ELECTION OF GRACE
126
ELECTION OF GRACE
15). Paul's experienoo, as well as the teaching of the Hoh'' Spirit, impressed upon liis mind a deep convic- tion of the sovereignty of God in tlie salvation of men. He knew he had been chosen not for, but notwith- standing, his previous character and conduct. And he knew that, liad he not been thus chosen, he would have perished forever. It is not surprising, therefore, that he valued this doctrine, or that he so often refers to himself as a monument of the grace of God in the election and salvation of sinners. In his epistle to the Galatians, after referring to the fact that he had " lievond measure persecuted the Church of'God," he adds, " It pleased God, who separated me from nn' mother's womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me" (Gal. i, 15). See also Acts xxii, 1-1; 1 Cor. XV, 9 ; 1 Tim. i, 15, IG : " Jesus Ciirist came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. How- beit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all suffering, for a pat- tern to tliem which should hereafter believe in him to life everlasting." Nothing could have pained the apostle more than that any one should attribute his conversion in anj' form or in any measure to himself. His constant and grateful acknowledgment was, " Bj^ tlie grace of God I am what I am." The negative statement that election is "not of works," is often, as in the passages above cited, connected with the posi- tive assertion that it is of grace, or due to the sover- eign pleasure of God.
2. It is not, however, merely in isolated passages that tliis doctrine is taught; it is elaborately proved and vindicated. Thus, in 1 Cor. i, 17-31, the oppo- nents of Paul in Corinth had urged against him that he was neither a philosopher nor a rhetorician ; he came neither with "the wisdom of men" nor with "enticing words." Paul's answer to this objection is twofold. First, he sliows that piiilosophy, or the wis- dom of men, had never led to the saving knowledge of God (i, 18-21); secondly, that when the true method of salvation was revealed, it was rejected b}' the wise. " Look at 3'our calling, bretliren," he says ; see whom it is that God hath chosen. It is not tlie wise, the no- ble, or the great ; but God hath chosen the foolish, the wo:ik, and the Ijase. This was done with the design that no tlesli should glory in his presence ; no man was to be allowed to refer liis conversion to himself. It is of God ye are in Christ Jesus, that he that glori- eth may glory in the Lord (i, 26-31).
Tims, also, in Eph. i, 3-6, the apostle reminds his readers that God had blessed tiiem with everj^ spirit- ual blessing (v. 3). This he had done because he had chosen them in Christ l>efore the foundation of the world, to be holy and witliout l)lame before him in love (v. 4). He had thus chosen them to holiness, be- cause lie had, according to the good pleasure of his will, predestined them to tlie high dignity of sonship (v. 5). He had thus predestined them to be his sons, in order to glorify his grace or unmerited love (v. 6). In these few verses the whole Augustinian doctrine on this sul)ject is stated with the utmost clearness and precision.
In the 8th chapter of the epistle to the Romans, the design of the apostle is to show the securit}' of believ- ers. Those who are in Christ shall never be con- demned; because they are justified; because they have the principle of spiritual life through the indwelling of the Holy Ghost ; because th(>y are the children of God ; because the Spirit makes intercession for them ; liecause those wiioin God foreknows, he predestinates: wliom ho predestinates, he calls: whom he calls, he justifies: whom he justifies, he glorifies. This is a chain whicli cannot be broken. Those in whom he fixes iiis choice, he predestines, as said in the Ephe- siaiis, to l)e his sons and daughters ; and those, whom he thus |iredestinates, he effectually calls or regener- ates ; and those wliom he regenerates, he will certainly save. All this the apostle confirms by a reference to
the infinite and immutable love of God. " If God sc loved us," he argues, "that he spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us, how shall he not with him freely give us all things .' AVho shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect.' It is God that justified. Who is he that condemneth ? It is Christ that died, yea, rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us."
It was a natural objection to the apostle's doctrino that God had rejected the Jews and called the Gen- tiles ; that it involved a violation of his promise to tlie patriarcli Abraham. To this objection he gives, in the ninth chapter of his epistle to the Romans, a twofold answer. The one is, that the promise of salvation per- tained not to the natural, but to the spiritual children of Abraham; not to the 'lapat)\ Kara crnp/ca, but to the 'laiHiijX Karu Trvtuf^ia. Tlie other is, that God acts as a sovereign in the dispensation both of temporal and of spiritual blessings. This he illustrates in the choice of Isaac instead of Ishmael, and of Jacob instead of Esau. Besides, he expressly claims this prerogative, saying to Moses, ' ' I will have mere}' on ■whom I will have mere}', and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion."