What makes a church a church? How is a church formed? There’s a choice. A church could be seen as a group of people who choose to come together, or a church could be seen as a group of people whom God chose to come together. Implications abound downstream of what we see.

Abraham Kuyper published his address arguing that the church should not be supported or controlled by the State. A free church has different roots, and the freedom comes from God’s sovereign choice.

There are only two principles that carry within themselves a characteristic world, an entirely distinctive world: eternal election and humanism. (Rooted and Grounded, location 234)

At root of all kinds of relationships and responsibilities is the concern: who is being worshipped as God? If God is God, then God chooses what happens. If man plays at God’s role, he believes that he chooses what happens. This isn’t a discussion about primary and secondary causes or about God’s use of our affections and wills in accomplishing what He wants. At the moment I’m simply trying to point out that things are different when we receive, and rejoice in, the truth of God’s election.

We believe that God elects some to salvation. We believe that all those who have been elected to a common salvation God also elects some to specific spiritual gift. And we believe that the saved and gifted are elected to union with other parts of the body and elected to work for the benefit of the whole body.

You could be urged to find the motivation to serve within, or urged to find the motivation around, as you see those in need. But the first motivation is above, submitting to the Sovereign. He chose you for Himself, and for such a body as this.