Ephesians 1:4–5 – “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world…In love He predestined us for adoption.”

A common critique of election is that “love can’t be forced.” But this misunderstands the nature of God’s relationship with us. It replaces covenantal love with romantic love—as if divine love depends on emotional butterflies and the illusion of choice. But a child isn’t forced to love their parent—they just do. It’s woven into the bond.

This confusion took root in American evangelicalism, where emotional experience became the gauge of spiritual maturity. But God’s love isn’t like a fleeting romance. It’s the steadfast love of a Father for His children—and the response of children born to belong to Him.

I’ve often compared election to a father offering his child both Brussels sprouts and chocolate cake. The child feels free to choose, but the father—who knows his child intimately—already knows what he’ll pick. That’s not coercion; it’s the fruit of a deeply intimate relationship. And if earthly parents know their children that well, how much more does our heavenly Father know us?

Election, then, isn’t the absence of freedom—it’s the presence of divine intimacy. It’s being fully known, fully loved, and eternally chosen—not because of anything we’ve done, but because He first loved us.