What Is "Predestination"? How Does It Shape Your Daily Life?

[GracePeace]

That's not what monergism teaches.

It teaches that God regenerates someone so that they can hear and accept the Gospel.

Remember Lydia?

" On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14 One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. 15 When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us"

Conversion is a work of God in us, that gives us the ability to hear and respond.

Did Lydia know it was God's work? Likely not... Not unless God revealed it to her.

However, He has revealed it to us in the Scriptures, so that we have no occasion to boast, except to boast in Him.

Let's try not to get out too far on this tangent--Synergists will start jumping in to fight this fight, and the Topic will be lost.

 

[Hazelelponi]

Let's try not to get out too far on this tangent--Synergists will start jumping in to fight this fight, and the Topic will be lost.

I went ahead and deleted, it's a very good topic. :)

 

[GracePeace]

I went ahead and deleted, it's a very good topic. :)

LOL thanks... you know that is like blood in the water for a shark... it will start a frenzy, no matter what

 

[BlessedPeace]

So, are there people who are predestined, making sure they reach their door, so that they have the opportunity to go through it, who DO NOT use that opportunity to go through the door?

It's the natural man. We think the things of God are foolishness. And continue to do so unless,until,God's Holy Spirit enters in and opens our consciousness to understand God's words.

1 Corinthians 2:14,Romans 8:5-10

 

[Eternally Grateful]

They are labels often used inappropriately. I don't pay any attention. I've been branded "monergist", which means God alone saves us, nothing to do with us. Meaning, you don't have to believe, you don't have to receive, you just get born again, and THEN you believe, which is directly against what I believe Scripture teaches.

Much love!

Ie fatalism or calvinism..

As I thought

 

[Eternally Grateful]

Monergist "types" basically affirm "doctrines of grace", Synergists don't.

I am not a monergist.

Yet I affirm the doctrines of Grace..

can you explain this?

 

[marks]

This is just like the other issue (falling away from the faith in Paul's writings)--we've put our views out there, now we have to let it go--except in this case we're discussing literally a tangent.

You think I'm missing it, I think you're missing it. Neither is budging. Same situation as before.

Except I think there remains more ground to cover. But as you wish.

Much love!

 

[GracePeace]

It's the natural man. We think the things of God are foolishness. And continue to do so unless,until,God's Holy Spirit enters in and opens our consciousness to understand God's words.

1 Corinthians 2:14,Romans 8:5-10

I'm asking him how IN HIS VERSION OF PREDESTINATION he works these things out. This is, I guess, a more one-on-one thread, because people have their own views of "predestined".

 

[GracePeace]

Except I think there remains more ground to cover. But as you wish.

Much love!

LOL Yeah, that's why I keep reminding you it is a tangent.

Also, I know that, just as with the other issue, neither of us is going to change our minds, and I know I'm right, and I know you're going to ignore every piece of evidence I lay out (as you already have), so I'm not interested in continuing in that tangential conversation.

 

[GracePeace]

I am not a monergist.

Yet I affirm the doctrines of Grace..

can you explain this?

Yeah, that's why I said "Monergist 'types'"--not that they actually are Monergists, but, to Synergists, they are no different from Monergists. LOL

 

[marks]

Isaiah 54:5 - For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.

This was to Israel.

The Church as the Bride in Ephesians 5:22-33: The Church is called the Bride of Christ and Christ is declared the Head of the Church, His Bride. As individual believers and as the Church we have an intimate relationship with Christ. This is a relationship that is closer than an earthly husband and wife relationship.

Here, the church's relationship with Jesus is compared to a man with his wife, that he cares for her as he does himself. At the same time, not a comparison, but a definition, we are specifically called His body, and in various places.

I realize that it remains very popular to consider the church to be the bride of Christ, but what the Scripture teaches is different.

Much love!

 

[Ritajanice]

This was to Israel.

And we the gentiles who were grafted in when we became Born Again....we are the Bride of Christ.

Do you not know that you were grafted into the true vine, when you became Born Again?

Here, the church's relationship with Jesus is compared to a man with his wife, that he cares for her as he does himself. At the same time, not a comparison, but a definition, we are specifically called His body, and in various places.

I realize that it remains very popular to consider the church to be the bride of Christ, but what the Scripture teaches is different.

Much love!

No man or woman on the planet can love us as God Loves, not one?

We are the Bride of Christ.

God is my husband and he meets my every need.

Isaiah 54:5 - For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called

 

[GracePeace]

Isaiah 54:5 - For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.

Right, not "the God of Israel", as if they were the only ones who were His people, his bride, but "the God of the whole earth", of ALL THE NATIONS He will be called their God, and they will be His people, to whom He will be "husband".

 

[BlessedPeace]

LOL thanks... you know that is like blood in the water for a shark... it will start a frenzy, no matter what

I'm asking him how IN HIS VERSION OF PREDESTINATION he works these things out. This is, I guess, a more one-on-one thread, because people have their own views of "predestined".

Ah,so no one should chime in because this is one on one? If you intended that you should have PM'd him.

This is a public board.

 

[Ritajanice]

Right, not "the God of Israel", as if they were the only ones who were His people, his bride, but of ALL THE NATIONS He is their God and they are His people, to whom He will be "husband".

God is my husband when I became Born Again..not sure where you are?

 

[GracePeace]

Ah,so no one should chime in because this is one on one? If you intended that you should have PM'd him.

This is a public board.

No, just that EACH PERSON has their own definition of "predestined", and I was asking him about HIS view, so no one else can give HIS answer for how he works HIS view out. You can answer for how YOU do it for YOU, though.

 

[marks]

lol. How do you know who is monergist or synergist. I do nto even know what the terms mean,.,

Synergist is the more squirrely term, it covers from "you have to ask for forgiveness" to "you have to make yourself holy".

Much love!

 

[GracePeace]

Ah,so no one should chime in because this is one on one? If you intended that you should have PM'd him.

This is a public board.

I didn't mean "one on one" as if to say only @marks can answer here, but that each person seems to have their own views, so each person should answer for their own views, not for others', because they cannot know what the other person is thinking.

 

[GracePeace]

It's the difference between making sure you reach the door, so that you have the opportunity to go through it, compared to just setting you down on the other side, nothing to do with you.

Much love!

So, are there people who are predestined, making sure they reach their door, so that they have the opportunity to go through it, who DO NOT use that opportunity to go through the door?

 

[Hazelelponi]

OSAS. God does not make mistakes. "He is the Author of our faith". "He knows the beginning from the end". The scriptures I shared state that we are chosen, predestined, called, sanctified and justifed by faith and sealed by the Holy Spirit. The new creature is made holy, pure in God's sight. "We have past from death to life". So the wages of sin has been paid for by Christ. His death was sufficient. If there was something more to be done to secure our salvation, then it would be implying that His death was not enough.
Of course we still live in this fleshly body, with the remnants of the old self. So now with the help, comfort, guidance, wisdom, love, teaching, edification, convictions of the Holy Spirit, Who dwells in us, we are encouraged daily to walk in the Spirit, not in the flesh. Everyday we start out with a prayer for wisdom and guidance to deal with the days new challenges, obstacles and evils. We are really to be on prayer without ceasing, having a continual open channel to God with everything decision and act. But we don't always do that, we get involved sometimes entangled and are faced with difficulties we struggle with - because we try to wing it ourselves. We leave God out of it, as if saying, "I got this Lord"! Sure you do. Don't leave God out of anything!
It is apparent that we still sometimes do the same things as the unregenerate do, we sin. But it is not sin unto death, we don't habitually live like we used to. "Be transformed by the renewing of your mind." So spiritual maturity takes time. Simply, we learn how to he more loving. His two commandments were to love God and love our neighbor - even our enemies! That's easy to say, but not to do. We fall short all the time. We are selfish at times and just don't feel like it: "Sorry I can't love you today, I have other plans, personal matters to attend to ... I'll pray for you." We chose not to love at a moment that we could have and should have. We disobeyed the commandment. We get the idea of what sin is from the Ten Commandments. So we try to keep them, but sometimes fail. Jesus said all the commandments fall under the two He gave.
So spiritually, sanctification is instant, we are made separate and are "in Christ". Now we must behave differently. The change in our behavior isn't instant, it is gradual, a process. If we all of a sudden were really like Jesus, the world would see it. They would see that Joe was a drug addict, a cussing, back stabbing, thief, whoremaster, wicked man and now is a pure Saint _ overnight. He traveled to India and took Mother Teresa's spot, working with the impoverished orphans ... No, I think so. It doesn't happen that fast. Some healing can miraculously take place like a drug addiction cure and certanly a miracle does take place, a new creature, but normally we grow to be like Christ. Paul had a miraculous transformation, but not everyone has that abrupt change. He still had to grow and learn the way. It took time.
I am not a Catholic, but I consider them brothers and sisters in Christ. I remember an interview with Mother Teresa before she died. The reporter asked her, " Who will take your place after you have gone?" She looked at her and said, "You can!" Wow, an uncomfortable silence came over the reporter, an apparent instant rejection and guilt at the same time, as if appalled... "Who me ... I can't ... do that. It is not my calling ... " Whatever she thought or said, it was clear that her answer was no. And most us would say no to that, right? She was likely a Catholic, likely single without children and a good person - saved. But "No, not me"! We say that often don't we, when given the opportunity to love one another, NO!

Sorry for the lengthy post. This OSAS has been a heated topic for generations. There are paradoxes in the Bible. My Pastor used to say, "There is a tension between the two realms ( physical and spiritual). We are in the already, but not yet state of eternal existence."
Some day we will be rid of this tent and separate from it and ascend to be who we were meant to be, when our redemption is fully consummated, perfect. We are waiting for our resurrection, our new bodies.

Such a beautiful post, thank you! God bless you!