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Bible Question: I
have just read your response to the question on Limited
Atonement. Are you saying that unless God has specifically chosen
us, we ultimately do not have a choice as to whether we will accept
Christ or not - God has actually made that choice already and Jesus
really only died for those people? Are not the elect the people
who have chosen Jesus as their personal savior? What if God never
chose me to be one of the elect although I believe in my heart that
He raised Jesus from the dead and I confess with my mouth that Jesus
is Lord. The Bible says that if I do this I will be saved. Am I
therefore not part of the elect? OR am I just wasting my time?
Bible Answer: It
would be good to start by reviewing two past questions and answers
which discuss predestination: "If
you are not chosen then does it really matter when you die?",
and "Does a man choose
salvation, and does God choose a man to be saved?" Limited
and Unlimited Atonement are related ideas. Predestination is where
we must start, and then we can come to Limited and Unlimited Atonement.
Predestination & The
Atonement.
Predestination is clearly taught in scripture (see above links).
God decided who be would become a Christian before He created us. He chose us! But scripture also teaches that
we choose. Scripture teaches that God decided and we also decided. We both decide. How can both be true? Only
God has that answer. 1 Timothy 2:3-4 does not include “all” of the world.
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is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires
all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
(NASB) 1 Timothy 2:3-4
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But then how do we handle John 6:37?
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that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes
to Me I will certainly not cast out . . . No one can come to
Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise
him up on the last day . . . And He was saying, “For this
reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me, unless
it has been granted him from the Father.” (NASB) John 6:37,
44, 65
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These two appear to be in conflict. The truth is, we do not understand
some things in scripture such as God being a Trinity, the virgin birth,
God becoming a man, Jesus living His life as the God-man, how both
the Holy Spirit and a human write scripture, or how "work out
your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works
in you," for example. Yet, we believe these truths. But when
we come to this predestination and limited/unlimited atonement, we
really struggle. Why?
Our Struggle. We struggle because scripture
teaches both! We also struggle because we want the right to make the
decision. Most of us believe we made the decision to "accept"
Jesus. Yet, scripture teaches that salvation is by believing. We are
not saved by saying a prayer. If we
believe we are saved. It is not a set of words.
Conclusion:We
choose and God has already chosen. God
warns us to believe in Jesus. He commands us to believe.
| | TODAY
IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS, AS WHEN THEY
PROVOKED ME . . . they were not able to enter because of unbelief.
(NASB) Hebrews 3:15, 19
And
this is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His
Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded
us. (NASB) 1 John 3:23 |
This implies we have a decision to make and Romans 10:13 says,“WHOEVER
WILL CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.” To provide
balance, we should also ask ourselves, "How significant is my
role?"
| | Dr.
Harry Ironside told about a man who gave his testimony, telling
how God had sought him and found him, how God had loved him,
called him, saved him, delivered him, cleaned him up, and healed
him. It was a tremendous testimony to the glory of God. After
the meeting, one Christian took him aside and said, "You
know, I appreciate all that you said about what God did for
you, but you did not mention anything about your part in it.
Salvation is really part us and part God, and you should have
mentioned something about your part." "Oh, the man
replied, "I apologize. I am sorry. I really should have
mentioned that my part was running away, and God's part was
running after me until I found Him." |
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