Featured Does God Choose Man or Does Man Choose God - Part 2

Matthew 20:1-15 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for a denariusa day, he sent them into his vineyard. And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went.Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’

Who chose what?

Notice the owner of the vineyard chooses the workers and chooses what to pay them. Also, notice that the owner asks a very important question, Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me?

 

Matthew 15:12-14 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?” He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up. Let them alone; they are blind guides.And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”

 

The vineyard owner chose whom he wanted. The workers had to wait to be chosen.
We still see this in third world countries. When I spent a few weeks on a project in the Dominican Republic, I saw this play out as men would stand across the street from a construction project, just hoping the foreman would walk over and choose them to work that day.
God does the choosing and the Apostles tell us this when they address their readers as "chosen" or "elect."

 

Actually, God throws the seed and the seed that is not thrown in the good soil is rooted up.
So...God chooses to throw some seed on soils that will not produce any fruit. Does that make you mad, regarding God's choice?

Matthew 13:3-23 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears,let him hear.” Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: “‘“You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.” For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’ But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. “Hear then the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

 

Not at all.
God places the seed and provides the type of soil. A dead seed then becomes alive.
The prospering of that growing seed is affected by many variables. The grower determines whether to keep the plant growing or remove the plant.
Our growth is in response to what the caretaker has chosen to do.

 

Of course we don't use a parable for key doctrine. They are supplemental since God does not contradict himself.
You have seen the passages provided from John 6, John 10, John 17, Romans 3, Romans 8, Romans 9, Galatians 3, Ephesians 1 and 2, as well as many more. These all point to God's authoritative choosing of his children, which he redeems.

These parables simply reinforce the doctrine of election.