TULIP - Unconditional Election

That some receive the gift of faith from God and others do not receive it proceeds from God's eternal decree … He graciously softens the hearts of the elect, however obstinate, and inclines them to believe, while He leaves the non-elect in His just judgment to their own wickedness and obduracy – The Canons of Dort, “First Head of Doctrine of Divine Predestination,” Article 6.1
This next doctrine of Calvinism builds upon the foundation that has been laid: the total inability (depravity) of humanity. As we noted when considering their teachings on depravity, all of their other doctrines spring out of their flawed understanding of the depravity of man. If, as they contend, man is absolutely unable to even choose to believe on the Lord, then, of necessity, if anyone is to be saved, it must the Lord alone Who decides who will be chosen for salvation.
Unlike the doctrine of total depravity, there seems to be more of a cohesive understanding among Calvinists on unconditional election. In the words of one: “By election we mean the eternal choice by God of certain definite individuals in Jesus Christ unto salvation.”2 John MacArthur, probably considered to be a moderate Calvinist, says: “Election is the act of God whereby in eternity past He chose those who will be saved.”3 Earlier (in the Preamble) we noted that Reformed theology focuses on what they refer to as God’s absolute divine sovereignty.4 Their teaching on the matter of unconditional election flows out of their understanding of predestination that they see as an essential part of God’s absolute sovereignty. In our approach to this subject, let’s begin by looking carefully at a couple of their Biblical proofs for this doctrine, and then move on to their understanding of predestination in the light of the Scriptures.
Deuteronomy 7:6 – “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.” Their explanation for selecting this text (as well as several others like it) is: “The outstanding example of election in the Old Testament is God’s election of the nation of Israel.”2 Moses reminded the people of Israel that they were set apart (a more appropriate translation of qadowsh than holy, given the context) unto the Lord as a single unit (thou, thy, and thee are all singular pronouns), and it is the people of Israel whom the Lord had chosen to be a special people.5 If we go back to Jehovah’s calling of Abraham, we read this: “And I will make of thee a great nation … and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 12:2-3) – through the lineage of Abraham, all of humanity would be blessed through the coming Savior. This promise was reiterated to Isaac (Genesis 26:4) and Jacob (Genesis 28:14), thereby making the children of Jacob (Israel) a very special people unto the Lord – it would be through them that the eternal Word would take on a body of flesh to make the full payment for sin as it had been determined from before creation. The Lord chose Abraham, Isaac and Israel to be the family line through whom the promise of a coming Savior would be fulfilled. Yes, God chose Israel to be a special people unto Him, but this is NOT the unconditional election that is touted by the Calvinists – not even close. Remember, unconditional election (by their definition) is God choosing individuals to salvation! God did not choose Israel to salvation – He chose them to be the earthly family through whom all families of the earth would be blessed! The line of Israel brought the Savior, Jesus into the world; through them, salvation has been opened in a whole new way to all of humanity (all families of the earth). Israel was a people who had been set apart unto the Lord as Moses stated, but that cannot in any way be misconstrued to represent the unconditional election of Calvinism.
Matthew 22:14 – “For many are called, but few are chosen.” To the Calvinist, this appears to be a simple affirmation of God’s unconditional election of those who are chosen. Based upon the natural contrast between many (polloi) and few (eklektoi), at first glance this might seem to be the correct response.6 However, as we all know, first glances are not always correct. There is actually much more here than might initially come to mind, so let’s consider it carefully to be sure that we understand what Jesus is saying.
We need to begin by recognizing that this is the final summation given by Jesus after He presented a parable to the religious Jews; they realized that many of His parables exposed their failures, and that served to increase their commitment to see Him silenced. This parable regarding the kingdom of heaven was this: a king made wedding festivities for his son, and he sent his slaves to call those who had been invited, and they refused to come. When he sent more slaves and explained that everything had been made ready, they either ignored his invitation, or mistreated and even killed some of his slaves. The king sent his armies, destroyed the murderers and set their city on fire. To his slaves, he declared that those who had been invited were not worthy, and then sent them to the main roads to invite as many as they could find to the wedding. They went out and brought together all (pantas) whom they found, whether bad or good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. As the king came in to see the guests, he found a man who was not wearing a wedding garment; having no reason for not wearing the appropriate garment, the king ordered his slaves to bind him and cast him into outer darkness. For many are called, but few are chosen (Matthew 22:1-14).7 Since this is a parable about the kingdom of heaven, we understand that the king is God the Father Who has prepared wedding celebrations for His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and that those attending the celebrations actually make up the Bride, the ekklesia of the Lamb. From Abraham onward, we understand that the invitation to the celebrations was particularly directed to the chosen family-line through whom the promised Prophet (Deuteronomy 18:18-19) and Sin-Bearer (Isaiah 53:5-6) would come; yet those of this family-line also chose to mistreat and kill those who came proclaiming the salvation of Jehovah (the invitation). Therefore, they were not accounted as being worthy of the wedding celebrations and, because of their blindness and stubbornness, were excluded – the wedding hall was now being filled with willing guests (Romans 11:25); God has ended His work through Israel (Ephesians 2:14-16), destroyed their city (in 70 AD), and has given the invitation to the celebrations (His Gospel under the New Covenant) to all of humanity (Paul told the Jews as much – Acts 13:46)! Notice that the invitation given by the king was redirected to all whom his slaves could find; and He, the Atonement, is because of our sins, and not because of ours only but also because of all of humanity (literal, 1 John 2:2).8 All, is from the Greek word holos, which means the whole or all; kosmos (humanity) must refer to humanity since the redemption that Jesus accomplished is for those who bear His image, and not for the world-system that remains under Satan’s control.9 Jesus said that His kingdom was not of this world (John 18:36) – He did not die to redeem the corrupted culture of this world; He died in order to provide atonement for the sins of humanity! This provides us with a fuller understanding of the many (polloi) in the quoted verse;10 as is frequently the case, polloi can be used in an inclusive sense (all) – as it is here: all are invited.11
This next doctrine of Calvinism builds upon the foundation that has been laid: the total inability (depravity) of humanity. As we noted when considering their teachings on depravity, all of their other doctrines spring out of their flawed understanding of the depravity of man. If, as they contend, man is absolutely unable to even choose to believe on the Lord, then, of necessity, if anyone is to be saved, it must the Lord alone Who decides who will be chosen for salvation.
Unlike the doctrine of total depravity, there seems to be more of a cohesive understanding among Calvinists on unconditional election. In the words of one: “By election we mean the eternal choice by God of certain definite individuals in Jesus Christ unto salvation.”2 John MacArthur, probably considered to be a moderate Calvinist, says: “Election is the act of God whereby in eternity past He chose those who will be saved.”3 Earlier (in the Preamble) we noted that Reformed theology focuses on what they refer to as God’s absolute divine sovereignty.4 Their teaching on the matter of unconditional election flows out of their understanding of predestination that they see as an essential part of God’s absolute sovereignty. In our approach to this subject, let’s begin by looking carefully at a couple of their Biblical proofs for this doctrine, and then move on to their understanding of predestination in the light of the Scriptures.
Deuteronomy 7:6 – “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.” Their explanation for selecting this text (as well as several others like it) is: “The outstanding example of election in the Old Testament is God’s election of the nation of Israel.”2 Moses reminded the people of Israel that they were set apart (a more appropriate translation of qadowsh than holy, given the context) unto the Lord as a single unit (thou, thy, and thee are all singular pronouns), and it is the people of Israel whom the Lord had chosen to be a special people.5 If we go back to Jehovah’s calling of Abraham, we read this: “And I will make of thee a great nation … and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 12:2-3) – through the lineage of Abraham, all of humanity would be blessed through the coming Savior. This promise was reiterated to Isaac (Genesis 26:4) and Jacob (Genesis 28:14), thereby making the children of Jacob (Israel) a very special people unto the Lord – it would be through them that the eternal Word would take on a body of flesh to make the full payment for sin as it had been determined from before creation. The Lord chose Abraham, Isaac and Israel to be the family line through whom the promise of a coming Savior would be fulfilled. Yes, God chose Israel to be a special people unto Him, but this is NOT the unconditional election that is touted by the Calvinists – not even close. Remember, unconditional election (by their definition) is God choosing individuals to salvation! God did not choose Israel to salvation – He chose them to be the earthly family through whom all families of the earth would be blessed! The line of Israel brought the Savior, Jesus into the world; through them, salvation has been opened in a whole new way to all of humanity (all families of the earth). Israel was a people who had been set apart unto the Lord as Moses stated, but that cannot in any way be misconstrued to represent the unconditional election of Calvinism.
Matthew 22:14 – “For many are called, but few are chosen.” To the Calvinist, this appears to be a simple affirmation of God’s unconditional election of those who are chosen. Based upon the natural contrast between many (polloi) and few (eklektoi), at first glance this might seem to be the correct response.6 However, as we all know, first glances are not always correct. There is actually much more here than might initially come to mind, so let’s consider it carefully to be sure that we understand what Jesus is saying.
We need to begin by recognizing that this is the final summation given by Jesus after He presented a parable to the religious Jews; they realized that many of His parables exposed their failures, and that served to increase their commitment to see Him silenced. This parable regarding the kingdom of heaven was this: a king made wedding festivities for his son, and he sent his slaves to call those who had been invited, and they refused to come. When he sent more slaves and explained that everything had been made ready, they either ignored his invitation, or mistreated and even killed some of his slaves. The king sent his armies, destroyed the murderers and set their city on fire. To his slaves, he declared that those who had been invited were not worthy, and then sent them to the main roads to invite as many as they could find to the wedding. They went out and brought together all (pantas) whom they found, whether bad or good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. As the king came in to see the guests, he found a man who was not wearing a wedding garment; having no reason for not wearing the appropriate garment, the king ordered his slaves to bind him and cast him into outer darkness. For many are called, but few are chosen (Matthew 22:1-14).7 Since this is a parable about the kingdom of heaven, we understand that the king is God the Father Who has prepared wedding celebrations for His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and that those attending the celebrations actually make up the Bride, the ekklesia of the Lamb. From Abraham onward, we understand that the invitation to the celebrations was particularly directed to the chosen family-line through whom the promised Prophet (Deuteronomy 18:18-19) and Sin-Bearer (Isaiah 53:5-6) would come; yet those of this family-line also chose to mistreat and kill those who came proclaiming the salvation of Jehovah (the invitation). Therefore, they were not accounted as being worthy of the wedding celebrations and, because of their blindness and stubbornness, were excluded – the wedding hall was now being filled with willing guests (Romans 11:25); God has ended His work through Israel (Ephesians 2:14-16), destroyed their city (in 70 AD), and has given the invitation to the celebrations (His Gospel under the New Covenant) to all of humanity (Paul told the Jews as much – Acts 13:46)! Notice that the invitation given by the king was redirected to all whom his slaves could find; and He, the Atonement, is because of our sins, and not because of ours only but also because of all of humanity (literal, 1 John 2:2).8 All, is from the Greek word holos, which means the whole or all; kosmos (humanity) must refer to humanity since the redemption that Jesus accomplished is for those who bear His image, and not for the world-system that remains under Satan’s control.9 Jesus said that His kingdom was not of this world (John 18:36) – He did not die to redeem the corrupted culture of this world; He died in order to provide atonement for the sins of humanity! This provides us with a fuller understanding of the many (polloi) in the quoted verse;10 as is frequently the case, polloi can be used in an inclusive sense (all) – as it is here: all are invited.11
Does this parable shed any light on the last phrase: but few chosen? As the king entered the celebration hall to look upon the guests whom his slaves had brought for the festivities, he saw someone there who was not wearing a wedding garment (Matthew 22:11). When asked why he wasn’t wearing the appropriate attire, the man was speechless: there was no, “I didn’t know,” “I’m sorry,” or “Nothing was available for me.” The king then had him bound and cast into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 22:13) – this is that place of eternal separation from the Lord that begins with the torments of Hades (Luke 16:23) and ends in the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:14). Clearly, there is a greater application to be made than what we might catch at first read, otherwise we might be inclined to view this as a massive overreaction to the matter at hand – not wearing a wedding garment. Let’s take a step back and consider the larger picture.
The terms of acceptance for the celebrants (participants) of the marriage of the Lamb have been carefully laid out for us in God’s Word – they are God’s terms formulated by Him from eternity past! From Genesis 3:15 came the promise that God would one day defeat Satan through a male Offspring of the woman, and the promises of God throughout the OT continued to refine this promise until it found fulfillment in Christ. Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6) and thereby proclaimed that He is the only pathway to eternal life – this is the narrow way that leads to life and which only few will find (Matthew 7:14). Even though Jesus issued a general command to enter through the strait (narrow) gate (Matthew 7:13), He recognized that few would find Him so that they would be able to enter or not be offended by Him (Matthew 11:6).12 Paul elaborated on this for us: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world …” (Ephesians 1:3-4a). The clarity is this: in the eternal counsels of God (before the foundation of the world; cp. 1 Peter 1:19-20), Christ was identified as being the One Who would make the full payment for the sins of man – Christ, eternal God in the garb of flesh, was the One Who was chosen (bachiyr; the Elect; Isaiah 42:1) to bring redemption from sin.13 Paul explains to the Ephesians that we (those who have placed our faith in the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus) are chosen in Him. The selection of saints that the Lord made from eternity past is everyone who is in Christ – this is not a predetermined list of names of those who will be saved, but rather a single name (Christ, the Elect) through Whom everyone must enter in order to be saved (and then counted as elect). “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus …” (Romans 8:1): outside of the Lord Jesus Christ there is condemnation – being found in the Lord is very important and holds eternal consequences. Jesus also said that it is the one who is doing the will of the Father (a present-tense, active obedience to His Word) who will find his place in heaven (Matthew 7:21), and so He also clarified: “But he that shall endure [hupomeno – to remain faithful even through trials] unto the end [our death or the Lord’s return], the same [a demonstrative pronoun in the Greek that means this is the one who] shall be [will be; future tense] saved” (Matthew 24:13).14 This brings together doing the will of the Father and remaining faithful to the Lord; James, in turn, issued the warning that unless our faith yields a life of faithfulness, that faith is dead (James 2:17). As we bring all of this into focus with the Bride of the Lamb, we are told that she is clothed with fine linen, which is the righteousness of saints (Revelation 19:8); righteousness (dikaioma), as it is used here, speaks of the fulfillment of the righteous requirements of God: i.e., obedience to His commandments – the faithfulness of those who are in Christ.15
Now we bring this back to the parable of the king and a wedding guest not attired in the proper wedding garment. The proper wedding garment for the Bride of the Son of the King is the fine linen of faithful obedience to the King’s commands. Therefore, this man, who was mingling with the properly attired wedding guests (dressed in the fine linen of faithfulness to the Lord), was not found to be faithful, and was banished to outer darkness. The slaves of the King did not notice that his garment was inappropriate – clearly he was living in a way that did not announce his inadequacies, but the King knew immediately! Like Cain of old, this man knew the requirements in order for him to be a part of this wedding celebration (which is why he had no response to his inappropriate attire), yet he chose his own way that led to his eternal rejection.
All have been called to be a part of the wedding celebrations of the Son of the King, those who first received the formal invitation have spurned it, but even among all who are called, only those who remain faithful to the King and His Son will have a part in the celebrations to come. The religious Jews of Jesus’ day were destined for outer darkness (Matthew 8:12), whereas “I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth [is believing (present tense – continuous; active voice – whosoever is doing the believing] on me should not abide in darkness” (John 12:46).16 In Christ is life and light, and we are in Him through faith (believing; Acts 10:43) – a living faith that must be accompanied by faithful obedience to the Lord! All have been invited, but only those who remain faithful to the Lord will be among the chosen in Christ.
Rather than proceed with further evaluation of the proof-texts that the Calvinists provide for unconditional election (we have already demonstrated that their evaluation is superficial), let’s take a closer look at the concept of election, since that is an essential part of this element of their doctrine.
As we began this study, we included a clarification that is offered by the Calvinists as to their exact meaning of election: “Election is the act of God whereby in eternity past He chose those who will be saved” (emphasis added).17 It is important to note that the Calvinists’ election is to salvation and that it is applied to individuals; as we examine what the Scriptures tell us about this matter, we need to keep this in mind.
We have already noted Isaiah’s reference to the coming Savior as the Elect – let’s begin there. “Behold my servant [or slave], whom I uphold; mine elect [bachiyr; Chosen], in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles [nations]” (Isaiah 42:1).18 This is very clearly a messianic prophecy concerning the Lord Jesus Christ; Matthew specifically noted that Jesus was the fulfillment of this passage from Isaiah (Matthew 12:18-21) – there can be no question that mine Elect is a reference to Christ: the Chosen of God! Micah prophesied: “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel [speaking of the Lord Jesus]; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting” (Micah 5:2) – the Word came out of eternity to take on a body of flesh (Jesus): “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word [the Word became flesh, John 1:1-2, 14], and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one” (1 John 5:7). The Word was chosen in eternity past to enter this world in a body of flesh for the purpose of paying the price for sin; John the Baptist recognized this truth: “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29b). The eternal purpose of the Lord was to send the Word (an eternal part of the Godhead) to pay the price for the sin that would be committed by a humanity who was yet to be created – Jesus (the Word made flesh) was chosen to bring redemption to humanity. From the eternal counsels of God, Jesus is the Elect – chosen for a very specific purpose!
The Lord gave Isaiah a message for Cyrus, the Lord’s anointed, so that he would know that Jehovah is the God of Israel, and “For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel mine elect …” (Isaiah 45:4a). The relationship of Israel to the Lord is as a servant and as His elect. As the Lord brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, He expressed His desire for them: “And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation” (Exodus 19:6a) – a desire that was contingent upon their obedience to His commandments. A priest acts as an intermediary between God (in this case) and man, and must have an established relationship with God in order to communicate His expectations to man as well as intercede with God on his behalf – the priest is a servant of God. God’s desire for Israel to be a holy nation was so that they might present a favored view of God to the world – they might live out God’s desire for mankind as His elect. Once again, we see that Israel, as God’s elect, was chosen for a specific purpose: to be a light for the Lord in a spiritually dark world, and also that through them all families of the earth would be blessed (Genesis 12:3). As a people, Israel had great difficulty being a light for the Lord; as a matter of fact, by the time of Isaiah, the traditions of the priests and sacrifices had become empty rituals (they continued to foreshadow the coming of the Savior but there was no longer any cleansing from sin); although the blood flowed from the many sacrifices that they kept as prescribed by God, He tells them that their hands are full of blood and their empty liturgies are evil (Isaiah 1:15-16). Even though they failed to be a faithful servant of the Lord, they still remained the Lord’s elect and “when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman” (Galatians 4:4). Israel, as God’s elect, was the chosen family line through whom the Savior was born, and through Whom all families of the earth would be blessed!
We have looked at Christ and Israel, since both are recorded in Scripture as being God’s elect, and we have noted that both were chosen by God to accomplish specific purposes. What is noteworthy for our discussion is that that purpose in neither case is salvation! Yet the Calvinist insists that God’s choice of the elect from among humanity is to salvation: “the eternal choice by God of certain definite individuals in Jesus Christ unto salvation” (emphasis added).19 Is this a legitimate expression of what God has done, or are they reaching beyond the Word of God into the theological musings of men? Let’s consider the concept of elect as it is used within the NT so that we can better understand God’s purpose in this matter.
The NT does include a reference to Israel as being God’s elect: “And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened” (Matthew 24:22). Jesus was explaining to His disciples what was coming, and this is specifically directed to the time of the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem; He gave them signs to watch for, along with the instruction to then flee from the city without stopping for anything (Luke 21:20-21). As His prescribed signs unfolded in 70 AD, those who were His children and familiar with His warnings would have fled the city so that its inhabitants would have been primarily Jews – His elect for the purpose of bringing the Messiah. As it turned out, the days of the siege of Jerusalem were shortened, and many Jews (the OT elect according to God’s purpose) were saved from sure death as a result. Despite their rejection of Jesus as the Messiah, God still had mercy upon them.
As Paul writes to the Colossians, he refers to them “as the elect of God, holy and beloved” (Colossians 3:12); he addressed this epistle to “the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse” (Colossians 1:2a), or, more literally: to the saints in Colossae, and to the faithful brethren in Christ.20 From this we can come to understand who the elect of God are within the context of the Gospel. Holy (hagioi) and saints (hagiois) are different forms of the same Greek word (dative and nominative, respectively) that speaks of being consecrated to God, set apart unto Him, and therefore, those who have been made fit to enter into His holy presence through the cleansing that comes through the blood of Jesus. Beloved is a verb in the passive voice – it is God’s love expressed to the elect of God; coming from the Greek word agapao, it is a love that is an act of the will that is based upon evaluation and the freedom to choose.21 It is also in the perfect tense, which means that there was a point in the past when we became the beloved of God (with the further understanding that it is a one-time action), and that the ongoing results of such a relationship with Him are continuing in full effect.22 The final descriptive is: faithful brethren in Christ. Holy describes our restored position through Christ before God, beloved tells of how God views those who have been made holy in Christ, and this last phrase describes the maintenance of this wonderful relationship with the Lord: being faithful in Christ! From this we can learn that the elect are holy before God, they are beloved by God, and they are those who remain faithful to God. However, most significant is the phrase in Christ – being holy and faithful in Christ makes us beloved of the Father and His elect. As we consider this carefully, we can begin to see that being among God’s elect is a reflection of who we are before Him in Christ.
Jesus is the faithful witness (Revelation 1:5) and Faithful is one of His many names (Revelation 19:11). Faithful (pistos) speaks of trustworthiness, reliability and dependability, and this is eternally tied to the Lord Jesus; the living creatures and elders whom John sees around the throne of God proclaim Jesus to be worthy because He was faithful in the task of purchasing redemption for mankind (Revelation 5:9). We read much of faith in the Lord Jesus, and a little about the faith of Jesus Christ – they are not the same. Faith (a noun) and believe (a verb) work hand-in-hand; believe (pisteuo) includes the idea of persuasion of the truth of something, which implies evaluation in order to arrive at a place of conviction.23 Faith (pistis), on the other hand, takes the persuasion from believing and makes it the basis for living – it forms the foundation for all activities.24 If we truly believe something, then it will influence how we live (faith): our decisions, what we embrace and avoid, how we relate to those about us, and the allocation of our time. If we are believing the Scriptures to be the Word of God, then we must be living in obedience to them – to do otherwise would demonstrate that we do not truly believe. When we speak of faith in the Lord Jesus, we are persuaded (believing) that Jesus and what the Word of God teaches us about Him are true, and we live out our faith in obedience to Him; this faith is from our perspective – however, our faith can often be misplaced. Consider a literal translation of 2 Corinthians 13:5a: put yourselves to the test whether you are in the faith (implied: or not; in essence: are you a hypocrite?); be proving yourselves (evaluating and testing to ensure that your faith is genuine according to God’s Word).25 Paul’s concern is twofold: 1) that we not profess to believe one thing while secretly holding to something else, and 2) that our faith be founded upon the eternal God and His Word!
When we read of the faith of Jesus Christ, we might recognize that this is something different, but may be at a loss as to how this is to be understood. Jesus is eternal God wrapped in a body of flesh (John 1:14); yet we read that “we have not an high priest which cannot be touched [sympathize] with the feeling of our infirmities [with our weaknesses]; but was in all points tempted [has experienced] like as we are [in the same way], yet without [apart from] sin” (Hebrews 4:15).26 Jesus experienced the same limitations that we face: fatigue (John 4:6), hunger (Matthew 4:2), thirst (John 19:28), distress (Matthew 26:37), and death (John 19:33) – yet all of His human experiences were apart from sin (Hebrews 4:15). It was the faith of Jesus that saw Him complete the purpose for which He came to earth – His purpose as God’s Elect (John 12:27); His humanity shrank from what faced Him (Matthew 26:39), but His faith in the eternal purposes of God the Father (John 17:5; Hebrews 2:9) allowed Him to go through the rejection by the Jews (John 19:6), the cruelty of the Romans (John 19:1-3), and the suffering of the crucifixion (John 19:18) in order to bring redemption from sin to humanity. It was the faith of Jesus that permitted Him to look beyond this world to the glory of the next (Hebrews 12:2): His deity understood that this was predetermined (after all, He was a part of the planning) in order to bring salvation to humanity, and as a Man, He experienced the rejection, cruelty, and pain of the cross. Yet through it all, He never lost sight of the glory that would soon be His and opened for His own (John 17:5; John 14:3), and the new abundant life that would soon be available to mankind through what He endured (John 10:10). It was His faith in the God-ordained plan of redemption that saw Him willingly submit to the cruelty of the creatures whom He had made in His own image – His name is Faithful. Paul caught the essence of this: “If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot [is not able to] deny himself” (2 Timothy 2:13).27 God is eternally faithful, and it was Jesus’ faithfulness as Deity that overcame His human fear of the cross; the faith of Christ is eternally fused into the faithfulness of God – it is the faith that will lead to everlasting life!
What does the faith of Christ mean to us? “Knowing that a man is not justified [being pronounced righteous] by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified [declared to be righteous] by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified” (Galatians 2:16).28 Although justified (as underlined) is in the subjunctive mood (hence the word might), it must not be thought of as a possibility but as the reality that comes from having believed in Jesus Christ; the cause is believing in the Lord Jesus with the consequential result of being declared righteous (justified) by the faith of Christ that wrought salvation for us.29 “But now the righteousness of God without [apart from] the law is manifested [has been revealed] … Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe [are believing]: for there is no difference [distinction]: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God …” (Romans 3:21-23).30 Believe (are believing) is in the active voice (the all are doing the believing), and the present tense (this is a continuous action – a past action does not qualify to retain the righteousness of God).31 Therefore, in order to bear the righteousness of God (after being declared righteous through the atoning work of Christ [the faith of Christ]), we must be holding a present belief in Jesus Christ, which, in turn, means that our believing is producing a life of obedience to the commands of God.
The terms of acceptance for the celebrants (participants) of the marriage of the Lamb have been carefully laid out for us in God’s Word – they are God’s terms formulated by Him from eternity past! From Genesis 3:15 came the promise that God would one day defeat Satan through a male Offspring of the woman, and the promises of God throughout the OT continued to refine this promise until it found fulfillment in Christ. Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6) and thereby proclaimed that He is the only pathway to eternal life – this is the narrow way that leads to life and which only few will find (Matthew 7:14). Even though Jesus issued a general command to enter through the strait (narrow) gate (Matthew 7:13), He recognized that few would find Him so that they would be able to enter or not be offended by Him (Matthew 11:6).12 Paul elaborated on this for us: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world …” (Ephesians 1:3-4a). The clarity is this: in the eternal counsels of God (before the foundation of the world; cp. 1 Peter 1:19-20), Christ was identified as being the One Who would make the full payment for the sins of man – Christ, eternal God in the garb of flesh, was the One Who was chosen (bachiyr; the Elect; Isaiah 42:1) to bring redemption from sin.13 Paul explains to the Ephesians that we (those who have placed our faith in the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus) are chosen in Him. The selection of saints that the Lord made from eternity past is everyone who is in Christ – this is not a predetermined list of names of those who will be saved, but rather a single name (Christ, the Elect) through Whom everyone must enter in order to be saved (and then counted as elect). “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus …” (Romans 8:1): outside of the Lord Jesus Christ there is condemnation – being found in the Lord is very important and holds eternal consequences. Jesus also said that it is the one who is doing the will of the Father (a present-tense, active obedience to His Word) who will find his place in heaven (Matthew 7:21), and so He also clarified: “But he that shall endure [hupomeno – to remain faithful even through trials] unto the end [our death or the Lord’s return], the same [a demonstrative pronoun in the Greek that means this is the one who] shall be [will be; future tense] saved” (Matthew 24:13).14 This brings together doing the will of the Father and remaining faithful to the Lord; James, in turn, issued the warning that unless our faith yields a life of faithfulness, that faith is dead (James 2:17). As we bring all of this into focus with the Bride of the Lamb, we are told that she is clothed with fine linen, which is the righteousness of saints (Revelation 19:8); righteousness (dikaioma), as it is used here, speaks of the fulfillment of the righteous requirements of God: i.e., obedience to His commandments – the faithfulness of those who are in Christ.15
Now we bring this back to the parable of the king and a wedding guest not attired in the proper wedding garment. The proper wedding garment for the Bride of the Son of the King is the fine linen of faithful obedience to the King’s commands. Therefore, this man, who was mingling with the properly attired wedding guests (dressed in the fine linen of faithfulness to the Lord), was not found to be faithful, and was banished to outer darkness. The slaves of the King did not notice that his garment was inappropriate – clearly he was living in a way that did not announce his inadequacies, but the King knew immediately! Like Cain of old, this man knew the requirements in order for him to be a part of this wedding celebration (which is why he had no response to his inappropriate attire), yet he chose his own way that led to his eternal rejection.
All have been called to be a part of the wedding celebrations of the Son of the King, those who first received the formal invitation have spurned it, but even among all who are called, only those who remain faithful to the King and His Son will have a part in the celebrations to come. The religious Jews of Jesus’ day were destined for outer darkness (Matthew 8:12), whereas “I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth [is believing (present tense – continuous; active voice – whosoever is doing the believing] on me should not abide in darkness” (John 12:46).16 In Christ is life and light, and we are in Him through faith (believing; Acts 10:43) – a living faith that must be accompanied by faithful obedience to the Lord! All have been invited, but only those who remain faithful to the Lord will be among the chosen in Christ.
Rather than proceed with further evaluation of the proof-texts that the Calvinists provide for unconditional election (we have already demonstrated that their evaluation is superficial), let’s take a closer look at the concept of election, since that is an essential part of this element of their doctrine.
As we began this study, we included a clarification that is offered by the Calvinists as to their exact meaning of election: “Election is the act of God whereby in eternity past He chose those who will be saved” (emphasis added).17 It is important to note that the Calvinists’ election is to salvation and that it is applied to individuals; as we examine what the Scriptures tell us about this matter, we need to keep this in mind.
We have already noted Isaiah’s reference to the coming Savior as the Elect – let’s begin there. “Behold my servant [or slave], whom I uphold; mine elect [bachiyr; Chosen], in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles [nations]” (Isaiah 42:1).18 This is very clearly a messianic prophecy concerning the Lord Jesus Christ; Matthew specifically noted that Jesus was the fulfillment of this passage from Isaiah (Matthew 12:18-21) – there can be no question that mine Elect is a reference to Christ: the Chosen of God! Micah prophesied: “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel [speaking of the Lord Jesus]; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting” (Micah 5:2) – the Word came out of eternity to take on a body of flesh (Jesus): “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word [the Word became flesh, John 1:1-2, 14], and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one” (1 John 5:7). The Word was chosen in eternity past to enter this world in a body of flesh for the purpose of paying the price for sin; John the Baptist recognized this truth: “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29b). The eternal purpose of the Lord was to send the Word (an eternal part of the Godhead) to pay the price for the sin that would be committed by a humanity who was yet to be created – Jesus (the Word made flesh) was chosen to bring redemption to humanity. From the eternal counsels of God, Jesus is the Elect – chosen for a very specific purpose!
The Lord gave Isaiah a message for Cyrus, the Lord’s anointed, so that he would know that Jehovah is the God of Israel, and “For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel mine elect …” (Isaiah 45:4a). The relationship of Israel to the Lord is as a servant and as His elect. As the Lord brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, He expressed His desire for them: “And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation” (Exodus 19:6a) – a desire that was contingent upon their obedience to His commandments. A priest acts as an intermediary between God (in this case) and man, and must have an established relationship with God in order to communicate His expectations to man as well as intercede with God on his behalf – the priest is a servant of God. God’s desire for Israel to be a holy nation was so that they might present a favored view of God to the world – they might live out God’s desire for mankind as His elect. Once again, we see that Israel, as God’s elect, was chosen for a specific purpose: to be a light for the Lord in a spiritually dark world, and also that through them all families of the earth would be blessed (Genesis 12:3). As a people, Israel had great difficulty being a light for the Lord; as a matter of fact, by the time of Isaiah, the traditions of the priests and sacrifices had become empty rituals (they continued to foreshadow the coming of the Savior but there was no longer any cleansing from sin); although the blood flowed from the many sacrifices that they kept as prescribed by God, He tells them that their hands are full of blood and their empty liturgies are evil (Isaiah 1:15-16). Even though they failed to be a faithful servant of the Lord, they still remained the Lord’s elect and “when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman” (Galatians 4:4). Israel, as God’s elect, was the chosen family line through whom the Savior was born, and through Whom all families of the earth would be blessed!
We have looked at Christ and Israel, since both are recorded in Scripture as being God’s elect, and we have noted that both were chosen by God to accomplish specific purposes. What is noteworthy for our discussion is that that purpose in neither case is salvation! Yet the Calvinist insists that God’s choice of the elect from among humanity is to salvation: “the eternal choice by God of certain definite individuals in Jesus Christ unto salvation” (emphasis added).19 Is this a legitimate expression of what God has done, or are they reaching beyond the Word of God into the theological musings of men? Let’s consider the concept of elect as it is used within the NT so that we can better understand God’s purpose in this matter.
The NT does include a reference to Israel as being God’s elect: “And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened” (Matthew 24:22). Jesus was explaining to His disciples what was coming, and this is specifically directed to the time of the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem; He gave them signs to watch for, along with the instruction to then flee from the city without stopping for anything (Luke 21:20-21). As His prescribed signs unfolded in 70 AD, those who were His children and familiar with His warnings would have fled the city so that its inhabitants would have been primarily Jews – His elect for the purpose of bringing the Messiah. As it turned out, the days of the siege of Jerusalem were shortened, and many Jews (the OT elect according to God’s purpose) were saved from sure death as a result. Despite their rejection of Jesus as the Messiah, God still had mercy upon them.
As Paul writes to the Colossians, he refers to them “as the elect of God, holy and beloved” (Colossians 3:12); he addressed this epistle to “the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse” (Colossians 1:2a), or, more literally: to the saints in Colossae, and to the faithful brethren in Christ.20 From this we can come to understand who the elect of God are within the context of the Gospel. Holy (hagioi) and saints (hagiois) are different forms of the same Greek word (dative and nominative, respectively) that speaks of being consecrated to God, set apart unto Him, and therefore, those who have been made fit to enter into His holy presence through the cleansing that comes through the blood of Jesus. Beloved is a verb in the passive voice – it is God’s love expressed to the elect of God; coming from the Greek word agapao, it is a love that is an act of the will that is based upon evaluation and the freedom to choose.21 It is also in the perfect tense, which means that there was a point in the past when we became the beloved of God (with the further understanding that it is a one-time action), and that the ongoing results of such a relationship with Him are continuing in full effect.22 The final descriptive is: faithful brethren in Christ. Holy describes our restored position through Christ before God, beloved tells of how God views those who have been made holy in Christ, and this last phrase describes the maintenance of this wonderful relationship with the Lord: being faithful in Christ! From this we can learn that the elect are holy before God, they are beloved by God, and they are those who remain faithful to God. However, most significant is the phrase in Christ – being holy and faithful in Christ makes us beloved of the Father and His elect. As we consider this carefully, we can begin to see that being among God’s elect is a reflection of who we are before Him in Christ.
Jesus is the faithful witness (Revelation 1:5) and Faithful is one of His many names (Revelation 19:11). Faithful (pistos) speaks of trustworthiness, reliability and dependability, and this is eternally tied to the Lord Jesus; the living creatures and elders whom John sees around the throne of God proclaim Jesus to be worthy because He was faithful in the task of purchasing redemption for mankind (Revelation 5:9). We read much of faith in the Lord Jesus, and a little about the faith of Jesus Christ – they are not the same. Faith (a noun) and believe (a verb) work hand-in-hand; believe (pisteuo) includes the idea of persuasion of the truth of something, which implies evaluation in order to arrive at a place of conviction.23 Faith (pistis), on the other hand, takes the persuasion from believing and makes it the basis for living – it forms the foundation for all activities.24 If we truly believe something, then it will influence how we live (faith): our decisions, what we embrace and avoid, how we relate to those about us, and the allocation of our time. If we are believing the Scriptures to be the Word of God, then we must be living in obedience to them – to do otherwise would demonstrate that we do not truly believe. When we speak of faith in the Lord Jesus, we are persuaded (believing) that Jesus and what the Word of God teaches us about Him are true, and we live out our faith in obedience to Him; this faith is from our perspective – however, our faith can often be misplaced. Consider a literal translation of 2 Corinthians 13:5a: put yourselves to the test whether you are in the faith (implied: or not; in essence: are you a hypocrite?); be proving yourselves (evaluating and testing to ensure that your faith is genuine according to God’s Word).25 Paul’s concern is twofold: 1) that we not profess to believe one thing while secretly holding to something else, and 2) that our faith be founded upon the eternal God and His Word!
When we read of the faith of Jesus Christ, we might recognize that this is something different, but may be at a loss as to how this is to be understood. Jesus is eternal God wrapped in a body of flesh (John 1:14); yet we read that “we have not an high priest which cannot be touched [sympathize] with the feeling of our infirmities [with our weaknesses]; but was in all points tempted [has experienced] like as we are [in the same way], yet without [apart from] sin” (Hebrews 4:15).26 Jesus experienced the same limitations that we face: fatigue (John 4:6), hunger (Matthew 4:2), thirst (John 19:28), distress (Matthew 26:37), and death (John 19:33) – yet all of His human experiences were apart from sin (Hebrews 4:15). It was the faith of Jesus that saw Him complete the purpose for which He came to earth – His purpose as God’s Elect (John 12:27); His humanity shrank from what faced Him (Matthew 26:39), but His faith in the eternal purposes of God the Father (John 17:5; Hebrews 2:9) allowed Him to go through the rejection by the Jews (John 19:6), the cruelty of the Romans (John 19:1-3), and the suffering of the crucifixion (John 19:18) in order to bring redemption from sin to humanity. It was the faith of Jesus that permitted Him to look beyond this world to the glory of the next (Hebrews 12:2): His deity understood that this was predetermined (after all, He was a part of the planning) in order to bring salvation to humanity, and as a Man, He experienced the rejection, cruelty, and pain of the cross. Yet through it all, He never lost sight of the glory that would soon be His and opened for His own (John 17:5; John 14:3), and the new abundant life that would soon be available to mankind through what He endured (John 10:10). It was His faith in the God-ordained plan of redemption that saw Him willingly submit to the cruelty of the creatures whom He had made in His own image – His name is Faithful. Paul caught the essence of this: “If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot [is not able to] deny himself” (2 Timothy 2:13).27 God is eternally faithful, and it was Jesus’ faithfulness as Deity that overcame His human fear of the cross; the faith of Christ is eternally fused into the faithfulness of God – it is the faith that will lead to everlasting life!
What does the faith of Christ mean to us? “Knowing that a man is not justified [being pronounced righteous] by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified [declared to be righteous] by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified” (Galatians 2:16).28 Although justified (as underlined) is in the subjunctive mood (hence the word might), it must not be thought of as a possibility but as the reality that comes from having believed in Jesus Christ; the cause is believing in the Lord Jesus with the consequential result of being declared righteous (justified) by the faith of Christ that wrought salvation for us.29 “But now the righteousness of God without [apart from] the law is manifested [has been revealed] … Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe [are believing]: for there is no difference [distinction]: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God …” (Romans 3:21-23).30 Believe (are believing) is in the active voice (the all are doing the believing), and the present tense (this is a continuous action – a past action does not qualify to retain the righteousness of God).31 Therefore, in order to bear the righteousness of God (after being declared righteous through the atoning work of Christ [the faith of Christ]), we must be holding a present belief in Jesus Christ, which, in turn, means that our believing is producing a life of obedience to the commands of God.
Returning to the matter of the Calvinist’s unconditional election, it should be evident by now that when we are referred to as being the elect of God it is because we are in Christ, but nothing whatsoever to do with salvation! God’s righteousness comes to all (pas; an inclusive expression that is to be applied to all of humanity – Romans 3:22) only through the completed atonement for sin that was accomplished by Christ – it is a righteousness that comes only through the faith of Christ by actively believing (in the full understanding of this term) in Him! Paul challenged the Ephesians to put off the old man in respect to your former way of life, being corrupt according to its craving of deceitful pleasure, and being renewed in the spirit of your mind, even to put on the new man in God having been created in righteousness and true holiness (Ephesians 4:22-24, literal).32 Both put off and put on are in the middle voice – this is something that the subject (you) must do and you are also the beneficiary of the action;33 both (put off and put on) are an act of the will! By contrast, being renewed is in the passive voice – this is something that only God can do within us; when we don the new man of righteousness and holiness, the renewing of our mind will then take place through the working of the abiding Spirit of God. Earlier, Paul had clarified that we are saved by the grace of God and that there is nothing that we can do to merit saving grace; however, he then goes on to explain: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). The good works for which we have been created will flow out of the righteousness and holiness of the new man. Jesus illustrated this: “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:22-23). Because the many wonderful works did not come out of the new man created in Christ Jesus, both the works and the workers were rejected by the Lord. The element that is critical to our acceptance with the Lord is that we are found to be in Christ Jesus – those who are in Him are the elect!
Let’s look again at Ephesians 1:3-5a – “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings [every spiritual blessing (these are singular in Greek)] in heavenly places in Christ: According as he [God] hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we” being holy and blameless before Him, in love having predetermined us to adoption through Jesus Christ to Himself … (literal in italics).34 As we permit our thinking to move away from election-equals-salvation, we can come to know a whole new vista of God’s mercy and grace that is far more marvelous than the grace of Calvinism. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Romans 8:1); to the one who is in Christ there is no condemnation before God, but to be in Christ means to be living in keeping with the Spirit of God! Jesus said that if we are loving Him, then we must be attending carefully to His commandments (John 14:15); it is because of this that He took the time to carefully explain our need to count the cost of following Him before we commit to being His disciple – it will cost us everything (Luke 14:26-33)! John the Baptist declared: “He that believeth [pisteuo; is believing (present tense, active voice)] on the Son hath [is having (present tense, active voice)] everlasting life: and he that believeth not [apeitheo; is not obeying (present tense, active voice)] the Son shall not see life; but the wrath [orge, God’s enduring anger against sin] of God abideth [meno; is remaining (present tense, active voice] on him” (John 3:36).35 John explains two distinct truths: 1) whoever is believing on the Lord Jesus is having everlasting life (as the believing is present, so is the everlasting life); 2) whoever is being disobedient to the Lord Jesus remains under God’s anger against sin. Two very different ends, and both dependent upon the choice of whoever; notice that whoever is the one who is either believing or disobeying – this is nothing other than the choice of whoever. Consider Moses’ words to the children of Israel just before they were to enter into the Promised Land: “I call heaven and earth to record [witness] 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” (Deuteronomy 30:19).36 Although there were undoubtedly those who were faithful to the Lord within Israel, it is very evident from their history that most were not – yet Moses calls upon all of them to consider what he had rehearsed for them, and then to choose life!
Once more, we arrive at the problem that Calvinists have: mankind has been created in the image of God, and that image is still present within every person on earth – it has not been lost among sinners! As Noah and his family set about to replenish the earth, the Lord instructed Noah: “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man” (Genesis 9:6); after purging the earth of the majority of humanity, God implements the death penalty for murder because man has been made in His image. God created man in His own image, thereby infusing him with an eternal element (the soul) and the ability to choose between good and evil (Genesis 1:27; 2:17); God (Jesus) took on the image of man in order to bring redemption to man thereby permitting him to once again choose good (Hebrews 2:14).
Unconditional election states that God has predetermined everyone who will be saved. The Scriptures proclaim that God’s grace has been extended to all of humanity in Christ! Man, who has been created in the image of God, still has the ability to evaluate and reason, by which he is able to choose good, which is contrary to his nature, or evil, which is in keeping with the sin nature that we all bear. After the Lord provides evidence of the rebellious actions of Judah, He declares: “Come now, and let us reason together [yakah], saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18). The Hebrew yakah is a term that bears a judicial element;37 in the first part of Isaiah one, the Lord lays out His reasons for identifying Judah as being rebellious and clarifying for them that their religious activities were nauseous to Him and without merit. The Lord laid out His case and then calls upon Judah to join Him in thinking through what it is that has broken their covenant (a binding agreement38) with the Lord; “it is precisely because of the covenant that Yahweh … requires his people to exhibit in their lives this element of the imago dei [image of God].”39 It is because man has been created in the image of God that the Lord calls upon Judah to consider carefully their situation with Him, since there is still cleansing available within their covenant with Jehovah, if they will only recognize it. The difficulty with Judah was not that they did not have the Mosaic Covenant to follow, but that “the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it” (Hebrews 4:2); they followed the letter of the Mosaic Law, carefully kept the prescribed festivals and meticulously followed the regulations for the priesthood and sacrifices, yet their hands were full of blood – they were still guilty of sin (Isaiah 1:11-15, cp. Matthew 7:22-23). They had the works down pat but failed to realize that they had lost the foundation for those works: faith in Jehovah! God calls them to consider their position in His covenant with them, and if they choose correctly, cleansing from sin is possible for them. Despite Judah’s rebellion and their empty religious rituals, God calls upon them to think carefully with Him about their present state; this is completely contrary to the Calvinistic doctrine of unconditional election – there would be no need to reason together if God had already individually chosen those who would be saved.
It is as we consider this aspect of Calvinism that the whole matter of predestination comes into question as it pertains to God. Since we’re in the vicinity, let’s take a moment to look into this matter.
We have already considered Ephesians 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.” Right in the middle we have the phrase before ordained (proetoimazo), which literally means to prepare before;40 if something has been prepared in advance, then it simply unfolds as it was prepared. When we carry this into the realm of Almighty God, we can understand that what He has prepared beforehand will take place. The application in this verse has nothing to do with salvation, and is opposing unconditional election rather than supporting it; this Greek word only appears twice in the NT Scriptures – the other is in Romans 9:23, and it, too, has no bearing on salvation.
We find a similar word in Ephesians 1:5 – in love “having predestinated us unto … adoption … by Jesus Christ to himself.” This is from the Greek word proorizo, which means to define before or to decide beforehand;41 it is quite similar to proetoimazo, except that it carries the implication of being far more finely detailed – this is not a general plan but a very specifically detailed one from which there will be no deviation. However, this application also does not concern salvation but what God has predetermined for those who are in Christ – namely, being adopted as His children.
Consider the first three items of the Westminster Confession on this matter under Chapter III: Of God’s Eternal Decree:42
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; yet so as thereby neither is God the author of sin, nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures, nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established. [The bold expresses their deep understanding of the predetermination of God; however, in an effort to sidestep making God the creator of sin and doing violence to the will of man, they immediately apply certain caveats at this juncture and define terms in such a way that they are able to maneuver through the impossible maze that they have created. They define the decree of God as “his purpose or determination with respect to future things,” and then go on: “The decree of God is either effective or permissive. His effective decree respects all the good that comes to pass; his permissive decree respects the evi1 that is in sinful actions.”43 From this it is evident that they have introduced just enough ambiguity in the terms used so as to allow themselves to wiggle through, or around, most difficulties.]
II. Although God knows whatsoever may or can come to pass upon all supposed conditions, yet hath he not decreed anything because he foresaw it as future, or as that which would come to pass upon such conditions. [They assure us that “the decrees of God are absolute and unconditional” and that they are eternal44 – i.e., His decrees were not influenced by His foreknowledge.]
III. By the decree of God, for the manifestation of his glory, some men and angels are predestinated unto everlasting life, and others fore-ordained to everlasting death. [Since the decree of God regarding those predestinated unto everlasting life is good, that makes this an effective, eternal, and unconditional decree; His decree for the rest of humanity is permissive, yet it is equally eternal and unconditional. Effective and permissive appear to be differing labels that they have arbitrarily assigned in order to make two things appear to be different when they are exactly the same – the more terms that they can define and include, the better that their theology will hold together. It seems that they endeavor to make everything as complicated as possible in an effort to provide sufficient loopholes through which they can deal with what lies outside of their Confession but within the Scriptures.]
Within Reformed theology (and hence, Calvinism) the absolute sovereignty of God, or “the truth of sovereign predestination,”45 is held in high regard: “election proceeds from the mere sovereign will of God.”46 The TULIP of Calvinism is only possible by holding to “the principle of absolute divine sovereignty” (emphasis added),47 and out of this flows their strong emphasis upon the sovereign grace of God – notwithstanding, this grace is only for those who are deemed to be God’s elect. It is upon this absolute sovereignty of God (by which they mean His predetermination of everything) that unconditional election stands.
“Reprobation [God’s choice to send some to eternal damnation] demonstrates the sovereignty of God in salvation, that God does what He wills with the creatures whom He has made. The reprobate are no worse than the elect. All men appear in the mind of God as involved in a common ruin … Beyond that we cannot go, and before that we humans must bow” (emphasis added).48 They see all of humanity as being equal before the Lord (and I would concur) but they don’t stop there; God has, in His absolute sovereignty, randomly selected some people for heaven and banished the others to hell. They accept this as the truth of God, and go so far as to issue a warning against going beyond this and call for everyone to submit to it!
We have already looked at one example of what the Lord has predestined for His children: namely, our adoption as His own (Ephesians 1:5) – a passage that the Calvinist uses to prove that election is to salvation. It is also clear that our adoption only comes as we are in Christ, and it is Christ Who is the Elect from eternity past, and if we are in Him, then we are numbered among God’s elect. Those who have placed their faith in the Lord Jesus are elect in Christ Who was chosen from before the foundation of the world.
There are two other Scriptures that are used by the Calvinists to prove their concept of predestination and their teaching that election is to salvation; let’s consider these as well.
As Paul and Barnabas received opposition to the Gospel message from the Jews at Antioch in Pisidia, they proclaimed to them: “It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles” (Acts 13:46). The Jews were envious of the following that Paul and Barnabas received, and set out to discredit them and their message. As Paul and Barnabas turn away from the Jews, they quote from Isaiah 49:6b – “I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth”; then we read of the response that they received from their new audience: “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 13:47-48). It is the phrase as many as were ordained to eternal life believed that is used to affirm that God’s effective (their word!), arbitrary and unconditional election (predestination) of some is to salvation. Again, if we read it over, it might well sound to be supportive of the Calvinists’ perspective. Consider a literal translation: and the non-Jews, hearing this, rejoicing and glorifying the Word of the Lord also did believe – all of those who had been placed into life everlasting.49 Ordained is from the Greek tasso and it means to place, to put into order or to arrange.50 Since these Gentiles believed, they also now belonged among those who held everlasting life; Jesus said that the one who is believing in Him is having this life (John 3:16) – the two go together (believing and everlasting life), and Jesus declared the order to be: believe, then endless life. Since Jesus is the Elect from eternity past Who came to purchase salvation for humanity, these Gentiles believed and were now counted among those to whom this unending life was a reality. Paul referred to himself as being an example of one who, through the patience of Christ, is believing on Him to life everlasting (1 Timothy 1:16b).51 Salvation comes through believing: “the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe [are believing (present tense); active voice (it is the all who are believing)]” (Romans 3:22). A reminder: believing means to be persuaded of the truth of what Christ has done, to the extent that it changes how we live; Jesus said: “If ye love me [the essence of believing], keep my commandments [a command to change how we live]” (John 14:15).52 A careful examination of this text has shown that it does not support God’s predetermination of who will receive salvation.
The next passage is this: Romans 8:28-30 – “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. 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. 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.” Included within this passage are the terms foreknow and predestinate – surely this will settle the matter; this is what the Calvinists like to call the Golden Chain of Salvation: it “begins with foreknowledge and predestination and ends with justification and glorification.”53 Let’s look at it very carefully.
This passage follows on the heels of an explanation of how the Spirit of God and the Lord Jesus Christ are working together to make intercession for us according to the will of God because we have not understood (know; oida; perfect tense, active voice, indicative mood) for what we should ask.54 I’ve noted the grammatical characteristics of understood, but what does this mean? Perfect tense: a completed past action with ongoing results (we have not understood and we still do not understand); active voice: this is something that we have done; indicative mood: this is a simple statement of fact.55 We have never understood, nor do we now understand our situation from a heavenly perspective, and so we are not able to pray for what we really need; the Spirit and Jesus intercede for us so that petitions for our good come before the Father. Now to the quoted passage.
It begins with a clear declaration of something that we have always understood: for those who are loving God, all things are working together for good, and it then goes on: being a plan for the called.56 For those who are loving God (alluding to their faithfulness to Him, as well), there is an understanding that He is orchestrating what comes into their lives for their good – even if it may not always be evident. “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth” (Hebrews 12:6); each of the verbs underscored is in the present tense – is it any wonder that we don’t know how to pray for what we need? Would we pray for chastening? Jesus said that unless we will make Him first over everything else in our lives, we cannot be called His disciples (Luke 14:26-33); having counted the cost, we are committed to being His disciples – we are loving God and trusting Him to work in us to bring glory to His name (good). This is God’s plan for all who are called. Earlier we looked at Matthew 22:14 and found that, in fact, God has called everyone to salvation; this is His plan for everyone: loving Him and having the assurance that all things are working together for good.
For whom he did foreknow – foreknow (from proginosko) means to have knowledge of beforehand.57 What we must be careful not to do, is remove this from its Biblical context. Paul has just referred to those who are loving God, those who have placed their faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, and who are being guided by the intercession of the Spirit and the Son – those who are in Christ! As Paul taught the Ephesians, in order to be among those who are chosen by God, we must be in Christ – it is Christ Who is the Elect, and if we are in Him, then we are among God’s elect (Ephesians 1:4a)! It is those who are in Christ and who are living in keeping with the guidance of the Spirit of God, who are not under God’s condemnation (Romans 8:1). Therefore, those who are being referred to here as being in the foreknowledge of God are those who are in Christ (the context demands this, not that God’s foreknowledge is limited to those who are in Christ), which is not surprising since God, Who knows all things, was there at the beginning of time and will be there at the end as well (Revelation 1:8).
… he also did predestinate [proorizo] to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn [prototokos] among many brethren.58 These who are in Christ, God did predetermine (predestinate) that they would appear (be conformed) in the likeness of His Son, Jesus. “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2) – when we see Jesus, we will be like Him; we will be changed from mortality to immortality (1 Corinthians 15:53). As John began the Revelation, he brought greetings from “Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten (prototokos) of the dead” (Revelation 1:5); Jesus, the first Who was raised from the dead to never die again; many throughout Scripture were raised from the dead, but that was to their former state of living – they would have died again. It is through Him that we (the faithful in Christ) will be adopted by God as His children (Ephesians 1:4; Revelation 21:7): “For both he that sanctifieth [Jesus] and they who are sanctified [those who are in Him] are all of one [God]: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren” (Hebrews 2:11). Jesus, the first to be resurrected to never die again, is the First among all of those who are loving God, who will one day wear a glorified body just like His.
Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: – those who are loving Him and whom He has predetermined to be made in the image of His Son, He has also called. As we learned earlier, even though all have been called to the celebrations, only those who are properly attired will be accepted. There is a calling, or invitation, that is broad in its scope, but it also bears a narrowness that must not be overlooked. Jesus said: “Enter ye in at the strait [narrow] gate … which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:13-14); this is a general command (enter is in the imperative mood) to enter at the narrow gate that leads to life, but He lets us know that only a few will find it.59 Jesus went on to define the gate more precisely: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6); this restriction alone will cause many to miss the Pathway to life, for they refuse to acknowledge Jesus as Jehovah in the flesh or they will deny that He is the only Way. The Word made flesh also said: “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that shall endure [hupomeno – to remain faithful to the Lord in the face of trials] unto the end [of our time on earth], the same [this is a demonstrative Greek pronoun that emphatically identifies that it is the faithful one who] shall [will] be saved” (Mark 13:13)60 – only those who remain faithful to the Lord will be accepted by Him! The called whom we are considering, are loving God and have been predestinated to the image of His Son – they have already entered onto the Pathway to life. Paul explained this calling: “[God] 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). We have received a holy calling from God – another view of the restrictive calling and it has been given to us in Christ Jesus before the world began! This is an aspect to the calling of God to which we are to walk worthily with the guidance of the Spirit, having donned the new man who was created by God in righteousness and true holiness (Ephesians 4:1, 24). For those who hear the call to enter, they face the reality of Jesus Christ (Who He is, what He has done for them) and the cost that they must be willing to pay in order to become His disciples (Luke 14:26-33); the restrictive aspect of this calling is revealed in the person of Christ Jesus, and entrance is not permitted without understanding Who He is and who we are before Him. Those who are loving Him and whom He has predetermined to be made in the image of His Son, understand that their calling in Christ is holy – a call to separation from the world unto Christ through the working of His Spirit.
And whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. For those who are loving God, who are destined to wear the immortality of the Son, and who are living in their holy calling in Christ, they are also declared to be righteous (justified) and glorified in Him. God’s purpose for us was placed in Christ Jesus before the world began (2 Timothy 1:9), it is only as we are in Him that we can discover every spiritual blessing that He has prepared for us (Ephesians 1:3). Yes, God has exercised a predetermination for us from before the world began, but that was not to salvation – part of His determination is the spiritual blessings that are ours only in the Lord Jesus Christ. “For by grace are ye saved through faith [a present persuasion (belief) that leads to life-changing convictions of the truth]; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God [and this, the gift of God (a reference to the salvation from God), is not from you]: Not of works, lest any man should boast [so that no one can boast]. For we are his workmanship [for of Him we are made], created in Christ Jesus unto [for the purpose of] good works, which God hath before ordained [did prepare beforehand] that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:8-10).61 Here we see another of God’s determinations for His own: we have been created (a new man) in Christ Jesus for doing His works of righteousness and holiness – it is His intention that we walk in them! Nowhere in this passage have we seen that God has chosen some to salvation, but we do see that He has predestined His children (those who have placed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ) to a life that is faithful to His Word and one that will bring Him glory.
Let’s look again at Ephesians 1:3-5a – “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings [every spiritual blessing (these are singular in Greek)] in heavenly places in Christ: According as he [God] hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we” being holy and blameless before Him, in love having predetermined us to adoption through Jesus Christ to Himself … (literal in italics).34 As we permit our thinking to move away from election-equals-salvation, we can come to know a whole new vista of God’s mercy and grace that is far more marvelous than the grace of Calvinism. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Romans 8:1); to the one who is in Christ there is no condemnation before God, but to be in Christ means to be living in keeping with the Spirit of God! Jesus said that if we are loving Him, then we must be attending carefully to His commandments (John 14:15); it is because of this that He took the time to carefully explain our need to count the cost of following Him before we commit to being His disciple – it will cost us everything (Luke 14:26-33)! John the Baptist declared: “He that believeth [pisteuo; is believing (present tense, active voice)] on the Son hath [is having (present tense, active voice)] everlasting life: and he that believeth not [apeitheo; is not obeying (present tense, active voice)] the Son shall not see life; but the wrath [orge, God’s enduring anger against sin] of God abideth [meno; is remaining (present tense, active voice] on him” (John 3:36).35 John explains two distinct truths: 1) whoever is believing on the Lord Jesus is having everlasting life (as the believing is present, so is the everlasting life); 2) whoever is being disobedient to the Lord Jesus remains under God’s anger against sin. Two very different ends, and both dependent upon the choice of whoever; notice that whoever is the one who is either believing or disobeying – this is nothing other than the choice of whoever. Consider Moses’ words to the children of Israel just before they were to enter into the Promised Land: “I call heaven and earth to record [witness] 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” (Deuteronomy 30:19).36 Although there were undoubtedly those who were faithful to the Lord within Israel, it is very evident from their history that most were not – yet Moses calls upon all of them to consider what he had rehearsed for them, and then to choose life!
Once more, we arrive at the problem that Calvinists have: mankind has been created in the image of God, and that image is still present within every person on earth – it has not been lost among sinners! As Noah and his family set about to replenish the earth, the Lord instructed Noah: “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man” (Genesis 9:6); after purging the earth of the majority of humanity, God implements the death penalty for murder because man has been made in His image. God created man in His own image, thereby infusing him with an eternal element (the soul) and the ability to choose between good and evil (Genesis 1:27; 2:17); God (Jesus) took on the image of man in order to bring redemption to man thereby permitting him to once again choose good (Hebrews 2:14).
Unconditional election states that God has predetermined everyone who will be saved. The Scriptures proclaim that God’s grace has been extended to all of humanity in Christ! Man, who has been created in the image of God, still has the ability to evaluate and reason, by which he is able to choose good, which is contrary to his nature, or evil, which is in keeping with the sin nature that we all bear. After the Lord provides evidence of the rebellious actions of Judah, He declares: “Come now, and let us reason together [yakah], saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18). The Hebrew yakah is a term that bears a judicial element;37 in the first part of Isaiah one, the Lord lays out His reasons for identifying Judah as being rebellious and clarifying for them that their religious activities were nauseous to Him and without merit. The Lord laid out His case and then calls upon Judah to join Him in thinking through what it is that has broken their covenant (a binding agreement38) with the Lord; “it is precisely because of the covenant that Yahweh … requires his people to exhibit in their lives this element of the imago dei [image of God].”39 It is because man has been created in the image of God that the Lord calls upon Judah to consider carefully their situation with Him, since there is still cleansing available within their covenant with Jehovah, if they will only recognize it. The difficulty with Judah was not that they did not have the Mosaic Covenant to follow, but that “the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it” (Hebrews 4:2); they followed the letter of the Mosaic Law, carefully kept the prescribed festivals and meticulously followed the regulations for the priesthood and sacrifices, yet their hands were full of blood – they were still guilty of sin (Isaiah 1:11-15, cp. Matthew 7:22-23). They had the works down pat but failed to realize that they had lost the foundation for those works: faith in Jehovah! God calls them to consider their position in His covenant with them, and if they choose correctly, cleansing from sin is possible for them. Despite Judah’s rebellion and their empty religious rituals, God calls upon them to think carefully with Him about their present state; this is completely contrary to the Calvinistic doctrine of unconditional election – there would be no need to reason together if God had already individually chosen those who would be saved.
It is as we consider this aspect of Calvinism that the whole matter of predestination comes into question as it pertains to God. Since we’re in the vicinity, let’s take a moment to look into this matter.
We have already considered Ephesians 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.” Right in the middle we have the phrase before ordained (proetoimazo), which literally means to prepare before;40 if something has been prepared in advance, then it simply unfolds as it was prepared. When we carry this into the realm of Almighty God, we can understand that what He has prepared beforehand will take place. The application in this verse has nothing to do with salvation, and is opposing unconditional election rather than supporting it; this Greek word only appears twice in the NT Scriptures – the other is in Romans 9:23, and it, too, has no bearing on salvation.
We find a similar word in Ephesians 1:5 – in love “having predestinated us unto … adoption … by Jesus Christ to himself.” This is from the Greek word proorizo, which means to define before or to decide beforehand;41 it is quite similar to proetoimazo, except that it carries the implication of being far more finely detailed – this is not a general plan but a very specifically detailed one from which there will be no deviation. However, this application also does not concern salvation but what God has predetermined for those who are in Christ – namely, being adopted as His children.
Consider the first three items of the Westminster Confession on this matter under Chapter III: Of God’s Eternal Decree:42
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; yet so as thereby neither is God the author of sin, nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures, nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established. [The bold expresses their deep understanding of the predetermination of God; however, in an effort to sidestep making God the creator of sin and doing violence to the will of man, they immediately apply certain caveats at this juncture and define terms in such a way that they are able to maneuver through the impossible maze that they have created. They define the decree of God as “his purpose or determination with respect to future things,” and then go on: “The decree of God is either effective or permissive. His effective decree respects all the good that comes to pass; his permissive decree respects the evi1 that is in sinful actions.”43 From this it is evident that they have introduced just enough ambiguity in the terms used so as to allow themselves to wiggle through, or around, most difficulties.]
II. Although God knows whatsoever may or can come to pass upon all supposed conditions, yet hath he not decreed anything because he foresaw it as future, or as that which would come to pass upon such conditions. [They assure us that “the decrees of God are absolute and unconditional” and that they are eternal44 – i.e., His decrees were not influenced by His foreknowledge.]
III. By the decree of God, for the manifestation of his glory, some men and angels are predestinated unto everlasting life, and others fore-ordained to everlasting death. [Since the decree of God regarding those predestinated unto everlasting life is good, that makes this an effective, eternal, and unconditional decree; His decree for the rest of humanity is permissive, yet it is equally eternal and unconditional. Effective and permissive appear to be differing labels that they have arbitrarily assigned in order to make two things appear to be different when they are exactly the same – the more terms that they can define and include, the better that their theology will hold together. It seems that they endeavor to make everything as complicated as possible in an effort to provide sufficient loopholes through which they can deal with what lies outside of their Confession but within the Scriptures.]
Within Reformed theology (and hence, Calvinism) the absolute sovereignty of God, or “the truth of sovereign predestination,”45 is held in high regard: “election proceeds from the mere sovereign will of God.”46 The TULIP of Calvinism is only possible by holding to “the principle of absolute divine sovereignty” (emphasis added),47 and out of this flows their strong emphasis upon the sovereign grace of God – notwithstanding, this grace is only for those who are deemed to be God’s elect. It is upon this absolute sovereignty of God (by which they mean His predetermination of everything) that unconditional election stands.
“Reprobation [God’s choice to send some to eternal damnation] demonstrates the sovereignty of God in salvation, that God does what He wills with the creatures whom He has made. The reprobate are no worse than the elect. All men appear in the mind of God as involved in a common ruin … Beyond that we cannot go, and before that we humans must bow” (emphasis added).48 They see all of humanity as being equal before the Lord (and I would concur) but they don’t stop there; God has, in His absolute sovereignty, randomly selected some people for heaven and banished the others to hell. They accept this as the truth of God, and go so far as to issue a warning against going beyond this and call for everyone to submit to it!
We have already looked at one example of what the Lord has predestined for His children: namely, our adoption as His own (Ephesians 1:5) – a passage that the Calvinist uses to prove that election is to salvation. It is also clear that our adoption only comes as we are in Christ, and it is Christ Who is the Elect from eternity past, and if we are in Him, then we are numbered among God’s elect. Those who have placed their faith in the Lord Jesus are elect in Christ Who was chosen from before the foundation of the world.
There are two other Scriptures that are used by the Calvinists to prove their concept of predestination and their teaching that election is to salvation; let’s consider these as well.
As Paul and Barnabas received opposition to the Gospel message from the Jews at Antioch in Pisidia, they proclaimed to them: “It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles” (Acts 13:46). The Jews were envious of the following that Paul and Barnabas received, and set out to discredit them and their message. As Paul and Barnabas turn away from the Jews, they quote from Isaiah 49:6b – “I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth”; then we read of the response that they received from their new audience: “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 13:47-48). It is the phrase as many as were ordained to eternal life believed that is used to affirm that God’s effective (their word!), arbitrary and unconditional election (predestination) of some is to salvation. Again, if we read it over, it might well sound to be supportive of the Calvinists’ perspective. Consider a literal translation: and the non-Jews, hearing this, rejoicing and glorifying the Word of the Lord also did believe – all of those who had been placed into life everlasting.49 Ordained is from the Greek tasso and it means to place, to put into order or to arrange.50 Since these Gentiles believed, they also now belonged among those who held everlasting life; Jesus said that the one who is believing in Him is having this life (John 3:16) – the two go together (believing and everlasting life), and Jesus declared the order to be: believe, then endless life. Since Jesus is the Elect from eternity past Who came to purchase salvation for humanity, these Gentiles believed and were now counted among those to whom this unending life was a reality. Paul referred to himself as being an example of one who, through the patience of Christ, is believing on Him to life everlasting (1 Timothy 1:16b).51 Salvation comes through believing: “the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe [are believing (present tense); active voice (it is the all who are believing)]” (Romans 3:22). A reminder: believing means to be persuaded of the truth of what Christ has done, to the extent that it changes how we live; Jesus said: “If ye love me [the essence of believing], keep my commandments [a command to change how we live]” (John 14:15).52 A careful examination of this text has shown that it does not support God’s predetermination of who will receive salvation.
The next passage is this: Romans 8:28-30 – “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. 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. 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.” Included within this passage are the terms foreknow and predestinate – surely this will settle the matter; this is what the Calvinists like to call the Golden Chain of Salvation: it “begins with foreknowledge and predestination and ends with justification and glorification.”53 Let’s look at it very carefully.
This passage follows on the heels of an explanation of how the Spirit of God and the Lord Jesus Christ are working together to make intercession for us according to the will of God because we have not understood (know; oida; perfect tense, active voice, indicative mood) for what we should ask.54 I’ve noted the grammatical characteristics of understood, but what does this mean? Perfect tense: a completed past action with ongoing results (we have not understood and we still do not understand); active voice: this is something that we have done; indicative mood: this is a simple statement of fact.55 We have never understood, nor do we now understand our situation from a heavenly perspective, and so we are not able to pray for what we really need; the Spirit and Jesus intercede for us so that petitions for our good come before the Father. Now to the quoted passage.
It begins with a clear declaration of something that we have always understood: for those who are loving God, all things are working together for good, and it then goes on: being a plan for the called.56 For those who are loving God (alluding to their faithfulness to Him, as well), there is an understanding that He is orchestrating what comes into their lives for their good – even if it may not always be evident. “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth” (Hebrews 12:6); each of the verbs underscored is in the present tense – is it any wonder that we don’t know how to pray for what we need? Would we pray for chastening? Jesus said that unless we will make Him first over everything else in our lives, we cannot be called His disciples (Luke 14:26-33); having counted the cost, we are committed to being His disciples – we are loving God and trusting Him to work in us to bring glory to His name (good). This is God’s plan for all who are called. Earlier we looked at Matthew 22:14 and found that, in fact, God has called everyone to salvation; this is His plan for everyone: loving Him and having the assurance that all things are working together for good.
For whom he did foreknow – foreknow (from proginosko) means to have knowledge of beforehand.57 What we must be careful not to do, is remove this from its Biblical context. Paul has just referred to those who are loving God, those who have placed their faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, and who are being guided by the intercession of the Spirit and the Son – those who are in Christ! As Paul taught the Ephesians, in order to be among those who are chosen by God, we must be in Christ – it is Christ Who is the Elect, and if we are in Him, then we are among God’s elect (Ephesians 1:4a)! It is those who are in Christ and who are living in keeping with the guidance of the Spirit of God, who are not under God’s condemnation (Romans 8:1). Therefore, those who are being referred to here as being in the foreknowledge of God are those who are in Christ (the context demands this, not that God’s foreknowledge is limited to those who are in Christ), which is not surprising since God, Who knows all things, was there at the beginning of time and will be there at the end as well (Revelation 1:8).
… he also did predestinate [proorizo] to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn [prototokos] among many brethren.58 These who are in Christ, God did predetermine (predestinate) that they would appear (be conformed) in the likeness of His Son, Jesus. “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2) – when we see Jesus, we will be like Him; we will be changed from mortality to immortality (1 Corinthians 15:53). As John began the Revelation, he brought greetings from “Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten (prototokos) of the dead” (Revelation 1:5); Jesus, the first Who was raised from the dead to never die again; many throughout Scripture were raised from the dead, but that was to their former state of living – they would have died again. It is through Him that we (the faithful in Christ) will be adopted by God as His children (Ephesians 1:4; Revelation 21:7): “For both he that sanctifieth [Jesus] and they who are sanctified [those who are in Him] are all of one [God]: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren” (Hebrews 2:11). Jesus, the first to be resurrected to never die again, is the First among all of those who are loving God, who will one day wear a glorified body just like His.
Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: – those who are loving Him and whom He has predetermined to be made in the image of His Son, He has also called. As we learned earlier, even though all have been called to the celebrations, only those who are properly attired will be accepted. There is a calling, or invitation, that is broad in its scope, but it also bears a narrowness that must not be overlooked. Jesus said: “Enter ye in at the strait [narrow] gate … which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:13-14); this is a general command (enter is in the imperative mood) to enter at the narrow gate that leads to life, but He lets us know that only a few will find it.59 Jesus went on to define the gate more precisely: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6); this restriction alone will cause many to miss the Pathway to life, for they refuse to acknowledge Jesus as Jehovah in the flesh or they will deny that He is the only Way. The Word made flesh also said: “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that shall endure [hupomeno – to remain faithful to the Lord in the face of trials] unto the end [of our time on earth], the same [this is a demonstrative Greek pronoun that emphatically identifies that it is the faithful one who] shall [will] be saved” (Mark 13:13)60 – only those who remain faithful to the Lord will be accepted by Him! The called whom we are considering, are loving God and have been predestinated to the image of His Son – they have already entered onto the Pathway to life. Paul explained this calling: “[God] 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). We have received a holy calling from God – another view of the restrictive calling and it has been given to us in Christ Jesus before the world began! This is an aspect to the calling of God to which we are to walk worthily with the guidance of the Spirit, having donned the new man who was created by God in righteousness and true holiness (Ephesians 4:1, 24). For those who hear the call to enter, they face the reality of Jesus Christ (Who He is, what He has done for them) and the cost that they must be willing to pay in order to become His disciples (Luke 14:26-33); the restrictive aspect of this calling is revealed in the person of Christ Jesus, and entrance is not permitted without understanding Who He is and who we are before Him. Those who are loving Him and whom He has predetermined to be made in the image of His Son, understand that their calling in Christ is holy – a call to separation from the world unto Christ through the working of His Spirit.
And whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. For those who are loving God, who are destined to wear the immortality of the Son, and who are living in their holy calling in Christ, they are also declared to be righteous (justified) and glorified in Him. God’s purpose for us was placed in Christ Jesus before the world began (2 Timothy 1:9), it is only as we are in Him that we can discover every spiritual blessing that He has prepared for us (Ephesians 1:3). Yes, God has exercised a predetermination for us from before the world began, but that was not to salvation – part of His determination is the spiritual blessings that are ours only in the Lord Jesus Christ. “For by grace are ye saved through faith [a present persuasion (belief) that leads to life-changing convictions of the truth]; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God [and this, the gift of God (a reference to the salvation from God), is not from you]: Not of works, lest any man should boast [so that no one can boast]. For we are his workmanship [for of Him we are made], created in Christ Jesus unto [for the purpose of] good works, which God hath before ordained [did prepare beforehand] that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:8-10).61 Here we see another of God’s determinations for His own: we have been created (a new man) in Christ Jesus for doing His works of righteousness and holiness – it is His intention that we walk in them! Nowhere in this passage have we seen that God has chosen some to salvation, but we do see that He has predestined His children (those who have placed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ) to a life that is faithful to His Word and one that will bring Him glory.
END NOTES:
1 https://prts.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Canons-of-Dort-with-Intro.pdf.
2 http://www.reformedspokane.org/Doctrine_pages/Calvinism%20%26%20Sovereign%20Grace/books _folder/Saved%20By%20Grace/Saved_By_Grace3.html.
3 https://www.gty.org/library/articles/A132/considering-election-not-politics.
4 https://prts.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Canons-of-Dort-with-Intro.pdf
5 Strong’s Online, https://onlinebible.net/.
6 Strong’s Online.
7 Stephanus 1550 NT, Bibleworks 8; Strong’s Online.
8 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon, Bibleworks 8.
9 Vine’s Expository Dictionary, “all”; Friberg Lexicon.
10 Stephanus 1550 NT.
11 Gerhard Kittel and Gerhard Friedrich (translated by Geoffrey W. Bromiley), Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, “polloi.” It is because of being a part of this parable that Kittel and Friedrich specifically see the necessity of recognizing the inclusive sense of polloi.
12 Friberg Lexicon.
13 Strong’s Online.
14 Strong’s Online; Friberg Lexicon.
15 Strong’s Online.
16 Ibid.
17 https://www.gty.org/library/articles/A132/considering-election-not-politics.
18 Strong’s Online; Brown Driver Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon, Bibleworks 8.
19 http://www.reformedspokane.org/Doctrine_pages/Calvinism%20%26%20Sovereign%20Grace/books _folder/Saved%20By%20Grace/Saved_By_Grace3.html.
20 Young’s Literal Translation.
21 Friberg Lexicon.
22 https://www.ntgreek.org/learn_nt_greek/verbs1.htm#AORIST.
23 Strong’s Online.
24 Ibid.
25 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Strong’s Online.
26 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon, Bibleworks 8.
27 Strong’s Online.
28 Friberg Lexicon.
29 https://www.ntgreek.org/learn_nt_greek/subj-purpose.htm.
30 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon.
31 Strong’s Online.
32 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon.
33 https://www.ntgreek.org/learn_nt_greek/verbs1.htm#AORIST; Stephanus 1550 NT.
34 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexion.
35 Strong’s Online.
36 Ibid.
37 Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (TWOT), Laird, Archer, Waltke editors, #865, “yakah,” p. 377.
38 https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/covenant.
39 TWOT, p. 377.
40 Strong’s Online.
41 Strong’s Online; Friberg Lexicon.
42 https://thewestminsterstandard.org/the-westminster-confession/#Chapter%20III.
43 https://reformed.org/documents/shaw/.
44 Ibid.
45 http://www.prca.org/fivepoints/chapter2.html.
46 https://reformed.org/documents/shaw/.
47 https://prts.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Canons-of-Dort-with-Intro.pdf.
48 http://www.reformedspokane.org/Doctrine_pages/Calvinism%20%26%20Sovereign%20Grace/books _folder/Saved%20By%20Grace/Saved_By_Grace3.html.
49 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon.
50 Strong’s Online.
51 Stephanus 1550 NT.
52 Strong’s Online.
53 http://www.reformedspokane.org/Doctrine_pages/Calvinism%20%26%20Sovereign%20Grace/books _folder/Saved%20By%20Grace/Saved_By_Grace3.html.
54 Strong’s Online.
55 https://www.ntgreek.org/learn_nt_greek/verbs1.htm#AORIST; Strong’s Online.
56 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon.
57 Stephanus 1550 NT; Strong’s Online.
58 Strong’s Online.
59 Ibid.
60 Strong’s Online; Friberg Lexicon.
61 https://www.ntgreek.org/learn_nt_greek/subj-purpose.htm; Friberg Lexicon.
1 https://prts.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Canons-of-Dort-with-Intro.pdf.
2 http://www.reformedspokane.org/Doctrine_pages/Calvinism%20%26%20Sovereign%20Grace/books _folder/Saved%20By%20Grace/Saved_By_Grace3.html.
3 https://www.gty.org/library/articles/A132/considering-election-not-politics.
4 https://prts.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Canons-of-Dort-with-Intro.pdf
5 Strong’s Online, https://onlinebible.net/.
6 Strong’s Online.
7 Stephanus 1550 NT, Bibleworks 8; Strong’s Online.
8 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon, Bibleworks 8.
9 Vine’s Expository Dictionary, “all”; Friberg Lexicon.
10 Stephanus 1550 NT.
11 Gerhard Kittel and Gerhard Friedrich (translated by Geoffrey W. Bromiley), Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, “polloi.” It is because of being a part of this parable that Kittel and Friedrich specifically see the necessity of recognizing the inclusive sense of polloi.
12 Friberg Lexicon.
13 Strong’s Online.
14 Strong’s Online; Friberg Lexicon.
15 Strong’s Online.
16 Ibid.
17 https://www.gty.org/library/articles/A132/considering-election-not-politics.
18 Strong’s Online; Brown Driver Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon, Bibleworks 8.
19 http://www.reformedspokane.org/Doctrine_pages/Calvinism%20%26%20Sovereign%20Grace/books _folder/Saved%20By%20Grace/Saved_By_Grace3.html.
20 Young’s Literal Translation.
21 Friberg Lexicon.
22 https://www.ntgreek.org/learn_nt_greek/verbs1.htm#AORIST.
23 Strong’s Online.
24 Ibid.
25 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Strong’s Online.
26 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon, Bibleworks 8.
27 Strong’s Online.
28 Friberg Lexicon.
29 https://www.ntgreek.org/learn_nt_greek/subj-purpose.htm.
30 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon.
31 Strong’s Online.
32 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon.
33 https://www.ntgreek.org/learn_nt_greek/verbs1.htm#AORIST; Stephanus 1550 NT.
34 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexion.
35 Strong’s Online.
36 Ibid.
37 Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (TWOT), Laird, Archer, Waltke editors, #865, “yakah,” p. 377.
38 https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/covenant.
39 TWOT, p. 377.
40 Strong’s Online.
41 Strong’s Online; Friberg Lexicon.
42 https://thewestminsterstandard.org/the-westminster-confession/#Chapter%20III.
43 https://reformed.org/documents/shaw/.
44 Ibid.
45 http://www.prca.org/fivepoints/chapter2.html.
46 https://reformed.org/documents/shaw/.
47 https://prts.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Canons-of-Dort-with-Intro.pdf.
48 http://www.reformedspokane.org/Doctrine_pages/Calvinism%20%26%20Sovereign%20Grace/books _folder/Saved%20By%20Grace/Saved_By_Grace3.html.
49 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon.
50 Strong’s Online.
51 Stephanus 1550 NT.
52 Strong’s Online.
53 http://www.reformedspokane.org/Doctrine_pages/Calvinism%20%26%20Sovereign%20Grace/books _folder/Saved%20By%20Grace/Saved_By_Grace3.html.
54 Strong’s Online.
55 https://www.ntgreek.org/learn_nt_greek/verbs1.htm#AORIST; Strong’s Online.
56 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon.
57 Stephanus 1550 NT; Strong’s Online.
58 Strong’s Online.
59 Ibid.
60 Strong’s Online; Friberg Lexicon.
61 https://www.ntgreek.org/learn_nt_greek/subj-purpose.htm; Friberg Lexicon.