A Special Word about Free Will

Although “God is not willing that any should perish,” salvation is not God’s only, or even His ultimate, goal. God saves in order to glorify Himself and His Son. Salvation is a means to this further end.

For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;

(Rom 8:29)

Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name; And deliver us and forgive our sins for Your name's sake.

(Psalm 79:9)

Nevertheless He saved them for the sake of His name, That He might make His power known.

(Psalm 106:8)

For the sake of Your name, O LORD, revive me. In Your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble.

(Psalm 143:11)

⁹ "For the sake of My name I delay My wrath, And for My praise I restrain it for you, In order not to cut you off. … ¹¹ "For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; For how can My name be profaned? And My glory I will not give to another.

Isaiah (48:9,11)

"But I acted for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations among whom they lived, in whose sight I made Myself known to them by bringing them out of the land of Egypt.

(Ezek 20:9)

"But I acted for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, before whose sight I had brought them out.

(Ezek 20:14)

"But I withdrew My hand and acted for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.

(Ezek 20:22)

"Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went.

(Ezek 36:22)

"So now, our God, listen to the prayer of Your servant and to his supplications, and for Your sake, O Lord, let Your face shine on Your desolate sanctuary

"O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and take action! For Your own sake, O my God, do not delay, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name."

(Dan 9:17,19)

God’s ultimate purpose is not to preserve the integrity of human free will. God is free to move in the hearts of men and to determine the outcomes of their free decisions.

The king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes.

(Prov 21:1)

²² And they observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy, for the LORD had caused them to rejoice, and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them to encourage them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

(Ezra 6:22)

²⁷ Blessed be the LORD, the God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king's heart, to adorn the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem, ²⁸ and has extended lovingkindness to me before the king and his counselors and before all the king's mighty princes. Thus I was strengthened according to the hand of the LORD my God upon me, and I gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me.

(Ezra 7:27,28)

The plans of the heart belong to man, But the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.

(Prov 16:1)

18 Then his brothers also came and fell down before him and said, "Behold, we are your servants." 19 But Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid, for am I in God's place? 20 "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. 21 "So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones." So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

(Gen 50:18-21)

³⁰ But Sihon king of Heshbon was not willing for us to pass through his land; for the LORD your God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, in order to deliver him into your hand, as today.”


(Deut 2:30)

⁵ Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger And the staff in whose hands is My indignation, ⁶ I send it against a godless nation And commission it against the people of My fury To capture booty and to seize plunder, And to trample them down like mud in the streets. ⁷ Yet it does not so intend, Nor does it plan so in its heart, But rather it is its purpose to destroy And to cut off many nations.

¹² So it will be that when the Lord has completed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, He will say, "I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the pomp of his haughtiness." ¹³ For he has said, "By the power of my hand and by my wisdom I did this, For I have understanding; And I removed the boundaries of the peoples And plundered their treasures, And like a mighty man I brought down their inhabitants, ¹⁴ And my hand reached to the riches of the peoples like a nest, And as one gathers abandoned eggs, I gathered all the earth; And there was not one that flapped its wing or opened its beak or chirped." ¹⁵ Is the axe to boast itself over the one who chops with it? Is the saw to exalt itself over the one who wields it? That would be like a club wielding those who lift it, Or like a rod lifting him who is not wood. ¹⁶ Therefore the Lord, the GOD of hosts, will send a wasting disease among his stout warriors; And under his glory a fire will be kindled like a burning flame. ¹⁷ And the light of Israel will become a fire and his Holy One a flame, And it will burn and devour his thorns and his briars in a single day.

(Isaiah 10:5-7, 12-17)

²⁷ "For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, ²⁸ to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur.

(Acts 4:27,28)

²² "Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know-- ²³ this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death.

(Acts 2:22,23)

God glorifies His mercy and grace more fully by not choosing some but dealing with them only according to justice and merit.

²² What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? ²³ And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, ²⁴ even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.

(Rom 9:22-24)

The Nature of Unconditional Election

Election is to faith and salvation; not just reward, office or mission.

Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?

(James 2:5)

²⁶ "But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. ²⁷ My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; ²⁸ and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. ²⁹ My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. ³⁰ I and the Father are one."

(John 10:26-30)

³⁶ "But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe. ³⁷ All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. ³⁸ For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. ³⁹ This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. ⁴⁰ For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day."

⁴³ Jesus answered and said to them, "Do not grumble among yourselves. ⁴⁴ No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. ⁴⁵ It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught of God.' Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me.”

⁶³ "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. ⁶⁴ But there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him. ⁶⁵ And He was saying, "For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father."

(John 6:26-40, 43-45, 63-65)

When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.

(Acts 13:48)

A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul.

(Acts 16:14)

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; ⁹ not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

(Eph 2:8)

¹³ But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. ¹⁴ It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

(2 Thess 2:13,14)

Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

(1 Tim 6:12)

For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

(Heb 9:15)

¹ Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen ² according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.

(1 Pet 1:1,2)

not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.

(1 Pet 3:9)

After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.

(1 Pet 5:10)

⁴ just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love ⁵ He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, ⁶ to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

(Eph 1:4-6)

Election is of individuals; not of nations.

⁶ But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; ⁷ nor are they all children because they are Abraham's descendants, but: "through Isaac your descendants will be named." ⁸ That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants. ⁹ For this is the word of promise: "At this time I will come, and Sarah shall have a son." ¹⁰ And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac; ¹¹ for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God's purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls, ¹² it was said to her, "The older will serve the younger." ¹³ Just as it is written, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."

(Rom 9:6-13)

²² What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? ²³ And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, ²⁴ even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.

(Rom 9:22-24)

²⁶ For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; ²⁷ but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, ²⁸ and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, ²⁹ so that no man may boast before God. ³⁰ But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, ³¹ so that, just as it is written, "Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord."

(1 Cor 1:26-31)

Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?

(James 2:5)

Election is eternal; not in time as a consequence of faith.

just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.

(Eph 1:4)

who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity,

(2 Tim 1:9)

because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.

(2 Thess 2:13)

Election is loving; not impersonal and arbitrary.

⁴ just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love ⁵ He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, ⁶ to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

(Eph 1:4-6)

So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;

(Col 3:12)

knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you;

(1 Thess 1:4)

¹³ But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. ¹⁴ It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

(2 Thess 2:13,14)

¹ Jude, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, To those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ: ² May mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you.

(Jude 1,2)

⁶ "For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. ⁷ "The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, ⁸ but because the LORD loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the LORD brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

(Deut 7:6-8)

Pastoral Implications of Unconditional Election

The teaching of a sovereign election and call is consistent with a passionate desire for the salvation of all and profound anguish over their loss.[1]

¹ I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit, ² that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. ³ For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh,

(Rom 9:1-3)

Brethren, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation.

(Rom 10:1)

The right response to God’s election and call is humility, kindness, and compassion.

¹² So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; ¹³ bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. ¹⁴ Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.

(Col 3:12-14)

¹ Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, ² with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, ³ being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

(Eph 4:1-3)

¹⁰ You are witnesses, and so is God, how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers; ¹¹ just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children, ¹² so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.

(1 Thess 2:10-12)

²⁷ but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, ²⁸ and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, ²⁹ so that no man may boast before God.

(1 Cor 1:27-29)

¹³ "But go and learn what this means: 'I desire compassion, and not sacrifice,' for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

(Matt 9:13)

God’s election and call magnify the freedom and glory of God’s grace.

³⁰ But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, 31 so that, just as it is written, "Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord. "

(1 Cor 30,31)

⁴ just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love ⁵ He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, ⁶ to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

(Eph 1:4-6)

⁵ In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God's gracious choice. ⁶ But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.

(Rom 11:5,6)

¹¹ for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God's purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls,

(Rom 9:11)

²³ And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, ²⁴ even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.

(Rom 9:23,24)

who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity,

(2 Tim 1:9)

³³ Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! ³⁴ For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has become His counselor? ³⁵ Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to Him again? ³⁶ For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

(Rom 11:33-36)

God’s election and call assure us of salvation.

²⁷ "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; ²⁸ and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. ²⁹ "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. ³⁰ "I and the Father are one."

(John 10:27-30)

²⁸ And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. ²⁹ For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; ³⁰ and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

(Rom 8:28-30)

³¹ What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? ³² He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? ³³ Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies;

(Rom 8:31-33)

⁹ God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

(1 Cor 1:9)

In Him ¹¹ also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, ¹² to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. ¹³ In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation-- having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, ¹⁴ who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory.

(Eph 1:11-14)

²² "Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. ²³ "Then if anyone says to you, 'Behold, here is the Christ,' or 'There He is,' do not believe him. ²⁴ "For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.

(Matt 24:22-24)

God’s election and call encourage us to pursue sanctification.

¹³ But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. ¹⁴ It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

(2 Thess 2:13,14)

⁷ For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification. ⁸ So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.

(1 Thess 4:7,8)

²³ Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴ Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.

(1 Thess 5:23,24)

¹⁴ As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, ¹⁵ but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; ¹⁶ because it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy."

(1 Pet 1:14-16)

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

(1 Pet 2:9)

²¹ For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, … ²³ while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;

(1 Pet 2:21)

not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.

(1 Pet 3:9)

seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

(2 Pet 1:3)

⁹ For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. ¹⁰ Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; ¹¹ for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.

(2 Pet 1:9-11)

⁴ just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love ⁵ He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, ⁶ to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

(Eph 1:4-6)

God’s election and call move us to pray.

¹ Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, ² saying, "In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man. ³ There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, 'Give me legal protection from my opponent.' ⁴ For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, 'Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, ⁵ yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.'" ⁶ And the Lord said, "Hear what the unrighteous judge said; ⁷ now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them?

(Luke 18:1-7)

To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power,

(2 Thess 1:11)

God’s election and call sustain persevering missions and evangelism.

For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory.

(2 Tim 2:10)

¹ Paul, a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness, ² in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago,

(Titus 1:1,2)

⁹ And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, "Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; ¹⁰ for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city."

(Acts 18:9,10)

"You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.”

(John 15:16)

---

[1] The following verses occur within the context of the strongest possible affirmation of God’s sovereignty in election. See Rom 9:11-22 and 11:5-7. Paul does not modify his doctrine of election to accommodate his sorrow; he affirms the depth and continuation of his grief while, at the same time, asserting God’s write to have mercy on whom He will and harden whom He will.

All scripture quotes are from the New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update.

A Crucial Contrast

The second half of Romans 8:13 is a contrast with its first half. It begins with the word “but.” The first half is an interruption in his thought. Paul starts in v. 12 to draw his extended argument in Romans 7 through Romans 8:11 to a conclusion. He starts to apply that teaching. He wants to make it clear that we have an obligation to live according to the Spirit, but he cannot let go of the implication of living according to the flesh. “So then,” he starts, “we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.” (v. 12) We fully expect him to then say, “but to the Spirit, to live according to the Spirit.” But he doesn’t say that. He interrupts himself. He feels an urgent need to issue a warning, “if you live according to the flesh, you must die!” (v. 13a) He then resumes his thought, but in different terms, in language affected by the warning he just issued. He asserts our obligation to live according to the Spirit but he doesn’t use those words. Instead, he states it negatively, living a life opposed to the flesh: not “according to the flesh,” but against it. (v. 13b)

We need to pay very careful attention to Paul’s words. He is a careful thinker and a consummate teacher. He uses his words very precisely. We need to read his writing slowly, thinking carefully about the words he’s chosen under the Spirit’s guidance. We should get into the habit of asking at all times why Paul uses the words he does. We don’t want to breeze through his letters and think we can get the general idea. We need to slow down and meditate on each word. Paul is very clear about the destiny of the one who lives according to the flesh -- death. And, he says that person “must” die. He chose the word “must” deliberately. It isn’t just a translator’s interpolation. It’s literally there in the Greek.

The word Paul chooses has two meanings: both of them closely related. The first is the meaning these translators chose, “must.” Death for the fleshly person is not just a possibility; it is absolutely certain. He must die. It is not potential. It is not a mere possibility. It is not a risk. It is a certainty. If anyone lives according to the flesh, he must die!

The second meaning could be translated “be about to,” that is, “he is about to die.” His death is imminent. It is near, right at hand. We can easily see how these two meanings are related. Something is so imminent -- that is, it is so near to happening that it is absolutely certain. So, this one word both conveys to us the certainty and necessity of death and sounds an alarm.

Now, I can’t imagine how anyone reading this verse could ever suppose it is possible for a person to be a Christian but live his entire life in a fleshly way. I cannot see how anyone can believe in the teaching that it is possible for someone to accept Christ as Savior and not as Lord, live an unchanged life, and still be saved. It’s impossible! This verse alone puts the lie to that teaching. It says, “if you are living according to the flesh, you must die.” It is absolutely certain that you will die! It is necessary and imminent. No one who is living according to the flesh, can take comfort in the thought that they are perfectly safe. They do not just miss out on eternal rewards but still have eternal life. They will – no, they must – die!

The contrast is clear. It is a fleshly life leading to eternal death, or a Spiritual life leading to eternal life. One or the other! Nothing in between! Living according to the Spirit is a matter of life and death, heaven and hell.

Conditional Grace

The following is a meditation on sanctification as a condition of our salvation. It is an excerpt from a more extensive meditation, thirty pages and counting, on Romans 8:13b.

The verse is a condition: “but if by the Spirit, you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”

Now, we have to be careful to be true to the scriptures. We sometimes get nervous when we see conditional statements in the New Testament because we have trouble reconciling a free gift with a condition. We think if we assert a condition then we are in danger of denying the freedom of God’s grace. We so want to affirm the unconditional nature of God’s grace, and of his love, that we pass over these conditions lightly. We explain them away. But let’s be careful. This verse clearly states that life is conditional on putting to death the deeds of the body. That’s made even clearer when we compare it to the first part of the verse. Not putting to death the deeds of the body, but living a complacent life of the flesh, results in death. So, if you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live; if you don’t, you must die. There’s no escaping the conditional force of these words.

There are many conditional statements in the New Testament. For example, Jesus said in His great Sermon on the Mount, "if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.” (Matt 6:14,15.[1]) This statement should raise a lot of questions for us. Isn’t forgiveness a free gift from God? How then could He make it conditional on our forgiving others?

Let’s take a few other examples. In First Corinthians, Paul says, “Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.” (1 Cor 15:12) and in Colossians, “He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach-- if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.” (Col 1:22,23) Or even in this passage of Romans, we have another conditional statement at the very end, at the end of v. 16 and all of v. 17, “we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” I won’t continue with other examples, you can look some up for yourselves.[2]

We’re wrong if we ignore the conditional statements in the New Testament. They are very important. We need to take them seriously. We need to give them their full weight. In these examples alone, we are told that forgiving others is a condition of our being forgiven, and faithfully holding to the apostolic teaching, continuing in the faith to the end, and suffering with Christ are conditions of our future glorification and salvation. There’s something wrong with our thinking if our faith in the freedom of God’s gift is threatened by these conditions. There are conditions and we need to have a theology of grace that accounts for these conditions. The gift of God is not unconditional; it is conditional. Life is conditional, our glory is conditional, even forgiveness is conditional. We need to be able to recognize this even at the same time that we affirm that God’s grace is entirely free and sovereign and unmotivated by any merit in us. We are saved by grace through faith and not by works!

So, we need to think long and hard about the conditions in the Bible. We can’t deny that they are there, nor can we skip over them. They’re too important. We need to delve deeply into the nature of these conditions. We need to understand how they work, where they fit in God’s plan of salvation.

Conditional statements simply highlight a relationship between two things. They show that the two things are connected. What’s described after the “then” is connected to what comes after the “if.” The key to avoiding confusion about the conditional nature of the gift, is to be clear about the nature of these connections.

We sometimes think every conditional statement has to be interpreted as a cause and effect statement. That is, we automatically assume that the connection between the two things is cause and effect. The statement after the “if” describes the cause, and the statement after the “then” describes the effect. One thing causes the other. But if that were true, then persevering to the end would be the cause of our being saved, and it would be impossible for us to have any assurance until we actually had completed the course of our lives. Our forgiving others would be the cause of God’s forgiving us, and our suffering with Christ would be the cause of our being glorified – being holy, blameless, and without reproach before Him on the last day. It would be hard for us to see anything except salvation by merit in this situation.

But a different type of connection is means and end. God has guaranteed the end, but may also have ordained that the end come true through means. The “if … then … ” statement asserts a connection between two things as a means to an end. Eternal life is a free gift and is guaranteed for us, but it is given to us through sanctification. Sanctification is a condition of future life.

We’re all very familiar with Romans 6:23, “the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life. “ Many of us can probably recite this part of the verse from memory. It’s an important verse to evangelicals. In fact, many of us may have learned a simple but effective summary of the gospel, called the “Roman Road,” that uses this verse.[3]

Romans 6:23 is one of the linchpins of our faith in the freedom of God’s grace. And it clearly contrasts the free gift with our wages, what we deserve. This is probably the first verse that would come to our minds if we were asked to prove biblically that eternal life is a gift. It affirms with the strongest imaginable words that eternal life is undeserved. It’s a free gift. It’s the opposite of a wage. We don’t deserve it.

But now let’s look at the verse right before it, 6:22, “But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 6:22,23) Eternal life is still an outcome of something. Literally, the Greek word translated “outcome” is “end.” Eternal life freely given is an end. V. 22 describes the means to that end. First, comes being freed from sin and being enslaved to God. Next, this paradoxical combination of freedom and enslavement bears the fruit[4] which is sanctification. And finally, the outcome, or end, of sanctification is eternal life. So sanctification is connected to eternal life as a means to an end.

Sanctification is itself a fruit of our being set free from sin. So, in some sense it is an end, too -- “Christ gave Himself up for [the church], so that He might sanctify her.” (Eph 5:25,26) – but the ultimate end is life. Sanctification is the means through which eternal life is given to us. It is not its cause. Those are two different things. God guarantees the end and fulfills the end through means. Both the end and the means are the gift of God.

If we really think about the nature of eternal life, the connection between sanctification and eternal life becomes obvious. Eternal life is not just life that lasts forever. Thank God! Some of us have miserable lives. The idea of an endless continuation of the life we now live isn’t at all exciting to us. For some, that kind of life without end would almost be hell. We have to believe that there will be a dramatic change in the quality of our lives. We believe that the essence of eternal life is not in its endless duration but in the quality of that life. And, in fact, this is, I believe, the biblical view of eternal life. Eternal life is life with God, and death is life apart from God. Jesus said in His high priestly prayer, “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” (John 17:3) The Old Testament says very little explicitly about “eternal life,” but it has a lot to say about living in a relationship with God. That is the essence of the biblical view of life rather than death. Life is fellowship with God.

When we think about eternal life that way, it’s easy for us to understand that sanctification is the means through which eternal life is given to us. I’ll even go so far as to say that in sanctification we enjoy the beginnings of eternal life.[5] In sanctification we grow in our knowledge of God, we increase in our Christ-likeness, we kill our anti-God desires and behavior, and progressively put on behaviors we know please God. We know we are being made fit for heaven. We long for the day when we are completely free from the presence of sin, but we already enjoy progressive freedom from its power. Glorification, the transformation of our bodies to become like Christ’s, is the full and final consummation of a process that’s already started: sanctification, becoming Christ-like in character and behavior.

Let’s pause here briefly to get our bearings. What have we said so far about this one word “if”? What conclusions have we drawn? So far, we have affirmed that eternal life is conditional on sanctification. We have also explained that sanctification being a condition of eternal life doesn’t mean it’s the cause of eternal life, but the means through which the gift of life is given to us. We have one more point to make: we also now have to assert that sanctification is a necessary condition of eternal life.

What do we mean by that? It means that without sanctification we cannot have eternal life. It’s necessary because without it having eternal life is impossible. Remember what Paul says in the first part of verse 13, if you aren’t pursuing sanctification, “you must die.” Without sanctification, death is necessary and certain.

He confirms this in the following verse. Verse 14 begins with a “for” flagging the fact that Paul is going to confirm and defend his argument, “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.“ Paul anticipates and answers the question why it is only those who “by the Spirit, are putting to death the deeds of the body” who will live, and why everyone else must die. It’s because they, and they only, are sons of God. Being led by the Spirit is a defining characteristic of the sons for God, “For all who …, these are sons of God.” Being led by the Spirit is what identifies them as sons. And they are led by the Spirit to kill sin. So, it is those who put to death the deeds of the body who are the sons of God. And life is for sons; not slaves. It is the inheritance of the heirs of God. (vv. 15,16) Sanctification is necessary for life, because sanctification is a necessary characteristic of the children of God and life is only given to the children.

Let’s briefly quote some other verses that confirm this teaching, that sanctification is a necessary condition of eternal life, before we move on.

Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. (Heb 12:14)

For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matt 5:20, “unless” is the same as “if not” If your righteousness is not greater than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” )

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived … (1 Cor 6:9,10)

For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words … (Eph 5:5,6)

… envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Gal 5:21)

Note that all these verses are expressed in negative terms. Sanctification isn’t what gets you into heaven, but not having it keeps you out. Sanctification isn’t the cause of our salvation, but without sanctification we are not saved. That’s what we mean when we say sanctification is a necessary condition of eternal life. If you do not pursue sanctification, you are not a child of God. If you are not a child of God, then you are not an heir and have no right to the inheritance of the children. You will not receive life.

If, on the other hand, you are being led by the Spirit to pursue sanctification, you will live. It is God’s intent to give His children eternal life – an endless life of joyful, intimate communion with a holy God. He makes all His children holy so they are fit for such a life, and He gives them the Holy Spirit to ensure that happen.

---

[1] Matt 18:35 has an even stronger statement in the parable of the unforgiving servant.

[2] Here are a couple more examples: “If we endure, we will also reign with Him” (2 Tim 2:12a). “but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house-- whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end” (Heb 3:6) These examples make our future glory and even our present identity as belonging to God conditional on our endurance till the end.

[3] The Roman Road is a series of four verses from the book of Romans that can guide us in presenting the Gospel to an unbeliever. The first verse is Romans 3:23, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Using that verse we show that all men are sinners, including the person we’re talking to. Then we recite Romans 6:23 to show what the consequence of sin is, death, and at the same time to show that in spite of what we deserve, God has provided eternal life as a free gift. Romans 5:8 shows both that Christ took on the death we deserve for us – he received our wages for us – and that Christ’s death is motivated by God’s love. And, the final step on the road, is Romans 10:9, “if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

[4] The literal translation of the word the NASB translates “benefit.”

[5] Eternal life is both a present and a future possession, just as salvation is past, present and future.