2007-10-29 17:54:14 · 10 answers · asked by Gruntled Employee 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
sorry, this question is about the westminister confession of faith. not that i hold this view personally.
2007-10-29 18:11:23 · update #1
The bible doesn't teach predestination. We need to make a choice. The bible says in Deuteronomy 30:19 "...I have put life and death before you, the blessing and the malediction; and you must choose life in order that you may keep alive, you and your offspring, ".
You can email me for more info.
-Richard
2007-10-29 18:09:17 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
God wants us all to be saved. He died for all. It is Christ who is foreordained before the foundation of the world, not us. He was foreordained to be born of an virgin. He was foreordained to die on the cross. After we are saved by trusting in Christ, then we are foreordained to go to heaven.
There is also a point when a non-believer rejects God and becomes foreordained to hell. Calvinist are wrong. God does not have man on a string and arbitrarily chooses some and curses others. He is a just God and gives all man an equal chance. .
Judas was chosen to become the betrayer not from birth but only after his rejection of God was complete. He couldn't believe that Jesus was Savior for all men. He only looked to Jesus as an earthly Savior that would lead an revolt against Rome instead of leading a revolt against hell itself. He had no hope in the Messiah and hung himself.
2007-10-30 01:13:03 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If God has preordained some to destruction and some to eternal life (I don't know that that is the case), does "some plus some" = everyone?
Since it is impossible to understand all of the deep things of God ( God's thoughts are above our thoughts. And, "the wisdom of God is foolishness to the wise; and the wisdom of the wise is foolishness to God") Then I hope that if I have to make a decision to inherit Eternal that I make the right decision.
God wants us to love Him as He loves us. The Greek word that is translated "love" in each case is, agape. Agape is the highest kind of love. It is a decision to act in the best interest of the other no matter how the other treats us.
That is the kind of love that our Father has for us and that he wants from us. Agape is the greek word translated "love", when Jesus said, "There is no greater love than for a man to give his life for a friend.".
This kind of love is independent of emotions and requires a decision. That is the decision that we must make. That is why God gave us free will. He didn't give us free will so that we could disobey Him.
He gave us free will so that we could choose to agape Him. If there was no free, we could't make a decision, we would be like robots.
2007-10-30 01:20:05 · answer #3 · answered by Smartassawhip 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Preservation of the saints. No choice needed except to humbly hope and patiently wait upon God, and He will draw you:
All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. - John 6:37.
No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. - John 6:44.
Jesus came to give us rest from the heavey burdens and anxiety created by religious rituals. No work is needed on our part, God does all the work, the calling and the saving. Wonderful.
Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, - 2 Timothy 1:9.
2007-10-30 01:05:40 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because your theology is wrong.
God has not forordained anyone to destruction.
If you were the Principal of a High School. You could look out over the graduating class and know that some would soon be dead from drugs, DUI, Aids and extreme sports.
Why didn't you stop them?
You watch friends now, who smoke drink and drive, drug and do nothing.
Because they have free will.
God leaves people to live the lives they have chosen. He knows how it will come out, but like you, he doesn't interfere.
They are free to choose, God just knows what they will choose.
2007-10-30 01:07:38 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
It is true that the bible teaches that some will be saved and others will be destroyed. But the bible does NOT ever imply that any individual's place is certain to be in one group or the other!
For example, true Christians (such as Jehovah's Witnesses) understand faith to be the primary thing for a Christian, but they also understand that professed "faith" is not a license for a sinner to continue to indulge his sin.
(Matthew 7:20-23) Really, then, by their fruits you will recognize... “Not everyone saying to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens will. Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and expel demons in your name, and perform many powerful works in your name?’ And yet then I will confess to them: I never knew you! Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness.
One's faith must have SOME effect on the individual's personality and lifecourse. The Scriptures quite plainly explain that humans can disqualify themselves from receiving everlasting life; it is only the faithful COMPLETION of a life course that assures salvation. [Emphasis added to citations below.]
(Zephaniah 2:3) Seek Jehovah, all you meek ones of the earth, who have practiced His own judicial decision. Seek righteousness, seek meekness. PROBABLY you may be concealed in the day of Jehovah's anger.
(Amos 5:15) Hate what is bad, and love what is good, and give justice a place in the gate. It MAY be that Jehovah the God of armies will show favor
(Matthew 7:13-14) Go in through the narrow gate; because broad and spacious is the road leading off into destruction, and many are the ones going in through it; 14 whereas narrow is the gate and cramped the road leading off into life, and few are the ones finding it.
(Matthew 24:13) But he that has endured TO THE END is the one that will be saved.
(Philippians 2:12) Keep WORKING OUT your own salvation with fear and trembling
(Hebrews 10:26-27) For if we practice sin willfully after having received the accurate knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice for sins left, 27 but there is a certain fearful expectation of judgment
(Hebrews 5:9) [Jesus] became responsible for everlasting salvation to all those OBEYING him
(James 2:14,17) Of what benefit is it, my brothers, if a certain one says he has faith but he does not have works? That faith cannot save him, can it? ...17 Thus, too, faith, if it does not have works, is dead in itself.
Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/19960201/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/rq/
http://watchtower.org/e/ti/index.htm?article=article_09.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/lmn/index.htm?article=article_11.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/dg/index.htm?article=article_11.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/jt/index.htm?article=article_04.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/rq/index.htm?article=article_15.htm
2007-11-01 16:07:31 · answer #6 · answered by achtung_heiss 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God said to be careful least your name be blotted out of the Book of Life...
Sin seperates one from God.....
and God knows who is His and who are not
Remember the scripture where Jesus said , " many shall come in that day and say...Lord have we not cast out devils in your name and done many wonderous works"....and Jesus ""Said depart from me ye workers of iniguity I NEVER KNEW YOU..........""
"Many are called..Few are chosen."....
it also says " be careful for nothing "
Broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many walk there in.......BUT.."".Narrow is the way that leadeth to life and there be FEW that found it ""
He warns us to take heed to ourselfs least we ourselves Fall !!
And another scripture says..." to take heed least when i preach to others i myself become a cast away ""
WE must give earnest heed to our own life and doing what is right......no matter what others do or say....ultimately it is us....who will answer for us !!!
For " we all shall stand before the Judgement set of Christ..and give an account of what we have said and done...whether it be good or bad " and those whose names were not written in the Lambs book of Life....where cast into the fire....!!! Take Heed
2007-10-30 09:21:42 · answer #7 · answered by hghostinme 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Believing in Christ is the point at which you develop true free will. Outside this, free-will is not free at all - it is dominated by the will of Satan.
2007-10-30 01:00:57 · answer #8 · answered by cheir 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I wanted to choose yellow paint for my living room, but my wife said she would kill if I did, so I didn't....
2007-10-30 01:00:38 · answer #9 · answered by thirddownman 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
They have no choice. God is God..
2007-10-30 00:58:26 · answer #10 · answered by son of God 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋