Sunday, December 16, 2012

Predestination

Q:
I have a question. Why does God love us? I mean in the history, most ppl never heard of gospel, and many of them live in poverty, and in war time, many of their families were separated or been killed... It seems that God doesn't care about them. But we have chance to hear about God's love and salvation, and live in peaceful time. It seems God treat ppl unequally. Especially about God's special revelation, seems we are "lucky" to hear about and accepted it, only because we are chosen (predestinated) by Him?
And it seems God "doesn't love" them, which are majority of people, why God loves us (minority)?

A:
my understanding:
We believe God loves all of us, 主所應許的 尚未成就 ,有人以為他是耽延,其實不是耽延,乃是寬容你們,不願有一人沉淪,乃願人人都悔改。 (彼得後書 3:9)
However, God is sovereign God.
神就对 利百加 说:「将来,大的要服事小的。」 正如 经上 所记: 雅各 是我所爱的; 以扫 是我所恶的。 这样,我们可说什么呢?难道上帝有什么不公平吗?断乎没有! 因他对 摩西 说: 我要怜悯谁就怜悯谁, 要恩待谁就恩待谁。 (罗马书 9:12-15)
The suffer from the world is not because God does not love us, it is the consequence of sin. However the chosen people does not mean we are free from suffering, but we have hope to conquer it. Because Jesus Christ is the victory. It has been accomplished triumphantly.
The predestination (the chosen people) is the grace from God also the privilege that God's work can be done through us. God can do all the work by himself but He wants us to be His co-worker to fulfill His plan of salvation. And through this journey makes us sanctified. In fact God's wisdom is far more higher than we can imagine.
On the other hand, God blesses the "unchosen" people as well. Among the descendants of Adam, God choose bloodline of Seth to be the line of His chosen people. But He still blesses other descendants with all different gifts (Gen 4). Joseph is the most blessed son of Jacob (Israel) but David's bloodline came from Judah. So we as chosen people have no anyway better than the non-chosen. We cannot take any credit about it. It is all by God's grace and for His purpose. We only know part of it but God knows it all.
He also blesses the evil ones (as in Book of Jobs), because 因為他叫日頭照好人,也照歹人;降雨給義人,也給不義的人。 (馬太福音 5:45). God does not bring the tragedy and suffering, Satan does. But God uses it to fulfill His purpose. God knows Judas betrayal and He uses it to fulfill His salvation plan through Jesus. It is NOT God put betrayal in Judas' heart. Satan did (Luke 22:3). But God knows it all.
God has revealed Himself to every one. 
18原來,上帝的忿怒從天上顯明在一切不虔不義的人身上,就是那些行不義阻擋真理的人。 19上帝的事情,人所能知道的,原顯明在人心裏,因為上帝已經給他們顯明。 20自從造天地以來,上帝的永能和神性是明明可知的,雖是眼不能見,但藉著所造之物就可以曉得,叫人無可推諉。  Romans 1:18-20
However, if one turns away from God, God will let him on his own.
28他們既然故意不認識上帝,上帝就任憑他們存邪僻的心,行那些不合理的事; 


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