by Reuven and Mary Lou Doron
email: OneNewManMail@aol.com

A war is raging all around us; a relentless battle of principles and values. Continuous declarations clash in the spirit realm like fiery swords as confessions and proclamations carve through the dense atmosphere the way lightning slashes through the night sky.

Some of these battles of values are external, taking place in the public arena - others are internal, going on in the privacy of our own minds. Either way, we must fight these battles to the victory or suffer loss. As the Word says, "…the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart" (Mat 12:34), and as a man "…thinks within himself, so he is." (Prov 23:7). In other words, this conflict is about both ideas and words as one begets the other in an endless cycle. Neither can we separate our hearts from our actions. Sooner of later the one manifests in the other.

The only complete and lasting victory in this battle of truth versus lies is the one that emanates from the presence of Jesus and is anchored in His divine and eternal character. Our personal victories are directly founded on who God is and His presence in our lives. He alone is the champion, and His character and presence in our inner man is our victory.

Israel, though still in the birth pains and contractions of God's purpose for her as a nation, is a sign revealing His character and attributes through her calling, failure, and restoration. The historic and dramatic saga of Israel, while yet in spiritual blindness and moral nakedness, continues to demonstrate who the True God is and what is His purpose for humanity.

The question is will we, having ears to hear and eyes to see, benefit from Israel's costly and painful example? Or, will we be among those of whom the Word of God prophesied, saying, "Go, and tell this people: 'Keep on listening, but do not perceive; keep on looking, but do not understand.' Render the hearts of this people insensitive, their ears dull, and their eyes dim, lest they see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and return and be healed." (Is. 6:9-10)

Through the life and history of the Hebrew nation, the Holy Spirit reveals the five primary attributes of God as He relates to His creation: His election, sovereignty, judgment, power and mercy. Through the nation of Israel today, these five unchanging characteristics are still upheld for the world to observe, wrestle with, and learn from. Incorporating these five truths about the Creator into our hearts in real faith, and into our words in clear confession, secures the victory in every battle we may face.

This week we shall address the first of these five, God's election. This teaching is for the mature as it is, by design, meant by the Holy Spirit to "push our buttons" confronting the humanism that is in all of us with the unchangeable and unyielding reality of God. He is our ROCK who said, "For I, the LORD, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed." (Malachi 3:6)

God's Election

God desired to have a people on earth who would carry out His plan of salvation for mankind. To that end, He called father Abraham to Himself and "groomed" him to become the father of this special people. Teaching about the emergence of God's chosen nation, Israel, Paul the Apostle explains that although father Abraham had more than one son, it would be "through Isaac [that] your descendants will be named" (Rom 9:7)

In other words, the Lord elected a specific lineage through which to accomplish His salvation purpose, even to the point of choosing one brother, Isaac, over another, Ishmael. The son of promise was to be born to Sarah (princess of God), Abraham's covenant wife, and not to the slave woman.

As the divine plan unfolds, the Apostle goes on to speak of Rebekah's twins, Jacob and Esau. Here are two brothers who were not only born to the same parents (unlike Isaac and Ishmael who were born from two different mothers, Sarah and Hagar), but were actual twins, closely and intimately related. And yet, the scripture says that "though the twins were not yet born, and had not done anything good or bad, in order that God's purpose according to His choice might stand, not because of works, but because of Him who calls, it was said to her, 'The older will serve the younger.' Just as it is written, 'Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.'" (Rom 9:11-13)

To the natural mind these are very difficult words. They challenge every humanistic tendency and man-centered aspiration. God places His Word as a mirror of truth before the face of mankind and declares, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." (Rom 9:15) "Not fair!" says the natural man. "By what right can God prefer one over the other?" "By right of His election," answers the Spirit of truth.

Through the election of Israel, undeserving and unworthy as she may be, a humbling and grace-filled truth comes to us. It is God who chooses us; God who pursues us; God who woos, convicts and pleads with us so that we might believe, repent and be saved. It is God who initiates everything and continually intercedes within us by His Spirit so that we will pursue Him further.

In fact, the popular evangelical question, "When did you find the Lord?" is symptomatic of a church corrupted by humanistic thinking. The real question is, "When did the Lord find you, and in what condition were you when He first gave you grace to believe?" God is the One who elects and calls us by His own choice, and Israel is the prototype and the ongoing historic proof of His election right. No wonder all hell rises up against this tiny nation time and again to nullify this perpetual witness about God and His nature.

What does it mean for you?

In this life we do not always receive what we want. None of us have had any choice regarding who our parents were, our DNA, our physical condition upon birth, our gender, our appearance or the manner or timing of our entry into this world. All these things were determined entirely by God's election. Our ability to come to terms with who we are is directly related to our acceptance of God's right to choose and elect us.

How many of us have been jealous of other people's gifts, abilities or position? How often have we wished that we were someone else? All such speculations are closely related to rebellion against God's election as we question His right, His wisdom, and His goodness. It is, in the final analysis, a matter of trust and faith in God. Contradicting that trust in God are the devil's lies that breed insecurity, distrust, lust and self-hatred.

These are some of the fires that fuel the Islamic hatred toward the Jewish nation. A deep sense of resentment, jealousy and insecurity drives the masses into a raging furnace of insane hostility. Yet, from God's perspective, every people group was created in His image and for His purpose, and is special in its own right, including the Arab nations. As it is written, "For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name." (Eph 3:13-14)

Tragically, many have missed their own destinies through insecurity, unbelief, worthlessness, fear or jealousy of others' gifts or callings. Don't miss or waste your calling and your God given opportunities by lusting after someone else's gifting or position.

For those who accept this truth, the principle of election is powerful. Once it is embraced through revelation and faith, it speaks of choice! We were all, whether as individuals or nations, created in God's image; His many faceted personality, and He has placed within each and every one of us a portion of His glory. "For of His fulness we have all received, and grace upon grace." (John 1:16)

Choosing to be what God has created and called us to be is our greatest honor in this life. Joshua challenged Israel, saying, "choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the river, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." (Josh 12:15)

Purposing to abide in God's choice for us is powerful as it frees us from all other influences and false self-perceptions that derail us from the path of life. As strong as familial, generational or cultural influences may be, our power of choice and God's choice of us is greater. As people and nations come to the realization that God's election is not only just but is also good, their world is changed for the better.

By this revelation David praised God, saying, "I will give thanks to Thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are Thy works, and my soul knows it very well." (Psalm 139:14). Does your soul know that you are here and that you are who you are by God's perfect design and by His choice, and not by accident? As He has elected Abraham's offspring, so He has elected you. And as He has kept them to this day, so will He keep you.

Take this truth into your heart. Place it foremost in your mind so that it impacts all other thoughts. God is the One who elects. He chose us by His own pre-ordained counsel, and our glory is to respond to His calling. We were elected to be who we are in the Messiah, a new creation. This foundational realization that you were created and formed by God's kind design releases your destiny in this world and in the one to come. May God open all our eyes to the opportunities that He has placed before us, since "we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." Eph 2:10

As you take these truths to heart, we pray for a greater release of grace, confidence and joy in the knowledge of His great love for you. We also thank you for considering partnering with us in this ministry through your prayers and financial support. One New Man Call is a faith ministry supported by friends and partners, and tax deductible donations can be sent to the address below.

In His grace,

REUVEN AND MARY LOU DORON

One New Man Call
P O Box 164
Hayfield, MN 55940 USA

Ministry Contact: OneNewManMail@aol.com

Posted on February 20, 2007