Christianty: How do you reconcile free will with the doctrine of the Elect of God?

Question

It's popular these days to believe that, in regards to election, predestination and similar doctrines, God chose us in eternity past because we chose God in the present. Is that Biblical? How does God's omnipotence factor into our choice affecting God's actions?

I'd like to hear from fellow believers what you believe regarding the elect of God and why you believe it.

It's important to hear what the other parts of the body of Christ has to say about this, y'know? ;)

Oh, and by the way, I'm not really expecting a definitive, 100% answer on this - it's not something that we're really going to know until we ask God in heaven, I imagine.

But hearing what you all think and why is important to me, and I'm sure that some things can be learned from the experience, if not a definitive answer.

Answer 1

God has foreknowledge and he can see our whole lives infront of Him. He knows his elect. That does not mean he predestines are paths. We have free will and he doesn't force anyone to follow him, it's up to us .

Answer 2

I've thought about this myself. I first had two ideas. One, our lives were like a straight line, God knew what we were going to do and we didn't really have a choice, predestination. Second option, that our lives were like that line, but it split at every choice we made into however many possibilities there were, and so on until we die.

My revised version is that our lives split at every choice, but bc God is above time, He can see forward in time and know what we'll do without ever partaking in the decision making process. He can know what we'll do w/out influencing us at all.

As for ppl He's elected, I think that's possible, and some would say that that means He's elected ppl for hell. I myself have a hard time with the idea that God elects ppl for hell. I will believe it if it's true, but I don't pretend to understand it. However, I trust that God knows what He's doing and He works things out for the best interests of those who follow Him.

About someone being elected for hell, say someone has decided to reject God. God would know they would do this (bc He's above time and can look into the future, again without influencing them at all) and so He may decide to use that person as an example to get others to follow Him, either through allowing them to suffer for their sins so ppl see that they're not doing the right thing, or some other method. This isn't election in the traditional sense, but I think it qualifies as an example of what God can do with those who reject Him.

Answer 3

This is a tough one that I have pondered on for years.In chapter 3 of Ecclesiastes the bible says God even chooses the time for kissing and not kissing.Prov19 v 21says People may plan all kinds of things but the Lords will is going to be done.Prov 20 v 24The Lord has determined our path.Romans 9 v 10 to18 and in verse 18 God has mercy on anyone He wishes and He makes stubborn on anyone He wishes.So that shows God is in control.The Bible says so not once not out of context but over and over,So That is the way I believe.But when a person humbles themselves and admit they are a sinner and wants Jesus to live in their heart Jesus will save them.Some people are soft hearted and it dont take much and others are like when we were kids they never would say uncle even if it meant death and this just might be what it may take.But then will it be too late???????????????????

Answer 4

You have to take away from either God or Man in order to reconcile free will and election. Either man has completely free will which must make God "limit himself" in order to accommodate this, or God is sovereign which removes at least some of man's free will.

I'll go with the second one, because it's not really a mystery to look at man as the sinful creature that he is before the Lord. As such, we may as well extrapolate this to the core of man's being. Most people would rather not deal with that, looking at themselves as capable, despite their condition, in looking to God for salvation. However, this produces the "mystery" answers you've already received, or simply living with the dichotomy and affirming both in the face of any logic presented.

The free will believers automatically assume that taking away free will from man, means that God cannot be as loving as they would like. But how do you explain those headed for hell, except for either sadness, or a sick game where all that love was only an offer after all? Honestly, it makes God into a schizophrenic telemarketer, offering to all in love, but switching to either sadness (didn't he create hell in the first place?) or wrath, which is closer to the truth, but why would he love the unbeliever infinitely prior to death, and destroy him immediately after? It does not make sense, and I cannot just throw my hands up and call it a mystery.

If God is "allowed" to predestine and call his own unto himself, yes, this leaves many in their sins, but Christ would not have died for them anyway. He would have died for God's elect ONLY. To say that Christ died for everyone means that he carried their sins with him -- only to give them back at death, if they had not chosen him? Again, this makes free will illogical.

So, consider this a plug for Calvinism. God is omnipotent, and his grace precedes our faith. We do not have free will.

Answer 5

I don't know what the elect thing is but I can help with the other two.

If you read about the first 10 verses of Ephesians Chapter 1 that should help you out on the predestination. He predestined all of us to be blameless before Him. Even those people that aren't born again. He also gave us free will. Now this is really hard to comprehend.

God gave us freewill but also knows what decisions we are going to make. Even what I am going to type. How? He's God.
God Bless You. Hope I helped.

Your fellow brother in Christ.

Answer 6

I now believe that " Christ died for the sins of the whole world". He was "in Christ reconciling the whole world to Himself". The only logical conclusion to the bible is that all will be saved, someway, somehow. "love never fails". There won't be just a few saved, all will be saved. I know this is a very unpopular view, but it's the only sensible way to look at salvation. Tell me any other way that shows Gods love as unconditional.

Answer 7

The "doctrine," as commonly taught, is wrong... Scripture states multiple times that God WANTS everyone to be saved. If the common doctrine were correct, then God clearly does not want everyone saved OR IT WOULD HAPPEN THAT WAY.

2Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow to keep his promise. He is not slow in the way some people understand it. He is patient with you. He doesn’t want anyone to be destroyed. Instead, he wants all people to turn away from their sins.

1Timothy 2:4 He wants everyone to be saved. He wants them to come to know the truth.

Answer 8

The fact that God may knows the outcome of everyones lives doesn't mean that WE know the outcome.

Only after the final judgment will we ourselves know who all the elect are. In the meantime we still need to continue to teach the Gospel of Christ.

Answer 9

Debating things in which our finite minds can't quite grasp is like a drowning man in shark infested waters debating upon which life buoy he will grab. The blue one or the green one....maybe the... with my right hand or left... All that matters is that we grab hold. Jesus saves and we need to take hold any way we can. If we could only grasp this we would be a family of faith in Christ instead of a house divided.

God bless

Answer 10

I come from a wesleyan background therefore "the elect that God has known since the beginning of time as proof of God's omniscience. He knew who would choose Him. We have the free will to choose Him We are the elect because we chose Him.

Answer 11

God is God and He will save whomever He wants.

Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, - 2 Timothy 1:9.