Unconditional Election
By
Jack Kettler
Is election to salvation caused by an act of
man or the free act of God? Does
God elect after seeing man's faith,
repentance, or willingness? If God elects
after
man contributes something, is this a works
form of salvation?
In the eternal counsel of God, with man's
fall into sin in view, God appointed
certain people to be saved. In this act or
decree, God was free in deciding to
show grace and mercy to some sinners, while
passing by other sinners. Human
works were not in view, or the cause of
God's election. Because of man's
proclivity to sin resulting from the fall,
God is under no obligation to save
anyone. Thus, God has determined those who
will be saved by nothing seen in
their works including foreseen faith.
Scripture puts the basis of God's
election entirely outside man's attempts to
be worthy.
Let's be clear; unconditional election means
that man does not meet conditions
in order to be elected to salvation. God
does not look forward in time, and on
the basis of some foreseen work on the part
of man, elect him to salvation. If
this were so, it could be said the God
elects men after seeing them do
something. God then would be responding to
man's action. Salvation or election
would be a debt that God owed to
man, and in order to obtain salvation,
man would have to do his part.
The following Scriptural passages provide
the rationale for affirming God's
unconditional election:
“And he spake unto Korah and unto all his
company, saying, Even tomorrow the
LORD will show who are his, and who is holy;
and will cause him to come near
unto him: even him whom he hath chosen will
he cause to come near unto
him.” (Numbers 16:5) (Underlining emphasis
mine)
“For thou art an holy people unto the LORD
thy God: the LORD thy God hath
chosen thee to be a special people
unto himself, above all people that are
upon the face of the earth. The LORD did not
set his love upon you, nor
choose you, because ye were more in
number than any people; for ye were the
fewest of all people.” (Deuteronomy 7:6, 7)
“Yet I have left me seven thousand
in Israel, all the knees which have
not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which
hath not kissed him.” (1 Kings 19:18)
“Blessed is the man whom thou choosest,
and causest to approach unto
thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we
shall be satisfied with the goodness
of thy house, even of thy holy
temple.” (Psalms 65:4)
“O ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye
children of Jacob his chosen.”
(Psalms
105:6)
“Thy people shall be willing in the day
of thy power, in the beauties of
holiness from the womb of the morning: thou
hast the dew of thy youth.” (Psalms
110:3)
“The Preparations of the heart in man,
and the answer of the tongue, is from
the LORD.” (Proverbs 16:1)
“LORD, thou wilt ordain peace for
us: for thou also hast wrought all our
works in us.” (Isaiah 26:12)
“I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy
transgressions for mine own sake,
and will not remember thy sins.” (Isaiah
43:25)
“For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine
elect, I have even called
thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee,
though thou hast not known me.” (Isaiah
45:4)
“O LORD, I know that the way of man is
not in himself: it is not in man that
walketh to direct his steps.”
(Jeremiah 10:23)
“I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning
himself thus; Thou hast chastised me,
and I was chastised, as a bullock
unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me,
and I shall be turned; for thou art the LORD
my God. Surely after that I was
turned, I repented; and after that I
was instructed, I smote upon my thigh:
I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because
I did bear the reproach of my
youth.” (Jeremiah 31:18, 19)
“In those days, and in that time, saith the
LORD, the iniquity of Israel shall
be sought for, and there shall be none; and
the sins of Judah, and they shall
not be found: for I will pardon them
whom I reserve.” (Jeremiah 50:20)
“Turn thou us unto thee, O LORD, and
we shall be turned: renew our
days as of old.” (Lamentations 5:21)
“A new heart also will I
give you,
and a new spirit will I put within you:
and I will take away the stony
heart out of your flesh, and I will give
you an heart of flesh. And I
will put my spirit within you, and cause you
to walk in my statutes, and ye
shall keep my judgments, and do them.”
(Ezekiel 36:26-27)
“For there shall arise false
Christs, and false prophets, and shall show
great signs and wonders; insomuch
that, if it were possible, they deceive
the very elect....And he shall
send his angels with a great sound of a
trumpet, and they shall gather together
his elect from the four winds, from one end
of heaven to the other.” (Matthew
24:24, 31)
“And except that the Lord had shortened
those days, no flesh should be saved:
but for the elect's sake, whom he hath
chosen, he hath shortened the
days.” (Mark 13:20)
“And shall not God avenge his own elect,
which cry day and night unto
him, though he bear long with them?” (Luke
18:7)
“Which were born, not of blood, nor of
the will of the flesh, nor of the
will of man, but of God.” (John 1:13)
“All that the Father giveth me shall come to
me; and him that cometh to me I
will no wise cast out....And this is the
Father's will which hath sent me, that
of all which he hath given me I should
lose nothing, but should raise it
up again at the last day. And this is the
will of him that sent me, that every
one which seeth the Son, and believeth on
him, may have everlasting life: and I
will raise him up at the last day....No
man can come to me, except the
Father which hath sent me draw him;
and I will raise him up at the last
day....And he said, Therefore said I unto
you, that no man can come unto me,
except it were given unto him of my Father.”
(John 6:37, 39, 40, 44, 65)
“I speak not of you all: I know whom I
have chosen: but that the
scriptures may be fulfilled, He that eateth
bread with me hath lifted up his
heel against me.” (John 13:18)
“Ye have not chosen me, But I have
chosen you, and ordained you, that ye
should go and bring forth fruit, and that
your fruit should remain: that
whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my
name, he may give it you.” (John
15:16)
“As thou hast given him power over all
flesh, that he should give eternal
life to as many as thou hast given him.”
(John 17:2)
“I pray for them: I pray not for the world,
but for them which thou hast
given me; for they are thine.” (John
17:9)
“For the promise is unto you, and to your
children, and to all that are afar
off, even as many as the LORD our God
shall call.” (Acts 2:39)
(Forasmuch then as God gave them the
like gift as he did unto us, who
believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was
I, that I could withstand God?” (Acts
11:17)
“And when the Gentiles heard
this,
they were glad, and glorified the word of
the Lord: and as many as were
ordained to eternal life believed.”
(Acts 13:48)
“And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller
of purple, of the city of Thyatira,
which worshipped God, heard us: whose
heart the Lord opened, that she
attended unto the things which were spoken
of Paul.” (Acts 16:14)
“And when he was disposed to
pass
into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting
the disciples to receive him: who,
when he was come, helped them much which
had believed through grace.” (Acts
18:27)
“For whom he did foreknow, he also did
predestinate to be conformed to
the image of his Son, that he might be the
firstborn among many brethren....
Who shall lay anything to the charge of
God's elect? It is God that justifieth.”
(Romans 8:29, 33)
“For the children being not yet born,
neither having done any good or evil,
that the purpose of God according to
election might stand, not of works, but
of him that calleth; It was said unto
her, The elder shall serve the
younger.” (Romans 9:11-12)
“And that he might make known the riches of
his glory on the vessels of mercy, which
he had afore prepared unto glory.”
(Romans 9:23)
“But Esaias is very bold, and
saith,
I was found of them that sought me not;
I was made manifest unto them
that asked not after me.” (Romans 10:20)
“Even so then at this present time also
there is a remnant according to the
election of grace.” (Romans 11:5)
“What then? Israel hath not obtained that
which he seeketh for; but the
election hath obtained it, and the rest
were blinded.” (Romans 11:7)
“According as he hath
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...In whom also have obtained an
inheritance, being predestinated
according
to the purpose of him who worketh all
things after the counsel of his own
will.” (Ephesians 1:4-5, 11)
“But God hath chosen
the
foolish things of the world to confound the
wise; and God hath chosen the weak
things of the world to confound the things
which are mighty; And base things of
the world, and things which are despised,
hath God chosen, yea, and things
which are not, to bring to nought things
that are: That no flesh should glory
in his presence.” (1 Corinthians 1:27-29)
“For God, who commanded the light to
shine out of darkness, hath shined in
our hearts, to give the light of the
knowledge of the glory of God in the
face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6)
“For unto you it is given in the
behalf of Christ, not only to believe on
him, but also to suffer for his sake.”
(Philippians 1:29)
“Knowing, brethren beloved, your
election of God.” (I Thessalonians
1:4)
“For God hath not appointed us to
wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord
Jesus Christ.” (I Thessalonians 5:9)
“But we are bound to give
thanks
always to God for you, brethren beloved of
the Lord, because God hath from
the beginning chosen you to salvation
through sanctification of the Spirit
and belief of the truth.” (2 Thessalonians
2:13)
“I charge thee before God, and
the
Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels,
that thou observe these things
without preferring one before another, doing
nothing by partiality.” (1 Timothy
5:21) “Who hath saved us, and called us
with an holy calling, not
according to our works, but according to his
own purpose and grace, which was
given us in Christ Jesus before the world
began.” (2 Timothy 1:9)
“Therefore I endure all things for the
elect's sakes, that they may also
obtain the salvation which is in Christ
Jesus with eternal glory.” (2 Timothy
2:10)
“Paul, A servant of God, and an apostle of
Jesus Christ, according to the faith
of God's elect, and the acknowledging
of the truth which is after
godliness.” (Titus 1:1)
“Of his own will begat he us with
the word of truth, that we should be a
kind of first fruits of his creatures.”
(James 1:18) “Elect according to the foreknowledge
of God the Father, through
sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience
and sprinkling of the blood of
Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be
multiplied.” (1 Peter 1:2)
“But ye are a chosen generation, a
royal priesthood, an holy nation, a
peculiar people; that ye should show forth
the praises of him who hath
called you out of darkness into his
marvellous light.” (1 Peter 2:9)
“The church that is at Babylon, elected
together with you, saluteth you;
and so doth Marcus my son.” (1 Peter 5:13)
“The beast that thou sawest
was, and
is not; and shall ascend out of the
bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and
they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose
names were not written in
the book of life from the foundations of the
world, when they behold the beast
that was, and in not and yet is.”
(Revelation 17:8)
In closing, salvation by grace is the
unmerited favor of God. The underlining
portions of the above Scriptures highlight
the emphasis on God's electing
action. The doctrine of “unconditional
election” makes the point that God's
favor is unearned by man. It is solely God's
free choice to elect or not elect,
not ours. The cause of election is God's
good pleasure. Salvation is determined
by God's will, not man's will. This excludes
all human works and prevents
boasting. God's electing grace demonstrates
the fact that salvation is not the
result of human works of any kind, it all of
grace.
A Testimony in Harmony with Unconditional
Election:
“Moreover,
brethren, I declare unto you
the gospel which I preached unto you,
which also ye have received, and wherein
ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if
ye keep in memory what I preached unto
you, unless ye have believed in vain. For
I delivered unto you first of all
that which I also received, how that
Christ died for our sins according to the
scriptures; And that he was buried, and
that he rose again the third day
according to the scriptures.” (l
Corinthians” 15:1-4)
In
another
place, he declares the following concerning
man's condition “As it is written,
There is none righteous, no, not one...that
every mouth may be stopped, and the
entire world may become guilty before God”
(Romans 3:10, 19). This was my
condition. Paul goes on to say, “For the
wages of sin is death, but the gift of
God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our
Lord” Romans 6:23. I had earned
the wages of death. God in his mercy gave me
the gift of eternal life. The only
thing that I earned and deserved was death.
Eternal life came as a gift. I am
certain of this; there was and is absolutely
nothing in me that caused God to
give me this gift. Jesus Christ gets all the
glory and praise.
Being faithful to what the
writer of
Hebrews sets forth:
“Looking
unto
Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.”
(Hebrews 12:2)
Look
to
Jesus by giving him the glory. God gave me
the gift of faith. Salvation is by
grace and even my faith is a gift. Ephesians
2:8 says “and that not of
yourselves.” What is not of yourselves?
Faith! Did I choose Christ and exercise
faith? If so, then why did this happen? Who
gets the glory? Does Christ get the
glory? Do I get the glory? Why did I choose
to believe? The next passage supplies
us the answer:
“According
as
he hath 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.” (Ephesians 1:4- 5)
Was
this
salvation in my hands to choose or reject?
If this were the case, then could I
not glory in and of myself? How can that be
so? If so, I would have done
something, others had not done.
The following verse tells us
that
predestination is according to the good
pleasure of his will:
“So
then
it is not of him that willeth, nor of him
that runneth, but of God that showeth
mercy.” (Romans 9:16)
The
doctrine of election more than any other
teaching of Scripture takes salvation
out of man's hands and places it under God's
control. Men do not like God's
control. The cause of God's choosing is in
Him. If we insist that we played a
part in God's choice, then human merit is a
factor. Salvation then becomes
synergistic rather than monergistic.
Biblical salvation is monergistic. Christ
alone, by his complete and finished work,
saved me.
Within
a
synergistic scheme, salvation becomes a
cooperative effort. My work takes away
from the work of Christ. How? I contributed.
I played a part in my salvation.
If I was not willing, then God could not
save me. A synergistic scheme of
salvation not only steals Christ's glory, it
limits God's power. God can only
do what I allow him to do within this type
of system.
Salvation comes by the grace
of God,
not works from a man:
“Not
by
works of righteousness which we have done,
but according to his mercy he saved
us, by the washing of regeneration, and
renewing of the Holy Ghost.” (Titus
3:5)
This is the close of my
testimony:
“To
God
only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ
forever. Amen”. Romans 16:27. Heirs
according to the promise” (Galatians
3:28-29). Amen!
The Westminster Confession
states
the doctrine of Election:
Chapter III
Of God's Eternal Decree
I. God from all eternity, did, by the most
wise and holy counsel of His own
will, freely, and unchangeably ordain
whatsoever comes to pass; [1] yet so, as
thereby neither is God the author of sin,
[2] nor is violence offered to the
will of the creatures; nor is the liberty or
contingency of second causes taken
away, but rather established. [3]
II. Although God knows
whatsoever
may or can come to pass upon all supposed
conditions;[4] yet has He not decreed
anything because He foresaw it as future, or
as that which would come to pass
upon such conditions. [5]
III. By the decree of God, for
the
manifestation of His glory, some men and
angels [6] are predestinated unto
everlasting life; and others foreordained to
everlasting death. [7]
IV. These angels and men, thus
predestinated, and foreordained, are
particularly and unchangeably designed,
and their number so certain and definite,
that it cannot be either increased or
diminished. [8]
V. Those of mankind that are
predestinated
unto life, God, before the foundation of the
world was laid, according to His
eternal and immutable purpose, and the
secret counsel and good pleasure of His
will, has chosen, in Christ, unto
everlasting glory,[9] out of His mere free
grace and love, without any foresight of
faith, or good works, or perseverance
in either of them, or any other thing in the
creature, as conditions, or causes
moving Him thereunto;[10] and all to the
praise of His glorious grace. [11]
VI. As God has appointed the
elect
unto glory, so has He, by the eternal and
most free purpose of His will,
foreordained all the means thereunto. [12]
Wherefore, they who are elected,
being fallen in Adam, are redeemed by
Christ, [13] are effectually called unto
faith in Christ by His Spirit working in due
season, are justified, adopted,
sanctified, [14] and kept by His power,
through faith, unto salvation. [15]
Neither are any other redeemed by Christ,
effectually called, justified,
adopted, sanctified, and saved, but the
elect only. [16]
VII. The rest of mankind God
was
pleased, according to the unsearchable
counsel of His own will, whereby He
extends or withholds mercy, as He pleases,
for the glory of His sovereign power
over His creatures, to pass by; and to
ordain them to dishonor and wrath for
their sin, to the praise of His glorious
justice. [17]
VIII. The doctrine of this high
mystery of predestination is to be handled
with special prudence and care,[18]
that men, attending the will of God
revealed in His Word, and yielding obedience
thereunto, may, from the certainty
of their effectual vocation, be assured of
their eternal election. [19] So
shall this doctrine afford matter of praise,
reverence, and admiration of God; [20]
and of humility, diligence, and abundant
consolation to all that sincerely obey
the Gospel. [21]
Scriptural proofs:
[1] EPH 1:11 In whom also we
have
obtained an inheritance, being predestinated
according to the purpose of him
who worketh all things after the counsel of
his own will. ROM 11:33 O the depth
of the riches both of the wisdom and
knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his
judgments, and his ways past finding out!
HEB 6:17 Wherein God, willing more
abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise
the immutability of his counsel,
confirmed it by an oath. ROM 9:15 For he
saith to Moses, I will have mercy on
whom I will have mercy, and I will have
compassion on whom I will have
compassion. 18 Therefore hath he mercy on
whom he will have mercy, and whom he
will he hardeneth.
[2] JAM 1:13 Let no man say
when he
is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God
cannot be tempted with evil, neither
tempteth he any man. 17 Every good gift and
every perfect gift is from above,
and cometh down from the Father of lights,
with whom is no variableness,
neither shadow of turning. 1JO 1:5 This then
is the message which we have heard
of him, and declare unto you, that God is
light, and in him is no darkness at
all.
[3] ACT 2:23 Him, being
delivered by
the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of
God, ye have taken, and by wicked
hands have crucified and slain. MAT 17:12
But I say unto you, That Elias is
come already, and they knew him not, but
have done unto him whatsoever they
listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man
suffer of them. ACT 4:27 For of a
truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom
thou hast anointed, both Herod, and
Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the
people of Israel, were gathered
together, 28 For to do whatsoever thy hand
and thy counsel determined before to
be done. JOH 19:11 Jesus answered, Thou
couldest have no power at all against
me, except it were given thee from above:
therefore he that delivered me unto
thee hath the greater sin. PRO 16:33 The lot
is cast into the lap; but the
whole disposing thereof is of the Lord.
[4] ACT 15:18 Known unto God
are all
his works from the beginning of the world.
1SA 23:11 Will the men of Keilah
deliver me up into his hand? will Saul come
down, as thy servant hath heard? O
Lord God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy
servant. And the Lord said, He
will come down. 12 Then said David, Will the
men of Keilah deliver me and my
men into the hand of Saul? And the Lord
said, They will deliver thee up. MAT
11:21 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto
thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty
works, which were done in you, had been done
in Tyre and Sidon, they would have
repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 23
And thou, Capernaum, which art
exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down
to hell: for if the mighty works,
which have been done in thee, had been done
in Sodom, it would have remained
until this day.
[5] ROM 9:11 (For the children
being
not yet born, neither having done any good
or evil, that the purpose of God
according to election might stand, not of
works, but of him that calleth;) 13
As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but
Esau have I hated. 16 So then it is
not of him that willeth, nor of him that
runneth, but of God that sheweth
mercy. 18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he
will have mercy, and whom he will
he hardeneth.
[6] 1TI 5:21 I charge thee
before
God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the
elect angels, that thou observe these
things without preferring one before
another, doing nothing by partiality. MAT
25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on
the left hand, Depart from me, ye
cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for
the devil and his angels.
[7] ROM 9:22 What if God,
willing to
shew his wrath, and to make his power known,
endured with much longsuffering the
vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: 23
And that he might make known the
riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy,
which he had afore prepared unto
glory. EPH 1:5 Having predestinated us unto
the adoption of children by Jesus
Christ to himself, according to the good
pleasure of his will, 6 To the praise
of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath
made us accepted in the beloved. PRO
16:4 The Lord hath made all things for
himself: yea, even the wicked for the
day of evil.
[8] 2TI 2:19 Nevertheless the
foundation of God standeth sure, having this
seal, The Lord knoweth them that
are his. And, Let every one that nameth the
name of Christ depart from
iniquity. JOH 13:18 I speak not of you all:
I know whom I have chosen: but that
the scripture may be fulfilled, He that
eateth bread with me hath lifted up his
heel against me.
[9] EPH 1:4 According as he
hath
chosen us in him before the foundation of
the world, that we should be holy and
without blame before him in love: 9 Having
made known unto us the mystery of
his will, according to his good pleasure
which he hath purposed in himself: 11
In whom also we have obtained an
inheritance, being predestinated according
to
the purpose of him who worketh all things
after the counsel of his own wilL.
ROM 8:30 Moreover whom he did predestinate,
them he also called: and whom he
called, them he also justified: and whom he
justified, them he also glorified.
2TI 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us
with an holy calling, not according to
our works, but according to his own purpose
and grace, which was given us in
Christ Jesus before the world began. 1TH 5:9
For God hath not appointed us to
wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord
Jesus Christ.
[10] ROM 9:11 (For the children
being not yet born, neither having done any
good or evil, that the purpose of
God according to election might stand, not
of works, but of him that calleth;)
13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but
Esau have I hated. 16 So then it
is not of him that willeth, nor of him that
runneth, but of God that sheweth
mercy. EPH 1:4 According as he hath chosen
us in him before the foundation of
the world, that we should be holy and
without blame before him in love. 9
Having made known unto us the mystery of his
will, according to his good
pleasure which he hath purposed in himself.
[11]EPH. 1: 6, 12.
[12] 1PE 1:2 Elect according to
the
foreknowledge of God the Father, through
sanctification of the Spirit, unto
obedience and sprinkling of the blood of
Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and
peace, be multiplied. EPH 1:4 According as
he hath chosen us in him before the
foundation of the world, that we should be
holy and without blame before him in
love: 5 Having predestinated us unto the
adoption of children by Jesus Christ
to himself, according to the good pleasure
of his will. 2:10 For we are his
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto
good works, which God hath before
ordained that we should walk in them. 2TH
2:13 But we are bound to give thanks
alway to God for you, brethren beloved of
the Lord, because God hath from the
beginning chosen you to salvation through
sanctification of the Spirit and
belief of the truth.
[13] 1TH 5:9 For God hath not
appointed us to wrath, but to obtain
salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 Who
died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep,
we should live together with him.
TIT 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he
might redeem us from all iniquity,
and purify unto himself a peculiar people,
zealous of good works.
[14] ROM 8:30 Moreover whom he
did
predestinate, them he also called: and whom
he called, them he also justified:
and whom he justified, them he also
glorified. EPH 1:5 Having predestinated us
unto the adoption of children by Jesus
Christ to himself, according to the good
pleasure of his will. 2TH 2:13 But we are
bound to give thanks alway to God for
you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because
God hath from the beginning chosen
you to salvation through sanctification of
the Spirit and belief of the truth.
[15] 1PE 1:5 Who are kept by
the
power of God through faith unto salvation
ready to be revealed in the last
time.
[16] JOH 17:9 I pray for them:
I
pray not for the world, but for them which
thou hast given me; for they are
thine. ROM 8:28 And we know that all things
work together for good to them that
love God, to them who are the called
according to his purpose. JOH 6:64 But
there are some of you that believe not. For
Jesus knew from the beginning who
they were that believed not, and who should
betray him. 65 And he said,
Therefore said I unto you, that no man can
come unto me, except it were given
unto him of my Father. 10:26 But ye believe
not, because ye are not of my
sheep, as I said unto you. 8:47 He that is
of God heareth God's words: ye
therefore hear them not, because ye are not
of God. 1JO 2:19 They went out from
us, but they were not of us; for if they had
been of us, they would no doubt
have continued with us: but they went out,
that they might be made manifest
that they were not all of us.
[17] MAT 11:25 At that time
Jesus
answered and said, I thank thee, O Father,
Lord of heaven and earth, because
thou hast hid these things from the wise and
prudent, and hast revealed them
unto babes. 26 Even so, Father: for so it
seemed good in thy sight. ROM 9:17
For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even
for this same purpose have I raised
thee up, that I might shew my power in thee,
and that my name might be declared
throughout all the earth. 18 Therefore hath
he mercy on whom he will have
mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. 21
Hath not the potter power over the
clay, of the same lump to make one vessel
unto honour, and another unto
dishonour? 22 What if God, willing to shew
his wrath, and to make his power
known, endured with much longsuffering the
vessels of wrath fitted to
destruction. 2TI 2:19 Nevertheless the
foundation of God standeth sure, having
this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are
his. And, Let every one that nameth
the name of Christ depart from iniquity. 20
But in a great house there are not
only vessels of gold and of silver, but also
of wood and of earth; and some to
honour, and some to dishonour. JUD 4 For
there are certain men crept in
unawares, who were before of old ordained to
this condemnation, ungodly men,
turning the grace of our God into
lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord
God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. 1PE 2:8 And
a stone of stumbling, and a rock of
offence, even to them which stumble at the
word, being disobedient: whereunto
also they were appointed.
[18] ROM 9:20 Nay but, O man,
who
art thou that repliest against God? Shall
the thing formed say to him that
formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? 11:33
O the depth of the riches both of
the wisdom and knowledge of God! how
unsearchable are his judgments, and his
ways past finding out! DEU 29:29 The secret
things belong unto the Lord our
God: but those things which are revealed
belong unto us and to our children for
ever, that we may do all the words of this
law.
[19] 2PE 1:10 Wherefore the
rather,
brethren, give diligence to make your
calling and election sure: for if ye do
these things, ye shall never fall.
[20] EPH 1:6 To the praise of
the
glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us
accepted in the beloved. ROM 11:33
O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom
and knowledge of God! how
unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways
past finding out!
[21] ROM 11:5 Even so then at
this
present time also there is a remnant
according to the election of grace. 6 And
if by grace, then is it no more of works:
otherwise grace is no more grace. But
if it be of works, then is it no more grace:
otherwise work is no more work. 20
For when ye were the servants of sin, ye
were free from righteousness. 2PE 1:10
Wherefore the rather, brethren, give
diligence to make your calling and
election sure: for if ye do these things, ye
shall never fall. ROM 8:33 Who
shall lay any thing to the charge of God's
elect? It is God that justifieth.
LUK 10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice
not, that the spirits are subject
unto you; but rather rejoice, because your
names are written in heaven.
In closing, consider the great Baptist
preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon
thoughts:
Join with me in prayer at this moment, I
entreat you. Join with me while I put
words into your mouths, and speak them on
your behalf: “Lord, I am guilty, I
deserve thy wrath. Lord, I cannot save
myself. Lord, I would have a new heart
and a right spirit, but what can I do? Lord,
I can do nothing, come and work in
me to will and to do thy good pleasure.
Thou alone hast power, I know,
To save a wretch like me;
To whom, or whither should I go
If I should run from thee?
But I now do from my very soul call upon thy
name. Trembling, yet believing, I
cast myself wholly upon thee, O Lord. I
trust the blood and righteousness of
thy dear Son...Lord, save me tonight, for
Jesus' sake.” (From Iain Murray, The
Forgotten Spurgeon [Edinburgh: Banner of
Truth Trust, 1973], pp. 101f.)
“But,” say others, “God elected them on the
foresight of their faith.” Now, God
gives faith, therefore he could not have
elected them on account of faith,
which he foresaw. There shall be twenty
beggars in the street, and I determine
to give one of them a shilling; but will
anyone say that I determined to give
that one a shilling, that I elected him to
have the shilling, because I foresaw
that he would have it? That
would be talking nonsense. In like manner to
say that God elected men because
he foresaw they would have faith, which is
salvation in the germ, would be too
absurd for us to listen to for a moment. –
C. H. Spurgeon On Doctrines of Grace
41,42.317
Some, who know no better, harp upon the
foreknowledge of our repentance and
faith, and say that, “Election is according
to the foreknowledge of God;” a
very scriptural statement, but they make a
very unscriptural interpretation of
it. Advancing by slow degrees, they next
assert that God foreknew the faith and
the good works of his people. Undoubtedly
true, since he foreknew everything;
but then comes their groundless inference,
namely, that therefore the Lord
chose his people because he foreknew them to
be believers. It is undoubtedly
true that foreknown excellencies are not the
causes of election, since I have
shown you that the Lord foreknew all our
sin: and surely if there were enough
virtue in our faith and goodness to
constrain him to choose us, there would
have been enough demerit in our bad works to
have constrained him to reject us;
so that if you make foreknowledge to operate
in one way, you must also take it
in the other, and you will soon perceive
that it could not have been from
anything good or bad in us that we were
chosen, but according to the purpose of
his own will, as it is written, “I will have
mercy upon whom I will have mercy,
and I will have compassion on whom I will
have compassion.” - C. H. Spurgeon on
Doctrines of Grace 779.621
“Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy
statutes.” (Psalm 119:12)
“Study to shew thyself approved
unto
God, a workman that needeth not to be
ashamed, rightly dividing the word of
truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)
“To God, only wise, be glory
through
Jesus Christ forever. Amen.” (Romans 16:27)
and “heirs according to the promise.”
(Galatians 3:28, 29)
Mr. Kettler has previously
published
articles in the Chalcedon
Report and Contra
Mundum. He and his wife Marea
attend the Westminster, CO, RPCNA Church. He
served as an ordained ruling elder
in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. He
worked in and retired from a fortune
five hundred company in corporate America
after forty years. He runs two blogs
sites and is the author of the book
defending the Reformed Faith against
attacks, titled: The
Religion That
Started in a Hat. Available at:
www.TheReligionThatStartedInAHat.com
Unconditional
Election: “What Does it Mean?” by James
White
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3wDat16yvk