In
Calvinist theology, unconditional election is considered to be one aspect of predestination in which God chooses certain individuals to be saved. Those elected receive mercy, while those not elected, the
reprobates, receive justice without condition. This unconditional election is essentially related to the rest of the
TULIP doctrinal outline and hinges upon the supreme belief in the absolute
sovereignty of God over the affairs of man. God unconditionally elects certain people even though they are sinful as an act of his saving grace apart from the shortcomings or will of man. Those chosen have done nothing to deserve this grace.
All this can be easily refuted and disproven. There are NO verses that say that election is to salvation, and in EVERY verse that includes the purpose of the election mentioned, it about service.
Let's start with the most obvious election: the election of Jesus Christ.
I Jesus Christ is The Chosen One:
Matt 12:18 - “Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
Mark 10:45 - For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but
to serve, and give His life a ransom for many (the masses).
1 Pet 2:6 - For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”
Isa 42:1 - “Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations.
Isa 43:10 - “You are My witnesses”, declares the Lord, “and
My servant, whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after Me.”
Luke 9:35 - A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is
my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.”
Luke 23:35 - The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself
if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”
Acts 3:13 - The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified
His servant Jesus. You handed Him over to be killed,and you disowned Him before Pilate, though he had decided to let Him go.
Acts 3:20 - and that he may send
the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus.
Acts 4:27 - Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against Your
holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed .
Acts 4:30 - Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your
holy servant Jesus.
Acts 10:42 - He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that He is the One whom God
appointed as judge of the living and the dead.
Acts 17:31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by
the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”
Romans 15:8 - For I tell you that
Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs
Eph 1:22 - And
God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church,
Phil 2:7 - but made Himself nothing, taking on the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
Heb 1:2 - but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son,
whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.
Heb 2:17 - For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that
he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.
Heb 3:2 -
He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house.
Heb 3:2-6 compares Jesus with Moses as as faithful
servant, who was appointed.
Heb 5:10 - God
appointed him chief priest in the way Melchizedek was a priest.
Heb 7:28 - For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law,
appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.
Heb 8:3 -
Every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices, and so it was necessary for this One ((Jesus) also to have something to offer.
Heb 10:7 - Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—
I have come to do your will, my God.’ ”
If election is to salvation, then none of these verses mean anything.
Then consider the nation of Israel, chosen of God. For salvation? No, but for service.
Then consider angels:
Angels were elected to service:
1 Tim 5:21 - I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism.
Heb 1:7 - In speaking of the angels he says, “He makes
his angels spirits, and his servants flames of fire.”
Heb 1:14 - Are not
all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?
Rev 19:10 - At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Don’t do that!
I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.”
Rev 22:8,9
8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me.
9 But he said to me, “Don’t do that!
I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll. Worship God!”