Unconditional election

Unconditional election teaches that in eternity God chose some individuals from the mass of fallen humanity unto salvation without regard to any merit or foreseen faith in them, but solely based on His sovereign intentions.

All occurrences of “election”

Ro 9:11; 11:28; 2Pe 1:10

Believers elected

Mt 24:22, 24, 31 (cf. Mk 13:20, 22, 27); Lk 18:7; Ac 13:48; Ro 8:33; 1Co 8:3; Gal 4:9; 2Ti 2:10, 19; Tit 1:1; 1Pe 1:1–2; 2Jn 1:1, 13

Angels elected

Mt 25:41; 1Ti 5:21

All occurrences of “predestined”

Ro 8:29–30; Eph 1:5, 11 — same Greek word used at Ac 4:28; 1Co 2:7

All occurrences of “foreknew”

Ro 8:29; 11:2; 1Pe 1:1–2 — same Greek word used at Ac 2:23; 26:5; 1Pe 1:20; 2Pe 3:17

God chooses

Mt 25:32–34; Lk 12:32; Jn 13:18; 15:16, 19; Ro 11:5; 2Th 2:13–14; 2Ti 2:19; Jas 2:5

The Father gives the elect to the Son

Jn 6:37; 10:29; 17:1–2, 6, 9, 24

Election is unconditional

Ro 9:10–13, 15–18; 11:5–6; 1Co 1:26–31; Eph 1:5, 11; 2Ti 1:9

Non-elect do not see or believe

Jn 6:64–65; 8:46–47; 10:26

Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses elected

Ge 12:1–3; 18:17–19; 21:12; 25:23–26; Ex 33:17–19; Mal 1:2–3; Ro 9:6–9, 10–13, 14–18

Israel (or remnant Israel) elected

Dt 4:37; 7:6–8; 10:14–15; 14:2; 26:18–19; 32:8–9; 1Sa 12:22; Ps 33:12; 47:4; 100:3; 105:6, 43; 135:4; Isa 14:1; 41:8–10; 42:1; 45:4–5; Hos 13:4–5; Am 3:2; Zec 2:12; Ac 13:17; Ro 11:2, 5, 7, 28

Reprobation is also predestined

Jos 11:20; Pr 16:4; Mt 7:23; 15:13–14; Jn 10:26; Ro 9:13, 17–24 (cites Ex 9:16); Ro 11:7–8; 2Ti 2:19–20; 1Pe 2:7–8; Jude 1:4; Rev 13:8; 17:8; 20:15

Unconditional election is not unfair

Mt 20:13–15; Ro 9:21 (cf. Jer 18:6)

Election is a pastoral doctrine, a great comfort to believers

Lk 12:32; Ac 18:9–10; Ro 8:28, 31–39; 1Co 1:8–9; Php 1:6; 1Th 5:23–24; 2Ti 1:12; 4:18

See also

• Doctrines of grace