Soteriology Election and Predestination The followers of John

Soteriology Election and Predestination

The followers of John Calvin probably went beyond Calvin’s teaching in postulating that God imposed a Covenant of ____ upon Adam. They taught that life and blessing were dependent upon Adam’s ______. When Adam sinned and fell God instituted a Covenant of _____ whereby God offers life and salvation in Jesus Christ to those who were ________ to receive it. The primary problem with the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace is the fact that _____ are taught _____ in the Bible. This entire theology is based upon human _____. Many of the Reformed tradition write and speak about these covenants as though they are in fact revealed truth. They are ______! To begin on the premise of human reason inevitably produces a theology of ____ in which the Bible is manipulated to “______. ” Much of the Calvinist scheme is the direct result of human reason built upon the platform of ______ Theology. Election The terms “elect” and “election” whether Old Testament Hebrew or New Testament Greek both have reference to making a _____. Someone or something is chosen.

The key to understanding the terms lies in answering the question, ______ or what has been ____ and by _______. Another fact is the reason or _____ for the choice. Who or What is Chosen Moses was “chosen. . . to come near unto” God. (Num. 16: 5) Priesthood was chosen by God. (Deu. 18: 5) King Saul was chosen by God. (1 Sam. 10: 25) Israel was God’s elect (Isa. 45: 4; 65: 9, 22) Witnesses of the resurrected Christ were chosen before of God. (Acts 10: 24) There were elect angels as opposed to fallen angels (1 Tim. 5: 21) Christ was an elect and precious corner stone. (1 Pet. 2: 4 -6) Believers are called the elect. (Mat. 24: 22 -31; Luke 18: 7; Rom. 8: 33; Col. 3: 12; 2 Tim. 3: 10)

Who has been elected is directly tied to the _____ for the election. In almost every case election is ________. Israel was chosen to be the earthly people of God. Various individuals were chosen to fill specific roles in the plan and purpose of God. New Testament believers are chosen to fill the body of Christ, the _____. (Acts 15: 14) In each case, associated with the position, is a purpose. Election is far more _______ than it is _____ oriented. In fact the process lies completely shrouded in mystery. It is the effort to penetrate that mystery that produces _______ based upon human reason. Why did God choose Israel? The Old Testament clearly states that God chose Israel for _____ , to be His inheritance. (Isa. 43: 21; Psa. 33: 12; 135: 4; Deu. 7: 6 -9) The favorite passage of Scripture for those who embrace the tenets of Calvinism is Romans chapter nine. Most certainly the ________ of election is prominent there as it is also in Romans chapter eleven. An interesting term is found in Romans 9: 11. For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth; ) “ ‘. . . according to the election’ is virtually equivalent to ‘the electing ____. ”

While Paul uses _______ such as Jacob and Esau along with the Pharaoh of the Exodus, the overwhelming thrust of the passage is upon _______ first with Israel and then with Gentle converts. God’s electing purpose in choosing Israel has ____ been set aside even though Gentiles have been grafted into the plan of God. Most who imbibe in Reformed Theology flatly deny the point that Paul is emphasizing. God’s electing purpose in choosing Israel has _____ been set aside even though Gentiles have been grafted into the plan of God. Most who imbibe in Reformed Theology flatly deny the point that Paul is emphasizing in Romans 11. We should again be aware of the fact that the fulfillment of the purpose of God is at least in part shrouded in the mystery of the imponderables of God. Foolishly we attempted to discern the _____ of election when the emphasis of Scripture is upon the _____! What is the elective purpose of God for the Church? See Eph. 1: 3 -14. Those who become so enamored with ______ has been elected and ______, often miss the point of ______. This also devolves to the two basic views of ministry. Is the focus of the church soteriological or doxological?

Is the _____ focus on producing professions of faith or is it upon giving glory to God. Arguably, the conversion of souls glorifies God but when the focus turns from the glory of God, the methodology has tendency to become ______. Turning to the issue of the ______ of election, we are left to gross _______. This much we know. Election transpired in eternity past. (Rev. 17: 8; Eph. 1: 4) We also know that election is directly tied to the ______ of God. (1 Pet. 1: 2) Attempting to define election any more closely than the information provided in Scripture produces a ______ system that lacks Biblical evidence. There is no Biblical evidence that anyone is “elected” to be _______. To suggest such a thing is a human extrapolation to make that assumption. Men are lost because of their _____ state in general and their _____ of the grace of God in particular. The inevitable ______ of the Calvinist scheme is foreign to the Scriptures. Further, the sovereignty of the Reformed faith falls short of an absolute sovereignty because the “whosoever” passages of the New Testament must be explained away. The danger of doing that is to accuse God of _______ when He issues the invitation to be saved.

The final issue to be clarified is the fact that election is indeed vested in a _____. (Eph. 1: 4) Comparing this statement to similar elective statements about the person of Christ leads us to the conclusion that God chose ____ and us in him. (Acts 2: 22, 2 3; 1 Pet. 1: 18 -20) This is the sum of what we know about election from the Bible. Anything further is human ________. Another curious exegetical fact is that in almost every passage where the subject of election is broached we find in the _______ context an emphasis upon the responsibility of man to respond. Can God be completely sovereign and man completely responsible at the _______ time? Absolutely! Can we reconcile that paradox? Probably not! Should we waste time attempting to resolve that dynamic _____ between divine sovereignty and human responsibility? Absolutely not! Since ______ is the originator of redemption, we ought to praise Him and thank Him for providing a means of salvation in Jesus Christ. Since ______ is completely responsible for his own sin and lost condition, we should boldly proclaim the gospel to everyone possible. We should be as ____ in casting the net as the whosoever passages of the New Testament. (Rom. 10: 9 -13; Acts 2: 21; John 3: 15 -18; Tit. 2: 11; 1 Tim. 4: 10)

Predestination The Greek word translated “predestinate” only occurs _______ times in the New Testament. Four of those occasions are rendered predestinate. The other two times include Acts 4: 28 where is translated “determined” and has reference to the crucifixion of Christ as predetermined by God. 1 Cor. 2: 7 dovetails quite nicely with Paul’s clear statements of the purpose and meaning of predestination. (Rom. 8: 2830; Eph. 1: 3 -11) As Peter connected election to the foreknowledge of God, Paul connects predestination to the foreknowledge of God. In each of these contexts those who are predestinated are ________ in Christ. The term predestination is ____ used in reference to the unsaved anywhere in Scripture. Further, predestination is tied to the purpose of God for _______ of those who have been and will be saved by the grace of God’s will and ultimate purpose for _____ believer is conformity to the ______ of Christ.

Even in English the concept is clear; the ______ destiny of every believer is predetermined. We are being progressively made like Christ (_________) and will eventually arrive in full measure of that likeness when we are glorified in His presence. Predestination deals _______ with the plan of God for the elect and nothing whatsoever to do with the unrepentant _______ people of the ages. The opposite pole of Calvinism with its _______ emphasis upon the sovereignty of God, is Arminianism with its exaggerated emphasis upon the sovereignty of ______. The contrast between Calvin and John Wesley could not be greater on the subject of salvation. Like the Reformed movement there are many variants of position within the Arminian movement. Wesley’s ______ doctrine in which he concluded that a person could choose to renounce faith in Christ just he could announce faith is in error. Wesley did teach that once a person became “lost again” he could never be saved. Many modern Arminians both teach and practice a continuous experience of saved, lost, and saved again. It is interesting that Wesley and his followers did have a form of eternal security in their doctrine of “__________” in which the Adamic nature of man could be eradicated so much so that the individual no longer was capable of sin. This is as much a stretch of human logic as any of the errors in the Calvinist camp.

In the final analysis, no one knows as much about the Bible truth of election and predestination as he would like to know. Since God has revealed nothing about the _____ of election, we must be content to understand the _____. We should all be humbled that God would save _____ for no one deserves to be saved. We must also be militant about the proclamation of the _____ to every creature as we are commanded.