Beth-El Baptist Church

02/14/2010

Greg Tomlinson


What role does man play in election to eternal life?


One of the more controversial theological discussions amongst professing believers has to do with the doctrine of eternal election. To some, God's election indicates the complete work of God to bring someone from a state of unbelief to a state of belief while relying on no act or will of the man to follow the movement of God. To others, God's election indicates God's completion of a work that man through a conscious act of their free will to believe has entered into.


  1. What does election for eternal life mean?

Romans 8:28-30; 9:10-13; 9:23-26 Ephesians 1:3-7; 1:11-12

Matthew 24:21-25; 24:29-31 Mark 13:19-23; 13:25-27


The Greek for 'elect' is 'ekletos' which means picked out or chosen. It indicates those chosen by God out of the world for eternal life. It is a people who will not be ultimately deceived by Satan and his work in the world but will be discerning of truth.


  1. What does it take for man to know God?

Ephesians 2:1-5 1 Corinthians 2:14

Romans 3:10-18 John 6:37-44; 14:6; 16:7-11

Romans 11:4-7 1 Thessalonians 1:1-6

Matthew 19:24-26


In order to understand what it takes for a man to know God, it is first imperative to know the normal or natural state of every human being. Man, by nature, is a sinner seeking to ultimately please himself and either deny the existence of God or to seek to justify himself before God. Either way, man is naturally truly dead to the things of God and to the reality and extent of their sinfulness before God. They cannot actually know God and what is actually required for a man to enter into the presence of God. Knowing the present state of all men, it becomes apparent that no man, under his how power, authority and knowledge, is capable of entering into a personal relationship with God. In order to know God and become saved, it requires a divine act of God to intervene in their life so that they might believe. It is impossible for anyone to come to Christ without the work of the Father, it is impossible for someone to know the Father without Jesus Christ, it is impossible for someone to actually repent and be saved without the work of the Holy Spirit. Salvation is completely and utterly the work of God.


  1. Doesn't God's choosing some for eternal life mean that He chooses the rest for eternal hell?

Romans 3:10-18; 8:28-20; 9:18-24 Ephesians 1:9

2 Timothy 1:8-10 Ezekiel 33:11-14

Luke 9:55 John 12:47-50


It is not God's desire to send anyone to hell. Man by his nature is already headed for eternal hell so God cannot possibly condemn them to hell. Each of us deserves hell because of the greatness of our own sin. It is God who, for his own purpose, redeems some men out of the path to hell. Some men will remain unsaved in order that the redeemed may come to a much better understanding of their own redemption.


  1. What impact does election have on evangelization?

2 Corinthians 5:8-11 Galatians 1:9-16

1 Corinthians 9:16-18 2 Samuel 12:21-23

Acts 2:47; 13:48 1 Peter 1:10-12


What it means is that we know that the salvation of an individual is completely and totally the work of God. It is by His grace and His grace alone that a man is saved. It does not come through the wisdom of my words but by the work of God in the individual. The believers have been chosen by God and given the ministry of reconciliation so that they might be able to work for God. It is a great privilege to communicate the gospel to the world. God could have left it in the hands of angels or some other group, instead, God left the message of salvation in the hands of the believing community.