The purpose of this thread is to show that people do NOT
have free will to choose to believe in Jesus and His gospel.
Before the foundation of the world …
God saw who people really are, and He chose some, but not others!
(The chosen ones get to choose later whether they will co-operate with the Holy Spirit.)
God knows peoples’ hearts, thoughts, motives, etc.
“… the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive
behind the thoughts” (1 Chronicles 28:9)
“I am the One who searches the hearts and minds of people” (Revelation 2:23)
Let’s include this: “I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth.
All who love the truth recognize what I say is true” (Jesus, John 18:37)
God knows the type of people He wants to spend eternity with
HUMBLE: “I dwell in the high and holy place with him
who has a contrite and humble spirit” (Isaiah 57:15)
“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6)
“You will save the humble people” (2 Samuel 22:28)
REPENTANT: A repentant heart towards God is absolutely necessary (many verses).
POOR: The poor (in various ways) are the most likely group to have the right heart attitude.
“He (Father God) has anointed Me (Jesus) to preach the gospel to the poor” (Luke 4:18)
“Has God not chosen the poor to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom?” (James 2:5)
Father God gives His chosen ones to Jesus
“All that the Father gives to Me will come to Me” (John 6:37)
“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him” (John 6:44)
“everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.” (John 6:45)
“no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.” (John 6:65)
“My Father who has given them to Me …” (John 10:29)
Father God’s chosen people are enabled to believe in Jesus
“… that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16)
These have been “enabled” to believe!
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing” (1 Corinthians 1:18)
These have NOT been “enabled” to believe!
The kingdom of God consists of His chosen ones and Satan’s infiltrators
Jesus sows good seed (wheat, the sons of the kingdom) in the world,
while Satan sows tares/weeds in the world.
Both wheat and tares grow together until the harvest.
Then the wheat will be gathered into His barn,
and the tares will be gathered and cast into the lake of fire
because they offend God and have practiced lawlessness.
(Luke 13:24-30, 13:38-43)
“Every plant which My heavenly Father has NOT planted will be uprooted.” (Matthew 15:13)
Romans 9: God has mercy on some, but not on others
Aren’t the election verses in Romans 9 consistent with all of God’s choosing above?
● “for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the
purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls” (9:11)
● “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy,
and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.” (9:15)
● “So then, it is … of God who shows mercy.” (9:16)
● “He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.” (9:18)
● “Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump
to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?” (9:21)
● God has His reasons to make …
“vessels of wrath prepared for destruction” (9:22)
and “vessels of mercy (for His glory)” (9:23)
Some of the “election of grace” verses
● “there is a remnant according to the election of grace.” (Romans 11:5)
● “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world
… according to the good pleasure of His will” (Ephesians 1:4-6)
● “And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed” (Acts 13:48)
● “elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father” (1 Peter 1:1)
● “Work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen” (2 Peter 1:10)
● “salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen.” (2 Timothy 2:10)
● “I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation
which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:10) <<< Notice that it’s NOT a done deal yet
“Men do not first choose to follow Jesus. Rather, Jesus chooses men to follow Him.
First Jesus calls. Then men are free to follow or not to follow.
But no man can follow Christ unless he has first been called.”
(The Applied New Testament Commentary, 1996, Dr. Thomas Hale, medical missionary)
