Doctrine of Election
So recently I saw an article and felt a response would be interesting. The article reference is enclosed below, I will comment after, I also will only be responding to his first point. Only portions of the article will be used here but the link to the article is supplied.
Bible & Theology / Tim Keller
3 Objections to the Doctrine of Election
September 21, 2015
http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/3-objections-to-the-doctrine-of-election
I found several items I took issue with. Keller is arguing from the point of view that is view is correct and no other view makes any sense at all. This is a fair argument but it causes him to simplify his argument to the point of even the other view has to agree with me because it has no other option argument.
1. If you believe in election, doesn’t that leave you with the problem of why God doesn’t choose to save everyone?
Yes, but the same is true for Christians who don’t believe in election.
No I am sorry but this statement is not true. Keller starts off with a false statement, or at a minimum a statement that is misleading. To assume those who do not have the same view of election as him makes him assume they make the same false assumptions as he does. Keller assumes to much, that those that don’t agree with him have the same issues, why does God not save everyone.
First lets establish that God wants to save everyone.
1 Timothy 2:3-4 (ESV)
3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
I think we can agree that God wants to save everyone, he “desires all people to be saved” is an idea expressed throughout the Bible.
So why does he not save us all, because he loves us and wants us to love him. Love is a choice. If God forces us into salvation is is not Love. Therefore he offers it to us and allows us to choose.
A perfect example of how we can change God’s mind and allow us to be saved is Nineveh
Jonah 3:6-10, in particular verse 10, When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.
So either God lied and was not going to destroy Nineveh or he truly relented and changed his mind because they repented and turned from their evil ways. I chose not to call God a lair so I choose to believe he relented. Many times throughout the bible God issues the command to choose.
Keller uses the argument that we all love and would save our children. This argument works well when if you consider only small children, but what if you consider adult children. We must accept that we can not make our adult children do what we would have them do. The bible uses an example given to Christians about the prodigal son. It is a story of an adult child who walks away, did the father want to let him, I don’t think so but he had to let him make the choice if he loved him. Then by being open and in Love he allowed the prodigal son to return. A choice he made, not forced but allowed out of love.
God gives us a choice, choose him and spend eternity with him, don’t choose him and spend eternity without him. It is a choice he gives ALL!
Mark 16:16 (ESV) Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
Here we see the choice for faith, if we choose to believe and are baptized we will be saved, otherwise we will be condemned. It is a choice!
Acts 2:38 (ESV) And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Here in Acts Peter offers the choice to those he has been preaching to, Repent and be Baptized! It is a choice, if they repent and are baptized then they will received the gift of the the Holy Spirit and forgiveness of sins.
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