u nconditional e lection five points in five weeks and why they matter week four
TRANSCRIPT
UNCONDITIONAL ELECTIONFive Points in Five Weeks and Why They Matter
Week Four
ARMINIAN OPTIONS ON ELECTIONNo Election
Conditional Election
NO ELECTION
Not really the Arminian position, but common today
Some Christians just duck the issue altogether and deny that God elects
But this is putting your head in the sand Election is mentioned repeatedly throughout
Scripture Honest believers can’t deny the Bible
teaches election, so to protect free will, they may believe…
CONDITIONAL ELECTION True Arminian position Acknowledges that God elects But on the CONDITION of
foreknowledge Romans 8:29
This inconsistent with overwhelming biblical evidence to the contrary And misses meaning of
“foreknowledge” in the verse It is to know in the intimate
sense, not just knowing what they’ll do
Reformed response: Since dead in trespasses (Eph
2:1) only come to Christ if Father draws them (Jn 6:44)
PROBLEMS WITH THE ARMINIAN VIEW
If God loves all the same, why does he not make a plan to save all?
Is our free will important enough for so many to die in sin?
If God only makes salvation available, he actually saves no one
And the difference in who is saved or not is due to a work
UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION
Clearly NOT Calvin’s starting point in the discussion
As we saw last week, Calvin develops the doctrine of providence first, then election much later as a specific incidence
If God is not Lord of election, then He is NOT over all
PROVIDENCE
Election
REMEMBER…
…Election is a subset of providence If God controls everything, then it is his to
intervene If he cannot control our wills, he is not provident
Man, having sinned and fallen, is justly doomed to die and perish apart from God
All persons deserve hell and want nothing else due to original sin For that would surrender autonomy
God himself must step in if ANY are to be saved
AUGUSTINE ON ELECTION
“The elect of God are chosen by Him to be His children, in order that they might be made to believe, not because He foresaw that they would believe.”
In doctrinal terms: Regeneration
precedes faith
CALVIN ON ELECTION
INTRODUCTION
Importance of the doctrine “We shall never be
clearly persuaded, as we ought to be, that our salvation flows from the wellspring of God’s free mercy until we come to know his eternal election”
Two wrong approaches Prideful diving into
the study without awe at entering “the sacred precincts of divine wisdom” We should not be
ashamed NOT to understand it fully
Duck the issue altogether
DEFINITIONS
Predestination: “God’s eternal decree,
by which he compacted with himself what he willed to become of each man.”
Both individual and the offspring (physical and spiritual) of Abraham
God’s grace is uneven showing it is free
Thus many seek to limit God’s freedom to protect our own
Election “As Scripture, then, clearly
shows, we say that God once established by his eternal and unchangeable plan those whom he long before determined once for all to receive into salvation, and those whom, on the other hand, he would devote to destruction.”
God chooses in eternity the fates Independent of anything
about that person or his/her works
BIBLICAL EVIDENCE Chosen in Christ before
creation (Eph 1:4-5; 2 Tim 1:9) Note: Goal is holiness, not
just salvation (and is result of election, not works)
Romans 9-11 Note Jacob and Esau (9:11-
13) Refutes foreknowledge Refutes works For God will have mercy on
whom he wills (9:15; cp. Ex 33:19)
John 6:37,44 Only those drawn by God
come to him
And hardens whom he wills (9:18)
1 Peter 2:9 “chosen people”
Jesus says he chose us, not vice versa Jn 15: 16,19 He loses none given him by
the Father (Jn 6:37-39) “and as many as were
appointed to eternal life believed.” (Acts 13:48 ESV)
Horton: “When we give in to election, we finally give up on ourselves in the matter of salvation.”
MISUNDERSTANDINGS AND OBJECTIONS
ELECTION WITHOUT REPROBATION??
Election only stands if mirrored by reprobation
By passing over some in election, they are left to the condemnation they deserve…and choose
God’s justice doesn’t owe sinners a chance This is offensive as we tend to see how we as
humans, who are equal, treat one another But God is NOT human and does not take well to
the defiance of His holiness Recall Romans 9:14: he hardens Also 9:22: some “prepared for destruction”
BUT THIS MAKES GOD A TYRANT How do you define right? Calvin says, “Whatever
he wills, by the very fact that he wills it, must be considered righteous”
God merely gives people what they deserve
Beyond that, who are you to argue with God? (Ro 9:20-21)
And note Arminian view of God’s love isn’t a saving love (only makes salvation available)
BUT THIS TAKES RESPONSIBILITY AWAY FROM PEOPLE
Back to idea of federal headship of Adam
Calvin holds tension in Adam had free will But God willed the
Fall Once we’re fallen,
sin is sin…even if it is inevitable due to our nature
We struggle to see justice in sin that isn’t willed directly
But sin is falling short of God’s glory …PERIOD
…not just personal choices to do wrong
Again, Calvin’s doctrine is God focused, not man focused
BUT THEN GOD PLAYS FAVORITES
God is not partial in many ways (Acts 10:34) Jew vs. Greek Riches, poverty, etc.,
spread among all Rain falls on the just
and unjust This is common grace
But in salvation, election is unconditional Not a distinguishing by
anything in us
God is fair in punishing sinners
And gracious in giving ANYONE a way out
No one has given God anything he has to repay (Ro 11:35) He doesn’t “owe” us
a chance
THEN WHY NOT JUST PARTY?
Recall the goal of election: HOLINESS
If not inclined to holiness, not regenerated
Edwards’ true religious affection is loving the beauty of holiness
Rather, election causes us to Tremble at God’s
judgment Esteem his great mercy
SPIRITUAL REGENERATION CHANGES US
“for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Phil. 2:13
If we are regenerated, we have a will to do right and the Spirit moves us so to do
John15:16: Jesus chose us so we’d bear fruit
WHY THEN PREACH THE GOSPEL?
“hypercalvinists” see no need
Preaching and sharing are means to God’s end of effectually calling
We don’t know who is elect
And, uh, well, … God commands us!
Mt. 28:19-20
OTHER OBJECTIONS Ezekiel 33:11: But God
wills the wicked to turn back ANS: God will meet their
repentance …but that won’t happen
1 Tim. 2:3-4: Wills all to be saved ANS: In context of
prayer, remember all TYPES of people are to be saved
And welcomes those who turn (but they don’t without Him)
This raises doubt in Gospel promises ANS: Not at all as they
are extended freely But only God gives life
so we can embrace them
He gives the faith to trust them (Cp. Mt. 23:37 about Jerusalem)
As Augustine says, to judge God’s justice by human standards is to act “perversely”
WHY IT MATTERS
WHY ELECTION MATTERS Protects God’s sovereignty
Compare the “poor Jesus” theology of our day
Jesus pitifully pleading for us to be saved but unable to change our powerful free will
Back to providence When God is weak in salvation,
we lack faith in his power in other areas
Draws us back to the God of the Bible Yes, God is loving But he is also HOLY
Empowers prayer God is greater than free will
Keeps us humble We’re not saved because we
were clever enough to believe
Gives us assurance As salvation is of God, not of us
Yet motivates us to be faithful be all the more diligent to
confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall
2 Peter 1:10
Gives us great hope God is in control Witness the ups and downs of
Israel Why would the Church look
different?? Moves us to worship And to serve out of gratitude,
not fear of punishment or hope of reward (contra Wesley)
THE BIG PICTURE Election is a means, not an
end The goal is to be conformed
the image of Christ But not an option if we’re
spiritually dead So, those God intimately
knew because he chose us Are predestined to
Christlikeness Requiring God to effectually
call Then justify (once
regenerated) And eventually glorify us!
THIS is why all things work together for good
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. (Romans 8:26-30 ESV)
SUMMING IT UPAnd you were dead in the trespasses and sins in
which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:1-10 ESV)