chose you? If you are elected to some office is it not your desire
to serve the voters who elected you to represent them? If we are
one of god’s elect should we not use every means He has given us to glorify
Him?
Election is a great encouragement to righteousness.
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