Is God fair?

 

There has been much controversy inside and outside of the church regarding the doctrine of election (sometimes also called “predestination”). We may define election as follows: Election is an act of God before creation in which he chooses some people to be saved, not on account of any foreseen merit in them, but only because of his sovereign good pleasure. Many have thought that this doctrine, defined in this way, is troubling and unfair. Before jumping to conclusions, however, it is important to see where this definition, and therefore this doctrine, comes from.

New Testament Teachings on Election

Several passages in the New Testament seem to affirm quite clearly that God ordained beforehand those who would be saved. For example, when Paul and Barnabas began to preach to the Gentiles in Antioch in Pisidia, Luke writes, “And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of God; and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed” (Acts 13:48).

One of the reasons Luke says, almost in passing, that many were “appointed to eternal life” is that he understood the truth Paul would later express in Ephesians 1:4–6: God “chose us in him [Christ] before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace.” Paul later adds that “we who were the first to hope in Christ” are to live for “the praise of his glory” (Eph. 1:12).

God saved us and called us to himself, not because of our goodness, but because of his own purpose and his unmerited grace in eternity past. Paul says that God is the one “who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began” (2 Tim. 1:9).

John’s vision in Revelation tells us that individual salvation—in this passage spoken of as those whose names are written in the book of life—was determined “from the foundation of the world” (Rev. 17:8).

What This Means

It is important to note that these New Testament authors often present the doctrine of election as a comfort to all who believe in Jesus. For example, Paul says that God has acted and always will act for the good of those whom he called to himself: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28).

But how could Paul know this? He gives the reason in the next two verses. He can say this because when he looks into the distant past, before the creation of the world, he sees that God “foreknew” and “predestined” his people “to be conformed to the image of his Son” (Rom. 8:29). Then, when Paul looks at the recent past, he finds that “those whom he [God] predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified” (Rom. 8:30). And when Paul looks toward the future, he sees that “those whom he justified” he also “glorified” (Rom. 8:30), in the sense that God has already determined he will someday give perfect, glorified bodies to those who believe in Christ. From eternity to eternity God has acted and will act with the good of his people in mind. Election is thus a cause for comfort and for assurance that God will work for our good today. And this will all happen, “not because of our works,” but because of his “own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began” (2 Tim. 1:9).

A natural response to God’s work on our behalf is that we would live “to the praise of his glory” (Eph. 1:12). We can, as Paul did, give thanks to God for those he has chosen (1 Thess. 1:2–4), knowing that God is the one ultimately responsible for their salvation and all the good things that accompany it. In fact, Paul says we are obligated to give thanks to God for such a great salvation (1 Thess. 2:13). Singing praises to God for salvation does not leave any room for singing our own praises, because our salvation is not our own work but is a gift from God (Eph. 2:8–9).

Yet this truth should not lead us to think that our work of evangelism is unimportant! When God chooses people to be saved, he carries this out through human means. That is why Paul worked so hard at preaching the gospel. He said,

 “I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory” (2 Tim. 2:10). 

Paul knew that God has chosen some people to be saved, and he saw this as an encouragement—not discouragement—to preach the gospel, even if it meant enduring great suffering. Election was Paul’s guarantee that there would be some success for his evangelism, for he knew that some of the people he spoke to would be the elect and that they would believe the gospel and be saved. It is as if someone invited Paul to come fishing and said, “I guarantee that you will catch some fish—they are hungry and waiting.”

What This Doesn’t Mean

Affirming the doctrine of election does not mean that our choices don’t matter and our actions don’t have any consequences. Nor does the doctrine of election require us to affirm an impersonal, inflexible universe that is controlled by an impersonal, inflexible force.

The New Testament presents the entire outworking of salvation as something brought about by a personal God deeply in love with personal creatures. “In love he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ” (Eph. 1:5). God’s act of election was permeated with personal love for those whom he chose (see also John 3:16; and Rom. 8:28). Moreover, Scripture continually views us as personal creatures who make willing choices to accept or reject the gospel. For example, this is seen clearly in the invitation at the end of Revelation:

“The Spirit and the Bride say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price” (Rev. 22:17). 

This invitation and many others like it (for example, Matt. 11:28) are addressed to genuine persons who are capable of hearing the invitation and responding to it by a decision of their wills. These real decisions have eternal consequences, as is shown in John 3:18: “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”

While a proper understanding of election does give real value to our decisions and choices, it does not mean that God’s decision was based upon our choices. When God chose individuals “before the foundation of the world” (Eph. 1:4), he did not do so because he foresaw their faith or some decision they would make. Paul affirms this in Romans 8:29 when he writes, “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined.” When Paul speaks about God’s foreknowledge, he is thinking of God as knowing persons (“those whom”). God “foreknew” these individuals in the context of a saving relationship with them. This is different from speaking about foreknowledge of an individual’s actions or decisions such as a decision to believe.

In fact, Scripture never speaks of faith (present or future) as the reason God chose someone. In Ephesians 1:4–6, Paul says, “In love, he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace.” If election were ultimately based on our decision, it would seem to diminish God’s love, cheapen his grace (for there would be some merit on our part), and diminish the glory that is due him for our salvation.

Are We Really Free?

Many believe that if the doctrine of election is true, then we aren’t really free. The difficulty in thinking this way is that many different definitions and assumptions surround the word “free,” and these differences easily lead to misunderstanding and disagreement. In this case it is helpful to use a term other than “free” so as to communicate more carefully what we want to say. For example, the Bible appeals to our ability to make voluntary choices or willing choices hundreds of times (see the verses above concerning our “willing choice” and also all the commands in the Bible that ask us to respond and obey). We aren’t forced to make choices contrary to our own will. We ultimately do what we desire to do. Making choices is part of what it means to be a human being in God’s image, for we imitate God’s own activity of deciding to do things that are consistent with his character.

But does that mean that God had nothing to do with our choices? Do we want to insist that God, our infinitely powerful and wise Creator, cannot influence and mold and shape our hearts and our desires according to his plan? In fact, if God works through our choices and desires to bring about his plan, this preserves our ability to choose willingly while at the same time assuring that our choices will be in accord with what God decided and ordained would happen.

Therefore, if we respond to Christ’s invitation in a positive way, we can honestly say that we chose to respond to Christ while also saying that it was (in ways we cannot fully understand) ordained by God. If we can’t fully understand how these two things can be true at the same time, then we must acknowledge that there is mystery here. At least in this age, we cannot completely grasp this mystery. And although we do not understand it, we should at least be sure that we speak the way the Bible speaks about this in all aspects of its teaching.

Furthermore, God also created us so that our choices would be real choices. However, our choices do not need to be absolutely free of any involvement by God in order to be real, voluntary, willing choices. To take another example, while we make the choice to breathe many times every day, God, as our Creator and Sustainer, is intricately involved with us in that decision, for God “works all things according to the counsel of his will” (Eph. 1:11), and Christ continually “upholds the universe by the word of his power” (Heb. 1:3).

What about those who do not believe, those whom God has not “elected” or chosen? The Bible never puts any blame on God for anyone’s rejection of Christ’s claims. The emphasis is always on the willing choices of those who refuse to believe, and the blame for their unbelief rests with them. As Jesus said in John 8:43–44, “Why do you not understand what I say? 

It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires.” To some who rejected him earlier, Jesus said, “You refuse to come to me that you may have life” (John 5:40). And Paul in Romans 1:20 says that all who reject the clear revelation of God given to all mankind are “without excuse.” This is the consistent pattern in Scripture: People who remain in unbelief do so because they are unwilling to come to God, and the blame for such unbelief always lies with the unbelievers themselves, never with God. Once again, we probably will not be able to fully understand in this age just how this can be so.

Is God Really Fair?

At this point some people will object that if the doctrine of election is true, then God isn’t really fair. Since God chooses some to be saved and passes over others, deciding not to save them, his grace is awarded rather unfairly.

It is important to understand what “fair” really is with respect to salvation. Indeed, it would be perfectly fair for God not to save any human beings who sinned and rebelled against him, just as he did with the angels: “God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment” (2 Pet. 2:4). But if he does save any human beings, then this is a demonstration of grace, which goes far beyond the requirements of fairness and justice. If God saved only five people out of the whole human race, this would be mercy and grace. If he saved one hundred, this would be amazing mercy and grace. But in fact he has decided to save “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages” (Rev. 7:9). This is mercy beyond our comprehension.

Paul raises this question on a deeper level in Romans 9. After saying that God “has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills” (Rom. 9:18), Paul then writes, “You will say to me then, ‘Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?’ ” (Rom. 9:19). 

In essence, Paul is giving voice to a very common question: If each person’s ultimate destiny is determined by God, then how can this be fair? Even when people make willing choices, determining whether they will be saved or not, if God is actually somehow behind those choices, then how can he be fair?

Here is what Paul says:

  But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honored use and another for dishonorable use? 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, which he has prepared beforehand for glory, even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? (Romans 9:20–24)

Paul is essentially saying that there is a point beyond which we cannot answer back to God or question his justice. God has done what he has done according to his sovereign will. He is the Creator; we are the creatures, and we ultimately have no basis from which to accuse him of unfairness or injustice. Our response to these words in Romans reveals a lot about our hearts and our willingness to submit to our sovereign Creator.

Does God Want Everyone to Be Saved?

If election, is true, then does God still want everybody to be saved? Yes, according to some Scripture passages. In 1 Timothy 2:4, Paul writes of our God and Savior “who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” Peter says the same thing in 2 Peter 3:9 when he writes that the Lord “is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

While people will disagree on the interpretation of these verses, most will agree, on reflection, that there are some things that God desires more than others. Oftentimes, people who do not agree with the doctrine of election will say, based on these verses and others, that God desires to preserve man’s free will more than he desires to save every person. But people who support the doctrine of election will say that God desires to further his glory more than he desires to save every person and that passages like Romans 9 indicate that his glory is furthered by saving some people but not all. (Christians on both sides of the debate agree that not everybody will be saved.) 

How then can both sides say that God desires everyone to be saved, in accordance with verses like 1 Timothy 2:4 and 2 Peter 3:9? These verses tell us what God commands people to do and what actions please him (namely, repenting and believing in Christ). In this sense he truly “desires” and “wishes” that every person be saved. This is what is sometimes called his “revealed” will, what he tells everybody on earth they should do. But such verses are not talking about God’s secret, hidden plans from all eternity to choose some people to be saved.

The fact that not everyone will be saved is one of the most difficult doctrines in Scripture to consider. The Bible indicates that even God has great sorrow when he thinks about those who will not be saved. “As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?” (Ezek. 33:11). 

When Jesus thought of the people who rejected him in Jerusalem, “he wept over it” (Luke 19:41), and he said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!” (Matt. 23:37). And the apostle Paul says, “I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart” (Rom. 9:2) when he thinks about his Jewish brothers and sisters who have rejected Christ. The love that God gives us for our fellow human beings and the love he commands us to have for our neighbuor cause us great sorrow when we realize that not everyone will be saved. And yet the punishment of sinners is a righteous outworking of God’s justice, and we should not think that it is wrong.

In addition, God gives all human beings innumerable blessings in this life that are not part of salvation. This doctrine is sometimes called “common grace” because it refers to a manifestation of God’s grace that is common to all people and is different from God’s saving grace.

Common Grace

When any of us sin, we deserve one thing: eternal separation from God. We deserve to be cut off from experiencing any good from God and to live forever in hell, receiving only his wrath eternally. As Romans 6:23 says, “The wages of sin is death.” But the punishment for sin is not immediately felt. Instead, all mankind—regardless of whether they will ultimately receive God’s grace or God’s judgment—will continue to receive many blessings while on earth.

Sometimes those blessings will be physical. Jesus says, in Matthew 5:45, that God “makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” The Creator of the universe sees to it that all people—those who believe in Jesus and those who have rejected his claims—receive from the abundance of his earth.

God’s grace is also seen in the intellectual realm. Although Satan is “a liar and the father of lies” and “there is no truth in him” (John 8:44), even those who reject the claims of Jesus are not fully given over to falsehood and irrationality. Instead, many who clearly rejected God have made incredible discoveries and inventions. They did so not knowing that they were enlightened by Jesus, “the true light which enlightens everyone” (John 1:9). When we benefit from these advancements, we are benefiting, ultimately, from God’s common grace.

This common grace is seen in many other areas of life: the moral realm (people are not as evil as they could be), the creative realm (we can both produce and appreciate many different kinds of good and beautiful things), the societal realm (many communities, institutions, and governments protect and provide for their members and constituents), and even the religious realm (Jesus tells his followers in Matthew 5:44 to pray for their persecutors, showing that God answers many prayers that are prayed for the benefit of unbelievers).

Although common grace does not save people, God’s delaying his judgment allows many to come to salvation: “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Such common grace already demonstrates a large measure of God’s goodness and mercy toward all mankind. His continual pouring out of blessings on all people will show him as just on the day of judgment when he finally punishes those who rejected him. Finally, as in all things, God’s bestowing common grace on all people demonstrates his glory through their imitation of his character in their many activities. Therefore, we can appreciate and enjoy the manifestation of God’s grace through all people, recognizing that ultimately God deserves the praise and glory for these blessings.

It’s All Grace

The doctrine of election demonstrates to us that God loved us, not for who we are or what we have done or will do, but simply because he decided to love us. Therefore, our appropriate response to God is to give him praise for all eternity. Our appropriate response to others is humility since individually we have no claim on any portion of God’s grace—it’s all a gift from him.

Grudem, W. A. (2005).