# Sovereign election & the gospel



## Poimen (Jul 29, 2005)

Genesis 3:15 "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel."

The antithesis between the elect and reprobate is evident from the very first declaration of the gospel. In this text we read that God will, graciously!, put enmity between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the women. This is also applied through covenant lines: first Cain and Abel. It was Eve to whom this promise was given, and she bore Cain thinking that he was promised the seed of the women (Genesis 4:1). Yet he was not. Cain murdered his brother, which is a sign of a reprobate. (1 John 3:12). Though undoubtedly a covenant child, Cain was a child of the devil. He was not born of God (1 John 3:10). 

Ishmael too, though a covenant child, though he received circumcision, persecuted his brother Isaac from the very beginning. Paul tells us plainly that "œhe that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now." (Galatians 4:29) Thus Ishmael manifested that he was not a child of God by persecuting one who was. Indeed Sarah was told that in Isaac the everlasting covenant would be established and that God´s promise was with or through him. After this promise was given, Ishmael was circumcised according to the commandment. Did God save him through circumcision? Did God save him at all? No. He was marking Him off as special, unique, but not saved. One was born from above; the other was born only of a woman. Indeed as Paul says in Romans 9:7-8 "œNeither, because they are the seed of Abraham, is they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, they which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed." Without faith there are no covenant blessings, only covenant curses. Salvation marks out some in the covenant as God´s children and marks out others as not being God´s children. 

The antithesis continues in Esau and Jacob. Despite Isaac´s attempt to bless the older, Jacob received the blessing according to the will of God. And isn´t written that "œJacob have I loved and Esau have I hated"? Romans 9:11 And we can speak of Caleb & Joshua vs. the generation (cf. Hebrews 4:1-2), Saul, Absalom, the remnant, Herod vs. the faithful etc. This antithesis is something which the scriptures continue to testify of: it is created by God in every generation, and it eventually is revealed in the lives of individuals i.e. by their faith and resulting works or the lack thereof: 1 Kings 19:18 (cf. Romans 11:2-5); Isaiah 1:9; Amos 9:8; Matthew 7:21-23; John 1:11-13; Romans 2:28-29; 2 Timothy 2:19; 1 John 2:19. Remember that not all Israel are of Israel (Romans 9:6) I see that this distinction is drawn quite clearly between the elect and the reprobate as to those who are God´s children and those who are not. (Romans 9:7-8) The latter is what the Belgic Confession, Article 29 calls the hypocrites "œwho are mixed in the church with the good, yet are not of the Church, though externally in it." 

Wha dya think?


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## Me Died Blue (Jul 29, 2005)

That is an excellent piece, Daniel! It briefly yet thoroughly illustrates the relationship of God's active work to both salvation and the covenant, and how those two relate and differ. Your emphasis of the active verb in Genesis 3:15 is especially helpful, and Ishmael is a perfect example of God's dealings in this regard.


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## wsw201 (Jul 29, 2005)

You hit the nail on the head.


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## Solo Christo (Jul 29, 2005)

Nice work, Daniel. BTW, your avatar makes me want to get my eyes checked.


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## Poimen (Jul 29, 2005)

> _Originally posted by Solo Christo_
> Nice work, Daniel. BTW, your avatar makes me want to get my eyes checked.



Why? Because you can't believe that someone can be so good looking!


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## WrittenFromUtopia (Jul 29, 2005)




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## MW (Mar 28, 2007)

Poimen said:


> Wha dya think?



I'm sorry I missed this when it was posted, because I certainly would have recommended it as a faithful analysis of a fundamental principle of covenant history. Blessings!


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## BlackCalvinist (Mar 29, 2007)

thanks for bumping it.  Good post.


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## non dignus (Mar 29, 2007)

How does Gen 3:15 relate to Mt 10:34ff?

_"Think not that I came to send peace on the earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I came to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law: and a man's foes shall be they of his own household. "_


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