Bible 10 Salvation: Election & Reprobation

Transcription

1 Bible 10 Salvation: Election & Reprobation Adapted from Wayne Grudem s Systematic Theology

2 Order of Salvation ordo salutis 1. Election (God s choice of people to be saved) 2. The Gospel call (proclaiming the message of the Gospel) 3. Regeneration (being born again) 4. Conversion (faith and repentance) 5. Justification (right legal standing) 6. Adoption (membership in God s family) 7. Sanctification (right conduct of life) 8. Perseverance (remaining a Christian) 9. Death (going to be with the Lord 10.Glorification (receiving a resurrection body)

3 Order of Salvation ordo salutis 2-6 and part of 7 are all involved in becoming a Christian 7 and 8 work themselves out in this life 9 occurs at the end of this life 10 occurs when Christ returns

4 Definition Election an act of God before creation in which he chooses some people to be saved, not on account of any forseen merit in them, but only because of his sovereign good pleasure. Reprobation the decision of God to pass over those who will not be saved, and to punish them for their sins Predestination a broader term that includes both election (for believers) and reprobation (for unbelievers)

5 Predestination Romans 8: 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. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

6 Predestination Ephesians 1:4-6 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

7 Election in the NT How does the New Testament present the teaching of election? 1. As a comfort for believers in everyday life God acts with the good of his people in mind, working every circumstance together for our good. 2. As a reason to praise God believers give thanks to God because they know that their salvation is ultimately due to God s choice of them. 3. As a reason to evangelize there is some guarantee of success because some who hear the gospel are elect.

8 Myths about Election: Election is fatalistic Fatalism no matter what we do, things are going to turn out as they have been previously ordained. Therefore, it is futile to attempt to influence the outcome of events or the outcome of our lives by putting forth any effort or making any significant choices, because these will not make any difference in any way.

9 Myths about Election: Election is mechanistic Mechanistic an impersonal universe in which all things that happen have been inflexibly determined by an impersonal force long ago, and the universe functions in a mechanical way so that human beings are more like machines or robots than genuine persons.

10 Myths about Election: Election is based on God s foreknowledge of our faith God does not predestine some to be saved by looking into the future and seeing who will believe in Christ and who will not.

11 Acceptance of Election The doctrine of election is by no means universally accepted in the Christian church, either in Catholicism or Protestantism. Among current evangelicals, election is accepted by those in more Reformed or Calvinistic circles (e.g. conservative Presbyterian denominations) as well as Lutherans, Episcopalians, and a large number of Baptists and independence churches Election is rejected quite decisively by nearly all Methodists, as well as many others in Baptist, Episcopalian, and independent churches.

12 Objections to Election 1. Election means that we do not have a choice in whether we accept Christ or not. The doctrine of election denies all the gospel invitations that appeal to the will of man and ask people to make a choice. 2. Our choices are not real choices. If a choice is caused by God, then it is not a genuine or real choice, because it is not absolutely free. 3. Election makes us puppets or robots, not real persons. If God really causes everything that we choose with regard to salvation, then we are no longer real persons.

13 Objections to Election 4. Election means that unbelievers never had a chance to believe. If God had decreed from eternity that some people would not believe, then there was no genuine chance for them to believe, and the entire system functions unfairly. 5. Election is unfair. God chooses some to be saved and passes over others, deciding not to save them. 6. The Bible says that God wills to save everyone. Election contradicts certain passages of Scripture.

14 Election Grudem s conclusion The doctrine of election tells us that I am a Christian simply because God in eternity past decided to set his love on me. Not for anything good in me, but simply because he decided to love me. There is no more ultimate reason than that. It humbles us before God to think in this way. It makes us realize that we have no claim on God s grace whatsoever. Our salvation is totally due to grace alone. Our only appropriate response is to give God eternal praise.