After our conversation last week, I thought it would be good to give you more information. The basics on Election.  (Taken from Spurgeon, Ryrie, and Wallace, and most of all Scripture)

1. Election does not mean that God merely knew who would believe and on that basis elected them. This would make election our choice in the end.   Romans 9:6-21 and Eph. 1:4, 1 Thess. 1:4

2 . Election does get rid of human responsibility.  Each person is held responsible before Almighty God as to what they will do with Jesus. (Ephesians 2:3) “IF” is the key preposition in Romans 10:9-10.  This key preposition guarantees that we are responsible for our decision. 

3. The process of election, does not in any way violate our will.  God is not in heaven with a big joystick directing our lives as robots.   The doctrine of “Irresistible grace” does not mean divine coercion. It is not as if God bullies you into submission to do his will. 

4. Election carries with it 3 big questions and Dr. Dan Wallace of DTS addresses them very well. 

1. Is God fair?
2. Doesn’t election just make us robots?
3. Why should I evangelize?

All 3 of these are answered in Romans 9-11 in particular.

Is God fair? - Romans 11

Robots? - Romans 9 

Evangelism- Romans 10 

5.  Election is a balance of the attributes of God, not theological persuasions. God’s attributes are into two categories.  He has moral attributes (goodness, love, mercy, justice. etc.) He has amoral attributes (infinite, sovereign, omniscient, omnipresent, etc.) Think in terms of character and power.  If God only had power with no character he would be more like the Greek gods and goddesses.  If he only had character but no power, he would be weak, a Santa Clause figure. God can not be compartmentalized, He is just as good and loving as He is sovereign and powerful.  Both his amoral and moral attributes are what tell us that election is God’s sovereignty and human responsibility.  Like God’s attributes, we can not separate the two.