Before man had existence, before he could sin, repent, or believe; before he could act, choose, or respond; before he could lift a finger in obedience or defiance, his place in the unchanging counsel of God’s will was already determined. II Timothy 1:9. Election and reprobation both flow from the same divine prerogative, rooted not in foreseen merit or demerit but in the unfathomable counsel of “Him who works all things after the counsel of His own will.” Ephesians 1:11. This is not a reactionary decree, but an eternal one, rooted in God’s unchanging nature and eternal purpose in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 3:11. This utterly refutes the idea that salvation originates with man’s will, deed, or even his ‘fall’ into sin. Every shred of self-reliance is shattered, and we are left exposed, helpless and wholly dependent upon the sovereign grace of God in Christ Jesus. “It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.” Romans 9:16. God alone saves, and He saves whom He will. MPJ