An Idea Borrowed

Years ago on a radio program someone shared that they read a chapter in Proverbs every day. Since there are 31 chapters and the longest month has 31 days it allows you to read through Proverbs on a regular basis. I use it as the launch pad for my personal worship time and branch out from there. On this blog I will try to share some of the insights I have in the Word. I will try to organize them in the archive by reference.

Saturday, May 3, 2014

Choose or Lose

(Pro 3:11 KJV)  My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:

God is sovereign.  All Christians agree on that.  The largest branches of Protestant Christianity take that to mean that God has pre-picked who will be saved and who will be condemned.  Some go so far as to reject free will altogether.  This is one of those passages that make it hard for me to accept that thinking.  Everywhere I turn in scripture I find references to free will.  Here it is again.  If God is sovereign the way the Reformed theologians teach, how can a person “despise” (reject NASB) (3988a) anything He offers, even His “chastening” (discipline NASB) (4148)?  If it is preordained that you reject it, why tell you not to?

I hope it is just a semantic difference.  I would not declare heretic over the issue, although I am not sure they return the favor.  I do not want to make choices that would in any way say “no” to God.

So?  Listen, think, act.  Do it because it is preordained or do it because you choose, but do it.  Eternity hangs in the balance. 

2 comments:

Gorges Smythe said...

I've always felt that there was a big difference between fore-ordained and fore-knowledge. I think God has "ordained" His choices because He already knows who will reject Him and who will not.

Pumice said...

I would agree that they are different. That is why I think some of the differences I have with people are semantic rather than theological.

Grace and peace.