Does Election According to Foreknowledge Mean We Are 'Post-Destinated'?


Laying a Stupid Argument to Rest
J.C. Thibodaux


  One objection (or accusation if you will) often leveled by Calvinists against those who reject their peculiar views on election and predestination is that we who believe in election according to God's foreknowledge must also believe that we were 'post-destinated.' Why would they say such a thing?

The Calvinist View of Election
  John Calvin taught that some men were chosen by God in eternity past, with no regards to any conditions on the part of the elect themselves. The Bible is clear that God has chosen us from the foundation of the world by His foreknowledge and predestinated us to receive adoption as His children.

"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. 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."

Romans 8:29-30


  It is a sad fact that many in the church are totally ignorant on the subject of predestination, and many reject it altogether. Some authors who hold the Arminian view actually do concur they were destined to salvation after they believed. Could that be right?

"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..."

Ephesians 1:4


  Such a view is not supported in scripture at all, as God has indeed chosen us from the very beginning. When believers reject the truth the Bible teaches, such a lack of knowledge makes their views an easy straw-man for Calvinists to burn when trying to discredit those who reject the particulars of their doctrine.


My Experience

  The accusation of believing in 'post-destination' vs. the 'pre-destination' that is taught in the Bible may hold water for those who reject the concept of our being foreordained to salvation, but what if you believe in election according to God's foreknowledge (if you are unfamiliar with this view, you can read our article about the Doctrine of Election)?

Oddly enough, I have still been told by some zealous young Calvinists that I believe in postdestination. The reasoning goes something like this:

You believe that God chooses you based on His foreknowledge (correct)->therefore you also believe that there are conditions to you being chosen (correct)->and since you believe that God bases His decisions on your future actions, then you are saying that God is basing His election on something that is already bound to occur (bound?)->therefore you believe that you were postdestined to salvation because you believe that He bases His decisions on what has been previously bound to occur (what??)!

  Sadly, I am not kidding. I have had this argued to me more than once, and it didn't even make quite as much sense as the formula I inscribed above. The people who argue it are generally so hyped up over reading from their theologically inbred authors what a heretical Arminian you are that they won't stop to consider that 'predestination' means to to destinate before something actually occurs, not before it is set to occur.

  When I then asked one of the same young Calvinists what he believed about God's forknowledge, he replied that it meant that God knew beforehand who God would choose. I then pointed out that such a view was in fact foreknowledge according to election, not election according to foreknowledge as is taught in the Bible (1 Peter 1:2), seeing as in his view, divine election determined foreknowledge, not vice-versa. He insisted it was not, but could not explain why. And still contended that I believed in postdestination.


An Example From the Bible

  It is sad to have to resort to a direct example to clear up the definitions of 'pre' and 'post' (tune in next week when I'll be defining 'is'), but some people refuse to take a hint unless applied with a sledgehammer.

The most famous event spoken of in the scripture is the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ Himself. But God didn't just wake up one day and decide on a whim to send His only begotten Son, this was planned from the beginning.

"But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you..."

1 Peter 1:19-20


And again:

"And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."

Revelation 13:8


  So the coming of the Holy One was obviously in the works well before Abraham, David, or even Adam came around. It was an event that was bound and sealed to occur in earth's history, and no power in heaven, hell, or in-between was going to revoke the absolute decree of the Almighty.

Look carefully at this passage:

"Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called [to be] an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures), Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; And declared [to be] the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead..."

Romans 1:1-4


  Now, can you tell me when this was promised? Well, the prophets spoke on it before it actually occurred, but after it was already set in set and bound to occur; therefore it was promised after, not afore by the prophets in the holy scriptures; yes, Christ's coming was not fore-told, it was aft-told...at least if you believe the post-destinated reasoning. When I gently pointed out such a glaring logical fallacy to the young man, he still insisted that it was not the same thing. Hmmm...let's see, so:

God ordained the coming of Christ before the foundation of the world + the prophets told of His coming before he came = His coming was fore-told, not aft-told

God knows your life, actions, and decisions before the foundation of the world + God chooses you according to that foreknowledge before you are saved = I was post-destined unto salvation, not pre-destined

Makes perfect sense to me.


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