Faith Is The Effect

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will." (Ephesians 1:3-5)

How can someone argue against election and predestination after reading that? Believing in such doesn't make you a Calvinist, it makes you a Christian!

How can someone argue for "free" will when it was God's will that was the motivating factor for our salvation?

Faith is the effect of election not the cause (See Geneva Bible note Ephesians 1:4)

“so that there is no reason here of our election to be sought, but in the free mercy of God, neither is faith which God foresaw, the cause of predestination, but the effect.” (See Geneva Bible note Ephesians 1:5)

It is all according to the good pleasure of God’s will. Our will is made manifest from us as a result of God’s influence over us. To fight against this is to fight against the will and workings of God.  As Paul said, “ye are not your own. For ye are bought with a price” (1 Corinthians 6:19b-20a)

Bill Hitchcock