The biggest problem for people is that they do not understand all of what the Bible states. Too many people get a concordance and run a check on a word and then line up all the Scriptures in respect to that word, without taking into consideration the context of the text. Or they do the same with an idea by making an assumption and then seeking supporting texts, taking these verses also out of context.
The biggest problem for people is that they do not understand all of what the Bible states. Too many people get a concordance and run a check on a word and then line up all the Scriptures in respect to that word, without taking into consideration the context of the text. Or they do the same with an idea by making an assumption and then seeking supporting texts, taking these verses also out of context.
But if any one has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?Little children, let us not love in word or speech but in deed and in truth.Bythis we shall know that we are of the truth, and reassure our hearts before himwhenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God;and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. (1 John 3:17-22)
The text above states that God knows everything. This is the only Scripture that states this. But does this mean that God knows everything that is ever to be known. The context does not suggest this. The context is saying that whatever goes on, God sees everything and nothing is hidden from Him. God knows everything that is happening. If any one has the world's goods and closes his heart against another person, God knows about this. If we do not love in truth, God sees this, and also if our hearts condemn us, He knows this is happening. Therefore if you come to God with a request, make sure your heart is right and you are living in the truth, for God knows everything that has happened.
“Remember this and consider, recall it to mind, you transgressors,remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me,declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’ calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country.I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it. (Isaiah 46:8-11)
Here God is not saying that He knows everything that is to be known.
What the Lord God is saying that He can declare the end from the beginning and His purpose shall be established. In other words, God has designed a house and stated what it shall look like, and says that He will bring it to pass. Even human beings can devise plans to build structures and accomplish them. However, the implication being even if I have given men freewill, I will still bring what I want to do to pass. There is no one like Me.
How do we know that the idea of freewill is implied in the above context. Because people have transgressed; that is, violated what is right to do and thumbed their nose at God. These are those who say we do not have to acknowledge the Ten Commandments. We will do what we want to do.
Thus says the Lord:“Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his arm, whose heart turns away from the Lord.He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land.“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord.He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately corrupt; who can understand it?“I the Lord search the mind and try the heart, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.” (Jeremiah 17:5-10)
Here we see that God searches the hearts of all men to see who are willing to trust Him and who are of a deceitful heart. Those people who believe that they can put their trust in man (the humanists) are cursed. Those that think they can be deceitful and do whatever they like in a cunning, secretive, deceitful manner are not blessed at all. Nevertheless, God tries the heart of every man to see what each one's true desires are; what are the real intentions of the heart.
Now why would God do that if He already knew who was evil and who were going to be saved?
The truth is God does not know, but he gives each freewill and lets each one determine what they will do, while He himself tries each one's hearts.
The teaching that we are saved by grace and were elected before the foundation of the world is a corruption of what the Bible teaches. The Bible actually teaches that those who hate evil and seek after God are the ones who are tried and chosen.
Who tries the hearts and minds of each one of us to see whether we are genuine and honest in our dealings with people? Who sees everything we do? This we have already established, because God sees everything and therefore knows everything as it happens.
Lest you be wise in your own conceits, I want you to understand this mystery, brethren: a hardening has come upon part of Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles come in,and so all Israel will be saved; as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;“and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.” (Romans 11:25-27)
Here the Apostle Paul speaks about a mystery, which is about the number of people who are to be saved from among the Gentiles. People say that God knew who the people were, who were to be saved, before the beginning of the Creation. Upon this idea is founded the doctrine that God created people before the foundation of the world for the express purpose of eternally punishing them; while the elect He created to be blessed. Because of this, there is no freewill involved as far the people are concerned. Everybody was chosen beforehand. However, this is absolutely false.
The Scripture above does not say until the people God had already chosen before the foundation of the world come in. The Scripture says, a hardening has come over Israel until the number of Gentiles come in. That number God has determined before the foundation of the world.
Did God know exactly how long this would take from the beginning? Or did God know that it would take a certain amount of time once certain criteria were established? The Bible does not say. The Bible just informs us that it will happen.
However, who are the individuals to be saved, depends not on God, but on each one who desires to trust in God. Those who trust in man or who are deceitful of heart, do not get a look in. Those who hate evil and trust in God to deliver them, they are the ones who are to be included in the number.
And to one who does not work but trusts him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness.So also David pronounces a blessing upon the man to whom God reckons righteousness apart from works:“Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered;blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not reckon his sin.” (Romans 4:5-8)
Here we see that those who trust the One who justifies the ungodly, their faith is reckoned as righteousness.
Who are those who are numbered among those who are saved?
Those whose faith is reckoned as righteousness, not those who were saved by grace before the foundation of the world. Clearly, a decision has to be made to believe that God will justify the ungodly, even though a person might fall into sin.
However, faith is required to trust God to deliver on His promise. This is where God searches the hearts of every person to see whether the person really believes or whether the person is just a hypocrite who is puffed up with false knowledge and believes that he or she does not need to repent, except if caught, and then only to make a public show.
When tempted instead of resisting sin and calling upon God, or trusting Him to deliver them from temptation, deceived people sin when they think nobody is looking, yet forgetting that everything they do is known by the One who sees everything that is going on over the Earth.
God tests our hearts and minds to see whether we hate sin. If we hate sin, we repent and seek God to deliver us. We cannot deliver ourselves. But God can justify us by delivering us from our sin.
God had a plan to build a living temple from human beings who interact with each other in righteousness because they desire to do so. Unfortunately, the Devil attempted to thwart God's plan. Sin came into the world through the Devil.
God's plan was not going to be thwarted by sin. Instead He sent His Son to destroy the works of the Devil (1 John 3:8) so that He could accomplish His plan. In this respect God knows the end from the beginning.
Whether you are a part of that living temple that God is building is a matter for you. You can trust God or go your own way. But if you think you are saved by grace and do not have to exercise faith, you are deceived. Because only those who exercise faith are justified in the sight of God, as it states above, we are reckoned as righteous by our faith. There is nothing about grace mentioned there at all.
God has a plan. We have been given freewill. Those who hate evil and choose to trust God, Who justifies the ungodly, will be saved. This is a choice we have to make.
When it comes to Israel, the nation will be saved as God promised. The nation is a corporate entity and does not have a freewill. The nation is made up of people who possess freewill, but the nation itself has no freewill. The nation is like a corporation. An entity that is treated as an individual, but is run by individuals. Individually, though, each one is responsible for his or her own salvation, the same as individuals are responsible for what they do in respect to the corporation.
If we had no freewill, then there would no need for God to search our hearts and minds to try us and see whether our decisions are genuine, or merely a profession of faith in the form of lip service.
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