Unconditional election

Unconditional election is the controversial Calvinist teaching that God in Jesus Christ, before creation, chose without regard to anything outside of Himself, individuals who are to be a people for Himself, which He predestined into eternal life in His kingdom. It is one of the five points of Calvinism and is often linked with predestination.

"When Paul declares that we were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, (Eph 1: 4), he certainly shows that no regard is had to our own worth; for it is just as if he had said, Since in the whole seed of Adam our heavenly Father found nothing worthy of his election, he turned his eye upon his own Anointed, that he might select as members of his body those whom he was to assume into the fellowship of life. Let believers, then, give full effect to this reason, viz., that we were in Christ adopted unto the heavenly inheritance, because in ourselves we were incapable of such excellence. "

(John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book III, Chapter 22, Section 1)

"Unconditional" in "Unconditional Election" is to distinguish it from the Arminian view of election, in which God's eternal choice to save a person is conditioned on God’s certain foreknowledge of future events, namely, that certain individuals would exercise faith and trust in response to God's offer of salvation.

Whereas in Unconditional Election, God's choice in based entirely on His own good pleasure, not on any foreseen choice of individuals.

“the apostle openly refutes the error of those who deduce election from prescience, since he declares that whatever virtue appears in men is the result of election. Then, if a higher cause is asked, Paul answers that God so predestined, and predestined according to the good pleasure of his will.”

(John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book III, Chapter 22, Section 2)

Unconditional election was first codified in the Belgic Confession (1561), re-affirmed in the Canons of Dort (1619), which arose from the Quinquarticular Controversy, and is represented in the various Reformed confessions.

Summary of the doctrine

In Reformed theology, God chooses certain individuals and predestined them to salvation. Those that were not chosen, are foreordained to eternal wrath. Scholastic Calvinists have sometimes debated precisely when, relative to His decree for the Fall of man, God did his electing – see supralapsarianism and infralapsarianism – though such distinctions are not often emphasized in modern Calvinism.

According to the doctrine of total depravity, by virtue of Adam's (the first man) disobedience to God's covenant, the influence of sin has so inhibited all his descendants so that no one is able to come to God in faith (and be justified), apart from God first regenerating that person's heart to give him that ability.

With regard to the doctrine of Irresistable Grace and Perseverance of the Saints, God's grace will, in God's appointed time, certainly (cannot be changed) cause the elect to freely respond in faith receiving justification, and freely persevere in that faith, resulting in his sanctification, and producing good works which will confirm (show) the genuineness of his election at the judgement of Jesus Christ, so that he will receive his inheritance in God's kingdom (Glorification).

(But see Free Grace theology/ Lordship salvation issue)

Hence, God’s choice is based solely on God's own independent and sovereign pleasure, and not upon any foreseen faith in individuals (or any other merit). And this choice is necessary for salvation, and will unchangeably/unstoppably result in the justification and glorification of those God has chosen.

"We say, then, that Scripture clearly proves this much, that God by his eternal and immutable counsel determined once for all those whom it was his pleasure one day to admit to salvation, and those whom, on the other hand, it was his pleasure to doom to destruction. We maintain that this counsel, as regards the elect, is founded on his free mercy, without any respect to human worth, while those whom he dooms to destruction are excluded from access to life by a just and blameless, but at the same time incomprehensible judgment. In regard to the elect, we regard calling as the evidence of election, and justification as another symbol of its manifestation, until it is fully accomplished by the attainment of glory. But as the Lord seals his elect by calling and justification, so by excluding the reprobate either from the knowledge of his name or the sanctification of his Spirit, he by these marks in a manner discloses the judgment which awaits them." (Calvin’s Institutes (1559), Book III, Chapter 21, section 7)

Biblical passages

Adherents of this doctrine cite passages such as the following to support their belief.

(On the necessity of election for salvation)

• John 15:16 "You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and {that} your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.” (NASB)

• John 15:19 "If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.” (NASB)

• 1 Cor 1:26-29 “For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God. “ (NASB)

• 2 Thess 2:13 “But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.” (NASB)

• Eph 1:4-6 “Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.” (NASB)

• Phil 1: 29 “For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake” (NASB)

• 2 Tim 2:10 “For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus {and} with {it} eternal glory.” (NASB)

• Titus 1:1 “Paul, a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness.” (NASB)

• 1 Thess 1:4-5 “knowing, brethren beloved by God, {His} choice of you; 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” (NASB)

(On the unconditional nature of election)

• John 15:16 "You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and {that} your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. (NASB) (also included above)

• John 3:3 “Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." (NASB)

• Matt 13:10-11 "And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?" Jesus answered them, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.” (NASB)

• Gal 1:13-16a “For you have heard of my former manner of life in Judaism, how I used to persecute the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it; and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions. But when God, who had set me apart {even} from my mother's womb and called me through His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles…” (NASB)

• Acts 16:14 “A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul.” (NASB)

• Acts 13:48 "When the Gentiles heard this, they {began} rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed." (NASB)

• Rom 9:11 “for though {the twins} were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God's purpose according to {His} choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls.” (NASB)

• Rom 9:16 “So then it {does} not {depend} on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.” (NASB)

• Rom 9:19-21 “You will say to me then, "Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?" 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? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use?” (NASB)

• Rom 11:5-7 “In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to {God's} gracious choice. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace. What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened” (NASB)

• Eph 2:8-10 “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, {it is} the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” (NASB)

• Eph 2:1-5 “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins… but God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).” (NASB)

• 1 Cor 1:22-24 “For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” (NASB)

• John 3:6-8 "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit . Do not be amazed that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit." (NASB) (Greek word for wind is the same word for Spirit)

Formal expressions of the doctrine

• Belgic Confession (1561) Article 16: The Doctrine of Election.

We believe that-- all Adam's descendants having thus fallen into perdition and ruin by the sin of the first man-- God showed himself to be as he is: merciful and just. He is merciful in withdrawing and saving from this perdition those whom he, in his eternal and unchangeable counsel, has elected and chosen in Jesus Christ our Lord by his pure goodness, without any consideration of their works. He is just in leaving the others in their ruin and fall into which they plunged themselves.

• Canons of Dordrecht (1619), First Head (Chapter 1), Article 7 Election Defined:

Election is the unchangeable purpose of God whereby, before the foundation of the world, out of the whole human race, which had fallen by its own fault out of its original integrity into sin and perdition, He has, according to the sovereign good pleasure of His will, out of mere grace, chosen in Christ to salvation a definite number of specific persons, neither better nor more worthy than others, but involved together with them in a common misery. He has also from eternity appointed Christ to be the Mediator and Head of all the elect and the foundation of salvation and thus He decreed to give to Christ those who were to be saved, and effectually to call and draw them into His communion through His Word and Spirit. He decreed to give them true faith in Him, to justify them, to sanctify them, and, after having powerfully kept them in the fellowship of His Son, finally to glorify them, for the demonstration of His mercy and the praise of the riches of His glorious grace.

• The Westminster Confession (1646) reads as follows:

"God from all eternity did by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass: … By the decree of God, for the manifestation of his glory, some men and angels are predestinated unto everlasting life, and others foreordained to everlasting death. These angels and men, thus predestinated and foreordained, are particularly and unchangeably designed: and their number is so certain and definite that it cannot be either increased or diminished. Those of mankind that are predestinated unto life, God, before the foundation of the world was laid, according to his eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret counsel and good pleasure of his will, hath chosen in Christ, unto everlasting glory, out of his free grace and love alone, without any foresight of faith or good works, or perseverance in either of them, or any other thing in the creature, as conditions, or causes moving him thereunto … The rest of mankind God was pleased … to ordain them to dishonor and wrath for their sin …" - Chap. III, p 1-7.

"All those whom God hath predestinated unto life, and those only, he is pleased, in his appointed and accepted time, effectually to call, by his Word and Spirit, out of that state of sin and death, in which they are by nature, to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ … This effectual call is of God's free and special grace alone, not from any thing at all foreseen in man, who is altogether passive therein … Others, not elected, although they may be called by the ministry of the Word, … yet they never truly come to Christ, and therefore cannot be saved …" - Chap. X, p. 1-4.

See Also

• Predestination (Calvinism)
• Double Predestination (Hyper-calvinist)

External links

(Pro)

• from "GospelOutreach.net"
• Michael Bremmer's view
• Loraine Boettner's view
• from "GotQuestions.org"

(Con)

• Arminius' view
• Calvinism: Unconditional Election
• Election, Predestination and Foreordination: Conditional or Unconditional?
• Objections to Calvinism: Election and Reprobation