Joh_4:41-42 - Many Believed.

7. John 4:41-42 - Many Believed.

"And many more believed because of his own word; And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world." Our first question is--"If election were true, why did not all of the people believe on Christ after hearing the testimony of the Samaritan woman?" Notice in John 4:39 :

"And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me that all ever I did."

There were many who believed on Christ because of the Samaritan woman's testimony.  In John 4:41-42 we are told that many believed when they heard Christ himself, but would not believe just by hearing the woman's testimony.  If they were elected to be saved, then why would they not believe the testimony of the Samaritan woman?  The election people state that "whom God had elected possessed irresistible grace"; therefore, how could they have resisted the testimony of the Samaritan woman if they were elected to be saved?

One may reason that, "Well, they were not saved because they would only believe if they heard Christ himself."  If that line of reasoning were true, then no one would be saved today because Christ is not here personally, Himself.  But in Romans 10:17 the Word of God tells us that:

"...faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

If election to salvation were true, then all that heard the testimony of the Samaritan woman would have been unable to resist that word and would have believed. But such is not the case. The second point of interest is found in John 4:42 :

"...for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world."

It does not say "Saviour of the elect" but "Saviour of the world."  It is God's will that all be saved.  If God elected some to be saved, and not others, He would be going against His own will--which would be impossible.