His sheep and the doctrine of election

Recently we've been reconsidering many of the things we thought we understood regarding doctrine and faith. We have begun to question certain beliefs, church structures, and practices of the western church. Too often we have discovered unbiblical doctrines and activities. This causes us concern. We have deemed this our “Rethink.”

Our questions include, how did we arrive at our doctrines? Does the Bible really teach what we think it teaches? Why do churches do what they do? What is the biblical basis of church leadership structure? Why do certain traditions get entrenched?

It's easy to be spoon fed the conventional wisdom, but it's an entirely separate thing to search these things out for one's self. In the past we have read the Bible with these unexamined understandings and interpreted what we read through those lenses. We were lazy about our Bible study, assuming that pastors and theologians were telling us the truth, but we rarely checked it out for ourselves.

Therefore, these Rethinks are our attempt to remedy the situation.

We should note that we are not Bible scholars, but we believe that one doesn't need to be in order to understand the Word of God.

False Converts

Because a Calvinist/Reformist believes in Unconditional Election and Perseverance of the Saints, they believe a true Christian cannot fall away. A true Christian was chosen by God (election) and thus it's impossible for them to lose their salvation (i.e. not persevere). "False convert" is the term a Calvinist/Reformist would use to describe someone who has fallen from the faith. 

Anyone who would fall away is a person who was never actually regenerated. That is the only remaining possibility if one believes a true convert cannot fall away.

But generally speaking, every person who claims to be a Christian would assent to the ideas of repentance from sin, being born again, and living a life pleasing to God. And many who claim to be Christians live this way. Which means none of this speaks to whether or not a person might be a false convert. Even a false convert would assent to all of this prior to falling away, if only out of ignorance of their eternal state. 

A "false convert" therefore believes he is saved, just as one of the Elect believes he is saved. But no one cannot know which is which. Deeming someone a false convert can only occur after the fact of falling away. Assuming of course that the falling away is permanent. But even then the falling away isn't evidence for or against someone being one of the Elect, because returning to a life of sin doesn't provide the Calvinist/Reformist with information on the person's eternal state.

How does one know if he is part of the Elect? This is approximately the same question as, how does one know if he is saved? The Calvinist can't know any more than a non-Calvinist. The status of a person's soul is no better explained by Calvinism. That means the Calvinist doesn't know if he's Elect. He cannot know if anyone is Elect or non-Elect. Including himself. 

One of the passages Calvinists believe support their doctrine of election is John chapter 10. So let's take this opportunity to examine the passage. 

John Chapter 10

We previously explained John chapter 12 apart from the doctrine of Election here.

Calvinists will sometimes appeal to John 10:27-28 as proof a true convert cannot lose his salvation:

Jn. 10:27-28 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no-one can snatch them out of my hand.

In examining this we first need to consider the context. Who was Jesus talking about and talking to? Jesus had just healed a blind man, and the Pharisees didn't believe he had been healed. They finally threw the man out when he dared to instruct them.

After the man confessed his faith Jesus proclaimed: 

Jn. 9:39 Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”

The Pharisees clearly knew he was talking about them: 

Jn. 9:40 Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?”

This is the context for the "sheep know my voice" passages of John chapter 10. Pointedly, Jesus was telling the crowd that they should not listen to the Pharisees. They were misleading the sheep as thieves and robbers (10:1). 

Further, we need to understand that this passage is not about prophecy or hearing the Holy Spirit. Jesus was using the imagery in the context of obeying His commands, not regarding the revelatory nature of God.

Also, we need to know that He was specifically talking about Jews being the sheep. Israel is God's sheep, and the Lord is their shepherd. 

Ez. 34:31 "You my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, are people, and I am your God," declares the Sovereign LORD.

Because there are other sheep:

Jn. 10:16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.

We, the gentile believers, are those other sheep. 

The hostile Pharisees and disbelieving Jews continued to challenge Him:

Jn. 10:24 The Jews gathered round him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”

This was when He mentioned the sheep metaphor again, which are the verses we quoted: 

Jn. 10:27-28 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no-one can snatch them out of my hand.

So follow closely. The Pharisees would have immediately understood His claim to be the Good Shepherd, which is why they so violently responded. Jesus as the Good Shepherd was making a claim to Deity. And, He was clearly stating that some of those He was talking to were not His sheep, an astonishing statement for the Jews, who regarded themselves as God’s chosen people. 

Further, Jesus was certainly talking to these hostile Jews about Jews, since the Jews could not even consider that anyone but Jews could be saved. Therefore, this is certainly not about gentile believers not slipping out of His hand.

Need more evidence?

Jesus directly said the Father gave them to Him. That is, Jews were given to Jesus. Israel is His inheritance: 

De. 32:9 For the LORD’s portion is his people, Jacob his allotted inheritance.

Je. 2:3: "Israel was holy to the LORD, the firstfruits of his harvest...

Israel, the firstfruits. Salvation was meant for them first:

Ro. 1:16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

Therefore, only His inheritance, specifically, the firstfruits, the Jewish children of promise [Ro. 9:8], the sheep of His sheep pen, are the Elect.

It's clear that Jesus was not talking about gentile believers. It was the early Jews who believed Him who cannot be snatched from His hand. 

Need more? Let's look at Ephesians chapter one. Here we see Paul making the claim about being chosen: : 

Ep. 1:4-5 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will —

Ep. 1:11-12 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, Ep. 1:12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.

Carefully note the use of pronouns. He chose "us," "we" were predestined. "We." "Us." They are we, who were the first to hope in Christ. The first to hope in Christ were the earliest Jewish believers.

Let's continue:

Ep. 1:13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit...

Notice the switch in the pronouns? No longer "we" and "us." It's turned to "you." 

Paul began talking about how "we" (those who were first to hope in Christ, vs. 12) were predestined, but then in verse 13 he turned to his audience and told them "you also" were included, and that happened when "you" heard the word of truth.

The Elect, therefore, are the very first Jewish believers (i.e., the firstfuits). The rest of us are the same as those in the Ephesian church. All of the Elect lived and died 2000 years ago.

Conclusion

Is there such a thing as a false convert? It's impossible to tell. It's an invented category based on a mistaken doctrine. There are the lost and there are the saved, and only God knows who belong to Him.

God is sovereign. His sovereignty includes being all powerful, all loving, and all knowing. But we do not get to decide how His sovereignty comes to bear, He does. He decides the nature of His own sovereignty. His sovereignty does not force Him to do things. He chooses to make things come about, and He also choses to let events and choices happen. He can do both. 

Our view of the sovereignty of God is that we must allow Him the power to choose to intervene or not. He does as He pleases.

God chose the earliest believers. Those are Jesus' sheep, the "children of promise." His other sheep, us, were included at the moment of our faith, which is Good News indeed. But we gentiles are not predestined. We are not the Elect.