Predestination

Friday, April 08, 2005

Dear Sirs:

In spite of trying to be truly a Christian and of all Mr. Slick’s rhetoric in favor of predestination there’s one point I simply can’t understand. How could an all powerful God have created such a flawed creature as man and still send to hell those which He did not elect for salvation? If we are to believe in Genesis’ account of the fall of man, the outcome of Adam’s temptation couldn’t be different. Adam simply wasn’t equipped (by God) to cope with temptation, since his weakness or sinful nature had been born with him. In other words, should he have a fraction of Jesus’ strength to withstand temptation he wouldn’t have fallen and man wouldn’t be in such a miserable condition.

I’m writing this not because I love debates, but because I would like to have a better explanation.

Best Regards

J C W

Dear J C W

thanking you much for not wanting to get into a debate, this warms my old heart.

in honesty i can only speak of my own experience and the revelation that i have received.

the Lord converted me at 40 (now 60) from a position of total rational unbelief, he used a very dear friend of mine that attended a Pentecostal church, so i also attended there. for the first couple of years it was sort of Ok but subsequently i would come home every Sunday in an appalling distressed state (often crying) by the arminian preaching, for i would know little of Christianity, i continued to pray: "Lord give me your Truth or i die". and that He did, i started reading books by the bigs of the church and the idea of a TOTALLY SOVEREIGN God began forming in my soul. my pastor Kevin John Conner (you will find him on the Net) took a liking to me and we would meet every week and when i presented the idea of elected predestination to him, he knew all about it, but said to me: "aymon de albatrus, what you are saying is written in Scripture, but i cannot accept it". he was honest. you see predestination cuts across the conceived idea of man being the captain of his soul and that no one can interfere with his life, the so called "free will". anyway i would talk about this new revelation (for me comparable to the revelation of Christ) to my brethrens but i would be strongly ridiculed (they being arminians), more tears and distress until one day the Lord showed me this : "25 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. 26 Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight." (Mat 11:25-26 AV) This truly gave rest to my tattered soul, praise Him.

See, it is all by revelation. not by scholastic reasoning. ALL we know of God is revealed, what we know of God is what He Himself has revealed, BUT there is much more than what He has revealed, as proven by: "The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law." (Deu 29:29 AV) What He has revealed is for us to learn and put into practice literally, what He has not revealed is not for us to enquire into. and God is not obliged to tell us everything, He reveals only what He wants to reveal, and that is that, Him being totally sovereign.

Your query, although perfectly OK, is one of those things not revealed. But for me it is not a problem at all, for the Lord has placed in my heart that predestination is absolutely true, and even though i do not know the full details thereof, i am fully satisfy in God and i am not like those in Romans that cavil with Paul on the issue: "Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?" (Rom 9:20 AV)

God has an infinite number of attributes, but these 3 (Omnipotence, Omniscience and Omnipresence) are sufficient for me to understand that God has created ALL things and that there is nothing created that He did not create, this making Him the ABSOLUTE Sovereign of all created things and not only that, He is also the Sustainer of ALL things as well as the Governor of ALL things, this giving Him EVERY possible right to dispose of His creation as He pleases, in Every possible way, and aboslutely NOBODY can tell Him off: "And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?" (Dan 4:35 AV)

This is sufficient for me, this giving a PERFECT peace to my soul to rest in Him, for all He does to me is perfectly righteous and has full agreement from my inner being, Praise and Bless Him forever and ever.

leave it at that, it is sufficient to answer your question.

however if you have another specific question you wish to share, by all means go head.

Peace and blessings be multiplied onto you, in Jesus my Master.

aymon de albatrus

Dear aymon de albatrus.

Thank you very much for spending your time answering my message. That was very kind of you.

You see, many of the doubts or unanswered questions I have regarding Scripture don’t represent an obstacle to my faith in God and Jesus Christ. I can live with them. What I fear most is hearing those questions from a person I’m trying to attract to Jesus, like a Jewish friend of mine, for example.

Peace and blessings be multiplied onto you too, aymon de albatrus.

J C