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A Biblical Perspective on Election: Comparing and Contrasting Reformed Theology, Arminianism, Molinism, and Open Theism

A Biblical Perspective on Election

A Biblical Perspective on Election

The doctrine of election lies at the heart of Christian theology, addressing God's sovereignty, human free will, and the purpose of creation. This framework presents a nuanced form of compatibilism that incorporates libertarian free will while maintaining God's exhaustive sovereignty and omniscience.

Framework: Sovereign Election Incorporating Libertarian Free Will

1. God Foreknows (Fore-Yada)

Drawing from the Hebrew יָדַע (yada)—a term that denotes relational, covenantal knowledge—this framework posits that God discerns the intrinsic disposition of every eternal libertarian free-will spirit He creates. God's foreknowledge includes their potential for eternal communion with Him versus self-reliant disunity. This foreknowledge is exhaustive and timeless.

Jeremiah 1:5: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew [yada] you, and before you were born I consecrated you."

Romans 8:29: "For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son."

2. Election and Predestination

Based on this foreknowledge, God sovereignly elects the communal spirits to be conformed to the image of Christ and predestines them through the work of the Holy Spirit. This election is unconditional, flowing from God's will rather than foreseen faith or merit.

Ephesians 1:4–5: "Even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love, He predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus Christ."

3. Placement in History

Both communal and self-reliant spirits are sovereignly placed in history (His-story) in ways that maximally glorify Christ as both Savior and Judge. Communal spirits glorify Him through redemption, while self-reliant spirits glorify Him through judgment.

Romans 9:22–23: "What if God, desiring to show His wrath and to make known His power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of His glory for vessels of mercy?"

4. Sin and Free Will

Sin is a necessary component of this framework—not as authored by God, but as the inevitable consequence of libertarian free will. Free-will beings, not God, are the authors of sin. However, God sovereignly integrates sin into His plan to display His justice, mercy, and grace.

Genesis 50:20: "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today."

5. The Glory of Christ

The ultimate purpose of this framework is the maximal glorification of Christ, who unites all things in Himself as both Redeemer and Judge.

Philippians 2:9–11: "Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Comparing and Contrasting Frameworks

1. Arminianism

Key Points:

  • Conditional Election: God elects individuals based on foreseen faith
  • Libertarian Free Will: Humans can autonomously choose or reject salvation
  • Universal Atonement: Christ's atonement is for all, but only effective for those who believe
  • Potential for Apostasy: Salvation can be lost through persistent unbelief

2. Molinism

Key Points:

  • Middle Knowledge: God foreknows what every free creature would do in any given circumstance
  • Best Possible World: God actualizes the world that best fulfills His purposes while preserving human freedom
  • Libertarian Free Will: Human decisions are fully autonomous

3. Open Theism

Key Points:

  • Limited Foreknowledge: God knows possibilities but not future certainties regarding human choices
  • Dynamic Relationship: God's plans adapt based on human decisions
  • Libertarian Free Will: True freedom requires that God not foreknow or predetermine choices

4. Reformed Theology

Key Points:

  • Unconditional Election: Election is based solely on God's will
  • Compatibilism: Human freedom is compatible with God's sovereign decree
  • Limited Atonement: Christ's atonement is specifically for the elect
  • Perseverance of the Saints: Salvation is secure for the elect

Objections to the Framework from Reformed Theology

Objection 1: "Libertarian free will undermines God's sovereignty."

Response: My framework affirms that human libertarian free will operates within God's sovereign decree. God sovereignly creates eternal spirits with intrinsic dispositions toward communion or self-reliance, discerns these dispositions (fore-yada), and integrates their free choices into His eternal plan.

Proverbs 16:9: "The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps."

Objection 2: "Election based on foreknowledge implies conditional election."

Response: My framework affirms unconditional election. God's relational foreknowledge (fore-yada) is not based on foreseen faith or actions but on His discernment of the intrinsic nature of the beings He creates.

Jeremiah 1:5: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew [yada] you, and before you were born I consecrated you."

Objection 3: "Libertarian free will negates total depravity."

Response: My framework agrees that fallen humans are unable to choose God apart from His intervention. Communal spirits, as discerned by God, are predisposed to communion but still require regeneration through the Holy Spirit to overcome their sinful nature.

John 6:44: "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him."

Conclusion

This framework provides a biblically coherent, Christ-centered understanding of election that balances God's sovereignty and human responsibility. It upholds the maximal glorification of Christ, who unites all things as both Redeemer and Judge.

Romans 11:33: "Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways!"

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