Post by Zac Loh on Jan 17, 2009 4:20:14 GMT -5
Answering The Predestination Question
Matthew 26:24-25
The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.” Then Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, “Rabbi, is it I?” He said to him, “You have said it.” (Matthew 26:24-25)
Judas didn’t have to be the one who betrayed Jesus. Judas became the one; because he chose to.
I was contemplating predestination after reading this scripture. A few days later, a good friend asked a pastor friend on the theology of predestination. I said quite a lot but didn’t reveal that I was contemplating on it. Neither did I give my views.
Since my friend asked our pastor friend the question, I didn’t want to answer …because I did not own the question …because I didn’t ask it.
At the same time, the question was directed to our pastor friend who gave a reply.
(I didn’t want to take away my friend’s opportunity to get an answer from our pastor friend!).
One thing I clearly said in that evening conversation. I said that even Paul didn’t have an answer.
Paul didn’t have a theological answer on predestination, but he had a response that we should all emulate.
One day, maybe, someone can come up with a good enough answer that the average human mind can be satisfied.
So, this devotional entitled `Answering the Predestination Question’ is not to say that I have the answer.
This is only my meditative response.
1. Predestination and Determined Purpose, Foreknowledge And Foresaw
Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. For David says concerning Him: ‘I foresaw the LORD always before my face, For He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken. (Acts 2:23-25)
God knows the heart of man. Based on the law of average, God knows that there will be people who are willing to choose evil. Jesus prayed, and God led Him to choose Judas. God had foreknowledge that Judas will betray Jesus.
God has His angelic human profile of Judas. God sent His angels to check-out Sodom, remember? God is so holy that He didn’t want to get near.
Even before he was chosen, Judas had already been consistently chosen evil. Pharaoh was evil, and God hardened his heart.
It is not that people who do evil cannot be saved because many are caught in that life; just like Paul was, but he was sincere.
Judas made his choice again; and with that foreknowledge, God in His divine wisdom …used Judas to facilitate His own plan, just as He used Pharaoh.
2. Predestination and Individual Choice
Jeremiah and Paul were called into the ministry even when they were in their mother’s womb. Jesus was foreordained before the foundation of the world.
Through God’s profile of them, God foresaw that they wouldn’t fail Him. Of course, Jesus couldn’t have fallen (the understatement of the century!).
But they all had a choice. Jesus made His choice when He said “yes’ to His Father, our Father.
So, could Jeremiah and Paul forfeit their ministry? They didn’t have a part to play in that divine decision-making (they were in their mothers’ womb!).
But the answer is an unequivocal yes. They had a choice. If they decided not to cooperate, God could use another.
As it is written, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.” What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.” (Romans 9:13-15)
This section of Paul’s writings is what the human mind usually finds it hard to understand or accept.
God, in His determined purpose, wanted to use Jacob for His divine plan.
Jacob was not spared from sufferings. Jeremiah and Paul were not spared from sufferings either, instead they had it more than other ordinary people.
As far as I can read, Jacob suffered more than Esau. I am sure eternally Jacob is more blessed. But my point is; Esau didn’t have a bad life. Jacob was threatened by the appearance of Esau. In that scene of the Bible, Jacob showed respect to Esau. And Esau was quite wealthy (take note!).
So, to say God hated Esau, we have to put into perspective what actually happened to Jacob and Esau.
All in all, what we have to do …is to zero-in on Paul’s response. I now realize that our response must overshadow our theology. Our theology will not get us into heaven. The right response will!
We have to accept the decisions made by God. We have to support God’s decisions. If God’s favor is for that person, I will support that person because of God’s favor. I will respect the decisions made by God.
Is God fair? The problem is, we have imported too much of American democracy and their value of fairness; just as we have imported too much of their theology.
America, in general, doesn’t know what it’s like to have a king, much less in the context of an absolute monarchy. They voted their president based on popular perception (and whatever image spin involved!).
Who are we to question God?
3. Predestination and The Gospel Of Election
elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied. (1 Peter 1:2)
I like the phrase `grace to you and peace be multiplied’.
Anyways, through God’s foreknowledge, He knows that there will be a group of people who will believe and go to heaven. God knows the law of average very well, as far as the freedom of choice is concerned. In fact, He knows the law of average even before the foundation of the world. He knows the law of average much more than us.
This is an elected group. Not elected by the majority. But by God, Himself, alone.
Like I said, in democracy, election is by the majority. In absolute monarchy, election is by Him alone …Who is worthy to be praised …forever and ever!
The truth is ….you and I …have the choice whether to be in this elected group.
This elected group is open to everybody because the gospel is for the whole world. But each individual will have to make his/her own choice whether to listen, whether to accept, whether to believe and whether to obey the gospel.
4. Predestination and Our Personal Choice
just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, (Ephesians 1:4-5)
One way to understand predestination is to use this illustration: predestination can be described like this: buses are taking passengers from point A to point B.
Availability of seats are unlimited. There is enough space to everyone. No one needs to be left behind.
Notices of buses arrival, and departure, is loud and clear. The buses will arrive together at one specific definite time, and will depart together at one specific definite time. This is absolutely fixed and non-negotiable. Everyone knows.
Each person is assured to have a ticket. Tickets are free, and it is made certain that these tickets are conveniently accessible to everyone. Furthermore, these tickets are given way before the arrival of buses.
The issue is this: what do you do with this opportunity, is entirely up to you. You are entitled, given full rights, to reject the trip. You have the freedom of choice whether to obtain the ticket for yourself. In addition, once you obtain the ticket, you can still decide to forego the trip by not getting into the bus. No one is forced.
The question is: will you make the trip?
God so loved the world that He gave His Son to die for each and everyone - regardless of race, creed and religion – so that everyone can go to heaven.
Jesus died for everyone.
Some chose to believe, some chose not to believe. Some decided the trip is not for them, but some want to get on to the bus. Some changed their mind, some stayed with their decision to make the trip.
The onus is on us.
3 Reasons Why We Shouldn’t Question God
1. All our collective minds cannot even begin to fathom the mind of God. Those who try to think-out God …will either be confused …or reject God in some way through unbelief (which is a mistake!).
2. Is your boss obliged to tell you the reason for every decision he makes (I am not talking about your manager but your boss)? Is the major shareholder of a public listed company obliged to inform the company employees the real reason why He is disposing His shares?
3. We all want to work with God. We want to submit and flow with Him. Having a defiant, dismissive, distant attitude – it will not help: “God is unfair.” “If He decides everything, what difference does it make in what I do?” “Let me just carry-on with my own life.”
Matthew 26:24-25
The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.” Then Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, “Rabbi, is it I?” He said to him, “You have said it.” (Matthew 26:24-25)
Judas didn’t have to be the one who betrayed Jesus. Judas became the one; because he chose to.
I was contemplating predestination after reading this scripture. A few days later, a good friend asked a pastor friend on the theology of predestination. I said quite a lot but didn’t reveal that I was contemplating on it. Neither did I give my views.
Since my friend asked our pastor friend the question, I didn’t want to answer …because I did not own the question …because I didn’t ask it.
At the same time, the question was directed to our pastor friend who gave a reply.
(I didn’t want to take away my friend’s opportunity to get an answer from our pastor friend!).
One thing I clearly said in that evening conversation. I said that even Paul didn’t have an answer.
Paul didn’t have a theological answer on predestination, but he had a response that we should all emulate.
One day, maybe, someone can come up with a good enough answer that the average human mind can be satisfied.
So, this devotional entitled `Answering the Predestination Question’ is not to say that I have the answer.
This is only my meditative response.
1. Predestination and Determined Purpose, Foreknowledge And Foresaw
Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. For David says concerning Him: ‘I foresaw the LORD always before my face, For He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken. (Acts 2:23-25)
God knows the heart of man. Based on the law of average, God knows that there will be people who are willing to choose evil. Jesus prayed, and God led Him to choose Judas. God had foreknowledge that Judas will betray Jesus.
God has His angelic human profile of Judas. God sent His angels to check-out Sodom, remember? God is so holy that He didn’t want to get near.
Even before he was chosen, Judas had already been consistently chosen evil. Pharaoh was evil, and God hardened his heart.
It is not that people who do evil cannot be saved because many are caught in that life; just like Paul was, but he was sincere.
Judas made his choice again; and with that foreknowledge, God in His divine wisdom …used Judas to facilitate His own plan, just as He used Pharaoh.
2. Predestination and Individual Choice
Jeremiah and Paul were called into the ministry even when they were in their mother’s womb. Jesus was foreordained before the foundation of the world.
Through God’s profile of them, God foresaw that they wouldn’t fail Him. Of course, Jesus couldn’t have fallen (the understatement of the century!).
But they all had a choice. Jesus made His choice when He said “yes’ to His Father, our Father.
So, could Jeremiah and Paul forfeit their ministry? They didn’t have a part to play in that divine decision-making (they were in their mothers’ womb!).
But the answer is an unequivocal yes. They had a choice. If they decided not to cooperate, God could use another.
As it is written, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.” What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.” (Romans 9:13-15)
This section of Paul’s writings is what the human mind usually finds it hard to understand or accept.
God, in His determined purpose, wanted to use Jacob for His divine plan.
Jacob was not spared from sufferings. Jeremiah and Paul were not spared from sufferings either, instead they had it more than other ordinary people.
As far as I can read, Jacob suffered more than Esau. I am sure eternally Jacob is more blessed. But my point is; Esau didn’t have a bad life. Jacob was threatened by the appearance of Esau. In that scene of the Bible, Jacob showed respect to Esau. And Esau was quite wealthy (take note!).
So, to say God hated Esau, we have to put into perspective what actually happened to Jacob and Esau.
All in all, what we have to do …is to zero-in on Paul’s response. I now realize that our response must overshadow our theology. Our theology will not get us into heaven. The right response will!
We have to accept the decisions made by God. We have to support God’s decisions. If God’s favor is for that person, I will support that person because of God’s favor. I will respect the decisions made by God.
Is God fair? The problem is, we have imported too much of American democracy and their value of fairness; just as we have imported too much of their theology.
America, in general, doesn’t know what it’s like to have a king, much less in the context of an absolute monarchy. They voted their president based on popular perception (and whatever image spin involved!).
Who are we to question God?
3. Predestination and The Gospel Of Election
elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied. (1 Peter 1:2)
I like the phrase `grace to you and peace be multiplied’.
Anyways, through God’s foreknowledge, He knows that there will be a group of people who will believe and go to heaven. God knows the law of average very well, as far as the freedom of choice is concerned. In fact, He knows the law of average even before the foundation of the world. He knows the law of average much more than us.
This is an elected group. Not elected by the majority. But by God, Himself, alone.
Like I said, in democracy, election is by the majority. In absolute monarchy, election is by Him alone …Who is worthy to be praised …forever and ever!
The truth is ….you and I …have the choice whether to be in this elected group.
This elected group is open to everybody because the gospel is for the whole world. But each individual will have to make his/her own choice whether to listen, whether to accept, whether to believe and whether to obey the gospel.
4. Predestination and Our Personal Choice
just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, (Ephesians 1:4-5)
One way to understand predestination is to use this illustration: predestination can be described like this: buses are taking passengers from point A to point B.
Availability of seats are unlimited. There is enough space to everyone. No one needs to be left behind.
Notices of buses arrival, and departure, is loud and clear. The buses will arrive together at one specific definite time, and will depart together at one specific definite time. This is absolutely fixed and non-negotiable. Everyone knows.
Each person is assured to have a ticket. Tickets are free, and it is made certain that these tickets are conveniently accessible to everyone. Furthermore, these tickets are given way before the arrival of buses.
The issue is this: what do you do with this opportunity, is entirely up to you. You are entitled, given full rights, to reject the trip. You have the freedom of choice whether to obtain the ticket for yourself. In addition, once you obtain the ticket, you can still decide to forego the trip by not getting into the bus. No one is forced.
The question is: will you make the trip?
God so loved the world that He gave His Son to die for each and everyone - regardless of race, creed and religion – so that everyone can go to heaven.
Jesus died for everyone.
Some chose to believe, some chose not to believe. Some decided the trip is not for them, but some want to get on to the bus. Some changed their mind, some stayed with their decision to make the trip.
The onus is on us.
3 Reasons Why We Shouldn’t Question God
1. All our collective minds cannot even begin to fathom the mind of God. Those who try to think-out God …will either be confused …or reject God in some way through unbelief (which is a mistake!).
2. Is your boss obliged to tell you the reason for every decision he makes (I am not talking about your manager but your boss)? Is the major shareholder of a public listed company obliged to inform the company employees the real reason why He is disposing His shares?
3. We all want to work with God. We want to submit and flow with Him. Having a defiant, dismissive, distant attitude – it will not help: “God is unfair.” “If He decides everything, what difference does it make in what I do?” “Let me just carry-on with my own life.”