Untitled article by M. C. W.

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Nov 25, 1889

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 15, No. 45.

BIBLE ELECTION. NO. 2.

By M. C. W.

THE key to the harmony between the doctrines of election and free will and free choice, is found in Ephesians 1, some expressions from which we have already quoted. The apostle says:—

"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." "In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will." Verses 4, 5, 11.

The apostle states that we are chosen that we should be "holy and without blame before him," and that this election and predestination is "according to the good-pleasure of his will." In verse 11 it is said that we are "predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will." In verse 9 of the same chapter we are told that he has "made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good-pleasure which he hath purposed in himself."

Here then we have the key which will unlock this mystery. God hath chosen and predestinated us according to his purpose, according to the pleasure of his will, and what his will is he has made known unto us. We inquire, then, What is God's purpose concerning man, as revealed in his word, the revelation of his will?

1. God created the earth for the home of man. After the record of the creation of the earth, we read: "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." Gen. 1:26. Man was created and given the dominion. Verses 27, 28. So the psalmist says: "The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord's; but the earth hath he given to the children of men." Ps. 115:16.

It is not against the proposition that man lost this dominion, that the usurper, Satan, came in and led captive man, and took possession of the earth. To give man the earth was God's purpose, and it is still his purpose. The powers of evil may for a time seem to thwart God's purposes, but they only seem to do this; every purpose of God will be accomplished. Says the Spirit of God through the prophet: "For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited; I am the Lord, and there is none else." Isa. 45:18.

It was God's purpose, it is God's purpose, that the earth should be inhabited by those for whom it was created, and that creation was not in vain, that purpose will be accomplished.

2. It is the purpose of God that the earth should be inhabited by a certain number. In the very

nature of the case, this proposition must be true. God's plans are perfect. He never does too much; he never does too little. He does not need to provide for contingencies, or accidents. His plan is perfect. When he purposed to create the earth for the home of man, his purpose involved a certain size or area. He did not make it too large or too small. Neither would it be peopled by too many or too few. Were there too many of mankind the earth would be crowded, and therefore imperfect; were there too few, the opposite would be the result, and therefore also imperfect. So man was to multiply till he had replenished, or completely filled, the earth. Gen. 1:28. The word translated "replenish" means, not to fill again, but, according to Young, "to fill, be full." Boothroyd translates, "fill the earth." To fill the earth is not to overfill it or to less than fill it. To be a perfect home there must be a perfect and definite number.

That this is true is also evident from another scripture concerning man after the fall. To the woman the Lord said, "I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception." Gen. 3:16. If man had never fallen, every soul born into the world would have made a part of that definite number which would have inherited the earth forever. But man fell, and God foresaw that many would reject his proffered mercies and be lost; therefore more would have to be born in the world, the "conceptions" of women would be greatly multiplied. In that mansion home which Jesus has gone to prepare, there will be no vacant dwelling-places. Again, the definiteness with which the city of God is described in Revelation 21, indicates the exactness of God's plan. The remnant of his people which will be gathered in at his coming will be 144,000, just the number which will be needed to complete the requisite great multitude which no man can number, but which is fixed in God's purpose and plan. But aside from all these scriptures, the perfection of God's character and wisdom shows that the number in his mind and plan must be definite.

3. This definite number in the purpose of God must be of a certain character. This is shown by man's creation. He was created innocent and sinless. God pronounced him "very good." Gen. 1:31. The wise man says that God "made man upright." Eccl. 7:29. And God's perfect plan and purpose (and he could have no other) must also involve such a character. Neither will the purpose of God be thwarted in this. Says the psalmist: "Those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth." "The meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace." "For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth." "The righteous shall inherit the land [earth], and dwell therein forever." Ps. 37:9, 11, 22, 29.

In order that man might develop a right character, God gave him his holy law, a law summarily comprehended in the ten commandments. This law was ordained unto life. Rom. 7:10. If man had kept it, he would have lived by it. Rom. 10:5; Gal. 3:12. Nothing more could have been asked of him, for that law embraced all duty, all righteousness; for it was the expression of God's righteousness. Eccl. 12:13; Ps. 119:176; Isa. 51:6, 7. The definite character, then, which would be possessed by the definite number designed of God to inhabit this earth, is a character which reflects, or is in harmony with, God's holy law. That law would be inwrought in the mind and the affections and outwrought in every deed of the life,—a righteous character. This number was "predestinated," or "marked out," to a righteous character as measured by the law of God.

Let the reader keep these propositions, so abundantly proved by the Scriptures, and so self-evident in themselves, in mind. We have some others to follow before we make the application.

M. C. W.