Layman's TULIP: Unconditional Election

Unconditional Election, in my humble opinion, may be the simplest to understand from Scripture, but really is the most difficult to grasp for "evangelicals." You've probably heard of "Four Point Calvinists" (I used to be one) who reject the "L" but accept the other points. In all honesty, if you reject the idea of Limited Atonement (aka Real Atonement) which I'll discuss next time, then likely you don't have a true grasp for what Unconditional Election is. As the addage goes, what do Calvinists call "Four Point Calvinists?" Arminians!

Unconditional Election means that God elected, or chose, who would be saved, who would receive the benefits of the atonement. This election was not based on the works of those people, or on God knowing that they would choose Him. Both of those ideas are not plausible Scripturally; you simply cannot find that taught in the Bible. God's election of people was based solely on His good pleasure. Again, we have to get our doctrines from Scripture.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 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, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. Eph. i.3-6 KJV

God predestinated us (Paul is referring specifically to himself and the members of the Church of Ephesus, but generally speaks of all believers) according to the good pleasure of His will; or as the ESV translates this, according to the "good purpose of His will." Either way, the will of God Himself is the basis for His choices, for His election. You, if you are a believer, reborn by God's Spirit, through faith in Christ Jesus, you were first chosen by God Himself. As Christ said, "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you" (Jo. xv.16 ESV).

God did not look to the future and base His choice on whether or not you would choose Him. He did not look and see if you were going to be good or bad, do evil or not? Before He ever created, He chose. That is His will, His choice, His prerogative. Keep in mind man's state of sin (totally depraved, incapable of choosing God unless first reborn of the Spirit). The sinner will never choose God. God chooses first. Look at John vi.44 (a passage that I will go into further at another time).