A buddy of mine and I were having a conversation about man’s free will and election. My buddy says that, because man is inherently evil apart from God, he only has a choice to reject God and not to accept Him like those are already the elect, elected and predestined before time by God can. What do you think?
Aside from the fact that the doctrine of election is a violation of the character of God, there are two very clear statements in the Bible that to me prove conclusively that God did not create some to be saved and others to be lost. In 1 Tim. 2:3-4 Paul said it’s good when we pray for others because God wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. And from 2 Peter 3:9 we see that God doesn’t want any to perish but for everyone to come to repentance. Since God can’t contradict Himself, all statements on the nature of our salvation have to be consistent with these two.
Then you have Matt. 7:7-8 Where Jesus says everyone who asks receives, John 3:16 that says Jesus died for the world so that whosoever believes will not perish, John 6:28-29 that says belief in the one He sent is the only thing God requires of us, Romans 10:13 where Paul promised that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved, and others.
Put these all together and it becomes clear that salvation is available to everyone who asks. Otherwise, how could he send a strong delusion to deceive those who are perishing because they refused to love the truth and be saved (2 Thes. 2:10)?