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).
• For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men (Titus 2:11).
• For whosoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:13).
• God desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (I Timothy
2:3, 4).
• The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is
Longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should
come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).
III. AREAS OF TENSION
A. ARUGMENT OF ELECTION (CALVINISM)
1. MAN’S DEPRATIVTY
According to the doctrine of total depravity the Scriptures reveals that Man’s heart is evil (Mark 7:21-23), and sick (Jeremiah 17:9). Man is a slave to sin (Romans 6:20). He cannot understand spiritual things (1 Corinthians 2:14). And, is by the Scriptures that declare man’s true nature as being lost and incapable, therefore how is it possible for anyone to choose or desire God? The answer is, he cannot, therefore God must predestine.
2. UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION
God does not base his election on anything He sees in the individual. He chooses the elect according to the intention of His will (Ephesians 1:4-8; Romans 9:11). Nor does God look into the future to see who would pick Him. Also as some accelerated into salvation, others are not (Romans 9:15). He has a special love for the elect; God left the rest to be damned for their sins.
3. LIMITED ATONEMENT
Jesus died only for the elect. Jesus sacrifice was sufficient for all; it was not efficacious for all. Jesus only bore the sin of the elect. Therefore paid a definite price for them that guaranteed their salvation (Matthew 26:28; John 10:14-15; John 17:9; Isaiah 53:12).
4. IRESISTABLE GRACE
When God calls His elect into salvation, they cannot resist. God offers to all people the gospel message this is called the eternal call. But to the elect, the call is by the Holy Spirit who works in the hearts and minds of the elect to bring them to repentance and regeneration whereby, they willingly and freely come to God (Romans 9:16; Philippians 2:12-13; John 1:12-13; John 6:37).
5. PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS
You cannot lose your salvation. Because the Father has elected, the Son has redeemed and the Holy Spirit has applied salvation. Those thus saved are eternally secure they are eternally secure in Christ. (John 10:27-28), where Jesus says, “His sheep will never perish” (John 6:47; Romans 8:1; 1 Corinthians 10:13; Philippians 1:6).
B. ARUGMENT OF FREE WILL (ARMINIANISM)
1. MAN’S DEPRATIVTY
This doctrine suggests that sin does not control man’s will. Yes, he is a sinner and near sighted, but still capable to obey, believe and repent. However he does not have to continue in sin for his nature is not completely evil. Those who are supporters of this doctrine view it as reasonable that God’s offers salvation to all, therefore having no bearing if man is unable to respond. It is clearly confirmed in John record, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting.” (John 3:16).
2. CONDITIONAL ELECTION
This doctrine suggest God choose the elect on the basis of their foreseen faith. God loves all men equally. God passed over no one, but gives everyone and equal chance to be saved. Scripture says “for those God foreknew He also predestined and those He predestined, He also called, justified, and glorified” (Romans 8:29-30; I Peter 1:2).
3. UNLIMTED ATONEMENT
This doctrine employs Christ died equally for all men, and paid a provisional price that made salvation possible for all however guarantees if for none. (Titus 2:11) says, “For the grace of God has appeared bringing salvation to all. It not just the elect who will be saved Christ died for the entire human race. (Hebrews 2:9) Furthermore, “He is the propitiation for our sins, not just for the world but for the whole world.”
4. RESISTBLE GRACE
This doctrine of grace believes that grace is resistible, for God does not over rules man’s if he is born again he believes, for faith and repentance are not gifts from God. Calvinist’ resists this type of doctrine which suggests man is totally obligated to save himself. Therefore, God’s grace can be rejected by men Apostle John says, “Whoever believes in Jesus is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already” (John 3:18). The offer of salvation is for all, but only those “whosoever believe will not perish but will have everlasting life” (John 3:16).Not all men will be saved, many may resist and refuse.
5. PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS
This doctrine suggests that only a few Christians continue in faith and obedience to the end. Armenians’ are divided over whether once can actually lose his salvation.
IV. AUTHOR’S ARGUMENT REGARDING ELECTION AND FREE WILL
1. MAN’S DEPRAVITY
There is no argument that man has made a mockery of himself as it relates to following God’s will for his life. I believe man is incapable of controlling his sin nature. Man ability to handle lawlessness and the sins of his flesh are confirmed powerless. Romans 3:23, tells us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” In fact I believe man’s heart is evil according to Mark 7:20-23, and he was saying, “out of the heart of men proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness.”
I firmly believe that man is totally depraved within himself, however I agree with the Armenians’ view on man’s depravity. Man is a sinner but near sighted, but with the power of the Holy Spirit he is capable of obeying, believing, and repenting. Man does not have to continue in sin; therefore if he would only believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, he can possess the gift of salvation. John’s gospel records God’s unlimited, unconditional love for all men, he writes, “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).
2. ELECTION
Jesus conveyed a sense of necessity concerning future events. For example, he said to his disciples, “and when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed, this must take place, but is not yet. And the gospel must first be preached to all nations.” “I must preach the good news of the Kingdom of God to the other nations also, for I was sent for this purpose” And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him have eternal life.” I believe we are not saved because of works, because self-righteousness did not save us it is not basis upon with salvation can be lost. The believer is predestined for glory (Romans 8:29-30).
I believe God choses the elect on the basis of their foreseen faith. He loves all men equally. God passed over no one, but gives everyone an equal chance to be saved through our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. (Mark 13:7, 10; Luke 4:43; John 3:14-15). Scripture says “for those God foreknew He also predestined and those He predestined, He also called, justified, and glorified” (Romans 8:29-30; I Peter 1:2). Ryrie, quotes, “there are unsaved elect people alive today, through the elect are now lost and will not be saved until they believe.”
3. ATONEMENT
I believe Christ died for the Elect and paid a definite price for them to guarantee their salvation. But He also died equally died for all men and paid a provisional price that made salvation possible for all men. “And He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world (1 John 2:2). “But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent his Son born of women, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons” ( Galatians 4:4-5).
4. GRACE
I believe that there is a divine influence upon all men. They are enabled to receive the gospel and to be saved is that common grace which the Arminiasm claims, that was bestowed on all men. The Holy Spirit moves that one would understand and intelligently accept the saving grace of God as it is in Christ Jesus. “For by grace we are saved though faith; and not of yourselves, it is a gift of God. I also believe that God’s grace can be resisted. God’s grace can be rejected by men Apostle John says, “Whoever believes in Jesus is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already” (John 3:18).
The offer of salvation is for all, but only those “whosoever believe will not perish but will have everlasting life” (John 3:16) .Not all men will be saved, many may resist and refuse. In John 14:6, says, Jesus says to His disciples, I am the way, and the truth, and the life, no man comes to the Father but through Me.
5. PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS
I believe you cannot lose your salvation. Because the Father has elected, the Son has redeemed and the Holy Spirit has applied salvation. Those thus saved are eternally secure they are eternally secure in Christ. However, there are consequences associated with a believer that continue to yield to the sin nature. He is convicted of his sins; there can be a loss of reward, loss of testimony, and loss of fellowship (2 Peter 2:7-8; 1 Corinthians 3:15; Genesis 19:14; 1 John 1:6).
V. CONCLUSION
While the Scriptures affirms overwhelmingly God’s pursue for man is undeniable. If you agree or disagree with Calvinism or Arminianism there is one certainty, God’s ultimate love for all men.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Chafer, Lewis. "Systematic Theology." In Systematic Theology, by Chafer Lewis, 348. Grand Rapids, 1948.
Corner, The Calvinist. "The Five Points of Calvinism." http://www.calvinistcorner.com , 2012: Introduction Page.
Elwell, Walter A. Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. 1973.
Erickson, Millard J. Chistian Theology. Grand Rapids, 1985.
Griffith, Thomas W.H. "Grace and Power." By Thomas Griffith, 14. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1984.
"New American Standard Version."
Zauda, Jack. "John Calvin was a Giant in Reformed Christianity." http://www.christianity.com, 2011: Introduction Page.
