I have recently been taking some voluntary time off to spend with my family (which I believe God has told me to take off) and it has me thinking about how my value myself. It is so easy to get value from what you do and many other ways that are not God.
I have also been reading though Kings and Chronicles and I am amazed and king after king good or bad had died and has passed away and other than a few words that all that is recorded. We are really are a mist.
John 4:14 Why,
you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You
are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.(NIV)
How do we grapple with this startling fact? We are really nothing but can come into the presence of massive God.
Ecclesiastes 12:13 Now all has been heard;here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. (NIV)
God help us to find our value in you
God help us to trust you with our value
God help us to fear you
God help us to hear you
Work in our lives
Change us for you
Sunday, September 29, 2019
Thursday, September 12, 2019
Predestination vs. Free Will
This one is for you Wendell
This is not to say I am capable to answer such a question ... or if even we as humans are capable to answer such a question but here are my thoughts.
1. I don't think we fully understand time and what time is.
2. We may be stuck in our own world view and language barriers. Predestination vs freewill may be very well like asking can God make a rock so big that he can't move it. Some may argue that this a fact in not believing in God but I believe C.S Lewis correctly states that really this is a limitation/error of the English language. Can you answer the question "what color is a circle?" Rather they are nonsensical questions. Is predestination vs free will a nonsensical question, possibly.
3. I believe we make choices and have freedom to make choices. Romans 3:20 we have a choice to open the door .. John 7:17 ... etc.
I believe the challenge comes when we have a God that is present in our future as well as today and knows if he does such and such it would have such and such affect on our life. The argument is that he could then change the events so that we would all come to repentance and come to God so why doesn't he? Has God only chosen certain people and set up the world for only the chosen people to be saved? or would only certain people chose God no matter what the circumstance?
2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."
C.S. Lewis Great Divorce Chapter 7
"The question is whether she is a grumbler, or only a grumble. If there is a real woman-even the least trace of one-still there inside the grumbling, it can be brought to life again. If there's one wee spark under all those ashes, we'll blow it till the whole pile is red and clear. But if there's nothing but ashes we'll not go on blowing them in our own eyes forever. They must be swept up."
I believe God has done exactly that. God has done everything possible that we will all come to repentance but we are stubborn people and have chosen otherwise. Now people could always give examples of people where they think this is not true but I believe we can never know all the details and so never make a conclusion.
Now at the end of time and we have no more choices, will our choices in this life be predestined. Yes because that is what we chose and would always have chosen because of who we are (I think our choices are a part of who we are). I don't believe we will be asking questions of what if such and such was different. I think will be nonsensical because that is not what happened and could never happened that way.
I think God balances intervention and freedom. God wants us to choose him but he doesn't want it to be forced or required.
We sit on this moment where the past is covered in a fog and the future is unknown. Through this fog we are asked to make choices and decisions that have eternal consequences. We can feel the stress and uncertainty of choices but it is one of the most uniquely human characteristics. We can make choices and weight options.
God help us to live for you
God help us to chose you
God give us a glimpse of your eternal truth
God help us to listen to you
This is not to say I am capable to answer such a question ... or if even we as humans are capable to answer such a question but here are my thoughts.
1. I don't think we fully understand time and what time is.
2. We may be stuck in our own world view and language barriers. Predestination vs freewill may be very well like asking can God make a rock so big that he can't move it. Some may argue that this a fact in not believing in God but I believe C.S Lewis correctly states that really this is a limitation/error of the English language. Can you answer the question "what color is a circle?" Rather they are nonsensical questions. Is predestination vs free will a nonsensical question, possibly.
3. I believe we make choices and have freedom to make choices. Romans 3:20 we have a choice to open the door .. John 7:17 ... etc.
I believe the challenge comes when we have a God that is present in our future as well as today and knows if he does such and such it would have such and such affect on our life. The argument is that he could then change the events so that we would all come to repentance and come to God so why doesn't he? Has God only chosen certain people and set up the world for only the chosen people to be saved? or would only certain people chose God no matter what the circumstance?
2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."
C.S. Lewis Great Divorce Chapter 7
"The question is whether she is a grumbler, or only a grumble. If there is a real woman-even the least trace of one-still there inside the grumbling, it can be brought to life again. If there's one wee spark under all those ashes, we'll blow it till the whole pile is red and clear. But if there's nothing but ashes we'll not go on blowing them in our own eyes forever. They must be swept up."
I believe God has done exactly that. God has done everything possible that we will all come to repentance but we are stubborn people and have chosen otherwise. Now people could always give examples of people where they think this is not true but I believe we can never know all the details and so never make a conclusion.
Now at the end of time and we have no more choices, will our choices in this life be predestined. Yes because that is what we chose and would always have chosen because of who we are (I think our choices are a part of who we are). I don't believe we will be asking questions of what if such and such was different. I think will be nonsensical because that is not what happened and could never happened that way.
I think God balances intervention and freedom. God wants us to choose him but he doesn't want it to be forced or required.
We sit on this moment where the past is covered in a fog and the future is unknown. Through this fog we are asked to make choices and decisions that have eternal consequences. We can feel the stress and uncertainty of choices but it is one of the most uniquely human characteristics. We can make choices and weight options.
God help us to live for you
God help us to chose you
God give us a glimpse of your eternal truth
God help us to listen to you
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)