Evangelical Existentialism
Electoral Populist
A number of years ago, in the British General Election, future Prime Minister Cameron embraced a sound-bite mantra of "Choice" which captured many votes.
Pro Choice
Few at the time spotted the existentialist twist that tapped into popular sentiment - to be authentically human you must be free to experience what you choose.
Divine Choice
Both Moses and Messiah turn the tables on human preference: from first to last, one message of sovereign grace, in God's most-wise choice, dominates His Book.
Name Choice
Genesis vertical family trees stress the point repeatedly: again and again, in each generation, at different moments, with variable gaps, one son was chosen and many others overlooked - dads, dates, deliveries, destination were all divinely, destined and determined. A glorious, hidden, hand conceived and moved in the life of each briefly-mentioned name!
These are the generations of Shem. When Shem was 100 years old, he fathered Arpachshad two years after the flood. And Shem lived after he fathered Arpachshad 500 years and had other sons and daughters. When Arpachshad had lived 35 years, he fathered Shelah. And Arpachshad lived after he fathered Shelah 403 years and had other sons and daughters. When Shelah had lived 30 years, he fathered Eber. And Shelah lived after he fathered Eber 403 years and had other sons and daughters. When Eber had lived 34 years, he fathered Peleg. And Eber lived after he fathered Peleg 430 years and had other sons and daughters. When Peleg had lived 30 years, he fathered Reu. And Peleg lived after he fathered Reu 209 years and had other sons and daughters. When Reu had lived 32 years, he fathered Serug. And Reu lived after he fathered Serug 207 years and had other sons and daughters. When Serug had lived 30 years, he fathered Nahor. And Serug lived after he fathered Nahor 200 years and had other sons and daughters. When Nahor had lived 29 years, he fathered Terah. And Nahor lived after he fathered Terah 119 years and had other sons and daughters. When Terah had lived 70 years, he fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Now these are the generations of Terah. Terah fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran fathered Lot. Haran died in the presence of his father Terah in the land of his kindred, in Ur of the Chaldeans. And Abram and Nahor took wives. The name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran the father of Milcah and Iscah - Genesis 11:10-29
After the line of Adam, Seth & Noah, Shem, Arphachsad, Shelah, Eber, Peleg (not Joktan), Reu, Serug, Nahor and Terah, were specifically selected, in the 290 year post-Flood period, to pass the promise of Eden onto Abram's Seed to bless all Noahic sons.
Ubiquitous Choice
In fact, when you think about, almost everything in the Bible, falls under this chosen paradigm - not only Adam and Abram, but Peoples, Prophets, Priests, Princes, Pharaohs, High and Low, Rich and Poor, are variously, purposefully and deliberately, raised up or laid low as special objects of God choice.
Assured Choice
This wonderfully intricate and foundational biblical truth, by permeating and undergirding Scripture, provides select security to salvation of His Chosen. Throughout all the ages, before and after Flood, BC and AD, the LORD advanced His promise with relentless faithfulness - it is due to divine choice that Christ was put to death: by that same, most-wise, plan of Almighty God, no saint can ever be separated from His sovereignly, gracious, selecting, Calvary, love.
Ultimate Choice
Evangelical Existentialism will Eternally Endure! What matters most is not what pleases us but to be the object of God's choice - the divine selection, in Christ, of most-wise, loving, sovereign grace. This is the choice that thrills the hearts, and secures the votes, of saints!
