full circle

after turning the doctrine of election over and over again in my mind, i must say that there are a number of things to be ironed out. this post is an attempt to clarify my position on the doctrine of election and indeed, calvinism as a whole.

total depravity

yes. however, total depravity does not mean that we are unable to save ourselves by faith in God. total depravity means that we are unable to save ourselves by faith in ourselves.

it is no more a work to believe because God enables us to believe, than it is to breathe because God enables us to breathe. that is, it is not a work to believe.

God has provided a way out - all we have to do is take it!

unconditional election/universal enablement

yes. however, unconditional election does not mean that God enables some to be saved but not others. unconditional election means that God enables all to be saved, regardless of their worldly status.

God 'wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth' (1 Timothy 2:4, NIV). God does not want 'anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance' (2 Peter 3:9, NIV). indeed, 'God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life' (John 3:16, NIV).

on this note, it was misleading of me to say that faith is the point at which we come to realise that we were saved all along. this implies that God enables some to be saved but not others. rather, faith is the point at which we come to realise that God enables all to be saved all along.

of course, that God enables all to be saved does not mean that all will be saved. while the capacity to be saved does not depend on our faith (it depends on God's grace), being saved depends on our faith. equally, it is not the case that the capacity to be saved depends on our faith, or that being saved does not depend on our faith.

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the capacity to be saved does not depend on our faith (true)
the capacity to be saved depends on our faith (false)

being saved depends on our faith (true)
being saved does not depend on our faith (false)

limited atonement

no. Jesus does not atone for the sins of some but not others. Jesus atones for the sins of all, who are then free to accept/reject Jesus' atonement.

irresistible grace

no. God does not effect grace on some but not others. God effects grace on all, who are then free to accept/reject God's grace.

perseverance of the saints

"And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession - to the praise of his glory." - Ephesians 1:13-14 (NIV)

"So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while, "He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him." But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved." - Hebrews 10:35-39 (NIV)

"They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us." - 1 John 2:19 (NIV)

yes. however, the perseverance of the saints does not mean that God enables some to persevere but not others. the perseverance of the saints means that God enables all to persevere, upon believing in Christ and receiving the Holy Spirit.

it is finished.