In ten days time Canadians will elect a new government. The result of the election will be the combined choice of the electorate in picking out representatives  from 308 ridings across the country. One man will then be chosen to be the national leader of the new government. We do not know who that will be, but do we know how to pray for the choice of that man?

TWO BIG ELECTION ISSUES

I feel no special pleading for any party, but that is not because I don't care. I feel passionately about many issues and have often felt that if I had not gone into the 'ministry' I would have inevitably found my way into local politics. I love the sense of polemic in debating an issue, but perhaps I have seen too many elections and hoped for too much. There was a day when I feared that if the wrong government was elected then the sky would fall and we would all be doomed. Similarly I thought that the Kingdom of God would surely come if the party of my choice would sweep in with a convincing majority. The reality is that we cannot expect the politicians to do what we the church should be doing through good news and good works - the preaching of a non-negotiable gospel that changes people's hearts, and the good works that adorn a gospel of grace. Recently I felt a need to investigate God's election from the scriptures.

The King James Version translates the greek word,  'ekloge', 6 times as 'election' and once as 'chosen'. It is the act of picking out or choosing. It is also understood as the act of God's free will by which, before the foundation of the world, he decreed his blessings to certain persons, the decree made from choice by which he determined to bless certain persons through Christ by grace alone. Or to put it another way, God makes choices according to his genius to promote his eternal plan to unite all things in Christ! This puts our upcoming general election in a bigger context that should be of interest to the Christian in prayer. Here are some scriptures - my additions in italics.

• Acts 9:15 - But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he (Paul) is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
  
• 1Th 1:4 - Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.
  
• Rom  9:11 - For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth.
  
• Rom  11:7 - What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election  (believing Jews), hath obtained it and the rest were blinded
  
• Rom 11:28 - As concerning the gospel, they (unbelieving Jews) are enemies for your sakes but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes.