Chesley Campbell, Elder at
New Community Church
This paper is by no means a full treatment of the subject of God’s election of His children to salvation. It is far beyond my intent and ability to plumb the depths of so great a doctrine. My hope is that it whets the spiritual appetite of the reader to search the Scriptures and to see if what has been written is true as well as to study to show oneself approved to God. I am indebted for most of the content of this paper to those men who are far more intelligent and vastly more spiritual than myself. Most of the sources for the content of this paper as well as recommended related books to read will be listed at the end.
In my humble opinion the confusion over the doctrine of election is, at least in part, because people start their discussions and debates concerning this subject without first beginning at the foundational understanding of ALL doctrine, that God is SOVERIEGN. To understand that God is the sovereign One who rules over everything and that there is nothing that is not subject to Him by design and determination is to begin one’s discussion from a position that will lead to misunderstanding. Also from the vantage point of an understanding of God’s sovereignty there is a necessity to address the spiritual deadness of man as well. Man is born spiritually dead. He is a sinner by imputation (Romans 5:12), nature (Ephesians 2:3), and practice (Romans 3:23). From his first breath till his last unless there is a spiritual rebirth (John 3:3) that is brought about by God alone (John 1:12-13) he has only divine judgment to look forward to. (John 3:18-19) With all this said, let us begin at the beginning.
I. It ALL begins with the SOVERIEGNTY of God!
“The Sovereignty of God. What do we mean by this expression? We mean the supremacy of God, the kingship of God, the god-hood of God. To say that God is Sovereign is to declare that God is God. To say that God is Sovereign is to declare that He is the Most High, doing according to His will in the army of Heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth, so that none can stay His hand or say unto Him what doest Thou? (Dan. 4:35). To say that God is Sovereign is to declare that He is the Almighty, the Possessor of all power in Heaven and earth, so that none can defeat His counsels, thwart His purpose, or resist His will (Psa. 115:3). To say that God is Sovereign is to declare that He is "The Governor among the nations" (Psa. 22:28), setting up kingdoms, overthrowing empires, and determining the course of dynasties as pleaseth Him best. To say that God is Sovereign is to declare that He is the "Only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords" (1 Tim. 6:15). Such is the God of the Bible.” The Soveriegnty of God, A. W. Pink
When we speak of divine sovereignty we are speaking about God’s authority and about God’s power. As sovereign, God is the supreme authority of heaven and earth. All other authority is lesser authority. Any other authority that exists in the universe is derived from and dependent upon God’s authority. All other forms of authority exist either by God’s command or by God’s permission. 1
The Westminster Catechism reads:
“God from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely, and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass yet so, as thereby neither is God the author of sin, nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures; nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established.”
See: Eph. 1:11; Rom. 11:33, Rom. 9:14-15, 18; Eph. 1:4; Rom. 9:22-23; Ps. 33:11
That God in some sense foreordains (The word has simply the sense of determining beforehand. It is thus similar in meaning to a number of other New Testament words expressing the idea of Divine purpose, as “foreknow”( Acts 2:23; Rom 8:29, etc.); “determine” (Acts 17:26); “appoint” (1 Pet 2:8). Foreordination, in the widest sense, is but another name for that Divine plan, purpose or counsel which embraces all things, great and small (Matthew10:29, 30).) Whatever comes to pass is a necessary result of his sovereignty. It declares that God is absolutely sovereign over his creation. God can foreordain things in different ways. But everything that happens must at least happen by his permission. If he permits something, then he must decide to allow it. If He decides to allow something, then in a sense he is foreordaining it. Who, among Christians, would argue that God could not stop something in this world from happening? If God so desires, he has the power to stop the whole world.
To say that God foreordains all that comes to pass is simply to say that God is sovereign over his entire creation. If something could come to pass apart from his sovereign permission, then that which came to pass would frustrate his sovereignty. If God refused to permit something to happen and it happened anyway, then whatever caused it to happen would have more authority and power than God himself. If there is any part of creation outside of God’s sovereignty, then God is simply not sovereign. If God is not sovereign, then God is not God. 2
Simply put, “But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases.” Psalm 115:3
We must understand this very important point, God is sovereign over His creation, He does whatever He deems is consistent with his own divine purpose and will. God does not answer to anyone and whatever he does is good and right and holy and just because He is good and right and holy and just and cannot act contrary to his nature.
There is something else that we must understand, God does not react He acts according to His plan and purpose. There are no contingencies with God. God has a plan, this plan has always been. We from our perspective are seeing that plan work out in time. Theologians call this plan of God His decree. (Seen in Acts 2:22-24) The decree of God is His eternal plan or purpose, in which He has foreordained all things that come to pass. Since it includes many particulars, we often speak of the divine decrees in the plural, though in reality there is but a single decree. It covers all the works of God in creation and redemption, and also embraces the actions of men, including their sinful deeds. But while it rendered the entrance of sin into the world certain, it does not make God responsible for our sinful deeds. His decree with respect to sin is a permissive decree. (In other words, God has according to His divine will allowed sin to enter the world in order to fulfill His own higher purpose. I suggest: First, that men might recognize its evil, enslaving character (Rom 1:18-32). Second, that God might demonstrate His grace (Rom 5:20-6:2). And third, that the principle of evil might be brought into complete and final judgment (Acts 17:30-31)
Also this plan or decree must have been eternally purposed, because God's only mode of existence, as we understand it from Scripture, is eternal, and therefore His thoughts, and purpose, and plan must be eternal. The fact also that His knowledge is infinite, and cannot be increased, forbids the forming of plans in time, which, as they become known to Him, would add to that knowledge. It is also to be remembered that the plan must precede its execution, but as time began with that execution, the plan must not have been formed in time, and must be eternal. This plan, or purpose, includes all things whatsoever that come to pass; not some things, but all things; not all things in general, but each thing in particular. This is an important distinction and must be remembered in order to better comprehend the doctrine of election. This plan, or purpose, includes all things whatsoever that come to pass; not some things, but all things; not all things in general, but each thing in particular.
The Scriptural authority for the doctrine of decree/s can be drawn from the following statements and references:
1. God's decrees are eternal. Acts 15:18; Eph. 1:4; 3:11; 1 Pet. 1:20; 2 Thess. 2:13; 2 Tim. 1:9; 1 Cor. 2:7.
2. They are immutable. Ps. 33:11; Isa. 46:9.
3. They comprehend all events.
(1.) The Scriptures assert this of the whole system in general embraced in the divine decrees. Dan. 4:34, 35; Acts 17:26; Eph. 1:11.
(2.) They affirm the same of fortuitous events. Prov. 16:33; Matt. 10:29, 30.
(3.) Also of the free actions of men. Eph. 2:10, 11; Phil. 2:13.
(4.) Even the wicked actions of men. Acts 2:23; 4:27, 28; 13:29; 1 Pet. 2:8; Jude 4; Rev. 17:17. As to the history of Joseph, compare Gen. 37:28, with Gen. 45:7, 8, and Gen. 50:20. See also Ps. 17:13, 14; Isa. 10:5, 15.
4. The decrees of God are not conditional. Ps. 33:11; Prov. 19:21; Isa. 14:24, 27 ; 46:10; Rom. 9:11.
5. They are sovereign. Isa. 40:13, 14; Dan. 4:35; Matt. 11:25, 26; Rom. 9:11, 15-18; Eph. 1:5, 11.
6. They include the means. Eph. 1:4; 2 Thess. 2:13; 1 Pet. 1:2.
7. They determine the free actions of men. Acts 4:27, 28 ; Eph. 2:10.
8. God himself works in his people that faith and obedience which are called the conditions of salvation. Eph. 2:8; Phil. 2:13; 2 Tim. 2:25.
9. The decree renders the event certain. Matt. 16:21; Luke 18:31-33; 24:46; Acts 2:23; 13:29; 1 Cor. 11:19.
10. While God has decreed the free acts of men, the actors have been none the less responsible. Gen. 50:20; Acts 2:23; 3:18; 4:27, 28
God "works all things after the counsel of his will" (Ephesians 1:11). This "all things" includes the fall of sparrows (Matthew 10:29), the rolling of dice (Proverbs 16:33), the slaughter of his people (Psalm 44:11), the decisions of kings (Proverbs 21:1), the failing of sight (Exodus 4:11), the sickness of children (2 Samuel 12:15), the loss and gain of money (1 Samuel 2:7), the suffering of saints (1 Peter 4:19), the completion of travel plans (James 4:15), the persecution of Christians (Hebrews 12:4-7), the repentance of souls (2 Timothy 2:25), the gift of faith (Philippians 1:29), the pursuit of holiness (Philippians 3:12-13), the growth of believers (Hebrews 6:3), the giving of life and the taking in death (1 Samuel 2:6), and the crucifixion of his Son (Acts 4:27-28). John Piper
Only one can be sovereign. You can never have two sovereign beings. How could that ever be? Two that have all power and authority? Two that are perfectly free to do as they pleased? Impossible. There is One that is eternal, independent, sovereignly free, and that is GOD! Nor can any limits be placed upon God's sovereignty. There are many who would make restrictions or exceptions to divine sovereignty. They are willing to admit to sovereignty in respect to weather and climate, sickness and health, wars and other disasters. But they want to draw the line when it comes to man! They try to exclude human thoughts, words, deeds, and destinies from the sovereignty of God! But this would destroy God's sovereignty.
Therefore, a clear understanding of any doctrine of the Bible including the doctrine of election is founded and dependent upon a clear understanding of the sovereignty of God. And so the doctrine of election must be seen through the lense of God’s complete and uncontested rule over His creation.
II. It is Clarified by an Understanding of the Nature of Our Depravity
After looking at the sovereignty of God we now focus on the depravity of man. The reasoning here is to emphasize the vast gulf between our Holy God and the sinfulness of man which naturally results in his complete inability to say, do, or think anything that has any spiritual benefit before God whatsoever.
Man’s Depravity Described:
“Theologians refer to this doctrine as total depravity. It does not mean that unbelieving sinners are always as bad as they could be (cf. Luke 6:33; Rom. 2:14). It does not mean that the expression of sinful human nature is always lived out to the fullest. It does not mean that unbelievers are incapable of acts of kindness, benevolence, goodwill, or human altruism. It certainly does not mean that non-Christians cannot appreciate goodness, beauty, honesty, decency, or excellence. It does mean that none of this has any merit with God.
Depravity…. means that evil has contaminated every aspect of our humanity—our heart, mind, personality, emotions, conscience, motives, and will (cf. Jer. 17:9; John 8:44). Unredeemed sinners are therefore incapable of doing anything to please God (Romans 8:6-8; Isa. 64:6). They are incapable of truly loving the God who reveals Himself in Scripture. They are incapable of obedience from the heart, with righteous motives. They are incapable of understanding spiritual truth. They are so completely disinclined to love righteousness, so thoroughly dead in sin, that they are not able to save themselves or even to fit themselves for God’s salvation. Unbelieving humanity has no capacity to desire, understand, believe, or apply spiritual truth: “A natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised” (1 Cor. 2:14). They are incapable of genuine faith. And that means they are incapable of pleasing God or truly seeking Him (Heb. 11:1).” 3
Man’s inherent corruption extends to every part, his speech, his conduct, and his attitude. (Romans 3:9-18) Because of the fall man’s whole being or heart is in rebellion against God. Since the fall man’s whole nature has been polluted by sin. As a result man has an innate hostility toward God and spiritual truth. (Romans 8:7) Paul tells us that all men, apart from a prior work of grace, suppress the truth about God in creation and replace God with idols (Rom. 1:21-25). Man’s mind or will is not neutral or a blank slate at birth but is evil. “The imagination of a man’s heart is evil from his youth” (Gen. 8:21).
“The wicked…go astray as soon as they are born speaking lies” (Ps. 58:3). “We were by nature the children of wrath” (Eph. 2:3). “The heart is deceitful above all things, who can know it?” (Jer. 17:9) Consequently, men are actuated by wrong principles. The natural man’s thoughts, words and deeds are corrupt, because they all flow from a corrupt source. Thus, unregenerate man cannot choose or do spiritual good. He cannot generate the love of God or Christ in his heart and he cannot do anything meriting salvation. It is for this reason that Paul writing under divine inspiration can say that not even one man in the whole world “seeks God” (Rom. 3:11).
The Results of Man’s Depravity:
So, what are the results of man’s depravity? How has sin and it’s effects played a role in the life of each and every person who has been born, except Jesus Christ, of course.
The unregenerate man, apart from the work of God in his life, is spiritually dead Ephesians 2:1-3 and as a result of this deadness he..
1. cannot please God Romans 8:6-8
2. does not seek after God Romans 3:11
3. is incapable of thinking, saying, or doing any spiritual good Romans 3:9-18
4. is inherently blind to spiritual truth 1 Cor. 2:14; Ephesians 4:17
5. is Satanically blinded to spiritual truth 2 Cor. 4:4
6. is energized by Satan John 8:44
The doctrine of total depravity is important, for when it is properly understood, it proves that salvation is totally of God’s grace. Those who reject this doctrine and teach that the human will is the sole determining factor between who is and who is not saved have abandoned the biblical doctrine of salvation. The Protestant Reformer Martin Luther points out that once man contributes something of his own to salvation, even one little act of the human will, grace is no longer grace. He writes: “Granted that your friends assign to ‘free will as little as possible,’ nevertheless they teach us that by that little we can attain righteousness and grace; and they solve the problem as to why God justifies one and abandons another simply by presupposing ‘free-will,’ and saying: ‘the one endeavored and the other did not; and God regards the one for his endeavor and despises the other; and He would be unjust were He to do anything else! They [the guardians of ‘free will’] do not believe that He intercedes before God and obtains grace for them by His blood, and ‘grace’ (as is here said) ‘for grace’. And as they believe, so it is unto them. Christ is in truth an inexorable judge to them, and deservedly so; for they abandon Him in His office as a Mediator and kindest Savior, and account His blood and grace as of less worth than the efforts and endeavors of ‘free-will’!”
The fact that man is inherently corrupt or totally depraved explains why the Bible teaches that spiritual goodness can only be founded upon faith in the God of Scripture. The author of Hebrews says that “without faith it is impossible to please Him” (11:6). Paul says, “Whatever is not from faith is sin” (Rom. 14:23). Unbelievers cannot do anything that is well pleasing to God simply because they do not have faith in God or His Word. They continually suppress the truth about God in order to serve their own sinful lusts (Rom. 1:18-32). Because everything the unbeliever does is rooted in their wicked heart and actuated by corrupt principles Solomon can say that even “the plowing of the wicked [is] sin” (Pr. 21:4).
Many believe that God has provided forgiveness in Christ and now is waiting for men to exercise their free will to cooperate with grace and appropriate the redemption provided. It is as though there is a pot of gold sitting there waiting for man to discover it. The idea that Jesus can or will save only those men who of their own “free will” are willing to accept Him completely contradicts what the Bible says about the effect of total depravity upon the human race. As already enumerated, men are dead spiritually (Eph. 2:1-5), hate the truth, hate Jesus Christ (Jn. 3:19-21), are at enmity with God (Rom. 8:7-8), dwell in darkness (Jn. 1:4-5), have a heart of stone (Ezek. 11:19), are helpless (Ezek. 16:4-6; Rom. 5:6), cannot repent (Jer. 13:23), are slaves of Satan (Acts 26:17-18), cannot see or comprehend divine truth (1 Cor. 2:14), and cannot come to Christ unless they are compelled to do so by God (Jn. 6:44, 65). This teaching is offensive to the natural man and is rejected by most churches today; but it is unavoidable unless one is willing to abandon or completely twist the Word of God.
Election stands or falls with the doctrines of God's sovereignty and man's depravity. If God is sovereign and man is depraved, then it follows as a natural consequence that some will be saved, none will be saved or, all will be saved. The practical results of election are that some, yes many, will be saved. Election is not a plan to save a mere handful of people. Christ gave Himself a ransom for many. (Mt 20:28 Rev. 5:9) God's sovereignty involves His pleasure, (John 5:21; Mt 11:25-27) His power, (Job 23:13; Jeremiah 32:17; Matthew 19:26) and His mercy (Romans 9:18).
Now we can look at the doctrine of election with a greater understanding of what it is and a greater appreciation of Who did the work and Who it is that will receive ALL the glory.
III. The Doctrine of Election, a Truth Revealed in Scripture:
"The reason why any one believes in election is, that he finds it in the Bible. No man could ever imagine such a doctrine—for it is, in itself, contrary to the thinking and the wishes of the human heart. Every one, at first, opposes the doctrine, and it is only after many struggles, under the working of the Spirit of God, that we are made to receive it. A perfect acquiescence in this doctrine—an absolute lying still, in adoring wonder, at the footstool of God’s sovereignty, is the last attainment of the sanctified soul in this life, as it is the beginning of Heaven. The reason why any one believes in election is just this, and only this, that God has made it known. Had the Bible been a counterfeit it never could have contained the doctrine of election, for men are too averse to such a thought to give it expression, much more to give it prominence." G. S. Bishop
Definition of the Term Election:
Election GR. eklektos NT:1588 lit. signifies "picked out, chosen" (ek, "from," lego, "to gather, pick out"), and is used of (a) Christ, the "chosen" of God, as the Messiah, Luke 23:35 (for the verb in 9:35 see Note below), and metaphorically as a "living Stone," "a chief corner Stone," 1 Peter 2:4,6; some mss. have it in John 1:34, instead of huios, "Son"; (b) angels, 1 Tim 5:21, as "chosen" to be of especially high rank in administrative association with God, or as His messengers to human beings, doubtless in contrast to fallen angels (see 2 Peter 2:4 and Jude 6); (c) believers (Jews or Gentiles), Matt 24:22,24,31; Mark 13:20,22,27; Luke 18:7; Rom 8:33; Col 3:12; 2 Tim 2:10; Titus 1:1; 1 Peter 1:1; 2:9 (as a spiritual race); Matt 20:16; 22:14 and Rev 17:14, "chosen"; individual believers are so mentioned in Rom 16:13; 2 John 1,13.
Believers were "chosen" "before the foundation of the world" (cf. "before times eternal," 2 Tim 1:9), in Christ, Eph 1:4, to adoption, Eph 1:5; good works, 2:10; conformity to Christ, Rom 8:29; salvation from the delusions of the Antichrist and the doom of the deluded, 2 Thess 2:13; eternal glory, Rom 9:23.
The source of their "election" is God's grace, not human will, Eph 1:4,5; Rom 9:11; 11:5. They are given by God the Father to Christ as the fruit of His death, all being foreknown and foreseen by God, John 17:6 and Rom 8:29. While Christ's death was sufficient for all men, and is effective in the case of the "elect," yet men are treated as responsible, being capable of the will and power to choose. For the rendering "being chosen as firstfruits," an alternative reading in 2 Thess 2:13, Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright (c)1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers
First let us address a false notion held by many. Election does not prevent the salvation of anybody who wants to be saved. But the distinction needs to be made between a mere desire to escape hell and the desire to be saved from sin. The desire to be saved from hell is a natural desire nobody wants to burn. The desire to be saved from sin is a spiritual desire resulting from the convicting work of the Holy Spirit (John 14:7-11), and God's electing grace is the source of this desire. To represent election by saying that God has spread the Gospel feast, and a man comes to the table hungering for the bread of life; but God says "No, this is not for you, you are not one of my elect", is to misrepresent the doctrine. Here is the truth--God has spread the feast but the fact is nobody wants to come to the table. "And they all alike began to make excuses". God knew just how fallen nature would act, and He did not take any chance on His table being filled, so, He tells His servant to go out and compel them to come. (Luke 14:23) Were it not for the redemptive work of Christ there would be no Gospel feast; were it not for the compeling work of God (John 6:44) there would be no guests at the table. A mere invitation brings nobody to the table.
Second, election is an act of God. True there comes a day when each of the elect chooses God for his absolute Lord and supreme good, but this is the effect and in no sense the cause of the former. Our choosing of Him is in time, His choosing of us was before time began; and certain it is that unless He had first chosen us, we would never choose Him at all. God, who is a sovereign being, does whatsoever He pleases both in heaven and in earth, having an absolute right to do as He will with His own creatures, and therefore He chose a certain number of human beings to be His people, His children, His peculiar treasure. Having done this, it is called "His choice" (1 Thes. 1:4), for He is the efficient cause of it; and the persons chosen are denominated "His elect" (Luke 18:7; cf. Rom. 8:33).
This choice of God’s is an absolute one, being entirely gratuitous, depending on nothing whatever outside of Himself. God elected the ones He did simply because He chose to do so: from no good, merit, or attraction in the creature, and from no foreseen merit or attraction to be in the creature. God is absolutely self-sufficient, and therefore He never goes outside of Himself to find a reason for anything that He does. He cannot be compelled by that which He created. He is the One who compels them, as He alone is the One who gave them existence. "In Him we live, and are moved, and exist." (Acts 17:28) It was, then, simply out of the spontaneous goodness of His own volition that God singled out from the mass of those He purposed to create a people who should show forth His praises for all eternity, to the glory of His sovereign grace forever and ever. (Eph. 1:6, 12, 14, 2:7)
This choice of God’s is an unchangeable one. Necessarily so, for it is not founded upon anything in the creature, or grounded upon anything outside of Himself. It is before everything. God does not decree because He foreknows, but He foreknows because He has infallibly and irrevocably fixed it—otherwise He would merely guess it. But since He foreknows it, then He does not guess—it is certain; and if certain, then He must have fixed it. Election being the act of God, it is forever, for whatever He does in a way of special grace, is irreversible and unalterable. Men may choose some to be their favorites and friends for a while, and then change their minds and choose others in their room. But God does not act such a part: He is of one mind, and none can turn Him; His purpose according to election stands firm, sure, unalterable (Rom. 9:11; 2 Tim 2:19).
It was to this that the Lord Jesus referred in His high priestly prayer, when He said to the Father "I have manifested Thy name to the men which Thou gayest me out of the world: Thine they were, and Thou gavest them me" (John 17:6). He was alluding to the whole election of grace. They were the objects of the Father’s delight: His jewels, His portion; and in Christ’s eyes they were what the Father beheld them to be. How highly, then, did the Father esteem the Mediator, or He would never have bestowed His elect on Him and committed them all to His care and management! And how highly did Christ value this love-gift of the Father’s, or He would not have undertaken their salvation at such tremendous cost to Himself! Now the giving of the elect to Christ was a different act, a distinct act from that of their election. The elect were first the Father’s by election, who singled out the persons; and then He bestowed them upon Christ as His love-gift: "Yours they were [by election] and you gave them to me"—in the same way that grace is said to be given us in Christ Jesus before the world began (2 Tim. 1:9).
A. The Nature of the Doctrine:
Principles of Election
Five main features of election deserve attention.
(1) Election is a sovereign, eternal decree of God. The elect have been "predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will" (Eph. 1:11). God chose us in Christ "before the creation of the world" (Eph. 1:4). God's sovereign decree is not arbitrary; "in love he predestined us... in accordance with his pleasure and will" (Eph. 1:5; cf. Rom. 8:29).
(2) The presupposition of God's eternal decree of election is that the human race is fallen; election involves God's gracious rescue plan. It is not based on human works or God's foreknowledge of works (Rom. 9:11). The elect are chosen "to be holy and blameless in his sight"; they are "adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ" (Eph. 1:4 - 5). Hence election leads to "redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins" (Eph. 1:7). The same perspective is evident in Romans, for those whom "God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son" (8:29). The presupposition is that they are fallen, and hence God's predestination (This refers to God predetermining an individuals destiny before they are born. By definition it means to “mark out a boundary beforehand”, whereas the term election means to select out from a group) includes calling, justification, and glorification.
(3) Election involves both the elect's salvation and the means to that end. This is already evident in the repeated references to election in Christ, but it is made even more specific. God chose the elect "to be holy and blameless in his sight, . . . to be adopted as his sons" (Eph. 1:4 - 5); the elect are those whom God "foreknew. . . predestined. . . called. . . justified. . . glorified" (Rom. 8:29 - 30). God chose the elect "to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth" (2 Thess. 2:13). Therefore the preaching of the gospel is indispensable in effecting God's election (Rom. 10:14 -17; cf. Acts 18:9 -11). The salvation of the elect has its decretive origin before time, is realized through means in history, and culminates in eternal glorification.
(4) Election (as well as reprobation) is individual, personal, specific, particular. Ephesians refers repeatedly to "us" and "we" in connection with election (1:4 - 5, 12). In Romans, Paul refers to "those" whom God foreknew, predestined, called, justified, and glorified (8:29 - 30). The Westminster Confession expresses this even more emphatically when it refers to the predestined as "particularly and unchangeably designed, and their number so certain and definite that it cannot be either increased or diminished" (III.4). The Reformed view took the above Scripture references seriously as well as the comforting assurance that nothing "shall separate us from the love of Christ" and that "in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us" (Rom. 8:35 - 39). Particular, personal election leads to the believer's comfort and does not promote carelessness or false confidence.
(5) Finally, the ultimate goal of election is the glory and praise of God. Election to salvation involves personal privilege, blessing, security, and comfort for the elect. But Scripture makes clear that it is "to the praise of his glorious grace" that everything leads (Eph. 1:6). The elect have been chosen and predestined "in order that we. . . might be for the praise of his glory" (Eph. 1:12). God's goal is "to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ" (Eph. 1:10; cf. 1 Pet. 1:1; 2:9; Matt. 13:27 - 30; 24:31). When Paul finished his long discussion of election in Romans, he concluded with a doxology (Rom. 11:33 - 36). The Westminster Confession concludes its discussion of God's eternal decree and predestination with similar words: "So shall this doctrine afford matter of praise, reverence, and admiration of God; and of humility, diligence, and abundant consolation to those that sincerely obey the Gospel" (III.8). Adapted from Elwell Evangelical Dictionary article by F. H. Klooster
“A vexing problem with predestination is that God does not choose or elect to save everybody. He reserves the right to have mercy upon whom He will have mercy. Some of fallen humanity receive the grace and mercy of election. The rest God passes over, leaving them in their sin. The non-elect receive justice. The elect receive mercy. No one receives injustice. God is not obligated to be merciful to any or to all alike. It is His decision how merciful He chooses to be. Yet He is never guilty of being unrighteous toward anyone (see Romans 9:14-15).” 4
God does not save us because we believe---He saves us because in eternity past He chose us to be His own. And so we believe because we are chosen. See (John 10:22-30; Rom. 11:4–6; Eph. 1:3–6)
The Golden Chain of Our Redemption: Romans 8:29-30 (33)
The presupposition of God's eternal decree of election is that the human race is fallen; election involves God's gracious rescue plan. It is not based on human works or God's foreknowledge of works (Rom. 9:11). The elect are chosen "to be holy and blameless in his sight"; they are "adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ" (Eph. 1:4 - 5). Hence election leads to "redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins" (Eph. 1:7). The same perspective is evident in Romans, for those whom "God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son" (8:29). The presupposition is that they are fallen, and hence God's predestination includes knowing, calling, justifying, and glorifying.
IN ETERNITY PAST:
A. He knew us. GR. proginosko NT:4267, "to know beforehand," is used (a) of the divine "foreknowledge" concerning believers, Rom 8:29; Israel, 11:2; Christ as the Lamb of God, 1 Peter 1:20, RV, "foreknown" (KJV, "foreordained"); (b) of human previous "knowledge," of a person, Acts 26:5, RV, "having knowledge of" (KJV, "which knew"); of facts, 2 Peter 3:17. Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright (c)1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers
First of all, God foreknew us in eternity past. This was not a mere intellectual knowledge. As far as knowledge is concerned, He knew everyone who would ever be born. But His foreknowledge embraced only those whom He foreordained or predestined to be conformed ... to the image of His Son. So it was knowledge with a purpose that could never be frustrated. It is not enough to say that God foreknew those whom He realized would one day repent and believe. Actually it is His foreknowledge that insures eventual repentance and belief.
That ungodly sinners should one day be transformed into the image of Christ by a miracle of grace is one of the most astounding truths of divine revelation. The point is not, of course, that we will ever have the attributes of deity, or even that we will have Christ’s facial resemblance, but that we will be morally like Him, absolutely free from sin, and will have glorified bodies like His.
This knowledge refers to a relational knowledge. A knowledge that as been said, has intent and purpose. It is a knowledge that knows intimately and completely.
B. He chose us. GR. eklektos NT:1588 lit. signifies "picked out, chosen" (ek, "from," lego, "to gather, pick out"), and is used of (a) Christ, the "chosen" of God, as the Messiah, Luke 23:35 (for the verb in 9:35 see Note below), and metaphorically as a "living Stone," "a chief corner Stone," 1 Peter 2:4,6; some mss. have it in John 1:34, instead of huios, "Son"; (b) angels, 1 Tim 5:21, as "chosen" to be of especially high rank in administrative association with God, or as His messengers to human beings, doubtless in contrast to fallen angels (see 2 Peter 2:4 and Jude 6); (c) believers (Jews or Gentiles), Matt 24:22,24,31; Mark 13:20,22,27; Luke 18:7; Rom 8:33; Col 3:12; 2 Tim 2:10; Titus 1:1; 1 Peter 1:1; 2:9 (as a spiritual race); Matt 20:16; 22:14 and Rev 17:14, "chosen"; individual believers are so mentioned in Rom 16:13; 2 John 1,13.
Believers were "chosen" "before the foundation of the world" (cf. "before times eternal," 2 Tim 1:9), in Christ, Eph 1:4, to adoption, Eph 1:5; good works, 2:10; conformity to Christ, Rom 8:29; salvation from the delusions of the Antichrist and the doom of the deluded, 2 Thess 2:13; eternal glory, Rom 9:23.
The source of their "election" is God's grace, not human will, Eph 1:4,5; Rom 9:11; 11:5. They are given by God the Father to Christ as the fruit of His death, all being foreknown and foreseen by God, John 17:6 and Rom 8:29. While Christ's death was sufficient for all men, and is effective in the case of the "elect," yet men are treated as responsible, being capable of the will and power to choose. For the rendering "being chosen as firstfruits," an alternative reading in 2 Thess 2:13, Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright (c)1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers
Much contemporary evangelism gives the impression that salvation is predicated on a person’s decision for Christ. But we are not Christians first of all because of what we decided about Christ but because of what God decided about us before the foundation of the world. We were able to choose Him only because He had first chosen us, “according to the kind intention of His will.” Paul expresses the same truth a few verses later when he says, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him” (Eph. 1:7–9, emphasis added). He then says that “we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will” (v. 11). 5
C. He predestined us. From foreknowledge, which looks at the beginning of God’s purpose in His act of choosing, God’s plan of redemption moves to His predestination, which looks at the end of God’s purpose in His act of choosing. Proorizō (predestined) means literally to mark out, appoint, or determine beforehand. The Lord has predetermined the destiny of every person who will believe in Him. Just as Jesus was crucified “by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God” (Acts 2:23), so God also has predestined every believer to salvation through the means of that atoning sacrifice. 6
We must stop here and realize that Christ’s atoning death did not provide a potential salvation for all, but provided an actual salvation for some, His chosen ones. To say that Christ’s death on the cross can save everyone but doesn’t presents an inescapable problem. It is to say that Christ died for a person but that person still went to hell. So, was Christ’s death efficacious or not? Was Christ’s death a true atonement for the sins of everyone yet not everyone is saved. Or did Christ die specifically and particularly for those whom the Father chose in eternity past who are His from the Father’s hand? John 6:37
IN TIME, THE PRESENT:
D. He called us. GR. kaleo NT:2564, derived from the root kal--, whence Eng. "call" and "clamor" (see B and C, below), is used (a) with a personal object, "to call anyone, invite, summon," e. g., Matt 20:8; 25:14; it is used particularly of the divine call to partake of the blessings of redemption, e. g., Rom 8:30; 1 Cor 1:9; 1 Thess 2:12; Heb 9:15; cf. B and C, below; (b) of nomenclature or vocation, "to call by a name, to name"; in the passive voice, "to be called by a name, to bear a name." Thus it suggests either vocation or destination; the context determines which, e. g., Rom 9:25-26; "surname," in Acts 15:37, KJV, is incorrect (RV, "was called"). Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright (c)1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers
“God did not simply decree to save sinners without determining the means to effectuate the decree. The means leading to the predetermined end were also decreed (Acts 2:23; Eph. 2:8; 1 Pet. 1:2). The absolute character of the decree follows from its eternity, its immutability, and its exclusive dependence on the good pleasure of God.” Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology pg. 105
In God’s divine plan of redemption, predestination leads to calling. Although God’s calling is also completely by His initiative, it is here that His eternal plan directly intersects our lives in time. Those who are called are those in whose hearts the Holy Spirit works to lead them to saving faith in Christ.
As noted under the discussion of verse 28, Paul is speaking in this passage about God’s inward call, not the outward call that comes from the proclamation of the gospel. The outward call is essential, because “How shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard?” (Rom. 10:14), but that outward call cannot be responded to in faith apart from God’s already having inwardly called the person through His Spirit.
Theologians referred to these two separate calls as, the general call-which goes out through the proclamation of the gospel to ALL nations. It is general in that it goes out to ALL. Also the effectual call-which is the inward call of God’s elect to salvation. It is call “effectual” in that it will bring about the result for which it was sent.
The Lord’s sovereign calling of believers gives still further confirmation that we are eternally secure in Christ. We were saved because God “called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity” (2 Tim. 1:9). Emphasizing the same truths of the Lord’s sovereign purpose in His calling of believers, Paul assured the Thessalonians that “God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. And it was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thess. 2:13–14). From beginning to end, our salvation is God’s work, not our own. Consequently, we cannot humanly undo what He has divinely done. That is the basis of our security. 7
E. He justified us. As regards its nature, it is the judicial act of God, by which he pardons all the sins of those who believe in Christ, and accounts, accepts, and treats them as righteous in the eye of the law, i.e., as conformed to all its demands. In addition to the pardon (q.v.) of sin, justification declares that all the claims of the law are satisfied in respect of the justified. It is the act of a judge and not of a sovereign. The law is not relaxed or set aside, but is declared to be fulfilled in the strictest sense; and so the person justified is declared to be entitled to all the advantages and rewards arising from perfect obedience to the law (Rom. 5:1-10).
It proceeds on the imputing or crediting to the believer by God himself of the perfect righteousness, active and passive, of his Representative and Surety, Jesus Christ (Rom. 10:3-9). Justification is not the forgiveness of a man without righteousness, but a declaration that he possesses a righteousness which perfectly and for ever satisfies the law, namely, Christ’s righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21; Rom. 4:6-8).
IN ETERNITY FUTURE:
F. He will glorify us (with Christ)
As with foreknowledge, predestination, calling, and justification, glorification is inseparable from the other elements and is exclusively a work of God.
In saying that those whom He justified, these He also glorified, Paul again emphasizes the believer’s eternal security. As noted above, no one whom God foreknows will fail to be predestined, called, justified, and ultimately glorified. As believers, we know with absolute certainty that awaiting us is “an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison” (2 Cor. 4:17).
Ultimate glory has been a recurring theme throughout Paul’s epistle to the Romans. In 5:2 he wrote, “We exult in hope of the glory of God.” In 8:18 he said, “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” He anticipated that marvelous day when “creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God” (8:21).
To the Thessalonians Paul wrote that our ultimate glorification is the very purpose for which we are redeemed: “It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thess. 2:14).
This promise of final glory was no uncertain hope as far as Paul was concerned. By putting the phrase these He also glorified in the past tense, the apostle demonstrated his own conviction that everyone whom He justified is eternally secure. Those who “obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus [receive] with it eternal glory” (2 Tim. 2:10). That is God’s own guarantee.
IV. If God Has Chosen, Then Why Should We Evangelize?
Much contemporary evangelism gives the impression that salvation is predicated on a person’s decision for Christ. But we are not Christians first of all because of what we decided about Christ but because of what God decided about us before the foundation of the world. We were able to choose Him only because He had first chosen us, “according to the kind intention of His will.” Paul expresses the same truth a few verses later when he says, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him” (Eph. 1:7–9, emphasis added). He then says that “we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will” (v. 11). 8
A large problem with contemporary evangelism is that it is based upon sympathy for the lost rather than obedience to God's command. (Matthew 28:19-20) Evangelism and missions is made to rest upon the practical results of the missionary endeavor rather than upon the delight of doing God's will. It is the principle of doing a thing because the results are satisfactory to us. This is NOT Biblical.
The real issue is our faithfulness. God is as pleased with our efforts even when there appears to us to be no results. Consider 2Co 2:15,16. The elect prior to their conversion are known only to God. This matter of election is NOT to be used in the evangelistic endeavor but is to be remembered as we evangelize so as to prevent the use of unbiblical methods and to encourage our hearts when there seems to be no results. We are to preach the gospel to every creature because He has commanded it. He will take care of the results. Compare with: Isaiah 55:11 1Co 3:5,6 John 6:37-45 The fact of election gives us hope in the evangelistic effort. A hope for the salvation of lost loved ones, friends, and neighbors. But this hope is never to be in methods or techniques, but only in God who chooses, calls, justifies, and glorifies.
“The most crucial issue in missions is the centrality of God in the life of the church. Where people are not stunned by the greatness of God, how can they be sent with the ringing message, “Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods!” (Psalms 96:4)? Missions is not first and ultimate, God is.”
“Where passion for God is weak, zeal for missions will be weak. Churches that are not centered on the exaltation of the majesty and beauty of God will scarcely kindle a fervent desire to “declare His glory among the nations” (Psalm 96:3) John Piper, Let The Nations Be Glad
Evangelism is……
1. A Command to obey- Matthew 28:19-20
2. A Privilege to enjoy- Romans 10:14-17
3. Ordained by God as the means by which He will call His children to Himself (Not only the WHO but the HOW of our salvation)- Romans 1:16-17; 10:8-17; 1 Cor. 1:21
The ground of this election to salvation is the good pleasure of God (Eph. 1:5, 11; Matt. 11:25, 26; John 15:16, 19). God claims the right so to do (Rom. 9:16, 21).
It is not conditioned on faith or repentance, but is of sovereign grace (Rom. 11:4–6; Eph. 1:3–6). All that pertain to salvation, the means (Eph. 2:8; 2 Thess. 2:13) as well as the end, are of God (Acts 5:31; 2 Tim. 2:25; 1 Cor. 1:30; Eph. 2:5, 10). Faith and repentance and all other graces are the exercises of a regenerated soul; and regeneration is God’s work, a “new creature.” 9
“God has not left His Great Commission to the uncertainties of the human will. The Lord said from the beginning, ‘I will build my church’ (Matthew 16:18) World missions is supremely the work of the risen Lord.” John Piper, Let The Nations Be Glad
God does not save us because we believe---He saves us because in eternity past He chose us to be His own. And so we believe because we are chosen. See (John 10:22-30; Rom. 11:4–6; Eph. 1:3–6)
Sola Deo Gloria
Recommended Reading:
The Bible
The Bondage of the Will, Martin Luther
The Freedom of the Will, Jonathan Edwards
Chosen by God, R. C. Sproul
The Gospel According to Jesus, John MacArthur
Commentary on Ephesians, John MacArthur
Commentary on Romans (2 Volumes) John MacArthur
Let the Nations be Glad, John Piper
The Pleasures of God, John Piper
Evangelism And The Sovereignty Of God, J. I. Packer
The Sovereignty of God, A. W. Pink
Predestination and Free Will, Four Views of Divine Sovereignty and Human Freedom, by John Feinberg, Norm Geisler, Bruce Reichenbach, and Clark Pinnock
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Footnotes:
1 Sproul, R. C.: Chosen by God. Wheaton, Ill. : Tyndale House Publishers, 1996, c1986
2 Sproul, R. C.: Chosen by God. Wheaton, Ill. : Tyndale House Publishers, 1996, c1986
3 MacArthur, John, F., Jr ; Mack, Wayne A. ; Master's College: Introduction to Biblical Counseling : Basic Guide to the Principles and Practice of Counseling. Electronic ed. Dallas, TX : Word Pub., 1997, c1994, S. 102
4 Sproul, R. C.: Essential Truths of the Christian Faith. Wheaton, Ill. : Tyndale House, 1996, c1992
5 MacArthur, John: Romans. Chicago : Moody Press, 1996, c1991, c1994, S. 497
6 MacArthur, John: Romans. Chicago : Moody Press, 1996, c1991, c1994, S. 497
7 MacArthur, John: Romans. Chicago : Moody Press, 1996, c1991, c1994, S. 498
8 MacArthur, John: Romans. Chicago : Moody Press, 1996, c1991, c1994, S. 497
9 Easton, M.G.: Illustrated Bible Dictionary. electronic edition of the 3rd edition. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1897; Published in electronic form by Logos Research Systems, 1996
