All ladies are invited to attend a bridal shower for Lindy Simpson Saturday, July 15 at 11:30 a.m.

Predestination & Responsibility

We believe in the absolute predestination of God, in all things! "He worketh all things after the counsel of his own will." Nothing happens by chance. However, does this belief cause us to live in a kind of stoic indifference and fatalism? Certainly not! Paul said to the Ephesians, after he told them about the absolute predestination of God, "Be very careful how you live—not as unwise, but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." He said the same thing to the Colossians—"Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time." Yes, we believe in the absolute predestination of our God, in all things. We also believe that we are absolutely responsible to "make the most of every opportunity." If your belief in predestination makes you fatalistic and indifferent you do not believe in biblical predestination.

Pastor Todd Nibert

WHO WILLS SALVATION?

The religion of the modern world tells us that we must choose Jesus if we would be saved. They tell us that in order to be saved a sinner must decide to let Jesus into their heart and be the king of their life. If that is the case we should always heartily congratulate anyone who makes such a decision because salvation came to them by their will. But doesn’t mean that we glory in the flesh when someone is saved? Of course it would. Then the religion of the world is in serious error because we know that “No flesh should glory in his presence.” (I Corinthians. 1:29)

The Bible tells us the truth about who wills the salvation of sinners: God does. Salvation from beginning to end is of the will and purpose of Almighty God. God elected a people to save, not by their will, but by His will. “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.” (I Peter 1:2) God predestinated the adoption of His children “according to the good pleasure of HIS WILL.” (Ephesians 1:5). A believer is not born again when they decide to be born. They are born again when God wills new birth for them. “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth.” (James 1:18)

It should be obvious to every one of us that since salvation comes by the will of God, we should beg God to be merciful to us for “it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. (Romans 9:16)

TIME AND PLACE SALVATION

There are many who make much out of a “know so” salvation, and insist on a time and place when “you got saved”. Well I have a time and place when the Lord Jesus Christ saved me and brought to me know Him. 



The Time - “Chosen In Christ before the foundation of the world”, again ‘God who hath saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to His own purpose and grace given us in Christ before the foundation of the world’ ‘When it Pleased God who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me by His grace.”

The Place – Two thousand years ago when Christ bore my sins in His own body on the tree, when He was made sin for me and put away my sin once for all by the sacrifice of Himself. Do you have a time and place when God saved you by His grace in Christ?