BIBLE STUDY MANUALS: SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD AND MAN IN SALVATION

THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD AND MAN IN AN INDIVIDUAL'S SALVATION UNTO ETERNAL LIFE

I) GOD CHOSE BELIEVERS TO BE IN CHRIST, I.E., SAVED

A) [Compare Eph 1:4-5, 11]:

(v. 4) "For He [God the Father, (v. 3a)] chose us [believers, (v. 1)] in Him [i.e., to be in Christ - to be saved, (v. 3b)] before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight."

[J. Dwight Pentecost in his book, "Things Which Become Sound Doctrine," Revell Publishing, Westwood, N.J., 1965, pp. 135-6]:

["This truth is presented to us in Ephesians 1:4 where the Apostle reminds us that God has chosen us in Him (that is, in Christ) before the foundation of the world...

God's purpose was determined previous to the actual act of creation....

God... was the Architect of a plan, (cf v. 11)."]

(v. 5) [In love, (v. 4c)] He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will.

(v. 11) In Him we were also chosen having been predestinated according to the plan of Him Who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will"

Notice that God indeed has a "plan" and He elects and predestines "everything according to [that] plan" and He "works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will" not the will of man. So God's election of some is not as a result of man's will to believe in the gospel, but of God's will and purpose in accordance with His plan.

B) [1 Thes 1:4-5]:

(v. 4) "Knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you,

["eklogen" = calling out of, election]

(v. 5) for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake."

C) [1 Pet 1:1-2]:

(v. 1) "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia,

(v. 2) who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by His blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance."

[Wuest, op. cit., pp. 30-31]:

"The word 'elect.... is the translation of the noun form of this verb eklego. Here these are said to be 'selected out ones', this selection being dominated by the foreordination of God the Father in the sphere of the setting apart work of the Spirit resulting in obedience and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.' We have here three steps God takes in the salvation of a sinner. God the Father selects him out from among mankind. This selection is made in the sphere of the setting apart work of the Spirit, which the Holy Spirit brings that sinner to the act of faith in the Lord Jesus, which faith is answered by the act of God the Son cleansing him in His precious blood. God the Father selects, God the Spirit brings to the act of faith, and God the Son cleanses the believing sinner in His precious blood.

D) [Compare Acts 4:27-28]:

(v. 27) "For truly in this city there were gathered together against Thy holy Servant Jesus, Whom Thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel.

(v. 28) to do whatever Thy hand and Thy purpose predestined to occur."

E) [Compare Lam 3:37-38]:

(v. 37) "Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it?

(v. 38) Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come?"

God is sovereign in all that occurs - the good and the bad. For example, those who of their own volition believe in Christ as Savior were decreed to believe of their own volition and those who reject Christ as Savior of their own volition were decreed to do just that of their own volition.

III) GOD DID NOT ELECT CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS ON ACCOUNT OF FOREKNOWING THAT THEY WOULD ACCEPT CHRIST AS SAVIOR BUT ON ACCOUNT OF HIS DECREE THAT THEY WOULD ACCEPT CHRIST AS SAVIOR

A) [1 Pet 1:2]:

"[God's elect, (v. 1)] who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by His blood...."

IV) ELECTION

A) ELECT AND ELECTION DEFINED

The elect = the chosen = the selected out ones = those who are appointed by God for a certain object or goal.

Election = the process of selecting out, choosing, appointing for a certain object or goal.

It is indeed true that God calls out some for the purpose of salvation and others He does not.

V) GOD HARDENS THE NON-ELECT

A) [Compare Ro 11:5-8]:

(v. 5) "So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.

(v. 6) And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.

(v. 7) What then? What Israel sought so earnestly it did not obtain, but the elect did. The others [the non-elect] were hardened,

[Notice that God hardened the hearts of the non-elect]

(v. 8) as it is written: 'God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes so that they could not see and ears so that they could not hear, to this very day.' "

VI) ONLY THOSE WHO ARE GIVEN BY THE FATHER TO THE SON WILL COME TO THE SON

A) [Compare Jn 6:37, 44, 65]:

(v. 37) "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me I will never drive away."

Those who are given by the Father to the Son will then come to the Son, i.e., believe in Him and be saved unto eternal life.

Note that the Father is sovereign in His choice of whom to give to the Son - not depending upon the will of man.

Since not all men will be saved,

then only some will be chosen to be given by the Father to the Son, i.e., only some are elect and will be saved.

VII) AND NO ONE CAN COME TO THE SON UNLESS THE FATHER DRAWS AND ENABLES HIM

A) [Jn 6:44, 65]:

(v. 44) "No one can come to Me, unless the Father Who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.

(v. 65) He [Jesus] went on to say, 'This is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless the Father has enabled him.' "

[If all individuals, elect and non-elect are drawn/enabled by the Father to the Son to be saved, then our Lord's statement in verse 44, 'No one can come to Me, unless the Father Who sent me draws him,' of verse 65: "...enabled" would be redundant. But this is not the case, one must draw the conclusion here that only those who are to be 'raised... up on the last day' are drawn/enabled by the Father, i.e., only those who are elect are drawn & enabled.

So, since not all men will be saved,

and since only all of those who are drawn and enabled by the Father to come to Christ will come to Christ,

then not all men will be drawn and enabled by the Father to be saved]

B) [Compare Jn 12:32]:

"But I [Jesus Christ, (v. 30)], when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself."

[BKC, NT, Walvoord & Zuck, Victor Books, USA, 1988, p. 318]:

"Jesus said that at the cross He would draw all men to Himself. He did not mean everybody will be saved [or drawn by the Father to the Son] for He made it clear that some will be lost (John 5:28-29). If the drawing by the Son is the same as that of the Father (6:44), it means He will draw indiscriminately [i.e., not just one kind of men, but draw from the entire population of men]. Those saved will include not only Jews, but also those from every tribe, language, people, and nation (Rev 5:9; cf. John 10:16; 11:52).

[Bob Wilken, 'A Faith in Christ Alone Which Won't Save? ", John 8:30-31?]:

"If I be lifted up, I will draw all unto Me (John 12:32)." All most naturally refers to all people, each and every one--including the non-elect. In John 16:9-11 Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. That is the same world as in John 3:16. Christ died for all (John 3:16; 1 John 2:2) and all are being drawn by God to Him. God is drawing both the elect and the non-elect to Himself. This can easily be seen from the Gospels. Judas was surely drawn to Christ in a very intense way. That is why his guilt is so great. The nation of Israel was being drawn. Jesus said that the guilt of those in Chorazin and Bethsaida would be greater than that of those from ancient Tyre and Sidon because they had rejected greater light (Luke 10:13-16). Indeed, Jesus indicted the whole generation for rejecting One greater than Solomon and Jonah (Luke 11:29-32).

C) [Jn 10:16]:

"I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd."

Although no man can come unless the Father draw him, (v. 44)...[unless the Father gives him to the Son, (v. 37), and unless the Father enables him, (v. 65)]; the choice of an individual to believe IS of the individual's volition; nevertheless the individual's volition without God's drawing will inevitably be to choose NOT TO BELIEVE

So without God's drawing, man will not choose to believe in God's Son for eternal life.

The following passage indicates that there are those who will go to destruction, denying the Lord Who bought them out of that destruction - thus indicating that the Father must indeed draw men unto Himself in order for them to be saved:

4) [2 Pet 2:1]:

(v. 1) "But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord Who bought them - bringing swift destruction on themselves."

This verse says that "the sovereign Lord...bought them", i.e., redeemed them by what He did on the cross, (cp. Gal 3:13-14). It is saying that the great redeeming work of Christ extends to false prophets and teachers and all men who deny the "Lord Who bought them" [i.e., men who never trusted in Him for salvation], meaning that He made provision for their salvation. But those false teachers are never saved because they never chose to believe in Christ as Savior, they instead "bring swift destruction on themselves" by denying Christ.

[So those who have brought 'swift destruction on themselves' were not given by the Father to the Son, nor drawn by the Father to the Son]

Since every man has already been purchased out of the condition of condemnation, and the only thing remaining for them to do is to accept salvation by faith alone in Christ alone,

and since no man of his own accord can accept the sole condition of faith alone in Christ alone unto eternal life, (Ro 8:7-8), then it surely must take God Himself to bring an individual to Himself unto eternal life through His sovereign electing process. This on the other hand does not interfere with man's personal volition to choose or not to choose to believe in God's Son for eternal life.

5) [Compare Ro 8:7-8]:

(v. 7) "The sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so.

(v. 8) Those controlled by the sinful nature [= unbelievers, (v. 9)] cannot please God [i.e., cannot exercise faith in Christ unto salvation or anything else. Unbelievers cannot please God because they will not. The will is a matter of man's volition. So man may choose to believe if he somehow chooses of his own volition, overriding his own sin nature / evil will and choosing to believe what he formerly would not believe. It's a matter of man's will].

(v. 9) You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ."

6) [Compare 2 Cor 4:3-4]:

"The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, Who is the image of God."

Notice that while one is an unbeliever one is blinded to the gospel - helpless and hopeless - unable to please God through faith in His Son. He cannot believe because he will not, albeit he does have the capacity to believe in God's Son for eternal life.

Since all men before they become believers have sinful minds, are controlled by the sinful nature all of the time and are blinded to the gospel, they therefore cannot please God with faith in His Son unto salvation,

then no one solely of his own accord can be saved - because they will not. Without the drawing of God an individual will not persuade himself to choose of his own volition to believe. He cannot because he will not.

7) [Compare Jn 12:37-40]:

(v. 37) '''Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him.

(v. 38) This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: "Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?"

(v. 39) For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:

(v. 40) "He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn--and I would heal them." '''

a) INDIVIDUALS WHO WOULD NOT BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST GOD MADE IT SO THEY COULD NOT BELIEVE

[BKC, op. cit., pp. 319-320]:

"12:37. John from the beginning of his Gospel (1:11) had sounded the theme of national unbelief. John now explained that in spite of all Jesus' miraculous signs (sEmeia), they still would not believe in Him. Their unbelief was irrational, as sin always is.

12:38. The Jews' national, irrational unbelief had been predicted by Isaiah the prophet. The clearest Old Testament passage concerning the suffering Servant (Isa 53:1-12) began by stating that Israel would not perceive God's revelation in and through the Servant. Who has believed our message and seen His arm...revealed? implies that only a few have believed (quoting Isa 53:1).

12:39-40. Then John again quoted from Isaiah (6:10) to explain that the nation as a whole was unable to believe. Because they constantly rejected God's revelation, He had punished them with judicial blindness and deadened... hearts. People in Jesus' day, like those in Isaiah's day, refused to believe. They 'would not believe' (John 12:37); therefore they could not believe (v. 39). Similar illustrations of God's punishing of persistent sin by hardening are common (Ex 9:12; Rom 1:24, 26, 28; 2 Thes 2:8-12).'''

C) ELECTION IS THE WORK OF GOD. IT IS NOT A MATTER OF THE INDIVIDUAL ELECTING GOD AND THEN GOD ELECTING HIM IN RESPONSE - AND NEITHER GOD'S JUSTICE NOR MAN'S FREE WILL IS IMPUGNED

Just as the coach of a team chooses those on the team who are going to play in a particular game,

his choice being dependent upon his will and not on the will of those on his team - otherwise it's not his choice at all -

and his choice not restricting the free will choice of his chosen players to play in that game;

so in a similar way God elects those of mankind who are going to be provided with the gift of faith unto salvation,

His choice being dependent upon His plan and will and not on the will of man - otherwise it is not God's choice at all -

and His choice not restricting the free will choice of His elect to believe in Christ as Savior.

If God's election were dependent upon man's choosing God first, then God's choice would not be His but man's, and God's sovereignty in this matter would be subjected to man's will.

Furthermore, just as a ballplayer's free will to choose to play the game is not overrided by the coach's choice for him to play - it's both,

in the same way, man's free will to choose to believe is not overrided by God's choice for him to believe - it's both!

[Pentecost, op. cit., pp. 139-141]:

[Election]"...means 'to call out.' It has to do with selection... Election is the sovereign work of God, according to His own purpose and will, predetermined by His foreordination, in which He selects those through whom the divine purpose will be fulfilled. We refer you again to Ephesians 1:4: "We were chosen, in Christ, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him."

Election is the work of God. It is not a matter of the individual electing God, and then God electing him in response. We find this same truth presented in Romans where, concerning the national election of Israel, the divine principle in election was made very clear. The Apostle [Paul] says...

1) [Ro 9:10-23]:

(v. 10) "And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac;

(v. 11) For though the twins were not yet born, and had not done anything good or bad, in order that God's purpose according to His election [="Eklogen"] might stand, not because of works, but because of Him Who calls [="kalountos"],

[Notice that there was no merit or future actions foreseen or implicated in any way in either Jacob or Esau. God's choice was unaffected by the character or future action of either twin]

(v. 12) it was said to her, 'The older will serve the younger.'

(v. 13) Just as it is written, 'Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.'

(v. 14) What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be!

(v. 15) For He says to Moses, 'I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.'

(v. 16) So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God Who has mercy.

[Notice that God chooses one over another without impugning His justice, (v. 14).

Furthermore, that choice is solely in accordance with His will, (v. 15).

Finally, nothing in this operation is dependent upon the will of man, (v. 16).]

(v. 17) For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, 'For this very purpose I raised you up, to demonstrate My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth.

(v. 18) So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.

(v. 19) You will say to me then 'Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?'

(v. 20) On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, 'Why did you make me like this, 'will it? [Isa 29:16; 45:9]

(v. 21) Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump a vessel for honorable use, and another for dishonor?

["dishonor" = "atimian" = "vileness" = points to those who are destined to God's eternal wrath & condemnation.

Notice that God has "a right...to make from the same lump" of the clay of lost humanity a vessel for honorable use, the elect, and another for dishonor = eternal condemnation. And this is His right, without impugning His character, especially considering that all humanity deserves eternal condemnation]

(v. 22) What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction?

(v. 23) And He did so in order that He might make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory."

[Pentecost, cont.]:

"This passage is very important to understanding of the doctrine of election. You will notice that God [alone] is the One doing the electing; further, election was based upon the sovereign will of God [and not man's]. It was not God's response to good or evil in the one elected, for this election took place while the twins [Jacob and Esau] were in the womb of their mother, before either had done good or evil as the basis for His election or rejection. Election was to fulfill the purpose to God. God's foreordained plan was the reason for God's election of Jacob. God has separated unto Himself those through whom His program would be fulfilled."

D) ELECTION SEPARATES FROM AMONG MEN, ALL OF WHOM ARE UNDER CONDEMNATION, SOME TO FULFILL GOD'S PURPOSE OF SALVATION BY GRACE AND SOME TO FULFILL HIS PURPOSE OF DESTRUCTION

1) [Ro 9:10-23]:

(v. 10) "And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac;

(v. 11) For though the twins were not yet born, and had not done anything good or bad, in order that God's purpose according to His choice might stand, not because of works, but because of Him Who calls,