EnterCanaan,Evidently you subscribe to the Calvanist view of predestination.No one is predestined for Hell.This theolgy(predestination)is dangerous.Our Heavenly Father loves His creation and all people.He offers us the oppourtunity to spend eternity with Him.It is up to us where we spend eternity,we either co-operate(accept)the Grace that is offered to us,or we reject it.For God so loved the world,not God loved a few.May I suggest you study the differant types of litterary styles the authors of Sacred Scripture,inspired by the Holy Spirit wrote for our benefit.I’m not trying to be uncharitable or offencive,but the Church has the teaching authority,Given by our Lord Jesus,led by the Holy Spirit to instruct us.Jesus said the gates of hell will not prevail against HIS CHURCH.May I also recommend the reading of the early Church Fathers(St. Ignasius,Polycarp,Clement of Rome and numerous others).I understand and believe we should read and study Sacred Scripture,but the Church is the Authority in the proper meaning of Scripture otherwise we would end up with 30,000 differant denominations instead of ONE CHURCH.
Hi, thanks for the response, maybe I can delve a little deeper for you,
God says in Genesis 2:17
But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it:
for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
This was the moment all of mankind fell. This verse tells us that nobody is deserving of salvation, we are all apart of our original parents sin, we all have the same iniquity, nobody is clean enough, good enough, nice enough, or charitable enough to wipe this sin away. This original sin does not go away, and just because people tend to forget this fact, doesn’t change the fact we are all born dead, deseving of hell, as is Gods perfect judgment after His creation fell after God gave us perfect love. The perfect love and law of God, deserves the perfect Judgement. The law was broken, and so the law came into effect, this carries down until the end of time, including you and me. This is not double predestination, this is the fact that we are all born into sin which means we are spiritually dead… “ALREADY”
Now the biblical doctrine of predestination is a saving grace and mercy to us, it should take the burden off of your shoulders in thinking that you can do anyting to get you saved. The following verses tell us that many are called and few are chosen. It is in error to believe that your will or desire or love for God is a precondition for salvation. We can not CHOOSE God or REJECT God. We are only drawn by God during His good pleasure by hearing the word of God, Because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. I never suggest double predestination, and the biblical doctrine of predestination is not dangerous, it is the word of God thus it is authority.
It is in error now adays for people to think they deserve heaven because they decide to believe, that has nothing to do with anything, and unfortunately it sounds like you might still have this belief. Well in that case I could understand how you would feel.
Prov 8:21 “That I may cause those who love Me to inherit wealth, that I may fill their treasuries.”
Prov 8:22 “
The Lord possessed Me at the beginning of His way, before His works of old.”
Prov 8:23 "
I have been established from everlasting, from the beginning, before there was ever an earth."
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:2 He was in the beginning with God.
John 1:3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
John 1:4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
John 1:5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
John 9:5 “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
John 17:24 “
Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.”
Rom 9:11 For the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls.
Eph 1:4
just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,
Eph 1:5
having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will
1Peter 1:19 But **with the precious blood of Christ, as the Lamb without blemish **and without spot.
1Peter 1:20
He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.
1Peter 1:21 who through Him believe in God,
who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
From the mouth of God, we have evidence of predestination. What the problem is, is not understanding what all that entails, that leads to fear, and fear leads to ideas, and ideas lead to rationalization, and rationalization leads is to explain God, and when you come right down to it, nobody can explain God, that will only lead to error. Faith is the fact that it says predestination, so you believe it is so. The understanding may come later.
