Thursday, March 18, 2010
Negating the salvation message?
FOX News says "we report, you decide" so I am going to say..."I ask, you decide." Does the doctrine of Predestination, which theologians have argued for decades dismiss the very purpose of Evangelism and the reality of Free Will? I never thought about it a lot until recent conversation & study have led me to. It would seem that the doctrine of Eternal Security that also negates a choice on our part might also negate the truth of our Free Will, but I find it less troubling as those subscribing would simply feel the person wasn't ever saved and would continue to evangelize the person. However, if God already has chosen those who would be saved, what point is there in evangelism? God surely foreknew all of us & all of our choices, but I find it hard to believe he would not want our love to be unconditional just as his is, and that means we get to choose if we love him, even with the conditions of his "just" nature. He knew who would elect to choose him. God's movement in our life, post salvation, is conditional for our protection and spiritual growth. Salvation is a decision we make, prompted by the Holy Spirit, not something we grow into or are baptized into (in fact we are told to follow salvation with that as our public testimony), or acquire from our parents. Do you really think God "programmed" that into the lives of certain select persons and programmed the rest to spend eternity in hell? Does that even make sense? Scripture says that God is not willing that any should perish, yet he does know many will, and he knows who will. Is this important enough to worry about-it is if these doctrines shortcut evangelism and it indicates God indeed did not create us all equal. Scripture says God is no respecter of persons. He sees us all the same, so how does that resolve with Predestination? Hell we know is eternal separation from God. Would he really create with pre-determined separation from him? A final thought-if we are eternally secure & unable to fall away after salvation, what does that say about blasphemy of the Holy Spirit? I believe this sin is meant to address the believer. I do not believe many fully understand it, and I believe it is sin to the extreme that few would ever reach. Scripture states those who do this are not able to be restored. This is entirely different from backsliding where God tells us the person can be restored to a point of Lordship salvation where they are living a Christlike life.
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