The doctrine of election pertains to the scriptural truth on whom the Lord has chosen to be the subjects of His grace and salvation. Though the Calvinist and the Arminian believes in God choosing His people, there are considerable differences between the two in their definition of the nature of divine choice. The Calvinist believes in divine predestination of specific individuals to become the elect of God whereas Arminians believes in class election that is God chose a class of people – like the Church and leaves the door open for any individual to be part of this chosen class by the exercise of one's free will in response to the gospel. They also make the foreknowledge of God the mother of adoption, that is God chose His people because He saw through the quarters of time, who will choose Him.
However Calvinists refute such propositions as we have already proved that there is no choosing of God by a fallen man apart from the working of God's Spirit. Hence the act of man in choosing God is entirely a work of God and cannot be attributed to man. So it is foolish to say that God made choices based on man's response. Such kind of ideas can only be accepted if the doctrine of total depravity is forgotten or twisted to mean that man is only unwilling, instead of saying he is dead or unable. But the doctrine of total depravity is clear that depravity is total and there is no part of man which is not dead in sin. Hence to believe that an unregenerate man's unwillingness can be aided by prevenient grace to a make him choose God by the exercise of his free will is absurd.
Arminians also propose that this prevenient grace given to all depraved men to choose the gospel can be resisted by man's free will. Thus people can reject the gospel and remain as unbelievers. Thus they deny the doctrine of total depravity by saying that an unregenerate man's depraved will is mightier than the grace given by Almighty God. Thus man again is the decisive factor in salvation and God, though He desires to save someone has to accept defeat, if the ultimate decision taken by the 'almighty' man is to not believe the gospel. What a pathetic picture of God is this - whose plans are mutable and can be frustrated by man. The truth is all unregenerate men are unable to choose God or His gospel and thus requires regeneration to be given new will to choose God and His gospel. As it is written in Matthew 1:21 "you are to give him the name Jesus because he shall save his people from their sins.” Notice in the above verse it is crystal clear that the Lord will be victorious in saving His people - His chosen ones, His elect. There are no ifs and buts based on man's free will. This sufficient grace for their sure salvation is given only to the elect and they do believe. In other words, they repent, choose and believe because they are the elect and not otherwise.
That is the heart of the matter in this discussion on election: is faith the means by which we become part of the elect? Or is it because we are the elect that we are gifted with saving faith in Christ?
3 . The Doctrine of Election
Arminian : Let me put together my thoughts on the issue of “predestination”. The common view is that “to predestine” means that individuals are chosen to be saved by God, whereas others are chosen not to be. In this understanding, God decides before we are born whether we will be saved. God's grace is said to be irresistible for once God has decided we will be saved, nothing can stop it. So it is entirely God's choice whether a person ends up in Heaven or Hell, for without his grace at work in our lives, it is impossible for us to respond to God in repentance and faith. Having been chosen, we are assured of a place in Heaven.
However, this view has several loopholes. First, if we study the references to predestination in the Bible, we find that the emphasis is not on the selection of “individuals” but a “group”, a “people” rather than “persons”. Thus, Israel in the Old Testament and the Church in the New Testament are God's predestined people. Individuals only become predestined when they become an integral part of the whole, as Ruth and Rahab became part of God's chosen (and elect) people by the choices they made. If they are severed from it, either by their own or the body's action, they forfeit the title.
Coupled with this line of thought is that “election” as applied to either people of God is an election to “service” rather than “salvation”, “responsibility” rather than “privilege”. This insight throws considerable light on such texts as “You did not choose me, but I chose you to go........” (Jn. 15:16; cf. 6:70; both are clear references to His choice of them for apostolic service, not eternal salvation).
If predestination guarantees final salvation, then how is it that some Christians who began the race never finish it; and why is it that Jesus and the apostles keep warning and exhorting believers to keep standing firm/holding on/persevering and so on?
Jesus often spoke about “many being called and few being chosen”. Reading through the parables where this statement is presented as the final lesson, we always see that the invitation or call is sent out to many but it is only those who respond positively to this call that get included among the chosen. In other words, even though God calls everyone, whether a particular individual is among the chosen depends finally on whether “he” pays heed to that call or not!
I believe in predestination. I believe that God decided that He wanted me in Heaven with Him before I even knew He existed. He loved me before I loved Him, and He chose me rather than me choosing Him. Having said all that, I believe that it is not automatic, that my cooperation is required. That it is because I didn't resist His grace and received it and continue believing that I will finish up in that new Heaven and new Earth!
My Reply:
Now your understanding on who the elect are and what predestination is something I want to challenge with the following observations.
In your understanding the elect are not individuals but a class of people. Well then what does it say in Ephesians 1:5 “He predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will — to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.” It does not say that God chose a class or God chose the church, but it says God chose US – individuals. Also note that He chose those who are to be His sons in Jesus Christ. That proves that He chose men who are sinners and not believers.
Listen to Isaiah on God's election “Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations: Before I was born the LORD called me; from my birth he has made mention of my name.”(Isaiah 49:1) The Lord knew His people even before they were born and has called them by their name. If it is not personal but an election of a class or plan or people, then what does the above verse mean. Also what does Paul say about his conversion in Galatians “But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me..”(Galatians 1:15). Is that not evidence enough to believe in election of individuals by God?
Another clear verse on who the elect is, comes again from Paul in 2Timothy 2:10 “Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.” He did not say that he is enduring for lost humanity, but the elect. He also said the elect are those who will obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. This proves for sure that the election of God has to do with salvation and not service. Then from Ephesians 1:5, 11 and Romans 8:30 we can say for sure that the elect are the elect not because of anything to do with them, but with God who elected them according to His purpose, pleasure and will, for the praise of His grace.
Also you say the elect of God in Old Testament times were Israel and individuals become predestined only when they become part of the whole. Well then what does it mean when it says in Romans 9:6, “For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.” That somehow the individual was part of the elect class, yet was not predestined!! If then, what do you mean by some individual “becoming part of the whole” ?
Listen to what is written about Apostolic evangelism in Acts 13:47,48 “For this is what the Lord has commanded us: “`I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’“ [Isaiah 49:6] When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honoured the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.” Notice the truth so plainly written here that those who were appointed for eternal life ended up believing the gospel. It does not say that those who believed were appointed for eternal life. So this one verse is enough to prove that faith is a result of being a chosen one of God. Hence election is not on the basis of one's exercise of faith, but rather faith is the result of divine election.
You then move forward and say that God has not elected anyone to salvation but for service. Well then the above quoted verse in Ephesians 1:5 means, to be adopted as sons in Jesus Christ means to be made partakers of divine ministry and not salvation!! I cannot help but detest such stupidity. Also in the process of proving your point to be Scriptural, whether you meant it or not you misquote Scripture. For you quote John15:16 to prove that election is not unto salvation but to service as “You did not choose me, but I chose you to go.”, when the verse is actually “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit — fruit that will last.” In the actual rendering, it is clear that after choosing, He appoints them as apostles. It does not say that the choosing in the first place was for them to go, as you quoted. Even if it were, does not all the above quoted verses prove that God's election is personal and is concerning individuals and not about any class of people?
Having shown that election and thereby predestination involves specific individuals, let me move to your next point. Your next point is, predestination does not guarantee anything eternal. Well if your definition of predestination which is entirely dependant on sinful man is considered, then I agree wholeheartedly that it guarantees no final salvation. For men through their choice became part of the elect class of God and since grace is not efficacious, men through their own choice can forfeit their title and be lost. So you can conclude predestination guarantees nothing eternal. Well my question is then what does Romans 8:30 means? “And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.” The end result of the predestined ones in this verse is that they are glorified by God. Is that eternal or not? Also please note that all the above are done by God – there is no man involved. Predestination, calling, justification, glorification – all are done by God for the glory of His grace.
From the above verse I can also answer your query on why some who started their race never finished it. By their shipwrecked faith, they have borne testimony to the truth that God did not save them – for those whom He calls and justifies, will also end up being glorified. The truth is these men whom you point out were mere religious reprobates deluded by modern unscriptural evangelicalism to think that they were born again. For Jesus will lose none of those whom His Father has given Him, for He says “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:38 -40)
The proof that God has chosen us and is preserving us is that we will persevere. The exhortations of Jesus and the Apostles to persevere are to be seen in light of God's grace. Like all commands and exhortations, it is not mere striving of the flesh that He requires. They are His declarations of His will and the way He brings forth every one of them is by doing a work of grace in His people. It is God who is working in His people, both to will and to do in accordance with His good purpose. The necessity of perseverance of saints does not negate the truth that God shall preserve His saints. One is the evidence of the other. There is no other way to persevere but to be preserved by God. If you assert that we can persevere ourselves and determine our destiny – then you are again proclaiming the folly of “works” theology. In essence you then are saying that we will be saved from God's wrath and spend all eternity with Him because we persevered on our own and God was obliged to pay us salvation. The truth is, saints will persevere because of the efficacy of His grace in preserving His saints whom He predestined and whom He will most assuredly glorify. Listen to Paul in I Corinthians “He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.” (I Corinthians 1:8)
You are so emphatic in your synergistic view that you speak of your own salvation as “it is also because I didn't resist His grace and received it and continue believing that I will finish up in that new Heaven and new Earth!”. But let me tell you that you did all this because of His grace working in you. These are for sure your acts, but evidences of His work in you. Let me repeat, we sure have a part to play but even that is made possible because of the glorious grace of our blessed Saviour . How dare we call it our co-operation?
Predestination according to you is God preparing a destiny for someone He hopes will accept Him. What a powerless God whose plans are mutable and dependant on man. You are wrong concerning who God is and who man is according to the Bible. There are four times the word 'predestined' comes in the Bible – twice in Romans (8:29, 30) and twice in Ephesians (1:5, 11). All four speak of God and there are no 'ifs' or 'buts” attached to it. In other words, all that God has predestined will come to pass. There is no way one of His predestined plan is going to fail because someone rejected His gospel. For “those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.” The rejection of the gospel by someone is also within the will and purpose of God and everyone of His predestined elect will be saved and His plan will always be victorious. This is why Paul in his discourse on the sovereign choice of God regarding who His people are, he comments on the rejection of the gospel by Jews as "It is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel." God's plans are not being frustrated or failed when a man rejects the gospel. For the plan of God to save His elect - the children of promise will most assuredly be victorious.
Some more Scripture references for substantiating my understanding of election:
2Thessalonians 2:13 “But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.”
Please note that God chose they who are to be saved and not otherwise so as to say that because they believed the truth, God chose them. Notice the order in the above verse – first God chooses and as a result, the chosen ones are sanctified and believes in truth. Arminians put it all upside down, by saying that we believe, are sanctified and thus become the chosen ones. From this verse alone we can say that salvation is a result of God's choice. If someone is among the chosen then he shall receive salvation. Thus election is not the result of man's faith but rather faith is the result of election.
John 17:2 “For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him.”
Jesus is praying to our Father and He says that He has been given authority by the Father over all people so that He might give eternal life, not to all people but to the ones the Father gives Him. He does not say that the Father has given Him authority to give eternal life to all those who chooses Him. This is such a clear statement of our Lord on the absolute sovereignty of God in His choice of His people. He has all the right to choose the subjects of His grace.
2 Timothy 1:9 “ who has saved us and called us to a holy life — not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.”
Notice grace being given to the elect of God in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time. Also note the context in which grace is mentioned. The apostle says 'this' grace was given us, making it specific. What is the specific truth about grace spoken here? God saving us and calling us to a holy life – not because of anything we have done – meaning it is not because God foresaw some actions of man which were necessary for him to be qualified for this calling, but rather the calling was totally according to the purpose of God.
Ephesians 1:11 "In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will.”
We were chosen because we were predestined to be chosen in Christ and this choosing or election has everything to do with the plan of God and His eternal purposes. Grace is not given to the elect because men are in danger of ending up in hell. For if that be the case then all of mankind should be saved by God. But the whole discussion of salvation and God electing some to be its subjects is not on meeting this need of escaping hell but rather about God's purposes being met in spite of fallen humanity, namely His eternal purpose to be glorified in His creation, to have worshippers in His creation precisely to have worshippers among His chief creation – the one whom He made in His own likeness. This is where all humanistic theories and the theology of the Scriptures differ the most
It is not because of man's need, for the need of they that are the elect and they that are not, is the same of escaping the coming judgement. But God elects, out of His need to see His eternal purposes fulfilled. Thus the good news is : even though creation and especially man fell, God through His Son is still well able to make all His eternal plans to come to His desired end. For this He chooses a group of men from the sinful pool of humanity and redeems them to be His worshippers and uses them for His eternal purposes. Thus proving His glory and victory. Hence the Bible presents a gospel which is zero percent humanist. Let me conclude by saying that if you are an elect chosen child of God in whom He is at work through His blessed Spirit, then you will be extremely glad in knowing that God is all about glorifying Himself. For He by His grace has made you known something of His worthiness and the absolute just righteous necessity for Him and Him alone to be glorified. It is only when we bid farewell to mordern day philanthropic humanistic religion and come to grips with God's Christianity that we can understand the truth of election.
May God help all of His saints - both Calvinists and Arminians.
