“Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:” Romans 1:19 – 20
One of the hardest things for people to understand is the
workings of God. Election is one of the largest stumbling-blocks of people,
and it covers more than we think. Some people find the election of God as an
unthinkable, unbelievable teaching, and believe that God could never be
exclusive. However, what people fail to understand is that if God did not elect
some, none would ever be saved, none would ever understand God’s word, no
churches would exist, and God would not have one single worker on earth. This
is because ever human born is born in sin and their mind are at enmity of God.
“Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the
law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot
please God.” Romans 8:7 – 8. The word carnal means flesh, without Christ
and salvation, unless the scripture refers to a very weak believer. In
either case neither do anything pleasing to God. We are all born with dead
spirits which makes us incapable to love God or do anything to please God. God
said of the natural man, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no,
not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that
seeketh after God.” Romans 3:10 – 11 Therefore, people are born in a
total depraved body, soul, mind, and with a dead spirit. No one, not one single
soul understands God or seeks God for anything and are born a natural enemy
of God. Paul went on to write, speaking of both Jews and Gentiles, “They
are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is
none that doeth good, no, not one.” Romans 3:12. The Psalmist David
wrote these words, “The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of
men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all
gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good,
no, not one.” Psalms 14:2 – 3 Just as God looked down and saw only evil
before the flood, He still only see’s evil in totally depraved people. It is
this very act of totally depravity nature that keeps people from seeking God
and from understanding God. And very weak Christians as Paul described in 1
Cor. 3:1 – 7 speaks of these weak Christians inability to understand God or
even serve God. So, we must ask ourselves why are some able to be saved and
others not, why are some church members and some are not, why do some
understand the bible and others are ignorant to it. We could also ask why some Pastor’s or Ministers are, and others are not. Everything involving God, is a
work of grace on God’s part, it has nothing to do with their better or worse than
others. God, before the foundation of the world elected what He wanted, and
everyone’s salvation, deeds, and understanding, was an election of God. Two
things’ people hate to hear, (1) that people are born totally depraved, and (2)
that God elects those He wants. People are different, some are saved, and some
are lost, those that are saved some are biblically smart and some are biblically
ignorant. Some are Pastors, Missionaries, Ministers, hard workers for the Lord,
and some are weak and basically ignorant and lazy concerning the Lord. The Lord
told the Prophet Jeremiah “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee;
and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained
thee a prophet unto the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5 None of this was
Jeremiah’s choice, none was because of him, it was all the work and
election of God. Listen to the words of the Psalmist, “For thou art my
hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth. By thee have I been
holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother's
bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee.” Psalms 71:5 We are not alone, even the
Arminian’s teach and agree that God call’s ministers, that accomplishments in
the church are by God’s works, they even pray that God will save a lost soul
but deny the power that accomplished it. Romans 1:25 “Who changed the truth
of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator…”
Just as God chose Moses, Abraham, Isaac, and His Apostles, He has chosen all
that received His grace and mercy. God is not in debt to save anyone nor to
educate them, it is all by His mercy and grace. In 1 Cor. 12 we see two main
points, (1) in verses 1-11 we are taught that spiritual gifts are by the power
of the Holy Spirit, “Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.”
1 Corinthians 12:4 The diversities are as God elected to give us, and (2) our
place in the Lords churches are by God’s appointment also. “But now hath God
set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.” 1
Corinthians 12:18 The Apostle Paul understood this, because after about 40
years or so of being a great servant of God he said, “But by the grace of
God I am what I am…” 1 Cor. 15:10. Paul also wrote this question, “For
who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not
receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou
hadst not received it?” 1 Corinthians 4:7 If you are lost or you are not
biblically educated in the scriptures or you are not a church member, do not
blame God. While it is true that God graciously does these things for us,
because He elected too. God said, “being understood by the things that are
made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:”
God’s work does not excuse people, even Christians from our human
responsibility to God. It is sin that holds us back, and sin is human responsibility.
