God’s Word for You

2 Timothy 2:10 Election

by Pastor Timothy Smith on Friday, June 19, 2026

10 So because of this I endure all things for the sake of the elect, so that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, along with eternal glory.

First we must ask, “Who are the elect?” and then “How does Paul, by enduring suffering, benefit the elect for their salvation and eternal glory?”

The doctrine of election brings us to a series of questions that have been asked for centuries. Why is it that some people believe the gospel and others don’t? How can some hear the gospel and rejoice in it, falling in gratitude at the feet of Christ and never stop kissing his feet (Luke 7:45), but others reject him, and far from falling at his feet, have their faces fall in disbelief and walk away from the only Savior (Mark 10:22)? And Jesus describes four different kinds of soil in the hearts of men (Matthew 13:18-23).

Some think and teach that the reason that some believe and others don’t is to be found in God. This means that for whatever reason, God simply chose some people to be believers, and he chose others to be damned. But the Scriptures constantly say that Christ died for all (2 Corinthians 5:14-15, 5:19; 1 John 2:2). These and other passages would have to be torn out of the Bible if God had predestined or elected some people to be damned.

Others try to make those passages work by claiming that they only apply to the people God already elected to salvation; that is, that Christ only died for those he already chose to be saved. But this mocks the clarity of the Scriptures. It means that the Scriptures have to be re-written according to man’s understanding, or that the Holy Spirit winks at us because he thinks we should know something secret. It approaches Gnosticism (a secret truth that only the truly blessed can know).

Others argue that while God wants everyone to be saved, he also wants to demonstrate his holy justice. But is the justice of God not fully and completely satisfied in the atoning sacrifice of Christ for all sins of all mankind, when God was “reconciling the world to himself in Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:19)?

These arguments fail for these reasons: (1) This has no basis in the Bible and looks for answers in human reason instead. (2) This robs Christ of his glory as the Savior of the world. (3) This drives Christians into a self-righteous opinion that there must have been something in them that made God pick them over others. And again (4), this can drive other Christians to despair when they come to the conclusion that for whatever reason they were predestined for hell.

But there are still others who reject all of the above reasons and look instead for something in man: Some people choose to believe, and others do not. This makes it the business of the church to bring people to right decisions, to choose wisely. This is why so many churches, especially in America, seek to set the right “mood” and appeal to the emotions so that people will become willing to invite Jesus into their hearts. But the problem here is that it denies original sin. This makes it seem as if there is a spark that can be lit within a person by the person himself.

However, Jesus tells us that “flesh gives birth to flesh” (John 3:6), and Paul says, “the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s laws, nor can it do so” (Romans 8:7). Since man cannot make a decision for faith or for Christ on his own (Ephesians 2:8-9), all we can do is thank God for our faith and for our salvation, which is a gift, and is through Christ alone.

There was also a controversy among American Lutherans in the early 20th century about election. It raged fiercely very close to the church where I serve today in southwestern Minnesota. A great many Lutherans began to claim that God chooses or elects people “in view of faith.” But this gets the truth backwards, like holding the big round end of the spoon to get at your soup. It is God’s election, his choice that is made known in the Gospel, that causes faith. Faith “is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). Too few Lutheran church bodies in America or Canada reject this “in view of faith” error.

The elect, then, are all of those who have come to faith in Christ. Many of them misunderstand how this came to be, but this doesn’t disqualify them for a place in heaven. But it can lead to a dangerous misunderstanding about sin and grace. It is better to teach the truth, just as it is better to drink something that does not have anything poisonous or rotten in it, but that is a pure drink.

Election is this: Out of pure grace alone, without any merit of ours, God saves us believers “in conformity with the purpose of his will” (Ephesians 1:11). Why? Why are we saved? Why were we elected to be God’s children? Because he loved us in eternity—this is what election is. The doctrine of election is most emphatically a teaching that is only for and about Christians. It is a wonderful comforting statement of God that he loves us and has chosen us to be his. It is not a coin with a reverse side, with a picture here that smiles and picture on the back that frowns. It is more like a bottlecap than a coin; there is a picture on one side, but no reverse side at all. The failure of some to believe is the work of the devil, not of God, nor of a man’s choice, but Satan slithering through the creation, still wreaking havoc and ruining souls, crouching on all fours ready to spring out at any moment to catch people unawares (Genesis 4:7).

How, then, does Paul’s suffering benefit we, the elect? Paul gives the example of faith that he would have us give, too, if we are able. “When you and I are strong in our faith we will be giving a good witness to our children and all the rest of God’s children who see our faithfulness. If we don’t endure in faith as parents, will our children endure? I don’t think so. Will we be a good influence on our fellow Christians? I don’t think so. No wonder Paul says, ‘Be strong… endure… remember Jesus.’” The examples we set are living help in this lifetime as we behave like coaches for our loved ones and for anyone who might be looking. This is how we endure, even when times get hard.

Notice that Paul leaves something out that we don’t always remember. He does not say, “I committed terrible sins in my past. I killed people and destroyed families because they were Christians and I was not.” He doesn’t dredge up his old sins that would shock many people. Why not? Those sins are forgiven. Even a man who once did awful things, violated some or many or most of God’s Commandments in a public way for everyone to see—even such a man can be a fine example to the rest of us. He was a sinner, but he is forgiven. And now, see how he lives for Christ! See how willing he is even to suffer, even to die for Christ! This is the man who puts his arm around the suffering and dying Christian from across centuries of time and says, “Jesus loves us every bit as much as Jesus loves me. Jesus forgives you every bit as much as Jesus forgave me. Do not be afraid. Something marvelous and wonderful is just moments away: eternal glory.”

In Christ,
Pastor Timothy Smith

 

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