What is the goal of election?

Goal 1: To save us on the day of the Lord
Practical application: election encourages us that God loves us and that our future salvation on judgment day depends on God’s choice, not our effort.

Goal 2: That we should be holy and blameless
Practical application: election encourages us that we will be holy and blameless before God.

Goal 3: To be conformed to the image of God’s son
Practical application: election encourages us that we will be conformed to the image of God’s Son. Election also motivates us to be conformed to the image of God’s Son now.

Goal 4: For adoption as sons to God
Practical application: election encourages us that we are secure as sons who belong to God. We deeply long to belong—to be loved, to have a home, to be part of a family, to be part of something great and meaningful. What ultimately satisfies that desire is being adopted as a son of God. That is what God predestined us for.

Goal 5: To obey the gospel and be sprinkled with Christ’s blood
Practical application: election encourages us that our conversion and forgiveness depend on God’s choice, not our effort. God does not convert and cleanse us as a result of our earning his favor. God converts and cleanses us because he chose us; that is, he chose us in order to convert and cleanse us.

Goal 6: That we may be with Jesus to see his glory
Practical application: election exhilarates us that we will be with Jesus to see his glory. Nothing could be more happy, more satisfying, more awesome, more wonderful than being with the exalted Jesus! And King Jesus wants us to be with him so that we will see his glory that the Father has given him. We love to see the glory of places on this earth. We love to marvel at beauty and grandeur. The most beautiful and grandest marvel we can imagine on earth or in outer space is but a shadow compared to the glory of the exalted King Jesus. We get to be with King Jesus to see his glory because God chose us!

Goal 7: To shame the mighty so that no human might boast
Practical application: Election humbles us so that we cannot boast that God chose us because of our status or accomplishments or character or abilities. God did not choose us because we earned his favor. Election is 100 percent a gracious gift from God. “By grace you have been saved through faith. And this [being saved by grace through faith] is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph. 2:8–9). This illustrates the principle in 1 Corinthians 4:7: “What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?” If God chose you, then don’t boast that you somehow earned your salvation.

Goal 8: To praise God’s glorious grace and God’s glory
Practical application: election motivates us to praise God’s glorious grace and God’s glory. That is the ultimate goal for which God chose us: “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” (1 Pet. 2:9–10). Ultimately, there are only two human races: the human race in Adam and the “chosen race” in Christ. God’s ultimate goal for choosing us is that we would proclaim his excellencies—that is, that we would praise him. “From him [source] and through him [means] and to him [goal] are all things”; therefore, “To him be glory forever” (Rom. 11:36). “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory” (Ps. 115:1). The goal of election is for God to save us so that we praise him for his glorious grace.