“If we leave it to the sovereignty of God, then it is possible the sovereignty of God looks at choice and before time selects those who have responded to Him. He then ensures their selection of Him by opening their hearts.”
That way of thinking isn’t logical. So God foresees that they will choose Him... yet ensures their selection. Didn’t He already know they were going to choose Him in the first place? So why ensure what you foreknew was already going to happen? The scripture is quite clear that faith is the gift of God:
1Co_12:3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
Php 1:29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;
Therefore, if one wants to hold two contrary opinions, it is easy to say “We chose God, but then He insures that we choose Him,” with a straight face, while still holding to Free-will’s ability to choose righteousness for itself.
Your position breaks down even further when we read into how men are chosen or not chosen. In Romans 9, we read that Jacob is chosen over Esau before either child had done “good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth.” If it is based on their choices previously foreseen, then it does not follow that anyone is “elected” or that it is “of him that calleth”; that is, ordained to salvation so that the call is effectual. The very concept of election and of a call not according to “him who willeth or runneth, but God who sheweth mercy” (Rom 9:16) requires that it is done before either child performs “good or evil.” Since if God merely foresees that they would do good, this is an act that He foresees will occur after birth. It is the cause of his predestinating them to salvation, because he knows that they will willingly do it. So why bother telling us to begin with that he predestinated us before they had done “good or evil,” if the decision was made because of the “good” or “evil” that they would do? And it cannot be of him that “calleth,” because it is by the man who righteously responds to the call. The call itself has no power. Since, according to you, God calls everyone, but it is ineffectual in and of itself to save anyone. Man must improve upon that call, so that in the last analysis we can only say that one man believed because he was righteous enough to respond to the call, whereas the other justly dies because he refuses it. They had their fair chance, though a CHANCE is all that it ever was.
But we know that the scripture instead teaches that if the same effectual call is given to both Jacob and Esau, that it must result in salvation. Because “whom he did predestinate, them he also called; and whom he called, he justified” (Rom 8:30). He did not call, and then predestinate those who responded. The predestination is the direct cause of the call in the first place. None of this is mere chance.
It is more logical to conclude from the scriptures that God predestinates what He foreknows, which means that nothing happens without His permission or, in the case of the elect, His working.
Php 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
What He foreknows is not driven by mere chance, but rather what He foreknows is established according to His will and purpose before the world began. And why is that? Because when man is left to his own devices, he will always choose the evil. So if God does not elect anyone, then all will be damned, and justly so.
“Now, since on God’s own testimony, men are ‘flesh’, they can savour of nothing but the flesh; therefore ‘free-will can avail only to sin. And if, while the Spirit of God is calling and teaching among them, they go from bad to worse, what could they do when left to themselves, without the Spirit of God? Your [Erasmus] observation that Moses is speaking of the men of that age is not to the point at all. The same is true of all men, for all are ‘flesh’; as Christ says, ‘That which is born of the flesh is flesh’ (john 3:6) How grave a defect this is, He Himself there teaches, when he says: ‘Except a man be born again, he cannot enter the kingdom of God (v. 5)...I call a man ungodly if he is without the Spirit of God; for Scripture says that the Spirit is given to justify the ungodly. As Christ distinguished the Spirit from the flesh, saying: “that which is born of the flesh is flesh’, and adds that which is born of the flesh cannot enter the kingdom of God’, it obviously follows that whatever is flesh is ungodly, under God’s wrath, and a stranger to His kingdom. And if it is a stranger to God’s kingdom and Spirit, it follows of necessity that it is under the kingdom and spirit of Satan. For there is no middle kingdom between the kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Satan, which are ever at war with each other.” (Martin Luther, On the Bondage of the Will)
First, we must deal with scripture such as "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." We must deal with the extent of the atonement, "not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world." "For God loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life."
Next, a biblical position must deal with "by grace we're saved through faith, and that not of ourselves. It (faith) is a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast." It must deal with Lydia for "God opened her heart" to believe. And as you have pointed out, scripture says that Jacob was elected before birth and Esau was not.
So, a biblical position must deal with both God's sovereign choice and God's making faith available to all. It must not make God into some kind of lawyer who withholds things via the fine print, and it must not make God into some kind of punching bag who reels about not knowing what's going on.
Revelation 22: "17 The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life. "
Revelation 17: "The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished "
Romans 10: 11 As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile--the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." 14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" 16 But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?" 17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ."
First, we must deal with scripture such as "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." We must deal with the extent of the atonement, "not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world." "For God loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life."
Next, a biblical position must deal with "by grace we're saved through faith, and that not of ourselves. It (faith) is a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast." It must deal with Lydia for "God opened her heart" to believe. And as you have pointed out, scripture says that Jacob was elected before birth and Esau was not.
So, a biblical position must deal with both God's sovereign choice and God's making faith available to all. It must not make God into some kind of lawyer who withholds things via the fine print, and it must not make God into some kind of punching bag who reels about not knowing what's going on.
Revelation 22: "17 The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life. "
Revelation 17: "The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished "
Romans 10: 11 As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile--the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." 14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" 16 But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?" 17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ."