No Reason to Boast

                                     "God intentionally designed salvation so that no man can
                                       boast of it.  He didn't merely arrange it so that boasting
                                       would be discouraged or kept to a minimum -- He planned
                                       it so that boasting would be absolutely excluded.  Election
                                       does precisely that."
                                                                                      Mark Webb


                                                       **********


          Salvation has nothing to do with the person or anything good in him, but totally
     on God's sovereign love and grace for His people. 

          The Bible tells us, that from the beginning, God chose certain people for
     salvation, not because they were smarter, better, more spiritual, or more faithful,
     or enlightened, but according to His purpose and will.

          This is the Christian doctrine of Election.

          Theopedia defines election as:
                             
                                        "In eternity, God chose some individual persons
                                         from the mass of fallen humanity unto salvation
                                         without regard to any merit or foreseen faith in
                                         them, but solely based on His sovereign intentions."


          The people chosen or "elected" are called "the elect" (Matthew 24:22, 31;
     Mark 13:20, 27; Romans 22:27; 1 Timothy 5:21; 2 Timothy 2:10; Titus 1:1; etc.).
     Every believer is part of this body of people, God's chosen.

          God chose every believer from eternity according to His pleasure and will,
     not because of anything good in them.

                                 
                                       "For He chose us (His people, not everyone) in Him
                                        (Jesus) before the creation of the world to be holy
                                        and blameless in His sight.  In love he predestined us
                                        to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in
                                        accordance with His pleasure and will."
                                                                                     Ephesians 1:3-4


          Since salvation is based on God's sovereign will, then those chosen have no
     reason for boasting.  Salvation, faith, and grace are all gifts from God.

                                   
                                        "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith --
                                         and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not
                                         by works, so that no one can boast."
                                                                                     Ephesians 2:8-9

          All the good works we do were planned by God from the beginning.


                                        "For we are God's workmanship ("work of art),
                                         created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which
                                         God prepared in advance for us to do."
                                                                                     Ephesians 2:10


          God's election is based on His purpose and not on anything good the elect do.


                                         "Yet, before the twins were born or had done
                                           anything good or bad -- in order that God's
                                           purpose in election might stand:  not by works
                                           but by Him who calls -- she (Rebekah) was told,
                                           'The older will serve the younger.' Just as it is
                                           written: Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.' "
                                                                             Romans 9:11-13                                     
                                       
                                          
                                        
                                                                               

          Salvation depends on God and not man.


                                         "It (salvation) does not, therefore depend on man's
                                          desire or effort, but on God's mercy.
                                          ... Therefore, God has mercy on whom He wants
                                          to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to
                                          harden."
                                                                                       Romans 9:16, 18


           There is no reason for a person to boast about any virtue in himself that led
     God to save him.  God chose and saved him because of His own sovereign in-
     tentions.


                                         "But God chose the foolish things of the world to
                                          shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the
                                          world to shame the strong.  He chose the lowly
                                          things of the world and the despised things -- and
                                          the things that are not -- to nullify the things that
                                          are, so that no one may boast before Him.
                                         "It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus,
                                          who has become for us wisdom from God -- that
                                          is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.
                                          Therefore, as it is written: 'Let him who boasts
                                          boast in the Lord."
                                                                                 1 Corinthians 1:27-31