When Are We Elect?

Dr Leighton Flowers, Director of Evangelism and Apologetics for Texas Baptists, and Brian Wagner discuss which point in time we become elect and push back on Calvinism's claims regarding Ephesians 1.

You can view the full video here:

[AlanaL]

One year ago I began my journey out of Calvinism. I literally spent the entire thanksgiving weekend reading and revisiting everything I swore was true about the Bible, Jesus, election, salvation, reprobation, compatibleism, and so on. So thankful to Christ for the hope that is available to all through his work on the cross!

[bibliashare]

I praise the Lord for these videos being out and available! Thank you for cleaning the Calvinistic fog out of the holy text! God bless the people and ministry behind Soteriology 101!

[finrambo]

28 years ive been a christian and not heard this passage exogeted. Well done guys Gods blessing on you.

[EmperrHrde]

Under the Calvinistic system of soteriology, the elect are literally born saved.

[KISStheSON...]

According to Calvinism believers were never without Christ.
According to scripture believers were once without Christ.

Ephesians 2
11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
13 BUT NOW IN CHRIST JESUS ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

[John.]

These short vids are excellent. Keep it up.

[gunstonerocks]

Great content. It was worth suffering through Piper's quivering "tone".

[amos]

I’ve been looking for this clip for a week! Thanks!

[crisjones]

When Paul talks like this just remember that his point is that God ALWAYS had a plan to bring back in the nations, not that each of us individually was selected before the foundations of the earth. That was a weird idea to a jew of the time but all he is getting at is that God always intended to save the nations.

[grahck]

So, if Calvinism is correct and the "Elect" are chosen to be adopted, holy, and blameless BEFORE the foundation of the world, wouldn't that mean that the Elect are born sinless?

[patrickknock]

Wouldn't it need to say "he chose us TO BE in him before the foundation of the world" or "he chose WE WHO ARE IN HIM before the foundation of the world" or he chose WE in him before the foundation of the world" in order for the Calvinist interpretation to be correct?

[aureliaphilosophyofyum]

SO good! Thanks so much for explaining.

[annwolfe]

What about 1Peter when it talks about the chosen. Not arguing I was a Calvinist and want to understand. Thank you so much your teaching brought me out of Calvinism. Praise God!!!

[HonorGod-MakeDisciples.]

The key word is "IN HIM" the unbeliever was never IN HIM before the foundation of the world as stated in Ephesians. 2:12 -13

[BrentRiggsPoland]

Overall great points! I take one exception that being the demand for past tense verbs to prove the Calvinistic point. "Hath blessed, " and "hath chosen" are present perfect - "something that happened in the past but is important in the present" would fit those points. Hath chosen us in him and not hath us [to be] in him was a real zinger.

[omnitheus]

Whoooosh yet again the Calvinistic head is severed from the body of logic ;)

[djs]

● Christ is the elect of God

Isaiah 42:1 KJV
42 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

● Christ was predestined..
predestination concerns the gospel message, that Jesus came to earth as God incarnate, died as an atoning sacrifice for our sin, and offered salvation to all who would believe.

1 Corinthians 2.7
No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for OUR glory before time began.

Through belief I am "IN CHRIST"..

Meaning I receive HIS finished works.. the predestined grace.. through belief in him

If I choose not to.. I'm predestined for hell.

I can't be 'in him' until I accept him as my lord and saviour.

IN HIM.. I am a new creation.. the old me has passed away.. and now I have his life.. regenerated by his holy spirit.. I.. like anyone else.. can choose to be one of the elect.. because the grace is a free GIFT.. predestined and provided, by God, to all men who will accept the free GIFT.. being Jesus - the son, The saviour, who is the predestined elect of God.. and through belief I'm "in him" and have his life
John 3.16 KJV
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

# I fancy, knowing how lost we are.. God chose to make it SO SIMPLE because he knew we'd mess it up.. but it appears even this so simple entry level .. hasbecome a huge debate..

Stick to what JESUS said .. hes the truth 🙏✝️

the offer stands for ALL who will accept, receive and believe

[stevenaguilera]

Another way to look at Ephesians 1:4 is from: He chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.

To: Before the world was created, God elected the Christian body to be holy and blameless before him

They both mean the exact same thing... however, the LATTER is more clear.

[billmcpherson]

This is not complicated. Read the early church fathers. This wasn't even a debate until Augustine & given he didn't read Greek & had Gnostic fatalistic ideas that were not given to the Apostles we shouldn't even entertain said arguments.

God the Father before creation decided those who submit to his will are to be saved. This was established as through Christ as predetermined. He didn't make the call of who was elect but where the elect would preside after death & later judgment as well as how the reconciliation would happen. Why? Because God wants men to know that justice will come to the meek & poor in spirit not to those who embrace sin & the king of this world Satan.

This is the hope of resurrection that Paul speaks of. It is also why Paul instructs us to live as alive in Christ & dead to sin. The resurrection is to be lived now and patient endurance & running the race is based on that hope of new life & the many mansion determined at the beginning who finish. Remember Christ said count the cost of discipleship. Why? Because the cost is death to self now & a continuous striving to being Christ like.

See the problem isn't the words & debates over words used in scripture, rather it is the lack of understanding of every scripture being in harmony. Thus in calvinism some words are given more weight than others & others ignored.

Christ's parables alone defeat these heretical ideas never taught by the apostles or the people in succession for 400 yrs. Ask yourselves calvinist why God allowed his people to get it wrong for so long & yet when the seed that is the genesis this heresies come forth it was when the state began to except & establish the church soon leading to a woman riding a beast?

[tomcollins]

I have asked this question so many times, but I always seem to get the same answer! I know Leighton Flowers won't read or answer this personally but why do people always say, "faith alone" when I ask them "WHY IS BAPTISM NOT ESSENTIAL FOR SALVATION?" Now remember that I am Not a Calvinist. If you are then plese don't answer this. The words "faith Alone" originated in Martin Luther's theology and he rewrote romans 8:28 to include the "added" word alone in German. Luther insisted that Paul's doctrine of “justification by faith” was definitive for Christianity. And to make sure that there were no understandings about this, he added he word “alone” lest anyone see faith as one among a number of causes of justification-including works. In conclusion I see the "knee jerk reaction" that most born again believers have been programmed to give is "faith alone lest any man should boast". I understand where most get this idea but in its "unscriptural" background people don't understand that Martin Luther was originally thinking about Catholicism with it's works based salvation and not the actual multiple occurrences of baptism being taught by the teachers every time in the NT as something that MUST happen immediately after conversion and then they accomplish that thing within the hour of a person believing! I think that the way people have come to view this is a remnant of Calvinism and people don't even think twice! Most teachers never spend more than 5 minutes discussing it and rarely share the fact that there is many scriptures and Christ himself backs up this practice and commands it after he resurrected right before he physically ascended !