Election

In Christian theology, election refers to God's choosing of individuals or peoples to be the objects of his grace or to otherwise fulfill his purposes. Most often God's election is associated with his choice of individuals unto salvation. The Calvinist view of election (also known as unconditional election) teaches that in eternity God chose some individuals from the mass of fallen humanity unto salvation without regard to any merit or foreseen faith in them, but solely based on His sovereign intentions. 
Election and predestination are very similar concepts to the point that the terms can sometimes be used interchangeably. However, there is a difference in the emphasis of the two terms. Election primarily has in view God's sovereign selection, whereas predestination accents the purpose or goal of His election. Scripture clearly teaches both election and predestination; however, there are a variety of views as to who, when, why, and how God does so.
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== Conditional election ==
Jacobus Arminius disagreed with the Calvinist understanding of election, as reflected in the Belgic Confession. Upon his death, Arminius' followers drew up Five articles of Remonstrance, a document opposing some of the prevailing Calvinist views in the Dutch church.
:Article I. That God, by an eternal, unchangeable purpose in Jesus Christ, his Son, before the foundation of the world, hath determined, out of the fallen, sinful race of men, to save in Christ, for Christ's sake, and through Christ, those who, through the grace of the Holy Ghost, shall believe on this his Son Jesus, and shall persevere in this faith and obedience of faith, through this grace, even to the end; and, on the other hand, to leave the incorrigible and unbelieving in sin and under wrath, and to condemn them as alienate from Christ, according to the word of the Gospel in John iii. 36: "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him," and according to other passages of Scripture also. 
:Article IV. That this grace of God is the beginning, continuance, and accomplishment of an good, even to this extent, that the regenerate man himself, without that prevenient or assisting; awakening, following, and co-operative grace, elm neither think, will, nor do good, nor withstand any temptations to evil; so that all good deeds or movements that can be conceived must be ascribed to the grace of God in Christ. But, as respects the mode of the operation of this grace, it is not irresistible, inasmuch as it is written concerning many that they have resisted the Holy Ghost, -Acts vii., and elsewhere in many places. 
Thus in this view, God's choice of individuals for salvation is not unconditional. It is conditioned upon God's foreknowledge of (enduring) faith in individuals which is made possible because of God's prevenient grace. That is, God's prevenient grace enables mankind to make the choice to believe, obey and persevere in faith, but they can resist this grace and choose to be lost. Those that God foresees will believe, obey and endure to the end (as enabled by His grace), are the ones whom He chooses from the beginning for salvation. The choice to be chosen is ultimately based on the individual, not on God, whom they insist wants all to be saved.
Arminians use primarily Rom 8:29 ("those whom He foreknew, He also predestined") and 1 Pet 1:1-2 ("chosen according to the foreknowledge of God") to argue that foreknowledge of faith is the basis of election. They also argue from deductive logic based on God's character, and the necessity of free will for man to be morally responsible.
== Corporate election ==
An alternative understanding of Election found in Arminianism Arminians are not so much insistent on conditional election as much as they are opposed to unconditional election. is that Christ is primarily God's elect, and that through Christ's redemptive work God has purposed to form a people to be His body (who become part of the Elect/ Christ). This election is freely offered to all. Anyone who wants to be identified with Christ, becomes part of the elect, and is assured of salvation. But at the same time they can lose that salvation if they cease to be identified with Christ.
An analogy used is that, Christ is the captain of a ship called "elect" (which is the Church), this ship is on a secure journey towards salvation. It is the individual's choice whether he wants to be on this ship or not. If the individual does, he is part of the elect and his salvation is secure, but if he chooses to bail out, then he's no longer part of the elect and he's lost.
Thus in biblical passages mentioning/alluding to God's election, the elect refers to an undefined group of elect people in Christ, not specifically chosen individuals. For example,
#"You did not choose Me but I chose you (plural)..." (John 15:16a NASB) - The Church did not choose Christ but Christ the Church
#"What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened;" (Rom 11:7 NASB) - believing Jews obtained it, the rest were hardened 
# For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Thess 5:9 NASB)- God did not destine the Church for wrath but for salvation
# etc...
=== Calvinist argument === 
Regarding this view, John Piper (a Calvinist theologian) says,
Michael Browne, author of The Biblical Doctrine of Substitution: And a Defence of Divine Sovereignty: including an excursus on Election; Corporate or Individual?The Biblical Doctrine of Substitution: And a Defence of Divine Sovereignty: including an excursus on Election; Corporate or Individual? ISBN 1-901193-70-5, Moray Books (1997). writes:
== John Calvin ==
For John Calvin (1509-1564), the doctrine of "eternal election" refers to both the predestination of the elect and the reprobate.Book 3, Chapter 23 of the Institutes, titled "Refutation of the calumnies by which this doctrine [eternal election] is always unjustly assailed" (brackets inserted)- which he defends both election and reprobation. For Calvin, there is no separate doctrine of reprobation, as it falls under the doctrine of "eternal election." 
The ultimate cause of both election and reprobation is the secret council of God, and not any cause in the individuals (whether good or bad). 
The elect are saved based on God's free mercy, while the reprobate are excluded from it by God's righteous and "incomprehensible" judgement.
All elect individuals, including those from the O.T. belong to One seed (Jesus Christ), and are ultimately connected to God the Father (not Abraham).
The evidences of election (today) are calling and justification, while the marks of reprobation are either a lack of knowledge of Jesus Christ or a lack of sanctification.
See Institutes of the Christian Religion ( book III chap 21 | book III chap 22 | book III chap 23 | book III chap 24 ).
== Westminster Confession of Faith ==
:I. God from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely, and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass;[Eph 1:11, Rom 9:15, 18; 11:33; Heb 6:17] yet so, as thereby neither is God the author of sin,[Jas 1:13, 17; 1 John 1:5] nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures; nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established. [Acts 2:23; 4:27, 28; Matt 17:12; John 19:11, Prov 16:33]
:V. Those of mankind that are predestinated unto life, God, before the foundation of the world was laid, according to His eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret counsel and good pleasure of His will, has chosen, in Christ, unto everlasting glory,[Eph 1:4,9,11; Rom 8:30; 2 Tim 1:9; 1 Thess 5:9] out of His mere free grace and love, without any foresight of faith, or good works, or perseverance in either of them, or any other thing in the creature, as conditions, or causes moving Him thereunto;[Rom 9:11, 13, 16; Eph 1:4, 9] and all to the praise of His glorious grace. [Eph 1:6, 12] (italics added)
:VI. As God has appointed the elect unto glory, so has He, by the eternal and most free purpose of His will, foreordained all the means thereunto.[1 Pet 1:2; Eph 1:4, 5; 2:10; 2 Thess 2:13] Wherefore, they who are elected, being fallen in Adam, are redeemed by Christ,[1 Thess 5:9, Tit 2:14] are effectually called unto faith in Christ by His Spirit working in due season, are justified, adopted, sanctified,[Rom 8:30; Eph 1:5; 2 Thess 2:13] and kept by His power, through faith, unto salvation.[1 Pet 1:5] Neither are any other redeemed by Christ, effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved, but the elect only.[John 6:64-65; 8:47; 10:26; 17:9; Rom 8:28; 1 John 2:19]
Thus, God's election is unchangeable, it permanently ordains what will happen, but at the same time in a way that does not hinder the individuals' free will or choice, rather it establishes it (election ensures that the choice/possibility is real). It is not based on anything in the individual; neither good motives or good actions, since both are evil continually (in this way it is unconditional). And that there are means God has ordained, by which the elect must be saved. They must be called, justified, sanctified, persevere in faith, etc. to be saved, and they all will be saved and no one else.
See Westminster Confession of Faith, chapter III "Of God's Eternal Decree".
== Notes ==
==See also==
* Predestination
* Reprobation
* TULIP
==External links==
* Election, by James Petigru Boyce
* Excursus on Election – Is it Corporate or Individual? by Michael Browne
===Unconditional election===
* Unconditional Election - is it biblical ?, from GotQuestions.org 
* Misunderstandings of the Doctrine of Election, excerpt from Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem, pp. 674-679.
* An Examination of the Five Points of Calvinism - Part II: Unconditional Election, by Brian Schwertley
* What We Believe About God's Eternal Purpose and Election, Bethlehem Baptist Church Elder Affirmation of Faith
* Articles on Divine Election (Enjoying God Ministries; Sam Storms)
==== DesiringGod.org ====
By John Piper:
* TULIP Seminar notes
*"The fame of His name and the Freedom of His mercy"
* "God has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the earth"
* "The greatness of God's electing love"
* "I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious"
 
* "The Elect Obtained It But the Rest Were Hardened"
Category:Salvation
Category:Calvinism