Subject: What does Bible teach on election? |
Bible Note: I have a completely different view than the Calvinistic view. I believe the Bible clearly teaches that God is patient as He compassionately waits for everyone (who will believe) to believe the gospel and get saved. It says in 2Peter 3.9 that He wishes NONE would perish! Well if the Lord "picked and chose" who He wanted saved I would consider Him a liar to tell me He desires NONE to perish, and then "pick" only a remnant to be eternally saved (i.e. send people to hell.) God "elects" only those He FOREKNOWS will believe the gospel. The Lord "sees" the past, present and future ALL at the same time. He FOREKNOWS who will choose to accept His Son as their savior, and those whom He knows will choose His SON, are called CHOSEN or CALLED ones. We're NOT CHOSEN or CALLED because GOD picked us to be saved. We're CHOSEN or CALLED because the Lord FORKNEW we would choose to accept the free gift of eternal life. People are NOT TOTALLY depraved. In the parable of the Sower the last man mentioned received the Word of the gospel with an HONEST and SINCERE Heart. The Lord did NOT (directly) give that man an honest and sincere heart. That man (who was made with a FREE WILL, chose to have an HONEST and SINCERE heart (towards spiritual matters) and as a result the message of the gospel really motivated him to not only believe the gospel but also serve the One Who died for him. In 1Timothy 2.4 the Bible says that the Lord DESIRES ALL men to come to the KNOWLEDGE of truth so as to be saved. That teaching is about as far from Calvinism as one could get. The Lord has PREDETERMINED that ALL people must go through Jesus Christ to be saved. And the Lord has PREDETERMINED that ALL those who do get saved MUST (if they want to be pleasing children) conform to the image of His Son. But in my opinion, nothing in Scriptures teaches me that God picks and chooses who He will or will not save. revbob |