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Election and the Sovereignty of God in Theology

The concepts of election and the sovereignty of God are central to Christian theology, yet their precise meaning and implications are subjects of ongoing debate across various traditions. The disagreement often centers on the nature of God's choice and its relationship to human free will and responsibility.

One prominent view, often associated with Reformed theology, emphasizes God's absolute sovereignty in election. This perspective holds that God, according to His own good pleasure, eternally chooses individuals for salvation, independent of any foreseen merit or action on their part [1, 2, 5]. This election is seen as sovereign and unconditional, rooted in God's purpose and foreknowledge [2]. Passages like Ephesians 1:4, which states that God "hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world," and Romans 9:11, which speaks of God's purpose according to election, are frequently cited [1, 2, 13]. John Gill, one theologian, interprets 1 Thessalonians 1:4 ("Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God") as referring to an eternal choice to everlasting life, distinct from an election to office or outward means of grace [10]. Charles Hodge, one theologian, further clarifies that election is to holiness and that any good in humanity is a fruit of election, not its ground [13]. This view understands God's sovereignty as His absolute right to do all things according to His own good pleasure [3].

Another perspective, often found in Wesleyan-Arminian traditions, affirms God's sovereignty and election but interprets them in a way that emphasizes God's foreknowledge of human response. In this view, God elects individuals based on His foreknowledge of who will freely choose to believe in Him [9, 11]. Adam Clarke, a Methodist commentator, argues that if election were to eternal life in an absolute sense, no one could be sure of it until they reached heaven. Instead, he suggests that the "elect according to the foreknowledge of God" (1 Peter 1:2) refers to God's original purpose to call both Jews and Gentiles to salvation, with individuals becoming elect through their response to this call [11]. While acknowledging God's foreknowledge, this position typically maintains that human free will plays a crucial role in salvation, and God's election is not a coercive act that bypasses human choice.

A third position, articulated within Catholic scholastic theology, such as by Thomas Aquinas, understands predestination as presupposing election, and election as presupposing love [14]. For Aquinas, predestination is a part of divine providence, which directs things toward an end. Nothing is directed toward an end unless there is a will for that end [14]. This perspective integrates God's eternal plan with His love and justice, often emphasizing that God desires all people to be saved, while also affirming His ultimate control over all things [15]. The Catechism of the Catholic Church speaks of God's providence controlling the world [15].

Despite these differences, all traditions affirm God's ultimate sovereignty and His active involvement in the world [3, 4, 7, 8]. There is agreement that God reigns over nations and sits on His holy throne [7], and that He presides and judges among authorities [8, 12]. The love of God is also universally recognized as sovereign, great, abiding, unfailing, and everlasting, extended to perishing sinners and saints alike [6]. The existence of God and His divine nature are taken for granted in biblical texts [4].

The divergence in understanding election and sovereignty often stems from different hermeneutical approaches to biblical texts and varying emphases on divine attributes. Some traditions prioritize God's absolute power and unconditioned will, while others seek to reconcile divine sovereignty with human responsibility and God's universal salvific will. The term "predestination" itself is acknowledged as a difficult doctrine, belonging to the "secret things" of God, yet revealed in Scripture as governing all events according to God's eternal purpose [5].

Sources

  1. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Election of Grace — The Scripture speaks (1) of the election of individuals to office or to honour and privilege, e.g., Abraham, Jacob, Saul, David, Solomon, were all chosen by God for the positions they held; so also were the apostles. (2) There is also an election of nations to special privileges, e.g., the Hebrews (Deut. 7:6; Rom. 9:4). (3) But in addition there is an election of individuals to eternal life (2 Thess. 2:13; Eph. 1:4; 1 Pet. 1:2; John 13:18). The ground of this election to salvation is the good pleasure of God (Eph. 1:5, 11; Matt. 11:25, 26; John 15”
  2. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Election — Of Christ, as Messiah -- Isa 42:1; 1Pe 2:6. Of good angels -- 1Ti 5:21. Of Israel -- De 7:6; Isa 45:5. Of ministers -- Lu 6:13; Ac 9:15. Of churches -- 1Pe 5:13. Of saints, is Of God. -- 1Th 1:4; Tit 1:1. By Christ. -- Joh 13:18; 15:16. In Christ. -- Eph 1:4. Personal. -- Mt 20:16; Joh 6:44; Ac 22:14; 2Jo 1:13. According to the purpose of God. -- Ro 9:11; Eph 1:11. According to the foreknowledge of God. -- Ro 8:29; 1Pe 1:2. Eternal. -- Eph 1:4. Sovereign. -- Ro 9:15,16; 1Co 1:27; Eph 1:11. Irrespective of merit. -- Ro 9:11. Of grace. -- Ro 11:5. Recorded i”
  3. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Sovereignty — Of God, his absolute right to do all things according to his own good pleasure (Dan. 4:25, 35; Rom. 9:15-23; 1 Tim. 6:15; Rev. 4:11).”
  4. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: God — (A.S. and Dutch God; Dan. Gud; Ger. Gott), the name of the Divine Being. It is the rendering (1) of the Hebrew 'El, from a word meaning to be strong; (2) of 'Eloah_, plural _'Elohim. The singular form, Eloah, is used only in poetry. The plural form is more commonly used in all parts of the Bible, The Hebrew word Jehovah (q.v.), the only other word generally employed to denote the Supreme Being, is uniformly rendered in the Authorized Version by "LORD," printed in small capitals. The existence of God is taken for granted in the Bible. There is nowhere any argume”
  5. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Predestination — This word is properly used only with reference to God's plan or purpose of salvation. The Greek word rendered "predestinate" is found only in these six passages, Acts 4:28; Rom. 8:29, 30; 1 Cor. 2:7; Eph. 1:5, 11; and in all of them it has the same meaning. They teach that the eternal, sovereign, immutable, and unconditional decree or "determinate purpose" of God governs all events. This doctrine of predestination or election is beset with many difficulties. It belongs to the "secret things" of God. But if we take the revealed word of God as our guid”
  6. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Love of God, The — Is a part of his character -- 2Co 13:11; 1Jo 4:8. Christ, the especial object of -- Joh 15:9; 17:26. Christ abides in -- Joh 15:10. Described as Sovereign. -- De 7:8; 10:15. Great. -- Eph 2:4. Abiding. -- Zep 3:17. Unfailing. -- Isa 49:15,16. Unalienable. -- Ro 8:39. Constraining. -- Ho 11:4. Everlasting. -- Jer 31:3. Irrespective of merit -- De 7:7; Job 7:17. Manifested towards Perishing sinners. -- Joh 3:16; Tit 3:4. His saints. -- Joh 16:27; 17:23; 2Th 2:16; 1Jo 4:16. The destitute. -- De 10:18. The cheerful giver. -- 2Co 9:7. Exhibited in The g”
  7. Psalms “God reigns over the nations. God sits on his holy throne. -- Psalms 47:8”
  8. Psalms “God presides in the great assembly. He judges among the gods. -- Psalms 82:1”
  9. I Peter “I Peter 1:2 (Webster) — Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, to obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you, and peace, be multiplied.”
  10. 1 Thessalonians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 1 Thessalonians 1:4: Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. Which intends not an election to an office, for this epistle is written not to the officers of the church only, but to the whole church; nor to the Gospel, the outward means of grace, since this was common to them with others, and might be known without the evidence after given; nor does it design the effectual calling, sometimes so called for this is expressed in the following verse as a fruit, effect, and evidence of the election here spoken of, which is no other than the eternal choice of, them to everlasting”
  11. 1 Peter (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on 1 Peter 1:2: Elect according to the foreknowledge of God - If the apostle had directed his letter to persons elected to eternal life, no one, as Drs. Lardner and Macknight properly argue, could have received such a letter, because no one could have been sure of his election in this way till he had arrived in heaven. But the persons to whom the apostle wrote were all, with propriety, said to be elect according to the foreknowledge of God; because, agreeably to the original purpose of God, discovered in the prophetical writings, Jews and Gentiles, indiscriminately, were called to ”
  12. Psalms (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Psalms 82:1: We have here, I. God's supreme presidency and power in all councils and courts asserted and laid down, as a great truth necessary to be believed both by princes and subjects (Psa 82:1): God stands, as chief director, in the congregation of the mighty, the mighty One, in coetu fortis - in the councils of the prince, the supreme magistrate, and he judges among the gods, the inferior magistrates; both the legislative and the executive power of princes is under his eye and his hand. Observe here, 1. The power and honour of magistrates; they are the mighty. They are so”
  13. CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 66: and just [u poses come from God, it is of Him, and not of us, that we seek and find his favour. Election is to Holiness. 4. Another plainly revealed fact is, that we are chosen to holiness; that we are created unto good works; in other words, that all good in us is the fruit, and, therefore, cannot by possibility be the ground of election. In Eph. i. 3-6 , the Apostle says: “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 ”
  14. theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, First Part (Prima Pars), Of Predestination, Art. 4: Article: Whether the predestined are chosen by God? [*"Eligantur."] I answer that, Predestination presupposes election in the order of reason; and election presupposes love. The reason of this is that predestination, as stated above (Article [1]), is a part of providence. Now providence, as also prudence, is the plan existing in the intellect directing the ordering of some things towards an end; as was proved above (Question [22], Article [2]). But nothing is directed towards an end unless the will for that end alre”
  15. Catechism of the Catholic Church (Catholic) “Catechism of the Catholic Church, CHAPTER ONE (part 4): the image of God".12 37 In the historical conditions in which he finds himself, however, man experiences many difficulties in coming to know God by the light of reason alone: Though human reason is, strictly speaking, truly capable by its own natural power and light of attaining to a true and certain knowledge of the one personal God, who watches over and controls the world by his providence, and of the natural law written in our hearts by the Creator; yet there are many obstacles which prevent reason from the effective and fruitful use o”
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