The Calvinism Debate - Way of Life Literature

lessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hathchosen us in him before the foundation of the world, thatwe should be holy and without blame before him in love:Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children byJesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure ofhis will.”is important passage says the believer is chosen in Christbefore the foundation of the world but it doesn’t tell us thebasis for this election. It says it was the good pleasure ofChrist to predestinate the believer to be adopted as a child ofGod. But it doesn’t say anything one way or the other aboutforeknowledge and its role in election. It doesn’t say anythingabout election being the “sovereign” choice of Godirrespective of man’s faith.e good pleasure of God’s will refers to what God hasdetermined for the believer, which is adoption of children byJesus Christ.Ephesians 1:11--“In whom also we have obtained aninheritance, being predestinated according to the purposeof him who worketh all things aer the counsel of his ownwill.”ere are two teachings in this verse that are relevant toCalvinism. First it says the believer is predestinated accordingto the purpose of him who worketh all things aer thecounsel of his own will. It does not follow, though, thatpredestination has nothing to do with foreknowledge andthat man has no choice in the matter.Secondly, the verse says God works all things aer thecounsel of His own will, yet again Calvinism’s definition ofthis does not automatically follow. If God willed to make manin His own image and determined to give man the ability toreject God, not only in the Garden of Eden but throughoutman’s history until this day, that would not contradictanything that is taught in this verse. It would still mean thatGod works all things aer the counsel of His own will. God isstill “sovereign.”95