Were You Destined to be Saved without having a choice?

[MatthewG]

What do you believe about your salvation?

Did you make a choice; saying yes Lord, my desire is to seek and search after you and God? Did you not make a choice and God came to you one day and predestined you to be reconciled unto salvation? What do you believe about your own salvation?

Did you make a choice or did God choose you?

How can you tell? How can you know?

 

[amadeus]

What do you believe about your salvation?

Did you make a choice; saying yes Lord, my desire is to seek and search after you and God? Did you not make a choice and God came to you one day and predestined you to be reconciled unto salvation? What do you believe about your own salvation?

Did you make a choice or did God choose you?

How can you tell? How can you know?

What is God and what am I?
What is His purpose and then again His desire for me?
Why did God create us and all of this in the first place?
How does anyone come to knowledge and know that it really knowledge and not a delusion?

Lots of questions, but let us start at the beginning and go on from there as we are led:

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding." Prov 9:10

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction." Prov 1:7

"When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him;
And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room.
But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.
For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." Luke 14:8-11

 

[farouk]

What do you believe about your salvation?

Did you make a choice; saying yes Lord, my desire is to seek and search after you and God? Did you not make a choice and God came to you one day and predestined you to be reconciled unto salvation? What do you believe about your own salvation?

Did you make a choice or did God choose you?

How can you tell? How can you know?

@MatthewG Good to bow in humble gratitude to the will of God in Christ. Philippians 2.13 says: '...it is God that worketh in you both to do and to will of His good pleasure'.

 

[farouk]

Psalm 110.3 says: "Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power".

 

[MatthewG]

So what was it the fear of Lord was the reason you came to the Lord?

Can kind of understand that. Reminds me of when I was scared of hell fire and torture so thought it would be better to go with God I believed, but never knew anything about God or Jesus really all that much. Took me at the age of 26 to start reading and learning more about God and I ended up becoming mean to others and judgmental. Still years later have troubles can still be mean or judgmental but try to keep my mind on God and Jesus Christ and towards heavenly things though still struggle in my life with my flesh.

Though the love that finally came through someone who took time to teach scripture helped my life and faith grow a lot more it was hard by myself with no encouragement or support or suggesting to go into that bible and read and see what God has to say is well worth doing in believing and trusting that God does love you, desires for people to come to the knowledge of the truth, and God has reconciled the world unto himself through Christ. Jesus had the victory over Satan, Death, Hell, Sin.

 

[farouk]

So what was it the fear of Lord was the reason you came to the Lord?

Can kind of understand that. Reminds me of when I was scared of hell fire and torture so thought it would be better to go with God I believed, but never knew anything about God or Jesus really all that much. Took me at the age of 26 to start reading and learning more about God and I ended up becoming mean to others and judgmental. Still years later have troubles can still be mean or judgmental but try to keep my mind on God and Jesus Christ and towards heavenly things though still struggle in my life with my flesh.

Though the love that finally came through someone who took time to teach scripture helped my life and faith grow a lot more it was hard by myself with no encouragement or support or suggesting to go into that bible and read and see what God has to say is well worth doing in believing and trusting that God does love you, desires for people to come to the knowledge of the truth, and God has reconciled the world unto himself through Christ. Jesus had the victory over Satan, Death, Hell, Sin.

@MatthewG I think as we look back in our lives we can see the truth of what Scripture says, as in:

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever." (Psalm 111.10).

 

[MatthewG]

Do you make a choice to do that? @farouk. That is the point of the original post. Do you have any thoughts on the original post? Some people do believe that they are predestined to be saved. Or that they did not make any choice in the matter. That is why this thread was made. Thank you for your post.

 

[farouk]

Do you make a choice to do that? @farouk. That is the point of the original post. Do you have any thoughts on the original post? Some people do believe that they are predestined to be saved. Or that they did not make any choice in the matter. That is why this thread was made. Thank you for your post.

@MatthewG I think a broader framework to your question is found in John 6.37-39:

"All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day."

 

[MatthewG]

That is a work around of saying yes or no; for certain. Thank you for your time, friend, @farouk and sharing some scripture for others to view and consider.

 

[An Apologetic Sheepdog]

Did you make a choice or did God choose you?

Are you implying that God would actually "force" salvation on someone?

 

[MatthewG]

Hello, An Apologetic Sheepdog,

There are many different belief systems out there in this day in age when it comes down on what ' God can do ' especially out of context of the bible itself. What do you do? Did you make a choice? Did God foreknew you would become one of His? Did God elect you above all other people that you were one of the Saints that are talked about in the bible itself?

So many questions; So many conjectures.

 

[Truman]

For me, I actually have to say that I didn't have a choice. The first time I ever heard anything about the gospel, outside of Christmas stuff, was when someone read John 3:16 to me. I believed it in my heart instantly, and though later in life I tried, I couldn't not believe it. I've come to the conclusion that this doesn't happen very often, though I don't know why. Maybe because I'm so stubborn?

 

[An Apologetic Sheepdog]

There are many different belief systems out there in this day in age when it comes down on what ' God can do ' especially out of context of the bible itself.

There's only ONE truth out there and you clearly have no clue about it and are not in possession of it.

And you still ducked the questions. That's why all of this is an act and you know you are deliberately attempting deception. If you were "innocently ignorant" or truly "believed" your points- you would address challenges to them with the source of those beliefs.

You just waffle around in circles avoiding all direct answers.

 

[MatthewG]

Alright thank you for that, An Apologetic Sheepdog for your time and comment.

 

[MatthewG]

For me, I actually have to say that I didn't have a choice. The first time I ever heard anything about the gospel, outside of Christmas stuff, was when someone read John 3:16 to me. I believed it in my heart instantly, and though later in life I tried, I couldn't not believe it. I've come to the conclusion that this doesn't happen very often, though I don't know why. Maybe because I'm so stubborn?

What was such a great offer from what Jesus had offered unto anyone who believed?

 

[Iconoclast]

God saves sinners in Christ.
Men do not seek God on their own.
God draws sinners to Jesus..jn6:44
These sinners are drawn from among all men scattered worldwide,not Israel only.jn12:32
All drawn by the Father,will come to the Son.
Not one will be forced,but they come most willingly.
I resisted God everyday,until I no longer resisted but saw myself as lost and condemned.
No one saved by God suggests they were forced.

 

[Truman]

I didn't look for him; I didn't run from Him; I knew nothing about Him, really. It happened so fast that I didn't have time to react. I was led in the prayer afterwards, but I think that was just a formality. I was destined to be saved.

 

[MatthewG]

Okay thank you so much for sharing Levite.

Thank you for sharing Iconoclast.

 

[Marymog]

What do you believe about your salvation?

Did you make a choice; saying yes Lord, my desire is to seek and search after you and God? Did you not make a choice and God came to you one day and predestined you to be reconciled unto salvation? What do you believe about your own salvation?

Did you make a choice or did God choose you?

How can you tell? How can you know?

Hey Matthew,

You pose a very good question. I believe we make a choice.

What do you believe?

Curious Mary

 

[Ronald Nolette]

What do you believe about your salvation?

Did you make a choice; saying yes Lord, my desire is to seek and search after you and God? Did you not make a choice and God came to you one day and predestined you to be reconciled unto salvation? What do you believe about your own salvation?

Did you make a choice or did God choose you?

How can you tell? How can you know?

God chooses us. without the enabling of the Holy spirit we would never accept God

Romans 8:

6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

and before we were born Again (saved) we all are in the flesh so in that unsaved state we can do nothing to please god! and trusting Christ is definitely something that pleases God- which we in our unsaved state cannot do!

Ephesians 1:4
King James Version

4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

This makes it abundantly and unambiguously clear!