Bible Truth #281 - 1 Corinthians 1:26-27

1 Corinthians 1:26-27
26  For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

27  But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

I’ve written about this passage before (Bible Truth #93) but it was to focus on God doing the choosing. This time, using the King James Version, it is clear that those who are called is limited. God does not call everybody to salvation.

Yes, all men everywhere are commanded to repent (Acts 17:30) but as written by God through Paul in verse 26 above, He confirms for one and all that He has not called every man to salvation. Not many wise men are called, only some particular wise men. Not many mighty men are called, only some specific mighty men men. Not many noble men are called, only some distinct noble men.

Of course they who believe in decisional salvation will claim, “The passage doesn’t say that at all! Paul was merely telling the believers in Corinth that not many among those particular Christians in Corinth were wise, mighty or noble. God calls everyone to salvation.” That isn’t true. If God called each and every man to salvation then He would also justify and glorify each and every man (Romans 8:29-30) and everyone would then go to Heaven. Is this what Arminians believe? Everyone will go to Heaven?

God has a CALL He initiates in the lives of His Elect and even then ONLY at the specific time of His choosing. That is the Limited Atonement of which the Bible speaks of. The Biblical principle that Christ died for the Called, the Elect of God, those chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4), and NOT every one who ever lived.

Limited Atonement is simply the fact that Jesus actually succeeded in what the Father asked Him to do, and that was to provide a perfect atonement on behalf of everyone who’s united to Himself - and given Unconditional Election, that is the Elect of God. To those who believe in decisional salvation, I would ask you to please reconsider your doctrine of atonement.  Are you really comfortable with a doctrine that has Jesus trying to save, but can’t?

But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise;

Does not the world say it is foolish to expect anything to be truly free? Even Christians, many Christians, believe that man must do something before God will save him. They believe this theory that man must confess that he’s a sinner and accept Christ as Savior before God will save him. That is secular wisdom and a basic principle of the world that Paul debunks in Colossians 2:8 which is discussed in Bible Truth #29. God’s ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9).

No . . . God chose the foolish idea, the foolish thing of free, truly free, salvation and He applies it to the ones He hath chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4). There is nothing we can do to attain it or merit it - or lose it.

Bottom Line - God glorifies every man He calls (Romans 8:30) and ONLY those He calls.