Thanks so much for your kind words about me…You are much too kind! I appreciate your encouragement. And I love that story about Whitefield and Wesley. Thanks for sharing! I’ve never heard it before, though I’ve heard Whitefield’s quote that “An Arminian on his knees prays like a Calvinist.” Indeed, the wonder is not in the fact that wretched sinners go to hell, but rather in the fact that any sinner even gets to heaven at all! Praise be to God for His undeserved mercy and saving grace!

It was encouraging to hear from you. Thanks again for commenting, Anne.

I hope that you have a blessed Friday. And oh, have fun reading those books on your list!

Is it fair? We should tremble at the idea of God being fair!

Indeed! That’s a great point. I’m grateful God spares us from what we deserve and, in His mercy, grants us what we actually do not deserve. Thanks so much for leaving a comment! Nice to know you stopped by.

Is it fair? We should tremble at the idea of God being fair!

I’m sure this was covered adequately above but I just wanted to add that to your analogy. Cheers!

Even if they desire to be saved they cannot be saved since their purpose in being born is to die and burn in Hell. Who could believe such nonsense?

Is Divine Election Fair?

Perhaps the biggest hurdle people stumble over concerning the Biblical doctrine of Divine Election, is the idea that it just doesn’t seem fair. It is the issue I struggled with for many years, as like many others, I had the idea that in order for God to be fair, He has to treat all people equally.

Lets consider this fact though: When a person gives that which he has no obligation to give, he is considered gracious in giving to other people; but he is certainly not considered unjust because he doesn’t give to an additional party.

Dr. Michael Horton gives an illustration which makes the issue very clear. He tells of a man who has a million dollars that he wants to give away and he decides to give $100,000 to ten different organizations. An eleventh organization hearing about this act of charity would not have a just case against the man if they were to make the claim that he hasn’t been fair.

That’s obvious isn’t it? The man owes nothing to this 11th organization, just as he didn’t owe anything to the ten others he gave to. This 11th organization doesn’t have a just claim to that money. The man has every right to do what he wants with his own money and he can give it to whomever he will. That is exactly what takes place in Divine Election.
- Pastor John Samson

Thanks so much for taking the time to visit. It was very nice to read your comment. Thanks so much for recommending Jerome Zanchius’s Absolute Predestination. That’s so interesting to hear the story about Augustus Toplady’s challenge to John Wesley to read this book!

I’m also honored that you linked to my blog from yours. Thank you! I learn a lot from your blog and have added it in my blogroll. Will visit it back again.

Have a wonderful day of worship on the Lord’s Day tomorrow!

Hunt’s book is not a reliable guide to understanding Calvinism. His scholarship is not merely sloppy, it is non-existent. He interacts with none of the great Calvin scholars (such as Parker, Muller, or Warfield), and erects straw-men all over the place. The best book to understanding all of this is Jerome Zanchius’s book _Absolute Predestination_. It is published in English by Maranatha Bible Society. It is said of this book that Augustus Toplady challenged John Wesley to read this book and refute it. Wesley promised that he would, and yet never did.

So with that, please allow me to leave just a few words from the pages of inspired Scripture where the apostle Paul addresses the subject of election (a topic which, not surprisingly, he also had to deal with back in his day):

Romans 9:10 And not only so, but also when Rebecca had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, 11 though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of his call— 12 she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” 13 As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

As we see, the objections against the doctrine of God’s election is not a novelty that only emerged in recent centuries. The world always questions the unfathomable ways and wisdom of God, as they did in Paul’s day. We know this because Paul then answered their objections (the following quote is an immediate continuation of the above quoted Scripture):

14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, [2] but on God, who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18 So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.

If God has chosen to elect no one, He would still be a God of justice in doing so, since He has no obligation to save anyone. But He, in His divine mercy and grace, has chosen to elect some — wretched sinners such as ourselves who were not merely sick, but dead, to sin. This is why grace is so amazing! This is why we praise and sing “Amazing grace.” To echo Michael Horton: Yes, let us put amazing back into grace. Thank you all for reading. May our gracious, merciful God continue to bless you.