Is unconditional election biblical?

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Is unconditional election biblical?

  • Yes, unconditional election is biblical.

    Votes: 23 43.4%
  • No , unconditional election is not biblical.

    Votes: 27 50.9%
  • I don't know.

    Votes: 3 5.7%

  • Total voters
    53

Melach

Well-known member
Mar 28, 2019
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#61
When you get involved in any sports, etcetera, it requires that you learn its' language. The same is true with regards to Christianity. For instance, some new believers don't even know that "the nations" can refer to Gentiles alone, or can refer to Gentiles AND Israel.

Same with the phrase "the peoples".

So, no matter what, there is a learning curve.

In the case of "general call" versus "effectual call", the difference is that believers preach the gospel to everyone, yet they know that only the elect will respond, and this response is because they are one of the "sheep" that Jesus says listen to his voice (John 6, 10) and have been given to him by the Father.

To deny this distinction, between the elect and the non-elect, and two different kinds of calling is really to entertain confusion.

There are reasons for theological language, and regardless of theological language, biblical language needs to be clarified, too, such as my example about "the nations", "the peoples". One can't even read Psalms with a decent level of comprehension until they know how the Bible uses phrases, etcetera.

I learned this trying to teach people in a parachurch ministry. Their eyes may have been running across the pages, but they didn't understand the meaning of the text.

Someone asked me how much Bible I read a day. I told them, two chapters. He bragged and told me that was nothing; he reads like ten chapters a day, in order to make himself appear to be the authority. Well, it was obvious from our conversation that he wasn't reading it in depth and was only letting his eyes glance over the page. I doubt if he understood phrases like "the nations", especially since he claimed Israelites were all black, latino or Native American tribes.

He also wanted everyone to use Yehoshua or something like that to refer to Jesus.

He became so angry with me for pointing out the problems with his claims, that he called me the F word, because I didn't accept them. Then he blamed me for making him cuss. I'm laughing right now thinking about that. :D
you was speaking to black hebrew israelite. i know that groups

but about what you said about sheep. dont we become sheep when we believe? once you believe you are sheep right?
 

UnitedWithChrist

Well-known member
Aug 12, 2019
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#62
you was speaking to black hebrew israelite. i know that groups

but about what you said about sheep. dont we become sheep when we believe? once you believe you are sheep right?
That wouldn't be the Reformed view.

There are individuals God has given the Son, and because he has given them to the Son, they respond to his voice when he calls. The rest do not.

In ancient Israel, sheep were kept, commonly, in one sheep pen. Several shepherds' sheep were mixed in this pen. The shepherd may leave for a while to restock or to have some recreational or family time. When he came back, he would call to the individual sheep, who recognized his voice and would make their way toward him.

The same language is used in relation to John 6, 10. Those who have been chosen by the Father from the foundation of the world WILL respond to the voice of the shepherd, and come to Christ.

I would suggest reading John 6, 10 in this regard.

I think that even Arminians acknowledge that God elects, but they claim that it is based on foreseeing the choice of the individual, rather than being caused by regeneration leading to faith and repentance. In essence, that is claiming the person chooses themselves, no matter how they repackage it.

To summarize, the Reformed position is that God has already chosen a group of people to give Christ, from the foundation of the world, and they will come to Him because God causes it, from beginning to end. He does this by drawing them, and changing their nature so that they repent and believe. This is necessary for everyone who is saved, since the nature of fallen man is that of a rebel who hates God, like their father Adam.

Some may claim they are not enemies of God, but that is the reality. The human heart is deceitfully wicked, and fools itself into thinking it is good. I remember when God showed me that my mind was deceitfully wicked, by causing me to understand Jeremiah 17:9 and Romans 8:7.
 

Melach

Well-known member
Mar 28, 2019
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#63
That wouldn't be the Reformed view.

There are individuals God has given the Son, and because he has given them to the Son, they respond to his voice when he calls. The rest do not.

In ancient Israel, sheep were kept, commonly, in one sheep pen. Several shepherds' sheep were mixed in this pen. The shepherd may leave for a while to restock or to have some recreational or family time. When he came back, he would call to the individual sheep, who recognized his voice and would make their way toward him.

The same language is used in relation to John 6, 10. Those who have been chosen by the Father from the foundation of the world WILL respond to the voice of the shepherd, and come to Christ.

I would suggest reading John 6, 10 in this regard.

I think that even Arminians acknowledge that God elects, but they claim that it is based on foreseeing the choice of the individual, rather than being caused by regeneration leading to faith and repentance. In essence, that is claiming the person chooses themselves, no matter how they repackage it.
i am sorry.

i read john 10 and you are right actually i am forced to admit. i said wrong. i said opposite of what bible order: i said we believe and then come sheep.

bible says you believe becasue you are sheep. it says you do not believe because you are not sheep.

John 10:26
But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.

John 8:47
Whoever belongs to God hears the words of God. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God."

i found john 8:47 in the footnotes to that john 10 too
 
Sep 1, 2019
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Wyoming
#64
Unconditional election is the second doctrine of grace that I would like to cover.

I would like to say that the interaction on this forum concerning Reformed theology has, in fact, entrenched me even deeper, and incited me to do a quick review on the topic.

In fact, I think the doctrines are even more important now.

Why?

Predestination is a major teaching within Reformed theology. God doesn't simply provide his revelation about irrelevant teachings.

Why is predestination important?

1) it inspires praise. Realizing that God has chosen the elect since the foundation of the earth should cause believers to rejoice. We see Paul referring
to election as a reason for praise in Ephesians 1.
2) it inspires courage. Realizing that God is in control, and is not some weak, emasculated idol who is not in control inspires those who are in
covenant with him.
3) it humbles prideful, sinful man, who is forced to realize that God is the potter, and humans are the clay. That is one of the messages of Romans 9.
Man-centered theology makes me retch.

Anyways, the poll is simply, is unconditional election biblical? I will present several biblical texts to support my contention that it is.
I made a mistake in giving thumbs up to this message. There is no such thing as unconditional election because it robs us of our free will to choose or reject God's free offer of eternal salvation.

God has chosen Christ to be the elect to save the world (Ps 89:3, Isa 42:1, 43:10, 49:7, Mat 12:18, Lk 9:35, 23:35). We, on the other hand, are chosen IN HIM (Eph. 1:4)
 

UnitedWithChrist

Well-known member
Aug 12, 2019
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#65
i am sorry.

i read john 10 and you are right actually i am forced to admit. i said wrong. i said opposite of what bible order: i said we believe and then come sheep.

bible says you believe becasue you are sheep. it says you do not believe because you are not sheep.

John 10:26
But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.

John 8:47
Whoever belongs to God hears the words of God. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God."

i found john 8:47 in the footnotes to that john 10 too
That's a good verse, too. No reason to be sorry; you were just asking for clarification. I actually like being challenged in the right attitude.
 

Melach

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Mar 28, 2019
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#66
That's a good verse, too. No reason to be sorry; you were just asking for clarification. I actually like being challenged in the right attitude.
but if the only reason people dont believe is because they arent sheep like Jesus said. why do we keep preaching the gospel over and over to same people? why bother. they wont believe cause they arent sheep

this means i was sheep before i even believed how is that possible?
 

UnitedWithChrist

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Aug 12, 2019
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#67
I made a mistake in giving thumbs up to this message. There is no such thing as unconditional election because it robs us of our free will to choose or reject God's free offer of eternal salvation.

God has chosen Christ to be the elect to save the world (Ps 89:3, Isa 42:1, 43:10, 49:7, Mat 12:18, Lk 9:35, 23:35). We, on the other hand, are chosen IN HIM (Eph. 1:4)
That's a popular claim amongst non-Reformed people.

Of course, I believe Christ was elect in one sense, but this doesn't negate the election of His people.

To claim that is, in essence, to deny that God chooses, and there are other verses to support this.

Particularly, 1 Corinthians 1 comes to mind. Paul says that God chose individuals who were not noble, strong, or mighty so that his glory can be shown, and that boasting would not be possible.

Leighton Flowers and others have taught this corporate election view, and it has been popularized through him and a few others.
 

UnitedWithChrist

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Aug 12, 2019
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#68
but if the only reason people dont believe is because they arent sheep like Jesus said. why do we keep preaching the gospel over and over to same people? why bother. they wont believe cause they arent sheep

this means i was sheep before i even believed how is that possible?
The gospel is the means that the elect come to faith. The preacher doesn't know which ones are elect. He simply preaches to everyone.

Election only marks out specific individuals for salvation. Jesus' atonement secures their salvation. The Holy Spirit applies salvation to the elect. Those pieces can't be viewed in isolation.
 

UnitedWithChrist

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#69
but if the only reason people dont believe is because they arent sheep like Jesus said. why do we keep preaching the gospel over and over to same people? why bother. they wont believe cause they arent sheep

this means i was sheep before i even believed how is that possible?
You were marked out for salvation, but the atonement was not applied to you at that point.
 

Melach

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Mar 28, 2019
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#70
You were marked out for salvation, but the atonement was not applied to you at that point.
what about the goats. can they become sheep ever ? because born again. so they are born again as sheep?
 

ForestGreenCook

Well-known member
Jul 8, 2018
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#71
I don't believe it is conditional. I believe it is unconditional, if you are talking about unconditional election. I hold a Reformed view, and I believe God elects individuals unconditionally. He regenerates the elect, and causes them to believe and to repent through the liberation resulting from being born again.

I presented the opposite view, though, for comparison purposes. And, the opposite view claims that God elects based on foreseen faith. They believe that the person, in essence, elects himself through his free-will choice to believe and repent.

This would, in essence, mean that God does not choose. And this is a view I reject.
Sorry, I got side tracked by your different views.
 

UnitedWithChrist

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#73
what about the goats. can they become sheep ever ? because born again. so they are born again as sheep?
It depends on how Christ is using the metaphor of a sheep in the particular teaching.

In this case, I think he's using it in regards to the elect versus the non-elect. For instance, there are sheep that listen, and belong to him, and there are other sheep who do not, and do not belong to him.

In another teaching (Matthew 25), the sheep are all those who belong to him, and the goats are those who do not.

In one teaching, "leaven" is used as a symbol of the Kingdom of God and how it is spread. In another teaching, leaven is the false doctrine of Pharisees.

You have to consider what's being taught in a particular teaching in order to understand how he's using the symbol.

In this case, I'd say the contrast is between one group of sheep (the elect) which are mixed in with other sheep (the non-elect).
 

Melach

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Mar 28, 2019
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#74
It depends on how Christ is using the metaphor of a sheep in the particular teaching.

In this case, I think he's using it in regards to the elect versus the non-elect. For instance, there are sheep that listen, and belong to him, and there are other sheep who do not, and do not belong to him.

In another teaching (Matthew 25), the sheep are all those who belong to him, and the goats are those who do not.

In one teaching, "leaven" is used as a symbol of the Kingdom of God and how it is spread. In another teaching, leaven is the false doctrine of Pharisees.

You have to consider what's being taught in a particular teaching in order to understand how he's using the symbol.

In this case, I'd say the contrast is between one group of sheep (the elect) which are mixed in with other sheep (the non-elect).
but if Jesus says only those will believe who are sheep. and those who dont believe its beacuse they arent sheep. that tells me there is no chance for those non-sheep in that context . because they just wont believe.

thats what it says. but God also says He wants all saved and to come to knowledge of truth but why does it say that then? dont say that all kinds of men excuse its so weak.
 

ForestGreenCook

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Jul 8, 2018
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#75
Good question.

By the way, I hate the word Calvinism and hardly ever use it to refer to myself.

The obvious charge will be that its adherents follow a man. I didn't even know Calvin's name when I began to understand predestination. My Arminian pastor told me about him when I brought up what I was learning from Romans back then.

And, then, there's always the bogus claims regarding John Calvin and Michael Servetus, which are highly distorted. Unfortunately guys like Dave Hunt have spread a lot of misinformation in the church.

By the way, i heard a great podcast that displays the historical nonsense regarding Calvin and Servetus by Tyler Vela.

He does a lot of good podcasts, some of which are related to Reformed theology:

https://thefreedthinker.podbean.com...story-matters-calvin-and-the-servetus-affair/
I, also, am branded by the people on this forum as "a Calvinist" and I have never read his writings. I have heard people say that he interpreted the scriptures to teach that all things are predestined by God, eliminating free will. Is this true of his teachings or not? I believe the scriptures to teach that God has given man a free will to choose how he wants to live his life while he lives on earth, but that man has no choice in his eternal destination.
 

UnitedWithChrist

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#76
By the way, my position would be that predestination is meant to be a tremendous source of encouragement to God's people, and the opposite view simply does not lead in that direction.

Additionally, those who deny it are not glorifying God for their salvation, but are in fact engaged in self-glory whether they understand it or not. I see a consistent emphasis on God's Glory Alone (soli deo gloria) amongst Reformed believers that is not present in the "free will" churches I've attended.
 

ForestGreenCook

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Jul 8, 2018
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#77
It depends on how Christ is using the metaphor of a sheep in the particular teaching.

In this case, I think he's using it in regards to the elect versus the non-elect. For instance, there are sheep that listen, and belong to him, and there are other sheep who do not, and do not belong to him.

In another teaching (Matthew 25), the sheep are all those who belong to him, and the goats are those who do not.

In one teaching, "leaven" is used as a symbol of the Kingdom of God and how it is spread. In another teaching, leaven is the false doctrine of Pharisees.

You have to consider what's being taught in a particular teaching in order to understand how he's using the symbol.

In this case, I'd say the contrast is between one group of sheep (the elect) which are mixed in with other sheep (the non-elect).
I am trying to follow your line of thinking, so, can you give me an example scripture that uses "sheep" as non-elect?
 

UnitedWithChrist

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#78
but if Jesus says only those will believe who are sheep. and those who dont believe its beacuse they arent sheep. that tells me there is no chance for those non-sheep in that context . because they just wont believe.

thats what it says. but God also says He wants all saved and to come to knowledge of truth but why does it say that then? dont say that all kinds of men excuse its so weak.
That's the reasoning I would use for the verse. Paul tells the believers in the Church to pray for governing powers. This is one section of the believing world. God wants all kinds of men to be saved.

You have Scriptures that need reconciled, if you deny election, too...in fact many more. You already said that these individuals believe because they are Jesus' sheep, not vice versa.
 

UnitedWithChrist

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#79
I am trying to follow your line of thinking, so, can you give me an example scripture that uses "sheep" as non-elect?
John 10. There are sheep who belong to Jesus, and hear his voice, and there are sheep that do not. The ones that are his listen. The others don't.
 

Melach

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Mar 28, 2019
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#80
That's the reasoning I would use for the verse. Paul tells the believers in the Church to pray for governing powers. This is one section of the believing world. God wants all kinds of men to be saved.

You have Scriptures that need reconciled, if you deny election, too...in fact many more. You already said that these individuals believe because they are Jesus' sheep, not vice versa.
i will look maybe there is better explanation. i dont watn to deny either verse but it looks like they are outdoing each other.

John 10. There are sheep who belong to Jesus, and hear his voice, and there are sheep that do not. The ones that are his listen. The others don't.
are these other sheep saved too or lost?