Christians; Explain the doctrine of election.?

God has chosen out a people to belong to Christ, their names written in the lambs book of life since the foundation of the earth.

Rev 17:8 The beast which you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss, and goes to perdition. And those dwelling on the earth will marvel, the ones whose names have not been written on the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, seeing the beast, that it was a thing, and is not, yet now is.

Rev 20:15 And if anyone was not found having been written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the Lake of Fire.

God wrote those names before we even existed, so it is not based on what we do or don't do. Salvation is completely monergistic, it is a total work of God. We do nothing to gain salvation nor bring it about. We don't "choose" to be saved, nor "choose" God. He chooses us. Man, in his natural state, is totally depraved, dead in sin and trespasses (Eph. 2:1). God has to make the first move, He has to awaken us from the dead, indwell us with the Spirit (born anew), open our eyes and ears to the truth and give us the faith to believe. Man, in his natural state, can do nothing of a spiritual nature nor do anything to secure salvation. No one comes to Christ unless the Father draws him:

Joh 6:44 No one is able to come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up in the last day.

We know not all are drawn to Christ. Election by God, choosing out a people unto Himself, is all through the Scriptures. God chose out Israel to be His people, they didn't choose Him, nor seek Him out, He did it all. "Free will" concerning salvation is not Biblical, and is errant teaching.

Rom 8:29 because whom He foreknew, He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son, for Him to be the First-born among many brothers.

Rom 8:30 But whom He predestinated, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

Eph 2:1 and you being dead in deviations and sins,

Eph 2:2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the ruler of the authority of the air, the spirit now working in the sons of disobedience,

Eph 2:3 among whom we also all conducted ourselves in times past in the lusts of our flesh, doing the things willed of the flesh and of the understanding, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as the rest.

Eph 2:4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

Eph 2:5 even we being dead in deviations, He made us alive together with Christ (by grace you are being saved),

Eph 2:6 and raised us up together and seated us together in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus,

Eph 2:7 that He might demonstrate in the ages coming on, the exceeding great riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Eph 2:8 For by grace you are saved, through faith, and this not of yourselves; it is the gift of God;

Eph 2:9 not of works, that not anyone should boast;

Eph 2:10 for we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God before prepared that we should walk in them.

Rom 9:11 for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of the One calling,

Rom 9:12 it was said to her, "The greater shall serve the lesser;" (Gen. 25:23)

Rom 9:13 even as it has been written, "I loved Jacob, and I hated Esau." (Mal. 1:2, 3)

Rom 11:5 So then, also in the present time a remnant according to election of grace has come into being.

Rom 11:7 What then? What Israel seeks, this it did not obtain, but the election obtained it, and the rest were hardened;

Rom 11:8 even as it has been written, "God gave to them a spirit of slumber, eyes not seeing and ears not hearing" until this day.

1Th 1:3 remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love, and the patience of hope of our Lord Jesus Christ before our God and Father,

1Th 1:4 knowing, brothers, having been loved, your election by God.

2Pe 1:10 Therefore, brothers, rather be diligent to make sure of your calling and election; for doing these things, you will not ever fall.

Simply put, who saved you? God

How were you saved? Grace

Was it on purpose or accidental? On purpose

Did He save everyone? No

Hence, election, choosing, calling out.

Mainworry (AC) REPORTER has nailed it good.

I'll just add a few more comments.

In the first earth and heaven age (dispensation of time, eon) Satan’s Rebellion happened. Those who stood with God against satan are God’s election. These souls, if you will, were justified then, which means that the 2nd death, the death of the soul, has no effect on them ... unless they comment the unpardonable sin. This sin can only be committed if, when delivered up for trial, they refuse to let the Holy Spirit speak through them.

IMHO, the Apostles of Christ were some of God’s election. Notice how Christ would just say come, follow Me, or words to that effect. Because they’ve already been justified, they do not have any choice as to how God wishes to use them. He puts them where He wants them and has them do what He wishes them to do.

Anyway, if you wish to learn more about the 1st heaven and earth age and satan’s rebellion, please visit the source below.

The debate between free will & predestination has been raging for quite some time. Some of your answers give a detailed answer to your question. But in my own thinking..I say that just because God knows your choices before you make them, does not mean that He has "ordained" those choices. We are constantly being "honed" by our surroundings, the environment & the people we are in contact with, on a daily basis. God has placed us each in "time" & in the place in the World, and the families we are in so that we will have the BEST possible hope of choosing Jesus Christ as our Lord & Savior. But we ALL must fight against our human nature in order to acchieve God's best! Therefore...we must ALL run the race with endurance, as we do not know all things, like our Heavenly Father does...so we must "run" to WIN that prize!

God promises (and He can NOT lie) that we WILL be very glad that we sought Him with all our hearts!

Salavtion is not an easy road....but it was given to ALL that want it!

Sure. The doctrine of election is love.

God has elected a people, who will worship Him in Spirit and in truth while they live, but the elect are not the only ones who will go to heaven.

Romans 11:

25, "For I would not, BRETHREN, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in."

Does this blindness keep them from heaven? NO:

26) And so ALL ISRAEL SHALL BE SAVED: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:::"

27) "For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins." (Jer 31:31 & Heb 8:8)

28) "As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes::: BUT as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes."

Verse 28, says, Israel is an enemy of the gospel, for our sakes, but for the fathers' (the elect patriarchs) sakes, they are beloved. They are loved, because they are Abraham's children. Abraham & the patriarchs are the election; chosen to worship God in Spirit and in truth while they live.

29) "FOR THE GIFTS AND CALLING OF GOD ARE WITHOUT REPENTANCE."

30) "For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy THROUGH THEIR UNBELIEF:"

31) "Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy."

32) "FOR GOD HATH CONCLUDED THEM ALL IN UNBELIEF, THAT HE MIGHT HAVE MERCY UPON ALL"

33) "O the debth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!"

Israel are blinded to Christ, and enemies of His gospel, but "ALL ISRAEL SHALL BE SAVED", for the election's sakes, who are the patriarch fathers.

1John 4:10, "Herein is love, NOT THAT WE LOVED GOD, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."

1John 4:19, "We love him, because he FIRST loved us."

The case of free will vs. predestination has everything to do with whose eyes you look through. Yes, because God dwells in eternity and sees the end from the beginning, He already knows the outcome of your decision. He looks at the earth's timeline, then chooses those who choose Him. However, to have true children and not robots, God gave us a free will to choose. We can choose to love God, we can choose to hate Him, or we can choose to exchange the concept of God for only what we can see within our puny science. If free will truly did not exist, God would provide a world with only one choice and provide tons of evidence to MAKE you believe. But He does not do that. He provides just enough evidence to allow you to think beyond the physical and into the eternal. But you must decide for yourself. But do not be surprised if God knows your decision the moment you make it.

Yes, God sees our life as a done deal. Yet, we ourselves do have free will to choose. It would be like I could go back in time, meet with George Lucas while attending USC film class. I would know everything about what he would write and the companies he would start. Does he have free will to write Star Wars? Yes. Would my knowledge change the fact that Darth Vader will be Luke Skywalker's dad? No. It's a done deal because I am not bound by time.

So what is the big deal about free will? Well, those of us with children (not sure if you have kids) understand that there is a big difference between programming our computers to wake us up in the morning with "good-morning father-I-love-you" and having your little son or daughter jump on your bed at the crack of dawn yelling "Good morning daddy! I love you!"

The Almighty God has a myriad of angels proclaiming "Holy, holy, holy"--but they have seen Him, so it is easy. Think what it means to God, having NOT seen Him, yet lifting your arms and proclaim, "Good morning Lord! I love you!"

John 20:29

Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have NOT seen and yet have believed.”

All humans are supposed to go to hell (punished) for injuring the honor of God. But God, in His mercy, chose some to be saved. God did not have to chose some, but He did.

calvanism. it assumes that God picked who would serve him. that is incorrect thinking.

God called everyone to 'come as you are' to him. if you hear his voice and come, then you are chosen...you cant be

'chosen' if you dont respond and come to him....get it?

just because God knows in the end who will receive him, doesnt mean he picks and chooses who will come. God gives us the choice....that is the whole message of the bible. "come follow" "taste and see that the Lord is good"

its an open offer to all!

GOD CALLS

HE APPROVES

HE APPROVES / HE JUSTIFIES

HE JUSTIFIES / HE CHOOSES

HE CHOOSES / HE ELECTS

HE WHO IS ELECTED BY HIM

IS LEAD BY HIM

"" make your calling and election sure "

"Study to show theyselve approved "

TO KNOW GOD IS TO KNOW HIS WORD

TO KNOW HIS WORD IS TO HEAR HIS VOICE

TO HEAR HIS VOICE IS TO KNOW HIM

TO KNOW HIM IS TO BE LEAD OF HIM

TO BE LEAD OF HIM

ONE HEARS HIS CALL

TO KNOW HIS VOICE

ONE IS ELECTED

TO BE ELECTED

ONE MUST KNOW HE IS

TO KNOW HE IS

ONE MUST ABIDE IN HIM

TO ABIDE IN HIM

HE MUST ABIDE IN YOU

WHEN HE ABIDES IN YOU

YOUR ELECTION IS SURE !!!!!!!!!!

I'd love to answer this question, but I'm a reprobate.