Unconditional Election

In the scheme of Calvinism, “unconditional election” is a fancy phrase that refers to what is commonly known as “Predestination.” “Unconditional election” follows right along with “total hereditary depravity” in that God must intervene in man’s salvation if one is depraved and therefore helpless to change his condition. Essentially, unconditional election states that based solely on God’s choice, only a few will be saved, and all others will be excluded from salvation.

One critical “proof text” Calvin used was Romans 9:11-13. However, one of the many mistakes Calvin made was taking passages he did not understand and propounding false doctrines upon them. He viewed God’s choice of Jacob as illustrative that God chooses men to be saved or lost, just as He chose Jacob over Esau. But God’s choice of Jacob had nothing to do with whether they would be saved or not. Calvin argued that God’s election of Jacob to receive the rights of the firstborn child was an earthly sign “to declare the spiritual election of Jacob.” Therefore he does argue that God elected Jacob to be saved and Esau to be lost.

Our election is in Christ (Ephesians 1:3-14). Christ is the one in whom God chose to place salvation. Those who come to Him and believe in Him will be saved; those who will not come will be lost. Calvinism destroys the free moral agency of man. God decrees that man sins. The decree of God is irresistible. Therefore man cannot do otherwise than commit the sin. Is not ordaining the means to sin and exciting the motive to sin in violation of the Bible statement that God does not tempt man (James 1:13)?

Kyle Campbell

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