When we think about the doctrine of election, we often hear it framed in terms of personal salvation. Am I in or out? Saved or damned? Destined for heaven or heading for hell? For our students, there is often an undercurrent of fear feeding into their insecurities as they seek to find their place in the world. They wonder: Does God love me or not? Do I have a choice in the matter, or is everything predetermined?
This fear can lead to deep anxiety. It can lead to rebellion against a perceived cruel and flippant God, causing teenagers to pull away from God and the church. Or, fear can morph into feelings of pride, elitism, and a general disregard for those we deem “not chosen,” hindering our mission to the world.
When we make election only about personal, individual salvation, it’s all too easy to miss what Scripture shows us: Election is a call to serve and reach others. Election is not only about us, but them.
Chosen for the Sake of Others
As we read through Scripture and meditate on the people God chooses within the biblical narrative, we find that personal salvation is never the main point to someone’s election. When God chooses someone, it’s always for the sake of others; God’s election moves God’s redemptive plan for creation forward so that others might also find salvation.
God chooses Abraham and Sarah, not predominantly so that they might be saved, but so that through them “all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen. 12:3).
When God chooses Moses, his salvation is not the main point. Rather, God elects Moses so that through him God can “deliver [the Hebrew people] out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey” (Ex. 3:8).
When God chooses Israel from amongst the nations, it’s not predominantly about their special status as God’s people, but so that they can be “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Ex. 19:6). A Levitical priest’s purpose is to intercede on behalf of others so that they might find peace and fellowship with God. He chooses Israel to serve the wider world.
We can read the stories of Joseph, Samuel, David, Esther, and others from the Old Testament and see the same thing: God chooses each one—not predominantly for his or her own sake—but so that others might taste and see the Lord’s salvation for themselves. They are to be, using God’s words through Isaiah, “a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth” (Is. 49:6).
Nowhere is this more evident than in the chosen one himself, Jesus. God chooses Jesus not for the sake of his personal salvation. That would be a contradiction, since Jesus doesn’t need to be saved. Rather, God sends Jesus as the chosen one so that he might give his life “as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Jesus’ election isn’t about him; rather, his election is “for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2).
Chosen as Ambassadors for Christ
Therefore, when we talk about election with our youth, baked into that discussion must be a call to missions. Election means we that God choose us to be conduits of his saving grace and love that he wants to share with others. In this way, while a silly game, duck-duck-goose provides a practical example of what election looks like in God’s story. When you choose someone in a game of duck-duck-goose, she doesn’t stay seated, basking in her role while others remain ducks. Rather, she gets on her feet as fast as possible and runs to carry the game forward!
Paul expresses it this way in 2 Corinthians 5:20: “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” Ambassadors are chosen by the one in charge, but they are chosen for a purpose: to build bridges with others, reconciling what sin tears apart. God chooses witnesses to be a blessing to others, particularly to those outside of the church. He chooses them to be a light to places and people who don’t yet know the goodness of God’s light. He chooses them to be a part of the priesthood of believers, presenting their bodies “as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God” (Romans 12:2). And the purpose is that others might also know the joy of Christ’s rescue.
Chosen to Bless the World
Election is good news, and not for us only, but for the whole world. We have a part to play in the redemptive story God is writing for all creation. Rather than causing us to run away from God, the doctrine of election should cause our youth to run to God, for inherent within it is an invitation to join in God’s story as meaningful characters. Rather than foster pride, our election should lead to feelings of gratitude and responsibility. For as Paul writes, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:8-10).
I pray that as we meditate on the doctrine of election with our students, we will find renewed motivation to serve and bear witness to the love of God, poured out on us so that we might be ambassadors for Christ.
If you’re looking for support to teach with theological depth in your ministry, we hope you’ll check out Rooted’s Bible-based curriculum for teenagers. Our Philippians study is available as a free download.
