ARE YOU GUILTY OR INNOCENT IN GOD'S EYES?

This is a short post but a very important one. When I saw this video, related to the death of pop star, Michael Jackson, I thought I should share it here. God gave us his law in order to show us something...please click on this video link and take the test "ARE YOU GUILTY OR INNOCENT IN THE EYES OF GOD?"

BEWARE: FALSE PROFESSIONS!

Perhaps one of the most tragic examples of a lost soul found in the bible is located in Matthew 7:21-23, which says, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."
Here we find souls who thought that they were alright with God, safe from judgment, and the reason why they supposed this to be true. They proffer their good works before the Lord as He sits in judgment and are puzzled that they stand wanting. The Lord Jesus Christ gives us a rare glimpse into one situation which will be found on that great day of Judgment (Rev 20:11-15). They profess good works in His name and He professes unto them, "I NEVER KNEW YOU! Depart from me, ye that work iniquity." But how could this have happened and could you be in danger of facing this same predicament?

The problem is that these people had made a false profession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ--they might have prayed pretty words at an alter of prayer, but they were insincere about their desire to accept Him as Lord and Savior. This might sound strange, and many FALSELY believe that a true believer could actually lose their salvation because they don't allow for the possibility that someone made false profession in the first place. The bible never suggests that a true believer, having passed from death unto life (John 5:24) could ever become lost again...but does the bible give us examples of false professions? ABSOLUTELY!!

• In Matthew 13:5-6, the bible says, "5Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
  6And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away." -- This parable talks about seed sown on four different kinds of ground and pictures the word of God (gospel) being received by individuals in four different ways. In these particular verses, the seed, is received upon "stony places" without any depth. The plant springs up quickly but then withers away quickly because it has not really taken root. Jesus explains this parable, and these verses, in Matthew 13:20-21, which says, "But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
  21Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended." -- The individual receiving the gospel message (seed) in this way, seems to be happy about hearing it, receives it eagerly and yet INSINCERELY. There is no real root in their heart and by and by they fall away from it. It wasn't a matter of really having something and losing it, but there was the appearance of having and losing.


• In Matthew 13:24-30, we find another parable with a similar, and more focused, message on false professions--the parable of Wheat and Tares. In this parable a farmer sows GOOD SEED (wheat) in his field. But while he sleeps, an enemy comes and sows tares among the wheat. When both spring up there are tares among the wheat. To understand the meaning of this parable is it very important to realize that a tare is a weed that has the appearance of wheat. However when both come to maturity, wheat has the fruit (wheat kernel) while the tare does not. Notice that the tare has the appearance of the true for a time, but then is revealed for what it truly is...a weed only good for burning in the fire.


• Again, we find an example of false professors of faith in Jesus Christ as they manifest themselves for what they are, this time in 1 John 2:18-19 which says, "Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
  19They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us." -- John tells the reader, here, that these false disciples become known as such by there falling away from their profession. Now some might say that they simply got saved and then became lost again...but notice what John actually says. He explains very clearly that they "were not of us." He did NOT say they were of us, but now they are no longer of us (believers). But he makes the distinction that had they been believers they "would NO DOUBT have continued with us: but they went out that it might be made manifest (apparent) that they were not all of us. The apostle's language is very clear on the matter: they didn't lose salvation, only manifested the fact that they had made a false profession in the first place and in time went back to their old lives and dropped their profession of faith in Jesus Christ.


• In Mark 7:16, Jesus said of the religious Pharisees, who claimed to know and do the will of God, "He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me." -- These religious men, despite their great PRETENSE of honoring God, actually hated the Lord...when the chips fell, they cried out, regarding God's Son and their Messiah, crucify Him!


• Lastly we see the example left to us of Judas Iscariot. This "son of perdition" answered the same calling as the other disciples. He heard the same teachings of Jesus as the others. He saw the same miracles as the other apostles. He walked with the Son of God. But he remained insincere in his profession of faith and it came out in his works. As they say, Judas Iscariot kissed the Door of Heaven (Jesus, in betrayal) and went straight to Hell.

What a tragedy to come so close to salvation and yet not receive. How foolish to pretend to have surrendered unto God and seemingly turn from sin only to perish in the judgment of God in the end of the matter. Why put up the charade? If you're going to go to the trouble of putting on a religious show, why not just sincerely repent of your sin and put your faith in Jesus? The difference in an insincere profession and a sincere saving faith is the difference between life and death--between HEAVEN & HELL!

WHATS SO BAD ABOUT A BELIEVER DYING?

APART FROM THOSE CHRISTIANS ALIVE WHEN THE RAPTURE OCCURS, WE WILL ALL FACE THE CHILLING HAND OF DEATH. (nice way to start off a post huh?)

Nevertheless this is the truth. Death is seen as an enemy, but what is so bad about a believer dying?

IS IT THE PAIN?

1. 
   
   Pain is felt by the mortal body, but death is separation from the mortal body.


2. 
   
   Those believers who die have left pain behind along with the problems of life.


3. 
   
   So, it can't be Pain...

IS IT THE LOSS OF HOPE?

1. 
   
   Actually, for a believer, death is HOPE realized!


2. 
   
   Jesus is our hope of Eternal life...in death we find that promise fulfilled.


3. 
   
   "For to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord"


4. 
   
   So, it can't be a loss of hope...

IS IT FEAR?

1. 
   
   Death is mentioned as something that stings, but we often fear things which cannot harm us.


2. 
   
   Death, for a believer, is like a garter snake...no fangs...it might look like something dangerous, but there's really nothing to fear.


3. 
   
   The "sting" of death was sin and the penalty of God's law for sin, which is eternal separation (second death)...but through faith in Jesus Christ the penalty of sin has been paid for us, so it can't be fear...

IS IT THE LOSS OF MORTAL LIFE?

1. 
   
   Mortal life is only temporary for any of us!


2. 
   
   In Christ the mortal shall put on immortality and the life to come and the glorified body promised are far better!


3. 
   
   Believers who die leave behind: pain, sorrow, troubles / trials...they would never trade what they have now to come back to the mortal body!


4. 
   
   In fact, they would rather see you leave the mortal body to come to where they are now with Christ for it is far better, so it can't be a loss of mortal life...

THE ANSWER IS THAT IT IS A LOSS OF FELLOWSHIP WITH THOSE WHO PASS!

1. 
   
   We who are left behind in the mortal life long for their company but can no longer have it...we miss them being with us here.


2. 
   
   We are left here wondering about mysteries they already fully understand!!


3. 
   
   But our hope is also in Jesus Christ and so we have the assurance that though they will not come back to us, our loss of fellowship is only temporary! We will one day join them!

WHY DO BAD THINGS HAPPEN?

PHILOSOPHERS would argue that GOD cannot exist because evil exists in the world...the fundamental (fun & mental) question becoming: "How could a benevolent, all knowing, all powerful God allow BAD THINGS to happen?"

This is a completely valid question and one for which the Bible has the answer! Let's examine the facts, shall we?

Genesis tells us that when God had completed his creative work, he examined everything and said it was all GOOD! So what happened?

1. 
   
   Rather than worshipful robots, God created his creatures with a free will. The angels have free will and some chose to rebel, Lucifer being apparently chief instigator in that rebellion.


2. 
   
   Lucifer/Satan then tempted mankind in the garden of Eden with disobedience to God's clear commandment not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil...mankind disobeyed God and became sinners like Satan.


3. 
   
   Romans 5 informs us that this initial rebellion affected all of Adam & Eve's descendants coming into the world...so that all became sinners and sin's death penalty passed unto all mankind.


4. 
   
   Not only that, but the entire world is now under a curse because of our initial and continued rebellion to our Creator!


5. 
   
   Man still has a free will and a natural tendency toward sin...so of course BAD THINGS are going to happen! Man chooses to make bad things happen! There are consequences for our daily rebellion in which we inflict ourselves upon other's lives with consequences.

The whole creation is groaning (Rom 8) and travailing just waiting for God's plan to come all the way around where sin will be judged and put down forever, where Righteousness will prevail and the Redeemed will live forever in a NEW HEAVEN and NEW EARTH. Folks God's plan isn't to renovate what we all polluted with sin. His goal in creation is to do a short work upon the Earth and cut it short in Righteousness (Rom 9)! God made everything good knowing that his creatures would pollute it, that he would have to redeem it, that he would have to come down from heaven in the form of humanity and pay for our sins to do it, and that ultimately he would re-create the heavens and the Earth for the redeemed to inhabit a creation that is ALL GOOD! No wonder the bible proclaims (Rom 8) that "all things work together for good to them that love God, to them called according to His purpose!"

STREETS OF GOLD IN HEAVEN?

Does Heaven really have streets of gold? Just asking that question might insight the rancor of my fellow Christians, but I think we often miss fundamental things about God's Word by not paying close enough attention. The bible tells us of three distinct "Heavens" which exist in Creation.

1. 
   
   The Firmament or "Atmosphere" of Earth mentioned in Genesis, which is where the birds fly and planes, when they're doing alright.


2. 
   
   The Celestial Heaven or space containing all of the various planetary bodies, stars and so forth. These declare the glory of God.


3. 
   
   The Third Heaven mentioned by Paul particularly, which is the dwelling place of God in the spiritual realm.

Now, none of these is ever said to have streets of Gold as we generally describe Heaven. The fact of the matter is that when we use these descriptions of "Streets of Gold and Gates of Pearl, etc," we are actually referring to the God-made city of New Jerusalem. But this is not Heaven in any of the three forms mentioned in scripture. The bible (Rev 21) says that New Jerusalem descends from God out of Heaven. Now we may postulate that this city actually comes into existence from the spiritual realm where God dwells and enters the physical realm to at the very least remain in orbit with the New Earth. Since the city's dimensions are approximately 1500 miles in height, width and length and is never said to actually touch down on the earth, it is safe to say that it might only remain in orbit, though at that size, highly visible.

One of the things Christians generalize away when considering eternity, is the fact that we aren't ever said to be hanging around on a cloud playing a harp, twinking halos. The future for a Christian is highly active...Praise the Lord for that cause I get bored easy! Think about all that the bible foretells:

1. 
   
   finishing our natural lives pursuing the Great Commission and a close, faithful walk with God...all with the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit.


2. 
   
   The gathering of all believers at the rapture, receiving glorified bodies at that time.


3. 
   
   The Judgment Seat of Christ, where every believer will give an account of their faithfulness to the work we have now (#1).


4. 
   
   The Marriage Supper of the Lamb, a great celebration which appears to follow the Judgment Seat and precede the Second Coming of Christ.


5. 
   
   The Second Coming of Christ where he will come with the armies of heaven...that's us as well folks...see Jude 14...and the battle of Armageddon!


6. 
   
   The establishment of Christs kingdom upon a renewed earth following the battle and imprisonment of Satan himself in the pit.


7. 
   
   The co-governing of Christ's kingdom with our Lord for 1,000 years leading to the final rebellion of Satan and mankind.


8. 
   
   The Great White Throne judgment where we will almost certainly stand present..."and so shall we ever be with the Lord." Likewise we will stand in judgment at some point of the angels that rebelled, perhaps at the same time Satan is judged finally...though we aren't told.


9. 
   
   A new Heaven and Earth will be created and the New Jerusalem will come down from God out of Heaven. We believers shall inhabit that city for eternity as well as having access to the new Earth and very likely access to the entire creation...no death, no pain, glorified bodies...oh, I'd say that's likely.

The point is that we have a lot going on for the believer in Jesus Christ...if we study the Word of God, we'll find not only greater accuracy in our understanding but a glorious future that shall never end!

LONG LOST EVANGELISM!

WHY DON'T WE SEE BIBLE BELIEVERS EVANGELIZING THE LOST?! When's the last time you heard someone complain about those pesky baptists (or any other bible believers) always coming around, knocking on their doors trying to invite them to come to church or be born again into the family of God through faith in Jesus Christ?

It is a sad testimony to our laziness as believers that about the only times we visit people in the communities around our churches is for vacation bible school kickoffs, or as Pastors, to visit a "prospect," - someone who happened to wander through the doors of our church one Sunday.

The fact of the matter is that in today's culture, it's perfectly alright to be someone who never goes to church, someone who doesn't even believe in God...so there's not much incentive for lost people to simply wander into church. WE HAVE TO GO OUT TO THEM!! But we don't...

1. 
   
   In the bible, the disciples of the Lord went from house to house with the gospel message...but we don't


2. 
   
   The cults are going with a false gospel of works...yet we have the truth and never say a word.


3. 
   
   Cult members are evangelizing the unsaved because they believe this will earn them a way into heaven...WE believers should be evangelizing the unsaved because we are going to heaven and want others to go their as well!

Okay Preacher, I'm guilty...now what do I do? First of all be willing to put a little rubber to the road and go into the highways and bi-ways to reach out to the lost...remember they have no natural desire to go into a church now-a-days. Used to, people were expected to be God-fearing and go to church just as a way of being upright...not anymore. Lost people are not going to bust down the doors of your bible believing / preaching church...we're going to have to bust out of the church house in order to go after them!

1. 
   
   Do I need to be a preacher to go? ABSOLUTELY NOT! In fact the Great Commission was given to the entire body of believers! Pastors, evangelists, preacher and teachers were actually given unto the church (Eph 4:11).


2. 
   
   Do I need to have a lot of scripture memorized to go? NO, but knowing the bible is ALWAYS a great idea! You never know when someone might ask you a question or put a scripture to you trying to stump you on the meaning...that never looks good. The fact is, you are delivering a message of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, period. If you've experienced that then you are qualified to tell others, right?


3. 
   
   Should I put my foot in the door when they open it and preach at them? NOT unless you're wearing steel-toed boots, cause they're about to slam your foot with that door! The truth is that in our modern culture, people are AFRAID of other people coming to their houses! Either they'll assume you are part of a cult (don't dress in the white shirt and tie) or they'll think you're up to NO GOOD! When I go door to door, carrying materials from the church, people usually brighten up when they realize, I'm just the Pastor from the Baptist church down the road coming to invite them...actually they look perplexed, because people aren't used to seeing bible believers out inviting them at all...sad, sad, sad but true.


4. 
   
   You don't need to really do anything but show them that you cared enough about their soul to make the effort of walking down the road to their house in order to invite them out to your church services. A friendly caring impression is worth much more than bible thumping on their porch. Leave that to the preacher when they come visit your church...they'll expect preaching then and most likely be more open to listening. At the door they want to be rid of you before you turn out to be a maniac trying to kill them...and the newspapers tell us that happens, so don't feel bad about their response. People are cautious for their lives and with good reason. Just show yourself, HARMLESS, CARING AND COURTEOUS. People's minds are filled images of RELIGIOUS FANATICS doing crazy things while they shout scripture at their victims...don't feed those thoughts...surprise them by a compassionate invitation, placing well prepared materials (cd message, tract, church info) into their hands and telling them to have a nice day. If they want to talk more then talk, but don't impose upon them, they sure won't come visit your church for more of that!


5. 
   
   IF THEY AREN'T AT HOME (or happen to be hiding in the closet until you leave :-) then leave your materials at the door and go. Always try to knock on the door if possible (barring rottweilers or trespassing signs). A FRIENDLY FACE and INVITE BEATS a discarded paper track left on their door any day!!

Christ gave us the commission to go forth and preach the gospel unto every creature...we've got a job to do, if we'll just bust out of our comfort zones and do it! Hey the cults are doing it, so we could do it...and we've actually got the true way of salvation to share! Isn't that worth doing. Wouldn't you like to stand at the judgment seat of Christ one day and hear, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant?" I know I would, and that is up to us.

NEED A JOB? A GREAT COMMISSION!

How many people have you heard say, "Boy I sure wish I could find the will of God for my life," or "I'd be glad to serve the Lord, if I only knew what he wanted me to do."

Well, Believers, I've got wonderful news for you! Jesus left the church (believers) a GREAT COMMISSION! In other words, he left us a JOB to do until he comes again. Isn't it wonderful to know that in an economic downspiral and rising rate of unemployment, that God has left each and every believer a job to do?

What is our job? SEED SOWERS...what? Yes, that's right, Jesus said to preach the gospel unto every creature and the bible clearly tells us (matt 13) that the Word of God is like seed that we are sent forth to sow everywhere we go. In the parable of Matt 13 we find Jesus explaining our job to us...we take the seed (word of God) and spread it in every direction. But preacher I don't know where to sow it. That's why you sow it everywhere! Some will fall in the weeds, some in the rocks and some on the old hard road, but some will fall into the good ground...into the the lives of those who will ultimately turn from their sin to put their genuine faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and be born again into the family of God.

That's our job and so often we aren't doing it...oh we sit in church week after week, waiting for sinners to wander into our churches, but folks that just isn't reality. We now live in a society where it is perfectly alright to never go to church. This ain't Andy Griffith days we're living in. Now-a-days the church going, God fearing folk are on the minority side...on the fringe of society not in the well respected place we once held. The world is changing, society has changed and we can't expect sinners to run to our pews! WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO SHOW ENOUGH COMPASSION TO GET UP AND GO INVITE THEM TO COME...What is it the Spirit and the Bride (believers) say unto the lost world in Revelation 22? "COME!"

If Bible believing, preaching churches want to see souls saved and people coming into the sanctuarys to hear the word of God, then we're going to have to show our communities that we care enough to invite them! Most people don't crash parties...it's so much better when you're invited to come!

NEW FEATURES UP FOR YOUR VIEWING PLEASURE!

Hello all, don't forget to check out the new features going up here at BIBLE-SMART! On the DOCTRINE FOR DUMMIES page we've got lots of new posts on HEAVEN, HELL, SATAN, DEMONS, THE TRINITY, THE RAPTURE, NEW JERUSALEM, NEW HEAVENS AND EARTH, and many more!

Also we've gone to a separate page for everyones favorite simian scientist, PROFESSOR DARWIN! Check back often on these sidebar links to see the updates to these pages as well as our REVELATION STUDY page which updates with a new chapter every Friday!

WHY BOTHER GOING TO CHURCH?

*PROFESSOR DARWIN GETS HIS OWN FEATURE PAGE! SEE SIDEBAR*

WHY BOTHER GOING TO CHURCH? This might sound like an insane question to ask, but how many times have you heard someone say, "I can worship God on the lake, out in the woods or down at my house, just as well as I can down at the church house?" An insane question to ask, you say? Well then why do we see the size of a congregation dwindle close to half from Sunday Morning service to Sunday Evening and even worse than that on Wednesday services?

I suppose the quick answer to the question is, "Because God commands us to go to Church!" Actually in (Hebrews 10:25) we find that God commands us, "not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is; but exorting one another, and so much the more as ye see the day approaching."

One might point out that God didn't necessarily command you to go down to the church building on Sundays and Wednesdays, but that tends to be where Believers do assemble themselves and those generally are the days when they assemble themselves. So, I'd like us to not debate whether or not God wants you to go to church...clearly he does. But let's look at why He wants you to assemble with Believers then you might see the value never question it again!

1. 
   
   If you haven't been saved then you can hear God's Word preached here and you can have your questions concerning your sin, God's judgment and Salvation answered by those equipped to do so. There's really no better place to come to Jesus in faith than in a good Bible believing / preaching church...although you can be saved anywhere you find yourself willing to be.


2. 
   
   For Believers, God has placed you into His family and he wants you to assemble together so that you can encourage one another to walk by faith and serve God with your lives.


3. 
   
   When we assemble with other Believers we surround ourselves with a support group of other saved sinners who have been or are currently going through the same heartaches and trials you may be going through. Who better to have praying for you than those who know how you're feeling?


4. 
   
   When we assemble with other Believers we find role models of faith who influence and encourage us to serve God faithfully. We also can be taught by those who have a wealth of experience and knowledge of God's Word. Who better to answer your questions and help you grow in the Lord than God's people?


5. 
   
   When we assemble with other Believers we place ourselves among brothers and sisters who will hold us accountable for our behavior...consider that if God were standing over your shoulder, you'd behave the right way ALL of the time...well, of course God is there, but we don't act like it. In the company of Believers we walk uprightly as we should because we see them watching. This helps us to walk uprightly when we aren't in their company as well.


6. 
   
   In the assembly of Believers there are positions of responsibility to be held that give us a tangible opportunity to serve God and others. If you can't even be faithful enough to obey God and assemble with other Believers then how will He ever find you faithful enough to do greater things?

Folks, these are just a few simple thoughts about going to Church (assembling with other believers) and the benefits we receive from obeying this particular commandment of God. However, consider this closing thought: Not only can others become a blessing to you in the Church, but your life can become a blessing unto others as you grow, serve, pray, endure trials, walk by faith, teach and maybe even preach God's word. Isn't it better to live a valuable life than one wasted?

DOCTRINE FOR DUMMIES!

Well, of course you're not really DUMMIES...but we'll go with "catchy" when we can get it, eh? The new DOCTRINE FOR DUMMIES page will become a separate blog page for BIBLE-SMART and one that we hope will help you in your study. It will provide quick paragraph post-links for commonly used phrases from the Bible and those used by preachers everywhere. Many times these phrases are confusing to people, so we hope this will help you with quick, easy to understand definitions as the words are used in Scripture.

Some words we'll start off with include: Justified, Sanctified, Escatology, Redemption, Born Again, Election, Predestination, etc....

Well, you get the point. These often pass through one "Auricular Canal" and out the other when we hear them in a sermon or see them in the bible, but they are vital to a clear understanding of God's word!

THE DOCTRINE OF PREDESTINATION!

WHOA! DID HE REALLY SAY PREDESTINATION?!

Well, yes, actually I did. Does that make me a Hyper-Calvinist? Not at all. Folks as I've said before, God's Word is God's Word and if something is mentioned or taught in the Bible then we have no need to fear...only to understand what is actually being taught.

Such is the case with this word "PREDESTINATION." Until I had begun studying my bible in earnest as a young Christian, I never heard the word mentioned and certainly never heard any teaching on the subject. In fact, when I asked about the word and its meaning, I was instantly labeled a Calvinist and summarily dismissed under rebuke. My teachers made no attempt to answer my simple query about this teaching...and in hindsight that seems to be because they had no clue what to tell me.

So, we shy away from nothing here at BIBLE-SMART but rather plow ahead. I have good news to all Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ! This teaching actually has nothing to do with "Justification" (cleansing of sin & guilt) and everything to do with you!

MANY BELIEVE THAT PREDESTINATION REFERS TO GOD OVERRIDING MAN'S WILL IN SALVATION:

1. 
   
   That due to God's sovereignty over his creation, that he must foreordain every action, event and thought within his creation. But this is not taught in scripture and is actually not necessary to the clear definition of "sovereignty" at all. Sovereignty simply means that God is completely beholden to none. He is Lord of His creation and none can say unto him "what doest thou?" or withold his hand. Yet our Sovereign God chose to make his creatures with free will and hold them responsible for their choices.


2. 
   
   That God randomly chose individual sinners from among human history and forcibly applied the blood of Christ to them and saves them apart from any choice they themselves might make...in effect, overriding the free will of certain individuals in order to forcibly redeem them.


3. 
   
   In the same manner of forcibly saving some, that God denies that opportunity of redemption through Jesus Christ by not saving others...in effect choosing to leave them to an eternity of Hell fire.

WHILE MANY BELIEVE THIS, THE BIBLE DOES NOT TEACH IT!! In Contrast, the Bible does teach:

1. 
   
   The Bible clearly teaches that man is a sinner and condemned...however, God has chosen to offer his Son as a sacrifice for the sins of mankind and accept those who believe on Him for Salvation.


2. 
   
   Sinful man is pursued by God, shown his sin and guilt by the light of God's word, offered the free gift of salvation, and given the opportunity and responsibility to respond to God's gracious offer.


3. 
   
   Man is held responsible for his willingness to receive or reject God's one way of Salvation through faith in His son, Jesus Christ.

WELL, THEN WHERE DOES PREDESTINATION FIT INTO THE PICTURE? Predestination, as I've already stated previously, has nothing to do with a sinner believing on Jesus and having their sins cleansed (justification). Neither does it have anything to do with God foreordaining some to Heaven and some to Hell.

Predestination, predestinated or predestinate, only occurs four times in scripture. (Ephesians 1: 5, 11 & Romans 8: 29, 30)

1. 
   
   Ephesians 1: 5 tells us that Believers, for that is who Paul is addressing vs.1, are not only "Justified" (cleansed of guilt and sin) through faith in Jesus, but now being within God's accepted group, He adopts us as children into His family! This is not Salvation, but an added extra to Salvation...something we have because we are "In Christ." God predetermined (predestinated) this extra gift to every believer! WOW!


2. 
   
   Ephesians 1: 11 tells us that not only are we adopted as children, but God also predestinated every believer in Jesus Christ to receive an inheritance...as the bible says, "we shall inherit all things!"


3. 
   
   Romans 8: 29 also tells us that every believer in Jesus Christ has been predestined to be "conformed to the image of His son." The word for this is "Sanctification," and means God will work in the believer's life to make them more like Jesus...transforming our daily lives into something that will glorify God in this world and lead others to saving faith in Jesus. Once again, this is not "Justification," or having our sins cleansed...it is something extra to the Believer in Jesus ONLY! No unbeliever is ever Sanctified, Adopted or given an Inheritance!


4. 
   
   Romans 8: 30 simply tells us that those predestinated already referred to vs.29, are also called, justified and glorified. Only Believers are predestinated to receive these extra gifts from the Father.

Concluding: we find NOT a doctrine of hopeless abandonment for part of humanity, but hope for all who are willing to respond to our Creator's gracious offer of Salvation through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. For those who do, you not only have your sins cleansed away, but adoption into the family, an inheritance in glory and a life in this world set apart unto God as he molds and shapes us into the image of his dear son.

THE DOCTRINE OF ELECTION--MADE EASY!

For our first installment we will be looking at Ephesians 1: 1-4. I will allow you to read it yourself and simply refer to it by verse as we take a look at this very important yet misunderstood doctrine (teaching) of the bible. In particular we will refer to verse 4.

This doctrine is much debated and very misunderstood. I want to say at the outset that every teaching in God's Word sits side by side with every other in HARMONY. The discord comes from our lack of understanding, NOT a problem with God's Word.

People are made to feel as though they must choose sides regarding the doctrine of Election. Some theologians teach that God made a choice and man has no choice. Others take an opposing view and believe that man has a choice and God doesn't want a choice. These positions are generally taught under the headings: Calvinism and Arminianism respectively. Both of these positions will have problems with the bible in different places. Calvinists, for example, have problems with certain words like: "ALL," and "World" when passages refer to God's desire to save ALL people or God's love for this WORLD of sinners such as John 3:16.

These opposing views generally stem from a lack of understanding how these biblical truths can sit side by side. The Bible clearly teaches that God has chosen (elected) and likewise that man has a choice to make in response to what God has done through Jesus Christ. Man is not a robot. God made man with the capacity of choice (free will) and he interacts with man and holds man responsible based on that capacity for choice.

When God seeks man and confronts man with his lost condition and the means of salvation, man is expected to respond with a choice. Man, by nature, does not seek after God, but God does seek after man. Man is not overriding God's will by responding to God's seeking, rather he is fulfilling it. Responding to God's seeking is not a "work of righteousness" and it does not fulfill The Law of God (as though we were saved by works)...let's remember these things as we look at ELECTION.

The bible clearly teaches that God elected (Chose) two groups of people for different purposes in his overall plan. First, God chose an Earthly nation of people, known as Israel. This nation would be used by God to glorify His name in the Earth, to pen the scriptures and make them available to the world and to bring the promises of salvation and the Messiah into the world. It must be mentioned that God chose them as a group--one that you were either born into or, as in the O.T. provisions, you joined the nation and were accepted. This election of the nation and individuals among that lineage were for these purposes as seen in the misunderstood Romans chapter 9. God electing this nation DID NOT CHANGE THEIR NATURE or cause them to be BORN AGAIN! In fact it can be seen that Israel were continually rebellious toward God...why? Because electing them did not change their nature. Salvation has always been a matter of Faith in God.

The second group that God elected (chose) is Believers in Jesus Christ. Now, to begin with, the bible NEVER states that God ever randomly picked individuals from among human history and overrode their will, forcing them to be born again into the family of God. However, as we find in Ephesians 1:4, God did choose. Whom did he choose? Paul says he chose "us." Now, go back to Eph 1:1 and notice Paul's greeting. He is writing this epistle (letter) to the "saints." Saints are those who believe in Christ for salvation. So, Paul is stating that God chose "believers in Christ" and when he chose "believers in Christ" -- before the foundation of the world.

So, now we find that God chose a group. This group is "In Him," (In Christ) according to Eph 1:4. This is absolutely the truth: every saved person is "In Christ," and all lost people are "Not In Christ."

So, we have two groups in human history: IN CHRIST and NOT IN CHRIST. God's bible declares emphatically that the IN CHRIST group has been elected (chosen) by God to be "accepted" by Him, cleansed of sins (justified), made a new creature, placed into his family and be his people for all eternity to come.

God has not elected (chosen) the NOT IN CHRIST group. These remain as they are--in their own sins and subject to the judgment of God for breaking his Holy Law. This is where God's choice plays into the doctrine of Election...

How does man's choice come into this doctrine? It would be a monumental task to ignore the many, many scriptures where God holds man responsible for a choice in the matter of obeying the gospel and being born again by faith in Jesus Christ. Subsequently, this is exactly how a sinner becomes a part of the ELECT group. God seeks sinners and by the use of the law, he shows sinners that they are guilty and in danger of judgment. God also shows us that he loves mankind and sent his only begotten Son, Jesus, to fulfill the requirements of God's law (which we never could) by his death upon the cross and his resurrection.

When a sinner understands and believes he is lost, then he may respond to God's charge to be saved. God has given man a choice, by grace (undeserved favor) and we must make it. When a sinner turns from their old sinful nature to put genuine faith in Jesus Christ, they are "Born Again" and become part of that elect group, IN CHRIST.

So, we see easily that God has chosen and Man is also given a choice by God. And God expects man to make that choice wisely. Here's the clincher though: God has already informed mankind of His choice. So, we can know beforehand that if we choose Christ, then we are going to be part of that elect and accepted group, but if we reject Christ then we are likewise rejected by God, left in our sins and subject to His judgment.

To finish up let me give you a quick example of Election: In our government, we have essentially a two party system (Democrats and Republicans). We know the independents don't have a chance, so the example works :)

As a voter you are essentially choosing one group or another and the current figurehead of the group. God has chosen (elected) the group He will accept.

The members of each party, Democrat or Republican, were not chosen by the voters. You join each group based upon your beliefs, just as individuals choose to become either "In Christ" or to remain "Not in Christ."

The voters have a choice and the individual has a choice--just as God has a choice and has given man a choice. Both of these facts sit side by side in harmony in the word of God.