Blessed be the God and Father of our
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. Ephesians 1: 3 -6
When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. Acts 13: 48
Just as it is written, “JACOB I LOVED, BUT ESAU I HATED. ” What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! For He says to Moses, “I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION. ” So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. Romans 9: 13 -16
However…
The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3: 9
“See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity. …But if your heart turns away and you will not obey, but are drawn away and worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today that you shall surely perish…. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him. ” Deuteronomy 29: 15 -20
For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. Hebrews 6: 4 -6
So, many side with “team Calvin” or with “team Arminius”
Predestination Free Will • God chose you from • God chose you to be before the foundation holy and blameless. of the world. • You can choose God or • You will eventually reject God. choose Him before you • You can choose to die. reject God after • You cannot reject Him. desiring Him. Both polar-opposites are filled with difficulties
Instead of trying to prove one of two polar positions… see how they co-exist.
Man definitively has free will • God made man to choose God’s will or reject His will… from the beginning. Gen 2: 15 -17 • Ultimately, man – left to his own will – will choose his own way. Gen 3 • The Son of man showed us the ideal to choose our heavenly Father’s will. Lk 22: 42 • Even, as God’s children, we struggle to choose God’s will… though we walk in the Spirit (in the light). Rom 7: 21 -25, 8: 1 -8; 1 Jn 1: 7
Because of God’s sovereignty • He can set His divine plan for mankind. Eph 1: 3 ff • He can know the steps of man before they’re taken. Psa 139 • He – knowing what man would choose to do use man’s choices/actions to accomplish will. Cp. Gen 50: 20; Acts 2: 23
While God COULD force a person to obey Him, instead He graciously and lovingly invites man to choose Him. Matt 11: 28 -30
Therefore • Man can freely choose God: • Choice is the ultimate expression of freedom. • Therefore, there is no higher love that can be offered to Him. Cp. Rom 6: 16 -19 • And, because God is God: He works in the lives of those who are called according to His purpose. Rom 8: 28; Eph 1: 11, Phil 2: 12 -13
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