Election vs. Free Will

"Calvinism includes the belief that election is unconditional, while Arminianism believes in conditional election. Unconditional election is the view that God elects individuals to salvation based entirely on His will alone, not on anything inherently worthy in the individual. Conditional election states that God elects individuals to salvation based on His foreknowledge of who will believe in Christ unto salvation, thereby on the condition that the individual chooses God."


So this point of my be the most debated point between to 2 positions. Predestination. It's a topic that is rarely brought up without a discussion. :) 


I am defiantly on the Armenian side of this point. Through my study of this subject here is what I believe to be true according to the Bible.


When the word predestined is used it is not used in the context of Unconditional Election 


Rom 8:29-30

²⁹For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;
 ³⁰and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

Here it is used that He is predestining us to conformed to the image of his son.

Eph 1:4-12

⁴just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him In love
 ⁵He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,
 ⁶to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
 ⁷In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace
 ⁸which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight
 ⁹He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him
 ¹⁰with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him
 ¹¹also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,
 ¹²to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.


Here in this context of verse 5 we see the word being used in God's ultimate plan to redeem mankind. Now you have to understand that I interpret this verse differently due to the fact that my study of the Word has lead me to believe that God will allow individuals to choose whether or not they wish receive Him.

Now on the other side of the issue:

Acts 2:38
Peter said to them, " Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.


Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.


John 3:16
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.


Mark 16:16
" He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.


Acts 2:21
'AND IT SHALL BE THAT EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED


Acts 16:31
They said, " Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household."


What do all these verses have in common? They all have to do with how the only requirement for salvation is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Which of course is the most important point no matter what you believe.