Its Root is Sovereignty
When mentioning the doctrine of election to someone who has never heard it, it can be a bit hard to swallow. It is hard to swallow because in our fallen humanity, we want to have a choice in everything and we feel deprived when we realize that we are not as in control as we thought we were. So then, how does one deal with such a difficult doctrine?
Most times we try to convince the other party by pulling out all of the Scriptures that build a case for election. But in order to help the other person understand election, I believe our starting point should actually be God’s sovereignty. Sovereignty means to have complete power, authority, and rule. Even when the apostle Paul mentioned God’s gracious election of Jacob and not Esau, he stated that election is grounded in the fact that God is sovereign when he asked, “Has the potter no right over the clay…” (Romans 9:19-21)? Even from the very beginning the Scriptures speak of God’s sovereignty when it states, “In the beginning, God created…”
To whom does the Lord answer? Who shall tell Him how to create, what to create or when to create? No one. He is the highest authority and there is none above Him. So then, should not the Creator of all things have power over all things as well as ordain all things which comes to pass?
Joshua Parker