Post from
@GWH from another thread:
Add Acts13:7 re: God chose Abraham, Issac & Jacob/Israel - then in history comes Jesus the Chosen/Elect One - the Seed of the Elect Abraham - and we get a glimpse into how by Faith in Christ we become one of the Elect in the line and headship of the Elect ones & One and as can be seen below we begin to live like Him as Elect ones in Jesus Christ the Elect One all the way back to the Elect Abraham (Rom4:11-12).
The TOJ re election:
Jesus is the Elect One (
Matt. 3:17).
The elect pass God's test (
Matt. 4:7,
Deut. 6:16,
Josh. 24:15).
They worship/serve only God (
Matt. 4:10 &
6:24).
They repent of sin/unbelief/serving Satan (TOJ #8:
Matt. 4:17).
They are blessed because of belief in Messiah (TOJ #9:
Matt. 5:3-12).
Their goal is to become like Christ/completely loving/morally perfect (TOJ #21-30:
Matt. 5:19-48).
They pray to God the Father for His will to be done (TOJ #34/
Matt. 6:9-10).
They confess their sins and forgive those who offend them (TOJ #36/
Matt. 6:12=
Luke 11:4).
They value spiritual treasures rather than material possessions (TOJ #38/
Matt. 6:19-21).
They reprove lovingly rather than judge falsely (TOJ 42/
Matt. 7:1-5).
They found salvation when they sought God's will (TOJ #44/
Matt. 7:7, cf.
Heb. 11:6).
They were saved because they satisfied God's requirement for entering the narrow gate (TOJ #46/
Matt. 7:13-14).
They were saved because they did not believe false teachers masquerading as angels of light (#47/
Matt. 7:15-20, cf.
2Cor. 11:14).
They became elect when the elected to accept Jesus as Messiah/Christ/Son of Man/Son of God/God the Son/Lord. (See TOJ #131.)
{JN 3:16b&18, 8:24, 11:25-26, 16:27, 17:6} Paul indicated this election or choice by the phrase “in Christ” (EPH 1:3-13). Of course,
this statement of GRFS assumes a soul has the opportunity to hear the NT gospel. Election does not mean determination (cf. TOJ #136).
Although Jesus’ primary mission as Messiah was to the Jews (TOJ #88), His ministry to the Canaanite woman {
Matt. 15:21-28} and the Parables of the Tenants {
Matt. 21:43//
Mark 12:9//
Luke 20:16} and of the Wedding Banquet {
Matt. 22:8-10} showed that His church would also include the Gentiles. He cited passages in the OT that indicate God’s plan of salvation has always encompassed all people {
Luke 4:25-27}. (See TOJ #53.) The last person who elected to accept Jesus during His earthly ministry was the thief on the cross {
Luke 23:43}.
This teaching was a major theme in the writings of Paul, who called it a mystery (
Rom. 16:25-26,
Eph. 3:6,
Col. 1:26-27,
2:2 &
4:3) or secret wisdom (
1Cor. 1:22-24). There had been hints of God’s universal plan of salvation in several of the OT prophets, especially Isaiah (
Isa. 42:6,
45:2,
49:6,
66:23). However, after Israel returned to Judah from the Babylonian captivity, Ezra established a strict legalistic tradition that ignored such prophecies (
Neh. 8&
9). Thus, most Jews were not “primed and ready” to receive Jesus as even a prophet. (See TOJ #86.) {
Matt. 10:18b,
11:28,
Luke 13:29-30}