Are you included in the elect?
Christ in Gethsemane (Christus in Gethsemane), oil painting by Heinrich Ferdinand Hofmann (Heinrich Hofmann). The original is at the Riverside Church (Riverside Church, New York City). (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “… They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word” (John 17:6b). The first words of this passage are filled with doctrinal significance: “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world.” Jesus is, of course, speaking of the disciples in particular, but He is also referring to the elect in general (v. 20, “for all those who believe in Me”). Jesus makes known the name of God , which is His character and all His attributes, to those “who believe in Me.” And those who believe in Christ are those whom the Father has graciously chosen from all the people of the world. One of the best commentaries on this is found in the Canons of Dort : “Now election is the immutable purpose of God, whereby, before the foundations of the wo