In modern Christianity, there is much confusion about the role of faith, with many falsely believing that we don’t need to change our behavior to be righteous because all we need to do is have faith, and once saved always saved. I disprove this belief using the scriptures in Hyper-Grace is Wrong and Following the Commandments / Works Matter – showing how if you actually look at what Jesus taught in the four gospels, he repeatedly warns us that we need to repent and have good works to be saved, and the main scriptures which could imply otherwise are only in the epistles – which are of course less authoritative than the words of Jesus himself.

However, the question still remains why the epistles have these scriptures in the first place, bringing us to the object of this present essay: to show that according to the scriptures, faith is given to those who were predestined to be elect, and faith is taken away from those who are not elect.

Thus, the epistles aren’t saying that faith *causes* people to be elect, but rather that faith is the symptom and identifier of the elect. For works, the same is the case. The epistles imply that the elect aren’t elect *because* they have good works, but rather, they have good works *because* they are elect.

Do you see the difference? To believe that faith supplants works demotivates one from having good works or repenting, as it seems that these things never mattered anyway. But if instead you believe that it is predestination which makes you have both faith and good works (as I prove in this essay), then you will always be motivated to do good works because you know that if you don’t have good works then you likely never were elect in the first place.

Another question to ask is: what is faith? In my view, if you say that you are a “Christian”, but believe in all sorts of false doctrines, then it is possible that in God’s eyes you never truly believed in the Christ but instead believed in a false Christ that never really existed. Or alternatively, if you *say* that you believe in Christ, but don’t actually follow him, then it appears that you may not actually believe in Christ and instead are lying to yourself when you say that you believe. And by false doctrines, I mean things that are actually meaningful. Whether God is an impossible to comprehend substance shared between three beings (the trinity), or he is one being with three manifestations (Practical Modalism), or if God the Father is separate from Jesus Christ (my view) is all not meaningful, and I am convinced that whichever camp you fall in here won’t meaningfully change your salvation status. Meaningful things influence how we practice the gospel or the prophecies to which we look forward – and arguments about the trinity end up just being semantics, word games, and philosophies of man that don’t really matter in our daily walk with the Lord (see also I hate the Trinity).

But you don’t have to take my word on all of this. In the rest of this essay, I will unfold to you, my dear reader, all the scriptures proving that we are saved via predestination, and faith and works are mainly just symptoms that we were predestined and elect from the beginning (though I suppose that in some extreme cases, people who are not predestined may still be saved).

Predestination in General

Romans 8:29–30
29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

Ephesians 1:4–11
4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
 …11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

2 Thessalonians 2:13–14
13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
14 Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This last scripture is saying that God chose us from the beginning to believe on the truth.

Elect are Ordained to have Good Works

Ephesians 2:8–10
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

This scripture is very misunderstood, so I implore you, my reader, to read the last verse carefully: it is saying that the elect are foreordained to walk in good works. Thus, it is NOT saying that works don’t matter, but rather that the marker for people being elect is that they have good works.

Further Misunderstood Scriptures about Works

2 Timothy 1:9
9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

This again is a greatly misunderstood scripture, so read carefully. It is not saying that *works don’t matter because the only thing that matters is faith*. Rather, it is saying that works don’t matter because the main thing that matters is whether we were called by Christ before the world began.

Romans 11:5–10
5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded
8 (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.
9 And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:
10 Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.

Another misunderstood scripture. While it is true that this scripture is downplaying the importance of works, it isn’t doing so because the only thing that matters is faith. Rather, it is doing so because the only thing that matters is “election”. Election is different from faith – faith is something that we do, whereas only God can decide to “elect” a person or not. So actually, we better be anxiously engaged in having good works, because if we are not, then it is likely that we never were elect in the first place.

Faith Given to Us

Acts 13:48
48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

Philippians 1:29
29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

Acts 18:27
27 And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace:

To note, this scripture is saying that people believed *because of grace* – which algins with the idea that God gives His chosen sheep belief, which is slightly different than saying that belief *causes* an individual to be a chosen sheep, though I suppose this latter notion might slightly true as well.

God Takes Away the Faith of the Wicked

2 Thessalonians 2:10–12
10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

This is the prototypical scripture abut how God sends people unbelief because he doesn’t want them to be in the camp of the saints in any way.

Isaiah 6:9–10
9 ¶ And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.
10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.

Another common scripture about God bringing unbelief to the wicked.

Romans 9:17–1817 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

This scripture is citing how God hardened the heart of Pharoah (see Exodus 4:21, Exodus 7:3, Exodus 7:13, Exodus 9:12, Exodus 10:20&27, Exodus 11:10, Exodus 14:4 & 8).

Scriptures from Christ

John 6:37-65
37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
…44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
…64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.

This scripture is saying that the Father is the one who brings people to the faith.

John 10:26
26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.

From this, I conclude that (many) people who don’t believe are simply not elect and there isn’t much that we as believers can do to help them. Though of course we are also commanded to spread the gospel, meaning there must be some nonbelievers who are still elect.

John 15:16
16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

Thus, we have good works because we are ordained to have them, and we don’t choose God, but rather God chooses us.

Faith Taken Away

John 12:37–40
37 ¶ But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:
38 That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?
39 Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again,
40 He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.

Jesus here discusses how faith is taken away from people who are not chosen by God.

Mark 4:11–12
11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:
12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.

Matthew 13:13-15
13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
15 For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

Parables

On this topic, Jesus also gives us the parable of the tares and the parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:18-30) to help us understand the nature of salvation. Specifically, the Tares parable shows how some people are destined never to be saved by virtue of their inherent nature, whereas others are predestined to bring forth fruit. Just to emphasize, no tare will ever bring forth truly good fruit – so, if you don’t have *truly* good fruit then it is probably not going to be very awesome for you. However, it wasn’t just that plants randomly had fruit or not, but instead that from the very beginning some plants were always wheat plants, and it was their having fruit which proved that they were indeed wheat plants.

Regarding the parable of the Sower, this parable shows that while it is true that faith, the seed, is what brings the fruit, it ultimately is the nature of the soil that causes whether the plant of faith is able to grow or not. Or in other words, whether we are destined to accept the gospel or not is apparently largely determined by our intrinsic natures, our soil, which existed even before we were given the gospel. Though of course once we receive the gospel, then grace can to some degree still change us to be even better than we already were, as discussed in The Atonement as a Blood Transfusion.