still wondering about predestination.
for the past 3 years or so.
Paul asks some interesting questions in the book of Romans.
some questions that i'm pretty sure i have asked as well.
"do you presume on the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?" (2:4)
"if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? that God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us?" (3:5)
"if through my lie God's truth abounds to his glory, why am i still being condemned as a sinner?" (3:7)
"what if some were unfaithful? does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God?" (3:3)
good questions, Paul.
i think that Paul was completely inspired when he wrote this letter. the Holy Spirit somehow chose to use him to write several amazing works...and i'm so grateful for them.
sometimes people say that they like the gospels more than the epistles, because the gospels are the words of Jesus.
to that i respond: the epistles are the words of Jesus as well.
if we believe that the Scriptures are given by inspiration of God, then we must believe that Paul's words, John's words, etc. have as much authority as the words of Christ Himself. this is because they are the words of the Holy Spirit, Who is also God.
let's treat them seriously.
5 comments:
The Apostle Paul has walked this long spiritual journey with me, his epistles working through my heart more than anyone else. Love. Holiness. Sin. Teaching. God's character. Christ. Humility. Sacrifice. Forgiveness.
My fasting days of prayer include Paul's guidance to "set my mind on things above," "while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us," "God's mystery - Christ in us the hope of glory," "you are called to be preserved blameless."
The Apostle Paul brings the ministry of Christ into a fleshed out message of sin and Savior.
Paul is my favorite person in the Bible.
Many still have the head of the table mentality when it comes to the Bible.
Olivia - predestination is easy!
Are you ready for this?
God know's everything - past present and future, however he has given us free will. If this free will is genuine (which of course it is) then the future (which God knows) must be constantly changing depending on the decisions that we make. What God knows for certain is in a constant state of flux.
Man has free will and God it is God's desire to save everyone. Whilst his omniscience gives him foreknowledge of the consequencs of the choices each individual is making at any given time, he does not predetermine those decisions.
Next week - 'how to eliminate world poverty' :-)
Love and prayers
A
Does God see only what He has willed for us? Or does He see what will ultimately happen? In Romans chapter 9 God says that He had loved Jacob and that Esau He has hated, even before they were born. Either God knew what Jacob and Esau would commit, or He had hated a man even before the man had committed any evil deed; for no apparent reason!
I'm just searching and questioning. Like you said before, Olivia, I don't know if this is absolutely correct. It's just what I'm thinking.
I love the fact that Peter mentions Paul's writings and lumps them together with 'other scripture'! To me this cancels out any raising of the epistles above the letters.
I tend to agree with jsi. Paul fleshes out what Jesus' teaching means and how it is worked out in the every day practicalities. Without his letters pointing out the errors that were already creeping into church life, we would have an infinitely poorer example of what the Church should be in each generation!
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