Those
who oppose the Calvinistic view of election do so on the grounds that it
would teach that men, who sincerely desire salvation, cannot receive salvation
because they are not elect. In other words, a man may want to be saved, but
he is turned away because he is not on God’s “elect list.”
There are a couple of problems with this idea:
(1). First, it is assumed that there are men who sincerely want salvation
with out any intervention by God. As we have seen with total depravity, men
do not desire to have any thing to do with God (Rom 3:11 says, "there
is no one who understands, no one who seeks God"). He wants to run his
own life. The notion that there would be individuals who want to be saved,
but are not on God’s “election list” is pure, unbiblical fantasy.
(2). Secondly, this thinking separates man’s response to salvation from
the Holy Spirit’s divinely effective work in the heart of men. No man
is going to wake up one morning and think, “I believe I want to go to
heaven.” As we will see under irresistible grace, any person who comes
to Christ demonstrates that they are elect, because God calls all His elect
out of the world. If we desire to truly come to Christ, that is evidence
of God's call. We would not have that desire apart from God first
working in us to desire Him. ("for it is God who works in you
to will and to act according to his good purpose." Phil.
2:13)
Jesus said, "All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever
comes to me I will never drive away" -- John 6:37
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