The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum ELECTION, PREDESTINATION, GOD'S SOVEREIGNTY AND MA

ELECTION, PREDESTINATION, GOD'S SOVEREIGNTY AND MAN'S FREE WILL

ELECTION:

When man places his faith in the finished work of Christ--His death as
payment for our sin, His burial and Resurrection--or when man believes the
Gospel, he is placed in union with Jesus Christ. Thus sharing all that Christ
is and has.

This includes Christ's Election 1 Peter 2:6. (mine elect)--and Christ's
destiny Eph. 1:5 (by Jesus Christ we are placed as son's in God's family
having a destiny planned beforehand.)

Christ is chosen - Isa. 41.1, 1 Per. 2:6. We choose Christ--free will:
Rev. 22:17.

Because we are then IN Christ (Eph. 1:4) we are Chosen in Him. We share
everything he has--this includes His destiny.

KEY VERSE: 2 Thes. 2:13b "because God has from the beginning Chosen you to Salvation thru Sanctification of the Spirit (Eph. 1:13, 14) and belief of the Truth."

Man believes--then he is Chosen, Indwelt by the Holy Spirit, shares
Christ's life (1 John 5:11, 12), His Righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21), His Sonship
(Gal. 3:26 - Jn. 1:12) His Priesthood (1 Pet. 2:5-9), His Heirship (Rom. 8:16,
17), His Sanctification (1 Cor. 1:2), His Election (1 Pet. 1:2, Eph. 1:4), His
Destiny (Eph. 1:5, 11).

Jesus Christ is the Elected One--Man shares this election by choice. From
eternity Past man is Chosen IN Christ. Chosen in Christ is God's plan for
mankind. Anyone can enter God's plan of Salvation by Faith--hence, ALL
members of the human race are potentially elected. The "whosoever wills" are the elect. The "whosoever won'ts" are the non-elect.

We choose Christ by Faith--which is simply believing. Faith is not given to
some, and withheld to others. The ability to believe is common to all mankind (the synonyms for Faith are looking, eating, drinking, Num 21:8; John 6:54).

Faith in itself is just a system of perception that we all possess. It is the
object of Faith that saves--it is not "believe on Buddha, or Mohammed", but,
"believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." (Acts 16:31)

Eph. 2:8,9 "For by Grace are ye saved thru Faith; and that not of yourselves;
it is the Gift of Fod: not of works, lest any man should boast." Dr. Kenneth
Wuest in Nuggets from the Greek translates it thus--dispelling forever the
idea that it is faith that is the gift--Salvation is the gift! ! "For by the
grace have you been saved in times past completely through Faith (feminine
gender) with the result that your salvation persists through present time; and
this (touto Gr. Neuter gender) {i.e. Salvation} is not from you as a source,
of God it is the gift; not from a source of works, in order that no one might
boast. Salvation by faith is the gift.

PREDESTINATION:

The omniscient God knew and designed a perfect plan before the world began.

Jesus Christ is the focal point of the plan.

Election is a place in the plan. A person enters the plan when he believes in
the Lord Jesus Christ; then shares all that Christ is and has, including His
destiny. So predestination applies to believers only. We are predestined to
be conformed to the image of God's Son. Rom. 8:29. The unbeliever is not
predestined to Hell. He chooses his destiny. Christ died for everyone. If
anyone goes to hell, he goes there because in his free will, he has operated
independently of God's will for him. (2 Per. 3:9), and of God's provision for
him-(the cross).

FOREKNOWLEDGE:

Foreknowledge is God's omniscience in operation.

God has always known everything. (Col. 2:3; 2 Tim. 2:19). God does not
coerce or influence man's free will. God foreknew what every free will would
decide at any given point in time. Since God knew what every free will would
decide, He makes Rom. 8:28 work in the life of every believer.

SOVEREIGNTY:

God is sovereign. He has a will. He is Eternal, infinite, self-determining
(Dan. 4:35; Deut. 4:39; 1 Chron. 29:12; Job 9:12; Psa. 47:2; 83:18; 93:1;
135:6; Acts 17:34; 2 Chron. 20:8) He makes decisions, policies, sets up
principles. This is Divine Volition.

God is also Omniscient--He has all knowledge. There was never a time when He did not know everything that would ever happen. (Job 26:6; 31:4; 34:21; Psa. 147:5; Heb. 413; 1 John 3:20; Prov. 15:5)

The triune God--in Eternity Past planned a plan. GRACE. This is called the
Doctrine of Eternal Decrees. The Lord Jesus Christ--the 2nd member of the
Trinity--was Elected in Eternity Past to be the executor of the Plan--(to
Create-to sustain-to Save and to have a Kingdom. God the Father called Jesus Christ "my servant'--"mine elect" (Isa. 42:1; 1 Peter 2:65)

Jesus Christ is the only one elected from Eternity Past.

Because of the Doctrine of Unlimited Atonement (Christ died for the
ungodly--for God so loved the world etc.) all members of the human race are
potentially elected. (1 John 2:2; 2 Pet. 2:1; Psa. 89:14; Rom. 3:26)

God cannot be unfair, nor unrighteous, nor unjust--(Psa. 145:17; 18:30; Deut.
32:4; 2 Chron. 19:7; Psa. 89:14; Rom. 3:26)

God is not willing for anyone to perish--2 Pet. 3:9. Rom. 10:13 says whoever
shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. So He gives the whole
world a Choice--not just certain individuals. But doesn't John 6:44 say, "no
man can come except the Father draw him"? Yes, but John 6:64, 65 explains
what Jesus meant when He said that--and in John 12:32 Jesus says "And I if I
be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.

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ELECTION IN BALANCE

The following verses of scripture demonstrate that God's Love, Light, Mercy, Will (desire), Provision, Command, and Invitation go out to all men to be saved. From the perspective of the unsaved, the good news of the gospel is a bonafide offer to ALL.

1. GOD LOVES ALL (Jn 3:16) "For God so loved the world.."

2. GOD'S MERCY IS TO ALL (Rom. 11:32) "For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all."

3. GOD GIVES LIGHT TO EVERY MAN (Jn 1:9) "That (Jesus Christ) was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world."

4. GOD'S WILL (DESIRE) IS FOR ALL MEN TO BE SAVED (1 Tim 2:4) "Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the
truth."

5. GOD IS NOT WILLING (DESIROUS) THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH (2 Pet.3:9) "The Lord....is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

6. GOD PROVIDED A RANSOM FOR ALL (1 Tim. 2:6) "Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time."

7. GOD THROUGH CHRIST HIS LAMB TOOK AWAY THE WORLD'S SIN (Jn 1:29) "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the
world."

8. GOD SENT CHRIST TO BE THE PROPITIATION (SATISFACTION) FOR THE SINS OF THE WHOLD WORLD (1 John 2:2) "And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the whole world."

9. GOD SENT HIS SON TO TASTE DEATH FOR EVERY MAN (Heb. 2:9) "that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man."

10. GOD COMMANDS ALL MEN TO REPENT (Acts 17:30) "but now (God) commandeth all men every where to repent."

11. GOD INVITES WHOSOEVER WILL TO COME (Rev. 22:17) "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come....And whosoever will, let him take the
water of life freely."

12. GOD THROUGH CHRIST COMMANDS THAT THE GOSPEL BE
PREACHED TO EVERY CREATURE (MAN) (Mk.16:15) "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."

13. GOD SENT JOHN THAT THROUGH CHRIST ALL MEN MIGHT BELIEVE (Jn. 1:7) "The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the
LIght, that all men through him might believe."

14. GOD GAVE CHRIST THE BREAD FROM HEAVEN FOR THE LIFE OF THE WORLD (Jn. 6:51) "and the bread that I will give is my flesh,
which I will give for the life of the world."

15. GOD SENT HIS SON TO SEEK AND TO SAVE THE LOST. SINCE ALL ARE LOST, CHRIST HAS COME TO SEEK AND SAVE ALL (Lk. 19:10) "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."

16. GOD IS CALLED THE SAVIOR OF ALL MEN (1 Tim. 4:10) "God who is the Savior of all men, specially of those that believe."

17. GOD'S GRACE HATH APPEARED TO ALL MEN (Titus 2:11) "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men..."

18. GOD LAID THE INIQUITY OF US ALL ON CHRIST (Isa. 53:6) "and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."

19. GOD SENT CHRIST TO DIE FOR THE UNGODLY OF WHICH ALL MEN ARE (Rom. 5:6) "Christ died for the ungodly."

20. GOD'S FREE GIFT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS IS EXTENDED TO ALL MEN (Rom. 5:18) "even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto the justification of life."