Perspectives on Election

Chad Brand

• Publisher: B&H Academic
• Year: 2006
• Print ISBN: 9780805427295
• eBook ISBN: 9781433670374
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Theology

Perspectives on Election presents in counterpoint form five basic common beliefs on the doctrine of spiritual election (for example, predestination) that have developed over the course of church history with a view toward determining which is most faithful to Scripture. Each chapter is written by a prominent person within each tradition, and each writer has the opportunity to respond to each differing view.

Despite the focus upon a topic that divides many people, editor Chad Brand says, "The goal of this book is to add clarity to the discussion and to further the discussion, insofar as it is possible, in an amiable manner."

BRUCE A. WARE

Just a moment's reflection reveals how differently we commonly think within our evangelical churches from how Paul (and other biblical writers) thought about the doctrine of election. What is often to us a “controversial” and “potentially divisive” doctrine to be ignored, at best, and repulsed, at worst, was for Paul, most notably, one of the sources of his greatest joy and strength. Consider Ephesians 1. Paul begins this letter commending praise to God the Father for the many rich and wondrous blessings he has granted us in his Son (Eph. 1:3). And so as not to leave us wondering just what these blessings are that he has in mind, he proceeds to enumerate them in the verses that follow (Eph. 1:4–14). Where does he begin his recitation of God's wondrous blessings? What blessing tops the list?

Of all things, the very first blessing he extols, the one that, in the apostle's mind, constitutes the basis for the rest of the blessings that follow, is the truth that God “chose us in Him [Christ], before the foundation of the world [ezelezato emas en auto pro kataboles kosmou], to be holy and blameless in His sight” (Eph. 1:4 HCSB). And rather than leaving this notion quickly (as one would drop an unexpectedly hot pan picked up from the stove), instead he adds to this opening thought, marveling now that in love, God “predestined us to be adopted through Jesus Christ for Himself, according to His favor and will, to the praise of His glorious grace that He favored us with in the Beloved” (Eph. 1:5–6 HCSB). Let's not miss the significance here. When Paul thinks of why God is worthy of being praised, of what God has done for his people that should elicit from them deep, passionate, and wondrous worship, to the glory of his name, for the riches of his grace (Eph. 1:6), the very first thing that comes to his mind, and flows from his pen, is this truth: God chose us! God predestined us!

I cannot help but wonder if people in most of our churches were asked to list the reasons God is to be praised—that is, if they wrote down all of the blessings they could think of that God has provided for them—how many of our people would include election on the list? And, if it makes the list, for how many would election top the list? One thing seems clear: if we think one way about something, and Paul (and other biblical writers) think another way about the same thing, we are the ones in need of correction—not Paul or the Bible! Why does Paul value the truth that we often tend to shun? Why does Paul lead with a doctrine that many pastors wouldn't dream of preaching on lest they breed controversy and risk a possible church split? What did Paul have in mind with this teaching on divine election, and why is it so important?

This chapter proposes to explain and defend the position that Paul—and the Bible—understands and presents divine salvific election as unconditional, individual, and infralapsarian. Just a word of explanation of each of these elements of election may be helpful.

We are concerned with the Bible's teaching of “salvific election,” that is, election to salvation. There is no question that election is used in other contexts and with other senses than election to salvation, per se. But the richest sense of the Bible's use of election is of sinners' election to salvation. As Paul writes, “But we must always thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God has chosen you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth” (2 Thess. 2:13 HCSB). It is this glorious election to salvation we wish here to explain and defend.

“Unconditional election” refers to the claim that God's selection of those whom he would save was not based upon (or, not “conditioned” on) some fact or feature of those individuals' lives, in particular. That is, God's election of those who would be saved was not conditioned on something they would do, some choice they would make, how good or bad they might be, or anything else specifically true about them in contrast to others also enslaved to sin and deserving God's just condemnation. Rather, God elected some to be saved according to the good pleasure of his will without respect for their individual qualities, characters, actions, or choices. His election, then, was “unconditional” as it pertains to particulars of the elect persons themselves, while it is also clearly conditioned and dependent on God's own good pleasure and will.

“Individual election” asserts that God did more than (but not less than) choosing that the nation of Israel as a whole would be called out to be his people and that he did more than (but not less than) choosing that there would some day be a group or company of the saved including both Jews and Gentiles. Without doubt God did choose the nation of Israel to be a special nation of his (Deut. 7:6; 14:2), and he did determine that there be a “chosen race” (1 Pet. 2:9 HCSB), his church comprising all true believers in Jesus Christ, his bride made up of those men and women purified for his Son. But more than this, God also elected those individuals who make up the church, or who constitute the bride of Christ. Individual election, then, affirms that each individual saved person—man, woman, boy, or girl—was loved and favored by God before the creation of the world so that God specifically chose him or her from condemnation and ruin to be made his holy and blameless child (Eph. 1:4–5), conformed to the likeness of his Son (Rom. 8:29).

“Infralapsarian election” relates to the question of the moral condition of the whole of humanity whom God considered in his mind's eye and out of whom he selected those whom he would save. Did God view all of humanity as (merely) created but not yet fallen (i.e., lapsed),¹ and hence, as neither sinful nor deserving of condemnation? Or did he view humanity as the total number of all who would ever live, considered as fallen sinners, corrupted and deserving of condemnation due to their connection to Adam and his fall into sin? One thing that all sides have agreed on through the history of the church (an agreement that open theism, sadly, chooses now to dispense with, despite Scripture's clear and direct teaching) is that from “before the foundation of the world” God had in mind exactly those whom he would save (Eph. 1:4 HCSB; cf. Matt. 25:34; 2 Tim. 1:9; 1 Pet. 1:20; Rev. 13:8).

But the question here is when God chose “the elect,” though he had not as of yet created the world or any of the human beings who would populate it, did he choose these elect ones from the “pool” of humanity considered as unfallen (as argued by supralapsarianism) or considered as fallen (as argued by infralapsarianism)? The position argued here is that God considered humanity as already fallen when he chose those whom he would save. That is, he looked upon the human race in his mind's eye as those who live after (“infra”) the fall (“lapse”), and so God's election truly is an election of lost, fallen, and condemned people whom he surely and certainly will save in Christ. In short, divine election is infralapsarian.

In what follows, we shall consider each of these three main characteristics (unconditional, individual, and infralapsarian) of the salvific election taught in Scripture. While some attention will be given to a historical overview of various aspects of our discussion, since other fine overviews exist,² we will devote most of our attention to the Scripture's own teaching on these matters. In each case positive arguments will be set forth defending the position argued here, and where appropriate, the strongest and most compelling objections will be considered and responses will be given. Throughout this discussion my hope and prayer is that the wonder of God's gracious and saving election of sinners may be seen more clearly, that we may cherish this doctrine as we ought, and that God may be honored as he ought. In his election and salvation of sinners, to him alone belongs all glory and praise.

Unconditional Election

Definition and Explanation of Unconditional Election

Unconditional election to salvation may be defined as God's gracious choice, made in eternity past, of those whom he would save by faith through the atoning death of his Son, a choice based not upon anything that those so chosen would do, or any choice that they would make, or on how good or bad they might be, or on anything else specifically true about them (i.e., their qualities, characters, decisions, or actions) in contrast to others, but rather based only upon God's own good pleasure and will. In particular, and in light of the long-standing debate over this doctrine between Calvinists and Arminians, unconditional election specifically denies that God elects persons based upon his advanced knowledge, in eternity past, of their future decision of whether to receive Christ or not when presented the gospel. That is, divine election is not based upon or conditioned by the “foreseen faith” of those who will, in time, believe in Christ.

At its heart, the doctrine of unconditional election assures the believer that salvation, from beginning to end, is all of God. From God's electing in eternity past of those whom he would save, of those whom he would make “holy and blameless” (Eph. 1:4 HCSB), to the final perfection in holiness of those same elect persons who are, in time, effectually called, justified, and then glorified as they are renewed into the likeness of Christ (Rom. 8:29–30), the whole of “salvation is from the LORD” (Jon. 2:9 HCSB). To God alone, then, belongs all glory and honor, and no one may boast before the Lord of any manner of contribution to his salvation (1 Cor. 1:26–31; Eph. 2:8–9).

For if God's election of those whom he will save is conditional—conditioned upon “foreseen faith” as is often asserted and believed in the classic Arminian tradition—then there is one ultimate action relating to our salvation that we do and God specifically does not do and cannot effect. For these Arminians, while it is true that God must provide grace (prevenient grace) for any to be enabled to believe in Christ, as both Arminius³ and Wesley⁴ believed, yet it remains entirely up to the individual whether he will believe. By necessity, in light of the supposed libertarian freedom of the individual, God cannot ensure that any person will believe. God does all that he can do, but the choice, in the end, is up to us. Therefore, conditional election asserts human choice and action as that which is ultimately decisive in personal salvation. Put differently, at its most crucial moment (the moment of belief or disbelief), salvation is of us, not of the Lord.

But because “salvation is from the Lord” in every respect, from start to finish, and because to God alone belongs all glory and boasting for the gracious saving work he accomplishes and applies to sinners' lives (1 Cor. 1:26–31; Eph. 2:8–9), therefore the unconditional nature of God's election is highly valued by its advocates. Both the rightful glory of God and the proper humility of sinners are secured in salvation only when the work of salvation, from beginning to end, is grounded in God's unconditional elective purposes. With the psalmist, we proclaim, “Not to us, LORD, not to us, but to Your name give glory” (Ps. 115:1 HCSB). Only if God's election of those whom he determines to save is grounded on the good pleasure of God and not at all on any quality, decision, or action that will one day be true of those persons whom God creates can we proclaim, without qualification, that salvation is altogether from the Lord, and to him alone belongs exclusive glory.

Support for Unconditional Election

While it is clear that God's election as unconditional matters much to those of the Reformed tradition, what are the strongest reasons set forth in support of this doctrine?

Key passages teaching unconditional election. First, the clearest and most compelling understanding of many passages of Scripture indicate that God's election of those whom he will save is unconditional. Consider with me some of the main texts and the rationale for unconditional election that they provide.

John 17:2, 6, 9, 24. Jesus' high priestly prayer in John 17 is peppered with a phrase and concept that can only be accounted for rightly by appeal to God's election as unconditional. Consider Jesus' statement in John 17:1b—2: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son so that the Son may glorify You, for You gave Him authority over all flesh; so He may give eternal life to all You have given Him” (HCSB; italics added). As one reads John's Gospel, one becomes familiar with the need to stop and ponder deeply and at length the profundity of what John writes. This passage is no exception! Here Jesus says that the Father has granted him authority over all people (pases sarkos, “all flesh”) for a specific purpose (ina, “so”).

What might this purpose be? Why has the Father granted his Son universal authority? And here Jesus amazes us by indicating the purpose is, “so He may give eternal life to all” whom the Father has “given Him” (pan o dedokas auto dose autois zoen aionion). Here is authority over all in order to give eternal life to some. And what identifies those select ones to whom this eternal life is given? Those “given Him” from the Father. The Father's choice of those whom he would save is then made effective as the Son is given these very ones and grants to them his gift of eternal life. The unconditional election of the Father accounts for those who receive eternal life from the Son.

As one continues reading John 17, this theme of those “given Him” from the Father continues. Jesus revealed truth about the Father to his own disciples, and these men are identified by Jesus as “the men You gave Me from the world” (John 17:6a HCSB; italics added). Jesus continues, “They [his disciples] were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word” (John 17:6b HCSB; italics added). A few verses later he prays for his disciples, saying, “I am not praying for the world but for those You have given Me, because they are Yours” (John 17:9 HCSB; italics added). And lest we think that Jesus has in mind only the selection of the disciples alone, consider the prayer that Jesus offers for all believers: “I pray not only for these [disciples], but also for those who believe in Me through their message” (John 17:20 HCSB).⁵ And who are these subsequent believers? Do they become believers simply on their own, as they hear the gospel message from Jesus' disciples and choose to believe? Instructive here is one of Jesus' concluding statements, “Father, I desire those You have given Me to be with Me where I am” (John 17:24). Clearly, as Jesus' prayer develops, “those who believe in Me” of John 17:20 (HCSB) are the same ones as “those You have given Me” of John 17:24 (HC...

Table of contents

• Front Cover
• Half Title
• Books in this Series
• Full Title
• Copyright
• Table of Contents
• Dedication
• Contributors
• Preface
• Chapter 1
• Chapter 2
• Chapter 3
• Chapter 4
• Chapter 5
• Chapter 6
• Chapter 7
• Chapter 8
• Chapter 9
• Chapter 10
• Author Index
• Subject Index