Posts Tagged Grace
Does God have a Plan B?
While having a shower today (my usual thinking place!), I remembered a conversation that happened a while back at my own church. The debate, of course, was on ‘free will’ well it ended up basically as an attack on Calvinism.
The premise of the argument against what I was saying was this: Man has the ability to choose God!..? (see my earlier post here). This is a ludicrous statement to make, to say that man who is dead, enslaved to sin can honestly make this sort of spiritual choice?
Anyhow, the point that came to my memory was the allegory that was used, it went something like this:-
“God looks down the tunnel of time and then see’s who will choose him”…!
Am I missing something here? I certainly agree that God knows the future, its the second half of the statement that confuses me ’He see’s who will choose Him’ then he affirms their choice!
I might be totally ignorant of some bigger picture, but what if that man whom God viewed down the tunnel of time, decided with his free will not to choose God, what if no one decided to choose God because maybe they loved the darkness they were in, maybe they were enslaved to the powers of the world? Or just simply decided they were fine the way they were?
If things were left to mans choice, would we have had the seed of Abraham, were in faith we are sons of God. Would we have had anyone like John,Paul,Barnabas……. You, me?
The reason why I ask all these questions is that the Arminian thought or theology is in grave error. What would happen to God’s redemptive purposes if we all said NO!, After all the Arminian says that we have the free will to reject God (This rejection is something that as fallen man we have already partaken in). Would God, look down the tunnel again and again and again and again until he found someone who would choose Him? I don’t think so, God’s sovereign purpose is always willed according to his foreknowledge. God elected (called) Abraham for a purpose, God foreknew you and me and those who would be born of the Spirit.
Another point, God does not just look forward in time as he is not in time. Eternity has no time, it always was and always will be. We as humans look forward as we are in ‘time’.
Take great comfort in knowing that God foreknew you and with His mercy and Grace chose you in Christ. He saved you (now that is ‘AMAZING GRACE!!’)
Revelation 13:8
…and all who dwell on earth will worship [the beast], everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.
Free will, we all have. Spiritual free will we don’t. The Arminian’s have a severely lacking understanding of the ‘Sovereignty of God’ and the ‘condition of man’. (erroneous would be better than , lacking understanding.)
At the end of the day, I was asking myself the question, that is, if Arminians are correct (which they certainly are not!), does God have a plan B? as we all just might say NO! Well now that I have ranted on for a few moments, time for a coffee….
Related posts : Who Chose who , Human Inability
The Gospel of Grace.
I got a txt from my bro about reformedpraise.org, so I checked it out and found this lovely Hymn.
The first few lines I particularly enjoyed, here we see grace in action, that God be glorified.
The gospel of grace: from before time began
God chose to redeem me and fashioned a plan
That holy and blameless and unto His praise
I might be adopted to show forth His grace.
Heres the full lyrics:
The gospel of grace: from before time began
God chose to redeem me and fashioned a plan
That holy and blameless and unto His praise
I might be adopted to show forth His grace.
The gospel of grace: in the fullness of time
God sent a redeemer who, doing no crime,
Would die for my sin and then conquer the grave
To purchase the ones He was given to save.
The gospel of grace came when dead in my sin,
It told me of Jesus and pointed to Him.
When faith and repentance invaded my heart
Forgiveness, full pardon, my God did impart.
The gospel of grace now reminds me each day
In sin and in failure His favor will stay
For not through self-loathing or deeds that I’ve done
But only in Jesus acceptance is won.
The gospel of grace when I take my last breath
Will be my one comfort to bear me through death;
And should I die peaceful or suffer great pain,
This gospel assures me that death will be gain.
The gospel of grace, for eternity long,
Will be my delight and the theme of my song;
With saints from all nations I’ll join to proclaim:
All glory to Jesus, the Lamb who was slain!
The gospel of grace, O how precious indeed,
Past, present, and future meets all of my needs;
So until the day when I look on Your face–
Lord, keep me believing the gospel of grace.
Don’t forget to visit the website, as you can hear a MP3 of the Hymn.