Election Exemplified
It’s been a while since I’ve ranted needlessly about Calvinism. You thought I matured didn’t you? Seriously, I was thinking about how many of the great characters of the Bible “chose” to be a part of God’s plan of redemption. As I thought about it, I had to run to my computer and put a list together (yes I am that big of a dork). Let’s take a look.
Adam
God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (Genesis 1:27)
Noah
The LORD said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them.” But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. (Genesis 6:7–8)
Abram/Abraham
Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” […] And He said to him, “I am the LORD who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess it.” (Genesis 12:1–3, 15:7)
Moses
“Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.” (Exodus 3:10)
Jeremiah
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5)
Ezekiel
Then He said to me, “Son of man, I am sending you to the sons of Israel, to a rebellious people who have rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day.” (Ezekiel 2:3)
Peter & Andrew
Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. (Matthew 4:18–20)
Saul/Paul
But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.” (Acts 9:15–16)
…and lastly and most importantly…
Jesus of Nazareth
“I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.” (John 17:4)
You are a Calvinist addict… Nice observations though. This has been a conversation topic on one particular occasion w/the roomie actually. Will talk later. Blessings bro, Alecia
I think these are really good examples of people whom God foreknew would freely act just as they did. Based on that knowledge — that counterfactual knowledge, that middle knowledge — God actualized this world, which is one possible among many, so that His sovereign will is done through the Libertarian Free actions of His creatures. This is not only an alternative possibilty to your view, but it is also a reasonable one, and one I think is compatible with Scripture.
I mention this not to argue that Election is false, but to say that God’s choosing these individuals is not incompatible with their acting freely in the Libertarian sense, nor does it prove true the Calvinistic understanding of Election — which is that God chooses who is saved and who is not based not on their acceptance of a free gift offered to the whole world but rather on His mysterious good will. Now, maybe this is true. Maybe Calvinism, and compatibilism, and the Calvinistic understanding of Election are all true. But this list of individuals does not prove those things true (not that that is exactly what you said). Nor does it ‘exemplify’, I would say, Election. Not in the sense that you mean it. (You mean it in the Calvinistic sense).
However, all Christians who have given thought to the matter, and who have studied it, whether Calvinist or not, believe in Election and Predestination. The difference is that some believe that compatibilism is true and others do not. In either case, though, both sides at their best give glory to God for His salvific work in His-Story — for He alone is worthy of praise, and it is in Christ alone that we are able to be saved from our sin and from the penalty we justly earn.