This doctrine is so simple it should never be misunderstood. I am going to put it on the bottom shelf so all can reach it.
If the reader can understand that God is a trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and they can believe it, then they can understand election in the NT as it relates to the church of Jesus Christ.
First, as a trinity, the Godhead is separate in their function in redemption and are yet one in purpose. The Godhead through counsel determined before the creation of the world how he would redeem sinful men and restore them to himself. If one will understand election he must take this division of the Godhead into consideration and honor what is said about each member. As a for instance, look at this;
Rom 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.
It is important to understand that when this passage says "God," it is speaking specifically of God the Father. The context of course demands it.
Who is it who justifies a believing sinner? It is God the Father. Is it the Son? No. Is it the Spirit of God? No. It is God the Father, the Judge of all the earth.
Now, notice the Son of the Father who has a specific function in our redemption. It is he who came as a man to pay the penalty for our sins, which is death. That is the penalty. But he had no sin and God the Father was propitiated by his sacrifice when he put him to death and the justice of the Father was realized through the Son and there can now be forgiveness of sins in his name. Since he did no sin and there was nothing on which to hold him in death, God the Father raised him from the dead and he lives today and gives his life to all who will believe the Father's testimony of him. Look at this.
34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Is it the Father who died and is risen? No. Is it the Spirit who died and is risen? No. It is the Son of God and the son of man, Jesus Christ.
Now, the next verse, Verse 35 says this;
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
What does that mean exactly. For that, we will need to know what is the function of the Spirit in this purpose of God. Chapter 8 is all about his function. He was the person of the Godhead who indwelt the body of Jesus Christ and empowered him to not sin in his body. It can be said without apology that he is the righteousness of Christ. Why is that important? Because of his function on our behalf. Watch this;
Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
The Spirit of life is a person of the Godhead. He was in Christ from conception until the 3rd hour on the cross when he suffered spiritual death. The Spirit left his body. Separation is the meaning of death. Then on the third day he raised the body of Jesus from the dead and 1 Peter 3:18 and Romans 8:11 says "quickening" it by indwelling him at the tomb at the resurrection.
He, the Spirit, is eternal and is the life of the body of the man who is redeemed. Look at this;
1 Pe 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
Rom 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
This is the reason there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. It is because they are free now from the law of sin and death and they have the righteousness of Christ dwelling in their bodies. His and God's Spirit. He is eternal and will never leave us. Look.
9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
Notice he is both the Spirit of God and of Christ at the same time.
Continued
If the reader can understand that God is a trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and they can believe it, then they can understand election in the NT as it relates to the church of Jesus Christ.
First, as a trinity, the Godhead is separate in their function in redemption and are yet one in purpose. The Godhead through counsel determined before the creation of the world how he would redeem sinful men and restore them to himself. If one will understand election he must take this division of the Godhead into consideration and honor what is said about each member. As a for instance, look at this;
Rom 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.
It is important to understand that when this passage says "God," it is speaking specifically of God the Father. The context of course demands it.
Who is it who justifies a believing sinner? It is God the Father. Is it the Son? No. Is it the Spirit of God? No. It is God the Father, the Judge of all the earth.
Now, notice the Son of the Father who has a specific function in our redemption. It is he who came as a man to pay the penalty for our sins, which is death. That is the penalty. But he had no sin and God the Father was propitiated by his sacrifice when he put him to death and the justice of the Father was realized through the Son and there can now be forgiveness of sins in his name. Since he did no sin and there was nothing on which to hold him in death, God the Father raised him from the dead and he lives today and gives his life to all who will believe the Father's testimony of him. Look at this.
34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Is it the Father who died and is risen? No. Is it the Spirit who died and is risen? No. It is the Son of God and the son of man, Jesus Christ.
Now, the next verse, Verse 35 says this;
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
What does that mean exactly. For that, we will need to know what is the function of the Spirit in this purpose of God. Chapter 8 is all about his function. He was the person of the Godhead who indwelt the body of Jesus Christ and empowered him to not sin in his body. It can be said without apology that he is the righteousness of Christ. Why is that important? Because of his function on our behalf. Watch this;
Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
The Spirit of life is a person of the Godhead. He was in Christ from conception until the 3rd hour on the cross when he suffered spiritual death. The Spirit left his body. Separation is the meaning of death. Then on the third day he raised the body of Jesus from the dead and 1 Peter 3:18 and Romans 8:11 says "quickening" it by indwelling him at the tomb at the resurrection.
He, the Spirit, is eternal and is the life of the body of the man who is redeemed. Look at this;
1 Pe 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
Rom 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
This is the reason there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. It is because they are free now from the law of sin and death and they have the righteousness of Christ dwelling in their bodies. His and God's Spirit. He is eternal and will never leave us. Look.
9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
Notice he is both the Spirit of God and of Christ at the same time.
Continued