Why Arguing About Election With Unbelievers Fails

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says "It is a subject that you should never argue about with an unbeliever. Never. For the same reason as I've just been giving. But people often do this. We've probably all done it. I've certainly done it myself many years ago. I spent many hours of my life in doing it. I see now it was quite wrong. Unbelievers should never be allowed to discuss this subject. You should tell them at the very beginning that being unbelievers they can't possibly hope to receive it, not to have any kind of understanding of it. In any case, if you discuss this with them, they're on very happy ground as far as they themselves are concerned. While they're arguing about these doctrines, they're not considering themselves. And the thing to do with an unbeliever is to make him face himself. He's always ready to argue about election and predestination. Of course, he sits back very happily. He's all right. He means you are on the defensive and he's attacking. You'll never do any good like that. We are to be the attackers. And therefore, we direct these people to themselves, to their lives, to their need, and to the Lord Jesus Christ. No man has ever been saved by believing the doctrine of election. No man has ever been saved by believing in predestination. The only way of salvation is to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. you"