God’s Foreknowledge and Unconditional Election unto Salvation
What we understand and believe about the nature of
God’s foreknowledge directly affects whether we believe that
election is “
conditional” or “
unconditional“.
Following are definitions of
Unconditional Election and
Conditional Election provided by the online Wikipedia (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unconditional_election):
“In Protestant theology, election is considered to be one aspect of predestination in which God selects certain individuals to be saved. Those elected receive mercy, while those not elected, the reprobate, receive justice.
In Calvinism, this election is called “unconditional” because his choice to save someone does not hinge on anything inherent in the person or on any act that the person performs or belief that the person exercises. Indeed, according to the doctrine of total inability (the first of the five points of Calvinism), the influence of sin has so inhibited the individual’s volition that no one is willing or able to come to or follow God apart from God first regenerating the person’s heart to give them the ability to love him. Hence, God’s choice in election is and can only be based solely on God’s own independent and sovereign will and not upon the foreseen actions of man.
The Reformed position is frequently contrasted with the Arminian doctrine of conditional 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.”
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If two Christian brothers disagree on the doctrine of
election, it is likely that the root of their disagreement is in their respective beliefs and understanding of the doctrine of God’s
foreknowledge. The person who believes that God’s election of persons unto salvation is conditional on His
foreknowledge of whether they will choose to have saving faith in Jesus Christ typically has a vigorous disagreement with the one who believes that God in His
foreknowledge chose or elected some of all of mankind who are lost in sin to be saved (for His divine purposes and good pleasure). Generally, the former leans more toward
Arminian or “
free will” oriented theological positions emphasizing man’s responsibility to “choose” to believe in Jesus Christ for their salvation. The later leans toward “
Calvinistic” or “
predestination” oriented theological positions emphasizing God’s sovereign choice in electing people unto salvation through Jesus Christ.
At the root of this difference in understanding about the nature of divine election unto salvation is a difference in our understanding of the nature and effect of God’s foreknowledge.
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Those such as myself who are Calvinistic in their beliefs emphasize the doctrines of God’s grace in regards to salvation. We believe strongly in
unconditional election flowing from
the sovereign decree of God over all things.
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Since it is beyond my capabilities to adequately explain this Calvinistic view of God’s foreknowledge, again I am turning to A. W. Pink’s explanation in
The Attributes of God (Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Michigan – 2001). (Any
bold or
underlined text in what follows are my own efforts to highlight certain points for the reader.)
http://www.pbministries.org/books/pink/Attributes/attributes.htm
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A. Confusion and Disagreement about the Nature of God’s Foreknowledge
“When the solemn and blessed subject of Divine foreordination is expounded, when God’s eternal choice of certain ones to be conformed to the image of His Son is set forth, the Enemy sends along some man to argue that election is based upon the foreknowledge of God, and this “foreknowledge” is interpreted to mean that God foresaw certain ones would be more pliable than others, that they would respond more readily to the strivings of the Spirit, and that because God knew they
would believe, He, accordingly, predestinated
them unto salvation. But
such a statement is radically wrong.
It repudiates the truth of total depravity, for it argues that there is something good in some men.
It takes away the independency of God, for it makes His decrees
rest upon what He discovers in the creature. It completely turns things upside down, for in saying God foresaw certain sinners would believe in Christ, and that because of this, He predestinated them unto salvation, is the very reverse of the truth.
Scripture affirms that God, in His high sovereignty, singled out certain ones to be recipients of His distinguishing favors (
Acts 13:48), and therefore He determined to bestow upon them the gift of faith.
False theology makes God’s foreknowledge of our believing the cause of His election to salvation; whereas, God’s election is the cause, and our believing in Christ is the effect.
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B. Scriptural “Foreknowledge” is in reference to Persons, not to their Actions
“The fact is that “foreknowledge” is
never used in Scripture in connection with events or actions; instead, it always has reference to
persons. It is persons God is said to “foreknow,” not the actions of those persons. In proof of this we shall now quote each passage where this expression is found.”
- The first occurrence is in Acts 2:23. There we read, “Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain.” If careful attention is paid to the wording of this verse it will be seen that the apostle was not there speaking of God’s foreknowledge of the act of the crucifixion, but of the Person crucified: “Him (Christ) being delivered by,” etc.
- The second occurrence is in Romans 8:29,30. “For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image, of His Son, that He might be the Firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He did predestinate, them He also called,” etc. Weigh well the pronoun that is used here. It is not what He did foreknow, but whom He did. It is not the surrendering of their wills nor the believing of their hearts but the persons themselves, which is here in view.
- “God hath not cast away His people which He foreknew” (Rom. 11:2). Once more the plain reference is to persons, and to persons only.
- The last mention is in 1 Peter 1:2: “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.” Who are elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father? The previous verse tells us: the reference is to the “strangers scattered” i.e. the Diaspora, the Dispersion, the believing Jews. Thus, here too the reference is to persons, and not to their foreseen acts.
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C. People are the Object of God’s Foreknowledge in Scripture – Not their Actions
“Now in view of these passages (and there are no more)
what scriptural ground is there for anyone saying God “foreknew” the acts of certain ones, viz., their “repenting and believing,” and that because of those acts He elected them unto salvation? The answer is, None whatever. Scripture
never speaks of repentance and faith as being foreseen or foreknown by God. Truly, He
did know from all eternity that certain ones
would repent and believe, yet this is not what Scripture refers to as the
object of God’s “foreknowledge.” The word uniformly refers to God’s foreknowing
persons; …”
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(Granted they believe that He is their Lord and Savior and have confessed this with their mouths)
See what I mean? To me she is indeed a Christian (as she does believe in the teachings of the Bible and in Christ), she just is not a Protestant (a member of the group that separated from the Roman Catholic Church years back). 
Just asking....I know I haven't. I'm going to do a poll. Maybe there's something there.
He kinda pushed me, laying his hands on me and telling me to ..."just start with this...'ubabashemda '...whateverthehell." I was like, 
I remember being with a friend and her family in this one evangelical church and in a separate worship service for single young adults, just about EVERYBODY was kneeling, speaking in tongues. I was like....
