Intelligence is a Curse

[salty]

Predestined: People who are (predestined to come to Christ) born and will accept Christ in their lifetime, serving him as the Lord ordained for them to serve.

Does God predestine people to come to Christ, as you say here, or does he predestine them "to be conformed to the image of his Son, that his Son would be the firstborn among many brethren," as Scripture says (Rom 8:29; cf. Eph 1:5)?

Hm. I'm not sure how to respond to this, I think what I'm saying is aligned with both Romans & Ephesians. In Ephesians it says that he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.

Those who are predestined to come to the Lord will be seeking to live according God's pleasure and will, sometimes they will be lost (Josh McDowell), sometimes they will be ignorant (Lee Strobel), but when the Lord makes himself known the predestined will come and they will follow hard. In Romans it says that those God foreknew are predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, which denotes an intense devotion to seeking the Lord and following his will for the time they are given on the earth, like God's son.

I believe that people with freewill are people that come to the Lord through faith and either unlock their calling and move forward in Christ (learning they are predestined) or become somewhat stagnant, but hold to the Truth of Jesus as their Savior and the one to whom they will answer.

In my eyes fighting about whether someone is predestined to come or comes by freewill, is like fighting over the color of a boat while drowning. I'd rather see people get into the boat (believe) and work on rowing themselves (building up Biblically) in the direction of the Lord (toward their mission).

Freewill: People who are born with the ability to choose to come to Christ from their own desire to know him.

And who is born with the ability to choose to come to Christ from their own desire to know him? Please support your answer with biblical text.

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." Matthew 7:7-8 NIV

There are people that want to know God, but they don't know who he is, so they seek him. I used my freewill to seek God (with a willing heart to follow if he answered my call) and I found him and as I dive deeper, I find that I was predestined to know him because his calling on my life is becoming clearer as I get closer. This supports what Jesus says, "No one can come to me unless the Fater who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day." Matt 6:44 NIV

These two ideas (as I have defined them) go hand and hand, that's why Christians shouldn't argue over whether they are one or the other, they should seek God's will for their lives.

Scripture asserts quite the opposite: "Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" (Mat 7:21-23). If one is not saved in Christ, then one loses everything—and that salvation is not gained by good works.

The teachings of Jesus Christ do not push men to perform good works as an avenue for salvation, nor does it direct men's faith and devotion to anyone else. When I ask 'What do you lose by following the teachings of Christ?' I don't mean a haphazard devotion that depends on every whim of pastors world wide that speak for Christ. I mean following Christ based on what he has said, himself.

Right before the portion of Matthew that you quoted above, Jesus says, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." Matt 7:21 NIV

And how does one do the will of the Father? "It is as the Prophets say, 'They will all be taught by God.' Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me[Jesus]. No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. I [Jesus] am the bread of life." John 6:45-48 NIV

After this Jesus goes on to explain that anyone who accepts the bread will not die, instead they will live forever. Again, what do you have to lose by following the teachings of Christ? According to the Bible you have lost nothing, but gained eternity.

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I want to add for anyone reading that Ryft quoted Matt 7:22-23.