“That God predestines, and that man is responsible, are two things that few can see. They are believed to be inconsistent and contradictory; but they are not. It is just the fault of our weak judgment. Two truths cannot be contradictory to each other. If, then, I find taught in one place that everything is fore-ordained, that is true; and if I find in another place that man is responsible for all his actions, that is true; and it is my folly that leads me to imagine that two truths can ever contradict each other. These two truths, I do not believe, can ever be welded into one upon any human anvil, but one they shall be in eternity: they are two lines that are so nearly parallel, that the mind that shall pursue them farthest, will never discover that they converge; but they do converge, and they will meet somewhere in eternity, close to the throne of God, whence all truth doth spring” (Charles Spurgeon, “Sovereign Grace and Man’s Responsibility,”New Park Street Pulpit, vol. 4).
Discussion
12 comments
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Brad Jones, God predestined a body, which consits from every born again believer. God doesn’t predestinate the individuel.
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Predestination is a temporal construct, meaning it implies a before and after and seems to be the only way for our minds to reconcile predestination & free will.
Temporal constructs are within time. God is not bound by its regulations.
It is not so hard to reconcile free will and predestination when you consider omnipotence, omnipresence & omniscience from a position outside the temporal constraints. -
I’ve said this a few times in other posts, and one guy blocked me, I think.
But, before we even go into the Scripture that clearly talks about election, simple philosophy makes it clear right away:
1. God is all-knowing.
2. God knows your future.
3. If it is true that you will accept Christ one day, God knew it before He created you.
4. If God knows it will happen, then it is destined.
5. Conclusion: your salvation is destined.That’s as simple as it gets.
I also believe it’s sensible to assume Grace is irresistible, because otherwise grace wouldn’t be all that amazing if anyone can just shrug their shoulders at it and walk away believing it’s true but not being interested in accepting it.
A true, first time encounter with the Holy Spirit is the only way man’s eyes can open and his spirit can come alive. As a former atheist, I know this from personal experience.
I never rejected God’s Holy Spirit when I was an atheist. I rejected Christians. I’d only met Jesus one time after 28 years, and that’s the day I hit my knees and repented, accepting His offer of eternal life.
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Chosen but free
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Grace is a gift offered to all.
Faith is trust in that promised grace.
We must choose (of our own volition) to accept the gift of Grace, it cannot be forced apon us… Love can only truly happen when it is freely given. As both the Grace of God and our Faith in him must be.
2Peter 3 for reference. -
The human will is a servant of the heart…it carries out the desires of the heart…it’s just that the desire of the unregenerate heart is not for God!
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God is not riding the earth around the sun to pass a year or spinning in orbit to pass a day. He is outside of time, looking at it from a perspective that sees the beginning from the end. He is the Author and finisher of our faith, the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end.
He set in place a plan of redemption complete with a ‘set time’ to come. 6,000 years of man’s government/rule/decieved by Lucifer and the last, 7th millenia to reign here as King. He put it into Creation week by using 7 days to do something He could have done in a moment, designating a 7 day week, merely by His example, not measured by any astronomical body’s movement.
He sees the chaff burned away and the gold faith.
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Man has a free will and God does not force any into heaven.
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God predestines all of Humankind to be saved through Jesus.
1 Tim 2:4 All men
John 3:16-17 keywords: The World; Whoever. -
We found in our study group when scripture presents Election it is always explicit. When free will is presented it is implied. It is consistent. Both are there but God chose to present it this way interesting.
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Predestined those God knew would accept
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