Sjbjburke's Blog

The office of the pastor is threefold. The Scriptures teach that the man has three functions in his office. He is usually called by the title “Pastor” because of the relational aspect of that part of the ministry. He could also be justly called by the titles “Elder” or “Bishop”. What the world has done in the designation of these terms is irrelevant. The titles must be seen and used in the manner in which they are given in God’s Word.
The word “elder” is used of both a man that is “old” in age and then also of a man that displays the characteristic of wisdom. The Scriptures state that “elders’ were ordained, or set apart, “And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed”. (Acts 14:23 AV), into the work of leading the churches in their cities., “Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine”. (1 Timothy 5:17 AV)
The word “bishop” shows the business side of the pastor. He is to be an able overseer of the work. “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood”. (Acts 20:28 AV)

The pastor is the shepherd of the sheep, the minister of God, And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; (Ephesians 4:11 AV). He tends to them and makes sure that they are healthy and productive. The Lord was very straightforward with Peter in this position. The shepherd of the sheep must realize Whose they are and that he is being held responsible to care for them. The pastor is the shepherd of the flock, but he does not own the flock. There is a greater Shepherd that owns the flock and requires and accounting. The pastor is to shepherd the church in love, his love for Jesus constrains him to serve well for the glory of the Lord. “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly. But I beseech you the rather to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner. Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. And I beseech you, brethren, suffer the word of exhortation: for I have written a letter unto you in few words. Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty; with whom, if he come shortly, I will see you. Salute all them that have the rule over you, and all the saints. They of Italy salute you.” (Hebrews 13:17-24 AV)

The book of Acts uses the terms according to the normal and proper Biblical meaning and so defines them precisely. As the Apostle Paul was preparing for his visit to the city of Ephesus on his way to Jerusalem, he sent a message to the elders so that they would be prepared for his coming. “And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church.” (Acts 20:17 AV) As he was speaking to these elders, it is noted that he gave them instructions according to the functions of their office. “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.” (Acts 20:28 AV) It should be duly noted that they did not take upon themselves this ministry, neither did the church hire them to fill a position, but that God called them and placed them according to His will. Again note that these men were elders. These elders were instructed in the work before them as pastors – they had a flock and they had to feed them. They were shepherds/pastors over the flock/church of God. These elder/pastors had also been given the responsibility to oversee/bishop the church which belongs to God. Paul instructed the elder/pastor/bishop in the ministry that was given to them. Every pastor has this ministry and as a steward, is accountable to carry out these ministries to the glory of God.

The qualifications of this office are set forth in First Timothy and in Titus. The man that desires the office of a Bishop, and the church in which he will serve, should examine his life to see if he meets the criteria which God has given. Three areas should be examined to see if he is prepared to serve: his personal character, his private life, and his public testimony.
The qualities of his life will certainly overlap in these three areas, but it is good to divide them as best one can in order to get a good overall understanding of the man. Being blameless deals with his personal character, his private life, and his public life. He should have a clear conscience himself, knowing that, although he is not perfect, he is right with his walk with the Lord. Only he and God know the truth about this part of his life, but over time his character will reveal itself. Those that have known him for a long time should have confidence in his faith in God. His personal relationships should testify to his character also. He should be a man that is above the reproach of his wife and children. He should be a man that is able to minister with confidence in the community because they can place no blame on him When the religious leaders hurled accusations at the Lord Jesus and even later, at Paul and Silas, they could only accuse them of their filial service to God.
His character is to be regarded as one of strength. His reliance in on the Lord and he is not easily disturbed. “A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach; “(1 Timothy 3:2 AV) The word, vigilant, literally refers to abstaining from intoxicating drinks. It was used almost exclusively in a metaphorical sense to describe the a person that had the strength of character to refuse to indulge in anything that would harm his testimony. He was to be a man that manifested the quiet and calm strength and soberness, that people could trust in. He was a vessel that was fitted by God for service “If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.” (Titus 1:6 AV)

Some men, even Christians, are ready to return blow for blow. Their anger flares out of control and sad to say, even when they are not angry, those around them know that they are just waiting for an opportunity to quarrel. God commands that these negative characteristics have no place in the man of God. “Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;” (1 Timothy 3:3 AV) He is to be patient and ready to look out for the good of others. He is not to be self-seeking and using opportunities to promote himself. “For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; ” (Titus 1:7 AV) He is to be an Ambassador of the Lord Jesus Christ and to promote Him and His Kingdom. He will depend upon the Lord to supply his needs and is satisfied with that which the Lord gives. He will have the desire to be a good steward of the Lord and will note that as he grows in his management skills, the Lord will give him more to manage.

The pastor must be a just man. He should manifest such a testimony in his character that all that are aquainted with him know that he is a person that can be trusted to be right. This is an awesome responsibility and man will fail miserably if not for the Word of God and His leadership. The pastor should stand for what is right as He stands upon the truth of God’s Word. God is always right and the pastor will be right as he bases his judgment upon the Scriptures. He should have the strength of character to remain steadfast in his convictions and not be blown about by every doctrine or confrontation that comes along. People will challenge him, telling him that he is just a man like everyone else and his opinion is no better than anyone else’s. He can certainly acknowledge this as being truth, but he is not preaching opinion, he is preaching doctrine. As much as he is just, he is to be holy. The pastor should be separated unto the Lord and be walking in close fellowship with Him. He should have the confidence of his character that he is unspotted from the world. He stays close to God. Parents have been rebuking their children for ages, saying to them “you need more SELF CONTROL”! Actually what they need is the same thing that is required in the character of the pastor, more of “GOD’S CONTROL”! To be temperate is to be master of self according to the world’s definition, but the Christian knows what being master of self leads to – destruction. The pastor that manifest temperance in his character is yielded to the control of God and his strength is in the Lord. He is able to make his decisions based on the leadership of the Lord instead of the lust of the flesh. This is a vital characteristic in every Christian and especially should be shown in the lives of the leaders. “But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;” (Titus 1:8 AV)
The pastor must build and strengthen his character through the Word of God. He must believe himself what he is preaching and teaching and he must show the work of the Word in his own life. “Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. “(Titus 1:9 AV) The message is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but it is noticed that Paul spoke that the message will result in a changed life which should be open to public witness. The message is twofold:
1. This is what God’s Word says: Look to the Scriptures.
2. This is what God’s Word does: Look at my life.
The pastor’s character must reflect not only the knowledge of the Word of God, but also the experience of the Word of God. “For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.” (2 Corinthians 4:5 AV)

Turning to the private life of the man, it is seen that he is to be husband of one wife. The issue was not polygamy, but divorce. He is to be a “one-woman man”. He is to exemplify the best possibilities of interpersonal relationships. His personal character will be made stronger by the bond of marriage. He will be an encouragement in the community by the testimony of his private life. “A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach; “(1 Timothy 3:2 AV) He should endeavor to give his family the privilege of privacy, but he should also not hide from the community. His loving and stable relationship will encourage young and old alike. In doing this, he will be behaving appropriately as a pastor. There is a decorum that should be maintained, not a Pharisical aloofness, but a practical consideration of being a leader and an example in the community. It has been argued that what a man does in the privacy of his own home is his business, but this is just an excuse to sin. What is done, no matter where, is God’s business and everything should be done to His glory. This argument has been produced in defense of having an alcoholic beverage in the home – for whatever reason. The pastor is commanded to abstain from wine – an alcoholic beverage. “For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; “(Titus 1:7 AV) If his personal character is conformed to the leadership of God, this will include “any” alcoholic beverage. His testimony to his wife and children is no less important than his testimony in the community or his personal character. Men have shamefully neglected their responsibilities in the area of raising their children. They have abandoned them to the care of the wife and claimed excuse due to the constraints of career. The pastor must lead his home according the Scriptures, thereby realizing that the children are his responsibility, not his wife’s. He is the primary agent of instruction and discipline. The wife will certainly have a large part in the upbringing of the children, but the man is accountable as husband and father.

One that rules his house well. “One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) “(1 Timothy 3:4-5 AV) The Lord promotes those that are faithful in that which they are currently involved. Men do not have to show perfection before God will use them, but they do have to be faithful in what they are doing before they will have their responsibility increased. “And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.” (Luke 19:17 AV) The man that is going to lead the church and have a testimony in the community must first have a good testimony in his own home. “If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. “(Titus 1:6 AV)

The public life is that which is most evident to all and is noted in the Scriptures here by being given to hospitality. “A bishop then must be ……. given to hospitality, apt to teach; “(1 Timothy 3:2 AV) The man is to be known as one that loves strangers. The message of the pastor is the gospel, the good news – God loves you and died for you. The message of the love of God should not be contradicted by the actions of the man presenting the message through not loving those that he is preaching to. Jesus loved men, even when He did not like what they did. The world has so mixed “love” and “like” with “lust” that people do not understand the difference. The pastor has to live the difference before men and teach them to understand. “But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. “(Titus 1:8-9 AV)

The man that would be the pastor must be both ready and able to teach. He must be prepared to learn and to share what he has learned with others. Paul explained to Timothy the importance of teaching and why the teacher needs to genuinely care that the student learns and that he is not just involved in the exercise of his speaking talents. “And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.” (2 Timothy 2:24-26 AV)
The pastor must not be a novice, but should be experienced in both his knowledge and practice of God’s Word. “Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.” (1 Timothy 3:6 AV) The pastor should be respected according to his ministry and labor among the people. A danger presents itself to a novice of becoming proud of self because of certain accomplishments instead of being proud of God. He must be careful to maintain a good testimony in the community as one that is devoted to God, family, and community. “Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.” (1 Timothy 3:7 AV)

The pastor must be a good steward, or manager, of the things of God. “For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;” (Titus 1:7 AV) This management includes every area of his life. The thing that passes away the fastest on this earth is the man. Even his testimony will often last longer than he does. The pastor must realize that he should set the example in the community as a good manager of his time (work and leisure), material possessions, and community involvement. He needs to have the testimony of faithfulness in every area of life. “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” (1 Corinthians 4:2 AV)

The Call

Reading Proverbs 2:1-11 which will help in understanding the specific working of God in the mind of the individual. God teaches and leads but man must act and follow. Man’s mental ability must be coupled with God’s spiritual guidance in order to know and do His will.

The call of God to man. How does one recognize and confirm the call of God?

The believer must be aware of God’s general call to the church.

Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

This command is to the church and every member is involved. The church must evangelize its own community while at the same time reaching outward to the entire world. The plan of God shows men being called from the church and sent out to preach the gospel message to all. The entire church must prepare to serve God in the commission which He has given.

The believer must recognize that there is a specific call to a man. God has specific roles which He has designed and designated!

The call of God is necessary. Note the contention created by the well-meaning but uncalled nephew of Barnabas, John, in the first missionary journey from the church in Antioch. God stated that He wanted Barnabas and Saul to be separated from the church and to be sent out to evangelize. John accompanied these men until they were faced with opposition, at which time he departed from them and returned to his home. These facts are noted in the Book of Acts, chapter 13. In Acts 15, verses 36-39, a contention over John again joining with these men in another journey was so great that the teams split up. The call of God is necessary to give men staying power in the pursuit of their service to God.

The call is specific as to the ministry to be entered into. God gave four offices to the church as noted in Ephesians 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
The office of apostle and of prophet have ceased. Both of these offices involved direct revelation from God and were for the purpose of establishing the church foundation. Once the Scripture was completed with the writing of the Revelation of God to John, these offices ceased. The two offices operating in this time are that of the evangelist and of the pastor and teacher. The evangelist is popularly known as a missionary. The work is to preach the gospel in areas that have no witness and see people saved, baptized, establishing churches. The pastor and teacher is to continue that ministry in the church by teaching the whole counsel of God.

The call of God must be listened for and examined.

The man that believes that God is calling him must examine himself in the light of God’s Word. He should ask himself and number of questions that must be Biblically answered.
Am I qualified?
He must fulfill the criteria set forth in 1 Timothy chapter 3, verses 1 through 7. His character must be identified with the references set forth by God. He must be faithfully involved in serving God. God calls active men as the ministry will not be fulfilled under the leadership of a lazy man. When Barnabas and Saul were called, they were serving God in the church at Antioch.

Am I sensitive to Biblical example?
He must identify with those of men that God set forth in the Bible as examples. The prophet Isaiah is a prime example as set forth in Isaiah chapters 5 and 6.

His heart was stirred by what he saw as he view the condition of the people. He became indignant at the ungodliness of the people. Then he saw the majesty of the Lord. While he was in the company of the people he felt himself to be very righteous, but when in the presence of the Lord, he knew that he was as the people were – sinners in need of a Saviour. He repented of his sin and then he heard the question “Whom shall we send and who shall go for us?” Who would go and preach the Word of God to these people. God was calling and Isaiah found himself to be willing. He stepped forth to offer himself to God “here am I, send me”. God called him to this ministry and sent him forth to preach to the people. The man of God should identify with God’s working in the life of Isaiah and others as told in the Scriptures.

Am I listening?

The desire to serve God in these offices is a good thing. Paul stated this in his letter to Timothy -1 Timothy 3:1 This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. Men should have the desire to stand where the pastor is standing and preach the whole counsel of God, not to take his place but to minister as he is ministering. In order to know God’s call he must have the knowledge of God’s Word. God will use His Word coupled with man’s testimony to call the man into His service. The desire to serve can be brought forth in a man’s life through his knowledge of passages such as that in Romans, chapter 10.
Romans 10:13-15 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
The man will know God’s Word, be aware of circumstances, and will confirm his call with God’s Word. Seek God’s guidance through the Bible and in prayer. He will take good counsel and he will have confirmation from the Word. Colossians 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful

Excerpt from I.K. Cross – ‘Baptist Heritage Abandoned’
Honest historians are aware that the idea of a universal invisible church is a child of the Reformation. The Protestant Reformers were determined they would not be bound again by the universal, visible church with the Pope as its head. Yet they had all been a part of that universal system all of their ministry prior to their rebellion in the Reformation itself. It was impossible therefore for them to free themselves completely of a universal concept of the church. The final outcome, accepted by Protestantism until this day was what is commonly referred to as the universal, invisible church, which, by the most commonly accepted definition, is composed of all the redeemed — no matter what their doctrinal differences may be. The late Roy Mason, author of The Church That Jesus Built and a number of other books, in his book, The Universal Invisible Church Theory Exploded, says on page 7, “I have read rather widely in the writings … of the Christian leaders who lived in the early days of Christianity, all the way from Polycarp who knew John the apostle, on down. In their writings they don’t speak of an … invisible church. Doubtlessly they would have been amazed at such a doctrine.” On page 8 he then quotes these words from Dr. R. K. Maiden, “former editor of the Word and Way of Missouri … ‘Following the Reformation period and born of the Reformation movement, there emerged a new theory of the church — the UNIVERSAL, INVISIBLE SPIRITUAL THEORY.'” Bro. Mason then says of the Reformers, “With what would they replace the doctrine of the Universal Visible Church? They solved the problem by coining the doctrine of the
Universal INVISIBLE Church. So the Universal, Invisible, spiritual theory of the church WAS INVENTED!” Thus it is very clear that the concept of a universal, invisible church is a Protestant innovation, and the concept of a New Testament church exclusively local in nature is still supported by honest scholarship today. In the late Dr. S.E. Anderson’s book, Real Churches or a Fog, he quotes many scholars who support this New Testament concept; among them is Dr. Henry M. Morris. On page 110 he quotes from Dr. Morris’s book, The Bible Has the Answer, page 132,”In the present world, therefore, New Testament usage compels us to recognize that the true church is a local group of Christian believers, not an ‘invisible’ or ‘universal’ entity of some kind with no physical substance. …” This has been a Baptist distinctive through the centuries, a fact clearly stated by Norman H. Wells in his book, The Church That Jesus Loved, page 32, “If the universal, invisible church theory is to be received by Baptists, then we lose our identity.”

Sir Robert Anderson, The Gospel and Its Ministry. Excerpt from Chapter on Election.
I am far from appealing to German philosophy in defense of God’ truth,
but I do enthusiastically appeal to it as a protest against the arrogance of
limiting God by the standard of our own ignorance and frailty. What is, in
plain words, the practical difficulty of election in its bearing upon the
gospel? Why, that at some epoch in the past, God decided that this or that
individual was to be saved or lost; and, therefore, that his future depends,
not on the present action of the grace or the righteousness of the living
God Who can appeal through the gospel to his heart and conscience, but
on what is nothing more or less than an iron decree of fate. May not the
whole difficulty depend on the arrogant supposition that God Himself is
bound by the same laws that He has imposed upon His creatures.
But whatever we may think of the theories of Kant, this at least is certain,
that there is no deception in the gospel as proclaimed by God to men.
“Truth is one”‘ and though to our finite minds, election and grace may
seem as far as the poles asunder, and as antagonistic as the magnetic
currents which set toward them; to the Infinite they may appear but
inseparable parts of one great whole. Every truth has its own place; and
there is no more reason why grace should be denied by dragging election
into the gospel, than why election should be denied, because, when so
thrust out of its proper sphere, it seems to be opposed to grace. “Rightly
dividing the Word of truth,” is a precept which we need to remember here.
I repeat, there is no deception in the gospel. Some men who can preach
with freedom to a multitude, are very often puzzled when face to face with
an individual: the heart and the head are at issue directly, and they either
throw their theology overboard, and preach grace boldly, or else they state
the gospel so ingeniously that the difficulty created by their views about
election is kept out of sight. In the gospel of God there is no reservation
whatsoever. And let us remember that it is His gospel, “God’s good news
concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 1:1-3) Mark also
that it is not ” concerning the sinner.” To some the distinction may appear
self-evident, and to others it may seem so trifling as almost to savor of a
quibble: but in fact it is at the root of many of our difficulties and mistakes
in gospel preaching. The gospel then is God’s good news about Christ.
And this gospel is as true for a single individual as for a crowd; and,
moreover, it is absolutely and unequivocally true whether men believe it or
not.
Another most important practical distinction is that the gospel is, strictly
speaking, not a doctrinal statement, but a divine proclamation. “Believe on
the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved” was Paul’s answer to the
question of the jailer at Philippi, to explain to him that salvation was on
the principle, not of doing, but of faith in Christ. The next verse adds, ”
they spake to him the word of the Lord” that is, they preached the gospel
to him (Acts 16:30-32). Now some preachers, instead of proclaiming the
gospel, appeal unceasingly to their hearers to believe in Christ; and the
consequence is too often that, instead of having their thoughts turned to
the person and work of the Savior, people are occupied with efforts to get
faith. And the difficulty is frequently increased by reading the second
chapter of Ephesians as though “the gift of God” there spoken of were
faith (Ephesians 2:8). Salvation is the gift of God: “faith cometh by
hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”
But the distinctions I have noticed, important though they be, serve only
to clear the ground for the consideration of the real question here raised —
How can grace be compatible with election? The gospel proclaims
universal reconciliation, and grace is ” to all men.”
Election, on the other hand, assumes that the believer’s blessings are the
result of a divine decree. These, it is objected, are wholly inconsistent, and
one or other of them must be explained away. Doubtless they may appear
to be incompatible, but to maintain that therefore they are so in fact, is to
put reason above revelation, or in other words, to place man above God. Is
the Christian to reject truths so plainly taught, because, forsooth, they are
beset with difficulties of a kind which even German metaphysics would
suffice to solve!
Nor are the difficulties here involved at all peculiar to the present question.
The very same objection which many Christians urge against the gospel, is
used by the infidel to prove the absurdity of prayer. Will the great God,
“in whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning,” change His
purpose at the cry of a sinful creature? A man once “prayed earnestly that
it might not rain, and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years
and six months; and he prayed again, and the heavens gave rain, and the
earth brought forth her fruit.” (James 5:17, 18) Nor can we tolerate the
figment that the prayer itself was but another result of the inexorable rule
of fate. We do not trust in fate, but in ” living God,” and we are taught
the solemnity and reality of prayer, not merely by the record of the
blessings it has won, but by the ominous words, ” He gave them their own
desire,” (Psalm 78:29) endorsed on many a rebellious cry sent up to
heaven by His people.
But there is another prayer, of which the solemn record should suffice to
set at rest every doubt that a perverted use of the doctrine of election has
cast upon the truth of grace. The Lord Himself, though come down to
earth that He might drink the cup which brimmed over upon Calvary,
could pray, upon the very eve of Calvary, that that cup might pass from
Him. He, ” the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world ” — He, who,
ere a few days had passed, could chide His doubting disciples with the
word ” ought not Christ to have suffered these things?” recapitulating in
their wondering ears the oft-told record of prophecy which Calvary
fulfilled — He found, neither in that record, nor in the divine purpose it
unfolded, anything to hinder the prayer of Gethsemane, “O My Father, if
it be possible, let this cup pass from Me.” (Matthew 26:39) With Him
the dire necessity to drink it arose from no stern and irrevocable edict of
the past, but from the sovereign will of a present living God, Who, even
then, would hearken to His cry if redemption could be won at any price
less terrible and costly; and yet there are some who would rebuke a
Christian mother for pouring out her heart in prayer, without reserve or
fear, that God would save the children He has given her!
Eternity is God’ domain, but no less is ” the living present” in His hand,
and if the doctrine of election become a limitation of His power to bless
and save, it degenerates into a denial of the very truth on which it rests —
the sovereignty of Jehovah.

I have a question for Universal Invisible Church supporters. It seems that a key Scripture used to support this theory is 1 Corinthians 12:13. As I read the letter, Paul is speaking to the members of the church at Corinth. He deals with them about the division in the church and speaks to this specifically again 11:18. He continues to correct them through instruction into chapter 12 and following. In chapter 12:1-12, Paul deals with the work of the Holy Spirit among them in the church. In 12:14 and following, he illustrates his instruction by comparing the members of this church to the members of a human body. It is evident that Paul is speaking to the members of this church at Corinth about their divisive actions. How is it then that 12:13 changes from the instruction of their actions in the church to a salvation act of the Holy Spirit? I do not see this as being the right understanding of this verse.
I also note that many of those that hold to the above mentioned theory reference this verse to Acts chapter 2. Those that reference this verse need to read Acts 1:5 and note that the baptism that took place was not initiated by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was the element, not the agent. They cannot have the Holy Spirit as the agent in 1 Corinthians 12:13 and as the element in Acts 2.
I look forward to comments. Thank you

The Apostle Paul is not teaching a doctrine of individual election to salvation in these verses. The verses are often used as proof text for this doctrine but they can only be used as support if taken out of context. These verses must be taken in their context from Chapters 7 to 11.

The People he wrote were struggling with law and grace. They were bound by tradition. Paul explained to them that they had been set free, they were saved by faith.
They did not understand that, if they were set free, why did they still deal with the inclination of the flesh. They knew that the law condemns and that the desire and actions of the flesh brought forth this just condemnation.
Paul explained to them that while they were saved now through faith, the body would be redeemed at a future time. Till that time came, they would have to “…mortify the deeds of the body…” Romans 8:13. They would be enabled to do this through the Spirit which dwelt in them. Romans 8:14.
Paul told them that God’s plan was in place before the creation and that He would complete His plan in them – once saved they would be glorified. They could have confidence in their salvation, even though they struggled with their flesh. Romans 8:30.
Paul is not presenting a doctrine of individual election to salvation. Elect and predestinated speaks of the individual, because salvation is personal.  Elect and predestination does not speak of individual being chosen to salvation and others chosen to damnation.  Elect and predestination speaks of ‘the saved’ just as the same elect and predestination speaks of ‘the Nation of Israel’.  A believer is elected and predestinated to be in Christ at the time of salvation.

He was setting forth the differences in death and life, Law and Grace, Flesh and Spirit.