Part 3: Ship s Mission Week 2: Understanding God Day 1: HOW THEOLOGY AFFECTS MISSION

Transcription

1 3.2.1 Part 3: Ship s Mission Week 2: Understanding God Day 1: HOW THEOLOGY AFFECTS MISSION Getting excited about theology What greater subject is there for human study than the majesty and attributes of God? That wonderful subject is called theology. This week we are going to examine some very important and interesting theological issues questions about God that have implications for the way we carry out our mission. Whether you realise it or not you already have a theology, and it affects your everyday life! When you say Why did God allow this thing to happen to me?, you are expressing a theological question and also a certain theological viewpoint, although you may be unaware of it. Theology has to do with your understanding of what God is like, how you believe he acts or reacts, what his purposes for humanity are, whether he is behind everything that happens (or does not happen) to you, whether you tend to think of him as sovereign or relational, whether you believe Jesus is somehow God in human form, and so on. This week s theme will help you think through some of these matters, so by the end of this week you should be a budding theologian! But a word of caution from William Shakespeare a little learning is a dangerous thing! Sincere believers approach these issues in quite different ways, yet God in his grace effects his mission through them. Graciousness should characterise our interactions with those with whom we disagree. Nevertheless, these are important matters that greatly affect what we tell people about God and how we carry out our mission. Hopefully you ll find the following pages filled with passion and conviction concerning God and his strategy in history. The first topic introduced below covers two days of our online course, so take your time. How theology affects the way we show and tell' So to start, let s look at a few examples of how differing understandings of God affect mission, the modelling and messaging of Christianity. Some believe that God s offer of redemption is for everyone who chooses to believe, as he seems to have revealed (universal grace); others hold that God also has a secret will to predestine or elect only certain people to be saved (particular election). The first group think that Jesus death atoned for all the sins of the world (universal atonement); the second that he died only for the sins of those predestined by God to be saved, that is, the elect (limited atonement). ONLINE NAVIGATOR 3 SHIP S MISSION 3.0 Introduction 3.1 God s Strategy 3.2 Understanding God How Theol gy Affects Mission Calvinism & Arminianism Does God Have Feelings? Prayer Change God s Plans? All Aboard For Predestination 3.3 God At War 3.4 The Jesus Factor WORD LOG THEOLOGY Theology is discourse about God, or the study of questions about God. The word theology is made from two Greek words: theos, meaning God, and logos, meaning word or message or idea HOW THEOLOGY AFFECTS MISSION PAGE 1 OF 3

2 A related matter concerns what is called the sovereignty of God. It will influence every aspect of your ministry if, on the one hand, you believe that all events in the world, including all actions and choices of individuals, are predetermined by God (divine determinism), or, on the other hand, whether there is in the cosmos a significant element of personal freedom. Your approach to both friends and strangers will be conditioned by whether you believe that they are incapable of genuine moral choice through innate (i.e. inborn) original sin and preexistent personal moral guilt (total depravity or total inability), or whether sin is a truly culpable violation of God s commands, since God says a different choice could have been made. Your praying for others will be influenced by whether you believe God has predetermined everything including how you will pray or whether God actually listens and responds to his servants. These are all matters we will be considering over the next few weeks. Perhaps we will not find all the answers, but you should at least know the questions and recognise how they affect your personal mission. GOT A QUESTION? Keep in touch by during the course. Let us know how you re getting on. John Calvin Two views of God: Calvinism and Arminianism It may come as a surprise to you, then, that God s relationship with mankind has been viewed in significantly different ways by two major streams within the Christian church. The first stream is associated with men like Augustine (the fifith-century bishop of Hippo in North Africa), and, especially, John Calvin ( ), the French-born Reformer of Geneva. This first stream puts a premium on the doctrine of God s sovereignty, understood as his absolute rulership over and determination of all events. It is considered that if anything were to happen that God had not determined he would cease to be sovereign, he would not be in control. His predetermination includes everything from the path of a speck of dust, to the horrors of Auschwitz. Hence, Calvin believed, even Adam s fall was foreordained by God for his own purposes. Particularly relevant for our topic is that Calvin held the view that God determines in advance both who will be saved and who will be lost, without God s responding to any conditions fulfilled by those so predestined. None whom God chooses to be saved can resist his grace, and none condemned to hell can turn and be saved. Each person is born with their destiny already sealed. Calvin called his own view of this double predestination a decretum horribile (a horrible doctrine). This view is usually referred to as the Reformed or Calvinist position, and in some form or other is widely held amongst evangelicals. The second stream is associated with a Dutch theologian named Jacobus Arminius ( ) and, in a slightly different form, with John Wesley, the founder of Methodism. Arminius held that God s election is conditional on faith, and that God s predestination is based on his foreknowldge of those who would obey him by faith. Arminius agreed with the Calvinists that each person is totally incapable of exercising free will towards receiving salvation or choosing the good due to their sinful HOW THEOLOGY AFFECTS MISSION PAGE 2 OF 3 Jacobus Arminius

3 nature, but that God s grace, going ahead of their salvation in drawing all to himself, enabled the freedom of the will to accept or to reject God s offer. This the Arminians called prevenient grace. Arminius also believed that Christ died for all (although only those who choose to believe are saved); that God s grace can be resisted; and that salvation is only possessed in remaining faithful to the One in whom it is found. Hence, the issue of free will and personal responsibility is important for Arminians. Calvinists, on the contrary, believe that all humans, being compelled by original sinful nature to sin, have in no meaningful sense any freedom of the will. Such free will as people have can only be exercised for sinful choices. Still others, seeking to retain what is good in each view, hold that the conflict between sovereignty and free will is a paradox, since (it is held) both God s sovereign choosing of individuals and their own free will are taught in scripture; like the parallel rails of a single railway line they appear to meet only at infinity, i.e in the mind of God. (One of my friends wisely pointed out that railway track do not meet at all!) John Wesley himself thought of the paradox as a gateway on approach to which it said Whosoever will may come, and on the other side looking back, Chosen from before the foundation of the world. On day 5 this week we ll consider an approach to predestination that differs fron all of the views above. Tomorrow (3.2.2) we continue this topic of Calvinism and Arminianism. John Wesley, founder of Methodism WORD LOG ARMINIANS AND ARMENIANS These two similar words are often confused. Arminians are Christians of any church who accept the views of Jacobus Arminius. The middle part sounds like mini: Ar-mini-ans. Armenians are the citizens of the country Armenia. The middle part of Armenians sounds like meany. The Headway Online Discipleship Course is published by Trinity Church Network 50 Gardiner Street Lower Dublin 1, Ireland Tel: office@trinity.ie HOW THEOLOGY AFFECTS MISSION PAGE 3 OF 3 All materials are copyright.

4 3.2.2 Part 3: Ship s Mission Week 2: Understanding God Day 2: CALVINISM AND ARMINIANISM NB: This topic began yesterday (3.2.1) and continues today It can be seen that the views of God introduced in yesterday s topic as Calvinism and Arminianism may significantly affect one s approach to mission, to prayer, and to the kind of counsel or comfort that one might give those facing trials and sorrows. How will we proceed? The main points of Calvinism and Arminianism Whether you have already formed an opinion on this matter or not, let s see if you can remember the main elements of the Reformed and Arminian views, and how the message of the gospel of God s grace is understood by each. The Calvinist view is perhaps easier to remember as it has been helpfully expressed in the memory aid T.U.L.I.P. which sums up the famous five points of Calvinism. We ll give you a few hints, but try to fill in the missing words yourself. TULIP: THE 5 POINTS OF CALVINISM T Total dep or ina U Unconditional el L Limited at I Irresistible g P Perseverance of the Saints Good. Remember TULIP. Now see if you can write down what, in general, Calvinists mean by the sovereignty of God. (See yesterday) ONLINE NAVIGATOR 3 SHIP S MISSION 3.0 Introduction 3.1 God s Strategy 3.2 Understanding God How Theol gy Affects Mission Calvinism & Arminianism Does God Have Feelings? Prayer Change God s Plans? All Aboard For Predestination 3.3 God At War 3.4 The Jesus Factor THE 5 POINTS The followers of Arminius had their own five points, and they differed in significant ways from those of Calvinism. Here they are: CALVINISM AND ARMINIANISM PAGE 1 OF 3

5 THE 5 POINTS OF ARMINIANISM 1 Election or judgment are conditional on faith or unbelief 2 Jesus death was for all, but effective only to person of faith 3 No one can respond to God s will without Holy Spirit 4 God s grace is not irresistible 5 Believers not beyond the possibility of falling from grace To sum up, then, we can say that the principal difference between the Reformed and Arminian views concerns whether God sovereignly predetermines who is elect and who is lost, and how each will respond, or whether, on the other hand, his offer of salvation is available to all, and may be freely accepted (by God s enabling grace) or rejected. Proponents of each view believe that God holds as without excuse those who fail to respond to the Gospel. The legacy of these ideas today Calvin s writings were in French and were much more widely distributed and better known than those of Arminius, who wrote in Dutch. After the Reformation these systems of thought were expressed in many different churches and movements, and the debate continues today. Those who embraced Calvinism became the Reformed churches of various kinds, the Presbyterians, Congregationalists, and the Particular Baptists. The particular here meant that Jesus death was only for the elect that is, particular people. Those who followed the views of Arminius became the General Baptists (i.e Jesus death was for everyone in general), the Wesleyan Methodists, the Pentecostals, and (in most cases) the Charismatics. Both positions are found amongst evangelicals. The general principles of our particular mission! In approaching the subject of mission, these notes reflect a view one that we believe to be faithful to the whole balance of biblical evidence that emphasises God s genuine desire for and invitation to all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth (see 1 Timothy 2:3-4; 2 Peter 3:9) by their responding in faith to Christ s unlimited atonement on the cross. It takes account of God s loving and interactive relationality with mankind whereby he seeks to draw people into a real dare we say romantic partnership with himself. It takes as meaningful that God truly responds to our prayers with infinite wisdom, thus bringing about in a largely open future situations that might not otherwise have happened, and which were not predetermined by God (Exodus 32:7-14; 1 Timothy 2:1) CALVINISM AND ARMINIANISM PAGE 2 OF 3

6 This lesson has not looked at the various scriptures that might be thought to support the two principal views outlined above. But we hope some of these matters will become clearer as you study further. People exploring Christianity will often ask you about God s ways his sovereign role in sorrows, disasters, illnesses, and perhaps even in matters of salvation, so these things are very relevant to our mission. In the meantime, one thing is clear: God has indeed commanded us to preach the gospel to all people so that they might turn to him and be saved. Dear Father, I am amazed that you have loved me even when I was your enemy, and that you love me now. I thank you that your love has been poured out in my heart by the Holy Spirit. Renew that love in me now, so that it may overflow to others. Lord, refresh in me the wonder and glory of your gospel so that I may tell others of your wonderful salvation in Jesus. Amen. GOT A QUESTION? Keep in touch by during the course. Let us know how you re getting on. The Headway Online Discipleship Course is published by Trinity Church Network 50 Gardiner Street Lower Dublin 1, Ireland Tel: office@trinity.ie CALVINISM AND ARMINIANISM PAGE 3 OF 3 All materials are copyright.

7 3.2.3 Part 3: Ship s Mission Week 2: Understanding God Day 3: DOES GOD HAVE FEELINGS? ONLINE NAVIGATOR 3 SHIP S MISSION 3.0 Introduction 3.1 God s Strategy Is God really personal? The God revealed in the Bible could not be more different from the impersonal and distant god of Greek philosophy. No Greeks considered themselves to have a relationship with God, certainly not a personal relationship. So when Moses asked God for just a glimpse of his glory, God revealed something wonderful of his nature that we properly call personal. And [the LORD] passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. What an introduction! The Lord, who had promised to show his glory to Moses on the mountain, passes in front of him revealing his attributes of compassion, graciousness, patience, faithfulness, forgiveness and love. What a message we have to tell to people! The eternal God shares in their passions, enters their sorrows, agonises over their rebellion and foolishness while longing for them to return and be forgiven, and has very great love for all. In What philosophy comes near this wonderful truth: at the centre of the cosmos is a divine trinitarian love relationship of Father, Son and Holy Spirit which overflows to all creation? Of this message of the love of God you have been made a herald and an ambassador. And for this task God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. (Romans 5:5) 3.2 Understanding God How Theol gy Affects Mission Calvinism & Arminianism Does God Have Feelings? Prayer Change God s Plans? All Aboard For Predestination 3.3 God At War 3.4 The Jesus Factor Using human language for God s divine attributes God is also revealed in the Bible as having other personal attributes: a watching eye (2 Chronicles 16:9) a listening ear (Isaiah 59:1; Malachi 3:16) an arm that saves the needy (Isaiah 59:1) laughter (Psalm 2:4) anger (Psalm 6:1) DOES GOD HAVE FEELINGS? PAGE 1 OF 3

8 mercy (Psalm 6:2) a shepherd s heart (Psalm 23:1) delight and rejoicing in his people (Zephaniah 3:17) and many others But are we supposed to take these things literally? After all, God doesn t actually have an arm, or an eye, or an ear, nor is he an actual warrior. God is not like the old man in Michaelangelo s ceiling painting (that s a metaphor too). He is spirit (John 4:24) and does not have a physical body. These descriptions are what we call anthropomorphisms. This wonderful tonguetwister is from the Greek words for man and form, so it means that God is being described in familiar human terms as if he were like a human, in order to help us grasp truths about him that cannot be expressed in any other way. Metaphors are powerful ways to access the truth of another dimension of existence. But what about the feelings of God s (metaphorical) heart? Are they just anthropomorphisms too? Does God really experience compassion or sorrow? When we say feelings we often mean what used to be called affections or passions, that is, our thoughts and responses produce bodily sensations associated with anger or pleasure and, of course, God doesn t have a body. Well, it just so happens that many Christians have thought of God as not capable of having feelings at all or being affected by anything outside himself. Any such impressions, so it was said, are in us, not in God himself. Who has held such ideas, and do they still influence how people think? The Stone Pillar God One of the most influential mediaeval theologians was Thomas Aquinas. He believed that God, in the absolute perfection of his being, could not be affected by anything outside himself. Imagine, said Thomas, dancing around a stone pillar; we can relate to it, but it cannot relate to us, nor is it affected by us in any way. God, then, is like that stone pillar. He does not actually have feelings or passions in any sense, nor is he affected by what we do. He is impassible, that is, without passions. Well, as an evangelistic method, you can see that preaching a message about a God who is like a stone pillar isn t probably going to attract much of a following! Aquinas was influenced by the ideas of the ancient Greek philosophers Plato and, particularly, Aristotle. Plato thought that God s perfection meant that he could not change. Feelings would be a change, so God, being perfect, cannot have them. And the Greek God could not interact with the physical universe, or respond in any way. These ideas found a reception in certain forms of Christian thought. If God really has feelings does that mean he can change? Plato thought that if God were to change it could only be for the worse, since he is already perfect. God was, to the contary, immutable, that is not capable of changing (mutating). Augustine applied this idea to the God of DOES GOD HAVE FEELINGS? PAGE 2 OF 3

9 the Bible, since 1 Samuel 15:29 says, He who is the glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind. (Note however that in verses 11 and 35 of the same chapter God does change his mind and grieve.) But God s unchangeability is in his being, in his perfect character, in his eternity, in his holiness, in his love. In Hosea 11:8 the Lord says My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused. God is relational, or scriptures like the text above mean nothing. He is not Aristotle s impersonal Unmoved Mover or Aquinas s stone pillar. The greatest demonstration of God s change and passion is demonstrated in the incarnation and the crucifixion. That s why we call the cross Jesus Passion. And that s our message, a message of the God who relates to us. Behind our human language and its limitations is the real God of the Bible who gets involved in our history and shows up, not the impassible (without feelings) god of Greek philosophy. Take time alone with the Lord today, and reflect on what it means that he is indeed a personal God. Write down anything you feel the Lord has spoken to you. You might find it interesting to read through Psam 27 if you have time. Tomorrow (3.2.4) we ll sharpen our focus on this question by asking whether our prayers can affect God or change outcomes in any way. GOT A QUESTION? Keep in touch by during the course. Let us know how you re getting on. The Headway Online Discipleship Course is published by Trinity Church Network 50 Gardiner Street Lower Dublin 1, Ireland Tel: office@trinity.ie DOES GOD HAVE FEELINGS? PAGE 3 OF 3 All materials are copyright.

10 3.2.4 Part 3: Ship s Mission Week 2: Understanding God Day 4: DOES PRAYER CHANGE GOD S PLANS? Partnering with God in prayer Mission is a partnership with a relational God. That relationship is twoway, like any other true relationship. And so prayer will increasingly become for you a vital part of your mission to reach people with the good news about the kingdom of God. In your dialogue with God you will not only listen to him, but he will listen to you. God is infinitely wiser and more powerful than we are, yet he has sovereignly chosen to have us as his fellow-workers in this mission (1 Cor 3:9). Prayer in the Holy Spirit is the very atmosphere within which the message comes with power, Our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. (1 Thessalonians 1:5) James says that the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective (James 5:16). And Paul urges us to pray for the leaders of our nation, a faithful act that is greatly pleasing to God, because God wants everyone to be saved This is good, and pleases God our Saviour, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:3-4) I trust you are availing yourself of the prayer that prevails for those who do not yet know the Lord. (In passing we may note that prayer may properly only be addressed to the triune God, and not to any other person who has died or to any saint or angelic being.) ONLINE NAVIGATOR 3 SHIP S MISSION 3.0 Introduction 3.1 God s Strategy 3.2 Understanding God How Theol gy Affects Mission Calvinism & Arminianism Does God Have Feelings? Prayer Change God s Plans? All Aboard For Predestination 3.3 God At War 3.4 The Jesus Factor The prayer paradox So, once again, as we have seen earlier this week, your understanding of God and his ways will affect how you approach mission. For if, as some have thought, God cannot change, then neither can he respond to anything outside himself. He only acts sovereignly, he never reacts. Nor can a God who predetermines everything, in any meaningful sense answer prayer. Often it is said that prayer does not change God, it changes us. While the latter is certainly true, the former is misleading. James said, You do not have because you do not ask God. (James 4:2) For those who believe that God has prearranged all events and determined before they were born who will be saved or lost, prayer in evangelism is always something of a paradox, where we ask God to do something he has already determined to do (or not to do). Indeed, for some, evangelism itself may be viewed as redundant, though few take that position today. Your prayers do matter, and God is delighted to answer them in his DOES PRAYER CHANGE GOD S PLANS? PAGE 1 OF 3

11 wisdom. Jesus said, I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name (John 16:23b). Prayer is a dialogue, not a monologue. God does not have a fixed plan for each person, that is, their future is not a pre-recorded video tape or film reel coming at them with predetermined but unknown events. The future is substantially open, with wills other than the will of God having a part to play in what happens. God does have a desire, however, that no-one should be lost (2 Peter 3:9). Prayer is part of the fulfilment of that desire. When God listened to Moses Take your Bible now and look up Exodus 32. Moses is on Mount Sinai receiving commands from God. But below the people have made a calf-idol and are worshipping it (verses 1-8). Look at verse 10. God has a plan. Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Moses begins to argue with God! Note his arguments and what he asks God to do (verses 11-13): O LORD, he said, why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever. Did the sovereign God of the universe pay any attention to a mere man? Yes, he did! Here s verse 14: Then the LORD relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened. This is true relationship, albeit one in which God is the senior partner. Notice in the next chapter (especially Exodus 33:17) that God again answers Moses prayer (33:12 to 34:7). Don t you think God might answer yours? Are the events of our lives pre-recorded as on a film reel, coming towards us from an already existing future? Praying for people s salvation Earlier, we looked at Paul s exhortation that believers pray for human rulers. It s in 1 Timothy 2. And we saw that the extent of God s desire is for the salvation of all men (verse 4). But notice in verses 5 and 6 that the reason anyone might be saved is that there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men. This is an encouragement to us in our mission that in God s strategy for the DOES PRAYER CHANGE GOD S PLANS? PAGE 2 OF 3

12 nations anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. And that is God s will. On the same theme of unlimited atonement see also 1 Timothy 4:9-10 and 1 John 2:2. Like Paul you are a herald of this same message (1 Timothy 2:7). Pray now for a revelation of Jesus Christ for all those in authority, including the head of state (monarch or president), the prime minister, and others in positions of influence. If you meet any public official, consider offering to pray for him or her. Pray blessing into their lives. Perhaps you could prayer-walk with others and pray for the influencers in your area. Pray that evil will be exposed and the things of the kingdom come in. Next (3.2.5) we ll revisit the question of predestination, and offer an approach that is somewhat different from those we explored earlier in the week. See you tomorrow. GOT A QUESTION? Keep in touch by during the course. Let us know how you re getting on. The Headway Online Discipleship Course is published by Trinity Church Network 50 Gardiner Street Lower Dublin 1, Ireland Tel: office@trinity.ie DOES PRAYER CHANGE GOD S PLANS? PAGE 3 OF 3 All materials are copyright.

13 3.2.5 Part 3: Ship s Mission Week 2: Understanding God Day 5: ALL ABOARD FOR PREDESTINATION! God chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. (Ephesians 1:4-6) Does God choose who will be saved? There is a strong tradition in Western Christianity, beginning with Augustine in the fifth century, that understands the Bible to teach that God has predetermined who will be saved and who will be lost. The Reformed or Calvinist view may be explained as follows: Also, All people are dead in sin, so, like really dead people in a grave they cannot simply respond to the gospel call to believe and follow God (total depravity or total inability). The only way they can respond is if God should first make them alive first by a sovereign act of his will. Being dead, those chosen or elected by God can fulfil no precondition for this new birth such as repentance or faith, but are saved because of God s secret will (unconditional election or predestination). Jesus died only for the elect (limited atonement); if he had died for everyone they would all be saved. This visitation of God s grace is irresistible, since God is sovereign, and none can prevent him doing as he chooses (irresistible grace). Logically, therefore, faith and repentance are also irresistible gifts of God. Finally, those chosen for salvation are protected by God so that they cannot ever fall away and be lost, since their eternal destiny was set beforehand (perseverance or preservation of the saints). Do you recognise the five points of Calvinism T.U.L.I.P.? What issues would the Reformed teaching bring to mind as you approach your friends to tell them the good news about Jesus and his salvation? ONLINE NAVIGATOR 3 SHIP S MISSION 3.0 Introduction 3.1 God s Strategy 3.2 Understanding God How Theol gy Affects Mission Calvinism & Arminianism Does God Have Feelings? Prayer Change God s Plans? All Aboard For Predestination 3.3 God At War 3.4 The Jesus Factor The Arminian view, as we have seen, takes a different approach to the five points: Sinners, although incapable in themselves of responding to God, can do so by drawing on God s enabling grace. Salvation is ALL ABOARD FOR PREDESTINATION PAGE 1 OF 3

14 conditional on acceptance of that gracious offer, and even with this drawing of God, people can resist and refuse God s grace. Jesus died for the sins of the whole world, but an individual may nevertheless refuse that provision and be lost. Arminians, pointing to Hebrews 6:4-6 also believe that it is possible for a believer to turn away from God, reject Christ, to fall away from grace and be lost. Our particlular interest today is in the matter of predestination. Classical Arminians say that although election (being art of God s elect people) is conditional on faith, God predestines certain people to be saved based on his foreknowledge of their freely-exercised choice. Others, however, believe that predestination refers primarily to the destiny of the elect and not how they came to be believers in the first place. This former point seems to have a certain contradiction in it; what do you think it might be? Jacobus Arminius It s difficult to see how something freely chosen can at the same time be predetermined. We understand predestination to refer, however, not to the beginning of each person s journey (that is, who will become Christians), but to the destiny of believers as mature Spirit-filled sons and daughters in the Father s household their sonship, owning the Father s honour and purposes, and also to their destination as heirs of the kingdom of God. Let s consider an illustration. An alternative approach: the Morningtown bus The local bus company has decided well in advance that a bus will leave the city s central bus depot at 1730 bound for the beautiful community of Morningtown. On hearing this wonderful piece of news, anyone may come and get on the bus. If they boarded any other bus, whatever their hopes or intention, they wouldn t be arriving in Morningtown. The Morningtown MORNINGTOWN passengers couldn t have gone on their own, of course, but those who do come share in the destination of the bus. No individuals, of course, are predetermined to get on the bus. What is predetermined is the destiny of the bus and its passengers. Those in the bus are, in that sense, part of the special group who share in its destination. God did predestine something before the foundation of the world, but it was not who would become Christians; it was what Christians would become holy and blameless. People are chosen, not to come to Christ, but because they have come to him and are in him. Chosenness is for a task and a destiny. God set a destiny for his Son, one to ALL ABOARD FOR PREDESTINATION PAGE 2 OF 3

15 be shared by all who would freely come to him at the cross. That s where we board the bus, so to speak; that where we come to Christ, and get in him. Sonship Believers are not only predestined to become like Jesus, they will also share in his inheritance in the kingdom s everlasting morning, in that city that is God s true community. At the resurrection they will finally become adult sons an event Paul calls the future adoption of sons, or better, the coming full status of sonship (see Romans 8:23). To this future adoption all believers are predestined (Ephesians 1:3-6). In your mission as sons and daughters of the Father you have a wonderful message, and it has always been the destiny of those in Christ to proclaim it: God loves the world (John 3:16) He wants everyone to be saved (1 Timothy 2:3-4; 2 Peter 3:9) Jesus gave himself as a ransom for all people (1 Timothy 2:6) He died not only for our sins but for the sins of the world (1 Jn 2:2) In that sense Jesus is the Saviour of the world, but especially of those who believe (1 Timothy 4:9-10). Everyone may come, and when they do they share in a wonderful destiny! Say hallelujah! Well this week certainly demanded a lot of our focused attention, but I hope you found it helpful in understanding some of the issues that have affected mission. Next week s theme God At War (3.3) investigates a matter often overlooked, that there are spiritual powers in the universe hostile to God. This too affects our understanding of mission, but what does it mean? See you then. GOT A QUESTION? Keep in touch by during the course. Let us know how you re getting on. The Headway Online Discipleship Course is published by Trinity Church Network 50 Gardiner Street Lower Dublin 1, Ireland Tel: office@trinity.ie ALL ABOARD FOR PREDESTINATION PAGE 3 OF 3 All materials are copyright.