[MarMema]

here's the rest...

"But He does not preordain for anyone a definite moral state; He does not preordain either a virtuous or a sinful life and does not at all inhibit our freedom. Therefore, even the Apostle Paul, whom the reformers cite, very closely connects the teaching on predestination with the teaching on God's foresight. In the Epistle to the Romans, he explains this thought in detail, and, incidentally, says concerning predestina-tion: "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son? Moreover whom he did pre-destinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified" (Romans 8:29-30). In this way, God predestinates to glory not according to His groundless arbitrariness, as the reformers think, but according to His foreknowledge of a man's merits accomplished through his free will."

[MarMema]

on Predestination

Try this one out...

"The blessed Paul, while bound, sailed to Italy on a certain Alexandrian ship in order to stand before the Emperor. Suddenly in the middle of the deep night, a great storm arises. The wind blows strongly, the sea is turbulent. There is great mortal danger, no hope for salvation. Yet God, desiring to preserve His servant, sends him His angel with the message: Fear not, Paul... God hath given thee all them that sail with thee (Acts 27:24). Hearing this divine promise, the sailors were somewhat heartened that they would be saved and intended to leave the vessel and reach shore by boat. No, says Paul, except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved (Acts 27:3 1)."

[Dr. Eckleburg]

But He does not preordain for anyone a definite moral state.

As Michael Townsend righteously posted earlier -- "Those whom God is said to have foreseen as having believed would not have believed, nor indeed could they have believed, if GOD had not bestowed His gift of Faith on them in the first place."

If faith is a gift from God, granted by His mercy, then the saving belief that flows from that gift is likewise all from God.

Thus all salvation is determined by God alone for His good pleasure.

"Deserves got nothing to do with it."

[CCWoody]

"But He does not preordain for anyone a definite moral state; He does not preordain either a virtuous or a sinful life and does not at all inhibit our freedom. Therefore, even the Apostle Paul, whom the reformers cite, very closely connects the teaching on predestination with the teaching on God's foresight. In the Epistle to the Romans, he explains this thought in detail, and, incidentally, says concerning predestina-tion: "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son? Moreover whom he did pre-destinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified" (Romans 8:29-30). In this way, God predestinates to glory not according to His groundless arbitrariness, as the reformers think, but according to His foreknowledge of a man's merits accomplished through his free will." ~ MarMema

Consider the following. If God's foreknowledge is of "a man's merit," then God clearly has a foreknowledge of man's justification. After all man has merit. I won't mention the fact that merit destroys the correct meaning of both mercy and grace.

Moving on.... Now, if that is a correct line of reasoning, then the golden chain of Predestination ("whom he did pre-destinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified") is false for there would clearly be no need to justify them which God already foreknew were justly deserving.

Hmmmm!

Woody.