The notion that the church knew nothing of God’s sovereign election (or what is today called predestination) before John Calvin began teaching it is historically untrue. In fact Martin Luther, the great reformer, actually wrote and taught more about predestination than John Calvin did, and much more loudly at that. Augustine, the great fourth century theologian, emphatically believed and taught the doctrine of election (for he too gave God preeminence in all things).
Predestination is in fact a Biblical concept, of which we find in many passages of Scripture. For example, in Ephesians 1:3-5, we have a clear declaration of this doctrine. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: according as He has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love: having predestined us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will." Any serious student of God’s Word is confronted with this doctrine again and again, for it is inescapable and cannot be dismissed as something purely "Calvinistic."
The prevailing belief today is that "believing" is a prerequisite to regeneration. Most people entertain the idea that God from all eternity past, must have, put on His binoculars and looked down the corridors of time to see who would choose to believe in Him and thereby elected them unto eternal life. Yet, the Word of God is strangely silent on this sentiment and in fact actually teaches the opposite, as we read in Philippians 1:29, "Unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him but also to suffer for His sake." Yes, even the very ability to believe in Christ is given to us by God. Yet it should be understood that the preaching of the Gospel is the instrument or predetermined means by which God calls sinners and without it no one would be saved (Romans 1:16). Bare election can save no one, without God’s prescribed means working in the hearts, minds and wills of sinners who, through Adam’s rebellion, are doomed for eternal destruction if left to themselves. The Bible plainly teaches (contrary to popular belief) that man’s will is not active in his regeneration, for it is written, "And you HE hath quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins" (Ephesians 2:1). For man is born again, "not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:13).
The assertion that man is responsible or contributes to his own regeneration is false. For Christ plainly taught that, "No man can [has the ability to] come to Me except the Father which hath sent Me draws [compels] him: and I will raise him up at the last day…No man can come unto Me, except it were given unto him of My Father. From that time many of His disciples went back and walked no more with Him" (John 6:44,65,66).
At this point allow me to digress by attempting to give an example. Let’s say you have a crowd of one hundred unredeemed individuals who all hear the same sound proclamation of the Gospel and fifteen of them are truly born again and eighty five go home unchanged, what makes the fifteen to differ? If the message was the same and the Holy Spirit was drawing them all with the same power and Christ shed His blood equally for all of them and God is not willing that any should perish, what makes the one group differ from the other? The answer must be that it is something innate within those individuals (call it willingness, rationality, morality, intellect, etc…) which leads them to make the right "decision" and choose Christ surpassing the individuals that do not. Yet God’s word accurately asks and answers this question perfectly.
"For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive?" (1 Corinthians 4:7)
"I am what I am by the grace of God." (1 Corinthians 15:10)
Yes indeed, many are called but few are chosen (Matthew 20:16). How this fact should drop us to our knees thanking God for His marvelous gift of salvation. For if God has communicated divine grace into our hearts it is not because He foresaw any goodness in us but solely because it pleased Him to do so (2 Timothy 2:19). This is why we thank God whenever a person is truly converted.
"Truth turned to error. But doesn’t the Bible teach that men must be born again? Was this not an absolutely fundamental teaching of our Lord, His apostles, and the Church down through the ages? Yes, of course it was, and without this there is no true Christianity. But error cloaked in biblical terms is still error. Sadly Scriptural terminology is being used to teach just the opposite of its original meaning. The great doctrine of man’s need for regeneration is being presented in a way that denies the very point it is supposed to teach. Stated simply the error is this, that men are born again as a result of something they do. This something might be "going forward" at the close of an evangelistic message, making a ‘decision’ for Christ, or ‘repenting’ and ‘believing’ the gospel. Whatever requirement, is put before the sinner, the impression is given that sinful man himself is the one who brings about regeneration." (Richard R. Ochs)
