UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION

Now we start into the study of the 2^nd point of the Calvinism.

This 2^nd point of grace (Calvinism) is referred to as unconditional election. It is remembered by the letter "U" in the title - which is the 2^nd letter of the word TULIP which we use to help remember the titles of each point.

This point is defined in several different confessions of faith of both Baptist and Protestants in almost identical terms. Some of these confessions of faith are:

(A) The Baptist confession of faith of 1689

(b) The Westminister confession of faith

(C) The 39 articles of faith of the Church of England

(D) The Heidelburg Confession of faith

(E) The Belgic confession of faith

(F) The Canon of Dort - which is what we studied earlier where Calvinism came from.

This is the official definition of all these confessions:

UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION:

Those of mankind who are predestinated unto life, God, before the foundation of the world was laid, according to HIS eternal and immutable Purpose, and the secret counsel and good pleasure of HIS will, hath chosen in Christ to everlasting glory, out of His mere free grace and love, without any other thing in the creature as a condition or cause moving him there unto.

Remember the Arminian looks on foreknowledge as being based upon the positive act of man's will (man saying yes to God's invitation) as the condition - or cause that moved God to elect him to salvation.

All the great Baptist confessions of faith - in agreement with Protestant reformers - declare that election is unconditional. It must be noted that at the time of the reformation the churches that sprang up out of that separation from Rome were quite sound in many important doctrines. Even the Church of England stood for many correct doctrines such as we are discussing. None of course believed in the church as we do - and that I believe is why each one of those churches that started out so strong after the reformation have all dwindled away into heresy. Why? Because they were not of Jesus Christ and therefore do not have the promise of God his blessings of perpetuity.

By God's foreknowledge it is understood to mean that God based His foreknowledge on His decree , plan, or purpose, what He knew what He was going to do from as far back in eternity is He Himself has existed - always. Foreknowledge - which is the expression of His will - not on some foreseen act - or positive volition on the part of man - such as man agreeing to accept Jesus as Savior.

I don't know how much experience any of you have had in witnessing or discussing in any way, the Bible with people . But the Arminian does believe this - and to an unlearned person it is hard to refute - that the reason God chooses - or elects people to salvation and still able to say the individual is the one who made the choice - is - they say that - God knows everything - so in past eternity He knew what everyone would do including who would accept Jesus as Savior and who wouldn't. So - God knowing that a certain person would become a Christian - accept Jesus and be born again - so - God elected that person to be saved in his lifetime on that knowledge - that the person was going to accept Christ anyway. Sounds good doesn't it? Maybe to the unlearned, intellectual mind - But it is not scriptural. As pointed out - it still leaves the choice up to the individual - and that is where the error is, and many more that follow it, originates from that error.

So to prove that let's turn to scripture to prove whether foreknowledge is based on the foreseen will & purpose of what man will do - OR - upon the will & purpose of God without any consideration of what man was going to do. Lets read:

ROMANS 8:28-29 -- We know that all things worked together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to HIS purpose, for whom He foreknew, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son;, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren, moreover whom He did predestinate, them He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified.

No mention of man being consulted here. In fact it is clear that all decisions were made according to God's own purpose and design.

Election - it is plain - is based on God's divine plan - so then it must also be founded upon the purpose of God, not upon the works of the elect. Let's go to:

ROMANS 9:11 -- For the children being not yet born, neither having done either good or evil, that the purpose of God might stand according to election, not of works, but of Him that calleth - it is written, 'Jacob have I loved, and Esau have I hated.'

Note different things here:

(A) God's hatred was of Esau the man         - and also -

(B) This hatred did not come about because of Esau's sin.

As Paul pointed out - God hated Esau before he was born and had not as yet committed any sin. Therefore it was Esau himself God hated - not his works only. It is a shame that even among many Baptist preachers they will not admit God hates the sinner as well as his sins. If God loves us He loves us from eternity past through eternity future - in other words - always. If He hates us He hates us from eternity past through eternity future - in other words - always. God never changes. He does not start love/hate  because of events. Love or hate was there in His purpose, in His foreknowledge and plans as things progressed from start to finish. Who God loves or who He hates are just as much in those plans as anything else.

In the scripture we just read Paul declares that the grounds of election was in God Himself. Which is the same as His will & purpose, and not some foreseen act of faith or some condition met - as the Arminians say. Election is unconditional - it must be for how can God put a condition there when man in his depravity - as we have already learned - can do nothing to merit (deserve) God's forgiveness, nor fulfil any conditions. Of course that is the problem - Arminians make the error of not believing in total depravity. And that error leads to many others.

The scriptures stress that God does not elect people to be saved because of some goodness - or greatness foreseen in them. On the contrary - God delights in using the weak, base, and useless in a way that guarantees that He alone will get the glory. Let's read:

1 CORINTHIANS 1:26-29 -- Seeing 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! God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty: and the base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nothing things which are: that no flesh should glory in His presence.

This verse puts things in their proper perspective. God does not choose many who are rich, noble or highly intelligent. Look around us. Who are the ones out to mock and ridicule God's people? And yes even destroy Christianity if they could. But they can't - why? Because God won't let them. God promised this protection to His Church and His people, that although we may suffer setbacks and individual death - His people as a whole will never be wiped out from off the face of the earth.. Take a second look. What class are the truly saved of the world. Quite a contrast. It is generally - but not always from the poor and unlearned class of people that God has put His elect. In 1 Timothy we read:  

TIMOTHY 1:9  -- God hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.

How one can read that and still believe that man's salvation is conditional upon man making the decision is beyond me. I have even read articles where the writer states that making a decision, or accepting Jesus is not a work!! How foolish!! Anything that one can boast about doing is a work and can be left out as a possibility of a grounds of being elected unto salvation. Just read Ephesians 2:8-9 again. Even faith must be a gift of God.

Again - Our calling (election) is not conditional on something man does for God such as agreeing to say yes to God's invitation to salvation - but only according to God's own purpose. Election - is beyond doubt unconditional as far as man's own works are concerned.

But the bluntest - clearest statement about who does the choosing is made my the lord Jesus Himself - Let's go to:

JOHN 15:16 -- Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you.

Who made the choice - and when was it made - and why was it Jesus' choice instead of our own? We have not chosen Jesus - why? Because in our depravity that we have learned of before - we are unable to. Unable to have a positive act or thought toward God - but only to Satan.

When was the choice made? According to Paul - away back in eternity before He had made so much as one single thing. Read that in:

EPHESIANS 1:4 -- According as He hath chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world.

These are all very clear - precise language - there can be no doubt to it's meaning - so let's believe what we read in scripture - not the Arminian abuse of scripture.

It is blasphemy for anyone to argue that man is capable, of his own free will, to make a decision for Christ. WHY? Because the Bible says other wise and for one to say one way other than what the Bible says makes the Bible a liar. This is hardly an act to gain God's favor or bless him for doing!!

Here is more scripture that is plain in it meaning:

John 6:44 -- No man can come to me except the Father draw him

Of course the question does arise - "doesn't Christ call everyone? And it is a question that I hope will be answered as we progress in this study.

Only those God saw fit to choose of His own free will - with no condition on their part - are given faith to believe unto salvation. Note what Luke says in:

ACTS 13:48 -- And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord; and as many as were ordained to eternal life, believed.

I think your answer to whether God calls everyone is make very plain in this verse before us.

The Lord Jesus insists that life & Faith are the works of God, not the work of man. He says in:

JOHN 6:29 -- This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom God hath sent

John 5:21 -- For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them: even so the Son quickeneth whom He will

I think that is very plain whose initiative it is that starts anyone on the path of salvation and everlasting life in heaven with God. God quickens us - which means to activate a new life in us.

In all fairness - an evangelist who says - "whosoever comes - will in no wise be cast out" - should include the proceeding words of Christ:

JOHN 6:37 -- All that the Father giveth me shall come to me.

If this statement is true - and of course it is - it is in the Bible - put there by men inspired by God to write it, then we must conclude that God does not call everyone since everyone does not come to Him. Either that or God made a promise He could not deliver on!! Do you want to make that accusation? I sure don't!!

But that is how the Arminians operate - leaving parts of scripture out, or changing the words about to say what they want it to say, or just plain ignoring scriptures that don't support their way of thinking. Is that the right - Christian thing to do?

Who is it that will not be cast out mentioned in what we just read? All who come to Jesus. Who then will come to Jesus? He says - all whom the Father giveth me.

The choice as to who will come to Christ lies with God. Not man.

A very good illustration of unconditional election was give by our Lord when He said to the leaders of Israel in:

LUKE 4:25-27 -- I tell you, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, but unto none of them was Elijah sent, save unto a widow of Zarepath, many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, save Naaman the Syrian.

Of course Jesus is referring to what happened as recorded in Isaiah 65:1

There was no condition in Naamon or the widow of Zarepaph one might describe as good. Yet God saw fit to act in free grace toward them. He bypasses those sticklers to the law - and through Grace( the influence of God working in us) brought salvation to those who would never have known Him other wise.

When Jesus spoke those words above - which in effect is unconditional election - there was that inevitable reaction to His statement. There was an explosion of hatred and disbelief on the part of His listeners. There always will be when you preach the cool water of God's word around the hot fires of Satan's people with all his lies and deception. Do you know what happens when you throw a bucket of water into a hot fire? Well brother, you are going to get a reaction. An explosion - a dangerous one. It all depends of course on the size of the fire - and how hot it is and the amount of water put unto the fire. But watch out if you ever do!!

A second thing we should note about what happens when water is put on a fire - that is that - either the water will snuff out the fire, or the fire will evaporate the water on contact.(that is what causes the explosion) One or the other, no question of that. The same thing happens when you bring the cool water of God's word in contact with un-regenarate people who only have the lies and falsehood (the fires of hell) to live by. And the result is a huge explosion of hatred against what they hear..

Read again what Jesus said. God choosing to act in Grace without some condition of good in the person. The explosion was that they tried to kill Jesus. Unre-generate man has not changed one iota. Rebellious, sullen, bitter, Unre-generate man hates any doctrine that will not give man at least part of the glory for him coming to know Christ. They like that little pat on the back and don't want to give it up!!

Another example: When Jesus had finished His discussion about the fact that He is the bread that come down from heaven - He finished with:

JOHN 6:65-66 -- Therefore said I unto you that no man can come to me unless it were given unto Him of My Father. From that time many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with Him.

What is it that caused these people to split with Jesus. The doctrine of depravity and election. A great way of weeding a lot of false followers from the church is just to mention either. I have an idea that is why God designed it thus.

Why the split?? Because Christ insisted that election is based on the will of God and not the will or capability of man. He smashed their ego-inflating notion that some condition of good existed in them that brought about their election.

If it were left up to man he COULD never - WOULD never believe. For man is too totally depraved - totally incapable - of being that which God demands of him - absolute perfection

.

JOHN 5:40 -- Ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life.

Left on his own to make a decision to be born again - saved - would be like asking a pig to decide to become a sheep - or a cow to become an elephant, even if in nature only. Do you think either would want to make that change, even if capable of making decisions? Of course not - they are geared up in every way including body style to fulfill the role they are already in - so no - even if they could decide themselves to change - they wouldn't want to become something they are not.

We humans have our own distinctive - sinful human nature - and we are no more interested than they in changing our nature to something we are not. Nor are we any more capable of making a decision to make such a move

--- UNLESS

God steps in and puts another nature in us - HIS OWN - even against what our own human nature wants. God's nature in us will then make us willing for that change. This new nature being put in us is what we call "being born again" and is what Jesus is talking about in JOHN 3:3 which tell us - "Ye must be born again".

We will close the study on this 2^nd point of Calvinism with this quote.

Tis not that I did choose Thee.

For, Lord, that could not be:

This heart would still refuse Thee,

Hadst Thou not chose me!

By: John Condor