Understanding Calvinism : Unconditional Election

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Why anyone has any conflics with Unconditional Election alwasy befuddles me. Maybe it's the election part. I don't know. The same with Total Depravity. Most likely it's our human nature that keeps us from seeing Biblical Christianity. We cannot see that we're as bad as we really are. Paul called himself, "the chief of sinners," in his first letter to Timothy (1 Timothy 1:15). I would contend that most Christians are 3 point Calvinists in that they have no problem with Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, or Persverance of the Saints, though their interpretations and definitions might vary from the Biblical ones. That being said, let's jump into it.

Unconditional Election can be defined as:

Before the foundation of the world God chose those to whom He would grant eternal life in Christ, not based on His foreseeing their faith, but based on the counsel of His own will to grant them saving faith.

Revelation 13:8 and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.

Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

You see, God has known from before the foundation of the world who would be His own. There is nothing to ever indicate that they did anything to get there. Before God even created the world, there were names in the Lamb's book of life. Look throughout the Old Testament at the people that God chose. Did they do anything to be chosen? Noah? It says that there was no one that was righteous. And then it says that Noah found favor with God (Genesis 5). But that does not mean that Noah did anything to earn God's favor. What about Abraham? We know nothing about Abraham before Genesis 12. Just that God spoke to Abraham and asked him to do something. Abraham obeyed. We see a list in Hebrews 11 of those who obeyed by faith. Not one of them chose God. God chose them and they responded out of the faith given them.

John Piper has been extremely helpful in understanding the New Birth (i.e. born again and regeneration) from John 3. The charge is that one is not regenerated before believing as some Calvinists are likely to say. That is wrong. I charge the Free Willers with advocating a regeneration after believing, which is also wrong because that leads to a works-based salvation. What does Jesus say? He says that one must be born again to see the kingdom of God. That is to be born from above. God does that work, unconditionally. Now, some Calvinists will stop there and say you are regenerated to believe. That is only partially true. What is wholly true is found in John 3:16 and following. Whosoever believes will be saved. Combined with being regenerated from earlier, whosoever believes and is regenerated will be saved. You see, they happen at the same time. We are regenerated, justified, granted faith, believe, and set on the road to sanctification all at the same time. Not based on anything we have done. I should probably touch on Romans 9 briefly as well, the passage that the Free Willers hate to discuss, because they have no explanation for it. Remember Jacob and Esau? Both were descendants of Abraham, but God chose one and not the other, before they were even born (Romans 9:10-13).

This may be a hard thing to discuss, but it is important to understand that if we could choose our own salvation, that we are damned to Hell because of our fallen state. There is a misunderstanding of what it means to believe in the Bible. When it says to believe and be saved, it is something that must be done continuously. Believe and be saved. A continuous action. Not a one time affair. One that is granted to us from a regeneration of our hearts. Removing the heart of stone and replacing it with a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 11:19). Circumcising the heart (Romans 2:29). If you're reading this and you are not saved, I urge you to seek the Lord. Maybe He is calling you to faith. I pray that He is. I'm available for questions.