An Introduction to the Doctrines of Grace: Unconditional Election

[Johnny_B]

Unconditional Election ​

Man cannot save himself in whole or in part. Only God can save Man. The good news of the Gospel is that God has provided a way of salvation through Christ (1 Cor. 15:1-4). But to understand God’s way of salvation, we have to again go back to the eternal mind of God in predestination.

Before all things were created, God foreordained to divide all mankind into two groups. Some would be His people and the rest would be left in their sins (Rom. 9). First, let us look at what the Bible teaches concerning the doctrine of election. In its simplest form, it is this: “He chose us” (Eph. 1:4). He did this in eternity past, not in time (2 Thess. 2:13; 2 Tim. 1:9; Eph. 1:4). Those whom He chose are called “the elect” (Matt. 24:22, 31; Mark 13:20; Luke 18:7, etc.).

They are sinners who have been chosen to receive salvation (1 Thess. 5:9; 2 Thess. 2:13). What moved God to choose them in the first place? God chose them by sovereign grace alone (2 Tim. 1:9; Deut. 7:7-8). God elected them to receive mercy (Rom. 9:23), to go to Heaven (Matt. 25:34), to be made perfectly holy (Eph. 1:4), and to be totally glorified (Rom. 8:29-30). God chose the elect “in Christ” (Eph. 1:4; 2 Tim. 1:9: Rom. 16:13).


In a general sense, God wills all men to be saved (1 Tim. 2:4). But in another, higher sense, God chose only some sinners to be saved. When He chose them, He wrote their names down in the Book of Life (Luke 10:20; Rev. 13:8, 17:8). The Father chose them and gave them to Jesus (John 17:2, 6, 9,24). God chose the elect. Christ is also God, so He had a vital part in this choice. What was it? Jesus chose His own bride from among the mass of sinful humanity. This was His right and privilege. He said, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you” (John 15:16). Nor did He choose the elect on the basis of anything He foresaw in them, for all He foresaw in their nature was sin. He “foreknew” the elect in the sense of knowing them in love from all eternity (Rom.8:29; 1 Pet. 1:2; cf. Amos 3:2). Remember Scripture says, “He chose us.” He did not choose us because He foresaw we would choose Him. Rather, He chose us solely out of free grace.


This election is personal. He chose the elect by name. And since it is not conditional upon anything in us, it is absolutely sure that all the elect will be saved one day. Therefore, we have Unconditional Election. Election is irreversible. When one comes to believe in Christ unto salvation, he then has the privilege of knowing that he is one of the elect (2 Pet. 1:10).

But God did not choose all men. He did not choose Satan or any of the demons, and He did not choose all sinful human beings. Some are elected, the rest were left in their sins (Rom. 9). This is the doctrine of Reprobation, or non-election. Since they were not chosen to salvation but left in their sins, they were foreordained to receive the due penalty for their sins-eternal wrath (1 Thess. 5:9; 1 Pet. 2:8; Prov. 16:4). Their names were not written in the Book of Life in eternity past (Rev. 13:8, 17:8), nor were they ever known by Christ in the election of grace (Matt. 7:23). In time, God leaves them in their evil nature and even hardens their hearts and further blinds their minds (John 12:39-40; Rom. 9:18, 11:7; Deut. 2:30; Josh. 11:20). God is fattening them up for the slaughter which they deserve.


But lest anyone think this is unfair, God replies, “Who are you, O Man, that answers back to God?” (Rom. 9:20). No man can blame God, for Man is sinful Man and God is a holy God. No man deserves to be elected; all deserve to be rejected. The wonder is not that God rejected some sinners; the wonder is that He chose any sinners to be saved.


From, Biblical Calvinism by Curt Daniel. Search the Scriptures to see if thee things be so, don't just use your preconceived ideas of what Calvinism is and go with that. All systems of theology have truth in them and it is our duty as believers in Christ to find the meat of these systems and hold to them, as well as finding the bones and spitting them out. If your response to that is all Calvinism is but bone that needs to be spit out, you fail to search the Scriptures, do I agree with everything in what Curt said? No, I do not. But it is by the searching of the Scriptures that I say that, not from a dislike of Calvinism.​

 

[Chris1975]

The point you are missing about Election is this. Only God knows who His elect are. Only those who Walk with God (in Faith) obtain salvation. And only these who obtain salvation were already elect from before time began.

This is where Salvation and Election meet.

Your responsibility remains to walk with God in faith (and obedience as a result of that faith). Then you will make your call and Election sure..

2 Peter 1
[SUP]5 [/SUP]But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, [SUP]6 [/SUP]to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, [SUP]7 [/SUP]to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. [SUP]8 [/SUP]For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. [SUP]9 [/SUP]For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.

[SUP]10 [/SUP]Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; [SUP]11 [/SUP]for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

 

[notuptome]

Unconditional election as described above is pure unadulterated poppycock.

God does not draw names out of a great cosmic hat to determine who is to be saved and who will be condemned. God did not create two groups of men. God created all men to worship and love Him. Sin separated all men from God and His love. Redemptions plan was drawn from Emmanuel's veins to restore that which was lost.

Sin is the great divider not the love of God. Why did Lucifer fall? Why did a third of the angels of heaven go with Lucifer?

For the cause of Christ
Roger

 

[miknik5]

Unconditional election as described above is pure unadulterated poppycock.

God does not draw names out of a great cosmic hat to determine who is to be saved and who will be condemned. God did not create two groups of men. God created all men to worship and love Him. Sin separated all men from God and His love. Redemptions plan was drawn from Emmanuel's veins to restore that which was lost.

Sin is the great divider not the love of God. Why did Lucifer fall? Why did a third of the angels of heaven go with Lucifer?

For the cause of Christ
Roger

GOD made a distinction even before the first Passover

see exodus 8
HE said it more than once before the final plague

 

[Chris1975]

Unconditional election as described above is pure unadulterated poppycock.

God does not draw names out of a great cosmic hat to determine who is to be saved and who will be condemned. God did not create two groups of men. God created all men to worship and love Him. Sin separated all men from God and His love. Redemptions plan was drawn from Emmanuel's veins to restore that which was lost.

Sin is the great divider not the love of God. Why did Lucifer fall? Why did a third of the angels of heaven go with Lucifer?

For the cause of Christ
Roger

You need to read the bible.

 

[Chris1975]

Romans 9
[SUP]10 [/SUP]And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac [SUP]11 [/SUP](for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls), [SUP]12 [/SUP]it was said to her, “The older shall serve the younger.”[SUP][d][/SUP] [SUP]13 [/SUP]As it is written, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.”[SUP][e][/SUP]

 

[Chris1975]

Continued..

[SUP]14 [/SUP]What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! [SUP]15 [/SUP]For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.”[SUP][f][/SUP] [SUP]16 [/SUP]So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. [SUP]17 [/SUP]For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.”[SUP][g][/SUP] [SUP]18 [/SUP]Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.

[SUP]19 [/SUP]You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?” [SUP]20 [/SUP]But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?” [SUP]21 [/SUP]Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?

[SUP]22 [/SUP]What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, [SUP]23 [/SUP]and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory,

 

[Chris1975]

God knew Adam would sin beforehand
God knew before Adam was created that there would be a need for a Saviour of mankind
God knew the devil would tempt Eve beforehand
God knew Lucifer would lead a rebellion of angels and be cast down

God's plan was to reveal to the whole of Creation that He is God. From Him come all things created. And to Him all things belong. If that was His plan all along, there is no fighting it.

Pray that you remain in faith, and when your time is up, and you have been faithful, your Election is made certain. For it always was. If you fall back (of whom the Lord is not pleased), you were never Elect.

 

[preacher4truth]

Unconditional election as described above is pure unadulterated poppycock.

Then you don't believe the revelation and testimony of God via His Scriptures. And, as per usual, you don't offer any.

God does not draw names out of a great cosmic hat to determine who is to be saved and who will be condemned.

You're only showing your disdain here for God's decrees and are writing it in a narrative of your own in order to mock it.

God did not create two groups of men. God created all men to worship and love Him. Sin separated all men from God and His love. Redemptions plan was drawn from Emmanuel's veins to restore that which was lost.

What a shame, God created all men to love Him and His plan ultimately failed. How sad. Maybe we can help Him out, and choose ourselves to love Him and choose our way to heaven? Maybe God just needs our help.

Lot's of sentimentalism in your post, not one verse of Scripture. Matthew 1:21, He came to save His people, not for an opportunity for all men who have ever lived to be saved if they cast "the right vote." His people are those elect He chose prior to the foundation of the world; Ephesians 1 &c.

Sin is the great divider not the love of God.

False doctrine is the great divider, and yours causes division from the truth. All are under sin, that is a given. God will divide the goats and sheep, the ones to whom He gave His life and love, and the others to whom He passed over and left in their sins.

Why did Lucifer fall? Why did a third of the angels of heaven go with Lucifer?

Perhaps because they didn't care for God's Sovereignty, especially in election and preferred their "freedom of will." Satan too does not like God being God. Perhaps he too, like you and others, does not believe God is fair. The only poppycock here is in your post, not in the Scriptures and Sovereign decrees that you loathe and attack.

 

[Johnny_B]

Unconditional election as described above is pure unadulterated poppycock.

God does not draw names out of a great cosmic hat to determine who is to be saved and who will be condemned. God did not create two groups of men. God created all men to worship and love Him. Sin separated all men from God and His love. Redemptions plan was drawn from Emmanuel's veins to restore that which was lost.

Sin is the great divider not the love of God. Why did Lucifer fall? Why did a third of the angels of heaven go with Lucifer?

For the cause of Christ
Roger

Exactly​ He does not, He draws them to His only Son that He would raise them up on the last day. You are saying that God has failed to have rule over His creation that He created to worship Him and they don't, they love sin. Which is the exact end of Arminianism, a god that has no power to carry out a plan of redemption or create beings that do what He created them to do. Because it's all in the hands of sinful man and their will, which the Bible says it is to sin an do wicked, why? Because they love their sin and hate the light, for that reason God does not election anyone to hell, because of their unbelief they are condemned already, John 3:18-20. Yes He died for His people, Matthew 1:21, John 10:11, 15, Ephesians 5:25-27, I Thessalonians 5:9-11 and I Timothy 4:10.

Here is the salvation of the Bible's Lord for His people.I Thessalonians 5:9-11 "For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing."

I Timothy 4:10 "For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe."

He has a plan for His people, He is the Savior of all people, He died for us His people, especially for us that believe and we will obtain that salvation, because He is sovereign over His creation and will bring His purpose to pass. Isaiah 46:9-10 "I am God, and there is none like me,10 declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’"

Romans 9
[SUP]10 [/SUP]And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac [SUP]11 [/SUP](for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls), [SUP]12 [/SUP]it was said to her, “The older shall serve the younger.”[SUP][d][/SUP] [SUP]13 [/SUP]As it is written, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.”[SUP][e]
[/SUP]
Continued..

[SUP]14 [/SUP]What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! [SUP]15 [/SUP]For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.”[SUP][f][/SUP] [SUP]16 [/SUP]So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. [SUP]17 [/SUP]For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.”[SUP][g][/SUP] [SUP]18 [/SUP]Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.

[SUP]19 [/SUP]You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?” [SUP]20 [/SUP]But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?” [SUP]21 [/SUP]Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?

[SUP]22 [/SUP]What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, [SUP]23 [/SUP]and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory,

Man can do nothing to please God, Romans 8:8, we need His mercy/grace to make us alive in Christ, so that through faith we can be saved, Ephesians 2:8-9, Again not by works that we could boast, it is all His power or by His sovereignty will over His creation that He brings it to pass, it's not left in the hands of sinful man, it by the council of His will. He has mercy on who He wills, not based on anything anyone would do or can do.

 

[SovereignGrace]

Unconditional election as described above is pure unadulterated poppycock.

God does not draw names out of a great cosmic hat to determine who is to be saved and who will be condemned. God did not create two groups of men. God created all men to worship and love Him. Sin separated all men from God and His love. Redemptions plan was drawn from Emmanuel's veins to restore that which was lost.

Sin is the great divider not the love of God. Why did Lucifer fall? Why did a third of the angels of heaven go with Lucifer?

For the cause of Christ
Roger

Romans 1:22,23 and Romans 9:20 in full display.

 

[notuptome]

Then you don't believe the revelation and testimony of God via His Scriptures. And, as per usual, you don't offer any.

Baseless personal attack and wholly without merit. How degrading to you as a person and a Christian.

You're only showing your disdain here for God's decrees and are writing it in a narrative of your own in order to mock it.

Escalation of your personal attack on me. Why impugn my integrity? Perhaps you lack something on your part? Evidence?

What a shame, God created all men to love Him and His plan ultimately failed. How sad. Maybe we can help Him out, and choose ourselves to love Him and choose our way to heaven? Maybe God just needs our help.

You see God as a failure? I doubt that God failed at anything or even could fail.

Lot's of sentimentalism in your post, not one verse of Scripture. Matthew 1:21, He came to save His people, not for an opportunity for all men who have ever lived to be saved if they cast "the right vote." His people are those elect He chose prior to the foundation of the world; Ephesians 1 &c.

His people in context of the scripture in Matthew would be Israel and not Gentiles like you and me. You cannot seem to see the distinction between foreknowledge and predetermination on Gods behalf.

False doctrine is the great divider, and yours causes division from the truth. All are under sin, that is a given. God will divide the goats and sheep, the ones to whom He gave His life and love, and the others to whom He passed over and left in their sins.

Your doctrine has some truth but it is also rife with half truth and whole untruth.

Perhaps because they didn't care for God's Sovereignty, especially in election and preferred their "freedom of will." Satan too does not like God being God. Perhaps he too, like you and others, does not believe God is fair. The only poppycock here is in your post, not in the Scriptures and Sovereign decrees that you loathe and attack.

Your false accusations are inappropriate and wholly without merit. If you lack an answer it is more honorable to simply say I don't know rather than endeavor to demean the person who wrote the post.

Scripture admonishes us to seek virtue and purity so that our speech will be seasoned with grace.

Col 4:6 Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

For the cause of Christ
Roger

 

[notuptome]

Romans 1:22,23 and Romans 9:20 in full display.

What then of you who would seek to accuse me without merit? Who is the accuser of the brethren? Surely not Christ.

Re 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

For the cause of Christ
Roger

 

[Zen]

But God did not choose all men. He did not choose Satan or any of the demons, and He did not choose all sinful human beings. Some are elected, the rest were left in their sins (Rom. 9). This is the doctrine of Reprobation, or non-election. Since they were not chosen to salvation but left in their sins, they were foreordained to receive the due penalty for their sins-eternal wrath (1 Thess. 5:9; 1 Pet. 2:8; Prov. 16:4). Their names were not written in the Book of Life in eternity past (Rev. 13:8, 17:8), nor were they ever known by Christ in the election of grace (Matt. 7:23). In time, God leaves them in their evil nature and even hardens their hearts and further blinds their minds (John 12:39-40; Rom. 9:18, 11:7; Deut. 2:30; Josh. 11:20). God is fattening them up for the slaughter which they deserve.

This doesn't make sense to me.

2 Peter 3:9

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

 

[Rockrz]

An Introduction to the Doctrines of Grace: Unconditional Election

No thank you... I'm not interested in false doctrine from the mind of satan.

Thanks anyways.

 

[Marano]

From, Biblical Calvinism by Curt Daniel. Search the Scriptures to see if thee things be so, don't just use your preconceived ideas of what Calvinism is and go with that. All systems of theology have truth in them and it is our duty as believers in Christ to find the meat of these systems and hold to them, as well as finding the bones and spitting them out. If your response to that is all Calvinism is but bone that needs to be spit out, you fail to search the Scriptures, do I agree with everything in what Curt said? No, I do not. But it is by the searching of the Scriptures that I say that, not from a dislike of Calvinism.​

I agree with unconditional election, but I disagree with that part, not all systems have truth in them, for example open theism is completely false and heresy, we should be discerning of heresies like that, like open theism there are more of such false systems out there.

 

[Marano]

No thank you... I'm not interested in false doctrine from the mind of satan.

Thanks anyways.

Oh wow this what you treat biblical doctrine, saying it's from the mind of satan?

What confidence you must have in your own doctrine then to call reformed theology false doctrien and saying it's from the mind of satan.

I don't even know what to reply to you after that, it's really a shame that you look at biblical teaching that way.

 

[Depleted]

Oh wow this what you treat biblical doctrine, saying it's from the mind of satan?

What confidence you must have in your own doctrine then to call reformed theology false doctrien and saying it's from the mind of satan.

I don't even know what to reply to you after that, it's really a shame that you look at biblical teaching that way.

Rockr is our resident contrarian. You say the sun is bright, and he'll say it's dark. You say it gets really hot in summer, and he'll tell you about a summer snowstorm. You tell him that he's a guy, and he'll swear he's a girl. That's his "contribution" to this site.

There really is no particular reason to reply at all.

 

[John146]

I agree with unconditional election, but I disagree with that part, not all systems have truth in them, for example open theism is completely false and heresy, we should be discerning of heresies like that, like open theism there are more of such false systems out there.

Could you explain open theism they way you understand it?

 

[Marano]

Could you explain open theism they way you understand it?

There is plenty of information on open theism online, do you believe it is true doctrine?