First of all, I’d like to give you a brief background about my journey in regard to the doctrine of election and the atonement of Christ. For most of my life I was a non-Calvinist (Arminian/Provisionist). I believed that Christ died for every person who came into the world. For years I had a non-Calvinist website. I was totally against Calvinism, which teaches unconditional Sovereign election. No one taught against Calvinism with more passion than I did. I think it would be fair to say that I hated Calvinism. I even prayed against it regularly. I honestly believed that I would be the last person on the planet still standing before I caved to Calvinism. Such an idea was inconceivable to me. However, I was wrong. Life is full of surprises. Here I am today a true Calvinist.
What changed, you may ask? I won’t go into all the details of what led up to it. I’ll just say that now that I have taught both sides for many years, I can say without hesitation that the truth is on the side of unconditional Sovereign election. Believe me when I tell you that over the years I have tried to find in the Scriptures a different understanding about election. Several times I thought I came up with an understanding that confirmed the non-Calvinist viewpoint. However, each and every time I eventually came across passages that discredited those viewpoints. In the end, they simply don’t work. There’s just too many passages that confirm Sovereign election and particular redemption (limited atonement). Furthermore, I couldn’t escape the overall theology that backs it up. The old Arminian in me kept me trying, but I’ve given up. There’s just too much against it. The weight of evidence is too great to overcome without running into walls.
I’m a truth-seeker, so I always do my best to approach Scripture with an unbiased mindset. I try to follow the truth where it wants to lead me, no matter how much I may want to oppose it—and I’m talking about any given doctrine of the Bible. I don’t seek what I want the truth to be, but what the truth actually is. When it comes to the doctrines of election and the atonement, the plain statements of Scripture are most definitely on the side of Sovereign election and particular redemption. I have discovered that the harder I have to work to try and prove my position, the more likely it is that my position is wrong. That’s what I had to do with the non-Calvinist viewpoint. I don’t have to work nearly as hard to explain these doctrines on the other side of the aisle, because the plain statements and overall teaching of the Bible most certainly favor the Calvinist (or doctrines of grace) viewpoint.
So now we come to the primary purpose of this article. Is God unjust to choose certain people for salvation, while leaving the rest to pay the penalty for their sins? I used to think so. Again, I fought against such an idea with everything within me. I felt that it didn’t line up with the good and holy character of God. However, I’ve come to see this whole matter in a different light.
For starters, our idea of justice is not always going to be the same as God’s. With our finite minds and limited understanding, we’re not in position to judge God, the very God who created us and designed us according to His own will. We don’t know everything He knows. We don’t understand everything He does. If we did, I’m absolutely certain we would be at total peace about everything God does. It’s useless to try and figure God out on this side of Heaven. We will always be left with unanswered questions about many things.
Secondly, we have no idea the unlimited number of scenarios God may have processed as it relates to the creation of humanity, redemption, and the judgment of sinners. Since the Bible most certainly does teach the doctrine of election, we have absolutely no idea how God went about choosing people for salvation. WE JUST DON’T KNOW. There are far too many plainly stated Scriptures that refer to being “chosen” or being “elect”. It’s a real doctrine of the Bible! Since we don’t fully understand any of this, we just have to rest in God Himself, knowing He does all things right and good. We have to trust in His love, mercy, grace and justice—realizing that our understanding about these attributes are limited.
A feeble attempt: In regard to how God chose His people, even though our knowledge and understanding is minuscule, I would still like to offer the following attempt to understand—based on what Scripture does reveal. We do know that it has something to do with His “foreknowledge,” as Peter reveals in 1 Peter 1:1-2 (also Ro 8:29). The problem is, we don’t know exactly what Peter had in mind. What we do know is that God is all-knowing.
Therefore, I think it’s reasonable to conclude that there’s never been a time when God did not know His redeemed people. While we have not always existed, we have always existed in the mind of God. In fact, I believe this is exactly what 2 Timothy 1:9 and Titus 1:2 indicate:
(2 Timothy 1:9 – ASV) – who saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before times eternal,
“Before times eternal” is the literal rendering, meaning:
LSB – “from all eternity”
(Titus 1:2 – ASV) – in hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before times eternal;
“Before times eternal” is the literal rendering, meaning:
LSB – “from all eternity”
Based on that, we may ask, did God choose us for salvation because He has always known us? Perhaps. That seems like a reasonable conclusion. That would also mean that God has always known those who are not His people, and therefore, did not choose them. How do we explain this? To put it another way, how do we explain that God Himself has always existed? That He has no beginning? We can’t. He just is. So if God has always known His people, that would also mean that there was no beginning of that knowledge or awareness of us. Would that also mean that we too just are? Likewise, the non-elect just are? Perhaps—even though we have no idea how that works. Think about it. How do we even begin to try and figure out how an eternal God who knows all things, bound by neither time nor space, makes decisions about anything? Since He already knows what He will decide to do?! And is it really a decision or a choice since He already knows? It’s mind-boggling once we start going down this path.
There’s also the idea that God’s omniscience co-exists side by side with His choosing, as with all His decisions. Thus, it’s not that one came before the other (knowledge vs. choosing). It’s that they exist in perfect unity, neither operating independently of the other. Thus, His knowledge of all things and His choosing are done in concert, as though they are one and the same.
None of this is anything we can fully comprehend or explain. But I offer these viewpoints and questions to demonstrate how difficult it is to try to figure God out regarding matters He hasn’t fully revealed to us. And that goes for the doctrine of election and the atonement of Christ. All of this is too much for us to grasp with our finite minds. We can only go so far in our understanding, which I have tried to do here. I think we have to do our best to understand it, since Peter is the one who gave us enough insight to consider what 1 Peter 1:1-2 means—as well as, passages like Ephesians 1:4.
In regard to the punishment of the unsaved, no one will be punished that is undeserved. God is just, and will punish sinners in a just manner. Meaning, the severity of their punishment will be according to the severity of their sins. Those who were basically good people, who were kind and helped others, their punishment will be light. Those who were truly evil, who did terrible things to others, their punishment will be severe. In other words, the punishment will fit the crime, as we say.
Also, we really don’t know what the lake of fire will be like. For all we know hell is a planet somewhere in the universe, where people will live lives characterized by suffering—to one degree or another. I used to believe that hell is a place where people will walk around in flames of fire. However, having studied the Bible for over 50 years and written a commentary of the book of Revelation, I now believe fire is symbolic for suffering, for punishment, and we really don’t know what that involves—just like we really don’t know what Heaven will be like. We just have a vague idea about both.
The point is, we can be sure that God’s judgment of sinners will be absolutely just.
A different understanding of eternal punishment: There are many Christians who believe in what’s known as conditional immortality—where immortality is given only to those who are in Christ. This position is opposed to the traditional view, which is eternal conscious suffering. Conditional immortality is the belief that the unsaved will endure a temporary period of punishment, and then at the end of that period God will end their lives—in totality: body, soul and spirit. In other words, they will return to the realm of non-existence from where they came. This gives a different meaning to the word “perish,” such as we see in John 3:16. Here, perish means what it normally does, that sinners will cease to exist.
I’ve studied this position on punishment, and I have also written about it, and I believe it has merit. However, I’m not able to fully embrace it because of how Revelation 14:11 and Revelation 20:10 describe punishment in the lake of fire. Interpreting those verses in favor of conditional immortality seems too forced. If it weren’t for those two verses, all other verses regarding punishment are easy to explain from that perspective.
The best I can do is remain open to it, while being hopeful that’s how it really is. Because from my point of view, it makes more sense that God would send sinners back to the sphere of non-existence where they will be as unaware as they were throughout eternity-past before they were born into the world. From my limited understanding, that seems like it would be the ultimate in God’s mercy and compassion on the non-elect. It also makes better sense that in the “restoration of all things” (Acts 3:21; 2 Pe 3:13; Rev 21:5), God would completely eliminate all sin from the universe, where it returns to its former glory before sin contaminated it. But either way, whether it’s conditional immortality, or eternal conscious suffering, we can be sure that God will be just and merciful to the non-elect.
Back to our question: Is God unjust to choose some for salvation, while not choosing the rest of humanity? As loudly and forcibly as I can say it, NO! Not only do we not have enough information to make such a judgment against God, but we don’t have the right (Ro 9:14,19-21). My advice to non-Calvinists who think they have it all figured out is to be very careful about what conclusions you come to about God. In some way, saved or not, you will be held accountable for it—as we all will:
(Romans 14:10-12 BSB) – [10] Why, then, do you judge your brother? Or why do you belittle your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. [11] It is written: “As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow before Me; every tongue will confess to God.” [12] So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.
(Matthew 12:36 – CSB) – I tell you that on the day of judgment people will have to account for every careless word they speak.
(Romans 9:14-16 – BSB) – [14] What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Certainly not! [15] For He says to Moses: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” [16] So then, it does not depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.
(Romans 9:19-21 – BSB) – [19] One of you will say to me, “Then why does God still find fault? For who can resist His will?” [20] But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to Him who formed it, “Why did You make me like this?” [21] Does not the potter have the right to make from the same lump of clay one vessel for special occasions and another for common use?
In regard to Romans 9:19-21, I think non-Calvinists have heard this so many times from Calvinists, that they’ve grown dull from hearing it. I know that’s how it used to be for me. But I really think they should take this more seriously. If that’s you, you just might be wrong about your interpretation! You may think you’ll be the last person standing before you give in to unconditional Sovereign election, just as I thought about myself. But one never really knows where our Bible studies will lead us as the years go by. If it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone.
I want to finish with this. In talking about the justice of God, we have to distinguish it from fairness. Being fair is not the same thing as being just. To be fair about something means that we give equal treatment to all parties involved. For example, if I give one piece of candy to one of my grandchildren, and ten pieces to the others, then that would not be fair to the one who received only one piece. But when it comes to the justice of God, when God punishes, He does so because it’s deserving. That’s the price people pay for their sins. On the other hand, if God chooses to extend mercy and forgive the sins of the others, that’s His right. He’s doing nothing wrong. Paul asks, “is God unjust?” He answers, “Certainly not! For He says to Moses: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then, it does not depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy” (Ro 9:14-16).
Consider the fact that not everyone in the world, or even in the United States, has the same opportunities to hear the gospel of Christ. Many people die never hearing it at all. We could look at that and say, “that’s not fair!” But again, it’s not about being fair, it’s about God being just, and doing with what is His according to His own sovereign will. If, by God’s providence, people never hear the gospel of Christ, that’s His right as Creator and Ruler of the universe to arrange it that way. That’s His right as the One who created us. It’s a part of God’s plan for humanity that we may not understand, but it’s still a fact that we can’t escape, and a fact that we must accept. Therefore, if God punishes people for their sins against Him (Ro 6:23), then that’s His right, because it’s fully just to do so. That’s what sinners deserve, as Paul said, “the wages of sin is death” (Ro 6:23).
We also have to consider the fact that God doesn’t forgive and save every person who comes into the world. The Bible doesn’t teach universal salvation. Such a scenario involves giving equal treatment to every person—about being fair. But the Bible doesn’t speak of salvation in terms of fairness; it talks about it in terms of justice, mercy, grace and God’s sovereign will. God could have designed salvation to include every single sinner throughout history. But that’s not what He chose to do.
In fact, we could look at the fact that God chose to create mankind knowing that millions of people would die in their sins and suffer punishment for those sins. We could respond with “why would God do that? It doesn’t seem right.” Yet, I don’t think most of us have any problem with that. Furthermore, we’re not in position to judge God for what He does (Ro 9:19-20). So why then do we have such a problem with the idea of God choosing to grant certain people salvation, while not choosing all the others for the same thing? We think it’s not fair. But again, it’s not about being fair. It’s about God being just, punishing sin because it’s deserved. It’s about God intervening and extending mercy where He sees fit. It’s about God doing with His creation what He has a right to do. It’s His right to do as He pleases.
