GOD, A CHECKER PLAYER?
Have you ever stopped to consider what the god of this age is like? How he is presented to eternity bound souls? A popular way of trying to get someone "saved" is to say "now if you make a move, god will make a move". It seems to me as if those who do this are telling souls that god is playing checkers and that whoever makes the best move wins and that it is possible to beat god in this game.
Souls are being told, "god has done all he can do, now it is all up to you", or they say something like this, "god has given you your chance it's up to you what you do with it".
My friends, please listen to me, if this were the way God really is, he is not worthy of worship but contempt. This god has no power, no will, no glory, and no honor, no justice or righteousness. He is bound by what you do, by your choice; he is bound by the awful concept that he must give every soul a chance. But could the GOD who created all things, and upholds all things by the word of his power, be like this? (Heb.1:2-3)
Have you never read in his holy word: "The Lord of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand" (Isa.14:24&27)? Or have you read that his elect were, "predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will" (Eph.1:11)?
I exhort you to take your bibles and a concordance and study, and if you do you will find that the God and Father Of Jesus Christ is a God who does all things on purpose. God has never thought, or planned, has never had to figure out the best way of doing something.
"He declared the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure" ( Isa.46:9-10).
If God must depend on you or me to do something before he will save us, then salvation could not be by grace, it would be a debt. If He has to give us salvation based on what we do, that, my friends is salvation by works. No where in God's word can you find where salvation is by chance, or by the will of man, or that God is bound to give salvation to anyone because they do something, or he is bound to give everyone a chance to be saved. If anyone can show me from God's word, that what I am saying is wrong, please do. But if I am right, if what I am saying is true, where does that leave you?
Don Bell