We can see God manifesting His purpose of election down through the centuries. Even in the second generation of mankind, Abel was a man of faith and Cain was of the wicked one (Genesis 4:4-5; I John 3:12; Jude 11; Hebrews 11:4).

Abraham was an idolator (Joshua 24:2; Acts 7:1) when God called him.

Why did God choose Abraham and not someone else?

Simply because it was His good pleasure to do so. God loved Jacob and hated Esau even though these two boys were twins. And He did it simply because it pleased Him to do so (Genesis 25:21-23; Malachi 1:2-4; Romans 9:10-13).

God certainly didn’t choose Jacob because he was better than Esau, as an examination of their lives will show.

In the New Testament, we see individuals who were of God though they had formerly been His enemies (the Apostle Paul), and we see individuals who were not of God (Judas Iscariot, for example). On the day of Pentecost after our Lord’s resurrection we see two kinds of people: those that spoke of the “wonderful works of God” and those that mocked the work of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:11,13).

Throughout history there have been two kinds of people in the world–those of God and those not of God.

What makes the difference?

God’s eternal decree of election.

Questions

1. Why did God choose Abel and reject Cain?

4. Did God choose Paul because Paul had a great love for the Lord Jesus Christ?



Memory Verse:

We have memorized Ephesians 1:4, II Timothy 1:9, I Peter 1:2, and Romans 8:33.

Let us memorize Romans 9:11.