Uninformed Brethren
Do we choose to do stuff by our own free will, or are our choices simply God working in us according to His will?
“I do not want you uninformed brethren…” (1 Thessalonians 4:13)
The truth is that God is working all things out “according to his good pleasure”. We are just “uninformed” about why He allows us to make bad choices.
“…work out your salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:12-13)
Our "salvation" is secure despite our bad choices. You can't "work out" of something you do not have. Religion wants us to work FOR our salvation, but God wants us to WORK OUT our salvation by faith in it - not fear and trembling that we won't get saved, but in awe and reverence that we HAVE been saved as a gift from God by His grace and not by our works.
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God - not of works...we are God's handiwork...you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ..." (Ephesians 2:8-13)
God has informed us that we have been "predestined" to be saved. This is "the gospel of your salvation" which was once a "mystery of His will"...
“He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him we have also obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.” (Ephesians 1:11-14)
Politicians and Religions tell us to work to save ourselves. God says He has already predestined our savation and those informed of it are to to work out this salvation with fear and trembling - and hope. A few in this life are chosen by God to be “the first to hope in Christ”. Rejoice if you happen to be one of them, but don’t condemn or get frustrated with those who are not – it is just God’s “good pleasure” to leave them “uninformed” until their resurrection – when all will be "made alive" and thus become aware of their "redemption".
“As in Adam all die, even so in Christ, all shall be made alive...that God may be all in all...so it will be with the resurrection of the dead... (1 Corinthians 15:22-28,42)
“I do not want you uninformed brethren…” (1 Thessalonians 4:13)
The truth is that God is working all things out “according to his good pleasure”. We are just “uninformed” about why He allows us to make bad choices.
“…work out your salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:12-13)
Our "salvation" is secure despite our bad choices. You can't "work out" of something you do not have. Religion wants us to work FOR our salvation, but God wants us to WORK OUT our salvation by faith in it - not fear and trembling that we won't get saved, but in awe and reverence that we HAVE been saved as a gift from God by His grace and not by our works.
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God - not of works...we are God's handiwork...you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ..." (Ephesians 2:8-13)
God has informed us that we have been "predestined" to be saved. This is "the gospel of your salvation" which was once a "mystery of His will"...
“He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him we have also obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.” (Ephesians 1:11-14)
Politicians and Religions tell us to work to save ourselves. God says He has already predestined our savation and those informed of it are to to work out this salvation with fear and trembling - and hope. A few in this life are chosen by God to be “the first to hope in Christ”. Rejoice if you happen to be one of them, but don’t condemn or get frustrated with those who are not – it is just God’s “good pleasure” to leave them “uninformed” until their resurrection – when all will be "made alive" and thus become aware of their "redemption".
“As in Adam all die, even so in Christ, all shall be made alive...that God may be all in all...so it will be with the resurrection of the dead... (1 Corinthians 15:22-28,42)