Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction and Review

All of God’s attributes operate in symphony with one another and all are rooted in His infinite, personal character.

God is omnipresent.

Omnipresence.

God is infinite.

He is everywhere at all times.

He is everywhere present in all time (past, present, future).

God is omnipotent.

Omnipotence.

God can do anything, and He freely chose to create free, moral creatures.

So salvation is founded in God’s free, sovereign will.

God is omnibenevolent.

Omnibenevolence.

God loves everyone, but He never forces people to love Him (align with Him).

Salvation’s foundation in God’s infinite love.

God is omniscient.

Omniscience.

God knows everything, and He never learns anything new.

Salvation’s foundation is in God’s sovereign omniscience.

God has a plan (because He is all-knowing).

God’s plan is the best plan (because He is all-wise).

God will complete His plan (because He is all-sovereign).

As we consider God’s omniscience, we come to God’s foreknowledge.

And perhaps the most controversial topic around salvation is the doctrine of election (or predestination).

What is Biblical election?

In Scripture, there is overlap between the words: choose, chosen, elect, election, etc.

This is also often popularly called predestination.

The idea of “calling” is related (but that would better fit under a discussion of irresistible grace).

The Hebrew word for elect (בָּחִיר, bahir) is translated into the King James OT as elect, chosen ones, chosen, choose.

Calvinism and unconditional election

In Calvinism, election means that “God is the One who has predestined us to either eternal life or eternal destruction.”

Calvinism holds to unconditional, individual election.

By unconditional, they mean not even the faith of the believer.

Wayne Grudem defined election this way.

“Election is an act of God before creation in which he chooses some people to be saved, not on account of any foreseen merit in them, but only because of his sovereign good pleasure.”

~Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, 670

Verses used to support this understanding:

“According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 - Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 - To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.”

“In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: 12 - That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.”

“For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

30 - Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”

Other verses include Acts 2:23; 13:48; 1 Peter 2:8; etc.

The Bible teaches predestination.

No one who believes the Bible denies that fact.

There is no disagreement about the fact that God predestinates.

The disagreement arises over how God predestinates.

And I disagree with how John Calvin defined it.

“By predestination we mean the eternal decree of God by which he determined with himself whatever he wished to happen with regard to every man.

All are not created on equal terms, but some are preordained to eternal life, others to eternal damnation; and, accordingly, as each has been created for one or other of these ends, we say that he has been predestined to life or death.”

~John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, 3.21.5

What John Calvin is talking about is that God has unconditionally elected some people to be destroyed…

Strong Calvinism and unconditional election to destruction

Reprobation is popularly called double predestination.

Edwin Palmer defined reprobation as…

“God’s eternal, sovereign, unconditional, immutable, wise, holy, and mysterious decree whereby, in electing some to eternal life, He passes others by, and then justly condemns them for their own sin—all to His own glory.”

~Edwin Palmer, The Five Points of Calvinism, 95.

Instead, …

“How can the gospel call be given out as a well-meant offer to all if some have already been chosen by God for damnation and thus have no chance at all, whatsoever, of being accepted by God?” ~Roger Olson, Getting the Gospel Right, 111.

It was this idea of reprobation that caused the response to William Carey.

“When God pleases to convert the heathen He will do it without your help or mine!”

The heathen are reprobate, so there is no sense in use wasting time trying to evangelize them.

Unfortunately, Calvinism proponents respond to this by saying: “Who are we to question God?”

For instance:

“It is not within the creature’s jurisdiction to call [God] into question.”

~Steele and Thomas, The Five Points of Calvinism, 31.

Even John Calvin wrote that...

Those who reject the fact that God has destined the “reprobate” to wrath “that through them God’s glory may be revealed” as “foolish men [who] contend with God.” ~John Calvin, Institutes, 3.22.11;

3.23.2

So I want to point out is that …

while it is true that we should not call God into question (e.g.

Job), …

this is not a defense for Calvinism.

Scripture highlights several Biblical elections

Angel election | 1 Tim 5:21

Leader election | 2 Sam 21:6; Ps 106:23

Select, chosen leaders of Israel were called elect.

King Saul was chosen/elected by God.

Moses was chosen/elected by God.

Messianic election | Isa 42:1-4; 1 Pet 2:6

There is the election of the Messiah as the Savior of the world.

No other person or groups of people were capable of fulfilling this election.

Only Jesus fulfilled this role.

Also, e.g.

Isaiah 49:7-10; Luke 23:35

Witnesses is plural.

Servant I have chosen is singular.

I have chosen is the same word as elect in 42:1.

Is Paul in Romans 9:10-11 rooted here?

Individual election of believers | Eph 1:4; 1 Thess 1:4; etc.

Those who are elect in the body of Christ.

There several aspect for election of those in the body of Christ.

We are elect in the Son.

The corporate election of Israel led to the elect Messiah of God offering the people redemption.

Thus, the individual election of the believer can flow from the Messianic Election of Jesus Christ as their redeemer.

Ultimately, all of what we enjoy as believers is because we are in Christ.

Jesus is the Son of God.

In Christ, I can be a son of God.

Jesus is the heir of all things.

In Christ, I am a joint-heir.

Jesus lives.

In Christ, I can live also.