This is a blog I wrote a couple months ago on Facebook... let me know what you think. I am still unsure of what I truly believe about this subject. Let me know!
"So I have really been wrestling with this for a while. Predestination... what is it? Is it true? I don't know. I was recently reading in "The Westminster Confession of Faith" a chapter entitled, God Accomplishes His Soverign Determinative Purpose.
This book is awesome if any of you havn't read it. In this chapter it states, with scriptural backing, that "By the determinative purpose of God, for the expicit declaration of his glory, certian people and angels* are chosen for everlasting life. Other's are chosen for everlasting death." After that it states, "These predestined and elected people and anfels are specific and unchangeably designated. So certain adn definite is their inclusion, none can be added nor subtracted*."
These two statements really got me thinking. First off, would God really, truly pick and chose who is going to Heaven and who is not? The scripture for this is, I Timothy 5:21, Matthew 25:41, Tomans 9:22-23, Ephesians 1:5-6, and Proverbs 16:4. All these verses state that exact thing, that God predestined us to Heaven or Hell.
Now, if this is true (which it has to be because it being scripture and all), I guess it would be for His glory that He did this; to show His soverignty. So, the second statement really doesn't make any sense at all, specifically "...none can be added nor subtracted." Here are the verses for that, II Timothy 2:19, and John 13:18. This part really made me think... if none can be added, or subtracted... then what is the point of evangelizing? If no one can be added to God's predestined "list," then what is the purpose of us going out and spreading the Gospel other then because He commanded us to.
A friend of mine said to look at II Peter 3:8-10: "8But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 10But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare."
This excites me because this says that by going out, we are quickening the process of Him coming back... Tell me what you think..."
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Predestination...
Posted by jon at 12:41 AM
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4 comments:
What about scripture that says and contridicts:
"The son of Man came to seek and save what was lost" (Luke 19:10) or "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)
Jon
Basically the Bible is full of all these wonderful, yet mysterious paradoxes (seemingsly contradictions, but not). Maybe the greatest is how God is completely sovereign over our salvation as well as us being completely held responsible for choosing Christ.
I believe the Bible firmly teaches predestination, otherwise you would literally have to throw out countless number of verses. And I believe the Bible firmly teaches that man is held responsible in turning to Christ. The problem we have is trying to only believe one or the other because they seem to contradict one another. But until we can hold these truths together, we'll always be shoving parts of the Bible aside.
Christians are written in the book of the Lamb who was slain (Revelation something) before the foundation of the world. Also, based on John 10 and other passages, I believe Jesus had us (Christians only) in mind when he died, and ultimately died for those who were to be saved. But I know that is a another can of worms.
To your thoughts on evangelism, you're right, at first it doesn't make much sense that if God is in control that he would need us to evangelize. But the reality is that he sovereignly sets up the ends as well as the means (us).
anyway, I got to run right now, but I'd love to discuss this later. Good thoughts man.
This has been a debate between christians for a long time and has caused some division. Hence you have denominations such as Baptist and Presbyterians. Which is fine, some people believe one way others another.
I personally leave this debate at: "something to ask God when I get to heaven". Because both points are in scripture.
Who can know the mind of God right?
I remember as a an early teenager I was on a bus coming back from a retreat and the speaker had said that God chose some people to go to heaven and some to go to hell. I cried and sat alone on the bus wanting to speak to no one. All I kept thinking was then why did he make all the people? And if that's true, then what makes me so special? And why are some not special like me?
I leave all those questions at the feet of Christ. I don't want to think in the chosen vs not chosen. Chosen or not all humans were created in the image of God. So I'm gonna love God, love people and leave the debate. It's over my head.
Great post :)
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