Unconditional Election:
This is the identifying statement of Calvinism, in other words, the doctrine that most people think about when they consider Calvinistic predestination. Following is a statement defining this doctrine, written by a prominent Calvinist.
Unconditional election means that our election is decided by God according to His purpose, according to His sovereign will. It is not based on some foreseen condition that some of us meet and others fail to meet. It is not based on our willing or on our running, but upon the sovereign purpose of God.[1]
When we say that election is unconditional we mean that the original decree by God by which he chooses some people to be saved is not dependent upon some future condition in us that God foresees. There is nothing is us that God could foresee that would induce him to choose us. The only thing he would foresee in the lives of fallen creatures left to themselves would be sin. God chooses us simply according to the good pleasure of his will.[2]
The Calvinist argues that God chooses people to be saved based on nothing in the person, yet they claim that God’s choice is not arbitrary. As R. C. Sproul writes:
To be arbitrary is to do something for no reason. Now, it is clear that there is no reason found in us for God to choose us. But that is not the same as saying that God has no reason in himself. God doesn’t do anything without a reason. He is not capricious or whimsical. God is as sober as he is sovereign.[3]
God predestines us according to what pleases him. … What pleases God is goodness. … Though the reason for choosing us does not lie in us but in the sovereign divine pleasure, we may rest assured that the sovereign divine pleasure is a good pleasure.[4]
The Calvinist argues that God’s reason is his “good pleasure,” yet he never defines what that is or what brings about that pleasure. Whatever it is, however, it is nothing in the individual being elected. This, of course, is blatantly illogical. The only reason for choosing one individual over another must, by necessity, be in the individual being chosen. Otherwise there can’t possibly be a reason to choose. To say, “It’s God’s good pleasure” completely begs the question. In other words, “How does this choice bring about God’s pleasure?”
The Calvinist gives no answer. He prefers the logical inconsistency, shrugs his shoulders, and says it’s a mystery about God that we can’t understand.
Here’s a dictionary definition of arbitrary:
Arbitrary
1. Determined by chance, whim, or impulse, and not by necessity, reason, or principle: stopped at the first motel we passed, an arbitrary choice; arbitrary division of the group into halves.
2. Based on or subject to individual judgment or preference: The diet imposes overall calorie limits, but daily menus are arbitrary.
3. Established by a court or judge rather than by a specific law or statute: an arbitrary penalty.
4. Not limited by law; despotic: the arbitrary rule of a dictator.
The Calvinists want a positive spin on both sides on their doctrine. They can’t allow for God to use anything in man as a reason to bring about His choice. Otherwise, there would be something in an individual that merits the choice, giving that individual some reason to boast. But they also can’t allow for there to be no reason at all. That would make God arbitrary, capricious, a divine being who seems to draw from straws to see who will share His everlasting glory and who, on the other hand, will gnash his teeth and suffer in the eternal doom of Hell. So they simply appeal to mystery, saying that it’s “God’s pleasure,” which, of course, is no explanation at all.
This appeal to mystery lacks intellectual integrity, and it’s unnecessary. God does have a reason for bringing about salvation to mankind. God responds to the faith an individual has in Christ the Savior.
We’ll look at some of the passages the Calvinist uses to support his view and see why their view of election and predestination is completely false.
We must understand, first of all, that real, biblical predestination does not mean, “God’s predetermined decision to choose certain people to salvation.” And predestination and election do not necessarily have the same meaning. The problem is that the Calvinistic understanding of these key words is pervasive, and many people presume their definitions whenever they see these words in Scripture. We must not get caught in the trap of assuming this meaning whenever we see “predestined” or “elect.”
God does elect people to certain acts and purposes, and some of these election decisions are determined long ago, but that doesn’t mean election and predestination are the same thing. God can elect a person to do something without deciding this election well before the event. “Predestined” purposes, on the other hand, are those that are unchangeable “destinies,” determined before a person acts, before he the purpose is ready to be fulfilled. Let’s look at some of the passages to see what we mean.
Ephesians 1:3-14
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just 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 to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, 8 which He lavished upon us. In all wisdom and insight 9 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him 10 with a view to an administration suitable to the fulness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things upon the earth. In Him 11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, 12 to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. 13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.
Every time we see the words “elect,” “chose,” “predestined,” or similar words, we have to ask the following: “Who is being chosen?” and “For what purpose was the choice made?” We cannot, as the Calvinists do, suppose that every use means, “Individuals being chosen for salvation.”
Look at verse 4, “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him.”
Who is chosen? Us in Him. Who are “us in Him.” Believers in Christ.
For what purpose? To be holy and blameless.
This means that God decided before the foundation of the world that believers would be holy and blameless. It does not say that God decided who those believers would be.
How about verse 5? “He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will.”
Who is predestined? Us. Again, believers.
For what purpose? To be adopted as sons.
This means that God decided long ago that believers would be adopted as sons. It does not say that God decided who these believers would be.
Important sidetrack: What is adoption?
Who are the sons of God? How do we know who they are?
12 So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— 13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him. (Romans 8:12-17)
22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. 23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. 24 For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one also hope for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it. (Romans 8:22-25)
4 But when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, 5 in order that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” (Galatians 4:4-6)
And that brings us back to Ephesians:
13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.
We are sons, and the only way the world knows we are God’s sons is by our obedience to Him (Romans 8:14). There will come a day when the whole world will know whose we are, when the fullness of the time reveals our true identity, when God comes to claim His own. Until then, we have a pledge, the Spirit of Promise dwelling within us, who tells us that we are His. The public claiming of God’s sons is our adoption. Until then, we are, in a sense, sons in secret, our display of God’s light in us being the identifying mark of our sonship.
Therefore, being predestined to adoption as sons simply means that God decided before the foundation of the world that all believers will be adopted as sons. They won’t be left as orphans, cut off from God’s family. We have a pledge, a promise that God will eventually take us into His heavenly home where we will be co-heirs with His Son, Jesus Christ.
The important point to emphasize is that adoption is not the same thing as salvation. It is something that happens in addition to salvation, a future event in which God’s sons will find the consummation of their sonship.
Now we’ll get back to looking at the issue of predestination. Look at verses 11 and 12 in Ephesians chapter 1.
In Him 11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, 12 to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.
Who is predestined? We are. Again, these are believers.
For what purpose? That we should be to the praise of His glory.
This is a choice of a group for a purpose other than salvation, not a choice of which individuals will be saved.
Therefore, in Ephesians, we see that God predestines that Christians will do or obtain certain things, that we will be holy and blameless, that we will be adopted as sons, and that we will be to the praise of His glory. There is nothing in this passage that says that God decided to save certain individuals. To gain such a meaning from this passage is to read something that isn’t there.
The Calvinist view of predestination, therefore, fails the test of Scripture. The Bible simply doesn’t say what the Calvinist believes. Using our interpretation, God’s character is upheld. There is nothing evil or unjust in God deciding beforehand what He is going to do with His faithful believers after they come to faith.
Now we’ll go on to another passage Calvinists use, one they call “The Golden Chain of Salvation.”
Romans 8:28-30
28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren; 30 and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
According to the Calvinist, this chain of God’s activities proves the basics of Calvinistic predestination. Supposedly, whomever God foreknew, he predestined to salvation. Whomever He predestined, he called to salvation. Whomever he called to salvation, He justified. Whomever He justified, He glorified. In other words, God made all the decisions, and he irresistibly called to salvation all whom he predestined.
Simply put, the passage doesn’t say that at all.
The context of the passage is how God works events together for good for those who love Him, those who are called according to His purpose. So, when it says, “whom He foreknew,” who is in mind? The ones who love Him, the ones called to His purpose. The Greek bears this out. “Whom” is masculine plural, harkening back to its antecedent, “called,” a masculine plural noun, and every “whom” and every use of “these” thereafter is masculine plural.
The question that the Calvinist answers incorrectly is, “Who is included in the first ‘whom’ in verse 29?” They assume that it’s the people who are elected to salvation. The problem is, the verse doesn’t say that. In context with the preceding verse, “whom” refers to “those who love God,” “those who are called according to His purpose.” The “whom” in verse 29, therefore, refers to faithful followers of Christ.
Once it’s established about whom Paul is speaking, we can explain what the “chain” of verses 29 and 30 is all about. Let’s flesh out the verse by restating in paraphrase with the antecedent in place.
For God knew beforehand about the people who would love Him, the people who answered His call, and He predestined them to become conformed to the image of His Son. Why? That Christ might be the first-born of many brothers. And these same people he predestined to this image conformity, he also called. And these people He called, He also justified. And these people He justified, He also glorified.
This is not a “Golden Chain of Salvation.” It doesn’t talk about how God chooses individuals to be saved. It’s about how God treats and has treated faithful believers. This is actually a “Golden Chain of God’s Work in Believers.”
The context is crucial. Look at verses 26 and 27: 26 And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; 27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
The “Golden chain” is given to explain why and how God works; it’s given to encourage believers who need intercessory help from the Holy Spirit. “Why does God allow my suffering?” a reader might ask. The encouragement comes from the apostle in this form. “Don’t be troubled. God works it all out for good for you, because you love Him. And don’t forget. God has planned all of this. He knew beforehand that those who follow Him would suffer for His name, and He predestined that all who follow Him would be conformed to the image of Christ.
Being conformed to the image of Christ is our calling; through our suffering we are honed into the righteous image of the Son of God. And when we are made into that image, Christ then has holy brothers, among whom He is the first-born.
I trust that you can see the Calvinist error. They see the word “predestined” and automatically assume that it means election of individuals to salvation. We see that it really means that God has decided beforehand that believers in Christ will be conformed to His image. That’s exactly what the verse says, and the Calvinist adds a meaning that simply isn’t there in order to make the passage fit his preconceived doctrinal system.
Other “unconditional election” passages:
13 But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. 14 And it was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us. (2 Thess. 2:13-15)
Who is chosen? You, that is, believers.
For what purpose? For salvation. In this context, it means saving people from the wrath to come. In other words, God has chosen that believers would be saved from His wrath. This does not mean God has decided who those believers would be.
10 For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory. (2 Timothy 2:10)
Who is chosen? Paul doesn’t specifically say, but he endures all things so that they may obtain salvation.
For what purpose? Paul doesn’t specifically say, but since he endures so that they may obtain salvation, then it seems that what they are chosen for isn’t necessarily for salvation, because it seems that the obtaining of it isn’t secure.
1:1 Paul, a bond-servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness, 2 in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago (Titus 1:1-2)
Who is chosen? Apparently those who have faith.
For what purpose? He doesn’t specifically say, so to claim that this choosing is a predestined choosing of which individuals will be saved is a wild stretch.
1:1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in fullest measure. (1 Peter 1:1-3)
Who is chosen? The recipients of this letter, presumably believers.
For what purpose? That they would obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood.
Therefore, God chose that believers would obey Christ and be sprinkled by His blood. It does not say that God decided which individuals would be believers.
2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; 3 constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father, 4 knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you; 5 for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. (1 Thess 1:2-5)
Who is chosen? Believers, those who are working out their faith and have steadfastness of hope in Christ.
For what purpose? This isn’t clear, but the following verses indicate that it might be for them to imitate Paul in his quest:
You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. (1 Thess 1:6-7)
There is nothing here to indicate that God chose which individuals would be saved.
Galatians 1:11-17
11 For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. 12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. 13 For you have heard of my former manner of life in Judaism, how I used to persecute the church of God beyond measure, and tried to destroy it; 14 and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions. 15 But when He who had set me apart, even from my mother’s womb, and called me through His grace, was pleased 16 to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to Damascus.
Verse 15 is often used by Calvinists to “prove” God’s predestined choice of a particular person for salvation. Again, we need to ask about God’s choice, in this context being represented by “had set me apart.” The Calvinist would have us believe that it means, “set me apart to be saved.” As usual, the Calvinist adds words that aren’t in the text.
Who is chosen? Paul was set apart.
What is the purpose? Since it was from his mother’s womb, the most likely meaning is to be a Jew, since that was what he was talking about.
Is the “called me through His grace” part of the setting apart? No. The calling comes after the setting apart as a Jew. He was called to salvation, but so is everyone else.
A closely related passage follows:
13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Thy saints at Jerusalem; 14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call upon Thy name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; 16 for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.” (Acts 9:13-16)
Who is chosen? Paul.
What is the purpose? To bear Christ’s name before the Gentiles, etc.
There is nothing here that says Paul was chosen for salvation.
Acts 13:44-48
44 And the next Sabbath nearly the whole city assembled to hear the word of God. 45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, and began contradicting the things spoken by Paul, and were blaspheming. 46 And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; since you repudiate it, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. 47 “For thus the Lord has commanded us,
‘I have placed You as a light for the Gentiles,
That You should bring salvation to the end of the earth.’”
48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.
The last verse in this passage has been misused by many, and for good reason. Most Bibles (perhaps all) mistranslate verse 48.
The Greek allows for two different “voices” in the verb phrase that’s translated, “had been appointed to eternal life.” Here, it’s translated in the passive voice, rather than the active voice. Passive means that someone has appointed them, while active would mean that they appointed someone else. If it’s passive, then the believers didn’t actively do anything. The Greek structure in this verse doesn’t allow for active voice.
The Greek phrase does allow, however, for middle voice. The ending of the verb can be either middle or passive. Middle voice means that the believers did something to themselves. With the middle voice the verse would be translated something like this: “And all those who had agreed (or had aligned themselves) to eternal life believed.” Their faith didn’t come about because of divine appointment; it was the result of their willingness to believe.
This middle voice alternative makes more sense than does the passive when considered in the context. In verse 46, Paul speaks of those who judge themselves unworthy of eternal life. Verse 48 merely shows the contrast, that those who listened and believed were the opposite of those mentioned earlier. The ones who believed did not judge themselves unworthy.
Romans Chapter 9
Romans chapter 9 is considered by many Calvinists to be their most powerful proof text, their absolute proof that their doctrine of particular election to salvation is true. It should be no surprise, then, that they badly misunderstand the purpose and meaning of this chapter. I’ll quote the entire chapter here, section by section, and we’ll ask questions about each section, but let’s jump ahead and read verse 30 first, because we have to keep Paul’s conclusion in mind if we’re going to understand the argument that precedes it.
Romans 9:30 - What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith;
Now, with this verse in mind, let’s proceed.
9:1 I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, 4 who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, 5 whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.
What is Paul’s concern? For whom is he grieving and why? How are they special?
He is concerned about his brethren, Israelites. After all, they received the covenants and promises.
6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; 7 neither are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants, but: “through Isaac your descendants will be named.” 8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants. 9 For this is a word of promise: “At this time I will come, and Sarah shall have a son.” 10 And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac; 11 for though the twins were not yet born, and had not done anything good or bad, in order that God’s purpose according to His choice might stand, not because of works, but because of Him who calls, 12 it was said to her, “The older will serve the younger.” 13 Just as it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
In verses 6-8, Paul provides the reason that his brethren according to the flesh are in trouble. Only children of the promise are true descendants. Not all the children of the flesh are going to be in the new covenant. They are not all children of the promise.
Paul then gives us examples of promises in verse 9 and 12. It is crucial to understand that the promise is in verse 12 ends with verse 12. The verse Paul quotes in 13 was not part of the promise made to Rebekah. Verse 13 is provided as proof that the promise was fulfilled. It was not part of the promise itself.
Also notice that this promise has nothing to do with salvation. It involves only who will serve whom, and the “Jacob I loved part …” is merely showing us proof that the promise came to pass. It says nothing about God deciding beforehand that He would love Jacob and not Esau.
Here is my attempt to succinctly state what Paul is trying to tell us up to this point.
Paul is grieved over the Israelites and their lack of following God by faith. They continue to try to achieve salvation by following according to the Law. God says that His people are those who are children of promise, and he gives us an example of how God makes a choice based on His purposes rather than on the actions of the people involved. This is not a choice for salvation. Rather it is an example of how God makes a decision. Similarly, God has decided that people who have faith will be saved, not those who attempt to be saved by works. This decision is God’s choice, not man’s.
Let’s continue with Romans chapter 9.
14 What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! 15 For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I raised you up, to demonstrate My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth.” 18 So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.
With this in mind, what possible charge of injustice could someone bring against God? None at all. God has decided that those who have faith will be saved, not those who try to achieve salvation by following the Law. That choice of how to save is up to God, not up to men.
In verse 15, the Calvinist claims that God has mercy and compassion on those He elects to salvation, but it doesn’t say that at all. It simply says that God decided on whom He will have mercy. It says nothing about predetermined, individual election to salvation. That’s why the conclusion in verse 30 is so crucial. This entire section is explaining that God decided that He will have mercy on those who have faith, and Paul is defending God’s ability to make that decision.
Verse 17 and 18, then, are simply another example of God deciding what to do with people. He is allowed to do so. And His decision to save by faith is within his authority.
19 You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?” 20 On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it? 21 Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use, and another for common use? 22 What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? 23 And He did so in order that He might make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, 24 even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.
In verse 19, Paul raises a question that objectors might have. If God can make such decisions, why does he find fault and punish? Paul’s answer is quite dismissive, that man has no right to ask such a question, and then he goes into an illustration about a potter and clay. The basis for the decision to make a vessel for common use or for wrath is not a predetermined, individual election to salvation, but rather on the faith and/or works of the clay. There is nothing in this chapter to indicate an election based on God’s good pleasure, but there is a direct statement in verse 30 that the decision is based on the faith of the people. Therefore, God looks at the lumps of clay (people) and makes the pots based on the quality of the clay (their faith, which is proven by their works).
Some might claim that the word "beforehand" in verse 23 means that God decided before he made the pots that he would make them for glory, that is, before they had a chance to show faith or works. The problem with that idea is the assumption that "beforehand" means before the making of the pot. The language makes this idea impossible.
The text says that God prepared the vessels beforehand for glory. The "beforehand" must refer to a time before the receiving of the glory, not to the time before he made the vessels, because God couldn't possibly prepare the vessels before he made the vessels. Paul is saying that God prepared the vessels before they received the glory. The "which" in verse 23 refers to the vessels, not to the mercy ("which" in the Greek is plural, as is "vessels," while "mercy" is singular). God did not prepare the mercy beforehand, that is, before making the vessels to receive that mercy. God prepared the vessels before the reception of the glory. And it certainly doesn't state that God cannot change His mind regarding what He will do with these vessels. He might have prepared them to receive glory, but that doesn't mean the purpose couldn't change based on how the vessels turned out, as a similar illustration in Jeremiah demonstrates:
Jer 18:1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD saying,
Jer 18:2 "Arise and go down to the potter's house, and there I will announce My words to you."
Jer 18:3 Then I went down to the potter's house, and there he was, making something on the wheel.
Jer 18:4 But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make.
Jer 18:5 Then the word of the LORD came to me saying,
Jer 18:6 "Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel.
Jer 18:7 "At one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to pull down, or to destroy it;
Jer 18:8 if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it.
Jer 18:9 "Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to build up or to plant it;
Jer 18:10 if it does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will think better of the good with which I had promised to bless it.
We see in verses 9 and 10 that God, as a potter, changes His mind with regard to what he will do with the clay based on the quality of the pot's faith and works. God had planned to build up a kingdom, but their evil caused Him to change His mind.
This is also true in Romans 9. God could plan for a pot to receive glory, deciding before the reception of the glory to do so, but that doesn't necessarily mean that this decision will remain. The decision could change if the pot is no longer worthy to receive the glory.
And now to Paul's conclusion in Romans 9:
25 As He says also in Hosea,
“I will call those who were not My people, ‘My people,’
And her who was not beloved, ‘beloved.’” 26 “And it shall be that in the place where it was said to them, ‘you are not My people,’
There they shall be called sons of the living God.”
27 And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that will be saved; 28 for the Lord will execute His word upon the earth, thoroughly and quickly.” 29 And just as Isaiah foretold,
“Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left to us a posterity,
We would have become as Sodom, and would have resembled Gomorrah.”
30 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; 31 but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. 32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33 just as it is written,
“Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense,
And he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.”
Paul’s conclusion is that God, in His divine authority, has decided to save those who have faith, whether Jew or Gentile. Paul gave us examples of God’s right and power to make such decisions, decisions based on His own purposes, to show the riches of His glory. It follows, therefore, that God has the right to save people by faith rather than by works.
I have included all the major passages that Calvinists have used in my presence to prove unconditional election, and I have shown that these passages simply do not say what the Calvinists claim that they say.
It’s true that God predestines, but it is always for a purpose other than individual election to salvation. God determined that believers would be holy and conformed to the image of Christ, that they would be adopted and sons and escape His wrath, but nowhere in the Bible does it say that God decided who those believers would be.
[1] Chosen By God, R. C. Sproul Pages 154-155.
[2] Chosen By God, R. C. Sproul Pages 156.
[3] Chosen By God, R. C. Sproul Pages 156.
[4] Chosen By God, R. C. Sproul Pages 158.
This is the identifying statement of Calvinism, in other words, the doctrine that most people think about when they consider Calvinistic predestination. Following is a statement defining this doctrine, written by a prominent Calvinist.
Unconditional election means that our election is decided by God according to His purpose, according to His sovereign will. It is not based on some foreseen condition that some of us meet and others fail to meet. It is not based on our willing or on our running, but upon the sovereign purpose of God.[1]
When we say that election is unconditional we mean that the original decree by God by which he chooses some people to be saved is not dependent upon some future condition in us that God foresees. There is nothing is us that God could foresee that would induce him to choose us. The only thing he would foresee in the lives of fallen creatures left to themselves would be sin. God chooses us simply according to the good pleasure of his will.[2]
The Calvinist argues that God chooses people to be saved based on nothing in the person, yet they claim that God’s choice is not arbitrary. As R. C. Sproul writes:
To be arbitrary is to do something for no reason. Now, it is clear that there is no reason found in us for God to choose us. But that is not the same as saying that God has no reason in himself. God doesn’t do anything without a reason. He is not capricious or whimsical. God is as sober as he is sovereign.[3]
God predestines us according to what pleases him. … What pleases God is goodness. … Though the reason for choosing us does not lie in us but in the sovereign divine pleasure, we may rest assured that the sovereign divine pleasure is a good pleasure.[4]
The Calvinist argues that God’s reason is his “good pleasure,” yet he never defines what that is or what brings about that pleasure. Whatever it is, however, it is nothing in the individual being elected. This, of course, is blatantly illogical. The only reason for choosing one individual over another must, by necessity, be in the individual being chosen. Otherwise there can’t possibly be a reason to choose. To say, “It’s God’s good pleasure” completely begs the question. In other words, “How does this choice bring about God’s pleasure?”
The Calvinist gives no answer. He prefers the logical inconsistency, shrugs his shoulders, and says it’s a mystery about God that we can’t understand.
Here’s a dictionary definition of arbitrary:
Arbitrary
1. Determined by chance, whim, or impulse, and not by necessity, reason, or principle: stopped at the first motel we passed, an arbitrary choice; arbitrary division of the group into halves.
2. Based on or subject to individual judgment or preference: The diet imposes overall calorie limits, but daily menus are arbitrary.
3. Established by a court or judge rather than by a specific law or statute: an arbitrary penalty.
4. Not limited by law; despotic: the arbitrary rule of a dictator.
The Calvinists want a positive spin on both sides on their doctrine. They can’t allow for God to use anything in man as a reason to bring about His choice. Otherwise, there would be something in an individual that merits the choice, giving that individual some reason to boast. But they also can’t allow for there to be no reason at all. That would make God arbitrary, capricious, a divine being who seems to draw from straws to see who will share His everlasting glory and who, on the other hand, will gnash his teeth and suffer in the eternal doom of Hell. So they simply appeal to mystery, saying that it’s “God’s pleasure,” which, of course, is no explanation at all.
This appeal to mystery lacks intellectual integrity, and it’s unnecessary. God does have a reason for bringing about salvation to mankind. God responds to the faith an individual has in Christ the Savior.
We’ll look at some of the passages the Calvinist uses to support his view and see why their view of election and predestination is completely false.
We must understand, first of all, that real, biblical predestination does not mean, “God’s predetermined decision to choose certain people to salvation.” And predestination and election do not necessarily have the same meaning. The problem is that the Calvinistic understanding of these key words is pervasive, and many people presume their definitions whenever they see these words in Scripture. We must not get caught in the trap of assuming this meaning whenever we see “predestined” or “elect.”
God does elect people to certain acts and purposes, and some of these election decisions are determined long ago, but that doesn’t mean election and predestination are the same thing. God can elect a person to do something without deciding this election well before the event. “Predestined” purposes, on the other hand, are those that are unchangeable “destinies,” determined before a person acts, before he the purpose is ready to be fulfilled. Let’s look at some of the passages to see what we mean.
Ephesians 1:3-14
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just 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 to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, 8 which He lavished upon us. In all wisdom and insight 9 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him 10 with a view to an administration suitable to the fulness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things upon the earth. In Him 11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, 12 to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. 13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.
Every time we see the words “elect,” “chose,” “predestined,” or similar words, we have to ask the following: “Who is being chosen?” and “For what purpose was the choice made?” We cannot, as the Calvinists do, suppose that every use means, “Individuals being chosen for salvation.”
Look at verse 4, “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him.”
Who is chosen? Us in Him. Who are “us in Him.” Believers in Christ.
For what purpose? To be holy and blameless.
This means that God decided before the foundation of the world that believers would be holy and blameless. It does not say that God decided who those believers would be.
How about verse 5? “He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will.”
Who is predestined? Us. Again, believers.
For what purpose? To be adopted as sons.
This means that God decided long ago that believers would be adopted as sons. It does not say that God decided who these believers would be.
Important sidetrack: What is adoption?
Who are the sons of God? How do we know who they are?
12 So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— 13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him. (Romans 8:12-17)
22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. 23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. 24 For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one also hope for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it. (Romans 8:22-25)
4 But when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, 5 in order that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” (Galatians 4:4-6)
And that brings us back to Ephesians:
13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.
We are sons, and the only way the world knows we are God’s sons is by our obedience to Him (Romans 8:14). There will come a day when the whole world will know whose we are, when the fullness of the time reveals our true identity, when God comes to claim His own. Until then, we have a pledge, the Spirit of Promise dwelling within us, who tells us that we are His. The public claiming of God’s sons is our adoption. Until then, we are, in a sense, sons in secret, our display of God’s light in us being the identifying mark of our sonship.
Therefore, being predestined to adoption as sons simply means that God decided before the foundation of the world that all believers will be adopted as sons. They won’t be left as orphans, cut off from God’s family. We have a pledge, a promise that God will eventually take us into His heavenly home where we will be co-heirs with His Son, Jesus Christ.
The important point to emphasize is that adoption is not the same thing as salvation. It is something that happens in addition to salvation, a future event in which God’s sons will find the consummation of their sonship.
Now we’ll get back to looking at the issue of predestination. Look at verses 11 and 12 in Ephesians chapter 1.
In Him 11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, 12 to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.
Who is predestined? We are. Again, these are believers.
For what purpose? That we should be to the praise of His glory.
This is a choice of a group for a purpose other than salvation, not a choice of which individuals will be saved.
Therefore, in Ephesians, we see that God predestines that Christians will do or obtain certain things, that we will be holy and blameless, that we will be adopted as sons, and that we will be to the praise of His glory. There is nothing in this passage that says that God decided to save certain individuals. To gain such a meaning from this passage is to read something that isn’t there.
The Calvinist view of predestination, therefore, fails the test of Scripture. The Bible simply doesn’t say what the Calvinist believes. Using our interpretation, God’s character is upheld. There is nothing evil or unjust in God deciding beforehand what He is going to do with His faithful believers after they come to faith.
Now we’ll go on to another passage Calvinists use, one they call “The Golden Chain of Salvation.”
Romans 8:28-30
28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren; 30 and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
According to the Calvinist, this chain of God’s activities proves the basics of Calvinistic predestination. Supposedly, whomever God foreknew, he predestined to salvation. Whomever He predestined, he called to salvation. Whomever he called to salvation, He justified. Whomever He justified, He glorified. In other words, God made all the decisions, and he irresistibly called to salvation all whom he predestined.
Simply put, the passage doesn’t say that at all.
The context of the passage is how God works events together for good for those who love Him, those who are called according to His purpose. So, when it says, “whom He foreknew,” who is in mind? The ones who love Him, the ones called to His purpose. The Greek bears this out. “Whom” is masculine plural, harkening back to its antecedent, “called,” a masculine plural noun, and every “whom” and every use of “these” thereafter is masculine plural.
The question that the Calvinist answers incorrectly is, “Who is included in the first ‘whom’ in verse 29?” They assume that it’s the people who are elected to salvation. The problem is, the verse doesn’t say that. In context with the preceding verse, “whom” refers to “those who love God,” “those who are called according to His purpose.” The “whom” in verse 29, therefore, refers to faithful followers of Christ.
Once it’s established about whom Paul is speaking, we can explain what the “chain” of verses 29 and 30 is all about. Let’s flesh out the verse by restating in paraphrase with the antecedent in place.
For God knew beforehand about the people who would love Him, the people who answered His call, and He predestined them to become conformed to the image of His Son. Why? That Christ might be the first-born of many brothers. And these same people he predestined to this image conformity, he also called. And these people He called, He also justified. And these people He justified, He also glorified.
This is not a “Golden Chain of Salvation.” It doesn’t talk about how God chooses individuals to be saved. It’s about how God treats and has treated faithful believers. This is actually a “Golden Chain of God’s Work in Believers.”
The context is crucial. Look at verses 26 and 27: 26 And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; 27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
The “Golden chain” is given to explain why and how God works; it’s given to encourage believers who need intercessory help from the Holy Spirit. “Why does God allow my suffering?” a reader might ask. The encouragement comes from the apostle in this form. “Don’t be troubled. God works it all out for good for you, because you love Him. And don’t forget. God has planned all of this. He knew beforehand that those who follow Him would suffer for His name, and He predestined that all who follow Him would be conformed to the image of Christ.
Being conformed to the image of Christ is our calling; through our suffering we are honed into the righteous image of the Son of God. And when we are made into that image, Christ then has holy brothers, among whom He is the first-born.
I trust that you can see the Calvinist error. They see the word “predestined” and automatically assume that it means election of individuals to salvation. We see that it really means that God has decided beforehand that believers in Christ will be conformed to His image. That’s exactly what the verse says, and the Calvinist adds a meaning that simply isn’t there in order to make the passage fit his preconceived doctrinal system.
Other “unconditional election” passages:
13 But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. 14 And it was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us. (2 Thess. 2:13-15)
Who is chosen? You, that is, believers.
For what purpose? For salvation. In this context, it means saving people from the wrath to come. In other words, God has chosen that believers would be saved from His wrath. This does not mean God has decided who those believers would be.
10 For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory. (2 Timothy 2:10)
Who is chosen? Paul doesn’t specifically say, but he endures all things so that they may obtain salvation.
For what purpose? Paul doesn’t specifically say, but since he endures so that they may obtain salvation, then it seems that what they are chosen for isn’t necessarily for salvation, because it seems that the obtaining of it isn’t secure.
1:1 Paul, a bond-servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness, 2 in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago (Titus 1:1-2)
Who is chosen? Apparently those who have faith.
For what purpose? He doesn’t specifically say, so to claim that this choosing is a predestined choosing of which individuals will be saved is a wild stretch.
1:1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in fullest measure. (1 Peter 1:1-3)
Who is chosen? The recipients of this letter, presumably believers.
For what purpose? That they would obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood.
Therefore, God chose that believers would obey Christ and be sprinkled by His blood. It does not say that God decided which individuals would be believers.
2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; 3 constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father, 4 knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you; 5 for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. (1 Thess 1:2-5)
Who is chosen? Believers, those who are working out their faith and have steadfastness of hope in Christ.
For what purpose? This isn’t clear, but the following verses indicate that it might be for them to imitate Paul in his quest:
You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. (1 Thess 1:6-7)
There is nothing here to indicate that God chose which individuals would be saved.
Galatians 1:11-17
11 For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. 12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. 13 For you have heard of my former manner of life in Judaism, how I used to persecute the church of God beyond measure, and tried to destroy it; 14 and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions. 15 But when He who had set me apart, even from my mother’s womb, and called me through His grace, was pleased 16 to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to Damascus.
Verse 15 is often used by Calvinists to “prove” God’s predestined choice of a particular person for salvation. Again, we need to ask about God’s choice, in this context being represented by “had set me apart.” The Calvinist would have us believe that it means, “set me apart to be saved.” As usual, the Calvinist adds words that aren’t in the text.
Who is chosen? Paul was set apart.
What is the purpose? Since it was from his mother’s womb, the most likely meaning is to be a Jew, since that was what he was talking about.
Is the “called me through His grace” part of the setting apart? No. The calling comes after the setting apart as a Jew. He was called to salvation, but so is everyone else.
A closely related passage follows:
13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Thy saints at Jerusalem; 14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call upon Thy name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; 16 for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.” (Acts 9:13-16)
Who is chosen? Paul.
What is the purpose? To bear Christ’s name before the Gentiles, etc.
There is nothing here that says Paul was chosen for salvation.
Acts 13:44-48
44 And the next Sabbath nearly the whole city assembled to hear the word of God. 45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, and began contradicting the things spoken by Paul, and were blaspheming. 46 And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; since you repudiate it, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. 47 “For thus the Lord has commanded us,
‘I have placed You as a light for the Gentiles,
That You should bring salvation to the end of the earth.’”
48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.
The last verse in this passage has been misused by many, and for good reason. Most Bibles (perhaps all) mistranslate verse 48.
The Greek allows for two different “voices” in the verb phrase that’s translated, “had been appointed to eternal life.” Here, it’s translated in the passive voice, rather than the active voice. Passive means that someone has appointed them, while active would mean that they appointed someone else. If it’s passive, then the believers didn’t actively do anything. The Greek structure in this verse doesn’t allow for active voice.
The Greek phrase does allow, however, for middle voice. The ending of the verb can be either middle or passive. Middle voice means that the believers did something to themselves. With the middle voice the verse would be translated something like this: “And all those who had agreed (or had aligned themselves) to eternal life believed.” Their faith didn’t come about because of divine appointment; it was the result of their willingness to believe.
This middle voice alternative makes more sense than does the passive when considered in the context. In verse 46, Paul speaks of those who judge themselves unworthy of eternal life. Verse 48 merely shows the contrast, that those who listened and believed were the opposite of those mentioned earlier. The ones who believed did not judge themselves unworthy.
Romans Chapter 9
Romans chapter 9 is considered by many Calvinists to be their most powerful proof text, their absolute proof that their doctrine of particular election to salvation is true. It should be no surprise, then, that they badly misunderstand the purpose and meaning of this chapter. I’ll quote the entire chapter here, section by section, and we’ll ask questions about each section, but let’s jump ahead and read verse 30 first, because we have to keep Paul’s conclusion in mind if we’re going to understand the argument that precedes it.
Romans 9:30 - What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith;
Now, with this verse in mind, let’s proceed.
9:1 I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, 4 who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, 5 whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.
What is Paul’s concern? For whom is he grieving and why? How are they special?
He is concerned about his brethren, Israelites. After all, they received the covenants and promises.
6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; 7 neither are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants, but: “through Isaac your descendants will be named.” 8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants. 9 For this is a word of promise: “At this time I will come, and Sarah shall have a son.” 10 And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac; 11 for though the twins were not yet born, and had not done anything good or bad, in order that God’s purpose according to His choice might stand, not because of works, but because of Him who calls, 12 it was said to her, “The older will serve the younger.” 13 Just as it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
In verses 6-8, Paul provides the reason that his brethren according to the flesh are in trouble. Only children of the promise are true descendants. Not all the children of the flesh are going to be in the new covenant. They are not all children of the promise.
Paul then gives us examples of promises in verse 9 and 12. It is crucial to understand that the promise is in verse 12 ends with verse 12. The verse Paul quotes in 13 was not part of the promise made to Rebekah. Verse 13 is provided as proof that the promise was fulfilled. It was not part of the promise itself.
Also notice that this promise has nothing to do with salvation. It involves only who will serve whom, and the “Jacob I loved part …” is merely showing us proof that the promise came to pass. It says nothing about God deciding beforehand that He would love Jacob and not Esau.
Here is my attempt to succinctly state what Paul is trying to tell us up to this point.
Paul is grieved over the Israelites and their lack of following God by faith. They continue to try to achieve salvation by following according to the Law. God says that His people are those who are children of promise, and he gives us an example of how God makes a choice based on His purposes rather than on the actions of the people involved. This is not a choice for salvation. Rather it is an example of how God makes a decision. Similarly, God has decided that people who have faith will be saved, not those who attempt to be saved by works. This decision is God’s choice, not man’s.
Let’s continue with Romans chapter 9.
14 What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! 15 For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I raised you up, to demonstrate My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth.” 18 So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.
With this in mind, what possible charge of injustice could someone bring against God? None at all. God has decided that those who have faith will be saved, not those who try to achieve salvation by following the Law. That choice of how to save is up to God, not up to men.
In verse 15, the Calvinist claims that God has mercy and compassion on those He elects to salvation, but it doesn’t say that at all. It simply says that God decided on whom He will have mercy. It says nothing about predetermined, individual election to salvation. That’s why the conclusion in verse 30 is so crucial. This entire section is explaining that God decided that He will have mercy on those who have faith, and Paul is defending God’s ability to make that decision.
Verse 17 and 18, then, are simply another example of God deciding what to do with people. He is allowed to do so. And His decision to save by faith is within his authority.
19 You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?” 20 On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it? 21 Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use, and another for common use? 22 What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? 23 And He did so in order that He might make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, 24 even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.
In verse 19, Paul raises a question that objectors might have. If God can make such decisions, why does he find fault and punish? Paul’s answer is quite dismissive, that man has no right to ask such a question, and then he goes into an illustration about a potter and clay. The basis for the decision to make a vessel for common use or for wrath is not a predetermined, individual election to salvation, but rather on the faith and/or works of the clay. There is nothing in this chapter to indicate an election based on God’s good pleasure, but there is a direct statement in verse 30 that the decision is based on the faith of the people. Therefore, God looks at the lumps of clay (people) and makes the pots based on the quality of the clay (their faith, which is proven by their works).
Some might claim that the word "beforehand" in verse 23 means that God decided before he made the pots that he would make them for glory, that is, before they had a chance to show faith or works. The problem with that idea is the assumption that "beforehand" means before the making of the pot. The language makes this idea impossible.
The text says that God prepared the vessels beforehand for glory. The "beforehand" must refer to a time before the receiving of the glory, not to the time before he made the vessels, because God couldn't possibly prepare the vessels before he made the vessels. Paul is saying that God prepared the vessels before they received the glory. The "which" in verse 23 refers to the vessels, not to the mercy ("which" in the Greek is plural, as is "vessels," while "mercy" is singular). God did not prepare the mercy beforehand, that is, before making the vessels to receive that mercy. God prepared the vessels before the reception of the glory. And it certainly doesn't state that God cannot change His mind regarding what He will do with these vessels. He might have prepared them to receive glory, but that doesn't mean the purpose couldn't change based on how the vessels turned out, as a similar illustration in Jeremiah demonstrates:
Jer 18:1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD saying,
Jer 18:2 "Arise and go down to the potter's house, and there I will announce My words to you."
Jer 18:3 Then I went down to the potter's house, and there he was, making something on the wheel.
Jer 18:4 But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make.
Jer 18:5 Then the word of the LORD came to me saying,
Jer 18:6 "Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel.
Jer 18:7 "At one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to pull down, or to destroy it;
Jer 18:8 if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it.
Jer 18:9 "Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to build up or to plant it;
Jer 18:10 if it does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will think better of the good with which I had promised to bless it.
We see in verses 9 and 10 that God, as a potter, changes His mind with regard to what he will do with the clay based on the quality of the pot's faith and works. God had planned to build up a kingdom, but their evil caused Him to change His mind.
This is also true in Romans 9. God could plan for a pot to receive glory, deciding before the reception of the glory to do so, but that doesn't necessarily mean that this decision will remain. The decision could change if the pot is no longer worthy to receive the glory.
And now to Paul's conclusion in Romans 9:
25 As He says also in Hosea,
“I will call those who were not My people, ‘My people,’
And her who was not beloved, ‘beloved.’” 26 “And it shall be that in the place where it was said to them, ‘you are not My people,’
There they shall be called sons of the living God.”
27 And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that will be saved; 28 for the Lord will execute His word upon the earth, thoroughly and quickly.” 29 And just as Isaiah foretold,
“Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left to us a posterity,
We would have become as Sodom, and would have resembled Gomorrah.”
30 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; 31 but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. 32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33 just as it is written,
“Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense,
And he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.”
Paul’s conclusion is that God, in His divine authority, has decided to save those who have faith, whether Jew or Gentile. Paul gave us examples of God’s right and power to make such decisions, decisions based on His own purposes, to show the riches of His glory. It follows, therefore, that God has the right to save people by faith rather than by works.
I have included all the major passages that Calvinists have used in my presence to prove unconditional election, and I have shown that these passages simply do not say what the Calvinists claim that they say.
It’s true that God predestines, but it is always for a purpose other than individual election to salvation. God determined that believers would be holy and conformed to the image of Christ, that they would be adopted and sons and escape His wrath, but nowhere in the Bible does it say that God decided who those believers would be.
[1] Chosen By God, R. C. Sproul Pages 154-155.
[2] Chosen By God, R. C. Sproul Pages 156.
[3] Chosen By God, R. C. Sproul Pages 156.
[4] Chosen By God, R. C. Sproul Pages 158.
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