I am comfortable in believing in both God’s election and man’s free will to choose the Lord because the Bible teaches both of these things.  Let’s consider a few verses to show this.

  • Ephesians 1:4-5, “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: Having PREDESTINATED us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.” 
  • 1 Peter 1:2, “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.”
  • Matthew 11:28, “COME unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
  • 1 Timothy 2:3-4, “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to COME unto the knowledge of the truth.” 

These are just a few verses that illustrate both the election of God and the responsibility of sinful people to come to Him for salvation.  Do these things seem to contradict each other?  Can they both possibly be true?  Well, we have seen the Bible teaches both of them, so certainly they must be true.

The problem is often that we tend to choose to believe the one truth and reject the other because they do seem to be contrary to one another.  However, we must realize that God is great enough to cause both to be true.  One does not cancel out the other.  Let’s consider the wonderful truth of John 6:37, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”

  • ALL THAT THE FATHER GIVETH ME SHALL COME TO ME.  This is absolutely the work of God to draw some to the Lord Jesus for salvation…and if He draws them, they do come!
  • HIM THAT COMETH TO ME I WILL IN NO WISE CAST OUT.  This is absolutely the responsibility of man to come to the Lord with the assurance that He will accept all who come to Him. 

While we see that it is biblical to say that some are chosen for Heaven, the Bible NEVER says that any are chosen for Hell.  Hell is for those who reject the good news of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ.  In fact, we read that, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9).

Does all this seem confusing?  I admit it can be so hard to understand.  This is why we simply need to trust the Lord and realize that one day He will explain this to us when we are with Him in the Glory.  (CC)  (649.4)