Expert: Dean Gade - 9/25/2007

Question
QUESTION: Does god choose some and not choose other or, by an act of our Free Will do we choose toaccept the gift of Faith and accept Him?

ANSWER: That is a question which many Christian theologians have asked,   and answered......but they cannot find enough information in the Bible to convince each other of one answer.

We know that God DOES choose some.  That fact is said often enough by God in the Bible.  But He does not say that He rejects others from salvation.  Since this does not fit in the human form of logic, we have a problem trying to use our logic.

For such problems God has said:

Luke 10:21

21 At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.
(from New International Version)


1 Cor 1:18-31

18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written:

"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate."   

20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.

26 Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things-and the things that are not-to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God-that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.   31 Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."   
(from New International Version)

And taught us to say as He taught King David:

Ps 131:1-2
My heart is not proud, O LORD,
my eyes are not haughty;
I do not concern myself with great matters
or things too wonderful for me.
2 But I have stilled and quieted my soul;
like a weaned child with its mother,
like a weaned child is my soul within me.
(from New International Version)

I believe in "Single Predestination";   that God has predestined some to heaven BUT has predestined none to hell.

If people do attain eternity with God, it is completely by the power of God in their lives.   

If people do NOT attain eternity with God, it is completely by their choices of rejecting God in their lives.

Not logical, but God has clearly said that He DESIRES that all should be saved by the blood of His Son because Jesus died for the sins of the WHOLE world.

1 Tim 2:3-6
3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all men-the testimony given in its proper time.
(from New International Version)


1 John 2:1-2
2:1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense-Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
(from New International Version)

What we are to be concerned about is our salvation when looking at predestination.  That we are concerned about salvation, that we seek it from God should assure us that we are one of those who has been chosen by God from before the foundation of the earth to be His beloved child.

Beyond that, we are to be witnesses of God's love in our lives to others that they too do not miss what God is offering through the blood of Jesus Christ.  In someway that we don't fully understand, people can reject what God has given.

Martin Luther put it this way:  We are like beggars by the gate.  God comes by and presses a coin of great riches in our hand.  We can keep it and use it by faith.....or we can throw it away.



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you very much for the clarification. I am in need of a bit more though.
You wrote:
If people do attain eternity with God, it is completely by the power of God in their lives.   

If people do NOT attain eternity with God, it is completely by their choices of rejecting God in their lives.

You are correct. It is not logical.

If I can choose to reject God, why can I not choose to accept Him? If I cannot choose him them why give me free will? If we cannot choose why were the Israelites told to "choose this day..." If one cannot choose why share the gospel?  

Answer
We CAN choose.  But when we do, it is only by the power of God which lives in His Word.

Rom 1:16-17

16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."   
(from New International Version)


1 Cor 1:18

18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
(from New International Version)

In a supernatural way, which we don't understand by human wisdom .....but by sight we see it happening in the lives of those around us, people who hear the gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ are "born again" into God's Kingdom and are able to receive and be received into His Kingdom.

This is by God's will.  It does not seem to be by His immutable will but more by His permissive will.  He WANTS/DESIRES/WILLS all to be saved and gives the power to be saved through His Word.....yet not all ARE SAVED.  While on earth, in these bodies, we are able to thwart the will of God by our own will.

This is what I mean by saying that when anyone IS saved is because of God's power.  The power is there, but only from God.

Though His invitation to come to Him, to receive His grace , is before the world,  most do not WILL to take that path.....even some who have a zeal for God:

Rom 10:1-4
10:1 Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. 2 For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge.   3 Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. 4 Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
(from New International Version)

I'm sure that you have noticed that we like to have a righteousness of our own. We WILL it.  Human nature does not easily submit to having to receive the righteousness of Christ and rely solely on that.  Yet that is the only plan that God has given. (Unless one could be absolutely perfect from birth.  But none born of man can.


Matt 7:13-14

13 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
(from New International Version)

In fact, natural man does not have a free will with any power to be saved, nor even to understand sin, repentance and salvation:

1 Cor 2:12-14
12 We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.   14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
(from New International Version)

Natural man can make choices of doing good or evil, at least what he deems to be good or evil in his sight, but if he has no faith in God, it gets him no closer to heaven.  And faith comes only through God's Spirit.

Heb 11:5-6

5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
(from New International Version)


Rom 10:16-17

16 But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?"   17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.
(from New International Version)

Now as to WHY some believe and others do not,  I have neither heard nor found the answer.  But I do know from God's Word that God is the sole author and perfecter of our faith.  And God's reason for this seems to be "that no man can boast".

Heb 12:2
et us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
(from New International Version)


1 Cor 1:27-31
27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things-and the things that are not-to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God-that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.   31 Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."   
(from New International Version)

I am called an "Expert" in theology, but that does not mean that I have all the answers about God.  But only what He has revealed of His mysteries. Many mysteries remain and will only be known when we see God with our own eyes.

Deut 29:29

29 The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever,
(from New International Version)


Job 11:7-8

7 "Can you fathom the mysteries of God?
Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?
8 They are higher than the heavens-what can you do?
They are deeper than the depths of the grave-what can you know?
(from New International Version)

Not that I will stop studying His Word and look for the things which He has revealed.  He still has much to teach each of us so that we can be well grounded in faith towards Him every day ...and enter His rest.