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What
Is Predestination (Election),
and Is
it Fair?
Election (eklegomae) is the sovereign act of God in
choosing to salvation
in Christ Jesus those whom He has predestinated
according to His own purpose. In eternity past, God formed a
plan, the decrees of God. He made decisions according to this
plan He foreordained, and He called the name of each individual who
would be born
again. Election is pre-temporal.
In order to understand the doctrine of election, we must consider the
following definitions of related terms:
- Called (kletos) -to choose (1
Peter 1:1-2)
- Foreordained (proorizo) - to predestinate,
to mark out as a boundary beforehand, to the goal of salvation (Romans
8:29-30)
- Knowledge/foreknowledge (OT = yada) - This
refers to the intimate
relationship due to the personal choice and selection
beforehand. This
is not simply knowing beforehand. This word is used for
sexual
(intimate) relations (Amos 3:2, Galatians 4:9).
- Purpose (prothesis) - planned by God
(Romans 8:28)
Election is the sovereign divine purpose formed
independently of human merit or human cooperation. It is
God's will to choose (Exodus 5:16). God chooses those for salvation
(John 15:19). He chooses those for service (Acts
9:15). He chooses individuals (1 Peter 1:2), nations (Isaiah
45:4), and the church
(Ephesians 1:4). For example, He chose
Paul (Acts 9:15). The point is that God is the one who
chooses (Romans 9:17ff, Philippians 2:12ff).
God CHOSE some, but not all. The Bible says "whosoever will
may come," but God MOVES us to WILL to be saved (2 Thes.
2:13-14). However, He does not elect any to be
lost. The lost are eternally doomed due to their negative
volition (which God has not willed to change).
Election was accomplished by the Trinity
in eternity past through
eternal decrees (Ephesians 1:4, 2 Timothy 1:9, Acts 15:18, Acts
2:23). Election did not occur in time. (2 Thes. 2:13).
Divine election is immutable (2 Tim. 2:18-19, Rom. 8:30).
The relationship between divine election and man's freewill is not
revealed in scripture.
In free agency, it seems to us like we are the ones making the
decisions. However, election is decided by God. It is not
simply a matter of God looking down the corridors of time to see who
believed. This would mean that God is not omniscient and that
He had to learn something (like a shell game).
This concept bothers some people because it suggests that we can have
certainty and freedom at the same time. This implies that our
freewill is only a limited freewill, which it is. Consider
the following examples:
- A toddler wonders away from his mother and
walks toward a
dangerous cliff. The mother has complete freedom to decide what to
do.
Yet, can we not say with certainty that she will stop the child?
- A flight instructor gives the student the
controls of the
airplane, and it goes into a spin from which the student cannot
recover. Although the instructor is free to choose what to
do, we can
say with certainty that he will take over the controls.
Furthermore, these examples deal with the "certainty"
of imperfect men, while God is absolute. Where we might argue that the
flight instructor might choose to die in a crash, God's certainty is
absolute.
Also, we can make decisions which we are unable to execute. A
man can decide to jump from the top of a tall building. Then,
when he is halfway down, he can decide that this was a
mistake. Yet, he has no power to either fly back up to the
top, or to ensure a soft landing.
Furthermore, there is much that our freewill cannot determine, since it
is restricted. We can't determine our family, race, IQ, or
natural looks. It is easy to see that some things are restricted by
divine laws.
We can decide things by our free wills, but God persuades
our wills.
Yes, free agency goes with election. Free agency does not
imply anarchy. It does have restrictions. Election is
consistent with human responsibilities (sin). Election does not relieve
man
of the responsibility for their own state.
Another natural argument against election is that it is
unjust. Consider a man who doesn't want to be drafted by the
military, so he cuts off his own hand, and the military rejects him due
to his physical impairment. Later, he decides he would like to be in
the military, but he is still rejected. Then, the military
decides that they will admit some men with physical
handicaps. They CHOOSE other men who have lost their hands in
accidents, but they still reject the man who intentionally cut off his
own hand. Now, is this unjust? Didn't the military
maintain the right to CHOOSE who they wanted?
It is God who saves! Furthermore, sin
is the reason for
someone not going to heaven.
However, God, in His mercy,
ELECTS some to salvation, but not all. God is not unjust,
unrighteous, or unfair. Election is not a matter of
justice--it is a matter of grace.
Thank goodness that this is
true, because if election were a matter of justice, we would all be
doomed to hell because that is what we all deserve, due to our
sin.
If a man has 10 creditors, and he CHOOSES to cancel the debt of one of
those creditors, this is not unjust to the other 9. Election
is not a matter of justice, but a matter of sovereign action.
It is important to reiterate that non-elect people are not chosen to be
non-elect, but they are simply non-elect by default, because what we
all deserve is hell.
The blessings of election include:
- Praise for God because of His sovereign
election of us.
- Comfort, knowing that we are a part of
God's plan, and He is in control.
- Preparation for suffering, knowing that
God is in control.
- Dependence upon God, understanding that we
are not self-sufficient.
Make no mistake about it. Salvation (and election) is
God's doing, not ours. We can only thank him for it, even if we don't
fully understand his actions.
Owen Weber 2008
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