The doctrine of election versus free will

In order to answer this question, we should note that if we believe in the Bible, then we must also believe in the doctrine of election or predestination.

Ephesians 1:4-5 (NKJV) clearly states, “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.”

Similarly, Revelation 13:8 (NKJV) says, “All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” These verses emphasize God’s sovereign election and the predetermined writing of believers’ names in the Lamb’s book of life before the foundation of the world (Ephesians speaks about God’s plan of salvation, and Revelation warns of those who worship the beast).

Additionally, in Acts 18:10 (NKJV), God encourages Paul by saying, “For I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city.” Here, God reveals His foreknowledge of the future faith of those in Corinth who would come to believe through Paul’s ministry (context: Paul’s mission in Corinth where he faced opposition but was reassured by God to continue preaching). These passages collectively underscore God’s foreknowledge and sovereign plan for salvation.

It is clear from the scriptures that God predetermined who would be saved before they were born. But the Bible also says “whosoever wills may come and Him that cometh to me I will not cast out John 6:37.”

When we get saved or become a Christian we don’t say “Oh, I’m elect, I think I’ll get saved?” But we actually make a conscious decision to choose Him.

It is important how we harmonize the doctrine of freewill and God’s election. We aren’t trying to disprove one because we know the other exists – both are true.

So how do you harmonize them? The answer is that you don’t because there is no way to harmonize them.

Here are some similar paradoxical questions about Christian faith that we also cannot answer in the affirmative because both options are true.

• Is Jesus God or a man? The answer is both. He is truly God and truly man. In the midst of trying to harmonize this throughout the centuries, people made conclusions that Jesus was half God and half man, but what is a half God?
• Who wrote the book of Romans? Was it Paul or God? Did they alternate verses? Did Paul’s words come directly from his heart and from his own vocabulary? Was every word inspired by God? The answer is that it was written by Paul, but it came from God’s mind. Saying Paul wrote it would be eliminating God, and saying he only did what the Holy Spirit told him would eliminate Pauline authorship and apostleship.
• Who lives your Christian life? You would say you do, but the Bible declares “nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ in me.” So if you claim it’s only God who guides your life then you become a silent partner and can end up in the “let go and let God” movement which is destructive. If you say it is just me, you will be branded a legalist and prideful.

As we can see, with every major doctrine there are two tensions that we cannot simply resolve. Ultimately we have to leave God’s sovereignty and human freewill where they are, believe both and let God settle it.