Election or Free Will? You choose!!!

Catchy title, eh? Well, there is much heated debate these days between well-known theologians as to what the Bible really says about the doctrine of salvation. I'm sure somewhere it has split a church, broken friendships and just plain wreaked havoc among strong believers. Having been raised in an Arminian American Baptist church most of my life I never questioned this particular doctrine. I just believed what I was taught, end of story. Well, it was that way for everything when it came to Biblical knowledge! I pretty much didn't have any!

My husband began to question the teachings about soteriology and many of the practices of todays seeker friendly, contemporary church. We began to grow weary of the pragmatic way in which the mainstream churches were operating to "draw" people in. They were more focused on that than feeding and maturing their own believers, which is what the church is supposed to be doing. Church isn't for the unbeliever.

The more my husband read the more he was convinced that the doctrine of salvation had nothing to do with us but rather completely the work of our Sovereign God. I, too, began to study and discovered a wonderful truth that has changed the way I see God. As you will read in the passages listed below, we don't have free will to choose or not to choose God. I can't find that anywhere in Scripture! How can He be Sovereign if we have free will? He can't! We make Him into a weak, pitiful God who has no say in the matter of who enters His heaven and who doesn't. It makes Him seem as if He just stands at our hearts door knocking and begging us to let Him in. That's not a Sovereign, ommipotent God!! He does everything for His good pleasure, including electing who will be saved. That's completely His choice and we have nothing to do with it.
Philippians 2:13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

Being chosen by God to be one of His own, before the foundations of the world, when we deserve nothing from God but wrath is a humbling thought! He is Sovereign and that includes choosing who will be saved and who won't. That still means that I am to take the Gospel to the world and share it with lost people however, God is the one Who is ultimately responsible for saving people. I am only a vessel He uses. It also means that I don't need to worry about who gets saved and who doesn't, which takes a huge burden off me. I know that God already knows who He has chosen so I can rest in His decision to be right, true, holy and just. That's what it means to be GOD. He has that right. Who am I to question who God saves and who He doesn't. I am the creature, not the creator. What thing ever created got to chose what it did? It's the creators choice to do as he pleases with what He creates. God does everything because He chooses to. He does not have to wait on us, get our permission, our opinion or our help. See for yourself.

1 Corinthians 12:18 But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired.

Matt 24:31 "And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

Eph 4:1 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,

Romans 9:11-16 "for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God's purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls,it was said to her, "THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER." Just as it is written, "JACOB I LOVED, BUT ESAU I HATED." What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be!For He says to Moses, "I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION." So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.

2 Thessalonians 2:13 But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.

Romans 8:29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;

Romans 9:23 And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory,

2 Peter 1:10 Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble;

Ephesians 1:4,5,6 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

Mark 13:20 "Unless the Lord had shortened those days, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom He chose, He shortened the days.

Colossians 3:12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;

Luke 18:7 now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them?

Romans 11:7 What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened;

2 Thessalonians 2:13 But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.

2 Timothy 2:10 For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory.

1 Peter 2:9 But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

Titus 1:1 Paul, a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness,

Revelation 17:14 "These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful."

Matthew 22:14 "For many are called, but few are chosen."

Romans 8:29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;

Romans 8:30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

Ephesians 1:5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,

Ephesians 1:11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,

John 15:16 "You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.

Matthew 16:18 "I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.

I don't know about you but I don't see anywhere in these verses that says we have the free will to chose God. Do you? If so, I'd be interested to know how you came to that end.

The first part of Romans is replete with verses about how despicable man is, incapable of any good, none who seeks God, etc., etc., etc! We cannot be saved unless God grants us the grace to receive His salvation. Our eyes must be opened and our hearts illuminated by His Spirit. The road to Heaven is narrow and few will enter. Matt 7:14 "For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it". That is a sobering thought! There are many today who would say, "Sure I'm a Christian!" but all you have to do is look at their life and it won't take long to figure out that what they profess is not what they live. Matt 7:20-21 So then, you will know them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter." Too many people rely on that fact that they "prayed a prayer" and now they have assurance of salvation. There is SO much more to it than that! God has chosen some for honor and some for destruction. HE chose, not us and not everyone is chosen. Doesn't that explain why there are some people who no matter how long you have witnessed to them they never come to faith in Christ? They may be among those who have not been granted salvation by God and no matter how much you say to them, they will never have saving faith.

Are you saying right now, "well, that's not fair!" Why would God choose some and not others? He does all things for His good pleasure!!! Eph 1:5 "He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will". Who are we to question His sovereignty or choosing? It is only by God's kind intention that we take our next breath!! God is Sovereign over ALL things in this world and nothing happens to us apart from His perfect will and design, including our salvation. That brings such peace to my heart knowing that everything that happens to me is part of God's plan to perfect, grow and sanctify me no matter how bad something seems, God planned it and that's enough for me to rest in. Why would He be sovereign over everything but the salvation of man? The fact is, His Word is clear that He in fact is sovereign over all things and He does choose who will be saved and who won't. I cannot find anything contrary to that in Scripture and it makes sense that He chose me because apart from the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit, I am incapable of doing good, seeking God or desiring to be like Him. It is all His work in me and praise God that I am part of the "few" that will enter through the narrow gate! I give God all the glory and take no credit for my salvation.

So, to sum it all up, this isn't an issue worth fighting over or leaving a church. It just changes the way you view God. He is Sovereign or His isn't! That's really what you are "choosing" to believe, not whether to be saved or not because God is the One who reserves that right.

I welcome your comments or questions!

For Christ and His kingdom,
Bronni