D. PREDESTINATION

The Greek word proorizo, translated "predestine", means literally to mark out or bound ahead of time, hence to limit in advance. It appears six times in the New Testament. Two of these (Acts 4:28 and 1 Corinthians 2:7) speak generally of God's foreknowledge, without any specific application to the salvation or damnation of individuals. (There are other Scriptures which speak in such general terms of certain events as decreed or destined in advance. See, for example, Luke 22:22, Acts 2:23, Romans 1:4, Luke 2:34, 1 Thessalonians 3:3). The other four uses of proorizo occur in two passages which I shall quote at some length.

Ephesians 1:3-14

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 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 - to the praise of his glorious grace which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment - to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.

"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, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession - to the praise of his glory."

This passage has an extraordinary sweep. It talks of God's plan and purpose from "before the creation of the world" to the point "when the times will have reached their fulfillment." It declares that God "works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will." What is that purpose? What we see in this passage, I suggest, is a purpose that all mankind will be "holy and blameless in his sight" and will be "adopted as his sons." This is what he has predestined us to "in love." A like theme is suggested in Ephesians 2:10 , saying that "we were created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to to do", and Ephesians 4:24, which speaks of our new self as "created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." At present this loving purpose is not fully fulfilled. There are many who have not lived up to their destiny because they have rejected Jesus Christ. But ultimately God will "bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ."

This gives us the extraordinary news that God's purpose, since the very beginning of time, is to have all men be adopted as his sons, be holy and blameless in his sight, be created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. That is our destiny, and it is wonderful..

I see this confirmed in John 1:11-12: "He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." There is sorrow in verse 11. God wanted all men to receive Christ and become adopted sons, but some refused and rejected the Son of God.

Romans 8:28-31

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God be for us, who can be against us?"

Again, the whole emphasis is on God's goodness, his love. God is for us. The predestination is to being conformed to Christ's likeness. It is a predestination to glory.

Another Scripture confirms this thought. In Matthew 25:31-46 Jesus tells how he will separate mankind into two groups. The blessed will "take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world" (verse 34) The cursed will "depart ... into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels" (verse 41). The destiny prepared for mankind since the creation of the world is to be with God in heaven. It is this to which mankind is predestined. Men were never meant to go to hell. They were never predestined to hell. Hell was prepared for the devil and his angels. Unfortunately, because some men exercised their free will wrongly, they found themselves defeating their destiny and going to a place they were never destined for.

Note also that in this passage the deciding factor which determines where they go is not stated as some predestination or election by God. It is what they did or did not do. "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me" (verse 40). "Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me" (Verse 45). This is not predestination but free choice.

Scripture nowhere speaks of anyone being predestined to eternal damnation or punishment. When Scripture is silent, when God has not given us a specific revelation, I think we should be very cautious about filling in the silence with what may seem to us a logical inference.

Men are predestined to be adopted as God's sons, predestined to be conformed to the likeness of Jesus Christ, predestined to be justified and glorified, predestined for the praise of God, predestined for heaven. This is the desire of a God who would have all men be saved. There are those who go to eternal damnation, but that is because they have defeated their destiny by their own choices.

E. ELECTION

Eklegomai, Strong's # 1586, means to choose. Eklektos, #1588, means chosen.. Ekloge #1589, means election. All three words are derived from ek, out of, from and lego, to gather, pick out, choose.

I see three different ways in which this concept is used in Scripture. It is used in a collective sense, for the nation of Israel, or the body of Christ. It is used for one who is selected for a particular office, function or responsibility. It is used for those who are "elected" to salvation.

1. THE COLLECTIVE SENSE

Israel was God's chosen people. He chose them out of all the nations to have a covenant relationship with him and to receive his special favor. He told them, "The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession" (Deuteronomy 7:6). He did not choose them because of any special merit of their part. "It is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people" (Deuteronomy 9:5).

As part of this election, a sovereign God entered into covenant with his people. At the foot of Mt. Sinai, God, through Moses, told his chosen people, "If you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" And the people declared, "We will do everything the Lord has said" (Exodus 19:5-6, 8).

The people of Israel did nothing to deserve their election as God's chosen people. But they had to do something to receive it. They committed themselves to obey God, and they had to continue to obey God. "Because they broke my covenant" (Jeremiah 31:32; see Hebrews 8:9) God turned away from them.

With the coming of Jesus Christ there is a new corporate election and a new covenant (see Hebrews chapter 8). This time the chosen people are not a particular race or nation. They are those of every nation who accept and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. By accepting Jesus Christ and believing in him, they have become adopted children of God, citizens of the Kingdom of God, blessed on earth, and admitted to eternal life with God in heaven.

Peter expresses this clearly. Writing to believers in terms which strongly echo the language of Exodus 19:6 he says, "You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God" (1 Peter 2:9). Collectively, the body of believers has been chosen to have a special relationship with God which is similar to that which God had wanted for his people Israel.

In explaining the parable of the tenants Jesus told the religious leaders of the Jews, "Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit" (Matthew 21:43). The special relationship which God used to have with the people of Israel was now given to the body of believers in Jesus Christ. In much the same vein, Paul speaks of the nation of Israel as having been rejected, and the body of Christian believers as having been "grafted in" (Romans 11:11-24). The body of Christ has become heir to the covenant promises God made to Abraham (Romans 4:9-17). Just as the nation of Israel was told not to do as the other nations did, so the body of believers are told, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world" (Romans 12:2). God's chosen people are to be distinct and different.

I suggest that many of the New Testament references to the elect are made in this collective sense. They simply refer to the body of believers who have acquired the special status which the nation of Israel had under the Old Testament covenants, without addressing in any way the question how any individual becomes a member of that select group. I think this is pretty clearly the sense in which the word is used in the salutations of some of the epistles (see, for example, 1 Corinthians 1:2; Titus 1:1; Jude 1:1; 1 Peter 1:1). I think it is the sense in which Jesus spoke of the "elect" in Matthew 24:22, 24, 31. There may be a number of other references to the "elect" of which the same may be true.

2. INDIVIDUAL ELECTION TO A PARTICULAR
OFFICE OR FUNCTION

God chose Abraham to be the founder of the nation of Israel. He chose Isaac rather than Ishmael, and Jacob rather than Esau, to be the ancestors of the twelve tribes. He chose Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, and Joshua to lead the Israelites into Canaan. He chose Saul to be King; then he removed the kingship from him and chose David. God chose Matthias to take Judas' place as the twelfth apostle (Acts 1:26). God called Paul to be an apostle (Romans 1:1).

In Romans 9:11-12 Paul, speaking of Jacob and Esau, says that Jacob was chosen "in order that God's purpose in election might stand: not by works but by him who calls." This kind of election to a particular office or function is quite different from the question of "election" for eternal salvation or damnation that is usually referred to when men talk of the doctrine of election.

3. INDIVIDUAL ELECTION TO
SALVATION OR DAMNATION

I am not aware of any Scripture that says that anyone is eternally damned because of a prior election to damnation. I am not aware of any Scripture that speaks of God as electing someone to eternal damnation. When Scripture is silent on the matter, I think we should be very cautious about inferring that God has any such purpose or intent.

Does Scripture say that men are saved by a prior election by God? When we look at the Scriptures that deal specifically with how men are saved it is remarkable that they do not say anything about salvation being based on an election by God. They say that we are saved by faith, and they say it in a way that makes it clear that this faith involves a genuine choice on our part. Our faith can save us only because of the prior work that Jesus did on the cross. But once that work was done, then we have to do something to appropriate it to ourselves, and what we must do is covered by the word faith.

We cannot earn salvation. It is a free gift from God. But, like any gift, we cannot receive it unless we accept it on the terms on which it is given. We must do something to accept it.

Jesus said, "No man comes to me unless the Father who sent me draws him" (John 6:44). We cannot find saving faith by our own effort; there must be a drawing from the Father. We are saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8) and I believe this means that the faith that saves us is a gift from the Father, something we cannot achieve by ourselves. Part of the reason for this is that in our natural, unsaved state, we cannot understand spiritual things (1 Corinthians 2:14). But does this mean that God sits in heaven saying, "I think I'll draw this one and not that one"? I don't find this in Scripture. God calls all mankind to himself. Jesus said, "But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself" (John 12:32). God wants all men to be saved. He does not want any to perish. All are invited. Only those who respond become the chosen ones, the elect of God.

Our salvation is a free, unmerited gift from God. "The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:23-24). We can never earn our salvation or deserve it. "It is by grace you have been saved" (Ephesians 2:8).

How do we receive this great gift? Scripture says that there is one way, and one way only. "It is by grace you have been saved, through faith" (Ephesians 2:8.) We are saved through faith, and only through faith. We receive a righteousness "which comes from faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe" (Romans 3:22). We are "justified by faith" (Romans 3:28). "We have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand" (Romans 5:2). It is a righteousness which is to be pursued by faith (Romans 9:30-32). God has offered salvation to all, but only those who accept it by faith in Jesus Christ can receive it.

The classic statement is that of John 3:16-21.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." (See also John 1:12, 3:15,36, 5:24, 6:29, 40, 47, 8:12; Luke 8:12; Mark 16:16; Matthew 21:32).

The test is faith. Those who believe are saved; those who do not believe are condemned. We are saved because we believe. We are condemned because we do not believe. Those who do not believe have made a choice. They hate the light because their deeds are evil and they do not want them exposed. Light has come into the world and men are judged by how they respond to the light.

John 1: 11-12 says, "He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." Jesus has come into the world, offering salvation to all. Men are judged according to how they respond to him. Those who do not receive him are lost; those who receive him and believe in his name are saved. John 3:36 is similar. "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." Mark 16:16 is the same, "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." Is it not clear that people are condemned for one reason and for one reason only? They have not believed in Jesus. They have not accepted Jesus. God's son has appeared on earth, and all men are judged according to how they respond to him.

Romans 10:9-10 says , "If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." Nothing else is required. Believe and confess.

These and other texts make it very clear that we are saved by faith and only by faith. I do not see how a doctrine of election -that men's salvation or damnation is predetermined by an irrevocable election - can be read into these texts when they say nothing about it and when their meaning is plain and consistent. If we are saved by election then we are not saved by faith. If we are saved by faith then we are not saved by election. Scripture says that we are saved by faith and only by faith.

When we look at the Scriptures that deal with final judgment, we find that judgment is always based on what the person did or did not do during his or her life on earth. It is based on free choice, a series of choices made by one's free will, and not on some prior election by God. In John 5:29 Jesus said "those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned." In Matthew 12:37 he said, "By your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned." In Matthew 13:40-43 Jesus said that at the end of the age his angels will throw into the fiery furnace "everything that causes sin and all who do evil" but "the righteous" will shine in the kingdom of their Father. Matthew 13:49 says that at the end of the age his angels will "separate the wicked from the righteous." In Matthew 25:31-46 the sheep are divided from the goats on the basis of what they "did" or "did not do." Jude 15 says Jesus will come "to convict all the ungodly of the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way." In Revelation 21:8 people are excluded from the New Jerusalem on the basis of their actions or their character. (See also Romans 2:7-9). In all these passages it is the choices we have made, and not some predetermination by God, that determines whether we go to heaven or to hell.

(I am not suggesting that final judgment is based on "works righteousness." We are justified by faith and only by faith, but at the end of our lives the best evidence of our faith is the deeds we have done. Works without faith cannot save us, but faith that does not evidence itself in works is not real faith. I develop this more fully in my paper on "Some Thoughts About Salvation,")

In the parables of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin Jesus told us that "there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents" (Luke 15:10,7). If salvation is all predetermined by an irrevocable election or nonelection occurring prior to birth, what would there be to rejoice about? The rejoicing is because someone who was free to choose has made the right choice.

In all these Scriptures, the emphasis is on a choice that we make. We choose to be saved. And it is a real choice, not something predetermined for us. Jesus started his ministry by calling on men and women to "repent and believe" (Mark 1:15). To repent, metanoia, means to think differently, to turn around, to change. It is a decision, an act of will. To believe, pistis, means not just to accept intellectually, but to commit one's whole life to Jesus. (We speak of it as "making a decision for Christ.") It is those who believe in Jesus Christ who are saved. We have a choice, to believe or not to believe (John 3:16), to confess or not to confess (Romans 10:9), to enter by the narrow gate or the wide gate (Matthew 7:13-14), to be slaves to obedience or to sin (Romans 6:16). Always, it is a choice.

What, then, does the term "chosen" mean? I find the parable of the banquet in Matthew 22:1-14 very suggestive. The king invited many to his banquet. Those he first invited did not come, so he sent out to invite more. Some of them came. And Jesus said, "Many are called, but few are chosen (eklektos)" (verse 14 KJV). The chosen, the elect, were those who responded to the invitation. They and only they received the blessing. Revelation 3:20 is similar. Jesus stands at the door and knocks. If "anyone" opens the door he will enter. He knocks, but we must open Only those who open will receive him. Once we have received him, we do come into a special category, the elect, who receive eternal salvation and many other blessings that are not received by those who have not received him. But what determines whether we are in that special category is our own response to Jesus, not some preordained election over which we have no control.

Many Calvinists assert that men are incapable of doing anything to help bring about our salvation. They assert a doctrine of "total depravity" which says that man, after the fall, became so depraved, and so totally evil, that he could do nothing to bring about his salvation. They are right. in saying that, after the fall, man was unable to redeem himself. It required the extraordinary self-sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross to break the power of sin over mankind. "What the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering" (Romans 8:3). But once that was done, then I submit that the Scriptures already discussed make it clear that our choice plays a crucial part in our salvation.

Scripture says, "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life" (John 3:36; see also John 3:16,18). Does not this clearly say that men's choice has a great deal to do with their salvation? We are saved by what we do or do not believe. Jesus made salvation possible by his sacrifice on the cross. But once that was accomplished, men's salvation depends on their decision to believe or not believe, to accept Jesus or to reject him. How can it be said that we are powerless to affect our salvation?

For those who may be interested, I discuss this issue further in the Appendix.

I think Scripture makes it clear that we are saved by faith, and not by election, and that the faith that saves us is a genuine choice made by our free will.

APPENDIX

Some of those who teach strict predestination use an acronym, TULIP, to express five basic doctrines of that teaching. The structure of the argument is very logical if you accept its premises. My problem with it is that I do not find any of these five points supported by Scripture. The five points are:

• Total depravity
• Unconditional election
• Limited atonement
• Irresistible grace
• Perseverance of the saints.

1. TOTAL DEPRAVITY

The essence of this teaching is that mankind, because of the fall in Eden, is so depraved and so heavily under the curse of sin that he is incapable of doing anything to contribute to his salvation. From this it is said to follow logically that man can be saved only by the prior election of God, who has chosen some to be saved while allowing others to be damned. It asserts that man has no choice about his salvation; everything is foreordained by God.

I have discussed this principle briefly in the body of my paper, and have given a number of reasons for saying that, once Jesus Christ had broken the power of sin by his sacrifice on the cross, then man's free choice plays a crucial paqrt in his salvation. Because this principle is said to be the logical basis on which all the others depend, I shall continue the discussion here at greater length, and shall call attention to a number of scriptures which, as I read them, clearly show that man's choice has a crucial bearing on whether he is saved or damned.

Paul said, "Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose." (Philippians 2:12). Does not this clearly say that the process of salvation is a joint one? God works and we work. Each must do his part.

The basis of Jesus' preaching ministry was, "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news" (Mark 1:15). He was calling on men to do two things, repent and believe. He was saying, "The kingdom of God is near and you must make a choice."

If the doctrine of total depravity were true, neither repentance nor belief could accomplish a thing. Men could do absolutely nothing about their salvation. They would have no choice in the matter. Their salvation would depend totally on a prior election or non-election.

Did Jesus base his entire ministry on a call to men to do two useless things, which could accomplish nothing? Does Jesus tell us to do useless things? Is it not clear that he considered it both possible and extremely important for men to repent and to believe? At the end of his ministry he commissioned the disciples to preach "repentance and forgiveness of sins" in his name (Luke 24:47). Again, is he not emphasizing how important it is for men to do something, to repent? Would he commission his disciples to do something useless? Most of his disciples were martyred by painful deaths. Would Jesus ask them to pay that price to do something useless?

On another occasion Jesus twice said, "Unless you repent, you too will all perish" (Luke 13:3,5). Everyone has to come to repentance in order to be saved. This is something each person must do. Election or nonelection has nothing to do with it.

2 Peter 3:9 says that Jesus has delayed his Second Coming in order to give men more opportunity to repent. "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance." If the doctrine of total depravity were true, men's repentance could have no effect on their salvation, on whether they perish. Did Jesus delay his Second Coming to give men an opportunity to do a meaningless act? Or is he showing us how very important and necessary it is for men to repent?

Jesus told us to "enter through the narrow gate" (Matthew 7:13). In Luke 13:24 he said, "make every effort to enter through the narrow door." He gives us a choice of two gates or doors. One leads to salvation and the other to damnation. Then he tells us to choose. We may have to make a considerable effort to choose the right one. That does not sound as if we have nothing to do with our salvation. And note that the outcome - life or destruction - is stated to depend on the choice we make and not some foreordained election.

In Matthew 11:12 Jesus said, "From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it." That does not sound as if we are totally powerless to affect our salvation. He is telling us to lay hold of our salvation forcefully.

Jesus tells us,. "Ask and it will be given you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you" (Matthew 7-7-8). The tense of the Greek verbs means "keep on asking", "keep on seeking", "keep on knocking". Jesus told his disciples that they "should always pray and not give up" (Luke 18:1). It seems to me Jesus is calling on us to take vigorous, persistent action. Again, in Acts 17:27 Paul said that God desires that "men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him". We are not helpless.

In Acts 2:37-8, the people, after hearing Peter preach, said "Brothers, what shall we do?" Peter told them what to do, "Repent and be baptized." They had to do something to receive their salvation. They had to make a decision and take certain actions. Paul similarly told the people of Jerusalem, "And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name" (Acts 22:16). He called on them to do something, immediate and decisive.

In the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-31), the son had to "come to his senses," make a decision, and then take a long journey. The father rejoiced at his decision. There is nothing to suggest that it was foreordained, or even expected

The rich young man asked Jesus, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?" (Matthew 19:16). Jesus did not answer, "You can't do anything." Rather he told him some things to do: obey the commandments, and sell his possessions and give to the poor. My sense is that Jesus was saddened when the young man was unwilling to do this (see verse 23). An expert in the law asked the same question, "what must I do to inherit eternal life" (Luke 10:25). Jesus did not say, "You can't do anything". Rather, he told him what to do: obey the commandments and show love for his neighbor as the Samaritan had done. When people asked Jesus what they must do to be saved he told them things to do. How, then, can it be said that we can do nothing?

In every passage relating to salvation, the people had to choose, and take certain action. They had to do something to achieve their salvation. They had to choose whether to believe or not believe, whether to confess that Jesus is Lord, whether to enter by the narrow or the wide gate, etc. And Scripture makes it clear that a great deal depended on the choice they made.

In most aspects of our Christian life we are "God's fellow workers" (1 Corinthians 3:9). We are yoked with Jesus (Matthew 11:29), both of us pulling together. We can do nothing without God, but he expects us to do our part. I see nothing in Scripture that says that salvation is different. God did not have to do it this way, but this is the way he has chosen.

The picture, as I see it, is that Jesus Christ came to offer salvation to everybody, but we must choose whether to accept it. Jesus knocks on the door but we decide whether to open it. In that sense, everything depends on the choice we make.

2. UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION

This asserts that, through no fault or merit of their own, God elects some to salvation while allowing others to be eternally damned. This election is irrevocable, and is not affected by anything we may or may not do.

I have two basic problems with this view. First, I do not find anything in Scripture that says that some are irrevocably elected to damnation. In other words, this view goes beyond what is written in Scripture. As I see it, a major doctrine has been built on a premise which is nowhere expressly stated in Scripture.

Second, it seems to me fatally inconsistent with God's purpose, which is stated many times in Scripture, to have all men be saved. "God wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:4). God does not want "anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). Jesus' purpose in coming to earth and sacrificing himself on the cross was to accomplish "justification that brings life for all men" ( Romans 5:18). I have discussed this in the body of my paper.

Matthew 7:13-14 tells us that few are saved and many go to destruction. (See also Luke 13:23; Mark 10:24). If this is because most men make wrong choices, we can understand it. But if God's purpose is to see all men saved, how can we say that he irrevocably predestined most men to eternal damnation?

3. LIMITED ATONEMENT

This is the view that Jesus Christ came only to save those whom God had previously elected. I have discussed this at some length in the body of my paper. I believe it is contrary to Scripture..

4. IRRESISTIBLE GRACE

The proposition here is that God's grace, which leads the elect to salvation, is irresistible. In other words, the elect have no real freedom of choice.

I am not aware of any Scripture that says this, and it seems to me inconsistent with everything the Bible says about man's free will. If we look at the history of Israel, God's chosen people persistently resisted the grace which God had given them. For this reason God called them a "stiff-necked people," and eventually rejected them. Again, when the Messiah finally came, his own did not receive him (John 1:11). It finally reached the point where Jesus said, "the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit" (Matthew 21:43). If God's chosen people could resist their corporate grace, I see no reason why individuals cannot resist his individual grace.

5. PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS

This says that once one of the elect has been saved he cannot lose his salvation. I do not think this is scriptural. I have discussed this at some length in my paper, "Some Thoughts about Salvation," and shall be fairly brief here.

Jesus says that there is a gate we must enter and a road we must travel (Matthew 7:13-14). Both are necessary. It is not enough to enter the narrow gate, we must also stay on the narrow road. There is a continuing process of salvation. Thus Paul, writing to believers, says, "Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose" (Philippians 2:12). "Work out", katergazomai, means to work, to toil, to apply energy (ergs) ; the prefix kata can imply opposition. We may have to put forth considerable effort to work out our salvation against the enemy's opposition. Hebrews 2:3 warns us, "How shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?"

Part of what we must do is to continue to believe. I believe the belief required by John 3:16 is a continuing belief. It does not say that "whoever once believed" is saved, but whoever "believes". If we once believed but no longer believe, are we not now in the category of the one who "does not believe" and is condemned? Colossians 1:21-23 is to the same effect. "Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free of accusation - if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel." (See also 1 Corinthians 15:2; 1 Timothy 6:12; Hebrews 10:35-39; 1 John 2:24-28, 3:7, 4:1; 2 John 7-9). It is not enough to come to initial salvation. We must continue to believe.

There are a number of verses in Scripture that say very clearly that those who have once been saved can fall away or drift away from their secure position. Jesus says that in the end times "many will turn away from the faith" (Matthew 24:10). Paul says that in the latter days "some will abandon the faith" (1 Timothy 4:1). Hebrews 2:1 warns of the danger of drifting away. Hebrews 3:12 warns, "See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God." Paul warned the Ephesians that "Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them" (Acts 20:30). In the parable of the sower, Jesus spoke of those who "believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away" (Luke 8:13). We cannot "turn away", "fall away", "abandon", "drift away"or be "drawn away" from something we never had. These passages are talking about those who have been genuinely saved and have then rejected their faith.

This is made absolutely clear by Hebrews 6: 4-6, "It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace." (See also Hebrews 10:26; 2 Peter 2:20-21). By any ordinary or normal reading of the language this verse is talking about those who were genuinely saved and then abandoned their salvation. To read a different meaning into it in order to make it fit a preconceived theory is, I submit, not legitimate interpretation of Scripture.

Incidentally, what does this text do to the whole concept of election? Here are those who, according to that concept, were among the elect from before the earth was created, and who now have given up their salvation and become among the non-elect.

Consider the case of Judas Iscariot. Judas was one of twelve disciples chosen by Jesus. We must assume that, with the others, he healed the sick, cleansed lepers, cast out demons and preached the gospel. He was one of those in whose hands the loaves and fishes multiplied. As Peter said, "he was one of our number and shared in this ministry" (Acts 1:17). Then, by his choice, he allowed satan to enter into him and betrayed Jesus. Are we to say that Judas was one of the elect from the beginning of time, and then changed over to one of those elected to damnation? It was Judas' free choice, and not any prior election, that determined his salvation or damnation.

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