As I was writing a test on the book of Romans just a while ago, the Spirit hit me with a major revelation concerning predestination that I must share with someone, so I thought "Why not share it with the whole world?" or at least those of you who care to read my sporadic blogging.
The issue that I have found to be consistently at the center of the predestination debate is "How could God choose a select few to save, and condemn everybody else." I emphasize "select few" because I believe that is what most people are passionate about. They reason that if God loves the whole world (John 3:16) and is not wanting anyone to parish (2 Peter 3:9), then why is it that so few will be saved? The major error with this thinking is once again that we humans are trying to complain to God about a topic on which we have no clue. Here is what I mean -- Paul explains in Romans 9 (quoting Ex. 33:19) that God chooses who He desire to have mercy upon. End of story. Therefore, whom God chooses to save is the number He has in mind.
But here was my revelation: the number that God has saved, is saving and will save is bigger than we could possibly imagine or ask for (Eph. 3:20). Let me take you through my process of revelation. As stated above, I was working on the test on Romans to give to my students. One question I had was "Who are considered the true descendants of Abraham?" One of the false answers I provided as a choice was "the number of stars and sand". Very quickly the Spirit connected God's promise to Abraham in Genesis 15 & 22 (number of stars and the sand on the seashore, respectively), to Paul's words in Romans 4 when he says that Abraham is the father of all who believe (in God's promise of the gift of righteousness, that is Jesus Christ).
Now, whenever I read about Abraham being the father of those who believe (as opposed to those who are physically circumcised), I immediately reflect on Jesus' words in John 8. Jesus is speaking to the Jews who claim to be children of Abraham. Jesus tells them they are not Abraham's children because they do not do what Abraham did, that is believe the Word of God. Jesus then calls them children of the devil (which is a lesson that should make us all check ourselves). So, even Jesus confirms that the children of Abraham are those who believe the Word of God.
Jump back to God's promise to Abraham in Genesis. Did God have in mind the entire nation of ancient Israel when He made that promise. Yes, He had to. Or else His other promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob ("Your descendants will inherit this land.") does not hold up. However, the more I read the Bible, the more I realize just how far reaching (in my eyes) God's vision is. (Of course, since he exists outside of time, he sees the whole picture.) So, yes, He meant the nation of Old Testament Israel, but He meant so much more than that (which our finite brains have a general problem comprehending most of the time).
I give you John the Revelator's vision in Revelation 7 - "After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb." And who are these people of the great multitude? Well, there is little doubt that it is the saints who have been saved by the Name that is above all names; those children of Abraham who have believed and it was credited to them as righteousness. And what does John declare -- "no one could count them." What does the Lord say unto Abraham in Genesis 15 -- "Count the stars, if you can. So shall your descendants be." This great multitude standing before the Lamb their Savior are the number of the stars, the sands of the seashore, the descendants of Abraham.
So we come back to the debate of predestination. The question I hear most often is "So God will save some and condemn the rest. What's the deal with that?" I think we need to revisit the promises of God and stop telling Him what He has planned. Will God save "some"? If by "some" you mean a number to much to count, then yes, God Almighty will save "some". But I think the question we rather need to ask is "If I see that person in heaven who I loathe more than any other person, how would I react?" God is in the business of salvation. He invites us to be apart of His plan to save the great multitude. He calls us to love our neighbor as ourselves, not simply because God is love and our neighbor carries the image of God, but because we may stand right next to that person when we don the white robe and join the great multitude.
Take that, and live it.
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