Q: In Matthew 22:14, Jesus refers to a group of saved people (as depicted in a parable) by saying For many are called, but few are chosen. It looks like one must be specially selected if one is to be saved. But many other verses indicate otherwise -- as if the decision to be saved rests with each individual. Isnt this a contradiction?
A: No; see my brief comments at Matthew 10:22 at p089.ezboard.com/fsabdisc...1560.topic . We who have sinned need to sincerely believe, repent, and so forth if we are to receive the assurance that our sins have been forgiven. What about this business of being chosen? Thats in the mix too: God knew in advance who would make the decision to surrender to Him and who would not, and whose faith would go the distance and whose would not. On the basis of that foreknowledge, He reserved the heavenly seats, so to speak, of those whom He foreknew would have faith in Jesus and persevere to the end. And He chose us for unique jobs to do to spread His reign on the earth -- each to his "calling," one could say. Among the accurate descriptions of Gods redeemed people, repentant and believing and full of good works and baptized normatively apply, and chosen by God always applies.
Now, encyclopedia-sized books have been written on the relationship of free will and predestination, and my view is one of several that you can find in Christendom. Calvinists (in the Reformed church-tradition) have a very different approach, interpreting Gods predestination to be dependent not on His foreknowledge of peoples faith and perseverance but solely on His own good-pleasure (i.e., He pre-selected those whom He wanted to save, and /gave/ them persevering faith -- a gift which they could/can not resist receiving, and which it was impossible for others to obtain). But since Im not a Calvinist I will leave the defense of that view up to them.
Yours in Christ,
Waterrock
A: No; see my brief comments at Matthew 10:22 at p089.ezboard.com/fsabdisc...1560.topic . We who have sinned need to sincerely believe, repent, and so forth if we are to receive the assurance that our sins have been forgiven. What about this business of being chosen? Thats in the mix too: God knew in advance who would make the decision to surrender to Him and who would not, and whose faith would go the distance and whose would not. On the basis of that foreknowledge, He reserved the heavenly seats, so to speak, of those whom He foreknew would have faith in Jesus and persevere to the end. And He chose us for unique jobs to do to spread His reign on the earth -- each to his "calling," one could say. Among the accurate descriptions of Gods redeemed people, repentant and believing and full of good works and baptized normatively apply, and chosen by God always applies.
Now, encyclopedia-sized books have been written on the relationship of free will and predestination, and my view is one of several that you can find in Christendom. Calvinists (in the Reformed church-tradition) have a very different approach, interpreting Gods predestination to be dependent not on His foreknowledge of peoples faith and perseverance but solely on His own good-pleasure (i.e., He pre-selected those whom He wanted to save, and /gave/ them persevering faith -- a gift which they could/can not resist receiving, and which it was impossible for others to obtain). But since Im not a Calvinist I will leave the defense of that view up to them.
Yours in Christ,
Waterrock
