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Human ability vs. Divine election
Question:Anonymous: I just can't understand this. Today you said that salvation is there for all that will believe, and that is what I believe. But this brings me back to the elect. How can you believe if you're not one of the elect? This implies that salvation is not available to all. Answer:Dear Anonymous,
Salvation is available to all who "will" believe in Jesus Christ. The antithesis of this statement is also true: Salvation is not available to all who "refuse" to believe in Jesus Christ. I'm pretty confident that you and I both agree with this statement.
Now your question: "How can you believe if you are not one of the elect?"
The short answer is: You cannot. Let me explain.
When we talk in terms of "can" and "cannot," we are talking in terms of "ability." Does man in his present, sinful, fallen condition have the "ability" within himself (apart from divine grace or divine intervention) to believe in Christ and be saved? Scripture says no. Let's look at three passages that make this clear.
1) John 6:44 & 6:65 (Jesus speaking)
"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him." & "No one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father."
Notice the universal negative "no one." No one - no exceptions. The next word is "can." This word refers to our ability. So, "no one" (anywhere, anytime) "can" (has the power or ability within himself or herself), do what? "Come to me" (under his own steam). "Unless!" Unless indicates a necessary condition - a prerequisite - a prior event. In other words, unless "A" happens "B" cannot happen. "Unless" what happens? Unless it is granted him (divine gift) by the Father or unless the Father draws (compels) him. In other passages of the New Testament, this English word translated here as "draw," is elsewhere translated as "drag!" So the conclusion is that unless the Father first does something which enables the sinner to approach or come to Christ for salvation he cannot come. Why? Because within himself, in his fallen condition, he doesn't have the ability to come to Christ. He doesn't have the ability to come to Christ because he doesn't have the desire to come to Christ. And the will will never choose that what the heart doesn't desire. God must first change him (regenerate him). Let's look at another one.
2) John 3:3 & 3:5 (Jesus speaking)
"...truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God" & v.5 "...unless one is born of water and of Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God."
The double use of the word "truly" is intentional by Jesus because he wants us to pay extra attention to what He's about to say. He begins up-front by telling us that "unless" something happens to us, we cannot see or enter the kingdom, etc. As already mentioned, the word "unless" indicates a necessary condition. Unless "A" happens "B" cannot. So, unless one is born of the Spirit (regenerated by His power - gifted spiritual life), he "cannot" see or enter the kingdom, etc. Cannot doesn't mean it's difficult - it means it's impossible. So unless man is first acted upon, he cannot believe - simply because he is unable to believe. The final example is taught us by the apostle Paul.
3) Ephesians 2:1-4 (Paul speaking)
"And you were dead in trespasses and sins in which you once walked...v.3...we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body, and the mind and were by nature children of wrath...v.4 But God...rich in mercy...because of His love...even when we were dead...made us alive..."
Notice prior to regeneration (spiritual birth) all humanity is biologically alive but spiritually dead. For some strange reason even Christians choke on this prognosis. In addition to being spiritually dead, notice our nature is enslaved to sin - making us children of God's divine wrath. In this condition our "desires" (our appetites and affections) are for sin and not for God. Notice that it is while we are in this hopeless condition (no "ability" to change) that God intervenes - "But God!" Moved by His love and mercy "makes us alive" (spiritual birth or regeneration) and changes our internal constitution. Spiritual death is replaced by spiritual life. This all happens to us while we are passively dead and enslaved in sin. The apostle points out the obvious to us, the only thing we can conclude when we look back on our condition - "by grace you have been saved!" He then adds that it is by faith in Christ that we are saved and that this necessary condition (faith) is the very thing God provides - "it is the gift of God," so we don't get tempted to boast as though we contributed to this miracle of regeneration.
I trust this has clarified for you the difference between "will" believe and "can" believe. We "can" believe once God has regenerated us (made us spiritually alive) and given us the ability (faith) to believe. We "will" believe once God has changed the disposition and desires of our heart (given us a heart to know Him).
Conclusion:
God hinders no one from coming to Him for salvation. Matter of fact, the external call of the gospel goes out to all. Without distinction or prejudice, God offers salvation to everyone under the condition of their faith in Jesus Christ. Why do only some respond positively to the gospel others remain indifferent to it? Scripture makes it clear that left to ourselves none of us will come to Christ of our own accord. And the reason is that the human will will never choose what the mind doesn't agree with and the affections don't desire. And in our fallen condition we suppress the truth of God with our minds and we desire sin with our affections. So, left to ourselves, in our fallen state, no one would "choose" God.
Now, the individuals that God intervenes and changes, the ones He gifts with life and faith, are the elect. Who are the elect? We have no clue. Only God knows. But this seems to be quite obvious: God changes the heart (and thereby the affections) of His elect and that is the only reason they choose Christ. He supplies the necessary condition. He supplies what we lack.
What we trip over or choke on is that He just doesn't do this for everybody. And the reason He doesn't do it for everybody we are not told. What we are told though is that the ones He has chosen He has done so according to the "purpose of His will" (Ephesians 1:5), and according to the "riches of His grace" (Ephesians 1:7), and that His decision has absolutely nothing to do with what he sees or foresees in the creature himself (Romans 9:15-16).
The 16th Century Westminster Confession of Faith (9.3) says, "Man, by his fall into a state of sin, hath wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation: so as, a natural man, being altogether averse from that good, and dead in sin, is not able, by his own strength, to convert himself, or to prepare himself thereunto."
I read a post on Face Book just this morning that sums it up perfectly: "God himself supplies the necessary condition to come to Jesus, that's why it is sola gratia - by grace alone - that we are saved." - R.C. Sproul
Steve Chapman
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Posted on May 24 2011