fear God

As Christians, because of the doctrine of pre-destination, we are assured of our salvation. Therefore, when we believe in Christ, we are supposed to be those who are elected, and thus we have full confidence in the salvation that is made available through the death and resurrection of Jesus.

In a way, the topic of pre-destination and limited atonement have left Christians struggling, still remaining controversial a subject as of today, due to certain reasons Sui has suggested in his comments. As believers in the Bible, we should not lose faith because of these unanswered questions. Rather, since we know that there is a God, there is Jesus, there is the death and resurrection, all the more we should persevere and not lose heart. Whatever arguments that my previous entry and this present entry would bring should not cause you to backslide. If you think you may, please stop reading right now.

If you continue, please read Romans 9 first.

Perhaps like what Dawn has suggested, the subject of unconditional election has led to confusion, maybe even fear. But like what Romans 9 has mentioned, God has chosen us, elected us. And in some of the other verses, you can see that Christ died for many (not all). Refer to Isaiah 53:12. Like what Calvinism about, TULIP co-exist together. Either one could not be excluded. Man with his inclination to sin, the sinful nature, is in a depraved state. He will not be able to choose good without the help of God.

Yet out of love, out of mercy, he has elected some to be saved. You may think how unfair it will be to those who are unelected, but look on the flip side, it is us who sin, and it is only right that He has the ability to choose those to be saved.

We will ask how good is God, that he allowed sin to exist? Paul answered this question plainly, “Who are you to answer back to God?” I do question God’s reason for creating Man, since he knows some will sin right from the start. He knows that he will condemn some to eternal suffering at the end of the day. In fact, right in the beginning of time, he has thought of his salvation plan and have proceed to elect the people that he’ll save. How loving is that? Honestly, I do not know. I do not dare ask. For I am a mere man, insignificant and just like a puff of wind. You know something? The people who are not elected are simply condemned to hell, made for eternal suffering. And when I first think of that, I fear, not reverence fear as what Pastor Sim has mentioned earlier, but just fear, sheer terror at the awe of God, of the Maker, of his power, of His Word. Perhaps as Christians, we are less self-centredness as our immediate thought is that we are assured of salvation, we are saved, but how about the rest? Are they simply condemned to hell? How fair is it? I tell you how fair it is. Condemnation is simply our default status. The question is how unfair it is that we are saved, and others are not? It is by his grace that we are saved.

In a way or another, God has extended his grace to those who heard of the gospel. It is them who choose not to believe. Perhaps in some ways, human responsibility is involved mysteriously, at least not clearly understood and never will be by us, at least not on Earth. Yet how just it is to those who have not heard of the gospel at all and have no opportunity? It is just for it is what we deserved – the wrath of God. Perhaps like what Desmond pointed out, we should not just simply fill sorry and anguish for these people, for what good it will be done? Rather this should motivate us to evangelise and preach the gospel, that people will have opportunity.

Who can fathom the ways of God? Definitely not Man.

I quote from Sui’s comment.

In the end, we need to acknowledge that God is God, and we are not. Even if He created some (or even all human!) to be destroyed, He has the power and authority to do so, and we cant argue that He cant do that. But we need to remember that out of His mercy and grace He did choose some to be saved, and we have to be thankful for that. Paul argues that He might did all this election thingy to show the full range of His glory in wrath and mercy: "What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath–prepared for destruction? What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory–even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?" (Rom 9:22-24)

How good is God? God is just and fair. Have we any right to question our Maker? No. We are nothing before him, before his almighty powers.

We thank God that we believe in Him, and he has sent his son to die for us – the elect. I’m not sure that I’m the elect. That does not mean that I should lose faith, but perservere since I know the Lord God is a true and living God. And when the day comes, I will know if I have been chosen. If I am, there is rejoicing and elation.(We are undeserving of it) If I have not, I deserve it, it is my default status.

Fear God.