Featured I am Genuinely Confused

Seeking the truth is hard, but I feel much more peace since starting to search with all my heart. My spirit is refreshed and at peace at almost all times, but my body is weary of so much deep, emotional thought.

 

So you are saying that to the Son's perspective he is after everyone, but to the Father's perspective, He is sovereign and is giving some to the Son that the Son will find?

That one is again hard for me to accept emotionally, but I must still think heavily on it. That would seem to be the perspective of the apostles, including Paul, all Believers, as well as the Son.

 

I will do things differently in one big respect: I want to eventually be a teacher when I am grown up in the faith, and it will give me the knowledge of what it is I should teach. I will also grow up in the faith free of intellectual and emotional baggage that must be dispensed with later. Also, I want Jesus to reward me after death for how well I did in seeking His truth.

 

This, oddly, makes me think on one big topic: Does God find a Pharaoh or a Judas to curse, who were terrible people who chose evil and were made examples. Or did He make a Pharaoh or Judas to curse? That Jesus loves the whole world is a given as well, but if predestination of the Elect is true, then how does the Father love everyone? How is He impartial in His judgments? There is also a future question, does the Father already know who the Antichrist and False Prophet are? Or will He find two people to make eternal examples out of for choosing such iniquity?

 

I may be thinking too individually here, as I am applying predestination to the Elect who will be saved from the Lake of Burning Sulfur. I see now that Romans 9 has a large part to do with people groups, but there are plenty more verses for predestination beyond it though.

Also, one thing strikes me, how fair and just is it for Abraham and his offspring, through Isaac, to be the chosen and holy people? That leads me to a very hard question, which is how did God work salvation for the righteous before Jesus Christ came to earth? The whole quandary about those who do not know about Jesus in this life, or those that never even got the Law to tell them right and wrong in this life.

 

Sorry, I get it now. I would say you are advocating for a predestinationist viewpoint using selected verses in John..

 

I must be honest that part of what is tripping me up about double predestination is that to concentrate on how wonderful it is for me to be saved, it leads to immense sorrow for others who were not chosen. For those who advocate predestination, is that normal? is it biblical from your viewpoint?

 

OK, an issue with the free will side I have is: How can you say that God knows everything beforehand, but does not, in His sovereignty, choose who does and who does not go to hell? I mean the Molinists have a real good point if you assume free will at all. God does not dictate the future but guides it, given free will, using an understanding of all possible futures. The problem is this is not in the bible at all. Then again free will is really implied by the bible and not set forth as a doctrine. The Molinist approach seems the only way for the doctrine of free will to make any sense to me. Am I missing something?

 

Thank you. I guess what you said makes a lot of sense. If I assume we have free will then I most assuredly do not believe that it is infinite or anything of the like. I mean, we are finite creatures, how could our choices be infinite? If our choices are not infinite, then we must be finite, and if finite, then we would be known by God out of His knowledge of the present alone.

Then again, I do not want to make any suppositions about the mind of God. I guess the biggest problem I am facing is that we have a belief called free will that is implied by the bible, but not taught. I understand now that my quest to understand this issue has hit a road block.

 

I guess the biggest problem I am facing is that we have a belief called free will that is implied by the bible, but not taught. I understand now that my quest to understand this issue has hit a road block.

Of course, God is sovereign and is charge of history and rules the world as an absolute king from His throne above the cherubim. I do not know how to rule the world, I think like a worm, slug, or at best sheep compared to God. Therefore, whatever is happening is just the way it is no matter which side is correct. A hard thing to do emotionally, but something that gives me incredible inner peace from the Holy Spirit it seems.

I also know that God somehow wants all to repent and live righteously, trusting in His Son. He invites all people at least even though not everyone is saved at the Day of Judgment. That when I pray for His will done on earth as it is in heaven, I am asking what seems impossible: I am asking that peace and goodwill abound to all people, that all people may be saved, and that all people would live righteously. The verses I have found on these topics when read in context are conclusive.

So, I am now going to look mat this idea of free will and see if it is supported by the bible at all. That is the crux of the whole matter in the American churches it seems. Is there free will or is it an accursed lie of humanism? Of course, I would love it if anyone posted their own bible verses on free will or its absence.

 

Thank you for the clarification.