God's election of individuals to salvation/Reprobation purely arbitrary

[JonC]

If you have a lump of damned sinners, and you carve out a chunk of the same and send Christ to the cross to pay for their sin. You can treat them as though they never sinned in Adam or otherwise. This is the arbitrary selection of individuals for salvation. And God is no respecter of persons.

You are stretching an illustration too far. What was Paul's point? It was "who are you to question God?".

Read the passage again (the whole thing).

 

[Brightfame52]

@1689Dave

Many believe God looked through time and chose those who would choose Him for salvation

Yep and thats error, and its saying God chooses based upon foreseen merit or good in a person, which is also works.

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But the totally depraved condition of each person suffering the effects of Adam's imputed sin will not allow for this.

Yes but naturally we dont believe in total inability, from being dead i trespasses and sins.

Scripture also says God is no respecter of persons. So this moves his selection of those he planned to save in Christ on the cross as a purely arbitrary choice.

Thats right, God isnt a respecter of persons, for all men that He has chosen are naturally dead in sin, and hate God. However I would be sure to clarify arbitrary. Because Gods choice is based upon His own Glory, for Paul writes 1 Cor 1::26-31

26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.

30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

However Gods choice of a person is arbitrary from the perspective of:

Its not made for any reasons outside of Himself and His own good pleasure, contingent solely upon one's discretion:

 

[Brightfame52]

Arbitrary? One polluted lump of human waste marked for destruction. God justifies a portion in Christ so He can save them. In order to make His mercy known. And He damns the rest to make His wrath known in their destruction. Why did He save you?

I believe the best way to define it is just by saying God made some people for Salvation as per Vessels of Mercy, and some people God made for damnation and wrath per vessels of wrath, simply because He wanted to do it. Thats what the words " what if "imply Rom 9:21-24

21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:

23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,

It compliments what the Psalmist wrote Ps 115:3

3 But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.