On Tuesday, if you haven’t already, many of you will go and cast your vote in the next presidential election. It is an important election as the man elected will implement his own vision for our country that will impact the rights of the unborn, the understanding of the family, the solution to our teetering economy, the strength and security of our nation, the care and approach we take to the environment, the approach our country adopts for health care, and others I’m sure. These are important issues and we should know where candidates stand before we go and cast our vote. As Christians we should also know what God’s revealed will is regarding these issues. What is God’s view of the unborn? Who does God call to raise children in the fear and admonition of the Lord? Is it the government, the church, or the family? Where does God tell us to put our faith when it comes to national security? Does he point us to the strength of horses and chariots (or today missiles and bombs) or God? What does God say about our approach to business and our economy? Is it to pursue the “American dream” by building kingdoms of our own or participate in the building of His kingdom? What about the environment? Whose world is this and who was made to be its steward?

When you go to the polls, you’re giving the next president a mandate. You’re giving him a mandate calling him to be faithful to his promises. You’re giving him a mandate to be faithful to you, the one who elects him. That’s the way elections work. A person elected to an office is called to be faithful to the one who elects him.

The Bible also speaks of election. It speaks of God’s people as the “elect.” Jesus talks about future terrible events that will fall upon Jerusalem but adds, “but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.” Paul opens his letter to Titus, “Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth…” Peter opens his first letter to the church, “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who are elect…” If God’s people are the elect, then they also have a mandate from God, a calling to be faithful to the one who elected them. Peter explains this in 2 Peter 1:10, “Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure.”

It is interesting that the idea of there being an “elect” of God is so controversial today. Many don’t like that notion at all. In fact, I grew up resenting this idea of election. Why is that? I think in part it is because we know that there is a loyalty owed to the elector. What happens when a person elected to office doesn’t follow through on his promises, in other words, is unfaithful to his electors? At best his approval rating goes down. Worse, he might not be re-elected. Worse still, he might be impeached and removed from office altogether. We may not like to think of the idea of election requiring our faithfulness, but that’s exactly what it does just as it does with presidents and other elected offices.

Because we are elected by God, we must be faithful to God. The good news is that God’s election doesn’t just demand our faithfulness to Him as our elector, it also fuels our faithfulness. And that is good news. Ephesians 1 helps us understand the nature of this election and how it both encourages and fuels our faithfulness. We’ll look at God’s pleasure in election, God’s praise in election, and God’s purpose in election.