Chosen in Love: A Wesleyan Look at Predestination and Election

Gather the men and name the topic plainly: predestination and election are some of the most debated words in Scripture, and faithful Christians land in different places. Set the tone — we come humbly, with open Bibles, to hear what God says about His saving love, not to win an argument. Open with a short prayer asking the Spirit to teach. Read the big idea aloud so everyone knows where we're heading.

Walk through three movements. 1) WHAT THE WORDS MEAN (8 min). 'Predestine' (Greek proorizo) means to mark out or decide beforehand; 'elect/chosen' (eklego) means to select. Read Ephesians 1:4-5 and Romans 8:29-30. Notice WHAT we are predestined TO: to be 'conformed to the image of His Son' and 'for adoption as His sons.' The destination is Christlikeness and family belonging. Election is first and foremost about God's purpose IN Christ, not a cold ledger of names. Note too that Scripture speaks of election to a relationship and a mission, echoing how God chose Israel to bless the nations. 2) THE WESLEYAN UNDERSTANDING (10 min). Wesley took God's foreknowledge seriously: 'those God foreknew, He also predestined' (Rom 8:29). God, who is outside of time, knows who will respond to His grace — and election flows in harmony with His desire that all be saved. Anchor this in 1 Timothy 2:3-4 and 2 Peter 3:9: God 'wants everyone to be saved' and is 'not wishing that any should perish.' The key Wesleyan word is PREVENIENT GRACE — the grace that goes before, that God pours out on every person, awakening us and enabling a genuine response we could never make on our own. So salvation is ALL of grace from start to finish (we never boast), yet that grace is resistible and the invitation is real for everyone (John 3:16; Titus 2:11). Election is conditional upon faith in Christ, and even that faith is God's gift at work in us. 3) WHY THIS MATTERS FOR ASSURANCE (7 min). The point of these passages is not anxious speculation ('Am I on the list?') but rock-solid comfort: if you are in Christ by faith, you are caught up in a saving purpose older than the world and unbreakable to the end — 'predestined... called... justified... glorified' (Rom 8:30). Be charitable here: name that our Reformed brothers read these texts differently and love Jesus dearly; we hold our view with conviction and humility. The fruit of true election is not pride but holiness and love — Wesley's heart for sanctification.

Move quickly through 3-4 questions from the list below, drawing several voices in. Keep redirecting from abstract debate toward the text and toward assurance in Christ. If the room divides Calvinist/Arminian, model charity: 'We can disagree on the mechanism and still worship the same gracious God.'

Hand each man an index card. On one side have them write the phrase from Ephesians 1 / Romans 8 that names what we are chosen FOR ('holy and blameless,' 'adoption,' 'conformed to the image of His Son'). On the other side, have them complete the sentence: 'Because I am chosen in love, this week I will ______' — one concrete step toward holiness or toward inviting someone else into God's open invitation. In pairs, have them share their sentence and agree to text each other midweek to check in. They keep the card in wallet or Bible.

Summarize: election is God's loving purpose to save us in Christ, made possible by grace that goes before us, secured for all who believe, and aimed at making us like Jesus. Thank God for choosing to love us. Close by praying for the commitments written on the cards, and that each man would walk in assurance and holiness this week.