I have been in a heated debate with two persons on the internet that believe in the Doctrine of Divine Election.  They believe God hand picks those who are saved as well as those who are predestined to go to hell.   This means God chose me before time to be saved (I believe this.) but before time He chose you to go to hell (This I do not believe.).

They both believe God hates those who go to hell.   Therefore, they themselves have no problem hating those they consider lost, and that includes just about everyone.   Unless you believe exactly as they do when it comes to the "Election Doctrine" they condemn you to hell.  Does this sound like the Jesus you know?

 They even take John 3: 16 to say it is only for His "elect" that He died for...not the whole world which would include all sinners.  Is this what the Scriptures teach?

This is what I believe:

Jesus came to save everyone...all sinners...the WHOLE WORLD.

John 3: 16
16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Take note...the Greek word "world" used in John 3: 16:

Transliteration:
kosmos {kos'-mos}
Word Origin:
probably from the base of 2865
TDNT:
3:868,459
Part of Speech:
noun masculine
Usage in the KJV:
world 186, adorning 1

Total: 187
Definition:

1. an apt and harmonious arrangement or constitution, order, government
2. ornament, decoration, adornment, i.e. the arrangement of the stars,'the heavenly hosts', as the ornament of the heavens. 1 Pet. 3:3
3. the world, the universe
4. the circle of the earth, the earth
5. the inhabitants of the earth, men, the human race
6. The ungodly multitude; the whole mass of men alienated from God, and therefore hostile to the cause of Christ
7. World affairs, the aggregate of things earthly
1. The whole circle of earthly goods, endowments riches, advantages, pleasures, etc, which although hollow and frail and fleeting, stir desire, seduce from God and are obstacles to the cause of Christ
8. Any aggregate or general collection of particulars of any sort
1. The Gentiles as contrasted to the Jews (Rom. 11:12 etc)
2. of believers only, John 1:29; 3:16; 3:17; 6:33; 12:47; 1 Cor. 4:9; 2 Cor. 5:19

Take special note to #6 above: The Greek word definition includes EVERYONE...ALL SINNERS...all ungodly men.

But John also qualifies it by saying "WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM"...MEANING YOU MUST BELIEVE  IN JESUS CHRIST TO BE SAVED....thus  #8: 2 above is correct also...because if you do not believe you cannot be saved....and that is backed up by John 14: 6.

John 14: 6
6Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

So again, faith in Jesus is in God's plan for salvation...it always has been.   Freewill to believe or not to believe in God's Son is given to all mankind.

Faith is what pleases God:

Hebrews 11: 6
6And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

So, if you want to believe as those who believe in the "Election Doctrine"...that God handpicks those who are perishing...so be it...but I choose to believe John 3: 16...THAT JESUS DIED FOR ALL UNGODLY MEN...All SINNERS...AND WE ALL STARTED THERE.

1 Timothy 1:15
15Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst.

If we could all humbly admit we are the chief of all sinners as the apostle Paul readily admitted....and then fully understand that by God's grace and love we are saved. This is my prayer.

The Doctrine of election raises serious problems in the human mind. We must consider what the Bible does (and does not) teach on this subject.

1) IT DOES TEACH that God chooses men to salvation. (2 Thessalonians 2:13)

2) It addresses believers as those who ARE "ELECT" according to the FOREKNOWLEDGE of God. (1 Peter 1:2)

3) It teaches that people CAN KNOW whether they are ELECT by THEIR RESPONSE TO THE GOSPEL: Those who hear and BELIEVE it are ELECT.
(I Thessalonians 1: 4-7)

4) THE BIBLE NEVER TEACHES THAT GOD CHOOSES MEN TO BE LOST. The fact that He chooses some to be saved DOES NOT IMPLY that He arbitrarily condemns all the rest. HE NEVER CONDEMNS MEN WHO DESERVE TO BE SAVED (THERE ARE NONE!)

5) But He does save some WHO OUGHT TO BE CONDEMNED.

(my thought- all men ought to be condemned for our sins...thank God for His love He does not.)

6) When Paul describes the ELECT he speaks of them as "vessels of mercy which he prepared BEFOREHAND for glory" (Romans 9: 23), BUT when he speaks of THE LOST, he simply says, "VESSELS of WRATH PREPARED FOR DESTRUCTION" (Romans 9: 22).

HE DOES NOT PREPARE MEN FOR DESTRUCTION: they do this for themselves by their own UNBELIEF.

7) The doctrine of election lets God be GOD. He can do as He pleases.

1 Timothy 2: 3-4  ³This is good, and pleases God our Savior, ⁴who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 

HE NEVER PLEASES TO DO ANYTHING UNJUST!  If left alone, ALL MEN WOULD BE LOST. Does God have the right to show mercy to some?

8) The Bible teaches of human responsibility. NO ONE CAN USE the doctrine of election as an excuse for NOT BEING SAVED.

GOD MADE A BONA FIDE OFFER OF SALVATION TO ALL PEOPLE EVERYWHERE!(John 3: 16; 3: 36; 5: 24; Romans 10: 9, 13)

ANYONE CAN BE SAVED by repenting of his sins and believing on the LORD JESUS CHRIST. Therefore, if person is lost, it is because HE CHOOSES TO BE LOST, NOT BECAUSE GOD DESIRES IT.

9) The fact is, the Bible teaches BOTH election and free salvation to ALL WHO WILL RECEIVE IT.

BOTH DOCTRINES, OF ELECTION AND FREE SALVATION FOR ALL are found in ONE SINGLE VERSE:

John 6: 37   37All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

This is how the doctrine of election should be used...not used as a WEAPON of hatred.

Notes Taken from "The Believer's Bible Commentary.

One of the persons I am in debate with further posted:

God doesn't love the devil nor His offspring, He put hate between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the women..
Genesis 3:15  And  I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

 The word enmity is the word hate...God put it there.

My response:

This "Doctrine of Election" proponent believes God hates the unsaved (those God did not choose). 

Is this scriptural?

My answer is NO!

It is self evident...The devil hates God and  those who do not believe in Jesus Christ are counted as the devil's seed.

But you dwell on this and do not dwell on the most important part of this verse of Genesis 3: 15.

IT IS THE VERY FIRST PROPHECY FOUND IN SCRIPTURE! AND GOD WAS THE FIRST TO PROPHECIZE.

"it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."

Using all of scripture, we know God is foretelling us of His plan for salvation...that He would send His Son into the world. That He would die on the cross(bruise his heel), but God would resurrect Him(bruise thy head) and thus Jesus became the penalty for sin and has defeated satan....Jesus gave satan a death blow to the head.

God gave me a thought today as I studied His word. All this bickering about election or free will...how one becomes saved DOES NOT AMOUNT TO A HILL OF BEANS.

It seems, so we can understand it in human terms...we have all been using scripture to reconcile our belief system with scripture....focusing on only the scriptures that support our views...I try not to do this because I believe: "we have to remember that God's Word is never going to contradict itself."

So, I will say this...this cannot be disputed. If you do this...you will be saved:

John 3: 16
16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 11:25-26
25Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

Romans 10: 9-10
9That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

John 14: 6
6Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

NONE OF THESE VERSES ABOVE CONTRADICT EACH OTHER...IT IS THE WORD OF GOD!

So, I do not care about doctrinal issues...I care about you! Come to the Father through His Son...it is the gospel message...it leads to eternal life.

Come all who are thirsty...God loves you and so do I!

Isaiah 55:1

Invitation to the Thirsty

1 "Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.

AMEN!

God loves you and so do I!