Does salvation depend upon free will or election

Christians can be divided into two groups. Many or most belong to the self-identified Christian group, and some or a few belong to the elect Christian group. Self-identified Christians believe that a person must exercise “free will” for salvation. They believe that God wants everybody to be saved, but it’s up to the individual to either accept or reject God’s offer of salvation. God foreknows those who will respond and accept His offer of salvation, but He doesn’t predetermine who will accept salvation and who won’t.  Because people have been given the freedom to choose, God must adjust His plans accordingly based on people’s responses.

Conversely, elect Christians believe that man’s will is not free but it’s God who freely chooses who will be saved and who won’t be saved. They believe that God chose those whom He would save, i.e., the elect, before He created the world. He foreknows those whom He will save because He knew them and planned to save them before He created the world.

Both self-identified and elect Christians cite Scripture to support their theological positions on free will and election, and the vast majority of Christian denominations today preach and teach that salvation depends upon free will, and not election.

I.M. Kane