14 What shall we say then? Is there any unrighteousness with God? May it never be! Romans 9:14 (LSB)
The natural mind, plagued with selective rationalization, demands that God be fair in His dealings with all humankind. Fairness speaks of justice. One of the tenets of our republican form government in the USA is a right to a fair and speedy trial before one’s peers. A person on trial for a crime may or may not truly want justice. They may be guilty, so their desire is not justice, but grace. If a judge in a criminal trial declares a defendant guilty, but then defers sentencing in lieu of probation or “time served” then he has extended grace to the guilty party.
All descendants of Adam are born spiritually dead in their trespasses and sins. (Ephesians 2:1-3) This fact makes all humankind guilty before God. They are children of wrath. God, the creator of everything, would be well within His rights to do nothing to save anyone of us. If He had done that, no one could argue and say God was not being fair by dooming all humankind to an eternity in Hell because of their sin. However, God is gracious. He has “elected” to save those whom He loves. That is not everyone. He has also “elected” not to save some. What criteria did He use to determine whom He elected and whom He did not? It is a mystery of His will, according to His purpose. (Ephesians 1:9) We do know it was His choice and our behavior, personality, abilities or any other trait had nothing to do with it. (1 Corinthians 1:25-29)
As we see in Ephesians 1:3-12 and Romans 8:29-30, before the foundation of the world, God foreknew those whom He elected for salvation. This foreknowledge was an act of God setting His love and gracious actions upon those specific people. Because of this love, God predestined those elect for a specific purpose. In Ephesians 1:5, we see that he predestined His elect for adoption. In Romans 8:29, we see that God predestined His elect to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. Then we see in Romans 8:30 that the result of this process is the glorification of the elect. The purpose of salvation, therefore, is for those whom God set His affection towards to become His children who are conformed unto the image of His Son. This transformation results in their glorification.
We see the purpose of salvation. The problem is the natural mind still cries foul. Our sense of fairness, albeit corrupted by selective rationalization, raises a red flag and yells, “but, that’s not fair!” I have heard many, in their rejection of the doctrine of election; say something like, “my God would never do anything like that.” Of course, their God is a figment of their selective rationalization. Their knowledge of God comes from that rather than from His revelation of Himself in scripture. Their Bible knowledge is shallow and intermittent. Their relationship with God is nearly non-existent since its basis is Soul-led religiosity. The Semi-Pelagians and Arminians had to create their shaky theologies because they had to create a way for people to be saved by choice. That means all people are eligible. Of course, these doctrinal beliefs must do logical gymnastics and scriptural eisegesis to bend the Bible to say what they want it to say.
Election was not the creation of John Calvin or Augustine. It is found throughout the Bible. We have already looked at many of those. The greatest argument for the doctrine of election is found in Romans 9.
“I am speaking the truth in Christ–I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit– that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.” (Romans 9:1-5)