The doctrine of election says that God, in His sovereignty, chose people (the elect) to be saved - before the world began (Ephesians 1:3-14). He did this because of His great love rather than any merit or righteousness humans could generate by themselves, so that the elect might be ‘for the praise of his glory’ (Ephesians 1:12). This means there is no place for pride or boasting in our own goodness: we are saved only as an act of His sovereign grace (Ephesians 2:9). It is difficult to grasp this fully, but this teaching needs to be held in tension with our responsibility for choosing to obey or disobey God’s call to salvation in Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 2:19, Romans 8:28-30). The New Testament urges people to respond to God in Acts 3:17-22, Acts 17:24-30 and 2 Peter 3:8-9. So the doctrine of election does not mean there is no need for evangelism, as that would make us disobedient to His will. Indeed, the apostle Paul sees the doctrine of election as a reason for evangelism, so that we may play a part in God’s sovereign plan of salvation (2 Timothy 2:10).
