Christian theologians don't have any problem realizing that God chose Israel, or even that He only saved a remnant that He preserved; however, they have consternation over believing that God can choose Christians and predestine their salvation. We were not chosen because of our works, but according to the purpose of His will (cf. Eph. 1:5). It wasn't anything in us that merited salvation--it was grace all the way, from beginning to end. Jesus said in John 15:16 that we didn't choose Him, but He chose us. Matt. 22:14 says: "Many are called [the outward gospel call], but few are chosen [elected]." This is so we have no basis of pride!
People generally believe they are protecting God's reputation by denying predestination, because they perceive it as making God out as a despot. We are elect according to the foreknowledge of God, which means God loved us personally before salvation. We are elected unto faith, not because of faith (which is the prescient view that Romans 8:29-30 militates against). Election must be unconditional or it opens the door to merit, it had to be by grace alone and God saw nothing good in a totally depraved man. We were not inclined to come to Him but only came because of the wooing of the Holy Spirit ("No man can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him," John 6:44).
Yes, this does mean our ultimate destiny is in the hands of God and God left nothing to chance or out of His sovereignty (Jonathan Edwards said he liked to assign absolute sovereignty to God): This means there isn't even "a maverick molecule in the universe!" Grace is sovereign because it is irresistible according to Reformed tradition--this is stated in Romans 5:21, where it says "grace reigns through righteousness."
Who is the promise of salvation designated for, then? "For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself" (Acts 2:29, ESV). There are two callings here: The outward call that we announce to the world of sinners and the inner calling that is effectual that God does. "Who has believed our report, and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?" (cf. Isa. 53:1). Doctor Luke says, "as many as were appointed to eternal life believed" (Acts 13:48, ESV). God does reserve the right to have mercy on whom He will (Rom. 9:15,18). God quickened or kindled faith within the elect so that they got born again and exercised faith and repentance unto salvation. If left to ourselves, none of us would come to Christ or believe in Him.
Philippians 2:13 says that God is at work within us both to do and to will of His good pleasure--God woos us and works on our hearts to make believers out of us and turn hearts of stone into hearts of flesh, because He is the Potter and we are simply clay in His hands. God can make the "unwilling" willing or the unbelieving believe! God has given man a choice, but we do not have the ability to respond favorably to the gospel message apart from the grace of God working in our hearts ("Apart from Me you can do nothing," says John 15:5), and grace prevails over our reluctance.
No one is able to resist God's will according to Romans 1:19 and God has mercy on whomever He wills and hardens whomever He wills (cf. Rom. 9:18). We have a destiny: "For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thess. 5:9, ESV; cf. Jude 4; 1 Pet. 2:7). Note the order of God's sanctification prior to faith: "[Because] God chose you as the first-fruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth" (2 Thess. 2:13, ESV). Who got saved? "What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened [blinded]" (Rom. 11:7, ESV).
We don't necessarily need free wills to be saved then, but wills made free! "If the Son shall set you free, you shall be free indeed." (John 8:36). We are not born free and innocent but enslaved to sin and totally depraved. Only the Son can set us free and the truth is the agent. There is temporal will like what foods you like and you do have the power to choose them, but spiritual and/or moral freedom is not granted--Adam had it and lost it and we are in Adam, our representative who lost it for us before salvation, when we are in Christ and set free. John 6:44 says that no one can come to the Father unless He draws him and v. 65 says it must be granted by the Father.
Apart from Christ, we can do nothing (cf. John 15:5). If left to ourselves, none of us would've chosen Christ! No one can resist God's will according to Romans 9:19 and our salvation doesn't depend upon human will according to Romans 9:16. ("It is not of him who wills....."). God's sovereignty is not compromised nor sacrificed because of our wills--He remains 100 percent in control of all events and things per Ephesians 1:11 (ESV), which says God "works all things according to the counsel of his will."
The only way our will could be considered free is that we feel no outside force and never do anything we don't want to do--God doesn't coerce us against our wills but makes the unwilling willing. We are never forced to do what we do not want to do. We do make choices but God decides what the choice is and He knows how we will respond and can manipulate or orchestrate whatever events He wills to precipitate His divine, decreed, sovereign will. Free will must be seen only as the ability to make choices based on our desires uncoerced.
In sum, our salvation does not depend upon our wills (they are so little of the equation that depends on God being sovereign anyway--as He orchestrates all events providentially): "So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God who has mercy" (Romans 9:16, ESV). Soli Deo Gloria!
People generally believe they are protecting God's reputation by denying predestination, because they perceive it as making God out as a despot. We are elect according to the foreknowledge of God, which means God loved us personally before salvation. We are elected unto faith, not because of faith (which is the prescient view that Romans 8:29-30 militates against). Election must be unconditional or it opens the door to merit, it had to be by grace alone and God saw nothing good in a totally depraved man. We were not inclined to come to Him but only came because of the wooing of the Holy Spirit ("No man can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him," John 6:44).
Yes, this does mean our ultimate destiny is in the hands of God and God left nothing to chance or out of His sovereignty (Jonathan Edwards said he liked to assign absolute sovereignty to God): This means there isn't even "a maverick molecule in the universe!" Grace is sovereign because it is irresistible according to Reformed tradition--this is stated in Romans 5:21, where it says "grace reigns through righteousness."
Who is the promise of salvation designated for, then? "For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself" (Acts 2:29, ESV). There are two callings here: The outward call that we announce to the world of sinners and the inner calling that is effectual that God does. "Who has believed our report, and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?" (cf. Isa. 53:1). Doctor Luke says, "as many as were appointed to eternal life believed" (Acts 13:48, ESV). God does reserve the right to have mercy on whom He will (Rom. 9:15,18). God quickened or kindled faith within the elect so that they got born again and exercised faith and repentance unto salvation. If left to ourselves, none of us would come to Christ or believe in Him.
Philippians 2:13 says that God is at work within us both to do and to will of His good pleasure--God woos us and works on our hearts to make believers out of us and turn hearts of stone into hearts of flesh, because He is the Potter and we are simply clay in His hands. God can make the "unwilling" willing or the unbelieving believe! God has given man a choice, but we do not have the ability to respond favorably to the gospel message apart from the grace of God working in our hearts ("Apart from Me you can do nothing," says John 15:5), and grace prevails over our reluctance.
No one is able to resist God's will according to Romans 1:19 and God has mercy on whomever He wills and hardens whomever He wills (cf. Rom. 9:18). We have a destiny: "For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thess. 5:9, ESV; cf. Jude 4; 1 Pet. 2:7). Note the order of God's sanctification prior to faith: "[Because] God chose you as the first-fruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth" (2 Thess. 2:13, ESV). Who got saved? "What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened [blinded]" (Rom. 11:7, ESV).
We don't necessarily need free wills to be saved then, but wills made free! "If the Son shall set you free, you shall be free indeed." (John 8:36). We are not born free and innocent but enslaved to sin and totally depraved. Only the Son can set us free and the truth is the agent. There is temporal will like what foods you like and you do have the power to choose them, but spiritual and/or moral freedom is not granted--Adam had it and lost it and we are in Adam, our representative who lost it for us before salvation, when we are in Christ and set free. John 6:44 says that no one can come to the Father unless He draws him and v. 65 says it must be granted by the Father.
Apart from Christ, we can do nothing (cf. John 15:5). If left to ourselves, none of us would've chosen Christ! No one can resist God's will according to Romans 9:19 and our salvation doesn't depend upon human will according to Romans 9:16. ("It is not of him who wills....."). God's sovereignty is not compromised nor sacrificed because of our wills--He remains 100 percent in control of all events and things per Ephesians 1:11 (ESV), which says God "works all things according to the counsel of his will."
The only way our will could be considered free is that we feel no outside force and never do anything we don't want to do--God doesn't coerce us against our wills but makes the unwilling willing. We are never forced to do what we do not want to do. We do make choices but God decides what the choice is and He knows how we will respond and can manipulate or orchestrate whatever events He wills to precipitate His divine, decreed, sovereign will. Free will must be seen only as the ability to make choices based on our desires uncoerced.
In sum, our salvation does not depend upon our wills (they are so little of the equation that depends on God being sovereign anyway--as He orchestrates all events providentially): "So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God who has mercy" (Romans 9:16, ESV). Soli Deo Gloria!