One of the clearest portions of Scripture that teaches that God has indeed chosen a people unto salvation would have to be the one that is brought up here,

"But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things...so that no one may boast before him."

Norman Geisler, in an attempt to uphold his free-will view of salvation, goes on to say,

Extreme Calvinists argue that if salvation in any way depended on us, then we could boast. But since we cannot boast, then salvation in no way depends on us - even on our faith.

First, neither this nor any other passage of Scripture affirms that faith is not a necessary condition for receiving salvation. Indeed, many passages say that faith is a condition for receiving salvation (see John 3:16, Acts 16:31; Rom. 5:1). Second, it is a mistake to believe that the exercise of faith or trust in God's complete provision for our salvation is a ground for boasting. As a condition for salvation, faith is opposed to works and works are opposed to faith. For "to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness" (Rom. 4:5). "Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith" (Rom. 3:27). Salvation, then, can be an unconditional gift from God, even though receiving it is conditioned on an act of faith on our part.#1

It is more than clear that the reason no one may boast about their being saved is because of God having chosen them unto salvation.

Faith is better spoken of as the means by which the believer receives God’s gift of salvation. If we say that it is a condition that man must meet so that he can be saved, then what we read in 1 Corinthians just doesn’t ring true.

If the reason that the foolish and weak of the world are saved - and not many wise and mighty - is because they decided of their own free-will to allow God to save them. Then when the Scripture says that God chose the weak things to shame the strong, etc,. The reason for the strong being put to shame is not because of what God has done, but, because of what the weak have done.

God, according to the free-will view of salvation, can only save those who have chosen Him. Therefore the many strong are put to shame for not having chosen God like the weak did.

We also read that due to God having chosen the weak, etc, no one may boast before Him. As we have seen the free-will view does indeed leave room for man to boast.

What could God say, if this view were correct, to someone who would tell Him, “I thank you for offering salvation and I thank myself for accepting it. Otherwise I would not be saved. I would still be lost like the rest of mankind that rejects you. I’m sure glad I chose to believe?”

In all honesty, the free-will believer would have to say that God would have to answer something like, “You do well in thanking Me for making salvation available and in thanking yourself for accepting it. For truly you would have remained lost if you had not done so.” So much for not being able to boast before God. At least from the free-will view of salvation.

We see that it is not a “mistake” to say that the free-will view gives man ground for boasting. Because, quite honestly, it does.

If we say that faith is the result of man’s free-will trust - then when the Scripture says that “his faith is credited as righteousness”#2 - what in effect is being taught is that the wicked has done something righteous.

This, of course, is not what God’s word teaches. It teaches us that “there is none righteous, no, not one, there is none that seeketh after God” and “there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”#3

Given that the free-will view of faith gives man glory for his salvation. It follows that this is not what the Scriptures teach. It also follows that only in affirming that faith is the gift of God#4 are we left with no room for man to boast. It is of faith, that it might be by grace.#5

God has indeed justified the wicked and not because of something the wicked has done. Salvation is all of God through Christ Jesus.#6 That no one may boast!

My friends, do you love to hear Christ lifted up and exalted as your all and in all? If you do you are willing to be made less than nothing and vanity in yourselves. Professors of religion, generally, do not like to be thus humbled; they love to have something to do, in whole or in part, to recommend themselves to God. But the Lord's salvation is not a mixture of grace and works. It is of free and sovereign grace, and received by faith alone, which is the gift of God. It is "not of works, lest any man should boast." The Lord alone be exalted as the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, the first and the last in the salvation of His people.

This glorious gospel, is the gospel of the imputation of sin to a suitable sinless person, the Savior. In this epistle it is said, God "hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew not sin." (2 Cor. 5:21) There was a complete transference, a mutual transference; the transferring of guilt to the Savior, and the transferring of His righteousness to the sinner; "that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." Take this out of the gospel and what is there left that is worth notice? Take this out of the gospel and how could a wretch who feels his wretchedness in sin have any hope in the mercy of God? Such is a terrible gospel; no gospel at all if imputation is taken away. Eliminate this doctrine of the imputation of sin to Christ, and the imputation of righteousness to the sinner, and we are all as good as in hell; there is nothing for us but perdition. When a sinner, brought by the Spirit of God into solemn and deep despair of himself and of his own righteousness, looks on the Lord Jesus, and adoringly and wonderingly believes in the imputation that removes from himself all sin and brings to him nothing but righteousness, he is complete in Christ. That is the gospel word. "And ye are complete in Him." (Col. 2:10) Completely justified and completely saved. Glorious gospel! If this but shines into our hearts what a happy people we shall be!

THEREFORE being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1)

I beg the reader to observe the difference between the righteousness of God in Christ, which is the sole cause of justification and faith, which is the effect of that righteousness, and by which it is enjoyed. A sinner is not justified by his faith; for, if so, in that case it would be the work of faith; and what difference would there then be, whether the work of faith, or the deeds of the law, became either in part, or the whole, the cause of his justification? The Apostle, in one of the preceding Chapters, hath clearly stated the difference between the righteousness of God which justifieth, and the faith of the believer, who by faith enjoys that justification. The righteousness of God (saith he), which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all, and upon all them that believe. Chap. iii. 22. - It is the righteousness of God which justifies. And this is unto all, and upon all; not their act, but the Lord’s; not their merit, but the Lord’s grace. It is revealed from faith to faith, Rom. i. 17 - not procured by faith, for faith comes from it, and is not the cause of it. For faith itself, as an act of ours, goes no further towards our justification than any other grace. And faith, as well as every other grace, is received wholly from Christ, and can constitute no part, no, not an atom, in justification; for this is solely in and by Christ.

I have thought it proper to state this doctrine in the clearest manner possible, to guard against any mistake which might arise either here or elsewhere, when the doctrine of justification by faith is the subject. The Apostle did not mean to say, that our justification is by our faith, for he had in the very concluding verse of the former Chapter declared, that Christ was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. Hence the act had already past. And the therefore with which he begins this Chapter, is the immediate consequence of it. And some indeed read the verse in this way: Therefore being justified through our Lord Jesus Christ, by faith we have peace with God.

Pause, Reader! And contemplate the boundless mercy! We have peace with God! Peace in the blood of the cross. We who were enemies to God by wicked works, hath he now reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present us holy, and unblamable and unreprovable in his sight. Coloss. i. 20 - 22. -- Oh! The blessedness of a justified state in Christ! Oh! The comfort, when by faith in Christ, the soul enjoys it. And we have access also by Christ’s justification to the throne of grace. We are said to stand in this grace before the Lord. For by our adoption character, we have the privilege of children, whereby we cry Abba, Father. An holy boldness, a familiarity at the heavenly court, as those who are well known there, and well beloved there, in Christ. Reader! Do you know the blessedness of this state, and are you in the daily habit of using it? Oh! Sir! It is a blessed, yea, a very blessed way, of maintaining fellowship with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ, when, by virtue of a conscious justified state in Christ, we go often to court, and feel ourselves there as children at home, when in their father’s house. And ought it not to be so with every child of God? Hath not Jesus opened this new and living way by His blood? And doth He not dwell in the midst of the throne, to keep it open by His intercession! Oh! Then, if you know the Lord, if you are in a justified state in Christ, let us make use of our high privilege. Let us (saith the the Psalmist) enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good, his mercy is everlasting, and his truth endureth to all generations. (Ps. 100:4,5)

UNITED KINGDOM: Thank you for sending me a parcel of your literature. The E-mail reproduced at the end of page 4 of your newsletter (#23) requests you not send material to him/her. May I paraphrase it? “DO SEND ME ANY MAIL. WHILST I DO NOT YET KNOW YOU. I DO WANT TO KNOW YOU.” Why? Because you appear to want to circulate the truth of the Gospel. With Sincere Christian Greetings...

The Last Enemy That Shall Be Destroyed Is Death

1 Chosen But Free, pp. 72, 73.
2 Romans 4:5.
3 Romans 3:10, 11, 12.
4 Ephesians 2:8, 9.
5 Romans 4:16.
6 Romans 6:23.