Within God's all powerful sovereignty He COULD have turned over the decision to men as to who would be saved and who would be lost. He COULD have just left it up to each man's free will. BUT, if He did that, then by definition it would mean that He didn't CARE who individually was in and who was out. IF He actually cared, then in His sovereignty He could do something about it. But for you guys, He just sits back and waits for the results to come in, and then writes down the names as His elect.
THAT is not the God I have a personal relationship with. My God loves ME and cares about ME and gave His life for ME. I'm not some random number to Him that He "hopes" will make good decisions and do enough good deeds. I am His son. And as my Father, He isn't going to let me play in traffic when it means certain death. He protects ME because He loves ME. It's personal. It's family.
Wonderfully-written! That is the Gospel, straight-away!
"[It is God] who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began" -- 2 Timothy 1:9
God "called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace."
And God granted that grace to His family from "before the world began." It is ALL of and by and for Him, as your post so clearly states.
As promised, the Holy Spirit is given to each member of His family. At a time of God's choosing, the Holy Spirit will give us new ears and new eyes so that when we read God's word it will come alive in our renewed mind and in our new heart, and we will know our salvation has been won by Christ on the cross.
That's just how God has purposed life to be -- for His glory and the merciful welfare of His family.
That's just how God has purposed life to be -- for His glory and the merciful welfare of His family.
As hosepipe is wont to say, Jesus Christ didn't come to establish a religion but a family. Indeed, that is the flow of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation.
God didn't "need" this heaven and earth, we the adopted children needed it to prepare as members of His family in the new heaven and earth.
To God be the glory!
That was an excellent post as well as your complement to it.
God, as the ground of all being, means there is no such thing as brute or chance facts.
All facts have their basis in Providence.
AMEN Dr. E.! It's all about Christ, not us. And I thank God every day that such a thing does not threaten me at all. It used to, so I understand the mindset. But no more! Glory be to God. :)