This is, certainly, one of the most controversial topics in Scripture.  I believe this is due to the fact that our finite human minds cannot understand the infinite, divine, wise, all-knowing mind and purposes of God.  We try.  But we can’t.  Solomon remarks in Ecclesiastes 8:17 “then I saw all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However much man may toil in seeking, he will not find it out. Even though a wise man claims to know, he cannot find it out.”  Or as Paul says in Romans 11:33 “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!”  Or, my favorite, after Job questions God and God asks him if he was there when the foundations of the world were laid, Job replies

4 “Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you?
I lay my hand on my mouth.
5 I have spoken once, and I will not answer;
twice, but I will proceed no further” (Job 40:4-5).

Personally, I think that our finiteness is one of the main reasons for the aversion many have to the concept of predestination.  Yesterday’s topic, election, seems to be not as controversial.  It is predestination, the truth that God controls all, that causes many to cringe and say, “No, that can’t be true, so I think [blank].”  My finite mind can’t reconcile the fact that God controls all, knows all, and yet, still desires us to pray to Him; seek Him; share Him; commune with Him; confess Him.  Why?  How does it work?  I don’t know.  But I do know that God desires us to glorify Him in all that we do (Psalm 86:12; Luke 2:20; Romans 15:6; I Cor 6:20).  Ok, so on to what the Bible says regarding predestination.

Predestine is from the Greek word proorizō where it means to “ordain, in advance.”  So, when we speak of predestination, we are saying that God ordains things in advance.

We see predestination first in the book of beginnings, Genesis, when God curses the serpent (Satan) for tempting Adam and Eve.  God says, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (Gen 3:15).  This is the protoevangelium, “the first Gospel.”  God tells Satan that offspring will come from the woman (Christ) and he will defeat you, but you will cause him to suffer.  Here God takes initiative.  It is God that divides those who are children of Light and children of darkness.  Paul confirms this in Galatians 3:16.

In Acts 4:23-31 we see the early believers affirm the Sovereignty of God

23 When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, 25 who through the mouth of our father David, your servant,  said by the Holy Spirit,

“‘Why did the Gentiles rage,
and the peoples plot in vain?
26 The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers were gathered together,
against the Lord and against his Anointed’—

27 for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. 29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

However, the greatest discussion of predestination in the New Testament is undertaken by Paul in Ephesians 1:3-23.  I will cover that tomorrow.  For now, we can all take wisdom from the words of Jeremiah 9:23-24

23 Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, 24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”

We have looked at grace, what it means, and how it is God’s means of providing salvation (faith in Jesus) to those whom he has called (Rom 8:29).  What about election and predestination?

In the Greek, election is from eklogē which denotes “divine selection.”  Ek is a Greek primary preposition denoting an origin/beginning and legō means to “set forth.”

The prophet Isaiah, speaking of the coming of the Christ in Isaiah 42:1-4 (KJV) says

1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.  2 He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.  3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.  4 He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.

Isaiah tells us that Jesus is coming and that judgement is coming to the Gentiles.  From this we see that Jesus is God’s elected choice for service and his “judgement to the Gentiles” is the Gospel message that will be the “true light, which enlightens everyone” (John 1:9 ESV).  His kingdom shall not fail and it will go to all the earth.  Jesus proclaims this with the Great Commission (Matt 28:18-20; Mark 16:15).  Isaiah continues in 42:5-7 (KJV)

5 Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:  6 I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;  7 To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

Here we have a grand picture of the Sovereign, all-powerful, all-knowing God, the God who merely spoke the Universe into existence speaks again, yet this time He speaks personally and intimately through His Son to do what John tells is in John 1:9–be a light.  This light will (v.7) “open the blind eyes” and free prisoners.  We see this echoed in the words of Jesus in John 15:16, speaking to his disciples, he says “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”  Jesus is telling them that he has set them forth which he also does in the Great Commission, saying “go.”

7 The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. 8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

The second thought that I want to point out is that God provides us the strength to serve!!  Just as the grace given to us upholds us in faith and gives us the faith to see God’s truth–God’s grace gives us strength to serve!  Whatever our gift is that God has given us, we must use it to serve.  This service is God using us to show grace to those in the church and out of the church (depending on our gift) but above all we are to glorify God through Jesus Christ!!  Our service is to bring the one who Created all glory and honor forever.

Praise God!!

7 The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. 8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

The main point was that we need to serve, that each of the spiritual gifts that are given us are to be made use of to uplift and build the church.  However, I want to point out two things that I see from this passage.

First, 1 Pet 4:8 tells us to keep loving “since love covers a multitude of sins.”  The key work I would like to focus in on is “since.”  This isn’t tell us that if we love we can keep on sinning, as Paul said “so that grace may increase.”  In fact the “since” here is a modifier that is hinging the phrase prior to the “since” to the phase after.  We, as Christians, are to love one another earnestly.  Why?  Because love covers a multitude of sins.  What love is being talked about here?  It isn’t an effect of our loving, it is the cause.  Jesus’ death on the cross paid the ultimate penalty for our sins.  Paul tells us that “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” and in Rom 5:5 we see that God is the one who poured His love into us, through the Holy Spirit and because of Jesus Christ.  1 John 4:7-12 tells us

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

We “love earnestly” because God first loved us!!  Amen!!

1. The house God has in-store for us;
2. The church home in VA that God has for Beth, Baby, and I;
3. Safety packing things from PA;
4. Safety for travel from PA to DC area;
5. Safety for unpacking;
6. Continued health for our baby;
7. Health/healing for Beth through the rest of the pregnancy;
8. Health for me; and,
9. Ability/intellect/knowledge to work to God’s glory.

So, we will certainly keep everyone posted on all that God is doing and continuing to do through us to further HIS KINGDOM!!

So, since we are all sinners and we have all fallen short of the glory of God, how do we obtain God’s free gift of grace?

Paul in Romans 5:1 tells us we are “justified by faith.”  The writer of Hebrews proclaims in Hebrews 11:1 that “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”  He goes on to recount the great OT patriarchs that acted by faith, not seeing God’s promise come to pass in their lifetime, yet knowing it would be fulfilled.  As well, he tells of those who were persecuted or suffered hardships for the sake of Jesus’ name knowing that God has a better promise.  Matthew Henry makes an insightful observation, “We should be pleased to think how great the number of believers was under the Old Testament, and how strong their faith, though the objects thereof were not then so fully revealed. [And, we] should lament it, that now, in gospel times, when the rule of faith is more clear and perfect, the number of believers should be so small and their faith so weak.”  How true!

Now that we see the Scriptural definition of faith… one could ask, Faith in what?  Paul tells us in Romans 5:1 we are “justified by faith…through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  This justification produces peace with God.  His wrath is no longer turned against us.  But what did Jesus do?

Paul explains in Romans 5:6-11

(6) For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.  (7)  For one will scarcely die for a righteous person–though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die–  (8)  but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  (9)  Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.  (10)  For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.  (11)  More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

While we were still weak.  We had no strength to cause Christ to die, we didn’t will Christ to die, we didn’t WANT Christ to die; yet, Christ died for the ungodly.  Paul explains that Christ died for us “while we were still sinners.”  We were enemies of God (v.10) and Christ died for us.  This immense love that God poured out, his own blood, is the blood that justifies us.  The blood of Jesus was the sacrifice that paid for our sin and reconciled us to God.  We are declared righteous (the meaning of justification) and we should be rejoicing in God, through Jesus, for this great gift of grace.  While we were sinners we had no desire to do good, to seek God, to believe in Jesus, but God, through the Holy Spirit, has poured His love into us (Rom 5:5).

But why faith?  Paul answers this in Romans 4:16-17

(16) That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring–not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,  (17)  as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”–in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.

God uses faith to allow the one who shares the faith of Abraham be guaranteed the grace (the free gift) of Jesus’ death.  Faith is used to fulfill the promise to all Abraham’s offspring–Jew and Gentile.

This has also got me thinking about retirement.  My calling is ministry.  Beth and I’s calling is ministry together.  How that looks like, we have some visions

• We want to have a coffee house to provide a safe/friendly/comfortable/loving environment for college students/young adults
• Grow (Lord willing) the coffee house into a church
• Establish counseling groups
• Establish relational groups
• Have local Christian artists play at the coffee house

BUT!!  We have NO IDEA when God will provide!  However, our calling is still in ministry of the Gospel.  To me, that means that the worldly concept of retirement is wrong.  As a minister of the Gospel (and I pray that it is preaching/teaching/leading full-time) my retirement is going to be when Jesus calls me home!  The world tells us that we should work really hard for forty years, pay off our mortgage/debt, save our money, and then when Medicare kicks in, spend your hard-earned money on yourself, see the world, do what you want to do.  Why?  Well, as the world would tell you–you’ve earned it!

No, for me retirement is going to be when Jesus calls me home for me to hear “Well, done good and faithful servant…”  Sure, this doesn’t mean that saving for injury, inability, etc. is a bad thing or not a good idea.  But I am called to proclaim the Gospel, and I desire and want to proclaim the Gospel as long as God gives me breath and life to do so!

Collision: Hitchens vs. Wilson Preview (Part 1)

Collision: Hitchens vs. Wilson Preview (Part 2)

Collision: Hitchens vs. Wilson Preview (Part 3)

Like it?  Buy it!

God.

Spouse.

Kids.

Job.

Everything else.

Those are the priorities that I am striving day-by-day to accomplish.  I am striving to deepen my relationship with God, further my relationship with Beth, excited about my relationship for John or Hannah (and wanting to be a good Daddy!), perform well at my job (whatever God provides), and then do everything else in my life to glorify God and proclaim the great gift that He has given me–Salvation!

However, this blog points out that Christians “of the world” have our priorities mixed up.  In particular, Beth and I have come to realize that it isn’t about having a house to own or providing “the best” health insurance or saving for retirement or anything else that takes priority over God’s calling on our lives.  Those things are blessings, they are not, as Mark Brown points out, “rights.”  This has all gotten me thinking about my priorities and desires.  I know that God will bless me and my family in the way that He sees fit to further His Kingdom!!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!!

Psalm 13

How Long, O Lord?

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I take counsel in my soul
and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,
lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”
lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.

But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
I will sing to the Lord,
because he has dealt bountifully with me.

David knew where we are currently because he has been there.  I know God will answer.  I just cry out like David did, “Consider and answer me, O Lord my God.”