Chapter 5
Free Grace Salvation – The Work of God the Father
God is Sovereign
For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain his hand or say to Him, “What have You done?” (Dan. 4:34-35)
As Christians, we know that God is the Sovereign ruler over all things. He is the Creator of everything that is. So, it is not strange to think that this God who is in control of all things chooses to do what He wants with His creation and then acts on His choices. He is the Master Architect.
But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases. (Psalm 115:3)
As the Master Architect and Builder, did God just have a general plan for all eternity and leave the details up to sinful men, Satan, and to luck? Instead, did He have a very specific, detailed plan of His own design? God, who is all-knowing and all-powerful, would make sure He had a specific plan to keep all His promises in the Bible and to insure that His will would be done on earth as it is in heaven. Without a specific and detailed plan which includes the salvation of all of His people He could never make the following promise to us.
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (Rom. 8:28)
God is in the choosing business; He always has been. He chose in eternity past to create everything that exists. He chose to create the angelic host and mankind. He chose the plan that would redeem mankind. He chose His Son to accomplish the work of redemption on earth. He chose the Jewish nation in the Old Testament to be His own special people to whom He revealed His salvation plan. He chose who would be born, when they would be born, what their gender would be, what they would look like, what their talents would be, who their parents would be, and the date and cause of their death. God leaves nothing to chance or luck because there is no such thing as chance or luck.
Since God is both all-knowing and all-powerful, all happenings occur by His design, foreknowledge, and permission. What appears to be chance or luck to us is really His foreordained plan from eternity past.
Would God decide to give up His sovereignty regarding who would be saved and just leave that up to spiritually dead people and Satan? If He did then no one would be saved. Would God choose what was to be done with all things except the salvation of man? The salvation of man is so important to Him that He would most definitely want to have control over who would spend eternity with Him in paradise. The God who died to save sinners would certainly want to decide who would be the recipients of His gift of salvation. It would be contrary to His nature and deity to hand over part of His sovereignty and control to the wills of unsaved sinful men and Satan who deceives them.
9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. (Rev. 12:9)
Now we want to look at God’s free grace salvation plan. To understand this plan of salvation, we need to know some important biblical facts about the Triune Godhead and the respective roles each divine member plays in the salvation of mankind. Without the work of God Who exists as the Holy Father, the Holy Son, and the Holy Spirit, the salvation of mankind could not happen. In the next three chapters, I will discuss the work of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in Their respective roles in the free grace salvation of man.
The Father’s Role
First, what role did God the Father have in the salvation of mankind? The Father’s role was election. It was the Father who, in eternity past, before the world was even formed, elected or chose whom He would graciously save. These people whom He elected or chose are referred to in the Bible as God’s elect. No one elected these particular persons other than the Father. They didn’t elect themselves nor did they elect God. The elect are the recipients of the wonderful free grace of the Father who unconditionally loved and chose them to salvation before the foundation of the world. (Eph. 1:4-5) All the elect will become Christians. (John 6:37,39) When Christ returns He will send his angels to gather His elect. (Matt. 24:31)
There are many key verses in Scripture that very clearly show us this work of the Father in election.
Election in the Old Testament
The following verses show us God’s unconditional love and choice of Israel over all the other people in the world during Old Testament times.
For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. 7 The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; 8 but because the LORD loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.(Dt. 7:6-8)
Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the LORD your God, also the earth with all that is in it. 15 The LORD delighted only in your fathers, to love them; and He chose their descendants after them, you above all peoples, as it is this day. Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no longer. (Dt. 10:14-16)
That you may know that I, the LORD, Who call you by your name, Am the God of Israel. For Jacob My servant’s sake, And Israel My elect, I have even called you by your name; I have named you, though you have not known Me. (Isa. 45:3-4)
So will I do for My servants’ sake, That I may not destroy them all. I will bring forth descendants from Jacob, And from Judah an heir of My mountains; My elect shall inherit it, and My servants shall dwell there. (Isa. 65:8-9)
They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people, and My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. (Isa. 65:21-22)
God had a special love for Israel above all nations. They were loved by Him, He set His affection upon them, and He revealed Himself to them in a way that He did not to the other nations of the world He created. He did not love or choose Israel because they were large in number or because they were faithful. They were small in number and were a stiff-necked people. They repeatedly participated in idolatry, persecuted and murdered God’s prophets, and committed other sins against Jehovah, but He still unconditionally loved them in spite of all their many shortcomings. He chose them even though He foreknew the evil they would commit.
Yet I have chosen Jerusalem, that My name may be there, and I have chosen David to be over My people Israel. (2 Chron. 6:6)
For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually. (2 Chron. 7:16)
God not only elected His special people Israel, He also elected the city on which He would put His Name, the king who would rule over His people, and the very house where His presence would be.
Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people He has chosen as His own inheritance. (Psalm 33:12)
Israel truly was blessed of the Lord. Only they out of all the peoples of earth had been chosen to receive His inheritance. What inheritance was that? He chose them to receive both an earthly and a heavenly inheritance, physical and spiritual, the Promised Land on earth and in heaven. This verse is especially appropriate for us today. We as Christians have been blessed by God as He has chosen us to also receive His own inheritance. We have been chosen to serve Him on earth and to have a secure knowledge of our eternal life which is our present possession after becoming saved. We will also receive the fulfillment of this eternal life in heaven with Christ for all eternity.
Blessed is the man You choose, and cause to approach You, that he may dwell in Your courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, of Your holy temple. (Psalm 65:4)
God’s elect or chosen ones are again truly blessed. Not only does He choose us unconditionally, despite our sinfulness and unworthiness, but He also graciously and mercifully causes us to come to Him. Without that drawing or dragging power of the Holy Spirit we would be unable to come to Christ in our unsaved, spiritually dead state. Our election brings a peace and satisfaction to our souls knowing He set His love upon us.
He sent Moses His servant, and Aaron whom He had chosen. They performed His signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham. (Psalm 105:26-27)
God has always chosen His special messengers such as the prophets, disciples, and apostles to spread the Word of God and do His miraculous works. We saw this in the life of Moses and Aaron whom God selected to bring His chosen people out of bondage in Egypt.
“Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom my soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.” (Isa. 42:1)
Jesus Christ, the Messiah, was prophesied in the Old Testament as God’s elect One who would open the doors of salvation to the Gentiles. He would bring mercy, grace, and justice to a heathen and lost people.
1 I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying, 3 “LORD, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life”? 4 But what does the divine response say to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. (Rom. 11:1-5)
Although God chose the nation of Israel to be His special people, not all the Jews in the Old Testament were elected to personal salvation. There were many in Israel who did not have true faith in Jehovah. They worshipped idols like Baal and murdered God’s prophets. Only those who truly believed in the God of Israel and the coming Messiah Who would be the fulfillment of the Old Testament sacrificial system were saved. Their faith would make them righteous before God. It was said of Abraham, “6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness” (Gen. 15:6.). Notice God “reserved” for Himself seven thousand men (vs. 4). Only this believing remnant would be the elect of God with regard to personal salvation.
Things seemed so bad to Elijah in his day that he thought he was the only true believer left. God wanted Elijah to know that even though most in Israel had not remained faithful to Him, there was still a faithful remnant in Israel who was saved according to God’s election of grace.
Election in the New Testament
The doctrine of personal election to salvation by God became more clearly defined in the New Testament. In Ephesians chapter one, we have perhaps the clearest statement of God the Father choosing those He planned to save and on what basis that choice was made.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 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, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. (Eph. 1:3-6)
We learn three important biblical facts from these verses. First, the Father chose us in Christ. Second, this choosing, election, or predestination took place before the foundation of the world. Third, He made this choice based on the good pleasure of His will.
I would like to take a moment to discuss the word predestination. This word sounds ominous and many seem afraid of the word. Some don’t trust it and don’t like it. Many will deny the belief in God’s predestination even though the Word of God attests to its validity.
For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. (Rom. 8:29-30).
….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… (Eph. 1:4-5)
In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will. (Eph. 1:11)
The word predestination means that God foreordained or predetermined in eternity past the ultimate destination of each person He created to either heaven or hell. Ephesians 1:5 tells us on what basis God made this choice. He did it “….according to the good pleasure of His will.” What does that mean? It means that God never discloses in Scripture any details as to why He chose one person and not another. The only answer we have in Scripture is that He based His choice on His own good pleasure. God’s choices, determinations, and decrees before time are pleasing to Him. This is the essence of free grace.
Of one thing we can be sure: God did not base His decision to choose us based on what we did here on earth. If He did, our salvation would be a reward. Salvation is not based on a merit system. To make sure we would know our salvation is based only on His grace to us, He tells us in Ephesians 1:5, 11 that He chose us based on His good pleasure and the purpose and counsel of His will. God’s election robs mankind of ever claiming any credit for his salvation. If the Father chose us, Christ died for us, and the Holy Spirit brought us to Christ, then it is all of God. There is no room for the one who had been spiritually dead to say he was the ultimate cause of his salvation through the use of his will. In verse 6 we see more grace from God. Notice that God “made” us accepted in the beloved or Jesus Christ. Salvation is of God, and He made us acceptable to Him in Christ because of His love for us, His chosen people.
Here is another key verse that states that God chose us to salvation and when He made this choice.
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. (2 Thess. 2:13-14)
Here we see similar language to Ephesians chapter 1. God chose us for salvation, and His choice was from the very beginning. We were called to obtain Christ’s glory.
Let us look at another key passage regarding the work of God the Father.
All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. (John 6:37-39)
This is perhaps one of the most important but overlooked passages in the Bible for it tells us specifically why Jesus came down from heaven and what the Father’s will was in sending Jesus. The Father gave those He chose to Christ before the foundation of the world. He sent Jesus to earth to make sure that not one of these elect would be lost but that they would all be raised up on the last day. It was the mission of Jesus Christ from His Father to come to earth to save each of these persons the Father gave Him, the Father’s elect.
Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. (Acts 13:48)
Here we see that as many people as God had appointed or chosen for eternal life believed. They believed by God’s grace and by the fact that God had ordained (KJV) these people to eternal life beforehand. Notice also that only those whom God appointed to eternal life later believed.
For many are called, but few are chosen. (Matt. 22:14)
This verse teaches us that the gospel seed is spread out over many people for many are called. We see witnessing taking place on a grand scale now. Billions have heard the gospel on radio, television, and the internet. We are commanded to take part in the Great Commission and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. However, the domain of salvation is in the hands of the Giver of eternal life, the Lord God. He chooses whom He will save and when they will be saved. He has chosen to save few. We know that few will be saved.
Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. (Matt. 7:14)
Although few will be saved, we must remember this is a relative word. Heaven will be full of souls. The few will be an extremely large number when you consider how many people have been created by God from the very beginning of time.
Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (Matt. 24:30-31)
Again, who does God send His angels out to gather up when Christ returns? It is His elect according to the Scriptures. Who are these elect? They are Christians, those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. 7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily...” (Luke 18:6-8)
Who is God interested in avenging? Who is crying out day and night to Him? Is it everyone? No, it is only His elect.
Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. (Rom. 8:33-34)
It is useless for anyone to bring a charge against God’s elect. It is God who justifies or makes just His elect or Christians. Christ will condemn unbelievers on judgment day for wrong doing. These are blessed verses that teach that Christ intercedes on behalf of God’s elect. We have a wonderful attorney who will plead our case before the throne of God. What amazing grace.
All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. (Matt. 11:27)
You might not catch election in this verse if you read over it too quickly in your Bible. The only people who know the Father are those individuals to whom Jesus chooses to reveal Him. These are God’s elect whom the Father gave to Jesus before the foundation of the world. The rest of humanity will not know the Father because Christ has chosen not to reveal Him to them.
9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)
Christians have been chosen by God to be a royal priesthood. They are His own special people who by God’s wonderful grace, mercy, and power were called out of the darkness of trespasses and sins into the marvelous light of Christ. Before they were saved, they were lost in darkness without the mercy of God, but now, because of His saving mercy, they have the light of Christ and are the people of God.
21 “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘Look, He is there!’ do not believe it. 22 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 23 But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand. (Mark 13:21-23)
Mark is pointing out the great deception displayed by these false Christ’s and false prophets. Their deception will be so powerful that they will lead many away from the truth of Jesus Christ. It will be so deceptive that, unless God does something supernatural to protect His elect, even they will be deceived. However, God does protect His elect so that they will be saved as we see in the following verse.
And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days. (Mark 13:20)
Who is God concerned with here? Is it every single person in the world or only His chosen or elect people? During this time of trial mentioned in Scripture, God supernaturally protects His elect or chosen people to make sure they will be saved. Christ will not lose even one of the Father’s elect. (John 6:39)
7 What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded. 8 Just as it is written: “God has given them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear, to this very day.” (Rom. 11:7-8)
We see in this passage that the elect obtained salvation. They obtained it, not because of their own human abilities, but by the mercy and grace of God. The rest were blinded by God. This blinding or hardening the hearts of some will be discussed more fully later.
12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. (Col. 3:12-13)
Paul wants the Colossian believers, those elected by God, to exhibit these traits as being part of God’s people. We as Christians should show forth these godly character traits daily. Our election to salvation brings with it a responsibility to God Who chose us to live godly lives.
2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, 3 remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, 4 knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God. (1 Thess. 1:2-4)
Paul commends the Thessalonians for their Christian maturity and acts of love, patience, and faith which were being displayed before the eyes of God. They were elected by God and this was evident by their godly lives.
Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, (2 Tim. 1:9)
Again, we see another verse which talks of our holy calling or election, not according to the things we have done, but according to God’s gracious purpose which was given to us before time began.
9 …for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained. 10 Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. (2 Tim.2:9-10)
Paul is addressing Timothy about his own persecution and suffering for the cause of Christ. He mentions that he is willing to endure every imaginable suffering for the sake of the elect so that they will obtain salvation in Jesus Christ. Who is he willing to suffer for? Is it every single person, or God’s elect only? The purpose of his sufferings is to bring the elect to salvation.
1 Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness, 2 in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began, 3 but has in due time manifested His word through preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior; (Titus 1:1-3)
Paul refers to his faith as the faith of God’s elect and to the promise of eternal life. When did God make this promise? He made it before time began. He also chose to give salvation to His elect before time began. His elect are saved by their faith which came by the preaching of His Word. They will have eternal life because of the promise of God who chose them and cannot lie.
1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the pilgrims of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: (1 Peter 1:1-2)
Peter is writing to the Christians of the dispersion, those who have been scattered abroad because of persecution, and he calls them elect. All believers or Christians are the elect of God. All the elect of God either are Christians or will become Christians by God’s grace. The foreknowledge of God will be discussed in greater detail later.
12 By Silvanus, our faithful brother as I consider him, I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which you stand. 13 She who is in Babylon, elect together with you, greets you; and so does Mark my son. (1 Peter 5:12-13)
Peter refers to a lady in Babylon who is one of God’s elect along with Silvanus and others. This election is by the true grace of God by which these people stand firm.
Let us note also that in the end of time we see the chosen of God who are with Christ.
These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful. (Rev. 17:14)
These saints who are with Christ when He returns are those God had called and chosen to be His saved. They are faithful because they have the faith of God’s elect. (Titus 1:1)
Here is another key passage regarding the Father choosing those He wants to be saved.
(for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls), 12 it was said to her, “The older shall serve the younger.” 13 As it is written, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.” (Rom. 9:11-13)
Here we see that God chose Jacob over Esau. His choice was made before the foundation of the world. God’s point is that He made this choice before the two boys were born, before they had done any good or evil works. God is saying that His election of Jacob was not because of mer