Conditional Election

What about the non-elect? Logically, if one believes in unconditional election, there is no getting out of the idea that if God has to pick some men to be saved, he then damns the rest by virtue of not saving them. He could, obviously, save all men. He wants to.

So how do we reconcile that? The idea that there are chosen people, and a God that wants all people to be saved, and that He knows who will be saved from the beginning?

If one believes in conditional election, the answer is here: the story of the wedding feast. It suggests that the difference is that the elect were willing to come to the feast (even on short notice!) and willing to wear the wedding garments. That’s two choices that they made, choices to be at the wedding and actively participating.

What is conditional election? This Arminian solution is a little something like this: Before the foundation of the world, God chose certain individuals for salvation based on His foreseeing that they would, of their own free will, choose Christ. Conditional election is the idea that God knew (on His timeline) if we would pick up what He was laying down before He laid it down for us (on our timeline). He knew before we were born if we would be saved – not unreasonable – but not because He forced us to. He just knew how we were made and what we would do. Either because He saw the future, or because he just knew, kind of like how I know my son WILL eat an orange if you leave it on the table. Those He foreknew, He added to His elect.

Add these to your pile of Scripture, pray for help, and ponder election. Can I recommend tea? You have a lot of Scripture. (And once you know about election, you’ll see the mystery of it throughout the whole book. It’s beautiful)

Matthew 11:28-30 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life

John 4:42 They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”

John 6:40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

John 6:51 – I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

Acts 13:39 and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.

Romans 1:16-17 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

Romans 5:1-2 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Romans 9:30 What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith;

Ephesians 1:13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,

1 Timothy 4:10 For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.