Master 1: God
OR
Master 2: The World
We have free will choice to choose. Ultimately, I believe all of our choices are influenced in some way by outside influences. In this case, I truly believe the choice to let God in or refuse Him is solely up to the choser.
And if you choose Master 1, which is God, what does submission to Him look like? What does it look like to receive salvation?
A great starting point is reading Ephesians Chapter 1.
Ephesians is of great interest to me because it talks about this idea of predestination. To understand a bit more about its meaning and context, let’s turn to the original Greek and Hebrew context.
As told by thebiblehistoryguy.com:
The word predestine comes from the New Testament Greek word προορίζω,[i] proorízo, meaning to mark out beforehand.
To understand this word, it is helpful to understand its roots:
Pro – means beforehand.
The word ὁρίζω,[ii] hórizo, means “I separate, mark off by boundaries; I determine, appoint, designate.” Hórizo is the word from which we derive horizon – the limits of vision.
Thus, to predetermine, in Biblical terms, means to set limits in advance – to use a Latin synonym, it means “to design.”
God’s predetermination, in Biblical terms, means God’s design. It does not mean God’s choice of one’s ultimate destiny.
For example, God designed or predestined Adam to live sinlessly in Eden. This does not mean that God imposed this inescapable fate on Adam, because, obviously, Adam chose to reject God’s original design.
A passage often translated with great laxity is Romans 8:29-30;
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
This is often interpreted this way:
God knew in advance whom he had selected (predestined) to be saved (justified) and to have eternal life in Heaven (glorified).
But what the Greek words accurately say is:
Those whom God foreknew (everyone, for He knew all of us in our mother’s wombs and from before the foundation of the world) He designed to be conformed to His Son. And those whom He had so designed (everyone) He also called. And those whom He called (everyone) He justly judged and on those He justly judged He placed an accurate value.
So, this passage, often called “the golden chain of salvation” is really about both salvation and condemnation. It is the description of the consequence of accepting or rejecting God’s grace.
The passage has these key components:
- Grace: God reaches out to mankind
- Design: God plans mankind’s redemption
- Consequences: judgment flows from accepting or rejecting God’s grace
- Verdict: accepting or rejecting God’s offer of salvation leads to one of two just results.
On the one hand, if you choose to reject Gods offer, scripture points out that you are still in sin and enslaved to the prince of the world which is Satan and the consequences or payment for being in sin is death.
Moreover, if you choose to accept Gods offer of salvation, the rewards are actually much greater than that of the consequences. Meaning that the scales of balance objectively favor accepting Gods offer of salvation in comparison to the alternative.
Homework:
Read Romans 8:31-39.