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Ephesians 1: What's up with Election?

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Ephesians 1: What's up with Election? Ephesians 1: What’s up with Election? Before God created the universe and made the Earth and way before He crafted humanity, God had determined a plan of salvation involving the incarnation, crucifixion and resurrection of the 2nd person of trinity who we know as Jesus. Because God foreknew that people would reject Him and choose their own ways instead in order to live independent of God, and that His justice would require His judgment upon them for doing so, in His loving wisdom He decided to provide a way to redeem and restore people by His grace. Ephesians 1:1-6 “This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus. I am writing to God’s holy people in Ephesus, who are faithful followers of Christ Jesus. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. 3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. 4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. 6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.” A Biblical Tension: mystery of Divine Sovereignty and Human free will Deuteronomy 29:29 “The Lord our God has secrets known to no one. We are not accountable for them, but we and our children are accountable forever for all that he has revealed to us, so that we may obey all the terms of these instructions.” Let’s do our history to figure where we are . The Reformation Starter, 1517 German pastor who attempted to reform the Catholic Church, ended up creating the Protestant movement of Christianity. The Reformed Theologian, pastor in Geneva 1540’s God chooses/elects certain individuals and by His irresistible grace brings them to faith in Christ. This work of predestination is always efficacious, accomplished. Five Points: 1. Total depravity = human inability to choose God except for intervening grace 2. Unconditional election = God sovereignly chose by His will and grace 3. Limited atonement = Christ’s death intended to save only the elect 4. Irresistible grace = God’s saving call to elect is always effective 5. Perseverance of saints = God’s elect will endure to the end . The Counterpoint Theologian, pastor in Amsterdam 1588-1603 God predestination is based on His foreknowledge of the way in which people will freely respond to Christ either freely rejecting or accepting Him. -total depravity = yes in common -conditional election = God foreknew who would choose Christ -unlimited atonement = whosoever will, Christ died for all -resistible grace = people can resist and reject the Holy Spirit -apostasy possible = believers can fall away from Christ and into God’s wrath So how does anyone come to faith, details please? This is where two historical views take different paths in understanding Scripture Reformed View: Christ’s atonement for all the elect, is limited / applied only to them. God chooses to regenerate the elect to spiritual awareness, illuminates their understanding and receptivity to the Gospel and guides their intellect and will to choose Christ, and these chosen ones will persevere in their faith. John 17:9 Philippians 1:29 Romans 5:10 Romans 8:29 John 6:39-44 Romans 9:13, 22-23 Arminian View: Christ’s atonement applied to all those who respond by faith God the Holy Spirit convicts every person about the reality of the holiness of God and the offense of their sin, He overcomes their depravity/hostility toward God with prevenient grace which enables them to freely decide to respond to Jesus Christ. Ezekiel 33:11 John 3:16 John 16:8-11 1Timothy 2:3-4 1 Timothy 4:10 2Peter 3:9 Summation of mystery here: God’s will and human choice merge together in the mystery of a person responding to the gospel of Jesus Christ, it’s still the grace of God that enables this to happen whatever view is held. So What? .
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