By the Numbers

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Predestination, Election, & Free Will

                         Predestination, Election, & Free Will
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Does God predestine everything so that we are no more than robots? Do we make free decisions so that we rightfully deserve the consequences? Is God somehow unfair with the non-elect? Can we reconcile these concepts, or are they a hopeless contradiction? What does the Bible teach and can we believe it?
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Does God Predestine Everything So That We Are No  More Than Robots?
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God in infinite wisdom and power chose the best plan to create and continue the universe. Existing before creation outside time, God can act anywhere anytime within it to accomplish His will. As Primary Cause God knows the exact spot, direction, and speed of everything--it all depends upon His sustaining power and will.  So, "in Him we live, and move, and have our being" (Gen. 1:1; Col. 1:17;  Acts 17:28). So God enables His natural laws and His creatures  to work precisely as He designed them to do. If it were not so, anything could happen without rime or reason, the world would be utter chaos and irrational confusion. 
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Further, the Bible mentions  terms that mean God knows things are certain to happen before they occur.  These words are: predestination (Rom. 8:29-30; Ephesians. 1:5, 11), foreordaination (Acts 4:28; Ephesians 2:10; 1 Pet. 1:20; Jude 4) foreknowledge (Acts 2:23; Rom. 11:2) and calling (1 Cor. 1:9; 7:17, 24; 15:9). These are plain undeniable Bible teachings.
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 God, as Alpha and Omega and the eternal I Am, knows past, present, and future all at once with no surprises. And what He knows will happen, will happen, or He couldn't know it. "I am God and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning" (Isa. 46:10). "Known to God from eternity are all His works" (Acts 15:18). So the all-knowing timeless God took within His plan before creation human decisions, sin, Satan, unbelief, suffering, prayer, salvation, Heaven and Hell.  It's proven by numerous details of fulfilled prophecies concerning individuals, nations, and the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:4). God's knowing everything in advance means that they will occur, and that from His perspective everything is in fact fixed or predestinated. But what does it mean from man's limited perspective within time?
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Do We Make Free Decisions So That We Rightfully Deserve The Consequences?
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Yes, the infinite God acts to uphold everything and has ultimate control,  but He allows finite persons control in a secondary sense. God created man in His mental, moral, immortal image (Gen. 1:26).  This means man unlike other creatures and nature is a thinking willing moral person made for relationship with His Creator. Like God, man's mind and will transcend the natural order of the world. People are more than mindless stones or instinctive animals--mind transcends matter, thought controls things. We can understand causes, consequences, and make contrary choices as needed. We see a cloud darkening overhead, the wind stirring things up on the ground, and know if we don't seek shelter we will soon get wet. Unlike the most intelligent animal, we create art, science, literature, philosophy, law, prayer, and worship of God.. While heredity and environment influence us, our decisions are our own. We have a degree of unforced libertarian freedom.
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Throughout the Bible, God's  every command, warning, invitation, and judgment  imply our freedom to obey. Likewise, every human rejection, excuse, and neglect suggest we are   responsible to obey. No, we are not programmed robots--being in God's image we  can make free choices  knowing they  have consequences and we bear responsibility. Conditions and persons do influence us, yet our choices are neither uncaused, nor caused by another--we decide as free moral agents otherwise praise and blame make no sense. There's no eternal regress of causes as God gives us freedom being in His image.
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The Bible teaches that we are free moral agents in many texts. The best known is John 3:16, "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." Consider the whosoever texts--John 3:18; 6:37; Rev. 22:17. The believe on Jesus texts--John 6:69; 8:24; 9:36, 38; 10:25; Acts 16:31.  Free agency is shown in other texts--Deut. 30:19; Josh. 24:15; 2 Sam. 24:12. We have texts showing people freely reject God--Jer. 7:23-26; Matt. 23:37; John 6:46; 7:30; 2 Peter 3:5). "You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, as your fathers" (Acts 7:51).  All these plain texts are difficult to deny and show that with man it's free will and responsibility.
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Is God Somehow Unfair With The Non-elect?
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We can quickly dismiss that God is the Author of sin. For God created a good world  and tempts no one to sin (Gen. 1:31; Jam. 1:13-14).  Lucifer in prideful disobedience to God brought sin into the universe and our first parents Adam and Eve listened to him in disobedience to God and brought it into our world. Sin separates us from a holy or morally perfect God. We are born with a sinful nature and commit sins, thus needing a Savior to cleanse us, make us acceptable to God, and fit for Heaven (Ps.51:5; Isa. 59:2). As sinners, we all deserve death and Hell, but for God's grace (Rom. 6:23). Besides, God knows things we don't and can't know. God doesn't have to save any of us.
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The Bible does teach God chooses some persons to be saved which means others are not chosen. We read in Ephesians 1:4-5, "He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will."  Election is mentioned also in Deut. 7:6; Isaiah 45:4; John 6:44: Acts 13:48; 1 Thessalonians. 1:4.
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Persons have serious problems with election that we must address. Don't our differences mean election is somewhat unavoidable?  Christians are given different spiritual gifts. The body of Christ has differing members--the hand, foot, eye? We're not all the same in ability, opportunity, mindset--wouldn't it be a dull world if we were? There are even different degrees of reward in Heaven and punishments in Hell. Aren't these things a kind of divine election?
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Several things need mention here. It's not God's will that anyone perish but God knew that in creating a moral world that allowed free choice some would reject Him and righteousness (2 Peter 3:9). He knew this would not be the best world, but the best way to the best world--Heaven. That would assure our dignity and give Him the greatest glory. We could not otherwise know of His forgiveness, grace, justice, mercy, and our utter need of Him. And unrepentant rebels must have their own kind of place--darkness, evil.

God gives abundant testimony of Himself and the relationship He desires with us. Design in creation speaks of a great Designer (Rom. 1:20). Human conscience speaks of a Moral Lawgiver and makes no sense with an all-knowing Judge (Rom. 2:14-15). God has acted throughout history in supernatural ways and through His messengers the prophets, apostles and witnesses. God's Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8-11). The Bible says we are without excuse suppressing the truth and loving sin rather than righteousness (John. 3:19-21; 7:17; Rom. 1:18-20). God may even speak to us in dreams and visions (Gen. 20:7; 41:1-7; Numbers 12:6; Matt.27:19). God promises throughout Scripture that those who fervently seek the Lord will find Him (Deut. 429; Isa. 55:6; Jer. 29:11; Matt. 7:7-8; Heb. 11:6). We have examples of some who did--Wise Men, Matt. 2:1-12; Nicodemus, John 3; Ethiopian, Acts 8:26-39; Cornelius, Acts 10.
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Some person object to election. They say election makes evangelism unnecessary. If the chosen will be saved anyway, why bother to tell people of the Savior.  Answer. We don't know who the chosen are. People are saved through our sharing the gospel. Not to tell others of the Savior is disobedience to God. It's loss of spiritual and eternal rewards. Election is unfair to those not chosen.  But some persons hate a holy God, right living, and love their sin. Answer. We mentioned above that God promised all who seek Him will find Him. Even with repeated opportunities they prefer their sin and despise right living.  God can't force persons to love Him. Election would encourage moral laxity. Why struggle to be good if you're going to Heaven anyway? Answer. It results in loss of joy and peace in the Lord. Brings condemnation, guilt, and shame.  Bad influence for Christ. God disciplines sons even to physical death. Again, a loss of Heaven's rewards. Election seems arbitrary or without good reason. Our knowledge is but a dot in the universe of knowledge. Answer. It's a decision based upon our all-knowing, wise, good, just, and loving Creator.
Can We Reconcile Predestination With Free Will, Or Are They A Hopeless Contradiction?
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Scripture teaches that in God's timeless plan He alone saves by grace through faith. It seems God initiates it by convicting, drawing and enabling persons to be saved (John 1:12-13; 6:44; 16:8-11; Acts 13:48; 16:14). But, we do the coming, believing, and receiving salvation as God's gift (John 5:24; 6:29, 37; Acts 16:31; Rom. 6:23; Ephesian.2:8-9).  For a truly loving God can't force love on the unwilling--it's a contradiction. But an all-knowing God knows who will come to love Him in their own time--it's predestined! God upholds human existence, humans decide their fate.
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I don't have all the answers. But I pray God will use U and I as His ambassadors to tell the world of our Savior, Lord, and Guide. I pray we will see many persons living a Godly life and in Heaven that He has used us to go tell the gospel. Lord enable us to be Your true obedient followers as fishers of men (Matthew 4:19). God bless U.
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Friday, September 6, 2013

God Works Things Together for Good!

                       God Works Things Together for Good!
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#God's-Ways    #Anthropic-Principle  #Theodicy
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Romans 8:28 says, "We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them" (New Living Translation). But many persons including true Christian believers are quick to ask: What about Hitler types? What about natural disasters? Why does God allow such evils to exist? Why doesn't the Almighty Creator destroy them? What about those who love God? Let's consider these questions one at a time.
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What About Hitler Types?
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Yes, history is full of dictators who want to conquer the world  and impose their thinking and way of life on others. Consider Genghis  Khan, Caesar, Muhammad, Hitler, others, and the final one will be Antichrist (Rev. 13). They don't care how many persons are killed or properties destroyed. Such tyrants have even tried to destroy Israel, God's chosen people. You ask how can a good God allow that? God  promised the nation Israel would be blessed and prosper in every way, if Israel obeyed his commands, but would be cursed if it did not (Deuteronomy 27-28).  It's not hard to imagine that applies to all the nations but in God's timing. 
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Those curses included many things nations are increasingly guilty of today such as idolatry, sexual deviation with the same sex or even animals, theft, deception, murder. Not all persons within a nation may be guilty, but when they may do nothing to avert those who do practice such things they must be punished along with the others. Only our Creator God can know what is best for us and can serve as our standard of what is true and right and good. His laws are not given to hurt us or spoil our fun, but to insure our health and happiness. So we must trust and obey the commands and promises of His Word. Even national leaders and citizens without the  Bible have a conscience to know right from wrong and would be quick to object if the evil things they do were done to them. Dictators who want to dominate the world, deceive, destroy, and murder--they are of the devil.
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It's said we think 10,000 or more thoughts a day. Respectfully, may I ask what your thoughts are? Are they: Thank you Lord for my many benefits. Guide me to know and do your will. Forgive my sin and restore my fellowship with You. I love You  Lord. I want to tell others of your love and goodness. Having no such thoughts, we might be tempted to want power and conquest? Aren't we arrogant to think we know better than the very Creator, Sustainer, and Judge of all men? And are we certain there's no consequences and no Hell? What would Heaven become if all the evil God rejecting people went there? It's simply impossible because Heaven with God is pure truth, goodness, and love.  In loving evil, people choose Hell.
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What About Natural Disasters?
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Natural disasters may destroy thousands of lives and cause millions of dollars in loss of properties. The news so often tells us of hurricanes, floods, forest fires, mudslides, volcanoes, earthquakes occurring in places throughout the world. Quite true, but it's not mentioned and only recently understood that much of this is really necessary and beneficial. The earth is covered with more than two thirds water and in places miles deep. These disasters are often the result of tectonic plates that move and push up the lands and mountains preventing earth being completely covered or eroded. And these things must occur to keep the world in balance, even above water and livable.
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Knowing such disasters occur, aren't we foolish to take unnecessary chances like building houses on live volcanoes, in dry river beds, beside slopping mountains, near an earthquake fault. God doesn't stop His natural laws or perform a miracle every time we do something foolish. Moreover, it's wise to take out insurance and check out conditions and plan to avoid dangerous conditions. Rather than blame God, live a bitter rebellious life, we do well to admit our mistakes and learn from them.
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The anthropic principle points in multiple ways that our planet is designed for the coming of man. Our sun is the right size, the right place in the galaxy, and is the right distance from the earth to insure life.  If earth's revolution around the sun,  or its rotation on its axis were slower  or faster we would either burn or freeze. If our atmosphere were different we couldn't breath and we would have no fires or too many. Without the pressures in the earth we wouldn't have coal, oil, gas, and metals such as copper, gold, silver, iron that we need to make things. All the different kinds of animals, plants, fish and birds show specified complexity impossible to attribute to mere accident and time.
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 Nature has no mind or will, and all living things show design pointing to a great and good designer God who made them for us. This is cause to rejoice, be thankful, and trust in a living and good Almighty Creator who knows and cares about us.
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Why Does God Allow Such Evils to Exist If He Could Immediately Destroy Them?
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God would not immediately eliminate evil as we're all sinners to varying degrees. But He can and will defeat it gradually being most kind, understanding, and patient with us. God gives us abundant opportunities to see His goodness, see our sin, and turn to Him for forgiveness and a love-trust relationship that issues in obedience and hope.
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 He could have created us as programmed robots but gave us the dignity of free will and opportunity for loving trusting relationship with Him forever. In infinite knowledge and wisdom, He knew before creation that we would sin (Isa. 46:10; Ephesians 1:4, 11).  And He knew the very best way to overcome sin was not to destroy the sinner, but defeat the sin. This God did in sending His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, Messiah, the God-man. 
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This isn't the best world, but it's the best way to the best world--Heaven. It's our choice whether we want God and abundant life with Him, or have our own way with the resulting consequence--the lonely dark dispare of eternal Hell (John 3:36). Fulfillment with a loving God (John 3:16), or frustration and futility with His Enemy (John 8:44)--it's each person's choice.
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What About Those Who Love God?
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Yes, we are perplexed and sinful, and only when we trust God, can we see His promises come to pass. Ancient Job lost his wealth, family, health, and couldn't understand why. He knew nothing of Satan's plot to prove Job only served God for His benefits. But Job still trusted God, grew in faith, and finally was restored in God's grace. It was no accident slave baby Moses became a prince of Egypt, and being a murderer was banished to the wilderness forty years.  That's what prepared him to fulfill God's purpose in leading Israel through the wilderness to the promised land.  
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Joseph's dreams offended his brothers who sold him into slavery, and a wicked woman had him imprisoned. But Joseph trusted the Lord and remained true until his dreams became realities as God overruled man's evils to enable now governor Joseph to save many from famine. God's name is never mentioned in the Book of Esther. But His unseen hand is very much at work in Esther's becoming queen, in a sleepless King Ahasuerus hearing his chronicles read, in Haman's plot to hang Mordecai and eliminate the Jews being foiled,  and in Haman being hung on the gallows he made for Mordecai. Saul, the great persecutor of Christians, became Paul, the great preacher of Christ who said, "for me to live is Christ, to die is gain." That can be true in the life of every faithful obedient believer. Trust God's way and timing for it to come true in your life.
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Can we apply some important lessons from all this to our lives? These incidents don't read like fiction, but human faults and facts. They're not made up stories, but real God ordained events. God's unseen hand works things together for good for those who love Him, who are called for His purpose. But we must show faith, obedience and patience in God's timing and God's way--changes take time. We will be tested and not live perfect lives. But in the end we are proved right, wicked unbelief wrong. Justice will be achieved, if not now, later. We wrongly blame God, live bitter, rebellious lives for the problems we humans largely make ourselves.
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God knows best and works things together in His time and His way and we are wise to trust in the promises in His Word. Of course, it starts with a commitment to Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior paying the penalty for our sins on the cross. If you haven't done this, won't you trust him now and follow Jesus all your life for His glory and your good? He knows U, yet loves U as no other can. Trust and obey, there's no other way.
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Link on to other terrific articles mentioned to the right side or below. God bless.
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