MichaelH, do you believe God knows what you are going to do before you do it? Does he not inhabit all time from the beginning to the end, and all eternity to where he sees all things. It is not a hard thing for the Lord to choose his Church from his foreknowledge of knowing all things before we choose him. God was so sure of our actions before the world began he even saved us when we were still sinners.....
Eph 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Eph 2:5
Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved
Eph 2:6
And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Notice there is no mention of faith here at all even though we know we are saved by grace through faith. The Lord knew what we would do so he saved us even when we were still yet dead in ours sins, and raised us up with Christ and has made us sit together with him in him. Now thats grace!
Even some folks in my church speak like you do. So, I will cut some slack here.
God was sure of our actions he saved us when we were sinners before the World began............
no, we were not around before the World began. If God knew at that time under a billion of us would make it, but 6 billion more would suffer eternally and yet made man anyway despite that knowledge, then God is evil.
Zero scripture supports he knew our actions at that time or even knew us at that time.
Adam becomes living at the time he was made.
And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground,
and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
(Gen 2:7)
The spirit of man is made once the embryo is started.
Zec 12:1 The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth,
and formeth the spirit of man within him.
God's Call and plan is while in the Womb.
Jer 1:5 Before you were formed in the body of your mother I had knowledge of you, and before your birth I made you holy; I have given you the work of being a prophet to the nations.
3 scriptures that we exist and the plan of God made while we are formed in the womb. ZERO that any plan was made for us Before that, or that we even existed before that.
Does he not inhabit all time from the beginning to the end, and all eternity to where he sees all things. It is not a hard thing for the Lord to choose his Church from his foreknowledge of knowing all things before we choose him. God was so sure of our actions before the world began he even saved us when we were still sinners.....
No scripture that God lives some time bubble from beginning to end, no scripture saying He lives in eternity to see all things. Lots of scripture saying he knows things now, such as the hairs on your head, and number of stars.
1Jn 5:4 For
whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our fait
Who is he that overcometh the world, but
he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
(1Jn 5:5)
Those that are born again, born of God get the plan, it was not that God was just sure of OUR actions but of the whole world might accept him.
Not just for us, everyone:
1Jn 4:14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father
sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
1Jn 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
You don't take a few scriptures and make something up, Ignoring other scriptures. Every single scripture in God's word matches perfectly all other scriptures.
It was not that God just foreknew us................ He gave the same grace to everyone. Not just for our sins, but for everyone on the planet. If it was just a selected few, then John would have never written that.
Every living thing on this planet bows to the name of Jesus, by whom everyone was predestined to be under. Some receive Jesus some do not.
Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
(Heb 1:2)
Before the World was made, God's plan was to put everything under his own Son, everything was made for and through Jesus.
because
in him were the all things created, those in the heavens, and those upon the earth, those visible, and those invisible, whether thrones, whether lordships, whether principalities, whether authorities;
all things through him, and for him, have been created, and himself is before all, and the all things in him have consisted.
(Col 1:16-17)
Every person created, everything you see was created IN Christ Jesus. All things in Christ Jesus have consisted. Not just us, but everyone before the World was even formed.
YOU HAVE TO TAKE ALL THE VERSES INTO ACCOUNT!!!!
And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;
I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not,
I will know.
(Gen 18:20-21)
How the Lord find out if the cry of Sodom matched the sin? What did the Lord do? Use his outside of time knowing from start to finish? Was he in the Star Ship Enterprise and used some time warp ability to know? Did God cause Sodom to sin by his divine and Sovereign plan?
NO, He Came down personally and looked!!!! (Same with the tower of Babel, He went down to look)
Gen 22:12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him:
for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
How did God know Abraham would not withhold anything from him? God say, HA, I already knew, I live outside of time..... WEEEEEEEEE
NO, God knew by Abraham's actions.............. Just as God said.
I have told you twice now, If you keep this up, then I have no choice but to file you away with the rest of the confused who believe God's word contradicts in places. This forum is full of them, don't join their ranks.