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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Theological Term: Predestination | Eph 1:5 | DocTrinsograce | 204705 | ||
"When the Bible speaks of predestination, it speaks of God's sovereign involvement in certain things before they happen. He chooses in advance certain things to take place. For example, he predestined creation. Before God created the world, he decided to do it. "Usually when people think of predestination, they think about whether or not somebody was hit by an automobile on a given day because God had decided ahead of time that that should happen on that day. "Theologically, the principal issue of predestination in the Bible has to do with God selecting people for salvation beforehand. The Bible clearly does teach that somehow God chooses people for salvation before they're even born. Virtually every Christian church believes that, because this concept is so clearly taught in Scripture. "Paul refers to Jacob and Esau. Before they were even born, before they had done any good or evil, God decreed in advance that the elder would serve the younger: 'Jacob have I loved; Esau have I hated.' The point there is that God had chosen certain benefits for one of those two before they were even born. "The real debate is, On what basis does God predestine? We know that he predestines, but why does he predestine, and what is the basis for his choices? Many Christians believe that God knows in advance what people are going to do, what choices they're going to make, and what activities they're going to be involved in. As he looks through the corridor of time and knows what choices you will make, for example, he knows that you will hear the gospel. He knows whether you will say yes or no. If he knows that you are going to say yes, then he chooses you for salvation on the basis of his prior knowledge. I don't hold that position. I think that God does this sovereignly, not arbitrarily, not whimsically. The only basis I see for predestination in the Bible is the good pleasure of his own will. The only other reason is to honor his only begotten Son. The reason for his selection is not in me and not in you and not in some foreseen good or evil, but in his own sovereignty." -- R. C. Sproul |
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2 | Theological Term: Predestination | Eph 1:5 | jamison | 204708 | ||
I think the problem with predestination (or at least the problem we have in accepting it) is due to the logical consequences it entails. If God is literally going to burn people in hell forever and ever, then anyone He doesn't choose or predestine, He is in a sense choosing for them to be tortured forever. We don't like to put that on God as it cannot be reconciled with His love for us or His desire that none should perish. The fact that we cannot reconcile it, does not mean it is not true. But it makes it very difficult to view God this way. Certainly those whom He has predestined would love and praise Him, but then you step back and look at those whom He does not choose and you wonder, "Does He not love them? How great and merciful can He be if He chose to torture them forever even before they were born or did anything wrong or right." And what if it was your children that He was choosing to not predestine. Does He love your little boy or girl less than you do? It is difficult for many to view God in this light, whether or not it is true. Just because we don't understand it doesn't mean it isn't true, but it certainly makes it more difficult. Of course, that assumes these are the only two possibilities. Does anyone have a third or fourth possibility? jamison |
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3 | Theological Term: Predestination | Eph 1:5 | Val | 204711 | ||
I think they call that double predistination. I have never read in the bible where God predistines anyone to torture. It is assumed. That is why we must look at the Whosoever will may come and It is not My will that any of these little ones should perish. That is the doctrine of the Responsiblity of Man where Spurgeon said if you read the sermon I pointed out that God gives us a measure of free will. | ||||||