We reject the doctrine of Calvinism where they teach that God ordained or elected certain individuals for salvation.

This is their proof text:

Galatians 1:15 “But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace,”

Calvinists claim that when the Apostle Paul was born, God called him to salvation.

Notice that the verse says, ‘who separated me from my mother’s womb’, it’s not within my mother’s womb. Think about it, isn’t it true that God separated, not only Paul but everybody today, to live life and be born again. We’ll notice that it never said God called Paul to salvation by grace before birth. We’re going to see that God called Paul to salvation after birth when he believed in Christ for salvation as he was on the road to Damascus. Notice in v15 that when He called him by His grace, it was not during the time when he was born, that’s a separate incident, a separate time.

1 Corinthians 15:8 “And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.”

1 Corinthians 15:10 “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”

This happened when Paul was 30 something, many years later. This was not before birth, this was long after birth. Calvinists are trying to argue that this was done before birth so he has no free choice and had to get saved but that’s not true.

Acts 9:3-7 “And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.”

When Saul was called by God’s grace, it was long after he was born.

What Calvinists do is that they looked up the word ‘ordained’, ‘elect’ and ‘chosen’, and ignored the context and they just assumed it all meant the same thing: saved.

 

Jeremiah 31:3 “The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

Here’s another verse by Calvinist where God elected a person that He would love before the beginning of the world.

Here’s the thing, this context is referring to God’s love and the election of a nation, not a certain group of people or individuals.

Jeremiah 31:1-4 “At the same time, saith the LORD, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people. Thus saith the LORD, The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest. The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel: thou shalt again be adorned with thy tabrets, and shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry.”

Notice right here when God elects or chooses, it is referring to a nation. In fact, this is shown, a Jewish individual is not considered to be loved and elected for salvation, but for his nation, his nationality, he’s considered loved and elected.

Jeremiah 31:1 has to be referring to a national context, this is not referring to individuals because not every single Jew around the world is saved. God is going to restore the nation in the end times no matter what but that doesn’t mean for individuals. The individuals, out of their own free choice can go to hell if they reject Jesus Christ.

Romans 11:7 “What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded”

There were certain Jews in the verse that did not receive it, they were not part of the election.

Romans 11:26-28 “And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes.”

These are all referring to a nation. It shows here that they are considered beloved for the forefather’s sake. This is national, so as a nation they’re the elect but there are individuals within who don’t want to be part of it, that’s why v7 points out there are Jews in there who are not part of the election like us Christians today who got saved in the Lord Jesus Christ.

That’s why in Jeremiah 31 this nation was elected where God’s going to restore them one day but God’s not denouncing the fact that there are individuals within it who can be lost and go to hell.

We can argue that way but Calvinists don’t like that so they’re going to use Romans 11:5-7 and say God chooses a certain group of Jewish individuals to get saved and they are distinct from the nation. What they’re trying to argue is this is not a national salvation, but this still has to be an individual’s salvation.

 Romans 11:5-7 “Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded”

In a Calvinist’s mindset, they are going to argue that it has to be individual, not national because in v7, the nation rejected it but there are individuals or a remnant within this election that received it.

But those verses prove our point that a Jewish individual is considered to be an elect saved by grace not because he was particularly chosen by God but rather he believed in Christ for salvation. Look at v6, they are saved by grace, not works. Look at that wording, it follows a condition of what they do. Here’s their problem, if they’re going to find an individual to get saved, they will have a problem denouncing free will.

Whenever we find a nation, we’re going to find out it has to do with God ordaining and electing, but when it has to do with an individual, we will find out that free will is involved.

Romans 4:4-5 “Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”

Notice that he believes, he follows a condition, his action.

There is a national election at Romans 11:26-28 but that doesn’t mean that every single individual gets saved. There is an individual election at Romans 11:5-7 and that is done by their free choice.

If I’m a Korean and I want to get saved in the Lord Jesus Christ, it’s by my free will that I become His elect. Does that mean that the Korean nation is the elect? No. God’s elected nation is Israel.

Romans 10:1-3 “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.”

v1 Paul has a burden for his Jewish people but he realizes that concerning these individual Jews, it’s about their own free choice, v3. See, God wasn’t a Calvinist where He forced them to get saved.

Romans 11:26-28 “And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes.”

v26-27 this is all about national. v28a regarding the salvation gospel, there are Jews who are enemies because this is all done by free choice. v28b but this does not erase the national election. There’s a national context and individual salvation context here.

Again, if I get saved by my free choice in the Lord Jesus Christ, thus I become His elect but that does not mean my nation is part of the elect because God did not ordain them to be His elect. Now if I’m a lost Jew and I’m not saved in the Lord Jesus Christ individually by my free choice, am I saved as God’s elect? No. But is my nation ordained to be His elect? Yes, because you can be a Jew who rejects Jesus Christ and go to hell for your sin but your nation will still exist. God’s going to use his nation to plant his kingdom in the end times.

There’s a separate distinction here: national election and individual salvation done by free choice.