Luke 18:17: And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?
In the United States, every two years on the first Tuesday of November, we hold elections to choose who our national, state, and local leaders will be. While the final results may not mirror our personal choices, we have the privilege and freedom of expressing our personal desires of who we prefer providing leadership to our respective governmental bodies.
For Christians, though, every day is Election Day for two reasons. First, as a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, today’s verse defines you as His own “elect”. The Greek word for elect is Eklektos, which is from another Greek word, eklegomai, which means to make a choice, choose, chosen. Jesus, in speaking to His disciples – fellow believers in Him – said in John 15:16, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.” The Apostle Paul said in his letter to the Ephesians, “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.” (Ephesians 1:4) You are one of God’s elect – He chose you! And you need to remember that He chose you not because of anything you have or have not done, doing or not doing, or will or won’t do. He chose you out of His beautiful grace and love because you are His precious creation!
The second reason for every day being Election Day for the believer, is we have daily elections, or choices, of who we want to be our spiritual leader. Below is what a spiritual ballot might look like for the three parties of leadership. Next to each box to mark is their platforms for their leadership.
The Independent Party
| There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. (Prov. 14:12) A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; He rages against all wise judgment. (Prov. 18:1) Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him. (Prov. 26:12) |
The Satanic Party
| Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. (1 Peter 5:8) He [the Devil] was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. (John 8:44) |
The God Party
| For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16) But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. (Ezekiel 33:11) There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18a) |
Each gift of a day you are given is an Election Day. This gift of a day comes with the gift of a choice – to choose to live for yourself; to live under the leadership of someone whose end game is to lie to you and devour you; or, to live under the loving protection of your Creator. God chose you. Will you choose Him?