Free Will and Election: Does God Choose People? Do We Get a Choice?

The concept of free will and election (God selecting specific 'elect' or 'chosen' people) is a large topic with much debate. Ultimately, there are believers who have beliefs on both sides of the "spectrum" of human choice and God's will and beliefs that fall everywhere in between.

The Bible is full of references to God's chosen or "elect" individuals. (Romans 8:29-30, Ephesians 1:5-11)

Yet God is clear that He desires that ALL would be saved and come to repentance. (1 Timothy 2:4 says God our Savior "desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth," and 2 Peter 3:9 says God is "...patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.")

He offers salvation to everyone (Titus 2:11: "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people...", and 1 Timothy 2:6, "Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all..."), but we know that not everyone will be saved. Jesus said "the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few." (Matthew 7:14) 

The Bible tells people again and again and again to repent, to believe, to trust in God. And yet Jesus says in John 6:44, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him."

So how do we make sense of this? There seems to be a contradiction. God desires all to be saved, and yet the gate is narrow and few find it. He offers salvation to everyone, yet he knows in advance who will be saved and who will not. We are told to repent and believe in God, but we cannot come to Jesus unless God draws us.

This is one reason Christians have discussed and debated these concepts for centuries. The main two schools of thought are Calvinism and Arminianism. Some subscribe to one or the other, and many fall somewhere in between, not agreeing with everything on either side. 

My own personal understanding? Humans are sinful, we deserve judgment and death. But God loved us - and He loved us in this way: that while we were still living in rebellion to God wanting to do things our own way, Jesus died for us. He gave up His place as exalted and put on flesh, becoming a baby - a vulnerable, dependent human who experienced suffering, pain, heartbreak, torture, and death. He was rejected by His people and abandoned by even His closest friends. Defying what is possible, on the third day, He returned to life from the dead, offering a way home to all who believe in Him. His love is immeasurably wide and long and high and deep. He gave us a free gift of salvation that is offered to anyone who believes in Him. We who believe are saved by grace alone through faith alone, and it is not by works. We have not earned our place or done something to deserve salvation. Scripture contrasts faith and works, saying that we are not saved by works, that no one can boast. Can someone who accepts a gift take credit for the gift? No. Faith is not a work.

Pastor Mike Winger put it like this:

It's NOT that Faith AND Works = Salvation.

It's that Faith = Salvation AND works. 

When we have a true faith (based off of the choice we have made), God's gift is eternal life, and His transforming work in us, empowering us to die to self and be transformed by the renewing of our minds. 

For more information on free will, check out this link: GotQuestions on the reality of Free Will

For an explanation on the spectrum of belief from Calvinism to Arminianism: GotQuestions on Calvinism vs Arminianism. Some terms may be difficult to understand if this is a new topic to you, so feel free to ask follow up questions.