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Sovereign Love!
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By A. Kevin Ivy!
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Copyright (c) 2014 A.Kevin Ivy"
Scripture quotations taken from the "
English Standard Version,"
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(c) 2008 by Crossway Bibles"
Additional Copies of Sovereign Love and "
other publications may be ordered online
at "
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www.missionsurge.com"
Published by Mission Surge"
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Table of Contents!
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Introduction………………………………… 7"
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Part 1—Definitions…………………………. 11"
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Chapter 1: What is Election?……………… 13"
Chapter 2: The Golden Chain of Salvation 15"
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Part 2—Objections to the Doctrine of
Election ………………………………………39"
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Chapter 3: God Wants Everyone to be
Saved………………………………………… 43"
Chapter 4: Does this Mean that some People
are "Predestined to Hell?……………………55"
Chapter 5: What about Free Will………… 63"
Chapter 6: How is this Fair?……………… 75"
Chapter 7: Why Should we do Missions if all
of this is True?……………………………. . 83"
Chapter 8: Why doesn’t this Make Sense.. 87"
Chapter 9: If this is the Gospel how can it be
Good News?………………………………… 91"
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Part 3—The Final Straw…………………….95"
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Chapter 10: Acts 13:48 hits me…………… 97"
Chapter 11: Church History………………101"
Chapter 12: God’s glory in Salvation……103"
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Part 4—Danger of this Doctrine…………..109"
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Conclusion………………………………… 119"
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Bibliography………………………………..123"
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“If these things be not so, condemn me as you
please; but if the Bible is with me, your
condemnation is of no avail.” "
- Charles H. Spurgeon, Sermon, Search the
Scriptures"
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Introduction!
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One of the most neglected doctrines
in the Bible is the doctrine of God’s
sovereign love. We hear much about God’s
love. Possibly one of the most well-known
verses of our culture is 1 John 4:8: “God is
love.”1 "
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We also hear people talk about their
belief in the sovereignty of God. However, it
is not clear how they define that sovereignty.
Noah Webster, in his masterpiece on the
english language, defined sovereign as
follows: “Supreme in power; possessing
supreme dominion; superior to all others;
supremely efficacious; A supreme lord or
ruler; one who possesses the highest
authority without control.”2 This does not
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Scriptures are from the English Standard
Version of the Bible unless otherwise noted
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2Noah Webster, American Dictionary of the
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English Language 1828 (San Francisco:
Foundation for American Christian Education,
2010).
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seem to be how most of the 21st century
American church defines sovereignty. "
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It is a difficult thing for one to
embrace the God of the Bible as truly and
totally sovereign. Such a belief impacts, not
only one’s view of God, but one’s view of
salvation and all of life. God’s sovereign
love is rooted in the offensive doctrine of
His election. What does this word, election,
mean?"
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Election is ignored at best, and
rejected at worst, partly because it is difficult
to understand. It is also neglected because
many are ignorant of the fact that it is
explicitly found in the scriptures. I believe it
is neglected primarily however, because it is
a doctrine that is despised and hated by our
human, fleshly nature. We want to be in
control. We want God to operate in the
realm of what we consider fair and right.
When something threatens our control, our
rights, and our standards of fairness, we
naturally rebel. However, we miss a more
complete understanding of salvation and
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grace when we overlook the doctrine of
election."
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How can I say these things? Because
this is exactly how I felt when I first
encountered the doctrine of election. As I
read, studied, and listened, I struggled with
the doctrine. I attempted to explain it away.
I even went so far as to say on one occasion,
“If this is the God of the Bible I will not
worship Him!” What a dangerous statement
to make, and yet, such was my hatred of this
doctrine. I only wanted God to be sovereign
in “theory.” A God who was sovereign in
“reality” was too much for me to accept,
even if His sovereignty was rooted in love."
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It took me almost thirteen years of
wrestling with the text, and with my flesh, to
finally fully surrender to the truth of this
doctrine. And when I did, it was as if I
discovered a key that unlocked the scriptures
in an amazing way. Texts that made no
sense began to be clearer. I was able to see
deeper, more consistent things in God’s
Word. After more than a decade of
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struggling, I can say that it was well worth it
to come to grips with the truth that God is
truly sovereign. "
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It is my hope and prayer that you
will joyfully embark on this journey of
seeking the truth about the one true God. It
is my hope that your journey will be as
rewarding as my journey has been. I also
hope that it does not take you more than a
decade of struggling to reach an informed
conclusion! "
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One major reason that I have
endeavored to write this little book is to
recount for you my journey. I hope that as I
share with you my journey, you will be able
to come to a biblical, logical, and informed
conclusion sooner. That is my prayer for you
and for this little book. May God use it as
He deems fit and for His glory alone."
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Part 1!
Definitions!
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Chapter 1!
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What is Election?!
According to Grudem, “Election is an
act of God before creation in which he
chooses some people to be saved, not on
account of any forseen merit in them, but
only because of His sovereign good
pleasure.”3 Read that definition again.
Election is an act of God that took place prior
to our existence. Election is God choosing
some people to be saved. Election is God
making His choice based solely on His
sovereign good pleasure, not on our acts.
Salvation is ultimately the work of God. The
doctrine of election drives this truth home. It
is God who does the work. " Notice how
this definition is rooted in Ephesians 1.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every
spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as
3Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology: An
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å to Biblical Doctrine (Grand Rapids: Zondervan,
1994), 670.
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he chose us in him before the foundation of the
world, that we should be holy and blameless
before him. In love he predestined us for adoption
as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the
purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious
grace, with which he has blessed us in the
Beloved” (Ephesians 1:3-6)."
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This is not a new doctrine. The
sixteenth century puritan William Perkins
wrote, “Election is God’s decree whereby of
his own free will, he hath ordained certain
men to salvation, to the praise of the glory of
his grace.”4 We cannot ignore the reality of
church history and the content of scripture.
We must wrestle with this doctrine, rather
than ignore, or presumptively reject it. If we
are to wrestle well, we must consider some
additional key words that need to be defined"
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4William Perkins, A Golden Chaine, or, The
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Description of Theologie, Containing the Order of the
Causes of Salvation and Damnation, in Works, 1:24.
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Chapter 2!
The Golden Chain of Salvation!
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If we are to gain an understanding of
this difficult doctrine, we must begin by
taking time to consider Romans 8:28-30. It
says, “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.” This
text clearly states that God predestines. It
goes on to say that God calls, God justifies,
and God glorifies. God is doing the work."
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This “golden chain of salvation”
begins with the phrase, “those whom He
foreknew.” This is an extremely important
term in the chain. If we are to understand
this chain of salvation, we must have a
biblical understanding of God’s
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foreknowledge. If we are to understand
what foreknew means, we must first
understand what it does not mean. "
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• What Foreknow Does Not Mean!
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We must begin by recognizing that
this word foreknow does not mean that God
looked down through time, saw what we
were going to do, and then chose us based
on what He knew we would do. Pink said,
“God foreknows everything that will be,
because He has ordained everything that
shall be; then it is to put the cart before the
horse when we make foreknowledge the
cause of God’s election.”5 God does not look
down through history to see what we will do
and then base His choice of His elect upon
that type of knowledge. "
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There are 2 reasons this cannot be
true. First, if this were the case, no one
5Arthur W. Pink, The Doctrine of Election
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(Memphis: Bottom of the Hill Publishing, 2011),
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would have believed! If God had looked
down through history waiting and watching
to see who would believe in Christ there
would have been no one who believed.
Why? Because no one has the ability to
believe on their own. "Ephesians 2:1
describes us as “dead in the trespasses and
sins.” He does not say that we are sick and
needy. He said that we, in our lost state, are
dead. Norvell Robertson rightly pointed out,
“No stronger term can be found in any
language than the word dead. The phrase,
‘in trespasses and in sins’ fixes and defines
the term dead. Not deprived of the use of
our mental powers, or the exercise of our
moral affections, but wholly under the
power of our carnal nature; or in other
words, totally depraved.”6 Not one soul on
earth would have chosen God, because no
one is capable of choosing. We were all
spiritually still-born."
6Norvell Robertson, Handbook of Theology
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(Memphis: Southern Baptist Publication Society,
1894), 24-25.
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Have you ever touched the lifeless
body of a loved one as you pass through to
pay your last respects at the funeral home?
Have you ever felt of a dead body? If so,
there were several things that I am sure you
noticed and remember vividly. "
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First, the body was cold. Secondly, it
was hard. Thirdly, it felt empty. And finally,
the body did not respond in any way. The
body of your loved one was there, but they
were no longer present. This is the way the
Bible describes our spiritual state before
salvation: dead. We are spiritually cold,
hard hearted, empty, and unable to respond
in an acceptable way to the gospel call. We
are dead."
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But does the word “dead” really
mean dead? Robertson wrote, “If we possess
by nature a particle of spiritual life, there is
no propriety in saying we pass rom death
unto life. Before the transition we are
spiritually dead, and after it we are
spiritually alive. While spiritually dead we
are as incapable of doing anything
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spiritually good, as the dead body of a man
is of performing any useful action.”7 If the
Holy Spirit meant that we were sick and
needy, He would have said so. Instead He
describes us as dead. "
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In 1 Corinthians we see this inability
confirmed. We read that “The natural person
does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for
they are folly to him, and he is not able to
understand them because they are spiritually
discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14). The natural
person would never believe on his own
accord. He will not accept the things of God,
nor be able to understand them. There is
only one way for a dead, blind, incapable
person to respond. They must be given life!
It is obvious that such life must come from
outside of ourselves. "
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According to Ephesians 2:4-5, “But
God, being rich in mercy, because of the great
love with which he loved us, even when we were
dead in our trespasses, made us alive together
with Christ— by grace you have been saved.”
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7Robertson,
27.
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God makes the natural person, who is dead
in his trespasses and sins, alive. The only
hope the lost person has is for God to give
him life. J.L. Dagg, the first president of the
Southern Baptist Convention said, “We are
not to understand the foreknowledge here
mentioned, to be foreknowledge of faith or
good works. Faith and good works do not
exist, before the grace consequent on election
begins to be bestowed; and therefore a
foresight of them is impossible. Moreover,
the objects of this divine foreknowledge are
the persons of the elect, and not their faith or
good works.”8 "
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If God’s foreknowledge means that
God looked down throughout time to see
who would respond to Him of their own
accord, no one would have responded
because no one would have been capable of
doing so. No one could have possibly
responded without God taking the initiative,
8John Leadley Dagg, Manual of Theology
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(Charleston: Southern Baptist Publication
Society, 1859) 312.
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and therefore God would have chosen no
one. Dagg wrote, “Election is not on the
ground of foreseen faith or obedience. On
this point, the
teachings of
Scripture are
clear. They are
chosen not
because of their
holiness, but that
they may be
holy (Eph. 1:4);
not because of
If God’s foreknowledge
means that God looked
down throughout time
to see who would
respond to Him of their
own accord, no one
would have responded
because no one would
have been capable of
doing so.
their obedience,
but unto
obedience (1 Pet
1:2).”9"
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The second reason this definition of
foreknowledge cannot be true is that
salvation is of grace, not of works. If God
looked down through history and based His
decision on our choice (good works such as
praying a sinner’s prayer, submitting to
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9Ibid.
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baptism, joining the church, living a good
moral life, making a decision etc.) then
salvation is no longer by grace. Ephesians
2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved
through faith. And this is not your own doing; it
is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no
one may boast.” If God based His election
upon what we would do, or would not do,
then our salvation is rooted in and based
upon our works and/or our choices, and it is
no longer solely of grace. If the Bible teaches
that we are saved by grace alone, then it
follows that we can do nothing to merit our
salvation! And if we can do nothing to merit
our salvation, then someone else must
graciously grace us with salvation by grace.
And if God gives salvation by grace alone,
then God is the one who is doing the work.
And if God is doing the work, then God is
clearly sovereign and the doctrine of election
is necessary and logical."
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In an effort to avoid embracing a
truly sovereign God, some have argued that
God could know all things, but He chooses
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to conceal some things from His knowledge.
He chooses not to know certain things until
they happen. This is difficult to reconcile
logically with who God is and with
scripture. "
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Robertson in response to this type of
argument wrote: “He hides an event from
Himself in order to leave man to his own
choice, and thus He knows not what man
will do till the event transpires. But how can
He hide an event from His view of which He
knows nothing? If He does not know of it,
how can He know how to conceal it from His
view?10 Clearly, this argument makes no
sense when considered from Robertson’s
perspective and, more importantly, from
scripture. Proverbs 15:3 states, “The eyes of
the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the
evil and the good.” God knows all things!
Furthermore, “if there is anything that God
does not know, then in that thing He is
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10Robertson,
180.
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ignorant. Is the reader prepared to say that
God is ignorant?”11 I would think not! "
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God knows all, or He is not the God
of the Bible. God knows the past, the
present, the future, and all of the
possibilities. Yet, He does not base His
sovereign election upon this type of
foreknowledge or no one would ever believe
and salvation would not be solely of grace."
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• What Foreknow Does Mean!
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If foreknowledge does not mean that
God looked down through history at the acts
and decisions of men in order to determine
who His elect would be, what does this word
“foreknow” mean in relation to salvation?
Let us let the Word of God define it. "
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The Greek translation of the Old
Testament (the Septuagint) translates the
root of the word Paul uses here in several
places. Look at the following verses where
the word “know” is used as we seek to
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11Ibid.,
183.
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discover what the term foreknow is referring
to. "
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Genesis 4:1 states, “Now Adam knew
Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain,
saying, "I have gotten a man with the help of the
Lord.” Genesis 4:17 states, “Cain knew his
wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch.” What
kind of knowing is that? This does not mean
he knew who she was. It is referring to the
most intimate relationship in human
existence. Amos 3:2 says, “You only have I
known of all the families of the earth; therefore I
will punish you for all your iniquities.” Did
God not know all the families on earth?
Does God not know everything and
everyone? He knew about all the families,
but only chose (knew in an intimate way)
Israel. Hosea 13:5 says, “It was I who knew
you in the wilderness, in the land of drought.”
Are you able to see the pattern here?"
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From these texts it is clear that this
knowledge is referring to more than simply a
common knowledge of events. It is referring
to an intimate, compassionate knowing.
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Based upon this truth, foreknowledge could
really be defined as fore-love. In fact, John
Murray says, “Know is used in a sense
practically synonymous with love…Whom
he foreknew is therefore virtually equivalent
to whom he fore-loved. Foreknowledge, is
sovereign, distinguishing love.”12 "
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The term foreknow is virtually the
same as set your affection on and choose for
your own. So the meaning of the first act of
God in Romans 8:29 is that God foreknows
His own people in the sense that he sets His
affection on them, loves them, and cares for
them. It is a God predetermined intimacy.
That is foreknowing. "
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Arthur Pink wrote, “Having chosen
them in His dear Son unto a perfection of
holiness and righteousness, God’s love went
forth to them, and bestowed upon them the
chiefest and highest blessing His love could
confer: to make them His children by
adoption. God is love, and all His love is
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p. 249
12John
Stott, quoting Murray, Romans, "
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exercised upon Christ and those in Him.”13
Ephesians 1:4-5 affirms this: “even as he chose
us in him before the foundation of the world, that
we should be holy and blameless before him. In
love (in foreknowledge/forelove) 5 he
predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ,
according to the purpose of his will.” Out of this
foreknowledge He predestined."
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• Those Whom He Foreknew, He
Predestined!
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What is predestination? I so often
hear professing believers say that they do
not believe in predestination. Maybe, a
wiser statement would be, “it is hard for me
to accept predestination.” After all,
predestination is referred to throughout
God’s Word. How can we say we do not
believe in the Bible? What is predestination?"
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The word “predestine” means to
decide or ordain ahead of time what destiny
you will have. To quote the puritan William
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13Pink,
13.
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Perkins again: “Predestination is the means
by which God manifests His glory to the
human race.”14 God predestined. We can
not just throw out part of the Bible, explain it
away, or deny it because we do not like it or
believe it. It is still God’s inspired, inerrant
Word, and the Bible clearly says “He
predestined” His people.
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This doctrine of election and
predestination is found throughout the
scriptures. We read in 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 that was slain.” In Revelation 17:8
we see again, “And the dwellers on earth
whose names have not been written in the
book of life from the foundation of the world
will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is
not and is to come.” Does it not stand to
reason that if a group of people were not
written in the Lamb’s book of life before the
foundation of the world, that there is another
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14Perkins,
1:24.
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group of people who were written down
before the foundation of the world? In fact,
Ephesians 1:4-6 affirms this truth: “even as he
chose us in him before the foundation of the
world, that we should be holy and blameless
before him. In love 5 he predestined us for
adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the
purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his
glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in
the Beloved.” "
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For those whom He foreknew, He
also predestined. This simply means that
having chosen you for His own, and set his
love on you, and cared for you before you
ever existed, he decided what would become
of you, namely, you would be conformed to
the image of his Son. And He did it
according to the purpose of his will and for
his praise. In the words of Beeke,
“Ultimately, predestination must not be
understood in terms of what it does for man,
but in terms of its highest goal—the glory of
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God.”15 He predestined ultimately for His
praise. The chain continues however: Those
whom he predestined in foreknowledge, He
also called."
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• Those whom He predestined, He also
Called!
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"
In order to understand what the Bible
means by “called,” we must understand that
there are two types of calls in the New
Testament. First, there is the general call of
the gospel. The general call takes place
when the sower goes out to sow his seed.
The gospel seed is broadcast far and wide on
hard soil, shallow soil, thorny soil, and good
soil. The gospel call is issued in the hearing
of many. It is an external call addressed to
the ears and minds of the hearers. Many
hear this call over the centuries, but most
reject it. In the words of Jesus in Matt 22:14,
“For many are called, but few are chosen." "
15Joel Beeke, A Puritan Theology (Grand
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Rapids: Reformation Heritage Books, 2012), 121.
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"
Second, there is an effectual call. This
is an internal call, the Spirit of God drawing
men to Himself, that results in conversion.
Note the following texts. Romans 1:6 states,
“including you who are called to belong to Jesus
Christ.” We read in 1 Corinthians 1:2, To the
church of God that is in Corinth, to those
sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints
together with all those who in every place call
upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both
their Lord and ours.” Revelation 17:14 states,
“They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb
will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and
King of kings, and those with him are called and
chosen and faithful.” Again in 2 Timothy 1:9
we read, “(He) saved us and called us to a holy
calling, not because of our works but because of
his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in
Christ Jesus before the ages began.” All of these
texts refer to the internal, effectual call. It is
impossible for a person to be saved without
this internal call or drawing. Jesus Himself
said in John 6:44, “No one can come to me
unless the Father who sent me draws him.” "
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"
The effectual call is a powerful work
of God that brings about what he demands.
It is a resurrecting, regenerating, awakening
call that accompanies the general call of the
gospel invitation. It is a call that creates what
it commands. Dagg wrote, “The gospel is
preached to every creature; but all, with one
consent, ask to be excused. The will of men
must be changed; and this change the will
itself cannot effect. Divine grace must here
interpose. Unless God work in the sinner to
will and to do, salvation is impossible.”16"
"
Did Lazarus hear the call of Jesus,
decide to get up, and come out of the tomb?
No he did not. Lazarus was dead, and dead
people can not hear! God had to first
resurrect him so that he could hear and
respond to the call of Jesus. Sure, it seemed
to happen almost simultaneously, but no one
would argue the fact that a dead Lazarus
could not hear, get up, or walk out of a tomb.
It is the same spiritually. The spiritually
dead person cannot hear with spiritual ears
"
16Dagg,
322.
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or come out of their spiritual graveyard to
Christ without being given spiritual life first.
Those who are called in this way, those who
are awakened by the Holy Spirit and drawn
by the Father, will respond and they will be
justified."
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• Those Whom He Called, He also Justified!
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"
What is justification? To be justified
means that there is a “not guilty” verdict.
According to Romans 8:1, “There is therefore
now no condemnation for those who are in Christ
Jesus.” In justification, God declares us not
guilty of sin: past, present, and future. God
looks out across the population of history
and fore-loves or foreknows some according
to the purpose of His will and for His glory.
He then predestines or predetermines that
those people He foreknew will hear with
their spiritual ears His effective, internal,
awakening call as the gospel is proclaimed.
When they hear the call of the Spirit of God,
they will respond and be justified; declared
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not guilty. And those He justified He also
glorified!. "
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• Those Whom He Justified, He Glorified!
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"
If God has called you and justified
you, He will glorify you. Philippians 1:6
declares, “And I am sure of this, that he who
began a good work in you will bring it to
completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” It is so
certain, Paul wrote it in the past tense!"
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This is known as the golden chain of
salvation. God foreknew His elect. Those
whom he foreknew He also predestined.
Those whom He predestined He also called
effectually. And all those whom He
foreknew, predestined, and called, He
justified and will glorify. The obvious
question is, “Where are we in the equation?”
The answer is, we are on the receiving end of
all of these words. We are predestined. We
are called. We are justified. We are glorified.
We receive it all by His grace. "
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"
Our nature is to desire to assume
some responsibility, even if it's a small
responsibility, for having believed. We
desperately want some credit for having
made a right choice. Pink wrote, “Meritmongers will not allow the supremacy of the
divine will and the impotency of the human
will. Consequently they, who are the most
bitter in denouncing election by the
sovereign pleasure of God, are the warmest
in crying up the free will of fallen man.”17
We are not saved however because of our
own works, but because of His work. 2
Timothy 1:9 states, (God) “who saved us and
called us to a holy calling, not because of our
works but because of his own purpose and grace,
which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the
ages began.” God, because of His own
purpose and grace, gave us grace in Christ
before time began. That is the doctrine of
election!"
"
Salvation is a glorious thing and
election is vitally important to a proper
"
17
Pink, 9.
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understanding of it. Iain Murray said, “The
Doctrine of election was vital to the Puritans;
they believed with Zanchius that it is the
golden thread that runs through the whole
Christian system, and they asserted that a
departure from this truth would bring the
visible church under God’s judgment and
indignation.”18 Could this be one of the
reasons for the dryness, dullness, and
deadness of the modern church in America?
Could our spiritual dryness be due to the
fact that we have, for the most part, rejected
(or redefined) the doctrine of election?
Could it be that we have robbed God of His
glory by attempting to maintain some of the
credit for our salvation?"
"
God the Father chose us before the
foundation of the world in election. God the
Son purchased us on the cross at the
atonement. God the Spirit effectually calls
18 Iain Murray, The Puritans and the
"
Doctrine of Election in Puritan Papers, Volume One,
1956-1959, ed. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
(Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R, 2000),5.
!36
us in regeneration, enabling us to repent and
believe the good news of Christ. By the
Spirit and the Word we are sanctified more
and more until we are finally glorified! It is a
glorious salvation rooted in God’s love for
His people and His ultimate purpose of
bringing great glory to His Name. "
"
I know and admit that the doctrine of
God’s sovereignty in salvation is a difficult
doctrine. I hated the thought of a truly
sovereign God myself at one time. Please do
not give up yet! We will see that He is not
just a God who is sovereign, but He is a God
of sovereign love. Hopefully addressing the
following objections that plagued me for
more than a decade will help you embrace
this doctrine, and this sovereign love, more
fully."
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Part 2 !
Objections to the Doctrine
Election!
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As I stated earlier, I struggled with
God’s sovereignty and the doctrine of
election for almost thirteen years. No matter
how many times I attempted to explain it
away, I would always run across a passage of
scripture that pushed it back to the forefront
of my mind. No matter how many
objections I leveled against the doctrine, God
always had an answer. After striving with
God in His Word, and struggling through
each objection, God finally dealt the death
blow to my flesh in a single verse of
scripture that I will share toward the end of
this work. "
"
Until then, let us work through my
own seven objections to this doctrine, and
the answers I discovered in scripture. This is
my personal journey that I hope you will
benefit from."
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Chapter 3!
Objection 1: God wants everyone to be
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saved!
It is very clear that there are
scriptures that state God’s desire for all to be
saved. I do not deny them, nor do I have
issue with them. It would be no more right
for me to deny those verses than for
someone else to deny the verses that speak
of God’s sovereignty. The Word is clear that
God’s desire is for all to be saved. For
example 1 Tim 2:3-4 says, “God our Savior,
who desires all people to be saved and to come to
the knowledge of the truth.” Again, 2 Peter 3:9
says, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise
as some count slowness, but is patient toward
you, not wishing that any should perish, but that
all should reach repentance.” When one
considers the scriptures above, there seems
to be a contradiction in God’s Word. How
can He desire everyone to be saved while at
the same time only choosing to save some? "
!43
"
We must recognize that there is a
difference in God’s desire and God’s
purpose. This is vitally important. You must
grasp this in order to properly understand
these texts! God’s desires are sometimes
different than His sovereign plan. His plan
is to bring Himself glory in everything even
if it causes Him sorrow. Because His
purposes are a greater priority than His
desires, God can decree something that
causes him sorrow yet ultimately will further
his glory. He can do things that contradict
His desires in order to fulfill and establish
His purposes. "
"
For example, punishing sin on the
cross by crucifying His son was His purpose,
but not His desire. Luke 22:41-43 says, “And
he withdrew from them about a stone's throw,
and knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, ‘Father, if
you are willing, remove this cup from me.
Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.’”
How can Christ be God in the flesh and yet
have a different will than God, the Father?
!44
Don’t they have the same will, if indeed they
are truly one? "
"
God the Son is in the garden
speaking of His desire to avoid suffering the
wrath of the Father that was about to be
poured out upon Him as He went to the
cross. The Father is intent however on
receiving the great glory that, through this
suffering, will come to pass. We see the
desire of God
in the Son
and we see
the purposes
of God in the
Father.
God’s desires are
sometimes different than
His sovereign plan.
God’s desires
differ from
His purposes
and His desires are subordinate to His
purposes. Christ’s desire was for the cup to
pass because it would be beyond dreadful.
God’s purpose was for Him to drink the cup
because it would bring Him great glory in
the end. "
!45
"
Do you see how God can desire that
everyone be saved, and yet purpose not to
save everyone? In order to bring Himself
more glory, some are chosen to be saved
while others are left to their sin in order to
suffer the wrath of God. Consider Romans
9:17-24. “For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, ‘For
this very purpose I have raised you up, that I
might show my power in you, and that my name
might be proclaimed in all the earth.’” Did God
desire Pharaoh to be saved? According to 1
Timothy 2:3-4, yes! Yet, God raised Pharaoh
up to rebel against God and be an
instrument that would reveal the glory of
God. Why did God raise up Pharoah? In
order to glorify His Name in all the earth.
God’s glory is first and foremost!"
"
Read on in verse 18. “So then he has
mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens
whomever he wills.” Who does the hardening?
God. Who does He harden? Whomever he
wills! Verse 19, ‘You will say to me then, ‘Why
does he still find fault? For who can resist his
will?’” That was likely your thought wasn’t
!46
it? The Holy Spirit answers through Paul in
verses 20-21. “But who are you, O man, to
answer back to God? Will what is molded say to
its molder, ‘Why have you made me like this?’ 21
Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out
of the same lump one vessel for honored use and
another for dishonorable use?” And here we
see His purposes magnified in verses 22-24.
“What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to
make known his power, has endured with much
patience vessels of wrath prepared for
destruction, 23 in order to make known the riches
of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has
prepared beforehand for glory— 24 even us whom
he has called, not from the Jews only but also
from the Gentiles?” "
"
God prepared some who would
eventually suffer destruction in order to
show His patience with sinners and His
justice toward sinners. He also does so in
order to magnify the great grace He shows to
His chosen people. He acts in this way in
order to put Himself, and His attributes on
display, which is His great purpose: to
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glorify Himself. His purpose of bringing
glory to Himself overrides His desire to see
all people saved."
"
While this may seem strange, we
must remember, in the words of John
MacArthur, “God has just as much right to
use His attribute of destruction and wrath
and put that on display against the ungodly,
as He does to put His grace and love and
mercy on display for those He elects. Very
clear, don't argue with God. You're only
showing your pride, and the ignorance of
your finite mind. If you can't understand it,
believe it. That's what it says, that's exactly
what it says. It doesn't depend on the man
who wills or the man who runs, but on God
who will have mercy on whomever He
decides to have mercy.”19 God has the right
to do what will bring Him the most glory,
even if He desires something else. "
19 From John MacArthur’s sermon:
"
Chosen by God, Part 1 (http://www.gty.org/
resources/sermons/60-2/Chosen-by-GodPart-1).
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"
We see this conflict between God’s
purpose and His desire in Lamentations as
well. Lamentations 3:31-33 states, “For the
Lord will not cast off forever, 32 but, though he
cause grief, he will have compassion according to
the abundance of his steadfast love; for he does
not willingly afflict or grieve the children of
men.” Re-read that verse. It says, He does
not willingly afflict. He does not willingly
afflict? Who is forcing God to do something
against His will? Again, there is a difference
in God’s purpose and His desires. He
purposes to afflict for His greater glory, but
He does not desire to afflict because of His
compassion for men. "
"
Lamentations 3:38-39 goes on to say,
“Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that
good and bad come? 39 Why should a living
man complain, a man, about the punishment of
his sins?” God declares the good and the
bad, not based on His desires, but according
to what will bring Him the most glory.
God’s desire is very real, but subordinate to
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His sovereign will which is based on what
will bring Him the most glory. "
"
God knows that electing some to be
saved, but not all, will ultimately result in
greater glory for Himself, even though He
desires everyone to be born again. He can
desire all men to be saved. He can desire
that none suffer His wrath. But, His
purposes are greater than His desires. God
demands glory for Himself, and He has
every right to do so, for He alone is God."
"
We see another instance of God’s
desires being set aside for His greater
purpose. In John 11 Jesus refused to go to
Bethany when he heard that Lazarus was
sick. Why? Was it because He wanted
Lazarus to die? Was it because it was His
desire that Mary and Martha mourn? Was it
because it was His desire that they bury their
brother and weep over their loss for four
days? Absolutely not! In fact, the only time
that we see Jesus weep is in this text. "
"
His desire was to heal Lazarus,
relieve Mary’s and Martha’s pain and
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everyone live happily ever after. Why did
He allow them to suffer unnecessarily when
all he had to do was go? Because, He
wanted more glory. By Him not going, he
sentenced Lazarus to death, his family to
tears, and Himself
to more glory. "
"
In the
God has the right to
same light, His
do what will bring
desires for all to
Him the most glory,
be saved are
even if He desires on
subordinate to His
a lower level,
purpose of
something else.
bringing glory to
Himself through
the election of His
chosen people and the reprobation of those
who are not His chosen people. God’s order
of salvation is all for His glory. In the words
of C. H. Spurgeon, “Search for the celestial
fountain, from which the divine streams of
grace flow to us, and you will find Jesus
Christ the well-spring in covenant love. If
your eyes shall ever see the covenant roll, if
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you shall ever be permitted in a future state
to see the whole plan of redemption as it was
mapped out in the chambers of eternity, you
shall see the blood-red line of atoning
sacrifice running across the margin of every
page, and you shall see that from the
beginning to the end one object was always
in view—the glory of the Son of God.”20!
"
Let me conclude this objection with
some thoughts from another angle that
might help you grasp the inconsistency of
saying that God unequivocally desires
everyone to be saved. If God really desires
everyone to be saved (in the way it is so
often assumed) why does He not save them?
Is it because He cannot? Or is it because He
will not? If it is because He cannot, then
who is really sovereign and in control here:
me or God? If I am in control of God, that
makes me God! This is the result of a
humanistic influence upon the modern
American church. If it is because He will
not, then He must be an unkind God. There
"
20
Pink, 16.
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must be more to this than God’s great desire
being the salvation of every person. "
"
Think about this. Please stop, take a
breath and think here! If God knows what
we will choose before we choose it (and He
does because He is omniscient)…and He
truly desires everyone to be saved (without
qualification as many today interpret it)…
then why does He choose to create those
whom He knows will not choose Him? Why
not stop the creation factory and only create
those who will choose Him and solve the
problem of hell? "
"
If He knows who will choose Him
and who will not, and His greatest desire is
for everyone to be saved, then why does He
go ahead and create those He knows will
reject Him until their dying breath? God’s
heart of compassion desires everyone to be
saved, and yet He determines that not all
should be saved. Why? Because His greater
purpose is to put Himself and His glory on
display through His grace, justice, and
wrath. To quote Dagg, “Had it been his
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purpose to save all the human race, there
would have been no elect from among men;
no peculiar people, no redeemed out of
every nation.”21"
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If He knows who will choose Him and
who will not, and His greatest desire is
for everyone to be saved, then why does
He go ahead and create those He knows
will reject Him until their dying breath?
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21Dagg,
310.
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Chapter 4!
Objection 2: Does this mean that some
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people are predestined to hell? !
Another objection that I struggled to
come to terms with was this one. If we are to
be logical in this matter we must admit that
if God predestined some to heaven, then He
must have, by default, predestined some to
hell by virtue of the fact that He did not
predestine them to heaven. If those who are
not elect will not be saved, then is God not
ultimately the One responsible for their
condemnation? "
"
We do see very clearly, in scripture,
that there are those who are destined for
condemnation. For example, Jude 4 states,
“For certain people have crept in unnoticed who
long ago were designated for this
condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the
grace of our God into sensuality and deny our
only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” They
were long ago designated for this
condemnation. Who designated them if not
!55
God? We see this echoed in 1 Peter 2:8-9
which states, “They stumble because they
disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a
holy nation, a people for his own possession, that
you may proclaim the excellencies of him who
called you out of darkness into his marvelous
light.” Some are destined to disobey, but the
elect are a chosen race. Who destined them
to disobey if not God? Who chose this
people if not God? If it was God who
destined the stumblers to disobey, then is
there hope for them at all? Did God indeed
make them for destruction? Dagg wrote,
“Those who are not included in the election
of grace, are called, in Scripture, ‘the rest,’
and ‘vessels of wrath.’ Why they are not
included, we are as unable to explain as why
the others are included; and we are therefore
compelled to refer the matter to the
sovereignty of God, who, beyond all doubt,
acts herein most wisely and righteously,
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though he has not explained to us the
reasons of his procedure.”22 "
"
This is known as the doctrine of
reprobation. It is generally linked alongside
of election. Those whom God elects
experience salvation. Those whom God did
not elect, and who are left to themselves,
experience reprobation. "
"
According to Perkins, “Reprobation
is that part of predestination whereby God
according to the most free and just purpose
of his will, hath determined to reject certain
men unto eternal destruction, and misery,
and that to the praise of his justice.”23
Proverbs 16:4 states, “ The Lord has made
everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the
day of trouble.” Revelation 13:7-8 states, “Also
it was allowed to make war on the saints and to
conquer them. And authority was given it over
every tribe and people and language and nation,
8 and all who dwell on earth will worship it,
"
22Dagg,
313-314.
"
23Perkins,
1:106.
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everyone whose name has not been written
before the foundation of the world in the
book of life of the Lamb that was slain.”
Again in Revelation 17:8 we read, “The beast
that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise
from the bottomless pit and go to destruction.
And the dwellers on earth whose names have
not been written in the book of life from the
foundation of the world will marvel to see the
beast, because it was and is not and is to come.”
It is clear from these texts that God chose not
to write some individuals’ names down in
the Lamb’s book of Life prior to the
foundation of the world. If He chose not to
write their name’s down, was their fate
sealed by Him in eternity past? "
"
Jesus said in Matt 11:25-27, “I thank
you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you
have hidden these things from the wise and
understanding and revealed them to little
children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious
will. All things have been handed over to me by
my Father, and no one knows the Son except the
Father, and no one knows the Father except the
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Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to
reveal him.” Jesus is clearly stating that the
Father has hidden His message from some
and revealed it to others. If God has hidden
Christ’s message, who will be able to
uncover that message? Jesus goes on to say
that no one knows the Father except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son chooses to
reveal Him. Did Jesus not come to reveal the
Father to everyone? How could He choose
to reveal the Father to some and not to
others? Augustine wrote, “Christ by his
secret dispensation hath out of an unfaithful
people predestined some to everlasting
liberty, quickening them of his free mercy;
and damned others in everlasting death, in
leaving them by his hidden judgment in
their wickedness.”24 If the Father hides
Christ’s message from some, and if Christ
hides the Father from some by refusing to
reveal Him, will these people ever repent? "
24William Perkins, A Treatise of the Manner
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and Order of Predestination, and of the Largenesse of
God’s Grace, in Works, 2:607.
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"
This sounds difficult to accept, that
Jesus did not come to reveal the Father to
everyone, but it is not an isolated text. In the
high priestly prayer of Jesus Himself, we
overhear His heart’s appeal to the Father.
Listen to this appeal in John 17:9: “I am
praying for them. I am not praying for the world
but for those whom you have given me, for
they are yours.” Jesus is specifically praying
for those whom the Father has chosen before
the foundation of the world to be the bride of
Christ and no one else! There are those who
are chosen and those who are not. There are
those who will experience life and others
who will experience reprobation. Those who
experience reprobation do so because they
have no desire to repent and submit
themselves to the Lordship of Christ. Please
do not miss this! They do not want Christ.
They are happy to remain as they are. He is
not forcing them to hell against their will. As
Robertson pointed out, “When any man can
demonstrate that a Divine decree forced him
to choose to commit a sinful act, he shall be
!60
at liberty to use it in argument.”25 They
unknowingly rush headlong to judgement
cursing Him (audibly or in their hearts) all
along the way. Even in hell, they will not
admit their sin and repent and look to Christ! "
"
No one goes to hell against their will.
That is just it: we all follow the desires of the
flesh unless Christ in His grace intervenes.
Robertson said, “If by reprobation, it is
understood that the Almighty, by an eternal
decree, doomed men to everlasting
punishment, irrespective of their character
and works, we may very justly denounce the
doctrine.”26 According to Dagg, “Sinful men
are indeed reprobated, not by the election of
grace, but by the justice of God.”27 " "
"
According to Beeke, “Reprobation
involves two acts. The first act is God’s
decision to glorify His justice by leaving
certain men to themselves. This act is
"
25Robertson,
44.
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26Robertson,
187.
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27Dagg,
320.
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absolute, based on nothing in man but only
the will of God. The second act is God’s
decision to damn these men to hell. This
second act is not absolute, but based on their
sins.”28 No one goes to hell against their
will! Neither does anyone go to hell apart
from the sovereign power of God. To put it
in a sentence: God is completely sovereign
and yet men are responsible for their lifechoices."
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28Beeke,
128.
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Chapter 5!
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Objection 3: What about Free Will?!
If God sovereignly chose us in Him
before the foundation of the world based
solely upon His good pleasure, and not
because of any merit of our own, how does
this affect our responsibility to choose
Christ? Is our decision even valid? Dagg
wrote, “If God’s word teaches the doctrine of
election, and if it contains commands or
invitations to all men to seek salvation
through Christ, it is highly presumptuous in
us to charge God with insincerity, because
we cannot reconcile the two things with each
other.”29 One of the dangers for those who
have embraced and accepted the doctrine of
election is that they can downplay our
responsibility to repent and believe the
Gospel. They can downplay our commission
to issue the Gospel call to everyone. We do
not find justification for these failures
"
29Dagg,
319.
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anywhere in scripture or in the attitude of
Christ."
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Jesus invites everyone in Matthew
11:28, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy
laden, and I will give you rest.” Jesus is calling
people to repent and believe. He is warning
people that the Kingdom of God is upon
them. He is demanding their response. He
is not passively letting them coast into hell.
We see the apostle Paul as well reasoning in
the synagogue every Sabbath, trying to
persuade Jews and Greeks to respond to the
Gospel (Acts 18:4). "
"
Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:11,
“knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade
others.” We read the invitation that
concludes God’s Word in Revelation 22:17,
“The Spirit and the Bride say, ‘Come.’ And let
the one who hears say, ‘Come.’ And let the one
who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take
the water of life without price.” We do not see a
fatalist mentality in the Bible."
"
When people rejected Jesus, He
always put the blame on their willful choice
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to reject Him, not on anything decreed by
God the Father. Jesus said in Matt 23:37, “O
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the
prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How
often would I have gathered your children
together as a hen gathers her brood under her
wings, and you would not!” In John 5:40 He
said, “you refuse to come to me that you may
have life.” We are even told that He gives the
right to become children of God to everyone
who receives Him and believes on Him.
John 1:12-13 states, “But to all who did receive
him, who believed in his name, he gave the right
to become children of God, 13 who were born, not
of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will
of man, but of God.” All those who choose
Christ, receive Him, and willingly believe on
His Name are made children of God. But
notice in verse thirteen, that even then, they
are not born because of their will, but
because of God. "
"
We are so quick to defend our
freedom, our rights, and our will when it
comes to salvation. Grudem points out, “We
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might ask where Scripture ever says that our
choices have to be free from God’s influence
or control in order to be real or genuine
choices.”30 How is it that God can be in
control of everything on earth: the sun rising
and setting, the rain falling, the winds
blowing, the tsunamis, hurricanes, floods,
earthquakes, and even turning kings’ hearts
in His hand, but He cannot be in control of
us without being a tyrant? The answer can
only be our arrogance. It seems quite
prideful to me as well that we would be so
quick to defend our free will when Jesus
commanded us to pray “Thy will be done.”
Maybe all of our objections would be
answered if our lives were centered on His
will rather than attempting to defend our
free will. Robertson asks the one who would
defend his free will and choice, “If it is your
right and privilege, in the free exercise of
your will, to choose God or not to choose
"
30Grudem,
681.
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Him, has He not an equal right and privilege
to choose you or not to choose you?”31"
"
We are responsible for our choices.
God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility
are taught side by side in the same Bible;
sometimes, indeed, in the same text. Luke
22:22 states, “For the Son of Man goes as it has
been determined, but woe to that man by whom
he is betrayed!” It was pre-determined that
Jesus would be betrayed, but Judas would
still be held accountable for willingly
betraying Him. In Acts 2:23 we read, “this
Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan
and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and
killed by the hands of lawless men.” Jesus was
delivered up according to the purpose of
God, but the Jews were guilty of crucifying
Him. Just because God predestines
something does not mean we are not
responsible for our role in the reality. "
"
We must never forget or deny that
left to himself, no fallen person would ever
choose God. We have no desire for God and
"
31Robertson,
197.
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will not choose Christ unless first chosen by
Him. Remember that Ephesians 2:1 states,
“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins.”
A dead man does nothing unless, and until,
He is revived. Robertson wrote, “Being freeagents, we are subject to all the momentous
responsibilities of free-agency, and justly
liable to the fearful consequences of our
voluntary sins, and yet we have not the
moral heroism to fight successfully against
the lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and
the pride of life. And the end of these things
is death. What we need is the Spirit of grace
to deliver the will from its slavish subjection
to the unholy inclinations of our carnal
hearts.”32"
"
We must also keep in mind that we
do what we do because we desire to do so.
Before Christ, we operate under our free
will. That free will leads us into sin, iniquity,
and transgression. We quite freely and
willingly pursue the world, the flesh, and the
devil. We pursue the lust of the flesh, the
"
32Robertson,
50.
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lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. No one
is forcing us to do so. It is just our free will!
But when God’s Spirit awakens us, opens
our eyes, and penetrates our hearts, we then
freely run to Christ. We freely repent and
believe. We freely follow Him. No one is
forcing us to do so. It is our desire, our
choice, and our will to do so because God
has transformed our wills. We do what we
want to do in both cases, and are therefore
responsible for our response to the gospel or
our lack thereof. "
"
The fact of the matter is, we will not
be saved unless we repent and believe. The
scriptures make this abundantly clear. To
quote Robertson again, “Perhaps you will
say, that if God does not choose you there is
no possibility of your being saved. I reply,
that if you do not choose Him, there is no
possibility of your being saved. Turn which
way you may, if you object to election on the
ground of freedom of will, you claim a
prerogative which you are not willing to
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accord to your Maker.”33 All men,
everywhere, are commanded to repent and
put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ.
There is no other way to be saved! "
"
But I am not sure my faith is strong
enough. You are right! In the words of
Charles Munson, “Faith then saves the elect,
not because it is a perfect virtue, but because
it apprehends a perfect object ,which is the
obedience of Christ. Whether faith is weak
or strong does not matter for salvation rests
on God’s mercy and promises.”34 According
to Perkins, “God accepts the very seeds and
rudiments of faith and repentance at the first,
though they be but in measure as a grain of
mustard seed.”35 We are commanded to
respond, even if it is a poor response.
Thankfully, because salvation is all of God’s
"
33Ibid.,
198.
34Charles Munson, William Perkins:
"
Theologian of Transition (PhD diss., Case Western
Reserve, 1971), 100.
35Perkins, Golden Chaine, in Works,
"
1:79-80.
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grace, God can and does save us though our
response is often weak."
"
Let me give you an inadequate, but
hopefully helpful, illustration in order to
attempt to make the point. Imagine that you
are walking from your neighbor’s house one
evening. You are in a hurry because you
forgot to bring the desert to their party. They
are waiting on you to walk across the yard,
go inside, grab the desert, and hurry back so
that everyone can eat. "
"
Desert is on your mind, and everyone
else’s mind as well. Someone that you do
not know is standing in the street in front of
your house. They see that you are focused
and intent on entering. They say to you, “Do
not go inside that house.” What are you
going to do? You have people waiting next
door on you, your desert is inside, you are
hungry, they are hungry, and there is a nut in
the street telling you not to enter your own
house. As a matter of fact, the guy looks a
little strange, sounds a little strange, and acts
a little strange. I would imagine that you
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would try to move faster to get inside of the
house, away from this stranger, and closer to
your desert! "
"
However, what if that stranger
showed you his badge revealing his identity
as an undercover detective with the local
police department? What if he then
positioned you so that you could see through
an open blind into your home? What if,
through that open window, you were able to
see that inside there were two armed men
who had just escaped from prison? You
would not continue your effort to enter your
home, the stranger would immediately
become your hero, and the desert would not
look nearly as appetizing! "
"
The Holy Spirit does for us what the
stranger does. He sends out the general call,
“do not go that way! Come this way (to
Christ).” Those who cannot see the truth
keep willingly pursuing the desert thinking
that the messenger and his message is
strange. Unbeknownst to them, they are
heading for death. "
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"
There are those however who hear
the effectual call of the Holy Spirit. They see
the authority of scripture and the motive of
the messenger. The spiritual blinds are
opened and they are able to see that the
desert (sin) is not
nearly as enticing
now that they know
what comes with it!
So they willingly,
gladly, obey the
word of the stranger
and live. "
"
In neither
The difference
is not in free
will, but in
sight,
knowledge, and
understanding.
case was the will of
the individual
violated. The
difference was not in free will, but in sight,
knowledge, and understanding. The lost
willfully rush into the wages of sin because
they are blinded by the god of this world.
The saved willfully run to Christ because the
scales have fallen from their eyes. They are
both free to do as they wish. The ability to
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see is what makes the difference in what they
will. "
"
Can you see? I am not asking you if
you can see that you are, or are not, elect. I
am asking you if you can see that you are a
depraved sinner desperately in need Christ?
In the words of Robertson, “It is not essential
to your salvation that you should know or
believe that you are one of the elect, but it is
essential that you receive Christ by faith.”36
Turn from your sin and trust in Christ today! "
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36Robertson,
199.
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Chapter 6!
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Objection 4: How is this fair? !
One of the common objections to the
doctrine of God’s sovereignty and election is
based upon the human idea of what is fair. It
just is not fair for God to choose to elect
some and, by default, choose not to elect
others. Stop and take another breath and
think at this point. Read and re-read this
next statement. If we want God to be fair,
then God would not save anyone. "
"
We must understand that it would be
perfectly fair for God not to save anyone.
What would be perfectly fair would be for
God to do with humans what He did with
the angels that rebelled: He saved none.
Fair would be a holy and just God damning
all of humanity. Fair would be choosing to
save none. "
"
Think about this. If God saves some,
it is not unfair. It is a demonstration of grace
that goes far beyond the requirements of
fairness and justice. Paul anticipated such an
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objection, as he wrote Romans 9, so he
answered it before we asked. Rom 9:20-24
states, “But who are you, O man, to answer back
to God? Will what is
molded say to its
If we want
molder, ‘Why have you
God to be
made me like this?’ 21
fair, then
Has the potter no right
God would
over the clay, to make
not save
out of the same lump
anyone. "
one vessel for honored
use and another for
dishonorable use? 22
What if God, desiring
to show his wrath and to
make known his power, has endured with much
patience vessels of wrath prepared for
destruction, 23 in order to make known the riches
of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has
prepared beforehand for glory— 24 even us whom
he has called, not from the Jews only but also
from the Gentiles?” In other words, don’t
question God. He has every right to create
some people for honored use and others for
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dishonored use. In the words of John
MacArthur, “God is never to be measured by
any human standard, certainly not by the
human standard of fairness which is also a
reflection of man's fallenness. Are we so
foolish as to assume that we who are fallen
sinful creatures have a higher standard of
what is right than an un-fallen and infinitely
and eternally holy God? What kind of pride
is that? Therein lies the real problem.”37 "
"
If we want to play the fair card, we
have real problems! Was it fair that you
were born in a nation where you could freely
hear and respond to the Gospel? You could
have as easily been born in Iran or Saudi
Arabia, if God had not chosen to place you
where He did. In the words of J.I. Packer,
“You do not put it down to chance or
accident that you attended a Christian
church, that you heard the Christian gospel,
that you had Christian friends, and perhaps,
37MacArthur, Chosen by God, Part 1
"
(http://www.gty.org/resources/sermons/60-2/
Chosen-by-God-Part-1).
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a Christian home, that the Bible fell into your
hands, that you saw your need of Christ and
came to trust Him as your savior.”38 We
have no problem giving God the credit for
choosing our birthplace. We just have issue
with giving Him the credit for our salvation!!
"
Furthermore, if God saved everyone,
salvation would not be viewed as such a
precious thing. I cannot think of a funeral
that I have attended over the span of my life,
in this modern world, in which the person
being buried was not declared to be bound
for heaven. Everyone has gone to heaven
according to the pastor preaching the
funeral, the family attending the funeral, and
the friends observing the funeral. When an
actor or entertainer dies from a drug
overdose after a life of rampant sin, it seems
to always be followed with the
announcement that they are now in a better
place. When an athlete dies in tragedy after
a self-absorbed, Christ-less life, it is generally
38J.I. Packer, Evangelism and the
"
Sovereignty of God (Downers Grove: IVP, 1991), 12.
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announced that they are now at peace. The
mindset in our culture is that everyone who
dies goes to some type of heaven and that
God, if He exists, saves everyone.
Consequently, salvation is taken for granted.
God is presumed upon. Eternity is seldom
considered as we rush through this life,
living for the temporal. Salvation is taken
for granted, just as the air we breath is so
often taken for granted. "
"
The problem is, this mindset is dead
wrong. People do go to hell. As a matter of
fact, most people go to hell. Jesus said so
himself. In Matthew 7:13-14 Jesus said,
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide
and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and
those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate
is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life,
and those who find it are few.” We know that
many is more than few. More people will end
in destruction than in life. In essence, at least
6 out of every 10 people are headed to hell.
As long as people believe everyone is okay,
salvation is not viewed as a precious thing.
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There must be a display of God’s wrath and
justice for God’s mercy and grace to be seen
and appreciated."
"
The non-elect receive justice. The
elect receive mercy. The important thing to
note here is that no one receives injustice.
God is not obligated to be merciful to any or
to all alike. It is a faulty argument to think
that if God is going to save some sinners, He
is obligated to save all sinners. We really
have no right to impose on God our intuitive
sense of what is appropriate among human
beings. Robertson wrote that, “We are
hardly in a condition to render an impartial
verdict, because man is a party interested in
the decision. It is a rule in equity that a man
is not to be the judge in his own cause.”39
We are fallen humans. He is holy God. He is
always right and we are often wrong. Let us
not appeal to our fallen, sinful, selfish
definition of fairness as we object to God. "
"
Well, I don’t like this you might say. I
respond, if God never rubs us the wrong
"
39Robertson,
22.
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way, it gives evidence that we have created
Him in our own image. Dagg wrote, “If men
will pronounce the character of God
unnamable, because he is just, and dooms
sinful beings to hopeless misery, they prove
thereby that they do not love the God whom
the scriptures reveal, and by whom they are
to be judged. Their quarrel with the doctrine
of election is, in truth, a quarrel with the
justice of God, from which that election has
not delivered them.”40 He continues, “Not
content with the God whom the Bible
reveals, and who does according to His
pleasure in the army of heaven, and among
the inhabitants of the earth, we carve out to
ourselves a deity more amiable, in our view,
than He.”41 Let us be careful that we do not
recreate the God of the Bible into a god who
operates according to our standards of
fairness. "
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"
40Dagg,
"
41Ibid.,
320-321.
321
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Chapter 7!
Objection 5: Why should we do missions if
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all of this is true?!
This question seems to be logical.
However, when we think through this, the
doctrine of election makes missions
something that is doable. It is something
that we are guaranteed to be successful at,
not because of our eloquence or ability, but
because God has chosen to save some. He
has chosen people from every nation,
tongue, and tribe and He has chosen you
and I as the means to reach them. We are
guaranteed a harvest no matter who we go
to. The question is not “why should we do
missions if all of this is true?” The real
question is, “why should we do missions if
all of this is NOT true?” "
"
Paul found hope and encouragement
in this doctrine as he did missions. In 2 Tim
2:10 he wrote, “Therefore I endure everything
for the sake of the elect, that they also may
obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with
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eternal glory.” He was suffering hunger,
thirst, persecution, and hardship for the sake
of the elect, that they may obtain salvation. "
"
In 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5 he wrote,
“For we know, brothers loved by God, that he
has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to
you not only in word, but also in power and in
the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You
know what kind of men we proved to be among
you for your sake.” How did Paul know they
were chosen? The fact that the
Thessalonians believed the Gospel when he
preached it (for our Gospel came to you…in
power…and with full conviction). As soon
as they came to faith, Paul concluded that
long ago God had chosen them. Missions is
simply playing a part in the eternal plan of
God, to gather together all of His elect for
His honor and glory. The elect will only be
saved when they hear the gospel and
respond, so we must carry them the gospel!"
"
Romans 10:13-15, 17 states, “For
everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will
be saved. 14 But how are they to call on him in
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whom they have not believed? And how are they
to believe in him of whom they have never heard?
And how are they to hear without someone
preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless
they are sent?...17 So faith comes from hearing,
and hearing through the word of Christ.” This is
God’s plan for reaching His chosen people:
preachers are sent to preach the gospel in the
hearing of men and women of all types and
backgrounds. They are sent to issue the
general, external call to all, in faith and
assurance that the Holy Spirit will
simultaneously issue the effectual, internal
call to His chosen people. They will hear
and believe and call upon His Name and be
saved. Thus, the elect are brought into the
family of God, justified, adopted, and
glorified. This is God’s plan. This is His
only plan! This is why we do missions. And
this is how we are guaranteed success:
because God does the saving, not us!"
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Chapter 8!
Objection 6: Why doesn’t this make sense?
Why is it so hard to accept?!
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"
Why is the doctrine of election so
difficult for people, even professing
Christians, to accept? Arthur Pink wrote,
“No doctrine is so detested by proud human
nature as this one, which makes nothing of
the creature and everything of the Creator;
yea, at no other point is the enmity of the
carnal mind so blatantly and hotly
evident.”42 There are at least three big
reasons we cannot understand this doctrine. "
"
First, we are finite and cannot grasp
the fullness of the infinite mind of God.
Pink wrote, “It is not easy to arrive at a clear
and adequate grasp of any of the great
doctrines of Holy Writ, and God never
intended it should be so. Truth has to be
bought: alas that so few are willing to pay
"
42Pink,
8.
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the price.”43 Rather than dig into scripture
to understand more of God and His gospel,
we tend to make God in our image.
According to Psalm 50:21, “These things you
have done, and I have been silent; you thought
that I was one like yourself. But now I rebuke
you and lay the charge before you.” God is not
like we assume. He makes the rules. He
defines fairness. He is sovereign. Isaiah
55:8-9 says, “For my thoughts are not your
thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,
declares the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher
than the earth, so are my ways higher than your
ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” "
"
Because we have fallible minds, we
struggle to understand the deep doctrines of
scripture. We struggle to understand and
accept the doctrine of election. Robertson
made a great point when he wrote, “The
word elect signifies to choose; and when we
find the word in the Bible, this is the sense in
which we should understand it. And if we
find it apparently teaching a doctrine which
"
43Ibid.,
7.
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we can not understand, or which we can not
reconcile with other doctrines, or which is
repulsive to our feelings, we are not at
liberty to put a different meaning on the
word, for this would be no better than
making scriptures.”44 "
"
Another reason this doctrine is so
difficult to understand is simply because we
are fallen, and therefore we do not think
pure divine thoughts. According to Romans
3:10-12, “None is righteous, no, not one; no one
understands; no one seeks for God. All have
turned aside; together they have become
worthless; no one does good, not even one.” We
are so corrupt, sinful, self-centered, and
arrogant that we cannot even grasp His
grace and goodness in election. "
"
Third, we find it hard to accept the
sovereignty of God because we have been
dramatically influenced by our culture. We,
as products of our culture, have a very
skewed view of God. We have created a God
who is impotent, feminine, weak, and, above
"
44Robertson,
186.
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all, lives to serve us. He is there to help us,
heal us, provide for us, and serve us. He is
our heavenly bell-hop. We ring the bell of
prayer “in faith” and God hops to it because,
after all, God is most concerned with our
happiness! God wants us to have our best
life now. God is man-centered and
everything He does is for us. Consciously in
many cases, subconsciously in most cases,
this is the God we have created. "
"
Because of our view of God, when
someone points us to scriptures that would
challenge our preconceived notions, and
actually present us with a God who is
sovereign, we recoil. We don’t want a God
who is first and foremost concerned with His
glory and His purposes. We want a God
who is first and foremost concerned with us!
We find it hard to accept a totally sovereign
God. "
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Chapter 9!
Objection 7: If this is the Gospel, how can
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it be good news?!
The doctrine of God’s sovereign love
is good news for several reasons. First, it
brings man hope. It is good news because it
means no unbeliever is so bad or has sinned
too long and too deeply for God to save
them. God’s election is not based on how
much we do or do not sin. It is not based on
anything we do or think or feel or choose. It
is based on God’s sovereign good pleasure.
No matter how bad we are, or our family is,
there is hope that God can and will save! If
God can intercept Saul on his way to murder
Christians, and turn him into Paul, then He
can do the same for our loved ones. "
"
Second, this doctrine of election is
good because it brings God glory. The
doctrine of unconditional election is good
news because it preserves the praise of God’s
glorious grace at every point in our
salvation. He foreknew, He predestined, He
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called, He justified, and He will glorify. It is
all Him!"
"
"
Third, it brings us true biblical
assurance. When, by grace through faith,
you know yourself to be loved, forgiven,
justified, and accepted by God, this doctrine
of election assures you that the roots of your
salvation are deep. The roots of God’s
almighty commitment to save you are not
shallow, but go down deep into the counsels
of eternity.45 If God predestined you, He has
called you, justified you, and glorified you.
You are eternally secure from the Father’s
perspective and no one and nothing can unchoose you or pluck you from the Father’s
hand."
"
Our very assurance, our very security
as believers is rooted and grounded in the
fact that our salvation is dependent upon
God and not upon our performance. He is
45John Piper, from his sermon The Freedom
"
and Justice of God in Unconditional Election (http://
www.desiringgod.org/sermons/the-freedomand-justice-of-god-in-unconditional-election)
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the author of our salvation and He will be its
finisher. He is the one who began a good
work in us, and He will be faithful to
complete it. He is our rock and our fortress,
and we are His chosen people, elect from
before the foundation of the world, forever
secure in His sovereign plan from eternity
past."
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Part 3!
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The Final Straw!
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Chapter 10!
Acts 13:48 Hits Me!!
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You may still be doubtful that this
doctrine really exists so clearly in scripture.
You may still be unwilling to accept the fact
that you are not the reason for your
salvation, or that you are eternally indebted
to the God who chose you apart from any
merit or worthiness of your own. I can
understand your anguish. It was difficult for
me to accept as well. I struggled through the
Gospels, the letters, and over Jesus’ words
for more than a decade before I finally had to
accept the doctrine of election. The scripture
that finally pushed me over the edge is
found in Acts 13:48. This was the death blow
to my fleshly, humanistic, man centered view
of salvation. It says this: “And when the
Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and
glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as
were appointed to eternal life believed.” "
"
Stop! Read that again. “And when the
Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and
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glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as
were appointed to eternal life believed.” Notice
something. As many as were appointed to
eternal life believed. No one believed that
was not appointed. Not one that was
appointed failed to believe. There is really
no other way to interpret this scripture, but
that the conversion of those individual
Gentiles was rooted in the election of God. "
"
I could not accept this, so I went and
pulled another translation off of the shelf,
then another, and finally another until I
conceded. Every translation translated this
verse in this order and in this way. "
"
If you have read the book of Acts
before, you might be surprised that you
never noticed this verse. Go look it up.
Look at how discreetly it is placed in the text,
almost as if it is expected. It is significant
that Luke mentions the fact of election
almost in passing. It is as if this were the
normal occurrence when the gospel was
preached. After searching the scriptures
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from Genesis to Revelation, I have concluded
that it was normal! "
"
Such a clear text should overthrow all
of our objections and reservations. Dagg
wrote, “No proof of its (election’s) truth can
be equal to the testimony of the scriptures.
Let us receive their teachings on the subject
without hesitation or distrust; and let us
require every preconceived opinion of ours,
and all our carnal reasonings, to bow before
the authority of God’s holy word.”46 He
goes on: “Whatever may have been our
prejudices against the doctrine of election as
held and taught by some ministers of
religion, it is undeniable, that, in some sense
the doctrine is found in the Bible; and we
cannot reject it, without rejecting that
inspired book. We are bound by the
authority of God, to receive the doctrine; and
nothing remains, but that we should make
"
46Dagg,
309.
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an honest effort to understand it, just as it is
taught in the sacred volume.”47"
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“And when the Gentiles heard this, they
began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the
Lord, and as many as were appointed to
eternal life believed.”
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47Ibid.
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Chapter 11!
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Church History !
As we look at two thousand years of
Christian history we will find that the
doctrine of election was embraced.
Augustine, Martin Luther, John Calvin, The
Puritans, The Pilgrims, forty-eight of the
founding fathers, Jonathan Edwards, George
Whitefield, William Carey, Adoniram Judson
(the first American foreign missionary), John
L. Dagg (the first president of the Southern
Baptist Convention), C.H. Spurgeon, Martin
Lloyd Jones, as well as multitudes more, all
embraced the doctrine of election. These
men were not infallible. However, I had to
ask myself: Am I more familiar with the
Word of God and the God of the Word than
they were? Am I more schooled in the
scriptures than they were? "
"
When we adamantly deny the
theology and doctrine of some of the
mightiest Christian men in history we reveal
our arrogance and our ignorance. God help
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us not to overestimate our “wisdom” for, if
we are honest, most of us have been
discipled by Hollywood more than we have
been discipled by the Word of God. Let us
be careful that we do not overestimate our
wisdom. "
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Chapter 12!
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God’s Glory in Salvation!
By neglecting, or rejecting this
doctrine, we could have missed a very
normal part of understanding the whole
gospel. We could have also missed the great
joy of knowing that our salvation is in the
hands of a good God, not our fallen natures.
Deep down, I think we know that God is
sovereign over salvation, even if we are
unwilling to admit it."
"
We practically live this doctrine out,
even if we refuse to affirm it. In the words of
J.I. Packer, “You give God thanks for your
conversion. Now, why do you that? You
know in your heart that God was entirely
responsible for it. Your thanksgiving is itself
an acknowledgment that your conversion
was not your own work, but His work.”48
He goes on, “It never occurs to you to
suppose that you saved yourself. You would
never dream of dividing the credit for your
"
48Packer,
12.
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salvation between God and yourself. You
give God all the glory.”49 Packer continues,
“You pray for the conversion of others. You
pray in categorical terms that God will, quite
simply and decisively, save them: that He
will open the eyes of their understanding,
soften their hard hearts, renew their natures,
and move their wills to receive the Savior.
You ask God to work in them everything
necessary for their salvation. When you
pray for unconverted people, you do so on
the assumption that it is in God’s power to
bring them to faith.”50 The reason we think
this way and pray this way is because we
know Who is truly in control and Who holds
us and our loved ones in the palm of His
hand. "
"
Let us assume that we die tonight.
There are two options. Option one is, we
stand before God and discover that He is not
truly sovereign over salvation. He was
"
49Ibid.
"
50Ibid.,
15."
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sitting in heaven hoping, wishing, and
praying (to someone) that we would just
open the door of our hearts and let Him in.
Our salvation was in our hands all along.
Our souls were at the mercy of the cleverness
of the evangelist and the pliable nature of
our wills. That is option one. "
"
Option two is, we stand before God
and discover that He is totally sovereign. He
chose Himself a people from before the
foundations of the earth according to the
purpose of His grace. He came to this earth
as the man Christ Jesus to atone for their
sins. He sent the Holy Spirit to awaken them
all and bring them to repentance and faith.
He, by that same Spirit and through the
Word of God, sanctified them all and
brought them to glorification by His grace
and power. "
"
These are the options that we have
before us concerning God’s sovereignty. He
is, or He is not. Assume that you stand
before the God of option one: the God who
wrings His hands hoping that you will let
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Him into your life. How would this God
respond to you if you, on judgment day, had
to say “I gave you too much glory in my
salvation because I embraced the doctrine of
election. I gave you too much credit and
honor and praise because I believed that
salvation was wholly of grace.” "
"
Now, assume that you stand before
the God of option two: the God of sovereign
love. How would this God respond to you
if, on judgement day you had to say, “I am
sorry Lord. I took too much credit for my
salvation. I gloried in my choices and
decisions too much, when it was You and
Your Sovereign hand all along. I am sorry.”
If you were to err, which way would you
rather be in error? Would you rather be
wrong by giving God too much glory? Or
would you rather be wrong by robbing Him
of His glory? There can only be one answer. "
"
Embracing the doctrine of election
glorifies God in every part of salvation. It
magnifies His grace. It lines up with the
whole counsel of God and, though it is
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counter-cultural and difficult to accept at
times, it is true. It has been shown
throughout scripture in this little book. To
quote Robertson again, “If they (scriptures)
are not satisfactory without additional
evidence, it
appears to me the
Embracing the doctrine
fault must be in
of election glorifies God
the judge and not
in every part of
in the witnesses.
salvation.
The word of God
is a sure word,
and true from the
beginning. If we
will be guided by
its light, it will always lead us to true
knowledge; but if our aversion to the
doctrines it reveals is such that we choose to
walk in the darkness of our own
speculations, we shall eventually see the end
of our wanderings.”51 "
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51Robertson,
28-29.
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Part 4!
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Dangers of this Doctrine!
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I do not want to end this booklet
without some warnings. It is important to
guard against the dangers that can come
from an unbiblical, twisted view of the
doctrine of election. There are three major
dangers that I want to address in these next
few paragraphs. !
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Danger 1: Fear!
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"
Some people walk around with a fear
that they are not “chosen.” After all, if I
were doing the choosing, I would not have
chosen me. The reason that these
individuals experience such fear is that they
are beginning at the wrong end of their
salvation. 2 Peter 1:10, “Therefore, brothers, be
all the more diligent to confirm your calling and
election, for if you practice these qualities you
will never fall.” Do not attempt to discern
your election! Confirm it by responding
obediently to Christ’s commands! We must
make our calling sure before we can be
assured of our election. "
"
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"
Richard Baxter wrote, “You begin at
the wrong end, if you would first ask
whether you are elected, that you may know
whether you shall be saved; but you must
first try whether you are converted and
saved from the power of sin, and then you
may certainly gather that you are elected and
shall be saved from hell. Will you begin at
the top of the ladder and not the bottom?”52
If you have repented and put your faith in
Christ…if you are being sanctified by the
Spirit and belief in the truth…then there is
evidence that you have been chosen by God!
Don’t start on the wrong end of salvation
and try to do God’s job for Him."
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Danger 2: Presumption!
!
"
Another danger that I perceive comes
from those who have been baptized as
52Timothy K. Beougher, Richard Baxter and
"
Coversion: A Study of the Puritan Concept of
Becoming a Christian (Scotland, Christian Focus
Publications, 2007) 77.
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infants and/or have been involved in church
their entire lives. They presume that because
their parents are “Christian” then they also
must be Christians. That is not how election
works. Those who are saved are not saved
because they look like good candidates for
salvation. They are those who repent, put
their faith in Christ, and cry out to Him until
He transforms their lives! "
"
To quote Baxter again, “Never
presume that you will achieve the ends
without following the means that God has
ordained. Those who dispute over election
fall prey to this danger, saying, if God hath
chosen us we shall be saved, and if He hath
not, we shall not, whatsoever we do: no
diligence will save a man that is not elected,
and it is not in him that willeth, nor in him
that runneth, but in God that showeth
mercy.”53 Do not fall into this danger that
Baxter describes. The elect are only saved by
grace through faith, not by being chosen. Do
not presume upon God, but rather repent
"
53Beougher,
80.
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and cry out to Him in faith until He gives
you assurance that you are His child. "
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Danger 3: Fatalism!
!
"
A final danger that I want to warn
you of concerning this doctrine, is fatalism.
When we learn of the sovereignty of God,
there is a tendency to so focus on the
sovereignty of God that we fail to recognize
the equally biblical truth of our
responsibility. God’s sovereignty does not
operate independently of our responsibility.
Baxter said, “It is as true that God hath
decreed how many years and days you shall
live, as that he hath decreed whether you
shall be saved. And I will refer it to your
own reason, what you would think of the wit
of that man that would give over eating and
drinking, and say, God hath decreed how
long I shall live, and if he have decreed that I
shall live any longer, I shall, whether I eat
and drink or not. And if he have not decreed
that I shall live, it is not eating nor drinking
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that will keep me alive? If you will say, If
God have elected me, I shall be saved, and if
he have not, I shall not, whatsoever I do; and
therefore I am spared my pains; it is no wiser
than to give over eating and drinking,
because God hath decreed how long you
shall live, or to give over traveling, because
God hath decreed whether you shall come to
your journey’s end. Will you be thus mad
about the matters of your trades and callings
in the world? Why do you not give over
ploughing and sowing, and say, If God have
decreed that I shall have a crop, I shall have
one, whether I plough and sow or not; and if
he have not, I shall not, whatsoever I do?”54
God is sovereign, but He sovereignly works
in and through and by His people. We must
be diligent to obey the scriptures
(repentance, faith, and obedience) trusting
God to do what is right. God is sovereign,
but we have a responsibility to obey. When
we do what we should do and trust Christ to
do what he should do, it all works out for
"
54Beougher,
80.
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good to those who love God and are called
according to His purpose."
"
These issues usually arise through
the willful neglect of certain scriptures that
seem to contradict our theology. We must be
careful that we do not allow our theology to
get in the way of the Bible. Do not neglect
clear biblical texts because they make the
promotion of your theology difficult.
Immerse yourself in the gospel and work to
share it.55"
"
In short, “No one should conclude
that his present sins and unbelief prove him
to be reprobate of God. Rather he should
seek God’s grace and place himself under
the means of grace, especially the preaching
of the Scriptures.”56 Please keep exploring
55You can go to www.obliviousfilm.com
"
to see a 28 minute documentary on the gospel
and go the following link to here a sermon that
outlines the biblical gospel for more information:
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?
SID=61141523181
"
56Beeke,
129.
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the depths of the glorious gospel! The
mysteries therein will keep us busy for
eternity."
"
In light of the fact that some men
might be tempted to conclude that, if elected,
they will be saved, do what they will; and if
not elected, they will be damned, do what
they can, I want to end with another quote
by Dagg. He wrote, “This objection to
election applies equally to every part of the
divine purpose, and proceeds on the
supposition that God has predetermined the
end without reference to the means by which
it is to be accomplished.”57"
Be careful that you do not allow
your theology to get in the way of
the Bible!
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57Dagg,
315.
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Conclusion!
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I would like to conclude with a series
of statements from Girolamo Zanchi. These
statements were made in response to critics
who might say the doctrine of election is not
important or necessary because it will only
lead to doubts concerning assurance of
salvation. His response is not only a good
response to such a criticism, but a fitting
conclusion and summary to this booklet. "
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He writes:"
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• God teaches us predestination in His
Word, and we must not be ashamed of His
doctrine but proclaim it with reverence
and trust in His wisdom."
• This doctrine humbles our pride and
magnifies God’s grace, for it shows us that
we can do nothing to save ourselves—God
alone saves sinners."
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• Faith by nature receives doctrines of God
that it cannot see and fully comprehend by
human reasoning."
• Election comforts and sustains the saints
with God’s unchangeable love for them
when Satan attacks with doubts and
accusations."
• Predestination reveals the infinite glory
and sovereignty of the eternal and
unchangeable God so that we know Him
and worship Him."
• Predestination guards the gospel of
salvation by grace alone." "
• This doctrine brings us a vibrant vision of
God’s special love for His people in Christ
Jesus, which is the joy of His people and
fuel of their love to Him."
• Predestination moves God’s people to
diligent holiness of life.58"
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58Girolamo Zanchi, The Doctrine of
"
Absolute Predestination (Perth: R. Morrsion Jr.,
1793), 97-107.
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"
This doctrine is important because it
is in scripture. God would not have placed it
in His Word if it was not of value for us.
This doctrine is important because it reminds
us that the roots of our salvation are deep! It
gives us hope and assurance as we seek to
share the gospel and obey the Great
Commission. It gives us assurance of
salvation as we come to grips with the fact
that our salvation does not depend upon us,
but upon Him. But, the doctrine of election
does not save! Christ saves! Christ alone
saves! If you have completed this book,
whether or not you accept or reject my
conclusions concerning this doctrine, my
hope for you is that you will run to, and
cling to, Christ alone. Turn away from your
sin, your iniquity, and your transgressions.
Change your mind about who you are, your
desires, your beliefs, your attitudes, your
passions, and your actions. Repent. Turn to
Christ alone through faith. Trust in His
atoning death, burial, and resurrection.
Cling to Christ for He is our only hope. Do
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not cling to your decision. Do not cling to a
prayer you prayed or repeated. Do not cling
to a baptism you experienced. Do not cling
to a church membership that you have. Do
not cling to your good works or your
feelings. Cling to Christ!"
"
Be transformed by His grace and
mercy. Be made a new creation today! How
you respond to Christ is the most important
decision you will ever make. Will you bow
your knee to Him today afresh? Will you
confess that He is Lord today? Would you
deny yourself, die to yourself, and follow
Christ anew today? Whether or not you
accept or reject my conclusions concerning
this doctrine, would you run to Christ
hoping in the scripture: “All that the Father
gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to
me I will never cast out” (John 6:37)."
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Bibliography!
!
Beeke, Joel. A Puritan Theology. Grand " "
" Rapids: Reformation Heritage Books, "
" 2012. "
!
Beougher, Timothy K. Richard Baxter and "
" Conversion: A "Study of the Puritan " "
" Concept of Becoming a Christian. " " "
" Scotland, Christian Focus Publications, "
" 2007."
!
Dagg, John Leadley. Manual of Theolog: In "
" Two Parts, Christian Doctrine and Church "
" Order (1857). Charleston, The Southern "
" Baptist Publication Society, 1859."
!
Grude, Wayne. Systematic Theology: An ""
" Introduction to "Biblical Doctrine. Grand "
" Rapids: Zondervan, 1994."
!
Munson, Charles. William Perkins: " " "
" Theologian of Transition. PhD diss., Case "
" Western Reserve, 1971. "
!
Murray, Iain. The Puritans and the Doctrine of
" Election in Puritan Papers, Volume One, "
" 1956-1959, ed. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. "
" Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R, 2000. "
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Packer, J.I. Evangelism and the Sovereignty of "
" God. Downers Grove: IVP, 1991. "
!
Perkins, William. A Golden Chaine, or, The "
" Description of Theologie, Containing the "
" Order of the Causes of Salvation and " "
" Damnation, in Works. 1:24."
!
Perkins, William. A Treatise of the Manner and
" Order of Predestination, and of the " " "
" Largenesse of God’s Grace, in " Works, ""
" 2:607."
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Pink, A.W. The Doctrine of Election. " " "
" Memphis: Bottom of the Hill Publishing,
" 2011."
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Robertson, Norvell. Handbook of Theology. "
" Memphis: Southern Baptist Publication "
" Society, 1894. "
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Webster, Noah. American Dictionary of the "
" English Language 1828. San Francisco: "
" Foundation for American Christian " "
" Education, 2010. "
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Zanchi Girolamo. The Doctrine of Absolute "
" Predestination. Perth: R. Morrsion Jr., "
" 1793.
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