The problem and wonder of election (part 5)

I’d like to address one last question concerning predestination.

Assuming that what I have said is true, that none will ever come to God apart from his choosing to intervene in their lives, why is it that he doesn’t simply intervene in everyone’s lives so that everyone will be saved?

I don’t know the answer to that. There are probably many factors to that question that are beyond what my brain can comprehend.

But here are two things to consider. One is that God prizes faith above all other things. But faith that is seen is not faith at all.

For some people though, the only thing that will convince them is a direct appearance from God. They say, “I have all these other reasons to believe God exists, but I choose not to believe unless God appears to me.”

But quite frankly, that is a statement of defiance rather than faith, and because of that, God will not honor that request.

The other thing to consider is this: Most of his intervention in people’s lives comes through Christians. God has given us Christians the responsibility to preach the gospel and to tell the whole world about him.

He has given us the keys to the kingdom and ultimately he will hold us responsible if we don’t use them (Ezekiel 33:7-9).

But he will not force us to use those keys.

So then there are two main ways God can intervene. One is directly as in a personal appearance. And one is indirectly through other people.

But God chooses most often not to do the former because he desires faith. And the latter often doesn’t happen because he will not force his people to share the gospel.

Is he right in his ways?

Considering he is God and we are not, it’s hard to say he’s wrong.

Ultimately, as we consider the problem of predestination, we have to ask ourselves the question Abraham did.

Will not the Judge of all the earth do right? (Genesis 18:25)

I choose to believe he does and he will.