I do not care what anyone thinks about the Word of God and the reason for that is, I believe in it with all my heart! It is enough for me to be saved to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, because through HIS Holy Word, I KNOW what is to come, in the near future and distant future! How do I know this? I have seen the Lord working in my life, far before I was ever born! I have seen the pain and suffering of those before me and that is how I came about. What is so unique, is that anyone can know this, in their own lives! BUT…it requires knowing Jesus Christ, it requires HIS Word to us, it requires that you sit down and begin to learn how to “think”rather than living according to a string of thoughts. Unique concept right?
“According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love” (Ephesians 1:4).
The Father knew each of us before the creation of the universe! That my friends, is an awesome thing to understand─for HIM to know what each of us are going to do…LONG before we were ever created! I simply have a problem, fully realizing and understanding that concept, but I understand enough of it to believe it to be absolute truth!
What now concerns me is when some people ask if this is “predestination.” In part, I would say, yes, and then again in another part, I must say, no. Here is why: First, God is more awesome than anyone of us would be able to conceive HIM to be. HE is far beyond our ability to comprehend because we are given a “finite” mind. In other words we are only able to visualize just so much in our minds and then that is it. If you wonder why that is, think in terms of “faith.” Our Father wants you and me to come to HIM using simple faith in HIM. For the majority, that is too big a task, they choose the “route of least resistance.” H.G. Wells said, “The path of least resistance is the path of the loser.” That is something one needs to truly consider, which again requires “thinking.”
“The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good” (Psalm 14:1).
If I may, take notice that there is nothing stated here in the verse, about whether this refers to ones who are thinking or living by strings of thought. I would have to assume, that when one thinks of what is in his or her heart, they would be in the habit of “thinking” about those things. Although I may digress. We must also remit that the “fool” does NOT think in any terms whatsoever, otherwise he would not be a fool. Make sense? I must admit, I prefer to mull everything over and again and again. I wish to know and understand and this requires deep thought. Is this predestination or not?
Obviously, God knows we choose the answer to that, by what we hold dear in our hearts. Therefore, if one chooses nonsense, the Lord God does nothing to help or change you, yet the opposite is true of the person who wants help in life’s trials and tribulations, God does provide, accordingly. Again it is by our own “choice” that we come to the Lord God for salvation. Of course this is a well thought-out decision.
Contrary to many, this is not totally one way, in other words it is not strictly, predestination. It is God the Father, knowing what our entire life will be like and still giving each individual the ability to hear God’s holy Word and then to reflect on those merits of HIS Word, in our life. Ultimately, it is an individual choice and the results are confirmed upon the individual’s death.
It is like saying that our Lord and Father in heaven already knew that Yasser Arafat would never accept HIS free will gift of Jesus Christ, simply because Jesus was a Jew. Yasser Arafat hated the Jews, simply because they were Jews, instinctively Yasser Arafat knew the Jews are God’s chosen people, whether he would have admitted to that or not. It is most odd, that the majority choose eternal destruction, because of ethnicity, religious difference, or global locale. Thusly, ignorance is NOT bliss!
I have stated before that the Word of God, as knowledge being embedded in our hearts is that narrow road to heaven─that FEW will ever find. And indeed, we see this bear fruit in today’s society. The only thing we lack in terms with the days of Noah (prior to the flood) are the giant offspring walking about. Although, it could be said that the enormous egos of some would suffice in regard to giants. I must confess, by the way many people shun the Word of God or anything else in reference to the Lord, the days of the Tribulation will be exponential suffering! I would be willing to say that the “Great Delusion of God” will be such that once things start getting bad for those left behind, it would be worse than anyone of us would be able to bear! And yet, each individual has their own choice to make.
I always question people, where do they wish to spend eternity after they die, and of course all say they want to go to heaven. Problem is, they choose every way other than the one way that will get them to where they wish to be: heaven. Then the moment you bring in the Bible to help them understand, they turn everything off and choose not to hear. So now we are back to the first question again, baring a fight breaking out, they continue to run around the same fruitless tree over and over again, never once moving a single millimeter closer to heaven. Jesus Christ is that answer and they don’t like that!
I have a problem understanding what they are afraid of admitting, that they have SIN in their lives or that someone is going to call them a “Bible Thumper” or the like. Thing is, you tell them the Bible is the authoritative Word of God and then the excuses why they believe it is not, start to emerge. Suffice to say, they are able to come up with some pretty strange ideas and never will they allow you to show them that they are wrong or how different the Word of God is, compared to how they think it is.
The best one may be able to do is to ask them, Where would you like to go after you die? How important is it to you that you get to where you want to go? Do you know what path is required to get to heaven? And finally, are you sure that path you are going to follow is going to get you to where you want to be? Understand that these questions are going to be difficult for them to express in ANY manner, because most don’t know and would rather not approach the subject to begin with.
It would be more like, they HOPE, they have the right idea and just get there somehow. Responsibility requires a thought out action, something few are willing to do, because it requires the work of thinking. Oddly enough, salvation requires nothing except to admit you are a SINNER and to go to the cross of Jesus Christ an have HIS blood cover your SIN and the knowledge Jesus Christ is alive in heaven. One never has to even raise so much as a finger for this to take place! Why is it so hard for them?
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”(John 3:16).