11/26/18 GOD SELECTS HIS PEOPLE AND GOD USES PASTORS IN THE SELECTION PROCESS
In a previous post I said that the Holy Spirit, "SELECTS, DIRECTS, CORRECTS and PERFECTS His Church through the ministry of His anointed and appointed pastors." In this article I want to address the fact that the Holy Spirit SELECTS His people through the ministry of the pastor/teacher.
SELECT
God selects the people who will be in His Church (His Body, His Bride). Recently, when I asked the congregation (specifically the 8 year old and the 6 year old children in the congregation) if they knew what ELECT means, they shook their head, "NO."
I then asked them if they knew what the word SELECT means, and they indicated that they did. I asked the 8 year old to tell me what SELECT means. She said, "PICK." I agreed and added that it means to CHOOSE.
God elects (selects, picks, chooses) His people. Some people arbitrarily and falsely add that God elects His people UNILATERALLY and UNCONDITIONALLY. It is true that God initiated and provides salvation UNILATERALLY. He decided to provide and offer salvation without the urging or approval of anyone else. But salvation is not unilateral (one sided).
Salvation is designed by God, and provided by God, offered by God, but God does not impose His salvation on anyone or deny His salvation to anyone by fiat. God arbitrarily provided salvation, and God arbitrarily invites (calls), and enables people to hear and respond freely to His offer of salvation. God not only allows humans to accept His salvation, God requires people to accept His salvation or they will suffer Divine judgment. God not only allows and requires and invites and enables people to receive, accept His salvation, God established the method by which He ELECTS (selects, picks, chooses) His people. God determined the conditions of receiving His salvation.
God does not choose us based on our inherent goodness or on our acquired goodness, since no one is good but God alone. He does not choose us based on personal worth, abilities, family, intelligence, accomplishments. God desires everyone to be saved, but He requires trust, faith, surrender, confession, repentance, which He enables hearers of the Gospel to exercise.
The Bible says, "many are called, but few are chosen."
The Bible says, "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved," and, "he that comes to God must believe that He is and that He is the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."
The Bible says, "if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins."
The Bible says, "except you repent, you shall perish."
The Bible says, "deny yourself, take up you cross daily and follow Me (Jesus)."
The Bible says, "forgive and you shall be forgiven."
These are God established conditions that must be met in order to receive eternal life. THE CONDITION IS SUBMISSION.
The Bible tells us that many (all) have sinned.
The Bible tells us that all are dead because of their sins.
The Bible tells us that because of the sacrificial death of Jesus, that Jesus is the Savior of all men: that all people may come to God for justification unto life.
The Bible tells us that we are saved by grace through faith.
The Bible tells us that we children of God by faith in Jesus Christ.
The Bible tells us that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.
The Bible tells us that God sends preachers (which includes pastors) to preach the gospel.
In order for a person to be saved, he/she needs to hear the gospel. The ministry of the pastor/teacher is to preach, teach the gospel and to equip other believers so that they might go and make disciples.
1. Hearing the word of God and therefore hearing the call of God, leads to,
2. Responding to God's word, God's call, God's invitation in faith, confession, repentance, following, results in,
3. Regeneration, Adoption, Forgiveness, Justification, Initial Sanctification, Following Christ, which leads into,
4. Becoming the Elect (select, chosen).
