I recently preached on James 1:18 (“Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creation”) as well as Romans 9. In light of those sermons, several people asked me what resources I’d recommend on the doctrine of election/predestination. Here are my top 10:
Ten must read resources on the doctrine of election/predestination:
1. “What we Believe about the Five Points of Calvinism,” by John Piper. This resource, which is available free on-line, is a great place to start. Piper shows how all five points of Calvinism (TULIP) fit together, and how each are connected. Toy with one, and the whole ball of yarn unravels. But what makes this resource so valuable is that he also carefully defends each point against common objections. Each generation has its own objections to the truth of election, and this resource persuasively appeals to today’s readers to see the glory of our salvation through the doctrine of election. This is the place to start.
2. Chosen by God, R. C. Sproul (Tyndale, 1994). This is the go-to book on the classical understanding of the doctrine of election. Sproul writes in a logical fashion, working through all that the doctrine entails, and building a solid biblical case for it. If you are familiar with Sproul’s preaching, you can hear his voice in the pages. Despite Sproul’s use of philosophical and logical categories, this is very accessible, and designed for the lay person who does not feel like they have a firm grasp on election.
3.The Potter’s Freedom, by James White (Calvary Press, 2000). Subtitled, “A Defense of the Reformation and a Rebuttal of Norman Geisler’s Chosen But Free,” this book goes after the American evangelical notion of a “middle way” between conditional election and unconditional election. Geisler’s book Chosen but Free is the worst book I’ve ever read twice. Sadly it is widely accepted as an alternative to the Bible’s teaching on election. White gives it the thorough response that its acceptance demands, yet this book is very helpful for those who have never read Geisler. Because Geisler’s arguments are widely held, don’t shy away from this book simply because you never read Chosen but Free. And if you own Chosen but Free, buy this book immediately, and keep it on your shelf touching the Geisler book, thereby neutralizing its presence.
4. 
Biblical Doctrine, by John MacArthur and Richard Mayhue has an exceptionally helpful section on soteriology (pp. 484-683—section 7). What makes this section so good is how it ties election into the entire doctrine of salvation. It introduces the concept of election by reminding the readers of the Decree of God (pp. 489-493). If one understands that doctrine, then the doctrine of election naturally follows. MacArthur/Mayhue then show how the concept of election connects to the atonement as well as justification. This section itself is book-length, and exceptionally well done. In fact, I think it is my favorite part of the whole book.
5. Speaking of systematic theologies, Chapters 32-34 in Systematic Theology, by Wayne Grudem (Zondervan, 1994). As is true with all of Grudem’s systematic theology, he carefully and charitably lays out arguments for opposing views, then ends by showing his preferred view and explaining why he finds the others deficient. His chapters on election, reprobation, the internal call, and regeneration all clearly argue for a concept of election that is biblical and helpful. Grudem is winsome, and thus this section is a great resource because it is less confrontational than Piper’s or White’s books above.
6. The Pleasures of God, by John Piper (Multnomah, and I prefer the revised edition from 2000). This is my favorite John Piper book. Desiring God may be his bestselling book, but this takes Piper’s concept of Christian hedonism and turns it on its head, looking at it from God’s perspective. If the universe’s greatest good is delighting in God, does God also delight in himself? Yes! And here Piper connects that to the outworking of God’s plan through human history. Instead of putting election in the context of soteriology, The Pleasures of God puts it in the context of theology proper. In other words, this whole book is about the goodness of God, and pages 121-156 show how election fits into that.
7. Slave, by John MacArthur (Thomas Nelson, 2010). MacArthur approaches the issue from an unexpected angle by examining what exactly the New Testament means by calling believers “slaves of Christ.” While this book is not directly about election (although pp 131-141 are), the analogy of slavery is helpful in seeing how election fits into the larger concept of our life in Christ.
8. Still Sovereign, edited by Bruce Ware and Thomas Schriener (Baker, 1995—the 2000 version is one volume and more accessible). This is a multi-author work, and assumes that the reader is generally familiar with the doctrine of election. The authors respond to challenges issue-by-issue. Piper’s chapter on “Are There Two Wills in God?” is exceptional. Jerry Bridges has a chapter explaining how the doctrine of election affects practical godliness. Go to the Amazon link, and check out the Table of Contents.
9. Black and Reformed, by Anthony Carter (Presbyterian and Reformed, 2016, which is the 2nd. edition and the one to get). Carter makes the point that African Americans should believe in the doctrine of election, if for no other reason, how else would you explain the existence of the black church today? Literally enslaved by Christians, many African Americans ended up embracing the religion of their former owners. Carter shows how the sovereignty of God is the best lens through which to understand those events, and then connects this to the doctrine of election. While only one chapter is expressly about election (chapter 2, pp. 39-63 and esp. 42-56), Carter makes a clear and passionate appeal for people of all colors to see God’s hand in their salvation. [Here is a longer review I wrote of this book]
10. The Doctrines of Grace, by James Boice and Philip Ryken (Crossway, 2002). Started by Boice and finished by Ryken after Boice’s death, this book systematically walks through five points of Calvinism. There are many books like this, but this one excels because it uses the language of evangelicals, and constantly shows how a truly evangelical faith hinges on the doctrines of grace.
Here is a similar list put together by Ligonier.
What about you? Have you found any of these helpful? What resource would you add to this list?