Doctrine of Unconditional Election

[Nanja]

If Election/Salvation was in ay degree conditioned or contingent on what a person does, even thinks, then they could not be by Grace. Election is of Grace minus works Rom 9:11;11:5-6 and Salvation is the same Eph 2:8-9; 2 Tim 1:9

Perfectly stated Brother !

 

[marke]

If Election/Salvation was in ay degree conditioned or contingent on what a person does, even thinks, then they could not be by Grace. Election is of Grace minus works Rom 9:11;11:5-6 and Salvation is the same Eph 2:8-9; 2 Tim 1:9

Bad Bible interpreters mistakenly think God bases salvation upon His secret whims and nothing else. That means God chooses who will die and who won't and humans cannot do a thing to move God to have mercy on them. God is not like that. The whole idea that God chooses who will live and who will die based upon nothing but His own secret choice is ludicrous.

Deuteronomy 30:19
I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:

 

[beloved57]

One writer writes and I totally agree as it regards unconditional election:

.Those who are ordained unto eternal life were not so ordained on account of any worthiness foreseen in them, or of any good works to be wrought by them, nor yet for their future faith, but purely and solely of free, sovereign grace, and according to the mere pleasure of God. This is evident, among other considerations, from this: that faith, repentance and holiness are no less the free-gifts of God than eternal life itself. "Faith is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God" (Eph. 2.8). "Unto you it is given to believe" (Phil. 1.29). "Him hath God exalted with His right hand for to give repentance" (Acts 5.31). "Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life" (Acts 11.18). In like manner holiness is called the sanctification of the Spirit (2 Thess. 2.13), because the Divine Spirit is the efficient of it in the soul, and, of unholy, makes us holy. Now, if repentance and faith are the gifts, and sanctification is the work of God, then these are not the fruits of man's free-will, nor what he acquires of himself, and so can neither be motives to, nor conditions of his election, which is an act of the Divine mind, antecedent to, and irrespective of all qualities whatever in the persons elected. Besides, the apostle asserts expressly that election is not of works, but of Him that calleth, and that it passed before the persons concerned had done either good or evil (Rom. 9.11).JEROME ZANCHIUS

Man has hijacked what are Gifts of Gods Salvation applied, like Faith and Repentance and made them conditions man is suppose to perform before God will choose or save them.

 

[marke]

One writer writes and I totally agree as it regards unconditional election:



Man has hijacked what are Gifts of Gods Salvation applied, like Faith and Repentance and made them conditions man is suppose to perform before God will choose or save them.

If God does not give a flip whether sinners seek His forgiveness or not then why does God burn sinners in hell, since it would not be their fault they never sought Jesus for salvation?

 

[Nanja]

One writer writes and I totally agree as it regards unconditional election:



Man has hijacked what are Gifts of Gods Salvation applied, like Faith and Repentance and made them conditions man is suppose to perform before God will choose or save them.

So true Brother, and wickedly so. However, we know that the only way any person can repent and turn from sin and idolatry is by God giving His Elect New Birth.

Rom. 8:7-9 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

 

[marke]

So true Brother, and wickedly so. However, we know that the only way any person can repent and turn from sin and idolatry is by God giving His Elect New Birth.

Rom. 8:7-9 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

The mistaken idea that God refuses to allow men to repent of their sins and then burns them in hell forever in anger for refusing to repent of their sins is stupid.

 

[Nanja]

The mistaken idea that God refuses to allow men to repent of their sins and then burns them in hell forever in anger for refusing to repent of their sins is stupid.

No new birth no forgiveness of sins.

 

[Bradley D]

No new birth no forgiveness of sins.

To repent of sins is part of the new birth.

 

[marke]

No new birth no forgiveness of sins.

God is not willing that any should perish. Paul did not tell Agrippa, "I am thankful to God for blinding your eyes so you cannot be saved and He can burn you in hell in wrath for not getting saved." No, this is the conversation Paul had with Agrippa:

Acts 26

27 King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.

28 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.

29 And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.

Surely Paul was moved by the Holy Ghost to plead with Agrippa to come to Jesus for salvation.

 

[Bradley D]

If the elect are all saved and their names in the book of life. Then how can a name be blotted out from the book of life.

"May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous" (Psalm 69:28).

 

[marke]

If the elect are all saved and their names in the book of life. Then how can a name be blotted out from the book of life.

"May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous" (Psalm 69:28).

I believe the names of all humans born into the world with the spirit of life from God are in the Lamb's book of life at birth, so to speak (we speak on earth in terms of time, which is something that does not bind God in heaven.) When a sinner rejects the light of the Gospel delivered to his soul by the Holy Spirit then that sinner compels God to blot his name out of the book of life.

 

[Bradley D]

I believe the names of all humans born into the world with the spirit of life from God are in the Lamb's book of life at birth, so to speak (we speak on earth in terms of time, which is something that does not bind God in heaven.) When a sinner rejects the light of the Gospel delivered to his soul by the Holy Spirit then that sinner compels God to blot his name out of the book of life.

It does not seem that everone's name was written.

"All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world" (Rev. 13:8).

 

[marke]

It does not seem that everone's name was written.

"All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world" (Rev. 13:8).

It does not seem that everone's name was written.

"All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world" (Rev. 13:8).

Those who worship the beast likely have been left behind in the rapture because of their rejection of Jesus. If someone's name was blotted out earlier in life as these people's names were, then their names could be said to not have been written in the Lamb's book of life from the beginning. Nevertheless, the names of the elect are written from the beginning and the names of those that have been blotted out were not written at the beginning. There is no contradiction, just a problem with human understanding of the nature of eternity.

 

[Bradley D]

Those who worship the beast likely have been left behind in the rapture because of their rejection of Jesus. If someone's name was blotted out earlier in life as these people's names were, then their names could be said to not have been written in the Lamb's book of life from the beginning. Nevertheless, the names of the elect are written from the beginning and the names of those that have been blotted out were not written at the beginning. There is no contradiction, just a problem with human understanding of the nature of eternity.

Speculative!

 

[marke]

Speculative!

I admit there are difficulties reconciling the fact that those who are saved cannot have their names blotted out of the book of life and the fact that those who are lost have not had their names in the book of life from the beginning. It seems some must think there are names that have been in the book of life from the beginning but which names are blotted out later. Such a speculation seems to indicate God's foreknowledge is imperfect.

 

[beloved57]

The bible explicitly affirms that God has blessed His Chosen people according to the truth He chose them to be holy and blameless before the foundation of the world, because in themselves they were not holy nor blameless. He also predestinated them, not according to their will, but according to the good pleasure of His Will, that it would be to the PRAISE of the GLORY of HIS GRACE minus their works, unconditionally. Eph 1:3-6

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

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,


To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

 

[marke]

The bible explicitly affirms that God has blessed His Chosen people according to the truth He chose them to be holy and blameless before the foundation of the world, because in themselves they were not holy nor blameless. He also predestinated them, not according to their will, but according to the good pleasure of His Will, that it would be to the PRAISE of the GLORY of HIS GRACE minus their works, unconditionally. Eph 1:3-6

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

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,


To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

God has chosen believers to inherit the blessings offered to them in Christ, but God does not prevent sinners from coming to Christ for salvation so that He can burn them in hell forever in anger for refusing to come to Jesus for salvation.

 

[beloved57]

Unconditional Election, the calling and predestination of certain people to Salvation before the world began Eph 1:4-5, this is Grace only. How is it that election of grace could be conditional before the world began, when no conditions by man could have been performed ? Man had not yet been Created, Adam had not yet been formed from the ground. How was any person Chosen to Salvation before the world began, if salvation is contingent upon his freewill to choose or believe first after the world began ? Also see Rom 9:11

 

[Nanja]

Unconditional Election, the calling and predestination of certain people to Salvation before the world began Eph 1:4-5, this is Grace only. How is it that election of grace could be conditional before the world began, when no conditions by man could have been performed ? Man had not yet been Created, Adam had not yet been formed from the ground. How was any person Chosen to Salvation before the world began, if salvation is contingent upon his freewill to choose or believe first after the world began ? Also see Rom 9:11

Amen Brother ! God's Unconditional Election of Grace occurred outside of Time, so consequently it was before any person's own believing, accepting, or anything else performed or DONE by him. Hence, we clearly see the Sovereignty of God displayed here in His Love and Mercy Rom. 9:11, 13 for some to be partakers of His Grace; and yet withholds His Grace from all others as He so Wills, such as these:

Rev. 21:8:

But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

 

[marke]

Unconditional Election, the calling and predestination of certain people to Salvation before the world began Eph 1:4-5, this is Grace only. How is it that election of grace could be conditional before the world began, when no conditions by man could have been performed ? Man had not yet been Created, Adam had not yet been formed from the ground. How was any person Chosen to Salvation before the world began, if salvation is contingent upon his freewill to choose or believe first after the world began ? Also see Rom 9:11

The idea that God created most humans to be destroyed in hell with no hope of escape is blasphemous. God is love, not hate.