Quotes (#14)

"The elect are gathered into Christ's flock by a call not immediately at birth, and not all at the same time, but according as it pleases God to dispense His grace to them. But before they are gathered unto that Supreme Shepherd, they wander scattered in the wilderness common to all; and they do not differ at all from others except that they are protected by God's especial mercy from rushing headlong into the final ruin of death."-John Calvin

R.C. Sproul on Election

This message from R.C. Sproul deals with election & the sovereignty of God in salvation.

Charles Spurgeon on One's Salvation

This quote comes from Charles Spurgeon's book Morning by Morning: Daily Readings for the Family or the Closet, which was published in 1867. I think he was dead on.

"IN the resurrection of Christ, as in our salvation, there was put forth nothing short of a divine power. What shall we say of those who think that conversion is wrought by the free will of man, and is due to his own betterness of disposition? When we shall see the dead rise from the grave by their own power, then may we expect to see ungodly sinners of their own free will turning to Christ. It is not the word preached, nor the word read in itself; all quickening power proceeds from the Holy Ghost. This power was irresistible. All the soldiers and the high priests could not keep the body of Christ in the tomb; Death himself could not hold Jesus in his bonds : even thus irresistible is the power put forth in the believer when he is raised to newness of life. No sin, no corruption, no devils in hell, nor sinners upon earth, can stay the hand of God's grace when it intends to convert a man. If God omnipotently says, 'Thou shalt,' man shall not say, 'I will not.' Observe that the power which raised Christ from the dead was glorious. It reflected honor upon God, and wrought dismay in the hosts of evil. So there is great glory to God in the conversion of every sinner. It was everlasting power. 'Christ, being raised from the dead, dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over Him.' So we, being raised from the dead, go not back to our dead works, nor to our old corruptions, but we live unto God. 'Because He lives we live also.' 'For we are dead, and our life is hid with Christ in God.' 'Like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.' Lastly, in the text mark the union of the new life to Jesus. The same power which raised the Head works life in the members. What a blessing to be quickened together with Christ!”-Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892)

"When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross." (Colossians 2:13-14)

The Problem of Free Will: Do We Choose God, or Did He Choose Us?

There was an interesting story about a month or so ago in "the Christian Post." According to the ministry "Campus Crusade For Christ," there were 1 million "decisions for Christ" in June alone. Now, this actually begs the question: do we choose God and are we saved by our "decision for Christ", or was it God who chose us and indeed saves us? Well, I guess we have no choice but to look at the Bible and what it says about Salvation and God's choice.

Concerning God's Role in Salvation:
"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day." (John 8:44)

Now, concerning predestination/election:

"And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days." (Mark 13:20)

"For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified." (Romans 8:29-30)

"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 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 1:3-7)

"In Him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of His glory." (Ephesians 1:11)

So, it seems perfectly clear that it is God who has chosen us, as Ephesians 1:4 puts it, "before the foundation of the world." Now, why did God choose some of us. Well, according to Ephesians 1:7 & 11, to bring Himself glory.

Now, I know that this will drive Arminians absolutely nuts, I think namely because they would argue that it's unfair that God saves some and not others. In fact, I used to be of that mindset. However, when it was explained to me that God wasn't under any obligation to save ANYONE, I truly feel that was God working in my heart.

Furthermore, even if the doctrine of election and predestination wasn't even addressed in the New Testament, one could make a case for God's sovereign choice just based on Old Testament precedent. I mean, if we look, all the great saints of the Old Testament like Abraham, Moses & Aaron (in fact, in Psalms 105:26explecitly states that Moses & Aaron were chosen by God), the prophets like Ezekiel, Samuel, and others were chosen by God.

So, I don't think that anyone really had "free-will" to choose God. Furthermore, given the fact that we are evil sinners, and of our father the devil, if, or until, God saves us, unrestrained "free-will" is the last thing we want.