Election & 'Whosoever'

Facing the Facts

By: K. B. Napier

One of the divisions we come across in the churches, is the one concerning 'whosoever'. Those who believe in a universal 'call' from God, usually also believe in the possibility for all to be saved - the 'whosoever' - if they so choose. 

But others - myself included - insist that God elects men and women to salvation. Thus they may not - and cannot - choose to be saved. This elicits furious antagonism from the 'whosoever' Believers (who are all Arminian to various degrees of commitment).

In my own case, some have even preferred to cast me aside, rather than allow me to believe as I do. This underlying anger from Believers perplexes me!

The reasons why one holds to this or that theory are not important when it comes to scripture.  Scripture says what it says, and that is the final word on the matter!  It does not really concern God why men believe as they do, if their beliefs oppose what He has said in His word.  To God there are only two responses - belief or rejection. The reasons behind the response are almost irrelevant, for God is Almighty and He demands obedience to what He says.  So, on this occasion I will not tackle the reasons behind the 'whosoever' debate. Rather, I will explain what scripture says about election, and why the existence of election means 'whosoever' does not, and cannot, be interpreted as 'everybody in the world'.

Readers may not assume from this paper that I am a die-hard Calvinist!  As I have said several times before, I happen to believe in the famed five points, but I am not thereby a Calvinist  - I am simply a Believer in God's word.  That Calvin's beliefs coincide with God's word is marvellous, but it is another matter.

 The Basic Problem

There is a grave problem with the 'whosoever' belief.  The problem is that it does not agree with scripture.  It claims that everybody in the world is 'offered' salvation, because Jesus Christ died for everybody.  Thus, it is possible for everybody to be saved.  That is how texts such as John 3:16 are interpreted - even though the text itself denies such an interpretation! (See later examination)

Now, if something believed is not what scripture says - what is it?  It can only be a lie!  We cannot get away with saying it is someone's 'opinion'. What scripture says is truth.  If we believe in the opposite, then we believe a lie. With the best will in the world, believers in the 'whosoever' theory cannot claim to hold a Biblical view on the matter. 

But I will not imply, or offer conjecture - let me go through the relevant texts of scripture to prove the case. We shall see what God's word says about election and the whole ethos this produces.  We shall see that election is perfectly conducive to the character and purposes of God, and is consistent with His claim to be 'The Potter'.  We shall then apply this thinking to the 'whosoever' texts, to show that, in every case, they are qualified by the idea of election. Therefore, 'whosoever' does NOT mean 'everybody in the world'...nor does 'world' in these texts mean 'the whole world'!  Nor may we directly link election with the Great Commission.

Election: God's Prerogative

Election is not a theory invented by myself, or by Man in general!  It is self-evident in scripture, and is plainly taught.  It is also plainly interpreted, by scripture itself.   Let us now look at relevant texts:

 Romans 11:2,4

 "God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew...

...I (i.e. God) have reserved to myself seven thousand men..."

 This begins a section dealing with Israel, who could not find salvation in God, even though it sought after it.  God says He did not throw aside the people He 'foreknew' - proginosko, meaning to foreknow, foreordain, to know before or to predestinate. We can see from this that to 'foreknow' is not just to know beforehand - it also means to pre-determine an outcome, to 'predestinate'.

This is important, because those who do not accept election as the beginning of salvation (i.e. all of grace), resort to saying that God was able to elect because He foreknew who would eventually be saved.  But that would be a rather passive, futile and superfluous thing to do. Why bother to 'elect' someone to be saved, if it is already known that he would be saved anyway? It would make no sense at all! 

The case seems to be, that God elected who would be saved, and thus He foreknew them (knew in advance).  It is like saying that I chose the colour red for my new car, and so I knew in advance what colour it would be. Really, when you analyse it, the two words mean virtually the same thing in terms of result, because if you choose something, you know what you have chosen!

The text tells us that God deliberately chose just a few people out of the whole of Israel (which automatically means He chose to discard all the others). Thus we are told that God 'reserved' them to Himself.  'Reserved' upholds the idea of God choosing only a few - kataleipo (reserved) is to be left, to bid one remain, to leave remaining, to cause to be left over. 

That is, He chose them to remain out of all others - the 'remnant'. This was a deliberate choice by God (hence only 7,000 men). After saying this, Paul goes on to relate the doctrine of election. We shall look at verses 5 - 9, and we shall see that 'reserved' (kataleipo) is closely linked with 'remnant'.

 "Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant (1) according to the election (2) of grace (3),
And if by grace, then (is it) no more of works (4): otherwise grace is no more grace.
But if (it be) of works, then is it no more grace...
What then?  Israel hath not obtained (5) that which he seeketh (6) for; but the election (7) hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded (8).
(According as it is written, God hath given (9) them the spirit (10)  of slumber (11), eyes that they should not see (12), and ears that they should not hear) (13); unto this day. And David saith, Let their table (14) be made a snare (15), and a trap (16), and a stumblingblock (17), and a recompence (18) unto them."

 The numbers in brackets relate to the words we shall look at. The meanings as found in scripture will be given first, and then we shall summarise what it all means.  Note that the interpretations given are those that best fit the actual context as well as the rest of scripture.

1.  Remnant.  leima. Means what it says - a remnant.  Rooted in leipo - to leave behind.  This 'leaving behind' is a deliberate act. Therefore, the remnant were those left behind after others were rejected or not chosen.  We have already noted that leipo is closely linked with being 'reserved' (kataleipo).

2.  Election. ekloge. Means chosen. The act of picking out/selecting. Refers to God choosing certain persons to receive His blessings before the foundation of the world.  Also, His decree, by His own choice, to bless certain people through Christ (i.e. salvation).  A thing or person chosen.

Again, this is a definite act of the will, not just a 'knowing beforehand'.

Rooted in eklegomai. Means to pick out, choose, to pick or choose for one's self.  To choose one out of many e.g. Jesus choosing His disciples. Choosing one for office. God choosing whom He judged fit to receive His favours and separated from the rest of mankind for His own, and to be protected e.g. the Israelites.  God the Father choosing Christians, set apart by Him from the irreligious multitude as dear to Himself - whom He has made citizens in the kingdom through faith in Christ, so that the ground of choice is in Christ and His merits alone.

As Spurgeon said in 'A Baptist Catechism': "God, having out of His good pleasure from all eternity, elected some to everlasting life (2 Th.2:13, Eph. 1:4)...and to bring them into a state of salvation by a Redeemer (Rom. 5:21)."

Even more interesting is the root of eklegomai, a combination of ek (middle voice) and lego. Ek is 'out of/from' or 'away from' (refers to the causative factor). Lego is to collect, to pick out, to call by name.  Thus we can do away with the notion that God does not know who will be saved until they choose Him! Ek tells us that someone has been taken away (i.e. from amongst others) and lego tells us that God not only chose those who will be saved - He called them out by name!  A personal call, made before time began. This makes it impossible for a man to choose Christ or God. A man may only choose within the time allotted to him on this earth, in time, whereas God chose him before the world was even made, out of time.

This choice was not just made immediately prior to the formation of the world - it must have been eternal and always known to God - something we cannot comprehend (it has to be eternal, for God is eternal and there cannot ever be a 'time' when He does not know something. Think about it!

(In other texts this election is also linked with a 'calling' e.g. 2 Peter 1:10,  to embrace salvation in the kingdom. This 'calling', klesis, is an invitation to a banquet or feast. That is, the 'divine invitation' to be saved. Note, however, that this invitation is made after the man has already been chosen as a 'guest'. A man does not simply 'arrive' [i.e. choose to be] at a banquet  - he must first be chosen to attend!).

3.  Grace. charis. In this context, grace is the good-will or loving-kindness of God, His favour or merciful kindness in salvation; a gift of grace, a benefit bestowed upon one. Many who reject election detest the phrase 'all of grace', but that is what 'grace' means - God giving a free gift without any merit on the part of the one receiving it! Thus the receiver cannot pay for it, earn it, ask for it, or choose it, as the Biblical text clearly establishes.

4.  Works. ergon. That is, anything accomplished by human hand, mind, industry, etc.;  an act or deed. Works is shown to be opposite to 'grace' and so the meaning of 'grace' is obvious - a free gift and no choice in the matter.  But 'works' is the product of one's own efforts.  Human choice is a product of one's own efforts - and here we are told that salvation (election) is not of works.  The conclusion must be, then, that we cannot choose salvation or Christ! Nor can a preacher persuade listeners of their need to be saved so that they are saved by the preacher's words. As it is only the Holy Spirit Who can persuade, it is 'all of grace'.

5.  Obtained.  epitugchano - to attain or to obtain.  Israel did not attain to salvation by its own efforts or choice, but by God's grace.  This attaining is rooted in a word meaning to hit the mark, to reach or to get (i.e. salvation and righteousness as a state of acceptance to God. Sin  - a state of non-acceptance - is defined as 'missing the mark').

6.  Seeketh.  epizeto. Means to seek after, desire, to inquire for, search for, seek diligently, to wish for, crave, demand, clamour for.  Rooted in zeteo, meaning to seek in order to find - by thinking, meditation, reasoning, etc.  To aim at or to strive after.

Note this well - Israel did not obtain what it earnestly sought after by its own efforts - it (salvation) was given as a free gift of God, by way of His own mercy.  No amount of searching for the truth will result in salvation! Look at the meaning of 'seeketh' - it includes craving, desire, meditating upon...yet, salvation did not come!  It rested entirely on God's grace.  It might be argued that we are instructed to 'seek and ye will find'.  That is true - but the very act of seeking must be initiated by the Holy Spirit, and Holy Spirit prompting will be answered with salvation eventually (and always). 

Note how the rich young man searched diligently for salvation, but stopped short when Jesus told him to sell all that he had.  His was a human search, a desire based on his own Jewish background and thirst for knowledge, and maybe even heaven.  But it made no difference, for the Holy Spirit had not quickened his soul.  He was not elect. Jesus was making a point when He told the man to sell his goods. The issue was not so much the goods, but the man's thinking and heart desire.  He wanted salvation without changing his inner self.  Jesus saw this, because He is God.

Today, charismatics and others want what God 'has to offer' (usually called the 'benefits' of being a Christian), but they cannot tolerate the requirements - election, calling, conversion, holiness and righteousness, etc. This indicates a human root of the desire and not Holy Spirit election. That is why all the human efforts currently in vogue (the charismatic 'Alpha Course' being the prime offering in the late 1990's) are useless.  They try to feed a man with facts and human zeal, but do not recognise the place of election, which is the only starting point for salvation.

7.  Election. (See above).  Note that searching diligently after salvation does not mean a thing in God's eyes.  That is why we are told that what obtained salvation was 'election'. God chose those who would be saved.  Even in Old Testament days, there were the elect amongst the Jews - only a small number were saved. These were called the 'remnant'.  This fact of the 'remnant' continues throughout history. That is why today's claims to massive outpourings of the Spirit and huge numbers being saved are erroneous.  In every age, in total, only a very small remnant will be saved - because God has declared it to be so.

8.  Blinded.  poroo.  This notion does not sit easily with many modern Christians - the thought that God would deliberately blind men and women to the Truth and to salvation!  But, that is exactly what He does.  Scripture attests to this fact. Metaphorically, poroo means to make the heart dull or hard, or callous (note what God did with Pharaoh in the time of Moses!); become dull, lose the power of understanding.  From poros, a kind of stone. This concept of God rejecting many and only choosing a few, is found throughout scripture, including the Old Testament.

Whatever way we wish to take this text, it plainly tells us that God chose only a few (by name, before the world was made) out of all Israel to be saved, and the rest He deliberately blinded.  He stopped them from coming to salvation!  This is consistent with His self-applied title of  'The Potter' (see later section).  That we, as human beings, created creatures, are unable to comprehend this, is irrelevant. We are not called to argue with God, but to obey. If He says something, then it is true and it is law.  We cannot change it. 

The reason people are not saved, is NOT to do with inadequate preaching, or bad witness, or a refusal to 'choose' Christ. The reason is simply that the person has not been chosen for salvation by God.  Then what is the use of preaching and witnessing?  God has determined that we preach and witness! It is the vehicle used by Him to effect His election in individual souls.  Thus the preaching is universal, but effectual calling is restricted. We cannot choose Christ OR reject Him by an act of our own will.

9.  Given. didomi.  In this context, it means to give over, deliver, to give what is due/to pay, to cause, to hand out lots, to give to someone as his own. Thus, God has 'given them over' to 'slumber'.  He has caused it and has given them into this state willingly and deliberately - it is their 'lot' as determined by God. There was no 'offer of salvation' which was then rejected - God willed that they would be unable to respond. Elsewhere, we are told that God does not desire that any should perish. We cannot hide from that text, but neither can we use it to 'prove' self-choice in salvation!  When all of scripture speaks of God's elective grace, we cannot concentrate our beliefs on just one or two texts that might 'disprove' the rest.  It is more likely that we  cannot fully understand those solitary texts and, if necessary, we must leave them alone until and IF we gain further knowledge.

10.  Spirit.  pneuma.  A commonly-known Greek word, but often misused or misinterpreted. As is usual, the context gives us the interpretation. The context tells us that God blinds those who are not to be saved.  Therefore, in this case we may ignore the various other interpretations (e.g. God's Spirit, the Holy Spirit, etc.). The most apt meaning includes: evil spirit (sometimes said to 'come from' God as a judgement), or a general spirit (i.e. the 'spirit of the age', etc.), disposition or influence governing the soul. This latter interpretation fits the text perfectly.  Thus, they had the 'spirit of slumber', or a disposition of soul that prevented them from understanding.  This is completely harmonious with the statements above and those below.

11.  Slumber.  katanuxis.  In this context, means insensibility, rendering a person incapable of accepting salvation.  To human beings with emotions, this is horrific!  We want everyone to be saved!  But it does not matter what we want.  What matters is that we are creatures, and God can do whatever He wishes to do!  That we cannot understand it is of no account to God. He renders people incapable of responding. There is no other interpretation, as the next several words tell us.

12.  See.  blepo.  Means to take heed, behold, look on, discern, understand, discover, etc.  As the negative form is used - 'not see' - we can apply the opposite to these meanings. Thus - because God caused them to 'slumber', they did not take heed, could not behold the Gospel, could not discern or understand, nor could they discover the Truth for themselves.  They sought after it, but could not 'see' it.  Their minds and hearts had been dulled by God.

For what purpose?  Surely God is a God of love?  Yes, but He is also a just God Whose ways are above our comprehension and are always perfect. That He chooses some and not others is up to Him, not up to us.  His purposes concerning this are hidden from us, and that is the end of  it.

13.  Hear.  akouo.  Means to hearken, give audience, consider what has been said, understand the sense of something said, perceive, to learn by hearing, to listen to a teacher, comprehend. Again, the negative form is used - 'not hear' - so we apply opposite meanings. Thus, they could not hearken or take notice of the Gospel, so they could not consider it.  The sense of it was lost on them and so they could not perceive its significance.  They could not learn or listen.  Any true preacher knows the sadness of preaching the Gospel and watching the faces of those supposedly listening, but who he knows are not in the least bit interested.  The answer is not the modern one of 'giving them what they want', modern music, slang, and so on.  The answer is found in scripture - that as the end comes nigh, fewer and fewer will respond to the Gospel. Why? Because they have been blinded and are in a state of slumber, given to them by God Himself.

14.  Table.  trapeza.  Means food or meat, a feast. What they 'eat' as their 'meat' - that is, what they consider to be spiritual sustenance - is, as we see below, poison to their souls. Much of what passes off as preaching and teaching in these days comes under this category.

15.  Snare.  pagis. Means a trap, a noose, a snare to catch birds unexpectedly and suddenly.  It also refers to whatever brings peril or destruction; the allurements of sin (and binding by/to Satan). So, what these men think is good for them, is actually the means of their own destruction.  Note that (above) we are told that not being chosen was a kind of 'payment'. Below, we find the same idea.  Payment for what?  We cannot tell - that is, if 'payment' is a proper and valid interpretation to use in such a context. What brings this destruction (of soul) are the allurements of sin and being bound to Satan.  It is likely that the idea of 'payment' for being a lost sinner is not applicable here, because God can hardly blame a man for being chosen for destruction even before he is born! Even so, the means of destruction is sin.

16.  Trap.  thera. Similar to 'snare', it means to hunt wild beasts to destroy them.  That is the literal interpretation. The word also bears a figurative meaning - to prepare men for destruction. In this context, then, men are prepared for their destruction by sin, which is a trap for their souls.

17.  Stumblingblock.  skandalon.  Found in the Old Testament also, it means an occasion to stumble or fall, a trap or snare placed to cause stumbling; Jesus Christ as One Who was rejected by the Jews because He was contrary to their expectations (thus they rejected salvation). Also means a person drawn in to error and sin.  So, Jesus Christ is Himself a stumblingblock, because He does not fit human expectations. Men do not like the message He brings - so they 'shoot the messenger' (ignore His word)!

18.  Recompence.  antimetro.  Means to measure back, to measure in return, to repay.  From the roots anti and metreo - anti is opposite to, instead of, for this cause.  Metreo is to measure out, to judge according to a standard; to mete out. From the root metron - the rule or standard of judgement, the due, a determined extent.  Thus the payment for their imbibing poison (sin) is destruction.  Sin is their cause of ruin, and so God metes out the punishment via a trap (Jesus Christ, the 'stumblingblock').

We can see from the above powerful testimony of scripture, that God deliberately chooses those who shall be saved.  More than that, He also deliberately chooses those who will NOT be saved. It could be said that the mere fact that He chooses some, means that many are automatically not chosen anyway. Many Christians prefer this passive rejection idea, because they do not feel offended by it.  But scripture does not say that!  It tells us very clearly that God chose men to destruction, for  reasons unknown to us. And why should we know?  God is God. He does not have to explain anything to us. We can only go by any explanations He graciously offers in scripture.

The facts above hold no practical problems for us.  It cannot alter our salvation, or our lives, unless we wish to apply a false meaning to it.  It is our duty to witness as individuals to all around us, as prompted by God. It is the duty of preachers called of God to preach the Gospel universally, as prompted by God.  We cannot tell who will be saved, and that is why our work toward others is universal.  That God chooses only a few to be saved does not affect our work and calling. The results are completely in the hands of God and are not affected by either our disbelief or belief, good work or bad work, this theological stance or that.  We must only obey.

Problems only arise when we try to humanise God's purposes. Charismatics and others try to 'force' the matter along human lines of reasoning. They invent all kinds of programmes and methods in an attempt to lure people 'into the church'.  It is all futile!  God ordained who will be saved and also the 'method' to be used - straightforward preaching. If 'ordinary' preaching by men called of God is 'dull', it is only because those who hear it have been dulled by sin.  When a faithful preacher, called of God, preaches, he has the full authority and power of the Holy Spirit upon him and his words.  The 'failure' of many to respond is purely a function of election.  If they are not elect, they will not respond. And as we are told only a very small 'remnant' will be saved, it is nonsense to expect huge numbers!  There are times when God counters our normal expectations, and we call these 'revivals'.  But these are God's plans, not ours. Revivals cannot be planned by us, or worked toward, or called-down. They simply happen, when and where God desires.

The Elect:  The Chosen Few

We have already seen that election means God calling a person by name; choosing him or her for Himself. It also means, by exactly the same token, that God elects others (the majority) NOT to be saved.  Note that Isaiah is filled with references to the remnant (those chosen by God), and to those condemned by God. In this vibrant prophetic book, God even subdues and crushes His own chosen people!  If He can do this to His own - it is more than feasible that He will do the same to those who have not been chosen.

Isaiah 65:22

"...mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands"
Why?
Because "...they (are) the seed of the blessed of the LORD..." (Verse 23)
"And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear."  (Verse 24)

The 'elect' - bachiyr - shall enjoy the work of their hands....not the non-elect. Bachiyr means chosen, choice one, chosen one, elect of God.  From bachar, meaning to choose/be chosen or selected, elect, decide for. God, then, decides for someone (and not for another); He selects one/some out of many - these are the choice ones, the elect.

The elect are the 'seed' of the 'blessed'. 'Seed', zera’, means offspring (can be literal or figurative), children; those who practice righteousness.  The righteous, then, are of the 'blessed' - barak - to bless, to be blessed, to praise, salute (Note: a 'blessing' is not always good - it can also be a curse!).  The blessed of the Lord are those who have His praise or blessing. That is, they are righteous in His eyes.  We are told in the New Testament that we are righteous 'in Christ' - and that we are 'in Christ' because we are elect!  Thus the elect are those who are saved, chosen out of many by God.

The pre-ordained theme continues, for God says He knows what they ask for, even before they ask for it, and he knows what they will say before they say it.  The text tells us that because He knows beforehand, He puts His answers into motion before the request is made! (This has been borne out in my own life).  Once again, this is consistent with election and is not just possession of prior knowledge.

God loves those whom He has fore-ordained to salvation. This is explained in Isaiah 42:1 (through the parallel example of Jesus Christ as the One chosen to save):

"Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, (in whom) my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles."

 Although this text speaks prophetically of Jesus Christ, we may legitimately use it as parallel teaching applicable to ourselves, for the principles of God are contained therein.  One cannot be more 'elect' than the Lord Jesus Christ!  Only He could be chosen and selected for His task.  This is the ultimate example of God's elective grace and it admirably proves the point we are making - that God deliberately chooses those who are to be His and who are to do His bidding.  When He chose His Son to be Saviour, which was an eternal choice, God automatically rejected any other means of salvation through anyone, or anything, else.

Note that this was an eternal choice. There could have been no time (using the word 'time' for illustrative purposes only) in eternity when God did not know of His own decision to save men by the actions of His own Son!  He was referring to Himself, as God. He had to know throughout all eternity, what He was going to do (because He is God), and whilst He 'foreknew' what was to happen, what He foreknew had to rest upon His pre-ordination of the event.  He could not simply 'know beforehand' - He had to base His prior knowledge on His prior election of Christ. In reality, of course, both His choice and His foreknowledge had to be simultaneous!

This same principle applies to men.  When God tells us in His word that He elected some to salvation before the world was made, He could NOT have meant He elected them immediately before the world was made. Why not?  Because 'time' was brought into existence with Creation. It did not exist before God began Creation, and it will end when Jesus Christ returns. 

Therefore, the election of some men to salvation was made in eternity and has been known by God throughout eternity. There could have been no 'time' when God did not know whom He had elected. If such a time existed, it would mean that God is not God, for He did not have knowledge of something He himself was going to do.  God either knows all, or He does not. 

This leads us to a very uncomfortable fact - one that human beings refuse to accept, because they insist on bringing God down to their own level...the fact of God deliberately choosing men to be saved and deliberately choosing men to be hell-bound!  It is uncomfortable, because it offends our human thinking and emotions.  We cannot accept it emotionally and so we charge God with being 'unfair'.  But what is this kind of talk? It is talk based on the finite knowledge and flawed understanding of mere men, creatures created by Almighty God, the great 'I AM', the self-existing, uncreated One! We attribute human emotions and ideals to Him, when He is above humanity! 

God has no emotions as we know them. Emotions are labile. They change. God cannot change. Therefore, He is perfect and His intentions are pure, bound by His own unfailing righteousness. To accuse God on grounds of emotion is insulting. It says more of our inability to see Him as God, than it does about His supposed 'failure' to adhere to our finite ideas of what and Who He is! We have no right whatever to question God, or to blame Him. Nor may we legitimately accuse Him of unfairness. We shall look at this under the heading of  'The Divine Potter'. For the moment let us return to the above text...

We are told that Jesus Christ was God's 'servant'. In this context, it does not mean He was a servant in the same way as we are 'servants'.  In our case, we are subservient to God, and have a similar position to 'freed-slaves'.  We are bound to God instead of being bound to Satan, which was our previous state.  The word 'servant'  - ‘ebed - when applied to Jesus Christ in this text, means the servant of God; prophet. More than that, it is a form of address between equals. (Just as 'blessing' can mean a reward or a curse, so 'servant' can mean either one who is subservient - and thus inferior in rank or status - or one who is equal. We must avoid using ancient words as though they always have our modern meanings).

Jesus Christ was, then, being hailed as God. A paraphrase could read, "Behold, God..." or even "Behold - myself".  Whichever way we put it, God was treating Christ as His equal.  The root word is ‘abad, meaning (in this context) to serve God with His own labour. The Son acted on behalf of the Father.

'Uphold', tamak, is to lay hold of, support, keep, hold fast.  Christ was held fast in the eternal design of the Trinity and so He could not fail.  God cannot fail - it is an impossibility.  Christ is God's 'elect' - bachiyr (see previous notes) - chosen beforehand.  God 'delighteth' in Him - ratsah, pleased with, be favourable to, to accept.  Only He was acceptable as a sacrifice.  Thus God 'favoured' Him above all others. To give favour is to show preference - another aspect of election.  So, God put His Spirit on Him - ruwach - in this context meaning God's Spirit, or 'preserved by God'.

Now we shall digress slightly before continuing the discussion, to look at God as Potter. It will alarm and dismay those who are Arminian, for it presents God in a light they will not wish to acknowledge.  Nevertheless, the description is given by God Himself in His own word.

The  Divine  Potter

Isaiah 41:4-25

 "Who hath wrought and done (it), calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I (am) he. (V4)
The isles saw (it), and feared..."  (V5)
(Note: 'isles' in these texts usually means enemies)
But thou, Israel, (art) my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham, my friend.  (V8)
(Thou) whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee...thou (art) my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.   (V9)
Fear thou not...for I (am) thy God...   (V10)
Fear not, thou worm Jacob...I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.   (V14)
Behold, ye (are) of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination (is he that) chooseth you.   (V24)
I have raised up (one) from the north...and he shall come upon princes as (upon) mortar, and as the potter treadeth clay."    (V25)

God tells us that it was He who 'called the generations from the beginning'. That is, He chose in eternity those who would be His own. Those who were His enemies (and the enemies of His people) were afraid of God.  But Israel, the seed of Abraham was 'chosen' - bachar - and was God's 'servant' - ‘ebed  (in this text, it means subjects or slaves, in the sense that Christians are 'slaves' of Christ). The words 'but thou', imply that those mentioned previously ('the isles') were NOT chosen by God. Which brings us back to election.

This is reinforced when God says He brought the people from everywhere to call them His servants.  'Called', qara’ means to summon, call for, appoint, call by name - which, once again, is a reference to election.  He elected them, because He had previously bachar (chosen/elected) Jacob, and had bachar Abraham before him.  God would not cast them away, because He had elected them.  Yet, He had cast away the 'isles' - those who feared Him; those He had not elected.  To be cast away - ma’ac -  is to be rejected, despised, refused.  All the time in scripture we come across the strong and persistent statement that God elects some to be saved and the rest He despises and rejects.  To despise or reject someone is a deliberate act based on prior thought. Election is a sober and present reality.

For those chosen, this is a comfort; we need not fear - He is our God!  Yes, like the Israelites (referred to as 'Jacob', or 'he', an Hebraic way of identifying Israel as a nation), we are also 'worms' (or, maggots!!), but God says He will help us.  He was the Redeemer of His people then, and He remains our Redeemer today.

But of His enemies (the unsaved), God says, V24: 'You are nobody! Your work is nothing! Anyone who bachar (selects/elects) you is an abomination!  'Abomination', tow‘ebah, is a disgusting thing, abominable, wickedness.  It is from the feminine active participle of ta‘ab - to be abhorred or detested, to loathe.  Do you realise just how important this is?  This is God talking - the same God Arminians tell us is a God of Love Who would never knowingly shun anyone; the very same God Who we are told offers everyone salvation!  But here He says that anyone who 'elects' (chooses or supports) those who are cast away, are disgusting and wicked! 

God cannot call Himself abominable or wicked, so we know that He CANNOT choose them.  They have been cast away by Him.  No matter which way we turn, we come face to face with election - God deliberately choosing some to salvation and others to hell.

As if to emphasise this, V25 tells us that the one from the north shall 'come upon' (bow’ - fall upon, attack) princes (leaders of the army or state) as though they were 'mortar' (chomer - clay, mire; includes the sense of something boiling; bringing trouble). That is, they will fall under a crippling onslaught and will be crushed. 

The last part of the verse underlines this crushing: 'the potter treadeth clay'. 'Potter', yatsar, means to form or shape something/someone, pre-ordain, plan, to be predetermined.  He 'treadeth', ramac, the clay...this means to trample. The 'clay', tiyt, is mud, mire, damp dirt (with the idea of being swept away).  So, God will crush His enemies underfoot, like so much dirt to be pushed to one side.  Not to our liking?  Then please read the later text from Romans!

Isaiah 64:6-8

 "But we are all as an unclean (thing), and all our righteousnesses (are) as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.
But now, O LORD, thou (art) our father; we (are) the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand."

We are told that no-one calls to God in truth. Absolutely no-one!  No-one bothers to even stir himself to find Him.  So, where does the idea come from that there are millions of people out there all 'seeking' God?  They do not exist!  And why do they not seek after God?  Not because they are unintelligent, or because they refuse to listen.  It is true that they will not listen - but WHY?  The text tells us the stark truth - 'for thou hast hid thy face from us'.  'Hid' is cathar, meaning to hide one's self, to conceal one's self carefully.

What is 'hid'? God's 'face', paniym - His presence. From panah, meaning to turn away from.  Nothing can be more deliberate than that!  He turns from people and removes His presence from them, with the deliberate intent to conceal Himself.  Election!  Do not like the idea? Well, God is our Father, the 'Potter' Who made us.  He can do with us whatever He wishes, and we have no say in the matter.  This is why He tells us bluntly that when His enemies fall, He shall break them to dust and turn His back on them:

Jeremiah 18:5-7,17

"Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold as the clay (is) in the potter's hand, so (are) ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.
(At what) instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy (it);I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will shew them the back, and not the face, in the day of their calamity."

 Romans 9:11,13-15

This text is a devastating blow to the Arminian position, for it tells us bluntly that God loves some and hates others - and both are pre-ordained/elected, either to salvation or to hell!

"(For [the children] being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth)
As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.  What shall we say then? (Is there) unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion."

 There is no way that 'election' in this text can mean mere 'foreknowledge'!  The children not yet born are elected, because it is God's plan.  That they have not yet committed sin is irrelevant, because of election.  The full import of this is blunt - God loved Jacob (and thus all who are of his spiritual line), but hated Esau (and all who are of his spiritual line, i.e. the unsaved), and this love or hate was determined in eternity. Does this mean God is 'unrighteous' asks Paul?  Definitely not, he adds! 'Unrighteousness' is adikia - iniquity, unjust, wrong, injustice, violating law and justice, from a root meaning deceitful.  Thus, if we argue against election, we are really calling God unrighteous - iniquitous, deceitful, a sinner!

God says He will show mercy toward whoever He wishes to show mercy (compassion, oikteiro, means to pity). 'Mercy', eleo, means to have compassion on, have pity on, bring help to the wretched. From eleos, meaning a desire to show mercy in general providence and also in salvation and eternal life.  In other words, God will save whom He will. The text tells us that those who will not be saved (not elect) will not have God's pity or even His desire to show pity. 

It is against this stark reality that we must measure any text that appears to suggest that God wants everybody to be saved (such as the well-used 1 Timothy 2:4-6).  Clearly, if God elects some to salvation and some to hell, such texts cannot mean that God wants everybody to be saved!  God does not make mistakes in His word, nor does He play games with us. 

The problem with such texts is not God's word, but our limited understanding (and, in many cases, our refusal to face the facts of God as the Creator and divine Potter, Who can make or break His creations at will).  Now let us continue in Romans 9, verses 16-23, where this uncompromising fact seems to slap us in the face with its bluntness!

"So then (it is) not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that  sheweth mercy.
For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will (have mercy), and whom he will he hardeneth.
Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
Nay but, O Man, who art thou that repliest against God?  Shall the thing formed say to him that formed (it), why hast thou made me thus?
Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
(What) if God, willing to shew (his) wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory?

 Salvation, then, is 'not of him that willeth'!  We cannot choose Christ or salvation.  We cannot seek after Him, nor do we desire to seek after Him. This much we have already discovered.  We have also discovered that God crushes those who are unsaved, and has no pity on them.  Nothing can save a man if He is not elected to salvation, because it is 'of God that sheweth mercy'.

Pharaoh was made incapable of responding to God.  Whilst we, as human beings, deplore what appears to be an unjust situation, God elected Pharaoh to hell for His own purposes - to show the world His own glory!  Verse 18 is just as blunt - God will save whom He will and send to hell whom He will.

And what do we do?  Exactly what today's modern cynic does - we complain that God cannot possibly elect the majority of men to hell. We moan "But it isn't fair! How can you send a man to hell when you have yourself turned his heart to stone? He has no chance at all!" 

Quite right - and that is what the text tells us.  It tells us that no man can resist God's will. So why is he counted worthy of death?  Verse 20 tells us to mind our own business: Who do you think you are, O Man, questioning Almighty God?  He is your Maker - you have no right to question why He made you as you are!  As the divine Potter, He can do what He likes with us.  He can make us for 'honour' (salvation) or for 'dishonour' (hell and damnation).

Verse 22 tells us that God puts up with the unsaved, so as to show forth His own power.  Note that the unsaved are "fitted to destruction", made for damnation!  I am not inventing all this - there it is in the text.  Those who are saved are, by contrast, "afore prepared unto glory".  So, whether saved or unsaved, both are planned to be that way, and neither person can prevent or encourage the outcome.

As has been said before, none of this affects the way a preacher must preach, or the way individuals must witness.  It makes not a scrap of difference to zeal or to faithfulness, nor does it make a Believer fatalistic or lacking in urgency.  These are states brought about by inward faithlessness, not by adherence to the teaching of election!

The Potsherds

The unsaved, those who are elected to hell, are sometimes called 'potsherds' (the sherds, or broken slivers, of pots).  In Revelation 2:27, for example:

"And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers."

 They shall be treated with great severity and shall be suntribo - broken into tiny pieces, trodden down, trampled upon, crushed into the dust."

 In Isaiah 45:9,10,16,17, those who question God's plan in all this are warned to be very careful in their judgements:

"Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! (Let) the potsherd (strive) with the potsherd of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or the work, he hath no hands?
Woe unto him that saith unto (his) father, What begettest thou?
They shall be ashamed, and also confounded, all of them: they shall go to confusion together...
(But) Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation..."

 Another very clear text. Those who shall be saved are elected from eternity, i.e. "with an everlasting salvation".  We may not question God if He wishes to make the other pots for 'dishonour' and breaks them into potsherds.  God is God. He is not human. His purposes are in eternity and beyond our understanding (except for those 'mysteries' He chooses to reveal to us). We dare not question those purposes. Our whole task is to obey.

In this Article we have barely scratched the surface of the matter, yet we are left with the awesome power of Isaiah's prophecies and the testimony of the rest of scripture, that God elects some to salvation and all the rest to damnation. We are told that to question God about this is to accuse Him of sin. Also, as creatures made by His hands, we have no right at all to question God about election, or about the way He saves men and woman.  We must simply learn and obey.

As we are told in 1 Peter 1:2, we are "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God...through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ..."  Thus we have nothing at all to boast in!  We are saved because God elected us, NOT for our own virtues (we have none), but through the Spirit (Who sanctifies us) and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  We do nothing at all to deserve salvation, and we could not effect it ourselves, whether by learning, hard work, making a decision for Christ, or even by seeking after Him.  All of this is impossible, according to scripture.

Now, we must briefly examine the 'whosoever' issue.  Even before we get to the subject, though, we already know that 'whosoever' CANNOT choose his or her own salvation.  God rejects the majority of people before they are born.  Thus, what we now have to do together is determine, if we can, the true meaning of 'whosoever'.

Whosoever

1 Timothy 2:4

 "(God) Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth."

 Although used confidently by Arminian preachers as 'proof' that God wants everybody to be saved (and by implication, offers everyone the chance), this text is not very easy to interpret.  It is a fact that most 'proofs' for various fringe arguments are to be found in such difficult texts!  A number of  theologians believe this verse does not state God's intention to offer salvation to everybody, but that it is a general call only (rather like preaching).  In the light of election, I am not so sure about that explanation.

We have seen that God elects those who are to be saved.  It is, then, not consistent with His plan to give a general call which He knows to be superfluous. If He knows exactly who will be saved, He is not going to say that He wants everybody to be saved!  Personally, I see this in the light of a number of other texts, where 'whosoever' is qualified and defined as those who believe. 

If this is the case, the words 'all' (men) here mean 'all who are elect'. This appears to be correct, for in verse eight, Paul says something very similar - that 'men pray everywhere'.  These men 'everywhere' seem to be saved men, for the next verse refers to believing women. 

Even if Arminians reject my view on this, they cannot easily reject the argument thus far.  Nor can they properly attribute their favoured meaning to verse four with certitude.  (Whilst God may not issue a generalised call, preachers have no option, for they do not know who God has chosen. Thus, they preach a universal message - but this is not equal to the 'call' of God's salvation).

Revelation 22:17

"And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come.
And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."

 In verse 16, Christ sends His angel to 'testify...in the churches'.  Therefore, 'him that heareth' and 'him that is athirst' is a Believer. This same Believer is the 'whosoever' who takes freely of the water of life.  As has been pointed out many times before, a man cannot thirst for, or seek, God and the things of God, unless he is first quickened.

Matthew 7:24

"Therefore whosoever heareth these words of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him to a wise man."

The 'whosoever' in this text - the wise man (and by implication, receiving salvation) - is the one who both hears and does the word of God.  He is not any random person and, as we have already established, only those elected to hear and do, will hear and do!

John 3:15,16

"That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

 The one who has eternal life in this text is the one who believes in Jesus Christ.  Again, he is not a random person - anybody - but is one who has been quickened.  Who is the 'world' so loved by God?  It can only mean those who are elect, as is indicated by the continuative word 'for'. 

This links the present statement with the former, and as the former statement is about the elect, so is the present statement!  The text itself tells us unambiguously that those who believe are the 'whosoever' - the statement does not, then, apply to every single person in the physical world.

'Whosoever'  - ho - does not mean 'everyone' anyway. It means who, which, these. That is, he who believes...shall not perish. The 'world' is kosmos. It can certainly mean the world or universe, but it can also mean Gentiles, or Believers only.

Note, too, 'loved' in this text (and in similar texts) is a higher form of love,  agapao.  Generally it means to love dearly or much (agan).  Jesus Christ asked Peter three times if he loved Him. Peter replied that he loved Him - but mentioned the lower form of love, philein, which is more to do with personal affection or liking someone as a friend.  But Christ wanted to know if his love was 'agapan'. 

Today, many in the churches claim to 'love' Jesus more, but it is evident that they mean philein.  The higher love, agapan, is the love of intelligence, reason, comprehension and purpose - the kind all true and faithful Believers have for their Lord.

God tells us that those who are not His are 'dulled' or 'stupid'; they are unable to reason properly and cannot comprehend Him. Nor are they within His purpose.  In John 3:16, et al, we are told that God agapao the 'world'.  Given the above notes, we can see that because God cannot agapan the unsaved, the word 'world' can only refer, in this text, to Believers.

Calling and Election

 It seems that much of the Aminian error concerning salvation arises from a mistaken view of what is the 'calling' of God.  Maybe this is why preachers claim the 'possibility' of universal salvation.  We shall see that the calling of God is distinct from His election, and that this is distinct from our duty to respond to His calling.

Romans 8:28

"...called according to (his) purpose."

 Whatever the 'calling' is (see below), it is 'according to' or because of God's purpose, prothesis - basically, that which He has determined or ordained.  What God has determined, He decides in eternity. Therefore, the 'calling' as far as we are concerned is the acting-out of His eternal decree. It is not rooted in our own sudden or gradual realisation that perhaps we should 'choose' Christ - or perhaps not choose Him (such is our belief in our own supposed 'free will' - see separate Article)!

 1 Peter 2:9

"But ye (are) a chosen generation...a peculiar people...of him who hath called you..."

 'Chosen' is eklektos - elected, selected from amongst others. As we have seen, elected from eternity.  'Peculiar' people is peripoiesis, purchased, possession. From peripoieomai, to reserve, lay by, to make to remain for one's self, to preserve for one's self.  'Called' is kaleo - to call by name.  Thus, we have been purchased by God, through Jesus Christ, Who has called us by name, because He has already preserved us in eternity. 

This is far better than the Arminian view, which presents God as a puny puppet, waiting patiently on the side-line just in case we might (or might not) choose Christ! The true, Biblical view is breathtaking and magnificent - God choosing us in eternity, by name, and then calling us, effectively, in our own time, to salvation! Such a view should urge us on as we see His glory and power. If this view leads us to neglect evangelism or witness, then it is our own fault and is sin - it has nothing to do with God's election or with the fact that we have no say in our own salvation.

Romans 8:29,30

"For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate (to be) conformed to the image of his Son...
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."

 What can be plainer than that?  What can be more powerful and glorious?  In this text we have the divine order of salvation:

Foreknown & Predestined

Þ Called Þ Justified Þ Glorified!

 We can place foreknowledge and predestination (election) together because with God both are instantly enacted, as they have to be.   Because He has elected us and knows us, He is able to call us by name, in our own history and at the exact moment we are supposed to be called. 

When we get that call, we must respond (although our response does not 'trigger' salvation or purchase it - it is a response following the quickening of our spirit, and is part of our obedience to God). Because our election is sure and is eternal, salvation must ensue. Thus the calling of the elect is always effective, and we are justified in the eyes of God, through Jesus Christ.  Once that occurs we are glorified in Him!

'Foreknow', proginosko, means to fore-ordain, know before, to predestinate, so foreknowledge and election are inextricably linked, if not synonymous in divine terms. 'Predestinate' itself is proorizo, meaning to determine beforehand, pre-ordain, decide beforehand, decreeing from eternity, appoint beforehand.  To deny election, or to suggest that God does not choose who will be saved, is to reject the very words given by scripture. 

The roots of proorizo - pro and horizo, agree with the predetermination factor, and are reinforced by their own root, horion, meaning boundaries - from horos - a bound or limit.  Too technical? No - for the root words tell us that God defined and fixed ('bound' or 'limit') the number to be saved, from all eternity!

God 'called' - kaleo: called out from others, and 'justified' us - dikaioo: be freed, be righteous, pronounced to be just, or to be as one ought to be.  'Ought to be'?  This can refer to our state as decreed by God, or to the pre-fall state (almost practically the same thing).  From dikaios, meaning righteous judgement, upright, keeping God's commands, innocent, without guilt, approved or acceptable of God.

And this leads to us being doxazo (glorified) - held in honour, made glorious, adorned with splendour, rendered excellent, to make and acknowledge one's dignity. Based on doxa, there is also the meaning of enjoying a glorious condition in heaven.  This is because we are 'conformed' to the image of Jesus Christ - fashioned to be like Him, similar to Him, having our character completely moulded on His character - not just a mere profession of faith.  (It is this mere profession that we see in many modern 'Christians' - those who have supposedly been 'saved' under Arminian preaching!)

 Revelation 17:14

"...and they that are with him (are) called, and chosen, and faithful."

 Note this - we are both called AND chosen!  This ties-together the universal act of preaching and the specific act of election, whether we like it or not.  We are called by name by God AND elected, and then we become faithful.  Or, rather, we are called because we are elect or selected for salvation. The calling in this text is kletos - called or invited to a banquet (a lovely way to put it).  That is, invited to obtain salvation via the Gospel.  This does NOT give us licence to insist on freedom to choose or reject salvation, for we are elected in eternity before we receive the call in time and history.

Thus the invitation is NOT to choose, but simply to accept a gift that has already been designated to a named person.  The very fact that we are invited to a banquet means that we have already been invited by name.  A banquet is never open to all comers. That is why the text says we are eklektos (chosen - elect, picked out from amongst others).

As we read in Hebrews 9:15, eternal life is given to those who are called. That is, called after being elected to salvation, which in this text is referred to as an 'inheritance', kleronomai - something given as one's rightful possession. From kleronomos, meaning one who receives an allotted possession.  As we know, one cannot inherit something unless the inherited estate is legally owed to that person, and the person is named as the beneficiary.  It is 'allotted' to him by prior choice.

Finally, we will look at a text that describes in wonderful terms the place and reality of election:

2 Timothy 1:9

"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."

It is election that gives me faith in God's salvation.  If it was a matter of the 'hit and miss' idea of free choice, our own whim, I could never be sure of salvation. Far from being ignoble, election is a most wondrous and awe-inspiring fact.  He has saved us - sozo - from destruction; we have been delivered and healed, made whole; we are free from the penalties of Messianic judgement. Sozo also means we are saved from impediments to receiving deliverance. This can only be done by a God Who has already determined our salvation.  He would not remove impediments for those who will reject Him.

He calls us out from others 'with an holy calling' - klesis, an invitation to a feast. That is, an invitation to embrace salvation - based on kaleo - to be called out by name. This calling is rooted in election and not in our own efforts - ergon (works); rooted in God's eternal decrees - prothesis, based on protithemai, determine, propose to one's self. From tithemi - to appoint, lay down, ordain, establish, to make for one's own use.  Once again - election;  God's own plan and to His own glory.

His plan is based on His charis or 'grace'.  This means His favour, good will, or loving kindness.  For reasons traced only to our own emotions and human weakness, we tend to think of God as being ruthless and unjust if He chooses some to salvation and rejects others.  But, His Grace means loving-kindness!  Perhaps we can put it this way - am I ruthless and unjust if I choose to give a gift to someone I know, and not to a stranger?  Of course not!  Although I did not give a gift to everybody, I am nevertheless thanked for my kindness by the one receiving the gift.  I am not expected to give gifts to strangers. To God, those who are not elect are strangers, so He does not recognise or acknowledge them. 

The retort that God created men only to destroy them is irrelevant, because God is the King of kings. He is accountable to no-one except His own Spirit and character.  He is the Potter, Who can make or break a pot of His creation.  He can do whatever He likes with us! And He warns us not to be churlish or to question His decisions, for we are as nothing unless we are clothed in Jesus Christ!

Election, then, is beyond our understanding, but we have no right to reject it or to create our own plans (i.e. supposed 'freedom' to choose or to reject Christ) as a substitute.  Election is a glorious fact of scripture, evincing gratitude from those saved. But it is a stumblingblock to those who are not elect and who reject God.  That they reject Him because they are not chosen is beside the point, for God is the Potter. We are told that God is loving and kind, so we cannot charge Him with being unjust simply because we lack  perception and knowledge of His purposes.  Such is absurd and sinful.

The reality of election has been adequately proved. It has also been proved that 'whosoever' in terms of salvation CANNOT apply to everybody in the world, for scripture itself defines who 'whosoever' really is - the person who has been selected by God. 

The 'world' God loves and for whom Christ died, is the company of men and women elect from eternity. Jesus Himself said that He prayed 'not for the world' (everybody), but only for those who had been given to Him by the Father. All of this has been proved from scripture.  It has been shown that we do not have free choice in salvation, either to reject or to accept it. 

We hope that readers will not fight against scripture, but will honour the God Who has chosen them through His Grace in Christ Jesus. Election is glorious; do not bring it down to the same level as men's ideas and preferences.  Rather, humbly show gratitude for being saved - and tell others of God's Truths, preaching to all of His love.

---oOo---

Bible Theology Ministries

© June 1996

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