Was Divine Election Conditional, Unconditional or Both? Perhaps Jacob Arminius and John Calvin are wrong
Scripture says divine election is conditioned "according to the foreknowledge of God" (1 Pt. 1:2):
But if we deduce what it was God foreknew, the paradox vanishes. Before the foundation of the world it follows Omniscient God had two versions of Creation in view, the "Unfallen Version" which existed only in the Mind of God, and the "Fallen Version" that actually came into existence.
If God elects according to "a condition" foreknown in the "unfallen version" (which never comes into existence), Election would be according to God's Sovereign "good purpose and will" and free of any hint of unfairness even though it is not based upon any works of good or evil the Elect do in this life.
Before God created, in His Omniscience He experiences everyone who would come into existence, some respond to His love with love, others with hate. The "children of God" and the "children of the Devil" were fully known.
God skipped over the children of the Devil. By a special act of "foreknowledge", God "knew before" all those who loved Him like "highlighted text" is known before surrounding dark text. And God loved them even more (cp. Rom. 11:2). [2] Therefore, before they did anything good or bad God predestined those He foreknew loved Him unto salvation, regardless what their "fallen versions" do in this fallen realm.
This is not Molinism. His view depended on the existence of "Middle Knowledge", this view is founded in God's "Natural Knowledge" which no one objects to.
God Omnisciently knows what every unfallen individual human would do in a particular set of circumstances, where they came to into existence knowing fully God's love for them, and His Person. Those who responded to God's love and Person, with love ----God predestines all things will work together for their good:
God will not tolerate Death or Satan have the victory over one of these He foreknew are His, therefore He predestines them unto salvation.
Those who haven't heard the gospel of Christ, will upon death, even infants are granted the intellectually ability to understand, and those who believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and trust in His sacrifice to pay for their sins, will be raised to the resurrection of life, even if they hear the gospel while in Hades, the grave:
God Predestined those He foreknew would fall, unto salvation. Not based upon anything the "fallen version" were or did in this life. It was God's good will and pleasure not to lose any of His beloved because the Fall prevented the "unfallen version" from coming into existence.
Election unto Salvation resolved God's dilemma. Only creatures with absolute free will, could love God freely for Who He is. If their Free Will were a farce, their "robot love" would be an abomination. Therefore, to endow free will yet permit the inevitable fall occur [or the Beloved would never exist], God had to predestine they be saved, regardless what the fall made them become.
In other words, in a fallen world few would be saved in this life. Most never hear the gospel. Many are deceived by the temptations and lies of this fallen realm and so ignore or despise what little of the gospel they heard.
Therefore, God predestines the Elect unto salvation, even if they must pass through hell first before they repent and believe in Jesus.
Scripture says divine election is conditioned "according to the foreknowledge of God" (1 Pt. 1:2):
Scripture also says divine election was not conditioned according to works either good or evil the Elect do: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. (1 Pet. 1:2 KJV)
The apparent contradiction has caused controversy in the Church. John Calvin cited Paul to propose Election was by Sovereign choice and not based upon foreknowledge at all, while Jacob Arminius cited Peter to propose Election is conditioned on foreknowledge of "foreseen faith".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 KJV)
But if we deduce what it was God foreknew, the paradox vanishes. Before the foundation of the world it follows Omniscient God had two versions of Creation in view, the "Unfallen Version" which existed only in the Mind of God, and the "Fallen Version" that actually came into existence.
If God elects according to "a condition" foreknown in the "unfallen version" (which never comes into existence), Election would be according to God's Sovereign "good purpose and will" and free of any hint of unfairness even though it is not based upon any works of good or evil the Elect do in this life.
Before God created, in His Omniscience He experiences everyone who would come into existence, some respond to His love with love, others with hate. The "children of God" and the "children of the Devil" were fully known.
God skipped over the children of the Devil. By a special act of "foreknowledge", God "knew before" all those who loved Him like "highlighted text" is known before surrounding dark text. And God loved them even more (cp. Rom. 11:2). [2] Therefore, before they did anything good or bad God predestined those He foreknew loved Him unto salvation, regardless what their "fallen versions" do in this fallen realm.
This is not Molinism. His view depended on the existence of "Middle Knowledge", this view is founded in God's "Natural Knowledge" which no one objects to.
God Omnisciently knows what every unfallen individual human would do in a particular set of circumstances, where they came to into existence knowing fully God's love for them, and His Person. Those who responded to God's love and Person, with love ----God predestines all things will work together for their good:
Those who are called to live with God forever, according to the purpose of enjoying life with Him for all eternity, in love and holiness, enjoying life to its fullest with God---He in them, and they in Him, are selected from among all who would ever live, and predestined unto salvation.And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (Rom. 8:28 NKJ)
God will not tolerate Death or Satan have the victory over one of these He foreknew are His, therefore He predestines them unto salvation.
Everyone else is "undetermined", they choose in this life whether they also will live eternally with God in love.29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
33 Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.
34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."
37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,
39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom. 8:29-39 NKJ)
Those who haven't heard the gospel of Christ, will upon death, even infants are granted the intellectually ability to understand, and those who believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and trust in His sacrifice to pay for their sins, will be raised to the resurrection of life, even if they hear the gospel while in Hades, the grave:
Upon death there is a judgment, the dead hear Christ's voice and all who obey pass over from death into life, eagerly waiting for His second appearance unto salvation:5 They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
6 For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit. (1 Pet. 4:5-6 NKJ)
28 "Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice
29 "and come forth-- those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. (Jn. 5:28-29 NKJ)
Predestination unto salvation is the action God took to guarantee none of His children were lost because of the Fall.24 For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us;
25 not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another--
26 He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,
28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation. (Heb. 9:24-28 NKJ)
God Predestined those He foreknew would fall, unto salvation. Not based upon anything the "fallen version" were or did in this life. It was God's good will and pleasure not to lose any of His beloved because the Fall prevented the "unfallen version" from coming into existence.
(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 Him who calls), (Rom. 9:11 NKJ)
4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,
5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will. (Eph. 1:4-5 NKJ)
Evidently it was unacceptable to God the fallen realm would corrupt so many of those He knows are His. Nor was it acceptable to refuse to create and all who would choose to love God (after He loved them first 1 Jn. 4:19) would not come into existence. Neither was tolerable.8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (Eph. 2:8-10 NKJ)
Election unto Salvation resolved God's dilemma. Only creatures with absolute free will, could love God freely for Who He is. If their Free Will were a farce, their "robot love" would be an abomination. Therefore, to endow free will yet permit the inevitable fall occur [or the Beloved would never exist], God had to predestine they be saved, regardless what the fall made them become.
In other words, in a fallen world few would be saved in this life. Most never hear the gospel. Many are deceived by the temptations and lies of this fallen realm and so ignore or despise what little of the gospel they heard.
Therefore, God predestines the Elect unto salvation, even if they must pass through hell first before they repent and believe in Jesus.
Predestination unto Salvation: Was Divine Election Conditional or Unconditional or Both? | End Time News, Today - Rapture Ready News
Predestination unto Salvation: Was Divine Election Conditional, Unconditional or Both? Scripture says divine election is conditioned "according to the foreknowledge of God" (1 Pt. 1:2): Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience...
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