The Old Line Messenger
An Old Line Primitive Baptist Website
Arguments against Election Answered
Part 3
by Elder Brian Moore
A popular notion among many followers of popular religion concerning election is that God elected a plan of salvation. It is commonly believed by many denominations that election refers to a plan of salvation. This plan usually consists of Gods plan and mans plan, the two seemingly work together to bring about eternal security. In part three of this study I hope to let the bible disprove this falsehood.
“Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts:…”Psalms 65:4. In this particular Psalm, David indicates that the man that God choosest is indeed blessed. According to what some religionist believe David should have said, blessed is the PLAN which thou choosest. In the area in which I live it is very common to see large billboards advocating the idea that God has two plans of salvation. One part of this plan relies solely on God while the other part of this plan relies on the cooperative effort of man. This false notion makes God and man equal partners in the PLAN OF SALVATION and thusly regulates God to nothing more than a bystander who is passive in the salvation process. Under this system, God is obligated to give salvation to anyone that meets the requirements, creating a system of merit rather than one of grace. This notion, despite being totally contradictory to scripture is very popular and is widely accepted among worldly denominations. Proponents of this definition of election disregard the clear teaching of the bible concerning election. In the book of Ephesians 1:4-5 , the Apostle Paul writes “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.”(emphasis mine). It is rather clear, through this illustration alone, that the words us and we are in reference to persons. If God had elected a plan of salvation the words us and we in the text should be replaced by the word it or plan.
In First Peter 1:1-2 the Apostle Peter refers to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bythinia as the Elect according to the foreknowledge of God. It is rather clear that it is the strangers in the surrounding area that Peter is referring to as the Elect, not some plan or system of salvation. I could go on and on with this particular argument but the proof as they say is in the pudding. The very idea or notion that God elected a plan or system instead of a people is confounding in light of the plain teachings of scripture that nothing more needs to be said regarding this false argument. In part four of this study I will address the most common argument against election, which suggests that election is unfair and would make God a respecter of persons.
