Featured Omniscience

Hi, and thanks for the input!

 

God has hardness to those whom He knows will finally choose unbelief, and mercy to the believer!

Rom 11:30, 32:

John Gill: "that he might have mercy upon all": not upon all the individuals of Jews and Gentiles; for all are not concluded in, or convinced of the sin of unbelief, but only such who are eventually believers, as appears from the parallel text, Galatians 3:22; and designs all God's elect among the Jews, called "their fulness," Romans 11:12; and all God's elect among the Gentiles, called "the fulness of the Gentiles," Romans 11:25; for whom he has mercy in store, and will bestow it on them; and in order to bring them to a sense of their need of it, and that he may the more illustriously display the riches of it, he leaves them for a while in a state of unbelief, and then by his Spirit thoroughly convinces them of it, and gives them faith to look to, and believe in, the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, unto eternal life.

 

Hi, and appreciate the interesting comment. I think God's decree on "the law of sin" is "the soul that sins, it shall die" (Eze 18:4, 20). To this decree all are subject, unless redeemed. His foreknowledge of everyone's finality cannot effect this in any way, as all that God foreknows must transpire, and without anything ever occurring apart from His foreknowledge, which is everything He has always known (unless we're not discussing the same issue).

 

Not sure I know what you mean here Brother. Thanks.

 

Foreknowledge is only of God. I think I still do not understand the point you're trying to make.

God speaks this way for us to learn. He has always known all who will turn to Him! Like the apple in the "Tree" and the pair on the ground, God has always known they would partake, but He began teaching us by forbidding the wrong so we would start learning what is right and wrong; then from that know good and evil, which they did not know until partaking. All part of the plan!!

 

I think I may see what you're trying to express. Myself, I see His sovereignty most in Him preplanning using all things, esp. evil, to manifest His goodness, holiness and love, via His omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence.

God's omniscience results in knowing the destination of all things, even from eternity past.

To reject predestination is merely not to understand it, like many of God's attributes which go misunderstood.

 

Hi, and you've shared I think the most inclusive and applicable passage concerning the issue of works. But I do not see how making a choice is works related. I think that the concept that man not having a choice in accepting or rejecting Christ has just been accepted so widely that it seems it must be so, as are some other Bible doctrines concerning spiritual growth (which does not have to do with receiving salvation, but growing from it).

Choice began with the "Tree" and is the most commonly repeated concept in Scripture, e.g. Deu 30:19 (Scripture always admonishes to choose rightly). All either choose to receive or choose not to receive (Jhn 1:12). Choice cannot be escaped, and is I think the primary element incurring self responsibility, resulting from the grace and fairness of God. He made salvation available to all to be fair, even though He knew all who would not choose to receive it, and represent examples of wrongful choices.

Like the wheat and the tares, there will be those choosing mercy, and others to be examples of condemnations. Mat 7:13, 14 is a good example of admonishment to choose rightly (straight and narrow).

 

I'm not sure if we need to continue t pursue this issue because I feel I shared enough of why I believe the way I do, and I don't want to chance offending you with my answers, but thanks for the input. God guide us!

 

Not trying to prove but just share why I believe what I believe.

 

Only if one knows he is not teaching truth will accountability incur; and nonessential doctrine (teachings not effecting salvation) does not carry the wait of accountability that essential doctrine does (teaching required for receiving salvation).

Also, how believers respond to one another in their communications is more important than all, because that's the purpose of Biblical doctrine: get saved; love one another with God's indwelling love. I'm always most concerned in communicating in a way that might not offend (Mat 18:6), and I'm not saying this to suspect any individual, but just letting it be known.