HARD DOCTRINE: ELECTION

 ELECTION: 

In Christianity, particularly within the theological framework of Calvinism, election involves God choosing a particular person or group of people to a particular task or relationship, especially eternal life. (Wikipedia) 

The doctrine of election has two sides: 

1.      Dependent on a person’s faith

2.      Unconditional. 

The doctrine of election is for particular people decided before the foundation of the world: 

(Ephes 1:4-5) He has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.

Predestination is decided beforehand. When was that? Before the foundation of the world. What did God do? He chose us…. Some to not be something and others to be something. 

“Us” as it turns out from Ephesians 1:1 are the saints. God did not choose the unsaintly, but the saintly. 

Now consider this: Is it coincidence that God chose only those who attend Calvinistic churches. Are most of them already damned, and if so, why do they still attend God and worship Him? 

Calvinism is an irrational doctrine. It implies that God has a cruel and that His grace was bestowed long ago before time even began. 

What would that make both the lost and Christians? Mindless “robots” who tread a treadmill until the mechanisms fail. 

“Election” is God choosing the saints leaving everybody else out before they even had a chance to believe. 

FOREKNOWLEDGE: 

Calvinists explain that by the concept of “foreknowledge.” 

Paul wrote to Peter about God’s foreknowledge. Speaking of strangers throughout the world, Paul said about some of the, “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ” (1 Pet 1:2-3). 

BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD: 

It seems that before the foundation of the worlds, God sanctified the souls of some with His Spirit. 

Now look before time ever began. Where to go for that? Genesis. 

Who was set apart before the foundation of the world. Who was sanctified? Who was to be the obedient ones? 

“Sanctification” is literally “made holy.” Who was it that God made holy? 

God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth, so God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them. (Gen 1:26-27)

 

THE PLAN FOR US: 

When did God say that? Before He did so… “Let us make.” That was His plan. 

Who did God choose? Mankind. Who was left out? The angelic kingdom had already been divided by their own choices; next the fish, fowl, cattle, and all other kinds were left out. 

They were not made holy (in the image of God). 

The “our likeness” are the elohim — the righteous angels that were spirit. What were different about them that became common to mankind? Thy were spiritual creatures. 

God had a plan for us. God said: 

I know the thoughts that I think toward you,” says the Lord, “thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jer 29:11) 

Predestination provides no hope. Does God lie? 

God was speaking to all that had been carried away to Babylon. (Jer 29:1). He did not select just a few, but by their own will most stayed in Babylon.

 

FREE WILL: 

Mankind was created with free will. God had gave them a will to please Him or to please themselves; whether to eat of the forbidden tree, or not.

 

SUMMARY: 

The “elect” is everyone; all of mankind; not any of the others of the animal kingdom. His plan for us was for us to be saints… mankind alone, and everybody of that kind. 

God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER believes in Him (Jesus) should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16) 

There is a condition for eternal life — for the making of a saint. 

Among the whosoever (every person of our kind) the condition is belief (trust, faith) in Jesus (the “Him.”)