Speaker: Rev. JOHN A. BOUWERS • FEBRUARY 13, 2016

The question is this: Upon what basis does God choose us? Does He like the color of our eyes, our hair, or our skin? No, it is clear that God has chosen men and women from out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation (Revelation 5:9). The Bible makes clear that He hasn’t chosen us on the basis of any qualities in ourselves—because by nature we have none. The Canons begin with the declaration that as all men have sinned in Adam, lie under the curse, and are deserving of eternal death, God would have done no injustice by leaving them all to perish… God hasn’t chosen us because we were somehow better than others, as if we had something that God wanted or something He could use. He chose us in Christ simply out of His good pleasure (Ephesians 1:5, 9, Canons I.10) as an expression of the depth of His love (Cf. Romans 5:8). We didn’t meet any conditions so that God could love us. We call this Unconditional Election.