Was it Shakespeare who wrote, “An old man is twice a child”? We enter this world as needy children. As the years advance, some of us revert to that needy stage again. For us, as the elect of God, there is a third childhood, one that never ends. In his grace and love the heavenly Father has elected us to be members of his family and heirs of his heaven. As believers we are always children of God. Like children, we need to grow in faith and knowledge of our loving God. Like children, we need to mature in living for our loving God and following his righteous ways. But, best of all, as his children we enjoy blessings that are out of this world. All this because the Father has elected us in eternity to be his very own!

The certainty of my election

How do I know that I’m among God’s elect? Was I there back in eternity when God did his choosing? No, but I’m here now, both hearing and believing the gospel of salvation. That’s the answer Scripture gives to this serious question. God doesn’t want me peering back into eternity to try and find out whether I am among the elect. Instead God wants me to look at right now and consider what he is doing for me. Because I am called and converted, because I am a child of God through faith in Jesus, I am one of the elect. The certainty of my election comes from what God is doing for me now.

Listen to Paul, “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified” (Romans 8:29,30). See where the focus is and always must be! On God! When he predestined me, he also promised to call me to faith by the Spirit’s power through the gospel. When he called me, he also justified me—that is, gave me the faith to embrace his verdict of forgiveness through Christ’s redemptive work. When he justified me, he also glorified me, assuring me of a final home in glory and a share of that glory already now. In eternity God in his grace wove a golden chain that links together the entire way to heaven for me.