ADOPTION

or Select Elect

Once upon a time, there was an orphanage where the little lost children were gathered.  But the need was so great, and resources were stretched so thin that sustenance was barely served.  Without loving homes, the children might not survive.  The need was dire.

"More, sir?"

One day a self righteous man entered the orphanage and looked around.  He had decided to elect only a few of the children and leave the rest to their demise.  He gathered his selected little ones to follow him out while the other hurting children followed him with only with their eyes and cried out for someone to love them too.  "Too bad about them," he was heard saying as he left them behind.

A little thief in London, 1870

Shortly after, a gentle and kind man knocked on the door.  Just to look into his eyes was to find hope.  He hugged each child to himself and said, "Would you like to live with me forever?"  Of course each child was thrilled and comforted that they would never be left alone again.  Few foolishly rejected his offer and stayed holding onto their pride as if to say, "I don't need anyone.  I can take care of myself."  But all the children who desired to come to him, were adopted and taken to his home with many rooms, enough for all.  No longer was the gruel thin, but there was abundance they had never seen before.  They were loved.

So here we read in I Peter, that he wrote to the Elect.  But as Adam Clarke says, "If the apostle had directed his letter to persons elected to eternal life, no one could have received such a letter, because no one could have been sure of his election in this way till he had arrived in heaven.  But the persons to whom the apostle wrote were all...said to be elect according to the foreknowledge of God, because, agreeably to the original purpose of God...Jews and Gentiles, indiscriminately, were called to be the visible Church, entitled to all the privileges of the people of God, on their believing the Gospel. 

Rev. John Wesley said, "1.  He that believeth shall be saved from the guilt and power of sin.  2.  He that endureth to the end shall be saved eternally.  3.  They who receive the precious gift of faith thereby become the sons of God; and, being sons, they shall receive the Spirit of holiness, to walk as Christ also walked.  Throughout every part of this appointment of God, promise and duty go had and hand.  All is free gift; and yet, such is the gift, that it depends in the final issue on our future obedience to the heavenly call.  But other predestination than this, either to life or death eternal, the Scripture knowns not of; moreover. 1.  It is cruel respect of persons; an unjust regard of one, and an unjust disregard of another: it is mere creature partiality, and not infinite justice.  2.  It is not plain Scripture doctrine, but rather inconsistent with the express written word that speaks of God's universal offers of grace; his invitations, promises, threatenings, being all general.  3.  We are bid to choose life, and reprehended for not doing it. ...predestination...implies neither faith, peace, nor purity; it is something that will do without them all.  Faith is no longer..."

I've told the story before how six year old Jay came running in to where I was nursing a newborn little Laura.  "Guess what!  I just led Robin into becoming a Christian!"  Then he looked at his new little sister who he knew was incapable of repeating after him a prayer of salvation and said, "Too bad about her."

Unlike Jonathan Edwards who proclaimed we should rejoice when babies die who are not part of the Elect and go to hell, I was able to assure him that God's grace was extended to all, especially little babies, until there came a time when they too could make the choice to become adopted into God's family.  

I'm so glad to be one of the "whosoever" believers on Him, aren't you?  I'm so glad He adopted me as part of His family.