The Right Mindset

When you came to Jesus, you were given faith to believe. Yes, you did accept it, but that first spark, that first seed came directly from God.

You did nothing to earn it. The result was an intense feeling of knowledge and understanding. You just KNEW it was true. So, when you first told others what you now saw clearly, was it arrogant to do so? You knew beyond a doubt, but others disagreed, laughed and mocked...especially those who were closest to you.

Was it arrogance to believe you were right?

That depends.

If you are arrogant, your goal in telling anyone anything is selfish. Does it elevate me? Does it prove I am superior? Does it make me feel better? Does it put others down? This is ascension.

Ascending - Satan's way of things

Isaiah 14:13

You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.

Descending - Jesus' way of things.

Philippians 2:5

5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature[a] God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!

When God teaches me something new, I get excited. I really do. Just like when I first understood the truth of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for salvation. I can be bold with it. I can be forcefully, I can argue with a hammering of scriptures. I have experiences, or interactions with God, that many don't have and love to share them. Yet, I do not feel or believe I am better than anyone.

Additionally, I have yet to be honored or remotely respected for anything I have ever taught. Generally, I am met with mockery and disdain. No, I don't write or teach anyone so I can feel superior. If I did, I would have stopped many years ago.

I do these things because I see. I was blind, but now I see, and I desire to see much, much, more. Yes, I get excited, but it is only because I really love the one I talk about. Jesus Christ is awesome, every bit of Him!

That being said, it has come to my attention that my teaching makes me appear to be a Calvinist. To that I say, no, I am not a Calvinist. Calvinists believe there is no choice but, God rules all. Although I do believe that God does rule all, even our choices, yet there is way more to it than some simple dichotomy of choice and chosen.

We do have choice. That is biblical.

There is predestination. That is also biblical.

Look, we are talking about God, A VAST being outside of time and space. In our puny time-based, limited minds, the idea of predestination and choice being BOTH true is an impossible concept, much like finite/infinite, and the Trinity. We struggle because only either one or the other can fit in our normal thoughts. Both, seem impossible to our human minds.

To understand and accept that God's word describes both as true, we need acceptance of the truth the same way we do for Faith in Christ...by the Holy Spirit of God.

1 Corinthians 1:10-16

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. 14 The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. 15 The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, 16 for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

The idea that God became a man and chose to obey the Father and die, so that by some bizarre means it saves anyone who believes it, seems stupid to those without the Spirit.

Yes, it does. (We were all there once, before we did believe) That is just what the scripture above says.

In the same way, we cannot understand that God is COMPLETELY in control, yet man still has a choice and can be judged for it. This IS what Scripture teaches. See Romans 9, Ephesians 1.

Though God does "foreknow" everything, it is not saying that in these passages, no matter what you want to believe. It just isn't foreknowledge, it IS a predetermination of outcomes and choices by a sovereign God.

Look, there is comfort in it, if you are willing to accept it.

For me, I KNOW that I am saved. I KNOW that I am the work of God. I KNOW, KNOW, KNOW that I will not fail in this life and will hear "Well done!" I KNOW IT.

So I am not fearful that I will blow it, and lose what was given to me. I am not fearful that my life will have no meaning. I am not concerned when the world and circumstances go in a bad direction.

I am concerned for disappointment and pain in the short term. Why? Well, because although I believe God is in control of all things, and I know that I am His, He very well might take me through something that hurts (physically or emotionally). He has done it before, even when I had done nothing wrong (see the whole book of Job, look at David, look at Moses, etc...).

But what I do KNOW is that any pain, any sorrow, any attack by Satan and all his minions, WILL all work to my benefit in the end. It WILL because I know the one who is in control. He is MY Father and He is GOOD. I know this is true every time I am in His presence. In nowhere else, and with no one else have I ever felt love that is even close.

Will I pay for bad choices...yes. Here and even later. David did. "So how is that fair if HE is in control of them?" Again, see the book of Romans, particularly chapter 9.

Please note, if you avoid this book or chapter, something is wrong. You should not be avoiding any book or passage. If you are having trouble accepting any part of the Word of God, then you can always ask Him to explain.

There are many passages I don't understand. They seem contradictory, or even outside of possible. When I face these, I accept the Word as true and that my understanding is off. I ask for help and guidance to understand.

There are plenty of them for me still: the Unfaithful Steward, Speaking Tongues in the church (Paul saying it is for the believer only, then saying not for the believer in church settings, but it is for the unbeliever...yeah, I don't understand). I have heard teachers and others try to explain these and other seeming contradictions, but so far these explanations fall flat for me.

Is it that I am stupid?

No.

Is it that I am spiritually lacking?

No.

What I lack is the faith or knowledge to grasp what God is saying in these particular passages.

You may have more faith than I to understand a concept in a scripture passage that I don't have. In the same moment, I will also have the faith to understand a concept that you don't have. This is true. God does not have us all in the same grade. Each of us are on a different journey toward faith, different schools so to speak. The goal is unity, but that unity must happen as we all accept and love each other in the journey.

Romans 14 NIV

14 Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. 2 One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3 The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. 4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

5 One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. 6 Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. 8 If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9 For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

10 You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. 11 It is written:

“‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’”

12 So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.

13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. 14 I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean. 15 If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died. 16 Therefore do not let what you know is good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18 because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval.

19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. 20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. 21 It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall.

22 So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.

This is not just about eating meat, or drinking alcohol, or listening to music with drums. This is about the fact that we are all in different journeys in regards to our growth in trusting God. It IS NOT your place to talk down to, humiliate or ostracize someone who is at a different place because of eating meat, listening to rock music, watching violent movies, going to a pub, drinking beer or believing in predestination or free will. Keep in mind...it does say "so then each of us will give an account of ourselves to God."

"Speaking the truth in love" means speaking the truth, but to do so with a heart and goal of building each other up. If you EVER do so in order to boast to yourself or others about how you put them in their place, YOU are acting in Satan's way of ascending yourself.

So, through the years, I have taught and spoken to many about my view of the unity of Choice and Predestination. Can anyone say that I have done so in a demeaning manner? Did anyone ever hear me boast about my crushing someone in an argument? Please, if you think you have, then let me know. I will apologize deeply and tell you now, it was not my intent to act in such a way.

Additionally, when I taught or said whatever you thought was an error, did you pick up a teaching heart/mantle and work toward helping me grow in my faith, or did you just not talk to me as much as possible? Did you hide my posts? Did you avoid me in church? Do you realize this is also Satan's way?

"So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God." Yes, you will...

If you belong to God, growing in your faith is your first goal. Helping others grow is the second!

Matthew 22:6-40

36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[c] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[d] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Love is the greatest of these three: Faith Hope and Love. It is the culmination of faith and hope. Love is the end result. Love is NOT self-seeking.

So, I encourage you. Seek God. Look at Him and work to trust Him in every area. Accept Him as He is. Fall in love with Him. Walk with others as a team, covering for the weaknesses of others with your strengths. Run the race together with love, kindness, patience and a helping hand. This is what Jesus does: not just reaching down, but getting underneath to raise up His brothers and sisters.

"In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus"