omeone quoted Ephesians 1:4 to demonstrate that every human
being was elected for salvation in Christ before the creation of the world.
Is that what the text says?
Let me quote the text: "For he [God] chose us in him [Christ]
before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight."*
Before I comment on the biblical topic of election, a clarification:
Adventists who believe that every human being was elected by God for salvation
also hold that all were actually saved at the cross. They correctly reject the
idea that God chose some for salvation and others for damnation (double predestination).
But they see only two other possibilities: that God elected and saved all (which
they support) or that there is double predestination. Those are not the only
two options.
1. Contextual Control: Before concluding that Ephesians
1:4 describes the election of the whole human race for salvation, we should
examine the context. Is there in the context universal language, e.g., "all,"
"the world"? Is Paul discussing the election of some and the rejection
of others? Notice the terminology he uses. He writes "to the saints,"
"the faithful" (verse 1), those who "praise . . . our Lord Jesus"
(verse 3), etc. He is referring to believers. When he says "He chose us
in [Christ]," he is describing the experience of believers who are in Christ,
not the sinful of the world. The Christ event will have a universal impact because
through him God purposes to unite "all things in heaven and on earth"
(verse 10). This is not yet a reality, but evidence of it is observed in the
union of Jews and gentiles in the church (Eph. 3:6).
2. Election From: In the Bible, election is the act of
choosing from a group. For instance, God elected Israel from among the nations
of the earth (Deut. 7:6, 7), Christ to be our Savior (Luke 9:35), Paul as a
missionary to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15); and Jesus elected 12 disciples (John
6:70). In His sovereign will God chooses some individuals to perform a particular
task (Rom. 9:14-24).
When the term election is used theologically in the New
Testament, it always refers to those who place their faith in Christ, chosen
by God for a particular purpose. It could designate individual believers (Acts
1:24) or the church collectively (Titus 1:1; 1 Peter 1:1), but never the world
in general, independent of a faith relationship with God. It is universal only
in the sense that through the preaching of the gospel and the work of the Spirit
God is choosing Jews as well as Gentiles (1 Thess. 1:4). Jesus said, "For
many are invited, but few are chosen" (Matt. 22:14). The chosen are those
who accept the call. God is doing all He can to move all to accept the call
and be saved (1 Tim. 2:4).
3. Pretemporal Election in Christ: Paul says that God
"chose us in him before the creation of the world" (Eph. 1:4). The
passage indicates, first, that election is grounded in God Himself without our
intervention. This decision took place before we existed; the decision to elect
us happened before the creation of the world.
Second, the certainty of our election is expressed through the
use of the past tense of the verb ("he elected"). God's intention
for us is not ambivalent, but firm.
Third, in God's purpose and sovereign will He predetermined
that our election will take place exclusively "in Christ." That is
to say, our election is a reality through and in union with Christ.
He is the person, the sphere within which election occurs, and this election
is the mystery of God's work for us in His Son.
Fourth, election is not an abstract or a nonhistorical event.
It takes place in the Incarnated One, in Christ, and manifests itself in a "holy
and blameless" life. In fact, election is not simply election to salvation
but to a holy life. The one cannot be separated from the other without robbing
election of its meaning and content.
Fifth, nothing in the text refers to double predestination or
the pretemporal election of the whole human race. Paul is assuring believers
that their election is rooted in God's inscrutable purpose for them in Christ.
The connection between free-will and election is not examined here. He is stressing
God's prior action on our behalf.
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*Bible texts in this article are from the New International Version.
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Angel Manuel Rodríguez is director of the Biblical Research Institute
of the General Conference.
