THE ELECTION OF GRACE

"Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the
election of grace" (KJV). "In the same way then, there has also come to be at
the present time a remnant according to God's gracious choice" (NASB). "So too, At the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace" (NIV). -- Rom11:5

Devotion 9 of 18

PEOPLE WITHIN A PEOPLE
     "Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.  That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son" (Rom 9:7-9).

     Identity with the right people does not make the individual himself accepted. All of Abraham's offspring were not included in the promise! The progeny of Ishmael were not included, even though they could trace their lineage back to Abraham. God made a choice among Abraham's children, and He did it of His own free will.  The real seed of Abraham was traced back to Sarah and the child of promise, Isaac. The "seed" was further narrowed through "Jacob." There is a people within a people; a group within a group!

     Those in Christ are like Isaac, i.e., they are children of promise! Thus it is written, "Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise" (Gal 4:28). God did not accept Isaac because of his personal accomplishments, but because he was the promised offspring of Abraham and Sarah. God does not accept you because of your accomplishments, but because you have been fathered by the Lord Jesus. He is, after all, the "everlasting Father"  (Isa 9:6-7), and believers are His "seed" (Isa 53:10). Isaac was not received by God because he was good, but because he sustained identity with Abraham. You are not accepted because you are good, but because of your identity with the Son. That is God's will--His good pleasure. The reason for this circumstance ought to be obvious; there is no other way for acceptance to be realized!

     Do not be intimidated by the "will of God." It is to your advantage that you are saved according to His will! And, there is no need to guess about the matter; He has told us of His will! He is, for example, "NOT willing that any should perish" (2 Pet 3:9). His fervent desire is stated precisely: "Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim 2:4). The determinist is wrong in making God's will "secret" in the matter of salvation. When it comes to our acceptance, God has revealed how He thinks, and what He wants. It is His "will" to save everyone that comes to the Son! Thus, it is written, "And this is the Father's will which hath sent Me, that of all which He hath given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of Him that sent Me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:39-40).

      If you can see it, "grace" is more related to WILL than to RIGHT. Do not think for one moment that grace ignores right, or that salvation is  accomplished  independently of righteousness. God cannot save unless He does so righteously! Thank God, in Christ Jesus He remains just, while being the Justifier of those that believe in His Son. As it is written, "To declare, I say, at this time His righteousness: that He might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus" (Rom 3:26). 

     Election, or the choice of God, proceeds from Divine preference, not legalistic correctness. That is to say, God made provision for sinners because He WANTED to save them! Those who come into Christ enter the realm of favor. Every aspect of salvation is righteous, but it is salvation by grace! It is absolutely right to save all those who are in Christ, but God does so because He wants to. It is not possible to achieve any level of assurance without seeing this aspect of your salvation.

PRAYER POINT: Father, I thank you that salvation rests upon Your will, and not mine. I see, and rejoice in the revealed truth, "it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy." That you, in Jesus' name!

-- TOMORROW: GOD'S CHOICE DEMONSTRATED IN JACOB AND ESAU --