Heaven and Hell (Dieric Bout’s 1450)

Important Note

This section on selective salvation is 66 chapters long. If you arrived at this page via an Internet search engine, you might want to start with the first chapter. This will provide you a complete presentation of this subject.

Click Here to go to the first chapter
Click Here for a quick summary
Click Here to view all 66 chapters
Click Here to download a book version of this study

Chapter: 14.01
(Section 14: Selective Salvation)
Copyright © Michael Bronson 1998 - 2005
BibleHelp.org

In summary, selective salvation is the belief God has chosen to send certain people to Heaven and the remainder to Hell. This selection (which was made long before the universe was created) was not based on any qualities of the person being selected. It was not based on the person’s heart or their future love for God. It was not based on God’s foreknowledge of who will eventually choose to accept Him as their Savior. It was not based on their future humility and repentance. This selection was purely random and arbitrary. The people selected to go to Hell (such as Hitler) could just as easily have been selected to go to Heaven.

Nobody has a say in the matter. The person selected to go to Hell literally has no hope. Although he may desire to go to Heaven and is seeking deliverance, he has no chance of salvation. Even the person selected to go to Heaven has no say in the matter, he is forced to "love" God. This belief system is called Calvinism, Reformed Theology, Election, Predestination, or Selective Salvation.

The first major promoter of this doctrine was Augustine (354-430 AD). This doctrine faded out shortly after his death and reemerged during the Reformation. Although the popularity of this doctrine decreased significantly after the Reformation, there are still certain denominations that make this doctrine a central part of their theology. The Reformed Church, Christian Reformed Church, and the Presbyterian Church openly endorse this doctrine. They usually refer to it as "Reformed Theology." It is quietly held by other denominations, and they usually call it "Calvinism" or "Hyper-Calvinism."

Does the Bible teach this belief system? I don’t believe it does, but you need to search the Bible yourself and come to your own conclusion. Although you can use these 64 chapters to help you in your studies, make sure you use the Bible as your final authority. Don’t assume that what I’m saying is correct.

It has taken me several years to write this section on selective salvation. I didn’t write it to "set people straight." Rather, I wrote it because of my concern for the lost. If this doctrine is true, then everyone who is supposed to go to Heaven will make it to Heaven. If, however, this doctrine is false, then there are billions of people needlessly going to Hell. Think about it; if you really believed everyone who is supposed to go to Heaven will make it there, would you give and live sacrificially to help reach the world for Christ?

For ease of understanding, I have divided this section on selective salvation into five parts. These divisions allow you to focus on the areas in which you have the most questions. The five parts are:

Part 1: What is Selective Salvation?

Part 2: What Does the Bible say about Selective Salvation?

Part 3: Problems with Selective Salvation

Part 4: "Choice" –The Achilles’ Heel of Selective Salvation

Part 5: Difficult Questions Answered

Other Chapters in this Section

Home
Up
PART 1: What is Selective Salvation?

What is Selective Salvation?
Summary of Why Selective Salvation can't be True
The Chosen Few
Summary of Calvinism and Armininism
Are You a Calvinist, Armenian, or in-between?
Highlights from from the Canons of Dort
The TULIP
Calvinism Versus Hyper-Calvinism
The "Privilege" of Being one of the Elect
How Long has Selective Salvation been Popular?
Why did Selective Salvation gain Popularity?
Are All Men Created Equal?
Interesting Facts about Slavery and Equality
Open Salvation
This is not an Attack
Being Misunderstood
Why is this Issue Important?

PART 2: What Does the Bible say about Selective Salvation?
PART 3: Problems with Selective Salvation
PART 4: “Choice” –The Achilles’ Heel of Selective Salvation
PART 5: Difficult Questions Answered
Appendix: Foundational Documents used by Selective Salvationists

Tell a Friend about this page

-Top of Page-