Foreseen or
Foreordained Faith?
By Mark W. Fenison
Elect according to the foreknowledge of
God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and
sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be
multiplied. – I Pet. 1:2
The above text is often used
to prove that election is the consequence of God foreseeing who would believe
upon Him. That is, election is viewed by this position as merely a rubber stamp
consequence of foreknowledge. Hence, this position defines election as a
consequence rather than the cause of saving faith. Such a view of election makes
it powerless and empty of any meaning as the foreseen believers would be saved
whether God elected them or not unless God could be wrong in His foreknowledge.
I. The Great
Assumption?
The text does clearly say that election is
in accordance with or according to God’s foreknowledge. However, it is assumed
by some that it is foreknowledge of saving faith. However, the text does not
say this at all. Indeed, the Bible clearly denies such an assumption throughout
the Scriptures. For example, twice in the Psalms the Psalmist describes God
looking down on man to see if any man would “seek” after Him? In both instances
it is clearly denied that God can find any man who would “seek” Him?
The LORD looked down from heaven upon
the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. 3They are
all gone aside, they are all
together become filthy: there is
none that doeth good, no, not one. – Psa. 14:2-3
God looked down from heaven upon the
children of men, to see if there were any
that did understand, that did seek God. 3Every one of them is gone
back: they are altogether become filthy; there
is none that doeth good, no, not one. – Psa. 53:2-3
The weight
of these two passages is significantly increased when it is understood that
they are the quotations used by Paul in Romans 3:9-10. In that passage it is
Paul’s intention by using them to prove that there is no such thing as any man
in any generation of mankind that seeks after God.
What then? are
we better than they? No, in no
wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under
sin; 10As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11There
is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12They
are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is
none that doeth good, no, not one. –
Rom. 3:9-12
Moreover, the clear language of Luke in
Acts
And when the Gentiles heard this, they
were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. – Acts
Moreover, this assumption of foreseen faith
flies in the face of the Scriptures dealing with the origin of saving faith.
First, the scriptures deny that all men have faith:
And that we may be delivered from
unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith
– 2 Thes. 3:2
Indeed, the Scripture is
quite clear how saving faith is obtained – it comes through the hearing of the
Word of God:
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of
God. – Rom.
Moreover, the Bible says that it is something that must be given by the
Spirit of God in conjunction with the hearing of the word:
“For
by grace are ye saved through faith
and that not of yourself, for it is
a gift of God” – Eph. 2:8
“For
unto you it is given in the behalf
of Christ, not only to believe on him,
but also to suffer for his sake” – Philip.
“But
the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness,
goodness, faith” – Gal.
Saving faith is a direct result of the Father giving it to those whom He
will resurrect unto eternal life:
No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him
up at the last day…..It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth
nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they
are life. 64But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus
knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray
him. 65And he said, Therefore
said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
– Jn. 6:44,63-65
In addition to the above facts is also the fact that Paul accounts for
saving faith as the consequence of election rather than the cause of election:
“Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. 5For our
gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy
Ghost, and in much assurance” – I Thes. 1:4-5
“But we are bound to give thanks alway
to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the
beginning chosen you to salvation…”
– 2 Thes.
According as he hath chosen us in him before
the foundation of the world, that
we should be holy and without blame before him in love: - Eph. 1:4
As thou hast given him
power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. – Jn. 17:2
Indeed the lost condition of man makes it
impossible for the unregenerate man to believe:
Because the carnal mind is
enmity against God: for it is not
subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8So then they that are in the
flesh cannot please God. – Rom. 8:7
But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep” – Jn.
II. The Biblical
Position
In essence, the assumption that “elect
according to the foreknowledge of God” refers to foreseen faith is flatly
repudiated by the Scriptures. Indeed,
when Paul speaks directly concerning election in regard to future events in the
life of the elect he says:
(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not
of works, but of him that calleth;)-
The above text directly
addresses the question of election in regard to foreseen events. Election is
not a consequence of any foreseen event either “good” or “bad.”
If the phrase “elect according to the
foreknowledge of God” does not refer to foreseen faith then what does it refer
to? Paul refers to the same thing in
Romans 8:29 in regard to the elect:
For
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….If God be for us…. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? – Rom.
What is God’s foreknowledge based upon in
this context? The previous verse clearly
tells us that God is working all things “according to His purpose.”
And we know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. – Rom.
The idea is the same as having a blue print
or plan of a house before you build it. You can foreknow where the bathroom or
bedrooms will be because they have been purposely planned before they are
built. What has been purposed is thus foreknown and what is foreknown is
predestined to be carried out:
For
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. Rom.
Having
predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to
himself, according to the good pleasure
of his will – Eph. 1:5
To the praise of the glory of his
grace, wherein he hath made us accepted
in the beloved – Eph. 1:7
Having
made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself –
Eph. 1:9
In whom also we have obtained an
inheritance, being predestinated
according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his
own will – Eph. 1:11
Declaring the end from the beginning,
and from ancient times the things
that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: 11Calling
a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far
country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I
have purposed it, I will also
do it. – Isa. 46:10-11
And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the
army of heaven, and among the
inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? – Dan. 4:35
To every
thing there is a season, and a
time to every purpose under the heaven… I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it
shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any
thing taken from it: and God doeth it,
that men should fear before
him. – Eccl. 3:1,14
Are not two sparrows sold
for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the
ground without your Father. 30But
the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31Fear ye not
therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows – Mt. 10:29-31
Often the reply to such scriptures is that
this makes God the author of sin if He purposes and controls everything even
down to “calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my
counsel from a far country” so that not even a sparrow can fall without His
permission as he keeps count even of things so small as the “hairs of your
head.”
What about sin? Could God have kept Adam and Eve from
sinning? Unquestionably, He was able to
do so. Obviously, He decreed to permit
the fall and permit sin or it could never have occurred. However, God will not
permit any sin to occur that will not ultimately work out for His own glory in
the end:
Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of
wrath shalt thou restrain – Psa.
76:10
And God sent me before you to preserve you a
posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great
deliverance. 8So now it was
not you that sent me hither,
but God……But as for you, ye thought
evil against me; but God meant
it unto good, to bring to pass, as it
is this day, to save much people alive. - Gen. 45:7-8; 50:20
For of a truth against thy holy child
Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the
Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, 28For to do whatsoever thy hand
and thy counsel determined before to be done – Acts 4:27-28
III. Putting Your View
of Election to the Test
Would you argue that Paul
believed in the wrong doctrine of election?
Certainly, no one in their right mind would argue that point. They may
argue that Paul believed in their particular view as opposed to another view
but none would charge Paul of teaching a false doctrine of election.
Romans chapter nine continues the theme of
salvation. Indeed Romans 9-11 is concerned about the salvation of
“For I could wish that myself were accursed
from Christ for my brethren, my
kinsmen according to the flesh…..Brethren, my hearts desire and prayer to God
for Israel is, that they might be saved….And
so all Israel shall be saved…” –
Rom. 9:3; 10:1; 11:26
However, Paul’s point is that the salvation
of
The doctrine of election is woven through
all three chapters:
“For the children being not yet born, neither
having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God ACCORDING TO ELECTION might stand, not of works, but of him that
calleth” – Rom. 9:11
“That he might make known the riches of
his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had AFORE PREPARED unto glory.” – Rom.
“But Isaiah is very bold, and saith, I
was found of them that sought me not;
I was made manifest unto them that asked
not after me.” – Rom.
“Even so then at this present time also
there is a remnant according to the
election of grace….What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he
seeketh for; but the election hath
obtained it,
and the rest were blinded.” –
In Romans 9-11 the contextual question is
has God’s purpose of election failed in regard to the salvation of
In Romans 9 Paul responds to an imaginary
objector. Paul first states what he himself believes concerning God’s purpose
according to election and then states what he imagines would be the objection
(vv. 14,19-20) to what he has said and then follows the objection with an
answer. The imaginary objector believes in the wrong view of election while
Paul is defending the right view.
Now here is the question. Does your view
correspond more with the objections that are being thrown at Paul by the imaginary
objector in chapter nine or does your view correspond more to the responses
given by Paul to the objections????? If your view aligns more with the objector than you do not believe
in the Biblical doctrine of election. On the other hand, If your view corresponds to Paul’s then you believe the
Biblical view. It’s a very simple test but very accurate. Let’s begin with some
objections.
First argument: Many dismiss Romans chapter nine as teaching only national election rather than personal
individual redemptive election. Is this your position? However, isn’t national election exactly what
Paul is refuting in Romans 9:6-8?
“Not
as though the word of God has taken none
effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel.
“Neither, because they are the seed of
Abraham, are they all children; but in Isaac shall thy
seed be called.”
“That is, they which are children of
the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of promise are
counted for the seed.”
Note the contrast between “the children of
promise” versus “the children of the flesh.”
Isn’t Paul’s argument against the idea that election as God’s people
merely means being NATURALLY born into national
“For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son” – supernatural birth
“And not only this; but when Rebecca
also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; (For the children being
not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God ACCORDING
TO ELECTION might stand, not of
works, but of him that calleth.” – Individual election by grace
Those who argue that Paul is teaching
NATIONAL rather than PERSONAL election are obviously
wrong if words mean anything. Paul is clearly rebuking and refuting the idea
that being born a Jew
“after the flesh” makes one a child of God. His point is that all
children of God must be born “by promise” as pictured by the birth of Isaac (A
supernatural birth where no human effort whatsoever could account for that
birth) and they must be individually elected by God without regard to future
right or wrong as pictured by Jacob over Esau.
Second Argument: Paul argues that God’s purpose of election is not a
result of foreseen merit but is the result of the sovereign choice of God
whereby he sets upon one His redemptive love but not on the other.
“(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that
the purpose of God ACCORDING TO ELECTION might stand, not of works, but of
him that calleth…As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.” – v. 11
You
know your view is wrong if verse 11 causes problems to your view of election.
This verse condemns the view that election is according to foreseen faith and
supports the view that election is according to “the purpose of God” without
regard to foreseen good or evil. It is either or? Where do you stand? With Paul or against him? What is your response to this statement? Is
your response more akin to the imaginary objector or more akin to Paul’s? Here is what the objector would say to verse
11:
“What shall we say then? Is there
unrighteousness with God?”
How do you think the imaginary objector
understood verse 11? The objector claims that such sovereign election without
regard to any future performance of good or evil makes God unfair, unjust. Is
this your response as well? Let’s go another step forward. How would you
respond to this objector’s response to verse 11? Would you respond like Paul does in verses
15-16 if someone stated what Paul stated about election in regard to Jacob and
Esau? Here is how Paul responds:
“God forbid! For he saith
to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have
compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that WILLETH or him that RUNNETH but of God
that showeth mercy” – vv.
15-16
Would you make this response as Paul did above? If not, then you
certainly do not believe election like Paul. Many say,
I will just wait until I am ready to be saved. The truth is that no one is
willing and ready to be saved until God has mercy on their depraved resistant,
rejecting and rebellious condition. Paul goes on to give a personal example of
a God resisting, rejecting and rebellious non-elect in the person of Pharaoh:
“For the scripture saith unto Pharoah, Even for this same purpose have I raised
thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be
declared throughout all the earth.” – v. 17
Now you explain any way you please what
Paul’s purpose for using Pharoah in the above verse but will your explanation
be in harmony with Paul’s own conclusion given in the very next verse:
“THEREFORE hath he mercy on whom he will have
mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth” – v. 18
In other words, Paul uses Pharoah to simply
reinforce what he said in verse 15. Is verse 18 the conclusion you would draw
from the use of Pharoah in verse 17? If
your extended explanation does not conclude with and harmonize with Paul’s own explanation
in verse 18 then it is clear you do not believe in election like Paul does. His
conclusive explanation in verse 18 is merely a repetition of what he said in
verse 15 is it not? Pharaoh is an example of all lost men – all will resist,
reject and rebel against God if left to their own depraved will. None will
repent nor turn to God unless God bestows mercy.
Third Argument: Paul realizes that someone who does not believe in
election as He does will find the example of Pharoah completely repugnant. The
objector would respond to such an example by concluding that if God elects whom
he wills and harden whom he wills then how can God
hold anyone accountable for their actions for who has or can resist the will of
God.
“Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet
find fault? For who hath resisted his will?” – v. 19
In other words, if Abraham and Sarah had
no say so in the birth of Isaac, only God’s will determined it. If Esau and Jacobs good or evil had no say so
in the preeminence of Jacob over Esau but God’s will determined it before
birth. If election is not due to anyone who “willeth” or anyone who “runneth”
but is solely due to God’s will of purpose. If God can have mercy on whom he
will and harden whom he will as in the case of Pharaoh. Then the question of
the objector is HOW CAN GOD HOLD ANYONE PERSONALLY ACCOUNTABLE if personal
election is ultimately determined by God’s will in total disregard to personal
ability or personal good or evil and disregard for those who “willeth and
runneth”?
Now what kind of answer would you give to
this objection? Would you agree with the
objector? How does Paul answer this
objection? Would you answer this
objection as Paul does in the next few verses?
If you would not give the answer Paul gave it is evident you do not
believe in election as Paul did. How did Paul answer this objection:
“Nay but O man, who art thou that repliest
against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou
made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make
one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor?
What if God willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known,
endured with much long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction.:
And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy,
which he afore prepared unto glory?
Even us, whom he hath called, NOT OF THE
JEWS ONLY, but also of the Gentiles.” – vv. 20-24
Remember the objection is “who has resisted
his will” (v. 19). Paul simply denies that any man has the right to object to
God’s will as God has the right to do as He wills with His own fallen and
rebellious creatures. The “lump” of clay represents fallen mankind that is
justly under God’s wrath and God would be entirely just to destroy the whole
lump if He so chose to. Who are you to question God’s will concerning what He
will do with fallen and depraved mankind?
The fact that He does not immediately destroy the whole lump is pure
mercy.
He has already shown that all mankind will
continue in resistance, rejection and rebellion toward Him and only by His
grace would any turn from destruction. What if God is willing to show his wrath
upon the non-elect by simply allowing them to follow the dictates of their own
depraved will but using that depravity to carry out His divine intentions? What if God is willing to be merciful to a
great portion of fallen mankind and elect them before as vessels of mercy? What business is it of yours what God wills
to do with His own fallen, depraved, resisting, rejection and rebellious
creatures?
Would this be your response or does this
response cause even more trouble and discomfort for your position of
election?????? Notice Paul ends by
proving that what he is saying is not to be restricted to NATIONAL ELECTION OF
ISRAEL but to the election of all who are called both Jews and gentiles. The words “afore prepared unto glory” translate
an Aorist tense verb. The normal and
usual idea of an Aorist tense is completed action in the past at a particular
point – punctiliar action. In other
words, this phrase “afore prepared unto glory” refers to God’s purpose
according to election.
CONCLUSION:
Dear brother or sister, when you can answer these objections the way Paul did,
then you can know that your view of election is Biblical. However, if your
responses are more akin to the objectors than to Paul’s responses, you can
clearly know that you neither understand nor believe in the Biblical doctrine
of election.
IV. Drawing
Conclusions
Does this mean that people cannot be saved even
if they wanted to? Does this mean that the elect cannot be lost even if they
wanted to be lost? Does this mean that
preaching the gospel is vain as God is going to save who He wants anyway? All of these questions are valid questions
and need to be answered correctly and Biblically.
1. Does this mean that people cannot be
saved even if they wanted to? The Scriptures clearly teach that no man
wants to be saved but is at “enmity” with God and is “not subject” to His
will. Indeed all men are equally at war
with God and all will go to hell if left to their own self direction:
10As
it is written, There
is none righteous, no, not one: 11There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh
after God. 12They are all gone out of the way, they are together
become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. – Rom. 3:9-12
It is this fact that makes election
necessary if any would be saved at all since none will seek God.
2. Does this mean that the elect cannot
be lost even if they want to be lost? Election
is unto salvation “through the sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the
truth” (2 Thes.
3. Does this mean that preaching the
gospel is vain as God will save only
the Elect?
God has not only elected the
persons to be saved but he also has elected the means to save them. He has
chosen to save the elect through the preaching of the gospel. When Paul thought
about leaving a city and going else where because of the resistance to the
gospel, the Lord said,
Then spake
the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold
not thy peace: 10For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to
hurt thee: for I have much people in this city. – Acts 18:9-10
Paul taught that it was through the preaching
of the gospel that the elect would be revealed and be saved:
Therefore I endure all things for the
elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation
which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. - 2 Tim. 2:10
4. Does this mean that there is no hope
for the non-elect? If God foresaw
those who would not believe (non-elect) then obviously there is no hope unless
God’s knowledge of the future is wrong.
But who are the non-elect? We
don’t know! So we preach the gospel to
all and when the gospel comes in saving power then both we and that person can
know their election:
“Knowing,
brethren beloved, your election of
God. 5For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in
the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance” – I Thes.
1:4-5
5. Does foreordained faith by election
make God unjust? What God saw in regard to every human being is
rejection, resistance and rebellion (Psa. 14:2; 54:2;
6. Does this not make God a lover of
some and a hater of some? God loves all mankind but not in the same way. For example, You are
commanded to love your enemies. However, do you love your enemies in the same
degree that you love your children? Do
you love your children in the same way you love your wife? No! God loves the non-elect in that He provides
every good and perfect gift they enjoy. God loves the non-elect in that He
offers them freely the gospel provision and nothing but their own depraved
rejection, resistance and rebellion keeps them from being saved. God loves the
elect above the non-elect in that He saves them in spite of their rejection,
resistance and rebellion. Neither the non-elect or
elect deserve salvation both deserve wrath. God leaves the non-elect to the
freedom of their choice to reject, resist and rebel against Him. God does not
leave the elect to that choice but graciously overrules it by working in them
“both to will and to do of His good pleasure” – Philip.
7. Did Christ die for all mankind or
only die for the elect? The atonement is sufficient to save all mankind and
all the demons in hell. The offer of the gospel is to all who hear the gospel.
However, actual salvation is for only those that actually repent of their sins
and believe in the gospel. Election is God’s means whereby He obtains VOLUNTARY
obedience to the Gospel by the elect. None would come to Christ for salvation
apart from election all would equally continue to reject, resist and rebel against
God if it were not for election. God’s grace in election saves while leaving
the non-elect to follow the dictates of their own free will. Nothing prevents
the salvation of the non-elect but their own rejecting, resisting and
rebellious will while nothing saves the elect but God’s grace that gives them a
new spirit and new heart and a new will and causes them to obey Him. The new covenant terms are stated by Ezekiel
as follows:
A new heart also will I give you, and a
new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of
your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27And
I will put my spirit within you, and cause
you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. – Ezek. 36:26-27
8. Election is of Grace –