No true biblical theology can teach that God takes pleasure in the damnation of the wicked. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ. The term occurs twenty-eight times in the NT, twenty-one of those times in Pauls writings, including six times in Ephesians (1:9; 3:3, 4, 9; 5:32; 6:19). We are therefore commanded to offer our entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings on behalf of all men. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.. He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit. IT IS SOWN IN DISHONOR, IT IS RAISED IN GLORY . And I said: Woe is me! This is precisely the distinction theologians often make between Gods secret will and His revealed will. . Help Grace to You bring important resources like this to people in your community and beyond, free of charge. 16:26; Eph. That way is through Christ Jesus, who as a man 6 gave himself to pay for everyone to be free. (Rom. Gods work of predestination was done according to the purpose of his will (v. 5). Do we choose God | God chooses us for salvation. | carm.org Apodektos (acceptable), is from apodechomai, which means to receive gladly, to accept with satisfaction, or to heartily welcome. The Lord eagerly accepts prayer for the lost because it is consistent with His desire for their salvation. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, And they said, Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.. While it is not impossible that Paul might want us to supply extra words to make sense out of his sentence, it would seem better not to insist on adding a whole phrase if the meaning of the verse is plain and coherent with the context without adding any extra words. The Scriptures teach Gods love for the world, His displeasure in judging sinners, His desire for all to hear the gospel and be saved. Two Possibilities. 100 Bible Verses about God Choosing Us - OpenBible.info Others open the same book always expecting to find some new reason to treasure God. The Holy Spirit is described as promised. The Spirit was promised to the people of Israel in the OT (Isa. Will Graham Devotion: Whats Communion All About? Benjamin L. Merkle (PhD, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is the Dr. M. O. Owens Jr. Few promises have brought more comfort and strength to God's people over the centuries than Romans 8:28. The result of hearing and believing was that the Ephesian Christians were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. When they heard the gospel and believed it, they were immediately sealed with the Holy Spirit. 25:48) and the deliverance of Gods people from slavery in Egypt (Deut. Many are called, but few are chosen (Matt. As it stands, the concept of God electing those who will be saved (predestination) isn't controversial. Will Graham Devotion: Praying for Your Spouse to Be Saved? This verse is structurally parallel to verses 11 and 13, as each begins with In him. The redemption believers have is in him, that is, in the Beloved (v. 6). I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. July 16, 2022 43:3, 11). This pair of doctrines force questions like: These are just a few of the thick questions involved. AVOID SUCH GODLESS CHATTER, FOR IT WILL LEAD PEOPLE INTO MORE AND MORE UNGODLINESS . For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.. Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father. Others argue that what God will-s comes to pass, because all men means all classes of men, not every individual. Gods choice of his people is related to their being predestined (or foreordained or predetermined) to be a part of his family and thus receive all the accompanying benefits. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. Log In
Again, the result of Gods favor on his people that includes sealing with the Holy Spirit should lead to praise: to the praise of his glory (cf. AND THEN I WILL DECLARE TO THEM, I NEVER KNEW YOU; DEPART FROM ME, YOU EVILDOERS. This is why God calls out to the nations of the world to get right with Him. The core message of the gospel is that God saves sinners from judgment through His Son Jesus Christ. Verse 9 is best understood as stating the means by which God made his purposes known (by making known to us). This article is part of the Tough Passages series. FORMERLY, WHEN YOU DID NOT KNOW GOD, YOU WERE IN BONDAGE TO BEINGS THAT BY NATURE ARE NO GODS; BUT NOW THAT YOU HAVE KNOWN GOD, OR RATHER BEEN KNOWN BY GOD, HOW CAN YOU TURN BACK AGAIN TO THE WEAK AND BEGGARLY ELEMENTAL SPIRITS? In verse 13, Paul now highlights the final reason why God is worthy of the praises of his people: he has sealed them with his Holy Spirit. God chose us because He has a purpose in mind for our lives. . In other words, in order to preserve the self-determining power of man in his own salvation, God predestines people only on the basis of faith which he foresees that certain people will produce by their self-determining power. That is, Christ was intimately involved with the Father in planning redemption. Or should modern Christians simply downplay election in order to highlight Gods desire for the salvation of all? God alone knows who all the elect are (2 Tim. 1:1314) and is a divine passive (passive voice with the implied subject being God; i.e., they were sealed by God). 3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,4even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. The glory of the preeminence Christ is the ultimate goal of predestination. T Gods election, however, is not without an end goal. Jesus lamented over Jerusalem, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! See this morning's sermon: if all the called are justified, and if justification is only by faith, then the call must secure the faith because it secures the justification. "By no means!" Why not? Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel? For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. SO IS IT WITH THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD. (1 Timothy 2). We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple! Making known is often used in connection with Gods unveiling of his revelation (Rom. Thus the appropriate response is to praise God for such blessing. In love. Answer Romans 8:29-30 tells us, "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 9:17; Eph. Yet though it does not please Him, God will receive glory even in the damnation of unbelievers (cf.. Rom. The final section of this verse consists of a series of three prepositional phrases clarifying the nature of Gods blessings. Most people in the world have no experience of lasting joy in their lives. The last phrase, in love, could modify either the previous statement (that we should be holy and blameless before him in love) or what follows (in love he predestined us). Please respond to confirm your registration. Because our blessings are in Christ, they are also in the heavenly places, where Christ is now ruling. Make no additions, but construe the word "foreknew" to refer to that special kind of knowing in Scripture which signifies choice and acknowledgement and favor. Spirit that makes you holy [sanctifying work of the Spirit] and by your faith in the truth. And all flesh will see the salvation of God., And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.. 1:7). God created a second-born and a third-born and a millionth-born so that Christ might be exalted and praised and honored in the midst of a redeemed people. Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring. Quietly does not mean that women are never to utter a word when the church gathers for worship. This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 1:34). What Does It Mean that Women Are to Submit to Their Husbands? This is the first resurrection. BUT OUR COMMONWEALTH IS IN HEAVEN, AND FROM IT WE AWAIT A SAVIOR, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, WHO WILL CHANGE OUR LOWLY BODY TO BE LIKE HIS GLORIOUS BODY, BY THE POWER WHICH ENABLES HIM EVEN TO SUBJECT ALL THINGS TO HIMSELF. This powerful and dramatic passage answers the question Why pray for the lost? It is one of the most definitive statements in all of Scripture of the saving purpose of God. First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Were on a mission to change that. You may unsubscribe from Bible Gateways emails at any time. Romans 10:9. Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written, That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged. But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? This article is adapted from the ESV Expository Commentary: EphesiansPhilemon (Volume 11) edited by Iain M. Duguid, James M. Hamilton Jr., and Jay Sklar. Here are some texts to show this meaning of "knowing.". (Hosea 1 & 3). Visit the Bible online to search for words if you dont know the specific passage yourre looking for. Z, Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. 4:30). He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you. P To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Far from desiring their damnation, God desires the lost to come to a saving knowledge of the truth. That is, Christ was intimately involved with the Father in planning redemption. Our prayers, however, are not the prayers of a high priest; we pray as ambassadors of Christ, whose task it is to beseech men and women on His behalf to be reconciled to God (2 Cor. Who are the elect of God? | GotQuestions.org What Does It Mean That Women Should Remain Quiet in Church? E For less than $5/mo. But Gods choices are determined by nothing other than His own sovereign, eternal purpose). For by grace you have been saved through faith. Because if we equally hold to election, isnt our general offer of the gospel to all sinners disingenuous? Although some English versions favor the former (CSB, KJV, NKJV, NRSV), the latter interpretation is preferable (ESV, NASB, NIV) since the focus of this section is on Gods work of blessing his people. It begins with Genesis in the top left and concludes with Revelation in the bottom right. Declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,. Correcting his opponents with gentleness. Since God desires all men to be saved, we are not required to ascertain that a person is elect before praying for that persons salvation. Christ died for the sins of the whole world (John 3:16). 1:6, 12). And when our vision of God is small and distorted, the attempt to see all of life in relation to God is frustratedand we retreat with our little God into a religious subculture instead of confronting the cultural and intellectual life of our day and laying claim to all truth as the territory of the majestic God. We do not know who the elect are and have no way of knowing until they respond to the gospel. If youre asking these types of questions and if youre up for the climb the 50-page book is available as a free download here, or purchase here. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Expanded Bible (EXB). While the concept of Gods possessing his people as an inheritance is found in the OT (e.g., Deut. There are two reasons for this. FOUR REASONS. We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. H In this segment, John Piper lays out the logic of Romans 9:1418. Publisher: OpenBible.info. Therefore, the "foreknowing" must be qualified in some sense, because Paul says, "Whom he foreknew, he predestined." Cite this page: Editor: Stephen Smith. I am speaking the truth in ChristI am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. Billy Graham. GDPR is the new European privacy regulation, which will replace the Data Protection Act 1998 in the UK and the equivalent legislation across the EU Member States. Verse 29a: "Those whom he foreknew." 2.1. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. the purpose of proclaiming the gospel through publishing The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. 22:3; Ps. That is, Gods choice in election occurred before time and creation, emphasizing that this choice was based on Gods sovereign purpose, not human merits. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. 33:11). L Second, the scope of Gods evangelistic purposes is broader than election. Paul also indicates that their sealing with the Spirit took place when [they] heard the word of truth. In contrast to the many false gospels, Paul speaks of the word he preached as being the word of truth (cf. . The other relates to Christ's glory. Some say the doctrine of unconditional election is the most despised teaching of reformed theology, but I would disagree. The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble. To come to the knowledge of the truth is to be saved. 2:19). I am the Lord your God from the land of Egypt; you know no God but me, and besides me there is no savior. No one understands; no one seeks for God. WHAT IS SOWN IS PERISHABLE, WHAT IS RAISE IS IMPERISHABLE. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 4:5). But not all are predestined to be conformed to his Son. Geocoding We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. . The main idea of this section is found in the first word in both the English and Greek text: blessed (eulogtos). 9:15; 11:35). Rom. That is, the presence of Gods Spirit will not be undone but will endure until we acquire possession of it (Eph. It was a prayer exclusively for the salvation of those whom He loved and chose before the foundation of the world to be partakers of every spiritual blessing (Eph. Therefore, to praise God for his glory is to declare that he is the one true God, who made heaven and earth. Tony Reinke is a senior teacher for Desiring God, host of the. Desire is not from boulomai, which would be more likely to express Gods will of decree, but from thelo, which can refer to Gods will of desire. How His electing grace and predestined purpose can stand beside His love for the world and desire that the gospel be preached to all people, still holding them responsible for their own rejection and condemnation, is a mystery of the divine mind. What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction. K Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. This is confirmed when Paul amplifies this thought by adding, things in heaven and things on earth. Finally, all of Gods purposes will be accomplished in him, that is, in Christ. Christ is not only the means by which God will unite all the disparate elements of creation; he is also the center and focal point through whom and for whom this will take place.