The Biblical Doctrine of Election: It is Specific

Simply, yes. I answer in the affirmative because I make a distinction between God's decretive will and His preceptive will. Deut 29:29

RB

 

God's decree is different from speaking of His preceptive will. All things fall under God's decree, or sovereign will, or secret will. ALL THINGS. This includes good and evil events, sinful acts of men, "chance" occurances, details of our lives, affairs of nations, final destruction of the wicked, et.

God may decree something, but it be against His preceptive will. Biblical examples are Joseph, the murder of Jesus, King David numbering Israel, et.

Edited in: Dr. Waldron uses the example of the blueprint and the reality. God's decree, for example, is not salvation itself. It is the plan.

RB

 

It actually does make such a distinction. Have you considered that your own theology may be inhibiting you to recognize it?

RB

 

That was my question to you. So I will take your reply as a no.

RB

 

lbaker,

To the first part of your reply, election is not you choosing God, but Him choosing you. Our election in terms of choice is not different from God choosing Israel. I think if you look at the Scripture itself you will see that God is the one who chooses. Even the very tenses of the Greek make you passive, and not active, with regards to your election.

The second part of your reply I think is just a reaction and human reasoning. If you conform your thinking to the biblical doctrine of election you would not come to the conclusion that your faith (believing or not believing) doesn't matter. It does matter a great deal! Nor would you reckon God's purposes as a divine coin toss, but the conscious action of an Almighty God consistent with His holy attributes.

Your lifesyle greatly matters to God, but He doesn't choose people conditioned upon their actions, good or evil. Look again at the verses of Scripture that positively teaching this subject. Look at Ephesians 1 and Romans 8 for example. In Ephesians 1 ask yourself the question: What is the text declaring is the reason for God's choice? Does God's choice render the actions of those chosen unimportant?

RB

 

Let's look at this biblically, and then rationally.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

There is no ambiguity here. God the Father has blessed us with all spiritual blessings. Who is/are the us? From verse 1 of Ephesians 1 it is obvious, "the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:" So it is believers.

here is verse 2a:
According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world,

I think if you honestly receive this text you have to conclude that God chose you before the world began. This solidifies that God is the one who chooses, not you. This verse alone does not answer why, but the text a few verses down does.

Verse 2b,
that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

God has chosen us, and His purpose is to have a people who are holy and blameless. So yes, what you do matters.

Verse 3
Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

This verse clearly establishes what was motivating God's choice of us and His predestination of us to be His holy children: THE GOOD PLEASURE OF HIS WILL.

Verse 4
To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

Obviously then the good pleasure of His will is to bring praise to the glory of His grace. God works all things after the counsel of His own will to His glory. It is HIS GRACE that has made us accepted in the beloved (Jesus), not we ourselves.

In your rationalization of God's secret will your confusing election as salvation. Election isn't salvation itself. Election is the blueprint as it were, the plan, but not the building itself. Whomever is elected, are also called, justified, sanctified, and glorified. God's buiding is complete and He is the Builder. He has all necessary materials and ability to build and will most certainly and unfailingly do so.

Your reasoning in the last statement either shows:

1. A futile attempt to defeat the biblical doctrine of election by laying a calumny that it is liscentious.

2. Revealing that your heart is unconverted and you stand in need to repentance and faith in Jesus.

Let a Christian do what it is he wants to do. He will be tempted to do evil by remaining sin, but he cannot continue in sin because the Spirit of God is in him. Let a false professor do what he wants to do, and he will run headlong into sin and not look back.

Shall we continue is sin that grace may abound? You know the answer to this. The very grace of God that saves us teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts. If your personal rationale is that if grace is really grace, then I am going to live a life of decadance, sin, and depraved lust, then the Scripture testifies to you that the true grace of God has never touched your soul.

RB

 

But this is a false dilemma lbacker. God does elect some and not others. There are some mistakes evident by your statement here of Calvinsim.

1. God does not act in reprobation the same way He acts is election and predestination unto life.

2. No one who "has a heart for Him" are reprobate. If someone has a heart for God, meaning they love Jesus Christ, believe in Him, repented of their sins, et. then it is evident that this person has been born of Him. And if born again, then elect.

There is no such thing as a reprobate beating on the doors of heaven begging for salvation.

RB

 

The flaw is not with Calvinism Amy, its with an understanding that election IS salvation. This is not Calvinism. Election is the blueprint, to use an example, but the actual accomplishing of the building is salvation. So, your reply seems to be confusing God's plan with His bringing about His plan in time and history.

God the Father choosing for Himself a people in Christ is perfectly consistent with Calvinism. It is not different from what Jesus said about the Father giving Him a people. This people are not a faceless, numberless mass. This is election is particular and individual.

And as you said, He chose some (believers) and not others (unbelievers). This is the doctrine of election of reprobation.

RB