ELECTION

•         God does make sovereign choices (Am. 3:2; Jn. 15:16; Acts 9:15; Rom. 11:2), and God does allow man to make free choices (Rom. 10:13; Rev. 22:17).

•         Jesus died for the sins of the whole world, not just for the world of the saved (Jn. 3:16; 1 Jn. 2:2). Jesus died to be the Savior of the world (1 Jn. 4:14).

•         Salvation began with the call (Rom. 8:28-30) of God (Jn. 6:44; Eph. 1:4; 1 Jn. 4:19).

•         God did not choose to save some because He foresaw any goodness in them (Rom. 9:11; 1 Cor. 1:27-28). God chose to save only because He loved.

•         Salvation comes entirely by grace without works (Mt. 20:1-16, 22:14; Rom. 3:24, 4:4). God originated salvation because of His mercy and compassion rather than man’s will or strenuous effort.

•         Those who will receive salvation through faith make up the elect while those who will not come to God by faith in Christ make up the lost (Jn. 5:40). God only refuses individuals who seek salvation of works (Rom. 3:20, 4:2, 9:32, 11:6; Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:9; Tit. 3:5).

•         God does not will arbitrarily that some go to damnation and others to salvation (1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Pet. 3:9). God’s Word never spoke of a predestination to the fire of condemnation (election only spoken about those who believe). The lost fit themselves to destruction (Rom. 9:22).

•         People willingly harden themselves to the gospel by the rejection of light and bring judgment upon themselves (Rom. 1:21).

•         Jesus demonstrated the necessity for evangelism and missions (Lk. 14:23). Jesus offered salvation to whosoever will (Mt. 11:28; Jn. 7:37).

•         Election includes the truth that God who determined (Acts 4:28; Rom. 8:29-30; 1 Cor. 2:7; Eph. 1:5-11) the plan of salvation will complete His purpose (Rom. 8:28, 9:11; Eph. 1:11, 3:11; 2 Tim. 1:9) by keeping believers saved (perseverance). God ultimately purposed to make fallen sons of Adam into the image of His Son in glory. The temptations and sufferings of the present only shape believers into the image of the glorified Christ.

•         Saved people should humbly stand in awe of God who mercifully chose to save them (1 Tim. 1:12).