Elections Before and After Time Began

Dave G said:

From God's point of view, I agree.
He tells me that I was always set apart, and that I was called according to His purpose ( Romans 8:28 )...

That the reason that I came to Him, was because it was given to me to do so ( John 6:64-65, Philippians 1:29 )...because I was chosen and caused to approach Him ( Psalms 65:4 ).

Please read the epistles again, and look closely at the language that Paul and Peter are using.
The Lord has set apart a people for Himself...we do not "set ourselves apart" by making an agreement with Him or by our belief on His Son. Rather, we as believers reflect God's choice of sinners to salvation, and His work in us by our lives and by our actions.

Good afternoon to you.

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No, God tells you once you were not a people.
Yes, those called into His kingdom are called according to His purpose during their physical lifetime.
No verse says "it was given to [you] to do so." Certainly not John 6:64-65 or Philippians 129 or Psalm 65:4.
The Lord is setting apart, reconciling a people for Himself.
Did anyone say we set ourselves apart? Nope

Once again a response that does not address the OP, but fabricates a strawman to disparage. Go figure.

What are the elections before time? The Father chose the Son to be His "Lamb of God" His Redeemer anticipating the fall of humanity. Thus those to be redeemed were chosen corporately when He was chosen individually. Thus we were chosen in Him before the foundation of the world, or before the fall of humanity!

Van said:

What are the elections before time? The Father chose the Son to be His "Lamb of God" His Redeemer anticipating the fall of humanity. Thus those to be redeemed were chosen corporately when He was chosen individually. Thus we were chosen in Him before the foundation of the world, or before the fall of humanity!

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Where, in scripture, does God explicitly declare "corporate" election?

I have yet to see you provide any contextual evidence for your corporate election theory.

AustinC said:

Where, in scripture, does God explicitly declare "corporate" election?
I have yet to see you provide any contextual evidence for your corporate election theory.

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You can deny the evidence provided till the cows come home, you are fooling only yourself, and "everybody knows it."

Elections Before and After Time Began
In summary, the very passages used to support election of foreseen individuals before the foundation of the world, either do not address the timing, or are equivocal, such that an alternate understanding of the passages is equally as logical, or in the case of the last three, actually demonstrate that the premise is invalid.

Turning now to the second false premise, that God chose the foreseen individuals because it pleased Him to do so, but not because of any foreseen characteristic or belief of the selected individuals, lets review the supposed supporting passages.

Does Romans 9:10-13 support being chosen before the foundation of the world, or being chosen as less than fully formed children existing in Rebekah’s womb? The most sound inference is that they were chosen as existent pre-born children, see verse 10. Were they chosen according to the New Covenant for salvation? Nope. The fallacy of trying to support the Reformed Theology premise of Unconditional Election before time with this passage is the fallacy of proving “A” (chosen without regard to their characteristics or beliefs) and then asserting “B” has been proven (that God chooses those He puts spiritually “in Christ” also without regard to their faith or love of God.) Also note that God’s choosing of Jacob for one purpose, and His choosing of Esau for another purpose demonstrates that it is satisfying God’s purpose that dictates His choice according to His pleasure, and so if God desires to have mercy on those who love Him, “God’s purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls.”

Thus we are chosen by God, and we do not elect ourselves to eternal glory. We obtain mercy according to God’s gracious choice, and not by our will or works, Romans 9:16. But God can have mercy on whom He has mercy including those who believe in His Son with all their heart.

And so, at the end of the day, the biblical support offered for the two false premises of Reformed Theology, actually demonstrate both premises are invalid.

1) Biblical truth, God chooses individuals for salvation through faith in the truth, faith credited as righteousness by God.
2) Biblical truth, God chose His Redeemer before creation, or before the fall, and therefore chose in Him corporately everyone that He would Redeem.

In summary, the Old Testament Election’s provide illustrations of God choosing individuals according to His purpose and corporately choosing the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as His chosen nation. But most important, Isaiah 42:1 refers to Christ as God’s chosen One, and thus refers to His individual election before time.

However election in accordance with the New Covenant is foreshadowed in the Old Testament, so lets look at some of those verses.

Psalms 65:4 says some are blessed because they are chosen by God to be brought near to God, and to dwell in God’s courts. This certainly mirrors the idea of being spiritually and individually placed “in Christ” and thus receiving the blessings of being “in Christ” which include spiritually being in God’s heavenly places (courts) and being made alive together with Christ (brought near).

Jeremiah 31:31 says God will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. These “houses’ are made up of individuals who believe in God and believe in God’s promises, and so the New Covenant is with individual believers. Paul teaches in Galatians chapter 3 that even Gentile believers that belong to Christ become “in Christ” children of the promise .