The Way Of Gratitude

We hear so often in the Christian world, that God is Love. If you look up love in the Greek, there are three primary words for love. Eros - the love between a man and woman. Phileo - the love between friends and Agape, a self sacrificing love. Agape is the love God has for every Christian. When Christ went to the cross, to pay for the sins of every Christian, He set aside His deity and became man. The Bible says He knows our every pain and emotion. He even experienced temptation in the desert. God loved us so much that He was willing to give up His majesty and power to succumb to the sin of man and die for us. His death was the substitute death (the propitiation) we should have paid ourselves. But instead, Jesus became sin for us and took on the wrath of God in our place. Because of Jesus, we are saved. Because of Jesus, we can stand in the presence of God. He calls us friend.

So what is our response to the Agape Jesus has shown us? How can we ever repay Jesus for what He did for us? The answer lies in our motives and actions. The Bible calls our effort, works. "By grace we have been saved, through faith, not of our own doing, it is a gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

What do we see here? First, we see our salvation is a gift. In other words, it was offered by God's free will and desire to give us eternal life. There was no other reason. It had nothing to do with how wonderful we are. Second, it was by faith and this faith came from God. We had nothing to do with the faith it took to be saved. Nothing we did earned this gift. It was not of our own doing. Third, it is a gift. God loved us so much, He gave us the gift of eternal life. And fourth, we could not take credit for our salvation. God did not want His gift to be diminished by our ego or sin. He did not want us boasting about what we accomplished or earned.

When you give something valuable to another person, do you do it to get something in return? Or do you do it so they can enjoy the benefits and joy of your love? Too often, we give to get. Maybe not directly, but whether it is love or joy or a feeling of satisfaction, our gifts usually have some string attached to it. Not so with God. He gave sacrificially. He gave out of love for each of us. God does not need anything. His gift cost Him His most dear and sacred possession, the life of His Son.

Our response to this gift can come in different forms, generosity to others, sacrificial service, dedicated study, prayer, loving others.  All of these please God if and it is a big if - IF we do it out of gratitude. IF we are grateful to Him for what He did for us. It grieves God to think we give to others to earn His love. When Jesus said it was finished, He meant it. The gift was given. There was nothing more He had to do and nothing we have to do. Once saved, our job is to live for His glory. There was never anything we could do to earn His love. There is nothing we can do to keep His love. God is NOT an Indian giver. He did it. It is done, complete, finished.

May each of us remember this when we serve Him. May we each understand and appreciate the great gift God has given us and respond with a loving heart. Knowing that God's gift is permanent. After all, we are His friend. 

The Way of Contentment

As the hours tick down to the end of 2011, one cannot help but think about the many blessings it took to survive this year and to prepare for 2012. Blessings God sent our way as a demonstration of His love for us. Did you focus on the blessings or were you distracted by the deficiencies? It is the key to living a contented life. Paul said he LEARNED to be content. What does that mean exactly? How do you learn to be content. Paul gives us some clues in Philippians 4: 11-13.

11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Paul implied he was not feeling deprived or in personal need at that moment. Why? Because he had learned to be content - satisfied with what he had in such a way he was NOT disturbed or fearful - regardless of his circumstances. His material situation did NOT dictate his state of wellbeing. How can we ever serve the Lord if we are caught up in our own stuff? The best way for satan to disarm us, is to cause us to become withdrawn and to focus on our circumstances, rather than asking "Lord, what do you want me to do today?" This attitude is very necessary if you are going to serve the Lord in ministry, for the ministry is rarely a place of affluence. It is a place where we empty ourselves for the benefit of others.

Here, in these verses, Paul cites FOUR conditions or characteristics of contentment he learned.

• ·         Peace. “I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content” (Phil 4:11). Contentment can be elusive, for contentment is not based on quantity or quality. It is based on what you value and how you deploy your gifts. If you are solely focused on earthly things, money and material possessions, you will not find contentment. Likewise, health issues, conflict and busyness can derail a spirit minded heart. Fear is the enemy of contentment. Paul had contentment whether his financial support was good or bad, for his chief interest and values were spiritual.
• ·         Persistence. “In whatsoever state I am.” Regardless of his condition, Paul adopted an attitude.  What is the only thing we can control? It is our attitude. How is this possible when we are surrounded by so many distractions - bills, repairs, potential loss of income, unemployment, not to mention so many other intrusions into our life. But Paul said, it did NOT matter to him. He choose to be content. This was possible because Paul knew as we do, contentment is not based on circumstances.
• ·         Prudence. “I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound” (Phil 4:12). Paul knew how deal with shortages he knew how to adjust his lifestyle to fit his circumstance. If he was “abased” (without much), he knew he had to pull back and adjust. But equally challenging was learning how to live with plenty. If his condition “abounding” category, he knew what to do with surplus. When you are content, you can adjust to any circumstance.
• ·         Power. “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me” (Phil 4:13). Paul knew the source of his contentment. Paul is not specifically speaking of his ability to do ALL THINGS, however, it is possibly inferred. Rather he is specifically speaking here of having the ability to adjust his attitude and focus to deal with any situation that arises because of shortfalls in his circumstances.  He says he is ready for anything life can throw at him and equal to the task because of the inner strength given him through Christ Jesus, his Lord.  Christ's sufficiency is enough.

Contentment is a learned state. Paul said earlier in Phil 4, Be anxious for NOTHING. He did NOT leave room for acceptable excuses. He did not say it was ok to fret about a late payment or to worry about things you cannot control. There is only ONE thing we can control in life. It is our attitude. Our attitude determines our altitude - how high we are going to soar above the clouds of the problems we face in life.

I am reminded of 2 Corinthians 1:3-5. God comforts us with the comfort He wants us to use to comfort other who are in the same circumstances. Inherent in this teach is a command. Look for others in need. And when you find them, comfort them with the comfort God gave you while you went through similar trials.

We do not walk through this life alone. There are means everywhere. God is constantly providing for us through ministering angels He sends to comfort us in our distress. You may be one of those angels for a time and a season. Don't miss the blessing because of your own circumstances. Don't allow the cares of this world to distract you from being used by God.

This life is but a blip on the timeline of eternity. We can make the most of it or the least. It is our choice. Paul says he learned to be content. He learned to look past his circumstance to the work of the Lord. He wanted to be used by God and did not want life to interfere. It was his choice and it is ours as well.

Happy New Year.

The Kingdom of God is at hand.

During my early years as a Bible student, I was taught that Jesus comes back for His Church and then there are SEVEN years of tribulation culminating in Armageddon and the ultimate judgement of the world. This view is the basis of the popular Left Behind series. It called the Pre-Tribulation, Pre Millenium view.

However, as I studied the Bible more thoroughly, I became uncomfortable with the viewpoint that God's Kingdom is not NOW. Why would Jesus defeat satan on the cross, say "it is finished" and then retreat for 2000 years to wait for satan to do more damage? It made no sense and I could not reconcile this view with many of the verses I read.

Recently, I was challenged by a dear Christian Brother, David, to answer his questions about the Pre Trib viewpoint. Here is some of the back and forth we have shared.
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In Acts 3:19, we have the times of refreshing (anapsúxeœs), relating to the blessings of Christ's first coming and His kingdom of grace (cf. Matt 11:29) and the restitution (apokatástasis, Acts 3:21) referring to the state of righteousness which will be brought by His Second Coming beginning the kingdom of glory. (from The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament © 1992 by AMG International, Inc. Revised Edition, 1993).

Dave, I think we would all agree, Jesus is coming back. Right? The question is whether He comes back once or twice - once to get His church as is taught by pretrib, pre mil view and then coming to judge the world. Either way (and I admit I used to agree with the pretrib view until I could not longer reconcile it with all of scripture), Jesus does come back to judge the world and restore righteousness. The Greek definition above, indicates this verse is referring to the refreshment that will happen when Jesus comes to judge the world. I don't see how the Greek is evidence Christ solely established His Kingdom in a time yet to come. The refreshing refers to the past, as well as future.
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In the Ephesians 2 verse you use as a proof text of your view, satan is indeed the prince of the power of the air. But Jesus Christ is called the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (See 1 Tim 6, Rev 17:14 and Rev 19:16). Anyone who has played cards knows a King is higher than a Jack (prince), right? Your point is, seemingly, as the prince of the power of the air, satan, is ruling the earth now. Why is this mutually exclusive to the Kingdom being established? Don't we have multiple kingdoms here on earth today - the USA, England, Iran, etc?

Satan is, indeed, called the prince of darkness, the prince of the air, but that does not mean he has total control of the world. Influence, yes, but control? Hardly. We see in Daniel, the prince of Persia was eventually overcome by the angel sent to Daniel. It took some time. He was delayed many days. There is no doubt satan has power over the nonbelievers in the world, but does he have power over the children of righteousness? The believers? I think not. (see Luke 17:20-21 - Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, 21 nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you." ) Once saved, believers are free from the bondage of sin, still sinners, but no longer slaves. Christ established His kingdom here on earth for the saints, but not for the non believers. The prince of the power of air was defeated at the cross, but it takes time to mop up after a war. It is why believers evangelize.

1 Tim 6:11-16
11 But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. 12  Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13  I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, 14 to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which he will display at the proper time—he WHO IS the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16  who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.


Eph 2:1-10
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2  in which you once walked, following the course of this world, FOLLOWING the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9  not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. 
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Dave, you said your real proof text was Rev 11:15.



Rev 11:15-16 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever." 

Understanding, as I do, the Kingdom of God is within - and established when the Holy Spirit came and to indwell ALL believers, it is easy then to understand, the kingdom of this world has no power over the Saints. The kingdom of the world will become the kingdom of our Lord. Jesus, who is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. His Kingdom was established at the cross for all eternity. And when Jesus returns to judge the world, which is when the 7th trumpet sounds, the kingdoms of this world will fade away, all things will fade away in their entirety and the physical Kingdom of God will be established.

If we think of the Kingdom of God as a literal kingdom, with God reigning on a throne here on earth, then I think we are missing the point of scripture. Repentance and believing is a heart issue. When Jesus said, "it is finished", He was referring to the war satan was waging against Him, to prevent Him from redeeming the saints and establishing His Kingdom. The Holy Spirit could not come until Christ paid for all our sins. Once this was done, the Kingdom of God was established in the hearts of all believers and there was nothing satan could do to stop it. The war was over. Satan had lost. It was finished.

Show me one verse which suggests satan defeats Christ after the cross (or before it for that matter). Satan is the power of the air for non believers. But once a non believer becomes a Christian, satan no longer has power over him. The Kingdom of God settles in the believer's heart and he is now a saint, marching towards the ultimate day when he will be seated at the right hand of the Father. It is a beautiful thing.

To think Christ gave up the world and retreated, to give over the authority and power to satan, after He defeated satan at the cross, is hardly the Biblical story, is it? The Pre Trib view is a interesting understanding of scripture, but it is not the only way to understand Revelation. There is the Amillenial viewpoint which is NOT the Preterist view. Amillenialism is the understanding Christ's kingdom is now, that we are in the millenium and awaiting His return to judge the world.
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The Cross is the central point in the history of mankind. It is when Jesus Christ defeated satan and provided the ONLY way to an eternal relationship with God. Man will be forever separated from God unless he repents and believes JESUS is the the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE. No one gets to the Father except through believing in Jesus as Lord and Savior. It is a simple truth, but one many reject because they want to write the rules, their own way.

Why is it so hard for man to set aside his pride and fall in love with the ONE who loves Him and gave up everything to reconcile Him with God the Father? This Blog The WAY, is my attempt to bring my understanding from more than 35 years of Bible study to you, the reader. I pray the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your heart and mind, in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Do we have FREE WILL?

I was recently asked if there was a difference between predestination and free will compared to justification. Here was my answer.

 I see predestination and election in an integrated fashion. The concept of "free will" cannot coexist with the notion of predestination. The Bible does allude to free will in many verses but not in the context of salvation, in my opinion. Paul tells us we are slaves to sin. The concept of a slave contradicts any notion of free.

Paul says we are either slaves to sin or slaves to Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:11). What is it about being a slave to sin that suggests any freedom at all. Sure, I am free to brush my teeth and eat an apple, but in the scheme of life, if I am a slave to sin, I have no freedom. I am bound by the tyranny of doing what I do not want to do. Romans 8:28 says God works ALL things together for good, for those who love Him and are called to His purpose.

In Christ Jesus our Lord, as a slave, I have certain freedoms as well. But if I truly understand the gift of God and of the Holy Spirit being firmly rooted in my body - then I am a slave to love and good deeds, not sin. All my deeds are like filthy rags, but God gives us our motivation and our good deeds.

Predestined from the foundation of the world, we know from Paul in Romans 8:29 – God foreknew us (meaning He intimately and personally had a relationship with us) and then predestined us. He called us and then justified us and then will glorify us.

Right there, we see clearly God first calls us - this means to me I was a slave to sin, but He called me first. He is the “first cause”, the initiator. We wait on God, we do not run ahead of Him. It is impossible to run ahead of God if He is sovereign over all things. Is God weak? Is God ever surprised? I think not. To think I did anything to get out of my sinful state is impossible. He called me, I didn't find Him. First, He foreknew me and then He predestined me. Once I was on His list, He called me and THEN He justified me. I was born again when He called me. I was made spiritually alive in Him and then He justified me. He made me righteous in front of God as I await glorification some day. It is beautiful.

To think I had ANYTHING at all to do with my salvation totally contracts scripture. If I was dead, dead, dead, only God could make me alive. My freedom was bound up in my sinful state. I was born a slave to sin. I was not a seeker nor have I ever been a seeker of anything spiritual. I especially was never seeking Christ. Being dead in my sins, how could I ever be looking for God? I was not seeking Him. I was a slave to sin, dead (nekro) in my sin. But now, once alive through the substitutionary death of Christ on the cross, I am NO LONGER a "doulos" - a slave to sin, I am alive in Christ and I am His doulos, His slave. Doulos in the Greek, means we have a permanent relationship of servitude to another. God called me to be His own from the foundation of the world. He foreknew me (proginosko). He recognized me beforehand, previous to me being born. He considered me and purposed to make me His, prior to human history. He did NOT look down the tunnel of time and react because He saw I would chose Him. No WAY!!!  He made a choice prior to my birth. Imagine that, God choose me for His good purpose. It had nothing to do with my goodness. I am His, bought with a price. He regenerated me from being a doulos to sin - having a permanent relationship to sin. He and He alone, pulled me from my sinful state. He resurrected me. I had NO FREE WILL. I was a slave. I was dead spiritually. The Greek word nekro - dead to Christ, refers to a dead body or dead corpse. I was subjected to the passions of sin in my dead body that knew not God. But God, saved me. He raised me from the dead and you as well. And we are now alive in Christ Jesus our Lord. Praise God.

This is important to fully appreciate and understand for two reasons. First, what God has put together, no man can separate. Paul tells us "Nothing can separate us from the love of God." We were His from the foundation of the world and He will hold on to us until we are glorified. So we need not worry about our salvation. Salvation is assured.

The second point is that because we are His from the foundation of the world, and nothing can separate us – we can be bold in our life. We can be bold for Christ. We can stand upright and give an account of what God has done. We do not have to fear man or the repercussions of righteousness. God is our protector and we rest firmly in His arms. Jesus said He will not lose one of His sheep. The all powerful and almighty Father will be faithful to complete what He has started in us.

In this world of insecurity and temptation, it is important for us to know that God is our salvation. God is our warrior. He stands with us against all evil and will protect us from the fiery darts. So put on the full armor of God. The belt of truth, the breast plate of righteousness, the soleplate of the preparation of the gospel, the shield of faith and wield the sword of the Spirit. For through Christ, we can do all things. AMEN.

The Price tag of Divorce

A Letter to a Christian friend thinking about divorce:

Dear Friend: Glad to hear from you. Thank you for your sacrifice and good wishes. I have certainly enjoyed our friendship through the years. You have been a faithful friend and I always enjoy our time together.

Since you mentioned the current state of your marriage, let me say, there is NO RIGHT way to do a wrong thing. I remember hearing years ago our Christian walk is NOT about our happiness, it is about our obedience.

Repentance and forgiveness are integral to our relationship with Christ. I have seen "Christians" paying lip service to their love for Christ, their commitment to the word, their desire to be pure, etc. etc. only then to turn around and do the exact opposite because it made them happy. Happiness is not a Biblical right.

I know you and your wife have many issues. I don't know if there ever was a real basis for a "marriage" between you, in the first place. I am guessing there was or you would not have gotten married. I have to assume you did this prayerfully and with a desire for God to bless your marriage. But now, when the rubber hits the road, is the time when your commitment and love for Christ comes to the surface. It is easy to fall in love. The hard part is staying in love.

I have NEVER hidden the fact that for 27 years my wife and I had difficulty in our marriage. I have spoken about it often to others. There were many times when I wanted to bolt and go find some "honey" who would love me the way I wanted to be loved. But God NEVER let me do that. Divorce was not an option. (As Ruth Graham, Billy Graham's wife has said, "Murder yes, but not divorce.")

Only because of my commitment to Christ, did I stay. My wife will tell you the same thing. She openly admits she prayed for the Lord to take me home when I was on a trip so she could be done me and with our marriage. Spare the innocent ones she said, but take him out.

That does NOT offend me in the least. I understand her pain and hatred of me during those awful days. It was a struggle. We argued over the color of salt. I would say white, she would say gray - or vice versa. It did not matter. She will admit she taunted me and goaded me into arguments just to feel alive and to engage me in conversation. I found it far easier to escape into my work, community service, volunteering, than to be home and put up with the incessant cries of her pain.

Just yesterday, we went back into the past, over whether the trash cans were in the right place on the street for the trash truck. I felt entangled in spaghetti. I could hardly wait to get leave. But now, it only lasts a short time and usually when she is hyper stressed or I am feeling deprived and angry.

All to say, I know, I have experienced what you are going through and how you have lived your life. There is not much in your relationship with your wife I have not gone through as well. I understand both sides of your equation. All I can tell you is, I am blessed I obeyed God. I am blessed I did not run away from my marriage. I am blessed we are going to celebrate (truly celebrate) 44 years of marriage - after having been so unhappy for so long.

You will regret any decisions you make that are NOT consistent with scripture. You are both TOO knowledgeable and accountable to the church, the study group and to your Christian friends to be able to violate scripture and feel no remorse, no conviction, no guilt, and no shame. This is how God grows us and holds us accountable, by putting strong believers in our life who will not let go ahead with our fantasies.

It is a fact, you will do whatever you are going to do. But I think, if you really look back at your married life and your contribution to the problem, you will see where you have not glorified Christ in all your choices. And had you glorified Him, your situation would be different. (I am not specific here because I do not know any details - you do. This is a generalization - not an indictment at all. Ok?)

Unhappiness in marriage is NEVER about the other person. It is ALWAYS, 100% about you and your relationship with Christ. I could blame my wife all I want, but in the end, there were always reasons. There were always excuses. There were always issues where I had contributed to the grief, anguish and suffering. It was never simple. It was never that she was a bad person. I always had a role in it. It takes two to make a marriage - and two to destroy it. The heart of any marital dysfunction is almost certainly selfishness and hypocrisy.

I remember the first time I met your wife. You were railing on her because she would NOT submit to you. As I sat with her, I heard her point of view. She was never against Biblical submission. She understood her calling as a Biblical wife. She was against you using it to control her, to make her do things she was not prepared to do.

If you go back and read scripture - you will NOT find one word in scripture that gives you the right to control your wife. That is NOT Biblical submission. The Bible says to LOVE her as Christ loved the church and to guide your wife in a godly direction.

How did Christ love the church? He was unselfish, sacrificing (He died for her on the cross). He was patient (never condemning or critical of her. He only taught through parables the need to change). He was loving (Let me wash your feet, Peter). He served the church. They said of Him, no one ever taught with more authority or wisdom. Have you loved her like Christ loved the church? Have you given of yourself to her? Have you set aside your own needs and desires to support her, to be with her, to help her? This was a standard where I fell woefully short and still do today. I am selfish and self-centered. I love my golf, my free time. I get psychic income from activities outside the home. I am not always mentally present, when I am home. I have invested a lot of time in things that will perish. But I am working on changing my emphasis.

Submission is between your wife and God, not you and her. You are merely an intermediary. You stand in between her and God.

 Submission is NOT a right you are accorded, simply because you are her husband. It is a right you are accorded because you were given authority in the home by God. But you are to wield it in a godly way.

You don't deserve submission. You did nothing to earn it and you are not entitled to it. You cannot demand it. Submission is a gift your wife gives you because she loves God. If she cannot submit, it is only because she can NOT see God in you. Can she see God in you? Are you reflecting God to her?

When she sees you, does she see God's love for her? Does she feel the warmth and passion God has for His children emanating through you? If you are totally, completely honest, what is your answer?

This is where it all starts. Happiness is NOT the issue. Godliness is the issue. I pray that today could be the beginning of a new attitude and relationship with your wife. Whether it leads to reconciliation, I don't know. Only God knows. But I do know you will one day be held accountable for how you treated her.

The Bible says on the final day; God is going to call you into account. He is going to judge you for how you lived your Christian life and what you did with your gifts, for the thoughts you have had about her. The way you have spoken to her. How you have served her. And your eternal relationship with God is going to be impacted by this assessment.

Fortunately, it is NOT too late to rewrite your report. To change what He will say to you. Repentance is a gift God gives each of us. Our sins can be as far as the east is from the west. But it starts with repentance. This is the willing act of asking forgiveness and CHANGING our path.

This is NO SMALL matter. It is entwined in your eternal destiny. Forgiveness is NOT just you being forgiven for your transgressions. Forgiveness is God remembering your sins no more, but only if you repent. Repentance is the key. Changing the way you are doing things. Repentance is having a sincere, remorse and contrition for sins and errors. Have you repented? Are you different with her now?

I pray for you. I pray for you. Love you much. If I didn't I would not be writing this.

Do you need to Repent to be Saved?

Guy:  Just wanted you to know the Monday morning Men's Study was awesome! From the discussion, I left with a couple questions and I would appreciate your insight.
1) Part of the discussion was regarding an assignment of an 11 year old's testimony. As you can imagine, his testimony was quite simplistic: his parents are Christian and he attends church regularly. At the age of 5 he asked God in his heart. What is the age of accountability? Is salvation possible without repentance? At age 5 does a child know what the concept of repentance is? An example: he hits his sister and then says he's sorry because he gets in trouble from his parents. Shortly after apologizing, he hits his sister again. This cycle continues.

2) God is omnipresent - someone in the group suggested because God created everything and is in all places, He is also part of hell (sheol). I know when the rapture happens Christ will descend in to hell to gather His remnant, but is God part of hell? What are your thoughts?

3) Salvation is based on faith alone, in Christ alone. Someone in the group said salvation is not possible without repentance. Isn't the repentance created when the Holy Spirit dwells in your heart and begins the sanctification process? Please provide clarity.

4) We all backslide and fall short of the mark due to our sin nature. Is it possible to fall from the grace of God and therefore lose your salvation?

I thank you in advance for the clarification you provide to each of the aforementioned questions.
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Great questions. The question of repentance can be viewed two ways, as an event, or as a process. Granted, when we come to understand Christ is Lord and understand the meaning of Grace and salvation, we then experience what some might describe as being Born Again. I frankly believe we were Born Again far sooner. The Bible says no one comes to the Father unless the Father draws him. This spiritual awakening (the drawing) can happen long before a person experiences and understands who God is and what He has done for Him. What appears to be accepting Christ as your Lord and savior is in actuality the culmination of a work the Holy Spirit started sometime before.

Repentance is a change in direction. But because of our sin nature and our inability to be perfect, it is a struggle. Sometimes it is described as meaning we totally and completely stop a specific sin. And while that might be true of some sins, it is virtually impossible for others. For instance, some men will struggle with lust their entire life. It is not the struggle that is the problem, it is giving into it that causes the sin. When we become aware of our sin and our desire is when God can work to grow us and cleanse us. It is not sin the specific sin that God is concerned about. It is our response to it.

In the case of you and and your wife, there have been many times you have gone to the brink of total and complete rebellion against God. But then, when confronted with your rebellion and your hardened heart, you have pulled back and obeyed God, even though every bone in your body has cried out to not do this. That to me is evidence you are a believer. If you were NOT, then you would then go ahead and totally rebel. Consequences would not be an issue for you.

Read about the P in TULIP - The Perseverance of the Saints. Google it and you will find some good teaching on how faithful God is even when we are weak and afraid.

Remember, our Monday group has both schools of thought in it - the Reformed and the Armenian schools. Those who believe God saves but not without our help, also believe you can lose your salvation if you fail to persevere. This is an insidious doctrine in my opinion, because it limits the power of God. It weakens the strength of our relationship with God and it causes one to live in fear. It says God is NOT the first cause but that God is a reactor to us. If it is truly Christ alone - then you can be confident He is the first cause and is NOT surprised by anything that happens in your life. If it is Christ alone, you can be bold in your walk. You can stand strong in the face of disaster. You can know regardless of your circumstances God is in control.

Your wife says with her mouth what her heart does not believe. She says by Grace Alone - but then takes total and complete control and is willing to rebel against God to her detriment. To her credit, she too has pulled back from the brink when confronted. But then goes on from there as if God has no power in her life. I have seen it repeatedly in both of you. But you have evidenced far less of it recently. As you know, I have warned you to NOT fall back into your old ways - which is to harden your heart against your repentance.

There is NO AGE of accountability in the Bible as far as I can see. I confessed my love for God at age 8. I had eyes to see and ears to hear. But I did not really understand or have the courage and conviction of that until I was 33. I did not accept the Lordship of Christ until I was 41. Was I a Christian when I was 8? I believe so. But I did not live like one until much later, when I started to read the word of God and have the truth of scripture poured into my heart and mind on a regular basis.

Repentance is when you are convicted of a truth and then act upon it, volitionally, It is part of the sanctification process. God is working on you bit by bit, day by day. It takes time to grow a mighty oak tree. A lot of storms come through and these storms try to bend the branches and rip them off. But over time, if the roots go deep enough, the tree will survive. Your roots are the work of what you are doing today. Coming to Church regularly, going to Bible Study, fellowshipping with the saints, praying, meditating, asking these questions. These are all strengthening the root system of the mighty oak God is building in your life. Keep watering it.

If you have theological questions and would like to have them answered. Please submit them for review. May the Peace of God which surpasses all understanding guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The Greatest Gift

What was the greatest gift ever given? In my opinion, it is forgiveness of sins which leads to eternal life.

Every human needs to understand that we would KNOW nothing about God if it were not for the Bible. The Bible is the only information we have about God our creator. How to live a life pleasing to God and how to have a personal relationship with God. It is referred to as specific revelation.
We do have general revelation. We can see the birds and bees, the mountains, the clouds, the oceans and all of the animals, large and small. But general revelation only leads us to the conclusion there is something bigger than ourselves. It give us evidence of creation. But it does not tell us the reasons for creation. Only the Bible does that.

If you asked 100 people to explain their understanding of God, you might get a wide variety of answers. He is all powerful some might say. Loving, all knowing. Some might say He is just, merciful and mighty. You would get a range of answers. But I rarely hear the word Holy attributed to God, perfect maybe, but rarely Holy. What does Holy mean? The angels said God was Holy, Holy, Holy. He is so Holy, they said it three times. Holiness is a state of being. You either are or you are not holy. Much like being pregnant, a woman is either pregnant or not. You can't be a little bit pregnant. Holiness does not come in gradation. God is Holy. He is perfect, without sin. He is incapable of lying, stealing, etc. He is also incapable of being in the presence of sin. The Bible tells us all of this.

Because God is Just, He cannot allow sin to exist, especially in His presence. Yet, God made man for fellowship. We see this in Genesis. Adam walked and talked with God. When Adam and Eve fell from the garden, they were no longer able to fellowship with God. As the progenitors of the human race, their sin is imputed to all their heirs, us included. We are born sinful. But of course, if that were not enough, we add to our original sin by committing sins of our own. We are jealous, covetous. We lie and steal. The Bible says ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
In order to show how sinful man is, God gave Moses the Law. The law was given to the Israelites so they could become a group of people who were set apart by God for holiness and so they could worship Him. The law showed them what sin is. According to the Bible, this was done so the Hebrews would realize they were not perfect and needed salvation from their trespasses against the law. God was gracious and gave man a way to cover their sins before Him. It was done through the blood of animals. By sacrificing bulls and rams and burning their bodies on the fire, the law taught the Israelites how to cleanse themselves every day so their worship would be acceptable to God. Unclean worship was a waste of time. God only accepted clean worship - worship that was offered after bodily cleansing and the blood of the animals had been offered.

Again, the Bible showed how futile this was. The Israelites could not keep up their cleansing. They were drawn off by other gods, less demanding gods. Gods that were made of wood and stone. But gods that were more accepting and forgiving. These gods were the formation of other religious systems. But those were dead gods. They were gods with no power because they did not really exist, except in the mind of the leaders who said they existed. Religious systems were manufactured and taught. But the Bible shows that all of those cultures feared the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob, because they knew He had parted seas, prospered the Hebrews in the land He had given them and protected them. But even so, many of the Hebrews could not sustain their love for God and fell away.

Did the law fail? Hardly! The Law was only a statement of God's holiness. It showed the Israelites that without the daily sacrfices and cleansing there was no access to God. It was the people who failed and they failed miserably.
But God is a loving God and His plan for reconciliation and redemption was much greater than the blood of bulls and goats and rams. His plan was a plan that would save the world. But it demanded perfection. Because God is Holy, His plan had to match His holiness, otherwise He would be compromised and then He would no longer be just. God is BOTH just and merciful. God must stay true to His character or else He has failed. God cannot fail.

What to do?

God's plan was formulated at the beginning of the world. Because God is all knowing, He knew Adam and Eve would sin. He knew the blood sacrifices could not be sustained. He knew the Hebrews would fail and follow other Gods. If God is truly God, could He ever be surprised? I don't think so.

The Bible tells us "life is in the blood." It tells us "Sin must be punished by death." The Bible says "the wages of sin is death." So God's plan had to include both the blood and death to satisfy His justice. His justice demands full payment for the sins of the world by death. Only blood and death can pay the price. Enter into the world Jesus.

Because Adam and Eve sinned, any baby born in the future would be sinful from birth. Yet, Jesus had to be fully man. He had to live a life without sin to qualify as the perfect sacrifice for our sin. If He started sinful, He failed before He began. This is why there had to be the immaculate birth. There could be no earthly father. Jesus was born of a woman, but with not husband, only God. He then had to live a life without sin. The Bible says that He who knew no sin became sin for us. He is the lamb who took away the sin of the world.

To fulfill God's plan of reconciliation and redemption, Jesus had to do two things. He had to live a perfect life and He had die for our sins as a sacrifice under the law. He did both. When Jesus died on the cross, He was accused of many things, but was guilty of none. His death fulfilled 350 prophecies that were made directly about Him in the old testament. The Hebrews knew that Jesus (the Messiah) was coming to save them. They just did not know the details, even though the details were spelled out clearly in the prophecies.

Jesus' death on the cross was the payment in full for the sins of mankind. (Atonement) His death was the reconciliation of man to God. It was God's plan all along to provide ONE way back to Him. Whosoever believes in Him WILL HAVE eternal life. Jesus said, "I am the WAY, the truth and the life, no one gets to the Father but through me."

So for anyone who wants eternal life, they have two choices. They can attempt to lead a perfect life that is pleasing to God and be judged on how well they did this on the judgment day. Or they can accept the gift of redemption and reconciliation through the atonement Jesus provided and KNOW they have eternal life. One is a hope and the other is a CERTAINTY.

So can another religion provide THE WAY? The question that must be answered is why? If God, in His mercy and justice provided a clear, undeniable way to be reconciled to Him, why would He confuse matters by providing alternative ways that actually contradict THE WAY? That does not make sense. God did what He said He would do - He provided a payment for all the sins of man through the death of Jesus on the Cross. The then showed that death had no power over Christ by resurrecting Him from the dead - thus proving to all the world that Jesus was the victor over both sin and death.

Why now, would God confuse that message with other messages that neither pay the price for sin nor have victory over death. The Bible says the satan is the great deceiver. He is the one who hates everyone on earth and wants to destroy them. If he can draw them away to an inferior substitute and deceive people into believing that substitute is equal to or superior to the plan of God, he has won.
Just before Jesus died, He said, "It is finished." He was saying He had accomplished His goal. He had completed the job God had sent Him to finish. He had been faithful and fulfilled the 350 prophecies, to the letter. Satan tried to stop Him, but was unsuccessful. In fact, satan was an unwitting accomplice in his own destruction. Jesus says that not one of my own will be plucked from my hand. He says that the sheep know my voice and will respond to it. No one comes to the Father unless He draws them.

Jesus did NOT see our plight here on earth and decide to do something about it. Jesus Christ is the plan God had for mankind from the foundation of the World. God is not a reactor to men. God is the First Cause. We react to God.
God is in total and complete control. Satan is not in control and has no power over God's plan of redemption. Yet, he continues to try. One of his methods is confusion. He shows a variety of alternatives to God and says they all work. But that makes no sense. If God truly loves His creation, why would He confuse them with multiple ways that contradict His plan?

Once a person becomes a believer in Jesus, they are exhorted to live a godly life. Every believer is indwelt with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit works in the heart of every believer to cleanse them and turn their hearts towards God. God does the work and gets the results.

God’s Two Most Important Attributes

I was recently asked "what are the two most important attributes of God?" My answer is simple - His love and His justice. They are opposite sides of the same coin.

God is love the Bible says. It is His love for man that underlies his plan of redemption. He created man for fellowship. But man failed (as He knew man would) and so man fell into the arms of a loving God. His plan of redemption shows how much God loves us and how merciful He is to allow us, as sinners to have a way back to Him.

What makes God, God - it is His justice. He has no sin. And no sin can come into His presence. As a result, all sin MUST be punished or God would violate His own character. His justice is what makes God so perfect. Hence the dilemma, how can God, who is justice, provide a loving pathway for the sinner who must pay the price for his sin? The Bible says the pricetag of sin is death. So all sin must be punished by death. When the body dies, death is total and complete separation from God for all eternity. This is the exact opposite result of what God planned when He created man. God intended for man to live in fellowship with Him for all eternity.

What to do?

God showed His love for us, in that while were were still sinners, totally and completely devoid of any goodness, He first loved us. He became flesh and dwelt among us as Jesus Christ, the son. As the son, Jesus had to fulfill two elements of the Law to fulfill God's justice.

First, He had to live a perfect life. The Bible says that He who knew no sin became sin for us. Jesus lived a sinless life until He was crucified. He was falsely accused by the Pharisees and Sanhedrin and was tried illegally. They violated their own laws. He was then taken to the Romans who found Him innocent and yet,

Second, He was slain because the crowd rejected Him and accepted Barabbas, the thief in His place. Jesus is the lamb of God who came to take away the sin of the world. He fulfilled 350 plus prophecies foretelling of His coming, perfectly. He was the fulfillment of the Passover, God instituted for the Jews to remember the exodus from Egypt. His blood was symbolic of the blood placed on the doorpost so the angel of death would passover the Israelite's homes and only strike the the Egyptians. The Bible says the life is in the blood. Jesus' blood was the payment for the sins of all believers.

Jesus fulfilled both requirements. He lived a perfect life and died a perfect death. God, in His love and mercy, provided the perfect, sinless man to die the perfect, sacrificial death to pay for the sins of all mankind who would believe He is God. He came to earth for our redemption. There was no other solution. God's justice demanded payment - our death. But God's love provided the payment - the substitutionary death of Jesus.

God's two greatest attributes are His love and His justice. They are God and they are unique to the God of the Bible. No other religion has a God like Jehovah Jirah. He is our provision. He is the way, the truth and the life. No one gets to God (to heaven) but through Jesus. He is the door. Knock and it will be open unto you. Seek and you will find. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. But Jesus is the Way. Amen.

Growing In Christ

The Bible, especially the end of Job, teaches clearly that God is in charge of EVERY detail of our life. Nothing happens but that God causes it or allows it. This same teaching is spread throughout the OT. He is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, the sovereign God. For most of us, this is incomprehensible. But it does not make it so. According to scripture, He has a revealed will and He has His secret, unrevealed will. His revealed will is taught clearly in scripture. His secret will is only seen through events and it discerned at best.

If we could figure out God and know everything there is to know about God, then we would not need God. We would be God. But it is man’s way to be in control and to want to know everything we can about any situation. God shows us clearly what He wants us to know and allows us to work through those things which will build our character. Roms 5:3 says to rejoice in trials and tribulations. This is a command from God. What? Rejoice? Why? Because God uses it to build perseverance, character and hope within us. You don't build muscles unless you work out and strain your muscles to stretch and build them up.

To answer the question posed here, I think it needs to be broken into a couple of parts - values, attitude and actions. Values are the framework we use for all our decisions. The 10 commandments are foundational to our values - don’t lie, steal, cheat, envy. Or as Jesus said it, Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind. Then love your neighbor as yourself. These are the two greatest commandments. If our values are based on love - and we understand the Law of God - we have a good litmus test for what is important and what is not to God and therefore to us.

The second element, our attitude, is determined by how we view God. If we believe we are in control, then we are going to see life much differently than if we see God as being in control. It is easy to feel alone, lost and unprotected in this world. But if we understand the promises of God, His attirbutes, then we can rely on God to fulfill those promises no matter the circumstances, no matter how things look at the moment. Paul said he LEARNED to be content. This only comes from seeing God answer prayers and take care of our needs over and over again. Being content is critical to having peace with God.

The third aspect of living a godly life is our actions. These are best measured by the fruit of the spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. If we can live our life adhering to these teachings we will live satsifying and joyful lives, regardless of our circumstances, regardless of what others do to us. It is literally turning the other cheek in relationships.

These three are a blueprint for how God would have us live our life. God’s sovereign will is woven in an amongst these three elements. The Bible tells us God’s ultimate goal is twofold - First, to conform us to the image and likeness of Christ and second, to redeem and gather His elect to Him for all of eternity. If we live our lives in accordance to His precepts - the values, attitudes and actions - then we will be growing in Christ. Our lives will be conformed to Christ’s character and we will then work to reach the elect of God through our interaction in the world. This gives each believer a purpose. The need to obey God and fulfill His will and plan for our lives.

Discovering God’s will becomes part of our everyday routine. It is integral to our purpose. We do this by praying, reading the Word, attending church, giving worship, building fellowship with other believers and sharing the truth of the Bible to any who will listen. While we are conforming our lives to Christ, we are being led in the paths of righteousness, for His name’s sake. At the same time, we must surrender to God’s will in love and devotion because our will is no longer relevant. We are obedient to God and in so doing, we are growing in the spirit of God. We are giving up our will and accepting God’s will for our life.

A natural question is how do we know God’s will? Moses showed us in the exodus from Egypt. As he stood at the Red Sea, he has no idea how God was going to save them. Moses could only do one thing, wait. He had to take the abuse of the Israelites during the waiting period. And He had to do it on faith. He had nothing to show him God's plan. There was nothing written or being said that would tell him how God was going to save Israel. Out of obedience, he did what he was told. He removed 2 million people from Egypt and brought them to the shores of the Red Sea.

At the same time, the Pharaoh was inflamed with anger and probably embarassed by the events. He was ready to annililate all of them. According to scripture, God held them back until the right moment. Then, He revealed His plan to Moses and the entire nation - He was going to lead them across the Red Sea on foot. What a miracle. Who would ever have thought that possible. Yet God had it planned the entire time. Across they went, the Pharaoh followed and at the right time, the sea closed and they were all drowned. They are just now finding remanents of those chariots at the bottom of the Red Sea today. The point is - God's will was not known until it was revealed. If Moses had not been obedient, had been willful, the circumstances and events would have changed. But Moses did obey and God's plan was perfect.

Here are some common questions.

"Is it ok for MY will to be done...or ask God for guidance and HIS will be done?" God's will will always be done. It can be no other way. He is God. God will not be deterred or thwarted.

Is it ok to ask God for help and situations to work out? How should you pray?...affirmations or just say God's will be done? Absolutely. The Bible says to pray and unceasingly. The Bible holds up the older woman who went to the unrighteous judge and banged on his door until he relented. We are to pray fervently for God to intervene and change the course. This is God's way of conforming us to His will. We don't demand of God but rather we ask Him to heal us or others. To rescue us from our trials. To intervene in the lives of others. God wants us to be dependent upon Him for our daily bread. This is how He conforms us to His will. We pray anything in His name, with faith in Him (His goodness, mercy, justice, etc. All of His attributes.)

What is surrender to God?...is it just giving up MY will? or giving up in general? Surrender is NOT giving up. It is accepting the outcome of events and circumstances as His will and then being obedient to it. God is Good. There is no other outcome. Regardless of what it looks like to us, God never changes. He is good and will always be good. So if we see events and circumstances in any other way, we are faithless. We are ascribing to God characteristics and attributes that are not true. Some would look at the events in the old testament and say God is evil. That He is mean. That He is a warmonger. And while certainly, one could look at those events and draw that conclusion - is that the ONLY possibility? Hardly. God has told the world He hates sin and will eradicate sin. He is only doing what is true to His word, eliminating sin. He does that to conform His elect to the world. We must NEVER ascribe bad motives or intentions to God. It is against His character and God never changes.

Should we have any goals/plans...or just do fate....is fate God's plan? How do you know what to do in life? Scripture shows God gives us free will within certain boundaries. It is up to us to learn to shape our lives in the image of Christ. We participate in that process. We do it by learning to be content, by following the fruit of the spirit, by trusting Him. He guides us along the way through prayer, counsel of others and through His word and worship. All things work together for good, for those who love God and are called to His purpose. Roms 8:28.

If you are struggling in your walk. If it is difficult to stay the course of faith. Ask yourself these questions. Do you love God? Are you called to His purpose? Do you want to be conformed to the image of Christ? Does God change? Is He sovereign over every detail? Do you have the faith of a mustard seed? Are you willing to trust God in all of your circumstances? Are you willing to learn to be content?

If the answer to these questions is a resounding yes - then you are well on your way to living a Philippians 4:8 life, where the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding guards your heart and mind in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Why Does God Allow Tragedy?

If God truly loves His creation, why would He allow His chosen ones to suffer, to experience pain and sorrow? Why would He allow innocent children to suffer? To be maimed? Would He truly allow loving Christian parents to die needlessly, long before they lived a full life, leaving young children behind? Why is God so mean?

These are common questions asked by skeptics, atheists and even believers who are struggling with their faith. How can a loving God not love us?

Isaiah writes in 55:9
"For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts."

I admit, I too have asked these same questions and struggled with the answers. It has taken years of Bible study to finally understand the nuances of God. To be able to see clearly that God is not mean, unable to control His creation or arbitrary in His miracles. These questions call into question the fairness of God. I think we all go there one time or another. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:25:

"For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men."

In other words, here is Biblical evidence man has been questioning God forever. The truth be known, we all deserve to die, don't we? There is not one of us on this planet who deserves to live. Romans 3:23 says "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

But according to the Bible, it is a miracle God saved anyone. Not only have all sinned, but Romans 6:23 says "the wages of sin is death." We all should die. But we all do die. So this death must not mean death as we know it, but must refer to a spiritual death, to eternal separation from God. Sin is awful, it is horrible to God. It cannot be in His presence. God cannot allow sin to coexist with Him in Heaven. He is Holy. At the extremes, sin causes great cruelty and destruction. Man's inhumanity to man is documented throughout history and is being repeated today. War is but one example. The Bible says God causes hurricanes and tornadoes and other natural disasters. God is no respecter of persons, the Bible says.

The Bible tells us, however, that God is in charge of every detail. Nothing escapes His attention. Nothing happens that He does not ordain or allow. Why? What type of God would allow such horror or grief, we might ask?

Romans 8:28 tells us the answer. "All thing work together for good, for those who love the Lord and are called to His purpose." If God is indeed just, merciful, loving and almighty. If He truly "loves the world and gave His only begotten son", then He will work all things together for good. But according to His purpose, not ours.

Asking "why" has caused a spiritual crisis in more than one life. And if you are in that place, some of it may be due to poor Biblical training. We must remember, evil exists. Evil is real. Satan is the great deceiver. He and the demons are a force that is opposed to God and hates you and me. Ephesians 6 talks about the battle between "the powers and principalities in the high places." Paul also says that it is not a battle between flesh and blood. So he acknowledges it looks different than it truly is. Man hates man - but only because of spiritual warfare.

1 Chronicles 29 tells us the God raises up leaders and makes them fall.

The Bible says God is constantly working His plan of salvation and sanctification among His people for one purpose and one purpose only, according to scripture - to gather His sheep.

When sin entered the world, it was pervasive. So bad that God sent a flood. But notice He raptured Noah and His family. He protected the only believers in the world at that time. And He gave others a chance to come. But they did not come giving them no excuse. He said He would never do it again and evidenced His covenant with a rainbow. But that did not mean evil was expunged. Sin continues in the world.

Just read about the Jews and the passover. The Jews, even though they had full evidence of God's power, continued to worship other Gods, continued to sin. God showed His anger and wrath at sin clearly in the OT. He eradicated sin from Israel to keep it pure. But there is leaven that keeps rising. Sin remained. And sin caused heartache and misery even among God's people as they disobeyed Him.

When God leds His people to the promised land from Egypt, what did they do? They were told to remove all of the people living there. Eliminate every last one of them. Did they do it? No! They were merciful and their sin, their mercy, violated God's command and came back and got them. They began to worship foreign gods and marry foreign women. Had they obeyed, their history would have been different. Was that a surprise to God? No.

God knew there was only one way to save the world, so He gave His only begotten son and whosoever will believe in Him will have eternal life. But who is whosoever will?

Many believe faith comes by doing. But the Bible says it comes by hearing. Everyone of us is spiritually dead in our sins. The Bible calls it depraved. How can a dead person come alive? They can't, unless they are born again. John 3:3. God elects who will be made spiritually alive and who will not, according to His will. Read Romans 9. What shall the clay say to the potter? Whosoever will are those whom God has called to His purpose.

Those made alive in Christ will have eternal life. Those who aren't will get exactly what they deserve, what we all deserve is eternal separation from God - death. Those made alive did not get what they deserved. God spared them for His own purpose. God, through His mercy saved them from eternal separation, spiritual death.

I deserve to die. I deserve to be eternally separated from God. We all do. But for whatever reason, having nothing to do with me, my character, my beliefs, my works, nothing - God chose me and gave me eyes to see and ears to hear. Jesus, in the NT says several times He has hidden the truth in parables from those He does not want to know. But calls those He does. I will never know why, but I am eternally grateful.

In Romans 8:29, The Bible explains what is referred to as the golden chain. God foreknew, predestined, called, saved and glorified His elect. The Greek word for foreknew means He determined and selected before the beginning exactly who He would call. He elected them.

This means we have no free will in election. It is God's providence alone. This means God predetermined who He would save and who he would not save. It means that those who reject God, are blind to spiritual truth and nothing we can do will change it. We can tell the story. But they cannot hear, because they are spiritually dead - for now. Are they spiritually dead for eternity - who but God knows? They may have a chaotic event come into their lives where they plead for God and God touches them because their time has come. I do not even pretend to know.

Does that mean we stop witnessing to them? Stop praying for them? Stop telling them the story? May it never be. We are the means God uses. They see our life, our reaction in times of stress. They see how we live in times of great chaos. We are the way God draws them to Him. The way God opens their eyes. If they do not come, they are without excuse. Romans 1.

Sin is a constant battle. Sin has its consequences. But God works all things together for God. When someone falls, someone rises. The miracle is there is any good left in this world. And that good is only there because of God and the Holy Spirit. Without God there would be no good.

So, the Bible gives us a clear picture of God's grace. He saves some, not all. He promises peace and rest. But He never promises protection from sin in this world. Christians can get swept up in the chaos and be hurt, killed, maimed, paralyzed. But in their misery, in their tragedy, they are a witness to the power of God to those who not yet come. They cling to their knowledge there is one, true God who loves them. They know life here is but a small blip on the timeline of eternity. And that what happens here is nothing compared to the glory that awaits them.

Some ask, "Why the Holocaust?" I could only speculate. But what occurs to me is that if God wanted the Jews back in Israel, how might that happen, unless they were motivated to leave their homes? When the Jews were dispersed around the world, Israel was no longer theirs. The Romans took it from them. Eventually, the Muslims got it. For Israel to take it back, they would have to come in droves and would have to present such a problem that the world would recognize the problem and react.

This is exactly what happened in 1946, with the Balfour Declaration. The Jews were given Israel back, much to the consternation of Palestine. This has been the heart of the middle east problem ever since. But did God know? Did He plan it? Was it part of His ultimate plan of redemption? I don't know, but it surely would seem so.

Remember, God is God. If He is who He says He is, then why would we question His plan? His ways are higher than our ways. His foolishness confounds the wise of this world. We can never possibly know why He does what He does.

All we can do is rest in the knowledge of what He has shown us, what He has revealed. We can never know His secret will. But one day, we will see through the mirror less darkly and we will come to know it all. That is His promise.

All of the angels in Heaven cheer His justice and mercy. They proclaim He is not Holy. But He is Holy, Holy, Holy. He is so Holy, we cannot comprehend it. One day, there will be no more tears and no more sorrow.

I would rather give God the benefit of the doubt on all that I cannot possibly know, than I would try and say that I can know and God is wrong.