Originally this blog was going to be a critique on Calvinism as a whole (I know, I'm obsessed.) But upon further examination I've decided to hit the one point that I detest the most.
Unconditional Election:
The belief that God only chose certain people to be saved and the rest to perish. This choice was not made on the moral fiber of the individuals in question but rather to prove the ultimate power and sovereignty of the Lord.
My argument today will be of how this nulls God's true essence of Love. A God of Love would not wish that any of his creations perish, but that all be saved.
The easiest and most recited verse attesting to this would be John 3:16 "For God so Loved the World that he gave his only son, that none should perish but have everlasting life."
Other verses found in John where Christ talks of God's Love are 14:21 "Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be Loved by my Father, I too will love him and show myself to him."
And 14:23 "If any loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him."
See also:
Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates his own Love for us in this; while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
It is possible for one to even say that God is Love and in his infinite perfection and wisdom he Loves us all and wishes that all may know him and be saved.
For if we remove Love from the equation God is only seen as a ruthless merciless God, corrupted by his own perfection.
To sacrifice his own creations to show his Glory?
Why not rather to save all his creations to show his Glory?
Let's remove God from our own confinements and see him as an all knowing all powerful being who only wished for us to love him in return willingly.
For his love is so deep, so magnanimous, that it touches everything completely and wishes nothing to perish into eternal damnation.
Don't you think that that would hurt him?
Christ spent three days in Hell so that they too would have the chance we had. Where does Unconditional Election fit into all of this?
And if you insist that those verses only spoke to the elected, if you insist to control God to your standards and refuse to see his True Glory than I feel sorry for you.
Because it is for the Glory of God that we willingly choose him.
Doesn't that further show God's power than anything else? That a sinful creature, knowing nothing but depravity can look and see the light and want it more? That it can willingly crawl into the sun and be changed?
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I think the foundational flaw in your argument comes with the idea that God chooses to bring some to Heaven and send some to hell. The flaw is that man chooses Hell. We choose hell by sin and by rejection. To place the responsibility of hell upon God is not where the blame lies.
ReplyDeleteI don't like the term "unconditional election" either, or "TULIP", but we must be careful because the other side of the coin removed the power of God for Salvation, which is not scriptural.
And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”
ReplyDeleteMark 10:26-27 (ESV)