……where the sovereignty of God meets the free will of sinners.
In this introduction to Conditional Sovereign Election, I will provide you with a concise overview of this position on the doctrines of election and of the atonement of Christ. In another study, titled “A Broad Overview of Conditional Sovereign Election,” I present an expanded explanation of this position.
Also, in the “Broad Overview” I explain the differences between CSE and the other two primary non-Calvinist positions of Arminianism and Provisionism. I also briefly explain the Calvinist position and where CSE is actually in agreement.
A More Excellent Way
Here I offer a more sensible way of understanding the doctrine of election, which is the fourth of the four primary positions.
While the doctrine of election may be complicated, I believe there’s a way to understand it in a way that brings the sovereign will of God and the free will of sinners together, where there’s harmony between the two. The reason there’s so much misunderstanding about election is that we’re trying to see it as one way or the other, rather than trying to understand it as both. It’s not as complicated as we tend to think it is.
Below is a concise overview of Conditional Sovereign Election. It brings all the competing passages of the Bible together, in unity. It answers most, if not all the questions. Don’t believe me? Keep reading the studies on this website.
Concise Overview of Conditional Sovereign Election
1. Meaning of election: First and foremost, to counter the Calvinist accusation that non-Calvinist positions start with man, rather than God, and that the focus is on man rather than God, I want to squelch that false accusation immediately. Election always begins with God. Salvation always begins with God. God calls sinners first before they’re able to respond to His call (Eph 1:4; Lu 19:10; Jn 12:32; Lu 5:32; Jn 3:27; Ro 10:14,15,17). Furthermore, the plan of election and salvation is His plan, not man’s!
God’s choosing begins with the choosing of the corporate people of Christ (the Church) — just like with the nation of Israel — but includes the choosing of each individual member. To choose one is to choose the other. Like salvation, election is based on faith, which requires a humble and willing heart before God. God pre-determined (Eph 1:4) to save anyone and everyone who believes in His Son. Those are the elect. Likewise, He pre-determined not to save those who refuse to believe, or who die without hearing the gospel of Christ. Those are non-elect. It’s the requirement of humility that makes God’s election of sinners conditional. Only the humble of heart are fully enlightened to the truth.
2. Limited Atonement: The atonement of Christ is limited to those who believe. While Christ died for the sins of the whole world, He died specifically for those who place their faith in Him as their Savior. While salvation is available to everyone who hears the gospel of Christ, the blood of forgiveness (Eph 1:7) is only applied to those who believe. It’s in that way the blood of Christ does what it was intended to do. Christ died to save those who believe. He did not die to save those who don’t believe. It’s in that way that not one drop of blood is “wasted,” which is a common accusation by Calvinists.
Everyone who hears the gospel message has the opportunity and freedom to receive Christ, but not everyone does. When Jesus was on the cross, He had all humanity in view (Jn 12:32), but especially those who believe in Him (1 Tim 4:10; 1 Jn 2:2).
Calvinists insist that the atonement of Christ is for specific individuals. I agree. It’s for every specific individual who receives Christ in the humility of faith, out of the willingness of their own heart.
3. Grace to the humble: Humility is the KEY, but not just any type of humility (the worldly type that excludes Christ), but humility before God. God’s grace is only given to the humble of heart (1 Pe 5:5; Ps 25:8-9; Ps 138:6; Ps 149:4). There is no faith apart from humility. There is no salvation apart from humility. While salvation is available to everyone who hears the gospel of Christ, not everyone hears it with the same type of heart. God has given every person a free will (libertarian free will) to respond to the gospel message with either a humble and willing heart, fully open to what they’re hearing. Or they will react with a prideful and unwilling heart, completely closed to what they’re hearing.
Those who respond to the initial hearing of the gospel with a heart of humility, will be given more light, because they choose to stay in the light. Such a heart always results in faith (Jn 6:45). Those who react with a heart of pride, will be denied more light, because they choose to turn away from it. Such a heart always results in unbelief. God will leave them in the darkness of their own hard and rebellious hearts (Ro 1:18-28). God may further their hardened heart as He sees fit (Ro 11:7-10), to give them the desires of their own hearts.
Note: For those who would claim that humility before God from one’s own heart gives them a reason to boast, don’t consider the true nature of humility. True humility before God in the matter of their salvation, could never result in boasting, but only gratitude for what Christ did for them.
4. Divine appointments: No one comes to faith in Christ by mere chance, where someone just happens to be at the right place at the right time. It’s always by Divine appointment. It’s always by the providence of God. God is the one who sends the gospel to people (Ro 10:14-15). The sending of missionaries, the sending of witnesses, the sending of the gospel, none of this originates within the heart of people. It originates in God’s heart.
God knows the heart of every person who enters the world. Accordingly, He makes sure that all humble-hearted people have the opportunity to hear and respond to the gospel message in the humility of faith, based on their own free will. Salvation is only intended for those who have a humble and willing heart, completely open to the gospel of Christ, which always results in faith unto salvation. Such are the elect of God. While Jesus died for everyone in the general sense, salvation was never intended for those who turn away from Him with a hard and unwilling heart of unbelief.
5. The Sufficiency of the Scriptures: The gospel of Jesus Christ can be understood by everyone who hears it. That’s because the Word of God has been authored by the Holy Spirit, who also gives it its power. The Bible is a book that is alive, active and powerful (He 4:12; Ro 1:16) — unlike the dead religious books of the world. The written Word of God is the only book in the world that is accompanied by God’s power to convict, provide understanding and confirm the truthfulness of the Good News about what Christ did for us—which always leads to faith in Him among the humble–hearted.
However, the fact that the message of salvation is alive and powerful and able to be understood by anyone who hears it, doesn’t mean that the Holy Spirit is not personally involved in a person’s heart and life. The Spirit of Truth is not impersonal, who isolates Himself from His Word or from sinners who hear it. He always accompanies the Word of God that He authored. He personally convicts a person of their sins and their need for Christ (Jn 16:8-15). He does that through His Word. Both the written Word of God and its Author are active in a person’s heart to reveal the truth to people who need Jesus. That’s because the Holy Spirit and His Word can’t be separated. The Lord Jesus is referred to as “the Word,” because He embodies the Word of God. He is the personal expression of God’s verbal and written Word. This reveals the Triune nature of God.
Since the Scriptures are sufficient to provide awareness of sins and a person’s need for Christ as Savior – as well as the means of faith – there’s no need for the Holy Spirit to “free the will” of a person so they can understand and believe, as Arminianism teaches. Likewise, there’s no need for the Holy Spirit to regenerate a person first, as Calvinism teaches. The Scriptures and the libertarian free will that God has given to humanity provides all that is needed, as the Holy Spirit works in the hearts of sinners through His Word.
6. The unreached: No one who dies without hearing the gospel of Christ will be unjustly judged, because God knows the heart of every person (Is 66:2; Jer 17:10; Ps 149:4; Ps 25:8-9; Ps 138:6; Is 57:15; Zeph 2:3). It will be revealed to them that they would not have believed even if they did hear it (1 Cor 4:5). Yes, God works through the light of creation to draw people to Himself (Ro 1:19-20; Ps 19:1-4), but He does that in conjunction with what He sees in a person’s heart. This answers the question, “what about those who never hear the gospel?” No one will be able to offer an excuse when they stand before God.
Conclusion
Between God’s choosing of humble-hearted sinners, His intervention in their lives (drawing) to get the gospel message to them, and the free will of all sinners to choose Christ in faith or to reject Him in unbelief, we see both the Sovereignty of God and the free will of sinners in our election & salvation. There’s a definite harmony between the two.
Conditional Sovereign Election allows us to interpret every single verse and passage of Scripture in a way that doesn’t bring the libertarian free will of sinners into conflict with the Sovereignty of God. There’s an easy harmony and unity between the two. Such is not the case with Arminianism or Calvinism, and to a lesser degree with Provisionism. Because of the nature of their positions, proponents are faced with a lot of challenging questions and scriptures that are difficult to explain. That’s why the debate between them never ceases. As you’ll see in future studies on this website, CSE doesn’t have that problem.
However, in spite of the fact that CSE can answer virtually all the questions and bring all the associated Scriptures into harmony, Calvinists and non-Calvinists will still debate any position against their own—especially Calvinists.
As I mentioned earlier, you can read my study titled “A Broad Overview of Conditional Sovereign Election,” where a much fuller explanation is provided, backed up with a ton of Scripture. In the words of the Apostle Paul, “I show you a more excellent way!” (1 Cor 12:31).
