Predestination and Election: Who will hear the gospel and believe?

This topic was initiated by a regular contributor here by the name of Fast Freddie. As this was raised under a different topic here, I decided to open up a new topic to discuss this issue.

So, is it only the elect of God who will hear and believe the Gospel? In other words is it only those who were predestined to hear the gospel and believe can be saved?

Predestination and Election: A Look at Romans Chapter 1 to 8

The doctrine of “predestination” and “election” suggest that only some people were pre-ordained or specially chosen by God to be saved whilst others were preordained to eternal damnation. In this regard the doctrine purports that there is no freewill in inheriting salvation but one is elected according to God’s sovereign will. Calvin is largely responsible for this “school of theology”. Without dwelling too much on Calvin’s view however the question that one needs to ask is whether this is supported by scripture. Indeed, Rom 8 and Eph 1 are used as the proof text to support this doctrine but is that what Paul really preached or were Paul’s words misunderstood?

I think that one of the key problems with understanding this subject is that many people define their beliefs by what Calvin or Arminius said rather than by studying the Word of God and therefore they base their beliefs on a few verses that may have been taken out of context, rather than to rely on the whole counsel of scripture. So to look at this topic I think the starting point should be from Romans chapter one, simply because the book was a letter to the Roman saints and what was said in chapter 8 is framed by the preceding chapters. Is there therefore a theme of “predestination” and “election” coming through from Paul’s writing from chapter one? This is what I shall explore (I will look at Ephesians 1 later).

In Romans 1:15 Paul writes that he was ready to preach the gospel to them who were at Rome also. He goes on to say in verses 16 to 17 that he is not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes, to the Jew first and to the Greek and that it is in the gospel that the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith. Now notice what he said in the verses that followed:

18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 19Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

Here Paul shows that the ungodly hold the truth (about God) in their unrighteousness even though God made it known unto them – God reveals these truths of who He is so that the ungodly and unrighteous are without excuse (when they are judged). The use of the words “without excuse” here are the key to demonstrate that they had a choice to make in changing their circumstances but instead chose to turn away from God and this is clearly noted if we read from verse 21. It was because of what they did that God in turn gave them over to their reprobate minds:

28And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

Note that not only do they know of the judgement of God in that their sinfulness is worthy of death but they took pleasure in continuing to do evil:

32Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

So from chapter 1 we can see that Paul was not claiming that the evil doers mentioned here were “predestined” to death but that they darkened their own hearts out of their own vain imaginations and lusts and turned the truth of God into a lie, which is why God gave them over. So then if after the truth of the Gospel of God is revealed to us but we continue in evil, “how shall we escape, if we neglect so great a salvation (Heb 2:3)?” Jude has shown us however that even those destined for the fire of judgement can be saved also if we make an effort:

Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives. (Jude 1:23) NLT

Of course it would not be possible to fulfill this scripture if those heading for the flames were preordained (or predestined) to go there. The Calvinist view here however would suggest that the fate of those heading for the flames is already sealed. There are however other examples in scripture though which shows that one can change course and be saved. For example, in Rev 2:20-24 we see how Jesus gave a “prophetess” called Jezebel in Thyatira space to repent of her evil ways and promises judgement upon her and her children except she repents. Similarly, Jesus warned the Laodicean church that he would spew them out of His mouth unless they repented because they had become lukewarm (Rev 3:14-19). Again the Calvinist view here would suggest that you are either in the camp of “destined to be saved” or “destined to be damned” regardless of any effort on their part to change their destiny. So how can God damn His own church? After all, would the Laodiceans not need to have been among the “called” to constitute a church in the first place? However, 1 Pet 1:17 demonstrates that God judges according to every man’s works without respect of persons. The idea of predestination however is that one’s fate is sealed irrespective of his state of being and that he does not have a free will in determining the outcome. This cannot be true however in light of 1 Pet 1:17 and Rom 2:11 as we shall see later. This would mean that God would need to show respect to those whom He predetermines to save and those He predetermines to destroy, instead of judging equally.

So continuing into Romans chapter two then Paul started out by challenging those who judge others for the sins they do yet they themselves commit the same things by asking if they think they will escape the judgement of God. Paul makes clear here in Rom 2:4-11 that the goodness of God leads such sinners to repentance. But because of the hardness of their hearts they store up wrath for themselves against the day of wrath and the revelation of the righteous judgment of God. Paul reiterates in verse 6 that God will render to every man according to his deeds both to those who patiently seek eternal life and those who do not obey the truth but instead continue in unrighteousness. Note in verse 9-11 where Paul states clearly that God is no respecter of persons for He will render tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doeth evil, to the Jew first and also to the gentile. In the same way God will give glory honour and peace to every man that does good works, to the Jew first and to the Gentile. These verses conflict with the Calvinist view of predestination and demonstrates clearly that what Calvin preached on this subject is not the same as what Paul preached. For instance we know that the Jews were the “chosen” people of God in the Old Testament but here we see that the Jew were not all predestined to be saved since the same punishment will be meted out to Jew and Gentile alike for their sins.

Leading into Romans 3 Paul reiterates from verse 1 that the Jew does not have any advantage over non Jews. As in Chapter 2 Paul is here addressing the subject of justification by faith and if we look closely at this doctrine we will see that it is inconsistent with the Calvinist view of predestination. For example in verses 2-22 we learn that the righteousness of God is manifested in Christ to everyone who believes whether Jew or Gentile. Paul continues to speak in the same vein in Chapter 4 how righteousness is imputed to Abraham for his faith and likewise to those of us we have faith in Jesus.

In Romans chapter 5 Paul points out that if we are justified by faith we have peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ who died for the ungodly. In verse 18 Paul makes a poignant point as follows:

18Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life

This means that because sin entered the world through Adam judgment came upon all who were condemned but through Jesus Christ the free gift of salvation came upon all men to the justification of life. So all men have access to this grace if they believe and hence justified by faith. This again shows the contrast with what Paul preached and the doctrine of predestination as upheld by Calvin. If only some were pre-ordained to be saved then this would clearly contradict what Paul teaches here in Romans 5:18.

Continuing on to Romans 6 Paul writes that now that we have been justified through faith and have died with Christ that we should now no longer subject our members unto sin but live holy lives with Christ. In the following verses Paul writes:
20For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. 21What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. 22But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. 23For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Rom 6:5)
This is similar to what Paul said in Rom 5:18, in that if we continued in unrighteousness the end of it would be death but if we become servants to righteousness the fruit would be eternal life. The verb Paul uses in Rom 6:19 is that we should now “yield” our members to righteousness. This is an instruction which implies an action to be taken at the will of the believer. So once again this message is at odds with the Calvinist view. In Romans chapter seven Paul continues the interplay between the law of sin and death and the law of life and how the sinful flesh wars with the spirit. Here Paul emphasizes dying to sin in order that one may live according to Christ after the Spirit. Leading in to Romans 8 then Paul starts out in verse 1 by talking about the fact that there is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit. For, says Paul, to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. In verse 8 we see that those that are “in the flesh” cannot please God. The point is further illustrated in verse 13:
13For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
So if we followed the line from Romans 1 through to chapter 8 we see that what Paul preached is belief in the gospel, being justified by faith and walking in the spirit which leads to life. Similarly Jesus said in John 5:24 that if we hear and believe the things He says we shall not be condemned, which falls in line with Rom 8:1. It is with this backdrop therefore that Paul then talks about “predestination” and “election” in verses 28 to 30. Before going into these verses however verses 24 and 25 of Romans 8 also worth noting in terms of understanding salvation:

24For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? 25But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

If Paul says here that we are saved by hope how could he then say in the next breath that one was predestined in the Calvinist sense? If Calvin was to be believed then we would not need to have hope because our salvation would already be assured. This would constitute “hope that is seen” but Paul asks why would you hope for what you already see? This is not hope, yet we are saved by hope which requires will and endurance to wait with patience for the embodiment of hope. From everything that Paul taught from Chapter 1 could he now be changing tracks and be teaching a whole new doctrine in verses 28 to 30?

28And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

What Paul is saying here is that for those whom God foreknew, (i.e., those that love Him and are the called according to His purpose), He did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son so that He (Jesus) would be the firstborn among many brethren. Remember that in Rom 1:7 Paul was writing to “all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints.” Is Paul saying here then that God only chose to save some people without regard to whether they were righteous or unrighteous? Well we already see in Rom 1:16-17 for example where Paul says that the gospel is the power unto salvation to everyone who believes but those who continued in unrighteousness through the hardness of their hearts stored up wrath unto the day of judgement. So what Paul is referring to here by predestination is the plan of salvation. See also Rom 5:18 where Paul says that through the righteousness of “one” the free gift (of grace) came upon all men unto the justification of life. Why is it then that many are called but few chosen (Matt 20:16, 22:14) Is it not because of the condition of their hearts, that they have not purified themselves with the hope (1 John 3:3)?

God told Abraham that he would be a father of many nations – we become heirs to the promise if we received the promise of the spirit by faith (Gal 3:14). So then for everyone that is being saved, God did predestinate. If the Calvinist view on predestination and election was right how could Peter commands that one should “make your calling and your election sure” (2 Pet 1:10)? And is this not the same thing as what Jesus said in Luke 13:24 that we should strive to enter in at the strait gate; and also what the writer of the Hebrews said in Hebrews 12:1 about running the race with endurance? I end here with the words of Jesus in Rev 2:7

To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. (Rev 2:7)