Wednesday, February 11, 2015
I just came across a series of comments and an article by R.C. Sproul that seeked to understand the Will of God, predeterminism, and our free will. The clarity in expounding on some of the matters was certainly highly edifying to me, and shall be put here for posterity.
"God has ordained all things, including our sin, and yet he is not guilty of sin.
Choosing a spouse is like choosing lunch, in the sense that there is no one right lunch for you to eat. God says there are many things you can eat, and give thanks for what you end up with. You can't eat styrofoam or motor oil or three pounds of Tylenol, but as long as you're eating from things that may be eaten, you are free to choose. Now, there are better and worse things to eat - nothing but bacon all day might not be wise, but it is permissible according to the Word of God.
In the end, whatever you end up eating, well, that was God's foreordained plan for you to eat.
So you can marry who you want to marry, as long as she's a Christian. There are people you can't. There is no threat of "missing out on God's best," because God hasn't determined one magical person for you whom you might miss. You can marry anyone in the Lord, it is not sin. That following, you can marry wisely or foolishly, and God, in his wise providence, has given to some people really great marriages, and other face marriages that make for a real struggle."
"Yes - God is sovereign over all things. He brings his sovereign will to pass through means such as your desires, your attraction, your interest, etc.
Don't forget that through the bible we get a little bit of God's perspective. That is, that he is sovereign over it all. Our perspective is that we choose. Those two things are not incompatible.
When people say that there is one person out there that God has for you, that is true. On the other hand, when people say that you could marry any number of people so long as they meet the criteria, that is also true. Only when you are married can you know with absolute 100% certainty that this is the one God has for you." || posted by Kuan Hui
"God has ordained all things, including our sin, and yet he is not guilty of sin.
Choosing a spouse is like choosing lunch, in the sense that there is no one right lunch for you to eat. God says there are many things you can eat, and give thanks for what you end up with. You can't eat styrofoam or motor oil or three pounds of Tylenol, but as long as you're eating from things that may be eaten, you are free to choose. Now, there are better and worse things to eat - nothing but bacon all day might not be wise, but it is permissible according to the Word of God.
In the end, whatever you end up eating, well, that was God's foreordained plan for you to eat.
So you can marry who you want to marry, as long as she's a Christian. There are people you can't. There is no threat of "missing out on God's best," because God hasn't determined one magical person for you whom you might miss. You can marry anyone in the Lord, it is not sin. That following, you can marry wisely or foolishly, and God, in his wise providence, has given to some people really great marriages, and other face marriages that make for a real struggle."
"Yes - God is sovereign over all things. He brings his sovereign will to pass through means such as your desires, your attraction, your interest, etc.
Don't forget that through the bible we get a little bit of God's perspective. That is, that he is sovereign over it all. Our perspective is that we choose. Those two things are not incompatible.
When people say that there is one person out there that God has for you, that is true. On the other hand, when people say that you could marry any number of people so long as they meet the criteria, that is also true. Only when you are married can you know with absolute 100% certainty that this is the one God has for you." || posted by Kuan Hui
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