About Doctrines
Election
Election is another part of God's Purpose. Where faith is the sufficient condition of salvation, election is the necessary condition. The elect will believe, but not against their wills. God give the elect the ability to trust in Christ.
Acts 13:48
Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. NKJV
God's desire is that all should come to salvation, but He allows human freedom and the choice to rebel against Him, just as Adam and Eve did in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1-6). Indeed, the state of mankind is that all deserve punishment and none deserve a place in heaven with God.
Romans 3:23; 6:23
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. NKJV
Election is
- according to God's foreknowledge
1 Peter 1:2 elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied. NKJV - wholly as the result of grace
Romans 9:11 for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls NKJV See also Romans 11:5,6 - proceeds from God's divine
volition
John 15:16 You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. NASB - is an exercise of God's sovereignty,
whereby He chooses people for His service
Luke 6:13 And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles: NKJV
Acts 9:15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. NKJV - is inclusive, not exclusive,
so that many may be blessed
1 Timothy 2:1-7 1 I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time. 7 And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles. NIV
Election, then, looks back to foreknowledge. Predestination looks forward to our destiny.
Romans 8:28, 29
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. NKJV
