Bible Question: Wouldn't God's action of "keep(ing) them from falling away" go against His giving man a free will to choose? |
Bible Answer: Teacher: It has been said that we can choose our friends, but we cannot choose our family. We enter the family of God by faith in the finished work of Christ. The whole idea of "choice" when it comes to Christ and salvation is often misunderstood. The relationship between a person and God is permanent since it is God who has done the work through Christ and our family security is not dependent on our obedience, but is totally dependent on the work of Christ on the cross. It has been often said that a human choice does not save us, but resting faith on the finished work of Christ does. We must realize that in order for us to come to the understanding of the significance of the work of Christ, it must be a work of the Spirit of God. When the Spirit of God reveals this truth to a lost sinner, the choice part is our willingness to accept or rest upon what God has revealed to us. I believe it is a lie of the wicked one to give lost sinners the idea that they can be saved on their own terms and simply making a choice in their own time. In Romans 8:16 "The Spirit itself (Himself) beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ..." Often those who are children do not realize what a high calling is theirs. As with being in a natural family we can not choose to deny our roots, our DNA will always attach us to our parents, Likewise, in a Spiritual sense, we cannot choose to leave the family of God since we are indwelt by his Spirit and we are his forever. In both the natural and spiritual family relationships it is possible for members to lose contact, to turn against family members, to be estranged from our parents; however, the bottom line we still are children. It is wonderful to be a child of the King Robert |