Name Tags: You are… Elect
Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.
Colossians 3:12-13 (NKJV)
He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Matthew 24:31(NKJV)
This devotion on “God's elect” follows a bitter presidential election, where (before and after the vote) harsh words divided America and its saints.*
But no election is more important than Christ's election as the King of kings… and our election as His disciples– with a glorious destiny ahead!
Actors, models, and talent for Christ,
Consider three election aspects:
Your SAINT election isn't physical. Neither is your membership in the church. In John 4, Jesus describes His new church.** Buildings and pastors have no votes at all. The entire process is invisible.***
To understand how predestination and free will team up in our salvation is for the depths of the Lord’s Mind alone. Simply be thankful for your election and perform the work He assigns to you.****
No evil charges against you will stick from earthly governors or phony saints. You may feel the sharp sting for a minute (like a bullet striking a Kevlar vest), but you'll stand unscathed and victorious.*****
Name Tags: You Are… Elect (Part 35)
* God is clear that His elect must not slander, but instead respect (and keep in prayer), the leaders of government. Whether they are considered just or evil, they are approved by God for His purposes. If we complain about them, we are complaining about Him and present a poor witness of Christ. Speaking of Christ, consider how He respected the rulers and laws of the cruel Roman empire.
** 'Jesus said to her, 'Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father... But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and truth' ' (John 4:21-24, NKJV).
*** 'The term elect was of old applied to all the members of the visible church, whereas, in the New Testament, it is applied only to the members of the 'invisible,' to truly spiritual Christians, possessed of the faith working by love' (Benson Commentary on Romans 8:33 re: the term, elect). Link: Romans 8:33 Commentaries: Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies;
**** Especially found in Romans 8:30, the topic of predestination is a debated salvation term--possibly casting a shadow on free will or unfairness in the Nature of God. Recommended commentaries or articles:
**** Short article: What is predestination? Is predestination biblical? What is predestination?
**** Additional short article: How does God's sovereignty and mankind's free will work together in salvation? How do God’s sovereignty and humanity’s free will work together in salvation? | GotQuestions.org
***** Multiple scholarly commentaries on Romans 8:30: Romans 8:30 Commentaries: and these whom He predestined, He also called
***** 'Work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God Who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure' (Philippians 2:12-13, NASB).
NOTE: God is my Ghostwriter. If what I write is good, it’s from God. You may see notes to 'Actors, Models & Talent for Christ.' If you think you're not in show business, think again. Shakespeare said, 'All the world's a stage and all its men and women merely players.’ Mostly true. But you're not merely players. You are messengers and ambassadors for the King of kings.