Someone recently asked me… about the meaning of “Predestination” as it was described in the Bible, the Word of God. Simply put… this pertains to… “A ‘foreknowledge’ by God”. Because most do not understand about God, the God of the Bible… they often think that God thinks in human ways and standards. That ‘mindset’ could… “Not be Further from the Truth!” That song, ‘What if God were one of US’… is the common mindset of mankind. “Every Song is a Sermon… either Wrong or Right!”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7VgncbDw8M
(Isaiah 55:8-9) For = My thoughts = are ‘NOT’ = your thoughts, = nor = your ways = My ways, = says Jehovah [God],
(Isa 55:9) For = as the heavens = are higher = than the earth, = so are = My ways = higher = than your ways, = and = My thoughts = than = your thoughts.
Mankind ‘always’ tries… to bring God, the God of the Bible… “Down” to his understanding and knowing. To many, God is as… ‘Santa Clause’… or as the ‘Bad Boy’… that does wrong that no one can understand. I have read countless postings ‘both’ from Non-Christians and Pseudo-Christians… who make “Disparaging Remarks”… about God’s working with mankind. They often make God into some “Ogre”… simply because they do not, nor ‘want to’ understand God and His Ways.
(1Corinthains 2:12-13-14) But = we = have not = ‘received’ = the spirit of the world, = ‘BUT’ = the Spirit from God [Holy Spirit], = so that = ‘we’ = might know = the things = that are freely = given to us = by God.
(1Cor 2:13) These things = we also speak, = ‘NOT’ = in words = which man's wisdom teaches, = “BUT” = which = the Holy Spirit teaches, = comparing = spiritual things = with spiritual.
(1Cor 2:14) But = the natural man [Not Born Again – by God’s Spirit] = does ‘NOT’ = receive = the things = of the Spirit of God, = for they are = ‘FOOLISHNESS’ = to him; = ‘NEITHER’ = can he = Know them, = because = they are = spiritually discerned.
Only by the Holy Spirit… can one begin to understand the “Truths”… found in the Word of God. Most do not… ‘read & study’… the Word of God, but simply want… “Answers to falsely prove their ‘supposed’ spirituality!” To really know about God and His Truth and His workings with mankind… one needs to yield themselves ‘completely’ to God and the “complete authority” of His Word. Without being Yielded to God and His Word… one will obtain only ‘Head Knowledge’… and “NOT” a… True ‘Heart’ Knowledge of God and the ‘Truth’, found in His Word.
(Matthew 15:8-9) "This people = draws near = to Me [God] = with their mouth, = and = honors Me = with their lips, = but = their heart = is ‘far’ = from Me.
(Matt 15:9) But in vain = they = worship Me, = teaching for doctrines = the commandments of men." [And Not of God –Isaiah 8:20]
Many also ‘falsely’… believe that one must ‘understand’ something before they can believe it. Sorry, but all Biblical Truth… must be accepted by “Faith”… and not by sight. If you ‘cannot’ trust that the God of the Bible, has created all and keeps all in running order, then you will “Not”… “Trust in Him or in His Word!” Do you understand, “Cyberspace” and the architecture of microprocessors interrelated technology and systems programming? “No”… But you ‘do’ turn on your computer… “By Faith”… and connect to the Internet.
(Exodus 3:14) And God = said to Moses, = I AM = THAT = I AM. = And = He said, = So ‘you’ = shall say = to the sons of Israel, = I AM = has sent me = to you.
(Malachi 3:6) For = I am Jehovah, = I change not. = Because of this = you sons of Jacob = are not destroyed.
(Hebrews 13:8) Jesus Christ = the ‘same’ = yesterday = and = today - and = forever.
(Num 23:19) God = is not = a ‘man’ = that = He should lie, = neither = the son of man = that He should repent. = Has He said, = and = shall He not = do it? = Or = has He spoken, = and = shall He not = make it good?
You ‘Must’ fully and completely… ‘Trust’ what God has said in His Word… even if you do not now, understand it. I have been Born Again for over 30-years… and I am ‘still learning’… from the Word of God. Often times I have to ‘mentally’ reject… any “Church or Denomination” teachings that go against what God… has said in His Word. If I cannot believe God… “Completely”… ‘How’ then could I trust… some ‘Church or Denomination’…?
As God is called the… “I AM”… He is without the… ‘time and space continuum’… as we humans are trapped in. He sees and knows all, past, present and future. Out of all the humans that have lived here on Earth… He knows those that… Are “HIS”… and those that are ‘Not’. Remember Cain and Able right from the beginning? Cain killed Abel because… Able knew God and His ways. So it is with mankind since. There are ‘those’ that ‘Know God’… and there are those that ‘Hate God’. There is “No Middle Ground!” That is what… “Predestination”… is all about.
(Luke 11:23) He who = is ‘not’ = with Me [Jesus] = is against Me, = and = he who = does not gather = with Me = scatters.
(Matthew 7:21-22-23) Not = ‘Everyone’ = who says to Me [Jesus], = Lord! = Lord! = shall enter = the kingdom of Heaven, = but he = who does = the will [Word] = of My Father [God] = in Heaven.
(Matt 7:22) “MANY” = will say = to Me = in that day, = Lord! = Lord! = Did ‘we’ not = prophesy in Your name, = and = through Your name = throw out demons, = and through Your name = do “MANY” = wonderful works?
(Matt 7:23) And then = I [Jesus] = will ‘say’ = to them = I = “NEVER” = knew ‘you!’ = Depart from Me, = those practicing = lawlessness!
Ok, so now… we can readily see that there are ‘Only’ two groups. ‘Those’ that are His… and… ‘Those’ that are… “NOT!” Those that are His… are ‘predestinated’ to be HIS… and to be ‘Born Again’… by His Holy Spirit. Because of ‘time’… God throughout His creation, every man, woman and child… ‘generation throughout generation’… has either sought and found God… or they have rejected… “Him!” About now, someone is questioning the Heathen in the darkest and deepest jungles of this planet.
(Psalms 98:2-3) Jehovah [God] = has made “Known” = His salvation; = His righteousness = He has = ‘unveiled’ = to the eyes = of the nations.
(Psalms 98:3) He has remembered = His mercy = and = His Truth = toward the house of Israel; = “ALL” = the ends of the earth = have seen = the salvation of Jehovah.
(Jeremiah 29:13) And ‘you’ = shall seek Me = and = find Me, = “When” = you search for Me = with “All” = your heart.
(John 3:19) And = this is = the “Condemnation”, = that the Light = has come = into the world, = and = men loved = “Darkness” = rather than = the Light, = “BECAUSE” = their deeds = were ‘Evil’.
Those that are ‘really’… searching for God, with their Heart… “Will Find – ‘HIM’!” He has said so, in His Word. Simply put… ‘One’… who loves the darkness of Sin… will ‘Not’… seek GOD! How much more ‘simple’ than that… does one need an explanation? It is like being… ‘Pregnant!’ You either… “Are”… or… You are NOT!” You either are “Dead” or… you are “Alive!” You either Believe GOD… or… You Do Not… Believe God and His Word, the Bible!
(Revelation 13:8) And = all = dwelling on the earth will worship it, = those = whose names = have “NOT” = been written = in = the Book of Life = of the Lamb = slain, from the foundation = of the world.
(John 10:16) And I [Jesus] = have ‘other’ sheep = who are not [yet] = of this fold. = I must = also = lead those, = and = they = shall hear = My voice, = and = there shall be = ‘One’ flock, = ‘One’ Shepherd.
(2Peter 3:9) The Lord = is not slow = concerning His promise, = as some count slowness, = but is = long-suffering = toward us, = ‘Not’ purposing = that ‘Any’ = should perish, = but = that ‘All’ = should come to = Repentance.
(Acts 17:31-32) Because “He” [God] = has appointed = a day = in which = He = is going to judge = the world in righteousness = by a ‘Man’ = Whom = He appointed, = having given proof = to ‘All’ = by raising Him [Jesus] = from the dead.
(Acts 17:32) And = hearing of = a resurrection of the dead, = ‘Some’ indeed “MOCKED”; = and ‘Others’ said, = We will hear you again = concerning this.
So is it…‘Today’… “Some Mocked!” “Those” that have been written in… the Lamb’s Book of Life… before the Foundation of the Word… are simply ‘Those’… that are “Predestined”… to come to God. All others… have Willing… “Rejected” God and His Righteousness and His Word. It is ‘Nothing’, more complex than ‘That!’ You are given ‘Free Will’ by God… and make your ‘own’ choice to accept God or… to reject God. “You” and “Only YOU”… simply choose… and that in itself… Known by God before the foundation of the world is… “Predestination!”
(Ephesians 1:3-to-14) Blessed be the God = and = Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, = Who blessed us = with every spiritual blessing = in the heavenlies = in Christ [Messiah];
(Eph 1:4) according as He = Chose us in Him [Romans 8:28-to-31] = Before = the foundation of the world, = that we = should be holy and without blame = before Him = in love,
(Eph 1:5) having “Predestined” us = to the adoption of children [Romans 8:15-16-17] = by Jesus Christ to Himself, = according to = the good pleasure = of His will,
(Eph 1:6) to the praise = of the glory = of His grace, = in which = He = has made us = accepted in the One [Romans 8:9] = having been loved.
(Eph 1:7) In Him = we have redemption = through His blood, = the forgiveness of sins, = according to the riches = of His grace [Ephesians 2:8-9-10 & Titus 3:3-to-7],
(Eph 1:8) which He = caused to abound = toward us = in all wisdom = and understanding;
(Eph 1:9) having made known = to us = the ‘Mystery’ = of His will, = according to = His good pleasure = which He purposed = in Himself [Isaiah 55:6-to-11],
(Eph 1:10) for an administration = of the fullness of times [Revelation 10:6], = to head up all things = in Christ, = both = the things in Heaven, = and = the things on earth, = even in Him,
(Eph 1:11) in Whom [Christ Jesus] = also we have ‘been chosen’ = to an inheritance, = being “Predestinated” [John 17:24] = according to the purpose of Him [God] = Who works = ‘all’ things = according to the counsel = of His = own will,
(Eph 1:12) for us = to be to = the praise of His glory, = who = previously had trusted = in Christ;
(Eph 1:13) in Whom also you, = hearing = the Word of Truth, = the gospel of our salvation, = in Whom also believing, = you = were sealed = with = the Holy Spirit of promise [Romans 8:9],
(Eph 1:14) “Who” [Holy Spirit] = is the earnest [down payment] = of our inheritance, = to the redemption = of the purchased possession [By Christ], = to the praise = of His glory.
“Foreknowledge or Predestination”… does “Not Exclude”… the “Free Will” of mankind. It works as free will can… as God has chosen to reveal to “ALL” mankind… “His righteousness!” You either choose to… or not to… believe God and His Word. The ‘choice’ is “ALL” yours. You will never be able to tell God… that you did not hear or did not know about Him or His Creation. Why do you think the ‘Theory of Evolution’ is so disseminated…? It is ‘simply’ to get people to wrongly believe… that we evolved… and are… ‘Not Responsible’… “FOR… Our ‘Own’ Actions!”
Think about this…? Are ‘you’ or… are you ‘not’ responsible… for “Your” own actions? And don’t tell me… the devil made you do it! = See James 1:13-to-16!
Thank you for Your EAR! Roger //Email// atruth459@yahoo.com
Home Page: http://truth459.blogspot.com/
Ende…!
