When we consider the relationship of a sovereign God to a fallen world we are faced with basically four options.
1. God could decide to provide an opportunity for anyone to be saved.
2. God could provide an opportunity for all to be saved.
3. God could intervene and insure the salvation of all people.
4. God could intervene directly and insure the salvation of some people.
Which one do you believe is right and why???
(please leave a comment saying what I just asked, thank you:)
-Destiny
(I messed up!!! The first point is supposed to be, God could not decide to provide and opportunity for anyone to be saved)
4 comments:
That's a sticky question to answer...
Number three is the easiest to eliminate- if this were true, all would be saved. Nope. (Romans 2)
Number two doesn't really make sense. What kind of opportunity could God provide for the salvation of all mankind? The key element to our 'fallen' nature is our inability to save ourselves... especially as a collective race. Any fulfillment of this 'opportunity' would have to be made by God himself, making this option a replicate of number three.
So that leaves us with 1 or 4.
Someone who favors option one would probably describe it like this- God sends His son Jesus to die on the cross and pay for our sins. Anyone who trusts in the Lord for salvation will indeed be saved. (Acts 2:21) Here we have an 'opportunity' for all men- it is the battle cry of the gospel. "Christ is victorious! He has conquered sin and death, and paid the penalty for our sins! God has opened the gates of Heaven to all who call upon His name for salvation!" (Romans 10, Acts 14)
Those who favor option four would probably describe it like this- We are absolutely dead (not simply ill) in our trespasses, utterly incapable of calling upon the Lord. We do not seek after God, no one seeks after God, and any move towards repentance and the faith that saves us is a direct result of God's loving intervention to regenerate our broken hearts. (Ephesians 2:1-10)
So which is it? I would dare to say these two descriptions of how God relates to our fallen world are the back bone of the New Testament. Both have an enormous weight of scripture to back them up.
I believe both are true. No, I haven't figured it all out. :-) As far as I can tell, the Bible teaches that God has provided an opportunity through His son Jesus for every man, woman and child to be saved from death and Hell, to spend eternity with Him in glory. And for every person who does enter the Kingdom of Heaven, I will praise the Lord for His direct loving intervention that regenerates our hearts, breaks our bondage to sin, and brings us to a knowledge of Him, according to His plan from before the foundation of time.
That's the short version. ;-)
What Nathan said......haha!
What do you mean Aaron????
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