Election is the act of God whereby in eternity past He chose those who will be saved. Election is unconditional, because it does not depend on anything outside of God, such as good works or foreseen faith (Romans 9:16). This doctrine is repeatedly taught in the Bible, and is also demanded by our knowledge of God. To begin with, let’s look at the biblical evidence.
The Bible says prior to salvation, all people are dead in sin—spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1-3). In this state of Read the rest...
There are two important tests in Scripture for a person to determine whether or not he or she is a true believer. There is first of all an objective test, which asks, “Do I believe?” Ask yourself if you affirm the Scripture’s record of the person and work of Jesus Christ. Do you believe that He is God manifest in the flesh? Do you believe that God saves sinners solely through the merits of Jesus Christ’s obedient life and substitutionary death on the Read the rest...
The Bible says, “No!” One who is saved “has everlasting life, and … is passed from death unto life” (John 5:24). Eternal life by definition cannot be temporary. It is the present possession of all those who have truly trusted Christ.
Romans 8:28-39 reveals clearly that there is nothing in the universe that can separate the elect from the love of God. The One who chose to save you “is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the Read the rest...
A. A. HODGE; revised by B. B. WARFIELD
Regeneration (from Lat. re-, again + generare, beget) is a theological term used to express the initial stage of the change experienced by one who enters upon the Christian life. It is derived from the New Testament, where the “new birth” (1 Pet. i. 3, 23; Titus iii. 5; John iii. 3 f.) is the beginning of that “renewal” which produces the “new creature.” In the history of theology the term has been used with Read the rest...
According to Arminianism, salvation is accomplished through the combined efforts of God (who takes the initiative) and man (who must respond) – man’s response being the determining factor. God has provided salvation for everyone, but His provision becomes effective only for those who, of their own free will, choose to cooperate with Him and accept His offer of grace. At the crucial point, man’s will plays a decisive role; thus man, not God, determines who will be recipients Read the rest...
The teaching of the Bible is that God did not merely plan to give salvation to those who would choose to believe, but rather that He actually determined beforehand those who would be chosen for salvation (Matthew 22:14; Acts 13:48; Romans 8:28-30; Romans 9:7-24; Ephesians 1:4-5, 11; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 1:9). In other words, we respond in faith to God’s choice of us and His election of us is not based upon anything we do.
Election must be seen from God’s Read the rest...
For starters, no one is saved by good works. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not of your yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works lest any man should boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do(EPH 2:8,9)
If we are saved by Grace through faith, that grace will result in good works. In other words it is the grace of God that will lead us to do what God requires of us. Read the rest...
By Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892)
It is a great thing to begin the Christian life by believing good solid doctrine. Some people have received twenty different “gospels” in as many years; how many more they will accept before they get to their journey’s end, it would be difficult to predict. I thank God that He early taught me the gospel, and I have been so perfectly satisfied with it, that I do not want to know any other.
Why, if I believed what some Read the rest...
The Canon of Dort (“The Five Points of Calvinism”)
Five theological points were formulated to answer the Remonstrants in a document known as the Canon of Dort, which declared: