Halonic
Member
Acts 17:28 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.
Seems like a perfect illustration of Him carrying us to me.
Better men than me have tried to explain the predestination vrs. free will debate. It is my opinion that the Bible teaches both. There are two illustrations in my mind that help me to understand this.
One is this: You are in the kitchen and your son, Johnny, is in the back yard playing with some neighborhood kids. You fix a pitcher of Kool-Aid. You holler out into the backyard, "Johnny, come get some of this Kool-Aid, and any of you other kids that want some are welcome to it also." One has no choice. The other do. Same Kool-Aid.
A wise man who has since gone to be with the Lord once told me something most interesting when I was inquiring about this same subject. He said, "When we get to heaven there will be a sign over the gate. It will say, 'Whosoever will may come'. As you pass through the gate and look back over your shoulder you can see the other side of that same sign. It says, "The Elect"."
Calvinism (predestination) and Arminianism (free will) will be debated until the Lord returns. My experience has taught me that when you get too far out on either of those limbs you are in danger of the branch breaking. Too far out on the Calvinism limb and you can reach the point where even sin is preordained. Heaven forbid.
Too far out on the Arminianism limb and you come to the point where free will is so overwhelming that God is really not in control. Again, heaven forbid.
I think the answer lies at some point in between. After all, the Bible teaches moderation in all things.
I am not a debater. I have told you what I believe to be true. I don't tell it to try and change people's minds, just to state my position. In my best Forrest Gump voice.......thats all I have to say about that.
Seems like a perfect illustration of Him carrying us to me.
Better men than me have tried to explain the predestination vrs. free will debate. It is my opinion that the Bible teaches both. There are two illustrations in my mind that help me to understand this.
One is this: You are in the kitchen and your son, Johnny, is in the back yard playing with some neighborhood kids. You fix a pitcher of Kool-Aid. You holler out into the backyard, "Johnny, come get some of this Kool-Aid, and any of you other kids that want some are welcome to it also." One has no choice. The other do. Same Kool-Aid.
A wise man who has since gone to be with the Lord once told me something most interesting when I was inquiring about this same subject. He said, "When we get to heaven there will be a sign over the gate. It will say, 'Whosoever will may come'. As you pass through the gate and look back over your shoulder you can see the other side of that same sign. It says, "The Elect"."
Calvinism (predestination) and Arminianism (free will) will be debated until the Lord returns. My experience has taught me that when you get too far out on either of those limbs you are in danger of the branch breaking. Too far out on the Calvinism limb and you can reach the point where even sin is preordained. Heaven forbid.
Too far out on the Arminianism limb and you come to the point where free will is so overwhelming that God is really not in control. Again, heaven forbid.
I think the answer lies at some point in between. After all, the Bible teaches moderation in all things.
I am not a debater. I have told you what I believe to be true. I don't tell it to try and change people's minds, just to state my position. In my best Forrest Gump voice.......thats all I have to say about that.
Sounds like some heavy scripture, huh? "God will make us ALLLLLLLLLL better."