One of the major stumbling blocks that prevents many people from arriving at a proper knowledge of the truth is their inability or unwillingness to accept the fact that the final destiny of all men was determined before they were born. The thought of such a thing conjures up all sorts of false ideas in the minds of most people. However, the Scriptures very clearly teach this great truth. Jacob and Esau are a perfect example (See Romans 9:9-14). Jacob was loved of God, and Esau hated, before either of them were born or had done any good or evil. This quite clearly illustrates the doctrine of eternal election and emphatically shows that salvation from sin is "not of works, but of him that calleth." No man on earth, no matter how learned or skilled in semantics, can successfully explain this away or make it mean anything other than what it says. 

    God "afore prepared" the vessels of mercy "unto glory," and Christ redeemed them "to God" by His blood "out of" every kindred, and tongue, and people and nation (See Rev. 5:9). Notice---He did not redeem every member of the human family, but He redeemed a people "out of" every nation and race. Again election is plainly taught. 

    The vessels of wrath were not "afore prepared" unto destruction, but each of them are "fitted" by their own corruption for destruction, and they were "before of old ordained to this condemnation" (Jude 4). The vessels of mercy were "ordained to eternal life" (Acts 13:48), and true believers will be found among no other class. 

    Election, as taught in the Scriptures, does not do any damage to the vessels of wrath, for it is not the cause of their condemnation. They are condemned for their sins and for nothing else---and their unrelenting rejection of God and godliness clearly shows that their being appointed to wrath is just and right. All men would have perished eternally if none had been elected and predestinated. 

    All of human experience clearly testifies to the existence of two distinct families or classes of people upon the earth---vessels of wrath and vessels of mercy. Even the first two people born into this world illustrate this point. Abel was righteous (Matt. 23:35 & Heb. 11:4) and Cain "was of that wicked one" (I John 3:12). One was a vessel of mercy and the other was a vessel of wrath. These two classes never exchange places, and neither class ever desires such an exchange.