The doctrine of election, as generally understood, is a very repulsive one, full of partiality and inequity. This is the result of misunderstanding the divine Word on this subject.

The election taught in the Scriptures is one of the grandest doctrines of the Bible. It is not only founded upon grace but also upon justice, equity, and thoroughly impartial.

The erroneous view of election, briefly stated, is that God condemned the whole race of mankind to eternal torture and elected to save only a "little flock." That God permits the vast remainder to go down into unspeakable horrors to which his divine foreknowledge had predestinated them before their creation. The Westminster Confession is the ablest statement of this false view. It specifically declares that this "elect little flock" is not to be considered as saved because of any merit of worthiness on their part, but simply and solely of God’s sovereign will.

The correct thought respecting election, the view which the Bible everywhere supports, is to the contrary of this:

(1) Death (and not everlasting life in torment) was the penalty upon our race, and involved every member of it through one man’s disobedience.

(2) God’s grace manifested in the redemption that is in Christ Jesus redeemed the whole world through his sacrifice, which was the "propitiation [satisfaction] for our [the Church’s] sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2:2)

God elected that his only begotten Son should have the privilege of redeeming the race at the cost of his own life. God elected that his Son Jesus should be rewarded with the divine nature and should ultimately "bless all the families of the earth" by awakening them from the sleep of death and assisting the willing and obedient up to the full perfection of human life.

God also elected to have a number of "saints" under his Only Begotten as joint-heirs with him in the glory, honor and immortality of the New Creation, and in the work of blessing mankind with human restitution.

This Christian age has not been for the purpose of thus blessing and restoring the world. It is only for the purpose of calling out from the world a little flock to constitute God’s "very elect." Christians have been called to stand trials and testings of faith, love and obedience, and thus to "make their calling and election sure." (2 Pet. 1:10)

The calling and electing of this "little flock" in this manner works no hardship or injury to the non-elect, who are in no sense further condemned because not called, because passed by. In the same way, the people of this country are not injured or condemned when an election has taken place for officers of the Government and they have not been amongst the elect. As the object of earthly elections is to secure suitable persons for office for the blessing of the people in general with wise laws and administration, so the blessing which God has arranged for works no damage to the non-elect, but is intended to work a blessing to all of them. The elect are to constitute the royal judges, the kings and priests of the Millennial age, under whose administration all the families of the earth will be blessed.

The Scriptures abound with references to the "elect" and the "very elect." The latter expression implies that the word "elect" applies to all those who come into a certain relationship with God, in which they have the hope, or prospect, of immortality, being members of the glorified Church. Christians accepting the high calling of God are counted as of the elect when their names are registered in the Lamb’s book of life and when a crown is apportioned to them.

However, as unfaithfulness may lead to the blotting out of these names and the giving of their crowns to others (Rev. 3:5,11), so they would then cease to be of the elect Church.