Election

Abstract

Abstract The term “election” refers to God's choosing of and covenanting with a people; God's covenant with ancient Israel is the paradigmatic instance of election, as God pledges to be the Israelites' God, and that the Israelites will be God's people. Christians see Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of this election: it is in view of this Israelite, according to Christians, that God is the Israelites' God and the Israelites are God's people; their original election looked forward to, and was in a sense for the sake of, God's election of this one. Jesus Christ fulfills the covenant from both sides, so to speak: in Jesus Christ, God has come to dwell among the Israelites as God's people, and in Jesus Christ, Israel has wholeheartedly covenanted itself to God in return. Moreover, Christians believe not only that Jesus Christ fulfills God's election of ancient Israel, but that he also opens Israel's election to those who are not Israelites by birth; through the Spirit sent by Jesus Christ, one can be adopted as a member of God's family even if one is not a descendent of Abraham.