SPELLING EDITED Cc-7. CALVINISM-IRRESISTIBLE GRACE! PART 7
“I” Is the DOCTRINE of IRRESISTIBLE GRACE the TRUTH of God's WORD?
Now again, the doctrine of IRRESISTIBLE grace in Calvinism and Reformed Theology basically states that Almighty God will DRAW his ELECT to Himself with a GRACE that is IRRESISTIBLE to resist. This does not mean that the ELECT CANNOT resist God’s drawing at times in their life, but rather, it means that at the end of the life of the elect, the elect can NOT resist God’s drawing them to be saved. In other words, NONE of the ELECT, according to Calvinism will NOT be able to resist God's grace in the end to the point of rejecting their SALVATION. For you see, according to the doctrine of “UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION”, the elect were PREDESTINED to be saved from BEFORE the foundation of the world. Again, predestination, according to Calvinistic and Reformed Theology Christians means that throughout the life of each and every one of the ELECT individuals chosen before the foundation of the world that God’s IRRESISTIBLE GRACE remains in effect until, eventually, every elect person is saved. ALSO, according to the doctrine of the “PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS” God’s irresistible grace remains in effect AFTER an elect person is saved to KEEP the ELECT from ever LOSING their salvation. And again, this does not mean that the ELECT cannot backslide or fall back into sin, but rather, it means that in the end ALL of the ELECT will, without fail, be saved no matter what. But is this truly what the whole word of God teaches us. In other words, does the BIBLE teaches us that God's grace to be IRRESISTIBLE? Absolutely NOT! Yes, we know that ACCORDING to Calvinism and Reformed Theology Christians, God's grace is IRRESISTIBLE because they have to teach this man-made doctrine in order for their other teachings to make any sense whatsoever. But if you are truly seeking the TRUTH, then you should not focus on what the doctrines of men teach. But rather, your focus should be on what the word of TRUTH teaches. So I ask you my dear brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ, WHERE in the BIBLE does it say that God's grace is IRRESISTIBLE? The word “GRACE” is found 170 times in the King James Version of the Bible and not one time is the word “IRRESISTIBLE” found next to the word grace. In fact, the word “IRRESISTIBLE” is not found anywhere in the King James Version of the Bible. So I began taking a closer look at each and every verse where the word “GRACE” was found in order to see what the Bible has to teach us as to whether or not the grace of God can be resisted and here is what I found. Let us begin with Acts 11:21-23, which teaches us that believers need to be EXHORTED to CLEAVE to the Lord. Acts 11:21-23.
“And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number BELIEVED, and turned unto the Lord. 22. Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch. 23. Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and EXHORTED them all, that with the purpose of heart they would CLEAVE unto the Lord.”
Now, IF the grace of God is IRRESISTIBLE whereby not even one of the elect will lose their salvation as Calvinism CLAIMS, then why did the main church in Jerusalem send Barnabas to EXHORT these new believers to CLEAVE to the Lord with the great purpose of heart? For you see, IF God's grace is IRRESISTIBLE so that not one elect can lose their salvation then there would be absolutely no need to exhort believers to CLEAVE to the Lord because God's grace would AUTOMATICALLY KEEP believers from falling away from the faith. In Acts 13:42,43 we read where believers are PERSUADED to CONTINUE in the grace of God, which again there would be NO need to PERSUADE believers to remain saved IF it were true that God's grace is IRRESISTIBLE as the teaching of Calvinism and Reformed Theology CLAIMS.
Acts 13:42,43.
“And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles sought that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. 43. Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, (Many of the Jew who had just heard the gospel of Jesus Christ, Paul, and Barnabas), PERSUADED them to CONTINUE in the grace of God.”
Again, IF the grace of God is IRRESISTIBLE and God Himself does the drawing of the so-called elect to be saved then WHY did the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ PERSUADE those that just heard the gospel to CONTINUE in the grace of God? Can you not see that IF the grace of God is so IRRESISTIBLE and it alone draws people to God then there would be NO need to even preach the gospel. And most certainly there would be no need to EXHORT and PERSUADE people to CONTINUE in the grace of God. And especially there would be no need to instruct and Christian to CLEAVE to the Lord with the purpose of heart. The TRUTH of the matter is that God's grace CAN be resisted to the point of both REJECTING the gospel right from the beginning and never receiving the so great of salvation that has been offered to WHOSOEVER of any person in the entire whole who HEARS or reads the gospel. AND also the grace of God can be resisted by true born-again Christians to the point that their resisting God’s drawing them to repent of their sins that they make VOID the grace of God by turning away from the faith and losing their salvation after being born-again or regenerated by the Holy Spirit of God. Please read 2 Corinthians 6:1, which teaches us that the grace of God can indeed be RECEIVED in VAIN. 2 Corinthians 6:1.
“We then, as workers TOGETHER with him, (In other words, WE as being co-laborers TOGETHER along WITH God) BESEECH (Or we implore or we beg) you also that you RECEIVE NOT the grace of God in VAIN.”
Now the word “VAIN” means UNSUCCESSFUL, or NOT producing the DESIRED outcome. In other words, the early church knew that just because a person received the grace of God and accepted Jesus as their Savior that this was no guarantee that they would REMAIN in the faith and endure unto the end in order to receive the end of their salvation which is the reward of ETERNAL LIFE in the world to come. This is why there are so many WARNINGS throughout the New Testament to guard our faith to not be deceived by the deceitfulness of sin. This is why these true born-again Christians at the church in Corinth are being implored NOT to have received the grace of God in VAIN. This verse alone should prove to all seeking the truth of God's word that the BIBLE does not teach us that God's grace is IRRESISTIBLE. But this is not the only place in the word of God that we find that true born-again believers are being warned about falling away from the grace of God that has drawn them to God through the gospel. Please read Galatians 5:1-4 which teaches us that Christians can and do FALL from grace and therefore the grace that they did receive in the beginning now profits them NOTHING.
Galatians 5: 1-4.
“Stand FAST therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, and be NOT entangled AGAIN with the yoke of bondage. 2. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if you be circumcised, Christ shall profit you NOTHING. 3. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. 4. Christ is BECOME of NO EFFECT unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; you are FALLEN from GRACE.”
All through the New Testament, we as true born-again believers are WARNED NOT to turn back to what we have been redeemed from and become entangled back AGAIN to a life of sin. Here in this passage of scripture Christians are being warned not to turn back again to the law of Moses and be circumcised, because those who do turn back to serve the law are FALLEN from GRACE and the sacrifice Jesus made for them has NO EFFECT unto them and therefore Jesus Christ profits them NOTHING. In other words, they shall LOSE their reward of ETERNAL LIFE in the world to come if they continue to seek to be saved by the works of the law of Moses. Please read the study “THE WORKS OF THE LAW VERSUS GOOD WORKS” and “WE ARE NOT SAVED BY OUR OWN GOOD WORKS” for a deeper understanding that we are taught to keep the commandments of God through faith and the power of the Holy Spirit but not in our OWN strength wherein there is boasting. In Hebrews 12:14-29, we read where any man can FAIL of the grace of God. In others words, the BIBLE teaches us over and over that it is the man who FAILS the grace of God and NOT that the grace of God fails us. God promises us in his word the HE by his Holy Spirit will NEVER leave us, but at the same time, we are warned over and over in the Bible that WE can LEAVE God. Therefore we are to GUARD ourselves against the enemy that tries to deceive us and turn us away from God.
Hebrews 12:14-29.
“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which NO man shall see the Lord: 15. Looking diligently lest (Or for fear that) ANY MAN FAIL of the grace of God; lest (Or for fear that) any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; 16. Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. 17. For you know how that afterward when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears. (There were Jews who became Christians and then they wrongly taught the Gentile Christians that they MUST keep the Law of Moses in order to be saved. And there were also Christians who went back into living in sin. And the same things have happened all through the age of the church and they are still happening in the church today where Christians are falling away from the faith. Some Christians are being deceived to become the seventh day of the week Sabbath-keeping Christians. And some other Christians are being deceived to go back to living in a lifestyle of sin. And IF they do not repent and come back to the true gospel of Jesus Christ then they will lose their salvation) 18. For you have not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, 19. And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard entreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more: 20. (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: 21. And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:) 22. But you have come unto mount Sion and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 23. To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24. And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaks better things than that of Abel. 25. See that you refuse not him that speaks. For if they escaped not who refused him that spoke on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we TURN AWAY from him that speaks from heaven: 26. Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he has promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. 27. And this word, Yet once more, signifies the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. 28. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, LET us HAVE grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: 29. For our God is a consuming fire.”
So then, as long as we ourselves REMAIN in the grace of God and CONTINUE in the grace we have received, then the grace of God will not leave us and we will be strengthened by God's grace to serve him in an acceptable way with reverence and godly fear knowing that our God is a consuming fire if we ourselves DEPART from the grace of God. Now Calvinism falsely teaches that God's grace is IRRESISTIBLE and therefore without fail no true born again believer can LOSE their salvation. In other words, even if the so-called elect rejects the gospel over and over that sooner or later they will, without fail, accept Jesus as their Savior, and from that point on they shall never lose their salvation. Again this does not mean that they will never backslide or fall back into sin from time to time, but rather in the end they will repent and be saved. However, according to the BIBLE, it is made clear that a true born-again believer can and do LOSE their salvation. Please read the study called “IS ONCE SAVED ALWAYS SAVED BIBLICAL?” which weighs the evidence from both sides of the highly controversial subject. But for now, let me ask you a simple question know that no murderer shall enter into the kingdom of God. What if a true born again Christian does fall back into sin, which Calvinism totally agrees is not only possible but does in fact happen all the time, and while living in this state of sin this born again regenerated Christian murders someone and then is killed by the police having no time to repent of their sin? Will this murderer who was truly a born again regenerated Christian LOSE their salvation? To ME, the answer is quite obvious and is made very clear to us by the word of TRUTH, the Holy Bible, which without a doubt teaches us that YES, the true born again Christian, who TURNED AWAY from God and fell back into sin and DIED while living in sin will LOSE their salvation. Therefore we must conclude that the doctrine of IRRESISTIBLE GRACE is NOT sound Biblical teaching and so it should be rejected as being FALSE teaching. The very reason that this man-made doctrine came into existence was that some Christians could not discern WHY and Almighty and Sovereign God whose WILL is that NONE should perish be reconciled with the knowable fact that many people do in fact PERISH. Well, the simple truth of the matter is that man has been given the freedom to CHOOSE whether or not he or she wants to believe in God and his word. But those who teach Calvinism and Reformed Theology do NOT believe that man has a CHOICE in the matter when it comes to being saved because they have OVER emphasized the SOVEREIGNTY of Almighty God. In fact, they have so over-emphasized the Sovereignty of God that they dogmatically teach that EVERYTHING that happens does so because God has ORDAINED it to happen. However, this is NOT what the whole word of God teaches us about the Sovereignty of Almighty God. Please take a moment to read this study on the Sovereignty of God that teaches us that God has set certain LIMITS upon himself.
THE SOVEREIGNTY OF ALMIGHTY GOD!
IS GOD IN ABSOLUTELY COMPLETE AND TOTAL CONTROL of EVERYTHING that HAPPENS?
Undoubtedly, the Bible teaches that Almighty God is, in fact, Sovereign. HOWEVER, the word of God does NOT teach that God is sovereign in the way many of us have been taught by some theologians and scholars. For you see, Calvinism and Reformed Theology Christians teach that God has ORDAINED everything that happens whether it is good or evil. In other words, Calvinism wrongly teaches that God ORDAINED every rape, murder, sickness, disease, SIN, thought, action, deed, and tragedy that happens. And, according to Calvinism, there is nothing that anyone can do to avoid or change what happens. Then there are Christians who wrongly teach that “God is God and He WILL do whatever He pleases.” This is basically the same thing that God is the CAUSE of everything that happens but it differs slightly, in that, God did not ordain or predestinate everything that happens. Many who are in authority in the church who have been taught by these theologies just merely keep on repeating what they have heard without searching the word of God to see if what they have been taught is the TRUTH. Contrary to the mainstream teaching on the Sovereignty of God, it is clear to see from the Scriptures that God has CHOSEN to place certain LIMITS upon Himself. You have more than likely heard people say things like, “NOTHING is impossible with God, and God can do anything he desires, when and where He so chooses.” But you see, while God may be ABLE and capable of doing anything, HE SIMPLY WILL NOT do certain things! And the reason being is because He has chosen through His word to set certain PARAMETERS in place. For instance, one example that is readily and easily to be seen is the fact that God CANNOT LIE. It is not that God does not have the ability to lie if he so chose to lie, but RATHER that God has made the CHOICE to NEVER LIE, therefore he limited himself by his CHOOSING to NEVER LIE, so then, by God limiting himself, it has become IMPOSSIBLE for God to LIE. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 6:17,18 that it is completely IMPOSSIBLE for God to lie.
Hebrews 6:17,18.
“Wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the IMMUTABILITY of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: that by two immutable things in which it was IMPOSSIBLE for God to LIE, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope that is set before us.”
The word “immutable” means UNCHANGEABLE, unchanging, or not being able to be changed. God's word is not susceptible to change. And neither is there a shadow of turning with God. The Bible teaches us that he is a God that changes NOT. So God AND his word will not change. He is the same yesterday, today, and FOREVER! Psalm 119:89-91 says this about God's word being forever SETTLED in heaven.
Psalm 119:89-91.
“FOREVER, O Lord, your word is SETTLED in heaven. Your FAITHFULNESS is unto ALL generations: you hast established the earth and it abides. They continue this day according to your ORDINANCES: FOR ALL YOUR SERVANTS.”
The word “settle” means to put into order, to arrange, or fix DEFINITELY as desired. It also means to reach a decision or to determine. In other words, God reached a decision and determined in his mind how he desired things to be and then spoke forth his word forever settling that matter of the desire of his will or intent. God places great emphasis on his FAITHFULNESS and his word is a representation to us his servants of God's integrity. God's faithfulness to his word is his highest priority. One might say that God is HONOR BOUND to his word. God will not do anything that is contrary to his word. Nor will God do anything that goes against his nature or character.
Look at Psalm 138:2 which says.
“I will worship toward your holy temple, and praise your name for your loving kindness and for your truth: for you have MAGNIFIED your word ABOVE all your name.”
In order to fully understand the Sovereignty of God then one must come to this knowledge of the truth that God has reached a decision and has determined to MAGNIFY his WORD even ABOVE his very own name. So then, whatever is WRITTEN in God’s word as PROPHECY then THAT is what God is Sovereign over, it that, what God has SAID that will he also DO. So the ONLY things that God ORDAINED are written in the Holy Bible. Now think about God magnifying His word above His own name for a moment in relation to God's ability to do anything compared to or as opposed to God's WILL and desire to accomplish that which pleases Him or brings Him pleasure. Think about how FAITHFUL God has to be in order to perform His word to the letter, even when it breaks His heart to do so and goes completely against what He truly desires and WILLS. Consider the FACT that God takes NO PLEASURE in the death of the sinner but yet that FACTS teach us that God will destroy the unsaved sinners in the lake of fire. It makes no sense to teach that God ORDAINED or predestined certain specific people to be destroyed and there is NOTHING that the so-called predestined to he can do to change their predestined destiny to be destroyed in the lake of fire Now I know those wheels are turning in your mind trying to process all of this, but hang in there with me and I will show you what I mean by saying God has CHOSEN to LIMIT himself by his OWN word. Some have argued that “God is God and he will do whatever He pleases because either God is Sovereign or He is not. And who are we to argue with God if He CHOOSES to do this or to do that?” Well, no one wants to speak against the Sovereignty of God so everyone remains silent when they hear such teaching. They know that God is sovereign, but many also know deep inside something is not quite right when they are dogmatically taught that God is sovereign in order to support teaching that they know does NOT agree with the whole word of God. You see I also believe that God is sovereign, BUT I just cannot accept all the garbage that I have heard through the years from those who have ignorantly taught that God sends tragedy, sickness, and disease upon people, because God is God and he is in control; he can do anything he desires. Yes, I agree and know that God is in control, BUT I firmly believe that the word of God teaches us that he has chosen to DELEGATE or ENTRUST some of his authority or control to mankind. In other words, Almighty God has given us a will to choose and make choices, to BELIEVE his word, or to not believe his word. To me it is perfectly clear that God did not create man as a mindless puppet or robot to be controlled in every aspect of life and have absolutely no say in the matter, as the saying goes, whatever will be will be. Those who believe this theology just let Satan have his way in their lives and then they BLAME God for all the bad things that happen to them. In other words, according to what some teach, such as, [if God chooses to send a storm and wipe out your home, then you are just to accept this as being God's WILL because God is Sovereign. And, therefore, God is in control which to some Christians means that God, therefore, caused the storm to wipe out your home. Some Christians wrongly believe and teach that NOTHING happens without God's authorship. And they go on to explain the teaching of their interpretation of the Sovereignty of God by saying things like, now we may not understand why, but we must trust God because He sees the whole picture. Then they try and bring comfort to you by saying things like, there must certainly be a purpose for God destroying your home, but we just don't know what it is yet. Maybe God wants to teach you something...blah, blah, blah...???] No, many thousands of times no, the Bible clearly does not teach this type of logic, because this type of teaching on the sovereignty of God clearly goes COMPLETELY against the nature and character of God and his word. The Bible teaches that God has given MAN authority in the earth. Jesus demonstrated this when he REBUKED the storm.
Look at Mark 4:37-40.
“And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship so that it was now full. 38. And he (Jesus) was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awoke him, Master, care you not that we perish. 39. And he arose, and REBUKED the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a calm. 40. And Jesus said unto them, Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”
Listen again to what Jesus said.
“Why are you so FEARFUL? HOW IS IT that you have NO FAITH?”
How or why is it that most Christians do not have FAITH to take the authority that they have been given and REBUKE the “STORMS” that come against them? Well, the main reason is that many have been TAUGHT the word of God incorrectly. You see, the Bible says FAITH comes by HEARING and hearing, that is to say, hearing rightly and understanding the TRUTH, comes ONLY by the WORD of God. One cannot believe what he or she has not heard and come to understand. And hearing preaching is NOT always what the Bible itself teaches So some Christians stay in their ignorance or lack of understanding of the TRUTH, simply because some Christians have not been taught correctly. Thus, they REASON within themselves [ Why did God send the storm?]. But the truth of the matter is that God did NOT send the storm. The storm was caused by our adversary, the devil. This is what the word of God teaches. I want you to read some verses of scripture for me first, then I will explain why it was impossible for God to have sent the storm.
Read Matthew 12:28.
“And Jesus knew their thoughts and said unto them, EVERY kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand; And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then shall his kingdom stand?”
Now I know in this passage of scripture, Jesus is referring to Satan sending a sickness or disease upon someone and then Jesus is being ACCUSED by the scribes and Pharisees of turning around and casting that same sickness out by the power of Satan. Jesus was saying if this were true, then Satan's kingdom is divided and will come to destruction, BUT the TRUTH taught here in this passage of Scripture still stands in any situation.
EVERY KINGDOM DIVIDED AGAINST ITSELF WILL NOT STAND!
Therefore I wish to illustrate to you something with this TRUTH of God's word found here in this passage of scripture that will carry over to nearly every aspect of your life. Get a hold of this TRUTH and you will no longer simply roll over and let whatever happens just happen. You will no longer be ignorant of one of Satan's devices. IF GOD SENT THE STORM OR THE SICKNESS AND DISEASE as some INTERPRET this verse to mean, AND THEN JESUS TURNED AROUND AND CAST OUT THE SICKNESS AND DISEASE, or in this case of a STORM that is SUPPOSEDLY SENT BY GOD, and then JESUS the SON of GOD, who has been given AUTHORITY BY ALMIGHTY GOD TURNED RIGHT AROUND AND REBUKED THE STORM and the STORM become CALM and CEASED to be a STORM, THEN GOD'S KINGDOM WOULD BE DIVIDED AGAINST ITSELF AND, THEREFORE, WILL BE DESTROYED. However, the Bible teaches that God's kingdom will abide forever. Therefore it remains that God does NOT send or ALLOW disastrous storms to destroy without cause. Satan, the destroyer, does these things to mankind and many BLAME God not knowing that they themselves have been given ALL AUTHORITY over the enemy to rebuke and resist these “storms” that come against them. Even the worldly unsaved people call storms an ACT of God based upon these false teachings of Christians. And in the same way, many Christians BLAME God when they are oppressed by the Devil with sickness and disease being ignorant of God's word.
Jesus said in John 10:10.
“The THIEF comes not but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy, I have come that they might have life; and that they might have it more ABUNDANTLY”
However, this abundant life, which is freedom from sin, sickness, disease, and tragedy, does NOT come to us like ripe cherries falling off a tree into our laps. Let me ask you this question. Were you SAVED automatically, without you having to do anything? Absolutely not! It was an act of your WILL to CHOOSE to accept Jesus as your savior and then to follow on in his steps. So likewise we have to first BELIEVE the word of God preached to us, then we have to, by FAITH, act upon God's word before we will receive all the BENEFITS of salvation that are already freely given to all of mankind. Yes, there is more to salvation than just the forgiveness of your sins.
Psalm 103:1,2.
“Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 2. Bless the Lord, o my soul, and FORGET NOT ALL his BENEFITS.”
The blessings of the Lord are his benefits to us, and Deuteronomy tells us that sickness and disease are a CURSE and not a blessing. And the word of God also teaches us that through Jesus we have been redeemed from the CURSE of the law, which includes EVERY sickness and disease. But again, we must appropriate these benefits of living free from sickness and disease by FAITH. For the word of God teaches that without FAITH it is IMPOSSIBLE to PLEASE God. So what PLEASES God? Well, anything according to his WILL. So how do we know God's will? Basically, God's WORD is his will for ALL of mankind. And some of those things that the Bible teaches us is that God desires for us to live our lives TOTALLY FREE from ALL sickness and disease. God also desires and commands us to live free from sin. These things are God's will and desire for all of mankind, but it is up to us to make the CHOICE to believe God's word and appropriate ALL of his BENEFITS. Yes, God is sovereign, BUT not in the way that most of us have been taught. God gave the earth to mankind and then gave mankind authority and dominion over all the earth. In other words, mankind was the god of this world in which we live. But when man listened to the lies of the enemy, Satan, then the authority that man once had was DELIVERED or transferred to Satan, who then became the god of this world. Everything I just said here can be supported by scripture, and I have done so in some of the other studies, such as “JESUS THE SON OF MAN” if you desire a deeper understanding of how to do the same works that Jesus did while he was on the earth in the days of his flesh.
Psalm 115:16 says.
“The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord's, BUT the earth has he GIVEN to the children of men.”
Then in Genesis 1:28, we are told that God Gave mankind DOMINION over every living creature that moves upon the earth.
In Psalm 82:6 God says.
“I have said, YOU are gods; and all of you are children of the Most-High.”
In its simplest definition the word god means having authority, and the word “God”, as in, “Almighty God” means having the HIGHEST or SUPREME authority. Now by no means is this all that the word “God, god, theos” means, but for the purpose of making it easier to understand that God himself has called us gods, I chose to use the simplest form of defining the word “theos”. Jesus tells us this is John 10:34,35. “Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, you are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the Scripture cannot be broken:” Luke 4:6 tells us this about man's authority being delivered to Satan. “And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give unto thee, and all the glory of them: for that is DELIVERED unto me; and whosoever I will I give it.” 2 Corinthians 4:4 says this about Satan being the god of this world. “In whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of them which BELIEVE NOT, lest (Or for fear that) the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should SHINE unto them .” Satan does not want you to know the TRUTH of God's word, because he knows you will be set free from sin, sickness, and disease, which he binds and oppresses upon mankind, including some believers because they have not been taught the TRUTH of God's word. You see FAITH is the means, the ONLY means by which we are saved and likewise FAITH is the ONLY means by which we will OVERCOME sin and walk free from sickness and disease. Now, Jesus purchased back our authority which the devil has stolen from mankind, BUT it is up to each individual to accept these truths from God's word and apply them to their own individual lives by FAITH. Remember faith COMES, grows, and increases in intensity by hearing. and hearing and understanding come ONLY from the word of God; and not by the REASONING of man. So get into the word and study to show yourself approved unto God. I cannot do this for you. You will only grow by desiring the sincere milk of God's word. And the word of God can only be PROVEN by you being a doing of the word and not a hearer only. So stand upon the word of God and start walking in your authority. For a deeper understanding of “WHAT DOES BEING SAVED TRULY MEAN?”, “BIBLE MEANING OF FAITH”, and “THE POWER AND AUTHORITY OF THE BELIEVER!”, then please read these studies. For now, let us return to the topic at hand, which is the sovereignty of God. Again, yes God is sovereign, BUT God has NOT predestined our every move and decision. Some falsely teach “that humanity is so depraved that mankind cannot make a righteous choice so God has to choose for us”. I go into this subject of being the CHOSEN or the ELECT of God in the study of “PREDESTINATION: WHAT does the BIBLE SAY?”, So then, if you desire a deeper understanding of the Biblical meaning of predestination please read that study. Now as for PROPHECY. This is the written word of God and therefore can be readily known by all of mankind. Whereas each and every decision that each and every man, woman, and child make each and every moment are not DIRECTLY controlled by God or by Satan. What I mean by this is that God's Spirit woos and draws us in the direction that pleases God, and the adversary tempts and entices mankind to do evil and all that opposes God. For a simple word picture to illustrate this is much like the cartoon we watched when we were little, with a little angel upon one shoulder whispering in one ear and upon the other shoulder is a little devil whispering in the other ear. It all comes down to WHOSE voice are you going to listen to and OBEY? So yes, the PROPHECIES of the written word of God are foreordained and will come to pass or be fulfilled without fail. God is completely sovereign in this respect and nothing or no one can alter or change what God has ordained in his PROPHETIC word. Now, this brings us to some of the hard Scriptures that seem to dictate the God controls every aspect of everyone's life.
In Genesis 45:5, Joseph says to his brothers.
“Now, therefore, be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that you sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.”
Yes, it is true that God directed the path of Joseph, BUT it is also true that this was prophesied beforehand in the WORD of God. In Genesis 37:5-11 Joseph has a dream where his brothers, father, and mother bow down to him for he has become ruler over them. In verse 6 Joseph speaks forth his dream to his brethren, thus prophesying his own destiny. Now obviously, this was God's intended purpose, otherwise, God would not have given Joseph the dream. I do believe that the Bible teaches the sovereignty of God to reach to the areas where God CALLS certain individuals to fulfill different purposes to bring about his ultimate PLAN for mankind, but the person involved knows that God is with him or her leading them in the direction that they should go. You see my dear brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ, at the point of time when Joseph was thrown into the pit by his brothers he did not simply say or believe that this was God's WILL for his life. Yet for me personally, I believe that Joseph kept the dream that he had of his brothers bowing down to him in the front of his mind and was believing God that he would be delivered from that pit. Therefore God put it in the heart of his brothers to take him out of the pit and sell him to some travelers. Again I am sure Joseph kept believing God that he would be delivered, because of the DREAM that God gave to him. I am sure that at times Joseph may have doubted his dream, but in the end, he came back to his FAITH in God. Now we are not told every single detail in the life of Joseph and what he felt and prayed, but we can see throughout the Bible that God is moved by FAITH. God will use his word to guide us. God will use his Spirit to guide us. God will use dreams and visions to guide us. And at times God will use his angels to guide us. But to say that God uses tragedies and sickness and disease to guide and teach us is going beyond the word of God. The truth is that Satan saw to thwart God's plan by killing Joseph, but God made a way of escape and delivered Joseph from the pit and every other plot of the enemy to destroy God's plan. Most of the misdirected teaching of the sovereignty of God comes from the Old Testament where everything is accredited or attributed to God. You see my dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, they did not have the word of God as you and I have today and therefore they simply did not know of the adversary, the devil.
Look at Job 13:15a.
“Though he (God) slay me, yet will I trust in him:...”
You see, Job is wrongly accusing and blaming God for all this trouble that he is going through. For you see, the TRUTH of the matter is that it is Satan who is the one that was responsible for all of Job's affliction, and NOT God. Yet Job BLAMED God for his troubles simply because he did not KNOW that it was Satan who was doing all of this to him.
Look at Job 2:7.
“So SATAN went forth from the presence of the Lord and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot to his crown.”
Remember Satan comes not but to steal your health and finances, and to kill and to destroy your crops, plants, flowers, livestock, pets, and anything else he can, including you and your family if you let him.
DON'T BE DECEIVED! YOU HAVE AUTHORITY OVER THE ENEMY, SO STAND IN YOUR AUTHORITY AND BEGIN TAKING BACK WHAT THE ADVERSARY HAS STOLEN, OR IS TRYING TO STEAL.
Quit focusing on all you don't understand in God's word and begin with what you know to be the TRUTH without fail. God is LOVE. Think about this. Would you do some of these things to your family that some people FALSELY blame God for doing? Absolutely NOT! So how much greater are God's love and goodness than your own? The Bible teaches the God IS LOVE, and only the Father is wholly GOOD. God is pure, holy, and just. It is this fact that God is JUST that has caused him to receive the blame for the things that the enemy has done. For a deeper understanding of what I mean by this please read “UNDERSTANDING WHY?”
For now, read Matthew 13:24-30 where Jesus says.
“Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, the kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed GOOD seed in his field; 25. BUT while MEN slept, his ENEMY came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. 26. But when the blade was sprung up and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 27. So the servants of the household came and said unto him, Sir, did not you sow GOOD send in thy field? From whence then has it tares? 28. He said unto them, An ENEMY has done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? 29. But he said, Nay; lest while you gather up the tares, you root up also the wheat with them. 30. Let them both grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather you together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.” First, I want you to notice that ONLY GOOD seed was at first planted and, then by the secrecy and cover of the night or darkness the ENEMY came in unaware and sowed tares or the BAD SEED. Jesus goes on and interprets this parable in verses 36 through 42. Matthew 18:36-42. “Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house; and his disciples came unto him, saying, declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. 37. He answered and said unto them, He that sows the GOOD seed is the Son of man; 38. The field is the world; the GOOD seed are the children of the kingdom; BUT the tares are the children of the wicked one; (Satan, the devil) 39. The ENEMY that sowed is the DEVIL; (Satan) the harvest is the end of the world, and the reapers are the angels. 40. As, therefore, the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be at the end of this world. 41. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that OFFEND, and them which do INIQUITY; 42. And shall cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
The phrase “all things that OFFEND” here means things that CAUSES sin, a stumbling block or an OBSTACLE. You see, the ENEMY places OBSTACLES in the way of mankind to thwart God's INTENDED purpose for ALL of mankind. God does not CONTROL every single circumstance and predestine some men to be saved and some men to be destroyed in the lake of fire as some have FALSELY taught. But rather God created all of mankind for his GOOD pleasure. The teaches that God is NOT WILLING that any man should perish, but that ALL of mankind should come to the knowledge of truth and be saved. But you see God does not always get his way, because he himself has CHOSEN to exalt his WORD even above his very own name. And because God is so FAITHFUL to his word it has caused him great pain and sorrow. Genesis 6:6 says. “And it REPENTED the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it GRIEVED him at his HEART.” You see God created all things GOOD and perfect but then man was deceived by the ENEMY and sinned. So where did this enemy come from? If God created all things GOOD or perfect then did God create this Lucifer for the express purpose of being God's enemy? I answer these questions in the study “UNDERSTANDING WHY?”. For now, just know that God creates all things GOOD and sin was found in Lucifer who elated himself with pride and made war with God, and because of his rebellion, Lucifer became known as Satan, which means enemy or adversary. One of the biggest arguments for the misguided teaching on the sovereignty of God is that “GOD is GOD and he will do as he PLEASES.” So I did an in-depth study on what pleases God and what displeases God. This study will help you further understand that God's sovereignty according to the TRUTH of his word. For a deep understanding of this subject please read the study entitled “WHAT IS GOD'S WILL?” Yes, it is true that God is the Almighty and the God COULD HAVE DONE anything that he so chose to do, but the truth of the matter is that God has ALREADY CHOSEN what he will and will NOT do and bound HIMSELF to his own word by his own choice. And God is not a man that he should LIE and goes against his own word.
DON'T BE DECEIVED! SEARCH THE WORD OF GOD DAILY TO SEE IF THOSE THINGS YOU ARE BEING TAUGHT ARE FIRMLY BASED UPON THE WORD OF GOD.
STUDY TO SHOW YOURSELF APPROVED OF GOD RIGHTLY DIVIDING THE WORD OF TRUTH.
Yes, God is Sovereign, BUT NOT in the way that some Christians have been wrongly taught. For you see, some Christians have been wrongly taught that EVERYTHING that happens was ORDAINED by God to happen. Those Christians have failed to see that there is an OPPOSING ENEMY that seeks only to destroy the goodness of God. And God is faithful to his word, therefore he will NOT go against what he has already spoken. For a deeper understanding of this subject please read the study entitled “UNDERSTANDING WHY?” and the study “THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD!” Can you not see my dear brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ, that because of over-emphasizing the Sovereignty of Almighty God many FALSE teachings have risen and one of these many false teachings is Calvinism and Reformed Theology that falsely teaches that God's grace is IRRESISTIBLE. But the truth of the matter is that the whole word of God clearly and plainly teaches us that God's grace is not only resisted but is also completely rejected by many. There are three verses of Scripture used together that Calvinistic and Reformed Theology Christians use to try and support their “irresistible” grace doctrine is taught in the Bible. But those verses of Scripture must be “INTERPRETED” to mean drawing only the elect to be saved. In other words, John 6:44,45 could be interpreted as the drawing of the saints up into the air to meet Jesus at the rapture of the church. John 6:44,45. “No man can come to me, (As in, to meet me in the air when I return) except the Father which has sent me, draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. 45. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man, therefore, that has heard and has learned of the Father, comes unto me.” Clearly, this passage of Scripture is speaking of AFTER people have HEARD the gospel and have LEARNED of the Father will the Father DRAW, as in DRAG to Jesus. And then, at that point in time at the RAPTURE of the church, no man will be able to pluck any of the SAINTS being raptured out of the Father’s hand. And the same meaning applies to John 12:32 as well. John 12:32. “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” The word “men” is NOT in the original text so the “ALL” is referring to the ALL of whosoever BELIEVES in Jesus to endure unto the end will Jesus DRAW or DRAG to himself at the rapture of the church. Now read John 10:24-29.
“Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us doubt? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly. 25. Jesus answered them, I told you, and you believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. 26. But you believe not, because (Or more precisely, THEREFORE) you are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. (Or I said unto you that you are of your father, the Devil. Now, Calvinism focuses on the one word “BECAUSE”. And thus, they wrongly “INTERPRET” this verse to mean that these particular Jews believed not “BECAUSE” they were not chosen before the foundation of the world to be the sheep of Jesus. Keep in mind that the verses and punctuation were not in the original Greek text. So place the phrase in verse 26, “But you believe not”, at the end of verse 25 and the meaning changes entirely. In other words, it was because they did not believe as to why they were not the sheep of Jesus. It is only those who believe that BECOME the sheep of Jesus. The Greek word that was “translated” as “because” also means, and, BUT, for indeed, verily, or truly, and THEREFORE, you are not my sheep as I said unto you) 27. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28. And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.” This brings us to the fifth and final point or doctrine of Five-Point Calvinism which is the letter “P” that stands for PERSEVERANCE of the SAINTS. However, Calvinism in the church today actually teaches the “P” in T.U.L.I.P means God’s PRESERVATION of the saints, as opposed to, Christian PERSEVERING or ENDURING unto the end to be saved. To read part 8 of this study on exposing the errors of interpretation made by Calvinism please click on the study called “CALVINISM, PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS- PART 8” Thanks for reading and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the truth of the whole word of Almighty God.
Your brother in our Lord Jesus Christ, Brother Mark.
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