Ok, so Jesus knew that Judas will betray him from the beginning. But isn't this scary, so you could be the "chosen one" by god but in fact you were slated to be the "unchosen one" afterall!!
Interesting observation and comment. However, an appointment to a position does not relate to a person's salvation. Another example of this is King Saul of the OT. Sometimes people might have misunderstood this relationship. People tend to interpret the appointment (by God) to a position as if it is a recognition of the person. God can use anyone (even unsaved people) he wishes to accomplish a task. God looks at our faith and character more than the position we hold, secular or religious.
1) God is magnificent. He has a bunch of superlative properties, all-knowledgeable, all-powerful, purely good, purely just, etc. I seldom find it useful to speculate, using limited human reasoning, along these lines: If God were purely fore-knowing, then he must necessarily would have _______. We may cause our presumptions of what God's foreknowledge must mean to "trump" His other properties. I would rather make His justice or mercy trump (what I might otherwise insist) are the necessary conclusions of his fore-knowledge.
2) It's interesting that even King David "foreknew" of the betrayal, or at least was inspired to write poetic hints about it in the Psalms.
3) The idea of predestination is a controversial one with only a little biblical evidence about which to form an opinion. And doesn't it only talk about being destined for salvation rather than destined not to be saved? It is something so hairy that a lot of Christians don't preach on it.
4) "He who believes and is baptized shall be saved." There are many more promises that point to our faith as being the sole necessary condition. It is good to put our trust in these promises which are more emphatic and heavily populated in the bible. "Nothing can separate us from the love of God."
Ok, so Jesus knew that Judas will betray him from the beginning. But isn't this scary, so you could be the "chosen one" by god but in fact you were slated to be the "unchosen one" afterall!!
ReplyDeleteInteresting observation and comment.
ReplyDeleteHowever, an appointment to a position does not relate to a person's salvation. Another example of this is King Saul of the OT. Sometimes people might have misunderstood this relationship. People tend to interpret the appointment (by God) to a position as if it is a recognition of the person. God can use anyone (even unsaved people) he wishes to accomplish a task.
God looks at our faith and character more than the position we hold, secular or religious.
I have a bunch of opinions:
ReplyDelete1) God is magnificent. He has a bunch of superlative properties, all-knowledgeable, all-powerful, purely good, purely just, etc. I seldom find it useful to speculate, using limited human reasoning, along these lines: If God were purely fore-knowing, then he must necessarily would have _______. We may cause our presumptions of what God's foreknowledge must mean to "trump" His other properties. I would rather make His justice or mercy trump (what I might otherwise insist) are the necessary conclusions of his fore-knowledge.
2) It's interesting that even King David "foreknew" of the betrayal, or at least was inspired to write poetic hints about it in the Psalms.
3) The idea of predestination is a controversial one with only a little biblical evidence about which to form an opinion. And doesn't it only talk about being destined for salvation rather than destined not to be saved? It is something so hairy that a lot of Christians don't preach on it.
4) "He who believes and is baptized shall be saved." There are many more promises that point to our faith as being the sole necessary condition. It is good to put our trust in these promises which are more emphatic and heavily populated in the bible. "Nothing can separate us from the love of God."