This is not subject to reason. Implicit in the "election" is the "unelection". That is, while some are "elected" or chosen, others are ignored and left to damnation.
The key to getting out of the grip of this infernal doctrine lies precisely in this point. Instead of thinking of yourself as among the "elect", spend a day thinking about yourself as among the "unelect" and then reflect on what this says about the nature of God. Hopefully you will see an arbitrariness, an irrationality, a brutality and essentially a game of nothing more than chance as God surveys the filth which is before him and simply plucks out at random a few lucky survivors who will man the life boats, while the rest of the wretches are left to drown.
Is there a shortage of lifeboats? Is space limited in heaven? No? So what's the issue here? Mere whimsy or capriciousness on the part of God? This simply does not square with the loving Jesus of the New Testament who expressed love for all men. The Apostle says that "God is love".
Irrationality is a characteristic of pagan worship. Who knows what the gods will do? They get crazy sometimes!!
That's not Christianity. We do know what God will do with regard to our salvation.
“Implicit in the “election” is the “unelection”. “
That is true. It is implicit; not explicit. Yet it is there.
But if the Bible clearly states that God elects some of us, then it states that. We can’t reject it because we don’t like it.
I deny that God is arbitrary, irrational, brutal, or a chance gamer. At the same time I affirm that He elects his people to salvation.
It is somewhat akin to the doctrine of the trinity. Jesus is God. Jesus is man. He is not “part man” or “part God.” The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are God; yet there is one God; yet there are three Persons. I can’t deny any of that.
I can’t deny election, either. But it is wrong to say that therefore I am ascribing to God any evil characteristics. God is perfectly good.
Thank you! I’ve noted in a similar thread that all the predestinationalists seem to proceed from the first principle of their own predestined salvation.