The Canons of Dort, First Head of Doctrine, Article 7

Article 7: Election

Election is God's unchangeable purpose by which he did the following:  Before the foundation of the world, by sheer grace, according to the free good pleasure of his will, he chose in Christ to salvation a definite number of particular people out of the entire human race, which had fallen by its own fault from its original innocence into sin and ruin. Those chosen were neither better nor more deserving than the others, but lay with them in the common misery. He did this in Christ, whom he also appointed from eternity to be the mediator, the head of all those chosen, and the foundation of their salvation. And so he decided to give the chosen ones to Christ to be saved, and to call and draw them effectively into Christ's fellowship through his Word and Spirit. In other words, he decided to grant them true faith in Christ, to justify them, to sanctify them, and finally, after powerfully preserving them in the fellowship of his Son, to glorify them.  God did all this in order to demonstrate his mercy, to the praise of the riches of his glorious grace.  As Scripture says, God chose us in Christ, before the foundation of the world, so that we should be holy and blameless before him with love; he predestined us whom he adopted as his children through Jesus Christ, in himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, by which he freely made us pleasing to himself in his beloved (Eph. 1:4-6). And elsewhere, Those whom he predestined, he also called; and those whom he called, he also justified; and those whom he justified, he also glorified (Rom. 8:30).

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In article seven, the Canons set forth a working definition of election which will be used throughout the following articles.  It is always important to define our terms and this is what the authors do here.  We can best understand this definition by working our way through the main points in order.

First, the Canons point out that election took place in eternity past—“Before the foundation of the world.”  This is what Paul states in Ephesians 1:4-6, and his point should be carefully considered so that we remove from our thinking all notions of election being based upon something God sees the creature doing–as in the case of those who argue that God merely knows in advance what we will do under certain conditions and reacts accordingly.  While election takes place in eternity past, God executes his eternal decree in time and space.  Redemptive history is therefore the outworking of God’s eternal decree.  This too can be seen in Ephesians 1:7-10, when Paul speaks of the work of Christ for us, and then in verses 11-14, when he speaks of Christ’s work being applied to believers by the Holy Spirit.
 
Second, we are told that our election is based upon “sheer grace, according to the free good pleasure of his will.”  In other words, the reason why God elects anyone to be saved, is because he is good and merciful, not because we are lovable or desirable.  Neither can we say God “needs” us, as if he were lonely.  Let us not forget that God is triune and has known a perfect inter-Trinitarian love from all eternity.  As much as we wish it were so, God could get along fine without us.  The reason why any of us are chosen in Christ remains a mystery which lies hidden in the eternal counsel of God.

Third, God “chose in Christ to salvation a definite number of particular people out of the entire human race, which had fallen by its own fault from its original innocence into sin and ruin.”  In order to understand the doctrine of election, it is imperative that we see it as a divine rescue of sinners.  In election, God rescues a multitude so vast they cannot be counted (Revelation 7:9) from the guilt and the consequences of their sin (Romans 5:12, 18-19).  Because we are all sinful, we will not come to God, unless we are first chosen by God, then called through the preaching of the gospel, and given the gift of faith.  God has chosen to save those whom he has chosen, and his saving grace is specifically directed toward the men and women he intended to save from his own wrath.  He does not direct his saving grace toward the human race generally (or ineffectually).  This means that God acts directly upon those whom he intends to save, so that they come to faith in Christ and receive the forgiveness of sins and a justifying righteousness.  The Bible does not teach that God makes it possible for sinful men and women to save themselves with his help.

The fourth point is closely related: “Those chosen were neither better nor more deserving than the others, but lay with them in the common misery.”  Those chosen can count on the fact that God chose them to confound the wise!  There is nothing to boast about if you are a believer in Christ.  In a remarkable passage in Deuteronomy, we read of God’s election of Israel:  “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.  It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt” (Deuteronomy 7:6-8).  God chose Israel for reasons known to himself, and not because of any good works or great faith he foresaw in his chosen nation.

Likewise, for the Christian, election is God’s gracious choice to save a particular sinner who deserves his just wrath and punishment so that in the end God will be glorified and the sinner redeemed.  God is not taking anything away from other sinners, nor is he preventing other sinners from coming to faith.  All are equally guilty before God and deserving of his judgment.  But in his unspeakable grace, God chooses to save some who would otherwise perish eternally.

Fifth, we must take note of the fact that “He did this in Christ, whom he also appointed from eternity to be the mediator, the head of all those chosen, and the foundation of their salvation.”  Christ is elect one, in whom all of God’s elect are chosen and justified.  This means we are chosen in Christ, called to faith by the preaching of Christ crucified, justified by the blood and righteousness of Christ, and sanctified by the Spirit of Christ, before we are glorified.  Christ is the mediator of the covenant of grace, which is the historical outworking of God’s gracious decree to save.  This is why our election is inextricably tied to our faith in Christ.  God elects us in Christ so that we will believe in Christ.  

So, how then do you know if you are numbered among the election?  The answer is to be found in Christ!  As Calvin points out, Christ is the mirror of our election (Institutes, III.xxv.4).  In other words, if you believe in Jesus, you are assured that you are among the elect, because election is always “in Christ.”

Sixth, the Canons point out that “[God] decided to give the chosen ones to Christ to be saved, and to call and draw them effectively into Christ's fellowship through his Word and Spirit.  In other words, he decided to grant them true faith in Christ, to justify them, to sanctify them, and finally, after powerfully preserving them in the fellowship of his Son, to glorify them.”  This is important because it means that God not only elects us in Christ, giving us to Christ (as Jesus declares in John’s gospel, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out” (John 6:37), but that God also acts in Christ to ensure that his elect are called through the preaching of the gospel, that they believe when the gospel is preached to them, and that all the benefits of Christ are now theirs, applied to them by the Holy Spirit.  

Paul sets this forth in unmistakable clarity in Romans 8:28-30: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,  for those who are called according to his purpose.  For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.  And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”  This passage is often called the “golden chain" of our salvation.

Finally, the ultimate reason behind this doctrine is clearly and simply stated— “God did all this in order to demonstrate his mercy, to the praise of the riches of his glorious grace.”  As we said earlier, there is no reason to be given for grace, but grace.  All praise, glory, and honor must go to God when a sinner is saved by God from God.  There is no human boasting allowed!

Who Said That?

“I'm not coming here [to a church service] to ask for your vote. That's up to you and it's not the right place.  But I am coming here to ask you for something very special and more important: I'm asking for your prayers.”

In light of some of the earlier posts about presidential politics, have fun with this one!  Leave your guesses in the comments section below.  No google searches.

Update on Thursday, January 17, 2008 at 08:03AM by Kim Riddlebarger

This comes from secularized-Roman Catholic Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani, speaking at Sunday services at El Rey Jesus Church in Miami.  He was quoted by the Associated Press.

Ironically, he gets it when the evangelical Mike Huckabee doesn't. 

Some Interesting Links

Obama's now got Andy's vote (for those of you who don't know, Andy is my Aussie Shepherd).  Currently, Andy has no rights . . .  But Obama's making him a promise Andy might not be able to resist.  Click here: Obama Pledges Support for Animal Rights

I've often wondered what Andy is actually saying when he barks, growls, or howls.  Now a bunch of Hungarian scientists might be able to tell me.  My guess is that Andy's probably been telling me that I'm "not fair" and that he does have rights.  You can be sure he is not saying, "you know, what we really need in this house is a cat."  Click here: Computer can help your dog communicate - Yahoo! News

This is one of those cases where you want to ground the kid for life, but at the same time, you have to admire his ingenuity.  Some Polish teen hacked into the local commuter train computer and took over the city's entire tram network.  I'm an old model railroader from way back, so on some level, I find this to be pretty cool.  Talk about a train-set!  Click here: Polish teen derails tram after hacking train network | The Register

Finally, those promoting the Thorham 2008 event in the UK, could use a little help in the proof-reading department.  Check out the little girl in the picture.  She's doing some serious mining.  Click here: Tourist pamphlet spoilt by nose picking girl - Telegraph 

Eschatology Q & A -- What About Ezekiel's Vision of the Temple (Ezekiel 40-48)?

Meg. T. asks:

"Dr. Riddlebarger, what is your take on Ezekiel's description of the Temple?  I've never heard an amil explanation of the cooking pots and rooms for slaughtering the sacrifices of the people, and the chamber for the prince & his sacrifice.  Puzzled."

Tyler asks:

"Dr. Kim, I was wanting to understand the Amill interpretation of Ezekiel 40-48. There is a lot of talk about a future temple. Thanks for your help."

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These are great questions because discussions of the temple come up frequently, especially in light of the dispensational expectation of a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem during the tribulation and then during millennial age.  While I don't have the space to cover all of the details that Meg mentions, hopefully, I can give you a sense of how these things should be interpreted.

 

For starters, G. K. Beale has written an important book on this topic and anyone who has questions about Ezekiel's vision should get it and read it carefully (The Temple and the Church's Mission).  For more information about Beale's book, Click here: Amazon.com: The Temple and the Church's Mission: A Biblical Theology of the Dwelling Place of God (New Studies in

As Beale points out, there are four main interpretations of Ezekiel's prophecy and how it is fulfilled (or not) in the New Testament.  Dispensationalists believe that this vision is a prophecy of an earthly temple to be built within Israel during the millennial age (cf. Pentecost, Things to Come, 393; Walvoord, Major Bible Prophecies, 169).  Dispensationalists base this interpretation upon their literal hermeneutic, which they say demands that a prophecy such as this one be interpreted literally, unless there is good reason to believe the prophecy should be interpreted figuratively.

 

Unlike dispensationalists, advocates of the other main interpretations all agree that the context demands a figurative interpretation.  I agree.  Some see this an ideal temple never intended to be built upon the earth (in my estimation, the weakest interpretation), others see this as a vision of the ideal temple (OK, as far as it goes), while still others see this as a picture of a real heavenly temple, which will be established on the earth in a non-structural way in the latter days (Beale, The Temple and the Church's Mission, 335). 

 

In other words, I believe Ezekiel is giving us a picture of the new earth in the prophetic terms with which his readers were familiar (Hoekema, The Bible and Future, 205).  This is a picture of the new earth as the dwelling of God.  Ezekiel prophesies it in earthly terms (complete with all the temple utensils), while John describes its fulfilled version (in eschatological terms).

 

Based upon a number of factors, I think it is clear that the prophecy is points to a non-structural end-times temple.

 

First, the prophecy cannot be interpreted literally and still make any sense.  When God places the prophet on a very high mountain (40:1-2) he sees something like a city (obviously Jerusalem).  Yet, there is no such high mountain near Jerusalem from which the prophet could have had such a vantage point.  But this literal high mountain is required by the dispensational view.  Where is it?  Given the nature of Ezekiel's prophecy, this language should alert us to the fact that what follows is given the symbolic geography of the prophet. 

 

This is confirmed in Revelation 21:10, where John is carried away "in the Spirit" to a high mountain from which he sees the Holy City coming down out of heaven.  Obviously, the visions are related to each other as type-antitype (earthly language, eschatological fulfillment).  What Ezekiel promised, John sees as a reality, and yet the reality seen by John far exceeds anything in Ezekiel's vision.  As Beale points out, there are a significant number of other instances in this prophecy which make the literal interpretation very unlikely, if not impossible (pp. 337-340).

 

Second, there are a number of features within the prophecy which refer to something much greater than a localized temple in Jerusalem during the millennium.  In verse 40:2, it is clear that Ezekiel sees a structure "like a city" (the temple), while in the final verse of the prophecy (48:35) he says that the cities' name is "the Lord is there."  Here we have the expansion of the localized temple into an area the size of the entire city of Jerusalem.  This expansion of God's temple is a consistent theme throughout Ezekiel (Beale, pp. 340-345)  There are allusions to Eden throughout the prophecy (47:1-12).  The city is depicted as a perfect square and the reference to the river is obviously symbolic, since it is deep enough that it can only be crossed by swimming (47:5). 

 

Finally, it is obvious that Revelation 21 presents Ezekiel's vision in its consummated fulfillment.  In other words, John is given a vision of the same temple, but now from the vantage point of Christ's death and resurrection and the dawn of the new creation--something which would have made no sense whatsoever to Ezekiel or his hearers.  As Beale points out (pp. 346-345), the new heavens and earth are now the holy of holies, as well as the new Jerusalem, and the new Eden.  On the last day, all creation becomes the temple of God.  The temple has been expanded (extended) from a building, to a city, to all of creation.

 

This means that Ezekiel's vision is a prophecy not of an earthly temple (although the prophet uses earthly language his readers could understand), but of an eschatological temple, depicted in its consummated form and unspeakable glory by John in Revelation 21-22.

 

Because They Did Not Obey the Lord -- Joshua 5:1-12

The Sixth in a Series of Sermons on the Book of Joshua

After forty years of wandering through the wilderness, the people of Israel crossed the Jordan River and entered the land of Canaan.  At Joshua’s command, the priests carried the ark of the covenant to the edge of the river.  The moment their feet touched the water, the Jordan River miraculously stopped flowing.  And then the entire nation of Israel–many hundreds of thousands people and all their possessions and animals–crossed the river on dry ground.  The covenant promise God made to Abraham some four hundred years earlier–in which God promised to give his people this good land flowing with milk and honey–was now a reality.  At long last, Israel was a great nation, across the river in the promised land, and ready to take the fortified city of Jericho which blocked their entrance into the rest of Canaan.  It will not be long before Israel will take possession of all the land that God had promised them as the Canaanites just melt away before them.  God had promised this would be the case and God always keeps his promises.

As we continue our series on the Book of Joshua, we now find the Israelites safely across the Jordan River, camped at Gilgal, just a few miles to the west of Jericho.  It was here at Gilgal that YHWH commanded the people of Israel to build a memorial to this great event, using twelve stones taken from the very spot in the river bed where the priests had set their feet on dry ground.  This monument will be the means by which future generations of Israelites are reminded of that glorious day when YHWH dried up the Jordan and his people entered Canaan to receive their promised inheritance.  The crossing of the Jordan was a graphic sign to Israel that YHWH keeps his covenant promise.  It was also a powerful warning to Israel’s enemies that YHWH is Israel’s shield and protector and that he will ensure that Israel will possess the land of Canaan.

With the people of Israel now safely across the river, in chapter 5 Joshua sets the stage for Israel’s future conquest of Canaan, beginning with the fall of Jericho as recounted in chapter 6.

Verse 1 of Joshua 5 is a summary of sorts, recounting the events of chapters 3-4.  “As soon as all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan for the people of Israel until they had crossed over, their hearts melted and there was no longer any spirit in them because of the people of Israel.”  While this verse is a summation about Israel miraculously crossing the river, the verse also offers an explanation for what is soon to come, the conquest of all of Canaan.  The reason why the Israelites will be able to defeat the Canaanites so rapidly will have far more to do with YHWH’s power and Israel’s obedience to the terms of the covenant, than it does with Israel’s 40,000 soldiers.  This is what the people of Israel must recognize as they prepare to take possession of the land.  They will be victorious only so long as they are faithful to YHWH.

To read the rest of this sermon, click here
 

For All of You Bruised Reeds . . .

Dr. Rod Rosenbladt's lecture "The Gospel for Those Broken By the Church" is now available as an MP3 (for a nominal fee--$3.45).

This is must listening for any of you who have gone to church seeking the comfort of the gospel, only to be burdened by the law (without the relief of the gospel) or distracted by the trivialities of modern American evangelicalism.

If you've ever listened to the White Horse Inn, you know that Rod has a real place in his heart for all of you bruised reeds (Matthew 12:20) and this lecture is a must-listen.  You can order and download it here (Click here: The Gospel For Those Broken By The Church (MP3)

Who Said That?

“No, you don't need more than one home. But, you know, people in our society today have always had a problem with excess. And we don't have any problems with movie stars having more than one home. We don't have any problems with sports people having more than one home. But, boy, if you get a man of God that has more than one home, then he's got to be doing something wrong.”

Please leave your guess in the comments section below.  No google searches!

Update on Tuesday, January 8, 2008 at 08:09AM by Kim Riddlebarger

This quote comes from Creflo Dollar, pastor of Atlanta's World Changers Church International.  His finances are under investigation by Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.  He made these comments on CNN's “Larry King Live” on Friday (Jan. 4).

Some Interesting Links on a Friday . . .

Thanks to Scott Clark for reminding me that this thought-provoking essay by Dr.  Robert Godfrey is online--A Reformed Dream.  If you are a member of a confessional Reformed or Presbyterian church and haven't read this, you need to!  Would that my sons live to see this become a reality--it probably won't happen in my lifetime.  Click here: Modern Reformation - Articles

Here's the best news from the blogosphere I've heard in some time.  Purgatorio is back!  You'll certainly want to bookmark this one.  Marc Heinrich's blog is always witty and thought-provoking.  His parody of Tim Challies' new book is priceless.  Click here: Crossway Stands Behind Challies - purgatorio

Eschatological nuttiness never seems to take a day off.  When the House of Commons addressed a motion to "disestablish" the Church of England, the motion was routinely assigned a number.  You guessed it-"666."  Now, we can take that in one of two ways.  Either the House of Commons was doing the devil's work by trying to disestablish the C of E, or else we might say, the C of E has been asking for such a designation for a long time.  I'll leave that up to you to decide.  Click here: Devilish debate on end for Church of England - Yahoo! News

Finally, here's a story about some poor guy who thought he saw the "mark of the beast" on his hand, so he cut if off with a circular saw and then microwaved it.  Talk about a misreading of Matthew 5:30!  He's been put away for his own protection.  Click here: FOXNews.com - Man Sees 'Mark of the Beast'; Cuts Off, Microwaves Hand - Local News | News Articles | National News

The Canons of Dort, First Head of Doctrine, Article 6

Article 6: God's Eternal Decision

The fact that some receive from God the gift of faith within time, and that others do not, stems from his eternal decision. For all his works are known to God from eternity (Acts 15:18; Eph. 1:11). In accordance with this decision he graciously softens the hearts, however hard, of his chosen ones and inclines them to believe, but by his just judgment he leaves in their wickedness and hardness of heart those who have not been chosen. And in this especially is disclosed to us his act--unfathomable, and as merciful as it is just--of distinguishing between people equally lost. This is the well-known decision of election and reprobation revealed in God's Word. This decision the wicked, impure, and unstable distort to their own ruin, but it provides holy and godly souls with comfort beyond words.

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Election is always a difficult concept, especially for Americans operating with the presuppositions of modern democracy–choice determines everything.  Nevertheless, election is a doctrine which is clearly taught throughout the pages of Holy Scripture.  If God gets all the glory when undeserving sinners are saved, and if men and women are blamed for not believing, how are we to understand this?  What about the question of “fairness?”  In article six, the authors attempt to deal with some of the implications raised by the fact that our salvation only comes about because of something good in God, and not because of anything good that God finds in the sinful and rebellious creature.

First, the Canons are careful to point out that the ultimate reason why anyone comes to faith in Christ is to be found in God’s eternal decree to save some, known in Scripture as “election.”  The Scriptures clearly teach that God acts according to his deliberate plan and purpose.  He does not merely watch his creatures act and he then reacts accordingly—which would be something akin to classical deism.  In a biblical text (Ephesians 1:11) we have already considered in the previous article of the Canons (article 5), God’s choice to save some is not based upon his foreknowledge of contingent [uncertain] events.  Rather, God's choices are based upon his own “purpose” and his “plan,” or better yet, what Paul calls his eternal counsel.  

In other words, the decree of election is based upon God’s eternal plan and purpose, and not his response to what his creatures may or may not do using their free will.  Clearly this is difficult for us to understand since we are bound to time and space and God is not.  But what would the alternative be?  The alternative is a God who cannot act to rescue his creatures from their bondage to sin, but who can only watch and then react when the creature takes the first step—something Scripture teaches sinners cannot do (cf. Ephesians 2:1-5; Colossians 2:13).  We are left with a “god” who cannot control every aspect of his own creation, but who can only attempt to change the actions of those who willingly co-operate with his efforts.  Such a view does not square with either God’s omnipotence or his immutability.

Those whom God has chosen to save do indeed come to faith only because he acts upon them, by “graciously softening their hearts and inclining them to believe.”  As we have seen above, God does this through the means of the preaching of Christ crucified.  It is the Holy Spirit working through gospel who turns unbelieving hearts of stone into hearts of flesh which will believe.  This means that according to God’s eternal purpose, the stony hearts and unwilling wills of his elect are softened and inclined toward Jesus Christ, through the preaching of the gospel.  Ends (God’s election of those specific individuals whom he will save) must be connected to means (the preaching of the gospel).

All of this raises the more difficult question, “what happens to those who are not numbered among God’s elect?”  In one sense, we can simply answer, “nothing.”  God, who is under no necessity of saving anyone, justly leaves the non-elect to suffer the effects of the hardness of their own hearts.  God does not soften that heart, nor does he incline them to believe.  He leaves them as they are, dead in sin, unable and unwilling to respond to the good news of Christ. 

The result is that they perish eternally, because they are guilty in Adam and they willfully commit sin, justly placing them under God’s curse.  Unless their hearts are so inclined and softened, they do not want to believe the gospel!  It remains dark and repulsive to them.  But the fault for this is theirs.  God passes over them, exercising his justice and withholding saving grace from them.  After all, he is God and can do what he wishes with his creatures.

At this point, the authors of the Canons are careful to point out that if we are all sinful by nature and by choice, the basis for anyone going to heaven and being numbered among the elect is to be found only in God’s unfathomable, mysterious and yet merciful act, in distinguishing between people equally lost.  In other words, since we are all sinful, we must see election as God’s choice to save some—based upon reasons known only to himself, his plan and counsel—and not because of anything in the creature which motivates him to chose one but not the other.  

Why does God choose one and by-pass the other?  He does not tell us why he acts as he does.  He doesn't have to.  But he does say that he has reasons which remain unknown to us.  Moses reminds us in Deuteronomy 29:29, “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.”

This whole subject is difficult for us to comprehend and it is easy for the enemies of the Christian faith or those who do not understand, to distort the biblical teaching on this point.  It is easy to caricature the teaching of election so as make it seem as though the Reformed turn the “loving God” into a cold and capricious monster, who supposedly takes away all choice from us, and who creates people only to damn them to hell forever.  This obviously is not what the Scriptures teach, nor what the Reformed churches believe.

Indeed, for those who are Christ’s, and who know and believe what the Scriptures teach in this regard, the doctrine of election is a source of unspeakable comfort.  If we are in Christ, it is because of something good in God that is far greater than our weakness and sinfulness.  And if we are in Christ at this moment, we can be assured that we will be “in Christ” forever.  This is clearly taught in John’s gospel when Jesus describes himself as “the good shepherd” (John 10:1-30).

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

19 There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

22 At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. 24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not part of my flock. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will 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 the Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”

We find here not the cold language of metaphysics, nor the terminology of speculative theology, but we find the image of the good shepherd caring for his sheep.  Since Jesus is our “good shepherd” and we are his sheep, we know that he will never leave us or forsake us because he is faithful and his father is all-powerful.  No one can snatch us from his hand!  In this, election is an unspeakable source of comfort.

I'm on KFUO Today

For anyone interested, I'm on KFUO today (@ 3:00 PM PT) with Todd Wilken.  The topic is the recent USAToday article on the unchurched.  You can catch the live stream if you are near your computer (Click here: KFUO Issues, Etc.)