Election vs free will

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Truth Seekers
3 Types of truth seekers
Pseudo truth seeker – Does not want to hear
anything that contradicts what they already
believe (Don’t upset my apple cart)
Flavor of the week truth seeker – Always
changing what they believe based on the popular
truth of the week. (show me different apples and
let me pick which one I like best)
Real truth seeker – Earnestly desires to know
God’s truth even if that truth is contrary to what
they have always believed (Desires to know real
truth even if overturns their apple cart)

Illustration:
Once saved always saved
Question: Are we saved by grace and kept by the
power of God or saved by grace and kept by
works?
Sunday School teacher statement about dying
and going to hell
2 Timothy 1:7
7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and
of love and of a sound mind.
Philippians 1:6
6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a
good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

Discussion Questions
Election vs. Free Will
 Does God choose some to be saved and others to perish?
 Is election and predestination the same thing?
 Does man choose God or does God choose man?
 Can you be one of God's elect and not be saved?
 Why do some respond to the gospel message while others
never respond?
 If God has already chosen who will be saved why do we have
to share the gospel?
 Can salvation be a combination of both election and free
will?

Free Will Scripture
Genesis 2:15-17
15 The LORD God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to
tend and watch over it. 16 But the LORD God warned
him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the
garden— 17 except the tree of the knowledge of good
and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”
“Man was created with a free will”
The Freedom to chose
John 3:16
16 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one
and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him
will not perish but have eternal life.

Romans 10:9-13
9 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is
Lord and believe in your heart that God raised
him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it
is by believing in your heart that you are made
right with God, and it is by confessing with
your mouth that you are saved. 11 As the
Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him
will never be disgraced.” 12 Jew and Gentile
are the same in this respect. They have the
same Lord, who gives generously to all who
call on him. 13 For “Everyone who calls on the
name of the LORD will be saved.”

Election/Elect Scriptures
Definition of Election – The right or ability to
make a choice
Example – As voters we have the right or the
ability to choose who we want for a political
office (i.e – President, Congressman, etc.)
As members of the church we have the right or
ability to choose who we want as our pastor
*With that right or ability often comes the
freedom to choose

Isaiah 45:4
4 For Jacob My servant’s sake,
And Israel My elect,
I have even called you by your name;
I have named you, though you have not known Me.
Isaiah 65:9
9 I will bring forth descendants from Jacob,
And from Judah an heir of My mountains;
My elect shall inherit it,
And My servants shall dwell there.
Isaiah 65:22
22 They shall not build and another inhabit;
They shall not plant and another eat;
For as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people,
And My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.

Matthew 24:22
22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be
saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.
Matthew 24:24
24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great
signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
Matthew 24:31
31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet,
and they will gather together His elect from the four winds,
from one end of heaven to the other.
Luke 18:7
7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and
night to Him, though He bears long with them?
Romans 8:33
33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who
justifies.

Romans 9:11
11 (for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good
or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might
stand, not of works but of Him who calls),
Romans 11:5
5 Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according
to the election of grace.
Colossians 3:12
12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender
mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;
1 Thessalonians 1:4
4 knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God.
2 Timothy 2:
10 Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they
also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with
eternal glory.

Titus 1:1
1 Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ,
according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment
of the truth which accords with godliness,
1 Peter 1:2
2 elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in
sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the
blood of Jesus Christ…
2 Peter 1:10
10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call
and election sure, for if you do these things you will never
stumble;
Deuteronomy 7:6
6 “For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your
God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special
treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.

2 Chronicles 6:6
6 Yet I have chosen Jerusalem, that My name may be there, and I have
chosen David to be over My people Israel.’
Psalm 89:3
3 “I have made a covenant with My chosen,
I have sworn to My servant David:
Matthew 20:16
16 So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few
chosen.”
Acts 9:15
15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to
bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.
1 Peter 2:9
9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,
His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him
who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

Revelation 17:14
14 These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will
overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and
those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.”
Election in theological terms means:
“to be predestined to salvation”
Definition of Predestination – To destine or
determine in advance – to foreordain. To fix
upon or elect by divine will or decree

Does God Choose
People in Advance?
God Chose Abraham to be the father of many
Nations
Genesis 12:1-3 (Abraham)
12 The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your native country,
your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that
I will show you. 2 I will make you into a great nation. I will
bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to
others. 3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who
treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be
blessed through you.”

1 Samuel 16:10-12 (King David)
10 In the same way all seven of Jesse’s sons were presented
to Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not
chosen any of these.” 11 Then Samuel asked, “Are these
all the sons you have?”
“There is still the youngest,” Jesse replied. “But he’s out in
the fields watching the sheep and goats.”
“Send for him at once,” Samuel said. “We will not sit down
to eat until he arrives.”
12 So Jesse sent for him. He was dark and handsome, with
beautiful eyes.
And the LORD said, “This is the one; anoint him.”

Jeremiah 1:4-5 (Jeremiah)
4 The LORD gave me this message:
5 “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.
Before you were born I set you apart
and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”
John 6:69-71 (The Disciples)
69 We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.”
70 Then Jesus said, “I chose the twelve of you, but one is a devil.”
71 He was speaking of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, one of the
Twelve, who would later betray him.
Acts 9:15 (Paul)
15 But the Lord said, “Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take
my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the
people of Israel.

Does God chose some to be saved and others to perish?
The doctrine of free will is an implied doctrine in
scripture whereas election is clearly stated in
scripture.
Question: If God chooses who will be saved does
he only choose those he knows will come to him
based on his foreknowledge?
Question: Where do we get the Doctrine of Election
and how do we reconcile it with the freedom of
will given to man to choose or reject God?

Calvinism vs. Arminianism
There are two mains camps of theology within
Christianity in America today: Arminianism
and Calvinism. Calvinism is a system of biblical
interpretation taught by John Calvin. Calvin
lived in France in the 1500's at the time of
Martin Luther who sparked the Reformation.
The system of Calvinism adheres to a very high
view of scripture and seeks to derive its
theological formulations based solely on God’s
word.

It focuses on God’s sovereignty, stating that
God is able and willing by virtue of his
omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence,
to do whatever He desires with His creation.
It also maintains that within the Bible are the
following teachings: That God, by His
sovereign grace predestines people into
salvation; that Jesus died only for those
predestined; that God regenerates the
individual where he is then able and wants to
choose God; and that it is impossible for those
who are redeemed to lose their salvation.

Arminianism, on the other hand, maintains
that God predestined, but not in an absolute
sense. Rather, He looked into the future to see
who would pick him and then He chose them.
Jesus died for all peoples' sins who have ever
lived and ever will live, not just the Christians.
Each person is the one who decides if he wants
to be saved or not (Free Will). And finally, it is
possible to lose your salvation (some
arminians believe you cannot lose your
salvation).
Whose camp are you in?

T.U.L.I.P
The basics of Calvinism
Total Depravity (also known as Total
Inability and Original Sin)
Unconditional Election
Limited Atonement (also known as
Particular Atonement)
Irresistible Grace
Perseverance of the Saints (also known
as Once Saved Always Saved)
• *Calvinist Corner.com

Total Depravity
Sin has affected all parts of man. The heart,
emotions, will, mind, and body are all affected
by sin. We are completely sinful. We are not as
sinful as we could be, but we are completely
affected by sin.
The doctrine of Total Depravity is derived from
scriptures that reveal human character: Man’s
heart is evil (Mark 7:21-23) and sick Jer. 17:9).
Man is a slave of sin (Rom. 6:20). He does not
seek for God (Rom. 3:10-12). He cannot
understand spiritual things (1 Cor. 2:14). He is
at enmity with God (Eph. 2:15). And, is by
nature a child of wrath (Eph. 2:3). must
predestine."

The Calvinist asks the question, "In light of the
scriptures that declare man’s true nature as
being utterly lost and incapable, how is it
possible for anyone to choose or desire God?"
The answer is, "He cannot. Therefore God
must predestine."
Calvinism also maintains that because of our
fallen nature we are born again not by our own
will but God’s will (John 1:12-13); God grants
that we believe (Phil. 1:29); faith is the work
of God (John 6:28-29); God appoints people to
believe (Acts 13:48); and God predestines
(Eph. 1:1-11; Rom. 8:29; 9:9-23).

Unconditional Election
God does not base His election on anything He
sees in the individual. He chooses the elect
according to the kind intention of His will
(Eph. 1:4-8; Rom. 9:11) without any
consideration of merit within the individual.
Nor does God look into the future to see who
would pick Him. Also, as some are elected into
salvation, others are not (Rom. 9:15, 21).

Limited Atonement
Jesus died only for the elect. Though Jesus’
sacrifice was sufficient for all, it was not
efficacious for all. Jesus only bore the sins of the
elect. Support for this position is drawn from such
scriptures as Matt. 26:28 where Jesus died for
‘many'; John 10:11, 15 which say that Jesus died
for the sheep (not the goats, per Matt. 25:32-33);
John 17:9 where Jesus in prayer interceded for the
ones given Him, not those of the entire world;
Acts 20:28 and Eph. 5:25-27 which state that the
Church was purchased by Christ, not all people;
and Isaiah 53:12 which is a prophecy of Jesus’
crucifixion where he would bore the sins of many
(not all).

Irresistible Grace
When God calls his elect into salvation, they
cannot resist. God offers to all people the
gospel message. This is called the external
call. But to the elect, God extends an internal
call and it cannot be resisted. This 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.
Remember the Question: Why do some respond
to the gospel while others do not?

Some of the verses used in support of this
teaching are Romans 9:16 where it says that "it
is not of him who wills nor of him who runs,
but of God who has mercy"; Philippians 2:12-
13 where God is said to be the one working
salvation in the individual; John 6:28-29 where
faith is declared to be the work of God; Acts
13:48 where God appoints people to believe;
and John 1:12-13 where being born again is
not by man’s will, but by God’s.
“All that the Father gives Me shall come to
Me, and the one who comes to Me I will
certainly not cast out," (John 6:37).

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. Some of the verses for this position are
John 10:27-28 where Jesus said His sheep will
never perish; John 6:47 where salvation is
described as everlasting life; Romans 8:1 where it
is said we have passed out of judgment; 1
Corinthians 10:13 where God promises to never
let us be tempted beyond what we can handle; and
Phil. 1:6 where God is the one being faithful to
perfect us until the day of Jesus’ return.

What is Arminianism?
ARMINIANISM is a teaching regarding salvation associated with
the Dutch theologian Jacob Arminius (1560-1609). The fundamental
principle in Arminianism is the rejection of predestination, and a
corresponding affirmation of the freedom of the human will. Shortly
after his death, the followers of Arminius (later called Arminians)
presented a statement to the governing authorities of Holland in
which they set forth five articles of doctrine. These were: (1) that the
divine decree of predestination is conditional, not absolute; (2) that
the Atonement is in intention universal; (3) that man cannot of
himself exercise a saving faith, but requires God's help to attain this
faith; (4) that though the grace of God is a necessary condition of
human effort it does not act irresistibly in man; (5) that believers are
able to resist sin but are not beyond the possibility of falling from
grace. In essence, the Arminians maintained that God gives
indispensible help in salvation, but that ultimately it is the free will
of man which decides the issue.

Five Anti-Calvinist Points of Arminianism
 Free-will or human ability. Although human nature
was seriously affected by the fall, man has not been left
in a state of total spiritual helplessness. God graciously
enables every sinner to repent and believe but does not
interfere with man’s freedom. Each sinner possesses a
free will, and his eternal destiny depends on how he
uses it. Man’s freedom consists in his ability to choose
good over evil in spiritual matters; his will is not
enslaved to his sinful nature. The sinner has the power
to either cooperate with God’s Spirit and be regenerated
or resist God’s grace and perish. The lost sinner needs
the Spirit’s assistance but he does not have to be
regenerated by the Spirit before he can believe, for faith
is man’s act and precedes the new birth. Faith is the
sinner’s gift to God; it is man’s contribution to
salvation.

 Conditional election. God’s choice of certain
individuals unto salvation before the foundation of the
world was based upon His foreseeing that they would
respond to His call. He selected only those whom He
knew would of themselves freely believe the Gospel.
Election therefore was determined by or conditioned
upon what man would do. The faith which God
foresaw, and upon which He based His choice, was not
given to the sinner by God (it was not created by the
regenerating power of the Holy Spirit) but resulted
solely from man’s will. It was left entirely up to man as
to who would believe and therefore as to who would be
elected unto salvation. God chose those whom He
knew would, of their own free will, choose Christ.
Thus the sinner’s choice of Christ—not God’s choice of
the sinner—is the ultimate cause of salvation.

 Universal redemption or general atonement.
Christ’s redeeming work made it possible for
everyone to be saved but did not actually
secure the salvation of anyone. Although
Christ died for all men and for every man, only
those who believe on Him are saved. His death
enabled God to pardon sinners on the
condition that they believe, but it did not
actually put away anyone’s sins. Christ’s
redemption becomes effective only if man
chooses to accept it.

The Holy Spirit can be effectually resisted. The
Spirit calls inwardly all those who are called
outwardly by the gospel invitation. He does all
that so He can to bring every sinner to salvation.
But inasmuch as man is free, he can successfully
resist the Spirit’s call. The Spirit cannot
regenerate the sinner until he believes; faith
(which is man’s contribution) precedes and makes
possible the new birth. Thus, man’s free will
limits the Spirit in the application of Christ’s
saving work. The Holy Spirit can only draw to
Christ those who allow Him to have His way with
them. Until the sinner responds, the Spirit cannot
give life. God’s grace, therefore, is not invincible;
it can be— and often is—resisted and thwarted by
man.

Falling from grace. Those who believe and
are truly saved can lose their salvation by
failing to keep up their faith, etc. All
Arminians have not been agreed on this point;
some have held that believers are eternally
secure in Christ, that once a sinner is
regenerated, he can never be lost.

Calvinism & Arminianism Compared
God's Sovereignty
Calvinism - God's sovereignty is unconditional,
unlimited, and absolute. All things are
predetermined by the good pleasure of God's
will. God foreknew because of his own
planning.
Arminianism - God has limited his control in
correspondence with man's freedom and
response. God's decrees are associated with
his foreknowledge of man's response.

Man's Depravity
Calvinism - Because of the Fall, man is totally
depraved and dead in his sin. Man is unable to
save himself and, therefore, God must initiate
salvation.
Arminianism - Because of the Fall, man has
inherited a corrupted, depraved nature.
Through "prevenient grace," God removed the
guilt of Adam's sin. Prevenient grace is defined
as the preparatory work of the Holy Spirit,
given to all, enabling a person to respond to
God's call of salvation.

Election
Calvinism - Before the foundation of the
world, God unconditionally chose some to be
saved. Election has nothing to do with man's
future response.
Arminianism - Election is based on God's
foreknowledge of those who would believe in
him through faith. In other words, God elected
those who would choose him of their own
free will. Conditional election is based on
man's response.

Christ's Atonement
Calvinism - Jesus Christ died to save only
those who were given to him (elected) by the
Father in eternity past. Since Christ did not die
for everyone, but only for the elect, his
atonement is wholly successful.
Arminianism - Christ died for everyone. The
Savior's atoning death provided the means of
salvation for the entire human race. Christ's
atonement, however, is effective only for
those who believe.

Grace
Calvinism - While God extends his common grace
to all mankind, it is not sufficient to save anyone.
Only God's irresistible grace can draw the elect to
salvation and make a person willing to respond.
This grace cannot be obstructed or resisted.
Arminianism - Through the preparatory
(prevenient) grace given to all by the Holy Spirit,
man is able to cooperate with God and respond
in faith to salvation. Through prevenient grace,
God removed the effects of Adam's sin. Because
of "free will" men are also able to resist God's
grace.

Man's Will
 Calvinism - All men are totally depraved, and this
depravity extends to the entire person, including the
will. Except for God's irresistible grace, men are
entirely incapable of responding to God on their own.
 Arminianism - Because prevenient grace is given to all
men by the Holy Spirit, and this grace extends to the
entire person, all people have free will.
Perseverance
 Calvinism - Believers will persevere in salvation
because God will see to it that none will be lost.
Believers are secure in the faith because God will finish
the work he began.
 Arminianism - By the exercise of free will, believers can
turn away or fall away from God

Does God Choose man or
Does man choose God?
John 6:65
65 And He said, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can
come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.”
Romans 3:9-12
9 Well then, should we conclude that we Jews are better than
others? No, not at all, for we have already shown that all
people, whether Jews or Gentiles, are under the power of sin.
10 As the Scriptures say,
“No one is righteous—
not even one.
11 No one is truly wise;
no one is seeking God.
12 All have turned away;
all have become useless.
No one does good,
not a single one.”

Romans 8:29-30
29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to
become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn[a]
among many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them,
he called them to come to him. And having called them, he
gave them right standing with himself. And having given them
right standing, he gave them his glory.
Ephesians 1:5
4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in
Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.
5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by
bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he
wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.
Ephesians 1:11
11 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have
received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance,
and he makes everything work out according to his plan.

Romans 9:11-24
11 But before they were born, before they had done
anything good or bad, she received a message
from God. (This message shows that God chooses
people according to his own purposes; 12 he calls
people, but not according to their good or bad
works.) She was told, “Your older son will serve
your younger son.” 13 In the words of the
Scriptures, “I loved Jacob, but I rejected Esau.”
14 Are we saying, then, that God was unfair? Of
course not! 15 For God said to Moses,
“I will show mercy to anyone I choose,
and I will show compassion to anyone I
choose.”
16 So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can
neither choose it nor work for it.

19 Well then, you might say, “Why does God blame people
for not responding? Haven’t they simply done what he
makes them do?”
20 No, don’t say that. Who are you, a mere human being,
to argue with God? Should the thing that was created
say to the one who created it, “Why have you made me
like this?” 21 When a potter makes jars out of clay,
doesn’t he have a right to use the same lump of clay to
make one jar for decoration and another to throw
garbage into? 22 In the same way, even though God has
the right to show his anger and his power, he is very
patient with those on whom his anger falls, who are
destined for destruction. 23 He does this to make the
riches of his glory shine even brighter on those to
whom he shows mercy, who were prepared in advance
for glory. 24 And we are among those whom he selected,
both from the Jews and from the Gentiles.

Romans 11:1-8
11 I ask, then, has God rejected his own people, the
nation of Israel? Of course not! I myself am an
Israelite, a descendant of Abraham and a member
of the tribe of Benjamin.
2 No, God has not rejected his own people, whom he
chose from the very beginning. Do you realize
what the Scriptures say about this? Elijah the
prophet complained to God about the people of
Israel and said, 3 “LORD, they have killed your
prophets and torn down your altars. I am the only
one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”
4 And do you remember God’s reply? He said, “No,
I have 7,000 others who have never bowed down
to Baal!”

5 It is the same today, for a few of the people of
Israel have remained faithful because of God’s
grace—his undeserved kindness in choosing them.
6 And since it is through God’s kindness, then it is
not by their good works. For in that case, God’s
grace would not be what it really is—free and
undeserved.
7 So this is the situation: Most of the people of Israel
have not found the favor of God they are looking
for so earnestly. A few have—the ones God has
chosen—but the hearts of the rest were hardened.
8 As the Scriptures say,
“God has put them into a deep sleep.
To this day he has shut their eyes so they do not
see,
and closed their ears so they do not hear.”

Ephesians 2:8-9
8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And
you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.
9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we
have done, so none of us can boast about it.
Question: If God has already chosen who would be
saved then why are we called to share the gospel?
Question: Can Salvation be a combination of both
Election and Free Will be?

The Infinite Mind of God
Isaiah 55:6-9
6 Seek the LORD while you can find him.
Call on him now while he is near.
7 Let the wicked change their ways
and banish the very thought of doing wrong.
Let them turn to the LORD that he may have mercy on them.
Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.
8 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD.
“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so my ways are higher than your ways
and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.
Reconciling Election and Free Will

Truth is in the Middle
When you have two extreme opposites the truth
can usually be found in the middle
Extreme Calvinism says you are either saved or
your not and there is nothing you can do about it
Extreme free will says it is all up to man to
choose God and God does not play any part in a
person’s salvation
The middle ground says God chose you in
eternity past to be saved but you must still
exercise your free will to receive his free gift of
salvation

The Reason
to share the Gospel
John MacArthur once said “You can be one of God’s elect
and not be saved but your salvation will confirm your
election”
In essence God may have chosen us for salvation in
eternity past but that does not negate our responsibility
to exercise our free will and chose Christ as the Spirit
draws us. We must still confess with our mouths the
Lord Jesus and believe in our hearts that God raised
him from the dead. Election simply says the only ones
who will do this are the ones God chose to be saved.
Their salvation confirms their election.

Sharing the Gospel
If the elect must still exercise their free will in salvation
then they must hear the gospel in order to respond to it.
Therefore we have a duty to share the gospel so the
elect can hear and respond
Romans 10:14-17
14 But how can they call on him to save them unless they
believe in him? And how can they believe in him if
they have never heard about him? And how can they
hear about him unless someone tells them? 15 And how
will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That
is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of
messengers who bring good news!”
16 But not everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah
the prophet said, “LORD, who has believed our
message?”17 So faith comes from hearing, that is,
hearing the Good News about Christ.

The baptist faith
and message
III. Man
Man is the special creation of God, made in His own image. He created
them male and female as the crowning work of His creation. The gift of
gender is thus part of the goodness of God's creation. In the beginning
man was innocent of sin and was endowed by his Creator with freedom
of choice. By his free choice man sinned against God and brought sin
into the human race. Through the temptation of Satan man transgressed
the command of God, and fell from his original innocence whereby his
posterity inherit a nature and an environment inclined toward sin.
Therefore, as soon as they are capable of moral action, they become
transgressors and are under condemnation. Only the grace of God can
bring man into His holy fellowship and enable man to fulfill the
creative purpose of God. The sacredness of human personality is evident
in that God created man in His own image, and in that Christ died for man;
therefore, every person of every race possesses full dignity and is worthy of
respect and Christian love.

V. God's Purpose of Grace
Election is the gracious purpose of God, according to
which He regenerates, justifies, sanctifies, and glorifies
sinners. It is consistent with the free agency of man,
and comprehends all the means in connection with
the end. It is the glorious display of God's sovereign
goodness, and is infinitely wise, holy, and
unchangeable. It excludes boasting and promotes
humility.
All true believers endure to the end. Those whom
God has accepted in Christ, and sanctified by His
Spirit, will never fall away from the state of grace,
but shall persevere to the end. Believers may fall into
sin through neglect and temptation, whereby they
grieve the Spirit, impair their graces and comforts, and
bring reproach on the cause of Christ and temporal
judgments on themselves; yet they shall be kept by the
power of God through faith unto salvation.
(Unconditional Election and Perseverance of the

IV. Salvation
Salvation involves the redemption of the whole
man, and is offered freely to all who accept
Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, who by His
own blood obtained eternal redemption for
the believer. In its broadest sense salvation
includes regeneration, justification,
sanctification, and glorification. There is no
salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus
Christ as Lord.
Limited Atonement

C. God the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, fully divine. He inspired
holy men of old to write the Scriptures. Through
illumination He enables men to understand truth. He exalts
Christ. He convicts men of sin, of righteousness, and of
judgment. He calls men to the Saviour, and effects
regeneration. At the moment of regeneration He baptizes
every believer into the Body of Christ. He cultivates
Christian character, comforts believers, and bestows the
spiritual gifts by which they serve God through His church.
He seals the believer unto the day of final redemption. His
presence in the Christian is the guarantee that God will
bring the believer into the fullness of the stature of Christ.
He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in
worship, evangelism, and service.
Irresistible Grace

The Fairness of God
Question: Is it fair for God to choose some to be saved
and not others?
Romans 9:20-22
20 No, don’t say that. Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with
God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created
it, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 When a potter makes jars
out of clay, doesn’t he have a right to use the same lump of clay to
make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into? 22 In
the same way, even though God has the right to show his anger and
his power, he is very patient with those on whom his anger falls,
who are destined for destruction.
Genesis 2:15-17
15 The LORD God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend
and watch over it. 16 But the LORD God warned him, “You may
freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— 17 except the
tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you
are sure to die.”

Anger or Thanksgiving?
Question: Is it right to be angry at God or see
God as being unfair when “All have sinned and
come short of the Glory of God” and “The wages
of sin is death” and yet in His mercy he has
chosen some to be saved?
Question: Do we not all deserve hell for our sin
and disobedience?
Question: Rather than being angry or feeling that
God is not being fair should we not fall on our
knee’s and thank God for his mercy and for
choosing us to be saved even though we have
done nothing to deserve it?

Final Thought
It's important to note that all of the doctrinal
points in both theological positions have a biblical
foundation, which is why the debate has been so
divisive throughout church history.
Christian denominations disagree over which
points are correct, rejecting all or some of either
system of theology, leaving most believers with a
mixed perspective. Because both Calvinism and
Arminianism deal with concepts that go far
beyond human comprehension, the debate is
certain to continue as finite beings try to explain
an infinitely mysterious God.

Election vs free will

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