The concepts of election, judgment, justification and salvation clearly reveal the difference between Biblical faith and Christian doctrine. When we address these concepts on our local TV program, I often receive irate calls attempting to correct my obviously mistaken position.
The main confusion arises out of a poor understanding of what God is doing. From the Christian perspective, He is saving a relatively few number of people before the final destruction that is coming on the earth. This viewpoint evolved due to Greek influence in the early Church and, as a result, is man-centered. In this view, God is seen as acting out of His concern and love for man. While the Bible certainly reveals that God loves us, the Christian view is inadequate when we consider the larger picture of God's activities.
A more complete picture revealed in the Scriptures shows God acting to re-establish a singular authority in the world. We generally refer to this process as redemption. This broader picture of God's activities deals with the most basic problem of rebellion in man which led to The Fall (Genesis 3). The Fall resulted in the establishment of each individual as of his own authority. From a Biblical perspective, man ate from the "Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil". Redemption, then, is the process by which God is bringing man back to proper relationship under Godly authority.
Watch a Tzemach Bible Program Video on Justification, Salvation and Judgment
Election
In the process of working out redemption, God from time to time has chosen to make covenants with individuals and groups. In modern legal terminology, a covenant is a contract, or more simply, an agreement between two or more parties defining the purpose and conditions of their relationship. A Biblical covenant is the same thing. In the Bible, we can clearly see three covenants that God has made in the process of His redemptive plan. These are the
Abrahamic Covenant,
Mosaic Covenant, and
Ben-David or Son of David Covenant.
In each case God chose the party with which He would enter into covenant, He revealed Himself to the one chosen and He specified the terms and conditions of the covenant.
We call the covenant partners of God the elect. Election simply means that a person or group has been specifically selected to enter into covenant relationship with God. God always chooses those who are to become His covenant partners; the one elected never chooses himself. A natural conclusion that we must draw from considering this process is that it is not fair when considered purely on humanistic grounds. Therefore, we say that God exercises His sovereignty in the election. We also conclude that not all human beings are elect with regard to God's covenants: some are chosen, some are not. Most people believe intuitively that God is fair. As a result they feel awkward with the concept of election. Often there are attempts to relate the concept of election with the concept of final judgment. In practice, this means that elect individuals or groups are exempt from final judgment. In order to be fair, doctrines have been developed that indicate that the election of God is now universal, i.e., everyone is elect. In fact, election is not directly related to final judgment. God chooses people to become His vessel in the world to work out His purpose of establishing a single authority in the universe. Those elect have a unique opportunity to become co-workers with God, but this does not guarantee their acceptance at final judgment. Conversely, those not elect to one of the redemptive covenants are not automatically rejected at final judgment. Indeed, Peter boldly proclaimed that God is patient: "not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9).
We, therefore, conclude that the concept of election and the concept of final judgment are not directly related. One may be elect and still rejected at final judgment. On the other hand, one may be accepted at final judgment without ever having participated in one of God’s redemptive covenants.
Judgment
The Bible clearly maintains that every human being is accountable to God and will face judgment. The author of the book of Hebrews declared: ". . . it is appointed for all men to die once and after this comes judgment" (Hebrew 9:27). Being accountable to God for everything done in this present life experience is very discomforting to many, so religious leaders developed doctrines that purport to exempt their members from this accountability. Such doctrines are very popular even though thoroughly unscriptural. Early in the development of the doctrines of Christianity, the Church Fathers utilized their training in Greek philosophy alongside their Bibles. One result was that God's activities began to be seen as focused on man and for the benefit of man. Soon the Church became to be envisioned as an ark that exempted those inside from final judgment. In other words, if you were in the Church, you would be automatically accepted by God at final judgment; if you were not in the Church, you would be automatically rejected at final judgment. Jesus' words recorded in the gospel of John; "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me" (John 14:6) were used to justify this position.
Actually, judgment remains in the hands of God. He alone will judge. Every human being is directly accountable to Him. Jesus (John 5:28-29), Paul (Romans 2:1-16) and John (Revelation 20:11-13) all agree that the basis of final judgment will be the deeds done in this present life experience. The righteous, as judged by God, will be accepted; the unrighteous, as judged by God, will be rejected.
One common response to this position is that we are promoting a works-based salvation. Actually, we haven’t even discussed salvation or justification. A quick look at these two Biblical concepts will hopefully help clarify our position.
Justification
We maintain that, apart from election, some people will be accepted at the final judgment while others will be rejected and that the basis of God’s judgment will be each person’s deeds. However, we also know that “by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified” (Romans 3:20). Just who, then, has been justified and by what means? Paul tells us in Romans 5:17-19 that all men have been justified by the one righteous act of Messiah Jesus, namely His atoning (or justifying) death. Practically applied, this means that the individual who is accepted by God at final judgment has no grounds to boast. The foundation for his acceptance (justification) is authored by God even if God judges him worthy or unworthy to participate in the New Creation on the basis of his deeds. So, while it is true that we have all been universally justified (Romans 5:17-19) that does not mean that we will all be accepted by God at final judgment.
What about Salvation?
The concept of salvation in Christianity has largely come to mean that Jesus' death and my belief in Him saves me from being rejected by God. "Becoming a Christian", "joining the Church", "coming to a saving knowledge of Jesus" are different ways of expressing what we earlier referred to as getting inside the ark and guaranteeing acceptance by God at final judgment. Because of this, I have avoided using the term salvation to this point. What is salvation? We have seen that Jesus' death effects justification, enabling us to be reconciled to God; however, it is His life through which salvation is realized as Paul states in Romans 5:10 (emphasis added):
For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
Salvation results from interaction with the resurrected Messiah, who has become a life-giving spirit (1 Corinthians 15:45), and with the Father. In this sense, it is a by-product of election. Remember that members of an elect community have become co-workers with God. As such, they have opportunity to interact with the Living One. In the course of that interaction, the life that is in God flows out to His elect; because of this, believers experience salvation in a special (apparently not exclusive) way:
we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers (1 Timothy 4:10).
It is important to remember that salvation does not mean getting saved from final judgment. Each of us will give an account to God for the deeds in this life: Christians, Jews, Gentiles. Salvation means receiving the life of God through interaction with Him so that we may confidently participate with God as co-workers in redemption, overcome the obstacles of daily existence and look with confidence to the greater salvation to come when God's plan of Redemption is realized.
Application
God has chosen Israel as an elect nation. His covenant with Israel is just as valid today as it was 3,500 years ago at Mt. Sinai. Today the nation of Israel stands at the forefront of the struggle for redemption – they continue to be co-workers with God. What does this mean relative to the individual Jewish person that dies today? Well, that Jewish person will stand before God and give an account for everything done in this life. God will decide to either accept him or reject him. The exact same thing is true for me as a believer in Messiah Jesus and for the individual Gentile who has never responded to the "gospel" at all. Each of these groups of people have graciously been justified to life by the death of Messiah Jesus yet God will maintain His sovereignty in judgment, accepting the righteous and rejecting the unrighteous.
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