The election of Jesus Christ, part 5; Christ completes His election in human history; John 15:16.

Title: The election of Jesus Christ, part 5; Christ completes His election in human history; John 15:16.

 

6. Jesus Christ was sustained by the Father’s logistical grace support throughout the entire first Advent.

 

John 19:1 Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged Him.

 

John 19:2 And the soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and arrayed Him in a purple robe;

 

John 19:3 and they began to come up to Him, and say, "Hail, King of the Jews!" and to give Him blows in the face.

 

John 19:4 And Pilate came out again, and said to them, "Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no guilt in Him."

 

John 19:5 Jesus therefore came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, "Behold, the Man!"

 

John 19:6 When therefore the chief priests and the officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, "Crucify, crucify!" Pilate said to them, "Take Him yourselves, and crucify Him, for I find no guilt in Him."

 

John 19:7 The Jews answered him, "We have a law [JC is the giver of the Law], and by that law He ought to die because He made Himself out to be the Son of God."

 

There is no such law. There are laws concerning false prophets, those who blaspheme the name of the Lord, but no specific law for claiming to be God. Who would do that?

 

John 19:8 When Pilate therefore heard this statement, he was the more afraid;

 

Pilate was no dummy and he could recognize that this man was not a lunatic.

 

John 19:9 and he entered into the Praetorium again, and said to Jesus, "Where are You from?" But Jesus gave him no answer.

 

Christ is protecting Pilate since Pilate was somewhat fair.

John 19:10 Pilate therefore said to Him, "You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?"

 

John 19:11 Jesus answered, "You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me up to you has the greater sin [since He fully revealed Himself to them and not to Pilate]." 

 

All suffering is allowed by God. Undeserved suffering brings maximum glory to God.

 

John 19:12 As a result of this Pilate made efforts to release Him, but the Jews cried out, saying, "If you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar."

 

John 19:13 When Pilate therefore heard these words, he brought Jesus out, and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha.

 

John 19:14 Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, "Behold, your King!"

 

John 19:15 They therefore cried out, "Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar."

 

John 19:16 So he then delivered Him to them to be crucified.

 

Jesus Christ was sustained on the cross until He was identified with the last sin of mankind. He was then restored to union with the Father and given the strength to commit His spirit to Him.

 

Therefore, without logistical grace support in the midst of a hostile world which contains supernatural elements that are against God, there would be no salvation. God so acts in time to sustain His children no matter what comes against them. The believer who complains about anything in life is out of touch with logistical grace and therefore out of touch with the plan of God.

 

1 Thess 5:18 in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

 

1 Thess 5:19 Do not quench the Spirit;

 

Quenching the Spirit is attempting to do things your own way, motivated by your own will, and in your own human power, rather than relying on the grace of God.

 

Logistical grace must be properly applied so that the believer doesn’t go on a frantic search for what he wants or lusts after, but is content with what he has.

 

2 Cor 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;

 

Christ always had sufficiency in everything, and so does every believer.

 

7. Christ was elected to undeserved suffering and to spiritual death on behalf of every member of the human race.

 

8. Christ was elected to resurrection unto life, giving proof of His power to save anyone from sin and to justify anyone who would believe in Him.

 

The doctrine of the resurrection of Christ is strategic in that it is the first step in a series of events that exalt Christ in the final fulfillment of His election.

 

1) Resurrection; 2) Ascension to heaven and return to pre-incarnate glory; 3) Exaltation of session at right hand of God; 4) His second coming in power and glory;

 

5) Occupying the throne of David as ruler of the Millennial earth; 6) His exaltation as Judge over all unbelievers at GWTJ; 7) His exaltation in the new heaven and new earth.

 

The humanity of Christ did not usurp God the Father as satan desired to do, but rather in humility to the Father’s plan (predestination) He sat at the right hand of God. The humanity of Christ shared in the power and authority of the Father and did not desire to replace it.

 

Ps 110:1

The Lord says to my Lord:

"Sit at My right hand,

Until I make Thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet."

 

The humanity of Christ won the strategic victory in the AC without attempting a coup d’état over the Father’s throne.

 

In contrast:

 

 ISA 14:14

'I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;

 

Two thirds of the many references to clouds in the Bible refer to divine presence. Therefore, this verse relates to satan’s desire to dethrone God completely. He doesn’t have the power to control everything, he’s not up to the task, showing that all inordinate ambition is for blessing and promotion which a person has no capacity for.

 

This brings a slightly different nuance to a popular NT passage.

 

Phil 2:6

who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,

 

This is an obvious reference to His humanity. The uniqueness of Christ is His hypostatic union, which is also the key to the uniqueness of His election.

 

The deity of Christ is proven in many passages:

 

HEB 1:3

And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power.

 

This passage combined with Phil 2:6 reveals the fact that He is true humanity and undiminished deity in one Person forever.

 

Deut 6:4

 "Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!

 

Shama Yishrael, Adonai Elohenu, Adonai Echad

 

Echad - unique, one of a kind.

 

The session of Christ reveals His genuine humility in willingness to submit to the Father’s plan. Every believer’s election is fulfilled similarly.

 

9. Christ has completely fulfilled His own election and therefore the election of Israel and the individual Church-age believer are completely fulfilled since they depend on His election alone.

 

Therefore, there is nothing to add to your election in Christ. The benefits, privileges, and blessings of election in Christ are yours to maintain through positive volition or lose through negative volition.

 

ROM 8:29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren;

 

ROM 8:30 and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

 

ROM 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?

 

ROM 8:32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?

 

ROM 8:33 Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies;

 

ROM 8:34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.

 

ROM 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

 

ROM 8:36 Just as it is written,

"For Thy sake we are being put to death all day long;

We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered."

 

ROM 8:37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.

 

ROM 8:38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,

 

ROM 8:39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

COL 3:12 And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;

 

COL 3:13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.

 

COL 3:14 And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.

 

COL 3:15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.

 

COL 3:16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

 

COL 3:17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

 

2 Thess 2:13 But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.

 

2 Thess 2:14 And it was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

2 Thess 2:15 So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.

 

2 Thess 2:16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace,

 

2 Thess 2:17 comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.