Calling

Theology of Election

There is no doubt much debate over election. Some contend that God chose/called/elected the church for salvation, but not necessarily the individuals who make up the church. Let’s look at a few verses in John.

​ ESVAll that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.

This verse is talking about people. “All” that the father…all people. Those people that the Father...

​ ESVJesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

couple that with

​ ESVNo one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.

​ ESVAnd he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

So when the Father draws a person, when it’s granted to a person to come to Jesus, then they are the ones who will never hunger nor thirst.

​ ESVbut you do not believe because you are not among my sheep.

This is not saying, “IF you don’t believe, you are not among my sheep.” It is saying the opposite, “being chosen as one of the sheep is the means by which God’s people come to believe.” “IF you were my sheep, you WOULD believe”

​ ESVAnd when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.

same idea

​ ESVFor by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

This salvation, it’s a gift of God.

ESVAnd those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

D.A. Carson says this, “Here Paul contemplates God’s saving work from beginning to end, affirming that those whom God has foreknown he will also glorify. The list of God’s saving works includes the statement, ‘those whom he called he also justified’. It is immediately evident that the world ‘called’ cannot possibly be translated as ‘invited to believe in Christ’. Otherwise, the verse would say that all those who are summoned to believe in Christ are justified. Paul does not believe this, for he often insists that justification is only by faith, and not all people belive in Christ.In Paul the word ‘called’ refers to God’s effective call, which produces or begets faith in those to whom it is addressed. All who are called are justified, since the calling is performative, bringing people into a saving relationship with God. If this is so, then the calling must produce faith and be limited in scope. All those who are caled are justified because God’s effective call begets faith in them, and by virtue of their faith they are justified.

That God’s call is effective is confirmed by… (NCBT p. 452)