Ephesians 1 Clearly teaches Calvinism as to Salvation

choosing Israel is different than salvation, which has been offered to all "who have ears"
Israel was chosen as a nation in order to bring the Messiah to be a human to die for all sins .
That opportunity to believe is open to all , just some don't.

God will not violate our free will or our love for Him cannot be real and God is then ultimately responsible for sin in the first place.
He has done it all to redeem sinners , except force redemption

 

Has anyone ever acknowledged themselves non elect? nope only those who claim to be elect do this. ego problem

 

That's exactly the notion Paul sought to correct in Romans when he quotes Deuteronomy 30:

Rom 10:5-9 NASB 5 For Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on law shall live by that righteousness. 6 But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: "DO NOT SAY IN YOUR HEART, 'WHO WILL ASCEND INTO HEAVEN?' (that is, to bring Christ down), 7 or 'WHO WILL DESCEND INTO THE ABYSS?' (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead)." 8 But what does it say? "THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART"--that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, 9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus [as] Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;

Paul himself quotes Deuteronomy 30 and says it is speaking about the righteousness based on faith.

Deu 30:11-15 NASB 11 "For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach. 12 "It is not in heaven, that you should say, 'Who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?' 13 "Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who will cross the sea for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?' 14 "But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it. 15 "See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity;

Additionally, we know that Deuteronomy 30 is speaking about faith-based salvation because it speaks of circumcision of the heart:

Deu 30:6
“Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live.

Paul says:

Rom 2:28
For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh.
29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.

So we know this circumcision of the heart is actually the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Rom 4:9-11 NASB 9 Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, "FAITH WAS CREDITED TO ABRAHAM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS." 10 How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised; 11 and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them,

Eph 1:13-14 NASB 13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation--having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of [God's own] possession, to the praise of His glory.

So Abraham is the father of all who believe. All of us are his children if we have the same faith in the gospel that Abraham had. If we look to his example, God preached the gospel to him, and he believed and he was made righteous for his faith. But look - Paul makes the point that circumcision came AFTER he was made righteous, not before. We are circumcised in heart, meaning the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This comes AFTER we have believed, just as it did for Abraham, not before. Also note that the covenant God makes with Abraham - giving him righteousness for his faith and then promising that he would be the father of many nations and those descendants from many nations would inherit the everlasting covenant - came 430 years before the law... so the covenant is outside of the law. Once it was ratified, no further conditions can be added to it, so we know that salvation by faith is apart from the law and contains no conditions from the law.

 

God does violate free will. If my will is that I don't have to believe the gospel, but that I be redeemed anyway, would God not violate this free will?

Completely free will is a myth. In fact, God gives man a distinct, binary choice.

Deu 30:19
“I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants,

It's like if i give my child the choice of breakfast; "you can have waffles or pancakes... but FYI, the pancakes are amazing." My child can't decide to have steak and eggs or juevos rancheros (love me some juevos rancheros). My child doesn't have entirely "free will" over breakfast... my child can make a binary choice at breakfast, but only from the two specific options I gave them.

 

BTW - I think choosing Israel is one in the same for Salvation. Think about it... God chose a group of people based on familial relationship to Abraham. Physically, those born to his lineage are Jews, but spiritually those born to his lineage are Christians (those with the same faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ that Abraham had). God chose the group "the descendants of Abraham" and honors this because of the promise he made. We each have the choice of whether or not to join this group and inherit the promises.

Gal 3:6-9 NASB 6 Even so Abraham BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. 7 Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. 8 The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, [saying,] "ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU." 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.

 

Free will is not a myth. Many consider it to be because they include the ability to bring a choice to reality.
That is not free will. look it up.

Were you coerced to write here? or was ot by choice, thelema

1. what one wishes or has determined shall be done
   
   1. of the purpose of God to bless mankind through Christ
      
      
   2. of what God wishes to be done by us
      
      1. commands, precepts
         
2. will, choice, inclination, desire, pleasure
   

Many in Israel were not righteous but chosen to God's will as a nation.

Cyrus was anointed by God to punish Israel, was He saved?

 

Fair enough. I should have said "Free will as it pertains to salvation is a myth." It is not completely free, it is a binary choice.

 

Actually regeneration before faith is the myth. In fact the whole tulip is an unfounded myth. Not found in scripture. Calvinist make claims of truth by a partial reading of passages. Much like the claim made by the name of this thread. Calvinism is read into Ephesians 1 Calvinism is not found in the Bible but only in what Calvinist try to make scripture say. It's not grace to choose only a few, It can only be grace by choosing all. Giving all man kind a choice of whom they will serve. This is true grace.
MB

 

Judas was a Jew. If Salvation is eternal then Judas is saved. I don't believe that he was saved. Being chosen does not insure Salvation. Christ came to save the Lost and the Jew who rejects Christ is lost just as is the Gentiles. This is a picture of free will. We either accept Christ or we reject Him. Eternal life last for ever. It's something that cannot be lost, even when we sin. Billions will be lost in the end because they reject Him.

MB

 

why is he elect if he can choose?

 

I hope you know if you keep heading on that direction they will be taking away your Determinist Card.

Nonsense!


Ephesians 1:

Ever heard of corporate election “IN Christ”??? Do you realize that Paul mentions the phrases “In Him,” “In Christ,” “In the Beloved,” 11 times in the first 13 verses of Ephesians 1 denoting this predestination of election you speak of as being a corporate election “IN Christ”?

Which takes us to the Biblical order of salvation for "individuals" ("YOU" being at the scriptural forefront of necessarily having to make a volitional decision) :

Hear the Gospel —> Believe the Gospel —> Be Sealed with the Spirit.

Eph 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

To ignore or to change the inspired, divine order is false doctrine.

 

Could you show that in scripture?

 

Could you show just one verse that says so. If not why believe it?

 

God simply chose the lost. Where does God's word say it differently. Where does God's word say that He chose individuals only?
MB

 

A very clear picture of God choosing who could be saved.

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.