The Choice is Ours

Romans 8:28-39

As I read this passage, I knew I would need to study it thoroughly as possible and at the same time pray for guidance. I find it so funny at the amount of difference offered in commentaries and other research books as I studied.

Verse 28 starts this discussions with a wonderful word of encouragement. In all things, we receive the very best of God when we love Him. The choice to love Him is our choice since He has already declared His love for us. He refuses to hold anything back from those who choose Him. The next two verses, redefine how we understand God's love for mankind, and this is where many people strongly disagree.

The discussion of predestination is a very important discussion. God's purpose for the predestination of man is seen best in 2 Peter:

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9 (NIV)

God is patient because He doesn't want anyone to perish (or end up eternally in hell). This is a key statement to understanding predestination. All people are called to Him, according to His purpose. His predestined place for us is heaven but sin has eclipsed that destination. In the beginning, God's plan was an eternal existence with His creation and that is still His desire. So He had to do something about it. He became patient. Unfortunately, many perish in their sins because they wait too long or they reject Him or they never receive the Good News. Their path after death is determined. Their path during their lifetime was open to freewill.

The questions then becomes, if God is all-knowing, does He know who will and who will not follow Christ? The answer is yes. Let me pose another question. If God knows who will and who will not go to heaven, then did He choose? The answer is no. God has given us a free will to choose our paths. In choosing, I honestly believe God can see us going both to heaven and to hell.

Let me build this thought for a moment. God is all-knowing. God is patient. God has a plan. His plan was to give us free will to either choose or reject Him. His desire is that all come to life through repentance. When we are born, God already sees all of our life choices and He sees both choices that lead to hell and heaven (Stay with me). I think He does this by choice. Here is why:

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
Psalms 103:11-12 (NIV)

God's patience helps us understand how He is involved with His creation. He is very involved (much to the chagrin of the deist). God's patience shows us how He leaves room for each person to come to Christ as their Savior. When we accept Jesus, that moment our transgressions are hidden away forever (an all knowing God can choose to forget!). At the same time our God chooses no longer to see us making the opposite choice in rejection of Him. He now focuses on assisting us live a life that honors Him so as not to ruin our eternity with Him, thus the presence of the Holy Spirit.

As for those who reject God, He sees the rejection, remains patient, and begins establishing new ways to interact in their lives as a means to draw them to Him. His love for them is too strong to leave them in their sin, yet His righteousness will not interfere in the consequences of their rejection.

God is still all-knowing and yet as I believe it He chooses to see both paths to our eternity until we make our choice for Him. God is not the puppet master who says, "You are destined to hell and you are destined to heaven." God is a loving and patient God who is also righteous in judgment.

God, who is patient, tries to shepherd us towards the entry into heaven. God, not limited to time and space, knows how our paths go and He sees the affects of each choice before we make them. I honestly believe He chooses to see both paths so that we can freely choose Him (with a little nudge from His loving grace and mercy).

I guess that is what grieves Him most. Because of sin, He has to see us in both places. Because of grace, He gives us the choice of which place we will go. My path is not predetermined. The consequences are. Besides, why would God be patient with us if He already determined our final resting place?

God knew us before He laid the foundations of the world. He knew us as His child and as His enemy. He predestined us to be like His Son. He already had His purpose and design for our lives set in place. He sees us making the choice to follow Him (as well as making the choice to reject Him). The choice is ours, and He sees the consequences of either choice.

I made the choice to follow after His voice which has been calling me from the beginning of time. My hope now rests in His plan of salvation.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 (NIV)

God predestined or choose His purpose for all mankind: to come to His love through His Son Jesus Christ. He has been calling us since creation because He knew us. To those He called, He has justified, which doesn't mean all are saved. Justified means that our destination has change to eternal glory according to His purpose but the choice is ours. God is still calling His elect (those who choose Him), and His justification allows us to approach Him. Being able to approach God is the glorification we receive through Christ and with Christ.

The beauty of God's purpose is that He is for us. No matter what our current condition as followers. He is for us. If anything stirs our souls and gets us motivated to get right before God, then the fact that He is for us and has not abandoned us should! God is so for His purpose that He did not spare His own Son! God chooses us, calls us, justifies us, protects us, strengthens us, and loves us.

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Romans 8:32 (NIV)

Condemnation is not God's goal for those who answer His call. His love is so powerful that there is not any amount of troubles, hardships, persecutions, famines, nakedness, dangers, or swords that can or will keep Him from us, especially when we call upon His name.

God's call is so powerful that nothing will be able to separate us from his love that is in Christ Jesus. His love draws us to Him, and His love draws Him to us. Jesus is at the very moment interceding for us. What more could we ask for?

Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Romans 8:34 (NIV)

• How does knowing that God is patient affect you?
• What are your thoughts about predestination?
• How does it feel knowing that Jesus is praying for you right now?
  
• Has this discussion helped you or confused you? How will you approach God about it?