Shorter Catechism: Question 20

Q. 20. Did God leave all mankind to die in sin and misery?

A. 20. From all eternity and merely because it pleased Him, God chose some to have everlasting life. These He freed from sin and misery by a covenant of grace and brought them to salvation by a redeemer. 

Sunday:

Romans 8:28-30

²⁸And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

²⁹For 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.

³⁰And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

These verses talk about God predesting, or choosing ahead of time, some to be His children. It says that God predestined or chose those whom He foreknew. This does not mean that God looked ahead into the future, saw who would believe in His Son, and chose those people to be His children. That is not what "foreknew" means. It does not mean that He knew what His people would do ahead of time; it means that He knew His people ahead of time.  Long before any of His people were born, God knew them, the way you know a good friend. He could know His people before they were born because He was the One who would create them. Of course, God knew His people would believe in His Son. But He did not chose them because they would believe; they would believe because He had chosen them.

-Training Hearts, Teaching Minds: Family Devotions Based on the Shorter Catechism

This is the end of the my meme of Shorter Catechism. Next week I will be starting back up with Omnibus I, and I hope to hear from all of you. Again my reasoning behind posting this for this week is because I believe that there are somethings that just cannot be argued, especially when the facts are based solely on scripture. These verses and many others that have been listed on my blog are so straightforward, there is no opinion about it. You know how you hear people say, "Well, that's how I see it". With these verses, the language is so particular that there is no room for opinion. And yes, it's hard to think that your next door neighbor whom you love may not be going heaven. But the best part about all of this is that you and I have no clue who God will or will not reveal Himself to. Therefore, we are called to spread the word to all ends of the world so that those who are called can be called through us (not by us).  I don't really know about any of you, but that's pretty exciting to me. Thanks for sticking with me up to now. Feel free to comment on anything and question everything. I love questions and if I don't know the answer I will find it. 

Shoter Catechism: Question 20

Q. 20. Did God leave all mankind to die in sin and misery?

A. 20. From all eternity and merely because it pleased Him, God chose some to have everlasting life. These He freed from sin and misery by a covenant of grace and brought them to salvation by a redeemer.

Friday:

If God only chose some to have everlasting life, why did he chose them instead of others?  Did He chose those who were smarter than other people, or those who behave better?  The Bible answers "no". There was nothing about anyone God chose that would make Him want to chose that person.  No one can be proud that God chose him.  God chooses someone just because He wants to chose him, not because there is something especially good about that person. 

The Bible tells us about two twin brothers, Jacob and Esau.  Although God was good to both of them, He chose Jacob to know God and to be one of the ones from whom the Messiah would come.  Before the twins were even born, God told their mother, Rebecca, that he had chosen Jacob to love in a special way.  Since niether baby had been born yet, neither one had done anything to make God want to choose him.  God chose Jacob simply because He wanted to choose Jacob.

Romans 9:10-17

10 And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac,

11 though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls—

12 she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”

13 As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means!

15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”

16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.

17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”

-Training Hearts, Teaching Minds: Family Devotions Based on the Shorter Catechism 

Shorter Catechism: Question 20

Q. 20. Did God leave all mankind to die in sin and misery?

A. 20. From all eternity and merely because it pleased Him, God chose some to have everlasting life. These He freed from sin and misery by a covenant of grace and brought them to salvation by a redeemer. 

Thursday:

God the Holy Spirit also has an important part in the covenant made with God and His people.  Sin has blinded our minds so we cannot understand the gospel on our own.  The Holy Spirit gives spiritual understanding so God's people can understand the gospel when they hear it.  Left to themselves, people like their sin. They do not worry about God's anger towards it.  The Holy Spirit  changes the hearts of God's people so they hate their sin and turn to Christ to save them from it.  God the Son earned all the blessings of the covenant of grace for His people.  God the Holy Spirit takes those blessings and applies them to the specific people whom God  has chosen. 

Some of the blessings Jesus has earned for His people will not be given until Jesus comes again.  Until then. the Holy Spirit lives inside them. He is the promise that they finally will receive everything Jesus earned for them.  If you have believed in Jesus as you savior, how thankful should you be to the Holy Spirit for giving you understanding of the gospel and for changing your heart so you could believe in Christ!

 

Ephesians 1:13-14

13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,

14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

- Training Hearts, Teaching Minds: Family Devotions Based on the Shorter Catechism

Shorter Catechism: Question 20

Q. 20. Did God leave all mankind to die in sin and misery?

A. 20. From all eternity and merely because it pleased Him, God chose some to have everlasting life. These He freed from sin and misery by a covenant of grace and brought them to salvation by a redeemer. 

Wednesday:

God and Son had an important part in the covenant of grace that God made with His people. He became man and met all the requirements of the covenant so that God's people could receive all the benefits. Long before a single person had been born, even before the world had been created, God chose those people who would be His own special people. He entrusted those people to God the Son who would save them from sin. 

Jesus came to earth to accomplish the will of God for His people. Jesus came to die so that everyone of the people of God could have life (John 6:37-40). If you have trusted in Jesus to save yo from your sin, His life of obedience to God was for you. He earned all the blessings of God's covenant of grace for you, since you could never have done it for yourself. You had earned God's wrath and judgment, and Jesus took that for you when He died on the cross. How thankful you should be to God the Son for coming to earth to keep all the requirements for the covenant for you so that you could enjoy all its blessings!

Ephesians 1:7-12

⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 

⁸which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight

 ⁹ making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ

¹⁰as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

¹¹In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 

¹²so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.

-Training Hearts, Teaching Minds: Family Devotions Based on the Shorter Catechism

Shorter Catechism: Question 20

Q. 20. Did God leave all mankind to die in sin and misery?

A. 20. From all eternity and merely because it pleased Him, God chose some to have everlasting life. These He freed from sin and misery by a covenant of grace and brought them to salvation by a redeemer. 

Tuesday:

 God has made a covenant of grace with His people. A covenant is an agreement that promises good things if certain conditions are met. Grace is goodness and blessing that people do not earn or deserve in any way. So when God made a covenant  of grace with His people, He agreed to give  them many wonderful gifts and blessings that they never deserved. In this covenant, as in all covenants, there were conditions that had to be met if God's people were to receive the blessings. God promised that He Himself would meet those conditions. 

 Do you remember the answer to the question: How many persons are in the one God? (Answer: "Three persons are in the one God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. These three are one God, the same in substance and equal in power and glory.") All three persons had a part in making and keeping this covenant. God the Father chose certain human beings to be His children. 

Although these human beings, like all human beings, deserved God's anger, God chose to love them. Although they deserved death for their sins, He chose to make a way to give them life that would last forever. God the Father did not have to chose anyone. He chose to give His love and everlasting life to some people just because He is a God of grace, a God who gives people wonderful things that they do not deserve. If you have believed in Jesus as the Savior God provides, how thankful you should be to God the Father for choosing  you to be His child. 

Ephesians 1:3-6

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 

4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 

5 he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 

6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 

Fact vs. Fiction: My Respons to Session II Cultural Analysis

And this is what I believe.

Fact:

The Bible is true.
The Bible says that God predestined everything, right down to those who go to heaven and those who don't.
Many of us have given great resource verses that say these things.
And because we got these verses from the bible and the bible is in fact true, so are these verses (which I will now post :])

"For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate.... Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified." -- Romans 8:29-30 (Found by Jane)


"God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned." -- 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12 (Found by Jane)

"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you." -- John 15:16 (Found by Me)


Free will is the ability to follow Gods will in all things.

Fiction:

God lets you choose Him.

God waits for us to make a decision to make a decision himself.

Free will is in true definition the ability to do whatever you want when over you want however you want to.

Session II:Debate- A Cultural Analysis

A Question To Consider:

Do we have free will? What does free will mean?

Cultural Analysis:

1. What does our culture believe concerning free will?  What do modern people believe about free will?

2. How does modern science  deal with the questions of free will?

For example, think of the science of genetics or brain research.

3. According to modern science, what causes alcoholism?  What causes homosexuality?  What does this say about free will?

Notice: To all those who answer, answer  honestly.  Also, when giving a rebuttal to another's answer, please remember to be respectful.  As I have been told a thousand times, I will tell you: We do not treat people the way they deserve to be treated.  We treat them the way Jesus would treat us.  If you cannot comply with these rules please do not comment.  If you do comment and have not followed these regulations then you will be band from the blog forever.  This does not mean however that you cannot question.  Questioning is always encouraged.  Thank you!


I typed "free will" into the Google search bar and these are the pictures that came up:

Let me know what you think about the pictures. Which one depicts you belief the best? Do any of them at all? Before you answer these questions you must first answer the cultural analysis first.

I can't wait to hear you responses!!

Session II: Debate, part 2

Here is my paragraph response as to what my position is on Creation:

If you look at the last post's comments, you will see that  the first comment is from Jane (aka. Kait, my buddy). She puts,quite simply,  her position is from a 7 24-Hour Day position. And for this reason: When God said, "On the second day" it doesn't take a whole scientific research team to figure out that He meant..."On the second day". I agree 100%. Here is my question to those who don't share my beliefs on this subject: Don't you think God (the omnipotent, all knowing, ever present God of everything) would have taken into consideration all your doubts and questions so much so that he would have made the passage more clear if you were right? Or in laymen terms: Don't you think He would have thought to tell you if it was otherwise a 24-Hour Day language He was speaking in? I mean really. Our God is not dumb. If He said it took 7 days, then by golly...IT TOOK 7 DAYS! Also, science can be used for good and bad (just like everything in the world that can be manipulated). People can use it to further their own ideas, or further the truth. Science is not the issue here, it's the scientist. Which is why it's so important that we as a people talk about these things, because the way you "see" God will determine EVERYTHING you do. 

Session II: Debate

Read Genesis 1:1-11:26

A Question to Argue

                How Long did it take God to create the world?

Read the three views of Creation held by Christians in the church today outlined below. Then discuss or write short responses to the objections to each view, thinking through how advocates of each view would seek to defend their position.

The Historic Seven 24-Hour Day Position:

This view takes Genesis literally. It states that God created the world in six days. Each day was a 24-hour period. It holds that this creation happened in order set forth in Scripture and that God rested the Seventh Day. This view also holds that all death was the result of the Fall. The pattern of work and rest set up the weekly paradigm that we are all to follow. 

The Day-Age Position:

This position asserts that the "days" in Genesis are not 24-hour days, but that each Day represents an age that could have been years or even millennial long. It bases its interpretation of the Hebrew word yom (day) on verses like Psalm 90:4 and 2 Peter 3:8. It looks at the Sabbath rest of God on the Seventh day as His rest from His creative activity which continues to this day. This view does believe that animal death occurred before the Fall.

The Framework Position:

This view believes that the seven days of creation are not to be taken as literal, twenty-four hour days, but instead figurative, topical descriptions of God's creation of the world. As evidence they point to the fact that there is a pattern  in Genesis 1 in which God creates realms in days 1-3 (light and dark in the heavens, the sky and sea, and dry land) and their rulers in days 4-6 (sun and moon to "rule the day and night, birds and fish to rule the sky and sea, animals and finally man to rule dry land). This view asserts that the Genesis language offers snapshots of the divine creativity, but that this language is by nature metaphorical. The chief thing not to be taken literally according to the framework position is the chronological sequence. This view does not, however, commit to any specific time for creation; neither does it commit itself to any other specific order of events. It also allows for the possibility of death in all but man (who bears God's image) before the Fall and points to the Sabbath as Gods's eternal enthronement over creation, and the eternal rest to which all creation ultimately points and is fulfilled in Christ.

Note that there is no debate on whether or not God was the creator. That's not what we are debating. However if you believe that God had nothing to do with it, you may still comment on which you believe is more likely in your mind. I will not allow for a debate on God's existence though. Thank you.

Now there are always objections. And like I wrote above, our job (because here is something I really need to do with other people to get the full value of the lesson) is to read the three views of Creation held by Christians in the church today outlined above. Then discuss or write short responses to the objections to each view, thinking through how advocates of each view would seek to defend their position below.

So here are the Objections:

Objections to the Seven 24-Hour Day Position:

1. How can you know that days 1-3 are "normal days" when the sun and the moon had not yet been created?

2. How can  you hold this view  since modern  science  has found that the earth is about 4 billion years old?

Objections to the Day-Age Position:

1. In the few Old Testament passages in which the words day or days are not to be taken literally (normal 24-hour day), doesn't the context determine the meaning? What in the context of Genesis 1 tells us that day does not mean what it normally means ( i.e. normal 24-hour day)?

2. Isn't your view just an attempt to force the conclusions of modern science into the biblical text?

Objections to the Framework Position:

1. It can be said that the language of Genesis 1 points to a poetic structure (i.e. Realms on days 1-3 and Rulers on days 4-6). While  this seems clear, why does this pattern prove that the language is figurative? Or, put another way, why couldn't God have his creative work in a poetic pattern?

2. Do you think that this complicated theory is really what God was trying to convey with the language of Genesis 1 or is that just another attempt to make our Bibles fit the conclusions of modern science?

Wow. Well there is something to think about. My job is to write a paragraph of what I believe to be the truth after a debate or comments have been heard. Which I will do in my ext post. Until then, I hope I hear from you (whoever you are) soon :]