The people of the land have used oppressions, committed robbery, and mistreated the poor and needy; and they wrongfully oppress the stranger. So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. (Ezekiel 22:29-30)
The word "predestined" is often misunderstood and mistaught, to imply the meaning of being "predetermined". The definition used for predestined is that God destines someone for a particular fate or purpose; that God determines an outcome or course of events in advance by His will; that God fixed upon, decided, or decreed in advance - God forordained meaning to make someone a priest or minister of authority; to confer holy orders on; to authorize as a rabbi. There is only ONE person who meets the qualifications of being "predestined", and that person is Christ Jesus! “You are My witnesses,” says the Lord, “And My servant whom I have chosen, That you may know and believe Me, And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, Nor shall there be after Me. I, even I, am the Lord, And besides Me there is no savior. I have declared and saved, I have proclaimed, And there was no foreign god among you; Therefore you are My witnesses,” Says the Lord, “that I am God. Indeed before the day was, I am He; And there is no one who can deliver out of My hand; I work, and who will reverse it?” (Isaiah 43:10-13); But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. (Matthew 23:8) Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. (Hebrews 2:17; Hebrews 3-9)
Christ explains that He was "predestined" by God, from the beginning of creation: “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. (John 17:24) And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. (I Peter 1:17-21)
So if Christ was "predestined", what about man? God predestined the way that mankind would be saved, through and by and in His Son, Christ Jesus, but He did not predetermine who would be saved: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. (Ephesians 1:3-10)
God knows the consequence of every choice we make, but He has given us free will to make our own choice. Just like he warned Cain, before he chose to murder his brother Abel, If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” (Genesis 4:7) Cain didn't have to murder Abel; based on God's Words, he could have chosen not to by choosing to rule over the temptation to sin. Remember God warns us that No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. (I Corinthians 10:13)
Eventhough Jesus wasn't there in the flesh when God warned Cain, Jesus is the Word of God in the flesh, and God had spoken the Word to Cain. All he had to do was believe, and the same is with us. God knows all that we are going through and faced with and tempted by, because He made us and knows everything about us: Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. (Romans 8:26-30)
Every human being that ever lived, is living, or will live has been called by God, or "predestined" to be saved through faith in Christ Jesus. Christ says, Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says... (Revelations 3:20-22) We each have to choose if we will open the "door" of our hearts and let Him in, or if we will leave Him out, and suffer the consequences! And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods [of this world]. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15) Christ was predestined to be The Way, but we are not predetermined - CHOOSE CHRIST TODAY!
No comments:
Post a Comment