The 5 Points of Calvinism
General scriptures against Calvinism: A rebuttal of Calvinism
Deut.30:19 I set before you life and death, choose life.
1 Chr.28:9 If Solomon would seek God, he would find Him; but if Solomon would forsake God, He would cast him off forever.
Eze. 3:18-21 If the wicked man repents, he will live. If the righteous man apostatizes, he will die (Eze.33:11-20;18:23,32).
Matt. 16:24-26 If any man... whosoever... context is saving soul.
Matt. 23:37 I would have gathered you, but you would not.
John 5:40 You will not come to Me that you might have life.
Acts 2:21 Whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Rom. 8:29 Whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate.
1 Cor.15:1,2 You are saved if you hold fast the Gospel, otherwise you believed in vain.
Heb.3:1,12-14 Brethren can have an evil heart of unbelief and depart from God.
Heb.6:4-6 They were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift, etc. if they fall away etc...
Heb.10:16-31 Those who receive the knowledge of the truth and then tread under foot the son of God are worthy of punishment.
Heb. 10:35-39 We are not of them who draw back unto perdition (damnation), but of them who continue believing to the saving of the soul.
2 Peter 2:20-22 The end of those who escape the world through knowing the Savior, then turn back and are overcome, is worse than it would be had they never been saved.
2 Peter 3:9 God is not willing that any should perish, but that all come to repentance.
Jude 5-7 The Lord saved Israel but later destroyed the ones who believed not.
Rev. 3:5-11 If you overcome, I shall not blot out your name (Rev.22:19).
Rev.22:17 Whosoever will, let him take water of life freely.
Calvinism = the doctrine taught by John Calvin some where around about 1509 A.D. Five points were formulated at the Synod of Dort in 1618 to answer the five points of Arminius's theology submitted to the council by his students in document known as the Remonstrance. The five points are often summarized as the acrostic T.U.L.I.P.: Total depravity, Unconditional election, Limited atonement, Irresistible grace, and Perseverance of the saints.
Total Depravity: (unregenerate man has no free will. He has no ability to repent, believe the Gospel, receive Christ, and be saved.)
Total depravity is disproved by the fact that people in the Old Testament had free will, even though no one at that time was born again (Lev.22:18-23;Deut.12:6).
Ezra 7:13 "I make a decree, that all they of the people of Israel, and ....which are minded of their own freewill to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee." (Lev.22:23 Freewill offering).
Rom.7:18 To will (inherent ability of volition, choice) is present with me. Verb "to will" action word. This shows he can perform the action "to will."
Matt.16:24,25 Whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
John 1:12 A man receives Christ first, then is born again.
1 Cor.7:36 Let him do what he will.
Rev. 22:17 Whosoever will, let him take of water of life freely.
Eze.18:23,32 And not that he should return from his ways, and live.
Who can get saved? Everybody! (John3:15,16;11:26;Acts 2:21:10:43; I John5:1).
O.T.-- (Deut.30:19;Jos.24:15;Judges 10:14 Choose).
N.T. words for will teach freewill
1.) Thelo, (Greek) Rom7:18 = "to will" Talking to the saved.
Matt.23:37 would, same Greek word. "to will" Talking to the unsaved.
Who is this to-- the elect or the damned? If this is to the damned or reprobate, why say he would of brought them in but they would not? They call the saved, "the elect", and the unsaved, "the reprobate or damned." So if man has no free will, why say this at all. This implies that man could repent and come into the Gospel if he wanted to. By elect, they mean that he is saved eternally without anything to say or do on his part. The damned or reprobate, they mean that he is damned eternally without anything to say about it-- no free will, etc...
2 Peter 3:5 "For this they willingly are ignorant of, ....." Man can use his free will before he's born again (Matt.23:37; 2 Peter 3:5).
Thelo = to will, they exercise their will to. (Rev.22:17) Whosoever will, this is open to everybody! 1 Tim.2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and come unto the knowledge of the truth.
2.) Boulomai = "to will deliberately" operating your own will or volition. Doing it intentionally.
2 Peter 3:9 "Not willing that any should perish. The Lord does not chose intentionally that anyone should perish.
So God has given man a free will to chose life through Jesus Christ, or to chose to continue in his fallen state.
Unconditional Election: (God's choice of an individual for salvation or damnation is not based on God's foreknowledge of that person's response.)
Calvinist position: God chooses by His sovereign will, so salvation is not determined by man's will (John 1:13).
Romans 8:29 disproves Calvin's teaching, because it shows that predestination is based on foreknowledge. God elects those He foreknows will believe the Gospel.
1 Peter 1:2 Elect according to foreknowledge of God (not sovereign will of God). Christians become elect according to the foreknowledge of God (not unconditionally according to the sovereign will of God).
2 Peter 1:10 Election not automatically sure (man make's it sure). Election is not automatically sure, because man must make it sure.
No one in the Bible is said to be elect or predestined to hell. Man chooses God (Deut.30:19; Josh.24:15,22;Acts 2:21;10:8-13).
1 Cor.9:22 I save some (man is an instrument God uses in salvation: see Acts2:40; Rom.11:14;
1 Cor.7:16;9:22; 1 Tim.4:16; Jas.5:20; Jude 23).
God is Omniscient (all knowing). He knows everything ahead of time. So it's not that He damned some to hell or some to be saved, but He knows everything. He knows the response of man before hand.
Limited Atonement: (Christ died only for the elect)
Disproved by 1 John 2:2 Christ is the propitiation for our sins and the sins of the world.
1 Tim.2:3-6 God's will is that all men be saved; Christ gave Himself a ransom for all.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world,....that whosoever believeth.
Heb.2:19 Jesus tasted death for every man.
2 Peter 2:1 Some false teachers deny the Lord that bought them.
2 Peter 3:9 God is not willing that any perish, but that all come to repentance.
Irresistible Grace: (God calls the elect inevitably to salvation from which they cannot be rejected. The Gospel is irresistible to them, so they believe.)
Calvinist Position: God causes a sinner to cooperate, believe, repent, and accept Christ by overpowering grace.
Irresistible grace is disproved by cases where man resisted God's will and call.
Gen.6:3 My Spirit will not always strive with man.
Matt.23:37 I would have gathered you, but you would not. (God tried but failed)
John 5:40 You will not come to Me that you might have life and be saved (v.34).
Acts 7:51 You stiffnecked, you always resist the Holy Spirit.
2 Cor.6:1 We beseech you that you receive not grace of God in vain. (fall from grace, Gal.5:4)
Gal.2:21 Paul knew he could frustrate the grace of God. It's possible to frustrate the grace of God.
Heb.10:29 Some have done despite to the Spirit of grace.
Perseverance of the Saints: (The elect cannot lose eternal life but must continue in the faith and remain saved.)
The fact that all Covenants are conditional disproves perseverance of the saints.
Adam could have obeyed and avoided death (Gen.2:17;4:7).
Abraham had to make choices to walk with God (Gen.12:1-4;17:1;22:16-18).
He must leave Ur, walk with God.
Israel under Moses had the choice of obeying God's voice, and keeping His Covenant (Exo.19:5,6; Deut.11:26-28).
The Davidic Covenant is conditional ( 1 Chr.28:6-9;Psa.89:34,39).
The New Covenant is conditional ( 1 Cor.15:1,2; Heb.10:38,39; 2 Peter 1:8-10).
Scriptures showing the possibility of apostasy disprove perseverance of the saints.
Luke 8:13 Some believe for a while and then fall away (see "saved,"v.12).
1 Cor.9:27 Paul knew that he could become a castaway.
1 Cor.10:5-12 Take heed lest you fall like the Israelites.
2 Thess.2:3 Saints will fall away in the great apostasy (Gal.5:4).
Heb.6:4-6 Some are enlightened, partake of the Holy Spirit, and the world to come and then fall away.
2 Peter 1:10 If you do these things, you shall never fall.
Rev.3:5 Talking to the church at Sardis, He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of Life.
Rev.3:16 I will spue thee out of my mouth.
Scriptures showing the necessity of continuing to believe disprove perseverance of the saints.
Acts 13:43 Paul and Barnabas persuaded the people to continue in the grace of God. (unnecessary if Calvinism is true)
Rom.11:22 If you do not continue in the grace of God, you will be cut off.
Col.1:22,23 You will be unblamable before Christ if you continue in the faith, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel....
1 Tim.2:15 Women will be saved if they continue in faith, love, and holiness.
1 Tim.4:16 Continue in the doctrine, for in doing this you will save yourself and them who hear you.
Now most today have modified some of Calvin's position and are often termed soft Calvinists. The two main points believed today are first, Predestination and second, Eternal Security.
Now I'm not against predestination, per se. That is, I'm not against the word predestination, the Biblical view of predestination by God's foreknowledge. I am only against Calvin's misunderstanding of the Biblical concept. The Bible teaches predestination in a qualified sense, we find the word several times in the K.J.V.. But the problem is not the Bible and what it's says about predestination, the problem is that some have misunderstood and misinterpreted the Bible passages concerning the subject.
Now many oppose Calvin's views, but still hold on to his view of predestination. One of the main problems today is that when one says the word predestination, most feel that he is referring to Calvin's view of predestination, but I want you to see the correct Biblical interpretation of predestination, which is the term found in the K.J.V.. Other translations omit this word and use synonyms. Now lets take a look at the Bible, to see what it's says about this word predestination. We must go only by what the Bible says, and not by traditions or councils.
Predestination: Now Calvin's view of predestination is that man has no free will or has no ability to repent, believe the Gospel, etc.. That God's choice of an individual for salvation or damnation is not based on God's foreknowledge of that person's response, that Christ died only for the elect. And that God calls the elect inevitably to salvation from which they cannot be rejected. The Gospel is irresistible to them, so they believe.
Rom 8:29 "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren."
Now here we have the word predestinate, but the N.T. was not written in English, but in Koine Greek, and thus the Holy Spirit did not actually use the English word predestination. He used a Greek word that has been rendered as predestination.
Now the committee of 47 scholars was comprised of both Puritans and Anglicans. The Puritans were Calvinist, and the Anglicans were not. So they compromised their personal beliefs in certain Doctrinal passages, in order to come to agreement on how to translate the Greek text. And in Rom. 8:29 the Anglicans agreed to the Puritans preferred reading predestination.
Now the Greek word that in 1611 A.D. was translated predestination in Rom. 8:29 of this authorized Version is proorizo. It literally means to mark out before hand. Proorizo is a compound word, that is, it is made up of two Greek words-- first, the preposition pro, meaning before, and second, horizo a verb meaning to set a bound or boundary, and hence, to mark out definitely. So the literal meaning of the word is to mark out before hand.
Now in Rom. 8:29 all translations do not agree that predestination is the best rendering of the word proorizo.
Rom. 8:29 "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren."
Now here the K.J.V. mentions predestination, but of course, the King James Bible is only an English translation of the original Inspired Manuscripts pinned by the Bible authors under the Inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
So the translations are only that, a translation of the original Greek to try to convey the meaning into English. Now as we have seen, the Greek word for predestination is proorizo. Now the literal meaning, as we have seen, is to mark out before hand.
Now proorizo is found 6 times in the Greek N.T.
1. Acts 4:28 "For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done." Proorizo is translated determined before in this verse.
2. Rom. 8:29 "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son.................."
3. Rom. 8:30 "Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified."
4. 1 Cor. 2:7 "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory;"
5. Ephesians 1:5 "Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,"
6. Ephesians 1:11 "In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:"
Now these are the only places the Greek word proorizo is found in the N.T.
So proorizo means to mark out before hand or to determine before or to decide upon before hand or to design definitely before hand.
Now looking at Rom.8:29 we can see the true intended meaning and understanding of proorizo. "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate (proorizo) to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren."
So whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate (mark out before hand or determined before or to decide upon before hand or to design definitely before hand).
Now what did he mark out or determine or design or decide upon before hand? Did he predestine some people to go to heaven or some people to go to hell? No! That's not what the verse says, it says that he marked out before hand those he foreknew should be conformed to the image of his Son. Now notice that the ones God predestined are the ones that He foreknew. So predestination is based upon foreknowledge.
It's by God's foreknowledge that He predestined. It's not an arbitrary predestination. What this verse is saying is that God is Omniscient, He knows all things. He knows every thought, emotion, chose, sin, intent, deed and action that you or I will ever do. Isaiah 46:9,10 "Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done..."
You see, God is Eternal and even before Adam took his first breath, God knew by His foreknowledge who everyone was and who would ever be born. He knew their names, their parents, their spiritual inclination, and every sin that they would ever commit. He knows all things. Now man has a free will. God by foreknowledge knew what chooses each and every soul would make during their entire life time. He could see the future, and He could declare the end from the beginning. It is God's foreknowledge that is the bases of predestination, and it's important to realize that God's foreknowledge in no way effects or determines man's course of action. Man still has a free will-- man still is a free will agent, but God can see what, by man's own free will, what each and every man will of himself choose to do. The choosing is in and of himself, independent of God. It is done by man and the man is totally unaffected by the foreknowledge of God. Man still chooses and wills freely, but God by foreknowledge (knows) and thus, He can say what every man's end will be.
Example-- Your standing on a high place above a stream, and you look down and see 2 men in a canoe going down the stream. You notice up ahead, around the bend, that there's a tree lying across the stream out of the sight of the 2 men. You know that in order to continue, they will have to stop and lift the canoe to shore, etc.. and go around the tree that's blocking their path, and continue on down the stream. And, of course, that's exactly what they did. Now you had foreknowledge of what they would do, but your foreknowledge had no effect upon their course of action. Now God does the same thing, except His foreknowledge is infinite and without error. Now with this in mind read Rom.8:29 again.
God by foreknowledge decided upon a plan by which He would bring fallen man back into His image and likeness. This plan centers in Jesus Christ. Now God predestined man, that is, He marked them out before hand to be involved in this plan. He decided that some would be involved in the plan and others would not, but this predestination or this marking out, is based on the foreknowledge of God. So you see, God knew all who would, by their own free will, choose to submit to His plan and serve Him.
It is those whom God predestined to be conformed to the image of His son. In other words, God predestined anyone and everyone who He knew would freely choose to serve Him, and they would end up in glorification. So yes, God does mark out man ahead of time, but not in a Calvinistic way to be saved or lost independent of man's free will. God predestined those whom He foreknew. It was a group election of whosoever will. God foreknew from the beginning that there would be a people who would choose to love Him, and choose to serve Him, and desire to walk w/ Him and be what He wanted them to be. Therefore, He marked out a plan by which they could be saved and a pattern after which they could be made, in order to eventually become properly in the image and likeness of God.
Eternal Security: Now Calvin's view of Eternal Security is that those who are truly converted by the Holy Spirit shall never finally and totally fall from Grace, but shall hold out to the end and thus, be saved
In simple terms Eternal Security has been called the doctrine of once saved always saved-- in short, it maintains that a true believer in Christ may never fall away and be damned Eternally. Some refer to this doctrine as perseverance or perseverance of the saints or final perseverance of the saints. Now this is contrary to many clear Scriptures that say, Salvation is conditional. Now I'm not against Eternal Security in God, because no man can pluck you out of His hand. But, we can with our own free will choose to turn away from God and in result, possibly lose our Salvation. Salvation is like a contract, you have your part to fulfill. Rev.3:10 God says, you kept and so I will keep.
The fact that all Covenants are conditional disproves perseverance of the saints.
Adam could have obeyed and avoided death (Gen.2:17;4:7).
Abraham had to make choices to walk with God (Gen.12:1-4;17:1;22:16-18).
He must leave Ur, walk with God.
Israel under Moses had the choice of obeying God's voice, and keeping His Covenant (Exo.19:5,6; Deut.11:26-28).
The Davidic Covenant is conditional ( 1 Chr.28:6-9;Psa.89:34,39).
The New Covenant is conditional ( 1 Cor.15:1,2; Heb.10:38,39; 2 Peter 1:8-10).
Scriptures showing the possibility of apostasy disprove perseverance of the saints.
Luke 8:13 Some believe for a while and then fall away (see "saved,"v.12).
1 Cor.9:27 Paul knew that he could become a castaway.
1 Cor.10:5-12 Take heed lest you fall like the Israelites.
2 Thess.2:3 Saints will fall away in the great apostasy (Gal.5:4).
Heb.6:4-6 Some are enlightened, partake of the Holy Spirit, and the world to come and then fall away.
2 Peter 1:10 If you do these things, you shall never fall.
Rev.3:5 Talking to the church at Sardis, He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of Life.
Rev.3:16 I will spue thee out of my mouth.
Scriptures showing the necessity of continuing to believe disprove perseverance of the saints.
Acts 13:43 Paul and Barnabas persuaded the people to continue in the grace of God. (unnecessary if Calvinism is true)
Rom.11:22 If you do not continue in the grace of God, you will be cut off.
Col.1:22,23 You will be unblamable before Christ if you continue in the faith, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel....
1 Tim.2:15 Women will be saved if they continue in faith, love, and holiness.
1 Tim.4:16 Continue in the doctrine, for in doing this you will save yourself and them who hear you.
Now Salvation is conditional in every Covenant and is based on the fact that the believer must continue to believe. Let's look at some Scriptures in the New Covenant, to see what the Word of God says about this.
1. 1 Cor. 15:1,2 "By which also ye are saved, IF ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain." This says that they were believers, v.1 ye have received-- the Gospel. v. 2 they were saved, but possible to believe in vain.
2. Col.1:21-25 If ye continue in the faith.
3. Heb.2:1-3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation.
4. Heb.3:6-14 Take heed, brethren, (he's talking to the saved), lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. v.14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end.
5. Heb.6:4-6 This is probably one of the clearest Scriptures. They were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come. This is someone who has experienced the things in God. If he fall away, it's impossible to come back, v.6.
6. Heb.8:8,9 They continued not in my covenant-- How can you continue not, if you don't have a free will to choose or that you are secured for Eternally?
7. Heb.10:16-31 verses 26-29, v. 29 he was sanctified, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace. Vs.30 The Lord shall judge his people, etc...
8. Heb.10:38,39 Perdition = damnation-- just = those who are justified. v.39 we goes back to those in v.38-- If this is talking about the perseverance of the saints, why have it in the Bible? look at v.26. v.39 but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. Matt.24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
9. James 1:22-27; 2 Peter 1:8-10; 1 Peter 4:18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? 1 John 1:6,7;2:17,19,24.
Jude 5-7 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. etc... He saved them and then destroyed them. God's Covenant was w/ His people, Israel-- the nation, so if one leaves, he left the Covenant.
10. Revelation 2:9-11 He that overcomes shall not be hurt of the second death. Second death = Eternally separated from God. He talking to saved Christians.
11. Revelation 2:20-23 He's talking to Christians that have taught and seduced His servants,etc... God will kill them in spiritual death. All men will die, He's talking about spiritual death.
12. Revelation 3:3-5 And I will not blot his name out of the Book of Life. The overcomer's name will not be blotted out of the Book of Life. The implication is, because it's negative, that many or most will be blotted out of the Book of Life. Rev.22:19 when your born again, your in the Book of Life, but if you don't follow God and His Word, He shall take away your part out of the Book of Life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
13. Revelation 3:10 "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth."
This promise to Philadelphia is significant that he says BECAUSE for this reason, you've done something and this is the reason that I'm going to keep you out for this reason that you have kept you see, the word of my patience, I also will keep thee.
There are 2 sides to a covenant. A covenant is an agreement and He says you've kept and therefore I will keep you. You have kept the word of my patience. You've kept the word-- the logos-- you've kept both the inward thought and concept and the reason of my patience and you've also kept the outward expression that that thought represents. You've kept my word in your heart and mind and you've been willing to live in my word and not just be hearers of the word but doers also as James says and therefore you've become something. By keeping my word in patience and endurance, something has been produced.
Because you have kept the truth of my word and all that my word represents, me and my nature, in your heart and mind and because you also allow that word to be expressed through your life, you've become what I want you to be.
This is the truth that's shown here by keeping the word of my patience. He that endureth to the end shall be saved. Jesus said-- in your patience you possess your souls. That means you possess them in eternal life. Because you have kept the word of my patience, I will keep you out of this tribulation.
14. Revelation 3:16 I will spue thee out of my mouth. The Greek is more immediate. It say, I am about to spue thee out of my mouth. It's quite a warning. I'm about to spue you out as if he'd already decided on a course of action, and it was going to take place unless something else intervened. Spue, literally means "to vomit", that is, to reject with disgust.
15. Revelation 3:20 This is talking to the saved.
16. Revelation 22:14-17 Read.
17. 1 Timothy 3:6,7 This is an elder, and he falls under the same judgment as the Devil.
In conclusion: 1.) This teaching contradicts the Bible. 2.) Believers can fall away from the faith.
Matt.7:27 This is a person that hears and builds.
Matt.7:21-23 This is talking about the saved that have experienced the power of God. They have prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast out devils and in thy name done many wonderful works. But read verse 23 depart from me you that work iniquity.
2 Thess 2:3 Talking about the great falling away. There shall come a falling away. An "apostasia", a standing away, a falling away, an apostasy. You can't fall away unless you were there. This is talking about falling away from the faith.
Revelation 12:4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars (saints) of heaven, and did cast them to the earth. They lost their heavenly position.
Now there are many other Scriptures that talk about continuing on in the faith and many that talking about falling away from the faith
Now we will look at one more portion of Scripture-- Romans 9:11-23;11:5.
Vs.1-5 He's with great heaviness and continual sorrow in his heart, because of the Jews not coming into the Gospel. So this implies that they could if they wanted to.
Verse 11 "for the children" is omitted in the Greek. He's talking about two nations (Genesis 25:23) "And the Lord said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger."
God picks Jacob and his children to bring forth the Messiah is what He's talking about, by His foreknowledge. God by His foreknowledge saw they both would not walk with Him.
Esau = Edom in subjection to Israel (Gen.36:1; 2 Sam.8:14; 2 Kings 8:20;14:7).
Jacob = The nation of Israel.
Nations, God chose the nation-- the nature of them, by His foreknowledge of knowing their heart and how they would respond toward Him. He knows our every thought before we even think it. This is not predestined, marked out before hand without foreknowledge, it's because God knows everything.
Verse 10 w/ verse 12 this is talking about the nations (Gen.36:1; 2 Sam.8:14). He sold his birth right by his own decision (Heb.12:16).
Rom.9:11 Election = choice, to choose or select. To choose the best kind of it's class. This is based upon their nature and works by their free will. God's foreknowledge Rom.8:29 He chooses the ones who choose Him. Jacob wanted to serve God, Esau did not. That it might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth. This is refuted by going to the story of Esau, he did not want to serve God.
God is trying to show you that He has the right to choose whoever He wants. He chooses those who choose Him. He does not choose on works, we don't earn it. Because they were still in the womb but it's by faith (Eph.2:6-8).
We don't earn it, it's not by works but it's by our faith to serve Him. Works will follow your faith. God chooses the best of the class, election. He knew who would walk w/ Him ( 2 Tim.2:19).
Rom.9:12 This was the opposite of the custom of that day. This became true in the nations, Israel and Edom. Again this is all by our free will by God's foreknowledge.
Rom.9:13 Mal.1:2 not that God hated Esau, for God is love 1 John 4:8. But by His foreknowledge of what Esau would turn out like. This hate does not imply damnation of soul; they have a free will. Nor does this mean that Jacob is a for sure thing for heaven.
Rom.9:14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. He sees the heart of man is why. Rom.9:15 Because God will have mercy on whom He will have mercy,etc... This shows God will have mercy, because He chooses the conditions. It's based upon the heart, no one deserves mercy-- we are all sinners. God's mercy is based upon our actions.
Who does He show mercy to? 1.) Those who are repentant (Prov.28:13; 2 Chron.7:14).
2.) To those who love and fear Him (Exo.20:6; Luke 1:50. 3.) To those who return to Him (Jer.3:12). 4.) To those who sin in ignorance ( 1 Tim.1:13; Heb.10:28; 12:17; Deut.5:9; 1 Thess. 2:10-12).
There are certain thing that provoke God to mercy. God is God and He will have mercy on whom He will have mercy. He chooses to have mercy on them who will follow Him. And He will love them who follow Him. He said to His son, Christ Jesus, this is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased.
He then gives Pharaoh as an example, Pharaoh harden his own heart. God will do things to manifest the person's heart. Pharaoh's heart was harden because of the plagues. (Exo.7:3,13;9:12; 10:1,20,27;11:10) God harden his heart. (Exo.8:15,32;9:34;7:14,23) Pharaoh harden his own heart.
How? By sending the plagues to harden his heart, to see his heart manifested.
God gave him many chances to repent through the plagues. But, he kept saying no and did not repent. God gave many opportunities (Exo.8:15-32;9:34). Read Rom.2:4-11.
Rom.9:19 Paul is anticipating what you would say, someone considering the situation. Paul is putting himself in Pharaoh's spot-- Pharaoh was right in God's plan to manifest God's power, but man will still be judged for his sins Rom.9:20. We do not sin to bring about God's will. (Rom.3:7,8; 5:20; 6:1,2)
Rom.9:21 So God has rights over the clay. (Jer.18:1-10). He's still talking about nations. Pharaoh would not go along w/ the plan. Back to your role based upon decisions. How he can use people in His plan. Gal.6:7; 2 Tim.2:20,21. Rom.9:22 God endured w/ long-suffering, God's judgment would destroy you immediately.
Why is He long- suffering? 1.) So you will repent Rev.2:20-22; 2 Peter 3:9 2.) So He can use them in His plan to accomplish good, i.e.-- Satan, etc..
Romans 9:22 Fitted = Katartizo = to make fit or prepare or equipped. Here the middle voice signifies that those referred to "fitted themselves for destruction." The action of the person had a hand in the matter of destruction.
Romans 9:23 By God's foreknowledge!
Romans 11:5 The same, it's by God's foreknowledge!
The Truth-- G. General Atonement R. Resistible Grace A. Apostasy of the saints
C. Conditional Election E. Exercise of free will-- GRACE!
So man does have a free will to choose God or to choose his own way, and that Salvation is conditional. Will not the judge of the whole earth do right?
