Man is not the measure of God.
We must receive all of the words of God even if they are hard to accept and that includes not dismissing Gods words based on our own mortal reasoning or desire.
You are telling me that predestination and free will can "co-exist" but you do not show how that is possible or even real. I take it that your definitions of predestination and free will are vastly different from standard definitions, in which case please define them.
Like the word ratio does not apply to a single number, the term rational does not apply to God; there is no ratio in Truth there can only be a ratio to Truth. God is absolute. His ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts.
Your challenge:
But Gods says:
The new heaven and earth (Revelation) is not a possibility. It will be because it is Gods will, He has spoken it.
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate [to be] conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. Romans 8:28-30
Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly [places] in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, - Ephesians 1:3-5
In the passage weve been discussing, John 21, Peters freedom of movement is love. He wasnt being forced to love Jesus to a certain level (more than these) - but Jesus made it very clear by repeating it three times that loving Him is the necessary qualification to feed His lambs. Peter evidently had a problem keeping his priorities straight:
And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.
And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand [of him whom] thou wilt send.
And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, [Is] not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart. And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do. And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, [even] he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God. Exodus 4:10-16
No one and no thing can thwart the will of God. That is the bottom line.
Not Satan, not Moses, not Peter, not Herod, not Paul, not the people when Jesus entered Jerusalem, not you, not me, no one - and that includes Mary.
Now I realize that many of my Catholic brothers and sisters in Christ put great stock in Marys submission to Gods calling. I strongly suspect her submission is why they are so compelled to venerate her as an example of how everyone ought to submit to the will of God.
But in no way could she have thwarted the will of God. If she had balked like Moses or if she had refused then Jesus would nevertheless had become enfleshed. With God, all things are possible.
But Jesus beheld [them], and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. - Matthew 19:26
But we know that his fate has already been sealed. Revelation 20
BTW, your comments on judgment call for another sermonette but I didnt want to overload this post so more later.
AMEN! That is a great truth and a very succinct way of defining what is so difficult to define. Thank you.