Election is the choice of God of individuals out of Adam's fallen race to receive His grace through that salvation which is in the Lord Jesus Christ. While it has been rightly said that election is not salvation, it must also be said that there is no salvation apart from election. Election cannot be separated from salvation as nonessential because it is "unto salvation." "But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:" (II Thess. 2:13) Since Christ is salvation, the whole of it, election cannot be discounted as unnecessary because it is joined to Christ. "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:" (Eph.1:4) Neither can election be counted as non vital because it is in the word of God. If we discard election we must discard the scriptures. There is no preaching the gospel without the scriptures and the scriptures declare the glory of God's grace to give righteousness to God's elect through election. The amazing thing is that what men in our day view as untrue or unnecessary, the apostle Paul says was the first thing that Annanias told him when he arrived at Damascus. "The God of our fathers hath chosen thee..." (Acts 22:14) This was not deep doctrine, Paul was a babe in Christ. It was not "higher knowledge" because it was one of the foundational things Paul learned. It was not unimportant because it was one of the first things taught. Oh how men exalt their wisdom above the wisdom of God! I can say in my own experience that I never knew the saving Christ until I knew the electing Christ. There was no distinguishing Christ from antichrist without those vital truths that declare His glory in the salvation of His people. Election is one of the foundation stones of grace. Pull one stone out as not critical and the whole building comes down. All that God has done for His people in Christ, He did by first choosing them in Him before the world began. Election is only essential to the elect!