Objections Answered

I was reading in 2 Timothy where Paul tells Timothy to warn his people "not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers" (2 Tim 2:14). Twisting words provides no benefit and ruins hearers. He goes on to say that this only leads to further ungodliness and spreads like gangrene (2 Tim 2:16-17). He says that talk like this will "upset the faith of some" (2 Tim 2:18). He goes on to tell Timothy that God's servant "must not be quarrelsome" but does correct "with gentleness" (2 Tim 2:24-25). The day after I read it, I received a comment from "Anonymous" on Election.

But, it's not Grace at all if you're one of the majority your god chose not to choose and, instead, created for destruction. THAT God is a whimsical monster to most people, right? I mean, just objectively speaking, if you're one of the destined to be damned and tortured for an eternity for the "crime" of being imperfect, you WILL recognize that God as a graceless monster, won't you?

I don't know who Anonymous is. (Not all "anonymouses" are Dan.) I don't know the person's intent. I don't know if it's a Christian willing to toss aside God's Word¹ or a skeptic using this as a pry bar to harm the faith. So I won't be responding to Anonymous here. But, based on Paul's words to Timothy, I will respond to the dangerous ideas. There are several components to address here. There is the notion that it would be wrong of God to make people who will be damned. There is the idea of the "whimsical monster." And there is the question of "Is that grace?"

So, the first. I don't make up the answer; I read it in Scripture. "You will say to me then, 'Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?' On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, 'Why did you make me like this,' will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use?" (Rom 9:19-21). There is the perception in our sinful hearts (Jer 17:9) that says "God owes us." It says, "He has to be gracious to us," which, of course, denies grace at its core, since grace is unmerited favor. Sinful man is an enemy of God (Rom 8:7) largely because we consider ourselves at least equal to Him. So He cannot do this. But Scripture says He does. Scriptures says that the potter has the right over the clay. Jude says that people are "marked out for condemnation" before time began (Jude 4). This objection says that God "created [some people] for destruction." And that is unacceptable. Except that, whether or not election is true, God knows who will be saved and still made some people, knowing they wouldn't. So, yes, God makes people and He knows that some ("many") were made ultimately for destruction. (In fact, Paul answers why that might be so just after the above passage (Rom 9:9:22). He intends to show His power and wrath.) No, the Potter doesn't owe the pottery any favors. Grace is unmerited favor, and He can do with His creation whatever He wills.

Then there's that question of "whimsical." God chooses us not because of us, but because of Him. That does not require "whimsy" or "capriciousness" or "random." Because you can't lay your finger on the reason why God chose this person and not that one does not mean that there is no reason. What we do know is that it is for a reason and it is always His reason for His glory. Not "whimsy."

I have, I think, already answered "Is that grace?" If grace is not earned, not merited, not owed, but given as favor free of obligation, then the fact that God doesn't give everyone this favor is not a surprise. The fact that He gives anyone this favor is the big surprise (Psa 8:4). Why would He? We have all demonstrated our hostility. We have all earned death. If God were to act with pure justice, none of us would stand and no one could complain about it. So, yes, indeed, that God favors anyone with being chosen for salvation is a huge act of grace and those who don't see it are missing that very important fact. Will those who aren't chosen see it as grace? Well, of course not. They've been blinded (2 Cor 4:4) and cannot grasp the things of God (1 Cor 2:14). Their blindness doesn't change the fact that it is grace that anyone would be saved.

Scripture warns that there are those outside and inside our churches who would wish to turn us from the faith. Scripture warns that our first inclination is to be wicked and deceived (Jer 17:9). Scripture warns that Satan is the god of this world who blinds people (2 Cor 4:4). So don't be surprised, but, also, don't be fooled. Election is not a fiction built by some fringe folks. It's Scripture. Dr. Al Mohler said, "Rejecting God's self-revelation in favor of our own ideas about what He would or wouldn't do is the height of self-righteous pride." It's true. Either you can believe some emotional response predicated on an exaggerated view of self over God who made the claim, or you can submit to the God who made the claim and believe that He is faithful, righteous, and good. You do not have to be fooled by objections like this.
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¹ Apart from the whole of the Old Testament premised on Israel, God's chosen people, here is a partial list of texts from the New Testament. You can also do your own word search and find out how many times "elect" or "chosen" is used in this sense. It isn't "Calvin" or "the Reformation" or some guy's idea; it's Scripture. John 15:16; Eph 1:4-5; Rom 8:28-30; Acts 13:48; 2 Thess 2:13; Rev 13:8; Mark 13:20; Rom 9:11; Titus 1:1; Rom 8:33; John 17:9; Mark 13:27; 2 Peter 1:10; Eph 1:5; Luke 18:7; Col 3:12; 1 Thess 1:4; 1 Peter 2:9; Matt 24:31; Rom 9:15; 2 Tim 2:10.