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NASB | Revelation 13:8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Revelation 13:8 All the inhabitants of the earth will fall down and worship him, everyone whose name has not been written since the foundation of the world in the Book of Life of the Lamb who has been slain [as a willing sacrifice]. |
Bible Question:
I have read a lot, seems like all, the Calvinist/Arminian arguments regarding election and still have some questions which I would greatly appreciate your response. #1 How does one know that he/she is a chosen one? #2 If one is not chosen, one does not necessarily go to hell, right? Well, where do the unchosen go after death? #3 It is His will than none should perish...but then that scripture is turned around and somehow end up in only chosen ones? #4 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16 Why did this verse not say the chosen ones only? #5 Is this a secondary argument and not the basis for one to leave their church? By no means do I intend to sound argumentive. Please don't "retalliate" just help me understand the two sides better. God Bless You ALL! Mylene |
Bible Answer: Mylene: In answer to question #1... "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life." --John 5:24 The very fact that we possess saving faith in Christ indicates that we are chosen. According to Reformation theology, all those who are chosen and possess the mental faculties to do so have or inevitably will embrace Christ, having received God's mercy. Those who are not chosen will continue in their unbelief and reap the just condemnation for their sins. Regarding question #2... "He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." --John 3:18 Since those who are chosen are the only ones who will be persuaded and enabled to trust in Christ, then it logically results in those not chosen and given a new nature going to Hell. Regarding #3, The verse of Peter's you quote has been debated back and forth on this forum already. Arminians see the "any" and "all" in 2 Peter 3:9 as referring to those of the whole human race, while Reformed/Calvinist folks argue that the context of the argument in the rest of the chapter and the whole of the epistle lends itself to the conclusion that the "any" and "all" refer to members of the elect who will be saved at a future date. This is why God is postponing the end. As far as question #4, Arminians hold that the object of God's love is every single individual in the world. The Reformed argue that Jesus is not speaking of a specific, saving love toward every individual, but rather a love that is applied to those individuals that Jesus speaks of in John 3:21, those whose works were "wrought in God." The basis for this understanding is other passages in Scripture which clearly teach that Christians are chosen by God before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1) as well as the reality that the entire world is obviously not saved, since people are passing into eternity without Christ even as I write this post. Number 5 is the trickiest question. It all depends on what you mean by a "secondary argument." If you mean that is it an issue on which our salvation hinges, then I believe that most on both sides of the debate would reply with an emphatic "no." People can be wrong on this issue and still be saved. Furthermore, I regularly fellowship with other Christians with whom I disagree on this issue. On the other hand, any church that takes the study of theology seriously at all will inevitably have to take a stand one way or another on this issue. The sermons from the pulpit will either have one slant or the other. It effects the evangelistic efforts and styles of its members, and it almost always leads to a difference in worship. If one takes theology and doctrine seriously, it will inevitably have an impact on the corporate life of the congregation as well as in the individual life of the believer. Theology truly believed will impact the whole outlook and behavior of the committed Christian. Of course, my fellow Christians who disagree with me on this debate will have their own interpretation of the differences, but I can tell you that in my case I felt convicted to leave a church that my wife and I had been members of for several years because of some of the natural results of Arminian theology. It had grown to a point where little confidence was placed in the Bible as a means of God's saving grace (emphasizing instead techniques and more contemporary music to be more friendly to the "unchurched" who, as far as I know, are still not in attendance at this church in any great force). Confidence seemed to be placed less on the Holy Spirit and His work in regenerating the sinner and more on what the church members could do in themselves to "bring a person to a decision," even if that decision were to be shallow and possibly not a true one for Christ alone. To sum up, to stay or leave a church should be based primarily on whether the whole counsel of God as found in Scripture is being preached faithfully and seen as the sufficient and complete guide to the Christian life; the administration of the Lord's Supper and baptism as Christ instituted them; and a system of church discipline that works to keep the church doctrinally pure and deal with obvious and unrepentant sin on the part of congregants. Hope this lengthy post helps you make whatever decision you need to make! Be in prayer about it, and search the Scriptures for the truth. --Joe! |