The words predestination, election, chosen, foreordained, and called are used many times in the Bible. Whether we like it or not, we not only must believe something about this subject, but we must also realize that everyone else believes something about election. “I don’t believe in predestination” does not mean, “I do not believe the words predestination or election are in the Bible,” since everyone knows those words are in the Bible. No, “I do not believe in predestination” really means, “I do not believe the Bible means what you are saying it does when it talks about predestination.” In other words, you must deny the very Word of God to reject predestination and election outright, but you are not necessarily denying the Bible just because you disagree with my interpretation. You cannot deny that Jesus said, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you” (John 15:16a), or you are denying the Word of God. You may, however, disagree with what I think those words mean without rejecting the Bible. You will, of course, be wrong in your understanding of election, but like me, you have been wrong before. Seriously, I repeat: sincere and godly Christians can, and do, disagree about what Jesus and the apostles meant when they talked about election.
Those familiar with the Doctrines of Grace will recognize that we are dealing with the second point of those five doctrines. We are discussing what is called “unconditional election.”
Unconditional election, or grace purposed, deals with the work of God the Father in the scheme of redemption. All agree that God “chooses some people to be saved,” but they differ greatly about why he chooses one and not another. The religion of free will says, “Yes, God chose some sinners to be saved just as he sovereignly chose Israel. However, he chose Christians purely on the basis of his foreknowledge.” By foreknowledge, these people mean that before time began, God looked down through history and “foresaw” beforehand who would be “willing” to accept Christ, and on the basis of this “foreseen faith” in some people, God chose these particular people to be saved. It only takes a moment’s reflection to realize that in such a scheme, God has not actually done any choosing at all. All God has done is ratify the sinner’s pre-known choice. What else can that idea mean?
It is to counter this wrong idea that we add the word unconditional to the word election. We mean to emphasize that God’s election of a sinner is totally unconditioned by anything known or foreseen in the sinner. Election is based solely on the unconditioned sovereign choice of God. If God foresaw what the sinner, with his free will, was going to do (namely, choose to be saved) and God then decided to “choose,” based entirely on the foreknown information about that particular sinner, how can God be said to have chosen in any sense whatever? That sounds like double talk to me. The most that could be said was that God is merely agreeing with what he foresaw was going to happen and decided to ratify the sinner’s choice. Thus, God looked into the future and foresaw I would be different from other people because I would be willing to believe the gospel. God’s reaction to my foreknown decision was, “Great! I foresee your willingness, and that gives me a basis or foundation upon which I can choose you to be saved.” If you believe that, please do not say that God, in any sense whatsoever, chooses in salvation. Be honest and say, “The one reason God was able to choose me to be saved was the fact that he foresaw that I would choose him first. He foresaw that I was not stupid like those who reject the gospel. God saw that I had a better heart, one that was willing to give him a chance to save me.” I’m sure many will object and say, “But I never said that.” Maybe you did not say that out loud, but that is exactly what your view of foreknowledge is saying.
On the other hand, the religion of free grace insists that apart from God first giving faith as a gift, no sinner would ever have any faith to be foreseen. God sovereignly chooses “whom he will” (cf. Rom. 9:10–13; 18–25), and his choice is totally “unconditioned” by anything foreseen in the creature. So the real question is not “Does God choose some sinners to be saved,” but rather, is his choice “conditioned” by the foreseen willingness of the sinner or is God’s choice totally “unconditional,” or sovereign, based solely on his own good pleasure?
There are four basic questions that must be asked in any discussion of election. We will seek to answer these questions with specific texts of Scripture.
(1) Who does the electing—God or man? The biblical answer is “God.” “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you.…” (John 15:16a)
(2) When did the electing, or choosing, take place—in eternity or in time? The biblical answer is “in eternity.” “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 Tim. 1:9)
(3) On what basis was the electing, or choosing, done: was it based on free grace (i.e., unconditional), or was it based on man’s choice (i.e., conditioned by free will)? “Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.” (Rom. 11:5–6)
(4) Does this election involve personal salvation or only privileges and service? “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.…” (2 Thess. 2:13)
The Biblical meaning of chose.
Perhaps it would be well to fix in our minds how the Bible uses the word chose. Exactly what does God want us to understand when he says that he “chose us in Christ”? Look at the following text and ask yourself, “Exactly what did David do in this situation?”
And he [David] took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine (1 Sam. 17:40)
Whatever chose means in reference to those five stones, it means exactly the same thing that God did in reference to everyone whom he “chooses to be saved.” Can anyone believe that those five stones somehow, possibly by wiggling a bit, indicated to David that they were willing to be chosen? No, everyone will see David sovereignly deciding which stones best suited his purpose. No one will dispute that the choice of the particular stones was totally in David’s mind and purpose and not in the willingness of the stones. That is precisely what it means when the Scriptures say, “God chose us!” Just as David deliberately chose those five specific stones, and just as God chose one particular nation, Israel, out of all the other nations, so God deliberately chose specific individuals to be saved by his grace. Some may say, “Yes, but we are not lifeless stones.” That may be true, but we were just as spiritually lifeless and dead as those stones were lifeless and dead. Our hearts were just as hard and cold as those stones, but the grace and power of God took out those stony hearts and gave us a heart of flesh (cf. Ezek. 36:26).
Election in the Old Testament Scriptures.
The nation of Israel is a classic proof of the doctrine of sovereign election. Deuteronomy 7:6–8 is a typical passage that describes Israel’s unique relationship with God and how that relationship came about.
For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. (Deut. 7:6–8)
Everyone agrees that Israel was “the chosen nation” of God. The question is not, “Did God sovereignly choose the nation of Israel out from among all of the other nations to be his special property?” You would have to literally deny the Bible before you could reject that clear truth. The only question is, “Why did he choose that particular nation as his special people?” And the only two answers you can give are either (1) because God foresaw they were “willing” to be chosen, or (2) because God sovereignly chose them simply because he wanted to choose them. What does the above Scripture say? Jacob’s children were chosen because of the sovereign oath that God made to their father Abraham long before they were born. That choice had absolutely nothing to do with Israel’s willingness. It is so with us who believe. We are saved by an oath the Father made to his Son long before we were born, and that oath has nothing to do with our so-called “free will.”
Election is clearly taught in the New Testament Scriptures.
Our Lord Jesus taught the doctrine of election. We will confine our references to the gospel of John since that book is known as the whosoever gospel. Some verses from John are often used to refute election. Actually, no book in the whole Scripture is clearer on both absolute predestination and sovereign election.
I am the Good Shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. (John 10:14–16)
These words cannot be understood without accepting the truth of unconditional election. Our Lord here speaks of certain people who belonged to him even though at that very moment they were lost—“other sheep I have.” Notice the following things clearly taught in this text: (1) Christ calls some people “his sheep” long before he saves them. They belong to him at that very moment even though they are lost. (2) He declares that he “must, and surely will, find and bring them safely into the one true fold.” Not a single sheep will be left not found. (3) Our Lord is positive that every one of those sheep “will hear his voice” and will come to him. That is sovereign grace choosing and bringing particular individuals to faith in Christ.
My dear friend, that is absolute sovereign election, pure and simple. Look at some other texts in our Lord’s prayer in the 17th chapter of John. Notice the same expression is used time and again.
John 17:2: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.
John 17:6: I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.
John 17:9: I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.
John 17:11: And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
John 17:12a: While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept…
John 17:24: Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovest me before the foundation of the world.
Six times in our Lord’s high priestly prayer, he refers to a group of people who have been “given to him” by the Father. Christ specifically says in verse nine that he does not pray for the world but for the elect who have been chosen out of the world and given to him as his sheep. Can anyone believe that Christ would die for an individual and then not pray for that individual?
Look at one more passage in the gospel of John. This is a key verse. It is probably the most misquoted, next to Romans 8:28, of any verse in the Bible. Many evangelists use this verse in every service when they give an altar call. The problem is that they only quote half of the verse. They begin in the middle and ignore the first part. Here is the entire verse:
All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. (John 6:37)
Notice that the verse contains one complete sentence with two distinct but vitally connected statements. Both statements contain a specific Bible truth. The statements are related to each other as cause and effect. As I mentioned, evangelists quote only the second half. They say, with arms outstretched while inviting people to come to the front of the church, “Jesus said, ‘Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.’” Unfortunately, they give the impression that “coming to Christ” and coming to the front are one and the same thing. It is true that Jesus said, “Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out,” but he said those words as a conclusion to the first statement. Why can we be certain that everyone who comes to Christ will be accepted? Because those who come do so only because they already are one of his sheep. They come only because the Father is drawing them, and he is drawing them because he has given them to Christ in eternal covenant. The “coming ones” and the “given ones” are one and the same people. Those who believe in the free will of man (Arminians) will not freely preach the first part of John 6:37, which is unconditional election, and a hyper-Calvinist will not preach the second part of the verse, which is the free and universal proclamation of the gospel. We must preach both parts of this verse, and I might add, preach them both with equal enthusiasm and in the given order.
“All that the Father giveth me shall come to me…” is the truth of sovereign election. It is assuring us that there will be no empty houses in heaven catching cobwebs because someone was not willing to “claim by faith what Christ purchased for them.” No, no, my friend, every chosen one will be there. The shepherd will seek, find, and save each one of his chosen sheep. After all, his reputation as the shepherd is at stake as well as the Father’s purpose and glory.
The second part of the verse, “…and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out,” is the message to a world of lost sinners. It matters not who you are, what you are, or what you have done; come to Christ, and you will be received. If you do not feel ready, come anyway, and you will be received. You say you have not felt your sin enough. Where, I ask, does the text say anything about feeling your sin enough? It says, “Come!” and assures all who come, regardless of their inadequacy, that they will be received.
People often ask, “Pastor, how can you reconcile election and the free proclamation of the gospel? How do you get those two things together?” I tell them that you never have to reconcile friends; you only reconcile enemies, and the free preaching of the gospel is not an enemy of sovereign election. The two doctrines are friends. As to getting them together, I insist that the Holy Spirit himself has put those two things together in John 6:37. The real question is, “How dare you try to separate them?” How dare anyone seek to put asunder what God has joined together!