December 20, 2008

Only the Elect Receive Grace

“And if by grace, then [it is] no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if [it is] of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work. What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded. Just as it is written: ‘God has given them a spirit of stupor, Eyes that they should not see And ears that they should not hear, To this very day.’ And David says: ‘Let their table become a snare and a trap, A stumbling block and a recompense to them. Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see, and bow down their back always.’” (Romans 11:6-10 NKJV)

Only the elect receive grace. It matters not that you are an Israelite according to the flesh. In fact, God has blinded a number of them to this day. What matters is God’s election. If God has saved you, it was according to His mercy and grace.

This doctrine places God in His proper place. Men don’t like to hear that they are subject to the Creator. It violates our sense of fair play. It’s important to understand, however, that without God’s intervention by His Holy Spirit we would all choose sin over Christ. Therefore, if God were to be fair to us, we would all perish. However, we can be thankful that God is gracious.

Remember, Paul is answering likely objections from the Jews and here he explains that salvation is by grace and not by works. God had reached out to this stubborn people all day long, but they would not have Christ. The same is true for all without God’s intervention.

If there is any hint of pride in your heart, cast it away from you now. Election has its mark and that is it humbles its recipient. The elect of God are made aware of their desperate condition and flee to the Savoir for mercy. If you have come to Christ on your own terms, you have not come at all. Do not think like the Jews that you have some special pass that allows you to enter salvation without grace. Amen.