Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: Elect (03/05/26)
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TITLE: Have You Been Elected? | Previous Challenge Entry
By Doug Laird
03/09/26 -
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But in spite of, or perhaps because of, its frequent usage, it has been the source of some major controversies and accompanying false doctrines evolving within the Christian Community.
The “ELECT” refers to the human souls that have been “chosen” to receive salvation.
It is also used to refer to a category of angelic beings, as well.
The entire angelic realm was forever divided into two categories (fallen and elect), as the result of a satanic led prehistoric rebellion (1) that took place in Heaven before the creation of Man.
The angels that CHOSE to follow Satan make up the group of fallen angels.
The ones that CHOSE to remain loyal, or (as some teach) to return to God), are referred to as elect angels.
The fallen angels, to the extent that God allows, continue to serve the interests and plan of Satan, but their ultimate destiny will be to spend all of eternity future in the lake of fire (2).
The elect angels continue to serve the interests and plans of God, and to serve, protect, and guide the people of God (3).
Among the false doctrines that have evolved within the Christian Community is the Doctrine of Limited (as opposed to Unlimited) Atonement.
This is a classic example of developing a doctrine by taking a phrase out of context or by isolating a verse(s) of Scripture while disregarding other verses that address the same issue.
This false doctrine promotes the concept that the atoning Work of the Lord Jesus Christ did not provide the means of salvation for everyone, as taught in John 3: 16, 1John 2:2, 1Tim. 2: 3, 4, but only for the ones that God chooses to save.
Such promoters of this false doctrine will partially quote, but misapply, John 15: 16, taking the position that if God doesn’t choose you, you won’t be saved, disregarding the Biblical basis on which God makes His choice.
“You did not choose Me, but I chose you…(John 15: 16 NASB2020).”
In context, Jesus was speaking to His followers concerning the roles that each one of them would have in their post salvation life.
The same principle is found in 1Corinthians 12, addressing spiritual gifts and God’s choice of where, how, and when, every single Church Age believer would be called to serve God, here in the Church age.
Satan, and those who do his bidding, have mastered the art of challenging what God has actually said (4) by taking words out of context, and or accurately quoting, but misapplying Scripture,inevitably leading their intended targets astray.
One can choose to become more or less “religious” at any time, but we do not choose the timing of our salvation, as we, in our fallen state, lack the necessary mindset to achieve this.
We must choose to respond to the presentation of the unadulterated Gospel Message (5) when it is presented to us through the pre-salvation ministry of God the Holy Spirit who calls us.
It is then and there, that He makes the otherwise “foolish-sounding” (6) Gospel Message understandable, affording the individual soul the opportunity to be born-again. No one knows when he or she has been given his or her last opportunity to do so.
In His omniscience (all knowledge), God knew and knows who will be saved and who will not, throughout the course of the Church Age, based on the choice that each soul makes at the time when we are presented with the Gospel Message.
Most folks are familiar with John 3:16, but many tend to rationalize away the consequences of verse 18b.
[Vs.16] “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.
[Vs. 18] The one who believes in Him is not judged; the one who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God (John 3: 16-18NASB2020).”
Are you among the elect, or are you counting on some other means for God to choose to bestow on you, the unearned gift of eternal life?
(1) Isa. 14: 12-14 (2) Matt. 25: 41 NASB2020 (3) Heb. 1:14 (4) Gen. 3: 1 (5) John 3: 16, 18 (6) 1Cor. 2: 14
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