Is Election Unconditional?
When asked this question at his ordination to the gospel ministry, Spurgeon Underground member Gregory Van Court gave this answer to the Ordaining Council:
Most all Christians believe in predestination, that God chooses whom He will save before the foundation of the world. There is disagreement over the basis of His choosing. Some teach that God in His foreknowledge looks down the corridor of time, sees which of His creatures will respond positively to the gospel, and then chooses them. Others teach that God's choosing is unconditional, based neither on the works nor on the decision of His creatures. Verses 8 through 24 of the ninth chapter of Romans comprise the most significant passage with respect to the nature of election in all of Scripture. Here, the question of why God chose some to salvation and not others is answered.
The book of Malachi opens with a shocking statement by God:
Jacob and Esau make the perfect case scenario to explain election because not only are they brothers (having both the same mother and father), but they are also twins. They are as similar as two men could possibly be at birth, yet God chooses to love one and "hate" the other. Why?
Scripture explains:
The divine hatred mentioned here and in Malachi is not malice but rather a "holy hatred" (a recognized enemy) as was described in Psalm 139. It involves a withholding of special favor. While God loves all men to some extent, those whom God loves to salvation receive His mercy; those whom God "hates" receive His justice. It is significant that Scripture explicitly states that God's choice was made before the twins were even born. It is teaching something much more than the fact that God's election occurred before the foundation of the world. It is teaching that God's election was made without a view toward the future actions of His creatures. Scripture labors this point by first teaching that God's choice was made before the twins had done anything good or evil and then teaching why: "in order that God's purpose according to His choice might stand, not because of works, but because of Him who calls." God chose some for salvation and not others and based His choices completely on His own good pleasure without any consideration to the choices and actions of men.
"But that's not fair!", is the typical objection to this teaching.
Scripture anticipates and answers this objection:
There is emphatically no injustice with God! Those whom God chose for salvation before the foundation of the world receive mercy; everyone else receives justice. No one receives injustice. Receiving God's mercy does not depend on man's choice ("the man who wills") nor man's works ("the man who runs") but solely on God, who has mercy on whomever He will. No man can boast in himself, even in his positive response to the gospel. The only reason we chose God is because He first chose us.
Without His resurrecting us to new life and giving us faith (Eph.2:8), it is impossible for man to choose God. "There is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God" (Rom.3:11). Deciding who receives mercy is purely a sovereign act of God.
Scripture continues to labor this point:
What must God do to harden a person's heart? Simply remove His hand. It is a passive hardening. Fallen man is naturally hard-hearted toward God. The more common grace that God withholds, the more restraint He removes, the more hard and wicked a man's heart becomes. To object and say that God has no right to hold those whom He hardens accountable for their sin or that merciful God is not merciful enough is blasphemy against the unimpeachable character of holy God.
Scripture once again anticipates the objections:
While our God is holy and just and willing to demonstrate His wrath and make His power known, our God is so merciful that He endures with great patience the children of wrath whom He has every right to cast this very instant into hell. He gives us all air to breathe, food to nourish, companionship to enjoy, the beauty of creation to see, and to those whom He calls He gives the indescribable gift of eternal salvation. His ways are not only infinitely beyond our ways but also infinitely purer than our ways. "'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,' declares the Lord, 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts'" (Isa.55:8-9).
Unconditional election is taught clearly in Romans but is also reinforced throughout Scripture. When "nearly the whole city" of Pisidian Antioch heard the gospel preached by Paul and Barnabas, "as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed" (Acts 13:48). As many and no more as had been appointed by God responded positively to the gospel. These men were not appointed to eternal life based on their choice to believe nor their obedience to the gospel. Jesus said, "You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain" (John 15:16). Christ makes it clear who ultimately did the choosing and appointing.
Scripture further states:
Note the repeated phrases:
"His will" (3 times), "His grace" (twice), "predestined" (twice), and "kind intention" (twice). "He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world" not according to our will but "according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace", "according to the riches of His grace", "according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him", "according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will".
Salvation is all of grace, all of God! Unregenerate man cannot even see the kingdom of God (John 3:3). He is dead in trespasses and sins (Eph.2:1). He is blind. Sinful man can do nothing to save himself. He is incapable of faith (Eph.2:8). There is nothing in his flesh that he can draw upon to muster up saving faith. He does not even seek after God. Even still, "while we were yet sinners", "while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God" (Rom.5:8,10).
Most all Christians believe in predestination, that God chooses whom He will save before the foundation of the world. There is disagreement over the basis of His choosing. Some teach that God in His foreknowledge looks down the corridor of time, sees which of His creatures will respond positively to the gospel, and then chooses them. Others teach that God's choosing is unconditional, based neither on the works nor on the decision of His creatures. Verses 8 through 24 of the ninth chapter of Romans comprise the most significant passage with respect to the nature of election in all of Scripture. Here, the question of why God chose some to salvation and not others is answered.
The book of Malachi opens with a shocking statement by God:
"'Was not Esau Jacob's brother?' declares the Lord, 'Yet I have loved Jacob; but I have hated Esau'" (Mal.1:2-3).
Jacob and Esau make the perfect case scenario to explain election because not only are they brothers (having both the same mother and father), but they are also twins. They are as similar as two men could possibly be at birth, yet God chooses to love one and "hate" the other. Why?
Scripture explains:
"It is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants. For this is a word of promise: 'At this time I will come, and Sarah shall have a son.' And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac; for though the twins were not yet born, and had not done anything good or bad, in order that God's purpose according to His choice might stand, not because of works, but because of Him who calls, it was said to her, 'The older will serve the younger.' Just as it is written, 'Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated'" (Rom.9:8-13).
The divine hatred mentioned here and in Malachi is not malice but rather a "holy hatred" (a recognized enemy) as was described in Psalm 139. It involves a withholding of special favor. While God loves all men to some extent, those whom God loves to salvation receive His mercy; those whom God "hates" receive His justice. It is significant that Scripture explicitly states that God's choice was made before the twins were even born. It is teaching something much more than the fact that God's election occurred before the foundation of the world. It is teaching that God's election was made without a view toward the future actions of His creatures. Scripture labors this point by first teaching that God's choice was made before the twins had done anything good or evil and then teaching why: "in order that God's purpose according to His choice might stand, not because of works, but because of Him who calls." God chose some for salvation and not others and based His choices completely on His own good pleasure without any consideration to the choices and actions of men.
"But that's not fair!", is the typical objection to this teaching.
Scripture anticipates and answers this objection:
"What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! For He says to Moses, 'I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.' So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy" (Rom.9:14-16).
There is emphatically no injustice with God! Those whom God chose for salvation before the foundation of the world receive mercy; everyone else receives justice. No one receives injustice. Receiving God's mercy does not depend on man's choice ("the man who wills") nor man's works ("the man who runs") but solely on God, who has mercy on whomever He will. No man can boast in himself, even in his positive response to the gospel. The only reason we chose God is because He first chose us.
O, how I love Jesus, O, how I love Jesus,
O, how I love Jesus - Because He first loved me!
O, how I love Jesus - Because He first loved me!
Without His resurrecting us to new life and giving us faith (Eph.2:8), it is impossible for man to choose God. "There is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God" (Rom.3:11). Deciding who receives mercy is purely a sovereign act of God.
Scripture continues to labor this point:
"For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, 'For this very purpose I raised you up, to demonstrate My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth.' So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires" (Rom.9:17-18).
What must God do to harden a person's heart? Simply remove His hand. It is a passive hardening. Fallen man is naturally hard-hearted toward God. The more common grace that God withholds, the more restraint He removes, the more hard and wicked a man's heart becomes. To object and say that God has no right to hold those whom He hardens accountable for their sin or that merciful God is not merciful enough is blasphemy against the unimpeachable character of holy God.
Scripture once again anticipates the objections:
"You will say to me then, 'Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?' On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, 'Why did you make me like this,' will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use, and another for common use? What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And He did so in order that He might make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles" (Rom.9:19-24).
While our God is holy and just and willing to demonstrate His wrath and make His power known, our God is so merciful that He endures with great patience the children of wrath whom He has every right to cast this very instant into hell. He gives us all air to breathe, food to nourish, companionship to enjoy, the beauty of creation to see, and to those whom He calls He gives the indescribable gift of eternal salvation. His ways are not only infinitely beyond our ways but also infinitely purer than our ways. "'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,' declares the Lord, 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts'" (Isa.55:8-9).
Unconditional election is taught clearly in Romans but is also reinforced throughout Scripture. When "nearly the whole city" of Pisidian Antioch heard the gospel preached by Paul and Barnabas, "as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed" (Acts 13:48). As many and no more as had been appointed by God responded positively to the gospel. These men were not appointed to eternal life based on their choice to believe nor their obedience to the gospel. Jesus said, "You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain" (John 15:16). Christ makes it clear who ultimately did the choosing and appointing.
Scripture further states:
"He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things upon the earth. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will" (Eph.1:4-11).
Note the repeated phrases:
"His will" (3 times), "His grace" (twice), "predestined" (twice), and "kind intention" (twice). "He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world" not according to our will but "according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace", "according to the riches of His grace", "according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him", "according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will".
Salvation is all of grace, all of God! Unregenerate man cannot even see the kingdom of God (John 3:3). He is dead in trespasses and sins (Eph.2:1). He is blind. Sinful man can do nothing to save himself. He is incapable of faith (Eph.2:8). There is nothing in his flesh that he can draw upon to muster up saving faith. He does not even seek after God. Even still, "while we were yet sinners", "while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God" (Rom.5:8,10).
Amazing grace! how sweet the sound -
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind but now I see.
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind but now I see.
posted by Phillip M. Way @ 5:00 AM
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