Bob LeChevalier <lojbab at lojban.org> wrote:
>JDay123 at BellSouth.net (Jd) wrote:
>>No, it never occured to me. I did not choose to "follow the book"
>>or to even follow God. God Himself chose me. After that I figured
>>it was a good idea to read His book. Now if you're telling me you
>>know folks who have the ability to actually choose God reguardless
>>of what God Himself has decided, well, I think you've been misled by
>>those folks.
>Well, it seems that we have a difference in Christian theology between
>us, since I do not believe in there being an "Elect" or "Chosen" of
>God. God will accept any of us, his children, who turn to him. God
>gave us free choice, since only if we choose God freely is our worship
>at all meaningful.
No problem. I respect anyones right to express their views,
especially on religion. But how can anyone freely choose God unless
God first reveal Himelf to them as being available for the choosing?
I'll ask the same question another way. How can anyone repent of
his sins unless he is first convicted by the Spirit of God that he
has indeed sinned?
Now I'll offer support for my view that God does the choosing by
showing that Jesus chose his disciples instead of the disciples
choosing him...
"Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you,
that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should
remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he
may give it you." (John 15:16)
And my view is that since God Himelf did the choosing before the
formation of the earth, our salvation in Jesus Christ is composed of
the element of eternal security.
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath
blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in
Christ: according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation
of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in
love" (Ephesians 1:3-4)
The concept of God being omniscient and having foreknowledge of
these things is not a "NT only" concept. The OT clearly
demonstrates the same principle...
Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, "Before I formed
thee in the belly, I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of
the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the
nations". (Jeremiah 1:4-5)
Why would anyone want to speak or teach of God unless he had eternal
assurance that God approved of him doing so? One would be just as
well off speaking or teaching of his next door neighbor if he
didn't.
Jd