I found this article as I was preparing for my teaching on the doctrines of salvation, and particularly on election. The quote below is very insightful
Thesis 23: We must affirm that God creates what he elects rather than that he selects out of what exists.
Israel is called into existence. Election is tied to promise and the seed of Israel is not the product of selection but of creation. God created what he elected. Election is the creation of something out of its opposite—possibility out of impossibility. It is a matter of creation rather than a parallel to rejection.
The focus in our doctrine of election, therefore, must not be on selection. Election is a creative act. In biblical thought Israel, Christ, and the Church are not “existing realities that God selectively chooses out of a number of extant Israels, Christs, or churches. . . . They are created by the dynamics of election, for they are what they are only by virtue of their election.”
The thought that election is out of God’s creative, life-giving power is an excellent one, and a great demonstration of why I cherish the doctrine. In election, He is calling the dead to life, not sifting based on some selection criteria. This helped me to articulate a good defense to those who see election as mechanical and deterministic, and ultimately cold and unfair.
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#1 by Pete on March 2, 2009 - 9:23 am
That is a very interesting formulation.
#2 by Todd Engstrom on March 2, 2009 - 3:40 pm
Any other thoughts on it? How is it interesting?
#3 by Leah on March 2, 2009 - 11:11 am
Wow! I haven’t heard it explained that way before. Thanks for sharing, Todd!
#4 by Todd Engstrom on March 2, 2009 - 3:39 pm
it was a great “aha” moment for me too. Loved thinking about election not as selection, but as creation…
#5 by Michael Conrad on March 7, 2009 - 1:37 am
I think people, myself included, have thought of the doctrine of election as something where God created His creation and then realized that he had to pick teams. The thing is, his people were chosen before the foundations of the earth.
As far as determinism goes, my roommate put it nicely the other day. He said that when people think of determinism they think of a creator winding a clock and then just letting it go. That is not the case with our God. He cares deeply about His creation, and I think Colossians puts it nicely:
Colossians 1:17
And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
Good word, Todd. I liked this a lot. Thanks bro.
#6 by Todd Engstrom on March 7, 2009 - 9:52 am
Good thoughts Michael. We must keep the creative and relational nature of God before us, especially when we believe strongly in the absolute sovereignty of God in all things. I think the tendency in desiring to understand God’s election of people from a Calvinist perspective is to focus on God’s transcendence to the point where we lose sight of His personhood and His immanence.
It is in only in understanding the full character of God that we can comprehend the excellence of His electing love. Understood any other way, it will lead to intellectual arrogance, the depersonification of election, or potentially the “frozen chosen” idea of fatalism.
I pray that we continue to seek God himself, and nothing less!