3/10/21 - Romans 8:28-30

 3/10/21

  -- And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. Romans 8:28-30

  -- For centuries, Christians have been divided over the issue of Predestination or Free Will: are we saved by our choices or is that already determined by God?  The answer to both is ‘yes’ according to scriptures.  Satan has encouraged conflict between Christians to confound and divide by making it seem as if we must choose between two truths.  

  -- Those who believe that only God decides who is to be saved or lost face the danger of minimizing the reality of redemption: Christ died to save the whole world, not just the Elect and it is his will that no one perish but that all be saved.  The consequence of this lie is a false sense of eternal security — that no action on the part of the Elect can condemn them.  Yet the bible speaks clearly of those whose names are blotted out of the Lamb’s Book of Life.
  
  -- On the other hand, those who believe that any sinful choice can send them to hell if not repented ‘in time’ have a false sense of eternal INsecurity and live in ‘fear and trembling’ – literally traumatic fear that robs them of joy and confidence in the salvation Jesus provides for his own. Their love for God can be corrupted by fear and turned into the ugly legalism that causes them to desperately ‘work out their own salvation’.  Jesus had harsh words for the Pharisees and warned them of the dangers of hell if they persisted in a judgmental life that had no real love for God or others.

  -- Our choice is not to decide whether we live our lives as if our sins do not matter, or live our lives as if we might face Christ in the judgement and discover we missed it somehow by some failure on our part, but to first and foremost Love God with all our hearts and love each other – and Trust God… that He is indeed Good and determined that nothing will separate his children from His love. 
    
  -- The simple secret: trusting God rather than ourselves or some false and distracting assumption.

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