Preaching the truth about election, as it is properly outlined in the Holy Scriptures, will neither exclude nor diminish true Gospel evangelism as many sincere people fear it will. It will, of course, banish a lot of the foolishness, sentimentality and downright trickery that is being palmed off as true evangelism on the unsuspecting public. We are glad that it will do this. And, we might say that if this is all that it did do, it would still be an immeasurable blessing.
But preaching the wonderful truth of election in its fullness does far more than merely exposing the false; it establishes God's glory in grace by revealing the only just way that sinners can be saved. It discloses the true Biblical perspective of saving mercy in that it clearly brings into view the wondrous fact that the infinitely holy, all-wise and all-powerful God Himself saves helpless, wrath deserving sinners. Salvation is of the Lord! And there is absolutely no question about this when one is brought to embrace the blessed teaching of election. Any idea then of salvation based on, or dependent upon, the sinner's works, ceremonies, goodness, striving, weeping, or joining — ANYTHING ELSE — is forever eliminated. No more then will Romans 9:16 be cast aside, skipped over or explained away. God's plain declaration, "So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy," will then be gladly acknowledged as a revelation to sinful men of God's infinite wisdom and mercy in determining to redeem some out from the ruined and depraved mass of justly perishing mankind - and that not because any were worthy of salvation, but out of His free grace for His own glory.
All the good works which flow from the life of a saved sinner are the result, therefore, of salvation and not in any wise cause or condition of salvation. This excludes all boasting in the flesh and fills the redeemed sinner's heart with God-glorifying praises (I Cor. 1:27-31) for His everlasting electing love Jer. 31:3; I John 3:1). Finding himself to be a vessel of God's choice mercy his heart is humbled before the Lord, and filled with compassion for lost sinners as well as a holy desire for the salvation of others (Romans 10:1).
Instead of puffing up with religious pride (as the doctrine of freewillism does) the understanding of electing love and predestinating grace frees his heart from the tendency to glory in self-righteousness, placing him at the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ as a saved sinner, grateful, yet acknowledging his unworthiness of, the least of His mercies.
This teaching, moreover, when preached in its fullness in love, and with the blessing of the Holy Spirit, will disturb the hearts of sinners. It will cut deep into the fabric of their vile, self-glorying natures, causing them to see as helpless wretches their absolute and complete dependence on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation; without which none will ever be saved. No greater or more effective evangelist ever walked on this earth than the apostle Paul. Examine his inspired letters and note how prominent the wonderful doctrine of election pervades them all. Read, for example, his Roman letter, chapters 8, 9, 10 and 11. Mark therein how he revels in, takes comfort from, sweetly rests upon and marvels at the infinite wisdom which is magnified in God's electing grace, fulfilling His glorious purpose in determining from eternity, out of His free love, to redeem out of the ruined race a multitude of sinners. Overwhelmed by the magnitude of Sovereign Grace as he comes to chapter 11, verse 33, he exults, "O the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!"
Can anyone read Paul's first letter to the Corinthians without being made, right in the first chapter, to bow in awesome wonder at electing love? No less do we behold the beauty of His matchless grace woven in and throughout the text of his second epistle to the Corinthians.
Come to the letter to the Galatians, written by this same apostle. What do we have here? Over against the false teaching of salvation by works, brought to the Galatians by corrupt religious teachers, the true apostle of Christ boldly attacked their false philosophy with great doctrine of salvation by grace alone. They taught that salvation was not all of grace, but partly by grace and partly by the sinner's works. Paul masterly met that deception and gave us this great statement in chapter 2, verse 21: "I do not frustrate the grace of God, for," he assures us, "if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain."
Now move up to his letter to the Ephesians and I dare you to try to read the first ten verses without being moved to praises for His predestinating grace and electing love. And if you can do that and then continue reading through the second chapter without acknowledging this precious truth, you may be sure (I say it in kindness and love) that either your spiritual eye sight is very, very bad, or else you are still blinded by the god of this world, you are yet in your sins.
Also with the other writings of Paul – Philippians, Colossians, I and II Thessalonians, I and II Timothy, Titus and on through Philemon and Hebrews – the Holy Spirit inspired apostle spells out, holds forth, magnifies and praises the glorious truth of electing love. Nor does he at any time even hint that this wonderful doctrine is a hindrance to true evangelistic effort. He holds rather that this blessed truth lies at the very basis of all true evangelism, for what would be the use of preaching to sinners if the purpose of God may be thwarted?
Like our Lord, Paul rejoiced in God's electing love and found therein the greatest encouragement to preach the gospel to sinners; for he knew to the be true the words of Christ in John 6:37, where He said, "All that Father giveth me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out." What dignity and majesty this gives to our salvation!