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Abundant Life in the Son: A Study of Salvation

meet certain conditions. The responsibility they have in election—
having confident trust in what Christ offers—secures God’s provision
of salvation. This agrees with the statement of Jesus (John 3:15–18) that
whoever believes may have eternal life. Faith—believing in Christ as a
condition for salvation—is not an act of merit; it is simply accepting the
condition stated by the Lord. We can either accept God’s grace or reject
it. The power of choice remains with us.

Since salvation is based upon our response to the offer God makes,
we must by an act of our own free will determine whether we will accept
or reject His offer. The main beliefs of the free will view are below:

1. Election is a sovereign act of God since He was under no obligation
to elect anyone. All people stand condemned before Him because
of sin, so all people could have been justly doomed (Ephesians 1:11
Romans 3:23).
2. Election is an act of grace because all those who were chosen
were unworthy (Ephesians 2:8–10).
3. God elected on the basis of the merits of His Son (Ephesians 1:3–4).
4. God chose those whom He foreknew would believe
(Romans 8:29–30).
5. God graciously grants all people sufficient power to make a
choice in the matter of accepting Christ and His salvation. In His
foreknowledge, God knows what each person will do with his or
her power of choice, so He elects to salvation those who choose
to submit to Him (Titus 2:11; 1 Timothy 4:10).

The free will view of election asserts that God elects “the one who
wishes” (Revelation 22:17) to be saved. The many Christians around
the world who hold this view believe that the offer of salvation is broad
enough to include everyone who wants to be saved. We believe that
God, because of His knowledge, foresaw all those individuals who would
accept the gospel and maintain their salvation. These He predestined
(chose beforehand in eternity) to eternal life. The free will position is
that God foreknew the eternal destiny of these people, but He did not
determine it.

A careful comparison of the two positions leads us to believe the free
will view represents the more biblical view of the two. We hold this view

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