DIVINE POWER AND LOVE OF CHRIST CAN SAVE YOU
Ephesians 1:11 says, the God « who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will”
Are you one of the chosen? If you are a fatalist, you are never quite sure. Fate has a way of playing very cruel jokes, making people think they are safe when they are not when determinism pretends to be Christian, it still offers no clear way to tell if your faith is real or counterfeit, if you are elected or deluded. In any case, nothing, not you, not your faith, not even God Himself, can change your destiny. Your only hope is to win heaven’s lottery, very few are that lucky. So your damnation is virtually assured, if you believe in fatalism. On the other hand, if you believe in Christ, you can and should have full assurance. See Ephesians 3:12, In Him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. Also see Hebrews 4:16, Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Determinists say, People choose evil because God made them to choose it. Is it so easy to make God the author of every evil choice, every crime, and every brutal atrocity? People of Satan like to paint God that way, making people think they have no real choice, no direct responsibility and no ability to resist temptation. He wants them to feel they must sin by God’s decree (by fate, or by heredity, or by evolution, or by evil spells, or any excuse will do) Scripture reveals the opposite, that God is the source of all goodness (light) He has nothing to do with sin (darkness) God is light in Him there is no darkness at all. See 1st John 1:5, This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. See Luke 6:45, The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. See also Ephesians 2:22, it says, And in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit.
Matthew 24:37–39, As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark ; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. The flood Jesus is talking about what happened a long time before the time of Abraham. It was a terrible judgment of God upon wicked men. Only Noah and his family trusted God and waited on Him. The rest of mankind did not care about the things of God.
When the flood did come, what was the fate of those who were not trusting God? -- They were destroyed. And what happened to those who did trust and wait on the Lord? -- They were saved.
Take a few moments, meditate and do a little bit of self- evaluation, in what area of your Christian life do you find yourself LEAST prepared for the coming of the Lord ? -- What can you do to better prepare yourself in this area?
Ephesians 1:11 says, the God « who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will”
Are you one of the chosen? If you are a fatalist, you are never quite sure. Fate has a way of playing very cruel jokes, making people think they are safe when they are not when determinism pretends to be Christian, it still offers no clear way to tell if your faith is real or counterfeit, if you are elected or deluded. In any case, nothing, not you, not your faith, not even God Himself, can change your destiny. Your only hope is to win heaven’s lottery, very few are that lucky. So your damnation is virtually assured, if you believe in fatalism. On the other hand, if you believe in Christ, you can and should have full assurance. See Ephesians 3:12, In Him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. Also see Hebrews 4:16, Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Determinists say, People choose evil because God made them to choose it. Is it so easy to make God the author of every evil choice, every crime, and every brutal atrocity? People of Satan like to paint God that way, making people think they have no real choice, no direct responsibility and no ability to resist temptation. He wants them to feel they must sin by God’s decree (by fate, or by heredity, or by evolution, or by evil spells, or any excuse will do) Scripture reveals the opposite, that God is the source of all goodness (light) He has nothing to do with sin (darkness) God is light in Him there is no darkness at all. See 1st John 1:5, This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. See Luke 6:45, The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. See also Ephesians 2:22, it says, And in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit.
Matthew 24:37–39, As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark ; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. The flood Jesus is talking about what happened a long time before the time of Abraham. It was a terrible judgment of God upon wicked men. Only Noah and his family trusted God and waited on Him. The rest of mankind did not care about the things of God.
When the flood did come, what was the fate of those who were not trusting God? -- They were destroyed. And what happened to those who did trust and wait on the Lord? -- They were saved.
Take a few moments, meditate and do a little bit of self- evaluation, in what area of your Christian life do you find yourself LEAST prepared for the coming of the Lord ? -- What can you do to better prepare yourself in this area?