The Elect

[mthomas]

ok, so this here is gonna get interesting:

a couple years ago, i was in a chat room talking with some theologians, pastors, etc. about a concept in the Bible about the elect--basically, God has predetermined who will be saved and who will not be (He already knows who is and who isn't). I was skeptical at first: John 3:16 says that God so loved the world...all encompassing. however, when you look at the original Greek word for world, kosmos, in context, it means roughly the collection of believer's only. so this begs the question: does God love every human being that has ever been conceived or does He just love the elect--those who choose to believe, love, and trust in Him?

see also: Matthew 24:15, Romans 8:33 (seems to be exclusive: God will justify only the elect)

just a discussion topic...

[CCawthon]

Well, to quickly respond to your question, I would recommend doing a quick internet search on Calvinism (God has pre-chosen who will and will not accept salvation) and Arminianism (that man has free will to accept salvation or not)

Get ready for a boat load of search returns and a lot of deep theology. As for the Lutheran Church we believe in something sort of in the middle. From what I understand that election is conditioned on man's response or that God/Jesus found something special/different in us that allowed for us to be elected as well as a response (scceptance of that call).

Check out www.lcms.org/pages/internal.asp?NavID=576

This is the official stance of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod in regards to the means of Grace.

Wrap that around your brain.

[mthomas]

i've heard of and studied both lines of thought. very interesting thing to study.

reading the official church doctrine, i found many points that are kind of strange. like if God knows who will be saved, why would He only choose certain people to be "the elect" and leave some--who will, in the end, go to heaven--out. kind of like you may be "elected" by God, but i am not...yet we still go to the same place...