Sunday, April 7
Some Christians believe that God has chosen, even before a person was born, whether or not that person will be saved. That is, those who in the end are lost eternally are lost because God, in His wisdom (this theology claims) made that choice for this person to be lost. Which means, then, that regardless of their choices, that person will be condemned.
Fortunately, as Seventh-day Adventists, we don’t ascribe to that theology. Instead, we believe that God has chosen for all of us to be saved, and that even before the world began, we were chosen in Him to have eternal life.
Read Ephesians 1:1-4; Titus 1:1, 2; and 2 Timothy 1:8, 9. What do these verses tell us about being chosen by God and when we were chosen?
However good this news, some people will still be lost (Matthew 25:41). And that’s because, though God has chosen us all, He has given humans a most sacred gift, and that is free will, free choice.
What does Matthew 22:35-37 teach about free will?
The Lord does not force us to love Him. Love, in order to be love, has to be freely given. In many ways, one could argue that the Bible is the story of God reaching out to lost human beings and seeking, without coercion, to win their hearts to Himself. This reality can best be seen in the life and ministry of Jesus, and how people—using their free will—reacted to Him. Some were drawn to Him; others wanted Him dead.
Yes, God has chosen us for salvation, but, in the end, we have to make the choice to accept that salvation. There is no question that of all the choices we have to make, the choice to serve the Lord is, by far, the most consequential for us and for those who are impacted (such as our immediate family) by our life and the choices that we make in it.
