I Find It Easier to Believe in the Perseverance of the Saints Than in Unconditional Election in My Shift Towards Reformed Theology
It really saddens me to think how many people have been shared the Gospel more than once. One relative got saved and two presumably went to Hell without Christ. Others have been warned for many years but are still stubborn in their unbelief. This has me thinking that should I really believe in the doctrine of Unconditional Election? I believe in the truth of the Perseverance of the Saints which differentiates false converts from true converts. Yet, I still have a hard time believing in Unconditional Election.
I could easily agree with the doctrine of Perseverance of the Saints because it makes a distinction between true and false converts. There are many shallow professors. It's been easy for me for many years to dismiss anyone who claims that he or she is a Christian when the fruit suggests otherwise (Matthew 7:14-20). I have no problem singling out false converts and confronting them, telling them that just because they "prayed a prayer" or signed a dotted line that they are saved. I have no problem in believing those who believe that they have a license to a life of sin after salvation don't belong to Jesus.
But why am I still having a problem with unconditional election? It's almost like how I deal with preachers. Some of my favorite preachers like Aiden W. Tozer, Vernon McGee and David Cloud are opponents of Calvinism. Sure, these preachers teach the Perseverance of the Saints while they don't agree with the doctrine of Unconditional Election. On the other hand, some non-Calvinists read the books by John F. MacArthur, the late Robert C. Sproul Sr., John Piper and respect long-dead Calvinists like Matthew Henry, John Gill, Charles H. Spurgeon and the Puritans (who also translated the King James Version or KJV) while they don't agree with Unconditional Election.
What's my reason for somehow struggling with Calvinism? I tend to think it's cruel that people are going to Hell because nobody can believe except if God the Father directs them to God the Son who is Jesus Christ. Yet, John 6:44 says that nobody can come unto Him except if the Father draws them near. What's also interesting is that phrases like predestined and chosen for salvation are so common in the Bible. Also, I also come into gripes that the KJB is indeed a Calvinist translation of the Bible. I love the KJV and I really don't like using other versions which I believe can't match the dedication poured out by the Calvinistic Puritans. I don't even find myself liking the Calvinist English Standard Version or ESV over the KJV. It's safe to say that I'm still a moderate KJV Onlyist (and I don't approve of the stupidity that KJV extremists do such as quarreling) and none of my other favorite sources have convinced me otherwise.
Yet, I still think about many verses in the Bible especially in John 17 where Jesus made it clear that the disciples (and Judas Iscariot was now out there going to the synagogue to turn Jesus in) that He chose them and that they didn't choose him. I was already reading the Bible cover to cover many times yet I still struggle with the idea of Unconditional Election. Maybe, it's because other preachers like McGee and Tozer don't like it. I thought it was just cruel if God already started marking "Heaven" and "Hell" towards people when they were born. Yet, the Bible already has it that the Elect are chosen for salvation.
I also want to think about my beloved sister in Christ, the earthly mother of Jesus. I even think about it that Mary may be best example of Unconditional Election. Isaiah 7:14 says that one day a virgin will give birth to a child that will change the world. Later, Luke 1 we read that Mary had her on-time visitation from Gabriel. It really looks like that she was already chosen before the foundation of the world. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit already arranged who will be the earthly mother of His Son. It was all there - the time and the date of the visitation to the time Mary would get pregnant by supernatural means. All the prophecies were starting to fall into place. Somehow, restudying Mary's getting chosen to be Jesus' earthly mother and her willingness to do so may be attributed to the doctrine of Unconditional Election.
I also want to think about my beloved sister in Christ, the earthly mother of Jesus. I even think about it that Mary may be best example of Unconditional Election. Isaiah 7:14 says that one day a virgin will give birth to a child that will change the world. Later, Luke 1 we read that Mary had her on-time visitation from Gabriel. It really looks like that she was already chosen before the foundation of the world. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit already arranged who will be the earthly mother of His Son. It was all there - the time and the date of the visitation to the time Mary would get pregnant by supernatural means. All the prophecies were starting to fall into place. Somehow, restudying Mary's getting chosen to be Jesus' earthly mother and her willingness to do so may be attributed to the doctrine of Unconditional Election.
It also made me think about Revelation 18:4. Lately, I even want to examine that verse and God calling His people out of the sinister system. I always tried to think that my people just meant the worldwide audience but what if it were the Elect? I used to think it meant Christians are called to separate from any dealings with the Mother of Harlots. As a former Roman Catholic, I believe that my former religion is indeed the Great Whore of Revelation. I was wondering is the phrase "My people" really referring to God's Elect? I even want to think what if Roman Catholics who receive the Gospel receive it because God called them out of her? What about my other former churchmates? What can I do? So is it that all I could do is warn and nothing more? It still feels cruel to me in some way yet part of me still wants to believe I wouldn't have become a Christian if Jesus didn't call me out of her.
So what's the point? Part of me thinks that Unconditional Election is an unfair doctrine. Yet, I don't need fair because all that will do is send me to Hell. What I need is mercy from God and it's only available through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. So did I end up accepting Christ only because He chose me first? I read it in Dr. MacArthur's book titled as "Hard to Believe" where it's stated that theologian George Muller said that it's better to have Unconditional Election than none. The writer of Amazing Grace namely John Newton is a Calvinist. The song "Forever Grateful" emphasizes that God didn't wait for me to cry out to Him but He let me hear His voice and I don't deserve anything but Hell. Right now, I still think about it that Unconditional Election indeed is a difficult thing to believe in especially not all of the best theologians were Calvinists themselves.
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