CALVINISM (9)

Unconditional Election (4)

Victor M. Eskew

 

            In our last three installments, we have been discussing the Calvinistic doctrine of Unconditional Election.  It is also referred to as Predestination.  This doctrine proclaims that before the beginning of the Creation God chose some individuals to redeem and all others to be lost.  In other words, a few were predestined to live eternally with God.  Everyone else was predestined to live in everlasting condemnation.

            There are numerous so-called “proof-texts” from Scripture that are used by Calvinists in an attempt to prove Unconditional Election.  We looked at some of these texts in our last article.  We will look at another in this article.  Ephesians 1:5 is an important text to the Calvinist.  Paul writes:  “Having predestined us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.”  There are two things the Calvinist will highlight in this verse.  First, they will refer to the word “predestined.”  Second, they will point to the words:  “…according to the good pleasure of his will.”  They will tell us this verse teaches that God predestined some to be His adopted children.  This was done according to God’s good pleasure.  In other words, God appointed them to be adopted without the individual’s being involved in the process at all. 

            In answer to this teaching, we begin with a question.  If you are not one of God’s adopted children, how does that make you feel?  You are lost because God did not choose you.  You are lost having no say in the process at all.  There are some, however, whom He chose to adopt.  They did not do anything to deserve to be called God’s children.  He simply chose them “according to the good pleasure of his will.”  Personally, this writer would be upset if he were not chosen by God.  He would wonder why he has to suffer in hell and another gets to enjoy an eternity in heaven, especially since being lost or saved had nothing to do with the individual.  It seems that God is a respecter of persons.  Yet, the Bible tells us He is not (Rom. 2:11).

            One of errors made by those who teach false doctrine is to lift passages out of their contexts.  Thus, we must go back into the context of Ephesians 1 to truly understand Paul’s words.  Paul begins a discussion in Ephesians 1:3 about spiritual blessings.  “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.”  In verses 4-13, Paul lists some of those spiritual blessings.  The point that must be emphasized here is that Paul tells us that these blessings are “in Christ.”  Read verse Ephesians 1:3 again.  In fact, the apostle will mention this several others times throughout this section.  “According as he hath chosen us in him…” (Eph. 1:4).  “…he hath made us accepted in the beloved” (Eph. 1:6).  “In whom we have redemption…” (Eph. 1:7).  “…he might gather together all things in Christ” (Eph. 1:10).  “In whom we have obtained an inheritance…” (Eph. 1:11).  All of the blessings listed, in fact, “all spiritual blessings,” are “in Christ.”

            Now let’s make application of this to Ephesians 1:5.  God predestined all those who are in Christ to be His adopted children.  All who are out of Christ will be condemned.  Man is not forced to be a child of God.  Man is given the choice to become a child of God.  He can choose to remain outside of Christ.  Or, he can choose to be in Christ.  The question is:  “How does a person get into Christ?”  There are only two verses in the New Testament that answer this question, Romans 6:3 and Galatians 3:27.  In Romans 6:3, Paul asks:  “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?”  Galatians 3:27 states the same truth with just a slightly different wording.  “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”  When a person is baptized, he is taken out of the world and put into Jesus Christ.  “In Christ” is where all spiritual blessings are found.  This individual is now adopted into the family of God.  Note, God predestined a group of people to become His children, that is, all those who are in Christ.  When the gospel is proclaimed to the lost, they are told:  “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved…” (Mark 16:16).  All are free to choose to believe and be baptized.  Those who do believe and who are baptized become God’s children (See 1 Cor. 12:13; 2 Cor. 5:17; 1 Pet. 1:22-23). 

            When we turn to the book of Acts, we have a record of the conversion accounts as the apostles began to carry the gospel to the world.  When the gospel was preached, the invitation was extended to all who were present.  Those who were gathered to hear the good news were not told that only a select few of them had been chosen to be adopted by God.  No!  They were all given the chance to yield in obedience to the truth.  Peter preached to thousands gathered in Jerusalem on Pentecost Day Acts 2:6-22).  He preached to them about the Christ.  The Jews had crucified Him, but God raised Him from the dead (Acts 2:23-24, 32).  Too, He was raised to sit on the right hand of God as “both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:33-36).  Let’s now watch what happens.  “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost….Then they that gladly received his word were baptized:  and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls…And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved” (Acts 2:37, 38, 41, 47).  The lost were told what they needed to do to be saved.  Those who gladly received the word did as Peter instructed.  Everyone could have been saved that day.  Unfortunately, only about three thousand obeyed the gospel.  These three thousand were not predestined as individuals to salvation.  They were predestined to salvation in Christ Jesus (See 2 Thess. 2:14; 2 Tim. 2:10).