Will All of the Elect Believe and Obey the Gospel?

One major point of contention between Primitive Baptists and other groups that would fall somewhere under the “Sovereign Grace” umbrella is the important question of whether or not all of God’s elect will necessarily hear and obey the Gospel in this life. I emphasize “in this life” because everyone agrees that every single one of God’s children will know and believe the Gospel once they get to glory. But the major issue for many folks is whether they will believe it prior to leaving this earth. Primitive Baptists answer “no”, while many “high-Calvinist” or “Sovereign Grace” Baptists answer “yes”. In this article I will attempt to lay out a case for the Primitive Baptist position. I will be arguing from Scripture that there are different categories of elect individuals who do not necessarily hear and/or believe the Gospel.

Defining the Gospel

Before beginning my defense, it is necessary to properly define what I mean by “the Gospel”, as different individuals have different assumptions about what the Gospel even is, which often contributes to confusion and misunderstanding for many who initially hear our position on this question.

Put simply, the Gospel is the good news concerning the eternal Son of God, the second person of the Trinity, who was sent into this world as the representative of all those that the Father chose and entrusted to him before the foundation of the world. He entered into this world truly God and truly man in one person, and perfectly satisfied all of the demands of God’s strict law and justice on their behalf, going to the cross and bearing the penalty that their sins deserved, forever blotting out their record of sin-debt and establishing a perfect righteousness with which they can stand before God and counted as righteous in His sight, thereby demonstrating God to be both a just God and a savior to sinners. Their sins imputed to him in exchange for his perfect righteousness imputed to them. He rose again the third day as a result of having accomplished the justification of all of his people and now sits at the right hand of God the Father as their mediator and intercessor, from which he will one day return to judge the living and the dead. For a more detailed explanation see my gospel presentation here.

Having established that, let’s move on to our biblical examination of this question.

The Case of Elect Infants and the Mentally Handicapped

The first and most obvious example of unconverted elect individuals is the case of elect infants and mentally disabled people who are incapable of mentally assenting to the propositions concerning Christ’s identity and redemptive work.

That infants, and presumeably also adults with the mental capacity of an infant, cannot assent to the propositions of the Gospel ought to be obvious since Scripture testifies that they neither know the difference between good and evil (Deuteronomy 1:39) nor are they capable of even discerning between their right hand or their left (Jonah 4:11). Yet understanding the difference between good and evil is necessary to being able to comprehend and assent to the Gospel, seeing as the Gospel reveals the righteous character of God and what he did to make reconciliation for the sins and evil deeds of his people. Despite this, we have many scriptures which do in fact indicate that at least some, if not all, infants dying in infancy are elect and will be in glory (cf. Job 3:15–16; Jeremiah 31:15–17/Matthew 2:16–18).

Elect Individuals Who Never Hear the Preached Gospel

Another example would be elect individuals who never end up hearing the Gospel preached, or even anything concerning the God of Israel for that matter. Of these we find several examples in Scripture.

The Heathen In Ezekiel’s Day

In Ezekiel 3:4–6, Jehovah God makes this incredible statement to the prophet:

Ezekiel 3:4–6 And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them. (5) For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of an hard language, but to the house of Israel; (6) Not to many people of a strange speech and of an hard language, whose words thou canst not understand. Surely, had I sent thee to them, they would have hearkened unto thee.

In this text, God explicitly tells Ezekiel that there were heathens among other nations, whose language Ezekiel would not have understood, who would have hearkened to his preaching had God decided to send him to them. When our God says that something is “sure”, we can believe that it is indeed sure. This necessarily implies that there were regenerate children of God among the other nations during the time of the prophet Ezekiel, since the natural man does not and cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 2:14).

It would be rather arbitrary to think that such regenerate heathen existed under the Old Testament dispensation, but no longer under the New.

The Good Samaritan

The Samaritans were a very despised people among the Jews in Jesus’s day. This is because they were a largely (if not entirely) gentile (Assyrian) group which adopted the Jewish religion sometime around the Assyrian captivity of the Northern Kingdom, and ended up with their own version of the Penteteuch and a corrupted adaptation of the Mosaic religion. So corrupt was the Samaritan worship that our Lord even boldly proclaimed to the Samaritan woman in John chapter 4:

John 4:22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

What better authority to confirm the false nature of the Samaritan religion than the words of Jesus Christ? And yet, hearkent to the story of the “good Samaritan” recounted by our Lord in Luke chapter 10:

Luke 10:25–37 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? (26) He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? (27) And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. (28) And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. (29) But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? (30) And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. (31) And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. (32) And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. (33) But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, (34) And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. (35) And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. (36) Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? (37) And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

Consider the point that Jesus is making here. This doctor of the Law fancied himself a keeper of the Law. Yet his response to Jesus — “And who is my neighbour?” shows that he was trying to find a loophole in the law to excuse his own sin. Jesus gives an example of the least person likely, in the mind if this lawyer, to actually be fulfilling the law of loving ones neighbhor. This Samaritan, who by our Savior’s own authority, practiced a false religion, was fulfilling the law of love for ones neighbor. Since whatever is not of faith is sin (Romans 14:23) and the unregenerate do NO GOOD whatsoever (Romans 3:12), it unavoidably follows that this Samaritan was a regenerate child of God, despite practicing a perverted form of Moses’ religion.

The Rich Young Ruler

Mark 10:17–22 And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? (18) And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. (19) Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. (20) And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. (21) Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. (22) And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.

The rich young ruled, like the lawyer in Luke 10, esteemed himself to be a keeper of the Law. He thought that the needed to do something in order to obtain eternal life. The Lord Jesus Christ challenges this notion in an attempt to point out the ruler’s own self-righteousness. Yet the ruler, instead of recognizing and submitting to our Lord’s point, and his call to discipleship, he instead goes away sorrowful, favoring his riches over following Christ. Jesus AT NO POINT ever gave the Gospel to this man. Instead he gave him the law. Yet notice that 21 explicitly says that Jesus loved this man.

Give the fact that God only loves His people (Romans 9:11–13), we have a clear example of one of God’s elect children who did not hear the Gospel and resisted the call to discipleship in this text.

The Gentiles That Paul Was Forbidden To Speak to

1 Thessalonians 2:14–16 (14) For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judæa are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews: (15) Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men: (16) Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.

In this text we have an explicit case of the “salvation” of some Gentiles being prevented due to the persecution of Paul and his companions by the Jews, thereby hindering them to preach the Gospel to them. If this verse is speaking about eternal salvation then a sovereign grace believer really only has two options, either:

A.) The eternal salvation of God’s elect is able to be prevented by men

or,

B.) The eternal salvation of non-elect individuals is in view

Option A will lead you to rank Arminianism, and option B is a mere absurdity.

Elect Individuals Who Reject the Gospel

The Elect Jews in Romans 9–11

This next example requires a bit of explanation but I will provide a brief outline of this section:

In Romans 8:28–39, Paul introduces the subject of election and affirms the eternal security of all of God’s elect family

In Romans 9, Paul begins to discuss why it is that many of his own kinsmen have rejected the Gospel, and further elaborates upon the doctrine of election. He concludes by affirming that there is an elect remnant among the nation of Israel (v. 27–29) but that not all of “Israel” (i.e elect Israel) has personally attained to the righteousness that they were seeking for because they sought it out by the works of the Law, rather than through the faith of Christ (v 30–33)

In Romans 10 Paul speaks to his sincere desire that these elect, regenerate Israelites (Romans 10:1–4) would be saved from the bondage of works religion and confess and believe the Gospel (Romans 10:9–15). He further comments upon the fact that not all of these elect Israelites have obeyed the Gospel, but that God in his own purposes has allowed this to the intent of provoking them to jealousy through the conversion of the Gentiles (v. 16–21)

Romans 11:1–10 speaks of two groups of people, namely, “the election” and “the rest” (v. 7). We are told that “the rest” have been utterly and perpetually blinded (v. 8–10)

Verse 11 begins by asking the question

What then? Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.

The only two possible options for the antecedent to “they” in verse 11 is either “the election” or “the rest”, and it clearly cannot be “the rest”. Thus Paul has the elect remnant of Israel in view here.

Verses 13–27 goes on to explain how God had given over some elect Israelites over to judicial blindness and has now begun bringing the Gentiles into the enjoyment of the promised covenants blessings under the New Covenant, whereas the Jews have largely been excluded, unlike under the Old Covenant dispensation. However, Paul warns believing Gentiles not to grow haughty and arrogant, since God is able to turn them over to blindness as well, and to cut them out of the proverbial “olive tree”. The image of the “olive tree” has nothing to do with eternal salvation, but rather with the enjoyment of Gospel privileges under the New Covenant dispensation.

Finally, Paul concludes with this:

Romans 11:28–32 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers sakes. (29) For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. (30) For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: (31) Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. (32) For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

Here, Paul explicitly states that these Jews are enemies of the Gospel, yet beloved according to election for the fathers’ sakes. The reference to “the fathers” refers to God’s covenant promises to the patriarchs which factor in to God’s redemptive purposes in history. But this text explicitly says that these were elect, yet unbelieving individuals who had been temporarily blinded until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in (which I believe is still on-going to this day). The reference to “election” goes all the way back, not just to the beginning of chapter 11, but to chapter 8:28–39 where Paul introduces the doctrine of election. He has been explicating this doctrine this entire time!

The Israelites Who Fell In the Wilderness

Another example we find is the Israelites that were led out of Egypt by Moses.

Paul refers to this same group as “our fathers” and affirms that they ate and drank of Jesus Christ:

1 Corinthians 10:1–4 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; (2) And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; (3) And did all eat the same spiritual meat; (4) And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

Jesus said that everyone who eats and drinks his flesh and blood has eternal life:

John 6:54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

Yet these same individuals are explicitly said to have perished in the wilderness due to unbelief, specifically not believing the Gospel! And Paul is using them as an example for us (saved people) so that we do not tempt God through unbelief:

Hebrews 3:17–4:2 But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? (18) And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? (19) So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. (4:1) LET us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. (2) For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

Clearly, then, these Israelites were eternally saved children of God who resisted the Gospel, according to Paul’s testimony.

Those Who Initially Embrace The Gospel, Then Later Leave It

We should also consider the case of elect individuals who initially embrace the Gospel but are later deceived into believing a false gospel.

The Galatians

Galatians 1:3–6 Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, (4) Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: (5) To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (6) I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel

Take note of several things here. According to this passage:

1. God is the Father of these Galatian Christians (v. 3)
2. Jesus Christ is their Lord (v. 3)
3. Jesus Christ died for their sins in order to eternally save them (v. 4)
4. They were called into the grace of Christ (. 6)
5. They departed from Christ unto another Gospel

Paul clearly and unambiguously treats these Galatians as children of God. He does the same thing in his warning to them in chapter 5:

Galatians 5:1–4 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. (2) Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. (3) For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. (4) Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.

Notice the following:

1. These Galatians had been set free by Jesus Christ (v. 1)
2. They were being exhorted to remain stedfast in that liberty
3. Christ shall become of no effect unto them if they try to be justified by works

According to this text, these Galatians had been set at liberty by Jesus Christ, but they were in jepordy of falling back under bondage. If they looked away from Christ by faith, Christ would cease to be of benefit to them. But this presupposes that Christ was previously of benefit to them! This is simply not true for the non-elect. Christ at no point in time is ever of any benefit to the non-elect, nor were the non-elect ever set free by Jesus Christ. This passage is NOT talking about the Galatians losing their eternal salvation, but of them alienating themselves from Christ by falling into a false gospel. This is pertaining to fellowship, not eternal salvation. Moreover, the reference to “falling from grace” simply refers to the fact that they would cease to experience God’s favor in their lives if they went along with this false gospel. Paul is clearly still speaking to them as elect children of God here.

Hymenæus and Alexander

1 Timothy 1:18–20 This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; (19) Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: (20) Of whom is Hymenæus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.

Paul here speaks of several believers, including Hymenaeus and Alexander, who had made shipwreck of their faith. One cannot shipwreck his faith unless he was on the proverbial “ship” to begin with. He cannot put away his faith unless he actually had faith to begin with. And faith is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). This is verse could not be clearer.

Hymenaus and Philetus

2 Timothy 2:11–19 It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: (12) If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: (13) If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself. (14) Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers. (15) Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (16) But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. (17) And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenæus and Philetus; (18) Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some. (19) Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

Here Paul introduces a faithful saying. If we died with Christ, then it is a guarantee that we shall also live with him. However, reigning with Christ is contingent upon “suffering” or enduring/persevering with him. If we fail to persevere and deny Christ, he also will deny us from reigning with him. Nevertheless, even if a child of God should fail to persevere, and fall into unbelief, God remains faithful, and that faithful saying still remains true.

It is in this context that Paul again admonishes Timothy to hold fast to the doctrine which he had received and to teach it to others. This time he mentions Hymenaeus and Philetus, who had overthrown the faith of some. Once again, one cannot have his faith overthrown if he had no faith to begin with. But Paul assures us, that even though many had their faith overthrown by these false teachers, nevertheless God still knows those who are His. Their belief is not the glue which keeps them united to Christ. Rather, it is God’s faithfulness to his promises.

A Few More Examples

I would also include examples of children of God who may understand certain elements of the Gospel, but are ignorant of, or even initially hostile to, other core elements of the Gospel. For instance, Peter was clearly a regenerate man in Matthew 16:16–20, where he correctly identifies Jesus as the son of God (cf. 1 John 5:1). But in Matthew 16:21–23, when Jesus begins explaining his death, burial, and resurrection to the disciples, Peter actually rebukes Jesus and gets called “Satan” in response. We also have examples like Apollos in Acts 18:24–28, who only knew the baptism of John, and needed to be “shown the way of God more perfectly” by Aquilla and Priscilla, yet was no doubt a regenerate child of God before being instructed by them. The same is the case for the disciples at Ephesus in Acts 19:1–6 who were baptized with John’s baptism, but hadn’t yet heard of the Holy Ghost (which suggests that they were baptized by a disciple of John who travelled to Ephesus and neglected to fully preach what John preached, since John spoke explicitly about the Holy Ghost on more than one occasion). Yet there is nothing to lead us to conclude that they were previously unregenerated before being reached by Paul.

Praying for Laborers for the Harvest

Matthew 9:36–38 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. (37) Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; (38) Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

Jesus Christ plainly indicated that there were NUMEROUS elect individuals out there wandering “as sheep having no shepherd”. The “harvest is plenteous” means that there are many of God’s elect people out there whose hearts have been opened to hear the Gospel, yet “the laborers are few”, meaning there are MORE glory-bound children of God out there than there are ministers to spread the Gospel! This is good news indeed! Moreover, Jesus instructs his disciples (and us) to pray to the Lord of the harvest to raise up and send forth laborers into the harvest. This obviously implies that if God’s people are lazy and neglectful of praying the Lord of the harvest, then there will be fewer laborers sent out. Paul also taught this same principle in Romans 15:30–31 & 2 Thessalonians 3:1–2.

Conclusion

There is a plethora of Biblical evidence showing that not all of God’s elect will necessarily hear and obey the Gospel in this life, or that they will necessarily have a complete understanding of the Gospel in this life. Unless one adopts Arminianism or some other system which rejects sovereign grace, there is no way around such clear biblical examples, in my estimation.