Tag Archives: chosen

GOD TICKS ALL HIS BOXES

Christian Life, ,

Ephesians 1:11 NLT‬
[11]”Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes EVERYTHING work out ACCORDING to his PLAN.”

God’s story is fascinating! Written over millenia by many different authors, only God could have pre-wriiten His book and then made a living ‘movie’ of the script which follows the book to the letter.

Since God is omniscient, He saw the whole of history played out before it happened. So, through visions, dreams, and prophetic insights, He could tell His chosen prophets what would happen, in detail, before it happened, to forewarn and prepare them for coming events. Through prophecy and its fulfillment, He could also provide evidence that He is God by being able, accurately, to foretell the future.

Not only does He know how, when, and where history would unfold, but He can also guide people and events to do His will as He has decreed.

So, this means that He has the wisdom and power to tick all His boxes as they happen. This also means that God is never taken by surprise or out of options when stuff happens.

Isaiah’s prophecies, especially from chapter 40 onwards, give us many assurances of God’s foreknowledge and divine plans.

‭Isaiah 41:25-26 NLT‬
[25] “But I have stirred up a leader who will approach from the north. From the east he will call on my name. I will give him victory over kings and princes. He will trample them as a potter treads on clay. [26] “Who told you from the beginning that this would happen? Who predicted this, making you admit that he was right? No one said a word!”

‭Isaiah 42:8-9 NLT‬
[8] “I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else, nor share my praise with carved idols. [9] Everything I prophesied has come true, and now I will prophesy again. I will tell you the future before it happens.”

‭Isaiah 43:9, 11-12 NLT‬
[9] “Gather the nations together! Assemble the peoples of the world! Which of their idols has ever foretold such things? Which can predict what will happen tomorrow? Where are the witnesses of such predictions? Who can verify that they spoke the truth?…
[11] I, yes I, am the Lord, and there is no other Savior. [12] First I predicted your rescue, then I saved you and proclaimed it to the world. No foreign god has ever done this. You are witnesses that I am the only God,” says the Lord.”

So, we can go on through the book of Isaiah, chapter after chapter assuring the reader of God’s foreknowledge and control of history, matching history perfectly with the script.

What can we derive from these observations?

God’s Word is true.

We have the amazing witness of prophecy that reveals God’s wisdom and power to us. God ticks every box in His unfolding story, not one detail missing or out of place.

God’s word is trustworthy.

Scripture give us enough evidence of its trustworthiness from its records of the past that we can equally trust its predictions of the future and its promises for now and forever.

God has written the story of nations and individuals.

David wrote, with great confidence, about himself.

‭Psalms 139:16 NLT‬
[16] “You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.”

Just as every detail of history is planned and executed to the letter, so it is with every person on earth. Before their birth and after their death, all is planned and done.

‭Revelation 20:11-13 NLT‬
[11]”And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. [12] I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. [13] The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds.”

God’s word is practical.

‭John 8:31-32 NLT‬
[31]”Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. [32] And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

The Bible is not a book of theories or theology. It’s a book of life, teaching and guiding us in God’s way.

He has set out His instructions for living through the lives and witness who wrote it down for those who followed them. Their experiences helped them to understand God’s ways so that they could urge others to follow them.

‭1 Corinthians 11:1 NLT‬
[1] “And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.”

‭Psalms 119:105 NLT‬
[105]” Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.”

God’s word is powerful.

‭Jeremiah 23:29 NLT‬
[29] “Does not my word burn like fire?” says the Lord. “Is it not like a mighty hammer that smashes a rock to pieces?”

‭Hebrews 4:12 NLT‬
[12] “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.”

No other book has the power, not only to expose but also to change the heart and destiny of all who believe it.

‭1 Peter 1:23 NLT‬
[23]” For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.”

God’s word created and sustains everything.

‭Psalms 33:6 NLT‬
[6] “The Lord merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born.”

‭Hebrews 1:2-3 NLT‬
[2] “And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. [3] The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.”

So, dear brothers and sisters, ought we not to treasure, read and obey this Word? Through it, we are assured that God will tick our tiny boxes among all the boxes He is working on to complete His story.

CHOSEN AND PREDESTINED – 2a

Bible Study, ,

Ephesians 1:11-12 NIV‬
[11] “In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, [12] in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.”

God has written some things in His book that are incomprehensible or even distasteful to some people. For example, theologians have tried to argue away or justify the fact that God chooses people. “Since God knows everything,” they say, “He knew who woud believe in Jesus, so He chose them to be saved.”

However, such reasoning is one-sided and incomplete and does not therefore, fit in with Scripture. Instead, it compromises God’s absolute sovereignty and puts people’s freedom to choose as the reason behind God’s choosing. Humans try to explain away God’s apparent unfairness since they think that He is unfair if He arbitrarily chooses some and sends the rest to hell (so it seems)!

Is this true of the God of the Bible? Can we legitimately accuse Him of a travesty of justice like this? If so, then He is no longer God and we can no longer trust His love.

There must be a way to understand the issue of choice without putting God on trial.

First, we must understand the PURPOSE and MOTIVE of His choices. It is not primarily about destination – who goes to heaven and who goes to hell – but about the REASON for predestination.
So, for what purpose does God choose people?

Let’s allow the Apostle Paul to explain.

‭Romans 8:29 NIV‬
[29] “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.”

Let got “questions.com” explain for us.

“The words translated “predestined” in the Scriptures referenced above are from the Greek word proorizo, which carries the meaning of “determining beforehand,” “ordaining,” “deciding ahead of time.” So, predestination is God determining certain things to occur ahead of time. What did God determine ahead of time? According to Romans 8:29-30, God predetermined that certain individuals would be conformed to the likeness of His Son, be called, justified, and glorified. Numerous scriptures refer to believers in Christ being chosen (Matthew 24:22, 31; Mark 13:20, 27; Romans 8:33, 9:11, 11:5-7, 28; Ephesians 1:11; Colossians 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 1:4; 1 Timothy 5:21; 2 Timothy 2:10; Titus 1:1; 1 Peter 1:1-2, 2:9; 2 Peter 1:10). Predestination is the biblical doctrine that God in His sovereignty chooses certain individuals to be saved.

“Predestination is an explicitly biblical doctrine. Yet the determination of predestination is not disconnected from the rest of God’s unchanging character (Malachi 3:6). It is connected to His foreknowledge (Romans 8:29, 11:2), His love (Ephesians 1:4-5), and His plan and pleasure (Ephesians 1:5). God’s desire is that all would be saved and come to repentance (1 Timothy 2:4, 2 Peter 3:9). Predestination is personal and relational, not capricious.

“The most common objection to the doctrine of predestination is that it is unfair. Why would God choose certain individuals and not others? We must remember that no one deserves to be saved. We have all sinned (Romans 3:23) and are all worthy of eternal punishment (Romans 6:23). As a result, God would be perfectly just in allowing all of us to spend eternity in hell. However, God chooses to save some of us. He is not being unfair to those who are not chosen, because they are receiving what they deserve. God’s choosing to be gracious to some is not unfair to the others. No one deserves anything from God; therefore, no one can object if he does not receive anything from God.

An illustration would be a man randomly handing out money to five people in a crowd of twenty. Would the fifteen people who did not receive money be upset? Probably so. Do they have a right to be upset? No, they do not. Why? Because the man did not owe anyone money. He simply decided to be gracious to some.

“If God is choosing who is saved, doesn’t that undermine our free will to choose and believe in Christ? The Bible says that we have the choice—all who believe in Jesus Christ will be saved (John 3:16; Romans 10:9-10). The Bible never describes God rejecting anyone who believes in Him or turning away anyone who is seeking Him (Deuteronomy 4:29). The truths of God’s sovereign predestination and also man’s responsibility are not mutually exclusive. Somehow, in the mystery of God, predestination works hand-in-hand with a person being drawn by God (John 6:44) and believing unto salvation (Romans 1:16). God predestines who will be saved, and we must choose Christ in order to be saved. Both facts are equally true. Romans 11:33 proclaims, “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!”
(Copied from gotquestion.com, article entitled “What is predestination?”)

What is foreknowledge?

Once more, we look to the Bible to explain itself.

“Foreknowledge is knowing things or events before they exist or happen. In Greek, the term for “foreknowledge” is prognosis, which expresses the idea of knowing reality before it is real and events before they occur. In Christian theology, foreknowledge refers to the all-knowing, omniscient nature of God whereby He knows reality before it is real, all things and events before they happen, and all people before they exist…. “

“The Bible teaches that God’s children were chosen beforehand, and God’s foreknowledge was involved. The elect are those “who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father” (1 Peter 1:2). “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters” (Romans 8:29).

However…

“The foreknowledge of God is farther than His ability to “see the future”; His foreknowledge is a true “knowing” of what will come to pass, based on His free choice. He decrees what will come to pass. In other words, foreknowledge is not just intellectual; it is personal and relational.”
(gotquestion.com, article entited “What is foreknowledge in the Bible?”)

What the Bible is saying, then, is that
God chose people to be conformed to the image of Jesus because it gave Him pleasure to do so. He also chose them, called them, and conformed them to the image of Jesus because He knew and decided it would happen before it happened.

‭Ephesians 1:11 NLT‬
[11] “Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makesp everything work out according to his plan.”

God’s foreknowledge and predestination is reason, then, not to complain but to celebrate as a revelation of His mercy and grace.

THE ULTIMATE REWARD

Bible Study, ,

THE ULTIMATE REWARD

“‘I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill this passage of Scripture: ‘He who shared my bread has turned against me.’

“I am telling you now before it happens so that, when it does happen you will believe that I am who I am. Very truly I tell you, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.'” John 13:18-20 NIV.

Amazing, isn’t it, how often the experience of Jesus paralleled that of His ancestor, David! He often quoted David’s words, or the gospel writers quoted David to show how accurately Jesus fulfilled Messianic prophecy. Jesus even cried out in David’s words, in the anguish of His abandonment on the cross, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”

Psalm 41 is one of the psalms which David possibly wrote at some time during the years of his flight from Saul’s murderous jealousy; or perhaps in his reign after a time of serious illness he describes how God sustained him in his weakness and vulnerability in spite of his enemies’ wish that he would die. Even the one closest to him had turned against him and he felt keenly the pain of betrayal.

In a time of intimate fellowship and a tender moment with His disciples before He left them. Jesus was face-to-face with His betrayer. He wanted Judas to know that He knew what he was about to do. It was a silent plea for Judas to think again. He was also warning the other eleven of what was soon to happen so that they would realize who He was when it happened.

He knew that His lesson on humility and loving service would be lost on Judas who was already so hardened against Jesus and his fellow disciples that the words of Jesus fell on the hard soil of his heart, just like the parable Jesus had told about the sower and the seed. There were important things Jesus needed to tell His disciples before He left them but they would be wasted on the traitor. He hinted at the fact that Judas was no longer included in the company of His followers.

One thing Judas needed to hear, even if it was for the last time, that there is an inseparable union between a disciple, his Master and the Father. The mission Judas was about to embark on was not one on which he was sent by his erstwhile Master. By his own choice, that connection had been broken and Judas was on his own, and would have to face the music of his actions alone.

On the other hand, those who went at the bidding of their Master showed that they enjoyed the oneness with the Master and the Father which Jesus had already proved by His obedience to the Father’s will. To accept and submit to Jesus’ authority was to submit to the authority of the Father. Now Jesus takes it a step further, to accept the one whom Jesus sends is the same as accepting Him, and to accept Him is to accept the one who sent Him.

This puts the follower of Jesus in a very secure position. Although the Father required of Jesus obedience that went as far as giving Himself as a sacrifice on the cross for the sins of the world, Jesus knew that His obedience would not end there. He was destined for a position in the universe higher than any other. In the same way, although He may call His followers to deprivation and suffering in this life, He has guaranteed us eternal life because He rose from the dead and will never die again.

How tragic that Judas was willing to forfeit this glorious destiny for a reason only he knew. Was he trying to force Jesus to make a move against the Romans and fufill his and the disciples’ dreams of a kingdom free from Roman oppression? Was he only motivated by greed and the bag of silver the religious hierarchy had offered him for handing Jesus over to them?

Whatever Judas’ motive for betraying His Master, it was transient like the world he loved. It could never match the grandeur of the future prepared for those who faithfully follow the Messiah. There may be trials to endure but, as the apostle Paul said, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. ” 2 Corinthians 4:17, 18 NIV.

Acknowledgement

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

CHOSEN AND PREDESTINED

Bible Study, ,

CHOSEN AND PREDESTINED

In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of His glory (Eph. 1: 11-12).

Do you remember when you used to pick petals off a daisy? “He loves me, he loves me not,” you would say as you tossed each petal aside, hoping fervently that the last one would be ”He loves me!”

Some people think that God treats people like that. He sits in heaven, sorting people out, muttering, “One for heaven, one for hell,” while the angels look on. Unfortunately, it’s not quite as simple or as unlikely as that.

“Predestination” has puzzled and divided people into two theological camps since the days when Paul wrote his letters. One group adamantly champions the theological persuasion called “Calvinism” because John Calvin was the first to flesh out Paul’s teaching into a full-blown theological treatise.

“The five points of Calvinism can be summarized by the acronym TULIP. T stands for total depravity, U for unconditional election, L for limited atonement, I for irresistible grace, and P for perseverance of the saints . . . http://www.gotquestions.org/calvinism.html – retrieved December 2015.

Calvin’s teaching highlights the sovereignty of God. Let’s talk about the L and I in TULIP.

“Limited Atonement – Because God determined that certain ones should be saved as a result of God’s unconditional election, He determined that Christ should die for the elect alone. All whom God has elected and for whom Christ died will be saved (Matthew 1:21; John 10:11; 17:9; Acts 20:28; Romans 8:32; Ephesians 5:25).


“Irresistible Grace – Those whom God elected He draws to Himself through irresistible grace. God makes man willing to come to Him. When God calls, man responds (John 6:37, 44; 10:16) . . .

“While all these doctrines have a biblical basis, many people reject all or some of them. So-called “four-point Calvinists” accept Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Irresistible Grace, and Perseverance of the Saints as biblical doctrines. Man is definitely sinful and incapable of believing in God on his own. God elects people based on His will alone – election is not based on any merit in the person chosen. All those whom God has chosen will come to faith. All those who are truly born-again will persevere in their faith. As for Limited Atonement, however, four-point Calvinists believe that atonement is unlimited, arguing that Jesus died for the sins of the whole world, not just for the sins of the elect . . .”

http://www.gotquestions.org/calvinism.html – retrieved December 2015.

Jacobus Arminius, a Dutch theologian who lived from 1560-1609, argued vigorously for the freedom of man to choose to believe in Jesus or not. While Calvin championed the sovereignty of God, Arminius stood for human responsibility.

“In general, Arminians believe there is an “intermediate” state between total depravity and salvation. In this state, made possible by prevenient grace, the sinner is being drawn to Christ and has the God-given ability to choose salvation . . .

“Calvinism sees the atonement as limited, while Arminianism sees it as unlimited. This is the most controversial of the five points. Limited atonement is the belief that Jesus only died for the elect. Unlimited atonement is the belief that Jesus died for all, but that His death is not effectual until a person receives Him by faith . . .

“So, in the Calvinism vs. Arminianism debate, who is correct? It is interesting to note that in the diversity of the body of Christ, there are all sorts of mixtures of Calvinism and Arminianism . . .  Many believers arrive at some sort of mixture of the two views. Ultimately, it is our view that both systems fail in that they attempt to explain the unexplainable. Human beings are incapable of fully grasping a concept such as this. Yes, God is absolutely sovereign and knows all. Yes, human beings are called to make a genuine decision to place faith in Christ unto salvation. These two facts seem contradictory to us, but in the mind of God they make perfect sense.”

http://www.gotquestions.org/Calvinism-vs-Arminianism.html – retrieved December 2105.

However, we must not lose sight of the fact that Paul was not so much presenting a doctrine as a reason to worship God for His grace and mercy to them. Against the background of the evils that went in in the city of Ephesus, he worshipped God for wonders of the mercy he had revealed to his readers who were part of those whom God has chosen to be His family of blessed people. He has done everything in Christ “to the praise of His glory.”

Scripture is taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Have you read my first book, Learning to be a Son – The Way to the Father’s Heart (Copyright © 2015, Partridge Publishing)? You’ll love it!

ISBN: Softcover – 978-1-4828-0512-3,                                                                              eBook 978-4828-0511-6

Available on www.amazon.com in paperback, e-book or Kindle version, on www.takealot.com  or order directly from the publisher at www.partridgepublishing.com.

My second book, Learning to be a Disciple – The Way of the Master (Copyright © 2015, Partridge Publishing), a companion volume to Learning to be a Son – The Way to the Father’s Heart, has been released in paperback and digital format on www.amazon.com.

Chosen And Predestined

Bible Study, , ,

CHOSEN AND PREDESTINED

In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of His glory (Eph. 1: 11-12).

Do you remember how you used to pick petals off a daisy? “He loves me, he loves me not,” you would say as you tossed each petal aside, hoping fervently that the last one would be ”He loves me!”

Some people think that God treats people like that. He sits in heaven, sorting people out, muttering, “One for heaven, one for hell,” while the angels look on. Unfortunately, it’s not quite as simple or as unlikely as that.

“Predestination” has puzzled and divided people into two theological camps since the days when Paul wrote his letters. One group adamantly champions the theological persuasion called “Calvinism” because John Calvin was the first to flesh out Paul’s teaching into a full-blown theological treatise.

“The five points of Calvinism can be summarized by the acronym TULIP. T stands for total depravity, U for unconditional election, L for limited atonement, I for irresistible grace, and P for perseverance of the saints . . . http://www.gotquestions.org/calvinism.html – retrieved December 2015.

Calvin’s teaching highlights the sovereignty of God. Let’s talk about the L and I in TULIP.

“Limited Atonement – Because God determined that certain ones should be saved as a result of God’s unconditional election, He determined that Christ should die for the elect alone. All whom God has elected and for whom Christ died will be saved (Matthew 1:21; John 10:11; 17:9; Acts 20:28; Romans 8:32; Ephesians 5:25).


“Irresistible Grace – Those whom God elected He draws to Himself through irresistible grace. God makes man willing to come to Him. When God calls, man responds (John 6:37, 44; 10:16) . . .

“While all these doctrines have a biblical basis, many people reject all or some of them. So-called “four-point Calvinists” accept Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Irresistible Grace, and Perseverance of the Saints as biblical doctrines. Man is definitely sinful and incapable of believing in God on his own. God elects people based on His will alone – election is not based on any merit in the person chosen. All those whom God has chosen will come to faith. All those who are truly born-again will persevere in their faith. As for Limited Atonement, however, four-point Calvinists believe that atonement is unlimited, arguing that Jesus died for the sins of the whole world, not just for the sins of the elect . . .”

http://www.gotquestions.org/calvinism.html – retrieved December 2015.

Jacobus Arminius, a Dutch theologian who lived from 1560-1609, argued vigorously for the freedom of man to choose to believe in Jesus or not. While Calvin championed the sovereignty of God, Arminius stood for human responsibility.

“In general, Arminians believe there is an “intermediate” state between total depravity and salvation. In this state, made possible by prevenient grace, the sinner is being drawn to Christ and has the God-given ability to choose salvation . . .

“Calvinism sees the atonement as limited, while Arminianism sees it as unlimited. This is the most controversial of the five points. Limited atonement is the belief that Jesus only died for the elect. Unlimited atonement is the belief that Jesus died for all, but that His death is not effectual until a person receives Him by faith . . .

“So, in the Calvinism vs. Arminianism debate, who is correct? It is interesting to note that in the diversity of the body of Christ, there are all sorts of mixtures of Calvinism and Arminianism . . .  Many believers arrive at some sort of mixture of the two views. Ultimately, it is our view that both systems fail in that they attempt to explain the unexplainable. Human beings are incapable of fully grasping a concept such as this. Yes, God is absolutely sovereign and knows all. Yes, human beings are called to make a genuine decision to place faith in Christ unto salvation. These two facts seem contradictory to us, but in the mind of God they make perfect sense.”

http://www.gotquestions.org/Calvinism-vs-Arminianism.html – retrieved December 2105.

However, we must not lose sight of the fact that Paul was not so much presenting a doctrine as a reason to worship God for His grace and mercy to them. Against the background of the evils that went in in the city of Ephesus, he worshipped God for wonders of the grace mercy He had revealed to His readers who were part of those whom God has chosen to be His family of blessed people. He has done everything in Christ “to the praise of His glory.”

Scripture is taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Have you read my first book, Learning to be a Son – The Way to the Father’s Heart (Copyright © 2015, Partridge Publishing)? You’ll love it!

ISBN: Softcover – 978-1-4828-0512-3,                                                                              eBook 978-4828-0511-6

Available on www.amazon.com in paperback, e-book or Kindle version, on www.takealot.com  or order directly from the publisher at www.partridgepublishing.com.

My second book, Learning to be a Disciple – The Way of the Master (Copyright © 2015, Partridge Publishing), a companion volume to Learning to be a Son – The Way to the Father’s Heart, has been released in paperback and digital format on www.amazon.com.

For more details, check my website:

http://luellaannettecampbell.com/

Have you read my blogs on www.learningtobeason.wordpress.com ?