Introduction to Study on Salvation

There are two primary doctrines of salvation: Arminianism and Calvinism. Since neither Jacobus Arminius nor John Calvin are the creators of these doctrines’ fundamental beliefs (they are merely credited with publicizing structured doctrines based on them), we will refer to these doctrines by their more common names: free will and predestination.

The predestination doctrine dates back to the beginning of the New Testament Church. The free-will doctrine primarily has its roots in the fifth century and really grew in popularity with Arminius’s teachings in the late 1500s. Today, nearly every church teaches the free-will doctrine because it is admittedly a more attractive doctrine to our human minds than predestination. Since the Bible clearly discusses predestination some churches teach a free-will doctrine that mixes in some elements of predestination. We will discover that this approach is really just a compromise between God’s Word and what seems reasonable to us.

It wasn’t until years after I became saved that I properly understood how salvation works. There are many truly saved individuals in the world who do not necessarily understand salvation. Maybe they have not been exposed to theology and so all they know is that they have been saved and have a strong desire to do God’s will. Or maybe they grew up in a church or family where they’ve only been exposed to an inaccurate understanding of salvation, so when they consider their own salvation they can only interpret it in light of what they’ve been taught.

Keep in mind God declared that the Christian community would largely depart from teaching truth:
"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." (2 Timothy 4:3-4)

Initially, it does seem a bit unbelievable that God would allow this to happen but as we allow the Bible to teach us (rather than always assuming our church, friends, and family have taught us truth) we begin to see that this is actually taking place in our day (see Study on The Falling Away). Then add to that all the non-denominational churches that have their specific teachings. It's almost to the point where every church is teaching something a little different from the next. Yet, this does not alarm anyone. Most people remain confident that their particular church is the one teaching truth. The problem is that most people in all the churches feel this way, which means that the majority of them are wrong. How can this be happening? Well, the Bible teaches that as the churches fall away from truth, God will allow them to feel confident in their wrong teachings. This is exceedingly important to realize. God is not protecting the churches from chasing after false doctrines:
"And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie" (2 Thessalonians 2:11)
This is talking about our day (see Study on The Antichrist). It should be enough to scare every one of us into thinking, "I need to be studying the Bible to make sure I am believing truth."

Incidentally, "predestination" and "election" are not theological terms. They are actually Biblical terms:

"Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will" (Ephesians 1:5)

"In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will" (Ephesians 1:11)

"For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified." (Romans 8:29-30)

"(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)" (Romans 9:11)

"Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace." (Romans 11:5)

In fact, God often refers to believers as "the elect":

"And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened" (Matthew 24:22)

"For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect" (Matthew 24:24)

"And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." (Matthew 24:31)

"And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days" (Mark 13:20)

"For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect" (Mark 13:22)

"And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven" (Mark 13:27)

"Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth" (Romans 8:33)

"Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering" (Colossians 3:12)

"Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory" (2 Timothy 2:10)

"Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness" (Titus 1:1)

Progressive Revelation