Dear Brother
Faull,
I had a Bible College student call
me today with a question. He was
in a class dealing with the book of
Acts. He said the professor really
didn't look at the following verse.
He felt like the professor skipped
over it so he called me. It is dealing
with Acts 13:48 When the Gentiles
heard this, they began rejoicing
and glorifying the word of the Lord;
and as many as had been appointed to eternal life
believed. (NASB 95) The question was if this supports
pre-destination or the elect. I looked at the word
"appointed"(5021) in context and some of its other uses.
The best answer I came up with that Jesus came first for
the Jew then the Gentile (Romans 1:16). My thought was
they where initially "appointed" or "ordained (KJV)" behind
the Jews. I wanted to get your thoughts on the subject
before I responded to this young man. Thanks for your
time!
ANSWER:
Those who had been appointed or ordained to eternal life
are those mentioned in John 1:12." But as many as
received him to them gave He the authority or power to
become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his
name, which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the
flesh, nor of the will of man but God."
How are we elected? "Seeing you have purified you souls
in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned
love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a
pure heart fervently, being born again, not of corruptible
seed but of incorruptible, BY THE WORD OF GOD, which
liveth and abiteth forever.1 Peter 1:22-23. When did this
occur? "Then they that gladly received the word were
baptized; and the same day there were added unto them
about three thousand souls." Acts 2:41 "God chose us IN
HIM before the foundation of the world, that we should be
holy and without blame before Him in love, having
PREDESTINATED US UNTO THE ADOPTION OF
CHILDREN by Jesus Christ to Himself according to the
good pleasure of His will, to the praise of His Glory of His
grace, WHEREIN HE HAS MADE US ACCEPTED IN
THE BELOVED. Ephesians 1:4-6
So before the foundation of the world God chose to save
and accept whoever would believe in His Son. Those that
believe have the authority to become His Sons and be
added to the elect. It is not that we are elected to believe
but we believe and were baptized into Christ who makes
us accepted to God’s glory. Imagine a schoolteacher
laying out her plans for a speaker at the PTA meeting.
Who shall I let speak on behalf of the students? She
decides on a plan that no one knows but her. She says,”I
will have the kids number off from 1 to 4. Then I will have
all the 1’s be on one team, 2's on another etc.” Then she
tells each of the four teams to pick a captain. Then she
has team 1 play team 4 and team 2 to play team 3 in a
game. Then there is a playoff of the 2 winners of the first
round and team 4 wins the championship. She then tells
the captain of that team, Billy Jones, that he has been
chosen or elected or appointed or selected or ordained to
speak at the PTA.
Why? Because she had decided the night before that the
captain of the winning team in the tourney would do the
speaking. Did she handpick Billy? No. Was he the Elect?
Yes. She had foreordained the captain of the winning
team was to speak. It happened to be Billy.
Did God choose George Faull? Is He a part of the elect?
Was He ordained to eternal life? Yes. Why? Because I
heard the word of truth, I gladly received it. I was baptized
into Christ. Therefore, I was given the authority to become
His son. He has made me accepted in Christ by His
grace. All the promises of God are in Christ. I am in Him
so there is no condemnation. I am in Him and so I am a
new creature. I am one of the elect.
I was not made so by who is my blood father, or by man’s
will, nor by being born of the flesh but I was born of the
Spirit. That happened when I purified my soul by obeying
the truth through the Spirit. I was born again, not of man
but by the Word of God that beget me. The Word of God
is the seed, or semen, of God and hearing the Word
produces faith for faith cometh by hearing the Word of
God. When that faith is active and obedient He gives me
His Spirit. Acts 5:32 If a man does not have the Spirit of

God he is none of His. Read Romans 8:14-17