God's Purpose of Grace - Sermons from the Baptist Faith and Message

Written by Lucien Coleman

Sermon 7 of 19 Sermons on The Baptist Faith and Message

The Baptist Faith and Message sets forth "certain definite doctrines that Baptists believe, cherish, and with which they have been and are now closely identified." You may read The Baptist Faith and Message on SBC.net. This sermon series by Lucien Coleman originally appeared in Proclaim! magazine.

We Believe: Living in the Light of God's Truth - Member Book

John Gill, an English preacher and scholar of the 18th century, was a strict Calvinist in his theology. He taught that God had predestined some to salvation and others to eternal damnation before the foundation of the world. According to Gill, the eternal destinies of both the redeemed and the doomed were fixed by God’s choice even before they were born, and they could do nothing to change this divine decree. To him, it made no sense to preach the gospel to the non-elect, urging them to repent of their sins and receive Christ, for they already had been foreordained to condemnation. (H. Leon McBeth, The Baptist Heritage, 176–77).

Where did Gill get such notions? How did he ever persuade himself that a loving God would elect men and women to damnation solely because it was “the good pleasure of his will”?

A Doctrine Bent Out of Shape

Like most doctrinal error, this distorted version of the biblical doctrine of election is a result of magnifying certain Scriptures and ignoring others. For example, it emphasizes God’s sovereignty, power, and will but neglects His righteousness, mercy, and love. It magnifies Scriptures like John 6:65 (RSV), “No one can come to Me unless it is granted to him by the Father,” but sidesteps the assertion in 2 Peter 3:9 that the Lord is “not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance.” It also obscures the truth that nowhere in all of Scripture is it said that God elects some to damnation. They already are damned.

Most importantly, this erroneous doctrine ignores the fundamental truth that God endowed human beings with freedom of choice. The Bible teaches both the sovereignty of God and the free will of man. Here we have a paradox, both sides of which must be held in tension. Paul presents both sides of this paradox in Romans 8:28–30 and 10:21.

The Choice of a Seeking God

The biblical doctrine of election “should not be regarded as God’s purpose to save as few as possible rather than as many as possible.” (Herschel H. Hobbs, The Baptist Faith and Message, 65). The God of the Bible is a seeking God. After Adam had willfully rebelled against his Creator, in the very next scene we see God walking in the garden, seeking to reclaim His wayward creature (Gen. 3:8–9). In the closing chapter of the Bible, God renews His invitation, “Both the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Anyone who hears should say, “Come!” And the one who is thirsty should come. Whoever desires should take the living water as a gift” (Rev. 22:17).

Because God loves us, He seeks us; because He seeks us, He calls us into relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. Because He calls us, He opens up the possibility of salvation to those who respond in repentance and faith. “In the New Testament, the opposite of election is not non-election, but man’s rejection of God’s salvation.” (Frank Stagg, New Testament Theology, 87).

About Professor Coleman

Professor Lucien Coleman retired in 1993 after twenty-seven years of teaching Religious Eductation at Southern Seminary and Adult Education at Southwestern Seminary. Before teaching served as a pastor in Kentucky. He holds degrees from Southern Seminary and the University of Kentucky. He and his wife, Bobbie, live in Parker County, Texas. They have three children, fifteen grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

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