Opening Statement - Peter Pike

While it is true that unconditional election is the logical outcome of a belief in the Calvinistic doctrine of Total Depravity it must also be proven apart from that doctrine because even if Total Depravity is true and all mankind is evil and will not come to God apart from His grace, that does not mean God could not have simply enabled all to either accept or reject Him at some point in their lives. However, we know such a choice is not possible based on both the logic of how a choice is made and on the Word of God.

But first, what is unconditional election? Simply put, it is the doctrine that God chose who will be saved, not because of anything that anyone has done, but based on His own purposes alone (therefore, it is not conditional on what the sinner does). The logic of this is easy to see--if we are saved because of something we have done, then we have merited our own salvation, and salvation becomes a work; only if Christ is the author of our faith (Hebrews 12:2) can we truly be saved by grace instead of works.

Further examination of the logic of choice making helps clarify the situation. How do we choose to do anything? We choose something based on our strongest desire. Therefore, if we were to choose to follow Christ, we must first have the desire to do so. If God made everyone neutral so there was no desire either way, then none could choose anything. Since we know some are saved and some are not, obviously we must figure out a reason why this happens. There are only two possibilities. The first is that some people are able to believe and others not because of something in and of themselves--but that would make God into a respecter of persons. Only those who are smart enough or logical enough (or whatever is needed for faith) could believe. The other solution is that God Himself decides for His own reasons who He wants saved and works to ensure their salvation. This is not making God a respecter of persons since He chooses based on His own desires, not one what each person is capable of themselves.

But granted that's just logic--what does the Bible say about election? Perhaps the most famous passage is in Romans 9. Paul writes specifically about God's purpose in election, using the story of Jacob and Esau. He writes: "[B]efore the twins were born or had done anything good or bad--in order that God's purpose in election might stand : not by works but by him who calls--she was told, 'The older will serve the younger.' Just as it is written: 'Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.'" (verse 11-13). The key is that God's election happened before the twins had done anything good or bad. Knowing that people would find this hard to swallow, Paul immediately writes, "What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! For he says to Moses, 'I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.' It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy." (verses 14-16).

We see, therefore, that election is based on God and His mercy, not on what man desires or tries to do. But the question still remains--is this grace given to all and some can reject it, or is it just given to some? Consider verses 22-24 of Romans 9: 'What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath--prepared for destruction? What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory--even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?" This passage shows us that there are some "prepared for destruction" and some "prepared in advance for glory." If the preparation was based on what actions each individual did, then there would hardly have been the complain voiced in verse 14 (and again in verse 19) that God is unjust in blaming people for their own actions. This objection only makes sense if these preparations refer to God working His own will independently of what we wish and do ourselves.

If Romans was the only place that this was mentioned, it would be more than enough to establish unconditional election. But there are many other passages indicating unconditional election as well! Perhaps the second most famous passage is found in Ephesians 1. The most important verses are hereby displayed: "For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will" (verse 4-5). "In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will." (verse 11).

This passage shows us two important things. First, that God has a plan for everything, and secondly that everything works out according to that plan. The plan was in place before the creation of the world, which echoes Romans 9 in regards to God's plan being in place before the twins had done good and evil. That plan includes predestination--the election of those who are saved.