Hey guys, as a Bible teacher was I:
1. Saved (1999) drew to repentance (2004) because God wanted me to teach his Word (Romans 8:28-according to his purpose)?
2. Do I teach His Word only because my former pastor thought I had the ability to do a good job?
3. Not saved to teach, but God purposed me to teach BECAUSE I AM SAVED, and if I wasn't saved or was out of fellowship with God, He would have someone else do the job? (of course He always has someone to do His work.)
I have been studying Reformed Theology/Doctrines of Grace and election. I do not believe in predestination, but I am trying to figure the correct order of things. I have said before "that I appreciate the Lord allowing me to do His work," but as I have been studying sovereignty I began to wonder how this all happens. Thank you, and I pray the Lord's blessings according to His will on all of you. :)
Question about Sovereignty and Free Will
Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by Nicholas25, Dec 29, 2008.
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Man does not have "free-will". We have human will that is subject to all sorts of outside influences and our own tendency to deception.
I have noticed that your threads tend to center around yourself. I had a pastor once who gave me some very straight forward advice. I want to pass it on to you. Please take it with the same sort of Christian love my former pastor was showing to me.
The sooner you realize it isn't all about you, the better you are going to do sorting out the will of God and understanding His word.
peace to you:praying: -
A person is saved when they put their trust in Jesus to save them (Acts 16:31; Eph 2:8).
Scripture is clear about that.
So if you put your faith in Jesus to save you, then you're saved and sealed for eternity. -
I don't think that God saved you only in order for you to teach his Word. God's purpose in saving you is more than mere preparation for ministry. -
Before Christ transformed my life it was all about me. I loved myself. I was my own god because I lived according to my own desires and passions. For the last four years my life has been about Jesus. It's about working for Him and seeing and hearing about Him draw people to Himself. It's about the fact that what He has done for me, He can do for others because there is no respect of persons with God. I have a burning desire to study His Word and grow in my ability to help others better understand the Christian faith and the precious truths found in the Holy Scripture.
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Wasn't it Jeremiah who was set apart before he was ever born. Paul said he was set apart as well.
John the Baptist was filled with the Spirit inside his mother's womb.
Now I doubt of that Isaiah went around saying, "I'm going to be a prophet when I grow up." We know Paul didn't, because he hated Christians But God called them to his service. Which means that whatever God planned for them, he planned from eternity.
So the best answer to the OP is that God always intended for you to preach and teach, gifted you for the same, and in time called you to his service. -
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They teach that there are no "negative prophecies" that can't be changed by "obedience" to God.
That is any "bad things" prophesied to occur can be averted by "obedient", going to hell is the most obvious.
God, in his "foreknowledge" knew what was "going to occur" but never predestined by sovereign will that it "had to occur",
This is why God can create a world in which he foreknew many would perish, but said it wasn't his will (predestine) for them too perish.
A "negative prophecy" that "could have" been averted.
Jer 25:4 And the LORD hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending them; but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear.
5 They said, Turn ye again now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that the LORD hath given unto you and to your fathers for ever and ever:
6 And go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke me not to anger with the works of your hands; and I will do you no hurt.
7 Yet ye have not hearkened unto me, saith the LORD; that ye might provoke me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt. -
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The promise of Jesus is that He will never leave nor forsake you, in bad times or good.
2 Cor. 1:3-5 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort; (4) who comforts us in all our affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God (5) For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ."
We suffer, as Christ suffered. When we suffer, and God gives us comfort and strength to maintain and walk closer to Him, we can then offer that same kind of comfort to people who are going through similar trials.
I don't know if this will help to relieve any of the frustration you are feeling, but I hope it will.
peace to you:praying: -
but even then God won't save them from "Great Tribulations" such as never been before or even their Bodies from death.
But out of that chaos will emerge a remanant worthy of "eternal life".
Each one of us have our own "tribulations", Family/financial/physical, but no matter how much the world troubles us, it can never take away that eternal life.
It's discourging to continue to fight a battle that it seems like you're losing, but I've seen the works of some bear fruit years after they had died.
Our tribulations, continuing in faith, is our best "witness" to others.
After all, it's about "GOD", not "us". -
On the theological note, to say "I don't believe in predestination" is to deny the Scripture itself. You and I (whoever you are) may understand predestination differently, but it is a biblically doctrine and cannot be denied without denying the Scripture itself.
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ReformedBaptist has it right...
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Spiritual Blessings in Christ
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. (Eph 1:1-14)
We may disagree on how to define "predestination" or on how it works in God's plan, but to disregard it entirely is to deny the above passage. -
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Is there a possibility that God predestined some to be saved because of the work God had them to do for Him (Romans 8:28), but that everyone has an opportunity to be saved (John 3:16/2nd Peter 3:9)? I don't know if this would work though, because of verses such as Romans 2:11 which says For God shows no partiality (English Standard Version). This would mean that some were predestined to be saved because of work in a ministry, but others had to accept the convicting power of God or they would end up in hell. Any thoughts?
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Additionally, would this not create the ultimate distinction between clergy and laity? Talk about a "special election!" The preachers would be chosen, and the rest would choose themselves! -
That being said, personal circumstances do not define the attributes of God. God is sovereign, omniscient, and omnipotent. -
Ok, how do we understand all the verses dealing in predestination and election if we do not hold to Reformed Theology?
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