Jesus Christ Has All Authority

Jesus Christ has ALL Authority in religious matters today. From the very first sin of man in the Garden of Eden, God had promised to send a deliverer, a messiah to bring about the complete reconciliation of man to God. Jesus of Nazareth was that promised Messiah. The Hebrew word, Messiah means, “anointed one.” This Hebrew word is found 39 times in the Old Testament. Most often it is translated as “anointed” in a general sense, however, it is twice translated as “Messiah” in Daniel 9:25-26 and applied directly in prophecy to the coming Savior. In the New Testament, the same concept is from the Greek word “christos” translated as “Christ.”

Jesus came in fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies pertaining to the coming “Messiah”. The time of his arrival was prophesied in Daniel 7:25-26. He was previewed as the Messiah by the prophets. (Psalm 2:1-12). John the Immerser, who was the last of the prophets, affirmed that Jesus was the Messiah. (John 1:29. His Father in Heaven affirmed that Jesus is the Messiah. (Mark 1:9-11). Jesus affirmed that He was the promised Messiah. (John 4:25-26; Mark 14:61-62). His disciples became convinced that He was the Messiah because of His miracles and teachings. (Matthew 16:13-17). Even some who witnessed His crucifixion came to believe that He was the Messiah. (Matthew 27:54).

All men must accept the fact that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. As the Anointed of the Lord God, Jesus has ALL Authority! God has delegated His authority to Christ in all things. Therefore, we must recognize the truth that the authority that Jesus has is God-ordained; and from that fact make the necessary applications. Virtually all the realm of “Christendom” accepts the fact that Jesus has all authority in religion. Verbal agreement to this fact is one thing, but proper application of this fact is another thing all together.

What does the fact that Jesus has all authority imply? The word “All” used as it is in this statement as an adjective can carry the meaning of (1) the whole  mount or quantity of; (2) the whole number or sum of ; (3) any whatever. The fact that Jesus has ALL authority, implicitly dictates that there is NO authority in religion that is not His!  All authority is entirely consumed by Him, leaving none for anybody else! To whom else shall we turn, if to Christ? (John 6:67-69).

In Matthew Chapters 5-7, Jesus preached His famous, “Sermon on the Mount.” This glorious sermon contains some of the greatest teachings ever presented unto man. As the sermon came to a close, the people were astonished at the way He presented Himself in His teaching. “And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes…” (Matthew 7:28-29). “Not only were they emotionally stirred by the message that Christ had presented them, they were impressed by the authoritative way in which He taught.”

As His teaching suggested, Jesus was the authorized prophet of God alluded to by Moses in Deuteronomy 18:15-19. Peter clearly stated that Jesus was this prophet of whom Moses spoke, “For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.” (Acts 3:22-23). “For Moses truly said” – in other words, Moses, long ago, prophesied concerning this man called Jesus saying that He would be a prophet; one raised up by God to be His spokesman unto men. This phrase “raised up” has specific reference to the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. When God raised up that prophet “Him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever He shall say unto you…” In other words, no longer are we to listen to Moses; for, when God raises up the prophet Christ, we are to hear Him in all things whatsoever He says unto us. Moses, himself, recognized and prophesied concerning the supremacy and superiority of Christ.  Truly, Christ has all authority in matters religious – a position given Him by His Father in heaven.

It should be further emphasized, that not only was Jesus the sole authorized prophet while He was here in the flesh – He is God’s only authorized spokesman for this age. “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds…” (Hebrews 1:1-2). God now speaks to us thru His Son. The phrase, “these last days”, refers to the Christian age. He may have spoken thru Moses and Elijah in times past, but today He speaks unto man by His Son – a Son who has been made heir of all things. Today we must hear Christ in all matters religious!

As the only authorized prophet of God today, Jesus is the head over all things to the church. “And [God] hath put all things under his [Christ’s] feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all…” (Ephesians 1:22-23). “And hath put all things under his feet…” This language here is reminiscent of that used when a ruler had won a great military victory over an enemy and would literally place his foot upon his surrendered enemy as a sign of his having dominion over his defeated foe. Christ has won a great victory over sin and death. The redeeming power His blood has defeated the power of the devil over death. “And gave him to be the head over all things to the church which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all…” Just as the head exercises authority over the body, Christ exercises his authority over the church, which is His body. The church is the body of Christ. Both church and body are singular. (Ephesians 4:4-6). There is one head over one body therefore there is one Christ over one church.  Jesus Christ has all authority over His one church and that church is the one we read about in the pages of the New Testament. Jesus alone is the head of the church.

Jesus has preeminence in all matters of authority. “He is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence…“ (Colossians 1:18). Webster’s Dictionary defines preeminent this way: “having paramount rank, dignity, or importance.” Simply put, it means supremacy or superiority.      The teaching and doctrine of Christ is “superior to,” or “reigns supreme over” ALL other sources of authority. “When we speak of Jesus as our Lord, we are saying in essence, ‘Master, Ruler, Chief’ – the one who in all things has the preeminence. Yes, Jesus has been given supreme authority in matters religious.”

Finally, let us note what Jesus said to the apostles just before He ascended back into heaven, “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth…” (Matthew 28:18). The word translated as “power” is from the Greek word “exousia” which in other places in the New Testament is translated “authority.” (E.G. John 5:27 “And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man…”)In speaking on the subject of His authority, Jesus said “I have it ALL – I have ALL in Heaven and I have ALL on earth.” The extent of His authority, therefore, is ALL – it is Complete, Full, Total, Lacking Nothing.

To our Lord is all authority now committed, that He should be Prophet, Priest, King, Mediator, Intercessor and Savior of His people, and Judge over all created things. “That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.” John 5:23. His authority remains still on earth – it has not dissipated. His authority is just as great now as it was when He ascended to Heaven.

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False Teachers!

In Deuteronomy 18:9-22, Moses gives an account  of the distinction of a prophet. In the first section  (18:9-14), he discusses the false prophets of diviners,  observers, enchanters, witches (or sorcerers), charmers,  consulters, wizards or necromancers. All of these  descriptions modify one who chooses to seek knowledge  of the invisible world and the realm of God apart from  divine revelation. Without divine revelation, how else  could one find knowledge of the invisible world except  he try to use practices of the occult? Through Moses,  God reminds the Israelites that these “ are an abomination  unto the Lord .” He wants them to trust him (faith) for  their divine revelation.

Then in the latter section (18:15-22), in contrast  with the false prophets who claimed knowledge they did  not really have, God foretells of Jesus being a prophet  as Moses. Moreover, in this discussion, He gives the  mark of a true prophet—“ he shall speak unto them all  that I shall command him…whosoever will not hearken  unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will  require it of him ” (18:18-19). “ And if thou say in thine  heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the Lord hath  not spoken?’ When a prophet speaketh in the name of the  Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the  thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet  hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid  of him ” (18:21-22). This well describes the history of the  Jewish nation who later persecuted the prophets because  they did not want to listen to the word of God (cf. Matt.  5:12).

Today, we are living in a time of false teachers— those who want to try to persuade people away from the  word of God. Since the Old Testament is for our learning  today (Rom. 15:4), what can we learn from this passage  in view of the false prophecies and false doctrines today  inside and outside the church of our Lord?

First, we must be aware of the fact that there  are false teachers today. Jesus warned us to look out for  “ false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing,  but inwardly they are ravening wolves ” (Matt. 7:15). Paul  warned the elders at Ephesus “ that after my departing  shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the  flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking  perverse things, to draw away disciples after them ”  (Acts 20:29-30). The time has already come, and still  is, when “ they will not endure sound doctrine; but after  their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers,  having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears  from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables ” (2 Tim.  4:3-4). Thus, the background for false teaching today  is in Deuteronomy 18, where false prophets will either  speak that which God has not revealed or teach by some  other authority.

Second, they fall into the guise of presuming “ to  speak a word in my name ,” but rather, it is not according  to the name of God at all. We must always be on alert  to compare the teachings of teachers and preachers with  the word of God (myself included!) to see if they are  actually speaking according to the authority of Christ  (Matt. 28:18; Col. 3:17).

Third, we learn that there is indeed something in  a name. God wanted His prophets to speak by His name,  not according to the name of any other god. We should  never allow the denominational world to distract us by  succumbing to their false doctrine that there is nothing  in a name. According to Deuteronomy and the rest of the  inspired revelation, there is everything in a name (Acts  4:12)!

Finally, that prophet shall die. Is this a serious  thing with God? He says it is a capital offense! Peter  says they “ shall receive the reward of unrighteousness ”  (2 Pet. 2:13).

Never take for granted what anyone teaches,  but always be alert to be sure that the teachers who are  teaching in the church of our Lord are doing so according  to the word of God!

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The End of Biblical Modernism?

For years skeptics have assailed the scriptures with assertions that the dates, places, and people involved in biblical record were fabrications and fictitious bedtime stories designed to scare little children into behaving.  The motivation behind these scoffing skeptics has always been to discredit the Bible so as to elevate humanity to the level of God.  The so-called “enlightenment” produced unrealistic optimism among humans.  Purportedly, humanity had arrived at an age where such myths were no longer needed; we could solve our own problems, and master our own destiny – without God and the Bible!  Before such a mindset could be implemented, the ancient records of God’s interactions with men had to be discredited; religious modernism was born.

With religious modernism came an attack upon the miracles recorded in the Bible.  The skeptics told us that miracles were obviously fictitious because the regular laws of nature prevented such things like miracles from happening.  Moreover, it was believed that God would not intervene in the events of the world to enact miracles because He was “above” such things.  That the claim against miracles was based upon the philosophical presupposition of empiricism/materialism was ignored, and today, the walls of this philosophical fortress are crumbling.  In 2010 Oxford University Press published the book “The Waning of Materialism.”  The book sets forth the philosophically rigid and technical case against the idea that matter is the only thing that exists.

Along this same line of thought came the Biblical minimalists.  These were figures who said that people such as Solomon and David never existed; the kingdoms of these men were never real; ancient Israel was simply a loosely organized agrarian society with a minimal population, and what we have in the Bible regarding David and Solomon are more closely akin to the tales of King Arthur and the knights of the round table than historical truth.  Of course, under the presuppositions of Biblical modernism, everyone who is anyone adopted these views and set them forth as the truth.

It is with much satisfaction, then, that those of us who never bought into Biblical minimalism have watched archaeological events in the past ten to twenty years unfold.   In the latest Biblical Archaeology Review, there is an article titled “The End of Biblical Minimalism” by Yosef Garfinkel.  The article is a compendium of evidence against the theories set forth by the biblical minimalists.

Among other things, the author points out the discovery of the Tel Dan stela in 1993 which references specifically the “house of David.”  This discovery led to a reevaluation of some of the lines on the Mesha Stela, which also speaks of the “house of David.”  Additionally, the article highlights the numerous radiocarbon dating efforts that have transpired over the past twenty years as more and more archaeological sites from the period of David and Solomon have been unearthed.  The evidence shows that the Biblical chronology is accurate.  Another area of controversy was whether or not there were “urban centers” (multiple fortified cities) as the biblical record indicates.  Excavations at the fortress of Khirbet Qeiyafa have solidly answered this question.  Once again, the Bible is vindicated.

Another argument set forth by the minimalists was that the people of that day and age did not have the education necessary to sustain a scribal population, which would have been necessary given the Biblical narrative.  This objection was overcome with the discovery of the Qeiyafa ostracon, a piece of pottery found in 2009 with writing on it.  The writing was analyzed and discovered to be a document of high quality and caliber such as would be produced by a scribal community.  It is proof positive that the capabilities for composing the biblical narrative existed during the times of David and Solomon.  Additionally, some very interesting jar handles with finger and thumbprints were discovered.  The fingerprints on these jars were the central government’s way of approving these jars as accurate measures for taxes, similar to today’s department of weights and measures stamp you see on the gas pump.  Such jars prove that urbanized civilization was prevalent in 10th century B.C. Judah, exactly as the Bible says.

With more and more archaeological evidence coming to bear upon the Bible, it continues to withstand the onslaught of the skeptics.  Such discoveries continue to corroborate the biblical account and bolster our faith in the word of God.  As biblical minimalists retreat and concede in the face of the overwhelming evidence, we look forward to the day when Biblical modernism is also relegated to the ash heaps of history.  As we are encouraged by these events, nevertheless we continue to proclaim, “Let God be true, but every man a liar” (Romans 3:4).

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Are you Ready for Heaven?

“I don’t enjoy coming to church.” How often do people use these words or others like them to express their feelings? It may be that others have not used these words, but they have felt them. Think about the implication of these words.

If I really am bored in worship, then how on earth could I enjoy being in heaven? I have little idea about what our activities will be like in eternity, but the Bible does give glimpses into some activities around the throne. In Isaiah chapter six, the prophet described what he saw in the vision. He saw the Lord sitting on a mighty throne with heavenly beings flying around the throne. “And one cried to another and said, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!’” Heaven is a place where God is praised. Think about this. How long would it have been before you got bored being there?

John’s vision of heaven is found in Revelation chapter four. He sees four living creatures around the throne. “And they do not rest day or night, saying: ‘Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!’” Look carefully at what is said, “They do not rest day or night . . .” Heaven is a place of praise. How long would it have been before you got bored being there?

John then sees others sitting on thrones around God’s who leave their thrones, remove their crowns and fall before that mighty throne. They “. . . cast their crowns before the throne, saying: ‘You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things and by Your will they exist and were created.’” In the next chapter, John sees a host of angels—ten thousand times ten thousands and thousands of thousands—singing praises to the Lord. Heaven is a place of praise. How long would it have been before you got bored being there?

In chapter fifteen, John sees a multitude of those who were victorious over evil. “They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God and the song of the Lamb, saying, ‘Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the saints!’” Someday, all the redeemed will be in their position. Lord, hasten that day! What a day of rejoicing that will be! Heaven is a place of praise.

Now, if you find other things more enjoyable and exciting than worshiping God, just how happy would you be in heaven? If worshiping God is boring, and you have a casual attitude toward attending worship, how happy would you be in heaven? Heaven is a place of praising God. How happy would you be when we’ve been there 10,000 years, knowing we have no fewer days to sing God’s praise than when we started?

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John Calvin’s Predestination

John Calvin’s Predestination; A Perversion of Scripture

“John Calvin was a French protestant reformer. His doctrine on predestination teaches that there are two classes of people in the world. Those who have been predestined by God before the foundation of the earth to eternal damnation and those that have been predestined to eternal life. Calvin taught that there is nothing one can do to be saved because God has already decided who is going to be saved and who is not going to be saved… Thus, we have the damnable heresy of predestination. This doctrine is at the core of Calvinism and its influence is widely felt throughout much of “Christendom.”

~Brother Jack McNiel; Predestination; http://churchofchristarticles.com/blog/administrator/predestination

Brother McNiel has it exactly right. With all due respect, John Calvin’s personally-perpetrated perversion of the biblical idea of predestination is so incredibly far-fetched and biblically-contradictory as to be almost utterly unthinkable. To even begin to believe that God chose everyone who was going to be saved, as well as everyone who was going to be lost, long before they were ever even born, and that there would be absolutely nothing on earth that they could ever even hope do to influence or change that decision/sentence one iota one way or the other, so completely contradicts so many bible verses as to defy even the most minute and uninformed of imaginations.

Just consider for a moment… If such an utter travesty of biblical teaching were even remotely true, then why on earth would we need the bible with all of its instructions telling us how God wants us to live in order to inherit eternal life anyway? I mean, after all, those already “ear-marked” for eternal life before they were born could live any defiant and despicable way they wanted to, as they could not possibly lose their salvation anyway (according to Calvin, but once again, certainly not according to Christ – see: Galatians 5:4; Hebrews 6:4-6; 10:26-31; 2 Peter 2:20-22). And as for any of those who might choose to live the most righteous, holy and upright of earthly lives possible out of a love for God and His commandments, what iota of eternal good would it possibly do them if they were already “ear-marked” for eternal destruction?

And additionally; if the bible is true – and it is (Psalm 119:160; John 8:31-32, 17:17), and if God had His way and had not given each and every one of us the free-will-required choice to either love and obey him or to hate and deny Him, then He would have “ear-marked” and sentenced NO ONE to eternal destruction but EVERYONE to eternal life! So He said in His holy word! Note:

“The Lord is… not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9 – emphasis mine – DED).

Under the Calvinistic concept of a pre-birth, irreversible selection/rejection process by Providence, John would have had no reason to write his gospel any more than we would have any need of any biblical instruction to point us to God because our eternal destination would have already been signed, sealed, delivered and decided long before we drew our first breath. Verses like John 20:30-31 would be a waste of time and space:

“And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”

John told us very clearly and concisely that he wrote his gospel so that those who read it could learn about Jesus, and that those who subsequently chose to believe in Him because of what they read therein, could then have access to eternal life through Him (See: John 3:16, 36; 8:31-32; 11:25-27; 14:1-6; and also I John 5:13).

No, Calvinism’s doctrine of predestination is a completely contradictory version – and even per-version – of Christ’s N.T. teaching through his divinely-inspired apostles, and O.T. teaching through God’s divinely-inspired prophets and patriarchs (2 Peter 1:16-21; 3:1-3), who always taught that we human beings are not endowed with some irreversible earmark for either earthly or eternal salvation or destruction, but that those are options determined solely by our own educated but freewill choices (See: Deuteronomy 28 and Joshua 24 for example).

Calvin’s perverted predestination doctrine is – in this writer’s humble opinion – just exactly the type of heresy referred to by Peter in places like 2 Peter 2:1-3, and 3:14-16. And I would conclude this paragraph with Peter’s final recorded words of warning which follow immediately on the heels of those verses cited above (and which also clearly state that one can indeed “fall” and be “led away,” based on their own personal decisions and choices as well):

“You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:17-18).  

And so, to the topic at hand. Having discussed what Calvinism teaches in regard to “predestination,” what exactly does the word of God actually say about it? The word “predestined” occurs in four verses in the New Testament, twice in Romans 8, and twice in Ephesians 1. Let us now explore these two texts in-depth…

“For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified” (Romans 8:29-30).

The first thing we notice in this text is the first word, “For.” Whenever you see the words “for,” or “therefore,” in any bible text, it is absolutely imperative to understand what the “for” or “therefore” is actually, ‘there for!’ It is there because the author wants you to understand without exception, that what he is about to say is invariably linked to, and based upon, what he just said. He is saying, “Because of this, or based on that, then this…” In other words, anything God says relative to “predestination” in this particular passage, must be explained and understood in light of the immediate context of those “whom He foreknew” from the immediately preceding passage! Those whom God “predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son” are those “whom He foreknew” would what, from verse 28? Those who would “love God” (See verse 28)! Those whom God knew in advance would choose – in and of their own free will – to love Him (and whether or not we love God or anyone else is completely and entirely up to us – it’s our choice. Love is always a choice {John 3:16, 14:15}; otherwise, it’s not love, its oppression and slavery), THESE He “predestined” to be conformed to the image of His Son; THESE He called, justified, and glorified. But it’s not as if they were originally somehow divinely earmarked for eternal salvation and there was absolutely nothing on earth they could do about it one way or the other; in fact, just the exact opposite is true: whether or not they became one of those “predestined” for these blessings began when they made the 100% personal free will choice to either love and obey God, or hate and reject Him to begin with! And to any and all of those who would make that personal, freewill choice based on the evidence of the written word, God has already predestined to receive those blessings – but it all begins with them and their choice!

Simply illustrated, let’s say that one of our members drives the church van. Every Sunday morning and evening as well as Wednesday evening, he drives around and picks up some of our teens whose parents don’t attend, a few of our elderly, and basically anybody who wants and needs a ride to services. Everybody knows where that van is going and why. It is going to the church building. This has been predetermined. This is the purpose of the journey. This is the journey’s culmination and destination. It has been predetermined by the elders of the church that anyone who chooses to get on that van is predestined to be at the church building for services – but it’s still the choice of every single person in town as to whether or not they get on board. It’s completely up to them. Otherwise, if the elders, in their godly love for lost souls, could somehow override every townspersons freewill, they would predestine or “earmark’ everyone in town to be at services! But their predestinating in advance, everyone who gets on board that van for bible study and/or worship at the church building, in no way negates the fact that each person’s destination is completely determined originally, by their own personal decision and action to either get on board or not!

The same can be seen in the Ephesians one passages on predestination. Whom did God predestine to adoption as sons (vs. 5)? And whom did He choose He would bless before the foundation of the world with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (vss. 3-4)? Simple: Each and every single one of those who would personally and of their own freewill choice, choose to believe in, be placed in, and be faithful in, Christ Jesus (Vss. 1-14). Any person who would personally choose to get on board and “into” Him (just like with the “church van” illustration above) God predestined for a very blessed journey to an extremely glorious destination! But that initial decision was, is, and always will be, 100% up to them.

Now; some in the past have cited Pharaoh as a case in point for Calvin’s concept of predestination. They would tell us that because “God hardened Pharaoh’s heart” (Exodus 7:3, 13; 9:12; 10:1, 20, 27; 11:10; 14:8), Pharaoh had no choice and was therefore “predestined” for destruction despite anything he might have said and/or done. Some have also sincerely sought to make a similar claim when it comes to Judas Iscariot over the years, based on passages such as Acts 1:16, which states that Peter, after Judas hung himself, said “Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus.” Those who would seek to defend Judas on the charge that God “predestined” him to betray Jesus based on this and similar passages, I believe, are perhaps confusing the term “predestination” with “foreknowledge” – and there is a huge and telling difference! There is a colossal difference between knowing in advance someone is going to choose to do something, and compelling them to do it. God has the distinct advantage of knowing all things ahead of time – including how we are going to react and respond in any given situation. It’s like us seeing a movie multiple times and knowing the ending. Just because we can tell someone else who hasn’t seen the movie how the characters are going to respond, certainly doesn’t mean that we are the ones who make them respond in such a fashion. God knew how and what Judas was going to do centuries before he was ever born – but that doesn’t mean that God forced him to do it or that Judas had no choice. Remember, Peter said that Jesus was “…delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God” (Acts 2:23); but God still held those people who had done so, accountable for their actions because they had personally chosen to do so (Acts 2:37-38).

Pharaoh’s situation is very similar. God said He would harden Pharaoh’s heart – but He said this BECAUSE he knew Pharaoh himself would make the freewill choice to harden his own heart early on. In fact, Pharaoh is reported as having chosen to do so by his own, God-given free will (Please see: Exodus 8:15, 32; and 9:34. And as you read Exodus 9:34, please keep in mind the definition of sin from James 4:17). God knew the future, and therefore knew he would. God simply helped Pharaoh along after the fact, to do what He knew Pharaoh would decide to do at the first, in his own heart anyway.

And here’s the all-important bottom line lesson in that for us. Although God does not take away our own, personal, individual free will, but allows us to believe and choose whatever it is that we decide we want to, once we have made that decision, God will – not because He has chosen for us, but because He loves us enough to respect our decisions and wants us to have whatever it is we have decided we want, even if it is against His best efforts and intentions for us – help us to have that which we have chosen…

“The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12).

He goes on to say in the next two verses that those who are “chosen,” became part of the chosen, when they chose to believe the truth of the gospel.

In conclusion then, keep in mind: “The price was paid, the blood was shed, the gift is free, but the choice is yours.” God did not ever predestine any person, at any time, before they were ever born, for either salvation or destruction. God leaves that choice completely up to us. He provided His Son for our sins and His word for our instruction. Whether or not we choose to believe, and accept, and obey what God has provided both for and to us, by believing, repenting, confessing, and being baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2:38; Galatians 3:26-27) and then abiding in Christ where all the blessings are (Romans 8:1; Ephesians 1:3-14), is solely and completely up to us.

All of those who will choose His way, He has predestined for many great and wonderful blessings. Conversely, all of those who will choose to reject His way, He has predestined for deception and destruction – because that is exactly what they have indicated they want by their own chosen course of action. It’s all up to you – despite Calvinism. Choose wisely!

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