FreeGrace2 said:
Can you prove from the Bible that election is to salvation? Or that salvation is unconditional, meaning that man does NOTHING to be saved?
OK, I will take your response as "no I can't prove from the Bible that election is to salvation".
Which, of course, is rather obvious. All you've been doing is repeat your opinions.
Truth ALWAYS has an answer (not an opinion). It is the opinions that can't answer or defend itself. Need facts and evidence.
1 Peter 1: 2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God, the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
Elect means chosen before you are even born, and humanity's time line is a rerun for God, the Father. As God, He is able to manipulate events for His pleasure and as evidence to all created beings in heaven and on earth of His justice and mercy and power and love. To sanctify means to fix or repair to perfection in order to achieve the purpose for its creation. The Holy Spirit sanctifies us by filling our hearts with agape love and we obey His commandments because we make choices motivated by love ( the Spirit of the Law). The sprinkling of the blood of Jesus occurs when you put your trust in Jesus death for the forgiveness of sins. You are baptized in the name of the Father when you are chosen to receive His grace. You are baptized in the name of the Son when you put your trust in Jesus, and you are baptized in the name of the Holy Spirit when God's Spirit enters your heart and fills it with love.
1 Cor 1:9 God is faithful by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
It is the Father who calls us to be part of the spiritual body of His Son and a member of His Family. Through the Father's Holy Spirit, we are able to be One with the Father and Son because we share the same motivation, the same love, and the same line of communication as Jesus.
1 Cor 1: 26-31 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called; But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not , to bring to nothing things that are, THAT NO FLESH SHOULD GLORY IN HIS PRESENCE. But of (by) Him are ye in Christ Jesus,who of (by) God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption; That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
God chooses those that are called. His choice is not based on wisdom ( worldly), strength or might, status ( worldly or religious), or wealth. Paul is talking to lowly people and telling them that they are examples of the kind of people that God chooses. Those that are not chosen miss the boat completely because they want to take credit for their salvation whether it be because they walked the aisle or said a prayer or got baptized with water or attend church regularly or trusted in Jesus or try to be good enough. You might be doing all those things, but it is the Father who has changed you ( John 1: 13 Who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.) and it is He that you should give glory and praise to as well as to Christ who is our God, Lord and Savior.