Predestination

The first two paragraphs are what really touched me, but the rest was too good not to share. :) I did not write any of this; I am simply sharing something I liked.

Mars Hill Church – Seattle, WA
Pastor Mark Driscoll
Religion Saves and Nine Other Misconceptions - Predestination

January 20, 2008
Romans 9
Excerpt from 1:02:30 through 1:06:00 in the sermon.

http://www.marshillchurch.org/media/religionsaves/predestination

God is God, and we are not. And we have no right to tell God that He's not doing a good job at being God. We have no right to be like Pharaoh and to say, "Well, that's His opinion, He didn't consult me, I think I could do better given the opportunity. He should inquire of me, seek my wisdom, heed my counsel. He has some errors, He has some folly, He has some mistakes. I disagree with Him, I judge Him, I denounce Him, and I demand of Him to give an answer to me!"

What Paul is arguing for is humility. He says, "Who are you to think that you would be a better God than God?" Ambrosiaster, an early church father, says it this way, "It is a great indignity and presumption for a man to answer back to God - the unjust to the just, the evil to the good, the imperfect to the perfect, the weak to the strong, the corruptible to the incorruptible, the mortal to the immortal, the servant to the lord, the creature to the creator."

Friends, here's the bottom line. There are only three options. Number one, Satan chooses who has sin forgiven and eternal life granted. That means that no one receives grace!

Number two, sinners choose who is to be saved. The result is that we all have already chosen! We have chosen sin, we have chosen Satan, we have chosen rebellion, we have chosen death, we have chosen rejection of God, we have chosen to be objects of wrath, we have chosen hell! Every single human being has chosen! By virtue of sinning, you have chosen! You've chosen Satan, you've chosen death, you've chosen wrath, you've chosen hell!

And the third option is that God, too, would choose, and that God would choose to save some. That God would choose in undeserving, ill-deserving mercy and grace to save some. Not only that, He would come into human history as Jesus Christ. He would live on this earth in humility to be tempted as we are, yet without sin. That He would go to the cross and He would substitute Himself in our place for our sins and that our God would die and would Himself endure the penalty and punishment for sin, and that He would rise and He would give salvation as a gift, not dependent upon pursuing Him, desiring Him, choosing Him, or yearning for Him. Though He invites us, none of us take Him up on that offer. And so He pursues us - vigilantly, mercifully, compassionately, lovingly, and continually.

And some of you will say, "This doesn't sound like God is loving." Yet Ephesians 1 says, "in love He predestined us." The predestination is the love of God in action.