What does the parable of the wedding banquet teach us about election?

[cjab]

We don't know when God determined man would be saved through the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son.

That was His plan at some point in the past. That is what believing man was predestined for, whosoever will, let him come.

The selection was "before the foundation of the world" Eph 1:4.

 

[Dave G]

Let's take a look at Eph. 1:4-5 from a different perspective.

"According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,"

Notice the bold. We have been predestined to salvation a certain way, By Jesus Christ to Himself.

This is not who will be saved, a certain Elect group of people, but rather how we will be saved, by Jesus Christ.

This was the plan of God before the foundation of the world, that we would be saved by Jesus Christ through His perfect sacrifice for our sins.

He (God) has chosen us who would believe before He created us to be holy and without blame before Him, By Jesus Christ.


It's not about God choosing who will be saved, but rather the manner in which we will be saved.

Let's look at it again, Charlie, taking note of all that is said in the passage:

" Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 grace [be] to you, and peace, from God our Father, and [from] the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly [places] in Christ:
4 according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
5 having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
6 to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
7 in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; " ( Ephesians 1:1-7 ).

I've emphasized the "who" in the passage by bolding certain parts of the text and I'll give you my understanding of it in the next post line by line... so you can see for yourself how I'm reading it.

 

[Dave G]

1) Not only is Paul addressing the saints ( believers ) at Ephesus, this letter is also addressed to all believers by including them as "the faithful in Christ Jesus".
2) God's grace and peace are being declared to all of them, and it is from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ
3) Paul is blessing God the Father, who has blessed us ( believers in Jesus Christ ) with all spiritual blessings in the heavens in Christ Jesus.
4) According as He hath chosen us ( believers ) in Christ when? before the foundation of the world... Which He did so that we ( believers ) should be holy and without blame before Him.
5) God the Father, not only having predestinated us ( set the believer's destiny ) to our adoption as the children of God, He did so by Jesus Christ to Himself...this was all done according to the good pleasure of His will.
6) Why? To the praise of the glory of His grace...which is what we will glorify Him for, for all eternity. Because of this grace, we have been made accepted in the beloved ( the children of God ).
7) In whom ( In God ) we ( all believers ) have redemption through Christ's blood...the forgiveness of sins. Again, why? "According to the riches of His grace."

So, not only do I see that this tells us who will be saved, but it tells us how they will be saved.
A certain and elect group of people; the number of which is only known to the Lord but which we know from other places in His word to be an immeasureable number ( Revelation 7:9-12 ).

This was the plan of God before the foundation of the world... which we also know from Paul's letter to the Romans and which is mentioned in his letters to the Thessalonians and the Colossians, as well as both John's letters to believers and Peter's letters to us.


Anywhere in His word that the term "elect" is found, we can be assured of both the "who" and the "why"...
As God Himself has left testimony to these facts throughout His word, especially in the New Testament.