You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you…(John 15:16)
Some things to think about…
Whose choice is it? Is it God’s choice or man’s choice who is going to be saved?
If Jesus died for all the sins of all the people ever, doesn’t this include unbelief?
Why, then, aren't all people going to heaven?
Is it God who ensures or man who secures? Is it more loving for God to let everyone of fallen man try and secure his own salvation making it dependent on his own choice, or is it more loving that God ensures that some will be saved, making sure they make the choice?
Did God send His Son to die, so that He could be loved, or did God send His Son to die because He loved?
Does God rescue people that do not love Him, or does He wait till they love Him to rescue them?
Is it “I’m so glad I chose you”, or “I’m so humbled you chose me?” Was it something in me that caused Him to choose me, no, or something in me that caused me to choose Him, no…does it ultimately have to do with us, or was it God’s plan all along? If you believe in Christ, that is wonderful, now give God the glory He is due, for He saved you…
Charles Spurgeon, 19th century preacher, spoke of the gospel call being universal, but the atonement being definite, and it was in an article over at Pyromaniacs the other day, and it is worth looking at if you want some more understanding on this issue…also check out this recent post by our friend Craver VII...
“Living For Today With An Eye For Tomorrow”©
17 comments:
Praise His Holy Name!
Those are the kinds of questions I just love to read.
There is None holy. We are absolutely nothing without Him. Thanks for the reminder that we are just dirt; we don't grow flowers, we aren't fertilizer, we're just dirt. God is the one who puts us in the right pot with the right seeds and the mix to make His garden. (I guess I'm really anticipating spring or it was the picture or something...I've got gardens on the mind!).
dirt-
good comments, right in line with the parable of the sower- we're just dirt, He's got the seed, the water, the fertilizer; we can't even control whether we're good or bad soil or where we're placed (pray against being roadside dirt).
JD-
Very thought provoking questions. I like the way you flip the most common (only?) argument against election around- that a loving God wouldn’t “elect” those to be saved. You make a good counter to that extra-biblical supposition. But in the end, regardless of what I think about election & perseverance, Scripture will be my sole determiner of doctrine. Allow me to textually ruminate what has been bouncing around in my head this morning.
We should always study God’s Word with a sincere readiness to conform our doctrine to His, for anything else is foolishness. God gave us his Word as a loving parent gives instruction to his child: all the truth the beloved child needs, he is given. Likewise, the parent would never allow lies from any deceiver to infiltrate his teachings; we must trust in Scripture alone to determine what we believe. We all initially come to the Bible with pre-conceived ideas of who He is & how we are to relate to Him; this is our doctrine. Think of our doctrine as a round hole & God’s doctrine as revealed in the Bible as the peg. We notice when the square peg does not fit the round hole; & the wise conform the hole to the peg, while the foolish think something along the lines of “I don’t believe God’s like that” & cut the corners off the square peg (delete, ignore, or rationalize away portions of Scripture) until it fits their doctrine. Therefore, may I remind everyone the strongest reason to believe in the election & perseverance of the saints is simply because the Bible says so. JD, I hope you’ll agree.
Indeed...and we use the Word to define what we mean by those terms, letting scripture interpret scripture...
Great post. I am going to use it for my own talks to some people, in Polish.
I am blessed to have blessed you, and may this be a blessing to those whom you share it with. Proclaim the Word, and let God be responsible for the results. May He be glorified with your evangelism, Anne...
Thank you to all who came over here because of the Pyromaniacs link...I pray this post was a blessing to you, and gave you some things to think about and some equipment to use...we post six days a week...hope to see you again real soon...God bless...
I like what Steve said which started with "dirt's" comment, (Steve)- "He's got the seed, the water, the fertilizer; we can't even control whether we're good or bad soil"
Reminded me of (2Tim 2:20) God chooses which vessel we are... (Rom 9:21-23) Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honored use and another for dishonorable use? What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has "prepared beforehand" for glory
Whoa... I just used the same verse, so I linked ya!
When I began exploring the doctrines of grace, it was initiated with questions. I was telling a brother in the Lord about the day I "made a decision" for Jesus Christ, and he popped his eyes wide open and said, "Oh... YOU decided?" His message came through loud and clear, but it took a few months before I was ready to fully embrace it.
Back at 'ya, buddy...
Even So, could you please post this one at BlueCollar at your earliest convenience?
This was great. These were (and still are at times) the very questions that I wrestled with in prayer and while sharing the gospel; the only answers that brought any measure of clarity, comfort and hope were those given through God's revelation of Himself, in His written word; answers that I've found entirely consistent with those given under the doctrines of grace.
Blue, that was my intent, so thanks for the green light...
Kristine, that was a blessing to me...as it is a blessing when others discover these truths...
As a youth, I struggled alot with the 'fairness' of predestination. I was always scared that maybe I wasn't actually chosen. It also concerned me that I was witnessing to people that were maybe not chosen,so I was wasting my time, and God's time praying for them.
Believing in the sovereignty of God and desiring to give Him all the glory for the things in my life has changed all this, but this line of questions sure will provoke thought to help those that are young in the faith not to have the same troubles I did.
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