CHAPTER 9

THE TRUTH OF GOD’S ELECT - THE BRIDE OF CHRIST

God’s chosen people are called His Elect. All people fall into one of two categories, Elect or Non-Elect. However, the Non-Elect are not condemned to a hell of eternal torture as believed by Calvinism. Ultimately, in God’s time and in His order, all people without exception are destined to be saved and reconciled to God through the work of the cross.

The Bible uses various names when referring to God's Elect: the Saints, the Church, Believers, the Firstfruits, the Bride of Christ, the Lamb's Wife, the Holy City and New Jerusalem. A key focus of the Bible is the story of God’s Elect, right from Genesis to Revelation.

Abel was the first of God’s Elect mentioned in the Bible. Let us now consider the story of Abel and Cain and learn the very important truth of the doctrine of Election right from the dawn of man’s history.

The True Religion of Abel and the False Religion of Cain

Genesis 4:2-5
2 Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 3 And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD. 4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.

Abel and Cain were two brothers, sons of Adam and Eve. Why did God accept Abel’s offering of the firstborn of his flock of sheep, but reject Cain’s offering of the fruit of the ground?

Hebrews 11:4
By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.

In this verse, God says that Abel was righteous by faith. Abel had the gift of God’s saving faith and the covering of God’s Righteousness. This is why God accepted Abel’s offering but rejected Cain’s offering. Abel’s offering of the firstborn of his flock of sheep represented Abel's faith in the sacrificial offering of God's own Firstborn, the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. Cain’s offering represented his own self-righteous human faith, which was unacceptable to God. Abel was God’s Elect but Cain was not.

Abel and Cain represent two religions, true religion and false religion. There are only two religions in this world; religion of human self-righteous faith, and religion of God given God righteous faith. All of man's religions are false religions based on human faith with self-righteous works, which do not please God. However, true religion is based on God given faith with God righteous works, which do please God. 

It is impossible to please God through human self-righteous faith and effort, no matter how sincere people may be. The Bible says that without faith (true God given faith) it is impossible to please God.

Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please Him…

The only way to please God is by God given faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The Bible says that the Gospel was preached to the men of faith in the Old Testament, such as Abraham and Moses (Galatians 3:8, Hebrews 11:26). Like Abraham and Moses, Abel was a man of faith. He had the God given faith to believe that he had the covering of God’s Righteousness and therefore his offering was acceptable to God.

The same is true for all of the other men of faith in the Old Testament like Noah, Sarah, Lot, King David, Samson and others mentioned in the Bible. None of God’s Elect was righteous by himself or herself. All of God’s Elect in the Old Testament sinned in a number of ways, as God’s Elect are also capable of doing so today. However, God’s Elect are forgiven and sinless in God’s eyes because they are covered with God’s Righteousness through God given faith.

It is important to understand that the faith to believe is a gift from God.

Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

No one can know the Father unless the Son chooses to reveal the Father to him.

Matthew 11:27 (NIV)
All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

No one can come to Jesus Christ, the Son, unless the Father draws him to Jesus.

John 6:44
No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.

Father God has made His Son the Author and Finisher of our faith.

Hebrews 12:2
Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

The faith to believe in the true Gospel of Jesus Christ is indeed the gift of the same faith that God granted to Abraham 'when he believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness'. This same ‘Abrahamic faith’ is granted to God’s Elect who are blessed along with believing Abraham.

Galatians 3:6-9
6 just as Abraham "believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." 7 Therefore know that [only] those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, [saying], "In you all the nations shall be blessed." 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.

The Abrahamic Covenant is nothing less than the true Gospel of Jesus Christ and His coming Kingdom. It reveals the truth of God's Plan to bless (save) all Israel and all the nations of the world through the Seed of Abraham, who is Jesus Christ Himself. A person who believes in hell or annihilation does not believe the Gospel that God preached to Abraham, 'In you all the nations shall be blessed'.

God’s Elect from the Nation of Israel

Israel is God’s chosen nation. However, the majority of Israelites die as unbelievers. Paul says in Romans Chapters 9-11 that it was never God’s purpose to save all Israelites before they die, except for God’s Elect from the nation of Israel, who are called the remnant of Israel.

Romans 11:5-7
5 Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6 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. 7 What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded.

Only a remnant of Israelites, God’s Elect, the Firstfruits, will be resurrected in their saved immortal bodies to enter the Millennial Kingdom of God with Jesus Christ on His return to earth. However, God’s ultimate purpose is to save all Israel, even though He has temporarily blinded the majority of His people to this day and given them unbelieving, hardened hearts.

Apostle Paul had great sorrow and continual grief in his heart because he knew that the vast majority of his fellow Israelites had been cut off from the blessing of salvation, which God promised to Abraham. However, Paul understood that this cutting off was only temporary and not permanent. All Israelites, who die as unbelievers, will be saved. In Chapter 7, God’s Purpose for Israel – Part 2, we give a detailed answer on how and when God will save all Israel.

Revelation 7:1-8 refers to one hundred and forty-four thousand Israelites who will be sealed (saved) during the period of the Great Tribulation, before the return of Jesus Christ. There is no doubt that these one hundred and forty-four thousand Israelites form part of the Jewish Elect remnant. The Jewish Elect remnant will rise in the First Resurrection with the Gentile Elect, who together are the Firstfruits, the Bride of Christ, and they will enter Christ’s Millennial Kingdom on earth to rule and reign with Him (Revelation 14:1-4).

God’s Elect from the Gentile Nations

In God’s Plan for the salvation of all, God has purposely blinded all of Israel except for His remnant Elect until He has first called and chosen all of His Gentile Elect.

Romans 11:25
For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

During this age, a part (the majority) of Israelites have been blinded to the Gospel because God’s present focus is on calling and choosing His Elect from the Gentile nations until their full number has come in (been saved).

Jesus Christ says that no one can come to Him except those whom the Father draws to Him, and all that the Father gives to Jesus will come to Him.

John 6:44
No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.

John 6:37
All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.

Notice that if Father God is calling you to His Son Jesus Christ, you have no option but to respond and come to Christ. This is not a robotic response, but a thankful response, which happens when God draws you from darkness into His light to enable you to believe in the work of the cross, through the gift of God given faith. God frees you from the bondage of sin to freedom in Christ, and from being a child of Satan to being a child of God. Only God's Elect, His Sheep, can hear God's voice and are capable of following Him.

John 10:26-29
26 But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. 27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand.

Only God’s sheep, His Elect from the nation of Israel and the Gentile nations, will hear the voice of God and can have total and complete trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Who does the choosing? Do you choose Christ or does Christ choose you? Consider what Jesus Christ has to say in the following verse.

John 15:16
You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.

This one biblical verse is sufficient to totally destroy the whole of Arminian theology, which says that man’s freewill has the ultimate power to choose to either accept or reject God’s salvation. Note that the scripture above tells us that we don’t choose God, but God chooses us. Without God first choosing us and empowering us with the gift of God given faith to believe, we are unable to respond by freely accepting His salvation. 

God has a special purpose and a special salvation for His Elect. 
 
1 Timothy 4:9-11
9 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance. 10 For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. 11 These things command and teach.

God is not desperately trying to save the whole world in this age, and Satan is not winning hands down by taking hundreds of thousands of unbelievers, who die every day, to hell. Yes, God is indeed the Saviour of all men as the scripture above declares, but He gives a special salvation to His Elect who will have the privilege of rising in the First Resurrection for a special purpose. Let us now understand the special purpose of God’s Elect.

The Glorious Purpose of God’s Elect - the Bride of Christ

The relationship between Christ and His Church is a marriage relationship described in the Bible as a Great Mystery.

Ephesians 5:31-32
31 "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

Why is the relationship between Christ and the Church described as a great mystery? What is so mysterious or secret about it? Here is an amazing and glorious revelation about God’s true Church, His Bride, who is God’s Elect called and chosen from Israel and the Gentile nations.
 
Jesus Christ will marry His Bride in His Millennial Kingdom, which Jesus will establish when He returns to this earth.

Revelation 19:7-8
7 “Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

So what is the purpose of the marriage of the Lamb and His Bride? Christ and His Bride are the firstfruits. Jesus Christ is the First of the firstfruits because He was the first to be resurrected from the dead.

1 Corinthians 15:22-23
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming.

All true believers, God’s Elect, are the firstfruits with Jesus Christ because they will rise in the First Resurrection. 

James 1:18
Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

The glorious purpose of God’s Elect is that after Jesus Christ marries His Bride, the Firstfruits, there will be the Great Harvest of more fruits to follow, birthed from this marriage (Matthew 9:35-38). The union of the Bride of Christ with Jesus Christ will bear multiple billions of spiritual children born into the Kingdom of God. These spiritual children are none other than the rest of humanity who will rise in the Second Resurrection at the end of Christ’s Millennial Kingdom. Ultimately, following God’s refining yet merciful Lake of Fire Judgement, all of these spiritual children without any exceptions will enter the Eternal Kingdom of God of the New Heaven and the New Earth.

We cover the subject of the salvation of the rest of humanity in detail in Chapter 12, The Lake of Fire Judgement Age – Part 1.

Many are Called but Few are Chosen

Matthew 22:14
For many are called, but few are chosen.

Most ‘Christians’ are called but they are not chosen to enter God’s Millennial Kingdom as the Bride of Christ. They have a degree of enlightenment, a limited understanding of the work of the cross and they even have zeal for God. However, they do not have the God given gift of faith to believe the true Gospel, the full and finished work of the cross that God is indeed the Saviour of the whole world.

Only the Elect few from the nation of Israel and from the Gentile nations are called and chosen by God to be the Bride of Christ to enter the Millennial Kingdom of God on this earth in their resurrected, saved immortal bodies, at Christ's return.

In the Lake of Fire Judgement Age, during the Great White Throne Judgement, many Gentile ‘Christians’ will be shocked to learn that they were never grafted into the Holy Olive Tree of Israel, as adopted sons of God. They will be shocked to learn that they were never part of the Bride of Christ, and that Christ never knew them as a husband knows his wife.

Matthew 7:21-23
21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' 23 And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'

Note that these ‘Christians’ are many and they have been prophesying, casting out demons, and doing many wonders in the name of Jesus Christ, so we are not talking about nominal Christians here but committed zealous ‘Christians’. Yet shockingly, Jesus Christ will not recognise them as true believers because they do not do the will of the Father. They still practise lawlessness, which means that they are not yet saved and they still wear the filthy garments of their own self-righteousness (Matthew 22:11). 

How can this be? Jesus Christ Himself gave power to His disciples to cast out unclean spirits and heal the sick (Matthew 10:1). There is no doubt that a number of gifts, including gifts of healing and working of miracles, are given to individual members in the body of Christ as God determines (1 Corinthians 12:27-31). However, the question still remains, ‘Is it possible to do miracles and wonders in the name of Jesus Christ and yet fail to do the will of the Father?’ The obvious answer has to be yes, because the name of Jesus Christ is the most powerful name in the universe and many things happen in His name, and demonic powers tremble at His name. Note that Jesus does not deny that these ‘Christians’ are prophesying, casting out demons and doing many wonders in His name. However, Jesus does not accept this as true evidence of them being saved Christians. The only evidence of a true Christian acceptable to Jesus Christ is a person who does the will of the Father as Jesus states in verse 21 above.

Therefore, it becomes extremely important to understand exactly what Jesus means by the will of the Father. We know that nothing happens in the universe outside of the will of Father God. Even when a sparrow falls to the ground, it is because of the will of God (Matthew 10:29). It is clearly the will of the Father in salvation, which Jesus Christ refers to in Matthew 7:21-23 above, because Jesus says that only those who do the will of the Father can enter the Kingdom of God. Let us now clearly understand what Jesus means by the will of the Father.

The Will of the Father

1 Timothy 2:3-6 (KJV)
3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 4 Who will have (thelo) all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

This scripture clearly says that the will of the Father is to save all people. This is a powerful scripture as it stands because God’s sovereign will to save all people and have them come to the knowledge of the truth cannot be frustrated by man or Satan. This scripture becomes even stronger once we understand that the primary meaning of the Greek word thelo is to be resolved or determined as given in Strong’s G2309.

Unfortunately, the NKJV and the NIV use the weaker meaning of thelo, which is to desire. God not only desires that all men will be saved, but He has resolved and determined that all men will be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.

The whole purpose of Jesus Christ coming down from heaven to this earth, His reason for dying on the cross, was to do the will of the Father, which is the salvation of all people. Jesus Christ will save all and lose nothing.

Luke 19:10
For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

How many people are lost? All people are born lost because they are born ‘in Adam’ with a fallen sinful nature because of Adam’s original sin. Jesus Christ, as the Good Shepherd, will seek and save all people without any exceptions because He died not only for the sins of believers but also for the sins of the whole world (1John 2:2).

God the Father draws and has drawn only a few, His Elect, the Bride of Christ, to Jesus in previous ages and in this present age, before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. However, let us be very clear that God’s ultimate purpose is to save all people without any exceptions, and Jesus Christ will draw all people to Himself in God’s time and His order. 

John 12:32
And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.

1 Corinthians 15:22-23
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each one in his own order.

The will of Father God is to save all people. ‘Christians’, through their unbiblical belief in the doctrines of eternal torture in hell or annihilation, doubt and limit the will of the Father in salvation. They doubt and limit the power of God, His love, His grace, His forgiveness and the full work of the cross to save all people. They can not do the will of the Father because they do not believe in His will to save all people.

God will remove their part from the Book of Life because they add to or take away from many verses of the Bible, which uphold the truth of
Universal Reconciliation and Salvation (Revelation 22:18-19). They deny that God is the Saviour of all people (1 Timothy 4:9-11).

‘Christians’ who do not believe that God is the Saviour of all men are not lost forever and their names are not permanently blotted out of the Book of Life. They will not burn in the so-called ‘hell’ forever, which they believed in and preached. However, they are accountable for having believed in and for having preached a false gospel. On the Day of Judgement, they will be cast into the Lake of Fire to undergo God’s corrective, refining judgement when they will be humbled and learn that the ‘hell’, which they condemned most of the world to, was a lie, a totally unbiblical doctrine that limited the work of the cross for the salvation of all people. Ultimately, all unbelievers will come to believe in the true Gospel of Jesus Christ and all will enter the Eternal Kingdom of God of the New Heaven and the New Earth.

Once an Elect Always an Elect

The Bible is clear that God’s Elect are chosen and predestined for salvation from the foundation of the world.

Ephesians 1:4-5
4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.

2 Thessalonians 2:13-14
13 But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, 14 to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Bible does teach, ‘Once an Elect always an Elect’. However, the Bible does not teach ‘Once saved always saved’. There is a difference in these two sayings. There are many who are called and think that they are saved, but in reality they are not saved. They greatly limit the work of the cross through a belief in hell or annihilation.

Only God knows who His Elect are, and God makes sure that only His Elect, who are the chosen few, come to understand the true Gospel of Jesus Christ at some point in their lives before they die. Only God’s Elect are given the gift of God given saving faith to believe the Gospel.

In conclusion, we need to remind our readers of the two vital foundational truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Firstly, Jesus Christ is the one and only begotten Son of Father God, and there is no other Son of God like Jesus Christ. He is neither a Trinitarian Son of God as falsely believed by most Christians, nor a created Son of God as falsely believed by Jehovah Witnesses.

Secondly, Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, died on the cross to forgive the sins of the whole world, and He is indeed the Saviour of the world. Ultimately, in God's time and order extending beyond this age, all without any exceptions will come to believe in the true Gospel of Jesus Christ, through the gift of God given faith in the finished work of the cross.

May God grant you the gift of His saving faith to understand and believe in the true Gospel of Jesus Christ.

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