The Election of Grace

Paul, did not get it wrong at all. Just take what Paul wrote for what he wrote and remember that God made sure Paul wrote what He wanted Paul to write.

I just figure, to read what was written in a way that does not contradict nor ignore the rest of the scripture. It does not matter what anyone else says or writes, whether they be a scholar or an illiterate, all is subordinate to the scripture.

 

Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. Eph 1:5,6

 

Excellent post Amy.
Yes, God elects those whom he sees in his foreknowledge will believe and gives them to Jesus. That election is according to God's foreknowledge is clearly stated in 1 Peter 1:2, and that God has foreknowledge of who will believe and who will not is shown in John 6:64.

 

I knew exactly what you meant; I should've said, that this was the only 'accepting' that I see going on. And that is, as you said, God's acceptance of us, NOT the other way around.

 

I have yet to see how this view is contrary to scripture. All I've heard as a rebuttal is that this somehow takes away from the sovereignty of God. Seems to me like this attributes to God more sovereignty than the belief that God decided, without any human understanding, who the Elect will be.

I believe that our God is so great that He allowed man to have free will, yet He used all of our choices to bring about our wonderful salvation in Christ.

Gen 50:20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

 

I've always believe that of course God knows who is going to accept him as savior, but we our still under our own free will to do so. I mean he knows who is going to go out on the streets and rape and murder, but it's people's freewill that causes them to do so. Not because God foresaw it and didn't stop it. I think this is another instance in which we as humans can not possibly comprehend the way God works.


With that being said, God knows what we will choose and how we will to choose but it's still our own decision on what we choose. So someone else might be instrumental in telling us the Gospel or sharing God's love, it could be a friend or a missionary. All mission work is extremely extremely important for this reason.