by Terry Wane Benton<\/p>\n
I have heard Calvinists make a distinction between “salvation” and “election.” They say we can lose our salvation but not our election. One is sure and the other is not, according to their perspective. This would mean that all who are temporarily saved from sin are not necessarily elected by God (the eternally secure number), but all who are elected will be saved. Let’s explore this idea further!<\/p>\n
If “election” is something that is unalterable, then there is no way to make it unsure. You are either elected or not, and if elected, you couldn’t lose that position of eternal security. Yet, Peter told us what we must do to “make your calling and election sure<\/strong><\/em>” (II Peter 1:10). “If you do these things<\/em>” (adding to your faith virtue, knowledge…perseverance, love, etc.) “you will never stumble.<\/em>” What if you fail to add these graces? You could surely stumble, and if you stumble by failing to “do these things,<\/em>” you have thereby made your calling and election unsure<\/strong>. So, we can make our election sure or unsure. It is not unalterable!<\/p>\n Peter calls the brethren “elect according to the foreknowledge of God<\/em>” (I Peter 1:2), but later says, “If<\/em> <\/b>indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious<\/em>” (II Peter 2:3). Could some of the “elect” be questionable on this matter? There should be no “if” about it if “elect” is the ultimate sure status that is absolute as to tasting the graciousness of the Lord.<\/p>\n To the Thessalonian brethren, Paul spoke of “knowing…your election by God<\/em>” (I Thessalonians 1:4), but later spoke of being worried that the tempter might have tempted them, “and our labor might be in vain<\/em>” (I Thessalonians 3:5). How could there be such a possibility if “election” is unalterable and sure? Paul said, “We live, if <\/b>you stand fast in the Lord” (I Thessalonians 3:8). That sounds like election is not so sure because we could quit “standing fast in the Lord<\/em>.”<\/p>\n Our conclusion is that some of the elect can indeed quit standing fast in the Lord, can be tempted so that labor for their souls becomes “in vain<\/em>” (to no good ending), and they fail to make their calling and election sure. We must be wise in utilizing the great tools of victory available in Christ. Do all it takes to “make your calling and election sure.<\/em>” If you do these things, you will never stumble.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Terry Wane Benton I have heard Calvinists make a distinction between “salvation” and “election.” They say we can lose our salvation but not our election. One is sure and the other is not, according to their perspective. This would mean that all who are temporarily saved from sin are not necessarily elected by God…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[427,58,563],"class_list":["post-92068","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-eternal-security","tag-once-saved-always-saved","tag-unconditional-election"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":91290,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/election\/","url_meta":{"origin":92068,"position":0},"title":"Election","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 16, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Kenneth Frazier via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 18 No. 1, 31 March 1992 John Calvin is well known for his views on election and predestination. Qualben's \"A History of the Christian Church\" gives this evaluation of Calvin's belief. \"As a logical tonsequence, Calvin asserted that God had from eternity foreordained\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":89121,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/eternal-security-3\/","url_meta":{"origin":92068,"position":1},"title":"Eternal Security","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 5, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Terry Wane Benton The writer of Hebrews talks about \"full assurance of faith\" and warns about developing \"an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.\" Therefore, a Christian can be assured of their salvation and \"make their calling and election sure\" (II Peter 1:5-12), while acknowledging\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":16603,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-does-paul-say-take-heed-lest-you-fall-and-peter-says-you-shall-never-fall\/","url_meta":{"origin":92068,"position":2},"title":"Why does Paul say, “take heed lest you fall” and Peter says “you shall never fall?”","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 13, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: In I Corinthians 10:12 Paul states: \"Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.\" Then in II Peter 1:10 \"Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.\" Can you explain\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":92347,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/once-saved-always-saved-refuted-can-a-christian-fall-away\/","url_meta":{"origin":92068,"position":3},"title":"\u201cOnce Saved, Always Saved\u201d Refuted: Can a Christian Fall Away?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 26, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Terry Wane Benton Christians (those truly \"saved to begin with\") can: Depart from the faith (I Timothy 4:1) Wander away from the faith (I Timothy 6:10) Swerve from the faith (I Timothy 6:21) Abandon our faith (I Timothy 5:12) Make a shipwreck of our faith (I Timothy 1:19) Fall\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":51704,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-our-fate-predetermined\/","url_meta":{"origin":92068,"position":4},"title":"Is Our Fate Predetermined?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 12, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Trying to grasp the concept of an infinite God sometimes causes finite man to make mistakes \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Consider this statement from the Presbyterian Confession of Faith (chapter 3, section 1): \u201cGod, from all eternity, did by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sermon"","block_context":{"text":"Sermon","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/sermon\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":60553,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/unconditional-election\/","url_meta":{"origin":92068,"position":5},"title":"Unconditional Election","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 29, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"by Terry W. Benton Understanding Purposeful and Temporal Election versus Unconditional Salvation Election The second point of Calvinism in the TULIP acrostic is \"Unconditional Election\". It means to Calvinists that God picked Randy and not Bob, Suzie, and not Janet for salvation and that His election of Randy and Suzie\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92068","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=92068"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92068\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=92068"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=92068"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=92068"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}