You belong to God, but don't get too cocky about it.
Deuteronomy 9:4-6 (NIV)
CONTEXT: Deuteronomy is comprised of the advice Moses gives to Israel on God's behalf right before they enter into the Promised Land.
4 After the LORD your God has driven them [the wicked nations] out before you, do not say to yourself, “The LORD has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness.” No, it is on account of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD is going to drive them out before you. 5 It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations, the LORD your God will drive them out before you, to accomplish what he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 6 Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the LORD your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people.
Canons of Dordt
Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election
Articles 1-8
Article 9 - Election Not Based on Foreseen Faith
Your election took place,
not
on the basis of foreseen faith,
of the obedience of faith, of holiness, or of any other good quality and disposition,
as though it were based on a prerequisite cause
or condition in the person to be chosen,
but rather, your election took place
for the purpose of faith, of the obedience of faith, of holiness, and so on.
Accordingly, election is the source of every saving good.
Faith, holiness, and the other saving gifts, and at last eternal life itself, flow forth from election as its fruits and effects.
Summary
I once received an upgrade to fly first class. I didn't get that upgrade because I paid more for my ticket, but because the flight was oversold and somehow I was the lucky guy who got to move up to the empty first class seat to make room for others back in steerage. But even though I hadn't done anything to deserve such an honor, I still felt a certain smugness getting to board before others. I sat there in my plush seat nursing a complimentary beverage while pretending not to notice the serfs filing by me towards economy. Somehow I was better than them - for that moment, at least.
That's exactly the attitude the LORD warned His people of as they prepared to evict the pagan Canaanites and take their homes and land. God knows our nature, and He knew the likelihood that sooner or later His people - former Egyptian slaves - would associate God's gift of freedom and land as being conditioned upon their own righteousness and integrity.
But God makes it abundantly clear that their righteousness had nothing to do with it. They couldn't have possibly earned a right to live in the Promised Land, God coldly tells them, because they were a stiff-necked people.
God explains exactly why the Canaanites were evicted and the Israelites would take possession. It was on account of the wickedness of the nations that the LORD drove the Canaanites out. But the new residents didn't get to move in because somehow they were better, but because the LORD was accomplishing what He swore to their fathers - to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. In other words, God was keeping His promise.
Dig Deeper
These five 'Doctrines of Grace' that we've begun unpacking this year are known by a famous acronym: T-U-L-I-P. These Canons, which were written in Latin, don't follow that particular order, which is why we've started the year with the U, which stands for Unconditional Election.
This foundational point - that God's election of particular people to salvation was not conditioned on us being any better, less guilty or more righteous than those whom God passed over - is the longest of the five points. In many ways, this first point is the toughest pill for us to swallow (and therefore needs the most explanation), since we have such a strong intuition to want to somehow think we've earned the honor.
It's often said that we'll never know why it is that God chose us for salvation, and there's certainly truth in that statement. But we can be a bit more precise. Our passage today helps us understand exactly why God saved you: because you're a member of His covenant; the same covenant that the LORD swore to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This means that God has legally obligated Himself to you.
What you don't know is why God chose you in particular to be part of His covenant people. But you can know for sure that His choice was certainly not conditioned by anything you have done or will do in your lifetime. Your election is completely based in God's grace.
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who is faithful to accomplish what He swore to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob;
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that as you come to understand God's election more, you will grow more humble and less conceited that He's chosen you to be part of His covenant people;
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Acts 26
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