PREDESTINATION?
1 John 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
Jim Searcy
If God is Almighty, why does He not exercise His power to stop evil, pain, and suffering?
If God knows the end from the beginning, why does He allow all of this evil and suffering to take place?
If we are predestined to be a vessel of honor and eternal glory, OR a vessel of dishonor and destruction, then who can resist God, and why be concerned about it?
Scoffers today seem to delight in asking hard questions of Bible believers. How do we as Christians deal with the question of Predestination and the problem of evil and human suffering? Those are serious good tough questions, for which the child of God may find answers in the KJV Holy Bible which contains ALL things that pertain to life and godliness.
First, we do know that there are over 2000 PROPHECIES in the Holy Bible that have already been perfectly and exactly fulfilled. Those fulfilled prophecies have historical and archaeological verification. We can see by fulfilled prophecy, that God does know, and has told us, the end from the beginning. We also do know that God will bring about PERFECT Judgment. We do know God will bring an end to evil and suffering, to His called, who WILL CHOOSE TO MAKE THEIR CALLING AND ELECTION SURE. The sad truth is that many are called. Few are chosen.
So let us try to deal with this issue of predestination, for that is an issue which will greatly effect everyone. A wrong answer on that one, and a wrong understanding on that one, is something for which EVERYONE could pay eternal consequences, or find eternal reward.
Here is the answer regarding the issue of Predestination. Indeed God does know, and has to know, and has been proven to know, by those 2000 fulfilled bible prophecies - God does KNOW from all eternity what will happen. God IS God.
THE FACT THAT GOD KNOWS SOMETHING WILL TAKE PLACE, DOES NOT MEAN, AND DOES NOT INDICATE, THAT GOD MADE IT TAKE PLACE. There are many things which God PERMITS to happen now; but, that does NOT mean God makes them happen. There is a difference between the perfect will of God, and the permissive will of God.
God created Lucifer, who became Satan the devil. Lucifer was created as a perfect angel. God gave Lucifer a free will. A free will is necessary in order to make choices, otherwise what you have, is a robot.
Here is the simple answer to the predestination question. 1 John 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
The only way you can love is by FREE WILL. Love can NOT be Forced and preprogrammed. You do not get love or worship that is worth much out of a robot. God knew when He created Lucifer and all of the other angels, that one third of them would one day exercise their free will AGAINST Him, and rebel. God is able to look BEYOND that to the hosts of angels and men who would really love Him, by making the right choice of a genuine response to His great love that is beyond understanding. God could look beyond all of that. We should understand that love, in fact, can not demand or force love. Love must spring from freedom to will and freedom to choose. Some men would make their calling and election sure. Some men would make the RIGHT, free will, informed choice. They would love Him because He first loved us. Alleluia. God is love, and that is the genuine biblical answer to the predestination question.
God could look beyond all of the evil and endure with infinite long-suffering and forbearance. God looked forward BEYOND putting an end to evil, to the union of the spotless pure church as the object of His love. He is able to have the infinite forbearance and long-suffering required to endure all which free will would produce and require of Him. He could look BEYOND regarding sin, evil, corruption, and suffering, to that end, where there would be a group of men and angels who would love Him and have fellowship with Him for all eternity. God can ENDURE and look BEYOND all of the evil, to when He could pour out His love, on the objects of His love, who had chosen to make the right response to such great love. Alleluia. The proof of it all is that He did send His ONLY BEGOTTEN Son. Alleluia, Jesus Christ IS come in the flesh. Alleluia.
It was the worshipping angels under Lucifer who rebelled. The purpose for which God created man, in His own image, was to restore true worship. God created man to restore that true worship to His Kingdom and restore the vacancy created in His perfect Kingdom, when Lucifer led the worshipping angels in rebellion.
He gave men and angels the power to choose, freedom to will. God LIMITS Himself in respect of man's freedom of will. That is why salvation is for "Whosoever WILL." Whosoever will freely and willingly choose to do the will of God, in response to the love of God dawning upon them. God certainly does know who will choose to be saved by responding with the right act of their will, making the right choice, in response to His love - BUT WE DO NOT KNOW.
That is why we preach the gospel to every creature. It is our duty to preach the gospel to every creature, as if everyone to whom we preach, would be saved. We do this even though we do know that FEW will be saved. That is our simple duty, to our Great King Yeshua, Jesus. Jesus Christ died for SINNERS. Alleluia Yeshua.
Choose ye this day whom ye will serve. Know the Lord, Cleave to the Lord, Obey the Lord. Love the Lord, Cleave to the Lord, Obey the Lord. To know Him is to love Him, for truly - God is LOVE. We who do KNOW Yeshua, do know, that God is love. He is just, righteous, merciful, and perfect in all of His judgments. We can and should know that He will soon bring and end to Lucifer, the evil angels, and all who deny Him. All who refuse to make the RIGHT CHOICE, and exercise their free will, in the right response to His great love in Christ Jesus, deserve nothing less than hell. God is Love. We do rejoice evermore, even in tribulation and suffering, KNOWING - God IS God. Alleluia Yeshua.
1 Cor 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
Eph 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Eph 1:14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
Rom 8:28 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.
Rom 8:29 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.
Rom 8:30 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.
Rom 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
Eph 1:4 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:
Eph 1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Eph 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
Eph 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
Eph 1:8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
Psa 119:30 I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me.
Isa 43:10 Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
Isa 43:11 I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.
Isa 43:12 I have declared, and have saved, and I have showed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God.
Isa 43:13 Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?
Acts 9:15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
Acts 26:16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;
Acts 26:17 Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,
Acts 26:18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.