God is with us

by

Myron K. Loss
 God is with us

Copyright © 2015 by Myron K. Loss

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be

reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means
without written permission of the author.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are

taken from the HOLY BIBLE: EASY-TO-READ
VERSION © 2014 by World Bible Translation Center, Inc.
and used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the The

Holy Bible, New International Version, Copyright 1973, 1978,
1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the

New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962,
1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973,1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lock-
man Foundation. Used by permission

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy

Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007 by
Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale
House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All
rights reserved.

KJV is the Holy Bible, King James Version, public domain.

Cover art by Myron Loss

 Published by Encouragement Ministries
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Other titles available from Encouragement Ministries:

Culture Shock – Dealing with Stress in Cross-cultural

Living - by Myron Loss - 175 pages $12.00
(A time-proven standard for preparing missionaries and
other workers for the transition from one culture to another)
The Reward of the Righteous – by Myron Loss - 71
pages $8.00
(A study of the rewards that God is preparing for those
who are in Christ)
All prices include shipping to US addresses

Available in 2015:
Letters from Heaven by Myron Loss – 101 pages
(Anthony Moyer dies and goes to Heaven and finds a way
to write letters to his niece and other friends back on earth)
The World is Up-side-down by Myron Loss – 400 pages
(A serious study in the contrasts between the values of the
world and the values in the Kingdom of Heaven.)
4 God is with us
 About the author 5

Table of Contents

Introduction .................................................................................1
Section one - God and his work
1. God, a very present help ..................................................... 11
2. Does God have feelings? .................................................... 31
3. God's purpose and plan in creation .................................. 55
4. Can God answer prayer? ..................................................... 61
5. The process of salvation ..................................................... 77
6. Where does faith come from? .......................................... 105
7. Sons of God........................................................................ 125
8. What does it mean to be "in Christ?" ............................. 139
9. Jesus, a man just like us with one exception .................. 151
10. Does God change his mind? .......................................... 171
11. Foreknowledge, fore-ordination, omniscience and the
sovereignty of God ...................................................................... 181
12. What is predestination? ................................................... 201
13. Does time affect God? .................................................... 205
14. The problem of the origin of evil .................................. 209
15. Examining some of the "proof texts" used to support
belief in the absolute foreknowledge of God .......................... 215
16. The questionable legacy of Augustine and the
sixteenth century reformers ....................................................... 223
6 God is with us

17. Conclusion......................................................................... 239

Section two –Biblical evidence for skeptics ........................ 243
18. Overwhelming biblical evidence that the future has
not all been determined ............................................................... 249
19. More overwhelming evidence ........................................ 273
20. Still more evidence ........................................................... 303
21. New Testament evidence ................................................ 331
Appendix A, A critique of Frame's "No Other God" ...... 341
 About the author 7

About the author -

Myron Loss is a retired missionary who served 35 years in

Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay with Andes Evangelical Mis-
sion and SIM. Prior to that, he was a pilot in the USAF and
served one year in Viet Nam.

His ministries have been varied including evangelism, dis-

cipleship, missionary aviation, Marriage Encounters and mar-
riage counseling, church-planting, radio, construction,
candidate recruitment, literature distribution, hospitality,
teaching, writing, and administration.

He has an industrial engineering degree from Penn State

University, an aeronautical rating from the USAF, a diploma
in Advanced Bible Studies from Moody Bible Institute, a
Master of Arts in Cross-cultural Communication degree from
Columbia Graduate School of Bible and Missions, and a Mas-
ter of Divinity degree from Columbia Biblical Seminary.

He has authored three other books including, “Culture

Shock – Dealing with Stress in Cross-cultural Living,” The
Reward of the Righteous,” and “The World is Up-side-
down.”

He presently resides in Ocala, Florida with his wife Alice.

They are members of Center Point Presbyterian Church
(PCA), and also minister in a Hispanic church.
 Introduction

Over my years in full-time ministry for the Lord, I have

visited many churches in many different countries, and often
noticed a great degree of theological confusion. Sincere be-
lievers are often ignorant of who God is and how God inter-
acts with them. There are some errant beliefs about God that
are very common and that hinder God’s work and his out-
reach through the church. I have often felt deeply saddened
at seeing the distortion of sound doctrine and the resulting
practices that come out of it.
I am writing this book because I feel the necessity that
someone explain certain truths about God’s nature and eter-
nal purpose as revealed in the Holy Scriptures. I see error in
many churches and it is hard to find one that comes close to
a practical theology as revealed in the Bible. Almost all
churches have perversions of God’s teaching locked up in
their thinking and their practices. Satan has a definite monop-
oly on lies and error, but he has a lot of unwitting collabora-
tors in the established church.
Over the years in Bible School and seminary, as I studied
the pre-packaged theology courses (which are often not the
“study of God,” but the study of “what others have said
about God:” i.e. theology-ology), I saw the lack of logic of
some of the doctrines, particularly the one about God’s fore-
knowledge of all things future. I couldn’t reconcile it with
reason or with the Scriptures. I was told to just accept it be-
cause it had to be so. I have kept the issue of its authenticity
simmering on the back burner for nearly fifty years, often
meditating and questioning some of the standard interpreta-
tions in mainline Christianity. So, finally, in my retirement
from active missionary work, I have dedicated the time nec-
essary to investigate these truths profoundly, examining eve-
rything I could in the Bible to see what God has said about
these subjects.
2 God is with us

Early on, I read a few other books and articles on these

themes, but later decided to limit nearly all of my research
to the Scriptures, and ignore the controversies exhibited
in other people’s writings. God has said enough in his
Word to make his purposes clear if we are willing to accept
his truth.
This is my offering as a primer of practical theology as
I understand it from God’s Word. It doesn’t fit some of
our approved and accepted doctrines, but I believe with
all my heart that it is rooted and grounded in the Bible and
nothing else. My purpose is to help the church to have a
clearer understanding of God, his purposes, and his work-
ings.
I have been concerned that so many Christians have
errant views of who God is and what he wants to do for
them. Many accepted doctrines if taken to their logical
conclusions make it impossible for God to lift a finger to
help anyone. If God knows all the future, there is no rea-
son whatsoever to pray to him or ask him to do anything.
If God knows all the future, there is no incentive whatso-
ever to tell others about Christ because it won’t make one
iota of difference in the end. If God knows all the future,
he is an inveterate liar, or at best a sinister actor, because
he would be telling people things that are far from the
truth. (One of the most neglected attributes of God is his
veracity – he always says what is true and is incapable of
lying or deceiving.) If God knows all the future, you can-
not have an intimate personal relationship with him, be-
cause a relationship is a two way street, and he can do
nothing besides what is already determined by his fore-
knowledge. The more I studied the Bible on these topics,
the more I became angry about the hoaxes perpetrated on
the church by Satan and his minions.
Many historians paint George Washington and the
founding fathers of the USA as deists. It is true that there
were several professing deists in the total (like Jefferson
and Franklin), but the vast majority were not. They were
 Introduction 3

people who believed that God still acted in the affairs of hu-
man beings, and responded to the pleas of his people. A deist
believes that God made the world, and then distanced him-
self from it to watch how it all turns out. He wound the clock
and is letting it run down naturally without any intervention
on his part. A deist believes that man is on his own, and that
God isn’t going to do anything to help him. A deist would
have no incentive to pray to God since he believes that he
would not or could not respond.
I want to try to help you see God as he has revealed him-
self in the Scriptures to his prophets and servants. As you
read, throw away your colored theological glasses. Don’t
come into this study with pre-conceived conclusions and dis-
tort the Scripture to support them. Take a new look at the
old Book with a heart and mind willing to know the true God.
It is risky business because you have to sacrifice your theo-
logical comfort zone, but I assure you that this is necessary
in order to grow in your relationship with him.
Some years ago, we were visiting my sister-in-law and her
husband in New Port Ritchey, Florida. They had a large
aquarium in their living room with several fish and one crab.
While we were there, the crab decided it was time to molt, or
detach itself from its old shell. It went through all kinds of
contortions until it was finally free and the shell was lying on
the bottom of the tank. Now, the crab was a lot more vulner-
able to predators (of which in this tank there were none). If
out in free water, he would have taken a big risk by removing
his protective shell, but he has to do it because it was the only
way he could grow. Either he took the risk or remained a
pigmy crab the rest of his life.
If it can be shown that the Bible teaches a certain truth,
then we should be willing to let go of errant past beliefs when
necessary in order to move closer to reality. No man has per-
fect doctrine, but I have met many people who thought they
did, and yet very few of them would agree with each other on
many points. We must humbly come to God with the desire
4 God is with us

to know him better realizing that we still have so much to

learn.
All of our doctrines and traditions are subject to fine
tuning in the light of God’s word, and some of the com-
monly accepted ones need a complete overhaul. All doc-
trine must stand the scrutiny of the Scriptures and that
which is contrary must be put to the theological knife. If
a land surveyor starts off with the wrong coordinates, then
all of his conclusions will be wrong except by accident.
Most Christians believe what they are told to believe with-
out really knowing why. This creates a real shallowness
and makes them an easy target for unprincipled people to
take these ignorant sheep captive. Not everyone can be
what we consider a Bible scholar, but everyone should, to
the best of his capacity, examine the Scriptures to see what
is true. Evangelicals and Protestants have long criticized
the Roman Catholic hierarchy for saying that only the
clergy may interpret the Scriptures. Let us not make the
same mistake and say that the average Christian has no
business wrestling to find doctrinal answers in the Word
of God.
In these pages, especially in Section Two, you will find
hundreds of Bible references and quotations. Please don’t
let it dissuade you from reading or distract you from the
basic principles: I have put them there to show you the
exceedingly overwhelming evidence for what I am saying.
I am presenting my case by calling on hundreds and hun-
dreds of witnesses. You can decide what to believe as you
see the Scriptures, and decide if what I am teaching is true
or not.

The people in Berea were more open-minded than those in Thes-

salonica. They were so glad to hear the message Paul told them. They
studied the Scriptures every day to make sure that what they heard
was really true. Acts 17:11
 Introduction 5

I challenge you to take the risk. Shake off your old theo-
logical straightjacket and go with me on an odyssey of learn-
ing. We will be safe so long as we recognize that the Bible is
God’s inerrant, fully inspired Word, and that we can trust it
and the Holy Spirit to guide us on our journey. The Bible
trumps all other books, theological confessions, or doctrinal
statements ever made by man. No matter how high a regard
we have for the Westminster Confession, or the Council of
Nicaea, or the catechisms of our church, or any other doctri-
nal statement, they all must stand correction when God’s
Word is measured against them and they are found wanting.
Many errors are generated in our beliefs when we distort
what God has said. Far too often we manipulate what God
has said in order to make it say something entirely different.
Someone aptly has commented, “If God doesn’t mean what
he says, then why doesn’t he say what he means?” The prob-
lem is not that he hasn’t said what he means; the problem is
that we don’t like what he said, and so we try to change it. We
often shape our image of God based on what we want him
to be, and not on what he says about himself.
Some say that there are many things in the Bible we can
never understand, but God didn’t give us the Bible to be un-
derstood on the other side of glory where we will keep saying
“Aha! So that’s what he meant.” He gave us the Bible for the
here and now so that we could understand and apply what it
means and live accordingly. Otherwise, there would be no
purpose in his giving it to us, other than to laugh at us later
for being so stupid.
My desire is for my readers to come to grow in under-
standing and practical application of God’s truth.

I want them to be strengthened and joined together with love and to

have the full confidence that comes from understanding. I want them to
know completely the secret truth that God has made known. That truth
is Christ himself. In him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are
kept safe. Colossians 2:2-3
6 God is with us

Paul thought it was possible to reach profound under-

standing. All the treasures of knowledge and wisdom are
found in Christ. He is the center and focus of all of the
work of God in creation and in salvation. There is no truth
outside of him. There is no love extended to humans ex-
cept through his hands. There is no true hope offered that
does not come as the result of his work. All creation and
all of history will someday be placed at his feet, and every
knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is
Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
The test of fellowship with another Christian should
not be our sworn allegiance to a doctrinal statement, but
whether or not we know Christ, and bear the fruit of the
Spirit in our lives. The Pharisees were orthodox, but they
had none of the fruit of the Spirit of God, and Christ con-
demned them for their lack of godliness. They had signed
the intellectual pledge of sound doctrine, but that was of
absolutely no value to them spiritually.
I have written this book mostly for people who have a
sincere desire to learn more about God, and a hunger to
know and understand him.
This is my offering to you. It is based on fifty-six years
of being a Christian, of pondering and studying the Bible
(not as a full time occupation, but as an on-going, practical
desire to walk with God), and of trying to find a reasona-
ble understanding of what God has revealed to us.
God wants us to understand. These mysteries were hidden
in times past, but now have been revealed.
We shouldn’t throw up our hands and say “It’s not un-
derstandable.”

We received the Spirit that is from God, not the spirit of the
world. We received God’s Spirit so that we can know all that God
has given us. 1 Corinthians
2:12
 Introduction 7

I hope that you find liberation from some false beliefs and
enter into a deeper relationship with God who loves you with
all his heart.

This is my prayer for you: that your love will grow more and more;
that you will have knowledge and understanding with your love; that you
will see the difference between what is important and what is not and
choose what is important; that you will be pure and blameless for the
coming of Christ; that your life will be full of the many good works that
are produced by Jesus Christ to bring glory and praise to God.
Philippians 1:9-11
 Section one

God and his work

This first part has the purpose of helping you understand

who God is and how he works with his creation. It shows
that God loves you so very much, and wants to be your af-
fectionate loving Daddy who walks hand in hand with you
through life.
He is always present, feels what you feel, and tries to help
you in your every challenge. He wants you to ask him for
things you need, and wants to hear your expressions of love
in prayer and worship. He rejoices at your successes, and
weeps when you do wrong. He wants to have an intimate
two-way relationship with you, and bring you to spiritual ma-
turity.

God wanted people to look for him, and perhaps in searching all
around for him, they would find him. But he is not far from any of us. It
is through him that we are able to live, to do what we do, and to be who
we are. As your own poets have said, ‘We all come from him.’
Acts 17:27-28

You will see something of the amazing wonder of God’s

plan for your salvation. You will see how he made it possible
to forgive a person and change his destiny, because he is
united with Christ. You will see how God sent his Son the
“Word” to become a human like you so that he could die in
your place and give you his righteousness in exchange for
your sin.
You will see how much God respects you because he gave
you a free will to choose to accept his affections or to turn
away. He does not dictate the outcome of your life nor over-
whelm you with his will. He loves you, respects you, is cheer-
ing for you, and only wants the very best for you both now
and in eternity.
God has taken many first steps to woo your affections and
is hoping that you will love him in return. How you respond
will determine your future.
 1.

God, a very present help

What are some of the things that God does for his crea-
tion and particularly the human race? What is his attitude to-
wards us? Can we trust him to really want the best for us, or
is he a self-centered ogre who only cares about himself? Is he
easily angered and quick to punish or take revenge on people
who hurt or defy him? What is God really like?

A. God wants to help us and bless us with good things

–

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. There-

fore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall
into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the moun-
tains quake with their surging. Psalm 46:1-3 NIV

The meaning of the word translated “ever-present” is very

emphatic: "he is found an ‘exceeding’ or ‘superlative’ help in
difficulties."

The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet

of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.
Habakkuk 3:19 NIV

But God was always there doing the good things that prove he is real.
He gives you rain from heaven and good harvests at the right times. He
gives you plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.
Acts 14:17
12 God is with us

This was Paul’s statement to a group of unbelieving

Gentiles in Asia Minor. The good blessings and provision
of God extend to all of his creatures, not only those who
have put their faith in him.

Look at the birds. They don’t plant, harvest, or save food in

barns, but your heavenly Father feeds them. Don’t you know you are
worth much more than they are? Matthew 6:26

B. God is a loving, caring, affectionate Father for all

his children –

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should
be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the
world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends,
now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been
made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be
like him, for we shall see him as he is. 1 John 3:1-2
NIV

We Christians are not fully grown, matured sons of

God, but rather we are toddlers walking hand in hand with
our Daddy. He is on our right side (Isaiah 41:13), and our
older brother Jesus is on the other side, holding our other
hand.

My sheep listen to my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I

give my sheep eternal life. They will never die, and no one can take
them out of my hand. My Father is the one who gave them to me,
and he is greater than all. No one can steal my sheep out of his
hand.
John 10:27-29

We don‘t have to stand up to the enemies in the world

with our own strength. We don’t have to pretend to be
fully grown and able to defend ourselves. Our Lord Jesus
and our Daddy can fight all the battles for us if we will
 1. God, a very present help 13

only learn to trust in their care and be at peace. Throughout

the whole Bible, God is saying, “Trust me.” It’s not like the
promise made by John Wayne in one of his movies: “Don’t
worry little girl. We’re not going to let anything happen to
you.” Men make promises they cannot keep, but God always
keeps his promises, and also will overflow his blessings to us
when we sincerely trust him.

C. God is the most compassionate person who ever ex-

isted –

Then the LORD came down to him in a cloud, stood there with Mo-
ses, and spoke his own name. That is, the LORD passed in front of
Moses and said, “YAHWEH, the LORD, is a kind and merciful
God. He is slow to become angry. He is full of great love. He can be
trusted. He shows his faithful love to thousands of people. He forgives
people for the wrong things they do, but he does not forget to punish guilty
people. Exodus 34:5-7a

(See also 2 Chronicles 30:9; Nehemiah 9:17; Psalm 86:15;

Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2)

He is more compassionate than the most loving mother

could ever be.

"Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion
on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!
Isaiah 49:15 NIV

I will comfort you like a mother comforting her child. You will be
comforted in Jerusalem. Isaiah 66:13

From far away, the LORD will appear to his people. The Lord says,
“I love you people with a love that continues forever. That is why I have
continued showing you kindness. Jeremiah 31:3
14 God is with us

Those of us who believe in God and all he has said are

very proud of our Dad. We aren’t ashamed to be seen with
him in public. We don’t try to hide the fact that we are his
children. We acknowledge our dependence on him. We
don’t hesitate to call, “Dad, Dad!” And he doesn’t hesitate
to answer, “Yes son. What is it?” And we say, “Could I
have a drink of water?” “I can’t sleep,” etc. A child who
loves and trusts his father has a free line of communica-
tion with him. He doesn’t have to schedule a meeting at a
certain time each day to talk things over – it is spontane-
ous.
It is often said that the best time in the life of a parent
is when his children are little and fully dependent on him.
Could that also be what God our Heavenly Father enjoys
the most – when we are totally dependent on him and
trusting him for our every need?
God desires and loves to show mercy. He punishes out
of necessity, not out of taking pleasure in it.

D. Here are some of the things that God does for us:
The first ones are unconditional and have nothing to do
with what we do.

1. The most important thing God does for us is to

love us.

We are his creation, we are made in his image, and we

have been given his breath of life. In all of his creation,
there is nothing more highly prized than a human being.
Even after the fall of man into rebellion against God’s au-
thority, he still loved us and worked to save us.

John 3:16-17 (NIV), tells us: For God so loved the world
that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall
not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into
the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
 1. God, a very present help 15

Your faithful love is higher than the highest clouds in the sky!
Psalm 57:10

Your faithful love is better than life, so my lips praise you.

Psalm 63:3

God’s purpose is to rescue man from his dire predicament

and coming isolation and suffering. He and the Son paid an
extremely high price to ransom us. They have done every-
thing they can to achieve that purpose, and now the outcome
for each person depends on his individual response to God’s
initiative.

2. He respects us as persons and honors our freedom

to choose.

He is not a control freak who micromanages every detail

of our lives. He allows us to make choices, some very good,
some very bad, and many of little consequence. Although he
has the power to control the whole universe to the most finite
detail, he has given some freedom to the living creatures, es-
pecially to man, the acme of his creation. He gives man the
ability and freedom to follow his Creator’s wisdom and pur-
pose, or to reject his supremacy over us. He wants to have an
intimate, personal, one-to-one relationship with each of us.
He wants us as his friends, not as his slaves.

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his
master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that
I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
John 15:15 NIV

3. He wants to be in a love relationship with us and

is actively trying to be reconciled with us.

He is not standing idly by waiting to see what happens,

but is proactive in trying to persuade us to be reconciled to
16 God is with us

him. He offers to forgive us all our sins. He paid the pen-

alty for our transgressions through the blood of his Son
Jesus on the cross. In the past, he sent out multitudes of
messengers called prophets to communicate his message
to mankind, and today he sends out millions of evangelists
to proclaim the good news of his offer of forgiveness and
redemption.

All this is from God. Through Christ, God made peace between
himself and us. And God gave us the work of bringing people into
peace with him. I mean that God was in Christ, making peace be-
tween the world and himself. In Christ, God did not hold people
guilty for their sins. And he gave us this message of peace to tell
people. So we have been sent to speak for Christ. It is like God is
calling to people through us. We speak for Christ when we beg you
to be at peace with God.
2 Corinthians 5:18-20

4. He provides food for all the creatures, and pro-

vides for life’s on-going needs.

We are told that he causes it to rain on both the good

and the evil. He provides seed for the sower and bread for
the hungry. Every good gift comes down from above, and
God is working steadily as a provider and sustainer of all
his creation. He has not made the world and left it to fare
for itself, but he is here constantly maintaining his master-
piece. God is not a clock-maker who wound the clock and
went away like the deists believe. He never calls in sick or
takes a vacation.

In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his

work to this very day, and I too am working.”
John 5:17 NIV
 1. God, a very present help 17

Though God rested on the seventh day from all his crea-
tion, he has not rested from doing the maintenance and
providing for its continued welfare.

Abraham gave God the name, “Jehovah Jireh” – The Lord

will provide: Then Abraham noticed a ram whose horns were caught
in a bush. So Abraham went and took the ram. He offered it, instead
of his son, as a sacrifice to God. So Abraham gave that place a name,
“The LORD Provides.” Even today people say, “On the mountain of
the LORD, he will give us what we need.”
Genesis 22:13-14

God is the one who gives seed to those who plant, and he gives bread
for food. And God will give you spiritual seed and make that seed grow.
He will produce a great harvest from your goodness. God will make you
rich in every way so that you can always give freely. And your giving
through us will make people give thanks to God.
2 Corinthians 9:10-11

“So don’t be afraid of those people. Everything that is hidden will be

shown. Everything that is secret will be made known. I tell you all this
secretly, but I want you to tell it publicly. Whatever I tell you pri-
vately, you should shout for everyone to hear. “Don’t be afraid of people.
They can kill the body, but they cannot kill the soul. The only one you
should fear is God, the one who can send the body and the soul to be
destroyed in hell. When birds are sold, two small birds cost only a penny.
But not even one of those little birds can die without your Father knowing
it. God even knows how many hairs are on your head. So don’t be
afraid. You are worth more than a whole flock of birds.
Matthew 10:26-31

The Greek wording really implies that a sparrow cannot

fall to the ground “without God being present.” He attends
the funeral of every bird.

5. He delights to show mercy

18 God is with us

For the LORD your God is a compassionate God; He will not

fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers
which He swore to them. Deuteron-
omy 4:31NASB

“But you are so kind! You didn’t completely destroy them. You
didn’t leave them. You are such a kind and merciful God! But in your
great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you
are a gracious and merciful God. Nehemiah 9:31

God will forgive his people who survive. He will not stay angry with
them forever, because he enjoys being kind.
Micah 7:18

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that

we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Hebrews 4:16 NIV

Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips will praise

You. Psalm 63:3 NASB

The following things he does are conditional,

based on whether we believe God and how we act.

1. He can make you his child and give you his life

He came to the world that was his own. And his own people did
not accept him. But some people did accept him. They believed in
him, and he gave them the right to become children of God. They
became God’s children, but not in the way babies are usually born.
It was not because of any human desire or plan. They were born from
God himself. John 1:11-13

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God has
great mercy, and because of his mercy he gave us a new life. This new life
brings us a living hope through Jesus Christ’s resurrection from
 1. God, a very present help 19

death. Now we wait to receive the blessings God has for his children.
These blessings are kept for you in heaven. They cannot be ruined or be
destroyed or lose their beauty. God’s power protects you through your
faith, and it keeps you safe until your salvation comes. That salvation is
ready to be given to you at the end of time.
1 Peter 1:3-5

See how very much our Father loves us, for He calls us His children,
and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don't
recognize that we are God's children because they don't know Him. Dear
friends, we are already God's children, but He has not yet shown us
what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will
be like Him, for we will see Him as He really is.
1 John 3:1-2 NLT

Everything good comes from God. Every perfect gift is from him.
These good gifts come down from the Father who made all the lights in
the sky. But God never changes like the shadows from those lights. He
is always the same. God decided to give us life through the true message
he sent to us. He wanted us to be the most important of all that he
created.
James 1:17-18

Every other conditional blessing depends on becoming

his child. He has obligations and affections for his children
that he doesn’t have for those who are not.

2. He can forgive you

So now anyone who is in Christ Jesus is not judged guilty. That is

because in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit that brings life made
you free. It made you free from the law that brings sin and death.
Romans 8:1-2

At one time you were separated from God. You were his enemies in
your minds, because the evil you did was against him. But now he has
made you his friends again. He did this by the death Christ suffered
20 God is with us

while he was in his body. He did it so that he could present you to

himself as people who are holy, blameless, and without anything that
would make you guilty before him. Colossians1:21-22

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of

sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on
us. With all wisdom and understanding. Ephesians 1:7-8 NIV

This forgiveness depends on our repentance and

belief in Jesus, God’s eternal Son.

3. He can answer your prayers

When you call on God by faith and with humility, God

will always give you what you ask for or something better.
He cannot always answer “yes” because we often don’t
know what to ask for or have the wrong motives in our
asking. Also, God cannot violate his nature, his morality,
or his promises. He will not give anyone something that is
not in his power to give.

You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask,
you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may
spend what you get on your pleasures. James 4:2b-3
NIV

". . . if my people, who are called by my name, will humble

themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked
ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and
will heal their land. 2 Chronicles
7:14 NIV

And if you ask for anything in my name, I will do it for you.

Then the Father’s glory will be shown through the Son. If you ask
me for anything in my name, I will do it. John 14:13-14
 1. God, a very present help 21

In that day you will not have to ask me about anything. And I
assure you, my Father will give you anything you ask him for in my
name. You have never asked for anything in this way before. But ask in
my name, and you will receive. And you will have the fullest joy possible.
John 16:23-24

Elijah was a person just like us. He prayed that it would not rain.
And it did not rain on the land for three and a half years! Then Elijah
prayed that it would rain. And the rain came down from the sky, and
the land grew crops again. James 5:17-18

4. He can give you hope

Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.

Psalm 62:5 NIV

Remember your word to your servant, for you have given me hope.
Psalm 119:49 NIV

“I say this because I know the plans that I have for you.” This
message is from the LORD. “I have good plans for you. I don’t plan to
hurt you. I plan to give you hope and a good future.”
Jeremiah 29:11

No one who hopes in you will ever be put to shame, but shame will
come on those who are treacherous without cause. Show me your ways,
LORD, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for
you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.
Psalm 25:3-5 NIV

I pray that the God who gives hope will fill you with much joy and
peace as you trust in him. Then you will have more and more hope, and
it will flow out of you by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13

God is the giver of and the object of our hope. Aside from
God, there is no other hope that will lead to receiving what
22 God is with us

we hope for. Hope in anything but the true God and his
promises will eventually lead to frustration and disap-
pointment.

5. He can take away your worries.

Give your worries to the LORD, and he will care for you. He will
never let those who are good be defeated. Psalm 55:22

So be humble under God’s powerful hand. Then he will lift you

up when the right time comes. Give all your worries to him, because
he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7

The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those

who trust in him. Nahum 1:7 NIV

We are admonished to turn our cares, worries, and anx-

ieties over to him. He will take charge of the worrying de-
partment. A toddler does not need to worry about where
his next meal is coming from or whether his clothes will
get washed. Neither does a child of God need to worry
about the provision of his daily needs.

“And why do you worry about clothes? Look at the wildflowers in

the field. See how they grow. They don’t work or make clothes for them-
selves. But I tell you that even Solomon, the great and rich king, was not
dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers. If God makes what grows
in the field so beautiful, what do you think he will do for you? It’s just
grass—one day it’s alive, and the next day someone throws it into a fire.
But God cares enough to make it beautiful. Surely he will do much more
for you. Your faith is so small! “Don’t worry and say, ‘What will we
eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ That’s what
those people who don’t know God are always thinking about. Don’t
worry, because your Father in heaven knows that you need all these
things. What you should want most is God’s kingdom and doing what
he wants you to do. Then he will give you all these other things you
 1. God, a very present help 23

need. So don’t worry about tomorrow. Each day has enough trouble of
its own. Tomorrow will have its own worries.
Matthew 6:28-34

6. He will help you

"I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in Me will do the same
works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be
with the Father. You can ask for anything in My name, and I will do
it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask Me for any-
thing in My name, and I will do it! John 14:12-14 NLT

Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go

ahead of you. He will be with you; He will neither fail you nor abandon
you. Deuteronomy 31:8 NLT

Jesus, our high priest, is able to understand our weaknesses. When

Jesus lived on earth, he was tempted in every way. He was tempted in
the same ways we are tempted, but he never sinned. With Jesus as our
high priest, we can feel free to come before God’s throne where there is
grace. There we receive mercy and kindness to help us when we need it.
Hebrews 4:15-16

7. He can guide you and protect you

. . . Even there your hand will guide me; your right hand will hold
me fast. Psalm 139:10 NIV

God continually works to guide and protect us.

8. He can comfort you

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Fa-
ther of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all
our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the com-
fort we ourselves receive from God. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NIV
24 God is with us

I have seen their ways, but I will heal them; I will guide them
and restore comfort to Israel’s mourners. Isaiah 57:18 NIV

Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe

also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so,
would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for
you?
John 14:1-2 NIV

9. He can give you confidence

We can come to God with no doubts. This means that when we

ask God for things (and those things agree with what God wants
for us), God cares about what we say. He listens to us every time
we ask him. So we know that he gives us whatever we ask from
him.
1 John 5:14-15

So we can feel sure and say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be
afraid. People can do nothing to me.” Hebrews 13:6

10. He can give you victory over your enemies

Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not panic or be terrified by

them. For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight
for you against your enemies to give you victory.
Deuteron-
omy 20:3b-4 NIV

I do not trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory;

but you give us victory over our enemies, you put our adversaries to
shame. Psalm 44:6-7
NIV

This does not mean that he will destroy anyone we

don’t like, or anyone we want to overcome. He is not our
attack dog who we can sic on anyone we are at odds with.
 1. God, a very present help 25

Instead, he is committed to defend those who are his and put

their trust in him. Anyone who comes against us because we
are allied with the Lord will sooner or later be destroyed.
Every human being has enemies. The first is Satan, who
wants to destroy everything that is good and all that God
made. Also, since hate is prevalent in the world, most every-
one is hated by someone. Those of us who have been re-born
into God’s family are the natural enemies of those who are
still in the family of Satan.
“The Lord is on our side, whom shall I fear?”; this does not
mean that he does everything that we want, but that he does
everything he wants to defend the orphan, the widow, the
helpless, and especially those who are his own children.
When we cry out to him with a legitimate need, he rescues us
in an appropriate way and at an appropriate time.

“If the world hates you, remember that they hated me first. If you
belonged to the world, the world would love you as it loves its own people.
But I have chosen you to be different from those in the world. So you
don’t belong to the world, and that is why the world hates you.
John 15:18

11. He will reward you according to your faith and

deeds

. . . and with you, Lord, is unfailing love”; and, “You reward eve-
ryone according to what they have done.” Psalm 62:12 NIV

But I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I
give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.
Jeremiah 17:10 NLT

The Son of Man will come again with his Father’s glory and with
his angels. And he will reward everyone for what they have done.
Matthew 16:27
26 God is with us

Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materi-

als—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But on the judgment day,
fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will
show if a person's work has any value. If the work survives, that builder
will receive a reward. 1 Corinthians 3:12-14 NLT

12. He will take all of his children to live with him

for eternity

“Father, I want these people you have given me to be with me in

every place I am. I want them to see my glory—the glory you gave me
because you loved me before the world was made.
John 17:24

We know that our body—the tent we live in here on earth—will

be destroyed. But when that happens, God will have a home for us
to live in. It will not be the kind of home people build here. It will be
a home in heaven that will continue forever.
2 Corinthians 5:1

But the government that rules us is in heaven. We are waiting

for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come from there. He will
change our humble bodies and make them like his own glorious body.
Christ can do this by his power, with which he is able to rule every-
thing.
Philippians 3:20-21
Martin Luther, who some call the Father of the Refor-
mation, had learned to trust in God, not in the church or
in his own strength, and so he wrote this great hymn.

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;

Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel
hate, On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be

 1. God, a very present help 27

losing;
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God's own
choosing:
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled, should

threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to
triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them,

abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us
sideth:
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God's truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.

The God of the deist is there (at a distance), but the God
of the trusting Christian is here (nearby). God is ever present
with us at our side. He is not a God who is far away and out
of reach. He is present and a more than able help in trouble.
God is watching my life develop according to his guid-
ance. He is my loving Father, my friend, my supporter, my
confidante, my deliverer, and relates to me and helps me in
lots of other ways. It means that I am dependent on a living,
“breathing” person with whom I have a love relationship. I
am not locked into a computer program where no one, in-
cluding God can intervene.

I look up to the hills, but where will my help really come from? My
help will come from the LORD, the Creator of heaven and earth. He will
28 God is with us

not let you fall. Your Protector will not fall asleep. Israel’s Protector does
not get tired. He never sleeps. The LORD is your Protector.
The LORD stands by your side, shading and protecting you. The sun
cannot harm you during the day, and the moon cannot harm you at
night. The LORD will protect you from every danger. He will protect
your soul. The LORD will protect you as you come and go, both now and
forever! Psalm 121:1-8

Unless the LORD had given me help, I would soon have dwelt in
the silence of death. When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your unfail-
ing love, LORD, supported me. When anxiety was great within
me, your consolation brought me joy. Psalm 94:17-
19 NIV

It is a great blessing for people to have the God of Jacob to help them.
They depend on the LORD their God. He made heaven and earth. He
made the sea and everything in it. He can be trusted to do what he says.
He does what is right for those who have been hurt. He gives food to the
hungry. The LORD frees people locked up in prison. The LORD makes
the blind see again. The LORD helps those who are in trouble.
The LORD loves those who do right. The LORD protects strangers in
our country. He cares for widows and orphans, but he destroys the
wicked. Psalm 146:5-9

I am the LORD your God, who holds your right hand. And I tell
you, ‘Don’t be afraid! I will help you.’ People of Israel, descendants of
Jacob, you may be weak and worthless, but do not be afraid. I myself
will help you.” This is what the LORD himself says. “I am the Holy
One of Israel, the one who saves you. Isaiah 41:13

The challenge of faith –

Will you trust God and his promises? Men believe what
they believe not based on an intellectual analysis of the
evidence, but rather on a decision of the will. Our emo-
tions may nudge us to make decisions, but our emotions
do not make our decisions for us. In Marriage Encounter
 1. God, a very present help 29

ministries, we often used the term, “Love is a decision.” Be-

lieving in God and Christ the Son of God is a decision of the
will. Will you believe, or will you keep on rejecting God’s
control in your life and rebelling against him?
There is overwhelming evidence in our world showing
God’s existence and his wonderful nature. However, many
men choose to ignore the evidence. They make a decision,
not based on the evidence they see, but rather based on what
they will to do. Other men look at the same evidence, and
make the decision to believe in God and what he has revealed
to them. It is not the evidence that proves something beyond
a doubt. It is the decision of the will of the person whether
he wants to believe or not. You cannot prove the existence
of a nose to a person who refuses to believe that he has one.
We may say, “It’s as plain as the nose on your face” but if he
doesn’t want to believe, he will not believe regardless of any
amount of evidence.
It is the same with belief in God. His existence is so plain
and so obvious that a person can’t miss it, but he can choose
to ignore it. If he chooses to ignore it, he will contrive all
kinds of weird explanations to deny God’s existence. You
cannot convince him by giving him more evidence or appeal-
ing to his reason. It is a choice he has made, and only he can
choose to change it.
The Bible shows us a wonderful God who created us, but
who didn’t abandon us when we rebelled against him. He has
done everything possible to rescue us and guide us to the path
that leads to eternal life. Even if we continue to reject him,
he patiently woos us trying to get us to believe in him and
trust him so that he can deliver us from coming condemna-
tion and judgment. God is on your side. He lovingly, deep
from his heart, desires all the best for you and is saddened if
you do not believe in him.
If you do believe in him and accept his Son Jesus, then
you have no better friend in all existence. Not only has he
forgiven you, but he is preparing a banquet, a home, and a
paradise for you.
30 God is with us
 2.

Does God have feelings?

This old hymn from the 1800s by Walter C. Smith de-

scribes the average Christian’s view of what God is like:

Immortal, invisible, God only wise,

In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious, Thy great Name we praise.
Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
Nor wanting, nor wasting, Thou rulest in might;
Thy justice, like mountains, high soaring above
Thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love.
To all, life Thou givest, to both great and small;
In all life Thou livest, the true life of all;
We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree,
And wither and perish—but naught changeth Thee.
Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,
Thine angels adore Thee, all veiling their sight;
But of all Thy rich graces this grace, Lord, impart
Take the veil from our faces, the vile from our heart.
All laud we would render; O help us to see
’Tis only the splendor of light hideth Thee,
And so let Thy glory, Almighty, impart,
Through Christ in His story, Thy Christ to the heart.

This hymn is true and exalts the power and the superiority
of God. But by only presenting one aspect of the God re-
vealed in the Bible, it distorts our understanding of who God
is. It would appear from this hymn that God has no feelings
and is impervious to our needs and our cries to him. It is
32 God is with us

partly because of hymns like this that most people do not

know God very well, if at all. This hymn is typical of the
view of God that believes him to be unmovable, insensi-
tive, unconcerned, and without feelings for the suffering
of his creatures.
I pray that through this study at least part of the prayer
in this hymn will be answered: “Take the veil from our
faces.”
Most people form their image of God based on people
they have known. If a person has had cruel and unloving
parents, their image of God is usually that he is a tyrant
who doesn’t care about the welfare of his creatures. It is
very difficult to correct this mistaken image. Suffice it to
say that you can sum up all the good you have ever seen
in persons you have known and it won’t be more than a
drop in the proverbial bucket compared to the goodness
of God. Add up the wonderful light of a thousand candles,
but it is nothing compared to the light of the sun at noon-
day.
We should worship God for his character, not just for
his abilities. What he does is a direct product of who he is.
We usually fear God for his great power, but we ought to
worship him for his innate goodness. When we emphasize
and exalt mainly his power and great ability, we make him
seem like a sterile, unfeeling God. When we emphasize his
compassion, mercy, love, patience and other character vir-
tues, we see God as a loving family member and a person
who feels and identifies with our weakness.
God has moral purity and selflessness. This is far more
important than his omnipotence. With Jonah and the Ni-
nevites, God preferred to show his mercy rather than his
power. He could easily have destroyed them all and they
deserved it. But he chose to show his mercy because that
is who he is.
God is a very feeling God. He created us in his image
with intellect, emotions and will. We have emotions be-
cause God has emotions. We can only love because God
 3. God's purpose and plan in creation 33

loves. Star Trek presented us with two characters that could

feel no emotions: Spock and Data. One episode has Data
working on and trying out his emotions chip, and as a result
crying for the first time. Many theologians believe that God
is like these two Star Trek characters and can feel nothing.
Sometimes theologians get it right and sometimes they get it
wrong – this is one of the latter. God has emotions and they
are not the same every day and in every situation. Though his
character and moral virtue never change, his emotions do, as
I am sure Walter C. Smith, the writer of the above hymn,
discovered when he reached the throne of God.

1. Some of God’s feelings as revealed in Scripture:

A. God is a compassionate God

Literally, this means that he shares the feelings of other

people.
Compassion - feeling or showing sympathy and concern for others.
-synonyms: sympathetic, empathetic, understanding, caring, solicitous,
sensitive, warm, loving compassion is the feeling of empathy for others.
Compassion is the emotion that we feel in response to the suffering of
others and that motivates a desire to help.

As stated, some theologians want to have a God who

loves, but who doesn’t feel. They describe a God who cannot
be moved by the plight or the petitions of men. This kind of
God would be no better than a plaster saint sitting on your
mantle.
When the Bible describes God and his nature it almost
invariably says that he is compassionate.

“If you loan money to any of my people, that is, the poor among you,
don’t be like a moneylender and charge them interest. You might take
their cloak to make sure they pay the money back, but you must give
that cloak back to them before sunset. That cloak might be their only
34 God is with us

protection against the cold when they lie down to sleep. If they call to
me for help, I will listen because I am kind (compassionate).
Exodus 22:25-27

And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD,

the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger,
abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands,
and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Exodus 34:6
NIV

If you return to the LORD, then your brothers and your chil-
dren will be shown compassion by their captors and will come back
to this land, for the LORD your God is gracious and compassionate.
He will not turn his face from you if you return to him.
2
Chronicles 30:9 NIV

They refused to listen, and did not remember Your wondrous deeds
which You had performed among them; So they became stubborn and
appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But You are a
God of forgiveness, Gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger and
abounding in lovingkindness; And You did not forsake them.
Nehemiah 9:16-17
NASB

But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow

to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.
Psalm 86:15
NIV

The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger,

abounding in love. Psalm 103:8
NIV

He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the LORD is

gracious and compassionate. Psalm 111:4 NIV
 3. God's purpose and plan in creation 35

The LORD is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and

filled with unfailing love. Psalm 145:8 NLT

Tear your hearts, not your clothes. Come back to the LORD your
God. He is kind and merciful. He does not become angry quickly. He
has great love. Maybe he will change his mind about the bad punishment
he planned. Joel 2:13

But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry. He prayed to

the LORD, "O LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at
home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you
are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in
love, a God who relents from sending calamity.
Jonah 4:1-2 NIV

The next day Jesus and his followers went to a town called Nain. A
big crowd was traveling with them. When Jesus came near the town gate,
he saw some people carrying a dead body. It was the only son of a woman
who was a widow. Walking with her were many other people from the
town. When the Lord saw the woman, he felt very sorry for her and said,
“Don’t cry.” Luke 7:11-13
NLT – His heart overflowed with compassion, and he said, “Don’t
cry.”

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Fa-
ther of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all
our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort
we ourselves have received from God.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NIV

We often study the different names for God, like “El

Shaddai,” the Mighty One; or “Jehovah Jireh,” the God who
provides. But this passage is telling us that our God is also
the God who not only has compassion, but who gave it birth.
He is also the God who is the origin of all comfort. There
would be no compassion nor comfort of any kind on the
earth or in Heaven if it had not originated in God himself.
36 God is with us

After reading these descriptions of God’s character, how

could anyone say that God is not moved by his feelings
for us?

B. In the above verses we also saw that God was

gracious

Definition of grace:
1. Characterized by kindness and warm courtesy.
2. Characterized by tact and propriety: “He responded
to the insult with gracious humor.”
3. Of a merciful or compassionate nature.
4. Condescendingly courteous; indulgent.
5. Characterized by charm or beauty; graceful.
6. Characterized by elegance and good taste: gracious
living.

C. Also the Bible describes God as a person com-

mitted to loving relationships

Definition of Love –
1. An intense feeling of deep affection. "Babies fill
parents with intense feelings of love."
2. A person or thing that one loves. "She was the love
of his life."

So remember that the LORD your God is the only God, and you
can trust him! He keeps his agreement. He shows his love and kind-
ness to all people who love him and obey his commands. He continues
to show his love and kindness through a thousand generations, . . .
Deuteronomy 7:9

“If you listen to these laws, and if you are careful to obey them,
the LORD your God will keep his agreement of love with you. He
promised this to your ancestors. He will love you and bless you. He
will make your nation grow. He will bless your children. He will
bless your fields with good crops and will give you grain, new wine,
 3. God's purpose and plan in creation 37

and oil. He will bless your cows with calves and your sheep with lambs.
You will have all these blessings in the land that he promised your an-
cestors to give you. Deuteronomy
7:12-13

Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the
whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven and said:
"O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or
on earth below--you who keep your covenant of love with your servants
who continue wholeheartedly in your way.
1 Kings 8:22-23 NIV

Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer or withdraw His unfailing
love from me. Psalm 66:20 NLT

As for me, LORD, this is my prayer to you: Please accept me! God,
I want you to answer me with love. I know I can trust you to save me.
Psalm 69:13

Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that
everyone who believes in him would not be lost but have eternal life.
John 3:16

And this hope will never disappoint us. We know this because God
has poured out his love to fill our hearts through the Holy Spirit he gave
us. Romans 5:5

But in all these troubles we have complete victory through God, who
has shown his love for us. Yes, I am sure that nothing can separate us
from God’s love—not death, life, angels, or ruling spirits. I am sure that
nothing now, nothing in the future, no powers, nothing above us or noth-
ing below us—nothing in the whole created world—will ever be able to
separate us from the love God has shown us in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:37-39

But God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so much, that even

though we were dead because of our sins, He gave us life when He raised
38 God is with us

Christ from the dead. (It is only by God's grace that you have been
saved!) Ephesians 2:4-5 NLT

I pray that Christ will live in your hearts because of your faith.
I pray that your life will be strong in love and be built on love. And
I pray that you and all God’s holy people will have the power to
understand the greatness of Christ’s love—how wide, how long, how
high, and how deep that love is. Christ’s love is greater than anyone
can ever know, but I pray that you will be able to know that love.
Ephesians 3:17-19

You are God’s dear children, so try to be like him. Live a life of
love. Love others just as Christ loved us. He gave himself for us—a
sweet-smelling offering and sacrifice to God.
Ephesians 5:1-2

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we
should be called children of God! And that is what we are!
1 John 3:1 NIV

Dear friends, we should love each other, because love comes from God.
Everyone who loves has become God’s child. And so everyone who loves
knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because
God is love. This is how God showed his love to us: He sent his only
Son into the world to give us life through him. True love is God’s love
for us, not our love for God. He sent his Son as the way to take away
our sins. That is how much God loved us, dear friends! So we also must
love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other,
God lives in us. If we love each other, God’s love has reached its goal—
it is made perfect in us. 1 John 4:7-12

So we know the love that God has for us, and we trust that love. God
is love. Everyone who lives in love lives in God, and God lives in them. If
God’s love is made perfect in us, we can be without fear on the day when
God judges the world. We will be without fear, because in this world we
are like Jesus. Where God’s love is, there is no fear, because God’s
 3. God's purpose and plan in creation 39

perfect love takes away fear. It is his punishment that makes a person
fear. So his love is not made perfect in the one who has fear.
1 John 4:16-18

Love is not only an emotion, but it certainly involves the

emotions. God’s love is not a sterile, emotionless, unaffected
concern for us. His love originates in his heart and his heart
is full of intense feelings.
How much does God love his children? Jesus said in John
17:23 that the Father loves us just as much as he loved him.
May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you
sent me and that you love them as much as you love me (NIV).

D. God is often grieved by man’s behavior

To grieve:
1. to cause (someone) to feel sad or unhappy
2. to feel or show grief or sadness

The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had be-
come, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil
all the time. The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the
earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the LORD said, "I will
wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth--men and
animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air-
-for I am grieved that I have made them."
Genesis 6:5-7 NIV

So the LORD sent a plague on Israel, and seventy thousand men of

Israel fell dead. And God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem. But as the
angel was doing so, the LORD saw it and was grieved because of the
calamity and said to the angel who was destroying the people, "Enough!
Withdraw your hand." 1 Chronicles 21:14-15 NIV

Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel: "I am grieved that I
have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not
carried out my instructions." 1 Samuel 15:10-11 NIV
40 God is with us

Then Samuel left for Ramah, but Saul went up to his home in
Gibeah of Saul. Until the day Samuel died, he did not go to see Saul
again, though Samuel mourned for him. And the LORD was
grieved that he had made Saul king over Israel.
1 Samuel 15:34-35
NIV

Oh, they caused him so much trouble in the desert! They made him
so sad. Psalm 78:40

But I will spare some, for some of you will escape the sword when
you are scattered among the lands and nations. Then in the nations
where they have been carried captive, those who escape will remember
me--how I have been grieved by their adulterous hearts, which have
turned away from me, and by their eyes, which have lusted after their
idols. They will loathe themselves for the evil they have done and for
all their detestable practices. And they will know that I am the
LORD; I did not threaten in vain to bring this calamity on them.

Ezekiel 6:8-10 NIV

Time after time, God was very sad to the point of a

broken heart because his creatures rebelled against all his
good influence and had not turned out like he had hoped.

When you talk, don’t say anything bad. But say the good things
that people need—whatever will help them grow stronger. Then what
you say will be a blessing to those who hear you. And don’t make
the Holy Spirit sad. God gave you his Spirit as proof that you belong
to him and that he will keep you safe until the day he makes you
free.
Ephesians 4:29-30

E. God rejoices when his children do what is right

 3. God's purpose and plan in creation 41

Your children will commit themselves to you, O Jerusalem, just as a

young man commits himself to his bride. Then God will rejoice over you
as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride. Isaiah 62:5 NLT

"The LORD your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior. He

will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice
over you with shouts of joy. Zephaniah 3:17 NASB

F. God is pleased and displeased

Moses said to the LORD, "You told me to lead these people, but
you did not say who you would send with me. You said to me, 'I know
you very well, and I am pleased with you.' Moses said to the LORD, If
I have really pleased you, then teach me your ways. I want to know you.
Then I can continue to please you. Remember that these people are your
nation." Exodus 33:12-13

Then the LORD said to Moses, "I will do what you ask. I will do
this because I am pleased with you and because I know you very well."
Exodus 33:17

It is a land filled with many good things. If the LORD is pleased

with us, he will lead us into that land. And he will give that land to us.
Numbers 14:8

"I wish one of you would close the Temple doors to stop the lighting
of useless fires on my altar. I am not pleased with you. I will not accept
your gifts." This is what the LORD All-Powerful said.
Malachi 1:10

Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give
you the kingdom. (NIV) Luke 12:32
NLT - It gives your Father great happiness to give you the kingdom.

But God was not pleased with most of those people, so they were
killed in the desert. 1 Corinthians 10:5
42 God is with us

But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back,

I will not be pleased with him. Hebrews 10:38 NIV

Enoch was carried away from this earth, so he never died. The Scrip-
tures tell us that before he was carried off, he was a man who pleased
God. Later, no one knew where he was, because God had taken Enoch
to be with him. This all happened because he had faith.
Hebrews 11:5

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice

of praise--the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to
do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is
pleased. Hebrews 13:15-16
NIV

Being pleased or not pleased means a feeling of satis-

faction or dissatisfaction on the part of God. He is sensi-
tive to what men do and say. God observes and responds
to the actions of human beings and their actions provoke
responses.

G. God gets angry

But Moses begged the LORD his God, "LORD, don't let your
anger destroy your people. You brought them out of Egypt with your
great power and strength.” Exodus 32:11

You will live in the country a long time. You will have children
and grandchildren there. After all that time, be sure that you do not
then ruin your lives by making any kind of idol! That is something
the LORD your God considers evil, and it would make him very
angry!
Deuteronomy 4:25

The LORD your God is always with you, and he hates for his people
to worship other gods! So if you follow those other gods, the Lord will
 3. God's purpose and plan in creation 43

become very angry with you. He will destroy you from the face of the
earth. Deuteronomy 6:15

Remember this and never forget how you provoked the LORD your
God to anger in the desert. Deuteronomy 9:7 NIV

If you break the covenant of the LORD your God by worshiping

and serving other gods, His anger will burn against you, and you will
quickly vanish from the good land He has given you.
Joshua 23:16 NLT

It was the LORD, the God their ancestors worshiped, who had
brought the Israelites out of Egypt. But they stopped following him and
began to worship the false gods of the people living around them. This
made the LORD angry. Judges 2:12-13

And the anger of the LORD burned against Uzzah, and God
struck him down there for his irreverence; and he died there by the ark
of God. 2 Samuel 6:7 NASB

. . . because of all the sins Baasha and his son Elah had committed
and had caused Israel to commit, so that they provoked the LORD, the
God of Israel, to anger by their worthless idols.
1 Kings 16:13 NIV

See also: 1 Kings 22:53; 1 Chronicles 13:10; 1 Chronicles

15:13; 2 Chronicles 24:18; 2 Chronicles 28:25; 2 Chronicles
29:10; 2 Chronicles 30:8; Ezra 8:22; Ezra 10:14; Nehemiah
9:17; Job 4:9; Job 9:13; Job 16:9; Job 20:23; Job 21:17; Psalm
7:6; Psalm 27:9; Psalm 56:7; Psalm 74:1; Psalm 77:9; Psalm
80:4; Psalm 86:15; Jeremiah 42:18; Hosea 11:9; Joel 2:13; Jo-
nah 3:9; Jonah 4:2; Hebrews 4:3

H. God hates wickedness

The LORD examines those who are good and those who are wicked;
he hates those who enjoy hurting others.
44 God is with us

Psalm 11:5

I. God is a jealous God

Jealousy is often viewed as a negative trait in a person.

However, when a person is jealous over something that is
unjust, it is a positive thing. It is righteous indignation.
God has every right to be jealous about those who should
love him because he is their Creator and Sustainer, and to
be angry over their betrayal for other lovers.

You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD
your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any
other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire
family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of
those who reject Me. Exodus 20:5 NLT

Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is
Jealous, is a jealous God. Exodus 34:14

Joshua said to the people, "You are not able to serve the LORD.
He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your
rebellion and your sins. If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign
gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you,
after he has been good to you." Joshua 24:19-20

God deeply desires our affections for him. He has

every right to them and is insulted and hurt when we turn
away from him.

2. Jesus, the revelation of God’s character

As the Son of God in this world, Jesus was not an emo-

tionless automaton. He felt what we feel, weeping with
those who wept (John 11:35), feeling compassion for the
multitudes (Mark 6:34).
 3. God's purpose and plan in creation 45

Jesus saw the huge crowd as He stepped from the boat, and He had
compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So
He began teaching them many things.
Mark 6:34 NLT

He told Peter and the two sons of Zebedee to come with him. Then
he began to be very sad and troubled. Jesus said to Peter and the two
sons of Zebedee, "My heart is so heavy with grief, I feel as if I am dying.
Wait here and stay awake with me."
Matthew 26:37-38

Jesus, God in human form, revealed the nature of the Fa-

ther to us (John 14:9). When we see the feelings of Jesus, we
are seeing the feelings of the Father also.

Jesus answered, "Philip, I have been with you for a long time. So you
should know me. Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father too. So
why do you say, 'Show us the Father'? Don't you believe that I am in
the Father and the Father is in me? The things I have told you don't
come from me. The Father lives in me, and he is doing his own work.
John 14:9-10

Jesus wept. So the Jews were saying, "See how He loved him!"
John 11:35-36 NASB

No one can see God, but the Son is exactly like God. He rules over
everything that has been made. Colossians 1:15,19

Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that His hour had come
to leave this world and return to His Father. He had loved His disciples
during His ministry on earth, and now He loved them to the very end.
John 13:1 NLT

Jesus replied, "All who love Me will do what I say. My Father will
love them, and We will come and make Our home with each of them.
John 14:23 NLT
46 God is with us

Jesus is telling us that there is no difference between

his feelings and the feelings of the Father. He was the ex-
act revelation of the nature and feelings of God; Father,
Son and Holy Spirit. There is nothing that the human
mind and heart can know about God that was not revealed
fully in Jesus. There is much more to know about God,
but we cannot comprehend it until we are transferred out
of this life and into the heavenly realm and are made like
the Lord.

"So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long
way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion,
he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.
Luke 15:20
NLT

The father in this parable represents God the Father

and demonstrates God’s deep, intense feelings toward his
children.

3. Errant images of God

A God who cannot be moved by man’s pleadings

Reformed theology (classical theology) followed medieval tradi-

tions about God, traditions that often were derived more from Greek
philosophers like Aristotle than from the Bible. Aristotle said that
“God is the Unmoved Mover who moves everything, but who is him-
self not affected or moved by anything.
The emphasis in that theology is that God is totally different from
us and that he certainly does not have feelings like us. So, when we
read in the Bible about God being angry or jealous or envious, clas-
sical theology says, “We must take that as figurative language. That
is just a human way of talking about God, but God is not human.”
We should be deeply troubled by the obvious fact that what classical
Christian theology says about God and what the Bible says about
God are so blatantly different.
 3. God's purpose and plan in creation 47

In classical theology, feelings are regarded as weakness. Again, the

theologians got that more from human society than from the Bible. In
human society, there has always been the perception that thinking is a
masculine, strong trait, and feeling is a feminine, weak trait. Thus, we
admire great thinkers: from Plato and Aristotle to Albert Einstein and
Stephen Hawking. We do not admire those who feel deeply. We regard
them as weak and ineffectual people.
Classical theology defines “love” in such a way that it is not an emo-
tion. That is a devious trick of this theology. If you don’t like something,
you just redefine it into something you do like. A definition of love that
I was taught in seminary was: “a willingness to act for the benefit of
others.” That definition does not imply any feelings at all. That defini-
tion says that God will act for our benefit, but God does not share either
our sorrows or our joys. God is up there and we are down here, and never
the twain shall meet, at least not on any emotional level. Thus, classical
theology took a perfectly good word like “love,” a word loaded with emo-
tion and feelings, and stripped it down and twisted it around so that it
ceased to be have any emotion attached to it.
That is why it hurt so much when Israel rejected God. God is a lover
and when his love rejected him, he writhed with agony and pain. God is
the rejected lover and he hurts. We are not dealing with Aristotle’s Un-
moved Mover here. We are dealing with a God who loves infinitely well
and grieves infinitely deeply when the beloved discards him.
A God of love never wants any person to be lost. But God has created
us with free will and made us responsible for the exercise of our free
will—which implies that the only person who is responsible for me going
to heaven or to hell is me. Let me say that again. The only person who
can send you to heaven or hell is you.
Does God have Feelings? From a sermon by Tony Grant
(Sermoncentral.com)

Charles Finney said, “God enters fully into all the relations be-
tween himself and his creatures. I mean that he enters into these relations
with all his heart and all his soul. He is feelingly alive to them all. It
should ever be remembered that he is not a mere abstraction, an intellect
without volition, emotion or sympathy. But his feelings are infinitely in-
tense, so that every object in the universe, every creature, every want, every
48 God is with us

woe, every sorrow, and every joy, enkindle in the mind of God that
same feeling. In Jesus, we find the feelings of God most perfectly ex-
pressed.”
Again, Finney says, the “one great design of the incarnation
was to create a sympathy between God and men. Christ showed
God’s feelings for us. Christ taught us that God has the feelings and
heart of a father. A guilty child knows that a father’s heart can be
moved to forgiveness. Even so, we know that however guilty we are
in our sins, our father in heaven yearns over us and longs to forgive
us and save us from hell. All that we have to do is to accept God’s
forgiveness and accept his love.”
(from the Oberlin Evangelist lectures, October 9,
1839, Lecture XVIII)

b. God's Impassibility (changelessness)

God’s nature and moral character never change, and

his purpose never changes. However, his methods of
achieving his purpose can change according to need.
When classical theology describes God, its proponents
are describing an object like a computer, not a person. But
the true God is not like a computer that has no feelings or
personal relationships with its contacts. Classical theol-
ogy’s god is a wooden god, no less an idol than the ones
carved from wood and stone. Its god cannot weep, nor
answer a prayer, nor lift a hand to help the needy. I reject
that god as an aberration and an abomination that stinks
to high heaven.

4. Who God really is

The true God weeps at our sins, rejoices at our suc-

cesses, cheers us on in our challenges, holds our hand in
his tender grip, and only wants the very best for us. He
loves us more than any mother ever loved her child, and
he is more proud of his children than any earthly father
ever could be. He is a loving Daddy to all those who put
 3. God's purpose and plan in creation 49

their trust in Jesus, and an advocate for salvation for all those
who are still lost. He wants all humanity to be reconciled to
him and find the fullness of his love.
Someone has aptly said, “You can die without being
saved, but you can’t die without having been loved.” If you
are not saved from the judgment and condemnation to come,
it is not God’s fault. There is no more he can do to save you.
You will never find a person who has more feelings than
God.
50 God is with us
 3. God's purpose and plan in creation 51

3.

God's purpose and plan in creation

A. God wants a people/family of his own

God’s plan was to make a family for himself and have

many children who are like him. He doesn’t want them so
that he can manipulate them. He wants to have children to
bless them and give them his abundant life.
Healthy couples have a desire to reproduce themselves
and have a relationship with their offspring. They do it for
the children’s good as well as for their own. They desire off-
spring who will look like them, and have their life within
them. It is pure, healthy love that motivates someone to give
his life to others. God wanted to give life to others. He wants
to create offspring in his image.

Lord GOD, this is why you are so great! There is no one like you.
There is no god except you! We know that because of what we ourselves
have heard about what you did. And there is no nation on earth like
your people, Israel. They are a special people. They were slaves, but you
took them out of Egypt and made them free. You made them your people.
You did great and wonderful things for the Israelites and for your land.
You made the people of Israel your very own people forever, and LORD,
you became their God. 2 Samuel 7:22-24

All the people kept silent, and they were listening to Barnabas and
Paul as they were relating what signs and wonders God had done through
them among the Gentiles. After they had stopped speaking, James an-
swered, saying, "Brethren, listen to me. Simeon has related how God
first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people
for His name.” Acts 15:12-14 NASB
52 God is with us

He gave His life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us,
and to make us His very own people, totally committed to doing good
deeds. Titus 2:14 NLT

B. God wants to make children with his nature

Then God said, "Now let's make humans who will be like us. They
will rule over all the fish in the sea and the birds in the air. They will
rule over all the large animals and all the little things that crawl on the
earth." So God created humans in his own image. He created them to
be like himself. He created them male and female.
Genesis 1:26-27

If anyone takes a human life, that person's life will also be taken
by human hands. For God made human beings in His own image.
Genesis 9:6
NLT

Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are His
dear children. Ephesians 5:1 NLT

Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises,
so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape
the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
2 Peter 1:4 NIV

C. We can see with what high esteem God holds

man.

And furthermore, it is not angels who will control the future world
we are talking about. For in one place the Scriptures say, "What are
mere mortals that You should think about them, or a son of man that
You should care for him? Yet You made them only a little lower than
the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. [You gave them
charge of everything You made.] You gave them authority over all
things." Now when it says "all things," it means nothing is left out. But
 3. God's purpose and plan in creation 53

we have not yet seen all things put under their authority.
Hebrews 2:5-8 NLT

. . . and from Jesus Christ. Jesus is the faithful witness. He is first

among all who will be raised from death. He is the ruler of the kings of
the earth. Jesus is the one who loves us and has made us free from our
sins with his blood sacrifice. He made us his kingdom and priests who
serve God his Father. To Jesus be glory and power forever and ever!
Amen. Revelation 1:5-6

Therefore, angels are only servants—spirits sent to care for people

who will inherit salvation. Hebrews 1:14 NLT

The purpose and job of angels is to help in the whole pro-

cess of the birthing and revealing of God’s children. They are
not God’s children now, nor ever will become his children.
They do not inherit salvation. We might say that angels are
“mid-wives” for the children of God.

I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven
over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who
do not need to repent . . . In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing
in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
Luke 15:7, 10 NIV

D. The Father wants a bride for his son

And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and
to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you pur-
chased men for God from every tribe and language and people and na-
tion. Revelation 5:9 NIV

Let us rejoice and be happy and give God glory! Give God glory,
because the wedding of the Lamb has come. And the Lamb's bride has
made herself ready. Fine linen was given to the bride for her to wear. The
linen was bright and clean." (The fine linen means the good things that
God's holy people did.) Revelation 19:7-8
54 God is with us

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven
and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any
sea. I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of
heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her
husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now
the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They
will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their
God.
Revelation 21:1-3 NIV

E. God wants a healthy offspring not tainted by

disease

Humans don’t know what it is to be healthy. Because

our race began with two rebellious sinners, we were born
with a congenital defect. Since everyone is born that way,
we don’t realize that we are sick, or have any idea what it
means to be well. Someday those who have been reborn
with God’s nature will experience true health when all the
damage to the tissue (old body) is taken away. Jesus was a
healthy man in a sick world. He gave his untainted blood
as a sacrifice to heal all people who receive it.

Jesus said, "Believe me when I say that you must eat the body of the
Son of Man, and you must drink his blood. If you don't do this, you
have no real life. Those who eat my body and drink my blood have eternal
life. I will raise them up on the last day. My body is true food, and my
blood is true drink. Those who eat my body and drink my blood live in
me, and I live in them. "The Father sent me. He lives, and I live because
of him. So everyone who eats me will live because of me. I am not like
the bread that your ancestors ate. They ate that bread, but they still died.
I am the bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread
will live forever." John 6:53-58

And He took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave
it to them and said, "Each of you drink from it, for this is My blood,
 3. God's purpose and plan in creation 55

which confirms the covenant between God and His people. It is poured
out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many.
Matthew 26:27-28 NLT

All men need a blood “transfusion” to overcome the ge-

netic sickness called sin. He already gave it, but we must re-
ceive it to do us any good. There is a blood bank at the Cross
just waiting for people to come and get their transfusion.
In his book “Written in Blood”, Robert Coleman tells the
story of a little boy whose sister needed a blood transfusion.
The doctor explained that she had the same disease the boy
had recovered from two years earlier. Her best chance for
recovery was a transfusion from someone who had previ-
ously conquered the disease. Since the two children had the
same rare blood type, the boy was the ideal donor.

“Would you give your blood to Mary?” the doctor asked.

Johnny hesitated. His lower lip started to tremble. Then he smiled
and said, “Sure, for my sister.”
Soon the two children were wheeled into the hospital room—Mary,
pale and thin; Johnny, robust and healthy. Neither spoke, but when
their eyes met, Johnny grinned.
As the nurse inserted the needle into his arm, Johnny’s smile faded.
He watched the blood flow through the tube.
With the ordeal almost over, his voice, slightly shaky, broke the si-
lence. “Doctor, when do I die?
Only then did the doctor realize why Johnny had hesitated, why his
lip had trembled when he’d agreed to donate his blood. He’d thought
giving his blood to his sister meant giving up his life. In that brief mo-
ment, he’d made his great decision.
(Written in Blood, Robert E. Coleman, Fleming Revel,
1972)

Johnny, fortunately, didn’t have to die to save his sister.

Each of us, however, has a health condition much more seri-
ous than Mary’s, and it required Jesus to give not just his
blood but his life.
56 God is with us

F. Why Christ had to come to this world

Jesus came to undo the works of the devil. The devil

had wreaked havoc in the creation. Since man sinned, the
consequences and corruption were passed on to the rest
of all that God had made. The only way that the damage
could be undone was to redeem the creation by a blood
sacrifice of an innocent victim. Then, all things could be
made new without the devil’s interference.

Dear children, don't let anyone deceive you about this: When people
do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is right-
eous. But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the
devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came
to destroy the works of the devil.
1 John 3:7-8 NLT

This is the message of Good News for the people of Israel—that

there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. You
know what happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee, after John
began preaching his message of baptism. And you know that God
anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then
Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the
devil, for God was with Him. Acts 10:36-38 NLT

Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change
those people's hearts, and they will learn the truth. Then they will come
to their senses and escape from the devil's trap. For they have been held
captive by him to do whatever he wants.
2 Timothy 2:25-26
NLT

Because God's children are human beings—made of flesh and

blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being
could He die, and only by dying could He break the power of the devil,
 3. God's purpose and plan in creation 57

who had the power of death. Only in this way could He set free all who
have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.
Hebrews 2:14-15 NLT

The great dragon was hurled down--that ancient serpent called the
devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the
earth, and his angels with him. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
"Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our
God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers,
who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.
Revelation 12:9-11 NIV

The Son of God came to earth on a rescue mission. For

thirty years, he learned the culture and reconnoitered the ter-
rain. For three years he did “show and tell” so that people
would know the Father. Finally, he poured out his blood for
the taking away of sin, the worst disease of all time that is
fatal one hundred percent of the time unless one gets a blood
transfusion from Jesus.

G. God and humanity: a growing relationship be-

tween parent and child

Not all human beings are God’s children. They are all
God’s creation and they were made in his image. In spite of
that, through the disobedience of Adam and Eve, all of their
offspring received their sin nature. When we were born, we
inherited a spiritual and physical defect in our makeup, and
we are all therefore sons of disobedience and sons of the
devil.

Jesus said to them, "If God were really your Father, you would love
me. I came from God, and now I am here. I did not come by my own
authority. God sent me. You don't understand the things I say, because
you cannot accept my teaching. Your father is the devil. You belong to
him. You want to do what he wants. He was a murderer from the be-
ginning. He was always against the truth. There is no truth in him. He
58 God is with us

is like the lies he tells. Yes, the devil is a liar. He is the father of lies.
John 8:42-44

Those who are God's children do not continue to sin, because the new
life God gave them stays in them. They cannot keep sinning, because they
have become children of God. So we can see who God's children are and
who the devil's children are. These are the ones who are not God's chil-
dren: those who don't do what is right and those who do not love their
brothers and sisters in God's family.
1 John 3:9-10

God’s purpose remained the same after sin en-

tered the world – he wants to have children like him-
self and a bride for his Son. He desires to have a
personal relationship with every human being who
accepts entry into that relationship.

“The great God of the universe who heaped up the mountains,

scooped out the oceans, and flung out the stars wants to have a rela-
tionship with you.” Adrian Rogers

But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of
his heart through all generations. Psalm 33:11
NIV

He is the God who made the whole world and everything in it. He
is the Lord of the land and the sky. He does not live in temples built by
human hands. He is the one who gives people life, breath, and everything
else they need. He does not need any help from them. He has everything
he needs. God began by making one man, and from him he made all the
different people who live everywhere in the world. He decided exactly
when and where they would live. "God wanted people to look for him,
and perhaps in searching all around for him, they would find him. But
he is not far from any of us. It is through him that we are able to live,
to do what we do, and to be who we are. As your own poets have said,
'We all come from him.'
Acts 17:24-28
 3. God's purpose and plan in creation 59

God is creating children in his image. He is making a huge

family that will one day live with him in his grand mansion
called the New Jerusalem. Only those who are spiritually
healthy will enter that city. Only those who have received the
blood of Christ into their beings will be eligible.
60 God is with us
 4.

Can God answer prayer?

You might ask, “Why a chapter on the effectiveness of

prayer? Every Christian knows that God answers prayer.”
Yes, most Christians say they believe in prayer while at the
same time many say that God already knows all the future. If
he does, then your prayers cannot change anything at all or
God would have been wrong about the future. Which will
you believe: 1) that your prayers change what is going to hap-
pen in the future, or 2) that the future is already known and
therefore set in concrete? They can’t both be true. Many
Christians don’t pray with great expectation. We often just go
through the motions because we believe that in the end,
“God’s sovereignty will control everything anyway.” “Que Será, Será”
- Whatever will be, will be: Or “It is the will of Allah.” But the
truth is that our prayers move the heart and the hand of God,
and this ultimately changes things in the present and the fu-
ture.

When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the
twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp
and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
Revelation 5:8 (NASB)

Another angel came and stood at the altar. This angel had a golden
holder for incense. The angel was given much incense to offer with the
prayers of all God's holy people. The angel put this offering on the golden
altar before the throne. The smoke from the incense went up from the
angel's hand to God. The smoke went up with the prayers of God's
people. Revelation 8:3-4
62 God is with us

Many times I have seen this motto on the walls of

Christian homes and church buildings:

“Prayer Changes Things.”

But then I find that many of my Christian brothers
don’t really believe it. They believe that God already
knows how everything is going to turn out. If God’s
knowledge of the future is absolute, then we need to
change the old motto from “Prayer Changes Things” to
“Prayer Can Change Nothing.”

There is not one of God’s faithful servants in the

Bible who believed that prayer could not change the
outcome of future events.

Following are many Scripture quotes showing that

God’s people throughout the Bible believed that their
prayers would move God to change the future:

In the dream God responded, "Yes, I know you are innocent. That's
why I kept you from sinning against Me, and why I did not let you touch
her. Now return the woman to her husband, and he will pray for you,
for he is a prophet. Then you will live. But if you don't return her to
him, you can be sure that you and all your people will die."
Genesis 20:6-7 NLT

God believes that the details of the future are still to be

determined.

Isaac's wife could not have children. So Isaac prayed to the

LORD for her. The LORD heard Isaac's prayer, and he allowed
Rebekah to become pregnant. Genesis 25:21

Some would say that God had promised to make a na-

tion out of the seed of Abraham and his son Isaac and that
it was going to happen regardless of what Isaac did, but
 4. Can God answer prayer? 63

God sure had Isaac and Rebekah “fooled” into believing he

answered their prayer.

So the LORD sent poisonous snakes among the people, and many
were bitten and died. Then the people came to Moses and cried out, "We
have sinned by speaking against the LORD and against you. Pray that
the LORD will take away the snakes." So Moses prayed for the people.
Numbers 21:6-7 NLT

So I bowed down before the LORD 40 days and 40 nights, because

the LORD said he would destroy you. I prayed to the LORD. I said,
“Lord GOD, don't destroy your people. They belong to you. You freed
them and brought them out of Egypt with your great power and strength.
Remember your promise to your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Forget how stubborn these people are. Don't look at their evil ways or
their sins.” Deuteronomy 9:25-27

Moses believed that things turned out differently because

of his prayers.

"But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest
heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built! Yet
give attention to your servant's prayer and his plea for mercy, O LORD
my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in
your presence this day. May your eyes be open toward this temple night
and day, this place of which you said, `My Name shall be there,' so that
you will hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place. Hear the
supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray
toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and when you
hear, forgive. 1 Kings 8:27-30 NIV

Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived until his time,
believed that prayer would bring changes to a man’s future.

Then King Jeroboam said to the man of God, "Please pray to the
LORD your God for me. Ask him to heal my arm." So the man of
64 God is with us

God prayed to the LORD, and the king's arm was healed, as it was
before. 1 Kings 13:6

King Jeroboam believed that prayer changed the future

condition of his hand.

At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and

prayed: "O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be
known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant
and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, O
LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, O LORD,
are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again."
1 Kings 18:36-37
NIV

Elijah believed that God’s answer to his prayer would

change the spiritual condition and future of Israel.

David built an altar there to the LORD and sacrificed burnt

offerings and peace offerings. And when David prayed, the LORD
answered him by sending fire from heaven to burn up the offering on
the altar. 1 Chronicles 21:26
NLT

That night God appeared to Solomon and said, "What do you

want? Ask, and I will give it to you!" Solomon replied to God, "You
showed faithful love to David, my father, and now You have made me
king in his place. O LORD God, please continue to keep Your promise
to David my father, for You have made me king over a people as nu-
merous as the dust of the earth! 2 Chronicles 1:7-9 NLT

At times I might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or com-

mand grasshoppers to devour your crops, or send plagues among you.
Then if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves
and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear
from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. My eyes
 4. Can God answer prayer? 65

will be open and My ears attentive to every prayer made in this place.
2 Chronicles 7:13-15 NLT

God decreed that he would respond to the humble prayers

of those who called on him, and that he would change their
circumstances.

So when the Aramean chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat in his

royal robes, they went after him. "There is the king of Israel!" they
shouted. But Jehoshaphat called out, and the LORD saved him. God
helped him by turning the attackers away from him.
2 Chronicles 18:31 NLT

Jehoshaphat learned that God answered his prayers when

he saved his life.

There near the Ahava River, I announced that we all should fast.
We should fast to make ourselves humble before our God. We wanted
to ask God for a safe trip for ourselves, our children, and for everything
we owned. I was embarrassed to ask King Artaxerxes for soldiers and
horsemen to protect us as we traveled. There were enemies on the road.
The reason I was embarrassed to ask for protection was because of what
we had told the king. We had said to King Artaxerxes, "Our God is
with everyone who trusts him, but he is very angry with everyone who
turns away from him." So we fasted and prayed to our God about our
trip. He answered our prayers. Ezra 8:21-23

Ezra believed that God had protected them from what

could have happened if he had not asked God for help.

Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for I pray to no one
but You. Listen to my voice in the morning, LORD. Each morning I
bring my requests to You and wait expectantly.
Psalm 5:2-3 NLT
66 God is with us

In my trouble I called to the LORD. Yes, I cried out to my God for

help. There in his temple he heard my voice. He heard my cry for help.
Psalm 18:6

For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted

one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry
for help. Psalm 22:24 NIV

O LORD my God, I called to you for help and you healed me.
Psalm 30:2
NIV

In my alarm I said, "I am cut off from your sight!" Yet you
heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help.
Psalm 31:22 NIV

Be pleased, O LORD, to save me; O LORD, come quickly to

help me. Psalm 40:13 NIV

Then my enemies will turn back when I call for help. By this I
will know that God is for me. Psalm 56:9 NIV

I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched. My eyes

fail, looking for my God. Psalm 69:3
NIV

He will rescue the poor when they cry to him; he will help the op-
pressed, who have no one to defend them.
Psalm 72:12 NLT

LORD, I am asking you to help me! Early each morning I pray

to you. Psalm 88:13

Unless the LORD had given me help, I would soon have dwelt
in the silence of death. Psalm 94:17 NIV
 4. Can God answer prayer? 67

The Psalms are replete with occasions when David and

the other Psalm writers placed their petitions before God be-
lieving that his response would change the outcome of their
future.

O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How
gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will
answer you. Isaiah 30:19 NIV

This is what the LORD says: "In the time of my favor I will answer
you, and in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep you and will
make you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land and to
reassign its desolate inheritances . . .
Isaiah 49:8 NIV

Then when you call, the LORD will answer. 'Yes, I am here,' He
will quickly reply. "Remove the heavy yoke of oppression. Stop pointing
your finger and spreading vicious rumors!
Isaiah 58:9 NLT

Isaiah knew that much of the future depended on men’s

prayers and petitions to God for help.

Then the officials went together to Daniel's house and found him
praying and asking for God's help. Daniel 6:11 NLT

I went on praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people,

pleading with the LORD my God for Jerusalem, His holy mountain.
As I was praying, Gabriel, whom I had seen in the earlier vision, came
swiftly to me at the time of the evening sacrifice. He explained to me,
"Daniel, I have come here to give you insight and understanding. The
moment you began praying, a command was given. And now I am here
to tell you what it was, for you are very precious to God. Listen carefully
so that you can understand the meaning of your vision.
Daniel 9:20-23 NLT
68 God is with us

Daniel, one of the most faithful prayers in the Bible,

believed that what happened tomorrow was in part de-
pendent on his prayers.

He said, "I cried out to the LORD in my great trouble, and He

answered me. I called to You from the land of the dead, and LORD,
You heard me! Jonah 2:2 NLT

But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you,
and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees every-
thing, will reward you. Matthew 6:6 NLT

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock
and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives;
he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

Matthew 7:7-8 NIV

Then Jesus said to the disciples, "Have faith in God. I tell you the
truth, you can say to this mountain, 'May you be lifted up and thrown
into the sea,' and it will happen. But you must really believe it will
happen and have no doubt in your heart. I tell you, you can pray for
anything, and if you believe that you've received it, it will be yours.”
Mark 11:22-24 NLT

To throw a mountain into the sea does not seem like

the will of God, yet Jesus says that God will even answer
some crazy requests if we have faith when we pray. How
is it possible to tell his disciples that they can pray for an-
ything if it is not really true? If everything were already
known by God, their prayers could not be answered and
wouldn’t make any difference in the final outcome. What
is already eternally known cannot ever be changed.

Jesus answered, "The truth is, if you have faith and no doubts, you
will be able to do the same as I did to this tree. And you will be able to
do more. You will be able to say to this mountain, 'Go, mountain, fall
 4. Can God answer prayer? 69

into the sea.' And if you have faith, it will happen. If you believe, you
will get anything you ask for in prayer."
Matthew 21:21-22

Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and
you will receive, and your joy will be complete.
John 16:24 NIV

Jesus kept teaching over and over that God’s answer to

men’s prayers would help determine their future.

Pray in the Spirit at all times. Pray with all kinds of prayers, and
ask for everything you need. To do this you must always be ready. Never
give up. Always pray for all of God's people. Also pray for me--that
when I speak, God will give me words so that I can tell the secret truth
about the Good News without fear. I have the work of speaking for that
Good News, and that is what I am doing now, here in prison. Pray that
when I tell people the Good News, I will speak without fear as I should.
Ephesians 6:18-20

Paul believed that the prayers of the saints would change

the way things turned out.

So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about
you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of His will and to give
you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will
always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind
of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God
better and better. We also pray that you will be strengthened with all
His glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you
need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has
enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to His people, who
live in the light. Colossians 1:9-12

A widow who really needs help is one who has been left all alone.
She trusts God to take care of her. She prays all the time, night and
day, and asks God for help. 1 Timothy 5:5
70 God is with us

Paul obviously believed in prayer. He mentions how

often he intercedes for the believers in the churches, and
shows great concern about how things will turn out with
them. He didn’t believe that the future was unchangeable.

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are
attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who
do evil." 1 Peter 3:12
NIV

Peter believed that prayer would influence the lives of

those who prayed.

Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of
you happy? You should sing praises. Are any of you sick? You should
call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you
with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal
the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed
any sins, you will be forgiven. Confess your sins to each other and pray
for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous
person has great power and produces wonderful results. James
5:13-16 NLT

Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly

that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! Then, when
he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its
crops. James 5:17-18 NLT

James believed that Elijah’s prayer affected the climate.

He believed that prayer could change the health of a sick
person and the length of his life. Prayer is powerful and
effective to change the outcome of a person’s future cir-
cumstances.

My dear friends, if we don't feel that we are doing wrong, we can be

without fear when we come to God. And God gives us what we ask for.
 4. Can God answer prayer? 71

We receive it because we obey God's commands and do what pleases him.

1 John 3:21-22

John taught that our prayers changed what we were going

to receive. If we don’t pray, we get one result, and if we do,
we receive a different outcome.
These are only some of the references throughout the Bi-
ble that tell us to pray and that God will answer according to
our requests and our faith. They are not empty, impossible
promises. They are open-ended: The results are yet to be de-
cided and do not rely on what God already knows. Our pray-
ers, coupled with our faith, enable God to act.
Jesus said we should pray “Your will be done on earth.” Ob-
viously, from Jesus’ own words, God does his will in Heaven;
but on earth, his will in each life is contingent on man’s re-
sponse. God desires to bless us much more than he is able to
because the degree of his blessing depends on the size of our
faith.
The extremely fruitful evangelist of the nineteenth cen-
tury, D. L. Moody, is a prime example of God blessing a per-
son according to his faith.

Perhaps the line most frequently attributed to Dwight L. Moody

(and spoken by his character in the only film on Moody’s life) is the
famous quotation: “The world has yet to see what God can do with a
man fully consecrated to him. By God’s help, I aim to be that man.”
In fact, Moody did not originate the line. Henry Varley, a British
revivalist who had befriended the young American in Dublin, recalled
that in 1873 Moody asked him to recount words they had spoken in
private conversation a year earlier, just before Moody’s return to the
United States. Varley provides this account (as recorded in Paul
Gericke’s Crucial Experiences in the Life of D.L. Moody):
During the afternoon of the day of conference Mr. Moody asked me
to join him in the vestry of the Baptist Church. We were alone, and he
recalled the night’s meeting at Willow Park and our conversation the
following morning.
“Do you remember your words?” he said.
72 God is with us

I replied, “I well remember our interview, but I do not recall any

special utterance.”
“Don’t you remember saying, ‘Moody, the world has yet to see
what God will do with a man fully consecrated to him?’ ”
“Not the actual sentence,” I replied.
“Ah,” said Mr. Moody, “those were the words sent to my soul,
through you, from the Living God. As I crossed the wide Atlantic,
the boards of the deck of the vessel were engraved with them, and
when I reached Chicago, the very paving stones seemed marked with
‘Moody, the world has yet to see what God will do with a man fully
consecrated to him.’ Under the power of those words I have come back
to England, and I felt that I must not let more time pass until I let
you know how God had used your words to my inmost soul.”
Mark Fackler

When we pray to the Father, he never puts us on hold,

or has us punch numbers on the dial pad, or run through
twenty menu options. When we pray to God with a right
heart attitude, we are talking to a real person, and a person
who can do something about our problem. We don’t have
to ask to talk to a supervisor or to the owner because our
Father is Lord over all. When we pray, we are talking to
the chief.
A miracle is divine intervention in the affairs of men
—either as a response to prayer, or at God’s own initia-
tive. We see in the Scriptures that most miracles happen
because God’s servants ask for them. If you stop believing
in miracles, you are out of business as a Christian.

To whom should we address our prayers?

Jesus told us to pray to the Father.

"This, then, is how you should pray:" `Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name . . . . Matthew 6:9 NIV
 4. Can God answer prayer? 73

All the references to prayer in the Bible except one say

that we should address our prayers to the Father:

Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before
you ask him. Matthew 6:8 NIV

So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who
ask Him. Matthew 7:11 NLT

"Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything
you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.
Matthew 18:19 NIV

Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.
John 15:16 NIV

At that time you won't need to ask Me for anything. I tell you the
truth, you will ask the Father directly, and He will grant your request
because you use My name. You haven't done this before. Ask, using My
name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.
John 16:23-24 NLT

In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will
ask the Father on your behalf. John 16:26 NIV

The only exception to these clear instructions about pray-

ing to the Father is found in John 14, where Jesus is making
the very strong point that he and the Father are one, and that
his purpose is to bring glory to the Father.

Jesus answered, "Philip, I have been with you for a long time. So you
should know me. Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father too. So
why do you say, 'Show us the Father'? Don't you believe that I am in
the Father and the Father is in me? The things I have told you don't
come from me. The Father lives in me, and he is doing his own work.
Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.
74 God is with us

Or believe because of the miracles I have done. "I can assure you that
whoever believes in me will do the same things I have done. And they
will do even greater things than I have done, because I am going to the
Father. And if you ask for anything in my name, I will do it for you.
Then the Father's glory will be shown through the Son. If you ask me
for anything in my name, I will do it. John 14:9-14

So, the overwhelming evidence tells us that we should di-

rect our prayers to the Father. There is no indication that we
should pray to the Holy Spirit who indwells us. And, there is
absolutely no instruction anywhere to pray to the “saints” or
other human beings, including Mary, or to angels or evil spir-
its. In fact, praying to anyone other than to the true God was
considered adultery and idolatry in the Old Testament.
As I said at the beginning, you cannot show me one
servant of the Lord in the Bible who believed that earnest
prayer to the true God would not change the course of his
life. If you believe that everything is already known by
God and therefore unchangeable, you should ask why
God had duped these “gullible” servants of his into be-
lieving that their prayers would make any difference in fu-
ture events?
Prayer does change things, and when we ask our Father
in faith (assuming that we are born with his Spirit and are
his children), he will respond, and that will change our
hearts, our lives and our future.
The promise is clear – God, the Father will answer our
prayers when we pray in the right way.

We can come to God with no doubts. This means that when we ask
God for things (and those things agree with what God wants for us),
God cares about what we say. He listens to us every time we ask him.
So we know that he gives us whatever we ask from him.
1 John 5:14-15
4. Can God answer prayer? 75
 5.

The process of salvation

Just like in a normal natural birth of a baby, the spiritual

birth is not an instantaneous event, but is preceded by an
extended process. First, in a physical human reproduction,
there is conception where the sperm encounters the egg;
then there is the process of the embryo traveling down the
fallopian tube to the uterus; then there is the nine month
growth period before the baby is ready to come out of the
womb and breath with its own lungs; finally, there is the
long period of care needed until the child can function and
support himself.
Friends and relatives rejoice when they hear that a
woman is pregnant, but they rejoice a whole lot more when
they hear that the baby has been delivered.
After years of scratching my head trying to understand
all of the biblical statements about the new birth, I now un-
derstand that the following is the process by which a person
is born again in the Spirit and becomes God’s child:

1. People hear from the Father through his revelation in

creation (Romans 1:20, Psalm 19:1-4)
2. They respond in faith (believing in God), they learn
truth (John 6:43-45), and they are marked as belonging to
God (John 8:47, John 17:6)
3. They hear the gospel of salvation in Christ proclaimed
(John 20:31, Romans 1:16; 3:22), and they respond in faith
recognizing Jesus Christ as God’s Son (John 1:12-13, 3:16)
4. They are brought into a Father-son relationship with
God by receiving the Holy Spirit (John 1:13, John 3:3-6, I
John 3:1-2)
78 God is with us

5. They are nurtured and cared for throughout their

life on earth
6. They are united with their Heavenly Father and
their older brother Jesus and spend eternity with them
and all their brothers and sisters

After many years of Bible study, practical analysis of

Bible statements, and what I believe is inspiration from
the Holy Spirit, I now understand the process that a hu-
man being goes through as he comes to eternal life in
Christ. Most doctrines of soteriology (the study of sal-
vation), do not fully explain a lot of the biblical state-
ments, especially those by Jesus in the Gospel of John. I
have tried to take into account all of the puzzle pieces
and carefully fit them together.

1. God reveals himself to men through creation

and human conscience

The heavens tell about the glory of God. The skies announce what
his hands have made. Each new day tells more of the story, and each
night reveals more and more about God's power. You cannot hear
them say anything. They don't make any sound we can hear. But their
message goes throughout the world. Their teaching reaches the ends of
the earth. The sun's tent is set up in the heavens.
Psalm 19:1-4

God shows his anger from heaven against all the evil and wrong
things that people do. Their evil lives hide the truth they have. This
makes God angry because they have been shown what he is like. Yes,
God has made it clear to them. There are things about God that people
cannot see--his eternal power and all that makes him God. But since
the beginning of the world, those things have been easy for people to
understand. They are made clear in what God has made. So people
have no excuse for the evil they do. People knew God, but they did not
honor him as God, and they did not thank him. Their ideas were all
 5. The process of salvation 79

useless. There was not one good thought left in their foolish minds.
Romans 1:18-21

Even Gentiles, who do not have God's written law, show that they
know His law when they instinctively obey it, even without having
heard it. They demonstrate that God's law is written in their hearts,
for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them
they are doing right. And this is the message I proclaim—that the day
is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone's secret
life. Romans 2:14-15 NLT

There is no one in the whole world today or in the his-

tory of the human race who has not heard the truth about
God. These Scriptures clearly state that all men have the
knowledge of God revealed to them. The key words are
that his “power and nature” are revealed through the “cre-
ation.”After seeing this revelation, all men make a choice to
either glorify God or reject him. This is prior to ever hear-
ing the gospel message of salvation through Christ’s death
on the cross.

God sent a man, John the Baptist, to tell about the light so that
everyone might believe because of his testimony. John himself was not
the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. The One who
is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
John 1:6-9 NLT

Christ is the light of the world. Not only does he give

light to those who hear the Gospel, but he gives light to
every human being.

They are judged by this fact: The light has come into the world.
But they did not want light. They wanted darkness, because they were
doing evil things. Everyone who does evil hates the light. They will not
come to the light, because the light will show all the bad things they
have done. But anyone who follows the true way comes to the light.
80 God is with us

Then the light will show that whatever they have done was done
through God. John 3:19-21

And, "He is the stone that makes people stumble, the rock that
makes them fall." They stumble because they do not obey God's word,
and so they meet the fate that was planned for them. But you are not
like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy
nation, God's very own possession. As a result, you can show others
the goodness of God, for He called you out of the darkness into His
wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9-10 NLT

We heard the true teaching from God. Now we tell it to you: God
is light, and in him there is no darkness. So if we say that we share in
life with God, but we continue living in darkness, we are liars, who
don't follow the truth. We should live in the light, where God is. If we
live in the light, we have fellowship with each other, and the blood
sacrifice of Jesus, God's Son, washes away every sin and makes us
clean. 1 John 1:5-7

Jesus answered, "What I teach is not my own. My teaching comes

from the one who sent me. People who really want to do what God
wants will know that my teaching comes from God. They will know
that this teaching is not my own. John 7:16-17

All of the initiative for light comes from God, but

how we respond to that light depends on us. We can
resist the light and try to hide from it, or we can make a
decision to move toward the light. Our salvation de-
pends on this choice. Some people were already doing
evil before Christ came into the world, and some people
were already living by the truth before he came. The gos-
pel will only appeal to those who have already chosen to
live in the light. Those who are doing evil will reject it,
and those who are responding to God’s grace by faith
will accept it.
The heathen really are lost if they have not believed
in what God has already revealed to them in his creation.
 5. The process of salvation 81

The gospel will not save people who have intentionally

turned away from God as he was revealed to them.

2. People respond in faith to God’s revelation and

because of their faith he reckons them as righteous.

There are many instances in Scripture where people

were worshipping God long before they were exposed to
the gospel of Christ. Note the following:

When Paul was in Corinth and discouraged, Jesus ap-

peared to him and said, "For I am with you, and no one is going
to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city."
Acts 18:9-10 NIV

Anyone who belongs to God listens gladly to the words of God.

But you don't listen because you don't belong to God.
John 8:47 NLT

In the Old Testament, God says the same: “Yet I reserve

seven thousand in Israel--all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal
and all whose mouths have not kissed him."
1 Kings 19:18 NIV

In the New Testament, we see numerous cases of people

who were worshipping God before they ever heard the
Gospel of Christ’s substitutionary death:

In the city of Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a Ro-

man army officer in what was called the Italian Unit. He was a reli-
gious man. He and all the others who lived in his house were
worshipers of the true God. He gave much of his money to help the
poor people and always prayed to God. One afternoon about three
o'clock, Cornelius had a vision. He clearly saw an angel from God
coming to him and saying, "Cornelius!" Staring at the angel and feel-
ing afraid, Cornelius said, "What do you want, sir?" The angel said
to him, "God has heard your prayers and has seen your gifts to the
82 God is with us

poor. He remembers you and all you have done.

Acts 10:1-4

Cornelius was a God worshipper but not a Jew. The

fact that he was a Gentile and yet received the Holy
Spirit caused great conflict within the early church. Here
was a man whom God accepted based on faith alone and
not on fulfilling the requirements of the law given to
Moses.

There was a woman there named Lydia from the city of Thya-
tira. Her job was selling purple cloth. She was a worshiper of the
true God. Lydia was listening to Paul, and the Lord opened her
heart to accept what Paul was saying. Acts 16:14

Lydia also was a Gentile, not a Jew, but who wor-

shipped God as she knew him. Where had she gotten
this knowledge of who God was, if it wasn’t through
natural revelation?

Paul left the synagogue and moved into the home of Titius Justus,
a man who was a worshiper of the true God. His house was next to
the synagogue. Crispus was the leader of that synagogue. He and all
the people living in his house believed in the Lord Jesus. Many other
people in Corinth also listened to Paul. They, too, believed and were
baptized. Acts 18:7-8

Some of the Jews there believed Paul and Silas and decided to join
them. Also, a large number of Greeks who were worshipers of the true
God and many important women joined them.
Acts 17:1-4

Peter began to speak: "I really understand now that God does not
consider some people to be better than others. He accepts anyone who
worships him and does what is right. It is not important what nation
they come from. Acts 10:34-35
 5. The process of salvation 83

This clearly shows that some people were already God’s

property even before believing in Christ, and before
Christ’s sacrificial death and resurrection. All Old Testa-
ment believers already belonged to God even though they
had not been redeemed of their sins until later when Christ
died for them.
Worshippers of God existed among the Gentiles and the
Jews long before the gospel of Christ was ever revealed or
proclaimed to them, and long before the Jews even existed
as a race. All of the Old Testament believers from Adam to
Malachi worshipped God based on what they had seen in
his general revelation. The later ones added to that what
Moses had written at God’s instruction. But, long before
Moses, and long before the Law, Abraham believed God,
and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. Job, Enoch,
Joseph and multitudes of others only had God’s revelation
on which to base their faith. People worshipped God long
before the name of “Jesus of Nazareth” existed.
Jesus’ statements are clearer than anyone else’s about
how God, the Father teaches and calls people.

The Father is the one who sent me, and he is the one who brings
people to me. I will raise them up on the last day. Anyone the Father
does not bring to me cannot come to me. It is written in the prophets:
'God will teach them all.' People listen to the Father and learn from
him. They are the ones who come to me.
John 6:44-45

All your sons will be taught by the LORD, and great will be your
children's peace. Isaiah 54:13 NIV

General revelation to all mankind has always existed

since the world was created, and every human being must
respond to it in one way or the other and will worship
someone or something. There are two categories of people
in the world – those who accept the truth from God and
worship him as Creator and Lord, and those who turn away
84 God is with us

in rebellion and disbelief. Those who turn away from

God’s general revelation also turn away from Christ and
his message of salvation through his blood.

I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world.
They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your
word. John 17:6 NIV

I pray for them now. I am not praying for the people in the world.
But I am praying for these people you gave me, because they are yours.
John 17:9

"Father, I want these people you have given me to be with me in

every place I am. I want them to see my glory--the glory you gave me
because you loved me before the world was made. Father, you are the
one who always does what is right. The world does not know you, but
I know you, and these followers of mine know that you sent me. I
showed them what you are like, and I will show them again. Then
they will have the same love that you have for me, and I will live in
them." John 17:24-26

"I am coming to you now. But I pray these things while I am still
in the world. I say all this so that these followers can have the true
happiness that I have. I want them to be completely happy. I have
given them your teaching. And the world has hated them, because they
don't belong to the world, just as I don't belong to the world. "I am
not asking you to take them out of the world. But I am asking that
you keep them safe from the Evil One. They don't belong to the world,
just as I don't belong to the world.”
John 17:13-16

These believers belonged to the Father before they

ever belonged to Christ. Because of their faith in what
had been revealed to them they were considered God’s
possession even though they were not yet fully saved.
 5. The process of salvation 85

If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the
Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever-
- the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither
sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and
will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
John 14:15-18 NIV

The Holy Spirit was already living with the eleven apos-
tles (Judas had already left when Jesus said this), and was
soon to take up his permanent residence within them on
the day of Pentecost.

"I am the shepherd who cares for the sheep. I know my sheep just
as the Father knows me. And my sheep know me just as I know the
Father. I give my life for these sheep. I have other sheep too. They are
not in this flock here. I must lead them also. They will listen to my
voice. In the future there will be one flock and one shepherd.
John 10:14-16

The sheep from the other pen belonged to God, but

they did not yet belong to Christ. These people already had
a faith relationship with God the Father. When the time
came, the Father gave all of these people to the Son for the
purpose of redemption. Their faith, along with the sacrifi-
cial work of Christ, resulted in their salvation.

God’s children –

God often calls these people who have believed in him

through general revelation his children, though they were
not yet children in the sense of having received the new
birth in the Holy Spirit. It was like them being in the womb,
but not yet having been spiritually re-born.

Caiaphas did not think of this himself. As that year's high priest,
he was really prophesying that Jesus would die for the Jewish people.
Yes, he would die for the Jewish people. But he would also die for
86 God is with us

God's other children scattered all over the world. He would die to bring
them all together and make them one people.
John 11:51-52

This passage says that they were God’s children be-

fore Christ ever died for them.

And again, "I will put my trust in him." And again he says,
"Here am I, and the children God has given me."
Hebrews 2:13 NIV

They are not Christ’s children, but children of the Fa-

ther, and they were already his “children” when the Fa-
ther gave them to Christ so that he could give them
eternal life.

While some believed God, many others rejected

him -

They traded the truth of God for a lie. They bowed down and
worshiped the things God made instead of worshiping the God who
made those things. He is the one who should be praised forever. Amen.
Romans 1:25

That is because they hated knowledge. They refused to fear and

respect the LORD. Proverbs 1:29

The Man of Evil will use every kind of evil to fool those who are
lost. They are lost because they refused to love the truth and be saved.
So God will send them something powerful that leads them away from
the truth and causes them to believe a lie. They will all be condemned
because they did not believe the truth and because they enjoyed doing
evil. 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12

He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking
after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. But He
 5. The process of salvation 87

will pour out His anger and wrath on those who live for themselves,
who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness.
There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on doing
what is evil—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. But there will
be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good—for the
Jew first and also for the Gentile.
Romans 2:5-10 NLT

And the Father who sent Me has testified about Me Himself. You
have never heard His voice or seen Him face to face, and you do not
have His message in your hearts, because you do not believe Me—the
One He sent to you. "You search the Scriptures because you think
they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to Me! Yet you refuse
to come to Me to receive this life. "Your approval means nothing to
Me, because I know you don't have God's love within you. For I have
come to you in My Father's name, and you have rejected Me. Yet if
others come in their own name, you gladly welcome them. No wonder
you can't believe! For you gladly honor each other, but you don't care
about the honor that comes from the One who alone is God.
John 5:37-44 NLT

Jesus said to them, "If God were really your Father, you would
love me. I came from God, and now I am here. I did not come by my
own authority. God sent me. You don't understand the things I say,
because you cannot accept my teaching. Your father is the devil. You
belong to him. You want to do what he wants. He was a murderer
from the beginning. He was always against the truth. There is no truth
in him. He is like the lies he tells. Yes, the devil is a liar. He is the
father of lies. John 8:42-44

I do not accept praise from men, but I know you. I know that you
do not have the love of God in your hearts.
John 5:41 NIV

The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it,
but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the
world, so it hates you. Do you remember what I told you? 'A slave is
88 God is with us

not greater than the master.' Since they persecuted Me, naturally they
will persecute you. And if they had listened to Me, they would listen
to you. They will do all this to you because of Me, for they have rejected
the one who sent Me. John 15:19-21 NLT

Yes, the minds of these people are now closed. They have ears,
but they don't listen. They have eyes, but they refuse to see. If their
minds were not closed, they might see with their eyes; they might
hear with their ears; they might understand with their minds. Then
they might turn back to me and be healed.
Matthew 13:15

God did not close their eyes: it was their decision.

They are not innocent victims. Like Curly of the three
stooges, who cried out, “I can’t see, I can’t see”. And
Moe says “Why not?” Curly responds, “I got my eyes
closed.” If a man intentionally closes his eyes to God’s
teaching, he will never understand truth. In order to un-
derstand, there must be a response of faith to the reve-
lation of God, or the person’s eyes become blind and his
heart becomes harder and harder with each revelation.

The Good News that we tell people may be hidden, but it is hidden
only to those who are lost. The ruler of this world has blinded the
minds of those who don't believe. They cannot see the light of the Good
News--the message about the divine greatness of Christ. Christ is the
one who is exactly like God. 2 Corinthians 4:3-4

Those who are rebels against God have become

blinded so that they cannot see the light in Christ. The
gospel will only be received by those who have already
believed in God through his general revelation. Salva-
tion comes when we love the truth. We must believe the
truth and not delight in wickedness. The people in Ro-
mans 1 were given the opportunity to worship God and
they refused. Because of their refusal, God sent them a
 5. The process of salvation 89

delusion and they began to descend down the stairs into

greater and greater wickedness.

But some of you do not believe Me." (For Jesus knew from the
beginning which ones didn't believe, and He knew who would betray
Him.) Then He said, "That is why I said that people can't come to
Me unless the Father gives them to Me." John 6:64-65 NLT

Why did Jesus choose the 12 disciples? What were his

criteria? We know that he chose Judas Iscariot knowing that
he was an infidel. We believe he chose the rest because they
were persons of faith in God, and they had qualities that
would be useful in the proclamation of the gospel. The
heart attitude of each of the disciples was probably revealed
to him by the Father the night he prayed while choosing
them. Jesus knew from the beginning that Judas did not
have faith in God and that he would therefore betray him,
and he was chosen for that purpose. He also knew from the
beginning that some of the many other followers in the
crowds did not believe in God’s revelation to them. The
faithful disciples were not converted to faith through his
ministry. They were already faith people before he ever met
them, and that is why they were chosen.

You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is
good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you
say. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good
heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an
evil heart. And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment
day for every idle word you speak. Matthew 12:33-35
NLT

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those
sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together,
as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!
Luke 13:34 NIV
90 God is with us

Once a person begins to reject God’s authority/own-

ership over him, he goes downhill from there. When we
reject God’s truth, we get farther and farther away from
him, and get more and more evil with every step. On the
other hand, if we come toward the light, he illumines us
more and more and transforms our nature.

God is patiently pleading and working for the

salvation of all men -

But the time is coming—indeed it's here now—when true

worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Fa-
ther is looking for those who will worship Him that way.
John 4:23
NLT

But don't forget this one thing, dear friends: To the Lord a day is
like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord
is not being slow in doing what he promised--the way some people un-
derstand slowness. But God is being patient with you. He doesn't want
anyone to be lost. He wants everyone to change their ways and stop
sinning. 2 Peter 3:8-9

And remember, our Lord's patience gives people time to be saved.

This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wis-
dom God gave him. 2 Peter 3:15 NLT

And since you do the same things as those people you judge, surely
you understand that God will punish you too. How could you think
you would be able to escape his judgment? God has been kind to you.
He has been very patient, waiting for you to change. But you think
nothing of his kindness. Maybe you don't understand that God is kind
to you so that you will decide to change your lives.
Romans 2:3-4
 5. The process of salvation 91

God is patiently and actively looking for faith in the

hearts of men everywhere. There is absolutely no reason to
say he is patient if he already knows the end of a thing. Pa-
tience implies a hopeful waiting for a desired outcome. The
passage mentioning the “thousand years” is often quoted
to support the belief that God is timeless, but that is not
what it is saying. It is telling us that God is fulfilling his
promises and his desire no matter how long it seems to take.
He is not impatient about waiting for people to respond to
him in faith.

Now, if evil people change their lives, they will live and not die.
They might stop doing all the bad things they did and begin to carefully
obey all my laws. They might become fair and good. God will not
remember all the bad things they did. He will remember only their
goodness, so they will live! The Lord GOD says, "I don't want evil
people to die. I want them to change their lives so that they can live!”
Ezekiel 18:21-23

3. Those who are people of faith hear the gospel and

respond in a positive way.

Forgiveness by God and salvation in Christ are possible

for every human being. God offers this salvation to anyone
who will receive it, and he has commissioned the church
made up of all true believers to publish the Good News to
the whole world. God has not predestined who will be
saved. To offer something very desirable to a person when
the reality is that he cannot receive it is hypocritical and
cruel. We try to teach our children not to be evil like that.
We don’t ask our children if they want a bowl of ice cream
if we know there is no ice cream in the house and we don’t
have money to buy any.
The prospect of everlasting life is presented in God’s
Word as a possibility for all people. After urging his listen-
ers to ‘keep on asking and seeking’ good things from God, Je-
sus pointed out that a father does not give a stone or a
92 God is with us

serpent to his child who asks for bread or a fish. Jesus

said: “Therefore, if you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to
your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven
give good things to those asking him?” Matthew 7:11 NIV.
God not only offers good things to his children, but he
also gives them to them when they do what he says.

And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be

saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliver-
ance, as the LORD has said, among the survivors whom the
LORD calls. Joel 2:32
NIV

And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Acts 2:21 NIV

The invitations and opportunities that God offers are

bona fide. He, in all sincerity, urges men to ‘turn from
transgression and live,’ as he did with the people of Israel.
His loving nature would not allow him to offer salvation
to all if he foreknew that they were individually destined
to die in wickedness. If you think that God is capricious
and makes offers and promises he has no intention of
keeping, you are terribly mistaken about who he is.
In a similar vein, the apostle Peter writes: The Lord is
not being slow in doing what he promised--the way some people
understand slowness. But God is being patient with you. He
doesn't want anyone to be lost. He wants everyone to change their
ways and stop sinning. (2 Peter 3:9) If God already fore-
knew and foreordained millenniums in advance pre-
cisely which individuals would receive eternal salvation
and which individuals would receive eternal destruction,
how meaningful could “the patience of God” be and
how genuine could be his desire that all come to repent-
ance. The apostle John wrote that “God is love,” and the
apostle Paul states that love “hopes all things.” (1 John
4:8; 1 Corinthians 13:4, 7) Even though in some evil
 5. The process of salvation 93

people the possibility of repentance is slim, God does not

give up hoping that it will happen so that he can forgive
them and show them his mercy.

If, by God’s foreknowledge, the opportunity to receive

the benefits of Christ Jesus’ sacrifice were already irrevoca-
bly sealed off from some people, even billions of individu-
als before their birth, it could not truly be said that the
ransom was made available to all men. (2 Corinthians 5:14-
15); 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Hebrews 2:9) Peter began to speak: "I
really understand now that God does not consider some people to be
better than others. He accepts anyone who worships him and does what
is right. It is not important what nation they come from. (Acts 10:34-
35; Deuteronomy 10:17; Romans 2:11) The option of for-
giveness and salvation is genuinely open to all men, "God
wanted people to look for him, and perhaps in searching all around for
him, they would find him. But he is not far from any of us. (Acts
17:27) It is not an empty hope or hollow promise. Even at
the very end of the Scriptures, there is a specific invitation
on God’s part: The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" Everyone
who hears this should also say, "Come!" All who are thirsty may
come; they can have the water of life as a free gift if they want it.
(Revelation 22:17).

Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so
that everyone who believes in him would not be lost but have eternal
life. God sent his Son into the world. He did not send him to judge
the world guilty, but to save the world through him. People who believe
in God's Son are not judged guilty. But people who do not believe are
already judged, because they have not believed in God's only Son. They
are judged by this fact: The light has come into the world. But they did
not want light. They wanted darkness, because they were doing evil
things. Everyone who does evil hates the light. They will not come to
the light, because the light will show all the bad things they have done.
But anyone who follows the true way comes to the light. Then the light
will show that whatever they have done was done through God.
John 3:16-21
94 God is with us

If you don’t understand the meanings of the words

“everyone” or “anyone”, look them up in any dictionary
or ask a six-year old child.

He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive
him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his
name, he gave the right to become children of God--children born
not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will,
but born of God. John 1:11-
13 NIV

If you openly say, "Jesus is Lord" and believe in your heart that
God raised him from death, you will be saved. Yes, we believe in Jesus
deep in our hearts, and so we are made right with God. And we openly
say that we believe in him, and so we are saved. Yes, the Scriptures
say, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be disappointed." It says
this because there is no difference between those who are Jews and those
who are not. The same Lord is the Lord of all people. And he richly
blesses everyone who looks to him for help. Yes, "everyone who trusts
in the Lord will be saved."If you openly say, "Jesus is Lord" and
believe in your heart that God raised him from death, you will be
saved. Romans 10:9-13

I am proud of the Good News, because it is the power God uses

to save everyone who believes--to save the Jews first, and now to save
those who are not Jews. The Good News shows how God makes peo-
ple right with himself. God's way of making people right begins and
ends with faith. As the Scriptures say, "The one who is right with
God by faith will live forever." Romans 1:16-17
"I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will
ever believe in Me through their message.
John 17:20 NLT

Anyone who receives by faith the teaching of the Fa-

ther through his created works and on-going providence
is going to be saved. Because he becomes a person of
 5. The process of salvation 95

faith, he will be led into the arms of Christ who will give
him eternal life and he will never lose it (My sheep listen to my
voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and
they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. John
10:27-28). God is going to save all true believers no matter
their nationality, their race, their sex, their marital status,
their age, their level of education, or their denomination.
Adam and Eve never joined a church, or attended mass, or
had perfect attendance in Sunday School, but because they
put their faith in God and Christ died for them, they will be
with him forever.

He replied, "You are permitted to understand the secrets of the

Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. To those who listen to My
teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an
abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what
little understanding they have will be taken away from them.
Matthew 13:11-12
NLT

But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
2 Corinthians 3:16 NIV

When a person responds in faith to what God reveals

through his creation, then the blindness is taken away and
the person can believe in the gospel.

So don't judge anyone now. The time for judging will be when the
Lord comes. He will shine light on everything that is now hidden in
darkness. He will make known the secret purposes of our hearts. Then
the praise each person should get will come from God.
1 Corinthians 4:5

Hearing and believing the gospel about Christ’s incarna-

tion, death and resurrection is the final step in the sealing
of salvation. The proclamation of the gospel gives the op-
portunity to a “God worshipper” to actually be saved. This
96 God is with us

gospel is proclaimed usually by human beings (2 Corin-

thians 5:18-20), but was also done by Jesus after his res-
urrection when he preached the gospel to all of the
spirits held in prison (1 Peter 3:18-19), and also by Jesus
and angels who appear to people in visions and dreams
(example are the multitudes of Muslims who have
turned to Christ in the Middle East over the last two
decades).

What does the Bible mean by the word “Fore-

knowledge”?

Foreknew - “Of whom he was aware and loved beforehand.

“ He had a personal relationship with them as individu-
als. This knowing did not take place before these people
came into existence. He could not know them as per-
sons until they were conceived.

"Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' will enter the
kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father
who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, `Lord, Lord,
did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out
demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly,
`I never knew you. Matthew
7:21-23 NIV

God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and His Spirit
has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed Him and have been
cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. May God give you more and
more grace and peace. 1 Peter 1:2 NLT

They were known previously by God because of their

faith and therefore chosen to be obedient to Jesus and
to be sprinkled with His blood.

And we know that God causes everything to work together for

the good of those who love God and are called according to His
 5. The process of salvation 97

purpose for them. For God knew His people in advance, and He
chose them to become like His Son, so that His Son would be the
firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them,
He called them to come to Him. And having called them, He gave
them right standing with Himself. And having given them right
standing, He gave them His glory. Romans 8:28
NLT
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy
and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as
his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will-
- to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the
One he loves. Ephesians 1:4-6 NIV

He chose all those who come into Christ – this is a ge-

neric group of people and not name specific.

In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to

the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the pur-
pose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ,
might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in
Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.
Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised
Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the
redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his glory.
Ephesians 1:11 NIV

No person can be saved without being included “in”

Christ. Every person who has a faith relationship with the
Father through his revealing himself through creation and
life will be included in Christ. People are not saved until
they hear the word of truth, believe it, and become part of
Christ.

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under

heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
Acts 4:12 NIV
98 God is with us

No one has ever been saved nor ever will be if he is

not “in” Christ. Adam, Enoch, Moses, David, Isaiah,
Matthew, Luke and John are all saved because they were
put “into” Christ, and Christ paid for their sins on the
cross, and he rose as a testimony of payment in full.

God knows the condition of every person’s heart

-

The parable of the four different soils -

"This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of

God. Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the
devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they
may not believe and be saved. Those on the rock are the ones who
receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root.
They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.
The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as
they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and
pleasures, and they do not mature. But the seed on good soil stands
for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain
it, and by persevering produce a crop.
Luke 8:11-15 NIV

The soils never get converted from one kind to an-

other. The good soil was already good when the seed fell
into it. The bad soils were already bad when the seed fell
into them. The seed made no difference in the condition
of the soil. The soils are a picture of the condition of the
heart of a man before he hears the gospel. A man must
believe in God’s general revelation in order for his heart
to be made right so that he can produce fruit when he
receives the gospel. When we preach the gospel we
should be looking for people whose heart is ready to re-
ceive it. A wise sower will use some intelligence when he
distributes the seed. He won’t intentionally cast it on the
 5. The process of salvation 99

path or on the rocky soil. He will aim to get most of the

seed on the good soil.

The parable of the good fish and the bad fish –

Also, God's kingdom is like a net that was put into the lake. The
net caught many different kinds of fish. It was full, so the fishermen
pulled it to the shore. They sat down and put all the good fish in
baskets. Then they threw away the bad fish. It will be the same at the
end of time. The angels will come and separate the evil people from the
godly people. They will throw the evil people into the place of fire. There
the people will cry and grind their teeth with pain.
Matthew 13:47-50

The “good fish” are those people who believe in what

God has revealed to them. They are considered righteous
because of their faith (like Abraham). The wicked are those
who have refused to hear and believe when God revealed
his nature to them.

The parable of the tares and the wheat -

Jesus told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like

a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleep-
ing, his enemy came and sowed weeds (tares) among the wheat, and
went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the
weeds also appeared.
The owner's servants came to him and said, `Sir, didn't you sow
good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?'
`An enemy did this,' he replied.
The servants asked him, `Do you want us to go and pull them
up?'
‘No,' he answered, `because while you are pulling the weeds, you
may root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the
harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds
and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring
100 God is with us

it into my barn.' Matthew 13:24-30

NIV

The tares/weeds never get transformed into wheat.

They remain the same as when they started. They repre-
sent evil, unbelieving people that Satan sows in God’s
field (the church) and who appear to be good plants, but
in reality are weeds meant to suck up the nutrition meant
for the wheat, and to create confusion.
When we reject God and turn away from the light,
we become more and more evil. Our decision to refuse
the right of God to rule over us starts us down the very
slippery slope to increasing darkness and wickedness.
Hell is getting as far from God as is possible, where his
light, his love, his life, and his provision no longer have
any redeeming influence.

My dear friend, don't follow what is bad; follow what is good.

Whoever does what is good is from God. But whoever does evil has
never known God. 3 John 1:11

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In

Christ, God has given us every spiritual blessing in heaven. In Christ,
he chose us before the world was made. He chose us in love to be his
holy people--people who could stand before him without any fault. And
before the world was made, God decided to make us his own children
through Jesus Christ. This was what God wanted, and it pleased him
to do it. Ephesians 1:3-5

This is true because he already knew his people and had al-
ready appointed them to have the same form as the image of his
Son. Therefore, his Son is the firstborn among many children.
Romans 8:29
(God’s Word)

"Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' will enter the king-
dom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in
 5. The process of salvation 101

heaven. Many will say to me on that day, `Lord, Lord, did we not
prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and per-
form many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, `I never knew
you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
Matthew 7:21-23

God “knows” the good-doers – He does not “know”

the evil-doers.

Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those
who don't believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good
News. They don't understand this message about the glory of Christ,
who is the exact likeness of God. You see, we don't go around preach-
ing about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we
ourselves are your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, "Let
there be light in the darkness," has made this light shine in our hearts
so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus
Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:4-6 NLT

But you aren't in the dark about these things, dear brothers and
sisters, and you won't be surprised when the day of the Lord comes
like a thief. 1 Thessalonians 5:4
NLT

After Jesus said these things, he looked toward heaven and prayed,
"Father, the time has come. Give glory to your Son so that the Son
can give glory to you. You gave the Son power over all people so that
he could give eternal life to all those you have given to him. And this
is eternal life: that people can know you, the only true God, and that
they can know Jesus Christ, the one you sent.
John 17:1-3

I am not talking about all of you. I know the people I have chosen.
But what the Scriptures say must happen: 'The man who shared my
food has turned against me.' John 13:18

Jesus did not “know” Judas, but he knew all about him.
102 God is with us

God is patiently pleading and working for the salva-

tion of men. This is his greatest desire and most im-
portant work.

4. Those who believe in Christ are nurtured and

cared for throughout their life on earth

I always thank my God for you because of the grace that he has
given you through Christ Jesus. In him you have been blessed in every
way. You have been blessed in all your speaking and all your
knowledge. This proves that what we told you about Christ is true.
Now you have every gift from God while you wait for our Lord Jesus
Christ to come again. He will keep you strong until the end so that on
the day when our Lord Jesus Christ comes, you will be free from all
blame. God is faithful. He is the one who has chosen you to share life
with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:4-9

Jesus has the power of God. And his power has given us everything
we need to live a life devoted to God. We have these things because we
know him. Jesus chose us by his glory and goodness, through which he
also gave us the very great and rich gifts that he promised us. With
these gifts you can share in being like God. And so you will escape the
ruin that comes to people in the world because of the evil things they
want. 2 Peter 1:3-4

Then Jesus said, "I am the bread that gives life. No one who comes
to me will ever be hungry. No one who believes in me will ever be
thirsty. I told you before that you have seen me, and still you don't
believe. The Father gives me my people. Every one of them will come
to me. I will always accept them. I came down from heaven to do what
God wants, not what I want. I must not lose anyone God has given
me. But I must raise them up on the last day. This is what the one
who sent me wants me to do. John 6:35-39

5. They are all united with their Heavenly Father

and Jesus and spend eternity with them.
 5. The process of salvation 103

Father, I want these people you have given me to be with me in

every place I am. I want them to see my glory--the glory you gave me
because you loved me before the world was made.
John 17:24

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and
the first earth had disappeared. Now there was no sea. And I saw the
holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It
was prepared like a bride dressed for her husband. I heard a loud voice
from the throne. It said, "Now God's home is with people. He will
live with them. They will be his people. God himself will be with them
and will be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
There will be no more death, sadness, crying, or pain. All the old ways
are gone. Revelation 21:1-
4
R
evelation 21:1-4

Conclusion –

Here is the order of salvation: (1) God loves us and

sends a remedy for our sin, and then, (2) we must believe.
If we do not believe, there is no salvation. God obviously
starts the process by making the offer of salvation, but each
man must accept the offer. God cannot believe for us, or
he would gladly believe for all men.
Salvation is not a question of works or magic words that
bring salvation. It is not even a decision we make to go for-
ward at an evangelistic campaign or to pray the sinner’s
prayer (I am a great supporter of Billy Graham and many
others who preach the gospel to multitudes of people be-
cause a public declaration to identify with Christ is an im-
portant step in the salvation process). Salvation is about our
on-going faith attitude toward God. Though praying the
sinner’s prayer, or indicating our willingness to receive
Christ in a public setting are good things, they are only
104 God is with us

manifestations of the faith that should already be in our

heart. Many have prayed the prayer to no avail because
their heart wasn’t in it, or faith wasn’t in their heart. Sal-
vation is a gift from God that is based on our faith atti-
tude of reverence and worship of the Creator. Any
supposed salvation where this faith and worship of God
do not exist is a miscarriage and not a live birth.
We should not twist people’s arms to make a profes-
sion of faith in Christ and then wonder why there is no
evidence of a changed life. We should shine the light of
the gospel on the lives of everyone we can and in every
good way we can, but it is up to them to respond to the
light according to what is already in their heart. “Men did
not come to the light, because they loved darkness more than light.”
Neither we nor God can do anything about the lack of
faith in people’s hearts. We can’t put it there or make it
happen. It is a series of voluntary decisions that each
person in the world must make when faced with the
truth about God.
 6.

Where does faith come from?

Some theologians trying to explain the process of sal-

vation have often tried to eliminate the importance of
man’s response to God’s initiative to save them. In spite
of the clarity of the Bible that salvation is based on the
faith of the individual, quite a few scholars have argued
that Ephesians 2:8-9 says that faith comes from God and
not from man. However, “the gift” in this verse does not
refer to faith, but rather to salvation.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not
from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no one
can boast. NIV

How do we know that this statement is not referring to

our faith? Because the Bible says over and over that the
faith is “ours” and not God’s. The phrase “your faith” is
seen forty times throughout the Bible. “Our faith appears
four more times, “my faith” once, and we are exhorted to
“have faith” twelve times. There is never any mention of
“God’s faith”, or of someone saying “God has given me
my faith.” We get our love from God as seen in 1 John,
but there is no similar mention of getting our faith from
God.
The defining statement “and this not from yourselves” does
not refer to our faith, because our faith comes from our
heart. For understanding the meaning more clearly, it
could read: For it is by grace you have been saved - it is the gift of
God - not by works, so that no one can boast. All those who
believe in God’s word concerning salvation through his
106 God is with us

Son Jesus, will be saved. The offer is to all men, but

only those who have faith will be saved. The Bible
clearly states that whoever believes will receive the gift of
salvation.
The faith is clearly ours and not something that be-
longs to God. Even though Jesus exercised faith in his
Father throughout his lifetime, there is never any indi-
cation that the faith which saves every individual comes
from him. Look at just some of the statements in the
Bible:

But someone might argue, "Some people have faith, and others
have good works." My answer would be that you can't show me your
faith if you don't do anything. But I will show you my faith by the
good I do. You believe there is one God. That's good, but even the
demons believe that! And they shake with fear.
James 2:18-19

When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. He said to those who

were with him, "The truth is, this man has more faith than anyone
I have found, even in Israel. Matthew 8:10

Why would Jesus be so amazed at this man’s level of

faith if it were only a gift from God? Was he amazed that
his Father had given him such a large dose, or was he
amazed at the man’s depth of belief? The logical conclu-
sion is that he was amazed that there was a man who be-
lieved in God so firmly.

Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! You will
get what you asked for." And right then the woman's daughter was
healed. Matthew 15:28

Jesus answered, "You were not able to make the demon go

out, because your faith is too small. Believe me when I tell you, if
your faith is only as big as a mustard seed you can say to this
mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. You will
 6. Where does faith come from? 107

be able to do anything." Mat-

thew 17:20

Jesus answered, "The truth is, if you have faith and no doubts,
you will be able to do the same as I did to this tree. And you will be
able to do more. You will be able to say to this mountain, 'Go,
mountain, fall into the sea.' And if you have faith, it will happen. If
you believe, you will get anything you ask for in prayer."
Matthew 21:21-22

Jesus answered, "Have faith in God. The truth is, you can say
to this mountain, 'Go, mountain, fall into the sea.' And if you have
no doubts in your mind and believe that what you say will happen,
then God will do it for you. Mark 11:22-23

Why would Jesus exhort his followers to have lots of

faith if it was something they had only received from God
and over which they had no control?

The Lord said, "If your faith is as big as a mustard seed, you
can say to this mulberry tree, 'Dig yourself up and plant yourself in
the ocean!' And the tree will obey you. Luke 17:6

Satan has asked to test you men like a farmer tests his wheat. O
Simon, Simon, I have prayed that you will not lose your faith! Help
your brothers be stronger when you come back to me.
Luke 22:31-32

Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have
been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen
the Father. How can you say, `Show us the Father'? Don't you
believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The
words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father,
living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I
am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the
evidence of the miracles themselves. I tell you the truth, anyone who
has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even
108 God is with us

greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

John 14:9-12 NIV

I never shrank back from telling you what you needed to hear,
either publicly or in your homes. I have had one message for Jews and
Greeks alike—the necessity of repenting from sin and turning to
God, and of having faith in our Lord Jesus.
Acts 20:20-21 NLT

Men must repent, turn to God and have faith. These

are all decisions that each man must make. There is
nothing here to make us believe that having faith is a
gift from God and is in a different category than re-
penting and turning.

Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve

stood beside me and said, `Do not be afraid, Paul. You must
stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the
lives of all who sail with you.' So keep up your courage, men, for
I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. Nev-
ertheless, we must run aground on some island." Acts
27:23-26 NIV

What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith
nullify God's faithfulness? Not at all! Let God be true, and
every man a liar.
Romans 3:3-4 NIV

God gave Jesus as a way to forgive people's sins through their

faith in him. God can forgive them because the blood sacrifice of Jesus
pays for their sins. God gave Jesus to show that he always does what
is right and fair. He was right in the past when he was patient and
did not punish people for their sins. And in our own time he still
does what is right. God worked all this out in a way that allows him
to judge people fairly and still make right any person who has faith
in Jesus. Romans 3:25-26
 6. Where does faith come from? 109

The emphasis on having faith is clearly placed on men,

not on God. God’s faithfulness was given primarily to
men who had faith.

Is this blessing only for those who are circumcised? Or is it also

for those who are not circumcised? We have already said that it was
because of Abraham's faith that he was accepted as one who is right
with God. Romans 4:9

Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith,

we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has
done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this
place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently
and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory.
Romans 5:1-2 NLT

"You and I are Jews by birth, not 'sinners' like the Gentiles. Yet
we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus
Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus,
so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in
Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be
made right with God by obeying the law."
Galatians 2:15-16 NLT

So I am not the one living now--it is Christ living in me. I still

live in my body, but I live by faith in the Son of God. He is the one
who loved me and gave himself to save me.
Galatians 2:20

In the same way, "Abraham believed God, and God counted

him as righteous because of his faith." The real children of Abraham,
then, are those who put their faith in God. What's more, the Scrip-
tures looked forward to this time when God would declare the Gen-
tiles to be righteous because of their faith. God proclaimed this good
news to Abraham long ago when He said, "All nations will be
blessed through you." So all who put their faith in Christ share the
same blessing Abraham received because of his faith.
110 God is with us

Galatians 3:6-9

It is obvious that believing and having faith are things

which men do, and because they do it God counts them
as righteous. It is not the other way around: He does not
consider them righteous until and unless they first believe
in him and his Son Jesus.

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your
minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled
you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy
in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation--if you con-
tinue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope
held out in the gospel. Colossians
1:21-23 NIV

That is why, when I could bear it no longer, I sent Timothy to

find out whether your faith was still strong. I was afraid that the
tempter had gotten the best of you and that our work had been useless.
1 Thessalonians 3:5 NLT

Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with

the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you
may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience.
Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith.
1 Timothy
1:18-19 NIV

For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and

the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight,
I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
2 Timothy 4:6-7
NIV

I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers,

because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love
for all the saints. I pray that you may be active in sharing your
 6. Where does faith come from? 111

faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing
we have in Christ. Philemon 1:4-
6 NIV

Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us
be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. For
we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the
message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard
did not combine it with faith. Hebrews 4:1-2 NIV

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through
the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we
profess. Hebrews 4:14 NIV

These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being

tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more
precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through
many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on
the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
1 Peter 1:7 NLT

He came to His own people, and even they rejected Him. But to
all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become
children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting
from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.
John 1:11-13 NLT

All those who accepted God’s gift by believing in the

divinity of his Son Jesus became God’s children. If man
had no control over his faith, then why does Jesus warn
about causing the little ones to lose faith?

But if anyone causes one of these little ones who trusts in me to

lose faith, it would be better for that person to be thrown into the sea
with a large millstone around his neck.
Matthew 18:6 NLT
112 God is with us

Or why does he recriminate the disciples for having so

little faith if it’s none of their doing? If faith is a gift from
God, shouldn’t he blame the Father for being so stingy
with his gifts?

Jesus said, "You faithless and corrupt people! How long must I
be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy here
to Me." Matthew 17:17 NLT

"You don't have enough faith," Jesus told them. "I tell you the
truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say
to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it would move.
Nothing would be impossible. " Matthew 17:20 NLT

Jesus knew what they were saying, so He said, "You have so little
faith! Why are you arguing with each other about having no bread?
Matthew 16:8 NLT

The whole Bible is about believing what God says.

Those who believe are considered “de facto” righteous,
and then made truly righteous through the blood of
Christ. This process cannot and will not happen with-
out faith on the part of the one who is to receive the
gift of righteousness and salvation.

Is “Total Depravity” taught in the Bible?

Since the time of Augustine in the early fifth cen-

tury, we have the doctrine usually called the total de-
pravity of man. This says that man is absolutely helpless
in regards to his salvation, and plays no part in it what-
soever. It is all a work of God and therefore man is not
involved in any way.
I believe that it is true that man cannot initiate the
process nor contribute anything to provide the work of
salvation. However, the Bible teaches over and over
and over again that the gospel message must be
 6. Where does faith come from? 113

combined with faith for salvation to happen. If man had

no part in the transaction, then the commandment to
preach the gospel to every creature would only be an ex-
ercise in futility, and the exhortation to believe would be
of no importance whatsoever.
Faith has nothing to do with the preparation of the gift
of God; it only has to do with whether we will receive the
prepared gift or not. Man is absolutely helpless to make
salvation or to even help in wrapping it up and putting a
bow on it. When the offer comes from God to man, God
has already prepared everything to provide complete sal-
vation for everyone who will accept it.
If man were to play no part whatsoever in obtaining
salvation, then faith could only be a gift from God. The
reasoning by Augustine and subsequent theologians is that
if we were dead, “Then how could we believe?” But the
problem is with their understanding of death.

In the past you were spiritually dead because of your sins and
the things you did against God. Yes, in the past your lives were full
of those sins. You lived the way the world lives, following the ruler of
the evil powers over the earth. That same spirit is now working in
those who refuse to obey God. In the past all of us lived like that,
trying to please our sinful selves. We did all the things our bodies and
minds wanted.
Like everyone else in the world, we deserved to suffer God's anger
just because of the way we were. But God is rich in mercy, and he
loved us very much. We were spiritually dead because of all we had
done against him. But he gave us new life together with Christ. (You
have been saved by God's grace.) Ephesians 2:1-5

Death does not mean annihilation. It does not mean

that a person ceases to exist. Every human who has died
to this world is still alive in the spirit world. Every soul will
either end up in the New Jerusalem with God or in the
Lake of Fire with Satan. So when the Bible says that
114 God is with us

someone is dead, it simple means that he has been sep-

arated from life of some kind.
When Ephesians says that God “made us alive with
Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace
you have been saved (NIV),” it does not mean that humans
were unconscious or completely unaware of what God
was doing. It means that they were separated from
God. We could not escape the bars of death and unite
ourselves with the world of spiritual life. But God can
cross any gulf because he is fully alive and the Giver of
life. God came to all human beings who were cut off
from him and made them an offer of pardon through
the work of Christ, his eternal Son (2 Corinthians 5:18-
20). It is God’s initiative but it does not become effec-
tive in the life of a person unless it is coupled with faith
on the part of the receiver. Faith is not a work, or sal-
vation would no longer be a gift. Faith is a simple trust
that God’s offer is valid and that we need it. Faith is a
humble recognition of our desperate situation, and an
acknowledgement of God’s abundant mercy. When
God says “Would you like this gift of eternal life,” we
answer “Yes.”

So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed

of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by
the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life--
not because of anything we have done but because of his own pur-
pose and grace. 2 Timothy
1:9 NIV

The Greek noun translated “done” is er'gon which

means toil, deed, doing, labor, work. Faith is not an act,
a work, or an effort on our part. It needs no toiling, nor
requires that we expend anything on our part. We need
give nothing, but only receive. Therefore, faith has no
merit attributed to our account. Faith is not a work we
do to win points with God. It is a response to the work
 6. Where does faith come from? 115

of God around us and in us. Those who believe do not

exalt themselves nor take credit for their faith. Instead,
they recognize that what has been done has been done by
God. All salvation is the work of God: my personal sal-
vation happens when I respond to God’s work and his of-
fer. Faith is not a passive belief in which I am not involved.
It requires an active decision on my part. Faith is making
conscious decisions to trust in God’s word and in his char-
acter.
We cannot save ourselves by doing good works of any
kind. Salvation is not earned. The only thing we can earn
by our sin-tainted efforts is separation from God and from
life.

When people sin, they earn what sin pays--death. But God gives
his people a free gift--eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23

The gift was bought and paid for, packaged and deliv-
ered by God, but each man chooses whether or not he will
receive the gift. God is not like UPS or FEDEX who leave
packages on the porch. For this package, you have to sign
for it, and authorize delivery. Every day God tries to deliver
the package and hopes you will take it, but unless you de-
cide to receive it, it will go back on the truck.

While they were at Lystra, Paul and Barnabas came upon a

man with crippled feet. He had been that way from birth, so he had
never walked. He was sitting and listening as Paul preached. Look-
ing straight at him, Paul realized he had faith to be healed. So Paul
called to him in a loud voice, "Stand up!" And the man jumped to
his feet and started walking. Acts 14:8-10 NLT

Faith is something that affects the person who has it

and apparently even shows on the countenance.

God wants us to seek him

116 God is with us

Man is not totally depraved – man can believe and

accept God’s help. The Scriptures urge us again and
again to seek God. One passage often quoted seems to
say that no one seeks him, but multitudes of others tell
us to do it.

The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to

see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. All have
turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one
who does good, not even one. Psalm
14:2-3 NIV

But this does not say that no one ever seeks him. It
says that no one does good, and that they are all cor-
rupt. Jesus said there is only one who is good and that
is God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). However, we are
exhorted many times in the Scriptures to seek God. No
man will seek God on his own initiative, but he can
seek God in response to God’s revealing his light to
him and his prior work in his life. This will result in his
doing good.

God says that men should seek him -

The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord
of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands.
And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything,
because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything
else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should
inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them
and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that
men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him,
though he is not far from each one of us. Acts 17:24-27 NIV

And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone

who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that
 6. Where does faith come from? 117

He rewards those who sincerely seek Him. Hebrews 11: 6

NLT

But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find
him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.
Deuteronomy 4:29
NIV

And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors

intimately. Worship and serve Him with your whole heart and a
willing mind. For the LORD sees every heart and knows every plan
and thought. If you seek Him, you will find Him. But if you forsake
Him, He will reject you forever.
1 Chronicles 28:9
NLT

He commanded Judah to seek the LORD, the God of their fa-

thers, and to obey his laws and commands.
2 Chronicles 14:4
NIV

In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began
to seek the God of his father David. 2 Chronicles 34:3
NIV

The Spirit of God came upon Azariah son of Oded. He went

out to meet Asa and said to him, "Listen to me, Asa and all Judah
and Benjamin. The LORD is with you when you are with him. If
you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will
forsake you. For a long time Israel was without the true God, without
a priest to teach and without the law. But in their distress they turned
to the LORD, the God of Israel, and sought him, and he was found
by them. 2 Chronicles 15:1-4
NIV

Then they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD, the God
of their ancestors, with all their heart and soul. They agreed that
118 God is with us

anyone who refused to seek the LORD, the God of Israel, would be
put to death—whether young or old, man or woman. They shouted
out their oath of loyalty to the LORD with trumpets blaring and
rams' horns sounding. All in Judah were happy about this covenant,
for they had entered into it with all their heart. They earnestly sought
after God, and they found Him. And the LORD gave them rest
from their enemies on every side.
2 Chronicles 15:12-15
NLT

The rest of the events of Asa's reign, from beginning to end, are
recorded in The Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. In the thirty-
ninth year of his reign, Asa developed a serious foot disease. Yet even
with the severity of his disease, he did not seek the LORD's help but
turned only to his physicians.
2 Chronicles 16:11-12
NLT

Those who know your name will trust in you, for you,
LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you. Psalm 9:10
NIV

The wicked are too proud to seek God. They seem to think that
God is dead. Psalm 10:4 NLT

O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts

for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where
there is no water. Psalm 63:1
NIV

But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may
those who love your salvation always say, "Let God be exalted!"
Psalm 70:4
NIV

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD,
"plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope
 6. Where does faith come from? 119

and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me,
and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you
seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the
LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you
from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares
the LORD, "and will bring you back to the place from which I
carried you into exile." Jeremiah 29:11-14 NIV

God wants to save all men, but not everyone loves God
and accepts his rule over them. When a person rejects
God; when a person entirely decides to give up on God,
God, in tears, reluctantly gives him up.
The statements in Psalm 14:3 and Isaiah 53:2-3 that say
that “no one does good” mean that there are no human
beings who take the initiative to seek God. Just because
we are imperfect and sinful does not mean that we cannot
seek him in response to his initiative. Apparently God
doesn’t believe that man is so depraved that he cannot de-
sire to know God. When a man repents of his rebellious,
self-seeking ways, God is ready and eager to forgive him
and receive him because of the blood of Christ. We our-
selves cannot remove the sin in our lives, but we can desire
to have it taken away. Paul made this very clear in Romans
7 when he said that he had the desire to do what was right,
but didn’t have the power to do it. When a person truly
desires and seeks God’s help, God will give him the power
to overcome the sin. All he asks is that we be willing to be
set free to follow God.

I love God's law with all my heart. But there is another power
within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a
slave to the sin that is still within me. Romans 7:22-23 NLT

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by

His great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised
Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and
we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven
120 God is with us

for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.
And through your faith, God is protecting you by His power until
you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day
for all to see. So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even
though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials
will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and
purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold.
So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring
you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ
is revealed to the whole world. You love Him even though you have
never seen Him. Though you do not see Him now, you trust Him;
and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for
trusting Him will be the salvation of your souls.
1 Peter 1:3-9 NLT

There is a seldom mentioned conversation between

Jesus and some of his would-be followers:
Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works
God requires?" Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to
believe in the one he has sent." John 6:28-
29 NIV

God only asks men to do one thing to please him,

and that is to believe what he says. He doesn’t believe
for us.

There are a few problem texts that I should deal

with:

1. There are two passages that refer to having

received faith.

This is a statement that seems to contradict the

other statements listed above. I have no easy explana-
tion for it, but the vast bulk of evidence says that faith
comes from within the individual and is not a gift from
God.
 6. Where does faith come from? 121

Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who

through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have
received a faith as precious as ours:
2 Peter 1:1 NIV

Bible translators have translated this Greek word:

lagchanō in several different ways, for instance:
obtained (the most common interpretation), received, reached, got-
ten, have a part, shares with us, share in, have been given, etc.
So, the jury is still out on the exact interpretation of the
word in this context. It could mean to all who have
“reached, “have a share in,” or “share with us” a faith as
precious as ours.

In His grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain
things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak
out with as much faith as God has given you.
Romans 12:6 NLT

Here is a statement saying that God has given us faith,

but it is in the context of spiritual gifts. It is not talking
about faith that brings us salvation, but rather faith to en-
able us to minister.

2. Another passage mentions the “gift of faith.”

Something from the Spirit can be seen in each person. The Spirit
gives this to each one to help others. The Spirit gives one person the
ability to speak with wisdom. And the same Spirit gives another
person the ability to speak with knowledge. The same Spirit gives
faith to one person and to another he gives gifts of healing. The Spirit
gives to one person the power to do miracles, to another the ability to
prophesy, and to another the ability to judge what is from the Spirit
and what is not. The Spirit gives one person the ability to speak in
different kinds of languages, and to another the ability to interpret
122 God is with us

those languages. One Spirit, the same Spirit, does all these things.
The Spirit decides what to give each one.
1 Corinthians 12:7-11

This is also in a list of spiritual gifts, and since we

know from first Corinthians 12 that not all gifts are
given to all believers, it cannot refer to the general faith
that all believers need for salvation. In fact, it is clear
from the context that this “gift of faith” is only given
to some believers. If this were referring to saving faith
(or the faith that saves us), it would have to say that it
was given to all who believe.
“Saving” faith is not a spiritual gift which comes
from God. Salvation is a gift which God offers to all
human beings through his general revelation and
through the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. But, a gift
must be believed in and accepted to be of any benefit
to the intended receiver.

The gospel of Repentance –

Repentance (making a turn-around, or a change in

thinking) is a key concept in the process of salvation
and it runs through the Bible from cover to cover. A
sinner is exhorted to repent and turn from his wicked
ways. All of us begin our existence with wicked ways
because we are descendants of Adam who had a rebel-
lious and disobedient nature. A person needs to recog-
nize this rebellion in himself and realize that it is no
good. He then needs to turn away from his evil, dark,
self-centered deeds, and look to God, and God will
welcome him. Repentance will only happen after and
while the person exercises faith in what God is saying
to him through general revelation, through the gospel,
through his written word, and through the work of the
Holy Spirit.
 6. Where does faith come from? 123

Conclusion –

Faith that saves a person does not come from God. It

comes from the heart of the individual as he believes what
God says. Grace comes from God; saving faith comes
from man. Every man is being wooed by God to turn from
his wicked ways and believe in God’s Son Jesus. Paul says
that God is entreating the world through us to be recon-
ciled with him. God is calling; Jesus is calling; the church
is calling; “Oh sinner, come home!” God can’t do any
more for you than what he has already done. You must
respond and say, “Yes, I am a sinner, I believe in God’s
remedy for my sin, and I want the gift.”
124 God is with us
 7.

Sons of God

The Scriptures are replete with the words “sons of God,”

and state that anyone who puts his faith in Jesus as God’s Son
also becomes God’s son. No other arrangement could bring
forgiveness, righteousness and salvation to a lost human race.
As we saw in Chapter 3, God’s purpose is to have many chil-
dren that would be co-heirs with his eternal Son “the Word”
(His name only became Jesus when he was born as a human
being).
Many have asked the question, “Are we really God’s
sons?” The clear biblical answer is “Yes.” Anyone who is in
Christ has received God’s nature in his person. We are not
just street urchins who have been brought in from the cold
and can sit in a corner of God’s house, but we are legitimate
born sons. It is not physically possible for a person who is
born with one father to be born again with a different father.
But, it is possible spiritually, and that is exactly what happens
when a person believes that Jesus of Bethlehem is God’s eter-
nal Son.
So, what does it mean to be a son of God?

Partaking of the Divine Nature

1. A man who is in Christ is reborn spiritually and is

a new creature –

A saving relationship with God is only finalized when a

human being believes that Jesus is God’s means for his sal-
vation, and is born a second time with God as his father.
126 God is with us

Jesus answered, "I assure you, everyone must be born again. An-
yone who is not born again cannot be in God's kingdom.”
John 3:3

You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now
you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love
each other deeply with all your heart. For you have been born again, but
not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because
it comes from the eternal, living word of God.
1 Peter 1:22-23 NLT

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new
person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
2 Corinthians 5:17
NLT

Once we believe in Christ, we spiritually die to the old na-

ture of Adam, and we receive the new nature of God. This
does not make us perfect in our present human body, but it
will eventually make us perfect when we leave this body and
this world behind. Though we still struggle against the old
sinful nature and do not always do what pleases God, as far
as he is concerned we are perfect. “There is therefore now no
condemnation” (Romans 8:1).

2. A reborn man has a new nature -

By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living
a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know Him, the
One who called us to Himself by means of His marvelous glory and
excellence. And because of His glory and excellence, He has given us
great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to
share His divine nature and escape the world's corruption caused by hu-
man desires. (2 Peter 1:3-4) 2 Peter 1:3-4 NLT

But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right
to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth
 7. Sons of God 127

resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from
God. John 1:12-13 NLT

We know that God's children do not make a practice of sinning, for

God's Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them. We
know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under
the control of the evil one. 1 John 5:18-19 NLT

"Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the
divine being is like gold or silver or stone--an image made by man's design
and skill. Acts 17:29 NIV

Those who have been born into God's family do not make a practice
of sinning, because God's life is in them. So they can't keep on sinning,
because they are children of God. So now we can tell who are children of
God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live right-
eously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.
1 John 3:9-10 NLT

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of
God. And everyone who loves the Father loves His children, too. We
know we love God's children if we love God and obey His command-
ments. Loving God means keeping His commandments, and His com-
mandments are not burdensome. For every child of God defeats this evil
world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.
1 John 5:1-4 NLT

Many years ago as a young missionary pilot in Bolivia, we

were also working to plant a church in a poor neighborhood
on the outskirts of the city of Cochabamba. The people living
there were primarily Quechua speakers from the rural moun-
tain areas. They spoke very poor Spanish, even worse than
mine at the time. As I was trying to minister to them and
make the gospel clear, I struggled to find illustrations which
would help them understand the new birth. Since they were
primarily farmers and shepherds, I finally thought of this il-
lustration that made sense for them.
128 God is with us

The pig and the cat –

A pig is the offspring of two pigs, and acts just like his
parents. He loves to wallow in the dirty mud to cool off.
He is not concerned about his odor or what people think
of him. He often rolls around in what has just come out
of his body. Pigs are dirty, smelly, rude, and (until the craze
began for pot-bellied pigs some decades back) are not very
popular for pets in people’s houses.
A cat is the offspring of two cats (this is not rocket
science), and acts like its parents. Cats are furry, usually
keep clean by washing themselves with their paws and
tongues, dig holes before they defecate, like to curl up on
people’s laps, and are often friendly pets. If they fall in the
mud, they get out of it and wash themselves off.
Let’s say we have a pig and we want to change his way
of living. We want him to be nice like a cat so we can hold
him on our lap. We give him a bath, cut his nails (hooves),
spray him with perfume, put a nice ribbon around his
neck, and bring him in the living room to lie on the carpet
or on our lap. What happens? Soon, he will mess the place
up. If we leave the door open, he will likely run back to
where the other pigs are and roll around in the slop. Even
though we cleaned him up on the outside, he was still a
pig on the inside and obeyed his porcine nature.
The only way we could possibly make a pig act like a
cat would be to have him be born again with two cats as
parents. Stop laughing! I know that that can never happen.
But do you know that what is impossible for pigs is pos-
sible for humans? Yes, a man can be born again and re-
ceive a new nature and be a whole different “animal.”
That’s what the gospel is all about. We can be born again
and this time God can be our Father. We can receive his
nature and we become his offspring. This is the key to
living a different lifestyle. We are no longer slaves to the
 7. Sons of God 129

sin nature, but are set free to live like our new Daddy. (By the
way, since God is neither male nor female nor dwells in a
physical body, we don’t need a mother for this to happen.)
When we are born again we receive the nature of our new
Father, and become part of his family for the rest of eternity.
We can never get de-born or un-born because we have God’s
eternal life in us.

3. God calls us his sons many times –

I, God Most High, say, "You are gods, my own sons.

Psalm 82:6

He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the
Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink with-
out cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit
all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.
Revelation 21:6-7 NIV

Jesus replied, "Marriage is for people here on earth. But in the age
to come, those worthy of being raised from the dead will neither marry
nor be given in marriage. And they will never die again. In this respect
they will be like angels. They are children of God and children of the
resurrection. Luke 20:34 NLT

The Spirit that we received is not a spirit that makes us slaves again
and causes us to fear. The Spirit that we have makes us God's chosen
children. And with that Spirit we cry out, "Abba, Father." And the
Spirit himself speaks to our spirits and makes us sure that we are God's
children. If we are God's children, we will get the blessings God has for
his people. He will give us all that he has given Christ. But we must
suffer like Christ suffered. Then we will be able to share his glory.
Romans 8:15-17

"Yet the time will come when Israel's people will be like the sands of
the seashore—too many to count! Then, at the place where they were
130 God is with us

told, 'You are not My people,' it will be said, 'You are children of
the living God. Hosea 1:10
NLT

4. Many New Testament authors declare us to be

God’s sons –

See how very much our Father loves us, for He calls us His children,
and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don't
recognize that we are God's children because they don't know Him. Dear
friends, we are already God's children, but He has not yet shown us
what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will
be like Him, for we will see Him as He really is.
1 John 3:1-2 NLT

John makes sure that we understand that our sonship

is not just a legal title, but that we really have been born
of God. He also says that we are still small children, and
that one day we will pass from this condition to be full-
grown sons. The Greek word sometimes translated
“sons” means “children,” not fully grown adult sons.

You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of
you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with
Christ. Galatians
3:26 NIV

As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating

you as His own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disci-
plined by its father? If God doesn't discipline you as He does all of His
children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really His chil-
dren at all. Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us,
shouldn't we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our
spirits, and live forever? Hebrews 12:7-9 NLT

Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do

what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates,
 7. Sons of God 131

you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the
deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit
of God are children of God. Romans 8:12-14 NLT

Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory He will

reveal to us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day
when God will reveal who His children really are.
Romans 8:18-19 NLT

And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit
within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be
released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day
when God will give us our full rights as His adopted children, including
the new bodies He has promised us.
Romans 8:23 NLT

The creation is looking forward to that day when God’s

children are displayed in a grand ceremony and declared to
be fully grown sons (adoption). We, who are the children of
God also long to come to full maturity in God’s family.

. . . And "It will happen that in the very place where it was said to
them, `You are not my people,’ they will be called `sons of the living
God.' Romans 9:6 NIV

Think of it this way. If a father dies and leaves an inheritance for

his young children, those children are not much better off than slaves until
they grow up, even though they actually own everything their father had.
They have to obey their guardians until they reach whatever age their
father set. And that's the way it was with us before Christ came. We
were like children; we were slaves to the basic spiritual principles of this
world. But when the right time came, God sent His Son, born of a
woman, subject to the law. God sent Him to buy freedom for us who
were slaves to the law, so that He could adopt us as His very own chil-
dren. And because we are His children, God has sent the Spirit of His
Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, "Abba, Father." Now
you are no longer a slave but God's own child. And since you are His
132 God is with us

child, God has made you His heir.

Galatians 4:1-7 NLT

As long as we are in this world, we are God’s little chil-

dren. One day, we will receive our full rights as sons, and
then we will receive our inheritance.

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For

what son is not disciplined by his father?
Hebrews 12:7 NIV

He did not say this on his own; as high priest at that time he was
led to prophesy that Jesus would die for the entire nation. And not only
for that nation, but to bring together and unite all the children of God
scattered around the world. John 11:51-52 NLT

I have been dumbfounded over the last several years at

evangelical pastors and theologians who, in spite of this
overwhelming evidence, say that we really do not receive
God’s nature. They find it difficult to believe that God
would do something this amazing and make us his very
own children.

5. As sons of God, we will participate in the king-

dom of God and have important responsibilities

Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if
you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial
cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more
the things of this life! 1 Corinthians
6:2-3 NIV

One of our jobs on the new earth will be to help God

judge the angels and the peoples of the world.

And furthermore, it is not angels who will control the future world
we are talking about. For in one place the Scriptures say, "What are
 7. Sons of God 133

mere mortals that You should think about them, or a son of man that
You should care for him? Yet You made them only a little lower than
the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. [You gave them
charge of everything You made.] Hebrews 2:5-7 NLT

6. Jesus is our older brother -

God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to
bring many children into glory. And it was only right that He should
make Jesus, through His suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into
their salvation. So now Jesus and the ones He makes holy have the same
Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them His brothers and
sisters. Hebrews 2:10-11 NLT

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those
who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those
God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his
Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
Romans 8:28-29 NIV

If Jesus is divine, so are his brothers and sisters

Are not the children of God also gods? Those born of

God have God’s nature and God’s life. We true believers are
all part of God’s divine family. The offspring of a cow is a
cow. The offspring of a chicken is a chicken. The offspring
of a squirrel is a squirrel. Why does it seem so hard for some
to believe that the offspring of God is a god?
Being God or a god does not require having absolute au-
thority. The Father has absolute authority, but the Son has
authority subject to the Father, and the Holy Spirit has au-
thority subject to the Father and the Son. If a requirement for
being God means that the person has to have absolute au-
thority, than neither Christ nor the Holy Spirit would be God.
It does not require having all of God’s attributes to be di-
vine. It is not dependent on our powers, our attributes, or our
authority. It is only dependent on our nature. First Peter 1:4
134 God is with us

says that we have the nature of God, so we are also gods

though we do not claim to have his attributes nor his au-
thority.
As we will see in Chapter 9 (Jesus, a man just like us with
one exception), Jesus was not omnipresent, omniscient, or
omnipotent in his human body. But he was still God every
day of his life. The Word, in his human form (Jesus), was
like us in that he had no supernatural powers, no super-
natural knowledge, no ability to be in two places at the
same time, and no immortality. He was joined irrevocably
with the human race that he himself had created. Even
after his resurrection he has a glorified human body for
the rest of eternity. His power came from his intimate re-
lationship with the Father and the Holy Spirit. He submit-
ted 100% to the Father’s will and carried out all his
instructions without fault.
Jesus was the God-man, a perfect combination of the
nature of God and the pre-fallen nature of Adam. He had
to be completely human in order to be the advocate and
sacrifice for the sins of all mankind. When he came to
Bethlehem, he came with no baggage, no divine powers,
and no eternal knowledge. He came into the world like all
human beings but with one exception – his paternal na-
ture came from God and not from Adam, and that made
all the difference.
God is not only not ashamed to call us his children, but
he is very proud to do so. We are his pride and joy, the
culmination and purpose of his creation. We have seen
over thirty times where the Bible refers to us as God’s
children who have been born of God and who have his
nature.

7. The real meaning of adoption –

Many Christians mistakenly believe that though we

were not God’s children, we have now legally become part
of his family through adoption. However, that is not what
 7. Sons of God 135

it means to become a son of God. It is true that we were not

God’s children, but the Bible very clearly and very often says
that we were born into God’s family and that we have his
nature.
When you hear the term “adoption” in the Bible, don’t
think of it in the same way as human beings adopt. A couple
takes a child who does not have their genes, their nature, their
lifeblood in them, and then that child is declared legally theirs,
although he still has the same old genes as before.
With God, although we were not his children, he causes
us to be born again, this time with his nature, and so we are
not just smelly, repugnant urchins brought into the house by
the grace and goodwill of our new adoptive “Father.” He is
indeed our Father in every sense of the word. So, biblical
adoption means a whole lot more than plain human adop-
tion. God takes those who were not his children, and makes
them his children in every way possible. Humanly, we have
no way to do that.

Adoption

uihothesia hwee-oth-es-ee'-ah
The placing as a son, that is, adoption (figuratively Christian son-
ship in respect to God): - adoption (of children, of sons).

What does the Bible mean when it talks about the adop-
tion as God’s children? The Greek word appears five times
in the New Testament.

Romans_8:15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a
slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship (adoption).
And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." NIV
Romans_8:23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the
firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adop-
tion as sons, the redemption of our bodies. NIV
136 God is with us

Romans_9:4 . . . the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as

sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law,
the temple worship and the promises. NIV
Galatians_4:5 to redeem those under law, that we might receive
the full rights (adoption) of sons. NIV
Ephesians_1:5 He predestined us to be adopted as his sons
through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will--to the
praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One
he loves. NIV

In one of these passages, Paul says that the adoption

has not yet happened:

We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the

pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we
ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we
wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at
all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we
do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. Ro-
mans 8:22-25 NIV

In some sense, we are still waiting for the adoption, so

obviously the full measure of it hasn’t happened yet. In
Ephesians he gives us a better understanding of the dif-
ferent stages in our progress from being God’s little chil-
dren to being his full grown sons with all rights.

Think of it this way. If a father dies and leaves an inheritance for

his young children, those children are not much better off than slaves until
they grow up, even though they actually own everything their father had.
They have to obey their guardians until they reach whatever age their
father set. And that's the way it was with us before Christ came. We
were like children; we were slaves to the basic spiritual principles of this
world. But when the right time came, God sent His Son, born of a
woman, subject to the law. God sent Him to buy freedom for us who
were slaves to the law, so that He could adopt us as His very own
 7. Sons of God 137

children. And because we are His children, God has sent the Spirit of
His Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, "Abba, Father."
Now you are no longer a slave but God's own child. And since you are
His child, God has made you His heir.
Galatians 4:1-7 NLT

The meaning of “adoption” in the Bible means being

placed in a distinctive position in the family. It is like the Bar
Mitzvah of the Jews, when the child comes of age and is now
considered a son.

"Bar Mitzvah" literally means "son of the commandment." "Bar"

is "son" in Aramaic, which used to be the vernacular of the Jewish peo-
ple. "Mitzvah" is "commandment" in both Hebrew and Aramaic.
Technically, the term refers to the child who is coming of age, and it is
strictly correct to refer to someone as "becoming a bar mitzvah. A Jewish
boy automatically becomes a bar mitzvah upon reaching the age of 13
years, and a girl upon reaching the age of 12 years. No ceremony is
needed to confer these rights and obligations. Today, it is common practice
for the bar mitzvah celebrant to do much more than just say the blessing.
It is most common for the celebrant to learn the entire haftarah portion,
including its traditional chant, and recite that. In some congregations,
the celebrant reads the entire weekly torah portion, or leads part of the
service, or leads the congregation in certain important prayers. The cele-
brant is also generally required to make a speech, which traditionally
begins with the phrase "today, I am a man."
(http://www.jewfaq.org/barmitz.htm)

Our adoption as sons of God means that we are placed in

a new position in the family. We are considered adult sons
with new responsibilities. Based on Romans 8:22-23, our
“adoption” will be finalized on the day of the resurrection
when Christ returns. At that point, we will pass from being
called the little children of God to being called the sons of
God, and will assume new rights and responsibilities.

Conclusion:
138 God is with us

The only way to get into God’s family is to be born

into it. That occurs when a person by faith believes that
Jesus is God’s eternal son who became a man and died for
us on the cross. This means that Mormons and Jehovah’s
Witnesses and many others who believe like them are not
yet saved because they do not believe in the eternal divin-
ity of Jesus.

"For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only
Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eter-
nal life. God sent His Son into the world not to judge the world, but to
save the world through Him. "There is no judgment against anyone who
believes in Him. But anyone who does not believe in Him has already
been judged for not believing in God's one and only Son.
John 3:16-18

Any person who does not believe that Christ is God’s

son who came from Heaven to save the world is not saved
nor can he be as long as he rejects the divinity of the babe
in Bethlehem. When Jesus was born, he was already God,
and that nature distinguished him from every other human
who ever lived.
 8.

What does it mean to be "in

Christ?"

The key to understanding our salvation and having the

power to be a spiritual victor in the Christian life is found in
the little phrase “in Christ.”
As Noah and his family were saved by being in the ark, we
are saved by being in Christ. The emphasis is not so much on
a personal relationship, but rather on a position. In the NIV
New Testament, we find the phrase “In Christ” 234 times.
The meaning has to do with our legal position.

en - A primary preposition denoting (fixed) position (in

place, time or state), and (by implication) instrumentality (me-
dially or constructively), that is, a relation of rest

A very good example that shows that our relationship to

Christ is positional is in Ephesians 1:1:

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints in

Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus. NIV

These believers were physically located in the city of

Ephesus. But, they were also located “in” Christ. The first
shows the physical location of their body, and the other
shows their spiritual location as a person. Another clear ex-
ample is in verse 3:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has
blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
NIV
140 God is with us

I will not include the text of the 234 times that the NIV
Bible repeats the phrase “in Christ”, or the many times it
uses the phrase “in him”, etc. I will, however, provide a
list of many of the references to show you that the concept
of our position in Christ is at the heart of the meaning of
our salvation.

In Christ – eighty-nine times- AC 24:24, RO 6:11,

RO 6:23, RO 8:1, RO 8:39, RO 9:1, RO 12:5, RO 15:17,
RO 16:3, RO 16:7, RO 16:9, RO 16:10, 1 CO 1:2, 1 CO
1:4, 1 CO 1:30, 1 CO 3:1, 1 CO 4:10, 1 CO 4:15, 1 CO
4:17, 1 CO 15:18, 1 CO 15:19, 1 CO 15:22, 1 CO 15:31, 1
CO 16:24, 2 CO 1:20, 2 CO 1:21, 2 CO 2:14, 2 CO 2:17,
2 CO 3:14, 2 CO 5:17, 2 CO 5:19, 2 CO 12:2, 2 CO 12:19,
GAL 1:22, GAL 2:4, GAL 2:16, GAL 2:17, GAL 3:26,
GAL 3:28, GAL 5:6, EPH 1:1, EPH 1:3, EPH 1:9, EPH
1:12, EPH 1:13, EPH 1:20, EPH 2:6, EPH 2:7, EPH 2:10,
EPH 2:13, EPH 3:6, EPH 3:11, EPH 3:21, EPH 4:32,
PHP 1:1, PHP 1:26, PHP 3:3, PHP 3:9, PHP 3:14, PHP
4:7, PHP 4:19, PHP 4:21, COL 1:2, COL 1:4, COL 1:28,
COL 2:5, COL 2:9, COL 2:10, COL 2:17, 1 TH 2:14, 1
TH 4:16, 1 TH 5:18, 1 TI 1:14, 1 TI 3:13, 2 TI 1:1, 2 TI
1:9,2 TI 1:13, 2 TI 2:1, 2 TI 2:10, 2 TI 3:12, 2 TI 3:15,
PHM 1:6, PHM 1:8, PHM 1:20, PHM 1:23, HEB 3:14, 1
PE 3:16, 1 PE 5:10, 1 PE 5:14

In Him- referring to Christ – seventy-four times - JN

1:4, JN 2:11, JN 3:15, JN 3:16, JN 3:18, JN 4:14, JN 4:39,
JN 6:40, JN 6:56, JN 7:5, JN 7:31, JN 7:39, JN 7:48, JN
8:30, JN 8:44, JN 9:36, JN 11:45, JN 11:48, JN 12:11, JN
12:37, JN 12:42, JN 13:31, JN 13:32, JN 15:5, AC 10:43,
AC 17:28, RO 4:24, RO 9:33, RO 10:11, RO 15:12, RO
15:13, 1CO 1:5, 2 CO 1:19, 2 CO 5:21, 2 CO 13:4, EPH
1:4, EPH 1:7, EPH 1:11, EPH 1:13, EPH 2:21, EPH 2:22,
EPH 3:12, EPH 4:21, PHP 3:9, COL 1:17, COL 1:19,
COL 2:6, COL 2:7, COL 2:11, 1 TH 4:14, 2 TH 1:12,
 8. What does it mean to be "in Christ?" 141

HEB 2:13, 1 PE 1:8, 1 PE 2:6, 1 JN 1:5, 1 JN 2:4, 1 JN 2:5, 1

JN 2:6, 1 JN 2:8, 1 JN 2:10, 1 JN 2:15, 1 JN 2:27, 1 JN 2:28,
1 JN 3:3, 1 JN 3:5, 1 JN 3:6, 1 JN 3:9, 1 JN 3:15, 1 JN 3:17, 1
JN 3:24, 1 JN 4:13, 1 JN 4:15, 1 JN 4:16, 1 JN 5:20

Plus the following for an additional forty-nine times:

In the Beloved – referring to Christ – EPH 1:6

In Whom – EPH 1:7, EPH 1:11, EPH 1:13x2, EPH 2:21,
Eph 2:22, EPH 3:12, COL 2:3, COL 2:11
In Himself – EPH 1:9, EPH 2:15
In the Lord Jesus – EPH 1:15
In Christ Jesus – EPH 2:6, EPH 2:10, EPH 2:13, PH 1:1,
COL 1:28, 1 TH 2:14, 1 TI 3:14, 1 TI 3:13, 1 TI 1:1, 2 TI 1:9,
2 TI 1:13, 2 TI 2:1, 2 TI 2:10, 2 TI 3:12, 2 TI 3:15, PHL 1:23
Through Christ Jesus – EPH 2:7
In One body – EPH 2:16
Through Him – EPH 2:18
By Christ Jesus – EPH 3:21
In Jesus – EPH 4:21
In the Lord – EPH 5:8, EPH 6:1, EPH 6:10, EPH 6:21,
PH 1:14, PH 4:1, PH 4:2, PH 4:4, COL 4:7, COL 4:17, 1 TH
3:8, 1 TH 5:12, PHL 1:16, PHL 1:20
Through Christ Jesus – PH 4:7

Support for the concept of our position in Christ is over-

whelming. Jesus is the container in which we are placed, and
our being there gives us every right and every privilege as
God’s beloved children.

This is what God told us: God has given us eternal life, and this life
is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life, but whoever does not have
the Son of God does not have life. 1 John 5:11-12

Everything was made through him, and nothing was made without
him. In him there was life, and that life was a light for the people of the
world. John 1:3-4
142 God is with us

Ephesians is a book that has been one of the principle

ones used to defend what is called “predestination,” and
the absolute foreknowledge of God. However, the first
two chapters are very often misinterpreted. Let’s examine
those chapters and make some observations. As we start,
let me say that these chapters are not about who will be
saved, but about the vessel of salvation. We think they are
about the contents of the vessel, but they are really all
about the container. Notice all of the words I have under-
lined.

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,

To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and
the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with
every spiritual blessing in Christ.
4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the
world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love
5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through
Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—
6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely
given us in the One he loves.
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the
forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's
grace
8 that he lavished on us with all wisdom and under-
standing.
9 And he made known to us the mystery of his will
according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in
Christ,
 8. What does it mean to be "in Christ?" 143

10 to be put into effect when the times will have reached

their fulfillment--to bring all things in heaven and on earth
together under one head, even Christ.
11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined
according to the plan of him who works out everything in
conformity with the purpose of his will,
12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ,
might be for the praise of his glory.
13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard
the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having be-
lieved, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised
Holy Spirit,
14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the
redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise
of his glory.
15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in
the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 I have not
stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my pray-
ers.
17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and
revelation, so that you may know him better.
18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlight-
ened in order that you may know the hope to which he has
called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe.
That power is like the working of his mighty strength,
20 which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from
the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly
realms,
21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion,
and every title that can be given, not only in the present age
but also in the one to come.
144 God is with us

22 And God placed all things under his feet and ap-
pointed him to be head over everything for the church,
23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills eve-
rything in every way.

2:1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions

and sins,
2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways
of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air,
the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedi-
ent.
3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratify-
ing the cravings of our sinful nature and following its de-
sires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects
of wrath.
4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich
in mercy,
5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead
in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved.
6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with
him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,
7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the
incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness
to us in Christ Jesus.
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-
-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ
Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance
for us to do.
11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are
Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those
who call themselves "the circumcision" (that done in the
body by the hands of men)—
 8. What does it mean to be "in Christ?" 145

12 remember that at that time you were separate from

Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to
the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God
in the world.
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away
have been brought near through the blood of Christ.
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one
and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,
15 by abolishing in his flesh the law with its command-
ments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself
one new man out of the two, thus making peace,
16 and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God
through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.
17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away
and peace to those who were near.
18 For through him we both have access to the Father by
one Spirit.
19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens,
but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's
household,
20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets,
with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.
21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises
to become a holy temple in the Lord.
22 And in him you too are being built together to become
a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
NIV

In Chapter 1, there are sixteen times in which Paul refers

in some way to our position in Christ in only twenty-three
verses. In Chapter 2, he refers to our position in Christ four-
teen times in twenty-two verses. I cannot claim to be very
observant about many things, but it is hard to miss the mean-
ing of what God is telling us here. Thirty times in forty-five
verses, God is telling us that what is important is the vessel
146 God is with us

or vehicle of salvation and our position in him. The fore-

knowledge and predetermination all have to do with
Christ. These chapters are not about us. They are about
the Christ and our relationship to him.
In verse 12, Paul mentions those who were the “first to
hope in him.” Later, he says that “you also were included in
Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.
Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised
Holy Spirit.

Until a person believes in Christ, he is not in-

cluded in him. Faith in God’s word regarding his Son
is what places us into Christ and gives us salvation
and all the many other benefits of being God’s child.

Illustration - Take a container of some kind with a lid,

and write Jesus Christ on it (the word “Christ” is not his
last name; it is his title – “Christ Jesus”, or “Messiah Je-
sus”). Then write your name on a small slip of paper and
place it into the container and put the lid on. Now, the
paper with your name on it is hidden inside the container
with Christ’s name on it. Whatever happens to the con-
tainer will happen to the slip of paper. This is an illustra-
tion that once you are put into Christ through faith, you
are hidden in him. Everything that happens to him hap-
pens to you. Everything that he has is yours also.
The next time you read Ephesians think of this illustra-
tion and it will all make sense. Everything that we are and
have depends on our relationship with Jesus. We are not
exalted here: Jesus is exalted. The letter is about him, not
about us.
We cannot correctly apply verse 4 of chapter 1 to indi-
viduals, but only to the vessel of salvation which is Christ.
Only the group of those who come into Christ through
faith have been chosen before the creation of the world.
This choosing also is not about who will be saved, but
about what will happen to those who believe - “to be holy
 8. What does it mean to be "in Christ?" 147

and blameless in his sight.” He predestined all who are in this

group to be adopted as sons.
Everything in this passage centers on Christ. Because of
him there is redemption. Because of him there is glorification
of all who are placed in his body. This whole letter and par-
ticularly the early chapters are immersed with praise for
Christ, the chosen vehicle of salvation.

So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me

his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of
God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life--not because of any-
thing we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace
was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has
now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who
has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through
the gospel. 2 Timothy 1:8-10 NIV

The vessel of salvation was determined before the begin-

ning of time, and as Ephesians 1:13 says: And you also were
included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your
salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the
promised Holy Spirit, . . .

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on
things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your
minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life
is now hidden with Christ in God. Colossians 3:1-3 NIV

For the true Christian, our identity before God is irrevers-

ibly linked to Christ. When the Father looks toward us, he
sees the life and perfection of Jesus. He sees his righteous-
ness, his obedience, his loyalty and his love. He sees the con-
tainer, not the contents. Because we are in him, we are free
from condemnation. Because of our faith in believing the
Word of God, we were placed into Christ. This is the mean-
ing of spiritual baptism.
148 God is with us

His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wis-
dom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in
the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accom-
plished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him and through faith in him
we may approach God with freedom and confidence.
Ephesians 3:10-12
NIV

Paul’s writings are like a broken record, saying over and

over and over again “in Christ,” “in Christ,” “in Christ.”
All of our benefits and blessings come because we are “in
Christ,” and we came into Christ as a result of our faith.
Faith is not a work. It is nothing that we can take any
credit for, but when the simple-minded believe what God
says, it is reckoned to them as righteousness.

When anyone is in Christ, it is a whole new world. The old things

are gone; suddenly, everything is new! 2 Corinthians 5:17

So now anyone who is in Christ Jesus is not judged guilty.

Romans 8:1

This is a point worth reemphasizing over and over.

Christ is all in all. God has never given nor ever will give
a spiritual blessing apart from Christ. It all flows through
him and because of him.

My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live,
but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the
Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Galatians 2:20 NLT

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,
and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every
power and authority. Colossians 2:9-10
NIV
 8. What does it mean to be "in Christ?" 149

He is the One all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone
who believes in Him will have their sins forgiven through His name.
Acts 10:43 NLT

Christ had no sin, but God made him become sin so that in Christ
we could be right with God. 2 Corinthians 5:21

No one can see God, but the Son is exactly like God. He rules over
everything that has been made. Through his power all things were made:
things in heaven and on earth, seen and not seen-- all spiritual rulers,
lords, powers, and authorities. Everything was made through him and
for him. The Son was there before anything was made. And all things
continue because of him. He is the head of the body, which is the church.
He is the beginning of everything else. And he is the first among all who
will be raised from death. So in everything he is most important. God
was pleased for all of himself to live in the Son. And through him, God
was happy to bring all things back to himself again-- things on earth
and things in heaven. God made peace by using the blood sacrifice of his
Son on the cross. Colossians 1:15-20

Notebook illustration –

Take a loose leaf or spiral ring notebook and at the top of

a clean page write your name with a line under it. Then start
to write all of the sins you have ever committed. Write small
so that you won’t fill up the page too quickly. Everything you
have ever said and done that was not in submission to the
will of God, your creator and source of life, is a sin. Sin is
missing the mark from an absolute and perfect love and obe-
dience toward God. You will probably need a 300 gigabyte
hard drive to get it all on.
Next, turn to a new page, and write the name “Jesus” fol-
lowed by the title “Christ” at the top with a line under it. Now
write all of the things that Jesus has done in disobedience to
his Father. Guess what, there isn’t one thing. He was per-
fectly righteous and the Father finds no fault whatsoever in
his life.
150 God is with us

Now, take a ruler and tear both pages just below the
lines that you have drawn. Now, open your Bible to 2 Co-
rinthians 5:21 and read it. As you do, start on Jesus’ page
(and God made him who had no sin), and turn the bottom part
of your page to fit under Jesus name (to be sin for us). Now
turn back to the page with your name, and place the bot-
tom part of Jesus page under your name (so that in him we
might become the righteousness of God - NIV).
Our righteousness before the Father is perfect right-
eousness because it is Christ’s righteousness. We can nei-
ther add to it nor subtract from it. We are either 100%
righteous because we are in Christ, or we are completely
unrighteous because we are not in him. It is not a question
of balancing the scales by my good works, or piety, or an-
ything else. My only hope is to be in Christ, and if I am,
than I am completely acceptable to God forever. I cannot
lose my salvation or fall out of God’s family.
Our only claim to fame before God is that we are “in”
Christ. We are not our own, and we don’t have our own
identity apart from him. Because we are in him, God the
Father treats us as if we were Jesus, the perfect obedient
Son. Everything Christ deserves, we are going to get. We
have his righteousness, his purity, his future destiny. We
are already seated with him in the heavenly places. Wher-
ever Christ is, there we will be because we are a part of
him.
The little word “in” is one of the most important words
in the whole Bible, and the phrase “in Christ” transforms
the destiny of millions of human beings who by faith have
been placed in Jesus.

PS: If you are not yet “in Christ,” what are you waiting
for?
 9.

Jesus, a man just like us with one

exception

Based on many biblical statements, we see that there are

different levels of authority in the Trinity. This does not mean
that either person in the Triune God is of lesser value, or is
any less God.
The Father is the source of all things and all persons. Eve-
rything that has life proceeds from the Father. Everything in
existence issues out from him. Even the Son and the Holy
Spirit have their eternal source in the Father. They were not
created, but exist in him from and for all eternity.
The Council of Nicaea in AD 325 overwhelmingly con-
cluded that the Father was always a Father, and both Father and
Son existed always together, eternally, co-equally and con-substantially
(being of the same substance). They reacted against, and con-
demned, the view of Arius who said that the Son had a be-
ginning. This belief is one of the most common errors of
groups like the Mormons and the Jehovah’s Witnesses who
believe that Jesus became a God.
Nevertheless, the terms “Father” and “Son” clearly indi-
cate a dependent relationship. A son is a product of his father
and derives his life from him. It is hard for us to fathom that
a father would not exist before a son, but that is what hap-
pens with God. Since both Father and Son are eternal and
have no beginning, there is no order of origin in time.
The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are equal in nature, in
attributes, in purpose, and in moral values. However, they are
not equal in authority or role. Each has a distinct function
and a different responsibility in the Godhead. The Trinity is
152 God is with us

not a triumvirate in which all three rule equally. For in-

stance, Paul says that Christ is subject to the Father.

As the Scriptures say, "God put everything under his control."

When it says that "everything" is put under him, it is clear that this
does not include God himself. God is the one putting everything under
Christ's control. After everything has been put under Christ, then the
Son himself will be put under God. God is the one who put everything
under Christ. And Christ will be put under God so that God will be
the complete ruler over everything. 1 Corinthians 15:27-28

The Son is subject to the Father. The Holy Spirit is

subject to both the Father and the Son. An example is the
relationship that God gave us is in marriage (even though
most women don’t like this any more than sinners like
God to rule over them) – God said that the man is the
head of the family, and the woman should be submissive
to him. (To the woman he said, "I will greatly increase your pains
in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire
will be for your husband, and he will rule over you."
Genesis 3:16 NIV)

This does not mean that she is of lesser value, or a

lesser person. It only means that she is under authority just
like Christ and the Holy Spirit are under the authority of
the Father. To the degree that Christ is devalued and de-
based for being under the authority of the Father, to that
same degree the woman is devalued and debased for being
under the authority of her husband; or in other words
“not debased at all.” It has nothing to do with merit or
value as an individual. The same is true in healthy military
forces – as a person, a private is just as worthy of respect
as a general, although as soldiers they have different ranks
and each must submit to the authorities above them.

The Son is under authority

 9. Jesus, a man just like us with one exception 153

In marriage, God says that the husband and wife are one,
but he also makes it clear that they do not have the same au-
thority. So it is with the Father and the Son and the Holy
Spirit.

I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch
them away from Me, for My Father has given them to Me, and He is
more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Fa-
ther's hand. The Father and I are one.
John 10:28-30 NLT

Jesus told them, "You will indeed drink from My bitter cup. But I
have no right to say who will sit on My right or My left. My Father has
prepared those places for the ones He has chosen."
Matthew 20:23 NLT

But Jesus answered, "I assure you that the Son can do nothing alone.
He does only what he sees his Father doing. The Son does the same
things that the Father does. The Father loves the Son and shows him
everything he does. This man was healed. But the Father will show the
Son greater things than this to do. Then you will all be amazed.
John 5:19-20

And you know that the Scriptures cannot be altered. So if those

people who received God's message were called 'gods,' why do you call it
blasphemy when I say, 'I am the Son of God'? After all, the Father set
Me apart and sent Me into the world.
John 10:35-36 NLT

This is how God showed his love to us: He sent his only Son into
the world to give us life through him. True love is God's love for us, not
our love for God. He sent his Son as the way to take away our sins.
1 John 4:9-10

We have seen that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the
world, and this is what we tell people now.
1 John 4:14
154 God is with us

I don't speak on My own authority. The Father who sent Me has

commanded Me what to say and how to say it. And I know His com-
mands lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells Me to say."
John 12:49-50 NLT

Christ makes it very clear that he is under the authority of

the Father and does whatever he orders him to do even
though he says that he and the Father are One.

The Holy Spirit is under authority

But when the right time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman,
subject to the law. God sent Him to buy freedom for us who were slaves
to the law, so that He could adopt us as His very own children. And
because we are His children, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into
our hearts, prompting us to call out, "Abba, Father."
Galatians 4:4-6 NLT

But the Helper will teach you everything and cause you to remem-
ber all that I told you. This Helper is the Holy Spirit that the Father
will send in my name. John 14:26

I will send you the Helper from the Father. The Helper is the Spirit
of truth who comes from the Father. When he comes, he will tell about
me. John 15:26

The person who has authority to send another is the

greater of the two. This does not mean that their natures
or value are any different.

Believe me, servants are not greater than their master. Those who
are sent to do something are not greater than the one who sent them.
John 13:16

The human Jesus was very much like any other

human baby.
 9. Jesus, a man just like us with one exception 155

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem the only difference

between him and other human beings was that his father was
God. Our original father was Adam (or in Jesus’ words – the
devil). Baby Jesus had no supernatural powers, no supernat-
ural knowledge, and no sense of purpose that was different
from other human babies.
Jesus was the first and only human being to ever be born
without Adam’s sin nature. He was God and man at the same
time. He almost always referred to himself as the “Son of
Man.” From the eternal perspective, he had always been the
Son of God, and now he was also the Son of Man. This com-
bination of natures made it possible for him to be our repre-
sentative on the cross, and also to resist the temptation to sin
against his Father. He was a sinless man, although he became
associated with sin and was condemned because of it. As
mentioned earlier, second Corinthians 5: 21 tells us that: God
made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might
become the righteousness of God NIV). He was condemned for
sin, but it was our sin and not his own.
Many well-intentioned Christians try to give baby Jesus all
kinds of powers, knowledge and attributes that he never had.
They allow no possibility that he learned his identity and his
purpose after he was born. They believe that to deny that
Jesus had all the divine attributes is to deny that he was God.
In Chapter 7 we saw that the requirement for being god/a
god is to have the nature of God, not to have his authority.
If we are born of God, than we are gods as the Bible clearly
states over and over.
When Jesus left heaven and was born as a human in Beth-
lehem, he didn’t come in his royal “attire.” He clothed him-
self with weakness, frailty, dependence, and need, just like
other human beings. He left behind his super powers because
they would have made it impossible for him to fulfill his mis-
sion on earth. He was to be one of us, and be tempted in all
things just like we are. It is worth saying again, that the only
thing that made Jesus different from other men was that his
156 God is with us

Father was God and that he had an on-going personal re-

lationship with him. The only time that that eternal rela-
tionship was ever broken was for the three days that Jesus
was separated from his Father as he bore the sins of this
world on the cross and in the tomb.
When Jesus returned to the Father, he reclaimed all
the attributes that he had given up in his incarnation. He
is again omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent, etc., and is
living in every believer, knows every human heart, has
power to help and deliver, and is pleading for us before
the heavenly throne. He is here on earth and there in
Heaven and everywhere at the same time, but he could
not do that while he was limited in his mortal human body.

Debunking the myth of Jesus’ omnipresence in his

human body

Some Christians believe that Christ was omnipresent

(able to be everywhere at all times) in his human body.
That is an absurd belief since a physical body cannot be in
two places at one time, not even in Star Trek. When Phi-
lippians 2:7 says, “but made himself nothing (literally “emptied
himself” or “stripped himself”), taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness NIV),” it means that he left
something behind when he became a man. Those theolo-
gians who believe in his human omnipresence don’t be-
lieve he left anything behind. They find it hard to accept
that Christ became a human being in a human body with
physical limitations. To them, the incarnation never really
happened. The Jews were looking for a Messiah who
would confine his influence to the physical world. Classi-
cal theologians want a Messiah who never really experi-
enced human life at all, but floated far above it.
The reason they defend his omnipresence is because if
they admit that he left any of his attributes behind, then
he could have left others behind, like omnipotence (hav-
ing all power) and omniscience (knowing all things). Yet,
 9. Jesus, a man just like us with one exception 157

the Scriptures clearly reveal that Jesus, as incarnated man, did

not have unlimited powers nor unlimited knowledge. He also
did not have unlimited authority because he himself said after
his resurrection, “All authority has been given to me.” It was given
to him after his life of obedience, his suffering, his death and
resurrection. The statement “has been given” indicates that it
wasn’t always so. Since his authority in the heavenly realms
was from eternity, this new “giving” can only refer to the new
authority that was given to him as the victorious God-man.

Christ in his earthly body was not omnipotent

Some theologians and pastors have said that Jesus had all
the divine attributes/abilities that he had before his incarna-
tion, but that he simple did not use them. This is twisting
logic to agree with pre-conceived beliefs. Let’s look at some
Scriptures which show that Jesus did not have absolute
power, and that the supernatural power he had came from
his Father and from the Holy Spirit.
It is worth noting that Jesus did not do any miracles for
thirty years. He only began to do miracles after the Holy Spirit
descended upon him at his baptism.

About that time Jesus came from the town of Nazareth in Galilee
to the place where John was. John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River.
As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw the sky torn open. The
Spirit came down on him like a dove. A voice came from heaven and
said, "You are my Son, the one I love. I am very pleased with you."
Mark 1:9-11( MT 3:16-17)

So Jesus explained, "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by
Himself. He does only what He sees the Father doing. Whatever the
Father does, the Son also does. John 5:19 NLT

His power was limited

158 God is with us

Then Jesus told them, "A prophet is honored everywhere except in

his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family." And
because of their unbelief, He couldn't do any miracles among them except
to place His hands on a few sick people and heal them.
Mark 6:4-5 NLT

He didn’t always have the power to heal

One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who
had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem,
were sitting there. And the power of the Lord was present for him to heal
the sick. Luke 5:17 NIV

Unfortunately, this statement is very seldom, if ever, a

topic for a sermon because if doesn’t fit our ethereal image
of Christ. The fact that Luke says it indicates that the power
to heal was not always present with Jesus during his three
years of ministry.

Christ in his earthly body was not omniscient

One of the main attributes or abilities that well-inten-

tioned Christians try to assure that Jesus had is omnisci-
ence. Omniscience means absolute knowledge of
everything and therefore there is no need to learn anything
new. From the dictionary – “having complete or unlimited
knowledge, awareness, or understanding: perceiving all things; having
total knowledge; knowing everything.”
To prove the omniscience of Jesus, we would need to
prove that he knew all things, or at least many things that
only an omniscient person could know. To disprove it, I
only need to prove that there is one thing he did not know.
The following Scriptures show that there were at least
twenty things he did not know.

A. We see Jesus learning

 9. Jesus, a man just like us with one exception 159

Then He returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to

them. And His mother stored all these things in her heart. Jesus grew in
wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.
Luke 2:51-52 NLT

If he had been omniscient, he could not have grown in

wisdom since he would have already known all of the answers
to all of the questions.

Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard the report that he was
making and baptizing more followers than John.
John 4:1

You cannot learn something you already know.

Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for a feast of the Jews.
Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Ara-
maic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colon-
nades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie--the blind, the
lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-
eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had
been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, "Do you want to
get well?" John 5:1-6 NIV

Jesus found out in some way that the man had been lying
there for most of his life. If he had been omniscient, he would
have already known the man’s condition and all his history.
Some would say that his asking the invalid if he wanted to get
well was a rhetorical question, but that is only a poor attempt
at trying to support his omniscience.
We presume that everyone wants to get well, but that may
not be true. We might ask the question to someone, “Do you
want to get off of welfare?’ and perhaps the answer would be
“No, I am comfortable just the way I am.” After thirty-eight
years of lying by the pool and living off of the gifts of others,
the man might not have wanted to make such a radical
change.
160 God is with us

For years in Uruguay, we worked with a large group of

people living in a shanty town. Most had been born and
spent all their lives there. To us, it was a terrible situation:
to them it was home, and they were afraid to have to
change their culture and way of living, even though in our
eyes it was horrible.

But Jesus answered, "I assure you that the Son can do nothing alone.
He does only what he sees his Father doing. The Son does the same
things that the Father does. The Father loves the Son and shows him
everything he does. This man was healed. But the Father will show the
Son greater things than this to do. Then you will all be amazed.
John 5:19-20

Why would the Father need to show Jesus anything if

he already knew all things? Jesus said that in the future the
Father would show him more things that he didn’t already
know. Jesus did not know everything that was happening
but he had a direct line of communication with someone
who did.

I no longer call you servants, because servants don't know what their
master is doing. But now I call you friends, because I have told you
everything that my Father told me. John 15:15

How could Jesus keep learning things from his Father

if he already knew everything?

Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suf-

fered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation
for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in
the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 5:8-
10 NIV

The Greek word often translated “perfect” is teleos

and really means “complete.” Jesus’ qualifications as our
redeemer were not complete until he had lived a life of
 9. Jesus, a man just like us with one exception 161

perfect obedience, having suffered temptation. Then, and

only then, could he be the source of eternal salvation. He was
not complete until he had passed the test of temptation to
disobey.

B. We see Jesus asking for information

Jesus immediately felt power go out from him, so he stopped and

turned around. "Who touched my clothes?" he asked. The followers said
to Jesus, "There are so many people pushing against you. But you ask,
'Who touched me?'" Mark 5:30-31

Then Jesus said, "Who touched me?" They all said they had not
touched him. And Peter said, "Master, people are all around you, push-
ing against you." Jesus said, "Someone touched me. I felt power go out
from me." Luke 8:45-46

Jesus knew that someone had touched him because he felt

the power go out of him, but he did not know who did it.

Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village.
Then, spitting on the man's eyes, He laid His hands on him and asked,
"Can you see anything now?" The man looked around. "Yes," he said,
"I see people, but I can't see them very clearly. They look like trees walk-
ing around." Then Jesus placed His hands on the man's eyes again, and
his eyes were opened. His sight was completely restored, and he could see
everything clearly. Mark 8:23-25 NLT

Apparently, Jesus did not know what the man was seeing
and had to ask.

Jesus asked the man, "What do you want me to do for you?" He

answered, "Teacher, I want to see again."
Mark 10:51
162 God is with us

Jesus stopped there and said, "Bring that man to me!" When he
came close, Jesus asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?" He
said, "Lord, I want to see again." Luke 18:40-41

After Jesus told them this, he showed them his hands and his feet.
The followers were amazed and very, very happy to see that Jesus was
alive. They still could not believe what they saw. He said to them, "Do
you have any food here?" They gave him a piece of cooked fish.
Luke 24:40-42

Why ask about food if he already knew everything that

was in the room? He could have just gone to the fish and
picked it up.

Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" The man answered, "Le-
gion." (He said his name was "Legion" because many demons had gone
into him.) Luke 8:30

Jesus did not know what the name of this demon was
and he had to ask. Why would Jesus ask, “Who touched
me?” or “What is your name?” or “Do you see anything?”
or “How long has he been like this?” if he already knew
the answers? These clearly are not rhetorical questions,
but authentic requests for information.

Early the next morning, Jesus was going back to the city. He was
very hungry. He saw a fig tree beside the road and went to get a fig from
it. But there were no figs on the tree. There were only leaves. So Jesus
said to the tree, "You will never again produce fruit!" The tree immedi-
ately dried up and died. Matthew 21:18-19

The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry.
Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had
any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because
it was not the season for figs. Mark 11:12-
13 NIV
 9. Jesus, a man just like us with one exception 163

Jesus didn’t know that there were no figs on the tree.

C. We see Jesus not knowing ahead of time what he

was going to do

Two days later there was a wedding in the town of Cana in Galilee,
and Jesus' mother was there. Jesus and his followers were also invited.
At the wedding there was not enough wine, so Jesus' mother said to him,
"They have no more wine." Jesus answered, "Dear woman, why are you
telling me this? It is not yet time for me to begin my work." His mother
said to the servants, "Do what he tells you."
John 2:1-5

It was clearly not his intention to do a miracle at this wed-

ding. Jesus learned after he made this statement that his time
had indeed come. Because of his respect for and perhaps obe-
dience to his mother, and due to new instructions from his
Father, he began his miraculous ministry.

A Canaanite woman from that area came out and began shouting,
"Lord, Son of David, please help me! My daughter has a demon inside
her, and she is suffering very much." But Jesus did not answer her. So
the followers came to him and said, "Tell her to go away. She keeps
crying out and will not leave us alone." Jesus answered, "God sent me
only to the lost people of Israel." Then the woman came over to Jesus and
bowed before him. She said, "Lord, help me!" He answered her with
this saying: "It is not right to take the children's bread and give it to the
dogs." The woman said, "Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the pieces of
food that fall from their master's table." Then Jesus answered, "Woman,
you have great faith! You will get what you asked for." And right then
the woman's daughter was healed.
Matthew 15:22-28

Jesus, because of his great compassion, acceded to the re-

quest of this Gentile woman who demonstrated more faith
than most people in Israel. The text clearly shows that he had
164 God is with us

no original intention of helping her but changed his mind

and did.

Then Jesus said to them, "People everywhere give honor to a prophet,

except in his own town, with his own people, or in his home." Jesus was
not able to do any miracles there except the healing of some sick people
by laying his hands on them. He was surprised that the people there had
no faith. Then he went to other villages in that area and taught.
Mark 6:4-6

Apparently, Jesus wanted to do much more for these

people, but their lack of faith put a limit on his plans. It is
strongly implied in the text that he would have done many
more miracles if he could have. If so, he did not have ab-
solute foreknowledge of what he was going to do.

D. We see Jesus praying

Then Jesus went on a little farther away from them. He fell to the
ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, don't make me drink
from this cup. But do what you want, not what I want."
Matthew 26:39 NIV

This fervent prayer would have been a futile exercise if

he knew that nothing could change.

While Jesus was here on earth, He offered prayers and pleadings,

with a loud cry and tears, to the One who could rescue Him from death.
And God heard His prayers because of His deep reverence for God.
Hebrews 5:7

Don't you realize that I could ask My Father for thousands of angels
to protect us, and He would send them instantly? But if I did, how would
the Scriptures be fulfilled that describe what must happen now?
Matthew 26:53-54
NLT
 9. Jesus, a man just like us with one exception 165

Jesus is saying that he could escape if he wanted to. This

possibility of escape was perhaps his greatest temptation ever
(much greater than turning stones into bread because he was
hungry), but he submitted to his Father’s will and fulfilled the
Scriptural prophecies.

E. We see lots of people who believed that Jesus was

not omniscient

No one knows when that day or time will be. The Son and the angels
in heaven don't know when it will be. Only the Father knows.
Matthew 24:36

Jesus is making it very clear that he was not omniscient.

Then the followers came to Jesus and asked, "Do you know that the
Pharisees are upset about what you said?"
Matthew 15:12

The disciples, who by this time knew Jesus very well, did
not believe in Christ’s omniscience or they would not have
asked the question.

But some of you don't believe." (Jesus knew the people who did not
believe. He knew this from the beginning. And he knew the one who
would hand him over to his enemies.) John 6:64

This statement would be unnecessary/superfluous if Jesus

already knew everything. It would be easier to make a blanket
statement saying that Jesus knew everything than it was to
state that he knew a particular detail. No such statement of
general omniscience was ever made by the gospel writers. Ap-
parently John, the writer of this Gospel did not believe that
Jesus was omniscient.

How did Jesus learn all the things he knew if he

wasn’t omniscient?
166 God is with us

Jesus learned from the Father after he was born who

he was and what his mission was. Jesus says very clearly
that he had gone up to Heaven after his incarnation (very
probably on multiple occasions and certainly at least once
before he was twelve years old - Luke 2:41-47).

I have told you about things here on earth, but you do not believe me.
So I'm sure you will not believe me if I tell you about heavenly things!
The only one who has ever gone up to heaven is the one who came down
from heaven--the Son of Man. John 3:12-13

(note: In most Greek texts, the words, “who is in

Heaven” are also included at the end of the statement. This
does not change in any way Christ’s statement that he had
gone into Heaven after he came down from Heaven.)

I don't mean that there is anyone who has seen the Father. The only
one who has ever seen the Father is the one who came from God. He has
seen the Father. John 6:46

This could be interpreted in two ways: 1) that Jesus saw

the Father before his incarnation; or 2) that he saw him
after his incarnation. If it had been before, then the state-
ment could not be true because many beings had seen the
Father, including The Holy Spirit, all the angels, the 24
elders, the four living creatures and all those around the
throne of God. When he says that only he has seen the
Father, it has to mean that he is the only human being to
ever see him. The “seeing” by Jesus occurs after his being
sent.
Jesus is telling his audience what he learned while in
the presence of his Father in Heaven. The apostle Paul
made a similar claim in his letter to the Corinthians.
 9. Jesus, a man just like us with one exception 167

I know a man in Christ who was taken up to the third heaven. This
happened 14 years ago. I don't know if the man was in his body or out
of his body, but God knows. And I know that this man was taken up
to paradise. I don't know if he was in his body or away from his body,
but he heard things that he is not able to explain. He heard things that
no one is allowed to tell. 2 Corinthians 12:2-4

It should not be strange to believe that Jesus, like Paul,

could be taken up into Heaven to learn from his Father.
Christ’s tutor was God the Father. This obviously had to be
after his incarnation since before it he shared all the divine
attributes with the Father and the Holy Spirit and already
knew all things that had happened and were happening. Since
he was omniscient before his incarnation, he could not have
learned anything. The learning had to take place after the in-
carnation.

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his
master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that
I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
John 15:15 NIV

They asked, "Then who are you?" Jesus answered, "I am what I
have told you from the beginning. I have much more I could say to judge
you. But I tell people only what I have heard from the one who sent me,
and he speaks the truth." John 8:25-26

They did not understand that he was telling them about his Fa-
ther. So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you
will know that I am the one I claim to be and that I do nothing on my
own but speak just what the Father has taught me.
John 8:27-28 NIV

I am telling you what I saw when I was with My Father. But you
are following the advice of your father." John 8:38 NLT
168 God is with us

For the Father loves the Son and shows Him everything He is doing.
In fact, the Father will show Him how to do even greater works than
healing this man. Then you will truly be astonished.
John 5:20 NLT

In addition to Jesus’ special transportation into the

presence of the Father (whether in body or not we do not
know), he also had an on-going, intimate, timeless rela-
tionship with the Father that was never broken until he
was on the cross. The Father was continually showing Je-
sus what he was doing and what needed to be done on
earth. These are things that Jesus did not already know or
the Father would not have needed to show them to him.
Jesus was the Father’s messenger, Deliverer and Rescuer
for the people of the world. In order to accomplish all that
was necessary, Jesus had to be a man just like us through
whom the Father and the Holy Spirit could work.
Also, we know that Jesus had numerous contacts with
angels in his lifetime –

So the devil left him. Then some angels came to Jesus and helped
him. Matthew 4:11

Then an angel from heaven came to help him.

Luke 22:43

Then the Spirit sent Jesus into the desert alone. He was there for 40
days, being tempted by Satan. During this time he was out among the
wild animals. Then angels came and helped him.
Mark 1:12-13

Jesus said to him, "Do you believe this just because I said I saw you
under the fig tree? You will see much greater things than that!" Then he
said, "Believe me when I say that you will all see heaven open. You will
see 'angels of God going up and coming down' on the Son of Man."
John 1:50-51
 9. Jesus, a man just like us with one exception 169

He also had access to Old Testament prophets –

Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James, and John the brother of
James and went up on a high mountain. They were all alone there. While
these followers watched him, Jesus was changed. His face became bright
like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. Then two men were
there, talking with him. They were Moses and Elijah.
Matthew 17:1-3

Jesus did not need to be omniscient to be our Savior

–

For classified information in the military we used a term

“need to know” to help determine who could have access to
classified documents. If a person didn’t need to know, he was
denied access even though his security clearance would have
permitted it. Jesus didn’t need to be omnipresent, omnipo-
tent, nor omniscient to accomplish his mission. His mission
was to be an obedient son to every instruction of his Father
and to take that obedience to the hardest test of all – the cross
of Calvary where he died helpless, at the mercy of his human
persecutors. Even his Father had to turn his back on him in
order for the redemption to be complete. He died alone and
in so doing suffered the penalty which we all deserve.

Conclusion –

You have to be more agile than a circus contortionist to

distort these Scriptures in order to try to prove that the hu-
man Jesus was omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient. To
believe that Jesus was omniscient in his human body is errant
theology. It defies all the evidence to the contrary. Many peo-
ple believe that we have to make God’s power and abilities as
big as possible to protect him, but they do so at the cost of
violating Scripture and reason. God is who he is, and we need
to accept him as he is and to know him as he is, not as we
imagine he ought to be. We should not make the mistake of
170 God is with us

applying all of the eternal divine attributes to Christ in his

incarnate human form. Divinity is not determined by what
attributes a being has, but by the nature of his person.
Jesus was born just like us, except his Father was God.
Because he had a divine nature, he did not rebel against
his Father’s authority as all other human beings did. He
was the one and only sinless man, and in obedience to his
Father offered himself up as a sacrifice for the sins of all
other men, including his very own earthly mother.

For this reason, Jesus had to be made like us, his brothers and sis-
ters, in every way. He became like people so that he could be their mer-
ciful and faithful high priest in service to God. Then he could bring
forgiveness for the people's sins. Hebrews 2:17

If Jesus had not been weak and dependent like we are,

he could not have been our Savior.

"You know what has happened all over Judea. It began in Galilee
after John told the people they needed to be baptized. You know about
Jesus from Nazareth. God made him the Messiah by giving him the
Holy Spirit and power. Jesus went everywhere doing good for people. He
healed those who were ruled by the devil, showing that God was with
him. Acts 10:37-38

Jesus did not do the miracles he did with his own

power. He did it with the power of the Holy Spirit and
that same power is available to us to also do what is God’s
will.
 10.

Does God change his mind?

Many people have asked the question, “Can God change

his mind about something? If he can change his mind about
something he was going to do, then obviously, the future was
not already determined. Some pretzel theologians have said
that he does change his mind, but that he already knew he
would. That reminds me of the sign behind the commander’s
desk in ROTC basic training, “I thought I made a mistake
once in 1955, but I was wrong.” You can’t have it both ways.
If God can change his mind, then he could not know every
detail of the future. I can’t understand why this is so hard for
some people to grasp. I can’t understand why this is so hard
for some people to grasp. I can’t understand why this is so
hard for some people to grasp. They hold onto their theolog-
ical view of God regardless of all the evidence to the contrary.
If God already infallibly knew every detail of the future, then
he could never change his mind about anything or it would
prove that he had been wrong.
In this chapter, we will see very clearly that God can and
does change his mind. We will see that the Scriptures say that
he did it at least twenty-seven times in the Old Testament.
To understand this, we must look at the meaning of the
word repent – literally to re-think.

Repent
nacham naw-kham'
A primitive root; properly to sigh, that is, breathe strongly;
by implication to be sorry, that is, (in a favorable sense) to pity,
console or (reflexively) rue; or (unfavorably) to avenge (oneself):
- comfort (self), ease [one’s self], Repent (-er, -ing, self).
172 God is with us

Half the times in the Old Testament, this word is trans-

lated “repent” and the other half it is translated “com-
fort.” I think that this means that it is referring to
something that comes from deep within the heart, espe-
cially when referring to God. In the New Testament, the
somewhat equivalent word is “metanoia,” to change one’s
thinking.
There are four places in the Bible where it is stated that
God does not “repent.” Two of these verses refer to a
specific case, and two say that he doesn’t repent “like a
man does.” Twenty-seven other verses say that God re-
pented/changed his mind.

God is not a man; he will not lie. God is not a human being; his
decisions will not change. If he says he will do something, then he will
do it. If he makes a promise, then he will do what he promised.
Numbers 23:19

This verse is the one most often cited by people who

want to show that God never changes his mind about an-
ything. It was spoken by Balaam, a pseudo-prophet, and
not by God, nor any of his approved prophets. It cannot
be taken as absolute truth and should fit into the category
of the advice of Job’s comforters, or even of Job himself
before he was enlightened by God. It is a true statement
of what Balaam said, but not everything people said in the
Bible is true. Many men made threats or promises or dec-
larations of things that did not come true. The Bible is an
accurate record of history, but not all statements in the
Bible were made by God or his spokesman. Take Satan’s
word for example as stated in Job: It never came true.

Satan answered the LORD, "But Job has a good reason to re-
spect you. You always protect him, his family, and everything he has.
You have blessed him and made him successful in everything he does.
He is so wealthy that his herds and flocks are all over the country.
 10. Does God change his mind? 173

But if you were to destroy everything he has, I promise you that he would
curse you to your face." Job 1:9-11

Or other statements like that of Pharaoh:

Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said, "Ask the LORD
to remove the frogs from me and my people. I will let the people go to offer
sacrifices to the LORD." Exodus 8:8

This is what he said, but it was not a true statement, only

an accurate description of what he said.
The Bible always accurately records what was said and
what happened, but the statements made by some people are
not true. There are very many instances of this throughout
the Bible. With Balaam’s claim – it may or may not be true.
Certainly, he was not always speaking at the behest of God.

When Samuel turned to leave, Saul caught Samuel's robe. The robe
tore. Samuel said to Saul, "In this same way the LORD has torn the
kingdom of Israel from you today. He has given the kingdom to one of
your friends, a man who is a better person than you. The one who lives
forever, the God of Israel, does not lie and will not change his mind. He
is not like a man who is always changing his mind."
1 Samuel 15:27-29

Samuel was obviously an approved and inspired prophet

and we have no reason whatsoever to doubt what he is say-
ing. However, he does add the part comparing God to man
and saying in essence that God doesn’t change his mind in
the same way that men do. Also, Samuel’s statement might
not be a blanket statement about God, but rather refer to the
specific case where God was going to tear the kingdom away
from Saul and give it to David.
The other two instances where it is stated that God won’t
change his mind are of a specific case in which he is referring
to Jesus’ priesthood and not to a general description of God.
174 God is with us

The LORD has made a promise with an oath and will not change
his mind: "You are a priest forever-- the kind of priest Melchizedek
was." Psalm 110:4

If there were no possibility of God changing his mind

about anything, then this statement saying that he will not
change his mind about this declaration of the priesthood
would be superfluous.
There is no airtight statement in the whole Bible that
says that God will never, ever change his mind. But there
are many cases in the Bible that show that he did change
his mind. Scripture is interpreted by Scripture. That means
to say that all of Scripture must be harmonized and that
we understand one part by what we see in other parts.
Sometimes statements seem to contradict each other, but
we believe that the whole truth is revealed by the whole
Scripture.
Many translations avoid using the word “repent” in re-
ferring to God. They substitute the word “relent.” Is “re-
lenting” the same as “repenting”?

Then the LORD relented and did not bring on his people the
disaster he had threatened. Exodus 32:14
NIV
. . . for their sake he remembered his covenant and out of his
great love he relented. Psalm 106:45 NIV
So the LORD relented. "This will not happen," the LORD
said. Amos 7:3 NIV
So the LORD relented. "This will not happen either," the Sov-
ereign LORD said. Amos 7:6 NIV

All four of these times where the NIV translators used

the word “relented,” it is the same Hebrew word as “re-
pented.” Translators are also human and sometimes allow
their pre-conceived theology to influence their translation.
There is no valid reason in the context to translate this
word in a different way than in other contexts. In
 10. Does God change his mind? 175

translation, when the context dictates, different words can be

used to express the intent of the passage, but we should not
change the words when it is not warranted.
Here are two other cases where the translators used a dif-
ferent English word to express the same Hebrew word when
it referred to God’s course of action.

When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil
ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them (repented of)
the destruction he had threatened. Jonah 3:10 NIV

Nevertheless, the LORD did not turn away (repent) from the
heat of his fierce anger, which burned against Judah because of all that
Manasseh had done to provoke him to anger.
2 Kings 23:26 NIV

Following are twenty-five additional references (all from

the KJV because that translation does not change the word
usage) that clearly state that God does or can “repent:”

And it Repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth,
and it grieved him at his heart. And the LORD said, I will destroy
man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and
beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me
that I have made them. Genesis 6:6-7 KJV

Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he
bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from
the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil
against thy people...And the LORD repented of the evil which he
thought to do unto his people. Exodus 32:12, 14 KJV

And when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD was
with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all
the days of the judge: for it repented the LORD because of their groaning
by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them.
Judges 2:18 KJV
176 God is with us

It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned

back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments.
And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.
1 Samuel 15:11 KJV

And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death:
nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul: and the LORD repented that
he had made Saul king over Israel. 1 Samuel 15:35 KJV

And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to
destroy it, the LORD repented him of the evil, and said to the angel
that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand. And the
angel of the LORD was by the threshing place of Araunah the Jebu-
site. 2 Samuel
24:16 KJV

And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he

was destroying, the LORD beheld, and he repented him of the evil,
and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough, stay now thine
hand. And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshing floor of
Ornan the Jebusite. 1 Chronicles
21:15 KJV

And he remembered for them his covenant, and repented accord-

ing to the multitude of his mercies. Psalm 106:45
KJV

For the LORD will judge his people, and he will repent himself
concerning his servants. Psalm 135:14 KJV

For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black:
because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent,
neither will I turn back from it. Jeremiah 4:28 KJV
 10. Does God change his mind? 177

God is speaking of this special case – not a generality. If

he never changed his mind, then he would not have needed
to make this statement.

Thou hast forsaken me, saith the LORD, thou art gone backward:
therefore will I stretch out my hand against thee, and destroy thee; I am
weary with repenting. Jeremiah 15:6 KJV

God is saying that he is tired of changing his mind so often

to show mercy to this stiff-necked people.

If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil,
I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.
Jeremiah 18:8 KJV

If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent

of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.
Jeremiah 18:10 KJV

If so be they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way, that
I may repent me of the evil, which purpose to do unto them because of the
evil of their doings. Jeremiah 26:3 KJV

Therefore now amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice
of the LORD your God; and the LORD will repent him of the evil
that he hath pronounced against you.
Jeremiah 26:13 KJV

Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him at all to death?
Did he not fear the LORD, and besought the LORD, and the LORD
repented him of the evil which he had pronounced against them? Thus
might we procure great evil against our souls.
Jeremiah 26:19 KJV

If ye will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not pull
you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up: for I repent me
of the evil that I have done unto you.Jeremiah 42:10 KJV
178 God is with us

I the LORD have spoken it: it shall come to pass, and I will do
it; I will not go back, neither will I spare, neither will I repent ;
according to thy ways, and according to thy doings, shall they judge
thee, saith the Lord GOD. Eze-
kiel 24:14 KJV

And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the
LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger,
and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

Joel 2:13 KJV

The LORD repented for this: It shall not be, saith the LORD.
Amos 7:3
KJV

The LORD repented for this: This also shall not be, saith the
Lord GOD. Amos 7:6 KJV

Who can tell if God will turn and repent , and turn away from
his fierce anger, that we perish not? Jonah 3:9
KJV

And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way;
and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto
them; and he did it not. Jonah 3:10 KJV

And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O

LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country?
Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a
gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness,
and repentest thee of the evil. Jonah 4:2
KJV
 10. Does God change his mind? 179

For thus saith the LORD of hosts; As I thought to punish you,

when your fathers provoked me to wrath, saith the LORD of hosts, and
I repented not: Zechariah 8:14 KJV

He didn’t change his mind in this case, but by the very

statement of saying that he didn’t proves that he could have.

Twenty-seven verses use the word “repent” referring to

God changing his mind about his plans. Two verses (the
source of one of these is questionable as to his divine inspi-
ration) say that he does not change his mind like a man does
(which could mean that he is not wishy-washy or does not do
it on a whim). The overwhelming bulk of the evidence of
Scripture states that God does change his mind when he
wants to because of his mercy and also because of his justice.
Let’s say you are on a jury and twenty-seven witnesses
were presented who said that they saw a man commit murder,
and the defense presents two witnesses who say that he
didn’t. You know that one of the witnesses is of questionable
character (Balaam), and the other is reliable but says he is only
90% sure, how would you vote?
God has the prerogative and the freedom to change his
mind. “I will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.” This means
that his decisions and their future consequences are not al-
ready determined.

The word we have looked at is the same Hebrew

word that is translated as “repent” when it refers to men.

And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God
led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that
was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they
see war, and they return to Egypt:
Exodus 13:17 KJV

Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.

Job 42:6 KJV
180 God is with us

And let that man be as the cities which the LORD overthrew,
and repented not: and let him hear the cry in the morning, and the
shouting at noontide; Jeremiah
20:16 KJV
The immutability of God means that his character, his
virtue, his justice, his morals, his sovereignty, his power,
etc. are forever the same. Just because he chooses to not
control every detail of a man’s life doesn’t change his be-
ing. He remains immutable, but his omniscience of the fu-
ture is limited by his very own design. He made the
decision to delegate freedom to make choices to other liv-
ing beings. This in no way threatens his sovereignty since
it is his choice.
The future is in the hands of God, but what God does
in the future depends to a significant degree on what you
and I do in the present. God initiates according to his plan,
but then also acts in response to our decisions. This is seen
over and over and over again in the Scriptures. The future
is subject to God. God is not subject to the future. God is
truly sovereign over all.

Conclusion

The biblical evidence is overwhelming that God does

change his mind. Because of his mercy, he changes his
plans to destroy people who do evil but who then repent,
and because of his justice he changes his original plans and
punishes people who turn to doing evil. No matter in
which translation of the Bible, or in which language you
look, you cannot legitimately say that the details of God’s
plans are all set in concrete and cannot be changed. God
is not subject to our theology, and he changes his mind
whenever he desires.
 11.

Foreknowledge, fore-ordination,
omniscience and the sovereignty of
God

To understand God and his plan for us, we should know

his character and something of his attributes. What is he like?
What is he trying to do? What are his plans and desires for
human beings? If we are gravely mistaken about how God
works and what he is doing, then we will have great difficulty
fulfilling his will for us.
To believe that God already knows everything that will
happen in the future is a serious error in the church because
it cannot be supported by the Scriptures. As Evangelical
Christians we pride ourselves on adhering strictly to the Bi-
ble, but in practice we are sometimes as bad or worse than
the sects and cults we criticize for forcing their own interpre-
tations on the Bible text. We approach the Bible with our pre-
existing belief system and try to make the Bible agree with us.
(This is called eisogesis – reading meaning into the text). We
skip over passages that contradict our system; we even un-
wittingly alter words and meanings in new Bible translations
because they conflict with our prior beliefs. This does great
damage to the church and the work of God.

There is a great danger, when once we have adhered to one particular

school of thought or adopted one particular system of theology, of reading
the Bible in the light of that school or system and finding its distinctive
features in what we read. One reader may tend to do less than justice to
those texts which stress man’s responsibility; another will be inclined to
modify the force of those which emphasize God's eternal election. The
182 God is with us

remedy for this is to bear resolutely in mind that our systems of doc-
trine must be based on biblical exegesis, not imposed upon it.

From the foreword of the book by Paul Marston and

Roger Forster, God’s Strategy in Human History , Mil-
lennium Edition 2000, by Wipf and Stock Publishers, Eu-
gene, OR 97401

In this chapter and in Section Two, I will show that

God does not have absolute foreknowledge of the future,
and in some cases does not know in the present everything
that is in the heart of men. I also am going to show that
there is not one person in the Bible who believed in God’s
absolute foreknowledge. I will show you an overwhelming
number of Bible texts that are all contrary to the theory of
God’s absolute foreknowledge of all things future.

Paul, in his letters, continually makes logical arguments, he as-

sumes that his gospel makes sense and is consistent with the Old
Testament which he knows to be inspired by God. Allowing blatant
inconsistency in theology is not only wrong but dangerous, it can lead
to all kinds of immoral or wrong behavior in the name of God.
Marston and Forster,
Page 28

God has given us a sound mind and there is never any

indication that he expected men to throw aside all reason
in order to follow him. In philosophy, the first lesson they
try to teach you is how to apply reason and logic. The most
common example is:

Socrates is a man
All men are mortal
Socrates is mortal

If the first two statements are true, then logically we

must conclude that the third is also true. Here are some
11. Foreknowledge, fore-ordination, omniscience and the sover- 183
eignty of God
more logical conclusions if God’s foreknowledge of the fu-
ture were absolute:

The future is perfectly known

What is perfectly known cannot be changed
The future cannot be changed

No one can change that which is perfectly known

One who can change nothing is powerless
God is powerless (impotent)

Obviously, most Christians or even believers in god from

other religions would not agree with this conclusion, yet it is
the logical conclusion if the future is already determined in
every detail.

Without faith no one can please God. Whoever comes to God must
believe that he is real and that he rewards those who sincerely try to find
him. Hebrews 11:6

If God could not change the future, how could he reward

someone who seeks him? Our decisions and actions would
have no consequence whatsoever in how the future turns out,
or in what reward each of us would receive. If God already
knows the future, then our rewards are already determined
before the race begins.
The belief that the future is already fully known and there-
fore unchangeable is absurd both by biblical and rational
standards. Though it is the most common belief of western
evangelicals does not make it true due to its popularity. Other
beliefs in the past have been popular but just as wrong. For
example, the belief that the world was flat was almost univer-
sally accepted until the time of Columbus and even by many
people for years after that. The Reformers like Luther, Calvin,
and Zwingli were all born before the discovery of America
and most likely were skeptics of the round earth “theory.“
184 God is with us

Also, before Galileo and Copernicus, nearly everyone,

including the reformers believed that the sun and the stars
revolved around the earth.

“The geocentric model held sway into the early modern age, but
from the late 16th century onward was gradually superseded by the
heliocentric model of Copernicus (1473-1543), Galileo (1564-
1642) and Kepler (1571-1630). However, the transition between
these two theories met much resistance, not only from Christian the-
ologians, who were reluctant to reject a theory that was in agreement
with Bible passages (e.g. "Sun, stand you still upon Gibeon", Joshua
10:12 - KJV), but also from those who saw geocentrism as an ac-
cepted consensus that could not be subverted by a new, unknown the-
ory.” Wikipedia

Another very commonly practiced medical/scientific

belief helped to kill George Washington. When he was
very sick at the end of his life, three times the doctors re-
moved some of his blood to “relieve” the pressure, and
very soon thereafter, he died. Blood-letting was the most
common medical practice performed by physicians from
antiquity until the late nineteenth century, a span of almost
2,000 years. The practice has now been abandoned for all
except a few very specific conditions. History shows that
the popularity of a belief does not prove something to be
true.
Therefore, common acceptance of a theological belief
is not a guarantee of truth, and though the belief that God
already knows all the future is very popular among evan-
gelicals today, that is no good reason to blindly believe that
it is true in a blatant disregard of the biblical evidence to
the contrary.

The role of the prophet in the plan of God –

Many people believe that the prophets were only fore-

tellers of the future, but that was only a small part of their
11. Foreknowledge, fore-ordination, omniscience and the sover- 185
eignty of God
ministry. Most of the time they told the people what God was
thinking, seeing and planning. God revealed his plans and in-
tentions to his servants the prophets, and they told them to
the people. Sometimes this involved revelations of things that
only God could know about the present as well as what God
said he would do in the future. Even the apostle John in the
book of Revelation is not seeing into the future, but is seeing
the revelation of the plans of God. John was not transported
to the future to see what he saw. God revealed to him in the
present what he is going to make happen in the future.
God doesn’t say he knows the future and is declaring it to
us: he says that he is making things happen according to his
plan. He is not a passive God who watches things unfold ac-
cording to a script, but he is an active God who guides and
shapes what happens in the future. As mentioned earlier, the
deists believe that God made the universe and then went
away, and is no longer in control of things. The “closed the-
ist” who believes that the future is already known and there-
fore unchangeable is in the same category. In both cases, God
would be unable to do anything to help us.
Jonah knew God very well. He knew that after announc-
ing the destruction of Nineveh that it was probable that if
they repented God would forgive them and not destroy them
as he threatened. He hated the Assyrians, and didn’t want
God to forgive them, so he ran away to Joppa. He knew that
his pronouncements were not telling the future. They were
only revealing God’s plans and that those plans could change.
Aaron was called Moses’ prophet/spokesman, and is an
example of what prophets do.

The LORD said to Moses, "See how important I have made you?
In speaking to Pharaoh, you will be like God, and your brother Aaron
will be your prophet. You will tell Aaron everything that I command
you. Then he will tell the king what I say. And Pharaoh will let the
Israelites leave this country. Exodus 7:1-2

The meaning of “knowing” and “foreknowing” –

186 God is with us

Here is the definition of one Greek word to “know:

eido i'-do
A primary verb; used only in certain past tenses, the
others being borrowed from other verbs; properly to see
(literally or figuratively); by implication (in the perfect
only) to know: - be aware, behold, consider, (have) known
(-ledge), look (on), perceive, see, be sure, tell, understand.
To gaze at, see, etc.

The people asked, "Where is your father?" Jesus answered, "You

don't know me or my Father. But if you knew me, you would know my
Father too." John 8:19

Your father Abraham was very happy that he would see the day
when I came. He saw that day and was happy."
John 8:56

The same Greek word translated “know” in the first

reference is translated “saw” in the second. Abraham did
not “foresee” the Lord’s Day in the future, but he “knew”
it when it happened. Abraham was spiritually alive to see
the birth of the Messiah. To the Saducees, who did not
believe in the resurrection, Jesus said, “I am the God of Abra-
ham, Isaac, and Jacob. God is not the God of the dead, but of the
living“(Matthew 22:31 - NIV).

His parents answered, "We know that this man is our son. And we
know that he was born blind. But we don't know why he can see now.
We don't know who healed his eyes. Ask him. He is old enough to
answer for himself." John 9:20-21

The same Greek word is used to say that they knew he

was their son, as well as to say that they knew he was born
blind. When this word refers to a person, it means to
“know personally with certainty,” as in having a personal
relationship. In English, we have the same rule with the
11. Foreknowledge, fore-ordination, omniscience and the sover- 187
eignty of God
word “know.” When we refer to a person, we mean a per-
sonal relationship. When we refer to a thing, it means
knowledge of some fact. “I know John Baker,” versus “I
know that he got home late last night.” When you see the
word “know” in the Bible, if it refers to a person, it means
having a personal relationship with that person.
Sometimes, we might say “I know the mayor of our city,”
when we haven’t really met him. What we are saying is that
we know something about him, but do not have a personal
relationship with him. The context of the statement tells us
whether we are talking about a personal relationship or just
some information.
The word “foreknew” is a word found in the Bible text in
only two places (Romans 8:29, and Romans 11:2). The word
“foreknowledge” also appears only twice, once in Acts 2:23
and in 1 Peter 1:2. These two words literally mean knowing
someone beforehand. The text never says how long in the
past this person was known, but only that it is previous to
salvation. Supporters of God’s absolute foreknowledge of all
things say it means that all things (information) were known
to God from eternity past. However, the Bible texts do not
say such a thing, and three of the four references to “fore-
knew” or “foreknowledge” clearly refer to knowing people
and not to knowing things. Foreknowledge means a prior re-
lationship with another person. This is problematic for the
doctrine of God’s absolute foreknowledge of everything fu-
ture because persons did not exist before their conception. If
they did not exist as persons, God could not have had a per-
sonal, knowing relationship with them.

The meaning of the word “Foreknew” –

Greek: proginōskō prog-in-oce'-ko
to know beforehand, that is, foresee: - foreknow (ordain), know
(before), acquainted (before).
proegnō acquainted-before
prognōsin to-an-acquainting-before
prognōsei unto-an-acquainting-before
188 God is with us

For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become con-

formed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among
many brethren; Romans 8:29 NASB

God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not
know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads
with God against Israel? Romans 11:2 NASB

Both of these verses refer to knowing people and hav-

ing a personal relationship with them. They are not about
having knowledge of the future.

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God's elect, strangers in the

world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and
Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of
God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obe-
dience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood:
1 Peter 1:1-2 NIV

This reference also refers to knowing people and not

to knowing something.

This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and fore-
knowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death
by nailing him to the cross. Acts 2:23 NIV

This second use of the word “foreknowledge” seems

to say that it refers to knowing some “thing” instead of
knowing people. However, the “foreknowledge” could
refer to the people to whom Christ was handed over. He
knew what was in the hearts of the people God handed
him over to and that they would put Christ to death be-
cause of it. Also, to use the terms “purpose” and “fore-
knowledge” in the same sentence to describe the same
event seems superfluous. A purpose defines what some-
one intends to do whereas a foreknowledge implies that it
11. Foreknowledge, fore-ordination, omniscience and the sover- 189
eignty of God
is already known. Purpose indicates a work in progress. Fore-
knowledge of a thing would indicate a work already done.
As used in the Bible, foreknowledge means having a per-
sonal relationship prior to some secondary event. God knew
us personally before making us his sons, declaring us right-
eous, predestining us to become like Jesus, giving us an in-
heritance, and preparing a place for us in Heaven.

Open Theology –

In recent years, a school of theology that is often referred

to as “Open Theism” has become better known. It basically
says that God does not know all of the future, and that some
of it will be decided by what choices a man makes in his life.
This is not a new theology, but somewhat of a revival of the
old theology of the early church. The spokesmen for this
branch of theology have been bitterly attacked by the propo-
nents of absolute foreknowledge. “Open theists” have been
branded heretics, false teachers and other derogatory terms,
and have been shunned by many in the Evangelical commu-
nity. But heresy is not defined by whether or not I agree with
you: it is defined by whether or not I agree with God and the
Bible. Those branded as heretics and rebels are in good com-
pany because that’s the way the Israelites treated the prophets
of old, the Pharisees treated Jesus and his disciples, and the
way the Catholic Church treated the Reformers and their pre-
decessors. God’s servants have not often enjoyed the favor
of the religious leaders or of the masses.
I confess that the more I study the Scriptures, the more I
am happy to be called an “open theist.” I’m open to learning
the truth. I’m open to God’s acting in my life. I’m open to
receiving guidance from the Almighty. I would much rather
be an “open theist” than a “closed theist” who believes that
the future is already set in concrete and can’t be changed,
even by God.
190 God is with us

While there may be some differences in the details,

supporters of “open theism” can roughly be divided into
two groups.
The first one claims that while the future is knowable
by God, he voluntarily limits his knowledge of the future
so that free will choices can remain truly free.
The second group believes that since the future hasn't
happened yet, it is not knowable . . . even by God. They
hold that if God were to know what we are going to
choose whenever we make a choice, we could not choose
to do something other than what is 'known' by God, thus
we would not be truly free, but bound to fulfill the future
that God already knows.
I am happy to fall in the latter group. I believe that the
future is still a work in progress and although the skeleton
for the future is already decided by God, the flesh is still
growing on the bones.

Foreordination –

Foreordination means to “fix the horizons”, or to “set

the limits” (from the Greek pro·o·rizo - from pro, before,
and ho·rizo, mark out or set the bounds). The pages of
Scripture are heavy with examples of God telling people
what his future purpose and intentions are and what he
plans to make happen. The most outstanding example be-
ing, of course, the birth, life and death of Jesus about
which there were over 300 prophecies.
The primary emphasis in the Scriptures is on God “do-
ing,” not on his “knowing.”

Remember what happened long ago. Remember, I am God and there

is no other God. There is no other like me. "In the beginning, I told you
what would happen in the end. A long time ago, I told you things that
have not happened yet. When I plan something, it happens. I do whatever
I want to do. Isaiah 46:9-10
11. Foreknowledge, fore-ordination, omniscience and the sover- 191
eignty of God
"Long ago I told you what would happen. I told you about these
things. And suddenly I made them happen.
Isaiah 48:3

Listen to what the LORD has planned to do to Babylon. Listen to

what he has decided to do to the Babylonians. "I promise that an enemy
will drag away the young kids of Babylon's flock, and Babylon will
become an empty pasture. Jeremiah 50:45

There is no hint here in any of these statements that God

is revealing what he sees is going to happen in the future.
They clearly state that he is going to do what he has decided.

These people who came together against Jesus made your plan hap-
pen. It was done because of your power and your will.
Acts 4:28

We see in this passage both God’s plan and determination

(foreordination). Many people equate foreordination with
foreknowledge, thinking that when God says something will
happen it is because he already knows it. However, the words
are by no means the same, and there is a vast distinction be-
tween knowing something will happen and being able to
make it happen. A prophet might be able to tell you what is
going to happen, but only someone who has power and au-
thority can make it happen. Only someone with the power to
change what will happen can be considered sovereign. If the
future is already known by God, it is as if it has already hap-
pened and even God could not make it any different.

Omniscience –

Omniscience is a word that theologians (those who study

God) came up with to describe God, but it is not found in
the Bible. The Bible reveals God as knowing everything in
the past and most things in the present. It does not say that
he knows everything in the future or every decision that man
192 God is with us

is going to make. Contrary to common belief, there are a

number of biblical cases in which God did not know in
the present everything about the heart of a person. He had
to test them to find it out. Therefore, according to the Bi-
ble, God does not know everything in the present time.
God is not shown to be 100% omniscient when it con-
cerns what is in the heart of a man. Here are two of many
examples:

It was Hezekiah who stopped up the upper source of the waters of

the Gihon Spring in Jerusalem and made the waters flow straight down
on the west side of the City of David. And he was successful in everything
he did. One time the leaders of Babylon sent messengers to Hezekiah.
The messengers asked about a strange sign that had happened in the
nations. When they came, God left Hezekiah alone to test him and to
know everything that was in Hezekiah's heart.
2 Chronicles 32:30-31

(God speaking to Abraham)"Do not lay a hand on the

boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you
fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only
son." Gen-
esis 22:12 NIV

God found out by testing Abraham what he did not

know for sure before. The idea that God doesn’t know
every detail of everything, past, present and future is un-
imaginable to some people. But it is what the Scriptures
say even if we try to explain these passages by saying that
God already knew it, but he wanted Hezekiah and Abra-
ham to know. If we asked a sixth grader to read these
statements and tell us what they meant, he would come to
the same conclusions that I do. It often helps to read the
Bible as though we only had a sixth grade education.
As I said earlier, to prove the omniscience of God, we
must prove that he knows all things, or at least a great
multitude of things. To disprove it, I only need to prove
11. Foreknowledge, fore-ordination, omniscience and the sover- 193
eignty of God
that there is one thing he does not know. If I look at a house
and say “That house is red,” that is no proof that I know the
color of all the other houses in the neighborhood. It only
proves that I know the color of the particular house to which
I am referring. Just because God reveals that he knows some-
thing that will happen in the future is no proof that he knows
everything that will happen.
God is absolutely sovereign. He does what he desires and
is only limited by his own nature. For instance, he cannot sin,
he cannot be impure, he cannot stop loving, he cannot stop
being good, he cannot change from being who and what he
is. God has no power to change his own nature, nor would
he ever have a desire to do so. There is no conflict in his
intentions or in his morality. God cannot make a rock so big
he cannot lift it because he is not stupid.
People fear that if God does not know all the future, that
it would diminish God, but that is not true. If God, in his
freewill and sovereignty chooses to leave some of the future
open to men’s choices, it shows his greatness, and is not a
weakness. God is very secure: he is not afraid to allow his
creation to have some freedom to make choices. Closed the-
ists would dictate to God what he can and cannot do.

What is Sovereignty?

The dictionary says: jurisdiction, rule, supremacy, dominion,

power. Synonyms are: ascendency, hegemony, domination, authority,
control, influence.
This means that someone or some state that is sovereign
has authority and responsibility for whatever it is sovereign
over. Unfortunately, religion has redefined the word to mean
that God controls every little detail of everything that ever
happens. According to religion’s definition, nothing can hap-
pen but what he causes. That is a very errant idea of what
biblical sovereignty is supposed to mean. God doesn’t have
to control what I have for lunch in order to be sovereign over
his creation.
194 God is with us

If a sovereign government decides to grant certain free-

doms to departments in its territory, it doesn’t lose its sov-
ereignty by doing so. It loses some control, but control
and sovereignty are not the same thing. God is not a con-
trol freak. He doesn’t want or need to insert his influence
into every little decision or event within his creation. He
does not become less sovereign by allowing his creatures
to make some of their own decisions. He is sovereign even
though Satan rebelled and has caused terrible destruction
within God’s handiwork. God is not the author of evil,
but he is still responsible over the world in which evil
works, and that is why there is going to be a judgment day
and appropriate measures taken to destroy the evil and the
evil ones. The judge will have the final say and will exert
his sovereign will over his creatures.

God made man in his image and gave him a free

will just like he himself has –

The fishing tackle box – Let’s suppose I have a ten-

year old son, and I decide to buy him a fishing tackle box
and a whole assortment of hooks and lures and fishing
tackle to put into it. I give him all of the stuff, but I don’t
tell him how to put it in the box. I know that he can’t put
the rolls of line or the bobbers in the very little compart-
ments on the top drawers, so I have some idea of how he
might arrange his tackle. But, I don’t know, nor do I have
a desire to control, how he will arrange his tackle. He can
put his selection of hooks, sinkers, lures, swivels, etc. in
whatever compartment he wishes. (Women – perhaps the
example of a large sewing basket and all the spools of
thread, pins, needles, buttons, etc. will serve you better).
God knows all of the compartments and layers and he
knows what we have to put into the compartments, but
he doesn’t know how we are going to do it. He has, by his
own volition and sovereignty, left that for us to determine.
11. Foreknowledge, fore-ordination, omniscience and the sover- 195
eignty of God
We have all known of autocratic dads and moms who
want to control everything their child does (I pity you if that’s
the way your parents were or are). The child grows up never
being able to make decisions on his own. For a child to ma-
ture and learn to function in our world, he must be given
graduated freedom to make his own choices. God is not an
autocratic father who believes that it is necessary for him to
control every decision we will ever make. He is a loving, trust-
ing Father who will help us every time we need help, but
won’t impose his will upon our lives. Giving man the power
to make a genuine, independent choice does not diminish
God's control over his universe.

God respects man’s freedom to make choices –

There are two other matters of vital importance in relation to man's

salvation which God cannot do: he cannot force anyone to love him; and
he cannot force anyone to accept a gift. By the very nature of love and
giving, man must have the power to choose. The reception of God's love
and of the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ can only be by an act of
man's free will.
Giving man the power to make a genuine, independent choice does
not diminish God's control over his universe. Being omnipotent and om-
niscient, God certainly could so arrange circumstances as to keep man's
rebellion from frustrating his purposes. In fact, God could even use man's
free will to help fulfill his own plans and thereby be even more glorified.
God's grand design from the foundation of the world to bestow upon
man the gift of his love precludes any ability to force that gift upon any
of his creatures. Both love and gifts of any kind must be received. Force
perverts the transaction.
It is the power of genuine choice from man's own heart and will which
God has sovereignly given him that enables God to love man and for
man to receive that love and to love God in return "because he first loved
us" (1 John 4:19). It is impossible that the power of choice could chal-
lenge God's sovereignty since it is God's sovereignty which has bestowed
this gift upon man and set the conditions for both loving and giving.
Dave Hunt, The Berean Call, Feb 1, 2001
196 God is with us

Some believe that in order to be God he must control

everything, or else he would be in danger of losing his
place. Part of the essence of sin is that we want to control
everything, and we think that God must be like that also.
The argument that God’s not foreknowing all future
events and circumstances in full detail would evidence im-
perfection and weakness on his part is a view of perfection
from man’s viewpoint. Perfection, correctly defined, does
not demand such an absolute, all-embracing conclusion.
Perfection in the ultimate analysis is equal to what and
who God is.
If indeed God knows every choice I am going to make,
I would rather find out about it at the end of my earthly
life than to live believing that my life is purposeless and
without any meaning whatsoever. I am a much happier
person believing that my prayers make a difference in the
future and that God really is at my side working with me
and helping me to live a life pleasing to him. If he already
knows what I will do, than no matter what I try to do, it
won’t make any difference. So, let me enjoy the moment
of believing that I am important to God and that I really
am made in his image. Man could not truly have been cre-
ated in “God’s image” if he did not have some moral free-
dom.

And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things
are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.
Hebrews 4:13 NASB

Our feelings and thoughts were not created by God.

That is why he often needs to search a man’s heart to find
out what is in it. God would have no need to see anything
if he already knew everything.
Since it does not fit into human reasoning to believe
that 1) man has a free choice, and yet 2) God already
knows what it is, we invent unreasonable explanations like
11. Foreknowledge, fore-ordination, omniscience and the sover- 197
eignty of God
“it is like two parallel railroad tracks that never seem to meet,
but will eventually meet in eternity:” or that there is a sign on
the gate of heaven that says, “Whosever will may come,” but
once we enter and look back, the sign reads “You have not
chosen me, but I have chosen you.” God has the power and
freedom to do whatever he likes because he is God and is in
the driver’s seat. But, when he has clearly revealed a truth
about himself over and over and over again throughout the
Scriptures, we should not twist our logic into banana pudding
to deny it.
The reason the two theological rails of “predestination”
and “free-will” don’t meet is because they are logically incom-
patible. We were taught over and over in science classes that
if you have two theories that defy reconciliation, look for the
one that is false. Don’t pretend that they are both correct.
With the example of the two sides of the sign at Heaven’s
gate, the Bible says a multitude of times that salvation is open
to “whosoever will.” The supposed statement on the other
side is something that Jesus said to the disciples, not to the
church in general; “I have chosen you.” He never said this to
the crowds or to believers other than the twelve chosen dis-
ciples. And even one of these “chosen” ones was a devil who
never made it to Heaven to see the other side of the sign.
Besides, God has not told us what is on the other side of
the sign: he has only revealed what is written on this side.
Which side of the sign is uncertain? - the one in which we
guess what is written there, or the one where he has told us
again and again that “Whosoever will may come?” He doesn’t
need us to be “guessing” about what is written on the other
side. We must trust that the Divine Revealer knows what he
is doing and that he really is as he reveals himself to be.
In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus teaches his disciples to pray,
“Your will be done.” Why should we bother to ask for this?
In the first place, if the future is already known, then God
can’t do anything that is not already limited by his knowledge.
Second, is God’s will not always done? Apparently, it is not;
198 God is with us

he doesn’t always get his preferred way with people. What

he desires for people is not what they always do.
God has a desire for people that is often not fulfilled.
If that is so, it means that he is disappointed when we
make wrong choices, and delighted when we make right
ones. He is not an unfeeling, distant, unconcerned person,
but one of compassion, love, patience, and pity. He is a
feeling Father, and identifies with our struggles, but
doesn’t control everything we do.
Jesus is a feeling Savior who understands what we are
going through because he went through it himself. For this
reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that
he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God,
and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because
he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who
are being tempted (Hebrews 2:17-18 NIV). For we do not have
a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but
we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet
was without sin (Hebrews 4:15 NIV).
Jesus is not like the person who comes to visit us in the
hospital and repeatedly says, “Oh, I know how you feel,”
even though they have never had an operation nor even
been in the hospital. Jesus and the Father share our feel-
ings and emotions. They know what it is like to love, be
angry, rejoice, be sad, and walk in our moccasins. They
live our lives with us like a tender, loving Father who
knows the needs of his little child.
God is not a cruel teaser, who offers something with-
out there being any possibility of it ever happening. That
would be a God made in the image of evil man. But Jesus
said that even man was morally better than doing some-
thing like that. If sincere people ask God for things which
are good for them, he will delight in giving them. If God
offers us a fish we can be sure that having the fish is pos-
sible, and is not some kind of scam.
It became very common in recent years for scammers
to send out emails to unsuspecting people telling them
11. Foreknowledge, fore-ordination, omniscience and the sover- 199
eignty of God
that they could get millions of dollars if they would help move
some money from one place to another. I had a friend in
Uruguay who got sucked in and borrowed money (in one case
from the church offerings and without permission) so that he
could travel to Europe and get a share of all these millions.
He never got his money back (or the church’s either). I used
to receive these kinds of scams almost every day through my
email address (usually from Nigeria or some other question-
able country). They made great promises, but had no inten-
tion of delivering the goods.
God is not like that. If he makes a promise, or gives us a
choice, it is because it is legitimate. Our choice is not already
known or decided, but the outcome depends on what we
choose, and our choice will help determine the future. God
is neither a cruel tyrant nor a scam artist who offers things
which we can never have.
 12.

What is predestination?

I believe in predestination, but not the way most people

understand it. The word as used in the Bible has nothing
whatsoever to do with the identity of who will be saved. It
has to do with what happens to those who do get saved. The
words predestination or predestinate appear six times in
Greek in the Bible.

proorizo pro-or-id'-zo
to limit in advance, that is, (figuratively) predetermine: - deter-
mine before, ordain, predestinate.

1. Uses 1-2. And we know that in all things God works

for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his
purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to
the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many broth-
ers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also
justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
Romans 8:28-30 NIV

All those whom God “foreknew” were then predestined

to become like Jesus. Everything in this verse depends on the
statement that God knew certain persons beforehand. This
text does not reveal how long beforehand he knew them. It
could be a few days, a few years, or an eternity, but no one
can legitimately use this text to build a case for some people
being saved and others not from before time began.

3. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in
202 God is with us

Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be

holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted
as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and
will--to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us
in the One he loves. Ephesians 1:3-6 NIV

Again, predestination is subsequent to being “in

Christ.” If someone is not in Christ, he is predestined for
the wrath of God. Adoption does not mean being made
his child, but rather coming of age as his child, and receiv-
ing the rights and responsibilities as sons. All those who
come into Christ through faith will receive all these bene-
fits of being associated with him. Salvation is a group ex-
perience - it has to do with being in Christ, the salvation
vessel.

4. In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according

to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the
purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in
Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were in-
cluded in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your
salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the
promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance
until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise
of his glory. Ephesians
1:11-14 NIV

This passage is about what happens to those who have

come to believe in Christ. It says nothing whatsoever
about individuals having been chosen beforehand. The
emphasis is on Christ and all those who come to believe
in him. Being in Christ depends on believing that he is
God’s eternal Son and man’s Savior. We are predestined
to be for the praise of his glory.
 12. What is predestination? 203

5. In fact, this has happened here in this very city! For Herod An-
tipas, Pontius Pilate the governor, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel
were all united against Jesus, Your holy servant, whom You anointed.
But everything they did was determined beforehand according to Your
will. Acts 4:27-28 NLT

This is speaking about the plan of God and how he would

sacrifice his Son Jesus to be the payment for all sinners who
believe in him. Again, it says nothing whatsoever about which
individuals will be saved.

6. We teach wisdom to people who are mature, but the wisdom we

teach is not from this world. It is not the wisdom of the rulers of this
world, who are losing their power. But we speak God's secret wisdom
that has been hidden from everyone until now. God planned this wisdom
for our glory. He planned it before the world began.
1 Corinthians 2:6-7

This is saying that God had a plan to save sinful human

beings even before time began and even before creation. This
says nothing whatsoever about the personal identity of those
people.
Like salvation in the flood, spiritual salvation is a group
experience. All those who belong to Christ and have been
placed in him will be saved, will become like Jesus, and will
receive his glory. Getting into this group depends on believ-
ing in Christ as God’s anointed Messiah. We must enter by
the door which is Jesus. The biblical use of the word “pre-
destination” says nothing whatsoever about who will be
saved. It shows only what is in store for those who are saved.
204 God is with us
 13.

Does time affect God?

Some theologians say that time only exists on earth and

within God’s creation, and that therefore there is no time in
Heaven and God is not affected by time. They often quote
the verse:

But don't forget this one thing, dear friends: To the Lord a day is
like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord is
not being slow in doing what he promised--the way some people under-
stand slowness. But God is being patient with you. He doesn't want
anyone to be lost. He wants everyone to change their ways and stop sin-
ning. 2 Peter 3:8-9

However, this refers to the relativity of time, and not

whether God is affected by it or not. Also, as mentioned in
Chapter 5, it refers to God’s patience for the salvation of
men. The Scriptures do make it clear that time as we know it
did not exist before creation:

No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden
and that God destined for our glory before time began.
1 Corinthians 2:7 NIV

So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don't be

ashamed of me, either, even though I'm in prison for Him. With the
strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the
Good News. For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did
this, not because we deserved it, but because that was His plan from
before the beginning of time—to show us His grace through Christ Jesus.
And now He has made all of this plain to us by the appearing of Christ
206 God is with us

Jesus, our Savior. He broke the power of death and illuminated the way
to life and immortality through the Good News.
2 Timothy 1:8-10 NLT

Greetings from Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus

Christ. I was sent to help God's chosen people have faith and understand
the truth that produces a life of devotion to God. This faith and
knowledge make us sure that we have eternal life. God promised that
life to us before time began--and God does not lie. At the right time,
God let the world know about that life. He did this through the telling
of the Good News message, and he trusted me with that work. I told
people that message because God our Savior commanded me to.
Titus 1:1-3

Our “time” began at creation when God created the

heavens and the earth, and the lights to rule the day and
the night. At that point, days of twenty-four hours and
years of approximately 365 days were instituted.
Since time as we know it is a creation of God, that does
not mean that some form of time does not exist in heaven.
Throughout the Bible, we see a progression of events that
God is superintending. In the book of Revelation we see
a chronology of events that occur in order (though the
book itself is not always chronological). God is working
toward a final product in the forming of his family and the
revealing of his sons. The new earth will be made after the
old earth is burned up. God’s Son became a man in “the
fullness of time,” and not necessarily referring to time in
this world. The New Jerusalem does not appear before the
Old Jerusalem has gone by the wayside. The New Cove-
nant is not given before the Old. The saints under the altar
of God in Heaven cry out “How long, how long o Lord?”
The rewards and punishment of men and angels are dealt
out after the deeds of the people are done.
God has an order and a time-table that we cannot fully
comprehend. But to say that there is not “some form of
time” in Heaven, and therefore the past, present and
 13. Does time affect God? 207

future are all the same to God has no scriptural support. The
whole Bible reveals a progression toward fulfillment of God’s
plans and to say otherwise is not good scholarship.

I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what
is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I
please. Isaiah 46:10 NIV

Ancient times is not only referring to time when God

worked with his creation, but even before creation. God
states that there is an end and a beginning and that they are
not the same.
God doesn’t say that he sees the end of a thing from the
beginning, but that he declares it. The emphasis is not on his
knowledge, but on his power to do what he desires.

The first century philosopher Philo, as far as we know, first ex-

pounded the idea that, since time is only known through movement in
space, God created time along with the physical universe. Though Philo
was a devout Jew, this really arose in development of his Platonic ideas.
The idea, adopted by Augustine, Boethius, and fairly standard western
theology, involved a sophisticated philosophical notion of time, and also
became associated with the idea that God was “timeless”.
Marston and Forster Page 249

The Bible reveals a time table, not of twenty-four hours,

but of the ordering of events. There is some kind of time with
God. Every day is not the same, and there is a progression
toward a final end. So, with God the past, present and future
are not all the same as some would argue. God is not timeless,
but has a plan and a purpose that he is fulfilling. God is look-
ing forward to the exaltation of Christ, the revealing of the
sons of God, the Royal Wedding, the Marriage Supper of the
Lamb, the creation of the new heavens and the new earth,
and living with his family forever in the New Jerusalem.
Also, if there were not a progression in the plans and the
work of God, all creation would have already existed and he
208 God is with us

would not have needed to create anything. He rested on the

seventh day because his creative work was a finished act. The
past, present, and future all exist apart from each other and
God does not move willy-nilly back and forth between them.
 14.

The problem of the origin of evil

No matter what school of theology you adhere to, you

should, of necessity, be able to give a reasonable explanation
for the origin of evil that exists in our world.
If you believe in God’s absolute foreknowledge of all
things future, and believe that he has absolute control over
every minute element within his creation, then logically he
must be the Creator of evil since it could not have come from
any other source.
If on the other hand you believe that God, in his sover-
eignty gives freedom for angels and for men to choose to
obey him or not, then he is not the author of evil. By making
angels and men in his own image (though the Bible does not
state this about angels – we only conclude this from the fact
that some rebelled and some didn’t which reveals that they
have wills like God does), he of necessity gives them the free-
dom to make choices. God never made these evil choices,
but for his creatures to be free like he is, they had to have the
freedom to be like him or be something different. This free-
dom resulted in the devil’s rebellion, the mutiny of one-third
of the angels, and the fall of Adam and Eve who then passed
their perverted nature on to all their descendents. God did
not desire this and was deeply saddened that it happened, but
it was a possible consequence of creating these creatures with
intellect, emotion and will.

Post-Augustinian theology –

In “theological fatalism” or “closed theology,” there can

be no variants to what is already known about the future.
210 God is with us

That means that according to this theology, when God

began to create (he created the angels before creating earth
and humans), he could only create according to what he
knew would happen. This means that when he created the
world, he of necessity created evil. He created Satan know-
ing that he would rebel and cause tremendous destruction
to God’s creation. If he already knew the future, he was
powerless to do anything other than create evil. In this
theological view, God’s sovereignty means absolute con-
trol of every detail. The proponents believe that if God
surrenders control of even one element, he is no longer
sovereign. But as seen earlier this interpretation of sover-
eignty is not based on biblical revelation, but on man’s
own imagination of what God should be like.

Pre-Augustinian theology –

In what is usually called “open theology” (and I prefer

to call literal theology), God took some chances in crea-
tion. In order to achieve his desire and purpose of making
children in his own image, he had to create beings, both
angelic and human, that could make choices that he did
not control. He knew this was an “experiment” where he
could not assure every outcome, but one that he would
not let get out of control. He knew that individual ele-
ments could go towards rebellion and destruction or to-
wards obedience and wholeness. But, there was no other
way to achieve his purposes than to permit this to happen.
He did not cause any of the elements to turn evil: he just
gave them the freedom to do so, as well as the freedom to
make right choices. In this theological view, he is not the
author of evil as he must be in “closed theology.”
By giving freedom to these created beings he did not
surrender his sovereignty: he still held the process in his
hand. It takes a greater, more secure God to invest certain
freedom in his creatures, than a god who needs to control
every little detail within his creation.
 14. The problem of the origin of evil 211

Examples of God’s control versus man’s freedom –

God’s control over his creatures can be illustrated by a dog

on a leash –

The dog walker permits the dog certain freedom to walk

where he wants, to do his business on somebody else’s lawn,
etc., but he never lets go of the leash. The dog has limited
freedom, but the dog walker has ultimate control.

It can also be illustrated by a horse in a large fenced-in

pasture –

A horse inside the fence has a lot of freedom. He can sleep

under the trees, drink water from the stream, run and romp
across the pasture, get close to the fence, or eat grass in any
place within the limits. The one thing he cannot do is get out-
side the fence. He is restricted by a stronger power that limits
his freedom.

Another example is fish in an aquarium –

Some time back, we went with our son and his step-son
to the Baltimore aquarium and were very impressed with the
multitudes of fish and other creatures they have there. The
building is huge and there are many separate tanks and cages
in many different shapes. All of the fish, turtles, sharks, crus-
taceans, birds, etc. have limited freedom, but they are all
trapped inside their tank or their cage. They can act mean and
treat other creatures in an evil way, or be docile and kind; they
can swim or fly to the top or the bottom, or to the right or
the left, or hide under the coral or the brush. They can go
about their business most anyway they want, but they are in
a controlled and limited environment.
212 God is with us

In the “closed theology” view, these creatures are not

only trapped in the tank, but they are trapped in a video
presentation where they have no choices whatsoever of
where they will swim or how they will act. Their actions
are predetermined because the video has already been
filmed. For absolute control, the aquarium keepers could
superglue the fish to the inside of the aquarium glass, but
they wouldn’t be much fun to watch. God hasn’t super-
glued us to his absolute foreknowledge of the future, but
allows us to interact with him to determine how our future
is going to turn out.
God’s control/sovereignty is a lot more complicated
than these simple examples, but this helps us understand
how both free will and sovereign control can exist at the
same time and not be mutually exclusive.
Man is trapped in time and in a contained environment,
but that does not mean that he does not have freedom to
make choices. Based on those choices, God will reward or
punish every action at the proper time. A whole thread
runs through the Bible from cover to cover telling us that
God will reward each man according to his works (Psalm
62:12, Proverbs 19:17, Matthew 6:4, 6:6, 6:18, 16:27,
25:21, Revelation 22:12). What purpose could these Scrip-
tures have if man had no choices to make?
God did not create evil people or evil deeds. God is
everything good and there is no evil in him whatsoever.
When he finished his creation he said over and over again,
“It is good.” There was no evil in it when he made it, but
the possibility of rebellion existed because there was no
other way to make free agents. Living with robots and
computers is not very emotionally rewarding, and God
wanted children and other beings who could relate to him
as a person, and not as a thing.
We have some nice furniture in our house, and I spend
lots of time in bed or on the couch or at the table, but I
don’t ask advice of, or give opinions to, or talk to the fur-
niture. They are inanimate objects with no soul, no life of
 14. The problem of the origin of evil 213

their own. We do have a cat, and we do talk to her and have

a limited relationship with her. However, I cannot relate to
her like I do with my wife, or like I did with my kids when
they were still at home. There is no comparison between re-
lating to inanimate objects like my computer, and to a live,
breathing human being.
God wanted children like himself, whom he could
“know” as people and interact with. You can’t laugh or cry
or have a great time with a desk lamp, or a tree, or a grain of
sand. You can appreciate their beauty and functionality, but
you can’t have a give and take on a personal level. There are
tree-huggers, but if that’s all they hug they are very lonely
people.

Conclusion –

God wanted people whom he could hug, and lavish his

gifts on. He wanted one big happy family to inhabit the man-
sion he was planning to build, where there would be laughter
and rejoicing in abundance. He didn’t create evil, but it was a
by-product of creating creatures with so much freedom that
they could make wrong choices as well as right ones.
214 God is with us
 15.

Examining the "proof texts" used

to support belief in the absolute
foreknowledge of God

Following are most of the biblical texts that supporters of

absolute foreknowledge use to support their belief. Let’s look
at them one by one and see if they prove this doctrine:

The most often cited passage to support God’s fore-

knowledge is Psalm 139. Let’s analyze the significant refer-
ences and see what they teach:

O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.

Psalm 139:1 NIV

Some interpret this to mean that he knows all about me,

including my future. However, the reason God knows us is
that he has searched our hearts. There is no evidence here
that he knew us before the search began. So, his knowing us
is not foreknowledge, but knowledge discovered as he exam-
ined us.

You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from
afar. Psalm 139:2 NIV

This doesn’t say that he knows when we would sit or rise

ahead of time, but learns it in the present by his observation.
He sees my thoughts as I think them, not a millennium ago.
He is attentive to our actions and our thoughts as they occur.
216 God is with us

You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar
with all my ways. Psalm 139:3 NIV

There is nothing here about foreknowledge, but rather

it emphasizes his constant observation and examination
of our lives.

Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O

LORD. Psalm 139:4
NIV

This verse is one of the most commonly quoted ones

used to prove his omniscience of the future. However, it
proves nothing of the kind. The meaning here is that God
knows us so intimately that he knows the thoughts in our
minds before they can ever get to our lips. It is no sure
evidence for saying that he knew our words yesterday or
from eternity.

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my

mother's womb. Psalm 139:13
NIV

The emphasis is on what God did for me while in the

womb, not from any time previous to that.

My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret
place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your
eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were writ-
ten in your book before one of them came to be.
Psalm
139:15-16 NIV

Experts say that a study of this text in Hebrew shows that

this translation is problematic at best. It refers to “future
things,” but not to days of our life. The text is talking about
the creation of the body in the womb, not about the length
 15. Examining the "proof texts" used to support belief in the 217
absolute foreknowledge of God
of life of the person. A much better translation says “all the
members ordained for me were written in your book before
my body was made.” This is the interpretation in several sig-
nificant translations:
Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book
all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when
as yet there was none of them.
KJV
Thine eyes did see my substance yet being imperfect; and in thy book
all my members were written, which were then formed, without lacking
one of them. Jubilee Bible

From the time the sperm and the egg united, God knew
how the body would turn out (your eyes saw my unformed body).
In the day this was written, it was hard to fathom, but in our
day of genes and DNA, it is not difficult at all. To switch
subjects in mid-stream from “body parts” to “days” is inco-
herent either in Hebrew or English. To say that this passage
unequivocally states that all the days of our lives were already
determined is a very slender, fragile thread on which to hang
such a significant doctrine.

The LORD clearly sees everything you do. He watches where you go.
Proverbs 5:21

Closed theists understand this to mean that God knows

ahead of time all the steps in a man’s path. But, if he already
knew everything there is to know, why would he need to
watch a man? This does not prove foreknowledge, but goes
against it.

In the beginning, I told you what would happen in the end. A long
time ago, I told you things that have not happened yet. When I plan
something, it happens. I do whatever I want to do.
Isaiah 46:10
218 God is with us

The emphasis here is on God accomplishing his plans.

He is stating that he will not be thwarted in fulfilling all
that he intends to do and what he has said he will do. This
statement is not a passive declaration about God’s
knowledge of the future, but one that says that God is the
main mover behind all that happens in the future. If God
already knew the future, he would say, “Everything will
turn out as it has been destined to happen.”
This very clearly refers, not to what God knows, but to
what he does. He can declare what is going to happen be-
cause he is going to make it happen. If he were only de-
claring his knowledge of the future, then he could not do
all that he pleases to do. His own will and freedom to work
would be limited by his own predetermined knowledge.
He does not say, “I have done all that I please”, but rather
“I do whatever I want to do.” So, the future is not already
done but God still has the power to determine the future.

"I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb. Before you
were born I set you apart and appointed you as My prophet to the na-
tions." Jeremiah 1:5 NLT

“Before being formed in the womb” does not unequiv-

ocally mean known from eternity. It only means “former
to growing” in the womb. Today, we understand a lot
more about how a baby is formed. An egg and a sperm
interact and a person is conceived. That fertilized egg be-
gins to make its way down the Fallopian tube towards the
womb. There is plenty of time for God to know the heart
and personality of this miniscule human being before it
gets to the womb and starts to grow into the body it will
be at birth. “Before getting to the womb, I already knew
you”
This is also a statement about Jeremiah, not about the
whole world. A likely meaning of this is that God knew
Jeremiah and his personality from the moment of concep-
tion, and he liked what he saw so he chose him as a
 15. Examining the "proof texts" used to support belief in the 219
absolute foreknowledge of God
prophet. God had his own reasons for choosing Jeremiah,
but there is nothing said here to show that this choosing was
before Jeremiah’s conception.

"No one knows when that day or time will be. The Son and the
angels in heaven don't know when it will be. Only the Father knows.
Matthew 24:36

This certainly proves that Christ was not omniscient in his

human body. But also, just because the Father knows the day
and hour of the Lord’s return, does not prove that he knows
or wants to know every detail of our future lives.

Jesus was handed over to you, and you killed him. With the help of
evil men, you nailed him to a cross. But God knew all this would hap-
pen. It was his plan--a plan he made long ago.
Acts 2:23

It was God’s plan since before the foundation of the

world to make a savior for the human race. Just because God
had foreknowledge of this plan and event does not prove that
he has or wants to have foreknowledge of every detail of the
future.

As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." He is

our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed--the God who gives
life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.
Romans 4:17 NIV

This verse shows that it is God who makes these things

happen. He doesn’t reveal what has already existed, but
makes them come into being. He is not a passive observer of
things, but an active creator.

In Christ, he chose us before the world was made. He chose us in

love to be his holy people--people who could stand before him without any
fault. And before the world was made, God decided to make us his own
220 God is with us

children through Jesus Christ. This was what God wanted, and it
pleased him to do it. Ephesians 1:4-5

This verse tells of the wonderful plan of God for all of

those who trust him and come into Christ. It does not re-
fer to salvation or what is mistakenly called “predestina-
tion,” but to what is going to happen to those who believe.

Nothing in all the world can be hidden from God. He can clearly
see all things. Everything is open before him. And to him we must
explain the way we have lived. Hebrews 4:13

This is a verse that really conflicts with absolute fore-

knowledge because it says that God is presently watching
us and based on what he finds will hold us to account.

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God's elect, strangers in the

world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and
Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of
God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obe-
dience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood:
1 Pe-
ter 1:1-2 NIV

The foreknowledge here refers to God’s elect being

destined to “obey the Lord Jesus and to be sprinkled by
his blood” (chosen . . . for obedience to Jesus Christ). All who
are placed in Christ are destined for this end. According
to Jesus, this foreknowledge is based on the requirement
that a person learns from God (It is written in the Prophets:
`They will all be taught by God. Everyone who listens to the Father
and learns from him comes to me - John 6:45 NIV). This learn-
ing from God could not have happened in eternal ages,
but after the person was alive. So the term “fore-
knowledge” is referring to a short time prior to being
born-again in Christ, and not to some eternal pre-deter-
mination.
 15. Examining the "proof texts" used to support belief in the 221
absolute foreknowledge of God

God chose Him as your ransom long before the world began, but He
has now revealed Him to you in these last days. Through Christ you
have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in
God because He raised Christ from the dead and gave Him great glory.
1 Peter 1:20-21 NLT

This choosing before the world began refers to Christ the

Savior. It does not refer to us.

We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our
heart before Him in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater
than our heart and knows all things. 1 John 3:19-20 NASB

This is referring to what is in our hearts right now. It

makes no statement about knowing them in the future.

All the “proof texts” for the doctrine of the absolute fore-
knowledge of God are no proof at all. Everyone of them has
holes, and some even contradict the doctrine. The few refer-
ences that seem to support God’s absolute foreknowledge of
all things future do so in a weak way, and when compared to
the thousands of biblical references that refute the doctrine
are not even equal to a snowball in a hail storm.
222 God is with us
 16.

The questionable legacy of Augus-

tine and the sixteenth century re-
formers

In seminary, I had a Church History professor who was

an excellent instructor. He also was sometimes referred to as
“the resident Arminian on campus.” I once asked him about
that, and he replied that he wasn’t an Arminian, but rather a
“pre-Augustinian.” I never understood that very well until I
started writing this book. Now, I am happy to agree whole-
heartedly with him. Arminians (not to be confused with the
people of Armenia, the first declared Christian nation in the
world around AD 300), are accused of teaching the free-will
of man and that a saved person can lose his salvation. Often,
they are set up as theology’s straw-men and things are at-
tributed to Arminius that he never believed.
They say it is not good to speak ill of the dead, but some-
thing must be said about the legacy that came down to the
present-day church from Augustine (fifth century) and the
reformers of the sixteenth century (namely Calvin, Zwingli,
and Luther). First, let me say that I have a great respect for
the reformers and their wives who in the face of overwhelm-
ing odds and at the peril of their lives stood up for the gospel
and for adherence to the Holy Scriptures. These brave Chris-
tians are to be commended for trying to purify the corrupt
church of their time and reinstate biblical Christianity. I only
hope that I will be considered worthy to stand in their shad-
ows when the eternal rewards are given out in Heaven.
However, anyone with a little experience in the Christian
life has learned that no Christian, other than Christ himself,
224 God is with us

is without fault. Each Christian forms his theology partly

out of rebellion against God, partly out of biblical revela-
tion, partly out of his surrounding circumstances, partly
out of personal experience, and partly out of convenience.
The reformers were no different. For example, neither Lu-
ther, nor Zwingli, had a missionary vision for reaching a
lost world (Calvin was instrumental in sending two mis-
sionaries to Brazil). This was mostly due to the fact that
they were fighting for survival against the Roman Church
which had rotted morally and spiritually, but still had a
strong military influence. The reformers formed state-re-
lated churches as a means of defense against the might of
Rome. They baptized infants and anyone else they could
find within their territorial domain to make sure that no
one would join Rome against them. Partly because of their
circumstances, they ended up with some errors in their
theology. We don’t want to throw rocks at them, because
under the same circumstances we probably would have
done the same thing or worse. However, we also do not
want to imitate their errors.
In AD 312, the Roman Emperor Constantine had a
profound spiritual experience, and he ceased persecution
of the Christian church in the Roman Empire in 313. Per-
secution had been rampant off and on for 270 years, but
now the Empire, over a transition period of twenty or
more years, adopted Christianity as its major religion. This
brought the purity of the church to a low level. Now, there
was no risk involved in declaring oneself a Christian. In
fact, to be a Christian was even an advantage. Where there
is no cost to be a Christian, the quantity of the church goes
up and the quality takes a nosedive. The pre-Constantin-
ian church was small but pure: the post-Constantinian
church mushroomed, but opened itself to all kinds of
heresy and immorality.
Into this new tolerant environment was born a man
who would have a profound influence on the develop-
ment of Christian theology. Many Protestants, especially
 16. The questionable legacy of Augustine and the sixteenth cen- 225
tury reformers
Calvinists, consider Saint Augustine to be one of the theolog-
ical fathers of the sixteenth century Protestant Reformation
due to his teachings on salvation, infant baptism, and divine
grace. Let’s look at the history of Augustine’s life:

Augustine of Hippo Latin: Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis;

13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine
was an early Christian theologian and philosopher whose writings were
very influential in the development of Western Christianity and Western
philosophy. He was bishop of Hippo Regius (present-day Annaba, Al-
geria) located in the Roman province of Africa. Writing during the Pa-
tristic Era, he is viewed as one of the most important Church Fathers
in the West. Among his most important works are City of God and
Confessions, which continue to be read widely today.
According to his contemporary, Jerome, Augustine "established anew
the ancient Faith."
After his conversion to Christianity and his baptism in 387, Au-
gustine developed his own approach to philosophy and theology, accom-
modating a variety of methods and different perspectives. Believing that
the grace of Christ was indispensable to human freedom, he helped to
formulate the doctrine of original sin and made seminal contributions to
the development of the “just war” theory.
When the Western Roman Empire began to disintegrate, Augustine
developed the concept of the Catholic Church as a spiritual City of God
(in a book of the same name), distinct from the material earthly City.
His thoughts profoundly influenced the medieval worldview.
This famous son of St. Monica was born in Africa and spent many
years of his life in wicked living and in false beliefs. Though he was
reputed to be one of the most intelligent men who ever lived and though
he had been brought up a Christian, his sins of impurity and his pride
darkened his mind so much, that he could not see or understand the
divine truth anymore. Through the prayers of his holy mother and the
marvelous preaching of St. Ambrose, Augustine finally became con-
vinced that Christianity was the one true religion. Yet he did not become
a Christian then, because he thought he could never live a pure life. One
day, however, he heard about two men who had suddenly been converted
on reading the life of St. Antony, and he felt terribly ashamed of himself.
226 God is with us

"What are we doing?" he cried to his friend Alipius. "Unlearned

people are taking Heaven by force, while we, with all our knowledge,
are so cowardly that we keep rolling around in the mud of our sins!"
Full of bitter sorrow, Augustine flung himself out into the garden
and cried out to God, "How long more, O Lord? Why does not this
hour put an end to my sins?" Just then he heard a child singing,
"Take up and read!" Believing that God had intended him to hear
those words, he picked up the book of the Letters of St. Paul, and
read the first passage his gaze fell on. It was just what Augustine
needed, for in it, St. Paul says to put away all impurity and to live
in imitation of Jesus. That did it! From then on, Augustine began a
new life.
He was baptized, became a priest, a bishop, a famous Catholic
writer, founder of a sect of priests, and one of the greatest saints that
ever lived. He became very devout and charitable, too.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augus-
tine_of_Hippo- cite_note-6

After his conversion, Augustine was an ardent follower

of the Lord. He rose to a very high position of influence
within the Christian church of his day. Unfortunately, he
was not a tolerant man of what he perceived to be errors
in other men. In spite of the commonly accepted view of
Augustine, some things should be noted:
Augustine did not know Greek or Hebrew, and did all
of his research and writings in Latin. He could not read
the Scriptures or the writings of the early church Fathers
in their original languages. Up until this time, most of the
earlier church fathers were fluent and wrote in Greek.
With Augustine’s generation, the text of the Bible for the
church changed from Greek to Latin. This was lamentable
because the church moved away from the original manu-
scripts and the tradition of the early church.
The Latin Vulgate is a late fourth-century translation
of the Bible that became the Catholic Church's officially
promulgated Latin version of the Bible. The translation
was largely the work of St. Jerome, who, in 382, was
 16. The questionable legacy of Augustine and the sixteenth cen- 227
tury reformers
commissioned by Pope Damasus I to revise the Vetus Latina
("Old Latin") collection of biblical texts in Latin then in use
by the Church.
Augustine had a profound influence on the theology of
his time and the beginning of new practices in the church.
We can trace the erroneous doctrines of “irresistible grace,”
the teaching that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Son as
well as from the Father, the practice of infant baptism and
baptism of other persons who were not true believers, the
concept of a state church, the roots of the Roman Catholic
Church, the celibacy of the priesthood, a-millennial theology,
the compelling of people to believe by force, the persecution
of other Christians, and the roots of the medieval world view
all to the time of Augustine, and much of it directly to his
door. He believed that the Virgin Mary was sinless, which
probably contributed to the Roman church’s acceptance of
this doctrine at a later date.
The statement that “Augustine developed his own approach to
philosophy and theology, accommodating a variety of methods and differ-
ent perspectives” sounds similar to what Joseph Smith did in the
nineteenth century. He reinvented basic doctrine in disregard
of what had gone before, and by distancing himself from the
original Scriptures.

One of the decisive developments in the western philosophical tradi-

tion was the eventually widespread merging of the Greek philosophical
tradition and the Judeo-Christian religious and scriptural traditions.
Augustine is one of the main figures through and by whom this merging
was accomplished. He is, as well, one of the towering figures of medieval
philosophy whose authority and thought came to exert a pervasive and
enduring influence well into the modern period, and even up to the present
day, especially among those sympathetic to the religious tradition which
he helped to shape.
(Fri Mar 24, 2000; substantive revision Fri Nov 12, 2010
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/augustine/)
228 God is with us

Augustine’s philosophy and theology became a model

for the Catholic Church, and later for the Reformers like
Luther, Calvin and Zwingli who not only adopted his the-
ology, but also his practice of the persecution of fellow
believers.
Partly because of Augustine, we have the state
churches like the Roman Catholic, the Eastern Orthodox,
the Lutheran, the Reformed, and the Anglican. Some of
the Reformers of the sixteenth century were nearly as bar-
baric as the Catholics in their torture, imprisonment, and
execution of nonconformist Christians. Both the Catho-
lics and Protestants used torture, imprisonment, threat
and execution to control or exterminate those who
wanted to follow a more radical Biblical Christianity like
the Anabaptists (Mennonites, Baptists, Amish, Quakers,
Church of the Brethren, Brethren Church, Grace Breth-
ren, Dunkard Brethren, and the German Baptists), the
Waldensians, and the Moravians (originally United Breth-
ren).
Augustine was born 300 years after the time of Paul
and twenty years after Constantine’s transformation of the
Empire, and therefore he should not be referred to as an
“early” church father. For over eighty-five years, there was
almost no persecution of Christians in the Roman world;
Augustine was the person most responsible for reinstating
it. This time, it wasn’t the persecution of Christians by un-
believers, but the persecution of Christians by other Chris-
tians because they didn’t agree on some doctrines of the
faith.
If you want a thorough analysis of the many fallacies in
Augustine’s theology and his departure from sound bibli-
cal practice, please refer to Paul Marston and Roger For-
ster’s “God’s strategy in Human History” pages 305-342. I
will rest my case for being suspect of Augustine’s theology
and “sainthood” with this quote from F. W. Farrar, “Lives
of the Fathers” (1889), page 536:
 16. The questionable legacy of Augustine and the sixteenth cen- 229
tury reformers
Augustine must bear the fatal charge of being the first as well as one
of the ablest defenders of the frightful cause of persecution and intolerance.
He was the first to misuse the words, “Compel them to come in” – a
fragmentary phrase wholly unsuited to bear the weight of horror for which
it was made responsible. He was the first and ablest asserter of the prin-
ciple that led to the Albigensian crusades, Spanish armadas, Nether-
lands butcheries, St Bartholomew massacres, the accursed infamies of the
inquisition, the vile espionage, the hideous balefires of Seville and Smith-
field, the racks, the gibbets, the thumbscrews, the subterranean torture-
chambers used by churchly torturers who assumed the “garb and language
of priests with the trade and temper of executioners, to sicken, crush, and
horrify the revolted conscience of mankind. It is mainly because of his
intolerance that the influence of Augustine falls like a dark shadow
across the centuries. It is thus that an Arnold of Citeaux, a Torque-
mada, a Sprenger, an Alva, a Philip the Second. a Mary Tudor, a
Charles IX and a Louis XIV can look up to him as an authorizer of
their enormities and quote his sentences to defend some of the vilest crimes
which ever caused men to look with horror on the religion of Christ and
the church of God.

The birth of the doctrine of irresistible grace –

The Augustinian sympathizer Alister E. McGrath admits:

“The pre-Augustinian theological tradition is practically of one voice in
asserting the freedom of the human will.” (Page 296 Marston - For-
ster)
Prior to Augustine, no church father wrote about irresist-
ible grace, but instead emphasized the free will of man. Here
are some excerpts from the writings of several early-church
fathers on this topic:

Justin Martyr (c100-165) – “God, wishing men and an-

gels to follow his will, resolved to create them free to do right-
eousness.”
Iraneus of Gaul (c130-200) – “. . . in man as well as in
angels, he has placed the power of choice. Man is possessed
230 God is with us

of freewill from the beginning, and God is possessed of

freewill in whose likeness man was created . . .”
Athenagoras of Athens (second century) “Just as with
men who have freedom of choice as to both virtue and
vice, so it is among the angels.”
Theophilus of Antioch (second century)- “For God
with power over himself, made man free, and now God
vouchsafes to him as a gift through his own philanthropy
and pity, when men obey him. For as man, disobeying,
drew death to himself, so, obeying the will of God, he who
desires is able to procure for himself life everlasting.”
Tatian of Syria (late second century) – “Our freewill
has destroyed us: we who were free have become slaves .
. .“
Bardasian of Syria (c154-222)-“But God in his benig-
nity, chose not so to make man: but by freedom he exalted
him above many of his creatures.”
Clement of Alexandria (c150-215) – “We, who have
heard by the Scriptures that self-determining choice and
refusal have been given by the Lord to men, rest in the
infallible criterion of faith, manifesting a willing spirit,
since we have chosen life and believe God through his
voice.”
Tertullian of Carthage (c155-225) I find then that
man was by God constituted free, master of his own will
and power: indicating the presence of God’s image and
likeness in him by nothing so well as by this constitution
of his nature. . . you will find that when he sets before
men good and evil, life and death, that the entire course
of discipline is arranged in precepts by God’s calling men
from sin, and threatening them or exhorting them; and
this on no other ground than that man is free with a will
either for obedience or resistance. . . . Since, therefore,
both the goodness and purpose of God are discovered in
the gift to man of freedom in his will . . .
 16. The questionable legacy of Augustine and the sixteenth cen- 231
tury reformers
Origen (c185-254) – “This is also clearly defined in the
teaching of the church that every rational soul is possessed of
freewill and volition”
Novation of Rome (c200-258) “He also placed man at
the head of the world, and man, too, made in the image of
God, to whom he imparted mind, and reason, and foresight,
that he might imitate God . . . And when he had given him
all things for his service, he willed that he alone would be
free.”
Methodius of Olympus (C260, martyred 311) “Now
those who decide that man is not possessed of freewill, and
affirm that he is governed by the unavoidable necessities of
fate . . . are guilty of impiety toward God himself, making him
out to be the cause and author of human evils.”
Arnobius of Sicca (c253-327) – “Does he thrust back or
repel anyone from the kindness of the Supreme who gives to
all alike the power of coming to him? To all, he says, the
fountain of life is open, and no one is hindered or kept back
from drinking . . .“
Cyril of Jerusalem (c310-386) – “Thou hast a soul self-
governed, the noblest work of God, made after the image of
its creator, immortal, because of God that gives it immortal-
ity, a living being rational, imperishable, because of him that
bestowed these gifts; having free power to do what it willeth.”
Gregory of Nyssa (c355-395) – Being the image and the
likeness . . . of the Power which rules all things, man kept also
in the matter of a freewill this likeness to him whose will is
over all.”
Jerome (c347-420) – It is in vain that you misrepresent
me and try to convince the ignorant that I condemn freewill.
John Chrysostom (c347-407) – All is in God’s power, but
so that our freewill is not lost. It depends therefore on us and
on him. We must first choose the good, and then he adds
what belongs to him. He does not precede our willing, that
our freewill may not suffer. But when we have chosen, then
he affords us much help. . . It is ours to choose beforehand
and to will, but God’s to perfect and bring to the end.”
232 God is with us

(Adapted from Marston and Forster - pages 297-304)

“Previous to Augustine there was no serious development in

Christianity of a theory of predestination.” Before Augustine, earlier
so-called “Church Fathers” such as Justin, Origen, and Irenaeus
“know nothing of unconditional predestination; they teach free will.”
(Hastings’ Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics, 1919, Vol. X,
p. 231) In their refutation of Gnosticism, they are described as reg-
ularly expressing their belief in the free moral agency of man as “the
distinguishing characteristic of human personality, the basis of moral
responsibility, a divine gift whereby man might choose that which was
well-pleasing to God,” and as speaking of “the autonomy of man
and the counsel of God who constraineth not.”—The New Schaff-
Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, edited by S. Jackson,
1957, Vol. IX, pp. 192, 193.

Before Augustine no important church father had writ-

ten saying that God’s choice of who would be saved was
irresistible and was not a free choice of each man. Only
with Augustine did this theology take root in the doctrines
of the church and remain prominently there until the pre-
sent day.
Search the writings of the early church fathers in the
first 350 years after Christ and you will not find evidence
of the predestination of salvation, of irresistible grace, of
limited atonement, of the absolute foreknowledge of God
concerning all things future, or many of the other doc-
trines that Augustine promoted. I don’t doubt his sincer-
ity, but I very strongly question his theological
conclusions.
To have right theology, we must first base our studies
on the Holy Scriptures. We can learn from others who
have and are also studying to understand God and his pur-
poses, but when the writings of those others disagree with
the Scriptures, we must set them aside. A lot of Augus-
tine’s writings fit into this category.
 16. The questionable legacy of Augustine and the sixteenth cen- 233
tury reformers
Much of the theology of Luther and Calvin was based on
the theology of Augustine -

Martin Luther, was born in Germany in 1483 and joined

an Augustinian monastery at Erfurt in 1505. He was born-
again when he understood that salvation was by faith alone
and not through our works. He protested the selling of in-
dulgences (forgiveness for money) and many other corrupt
practices in the Roman church. He was excommunicated and
had to hide in fear for his life. In early years, Luther was in
favor of a free church, the priesthood of all believers, and
toleration of theological differences. He was against persecu-
tion and the killing of other Christians, and helped to stem
such violence on several occasions.
However, as time went on, he expressed antagonistic
views toward Jews, writing that Jewish synagogues and
homes should be destroyed, their money confiscated, and lib-
erty curtailed. He believed that Jews should be completely
driven out of the German territories. Who knows if Adolf
Hitler didn’t find support for his anti-Semitic policies in the
teachings of Luther?
Once, during a tour of the city of Thuringia, he became
enraged at the widespread burning of convents, monasteries,
bishops' palaces, and libraries. He wrote at that time that
these rebels who had resorted to violence should be put
down like mad dogs.

Therefore let everyone who can, smite, slay, and stab, secretly or
openly, remembering that nothing can be more poisonous, hurtful, or dev-
ilish than a rebel ... For baptism does not make men free in body and
property, but in soul; and the gospel does not make goods common, except
in the case of those who, of their own free will, do what the apostles and
disciples did in Acts 4 [:32–37]. They did not demand, as do our insane
peasants in their raging, that the goods of others—of Pilate and
Herod—should be common, but only their own goods. Our peasants,
however, want to make the goods of other men common, and keep their
own for themselves. Fine Christians they are! I think there is not a devil
234 God is with us

left in hell; they have all gone into the peasants. Their raving has
gone beyond all measure.

Luther was more tolerant of theological differences

than Calvin and Zwingli, but he nevertheless supported
violence done to some Christians and Jews.

John Calvin (born Jehan Cauvin) was a Frenchman

born in 1509 and raised in a staunch Roman Catholic fam-
ily. He studied theology for five years at the University of
Paris (1523-28) before diverting into law studies (This was
mostly because his father had a falling out with the local
bishop). By 1532 Calvin finished his law studies and also
published his first book, a commentary on De Clementia
by the Roman philosopher, Seneca. The colleges he at-
tended were strongly influenced by the humanistic ap-
proach to learning. He broke from the Roman Catholic
Church around 1530. He formed part of a movement to
reform the church, and was branded a heretic. He fled
France and roamed through several cities in Switzerland
and Germany for many years eventually settling down in
Geneva. Calvin was a tireless polemic and apologetic
writer who generated much controversy. He was influ-
enced by the Augustinian tradition, which led him to ex-
pound the doctrine of predestination and the absolute
sovereignty of God in salvation of the human soul from
death and eternal damnation.
Calvin wanted a city controlled by the clergy - a theoc-
racy, though early on he favored the separation of church
and state. It took Calvin fourteen years before he could
fully impose his version of liturgy, doctrine, organization
of the church and moral behavior on the city of Geneva.
During this period, Michael Servetus, a Spaniard regarded
by both Catholics and Protestants as having heretical
views regarding the Trinity, arrived in Geneva. He was de-
nounced by Calvin and executed by the city council. While
instituting many positive policies, Calvin's government
 16. The questionable legacy of Augustine and the sixteenth cen- 235
tury reformers
also punished "impiety" and dissent against his particular ver-
sion of Christianity with execution. In the first five years of
his rule in Geneva, fifty-eight people were executed and sev-
enty-six exiled for their religious beliefs.
Calvin has had a profound influence on Reformed Theol-
ogy, and often Protestants are classified as Calvinists or non-
Calvinists, or five-point Calvinist, or three-point Calvinist,
etc. depending on how firmly one adheres to his teaching.
Calvin was a prolific reformer of the church of his day,
but he was intolerant and viscously attacked those who disa-
greed with him. He was responsible for the death and perse-
cution of many people who were guilty only of not seeing
things his way. (Compiled and adapted from several sources including
Wikopedia and the Christian Classic Ethereal Library)
I realize that these men and other reformers were under
tremendous pressure for survival in a hostile environment.
Life was not easy and they had to make some radical deci-
sions just to stay alive and keep their reform in progress. But
there were other reformers like Menno Simons who did not
let their dire circumstances slow their practice of love toward
other Christians, or let their theology succumb to the pres-
sures of their time (except perhaps in their adherence to ab-
solute pacifism, probably as a reaction to the other reformer’s
militarism).
We owe a great debt to the sixteenth century reformers,
but we don’t owe allegiance to all their practices or to the
entirety of their theology. There are some good things to im-
itate, and a number of things to shun. Augustine, Luther and
Calvin were true believers and servants of God trying to serve
him as best they knew how, but like Peter, they had feet of
clay and were far from perfect.
Our allegiance must be to God and his Word, and not to
any church structure, particular brand of theology, or to fol-
lowing the name of someone other than Christ. Even Luther
was appalled and upset that others should call his church
“Lutherans.” He considered himself a miserable worm,
236 God is with us

certainly not worthy of having a movement inspired and

carried along by God branded with his name.
It would do a lot of good for the Evangeli-
cal/Protestant church of our day to clean out the theolog-
ical attic and rid it of many old relics that do not reconcile
with God’s written Word.
16. The questionable legacy of Augustine and the sixteenth cen- 237
tury reformers
 17.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have made it through. I hope that

your desire to walk with God has grown. Even if you don’t
agree with all I have written, the exercise in studying the
Scriptures should cause some growth in your understanding,
and hopefully in your walk with the Lord. Perhaps the seeds
that have been planted will grow and with time you will un-
derstand a lot more about these things.
The Christian life is a journey, not a stagnant stay in one
place. As we travel along, we should be learning more and
understanding more, but we especially should be becoming
more like Jesus in our character.
It is not imperative for all Christians to believe the same
in all the minor details. But it is imperative that we believe
that God, our Creator, is a Rewarder of those who seek him
(Hebrews 11:6), that Jesus of Bethlehem was God’s eternal
Son (John 8:24), and that he rose from the dead as a sign of
victory over sin and death. We also should believe that we
will rise with him some day when he returns for all of his
flock.
I hope that while you were reading through these pages,
you took off your theological glasses and approached the
Scriptures with an open mind and heart. We can never grow
if we distort the Scriptures so that we can maintain our pre-
viously formed doctrines. If in order to reconcile your view-
points with the Word, you have to re-interpret what the Bible
says in order to make it fit, then there is something wrong
with your theology.
240 God is with us

What knowledge can result from adapting the meaning of the

Scriptures to suit one’s own likes? The true sage discovers, through
the Spirit’s wisdom, the hidden mysteries to which the Scriptures bear
witness. Peter of Damaskos
(Twelfth
Century)

Our God and Creator is an awesome God. He is awe-

some in his goodness, his love, his kindness, and his
mercy. He is also a powerful God, but his power and jus-
tice take a back seat to his glory that shows in his charac-
ter. God punishes out of necessity, but he loves and
forgives because that is really what he wants to do.
God is available 24/7, and though you may not audibly
hear his voice or detect his presence, he is always listening
and attentive to your cries for help and your prayers of
thanksgiving. Not only does he hear, but he acts on your
behalf on every occasion. God answers prayer, not always
the way we would like, but always in a good and appropri-
ate way.
He is not “there,” far away and out of touch, but he is
“here,” attentive to your needs, working to bless your life,
hoping for your faith to grow so that he might be able to
give you more of the best things from his treasury. God
has always been with and for his creation, especially after
the Eternal Son became a man, but he is especially with
those who have become part of his family.

Since He did not spare even His own Son but gave Him up for
us all, won't He also give us everything else? Romans 8:32 NLT

Never underestimate the depth of his love for you and

his commitment to you as one of his beloved children.
Don’t mistake his discipline for rejection, and don’t be-
lieve that because you don’t get everything you want, God
doesn’t love you. All he asks is for you to trust him all the
time and in every situation.
17. Conclusion 241
 Section two –

Biblical evidence for skeptics

If God knows everything that will ever happen, then noth-

ing that will happen tomorrow or next year can be changed.
In order for it to change, it would mean that God was wrong
about what he knew. If the future is unchangeable, then no
one, not even God can do anything to alter it. In that case,
God would be as helpless as anyone else to have an influence
in the outcome of things. To believe that the future is unal-
terable is a belief system known as fatalism, and it not only
condemns us to a meaningless existence in which we are
trapped like characters on a movie reel, but it also ties the
hands of God.
Fatalism is the thesis that human acts occur by necessity and hence
are unfree. Theological fatalism is the thesis that infallible foreknowledge
of a human act makes the act necessary and hence unfree. If there is a
being who knows the entire future infallibly, then no human act is free.
(“Foreknowledge and Free Will” – Stanford Encyclopedia of Philoso-
phy first published Tue Jul 6, 2004; substantive revision Thu
Aug 25, 2011)
Most reformed theologians would deny that they are fa-
talists, but since they believe that the outcome of all of man’s
decisions is already decided, there can be no other conclu-
sion. They are fatalists by the very definition of the word. The
Bible does not support fatalism, but instead is a narrative
about God’s ongoing and changing love relationship with his
creation. It is a live-action drama in which the characters
write the script as they go along. God has a plan for how it
will turn out, but he has not predetermined precisely what
each character will say or do. Within the Bible, there is always
a sense of uncertainty, with various possible choices to be
244 God is with us

made. As a result of those choices there are also varying

consequences. There is absolutely no sign anywhere in
any of the Bible books of a fatalistic belief where all future
things are already determined and the characters have no
say in how it will turn out. Many thousands of expressions
of uncertainty and possible options for man’s actions are
expressed throughout the Bible and only in a small minor-
ity of cases is it stated that a future thing is already deter-
mined.

The subjunctive mood in grammar – While study-

ing Spanish many years ago, having to learn how to speak
in the subjunctive mood was the hardest thing of all. This
verb mood is what drives language students crazy because
they often don’t even understand it in their own language.
The subjunctive is all about the uncertain, the possible, the
unknown, the undecided, the conditional. The subjunctive
is a grammatical mood found in many languages. Subjunc-
tive forms of verbs are typically used to express various
states of events that have not yet happened such as a wish,
an emotion, a possibility, a judgment, an opinion, a neces-
sity, or an action.
The Bible is full of verbs in the subjunctive and condi-
tional moods and tenses. Subjunctive verbs like “would”
(581 times), “should” (338), “could” (268), and condi-
tional words: “if” (1589), “might” (178), “may” (1055),
“perhaps” (35), “lest” (9), “maybe” (3), “be careful” (77),
“be on your guard” (12), and other words and phrases
which express uncertainty about the future abound and
predominate in God’s interaction with men. Additional
words like: “wish” (22), “bless you” (36), “hope that” (10),
“wish that” (5), “believe that” (17) also express uncer-
tainty about the future.
The word “but” (3804 times) is also conditional in
many cases but not in all. In some uses, it is more of a
prohibition, or an exception to a prior statement. For ex-
ample:
 Section two - Biblical evidence for skeptics 245

But the LORD said to him, "Not so; if anyone kills Cain, he will
suffer vengeance seven times over." Genesis 4:15 NIV

This use of “but” expresses a rebuttal or contradiction to

a previous statement. But in the following case, it is part of a
conditional statement involving choices that Cain must make.
The outcome depends on the decisions and actions of Cain.

Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your
face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if
you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to
have you, but you must master it." Genesis 4:6-7 NIV

Also, the word “because” (1590 times) may be a simple

statement of explanation like:

And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he
rested from all the work of creating that he had done.
Genesis 2:3 NIV

But it is most often a statement of cause and effect like:

So the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this,
"Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You
will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.
Genesis 3:14 NIV

Also:

The LORD then said to Noah, "Go into the ark, you and your
whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation.
Genesis 7:1 NIV

This key word often demonstrates the consequences of

choices we make. In most of its biblical uses it expresses the
246 God is with us

result of an action by someone. A choice was made, and

the word “because” expresses the consequences of that
choice.
The Bible, especially the Old Testament, is full of sub-
junctive and conditional verb forms where the future is
still to be determined. Therefore, it is not good interpre-
tation if we ignore more than 4233 instances of subjunc-
tive and conditional forms in which the future was clearly
dependent on the actions of people. If we add the in-
stances of “but” and “because” we have a total of 9627
cases in which uncertainly about the future or the conse-
quence of man’s actions are expressed. In the majority of
these cases where uncertainty was expressed, it was God
who was speaking personally or through his prophets.
These thousands of word usages in the uncertain tenses
should drive theologians who believe in the absolute fore-
knowledge of God crazy because they cannot come up
with a reasonable explanation for them. If there is uncer-
tainty about the future, and since it is most often ex-
pressed by God himself, then significant parts of our
future are still to be decided. When we let the Bible speak
for itself, we see the obvious: many details of the future
are still being determined and are dependent on how men
react to God’s imploring work in their lives. In the face
of all this Biblical evidence it is really absurd to believe that
every detail of the future has already been decided and that
no one, even God can change one part of it. I challenge
anyone to find serious biblical evidence that supports such
a doctrine, or to bring one biblical character forward as a
witness to defend it.
In these next four chapters, I am probably going to
overwhelm you with quotes from the Bible. The purpose
is to show you that throughout the Bible God has not
given any of his servants reason to believe that he always
knew how everything would turn out.
Perhaps you don’t need to read all of them to be con-
vinced, but some people may need to see all the evidence
 Section two - Biblical evidence for skeptics 247

before they will soften up and let go of their cherished but

erroneous convictions. Even then, the skeptics will probable
try to wiggle out of it because it destroys their prior theolog-
ical formation. Read only as long as is necessary. If you get
bogged down because of the weight of the evidence, remem-
ber you don’t need to read it all.
 18.

Overwhelming biblical evidence

that the future has not all been de-
termined

Genesis - Deuteronomy

Let’s look at just some of the instances where uncertainty

is expressed from Genesis to Deuteronomy:

Genesis

God looked at everything he had made. And he saw that everything

was very good. There was evening, and then there was morning. This was
the sixth day. Genesis 1:31

Ten times in Genesis, God saw what he had made, and

said it was good. After he had made man he said it was “very
good.” Apparently, God was pleased with his work of crea-
tion as well he should have been. But, he could not have been
pleased unless there could have been some other outcome.
Pleasure represents hope fulfilled.

Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field
and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he
would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was
its name. Genesis 2:19 NASB

Did God know what names Adam was going to call each
animal? The text does not support that interpretation. It says
“whatever” name Adam came up with was the name God
250 God is with us

used. God does not desire or need to be a micro-manager

of every decision that his creatures make.

The LORD God said, "Look, the man has become like us--he
knows about good and evil. And now the man might take the fruit
from the tree of life. If the man eats that fruit, he will live forever."
Genesis 3:22

God prevented man from making a choice that would

have condemned him to eternal separation and death with
no escape. In this prohibition God showed tremendous
mercy. He put a fence around the choice that would have
condemned all men to the “Lake of Fire.” Why would
God go to the trouble to give the impression that there
was danger here, if in his foreknowledge he knew that
there was absolutely no possibility that Adam could eat it?
God did not believe that the future was already deter-
mined.

"Why are you so angry?" the LORD asked Cain. "Why do you
look so dejected? You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you
refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door,
eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master."
Genesis 4:6-7 NLT

God tells Cain that he must make a choice. There is no

evidence here that God already knew which way he would
choose. Even after Cain’s heinous crime, God was hoping
that his life would turn out for good.

The LORD observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth,

and He saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently
and totally evil. So the LORD was sorry He had ever made them and
put them on the earth. It broke His heart. And the LORD said, "I
will wipe this human race I have created from the face of the earth. Yes,
and I will destroy every living thing—all the people, the large animals,
 18. Overwhelming biblical evidence that the future has not all 251
been determined
the small animals that scurry along the ground, and even the birds of the
sky. I am sorry I ever made them."
Genesis 6:5-7 NLT

Why does it not say “foresaw” instead of “saw”? Obvi-

ously, the Lord was observing in the present what man did,
and responded to it. And apparently he was disappointed in
man; to be disappointed you have to have hope that things
would have turned out better than they did. God is a God of
hope – he desires good choices and good things for his crea-
tures.

But the LORD came down to look at the city and the tower the
people were building. "Look!" He said. "The people are united, and
they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do
will be impossible for them! Come, let's go down and confuse the people
with different languages. Then they won't be able to understand each
other." Genesis 11:5-7 NLT

This statement is either “errant” or it means that God did

not know from a distance everything that man was planning.
If you believe in the inerrancy of the Bible, this statement
must be accepted at face value in spite of it not agreeing with
classical theology’s understanding of God’s omniscience. In-
stead of saying “this must mean something else because it
doesn’t fit my theology,” we should say, “how should my the-
ology conform to the Bible?”

Then the LORD said, "I have heard many times that the people of
Sodom and Gomorrah are very evil. I will go and see if they are as bad
as I have heard. Then I will know for sure."
Genesis 18:20-21

Unless he is lying (which is impossible), God is saying that

he needs to investigate to find out the full truth about what
is in men’s hearts.
252 God is with us

The two men said to Lot, "Are there any other people from your
family living in this city? Do you have any sons-in-law, sons, daughters,
or any other people from your family here? If so, you should tell them to
leave now. Genesis 19:12

If God knew everything about everything including the

future, why didn’t these angels know everyone who lived
in the city, and who were Lot’s relatives?

In the dream God responded, "Yes, I know you are innocent. That's
why I kept you from sinning against Me, and why I did not let you touch
her. Genesis 20:6 NLT

Why does he not say, “I knew that you would not sin
against me?” Why would God have to DO anything to
prevent it if he already knew how it was going to turn out?
Wouldn’t it automatically happen without God’s present
intervention?

At that moment the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven,
"Abraham! Abraham!" "Yes," Abraham replied. "Here I am!"
"Don't lay a hand on the boy!" the angel said. "Do not hurt him in any
way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld
from Me even your son, your only son."
Genesis 22:11-12 NLT

Obviously, God wasn’t one hundred percent sure that

Abraham would follow through with the command to kill
his son. Later, it says that Abraham believed that God
could raise Isaac up from the dead (Hebrews 11:19). He
believed in the possibility of killing Isaac and then seeing
God bring him back to life again. Abraham did not believe
that all his actions were already determined.
To say that God was only doing this to prove to Abra-
ham what God already knew is a violation of the text and
of sound interpretation. God himself says that he has
learned something from the test. If God had already
 18. Overwhelming biblical evidence that the future has not all 253
been determined
known how the test would turn out, he surely could have
used different words to describe it.

Abraham said to him, "No, don't take my son to that place. The
LORD, the God of heaven, brought me from my homeland to this place.
That place was the home of my father and the home of my family,
but he promised that this new land would belong to my family. May he
send his angel before you so that you can choose a wife for my son. If the
girl refuses to come with you, you will be free from this promise. But you
must not take my son back to that place."
Genesis 24:6-8

Abraham was not sure that his servant would be success-

ful on his mission to find a wife from his relatives. He be-
lieved in various possible outcomes. He didn’t believe that
the future was already known by God, and was therefore un-
changeable.

The LORD appeared to Isaac and said, "Do not go down to Egypt;
live in the land where I tell you to live. Stay in this land for a while, and
I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and your descendants I
will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father
Abraham. Genesis 26:2-3 NIV

God promised to bless Isaac if he stayed in Canaan, but

recognized that he might not.

Then Jacob made a promise. He said, "If God will be with me, and
if he will protect me on this trip, and if he gives me food to eat and clothes
to wear, and if I return in peace to my father's house--if he does all these
things--then the LORD will be my God. I am setting this stone up as
a memorial stone. It will show that this is a holy place for God, and I
will give God one-tenth of all he gives me."
Genesis 28:20-22

Jacob did not believe that the future was already deter-
mined and absolutely foreknown by God.
254 God is with us

Exodus

So God was good to the midwives, and the Israelites continued to

multiply, growing more and more powerful. And because the midwives
feared God, He gave them families of their own.
Exodus 1:20-21 NLT

If the midwives hadn’t feared God, they would not

have had their own families. God’s blessings on their lives
were dependent on their heart attitudes and their faith ac-
tions. God responded to the faith of the midwives, and
changed their future situation.

Then God said, "If the people don't believe you when you use your
walking stick, then they will believe you when you show them this sign.
If they still refuse to believe after you show them both of these signs, then
take some water from the Nile River. Pour the water on the ground, and
as soon as it touches the ground, it will become blood."
Exodus 4:8-9

God expresses uncertainly about how the Egyptians

will react to the miracles. The text clearly indicates that he
did not know exactly how they would respond.

Then the LORD's anger burned against Moses and he said,

"What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak
well. He is already on his way to meet you, and his heart will be glad
when he sees you. You shall speak to him and put words in his
mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do.
He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your
mouth and as if you were God to him. But take this staff in your
hand so you can perform miraculous signs with it."
(NLT 1996 – Be sure to take your shepherd’s staff along)
Exodus 4:14-17 NIV
 18. Overwhelming biblical evidence that the future has not all 255
been determined
Why would God caution Moses to take his staff if he al-
ready knew he would?

On the way to Egypt, Moses stopped at a place to spend the night.

The LORD met Moses at that place and tried to kill him. But Zippo-
rah took a flint knife and circumcised her son. She took the skin and
touched his feet. Then she said to Moses, "You are a bridegroom of blood
to me." Zipporah said this because she had to circumcise her son. So
God let Moses live. Exodus 4:24-26

It doesn’t say he “threatened” to kill him. It says that his

intention was to kill him. The straightforward interpretation
is that Zipporah believed that God would kill her husband
unless she acted to save him.

Pharaoh made the people leave Egypt. God did not let the people
take the road leading to the land of the Philistines. That road by the
Mediterranean Sea is the shortest way, but God said, "If the people go
that way they will have to fight. Then they might change their minds and
go back to Egypt." So God led them another way through the desert by
the Red Sea. The Israelites were dressed for war when they left Egypt.
Exodus 13:17-18

Here, God limited the choices. He didn’t allow the people

to be tempted and make the wrong choice. This shows the
sovereignty of God as well as the free will of man.

Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all
nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is
mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.
Exodus 19:5-6 NIV

The LORD said to Moses, "I have seen these people, and I know
that they are very stubborn. They will always turn against me. So now
let me destroy them in anger. Then I will make a great nation from you."
But Moses begged the LORD his God, "LORD, don't let your anger
destroy your people. You brought them out of Egypt with your great
256 God is with us

power and strength. But if you destroy your people, the Egyptians will
say, 'God planned to do bad things to his people. That is why he led
them out of Egypt. He wanted to kill them in the mountains. He wanted
to wipe them off the earth.' So don't be angry with your people. Please
change your mind! Don't destroy them. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and
Israel. These men served you, and you used your name to make a promise
to them. You said, 'I will make your people as many as the stars in the
sky. I will give your people all this land as I promised. This land will be
theirs forever.'" So the LORD felt sorry for the people. He did not do
what he said he might do--he did not destroy them.
Exodus 32:9-14

Was God toying with Moses and talking sheer non-

sense, or was this a real possibility? If it wasn’t a possibil-
ity, why does God lie to his most cherished servant?
Moses apparently took God’s threat very seriously. Moses
didn’t believe that the future was already decided.

The next day Moses said to the people, "You have committed a ter-
rible sin, but I will go back up to the LORD on the mountain. Perhaps
I will be able to obtain forgiveness for your sin." So Moses returned to
the LORD and said, "Oh, what a terrible sin these people have com-
mitted. They have made gods of gold for themselves. But now, if You will
only forgive their sin--but if not, erase my name from the record You have
written!" Exodus 32:30-33 NLT

Moses did not believe that the future was all set in con-
crete. He believed that it was a variable, that people’s ac-
tions moved God’s actions, and that’s God’s mercy
trumped his judgment.

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Leave this place, you and the
people you brought up out of Egypt, and go up to the land I promised
on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying, `I will give it to your
descendants.' I will send an angel before you and drive out the Ca-
naanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. Go
up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with
 18. Overwhelming biblical evidence that the future has not all 257
been determined
you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the
way." Exodus 33:1-3 NIV

Then Moses said to him, "If you don't go with us, then don't make
us leave this place. Also, how will we know if you are pleased with me
and these people? If you go with us, we will know for sure. If you don't
go with us, these people and I will be no different from any other people
on the earth." Then the LORD said to Moses, "I will do what you ask.
I will do this because I am pleased with you and because I know you
very well." Exodus 33:15-17

God said he would not go with them, but later he did. If

his not going was not a possibility, why is God making idle
threats? Is God an inveterate bluffer? Do you believe that
God would say such things if they were not possible?

Leviticus

Here are twenty three tremendous blessings if Israel fol-

lows God and is faithful:

"If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, I

will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and
the trees of the field their fruit. Your threshing will continue until grape
harvest and the grape harvest will continue until planting, and you will
eat all the food you want and live in safety in your land. "I will grant
peace in the land, and you will lie down and no one will make you afraid.
I will remove savage beasts from the land, and the sword will not pass
through your country. You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall
by the sword before you. Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred
of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword
before you. "I will look on you with favor and make you fruitful and
increase your numbers, and I will keep my covenant with you. You will
still be eating last year's harvest when you will have to move it out to
make room for the new. I will put my dwelling place among you, and I
will not abhor you. I will walk among you and be your God, and you
will be my people. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of
258 God is with us

Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians; I broke

the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high.
Levit-
icus 26:3-12 NIV

Here are thirty nine tremendous curses if they don’t:

"`But if you will not listen to me and carry out all these com-
mands, and if you reject my decrees and abhor my laws and fail to
carry out all my commands and so violate my covenant, then I will
do this to you: I will bring upon you sudden terror, wasting diseases
and fever that will destroy your sight and drain away your life. You
will plant seed in vain, because your enemies will eat it. I will set
my face against you so that you will be defeated by your enemies; those
who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee even when no one
is pursuing you." `If after all this you will not listen to me, I will
punish you for your sins seven times over. I will break down your
stubborn pride and make the sky above you like iron and the ground
beneath you like bronze. Your strength will be spent in vain, because
your soil will not yield its crops, nor will the trees of the land yield
their fruit."`If you remain hostile toward me and refuse to listen to
me, I will multiply your afflictions seven times over, as your sins de-
serve. I will send wild animals against you, and they will rob you of
your children, destroy your cattle and make you so few in number
that your roads will be deserted." `If in spite of these things you do
not accept my correction but continue to be hostile toward me, I
myself will be hostile toward you and will afflict you for your sins
seven times over. And I will bring the sword upon you to avenge the
breaking of the covenant. When you withdraw into your cities, I will
send a plague among you, and you will be given into enemy hands.
When I cut off your supply of bread, ten women will be able to bake
your bread in one oven, and they will dole out the bread by weight.
You will eat, but you will not be satisfied." `If in spite of this you
still do not listen to me but continue to be hostile toward me, then
in my anger I will be hostile toward you, and I myself will punish
you for your sins seven times over. You will eat the flesh of your sons
and the flesh of your daughters. I will destroy your high places, cut
 18. Overwhelming biblical evidence that the future has not all 259
been determined
down your incense altars and pile your dead bodies on the lifeless forms
of your idols, and I will abhor you. I will turn your cities into ruins and
lay waste your sanctuaries, and I will take no delight in the pleasing
aroma of your offerings. I will lay waste the land, so that your enemies
who live there will be appalled. I will scatter you among the nations and
will draw out my sword and pursue you. Your land will be laid waste,
and your cities will lie in ruins. Then the land will enjoy its sabbath
years all the time that it lies desolate and you are in the country of your
enemies; then the land will rest and enjoy its sabbaths. All the time that
it lies desolate, the land will have the rest it did not have during the
sabbaths you lived in it.
Leviticus 26:14-35 NIV

Many of God’s actions depended on the choices the Isra-

elites made. If they obeyed God, they would receive amazing
blessings. If they disobeyed, they would receive curses in in-
creasing severity. Was God only pretending that he didn’t
know how it was all going to turn out? The Israelites did not
believe that their future was already known by God.

Numbers

Soon the people began to complain about their hardship, and the
LORD heard everything they said. Then the LORD's anger blazed
against them, and He sent a fire to rage among them, and He destroyed
some of the people in the outskirts of the camp. Then the people screamed
to Moses for help, and when he prayed to the LORD, the fire stopped.
Numbers 11:1-2 NLT

Anger is a response to something that you didn’t know

about previously. How could God react with anger if he al-
ready knew it was going to happen? Wouldn’t he just stay
angry all of the time if he already knew their actions?

Moses heard all the families standing in the doorways of their tents
whining, and the LORD became extremely angry. Moses was also very
aggravated. And Moses said to the LORD, "Why are You treating
260 God is with us

me, Your servant, so harshly? Have mercy on me! What did I do to

deserve the burden of all these people? Did I give birth to them? Did I
bring them into the world? Why did You tell me to carry them in my
arms like a mother carries a nursing baby? How can I carry them to the
land You swore to give their ancestors? Where am I supposed to get meat
for all these people? They keep whining to me, saying, 'Give us meat to
eat!' I can't carry all these people by myself! The load is far too heavy! If
this is how You intend to treat me, just go ahead and kill me. Do me a
favor and spare me this misery!"
Numbers 11:10-15 NLT

Moses preferred to be put to death than to carry the

burden of complaints by all the people. He believed this
was a real option.

Two of the men who had explored the land, Joshua son of Nun and
Caleb son of Jephunneh, tore their clothing. They said to all the people
of Israel, "The land we traveled through and explored is a wonderful
land! And if the LORD is pleased with us, He will bring us safely into
that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey.
Do not rebel against the LORD, and don't be afraid of the people of
the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but
the LORD is with us! Don't be afraid of them!"
Numbers 14:6-9 NLT

What Joshua and Caleb believed did not happen until

forty years later because of Israel’s lack of faith. The text
gives no reason to believe that the time of Israel’s entrance
into Canaan was predetermined.

And the LORD said to Moses, "How long will these people treat
Me with contempt? Will they never believe Me, even after all the mirac-
ulous signs I have done among them? I will disown them and destroy
them with a plague. Then I will make you into a nation greater and
mightier than they are!" Numbers 14:11-12 NLT
 18. Overwhelming biblical evidence that the future has not all 261
been determined
God was going to keep his promise to Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob, but he could have done it via plan B, or C, or D. What
matters are God’s intention, his sovereignty, and power: It is
not predetermined how he will accomplish his purposes.
God’s hands are never tied concerning the future unless he
has made a vow about things to come.

Meanwhile, Korah had stirred up the entire community against Mo-

ses and Aaron, and they all gathered at the Tabernacle entrance. Then
the glorious presence of the LORD appeared to the whole community,
and the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Get away from all these
people so that I may instantly destroy them!" But Moses and Aaron fell
face down on the ground. "O God," they pleaded, "You are the God
who gives breath to all creatures. Must You be angry with all the people
when only one man sins?" Numbers 16:19-22 NLT

Moses and Aaron believed that it was possible to reason

and negotiate with God, and that his response would change
the future.

Then the LORD gave the donkey the ability to speak. "What have
I done to you that deserves your beating me three times?" it asked Ba-
laam. "You have made me look like a fool!" Balaam shouted. "If I had
a sword with me, I would kill you!" "But I am the same donkey you
have ridden all your life," the donkey answered. "Have I ever done an-
ything like this before?" "No," Balaam admitted. Then the LORD
opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in
the roadway with a drawn sword in his hand. Balaam bowed his head
and fell face down on the ground before him. "Why did you beat your
donkey those three times?" the angel of the LORD demanded. "Look,
I have come to block your way because you are stubbornly resisting me.
Three times the donkey saw me and shied away; otherwise, I would cer-
tainly have killed you by now and spared the donkey."
Numbers 22:28-33 NLT
262 God is with us

In this case, Balaam’s donkey was smarter than her

master, and she didn’t believe that the future was already
determined. God declares that if it weren’t for her, Balaam
would be dead.

The LORD said to Moses, "Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son

of Aaron, the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites;
for he was as zealous as I am for my honor among them, so that in
my zeal I did not put an end to them. Therefore tell him I am making
my covenant of peace with him. He and his descendants will have a
covenant of a lasting priesthood, because he was zealous for the honor
of his God and made atonement for the Israelites." Numbers
25:10-13 NIV
(NLT – So I have stopped destroying all Israel as I intended to
do in my anger.)

The actions of Phinehas changed God’s plans.

"Do you intend to stay here while your brothers go across and do all
the fighting?" Moses asked the men of Gad and Reuben. "Why do you
want to discourage the rest of the people of Israel from going across to the
land the LORD has given them? Your ancestors did the same thing
when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to explore the land. After they
went up to the valley of Eshcol and explored the land, they discouraged
the people of Israel from entering the land the LORD was giving them.
Then the LORD was very angry with them, and He vowed, 'Of all
those I rescued from Egypt, no one who is twenty years old or older will
ever see the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, for they
have not obeyed Me wholeheartedly. The only exceptions are Caleb son
of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they have whole-
heartedly followed the LORD.' "The LORD was angry with Israel
and made them wander in the wilderness for forty years until the entire
generation that sinned in the LORD's sight had died.
Numbers 32:6-13 NLT

This is Plan B in action. There is no evidence here that

this was his original intention, but God adjusted his plans
 18. Overwhelming biblical evidence that the future has not all 263
been determined
according to the behavior of the people. God’s relationship
with his people is an on-going drama full of variables.

Then Moses said, "If you keep your word and arm yourselves for the
LORD's battles, and if your troops cross the Jordan and keep fighting
until the LORD has driven out His enemies, then you may return when
the LORD has conquered the land. You will have fulfilled your duty to
the LORD and to the rest of the people of Israel. And the land on the
east side of the Jordan will be your property from the LORD.
Numbers 32:20-22 NLT

So Moses, Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and all the leaders
of the tribes of Israel heard them make that promise. Moses said to them,
"The people of Gad and Reuben will cross the Jordan River. They will
march before the LORD into battle. They will help you take the land.
And you will give the land of Gilead as their part of the country. But if
they do not cross the river with you ready to fight, they will not get any
land on this side. They will get only a share of the land of Canaan with
the rest of you." Numbers 32:28-30 NLT

It is stated as a possibility that the Gadites and the Reu-

benites could have received their inheritance on the western
side of the Jordan River. Their inheritance was not predeter-
mined, but was affected by choices they made.

But if you fail to drive out the people who live in the land, those who
remain will be like splinters in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They
will harass you in the land where you live. And I will do to you what I
had planned to do to them." Numbers 33:55-56 NLT

Deuteronomy

"In the future, when you have children and grandchildren and have
lived in the land a long time, do not corrupt yourselves by making idols
of any kind. This is evil in the sight of the LORD your God and will
arouse His anger. "Today I call on heaven and earth as witnesses against
you. If you break My covenant, you will quickly disappear from the land
264 God is with us

you are crossing the Jordan to occupy. You will live there only a short
time; then you will be utterly destroyed. For the LORD will scatter you
among the nations, where only a few of you will survive. There, in a
foreign land, you will worship idols made from wood and stone--gods that
neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell. But from there you will search
again for the LORD your God. And if you search for Him with all
your heart and soul, you will find Him. "In the distant future, when you
are suffering all these things, you will finally return to the LORD your
God and listen to what He tells you. For the LORD your God is a
merciful God; He will not abandon you or destroy you or forget the sol-
emn covenant He made with your ancestors.
Deuteronomy 4:25-31 NLT

God knew it was possible for the Israelites to become

corrupt, but his words indicate that it was only a possibil-
ity, and not a certainty. We see again the sovereignty of
God working his plan alongside the freedom of choice
given to man.

"So remember this and keep it firmly in mind: The LORD is God
both in heaven and on earth, and there is no other. If you obey all the
decrees and commands I am giving you today, all will be well with you
and your children. I am giving you these instructions so you will enjoy a
long life in the land the LORD your God is giving you for all time."
Deuteronomy 4:39-40
NLT

God over and over warns Israel of the consequences

of wrong behavior, and the blessings of seeking the Lord.
Why waste all these words if the two different outcomes
were not possible? If God had known how it would turn
out, he needn’t have said anything.

"The LORD heard the request you made to me. And He said, 'I
have heard what the people said to you, and they are right. Oh, that they
would always have hearts like this, that they might fear Me and obey all
 18. Overwhelming biblical evidence that the future has not all 265
been determined
My commands! If they did, they and their descendants would prosper
forever. Deuteronomy 5:28-29 NLT

"The LORD did not set His heart on you and choose you because
you were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest of
all nations! Rather, it was simply that the LORD loves you, and He
was keeping the oath He had sworn to your ancestors. That is why the
LORD rescued you with such a strong hand from your slavery and from
the oppressive hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Understand, therefore,
that the LORD your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who
keeps His covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes His unfail-
ing love on those who love Him and obey His commands. But He does
not hesitate to punish and destroy those who reject Him.
Deuteronomy 7:7-10
NLT

"If you listen to these regulations and faithfully obey them, the
LORD your God will keep His covenant of unfailing love with you, as
He promised with an oath to your ancestors. He will love you and bless
you, and He will give you many children. He will give fertility to your
land and your animals. When you arrive in the land He swore to give
your ancestors, you will have large harvests of grain, new wine, and olive
oil, and great herds of cattle, sheep, and goats. You will be blessed above
all the nations of the earth. None of your men or women will be childless,
and all your livestock will bear young. And the LORD will protect you
from all sickness. He will not let you suffer from the terrible diseases you
knew in Egypt, but He will inflict them on all your enemies!
Deuteronomy 7:12-15 NLT

Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the
desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know
what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.
Deuteronomy 8:2 NIV

If God is “all knowing” about everything, why did he have

to test them? This literally says that God wanted to know
what was in their hearts because he didn’t already know. You
266 God is with us

only perform tests to find out what you don’t already

know. Your doctor doesn’t say, “I already know for cer-
tain that you have cancer in the pancreas, but we are going
to run some tests to find out if you do.”

"But I assure you of this: If you ever forget the LORD your God
and follow other gods, worshiping and bowing down to them, you will
certainly be destroyed. Just as the LORD has destroyed other nations in
your path, you also will be destroyed if you refuse to obey the LORD
your God. Deuteronomy 8:19-20 NLT

And the LORD said to me, "I have seen this people, and they
are a stiff-necked people indeed! Let me alone, so that I may destroy
them and blot out their name from under heaven. And I will make
you into a nation stronger and more numerous than they."
Deu-
teronomy 9:13-14 NIV
(NLT – “been watching these people and they are extremely
stubborn”)

God was reacting to what he had seen in the hearts of

the people. It does not refer in any way to his fore-
knowledge of events.

I was afraid of the LORD'S terrible anger. He was angry enough

to destroy you, but the LORD listened to me again. The LORD was
very angry with Aaron--enough to destroy him! So I also prayed for Aa-
ron at that time. Deuteronomy 9:19-20

Moses believed that his prayers kept the Israelites and

Aaron from being destroyed by the Lord.

"The Lord says, 'You must listen carefully to the commands I give
you today: You must love the LORD your God, and serve him with all
your heart and all your soul. If you do that, I will send rain for your
land at the right time. I will send the autumn rain and the spring rain.
Then you can gather your grain, your new wine, and your oil. And I will
 18. Overwhelming biblical evidence that the future has not all 267
been determined
make grass grow in your fields for your cattle. You will have plenty to
eat.' "He says, 'Be careful! Don't be fooled. Don't turn away from me
to serve other gods and to bow down to them.' If you do that, the LORD
will become very angry with you. He will shut the skies, and there will
be no rain. The land will not make a harvest, and you will soon die in
the good land that the LORD is giving you.
Deuteronomy 11:13-17

"Today I am giving you a choice. You may choose the blessing or the
curse. You will get the blessing if you listen and obey the commands of
the LORD your God that I have told you today. But you will get the
curse if you refuse to listen and obey the commands of the LORD your
God. So don't stop living the way I command you today, and don't follow
other gods that you don't know.
Deuteronomy 11:26-28

These are more warnings from the Lord about making

wrong choices.

"A prophet or someone who explains dreams might come to you and
tell you that they will show you a sign or a miracle. And the sign or
miracle they told you about might come true. Then they might ask you
to follow other gods (gods you don't know) and say to you, 'Let's serve
these gods!' Don't listen to them, because the LORD your God is testing
you. He wants to know if you love him with all your heart and all your
soul. Deuteronomy 13:1-3

Why would God need to test us to find out what he has

“known from eternity past?” Obviously, God does not know
which path each man is going to take.

"The LORD your God promised your fathers that he would make
your land larger. He will give you all the land that he promised to give
to your ancestors. He will do this if you completely obey his commands
that I give you today--if you love the LORD your God and always live
the way he wants. Then, when he gives you more land, you should choose
268 God is with us

three more cities for safety. They should be added to the first three cities.
Deuteronomy 19:8-9

"Now, if you will be careful to obey the LORD your God and follow
all his commands that I tell you today, the LORD your God will put
you high above all the nations on earth. If you will obey the LORD your
God, all these blessings will come to you and be yours: "He will bless
you in the city and in the field. He will bless you and give you many
children. He will bless your land and give you good crops. He will bless
your animals and let them have many babies. He will bless you with
calves and lambs. He will bless your baskets and pans and fill them
with food. He will bless you at all times in everything you do. "The
LORD will help you defeat your enemies who come to fight against you.
Your enemies will come against you one way, but they will run away
from you seven different ways! "The LORD will bless you and fill your
barns. He will bless everything you do. The LORD your God will bless
you in the land
that he is giving you. The LORD will make you his own special
people, as he promised. The Lord will do this if you follow the LORD
your God and obey his commands. Then all the people in that land will
see that you are called to be the LORD'S people, and they will be afraid
of you. "And the LORD will give you many good things. He will give
you many children. He will give your cows many calves. He will give you
a good harvest in the land that the LORD promised your ancestors to
give you. The LORD will open his storehouse where he keeps his rich
blessings. He will send rain at the right time for your land. He will bless
everything you do. You will have money to lend to many nations. And
you will not need to borrow anything from them. The LORD will make
you be like the head, not the tail. You will be on top, not on the bottom.
This will happen if you listen to the commands of the LORD your God
that I tell you today. You must carefully obey these commands. You must
not turn away from any of the teachings that I give you today. You must
not turn away to the right or to the left. You must not follow other gods
to serve them.
Deuteronomy 28:1-14
 18. Overwhelming biblical evidence that the future has not all 269
been determined
The fulfillment of God’s promises to specific people had
conditions attached. The promise was made to the forefa-
thers, but the people who participated in those promises
could vary depending on their faith and obedience. Not all of
Abraham’s, Isaac’s, and Jacob’s descendents lived to see the
Promised Land – many died in the wilderness because of
their unbelief.

But if you don't listen to what the LORD your God tells you--if you
don't obey all his commands and laws that I tell you today--then all these
bad things will happen to you: Deuteronomy 28:15

All these curses will come on you. They will keep chasing you and
catching you, until you are destroyed, because you did not listen to what
the LORD your God told you. You did not obey the commands and
laws that he gave you. Deuteronomy 28:45

You might have as many people as the stars in the sky. But only a
few of you will be left, because you did not listen to the LORD your
God. "The LORD was happy to be good to you and to make your
nation grow. In the same way the LORD will be happy to ruin and
destroy you. You are going to take that land to be yours. But people will
take you out of that land! Deuteronomy 28:62-63

When all these blessings and curses I have set before you come upon
you and you take them to heart wherever the LORD your God disperses
you among the nations, and when you and your children return to the
LORD your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your
soul according to everything I command you today, then the LORD
your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and
gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you.
Deuteronomy 30:1-3 NIV

"Today I have given you a choice between life and death, success and
disaster. I command you today to love the LORD your God. I command
you to follow him and to obey his commands, laws, and rules. Then you
will live, and your nation will grow larger. And the LORD your God
270 God is with us

will bless you in the land that you are entering to take for your own. But
if you turn away from your God and refuse to listen, if you are led away
to worship and serve other gods, you will be destroyed. I am warning you
today, if you turn away from God, you will not live long in that land
across the Jordan River that you are ready to enter and take for your
own. "Today I am giving you a choice of two ways. And I ask heaven
and earth to be witnesses of your choice. You can choose life or death.
The first choice will bring a blessing. The other choice will bring a curse.
So choose life! Then you and your children will live. You must love the
LORD your God and obey him. Never leave him, because he is your
life. And he will give you a long life in the land that he, the LORD,
promised to give to your ancestors--Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."
Deuteronomy 30:15-
20

God gives us different options, and based on our

choices, he either blesses or curses us. There is no hint of
predetermination or foreknowledge of what each man will
choose.

The LORD said to Moses, "You will die soon. And after you have
gone to be with your ancestors, these people will not continue to be faithful
to me. They will break the agreement I made with them. They will leave
me and begin worshiping other gods--the false gods of the land where they
are going. At that time I will become very angry with them, and I will
leave them. I will refuse to help them, and they will be destroyed. Terrible
things will happen to them, and they will have many troubles. Then they
will say, 'These bad things happened to us because our God is not with
us.' And I will refuse to help them, because they have done evil and
worshiped other gods.
Deuteronomy 31:16-
18

God knew the evil in the heart of these people and

what they would decide to do once the restraint of Moses
was taken away. But at the same time, it was not true of all
 18. Overwhelming biblical evidence that the future has not all 271
been determined
of the people – some chose to continue to worship the true
God.

Conclusion –

If you believe in the absolute foreknowledge of God

about all things future, how do you explain that God was
making credible warnings about things whose outcome he
supposedly “already knew?” You cannot legitimately argue
that God’s actions were anthropomorphisms (God acting as
though he were a man). If this were true and he were only
saying these things for the benefit of man, then how could it
be of any benefit to man if God already knew what he would
think, believe and do? What men believed or did would al-
ready have been pre-determined by God’s foreknowledge, so
God’s play-acting could not have made any real difference in
the outcome. If it was all foreknown, then God already knew
what man was going to believe. There can be no education
taking place either for man or for God if indeed God already
knows everything.
Was God only pretending that these people had a choice?
The ignorant “hillbillies” in those days believed that his
threats and conditional promises were real. Apparently they
did not have the theological knowledge that we do, or they
wouldn’t have fallen for God’s theatrics.
In my theology, I would rather side with Abraham, Moses,
David, Isaiah, and their like than with many Christians of our
time. You cannot find one person in the first five books of
the Bible (or any of the other books) who believed that the
future was already determined. Page after page after page re-
veals that the future was determined first by the initiative of
God, then by the actions of men, and at last by God’s re-
sponse to those actions. God’s purpose never wavered, but
his path on how to achieve his purposes was in constant
change owing to the faithfulness or unfaithfulness of men.
 19.

More overwhelming evidence

Joshua – Job
Joshua

Throughout the Old Testament, we see warning after

warning about the consequences of disobeying God, and
the blessings when we repent and obey.

Joshua said, "Why have you brought this trouble on us? The
LORD will bring trouble on you today." Then all Israel stoned him,
and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them. Over Achan
they heaped up a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day. Then
the LORD turned from his fierce anger.
Joshua 7:25-26 NIV

Never stop following him. Don't become friends with those people
who did not leave when you took the land. They are not part of Israel.
Don't marry any of their people. If you become friends with those
people, the LORD your God will not help you defeat your enemies.
They will become like a trap for you. They will cause you pain--like
smoke and dust in your eyes. And you will be forced to leave this
good land. The LORD your God gave you this land. But you can
lose it if you don't obey this command.
Joshua 23:12-13

"It is almost time for me to die. You know and really believe that
the Lord has done many great things for you. You know that the
LORD your God has not failed in any of his promises. He has kept
274 God is with us

every promise that he has made to us. Every good promise that the
LORD your God made to us has come true. But in the same way,
the LORD will make his other promises come true: If you do
wrong, bad things will happen to you. You will be forced to leave this
good land that the LORD your God has given to you. This will
happen if you refuse to keep your agreement with the LORD your
God. You will lose this land if you go and serve other gods. You must
not worship those other gods. If you do, the LORD will become very
angry with you. Then you will quickly be forced to leave this good
land that he gave you." Joshua 23:14-16

Moses, in his parting message, clearly shows that the

future of Israel will be determined by their behavior.
Moses did not believe that the future was already de-
cided.

Judges

The angel of the LORD went up to the city of Bokim from the
city of Gilgal. The angel spoke this message from the Lord to the
Israelites: "I brought you out of Egypt and led you to the land that
I promised to give to your ancestors. I told you I would never break
my agreement with you. But in return, you must never make any
agreement with the people living in that land. You must destroy their
altars. I told you that, but you didn't obey me. "Now I will tell you
this, 'I will not force the other people to leave this land any longer.
These people will become a problem for you. They will be like a trap
to you. Their false gods will become like a net to trap you.'"
Judges 2:1-3

This was a change in God’s original plan. At this

point in Israel’s history we are at plan J or K.

After that whole generation died, the next generation grew up.
This new generation did not know about the LORD or what he had
done for the Israelites. So the Israelites did something very evil before
the LORD. They began serving the false god Baal. It was the
 19. More overwhelming evidence 275

LORD, the God their ancestors worshiped, who had brought the
Israelites out of Egypt. But they stopped following him and began to
worship the false gods of the people living around them. This made
the LORD angry. The Israelites stopped following the LORD and
began worshiping Baal and Ashtoreth. The LORD was angry with
the Israelites, so he let enemies attack them and take their posses-
sions. He let their enemies who lived around them defeat them. The
Israelites could not protect themselves from their enemies. When the
Israelites went out to fight, they always lost. They lost because the
LORD was not on their side. He had already warned them that
they would lose if they served the gods of the people living around
them. The Israelites suffered very much.
Judges 2:10-15

So the LORD became angry with the Israelites, and he said,

"This nation has broken the agreement that I made with their an-
cestors. They have not listened to me. So I will no longer defeat the
nations and clear the way for the Israelites. Those nations were still
in this land when Joshua died, and I will let them stay in this land.
I will use them to test the Israelites. I will see if the Israelites can
keep the LORD'S commands as their ancestors did." The LORD
allowed those nations to stay in the land. He did not quickly force
them to leave the country. He did not help Joshua's army defeat them.
Judges 2:20-23

The LORD did not force all the other nations to leave Israel's
land. He wanted to test the Israelites. None of the Israelites living at
this time had fought in the wars to take the land of Canaan. So he
let those other nations stay in their country. (He did this to teach the
Israelites who had not fought in those wars.) Here are the names of
the nations the Lord left in the land: the five rulers of the Philistines,
all the Canaanites, the people of Sidon, and the Hivites who lived in
the Lebanon mountains from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo Ha-
math. He left those nations in the land to test the Israelites. He
wanted to see if the Israelites would obey the LORD'S commands
that he had given to their ancestors through Moses.
Judges 3:1-4
276 God is with us

Again, why would God need to test the Israelites if

he already knew everything that was in their heart and
what they were going to do in the future? Don’t say
that this test was only to show the Israelites how they
would react, or just to teach them warfare. That’s not
what the text says. It says that the purpose of the test
was for God to find out how they would react.

The LORD saw that the Israelites did evil things. They forgot
about the LORD their God and served the false gods Baal and
Asherah. The LORD was angry with the Israelites, so he allowed
King Cushan Rishathaim of Aram Naharaim to defeat the Israel-
ites and to rule over them. The Israelites were under that king's rule
for eight years. Judges 3:7-8

Once again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD,
and because they did this evil the LORD gave Eglon king of
Moab power over Israel. Judges
3:12 NIV

After Ehud died, the Israelites once again did evil in the eyes
of the LORD. So the LORD sold them into the hands of Jabin,
a king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor.
Judges 4:1-2 NIV

Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and
for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites.
Judges 6:1
NIV

Gideon said to God, "If you will save Israel by my hand as

you have promised--look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing
floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry,
then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you
said." And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next
day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew--a bowlful of
 19. More overwhelming evidence 277

water. Then Gideon said to God, "Do not be angry with me. Let
me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the
fleece. This time make the fleece dry and the ground covered with
dew." That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground
was covered with dew. Judges 6:36-40 NIV

Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD. They
served the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and the gods of Aram, the gods
of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites and the gods
of the Philistines. And because the Israelites forsook the LORD and
no longer served him, he became angry with them. He sold them into
the hands of the Philistines and the Ammonites, who that year shat-
tered and crushed them.
Judges 10:6-8 NIV

The LORD replied, "When the Egyptians, the Amorites, the

Ammonites, the Philistines, the Sidonians, the Amalekites and the
Maonites oppressed you and you cried to me for help, did I not save
you from their hands? But you have forsaken me and served other
gods, so I will no longer save you. Go and cry out to the gods you
have chosen. Let them save you when you are in trouble!" But the
Israelites said to the LORD, "We have sinned. Do with us whatever
you think best, but please rescue us now." Then they got rid of the
foreign gods among them and served the LORD. And he could bear
Israel's misery no longer. Judges 10:11-16 NIV

Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, so the
LORD delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty
years. Judges 13:1 NIV

The whole book of Judges relates Israel’s straying from

God to do evil and worship false gods, and his response
to their cries when they were afflicted. If they had re-
mained faithful to God, he would not have afflicted them
and given them into the hands of their enemies. What hap-
pened to them was a consequence of their actions.
278 God is with us

1 Samuel

"Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: `I prom-

ised that your house and your father's house would minister before
me forever.' But now the LORD declares: `Far be it from me!
Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will
be disdained. The time is coming when I will cut short your
strength and the strength of your father's house, so that there will
not be an old man in your family line and you will see distress in
my dwelling. Although good will be done to Israel, in your family
line there will never be an old man. Every one of you that I do
not cut off from my altar will be spared only to blind your eyes
with tears and to grieve your heart, and all your descendants will
die in the prime of life. 1
Samuel 2:30-33 NIV

Here, God breaks a promise he had made to Eli the

priest because of the unfaithfulness of his sons and his
own unfaithfulness. After this dressing down from
God, Eli did not believe that the future was already de-
cided and couldn’t be changed, because God changed
it.

You must fear and respect the LORD. You must serve him and
obey his commands. You must not turn against him. You and the
king ruling over you must follow the LORD your God. If you do,
God will save you. But if you don't listen to the LORD, if you refuse
to do what the LORD says, he will be against you. The LORD
will destroy you and your king. 1 Samuel 12:14-15

But you must honor the LORD. You must serve him sincerely
with all your heart. Remember the wonderful things he has done for
you. But if you are stubborn and do evil, God will throw you and
your king away, like dirt swept out with a broom.
1 Samuel 12:24-25
 19. More overwhelming evidence 279

Samuel said, "You did a foolish thing. You did not obey the
LORD your God. If you had done what he commanded, the LORD
would have let your family rule Israel forever. But now your kingdom
won't continue. The LORD was looking for a man who wants to
obey him. He has found that man--and the LORD has chosen him
to be the new leader of his people, because you didn't obey his com-
mand." 1 Samuel 13:13-14

Then the LORD said to Samuel, "I am sorry that I ever made
Saul king, for he has not been loyal to Me and has refused to obey
My command." Samuel was so deeply moved when he heard this that
he cried out to the LORD all night. 1 Samuel 15:10-
11NLT

For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the
evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he
has rejected you as king." 1 Samuel 15:23 NIV

God reluctantly changed his plans because of the sin-

fulness of Saul.

When Samuel turned to leave, Saul caught Samuel's robe. The

robe tore. Samuel said to Saul, "In this same way the LORD has
torn the kingdom of Israel from you today. He has given the kingdom
to one of your friends, a man who is a better person than you. The
one who lives forever, the God of Israel, does not lie and will not
change his mind. He is not like a man who is always changing his
mind." 1 Samuel 15:27-29

This is covered in detail in Chapter 10 “Does God change

his mind?” I believe this statement refers to this specific de-
cision by God to take the kingdom from Saul and give it
to David. It is not a general declaration about all of God’s
plans and decisions, but refers to this plan to tear the king-
dom from Saul. Samuel did change his mind and went with
Saul to the sacrifices. But God did not change his mind. It
is possible that God would have allowed Saul to continue
280 God is with us

as king after his first great offense if he had seriously

repented. But after this new, greater offense, God de-
cided that there was no hope for Saul to truly worship
him. Saul turned away from God and toward his own
ego, and he went downhill from there.

Until the day Samuel died, he did not go to see Saul again,
though Samuel mourned for him. And the LORD was grieved
that he had made Saul king over Israel. 1 Samuel 15:35
NIV

When God, in his own words says “I am grieved,”

why don’t we believe him? It’s because our theological
prejudice won’t allow us to accept the Scripture for
what it says. We condemn cults for doing this, and yet
we are hypocrites because we often do the same thing
ourselves.

2 Samuel

Then Nathan said to David, "You are that rich man! This is
what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'I chose you to be the king
of Israel. I saved you from Saul. I let you take his family and his
wives, and I made you king of Israel and Judah. As if that had not
been enough, I would have given you more and more. So why did you
ignore my command? Why did you do what I say is wrong? You let
the Ammonites kill Uriah the Hittite, and you took his wife. It is
as if you yourself killed Uriah in war. So your family will never have
peace! When you took Uriah's wife, you showed that you did not
respect me.' 2 Samuel 12:7-10

It had not been God’s plan for David to have con-

tinual warfare, but because of his sin, God changed his
plan.

David said, "While the baby was still living, I cried and refused
to eat because I thought, 'Who knows? Maybe the LORD will feel
 19. More overwhelming evidence 281

sorry for me and let the baby live.' But now the baby is dead, so why
should I refuse to eat? Can I bring the baby back to life? No. Some
day I will go to him, but he cannot come back to me."
2 Samuel 12:22-23

David believed that it was in God’s power to change

what happened to his Son. He did not believe that the de-
cision was already a foregone conclusion.

1 Kings

Bathsheba answered, "Sir, you used the name of the LORD your
God and made a promise to me. You said, 'Your son Solomon will
be the next king after me. He will sit on my throne.' Now, you don't
know this, but Adonijah is making himself king. He is giving a big
fellowship meal. He has killed many cattle and the best sheep, and
he has invited all of your sons to the meal. He also invited Abiathar
the priest and Joab, the commander of your army, but he did not
invite your faithful son Solomon. Now, my lord and king, all the
Israelites are watching you. They are waiting for you to decide who
will be the next king after you. If you don't decide, then after you are
buried, these men will say that Solomon and I are criminals."
1 Kings 1:17-21

Bathsheba didn’t believe in the absolute foreknowledge

of God.

"I am about to die, like all men must. But you are growing
stronger and becoming a man. Now, carefully obey all the commands
of the LORD your God. Carefully obey all his laws, commands,
decisions, and agreements. Obey everything that is written in the Law
of Moses. If you do this, you will be successful at whatever you do and
wherever you go. And if you obey the LORD, he will keep his prom-
ise about me. He said, 'If your sons carefully live the way I tell them,
sincerely, with all their heart, the king of Israel will always be a man
from your family.'"
1 Kings 2:2-4
282 God is with us

David didn’t believe that the future was a foregone

conclusion.

The LORD said to Solomon, "If you obey all my laws and com-
mands, I will do for you what I promised your father David. I will
live among the children of Israel in this Temple that you are building,
and I will never leave the people of Israel."
1 Kings 6:11-13

"When famine or plague comes to the land, or blight or mil-

dew, locusts or grasshoppers, or when an enemy besieges them in
any of their cities, whatever disaster or disease may come, and
when a prayer or plea is made by any of your people Israel--each
one aware of the afflictions of his own heart, and spreading out
his hands toward this temple -- then hear from heaven, your dwell-
ing place. Forgive and act; deal with each man according to all he
does, since you know his heart (for you alone know the hearts of
all men), so that they will fear you all the time they live in the
land you gave our fathers. 1
Kings 8:37-40 NIV

"As for you, if you walk before me in integrity of heart and

uprightness, as David your father did, and do all I command and
observe my decrees and laws, I will establish your royal throne
over Israel forever, as I promised David your father when I said,
`You shall never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.' "But
if you or your sons turn away from me and do not observe the
commands and decrees I have given you and go off to serve other
gods and worship them, then I will cut off Israel from the land I
have given them and will reject this temple I have consecrated for
my Name. Israel will then become a byword and an object of
ridicule among all peoples. And though this temple is now im-
posing, all who pass by will be appalled and will scoff and say,
`Why has the LORD done such a thing to this land and to this
temple?' People will answer, `Because they have forsaken the
LORD their God, who brought their fathers out of Egypt, and
 19. More overwhelming evidence 283

have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them--that is why

the LORD brought all this disaster on them.' "
1 Kings 9:4-9 NIV

The following are numerous clear promises and warn-

ings, and also explanations of why God changes his plans:

I will take the kingdom from Solomon because he stopped follow-

ing me and began worshiping Ashtoreth, the goddess of Sidon;
Chemosh, the god of Moab; and Milcom, the god of the Ammonites.
Solomon stopped following my ways and doing what I say is right.
He does not obey my laws and commands as his father David did.
1 Kings 11:33

The LORD became angry with Solomon because his heart had
turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared
to him twice. Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other
gods, Solomon did not keep the LORD's command. So the LORD
said to Solomon, "Since this is your attitude and you have not kept
my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most
certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your
subordinates. Nevertheless, for the sake of David your father, I will
not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your
son. 1 Kings 11:9-12 NIV

`See, I am going to tear the kingdom out of Solomon's hand and

give you ten tribes. But for the sake of my servant David and the
city of Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel,
he will have one tribe. I will do this because they have forsaken me
and worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the
god of the Moabites, and Molech the god of the Ammonites, and have
not walked in my ways, nor done what is right in my eyes, nor kept
my statutes and laws as David, Solomon's father, did.
1 Kings 11:31-33 NIV

However, as for you, I will take you, and you will rule over all
that your heart desires; you will be king over Israel. If you do
284 God is with us

whatever I command you and walk in my ways and do what is

right in my eyes by keeping my statutes and commands, as David
my servant did, I will be with you. I will build you a dynasty as
enduring as the one I built for David and will give Israel to you.
1 Kings 11:37-38
NIV

Even after this, Jeroboam did not change his evil ways, but
once more appointed priests for the high places from all sorts of
people. Anyone who wanted to become a priest he consecrated for
the high places. This was the sin of the house of Jeroboam that
led to its downfall and to its destruction from the face of the earth.

1 Kings 13:33-34
NIV

So when Ahijah heard the sound of her footsteps at the door,

he said, "Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why this pretense? I have
been sent to you with bad news. Go, tell Jeroboam that this is
what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: `I raised you up from
among the people and made you a leader over my people Israel. I
tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to
you, but you have not been like my servant David, who kept my
commands and followed me with all his heart, doing only what
was right in my eyes. You have done more evil than all who lived
before you. You have made for yourself other gods, idols made of
metal; you have provoked me to anger and thrust me behind your
back. "Because of this, I am going to bring disaster on the house
of Jeroboam. I will cut off from Jeroboam every last male in Israel-
-slave or free. I will burn up the house of Jeroboam as one burns
dung, until it is all gone. Dogs will eat those belonging to Jero-
boam who die in the city, and the birds of the air will feed on
those who die in the country. The LORD has spoken!'
1 Kings 14:6-11 NIV

"As for you, go back home. When you set foot in your city,
the boy will die. All Israel will mourn for him and bury him.
 19. More overwhelming evidence 285

He is the only one belonging to Jeroboam who will be buried, because

he is the only one in the house of Jeroboam in whom the LORD, the
God of Israel, has found anything good.
1 Kings 14:12-13 NIV

And he will give Israel up because of the sins Jeroboam has com-
mitted and has caused Israel to commit."
1 Kings 14:16 NIV

Judah did evil in the eyes of the LORD. By the sins they com-
mitted they stirred up his jealous anger more than their fathers had
done. 1 Kings 14:22 NIV

He committed all the sins his father had done before him; his
heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of
David his forefather had been. Nevertheless, for David's sake the
LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem by raising up a son
to succeed him and by making Jerusalem strong. For David had done
what was right in the eyes of the LORD and had not failed to keep
any of the LORD's commands all the days of his life--except in the
case of Uriah the Hittite. 1 Kings 15:3-5 NIV

As soon as he began to reign, he killed Jeroboam's whole family.

He did not leave Jeroboam anyone that breathed, but destroyed them
all, according to the word of the LORD given through his servant
Ahijah the Shilonite--because of the sins Jeroboam had committed
and had caused Israel to commit, and because he provoked the
LORD, the God of Israel, to anger.
1 Kings 15:29-30 NIV

As soon as he began to reign and was seated on the throne, he

killed off Baasha's whole family. He did not spare a single male,
whether relative or friend. So Zimri destroyed the whole family of
Baasha, in accordance with the word of the LORD spoken against
Baasha through the prophet Jehu-- because of all the sins Baasha
and his son Elah had committed and had caused Israel to commit,
286 God is with us

so that they provoked the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger by

their worthless idols. 1 Kings 16:11-13 NIV

But Omri did evil in the eyes of the LORD and sinned more
than all those before him. He walked in all the ways of Jeroboam
son of Nebat and in his sin, which he had caused Israel to com-
mit, so that they provoked the LORD, the God of Israel, to
anger by their worthless idols. 1 Kings
16:25-26 NIV

When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on

sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around
meekly. Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tish-
bite: "Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before
me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster
in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son."
1 Kings 21:27-29
NIV

Elijah didn’t believe that all of life’s future events

were already determined. God kept showing him that
the future was being determined not only by God’s de-
sires, but also by the choices that men made.

2 Kings
But the LORD'S angel said to Elijah the Tishbite, "King
Ahaziah has sent some messengers from Samaria. Go meet those
men and ask them, 'There is a God in Israel, so why are you men
going to ask questions of Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron? Since you
did this, the LORD says, You will not get up from your bed. You
will die!'" Then Elijah left. 2 Kings 1:3-4

After they crossed the river, Elijah said to Elisha, "What do you
want me to do for you before God takes me away from you?" Elisha
said, "I ask you for a double share of your spirit on me." Elijah
said, "You have asked a hard thing. If you see me when I am taken
 19. More overwhelming evidence 287

from you, it will happen. But if you don't see me when I am taken
from you, it will not happen." 2 Kings 2:9-10

Why would this have been hard if God already knew

all of the future? It would have been either easy because it
was foreknown or impossible because it wasn’t. Elijah be-
lieved that God’s decision concerning Elisha’s request was
still to be made, and was not already known.

Elisha said to him, "That is not true! My heart was with you
when the man turned from his chariot to meet you. This is not the
time to take money, clothes, olives, grapes, sheep, cattle, or men and
women servants. Now you and your children will catch Naaman's
disease. You will have leprosy forever!" When Gehazi left Elisha,
his skin was as white as snow! He was sick with leprosy.
2 Kings 5:26-27
(NLT – Because you have done this, Naaman’s leprosy will cling
to you.)

These horses and chariots of fire came down to Elisha. He prayed

to the LORD and said, "I pray that you will cause these people to
become blind." So God did what Elisha asked. He caused the Ar-
amean army to become blind.
2 Kings 6:18

There were four men sick with leprosy near the city gate. They
said to each other, "Why are we sitting here waiting to die? There is
no food in Samaria. If we go into the city, we will die there. If we stay
here, we will also die. So let's go to the Aramean camp. If they let us
live, we will live. If they kill us, we will just die."
2 Kings 7:3-4

The LORD said to Jehu, "You have done well. You have done
what I say is good. You destroyed Ahab's family the way I wanted
you to, so your descendants will rule Israel for four generations."
2 Kings 10:30
288 God is with us

Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king over Israel in Samaria. This

was during the 23rd year that Joash son of Ahaziah was king in
Judah. Jehoahaz ruled 17 years. Jehoahaz did what the LORD
considered wrong. Like Jeroboam son of Nebat, he committed sins
that also caused the people of Israel to sin. And he never stopped
doing those things. Then the LORD was angry with Israel. He let
King Hazael of Aram and Hazael's son Ben-Hadad gain control
of Israel. Then Jehoahaz begged the LORD to help them. The
LORD listened to him because he had seen the terrible troubles that
the king of Aram had caused the Israelites. So the LORD sent a
man to save Israel. The Israelites were free from the Arameans. So
the Israelites went to their own homes, as they did before.
2 Kings 13:1-5

Elisha said to Jehoash, "Take a bow and some arrows." Jehoash

took a bow and some arrows. Then Elisha said to the king of Israel,
"Put your hand on the bow." Jehoash put his hand on the bow. Then
Elisha put his hands on the king's hands. Elisha said, "Open the
east window." Jehoash opened the window. Then Elisha said,
"Shoot." Jehoash shot. Then Elisha said, "This is the LORD'S
arrow of victory over Aram! You will defeat the Arameans at Aphek
until you destroy them." Elisha said, "Take the arrows." Jehoash
took the arrows. Then Elisha said to him, "Hit on the ground."
Jehoash hit the ground three times. Then he stopped. The man of
God was angry with Jehoash. Elisha said, "You should have hit five
or six times! Then you would have defeated Aram until you destroyed
it! But now, you will defeat Aram only three times."
2 Kings 13:15-19

Elisha did not believe that the future was already de-
termined, but that it depended on how many times the
king struck the ground. The future was open and was
not foreknown or predetermined by God. The future
changed because of what the king had done.

These things happened because the Israelites had sinned against

the LORD their God. And it was the Lord who brought the
 19. More overwhelming evidence 289

Israelites out of the land of Egypt! He saved them from the power of
Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. But the Israelites began worshiping other
gods. They began doing the same things that other people did. And
the LORD had forced those people to leave their land when the Is-
raelites came. The Israelites also chose to be ruled by kings. The Is-
raelites secretly did things against the LORD their God, and those
things were wrong! The Israelites built high places in all their cities--
from the smallest town to the largest city. They put up memorial
stones and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green
tree. They burned incense there in all those places for worship. They
did these things like the nations that the LORD forced out of the
land before them. The Israelites did evil things that made the LORD
angry. They served idols, and the LORD had said to them, "You
must not do this." The LORD used every prophet and every seer to
warn Israel and Judah. He said, "Turn away from the evil things
you do. Obey my commands and laws. Follow all the law that I gave
to your ancestors. I used my servants the prophets to give this law to
you." But the people would not listen. They were very stubborn like
their ancestors. Their ancestors did not believe the LORD their God.
They refused to follow his laws and the agreement he made with their
ancestors. They would not listen to his warnings. They worshiped
idols that were worth nothing and they themselves became worth noth-
ing. The LORD had warned them not to do the evil things that the
people in the nations around them did. But they lived the same way
those people lived. The people stopped following the commands of the
LORD their God. They made two gold statues of calves. They made
Asherah poles. They worshiped all the stars of heaven and served
Baal. They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire. They used
magic and witchcraft to try to learn the future. They sold themselves
to do what the LORD said was evil. They did this to make him
angry. So the LORD became very angry with Israel and removed
them from his sight. There were no Israelites left, except the tribe of
Judah. 2 Kings 17:7-18

This account shows very clearly “cause and effect” of

man’s choices. Our decisions have consequences for what
happens in the future. What happened is clearly not what
290 God is with us

God desired to do. He wanted to bless Israel, but they

rebelled against him and he was left no recourse but to
punish them. This doesn’t sound like fatalism where
everything was already known beforehand.

At that time Hezekiah became sick and almost died. The

prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to see him and told him, "The
LORD says, 'You will die soon, so you should tell your family what
they should do when you die. You will not get well.'" Hezekiah
turned his face to the wall that faced the Temple and began praying
to the LORD. "LORD, remember that I have sincerely served you
with all my heart. I have done what you say is good." Then Hezekiah
cried very hard. Before Isaiah had left the middle courtyard, he re-
ceived this message from the LORD, "Go back and speak to Hez-
ekiah, the leader of my people. Tell him, 'This is what the LORD,
the God of your ancestor David, says: I heard your prayer and I saw
your tears, so I will heal you. On the third day you will go up to the
Temple of the LORD. I will add 15 years to your life. I will save
you and this city from the king of Assyria. I will protect this city. I
will do this for myself and because of the promise I made to my servant
David.'"
2 Kings 20:1-6

Isaiah said, "Which do you want? Should the shadow go forward

ten steps or go back ten steps? This is the sign for you from the
LORD to show that the LORD will do what he said he would do."
Hezekiah answered, "It is an easy thing for the shadow to go down
ten steps. No, make the shadow go back ten steps." Then Isaiah
prayed, and the LORD made the shadow move back ten steps. It
went back up the steps that it had already been on.
2 Kings 20:9-11

Hezekiah and Isaiah knew that life’s events could be

changed through the behavior of people. If it can be
changed, then it cannot be foreknown.
 19. More overwhelming evidence 291

"King Josiah of Judah sent you to ask advice from the LORD.
Tell Josiah that this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says:
'You heard the words I spoke against this place and those who live
here. And when you heard those things, your heart was soft, and you
showed your sorrow before the LORD. I said that terrible things
would happen to this place. So you tore your clothes to show your
sadness, and you began to cry. That is why I heard you.' This is what
the LORD says. 'I will bring you to be with your ancestors. You
will die and go to your grave in peace. So your eyes will not see all the
trouble that I am bringing on this place.'" Then Hilkiah the priest,
Ahikam, Acbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah gave that message to the
king. 2 Kings 22:18-20

The LORD became so angry with Jerusalem and Judah that he

threw them away. Zedekiah rebelled and refused to obey the king of
Babylon. 2 Kings 24:20

1 Chronicles

Saul died because he was not faithful to the LORD. He did not
obey the LORD'S word. Saul also went to a medium and asked her
for advice instead of asking the LORD. That is why the Lord killed
Saul and gave the kingdom to Jesse's son David.
1 Chronicles 10:13-14

Gad was David's seer. The LORD said to Gad, "Go and tell
David: 'This is what the LORD says: I am going to give you three
choices. You must choose one of them. Then I will punish you the
way you choose.'" Then Gad went to David. He said to David, "The
LORD says, 'David, choose which punishment you want: three years
without enough food, or three months of running away from your en-
emies while they use their swords to chase you, or three days of pun-
ishment from the LORD. Terrible sicknesses will spread through the
country, and the LORD'S angel will go through Israel destroying the
people.' David, God sent me. Now, you must decide which answer I
will give to him." David said to Gad, "I am in trouble! I don't want
some man to decide my punishment. The LORD is very merciful, so
292 God is with us

let him decide how to punish me." So the LORD sent terrible sick-
nesses to Israel, and 70,000 people died. God sent an angel to destroy
Jerusalem. But when the angel started to destroy Jerusalem, the
LORD saw it and felt sorry for all the suffering. So he said to the
angel who was destroying the people, "Stop! That is enough!" This
happened when the angel of the LORD was standing at the threshing
floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 1
Chronicles 21:9-15

Both Gad and David believed that God gave David

a legitimate choice and it was not a predetermined out-
come.

"And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your

father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a will-
ing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands
every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found
by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. Consider
now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a temple as a sanc-
tuary. Be strong and do the work." 1 Chronicles 28:9-
10 NIV

I know, my God, that You examine our hearts and rejoice when
You find integrity there. You know I have done all this with good
motives, and I have watched Your people offer their gifts willingly and
joyously. 1 Chronicles 29:17 NLT

2 Chronicles

God said to Solomon, "Because your greatest desire is to help

your people, and you did not ask for wealth, riches, fame, or even the
death of your enemies or a long life, but rather you asked for wisdom
and knowledge to properly govern My people--I will certainly give you
the wisdom and knowledge you requested. But I will also give you
wealth, riches, and fame such as no other king has had before you or
will ever have in the future!"
 19. More overwhelming evidence 293

2 Chronicles 1:11-12
NLT

"But if you or your descendants abandon Me and disobey the

decrees and commands I have given you, and if you serve and worship
other gods, then I will uproot the people from this land that I have
given them. I will reject this Temple that I have made holy to honor
My name. I will make it an object of mockery and ridicule among
the nations. And though this Temple is impressive now, all who pass
by will be appalled. They will ask, 'Why did the LORD do such
terrible things to this land and to this Temple?' "And the answer
will be, 'Because His people abandoned the LORD, the God of their
ancestors, who brought them out of Egypt, and they worshiped other
gods instead and bowed down to them. That is why He has brought
all these disasters on them.'"
2 Chronicles 7:19-22
NLT

But when Rehoboam was firmly established and strong, he aban-

doned the Law of the LORD, and all Israel followed him in this
sin. Because they were unfaithful to the LORD, King Shishak of
Egypt came up and attacked Jerusalem in the fifth year of King Re-
hoboam's reign. 2 Chronicles 12:1-2

The prophet Shemaiah then met with Rehoboam and Judah's

leaders, who had all fled to Jerusalem because of Shishak. Shemaiah
told them, "This is what the LORD says: You have abandoned Me,
so I am abandoning you to Shishak."
2 Chronicles 12:5 NLT

Then the leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and
said, "The LORD is right in doing this to us!" When the LORD
saw their change of heart, he gave this message to Shemaiah: "Since
the people have humbled themselves, I will not completely destroy them
and will soon give them some relief. I will not use Shishak to pour
out My anger on Jerusalem. 2 Chronicles 12:6-7 NLT
294 God is with us

At that time Hanani the seer came to King Asa and told him,
"Because you have put your trust in the king of Aram instead of in
the LORD your God, you missed your chance to destroy the army of
the king of Aram. Don't you remember what happened to the Ethi-
opians and Libyans and their vast army, with all of their chariots
and charioteers? At that time you relied on the LORD, and He
handed them over to you. The eyes of the LORD search the
whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are
fully committed to Him. What a fool you have been! From now
on you will be at war."
2 Chronicles 16:7-9
NLT

Some time later King Jehoshaphat of Judah made an alliance

with King Ahaziah of Israel, who was very wicked. Together they
built a fleet of trading ships at the port of Ezion-geber. Then Eliezer
son of Dodavahu from Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat.
He said, "Because you have allied yourself with King Ahaziah, the
LORD will destroy your work." So the ships met with disaster and
never put out to sea. 2 Chronicles 20:35-37 NLT

But after Jehoiada's death, the leaders of Judah came and bowed
before King Joash and persuaded him to listen to their advice. They
decided to abandon the Temple of the LORD, the God of their an-
cestors, and they worshiped Asherah poles and idols instead! Because
of this sin, divine anger fell on Judah and Jerusalem. Yet the LORD
sent prophets to bring them back to Him. The prophets warned them,
but still the people would not listen. Then the Spirit of God came
upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people
and said, "This is what God says: Why do you disobey the LORD's
commands and keep yourselves from prospering? You have aban-
doned the LORD, and now He has abandoned you!"
2 Chronicles 24:17-20 NLT

Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he

reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother was Jecoliah from
Jerusalem. He did what was pleasing in the LORD's sight, just as
 19. More overwhelming evidence 295

his father, Amaziah, had done. Uzziah sought God during the days
of Zechariah, who taught him to fear God. And as long as the king
sought guidance from the LORD, God gave him success.
2 Chronicles 26:3-5 NLT

But when he had become powerful, he also became proud, which

led to his downfall. He sinned against the LORD his God by enter-
ing the sanctuary of the LORD's Temple and personally burning
incense on the incense altar. Azariah the high priest went in after
him with eighty other priests of the LORD, all brave men. They
confronted King Uzziah and said, "It is not for you, Uzziah, to
burn incense to the LORD. That is the work of the priests alone,
the descendants of Aaron who are set apart for this work. Get out of
the sanctuary, for you have sinned. The LORD God will not honor
you for this!" 2 Chronicles 26:16-18

Ahaz was 20 years old when he became king. He ruled 16 years

in Jerusalem. He did not live right, as David his ancestor had done.
Ahaz did not do what the LORD wanted him to do. He followed
the bad example of the kings of Israel. He used molds to make idols
to worship the Baal gods. He burned incense in the Valley of Ben
Hinnom and sacrificed his own sons by burning them in the fire. He
did the same terrible sins that the peoples living in that land did. The
LORD had forced them out when the Israelites entered that land.
Ahaz offered sacrifices and burned incense in the high places, on the
hills, and under every green tree. Because Ahaz did these things, the
LORD his God let the king of Aram defeat him. The king and his
army defeated Ahaz and took many people of Judah as prisoners to
the city of Damascus. Ahaz also suffered a terrible defeat by the king
of Israel, Pekah son of Remaliah. Pekah and his army killed
120,000 of the bravest soldiers in Judah in one day. All this hap-
pened because the people of Judah had turned away from the LORD,
the God their ancestors worshiped. 2
Chronicles 28:1-5
296 God is with us

The LORD gave troubles to Judah because King Ahaz of Judah

encouraged the people of Judah to sin. He was very unfaithful to the
LORD. 2 Chronicles 28:19

Our ancestors were not faithful and did what the LORD says is
evil. They stopped following him. They no longer paid any attention
to the LORD'S house and turned their backs on him. They shut the
doors of the porch of the Temple and let the fire go out in the lamps.
They stopped burning incense and offering burnt offerings in the Holy
Place to the God of Israel. So the LORD became very angry with
the people of Judah and Jerusalem. He punished them so badly that
it shocks and scares people to hear about it. But then they just laugh
and shout their own insults against Judah. You know this is true.
You have seen it happen. That is why our ancestors were killed in
battle. Our sons, daughters, and wives were made prisoners. So now
I, Hezekiah, have decided to make an agreement with the LORD,
the God of Israel. Then he will not be angry with us anymore.
2 Chronicles 29:6-11

So the messengers took the king's letters all through Israel and
Judah. This is what the letters said: "Children of Israel, turn back
to the LORD, the God who Abraham, Isaac, and Israel obeyed.
Then God will come back to you who are still alive and have escaped
from the kings of Assyria. Don't be like your fathers or your broth-
ers. The LORD was their God, but they turned against him. So he
made people hate them and speak evil about them. You can see with
your own eyes that this is true. Don't be stubborn as your ancestors
were. But obey the LORD with a willing heart. Come to the Temple
that he has made to be holy forever. Serve the LORD your God.
Then his fearful anger will turn away from you. If you come back
and obey the LORD, your relatives and your children will find mercy
from the people who captured them. And your relatives and your
children will come back to this land. The LORD your God is kind
and merciful. He will not turn away from you if you come back to
him." 2 Chronicles 30:6-9
 19. More overwhelming evidence 297

So King Hezekiah did those good things in all Judah. He did

what was good and right and faithful before the LORD his God.
He had success in every work he began--the service of God's Temple
and in obeying the law and commands, and in following his God.
Hezekiah did all these things with all his heart.
2 Chronicles 31:20-21

It was in those days that Hezekiah became very sick and near
death. He prayed to the LORD, and he spoke to Hezekiah and
gave him a sign. But Hezekiah's heart was proud, so he did not give
God thanks for his kindness. This is why God was angry with Hez-
ekiah and with the people of Judah and Jerusalem. But Hezekiah
and the people living in Jerusalem changed their hearts and lives.
They became humble and stopped being proud. So the LORD'S
anger didn't come on them while Hezekiah was alive.
2 Chronicles 32:24-26

It was Hezekiah who stopped up the upper source of the waters

of the Gihon Spring in Jerusalem and made the waters flow straight
down on the west side of the City of David. And he was successful
in everything he did. One time the leaders of Babylon sent messengers
to Hezekiah. The messengers asked about a strange sign that had
happened in the nations. When they came, God left Hezekiah alone
to test him and to know everything that was in Hezekiah's heart.
2 Chronicles 32:30-31

The LORD spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they re-
fused to listen. So the LORD brought commanders from the king of
Assyria's army to attack Judah. These commanders captured Ma-
nasseh and made him their prisoner. They put hooks in him and
brass chains on his hands and took him to the country of Babylon.
When these troubles came to him, Manasseh begged for help from the
LORD his God. He humbled himself before the God of his ances-
tors. Manasseh prayed to God and begged him for help. God heard
his begging and felt sorry for him, so he let Manasseh return to Jeru-
salem and to his throne. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was
the true God. 2 Chronicles 33:10-13
298 God is with us

When King Josiah heard the words of the law being read, he tore
his clothes. Then the king gave a command to Hilkiah, Ahikam son
of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah, Shaphan the secretary, and
Asaiah the servant. The king said, "Go, ask the LORD for me
and for the people who are left in Israel and in Judah. Ask about
the words in the book that was found. The LORD is very angry
with us because our ancestors did not obey the LORD'S word. They
did not do everything this book says to do."
2 Chronicles 34:19-21

Huldah said to them, "This is what the LORD, the God of

Israel, says: Tell King Josiah that the LORD says, 'I will bring
trouble to this place and to the people living here. I will bring all the
terrible things that are written in the book that was read in front of
the king of Judah. I will do this because the people left me and burned
incense to other gods. They made me angry because of all the bad
things they have done. So I will pour out my anger on this place. Like
a hot burning fire, my anger will not be put out!' "Go back to King
Josiah of Judah, who sent you to ask what the LORD wants. Tell
him, 'This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says about the
words you heard being read: Josiah, you repented and humbled your-
self. In your sorrow you tore your clothes and cried before me. So
because your heart was tender, I will take you to be with your ances-
tors. You will go to your grave in peace. You will not have to see any
of the trouble that I will bring on this place and on the people living
here.'" Hilkiah and the king's servants brought back this message
to King Josiah.
2 Chronicles 34:23-28

The LORD, the God of their ancestors, sent prophets again and
again to warn his people. He did this because he felt sorry for them
and for his Temple. He didn't want to destroy them or his Temple.
But they made fun of God's prophets and refused to listen to them.
They hated God's messages. Finally, the LORD could not hold his
anger any longer. He became angry with his people and there was
nothing that could be done to stop it. So God brought the king of
 19. More overwhelming evidence 299

Babylon to attack the people of Judah and Jerusalem. The king of

Babylon killed the young men even when they were in the Temple.
He didn't have mercy on the people of Judah and Jerusalem. The
king of Babylon killed young and old people. He killed men and
women. He killed sick and healthy people. God permitted Nebu-
chadnezzar to punish the people of Judah and Jerusalem.
2 Chronicles 36:15-17

Ezra

There near the Ahava River, I announced that we all should fast.
We should fast to make ourselves humble before our God. We
wanted to ask God for a safe trip for ourselves, our children, and for
everything we owned. I was embarrassed to ask King Artaxerxes for
soldiers and horsemen to protect us as we traveled. There were enemies
on the road. The reason I was embarrassed to ask for protection was
because of what we had told the king. We had said to King Arta-
xerxes, "Our God is with everyone who trusts him, but he is very
angry with everyone who turns away from him." So we fasted and
prayed to our God about our trip. He answered our prayers.
Ezra 8:21-23

Then, when it was time for the evening sacrifice, I got up. I had
made myself look shameful while I was sitting there. My robe and
coat were torn, and I fell on my knees with my hands spread out to
the LORD my God. Then I prayed this prayer: "My God, I am
too ashamed and embarrassed to look at you. I am ashamed because
our sins are higher than our heads. Our guilt has reached all the way
up to the heavens. We have been guilty of many sins from the days of
our ancestors until now. We sinned so our kings and priests were
punished. Foreign kings attacked us and took our people away. They
took away our wealth and made us ashamed. It is the same even
today. Ezra 9:5-7

Nehemiah
300 God is with us

When I heard this about the people of Jerusalem and about the
wall, I sat down and cried. I was very sad. I fasted and prayed to the
God of heaven for several days. Then I prayed this prayer: "LORD,
God of heaven, you are the great and powerful God. You are the God
who keeps his agreement of love with people who love you and obey
your commands. "Please open your eyes and ears and listen to the
prayer your servant is praying before you day and night. I am praying
for your servants, the Israelites. I confess the sins we Israelites have
done against you. I am confessing that I have sinned against you and
that the other people in my father's family have sinned against you.
We Israelites have been very bad to you. We have not obeyed the
commands, rules, and laws you gave your servant Moses.
Nehemiah 1:4-7

"Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, say-

ing, `If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations,
but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your
exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from
there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for
my Name.' Nehemiah
1:8-9 NIV

Esther

Then Esther's message was given to Mordecai. When he got her

message, Mordecai sent his answer back: "Esther, don't think that
just because you live in the king's palace you will be the only Jew to
escape. If you keep quiet now, help and freedom for the Jews will come
from another place. But you and your father's family will all die.
And who knows, maybe you have been chosen to be the queen for
such a time as this." Esther 4:12-14

Mordecai believed that God had different options

for saving his people, and that the way he would do it
was not foreknown or predetermined.
 19. More overwhelming evidence 301

Then Esther sent this answer to Mordecai: "Mordecai, go and

get all the Jews in Susa together, and fast for me. Don't eat or drink
for three days and nights. I and my women servants will fast too.
After we fast, I will go to the king. I know it is against the law to
go to the king if he didn't call me, but I will do it anyway. If I die, I
die." Esther 4:15-16

Esther knew that she could very well lose her life if the
king chose not to recognize her.

Job

Satan answered the LORD, "But Job has a good reason to re-
spect you. You always protect him, his family, and everything he has.
You have blessed him and made him successful in everything he does.
He is so wealthy that his herds and flocks are all over the country.
But if you were to destroy everything he has, I promise you that he
would curse you to your face." Job 1:9-11

Then another day came for the angels to meet with the LORD.
Satan joined them for this meeting with the LORD. The LORD
said to Satan, "Where have you been?" Satan answered the LORD,
"I have been roaming around the earth, going from place to place."
Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you noticed my servant Job?
There is no one on earth like him. He is a good, faithful man. He
respects God and refuses to do evil. He is still faithful, even though
you asked me to let you destroy, without reason, everything he has."
Satan answered, "Skin for skin! A man will give everything he has
to protect himself. I swear, if you attack his flesh and bones, he will
curse you to your face!" So the LORD said to Satan, "All right,
Job is in your hands, but you are not allowed to kill him."
Job 2:1-6

Satan did not believe in God’s foreknowledge of the

future. God did not trust in his “foreknowledge” to tell
him how the test of job would turn out. He trusted in his
personal knowledge of Job’s heart. He knew him, and
302 God is with us

knew where his love and loyalties lay. God did not ini-
tiate Job’s suffering, but only responded to Satan’s ac-
cusations against him.

Conclusion –

You cannot find one person in these books of the

Bible who believed that the future was already deter-
mined. These references show that God was inter-act-
ing with men, and the way things turned out was a
product of both God’s initiative and man’s response to
him. Life was being lived by the participants and not
being dictated by an invariable manuscript from the fu-
ture.
 20.

Still more evidence

Psalms - Zechariah
You will probably grow tired of reading this chapter, be-
cause you will be reading evidence that says the same thing
we have already seen, over and over – the future is not yet
known by God but is a work in progress. You only need to
read as far as it takes to convince you that all the future is not
yet determined, and that your choices make a difference in
how your life will turn out.
God does not know nor need to know every choice you
will ever make. He will rejoice if you make good ones, and
grieve if you make poor ones. He will eventually accomplish
all his purposes, but the way he will do it is partly dependent
on you, and certainly your individual benefits and rewards
will depend on how you respond to God.

Psalm -

Test me, O LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind;
Psalm 26:2 NIV

Why would David ask God to examine him if he already

knew a millennium ago everything there was to know about
him?

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will
counsel you and watch over you. Psalm 32:8 NIV
304 God is with us

David would not have needed this counsel since there

was only one way he could go – the way that was prede-
termined by God’s prior knowledge.

How long, O LORD? Will you be angry forever? How long will
your jealousy burn like fire? Psalm 79:5 NIV

David was appealing to God to stop being angry and

come to Israel’s rescue. He did not believe that the length
of time that God would be angry was already determined,
but that God’s attitude could be changed.

The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind: "You are
a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek."
Psalm 110:4 NIV

Why would God need to swear on this issue that he

would never change his mind, if he never changed his
mind about anything? If God never changed his plans,
then making this statement is superfluous. It would have
been much easier to just state in the first chapter of Gen-
esis that God never changes his mind about anything, and
then save the paper and the ink used to write the rest of
the Bible.

A song for going up to the Temple. I look up to the hills, but where
will my help really come from? My help will come from the LORD, the
Creator of heaven and earth. He will not let you fall. Your Protector
will not fall asleep. Israel's Protector does not get tired. He never sleeps.
The LORD is your Protector. The LORD stands by your side, shading
and protecting you. The sun cannot harm you during the day, and the
moon cannot harm you at night. The LORD will protect you from every
danger. He will protect your soul. The LORD will protect you as you
come and go, both now and forever!
Psalm 121:1-7
 Chapter 14 - Still more evidence 305

What harm could possibly come to the Psalmist if the

course of his life was already all laid out? Why would God
bother to watch over something for which he already knew
the outcome? If God already knew the future, the Psalmist
was in no danger and God could not have helped him any-
way.

The LORD made a promise to David, an oath of loyalty to him:

"I will always put one of your descendants on your throne. If your de-
scendants obey my agreement and the laws I teach them, then the king
will always be someone from your family."
Psalm 132:11-12

O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.

Psalm 139:1 NIV

This doesn’t say “you have always known me from before

the beginning of time.” Rather, it shows that God’s
knowledge of the person is based on his present day exami-
nation of him.

God, examine me and know my mind. Test me and know all my

worries. Make sure that I am not going the wrong way. Lead me on the
path that has always been right. Psalm 139:23-24

Why would David ask for this if he believed that God al-
ready knew everything about him and his future? This would
be a meaningless, frivolous plea if David believed in God’s
omniscience of the future.

Proverbs -

Wisdom begins with fear and respect for the LORD. Knowledge of
the Holy One leads to understanding. Wisdom will help you live longer;
she will add years to your life. Proverbs 9:10-11
306 God is with us

This says that wisdom will add years to your life. How
is this possible if God already knows how many days I will
live as many theologians believe?

People might throw lots to make a decision, but the answer always
comes from the LORD. Proverbs 16:33

We may throw the dice, but the Lord determines how

they fall. Why does it say he determines it (present tense)
rather than he already knows (past tense) how they will
fall?

Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the LORD tests the
heart. Proverbs 17:3

Why does the Lord test men’s hearts? Usually a test

exists in order to discover something unknown. Why
would he bother to do this if he already knew what was in
our hearts from eternity past? Does he doubt what he al-
ready knows and try to get a second opinion? How do you
explain the need for him to test us?

Isaiah -

What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have
done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only
bad? Isaiah 5:4
NIV

God expected something different than what he found.

The one who rescued you is the LORD, the one who formed you in
your mother's womb. He says, "I, the LORD, made everything. I put
the skies there myself. I spread out the earth before me." False prophets
tell lies, but the Lord shows that their lies are false. He makes fools of
those who do magic. He confuses even the wise. They think they know a
lot, but he makes them look foolish. The Lord sends his servants to tell
 Chapter 14 - Still more evidence 307

his messages to the people, and he makes those messages come true. He
sends messengers to tell the people what they should do, and he proves
that the advice is good. The Lord says to Jerusalem, "People will live in
you again." He says to the cities of Judah, "You will be rebuilt." He
says to them, "I will repair your ruins."
Isaiah 44:24-26

Here we see a God who once created in the past, but who
now continues to act in the present. He did not create the
future when he made the world. The future is being written
each day as God works among his creatures.

I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what
is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I
please. From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a
man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about;
what I have planned, that will I do.
Isaiah 46:10-11 NIV

God is declaring that he is in control and can do whatever

pleases him. Since we know that God is 100% good, we can
be assured that he is not going to do evil because that would
never please him. He never says that what is written will hap-
pen by itself, but rather that he will make all things happen.
The future is in his hands; he is not in the hands of the future.

Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of
doing wrong. Let them turn to the LORD that He may have mercy on
them. Yes, turn to our God, for He will forgive generously.
Isaiah 55:7 NLT

God responds to the actions of men. The door to the

mercy seat is always open, and he desires to abundantly par-
don.

Then you will call to the LORD, and he will answer you. You will
cry out to him, and he will say, "Here I am." Stop causing trouble and
308 God is with us

putting burdens on people. Stop saying things to hurt people or accusing

them of things they didn't do. Feel sorry for hungry people and give them
food. Help those who are troubled and satisfy their needs. Then your
light will shine in the darkness. You will be like the bright sunshine at
noon. The LORD will always lead you and satisfy your needs in dry
lands. He will give strength to your bones. You will be like a garden that
has plenty of water, like a spring that never goes dry.
Isaiah 58:9-11

Promises, promises, promises! God gives many warn-

ings not to do evil, but he also gives many promises of
what will happen if we do good. Both promises and warn-
ings are of no consequence if the outcome is already
known. There would be no incentive to try to do good or
to avoid evil because in the end, no one could do anything
differently from what has been foreknown. If God already
knows every detail of how things will turn out, he wasted
a lot of his and our time working with the people in the
Bible and having us read it. It would all be for nothing in
the end because nothing whatsoever could be changed
from what is already known by God.

But they turned against him and made his Holy Spirit very sad.
So the Lord became their enemy and fought against them.
Isaiah 63:10

God reacts to the behavior of men.

Jeremiah -

"I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb. Before you
were born I set you apart and appointed you as My prophet to the na-
tions." Jeremiah 1:5 NLT

A very probable interpretation is that God knew him

as an embryo in the fallopian tube, or even knew him as
the sperm and egg which came together. There is no
 Chapter 14 - Still more evidence 309

textual reason to say that God knew him from eternity, espe-
cially when God himself uses the term “before you were
born.” God, who knows all that is happening, knew Jeremiah
before he made it to the womb, and before he was born. If
he had known Jeremiah from all eternity, he would have said,
“I have always known you.” God could not “know” Jeremiah
until he existed as a person. And the emphasis here is on the
action of God in choosing Jeremiah, not on his fore-
knowledge of future things.

I thought, 'After she has done all this, she will return to Me.' But
she did not return, and her faithless sister Judah saw this. She saw that
I divorced faithless Israel because of her adultery. But that treacherous
sister Judah had no fear, and now she, too, has left Me and given herself
to prostitution. Jeremiah 3:7-8 NLT

God was disappointed by the actions of Judah. It says that

he expected better.

"I thought to Myself, 'I would love to treat you as My own children!'
I wanted nothing more than to give you this beautiful land—the finest
possession in the world. I looked forward to your calling Me 'Father,'
and I wanted you never to turn from Me.
Jeremiah 3:19 NLT

God had high hopes, but his hopes were disappointed by

the evil actions and spiritual adultery of his people.

The LORD All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: Change your

lives and do good things. If you do this, I will let you live in this place.
Don't trust the lies that some people say. They say, "This is the Temple
of the LORD, the Temple of the LORD, the Temple of the LORD!"
If you change your lives and do good things, I will let you live in this
place. You must be fair to each other. You must be fair to strangers.
You must help widows and orphans. Don't kill innocent people! And
don't follow other gods, because they will only ruin your lives. If you obey
me, I will let you live in this place. I gave this land to your ancestors for
310 God is with us

them to keep forever. Jeremiah 7:3-7

But, O LORD Almighty, you who judge righteously and test

the heart and mind, let me see your vengeance upon them, for to you
I have committed my cause. Jeremiah
11:20 NIV

Why would testing be necessary if he already knows

everything?

Then the LORD said, "Jeremiah, if you change and come back to
me, I will not punish you. If you change and come back to me, then you
may serve me. If you speak important things, not worthless words, then
you may speak for me. The people of Judah should change and come
back to you. But don't you change and be like them.
Jeremiah 15:19

Jeremiah’s continued role in prophesying depended on

his faithfulness.

I see everything they do. The people of Judah cannot hide the things
they do. Their sin is not hidden from me.
Jeremiah 16:17

This verse clearly states that God is seeing what is go-

ing on and that men cannot hide anything from him. Why
does God need to watch if he already knows by his fore-
knowledge? It would be a waste of his time and energy.

But I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I
give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve."
Jeremiah 17:10 NLT

What would be the purpose of making such a state-

ment if God already knew what man was thinking and
what his motives were ahead of time? God himself says
 Chapter 14 - Still more evidence 311

that he examines men to see whether they deserve reward or

punishment depending on what they do. There is no idea im-
plied that God already knows what this will be, in fact the
statement proves the opposite.

But you must be careful to obey me, says the LORD. You must not
bring a load through the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath. You must
make the Sabbath day a holy day. You will do this by not doing any
work on that day. "'If you obey this command, the kings and leaders
will be from David's family. It will be the kings who sit on David's
throne and the leaders from Judah and Jerusalem who come through the
gates of Jerusalem riding on chariots and on horses. And Jerusalem will
have people living in it forever. People will come to Jerusalem from the
towns and villages of Judah, from the land where the tribe of Benjamin
lives, from the western foothills, from the hill country, and from the
Negev. All these people will bring burnt offerings, sacrifices, grain offer-
ings, incense, and thank offerings to the Temple of the LORD in Jeru-
salem. "'But if you don't listen to me and obey me, bad things will
happen. If you carry loads into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, you are
not keeping it as a holy day. So I will start a fire that cannot be put out.
That fire will start at the gates of Jerusalem, and it will burn until it
burns even the palaces.'"
Jeremiah 17:24-27

Here we see clear choices and clear consequences of those

choices. God’s response or action depended on the action of
his people. If his action had already been determined by his
foreknowledge, then we might as well tear these pages from
the Bible. If the future was already decided, then God was
cruel to even imply that it depended on what his people did.

Then this message from the LORD came to me: "Family of Israel,
you know that I can do the same thing with you. You are like the clay
in the potter's hands, and I am like the potter." This message is from
the LORD. "There may come a time when I will speak about a nation
or a kingdom that I will pull up by its roots. Or maybe I will say that
I will pull that nation or kingdom down and destroy it. But if the people
312 God is with us

of that nation change their hearts and lives and stop doing evil things, I
will change my mind and not follow my plans to bring disaster to them.
There may come another time when I speak about a nation that I will
build up or plant. But if I see that nation doing evil things and not
obeying me, I will think again about the good I had planned to do for
that nation. Jeremiah 18:5-10

God could not do this if the decisions and the outcome

were already determined. God keeps saying that the out-
comes are in his hands. He is omnipotent and sovereign
and can do as he pleases.

They have built pagan shrines to Baal, and there they burn their
sons as sacrifices to Baal. I have never commanded such a horrible
deed; it never even crossed My mind to command such a thing!
Jeremiah 19:5

God himself says that it did not even occur to him that
men would do such evil things. He says that he was sur-
prised by the level of corruption that existed in Israel. Why
do we doubt his word? Aren’t we being just like Eve in
the Garden of Eden when she doubted what God told
her?

O LORD of Heaven's Armies, You test those who are righteous,

and You examine the deepest thoughts and secrets. Let me see Your
vengeance against them, for I have committed my cause to You.
Jeremiah 20:12 NLT

The LORD said, "Jeremiah, go down to the king's palace. Go to

the king of Judah and tell this message there: 'Listen to this message
from the LORD, King of Judah. You rule from David's throne, so
listen. King, you and your officials must listen well. All of your people
who come through the gates of Jerusalem must listen to the message from
the Lord. This is what the LORD says: Do what is right and fair.
Protect those who have been robbed from the ones who robbed them.
Don't hurt or do anything wrong to orphans or widows. Don't kill
 Chapter 14 - Still more evidence 313

innocent people. If you obey these commands, kings who sit on David's
throne will continue to come through the gates into the city of Jerusalem.
They will come through the gates with their officials. The kings, their
officials, and their people will come riding in chariots and on horses. But
I, the LORD, tell you that if you don't obey these commands, then I
promise with an oath in my own name that this king's palace will be
destroyed--it will become a pile of rocks.'"
Jeremiah 22:1-5

After proclaiming his intention of destroying Jerusalem

completely, God gives them one last chance.

But you would not listen to Me," says the LORD. "You made Me
furious by worshiping idols you made with your own hands, bringing on
yourselves all the disasters you now suffer.
Jeremiah 25:7 NLT

Our actions are the key to determining what God does in

our lives – will we listen to him or not?

And now the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: Because you have
not listened to Me, I will gather together all the armies of the north under
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, whom I have appointed as My dep-
uty. I will bring them all against this land and its people and against
the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy you and make you an
object of horror and contempt and a ruin forever.
Jeremiah 25:8-9 NLT

They themselves will be enslaved by many nations and great kings; I

will repay them according to their deeds and the work of their hands."
Jeremiah 25:14 NIV

God is not reading from a scroll about the future. He is

declaring what he is going to do.
314 God is with us

He is like an angry lion that has left his cave. And because of his
terrible anger and by the attacks of the enemy army, their land will be-
come an empty desert. Jeremiah 25:38

Why would God get so angry if he knew from the be-

ginning of time how it would turn out? God is a living
person who relates, reacts and responds to other living
persons. This is shown over and over and over again in
the Scriptures.

The LORD said, "Jeremiah, stand in the Temple yard of the

LORD. Give this message to all the people of Judah who are coming to
worship at the Temple of the LORD. Tell them everything that I tell
you to speak. Don't leave out any part of my message. Maybe they will
listen and obey my message. Maybe they will stop living such evil lives.
If they change, I will change my mind about my plans to punish them. I
am planning this punishment because of the many evil things they have
done. Jeremiah 26:2-3

You people, change your lives! You must start doing good! You must
obey the LORD your God. If you do that, he will change his mind. He
will not do the bad things he told you about. As for me, I am in your
power. Do to me what you think is good and right. But if you kill me,
be sure of one thing. You will be guilty of killing an innocent person.
You will make this city and everyone living in it guilty too. The LORD
really did send me to you. The message you heard really is from the Lord.
Jeremiah 26:13-15

Jeremiah did not believe that the future was already de-
cided. These statements by God could only be lies if God
already knew what they were going to do.

"King Hezekiah of Judah and the people of Judah did not kill Mi-
cah. You know that Hezekiah respected the LORD and wanted to
please him. So the LORD changed his mind and didn't do the bad
things to Judah that he said he would do. If we hurt Jeremiah, we will
 Chapter 14 - Still more evidence 315

bring many troubles on ourselves. And those troubles will be our own
fault." Jeremiah 26:19

You plan and do great things. You see everything that people do.
You give a reward to those who do good things, and you punish those
who do bad things--you give them what they deserve.
Jeremiah 32:19

"You gave the Israelites this land that you promised to give to their
ancestors long ago. It is a very good land filled with many good things.
They came into this land and took it for their own. But they didn't obey
you. They didn't follow your teachings or do what you commanded. So
you made all these terrible things happen to them.
Jeremiah 32:22-23

I have watched the people of Israel and the people of Judah. Every-
thing they do is evil. They have done evil things since they were young.
The people of Israel have made me very angry because they worship idols
that they made with their own hands." This message is from the LORD.
"From the time that Jerusalem was built until now, the people of this
city have made me angry. This city has made me very angry, so I must
remove it from my sight. I will destroy Jerusalem because of all the evil
things the people of Israel and Judah have done. The people, their kings,
leaders, their priests and prophets, the people of Judah, and the people of
Jerusalem have all made me angry. "They should have come to me for
help, but they turned their backs to me. I tried to teach them again and
again, but they would not listen to me. I tried to correct them, but they
would not listen. They have made their idols, and I hate those idols. They
put their idols in the Temple that is called by my name, so they made my
Temple 'dirty.' "In the Valley of Ben Hinnom, they built high places to
the false god Baal. They built those worship places so that they could
burn their sons and daughters as sacrifices. I never commanded them to
do such a terrible thing. I never even thought the people of Judah would
do such a terrible thing.
Jeremiah 32:30-35
316 God is with us

Again, God says that he was surprised by the intensely

evil deeds of these people. (Here, some readers will be try-
ing to find a way out because these Scripture do not fit
their theology. God himself declares that he did not know
what these people would do. It’s time for those readers to
change their view of God and make it conform to God’s
Word).

"So this is what the LORD God All-Powerful, the God of Israel,
says: 'I said that many bad things would happen to Judah and Jerusa-
lem. I will soon make all those bad things happen. I spoke to the people,
but they refused to listen. I called out to them, but they didn't answer
me.'" Jeremiah 35:17

Maybe the people of Judah will hear what I am planning to do

to them and will stop doing bad things. If they will do that, I will
forgive them for the terrible sins they have committed.
Jeremiah 36:3

This clearly shows that there were different possibili-

ties for the future.

So I want you to go to the Temple of the LORD. Go there on a day

of fasting and read to the people from the scroll. Read to the people the
messages from the LORD that you wrote on the scroll as I spoke them
to you. Read them to all the people of Judah who come into Jerusalem
from the towns where they live. Perhaps they will ask the LORD to help
them. Perhaps each person will stop doing bad things. The LORD has
announced that he is very angry with them."
Jeremiah 36:6-7

Jeremiah believed that repentance was still possible and

that the future was not set in concrete.

I will punish Jehoiakim and his children, and I will punish his offi-
cials. I will do this because they are wicked. I will bring terrible disasters
on them and on all those who live in Jerusalem and on the people from
 Chapter 14 - Still more evidence 317

Judah. I will bring all these bad things on them, just as I warned them,
because they have not listened to me.
Jeremiah 36:31

Then Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, "The LORD God All-

Powerful is the God of Israel. This is what he says, 'If you surrender to
the officials of the king of Babylon, your life will be saved, and Jerusalem
will not be burned down. And you and your family will live. But if you
refuse to surrender, Jerusalem will be given to the Babylonian army. They
will burn Jerusalem down, and you will not escape from them.
Jeremiah 38:17-18

If you will stay in Judah, I will make you strong--I will not destroy
you. I will plant you, and I will not pull you up. I will do this because I
am sad about the terrible things that I made happen to you. Now you
are afraid of the king of Babylon. But don't be afraid of him. Don't be
afraid of the king of Babylon,' says the LORD, 'because I am with you.
I will save you. I will rescue you. He will not get his hands on you. I will
be kind to you, and the king of Babylon will also treat you with mercy.
He will bring you back to your land.
Jeremiah 42:10-12

This blessing God offered never happened because they

went to Egypt instead.

But you might say, 'We will not stay in Judah.' If you say that, you
will disobey the LORD your God. And you might say, 'No, we will go
and live in Egypt. We will not be bothered with war there. We will not
hear the trumpets of war, and in Egypt we will not be hungry.' If you
say that, listen to this message from the LORD, you survivors from
Judah. This is what the LORD All-Powerful, the God of the people of
Israel, says: 'If you decide to go and live in Egypt, this will happen: You
are afraid of the sword of war, but it will defeat you there. And you are
worried about hunger, but you will be hungry in Egypt. You will die
there. Everyone who decides to go live in Egypt will die by war, hunger,
or disease. Not one person who goes to Egypt will survive. Not one of
them will escape the terrible things that I will bring to them.' "This is
318 God is with us

what the LORD All-Powerful, the God of the people of Israel, says: 'I
showed my anger against Jerusalem. I punished the people who lived
there. In the same way I will show my anger against everyone who goes
to Egypt. People will use you as an example when they ask for bad
things to happen to other people. You will become like a curse word.
People will be ashamed of you, and they will insult you. And you will
never see Judah again.'
Jeremiah 42:13-18

They did not believe and obey God’s promise, and they
suffered the terrible consequences.

Jeremiah received a message from the Lord for all the people of Judah
living in Egypt. The message was for the people of Judah living in the
towns of Migdol, Tahpanhes, Memphis, and southern Egypt. This was
the message: "This is what the LORD All-Powerful, the God of Israel,
says: 'You people saw the disasters that I brought on the city of Jerusalem
and on all the towns of Judah. The towns are empty piles of stones today.
They were destroyed because the people living in them did evil. They gave
sacrifices to other gods, and that made me angry! Your people and your
ancestors did not worship those gods in the past. I sent my servants, the
prophets, to those people again and again. They spoke my message and
said to the people, "Don't do this terrible thing. I hate for you to worship
idols." But they didn't listen to the prophets or pay attention to them.
They didn't stop doing wicked things. They didn't stop making sacrifices
to other gods. So I showed my anger against them. I punished the towns
of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem. My anger made Jerusalem and the
towns of Judah the empty piles of stone they are today.'
Jeremiah 44:1-6

The LORD hated the terrible things you did, and he could not be
patient with you any longer. So he made your country an empty desert.
No one lives there now. Other people say bad things about that country.
The reason all those bad things happened to you is that you made sacri-
fices to other gods. You sinned against the LORD. You didn't obey him
or follow his teachings or the laws he gave you. You didn't keep your
part of the agreement." Jeremiah 44:22-23
 Chapter 14 - Still more evidence 319

God did what he did because people did what they did.
God’s response or treatment of us is often dependent on the
choices we make. It is not known ahead of time.

These things happened because of the LORD's anger against the

people of Jerusalem and Judah, until He finally banished them from His
presence and sent them into exile. Zedekiah rebelled against the king of
Babylon. Jeremiah 52:3 NLT

Ezekiel -

Son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman for Israel. When-

ever you receive a message from Me, warn people immediately. If I warn
the wicked, saying, 'You are under the penalty of death,' but you fail to
deliver the warning, they will die in their sins. And I will hold you re-
sponsible for their deaths. If you warn them and they refuse to repent and
keep on sinning, they will die in their sins. But you will have saved
yourself because you obeyed Me.
Ezekiel 3:17-19

Therefore, I Myself, the Sovereign LORD, am now your enemy. I

will punish you publicly while all the nations watch. Because of your
detestable idols, I will punish you like I have never punished anyone
before or ever will again. Ezekiel 5:8-9

Very soon now, I will show you how angry I am. I will show all of
my anger against you. I will punish you for the evil things you did. I will
make you pay for all the terrible things you did. I will not show you any
mercy or feel sorry for you. I am punishing you for the evil things you did.
You have done such terrible things. Now, you will know that I am the
LORD. Ezekiel 7:8-9

So now, son of man, pretend you are being sent into exile. Pack the
few items an exile could carry, and leave your home to go somewhere else.
Do this right in front of the people so they can see you. For perhaps they
320 God is with us

will pay attention to this, even though they are such rebels.
Ezekiel 12:3 NLT

Why would God deceive Ezekiel by telling him a lie

that there was still hope for Israel to repent if indeed the
future was already known by God?

Now, if evil people change their lives, they will live and not die. They
might stop doing all the bad things they did and begin to carefully obey
all my laws. They might become fair and good. God will not remember
all the bad things they did. He will remember only their goodness, so they
will live!" The Lord GOD says, "I don't want evil people to die. I want
them to change their lives so that they can live!
Ezekiel 18:21-23

God is always hoping for the best from people.

Why? Because, family of Israel, I will judge each of you only for what
you do!" This is what the Lord GOD said. "So come back to me! Stop
committing those crimes and do away with those things that cause you to
sin! Throw away all the terrible idols with which you committed your
crimes! Change your heart and spirit. People of Israel, why should you
do things that will cost you your life? I don't want to kill you! Please
come back and live!" This is what the Lord GOD said.
Ezekiel 18:30-32

Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: `Because you

people have brought to mind your guilt by your open rebellion, reveal-
ing your sins in all that you do--because you have done this, you will
be taken captive.’ Ezekiel 21:24 NIV

I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that
guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall
so I wouldn't have to destroy the land, but I found no one. So now I will
pour out My fury on them, consuming them with the fire of My anger. I
will heap on their heads the full penalty for all their sins. I, the Sovereign
LORD, have spoken! Ezekiel 22:30-31
 Chapter 14 - Still more evidence 321

Why would God look for something that he knew he

would never find?

Daniel –

He changes the times and seasons. He gives power to kings, and he

takes their power away. He gives wisdom to people, so they become wise.
He lets people learn things and become wise.
Daniel 2:21

God is in control. By his own will, he determines the

course of world events. He removes kings and sets others on
the throne according to his will and in response to the actions
of men, not based on a written script which would allow God
no freedom.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, "O Nebuchadnezzar,

we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the
blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue
us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if He doesn't, we want to
make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods
or worship the gold statue you have set up."
Daniel 3:16-18 NLT

They didn’t believe that the decision to save them was al-
ready made.

For this has been decreed by the messengers; it is commanded by the

holy ones, so that everyone may know that the Most High rules over the
kingdoms of the world. He gives them to anyone He chooses—even to
the lowliest of people." Daniel 4:17

God does not have to obey the future: he has every right
to make any changes he wishes at any time he wishes.
322 God is with us

King Nebuchadnezzar, please accept my advice. Stop sinning and

do what is right. Break from your wicked past and be merciful to the
poor. Perhaps then you will continue to prosper.
Daniel 4:27

Daniel believed that the choice the king made would

affect the future. You may say that God already knew how
it would turn out: but I say that if so, Daniel did not know,
and he believed there was still hope. I trust Daniel’s judg-
ment.

All the people of the earth are nothing compared to Him. He does
as He pleases among the angels of heaven and among the people of the
earth. No one can stop Him or say to Him, 'What do you mean by
doing these things?' Daniel 4:35 NLT

God has the freedom and power to change rules and

rulers whenever he decides.

Then the man in the vision started talking again. He said, "Daniel,
do not be afraid. From the very first day you decided to get wisdom and
to be humble in front of God, he has been listening to your prayers. I
came to you because you have been praying. But the prince (angel) of
Persia has been fighting against me for 21 days. Then Michael, one of
the most important princes (angels), came to help me because I was stuck
there with the king of Persia. Now I have come to you, Daniel, to ex-
plain to you what will happen to your people in the future. The vision is
about a time in the future." Daniel 10:12-14

The decision was made immediately to answer Daniel’s

prayer, but because of a battle in the heavens, the arrival
was delayed.

Hosea -

The prophet says, "Israel, learn this: The time of punishment has
come. The time has come for you to pay for the evil things you did."
 Chapter 14 - Still more evidence 323

But the people of Israel say, "The prophet is a fool. This man with God's
Spirit is crazy." The prophet says, "You will be punished for your ter-
rible sins. You will be punished for your hate.”
Hosea 9:7

All of the prophetic warnings about the destruction to

come are a result of man’s sin. There is no evidence anywhere
that God would have brought them if mankind had not
sinned. Over and over again we see cause and effect.

My God will reject them because they have not obeyed him; they will
be wanderers among the nations. Hosea 9:17 NIV

The people of Samaria must bear the consequences of their guilt be-
cause they rebelled against their God. They will be killed by an invading
army, their little ones dashed to death against the ground, their pregnant
women ripped open by swords.
Hosea 13:16 NLT

The end results were dependent on men’s choices. The

judgments coming on Israel were because of their sins – be-
cause of their choices of idolatry, sexual immorality, and op-
pression of the defenseless.

Joel –

This is the LORD'S message: "Now come back to me with all your
heart. Cry and mourn, and don't eat anything! Show that you are sad
for doing wrong. Tear your hearts, not your clothes." Come back to the
LORD your God. He is kind and merciful. He does not become angry
quickly. He has great love. Maybe he will change his mind about the
bad punishment he planned. Who knows, maybe he will change his mind
and leave behind a blessing for you. Then you can give grain and drink
offerings to the LORD your God.
Joel 2:12-14
324 God is with us

“Who knows?” Perhaps God may change his mind and

have pity.

And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved;
for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the
LORD has said, among the survivors whom the LORD calls.
Joel 2:32 NIV

Amos -

Hate evil and love goodness. Bring justice back into the courts.
Maybe then the LORD God All-Powerful will be kind to the survivors
from Joseph's family. Amos 5:15

This is what the Lord GOD showed me: He was making locusts.
This was at the time the second crop began to grow, after the king's
people had cut the first crop. Before the locusts could eat all the grass in
the country, I said, "Lord GOD, I beg you, forgive us! Jacob cannot
survive! He is too small!" Then the LORD changed his mind about
this. The LORD said, "It will not happen." This is what the Lord
GOD showed me: I saw the Lord GOD calling for judgment by fire.
The fire destroyed the ocean and was beginning to eat up the land. But
I said, "Lord GOD, stop, I beg you! Jacob cannot survive! He is too
small!" Then the LORD changed his mind about this. The Lord GOD
said, "It will not happen either." Amos 7:1-6

Apparently Amos did not believe that God’s actions

were already determined, for he pleaded with God to
change them and he did. Either God is the greatest play
actor of all time, or he has the freedom to change his
mind. He had Amos fully convinced that the future wasn’t
already determined.

Jonah –

When the king of Nineveh heard about this, he left his throne, re-
moved his robe, put on special clothes to show that he was sorry, and sat
 Chapter 14 - Still more evidence 325

in ashes. The king wrote a special message and sent it throughout the
city: A command from the king and his great rulers: For a short time
no person or animal should eat anything. No herd or flock will be al-
lowed in the fields. Nothing living in Nineveh will eat or drink water.
But every person and every animal must be covered with a special cloth
to show they are sad. People must cry loudly to God. Everyone must
change their life and stop doing bad things. Who knows? Maybe God
will stop being angry and change his mind, and we will not be punished.
God saw what the people did. He saw that they stopped doing evil. So
God changed his mind and did not do what he planned. He did not
punish the people. Jonah 3:6-10

The King of Nineveh had better theology than many of

today’s theologians and pastors, because God did what the
king hoped for, and did not destroy the city as he had threat-
ened to do.
(By the way, Jonah was the most successful evangelist
ever; all the inhabitants of a whole world-class city repented
and turned to God. But Jonah went into a snit because he
didn’t like these people. He was a great evangelist but a terri-
ble missionary. Jonah was a good theologian, because he
knew God’s true nature, but he was a poor imitation as a
lover of their souls.)

Jonah was not happy that God saved the city. Jonah became angry.
He complained to the LORD and said, "LORD, I knew this would
happen! I was in my own country, and you told me to come here. At that
time I knew that you would forgive the people of this evil city, so I decided
to run away to Tarshish. I knew that you are a kind God. I knew that
you show mercy and don't want to punish people. I knew that you are
kind, and if these people stopped sinning, you would change your plans
to destroy them. So now, LORD, just kill me. It is better for me to die
than to live." Jonah 4:1-3

Jonah apparently didn’t believe in the absolute fore-

knowledge of God.
326 God is with us

And the LORD said, "You did nothing for that plant. You did
not make it grow. It grew up in the night, and the next day it died. And
now you are sad about it. If you can get upset over a plant, surely I can
feel sorry for a big city like Nineveh. There are many people and animals
in that city. There are more than 120,000 people there who did not
know they were doing wrong." Jonah 4:10-11

We see here how God is absolutely concerned about

the salvation of the people in Nineveh. He feels for these
people. He is a compassionate God, meaning that he iden-
tifies with them and puts himself into their shoes.

Nahum –

The LORD is a jealous God. The LORD punishes the guilty, and
he is very angry. The LORD punishes his enemies, and he stays angry
with them. The LORD is patient, but he is also very powerful! The
LORD will punish the guilty; he will not let them go free. He will use
whirlwinds and storms to show his power. People walk on the dusty
ground, but he walks on the clouds.
Nahum 1:2-3

Why would God get angry when somebody does

something if he already knew he was going to do it? Also,
was his anger absolutely foreknown? Did God know he
was going to get angry, but he couldn’t stop himself in
time?

Zephaniah –

All you humble people, come to the LORD! Obey his laws. Learn
to do good things. Learn to be humble. Maybe then you will be safe when
the LORD shows his anger. Zephaniah 2:3

Haggai -
 Chapter 14 - Still more evidence 327

“Go up to the mountains, get the wood, and build the Temple. Then
I will be pleased with the Temple, and I will be honored." This is what
the LORD said. The LORD All-Powerful said, "You people look for
a big harvest, but when you go to gather the crop, there is only a little
grain. So you bring that grain home, and then I send a wind that blows
it all away. Why is this happening? Because my house is still in ruins
while each of you runs home to take care of your own house. That is why
the sky holds back its dew and why the earth holds back its crops. "I
gave the command for the land and the mountains to be dry. The grain,
the new wine, the olive oil, and everything the earth produces will be
ruined. All the people and all the animals will become weak."
Haggai 1:8-11

God’s actions and even the weather which he controls

were strongly influenced by man’s actions.

Zechariah –

The LORD became very angry with your ancestors. So you must tell
the people what the LORD All-Powerful says, "Come back to me, says
the LORD All-Powerful, and I will come back to you." This is what
the LORD All-Powerful said. "Don't be like your ancestors. In the
past the prophets spoke to them and said, 'The LORD All-Powerful
wants you to change your evil way of living. Stop doing evil things!' But
your ancestors did not listen to me." This is what the LORD said.
Zechariah 1:2-4

But they refused to listen and refused to do what he wanted. They

closed their ears so that they could not hear what God said. They were
very stubborn and would not obey the law. The LORD All-Powerful
used his Spirit and sent messages to his people through the prophets. But
the people would not listen, so the LORD All-Powerful became very
angry. So the LORD All-Powerful said, "I called to them, and they
did not answer. So now, if they call to me, I will not answer. I will bring
the other nations against them like a storm. They didn't know those
nations, but the country will be destroyed after those nations pass
through. This pleasant country will be destroyed."
328 God is with us

Zechariah 7:11-14

The LORD All-Powerful says, "Your ancestors made me angry, so

I decided to destroy them. I decided not to change my mind." This is
what the LORD All-Powerful said. "But now I have changed my mind.
And in the same way I have decided to be good to Jerusalem and to the
people of Judah. So don't be afraid! But you must do this: Tell the truth
to your neighbors. When you make decisions in your cities, be fair and
do what is right. Do what brings peace. Don't make secret plans to hurt
your neighbors. Don't make false promises. You must not enjoy doing
these things, because I hate them!" This is what the LORD said.
Zechariah 8:14-17

Conclusion –

If you made it this far, you should be more than con-

vinced that no one in these Bible books believed that the
future was already known by God. The evidence is over-
whelming that God had and has freedom to do what he
pleases, and that he is not a slave to any foreknowledge of
the future. God makes his decisions in the present even
though he is following a general plan for how the big pic-
ture will turn out.
Chapter 14 - Still more evidence 329
 21.

New Testament evidence

Matthew - Revelation
Evidence from the gospels -

But after Joseph thought about this, an angel from the Lord came to
him in a dream. The angel said, "Joseph, son of David, don't be afraid
to accept Mary to be your wife. The baby inside her is from the Holy
Spirit. She will give birth to a son. You will name him Jesus. Give him
that name because he will save his people from their sins."
Matthew 1:20-21

Old Testament believers did not know the name of the

Messiah, but they knew and believed what he would do for
them. They looked forward in hope to the promise of God
to deliver them from their sins. Here, for the first time, the
name of the Deliverer is given.
Why was it necessary for God to “instruct” Joseph what
the baby’s name should be if God knew he couldn’t get it
wrong?

After the wise men left, an angel from the Lord came to Joseph in a
dream. The angel said, "Get up! Take the child with his mother and
escape to Egypt. Herod wants to kill the child and will soon start looking
for him. Stay in Egypt until I tell you to come back."
Matthew 2:13

Why did God need to be concerned about what Herod

would try to do to Jesus if he foreknew that he would not be
killed? The Angel warns Joseph to flee to Egypt. Why did
332 God is with us

God have to intervene in history to prevent the premature

death of his Son? What if Joseph hadn’t gone? We know
that God was not going to let his Son die prematurely be-
cause his life and death and resurrection were all part of
God’s plan to rescue sinners. However, it appears that he
had to take a hand in the matter instead of leaving it to be
determined by his foreknowledge.

So Jesus was baptized. As soon as he came up out of the water, the

sky opened, and he saw God's Spirit coming down on him like a dove.
A voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, the one I love. I am very
pleased with him." Matthew 3:16-17

How could the Father be “pleased” with his son?

There must have been something that Christ, in his hu-
man form as Jesus, did that pleased the Father. The Fa-
ther’s pleasure in his Son could not date to eternity or be
based on his foreknowledge, but had to be based on some-
thing that Jesus had done in his short life of thirty years.
“Pleased” is an expression of acceptance, contentment,
and emotion.

We pray that your kingdom will come-- that what you want will be
done here on earth, the same as in heaven.
Matthew 6:10

Why would Jesus teach us to pray for God’s kingdom

to come if its coming was inevitable? Does the fact that
we pray this prayer change the timing of the kingdom in
the least? If so, did God know this beforehand? If he did,
then our prayer did not change anything.

Forgive our sins, just as we have forgiven those who did wrong to us.
Don't let us be tempted, but save us from the Evil One.' Yes, if you
forgive others for the wrongs they do to you, then your Father in heaven
will also forgive your wrongs. But if you don't forgive others, then your
Father in heaven will not forgive the wrongs you do.
 New Testament evidence 333

Matthew 6:12-15

Our on-going forgiveness is contingent on our willingness

to forgive others. If our forgiveness was foreknown before
time began, how could it be conditioned on our forgiving
others?

"When you fast, don't make yourselves look sad like the hypocrites.
They put a look of suffering on their faces so that people will see they are
fasting. The truth is, that's all the reward they will get. So when you
fast, wash your face and make yourself look nice. Then no one will know
you are fasting, except your Father, who is with you even in private. He
can see what is done in private, and he will reward you.
Matthew 6:16-18

It doesn’t says, Father who “already knows” what is done

in secret, but who “sees” what is done. The clear emphasis is
that God is watching to see what we will do. There is no hint
that he already knows.

Jesus did not do many miracles there, because the people did not be-
lieve in him. Matthew 13:58

This reading might allow that he chose not to do the mir-

acles, but the same occasion in Mark 6:46 makes it very clear
that he could not do them. What Jesus did was partially de-
pendent on people’s faith in him.

Then the followers came to Jesus alone. They said, "We tried to force
the demon out of the boy, but we could not. Why were we not able to
make the demon go out?" Jesus answered, "You were not able to make
the demon go out, because your faith is too small. Believe me when I tell
you, if your faith is only as big as a mustard seed you can say to this
mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. You will be able
to do anything." Matthew 17:19-20
334 God is with us

Jesus answered, "The truth is, if you have faith and no doubts, you
will be able to do the same as I did to this tree. And you will be able to
do more. You will be able to say to this mountain, 'Go, mountain, fall
into the sea.' And if you have faith, it will happen. If you believe, you
will get anything you ask for in prayer." Matthew 21:21-22

These teachings indicate that the works that God can

do through a person are dependent on how much faith he
has. God is limited or empowered by our faith to advance
his kingdom. This is not an empty, impossible promise. It
is open-ended: it cannot depend on what God already
knows.

His master replied, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You
have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many
things. Come and share your master's happiness!”
Matthew 25:21 NIV

The faithfulness of the servant as well as the reward

were uncertain until the servant proved his faithfulness by
his actions. Both he and God were happy at how it turned
out. Happiness expresses joy about an event that was un-
certain, but turned out well.

Then Jesus went on a little farther away from them. He fell to the
ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, don't make me drink
from this cup. But do what you want, not what I want." Then he went
back to his followers and found them sleeping. He said to Peter, "Could
you men not stay awake with me for one hour? Stay awake and pray for
strength against temptation. Your spirit wants to do what is right, but
your body is weak." Then Jesus went away a second time and prayed,
"My Father, if I must do this and it is not possible for me to escape it,
then I pray that what you want will be done."
Matthew 26:39-42
 New Testament evidence 335

Didn’t Jesus already know exactly what was going to hap-

pen? Why make this useless appeal to his Father when it
could change nothing?

So he came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth

is given to me. So go and make followers of all people in the world.
Baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy
Spirit. Teach them to obey everything that I have told you to do. You
can be sure that I will be with you always. I will continue with you until
the end of time." Matthew 28:18-20

Why go to the trouble to tell them to make disciples as if

it depended on them, knowing that it would not make one
iota of difference in the end? Why instruct the disciples to do
something for which Jesus already knew the outcome?

Then Jesus said to them, "People everywhere give honor to a prophet,

except in his own town, with his own people, or in his home." Jesus was
not able to do any miracles there except the healing of some sick people
by laying his hands on them. He was surprised that the people there had
no faith. Then he went to other villages in that area and taught.
Mark 6:4-6

Their lack of faith limited his ability to perform miracles.

His actions were dependent to some degree on the actions of
men. On other occasions, both Jesus and the disciples “saw
that a person had faith to be healed,” and they were healed.

Jesus said to the father, "Why did you say 'if you can'? All things
are possible for the one who believes." Mark 9:23

Of course, we know that not everything is possible for

God. It is not possible for God to die, it is not possible for
him to stop loving, it is not possible for him to lose control
of the universe, it is not possible for Jesus to not be Lord of
all creation, etc. Jesus is saying that everything within the will
of God is possible for those who have faith to ask for it.
336 God is with us

Jesus went on a little farther away from them, fell to the ground, and
prayed. He asked that, if possible, he would not have this time of suffer-
ing. He said, "Abba, Father! You can do all things. Don't make me
drink from this cup. But do what you want, not what I want."
Mark 14:35-36

Was the prayer answered? In Hebrews it says that when

he prayed to be saved from some suffering in “this cup,”
his prayer was answered. (During the days of Jesus' life on earth,
he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the
one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his
reverent submission. Hebrews 5:7 NIV). We don’t know in
what way his prayer was answered, but we know that it
was, even though he suffered on the cross and died for a
period of three days.

In the same way, I tell you, heaven is a happy place when one sinner
decides to change. There is more joy for that one sinner than for 99 good
people who don't need to change . . . In the same way, it's a happy time
for the angels of God when one sinner decides to change.
Luke 15:7, 10

Why would Heaven have a celebration over something

that they already knew was going to happen? Does God
rejoice when a sinner repents? Or do only the angels re-
joice because God hasn’t revealed to them what he already
knew? If God knew it would happen, why didn’t he rejoice
the day before or a year earlier?

Jesus was doing all this on the Sabbath day. So these Jews began
trying to make him stop. But he said to them, "My Father never stops
working, and so I work too." John 5:16-17

What work is God doing if everything is already prede-

termined? What if he stopped working? Would things still
turn out the same? Genesis says that he finished his work
 New Testament evidence 337

of creation in six days, but it does not mean that he never

worked again. He is still the provider and sustainer of all that
he has made.

But Jesus answered, "I assure you that the Son can do nothing alone.
He does only what he sees his Father doing. The Son does the same
things that the Father does. The Father loves the Son and shows him
everything he does. This man was healed. But the Father will show the
Son greater things than this to do. Then you will all be amazed.
John 5:19-20

What is the Father doing if everything has already been

done and it is known in the future?

"I can do nothing alone. I judge only the way I am told. And my
judgment is right, because I am not trying to please myself. I want only
to please the one who sent me. John 5:30

The miracles and the teaching were assigned to Jesus by

the Father. There was an ongoing spiritual dialogue between
the two to assure that Jesus understood what the Father
wanted him to do.

Jesus looked up and saw a crowd of people coming toward him. He

said to Philip, "Where can we buy enough bread for all these people to
eat?" He asked Philip this question to test him. Jesus already knew
what he planned to do. John 6:5-6

Why would John make this statement if he believed that

Jesus always knew what he was going to do? This statement
shows that it was an anomaly and not the normal way things
worked. It does not prove that Jesus had absolute fore-
knowledge (omniscience of the future), but rather disproves
it.

Evidence from Paul’s epistles

338 God is with us

Is Apollos so important? Is Paul so important? We are only servants

of God who helped you believe. Each one of us did the work God gave
us to do. I planted the seed and Apollos watered it. But God is the one
who made the seed grow. So the one who plants is not important, and
the one who waters is not important. Only God is important, because he
is the one who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who
waters have the same purpose. And each one will be rewarded for his
own work. 1 Corinthians 3:5-8

Our future rewards have not been predetermined and

are not already known by God. They will depend on how
well each servant performs his task in his lifetime.

I am free. I belong to no other person, but I make myself a slave to

everyone. I do this to help save as many people as I can. To the Jews I
became like a Jew so that I could help save Jews. I myself am not ruled
by the law, but to those who are ruled by the law I became like someone
who is ruled by the law. I did this to help save those who are ruled by
the law. To those who are without the law I became like someone who is
without the law. I did this to help save those who are without the law.
(But really, I am not without God's law--I am ruled by the law of
Christ.) To those who are weak, I became weak so that I could help save
them. I have become all things to all people. I did this so that I could
save people in any way possible. 1 Corinthians 9:19-22

Paul had not read the writings of Augustine, Calvin’s

Institutes, or the doctrinal statements of many churches.
He believed that his actions could lead to the salvation of
more people.

Evidence from other New Testament writers -

Some of the sailors wanted to leave the ship, and they lowered the
lifeboat to the water. They wanted the other men to think that they were
throwing more anchors from the front of the ship. But Paul told the army
officer and the other soldiers, "If these men do not stay in the ship, you
 New Testament evidence 339

will lose all hope of survival." So the soldiers cut the ropes and let the
lifeboat fall into the water. Acts 27:30-32

Paul did not believe that all would be saved from the sea
no matter what they did. The salvation of the soldiers and the
prisoners depended on their taking action. The outcome was
not predetermined. Even though God had shown Paul his
intention of saving all souls on board, Paul’s statement makes
it obvious that the salvation of all was conditional.

Our fathers on earth disciplined us for a short time in the way they
thought was best. But God disciplines us to help us so that we can be
holy like him. We don't enjoy discipline when we get it. It is painful.
But later, after we have learned our lesson from it, we will enjoy the peace
that comes from doing what is right.
Hebrews 12:10-11

Discipline is an ongoing work in the life of the believer.

The discipline changes according to the need of the person.
What parent would say to his child, “Tomorrow you are go-
ing to get a spanking no matter what you do?”, or “Starting
Saturday you will be grounded for a month just in case you
think about doing something wrong.” God, as a loving and
wise Father, is attentive to our thoughts and actions and ad-
justs his discipline (correction) according to what it takes to
straighten us out.

Do you know where your fights and arguments come from? They
come from the selfish desires that make war inside you. You want things,
but you don't get them. So you kill and are jealous of others. But you
still cannot get what you want. So you argue and fight. You don't get
what you want because you don't ask God. Or when you ask, you don't
receive anything, because the reason you ask is wrong. You only want to
use it for your own pleasure. James 4:1-3

Does this sound like the decisions are already made?

James didn’t believe that every outcome was already decided.
340 God is with us

Conclusion –

There are hundreds of Bible references that demon-

strate this truth, and scores of Bible servants who believed
that the future was and is being determined partly by the
actions of men.
Is it reasonable to believe that the future is already es-
tablished and can’t be changed based on any of these
scriptures? Has God anywhere given reason for us to be-
lieve that our faith and our actions won’t make any differ-
ence in the way things turn out? Is there a reasonable
amount of biblical evidence to support the belief that God
already knows everything in the future? The clear answer
to these questions is “no.”
The doctrine of the absolute foreknowledge of God is
not derived from the Bible but rather injected into our
theology from some other source. If you insist on believ-
ing it, you must look for some other holy book to support
it.
 Appendix A

A critique of Frame's "No Other

God" 1

While in the process of editing the manuscript that you

now have before you, I asked several friends to read it and
give me their responses. One old friend, who is a Bible trans-
lator, responded in great detail and not only gave his critique
but also made many corrections to my abundant grammatical
errors. He now considers me his heretical friend. He said that
I had to read John Frame’s book, “No Other God,” and that
that would straighten me out. So, I obtained a copy and care-
fully studied it. However, after reading it, it only strengthened
my resolve to publish my own manuscript.

Disagreements –

Frame obviously starts out from a reformed theological

position and attempts to prove it superior to the positions of
those he categorizes as “open theists.” Unfortunately, Frame
has done what people on both sides of the issue often do: set
up straw men that purportedly represent what the other side
believes and then proceed to tear these straw men to shreds
and go away thinking that they have conquered the enemy.
One of Frame’s biggest straw men is to state that open
theists all believe in absolute libertarian freedom. He then
dedicates at least one wasted chapter and many other state-
ments inserted throughout the text to show how man does
not have absolute freedom to act. The error is that no one in
his right mind after reading the Bible would say that man lives
in a vacuum and is not influenced by his surroundings or is
completely free from some intervention and influence on
342 God is with us

God’s part. No one I have read (and I admit that my theo-

logical reading is very limited, mostly on purpose) is saying
that man has “libertarian” freedom.
The whole discussion about God’s sovereignty and man’s
freedom boils down to whether or not God controls (manip-
ulates) every detail of everything in his creation and whether
or not man has any influence whatsoever in the outcome, and
therefore any moral responsibility. Open theism does not
deny that God has ultimate control over everything. But in
its reasonable version it declares that God, by his own voli-
tion, has created some space for men and other creatures to
make choices. This in no way refutes the doctrine of his sov-
ereignty.
Frame, like most reformed theologians defends the abso-
lute sovereignty of God, and accuses open theists of denying
it. However, I would say that it is the reformed theologians
who deny God’s sovereignty. They say that the future is al-
ready determined and is therefore unchangeable. The obvi-
ous conclusion is that God cannot change it, and therefore is
not sovereign over everything. The Bible states often that
“God does whatever he pleases,” and yet they say that he
doesn’t have freedom to adjust anything in the future. To
conclude that God cannot change the future is to effectively
put him out of business.
In my understanding, God’s sovereignty and man’s lim-
ited free will are easily reconcilable without losing either.
First, we must understand what free will means and also what
is sovereignty. I have tried to explain that in chapter eleven.
However, God’s absolute foreknowledge of all things future
is not reconcilable with either limited free will or God’s sov-
ereignty.
Frame makes open theists guilty by association because
the Socianists of the sixteenth century denied the exhaustive
foreknowledge of God. “They also denied the full diety of Christ,
his substitutionary atonement, and justification by the imputed right-
eousness of Christ” (page 33). If I agree with the Roman Catholic
Church that God is trinity, does that make me guilty of
 Appendix A, A critique of Frame's "No Other God" 343

believing in the Assumption of Mary or the infallibility of the

Pope? Just because I agree with the heretic Socianist on some
point doesn’t make me agree with everything he believes. In
fact, open theism as I have been exposed to it believes
strongly in most of the things that the Socianists denied.
Reformed or classical theologians believe in many of the
tenets taught by Augustine and the sixteenth-century reform-
ers, but hopefully they don’t share in their practice of perse-
cuting and even killing good Christians whose only fault is to
disagree with them on some theological issue. In my book in
chapter sixteen, I share a lot about Augustine and the reform-
ers only to demonstrate that they were not inerrant and that
we cannot swallow all of their doctrines without careful ex-
amination.
On page 39, Frame states, “The open theists claim to be evan-
gelicals, but they reject doctrines (such as God’s exhaustive fore-
knowledge) that have never before been controversial in evangelical
circles.” To my knowledge, this is the only doctrine that we are
completely rejecting, unless perhaps Calvin’s version of the
doctrine of predestination. The truth is that some of these
reformed doctrines have been questioned time and again
throughout church history. The Moravians, the Wesleys,
Charles Finney, the early church fathers, and the Scriptures
themselves throw this doctrine into doubt. In 431, a group of
Italian bishops, led by Julian, defended the Pelagian view
against the Augustinian concept of predestination. The only
available history of the writings of Pelagius is found in the
writings of his opponents Augustine and Jerome. The con-
querors write the history books, and they often don’t tell the
whole story. Knowing human nature as we do, can we trust
them to say concisely what Pelagius was really teaching, or
were they also destroying straw men?
Church history is full of discussion about these topics. To
say that no one who is evangelical ever questioned these
things before is to deny history altogether. What is probably
new is the term “evangelical” as we use it in our generation,
though it is a term derived from the Gospels themselves. For
344 God is with us

Frame to say that the doctrines we are discussing have been

settled in the Evangelical church throughout most of history
flies in the face of the historical evidence. At the Second
Council of Orange (529), the bishops concluded, "We not only
do not believe that any are foreordained to evil by the power of God, but
even state with utter abhorrence that if there are those who want to believe
so evil a thing, they are anathema." Frame’s reformed theology
and his statement on page 68 (“For now it is important to see that
God does in fact bring about the sinful behavior of human beings, what-
ever problems that may create in our understanding”) would not have
fared well at this synod. For him to say that reformed theol-
ogy was always the norm shows his ignorance of important
elements in church history.
Frame states in chapter thirteen, page 205 that open the-
ists deny the inspiration and inerrancy of Scripture. Nothing
could be further from the truth. I, for one, hold Scripture
above tradition, doctrinal statements, theology, and even his-
tory. There are no more faithful witnesses than the Scriptures
themselves and the people who are revealed to us in the
Scriptures. My contention with reformed theologians is that
they go to great lengths to explain away the plain and simple
statements of the Bible, and so I would accuse them of a
sense of disbelief in inerrancy. I believe that God revealed to
us exactly what he wanted to reveal and that he revealed it in
a way that we could understand it and therefore understand
him. Frame, like many church leaders, goes into long expla-
nations at times to reinterpret the words of the Bible and ex-
plain why they do not mean what they say.
Frame makes the proverbial mistake in several places of
jumping from a specific case into drawing a general conclu-
sion about every case. On page 62, he states, “God’s fore-
knowledge of one individual implies comprehensive control over the entire
human family.” Once he makes this quantum leap, he runs with
it throughout the book believing that his conclusion is
proven. Another example is that since God gave messages to
his prophets that came true exactly as he told them, this
proves that God knows all the future, or at least controls
 Appendix A, A critique of Frame's "No Other God" 345

every detail of everything that is going to happen. That is like

saying that my neighbor bought a Ford Mustang and it’s a
lemon; therefore all Ford Mustangs are lemons. It is ex-
tremely poor logic and reasoning to jump to such conclu-
sions. The veracity of a certain instance of God’s
foreknowledge or foreordination is no proof of absolute
foreknowledge of all things.
“Frame states on page 65 that “Scripture teaches directly that
God brings about our free decisions. He does not foreordain merely what
happens to us, but also what we choose to do.” I think he attempts
to prove this statement from Scripture, but I confess that I
missed all of the proof. He normally points to an instance in
which God took full control of a situation and caused some-
thing to happen, and concludes that this is always the case. I
have already pointed out that this is terrible logic. The evi-
dence that God can control a situation is no proof that he
always does.
Frame cites Scripture saying that “God does not change,”
but then later proves that he does. Much to his credit, he does
distinguish between God’s nature and morality, which never
change, and his actions and responses which do.
Frame is loath to use the word “repent’ in any of his state-
ments. He keeps substituting the word “relent” every chance
he gets. This is a common result of holding to the belief that
God never changes his mind about anything because then he
would not be sovereign. I have treated this in chapter ten, so
will not speak about this in detail. The word used in the He-
brew text means “to change one’s mind,” which literally
means to rethink something previous. The word “relent”
means to give in to some kind of pressure to make a change.
It suggests that God didn’t really want to do it, but that he
was obliged to change. Repent leans more toward his making
his own decision to change. So, the choice of the word relent
is a poor one if trying to prove that God doesn’t ever change
and that man has no influence on him.
With Frame and reformed theologians, they believe that
the question of divine control over the affairs of men is a
346 God is with us

question of either/or. Either he controls it all, or he controls

nothing. They are afraid that by believing that God does not
control everything, he loses his ability to control anything.
They say that every thought and act and step a man takes is
foreordained and caused by God and yet man is morally re-
sponsible. I cannot comprehend how a person can be re-
sponsible for something over which he has absolutely no
control. My translator friend says that it is because of my pea
brain – of which condition he also claims to suffer. But it is
the only brain I have, and I don’t have the luxury of a brain
transplant to get a better one. This is all God gave me and I
am stuck with it for the time being. I never held my children
responsible for things that happened to them and over which
they themselves had absolutely no control.
To say that man is responsible though he cannot control
anything is like saying it was my rook’s fault that I made the
stupid move in chess, or to blame it for my losing the game.
Therefore, I am going to put it down the garbage disposal to
punish it (similar to what people do with their golf clubs).
That kind of inanimate object has no life and when the game
is over it just goes back in the box unless I decided to punish
it. It neither knows nor cares what is happening or what hap-
pens next, whereas man does both.
Apparently Frame has never seen a dog on a leash. The
master has ultimate control, and the dog’s freedom is limited.
The master says, “Let’s take a walk around the block,” and
the dog has no choice but to follow. He may prefer to go
somewhere else and thus strain at the leash, but he does not
have libertarian freedom. However, his master does not con-
trol his steps to the side or back and forth. If he bites a pass-
ing pedestrian, he will probably get a kick in the ribs because
that wasn’t the master’s fault, and the dog knows better.
Many theologians are afraid that if we admit that God
doesn’t control absolutely everything it makes him a lesser
God. I believe that the fact that he delegates some authority
makes him a greater God who is not at all threatened with
sharing some of his control. In the final analysis, what we
 Appendix A, A critique of Frame's "No Other God" 347

believe doesn’t change God’s nature one iota. I am reminded

of Gideon’s father’s response when the village wanted to kill
Gideon for tearing down the idol of their god Baal. "Are you
going to plead Baal's cause? Are you trying to save him? Whoever fights
for him shall be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, he can
defend himself when someone breaks down his altar" Judges 6:31.
God is never in any real danger and doesn’t need anyone to
defend him.
We who subscribe to a certain degree of freedom for man
have never said that God doesn’t have a plan, a pattern, or a
fabric for history. Don’t accuse us of believing the absurd.
The Bible clearly reveals God at work shaping, molding, guid-
ing and fulfilling his purposes in his creation. What we are
saying is that man is a co-actor in the fulfillment of God’s
purposes. His purpose will be fulfilled, but the degree to
which it is fulfilled in each individual man depends in some
part on his response to God’s prompting. We see ourselves
as made in his image, and in growing toward being like him
in his character. Our Father is not an autocratic dictator who
allows his children no choice between chocolate and vanilla.
Life and history are a dynamic interaction between the Crea-
tor and his creation.
Frame has managed to exterminate a whole army of straw
men, but he has not refuted the truth of what open theists in
general are saying.
I have noticed that in the first half of his book he sets out
to defend the reformed theological position, but to a great
degree in the second half, particularly chapters ten and eleven
he contradicts it. He acknowledges that God changes his
plans based on man’s actions, that God has feelings that
change with time and that God “relents” and changes what
he said he was going to do.
One of my problems with reformed theology and the doc-
trine of predestination as it is taught in their schools is that it
says that certain persons were chosen from before the begin-
ning of creation to be saved and others were chosen to stay
lost. If this were so, then the ones destined for salvation were
348 God is with us

never lost in any true sense of the word. If salvation is prede-

termined for some and impossible for others, then it is sense-
less to talk about salvation because some cannot be saved and
the others never were in danger of condemnation. Christ’s
death on the cross never really saved anyone since it was al-
ready predetermined who would be saved and who would
not. It is useless to talk about being saved if I was never really
lost, but only misplaced for a while.

Agreements –

I appreciate the times when Frame admits that he strug-

gles with interpretation. He says that he is still in process, and
that he has learned some good things from the open theists.
He comments on page 211 that, as a result of the open theists
writings, “I have concluded that there is indeed more ‘give-and take’
between God and his creatures than traditional theology has generally
acknowledged.” Also, “If traditional theology would put more emphasis
(as Scripture certainly does) on the temporal interaction between God
and the world, it would become less abstract, more practical, and more
conducive to piety and obedience.” That would make a good fore-
word to my book.
I suspect that one of the main reasons for the Charismatic
movement in the last fifty years is that they were feeling the
need for a more personal God to whom they could relate.
They were tired of the wooden god of classical theology. This
does not condone what errors they might have, but at least
they were looking for the real God.
I also agree with him when he says that God is above time
but also in time, and he implies that there is a sequence of
events in Heaven. I believe that this is consistent with the
overall biblical message.
I agree with him that what is today called “open theism”
is not a new doctrine or new theology. In fact, as he himself
says, it is much older than reformed theology, which basically
had its birth in the early fifth century. His bibliography on
open-theist writings dates to as early as 1882. He could
 Appendix A, A critique of Frame's "No Other God" 349

probably go back much farther than that if he expanded his

search to include other descriptions of open theism-type
writings. Chapter sixteen in my book shows clearly that the
concept of man’s free will was an integral part of the early
church fathers’ understanding of God’s workings. I have also
tried to show convincingly that it was an indispensable part
of the theology of all Bible characters.
I agree with him when he says that Arminians and some
open theists are not consistent with the Scriptures when they
say that God knows everything in the present including the
motives of a man’s heart, but that he doesn’t know the future.
I point out in several places that God reveals that he does not
always know every motive or intention in the heart of man. I
do believe that he knows every action, every thought, every
idea, etc., because those things become manifest to God be-
fore they are manifest to man. But I don’t believe that he
knows my thoughts before I think them. He knows the gen-
eral condition of my heart, but because man is a partially free
agent, he may make choices that either please or disappoint
God. I am sure that somewhere, someone who reads my
book is preparing a cross for me since I deny that God knows
everything in the heart of man in the present. However, a
Christian dying of crucifixion is probably a better way to go
than Alzheimer’s or cancer, so bring it on.

Conclusions –

Why is the Westminster Confession considered the high-

water mark of sound doctrine? This convocation of the di-
vines in 1647 to elaborate sound doctrine for the Anglican
Church was called for by the British parliament. Once this
document was published did that mean that there could never
be a better understanding of the works of God? Is the West-
minster Confession the new last book of the Bible, or is it
possibly wrong in some aspects? Every generation needs to
shape its understanding of God based on the Scriptures, and
not rely too heavily on tradition.
350 God is with us

I do not wish Frame or other like-minded theologians ill.

I believe that they are simply misguided by their tradition, and
by faulty hermeneutics in some areas. I believe that they are
not as devoted to inerrancy as they claim, and allow their the-
ological preconceptions to influence the way they read and
interpret the Bible. I do not claim to be exempt from this
condition, though I have tried as hard as I know to not let my
theological preparation dictate how I read and interpret
God’s word. There is nothing wrong with every once in a
while throwing caution to the wind and reading the Bible
again with no theological straightjacket to guide or misguide
me. That way, I have no proverbial axe to grind or school of
thought to defend. In fact, what I believe today is a good dis-
tance from some of the things I believed in my early igno-
rance. I hope I can still say the same in a few years when I
come to the end of the road. If I don’t grow, I might as well
be dead and head on home to my Father’s house where we
will finally understand it all.
I could say much more about Frame’s many other incon-
sistencies, but having better things to do I will end this cri-
tique.
Appendix A, A critique of Frame's "No Other God" 351