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NASB | Genesis 2:9 Out of the ground the LORD God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Genesis 2:9 And [in that garden] the LORD God caused to grow from the ground every tree that is desirable and pleasing to the sight and good (suitable, pleasant) for food; the tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the [experiential] knowledge (recognition) of [the difference between] good and evil. [Rev 2:7; 22:14, 19] |
Subject: Do you believe in being chosen? |
Bible Note: Divine Sovereignty, Human Responsibility [Country Girl: Yes, I am interested in your response. Nothing in this Note is intended to hurt or criticize you. I am merely attempting to respond to the points you raised in your two previous Notes. I do so much appreciate your interest and replies. Grace and shalom to you, kalos] You write: "I really DO NOT believe that God or any One of the Godhead really seeks out any particular person." One would have to ignore a lot of Scripture before one could NOT believe that God really seeks out any particular person. Using a concordance, you may want to read the verses in the Bible that contain some form of the words "choose" or "elect". God may be "eager", but He is not "anxious" about anything -- not in the sense in which the word is used in the English Bible. 'anxious '1 : characterized by extreme uneasiness of mind or brooding fear about some contingency : WORRIED '2 : characterized by, resulting from, or causing anxiety : WORRYING' (www.m-w.com) God is NOT worried. That which he predestines shall come to pass. You ask: "If that was God's plan to select certain ones to come to Him in Heaven, then why so much emphasis from the Apostles on living a Godly life?" Good question. Actually God chose us "that we should be holy (consecrated and set apart for Him) and blameless in His sight, even above reproach, before Him" (Ephesians 1:4). God has chosen us "from the beginning for salvation through sanctification" (2 Thessalonians 2:13). God has not chosen us to be robots. Thus, the need for the rest of the Bible. Thus, the need for so much emphasis from the Apostles on living a Godly life. The Bible emphasizes godly living BECAUSE that is what God chose us FOR. A very important point to consider is that the Bible teaches both the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man. Both are true. Neither cancels out the other. How can divine sovereignty and human responsibility both be true? I don't know. I just know that, according to the Bible, they are. There are many paradoxes in the Bible. If one were to say that a belief in the sovereignty of God (His choosing us) would somehow give us a license to sin and live a careless life, then one would be contradicting the clear teaching of Scripture. For the Bible teaches both God's sovereignty in choosing us AND man's responsibility to live a life of holiness and obedience. "Predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son" Romans 8:29-30 (ESV) For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. [30] And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. Predestine - "to destine, decree, determine, appoint, or settle beforehand" (www.m-w.com). Predestinate - destined or determined beforehand. I cannot agree with the way you use/define "pre-destined". Specifically, our parents do not predestine our future in the same sense in which God does. Predestine means "to decree, determine, settle beforehand." When God decrees, when God determines, when God settles beforehand, the thing that he decrees SHALL be done. This, after all, is the definition of the word predestined. You see, it really IS all that different from our own parents here on earth. You ask: "How do you reconcile all the scriptures you quoted in your post with all the rest of the Bible which clearly gives mankind a choice between these two lifestyles?" As I said earlier, both divine sovereignty and human responsibility are true. How? I don't know. I just know that they are, according to the Bible. No offense intended here, but I don't know that I need to reconcile the Scriptures. Scripture speaks for itself. The verses I quoted speak for themselves. The Bible does not contradict itself. Other verses in the Bible do not cancel out the verses I've quoted. "One of the basic principles of biblical interpretation is the analogia scriptura, the analogy of Scripture. In other words, we must compare Scripture with Scripture in order to understand its full and proper sense. And since the Bible doesn't contradict itself, any interpretation of a specific passage that contradicts the general teaching of the Bible is to be rejected." (To read the full quote, go to (www.gty.org). Click on "BIBLE FAQs". Under "SALVATION" click on "Is baptism necessary for salvation?" When you arrive at this page, search for "analogia scriptura".) |