The Elect of God

            Woe unto the false teachers!  This modern world is full of many evil things, but none so perverse as the lies told in the name of God.  The so called leaders of the religious world rarely agree on any issue, the confusion of centuries of false doctrines and traditions plague the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, keeping many people with sincere hearts from the truth of God’s word.  Of a truth, God has said, “My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge”.  What then can be done concerning this problem?  If a lack of knowledge destroys, then an abundance of knowledge will strengthen and edify His people and build and fortify His Kingdom.  To whom should efforts of sincerity and truth be directed in order to cause this improvement to come to be?  Since God shows concern for the knowledge of His people, it should first be those who currently see themselves as His.  Who though is a citizen of His kingdom?  Galatians 3:27-29 explain that whosoever is Christ’s is Abraham’s seed, and therefore they are heirs according to the promise.  But how does one become Christ’s?  The same passage declares that the ones who are baptized into Christ are His.  These obedient servants are sanctified by the blood of Christ, and are thereafter known as the elect of God.

            The Bible has a great deal to say concerning the kingdom, the church, of Jesus Christ.  What specifically, though, can be applied to the elect of God that can protect them from the false teachers with which this article is concerned?  Colossians chapter three, verses twelve through seventeen contain enough commands to keep every Christian on track so that they may escape the snare of the Devil that comes through false doctrines.  Verse twelve tells the Christian to put on “bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, and longsuffering”, and this is to be done with forbearance in love, which forgives all.  The citizens are then told to put on charity which will bond them, at which point the peace of God can rule in their hearts – but not before.  Once a Christian has come this far, Paul writes for God’s elect to “Let the word of Christ dwell in (them) richly in all wisdom”.  So much could be said about letting the word of Christ dwell richly, but let it suffice here to say that it is necessary to know the word in order for it to dwell within.  Furthermore, it is the word which shall judge man in the last day (John 12:48).  Herein the extreme importance of knowledge is seen!  For, if a person does not do these things, they are as good as lost!

            The last admonition of this passage comes in verse seventeen.  Here Paul commands “…whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”  Nothing is to be done which a person does not have the ‘express written consent’ of the Lord to do!  He has all authority in all matters, and His word is final in every instance.  Let this be reason enough to ‘search the scriptures daily’ and ‘see if those things are so’ which are taught by the false teachers of this day!