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Election: The Choice of God

lost. According to them, Christ died only for the elect. We call this the
determinism view. The following are the main beliefs of this view:

1. The motivating cause of election is the sovereign will of God
(Ephesians 1:5).
2. Election guarantees the salvation of those who are chosen in
Christ. Election also means that those not chosen in Christ do not
have the possibility of being saved (Romans 8:28–30).
3. Election is from eternity (Ephesians 1:4).
4. Election is unconditional. It does not depend on the faith of a
person or on his or her good works. It rests completely with
the good pleasure of God who is the source of faith (Acts 13:48;
Romans 9:11; 2 Timothy 1:9; 1 Peter 1:2).
5. Election is irresistible: God can and will exert an irresistible
influence on the human spirit to make it willing (Philippians 2:13).

According to this view, salvation depends entirely on God; the
individual has absolutely nothing to do with it. If a person repents,
believes, and comes to Christ, it is because God’s Spirit has drawn him
or her. People are so corrupt and their wills are so enslaved by sin that
apart from God’s help they cannot repent, believe, and choose rightly.

From this view comes the doctrine or teaching of eternal security, the
belief that once one is in grace, he or she is always in grace—once saved,
always saved. For if God has determined in eternity that one should be
saved and salvation is received and kept only by God’s irresistible grace,
then that person may never be lost.

The Free Will View

Many Christians hold another teaching on salvation that contrasts with
the determinism view. This is our view, and we refer to it as the free will
view because it rests on each person’s responsibility in salvation. We believe
the Bible teaches that it is God’s will for all people to be saved. This is based
upon verses that indicate Christ died for all people (1 Timothy 2:6; 4:10;
Hebrews 2:9; 1 John 2:2; 2 Corinthians 5:14) and offers His grace to everyone.

While we agree that salvation is the work of God, totally free and
independent of people’s good works or worthiness, yet people must

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