Election Or Free Will?

I. INTRODUCTION

The concept of the extent of God’s love can be easily debated among many great thinkers. God’s emotional stance considers loving even those who have fallen or continues to be a rebellion against His perfected will. The Word of God gives the most beautiful expressions that can be overwhelmingly breathe taking, considering Gods’ capacity to love in His infinite will.

In fact God’s love is not only beautifully; it far reaches any deeps of intellectual theories or religious ideas. The most obvious is God’s idea to redeem man through the death of His son. Romans 8: 8 shares, “But God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” The mind of God has stimulated humans from the beginning of our existence. The concept of Election and Free Will has consistently baffled theologians’ and even great minds of this generation.

In light of that concept perhaps this paper can survey what the Scripture reveals regarding Election and Free Will, to cite the central distinction that sets Calvinism and Arminianism apart, and provide verses that support each doctrine. In conclusion, a personal belief regarding the doctrines will be presented by the author.

II. ELECTION

A. DEFINTION

The word Election designates a sovereign divine purpose so formulated as to be independent of humans, merit, descent, or cooperation. Election is an implied truth, it express intentions on the part of God to confer salvation on certain person’s. Election purpose determines who will believe opposed to those who may believe. John Calvin (1509-1556), an influential French theologian suggests that God divided humanity into two groups; the Elect, who will be saved and go to heaven, and the reprobates, or damned, who will spend eternity in hell. Calvin principle theology is called Calvinism. Calvin believed instead of Christ dying for sins of everyone, He died only for the Elect. (T.U.L.I.P) are the five points that Calvinist maintains is total depravity of man, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, and perseverance of the saints.

B. SCRIPTURAL SUPPORT FOR ELECTION

• And these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He

also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified (Romans 8:30).

• And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who

love God, to those who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

• Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be

holy and blameless before Him (Ephesus1:4).

• God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the

Spirit and faith in the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:13).

• When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the

Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed (Acts 13:48).

• No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise

him up on the last day (John 6:44).

• You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you (John 15:16).

III. FREE-WILL

A. DEFINTION

Free Will is the ability to make choices without prior, prejudice, inclination, or disposition. Free Will choices are not ultimately predestined by God. God never coerces man’s will; rather God gives the ability to believe through the work of the Holy Spirit. Jacobus Arminius (1560-1690), a Dutch Reformed theologian contends that election was conditioned by the rational faith or none faith of men the atonement, while adequate for all men, is efficacious only for the man of faith unaided by the Holy Spirit, no person is able to respond to God’s will; grace is resistible, and believers are able to resist sin but not beyond the possibility of falling grace. Arminianism essentially believes that God saves those who believe of their Free Will. Arminiaism contends that God in his omniscience foresees man’s free choices and reacts accordingly.

B. SCRIPTURAL SUPPORT FOR FREE-WILL

• Whosoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who

loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. (I John 5:1)

• Whosoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved (Acts 2:21).

• For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever

believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

• But whosoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the

water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up

into everlasting life. (John 4:14).

• Whosoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved (Acts 2:21).

• Whosoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins (Acts 10:43).