Rainy Spain
Wrestling with the Truth
"'Cause I am just like Lazarus and I can hear your voice I stand and rub my eyes and walk to You Because I have no choice" ~ Thankful by Caedmon's Call
Was I made to love and follow God or did I make the conscious choice?
It's a question I never asked myself until now. The subject always came up in Bible studies throughout college, but I just brushed it off...actually, I didn't care. I'd just assume sing songs or talk about lighter subjects.
But recently it's a question that's been nagging me. We started talking about it at church the other night (home church) and ever since I think I've been in a daze. Putting it in terms of Free Will vs. Predestination, I've always leaned towards the concept of free will. That's what most of us were taught growing up in church... plus it's just plain logical. You know. The 5 step plan. 1. we're sinners, 2. sin=death, 3. Jesus came to die for our sins, 4. we accept salvation, 5. our sins are forgiven. The typical evagelism tracks...5 color beaded bracelets or the glove (one step for each finger).
Yet, I'm finding some pretty interesting things in the Bible that lead me to believe that maybe what I thought was true....well...isn't. The whole problem seems to come in the 4th step, "we ACCEPT salvation". Is grace something we can accept or is it simply bestowed upon us? If it's something that we can accept, then that means we can say we don't want it anymore and it'll be gone. But can a person lose grace? I don't think you can.
It's all quite disturbing, if I'm honest, because if we don't have the choice then that makes us into robots and my image of God changes from that of a loving God to that of a calculated God just playing the pieces. Yet at the same time it's relieving knowing that everything is in God's control.
My journey in search of truth has begun.
Romans 9:10-18
Ephesian 1:4-12
1 Peter 2:9-12
Was I made to love and follow God or did I make the conscious choice?
It's a question I never asked myself until now. The subject always came up in Bible studies throughout college, but I just brushed it off...actually, I didn't care. I'd just assume sing songs or talk about lighter subjects.
But recently it's a question that's been nagging me. We started talking about it at church the other night (home church) and ever since I think I've been in a daze. Putting it in terms of Free Will vs. Predestination, I've always leaned towards the concept of free will. That's what most of us were taught growing up in church... plus it's just plain logical. You know. The 5 step plan. 1. we're sinners, 2. sin=death, 3. Jesus came to die for our sins, 4. we accept salvation, 5. our sins are forgiven. The typical evagelism tracks...5 color beaded bracelets or the glove (one step for each finger).
Yet, I'm finding some pretty interesting things in the Bible that lead me to believe that maybe what I thought was true....well...isn't. The whole problem seems to come in the 4th step, "we ACCEPT salvation". Is grace something we can accept or is it simply bestowed upon us? If it's something that we can accept, then that means we can say we don't want it anymore and it'll be gone. But can a person lose grace? I don't think you can.
It's all quite disturbing, if I'm honest, because if we don't have the choice then that makes us into robots and my image of God changes from that of a loving God to that of a calculated God just playing the pieces. Yet at the same time it's relieving knowing that everything is in God's control.
My journey in search of truth has begun.
posted by Courtney at 1:56 p. m.
4 Comments:
Interesting blog!
I must say I'm starting to find lots of evidence that supports predestination. We're saved by grace not works. So isn't the act of choosing a work?? Just a thought. I'm still trying to work it all out though. Don't know if I ever will.
Jules, what do you think??
This is a puzzle akin to the chicken and egg thing. If you truely find the answer you can become an international speaker and people will pay thousands of dollars to hear you orate on this subject. I like your new picture.
Courtney,
It is good to find you again! And I'm so pleased to see you are still hungry for God. Please email me at shoemaker4him@juno.com. I'd love to see a pix of your hubby and get an update. Write soon.
Love, Deitra
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