According to Paul, the doctrine of election is massively important for how we process the current realities our country is going through, as it relates to racism and riots. The doctrine of election is this: If you are in Christ, you were chosen by God for salvation. Before you were born. And we should add unconditionally elected for adoption into God’s family. Meaning you were not chosen based on your self-determining will, not based on your works, and not based on your goodness or lovability. Watch how Paul lays this out for us in Ephesians 1 & 2. 

• Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world [before the creation of galaxies and stars, before I had done anything good or bad]…(1:3-4)

• In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will [not my self-determining will]… (1:5)

• And you were dead in the trespasses and sins...and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. (2:1-3)

• But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses [not based on my lovability or goodness], made us alive together with Christ (2:5)

• For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast (2:8)

Paul isn’t the only one who talks this way. So does Peter in his first letter (1:1-3). Notice in the first chapter who Peter is addressing and who has “caused” them to be born again. But both Paul and Peter would not have spoken this way unless Jesus did. See John 6:44 or John 3:7-8. In the latter, Jesus is speaking to Nicodemus, “Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’  The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Jesus compares the physical activity of the wind to the spiritual ministry of the Holy Spirit: he regenerates the hearts of sinful men. And he does so in the hearts of “whomever he wishes” just as the wind blows wherever it wishes. 

Connecting the Dots

But what does my election and salvation have to do with racism and my pursuit of justice?  An extremely difficult matter to work through for the early church was understanding how Gentiles (non-Jews) could have a relationship with God. The Jews had been God’s special people to represent his character to the nations. They had been given the Law and the covenants. But in Christ, a great wall between Jews and Gentiles was torn down because of his death and resurrection. Jews and Gentiles alike would need to go through Christ to God. 

Unity of race and ethnicity is what Paul speaks about in Ephesians 2. But he takes a great deal of time first sharing about their salvation in Christ. And here’s why: the reason behind racial and ethnic animosities is because of the pride that exists in the human heart. Self-exaltation of an individual or a group often comes at the expense of another individual or group. And what you get as a result is exploitation and oppression. We can see how racism is one of the many ugly flowers pride blooms.

But did you notice verse 8 in Ephesians 2? Let’s read it again: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

The electing grace of God is a boasting-killer. It is a needle that pops the balloon of pride; it is a scraping brush that removes any ego build-up in the heart. And as God begins to remove this pride from my life, I start to see and live differently. 

Election’s Effect Within the Church

Because we brought nothing to the table for experiencing reconciliation with God, we should never view our standing before God as higher than anyone else’s who is also in Christ. God shows no partiality, “For God does not show favoritism” (Romans 2:11). Our skin color, our moral track record, our bank accounts played no factor in our salvation. A proper view of salvation leads me to say, “I don’t belong among God’s people, but he has made me his.” So, when the church gathers as family, each one comes humbly and lovingly.  God has made himself our Father, so salvation has transformed our relationships into familial ones. We are now brothers and sisters. This adoption of God is 100% him and 0% us. We are who we are because of Him. There is no room for pride here. Election is the great racism, sexism, and classism killer.

Elections’s Effect Viewing Others Outside the Church

My salvation experience changes how I view others inside the church but also others outside the church, as well. The lens of Ephesians 2 helps me understand why I see so much brokenness and injustice. Remember how Paul speaks of the church’s salvation experience in Ephesus? “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience…” (2:1-2).

Dead to God. Enslaved to Satan. With these realities, we can expect all kinds of evil in our culture and country. But what’s the difference between those dead/enslaved and myself? The reason why the Holy Spirit has taken up residence in my heart guiding me into truth instead of the spirit of disobedience leading me into sin? Because the Lord has adopted me, ‘woke’ me to godliness, and made me his. And this is all his doing. Therefore, my salvation shakes off any sort of “I’m better than” type of attitude when I look at the darkness of others. Our election kills this kind of pride.

Election’s Effect on My Pursuit of Justice

I bring up justice here, because it is likely the word most said right now in our culture. To be clear, Ephesians 2 is not about justice. It’s about reconciliation with God. But without reconciliation with God, justice is not possible. Justice is the fruit of reconciliation with God. Why is this? Because God is the ultimate standard for all that is right and holy and good: “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne…” (Psalm 89:14). How can a society pursue justice when they are dead to God and enslaved to Satan--borrowing language from Ephesians? How can they achieve rightness when they are caught up in wrongness? 

This is why pursuing justice without having God in mind is a fool’s errand. We must aim for reconciliation first. Justice will follow. Paul tells me that the message on my lips should be to the world, “Be reconciled to God!” (2 Cor. 5:20). The doctrine of election teaches me though, that while I preach reconciliation, I cannot bring it about. So, as I preach repentance and the Good News of Jesus, I must do so humbly and prayerfully. 

I do not preach to a listener with the attitude of, “Oh hear me from the moral high ground I stand on…” It is by grace I stand where I do; it is by God’s grace he decided to give me a new heart and not others. I do not look at the world stuck in injustice and think, “We should know better!” That’s me only looking at the surface. I must look deeper. Our culture won’t know right from wrong--their left hand from their right--until they know God. So while I am angry at the injustices, the doctrine of election allows me to look at the world compassionately. God has to do the work of bringing the lost to himself. And while I long to see what is wrong in the world made right, I seek justice by going to the root. I plead for a restored relationship with God himself. God has ordained my interceding to be a means by which he distributes his electing grace. This turns my yelling at my culture into praying for my culture.

The more we explore our election and God’s great mercy, the less prideful God’s people will become. Within the church, looking to others outside of it, and engaging with culture. And the less prideful we become, the more racism will be killed off, in addition to many other sins. God wants us to embody our “salt and light” calling by clothing ourselves with humility as we walk the earth. The clothes of humility are found in the doctrine of election. Ponder this beautiful mystery.