Election Kills Favoritism: One Grace, One Church Family

The sixth application is that election should transform our communal life. If all members of the Christian community understand that they were chosen by the same sovereign grace of God, there is no room for sectarianism, favouritism, or discrimination. We all share equal dignity as God’s elect. This does not deny the diversity of gifts and callings but provides a common foundation that unites the community in gratitude for mutual election. The seventh application is that election should affect our moral and ethical life. Knowing that I am chosen by God and that I was predestined for a life of holiness. Ephesians 1:4. I must mortify sin in my life, not from fear of condemnation, but from gratitude for the love that chose me. Each act of obedience is a response to the grace that chose me. This transforms moral life from a series of external rules imposed into a life of love responsive to a God who loved me eternally. The eighth application is that election should transform how we face temptation. The contemporary Christian faces more sophisticated and more attractive temptations than ever. In a world of infinite access to distraction, of pornography accessible at one click, of unbridled consumerism, it is easy to succumb to temptation. Election offers us a solid foundation for resistance. When I am tempted, I can remember that I am chosen by God, that I was sealed by the Holy Spirit, that I have within me the presence of the Holy Spirit who is greater than any temptation. This does not eliminate the struggle, but offers a profound reason to persevere.