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NASB | Ephesians 1:4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Ephesians 1:4 just as [in His love] He chose us in Christ [actually selected us for Himself as His own] before the foundation of the world, so that we would be holy [that is, consecrated, set apart for Him, purpose-driven] and blameless in His sight. In love |
Bible Question:
Is a man predestinated by God to salvation because he believes in Christ or is he enabled to believe in Christ because he is predestinated? |
Bible Answer: Dear New Creature.... Predestination, to be properly understood, is best described by analogy. Let me offer this. If I begin to read a book but do not want to read the whole book...say a murder mystery...and I want to know who the murderer is, I would turn to the last chapter. Then, also in the later chapters I would know what the various characters did, or did not do. I can know the outcome of each character without starting in the beginning of the book and going, page by page, through the whole book. I am outside of the time frame of the book. I can look at any part of the book and know, without writing anything new in the book, the actions of each character. Likewise, God is outside of our time frame. He knows what we will do because He can "read" any part of my life, like a book character. But that does not mean that God made us come to Christ. The opposite is true. If predestination is true then there is no freewill. God Bless….Jensen |