Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!watmath!att!dptg!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: fibercom!lab@uunet.uu.net (Lance Beckner) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Question for Dave Mielke Message-ID:Date: 9 Aug 89 06:40:11 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: FiberCom, Inc., Roanoke, Virginia Lines: 55 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu Dave, I have a couple of questions for you concerning the predestination issue. As I examine this, I see a couple of problems. 1) Evangelism: If God has already decided whom He wants to save and whom He doesn't want to save, why should we bother to share the Gospel with others. It would be a waste of time to share the Gospel with someone that God hates, wouldn't it? 2) The Christian walk: Why should we walk in a manner that pleases God? For that matter, why should we make a decision to accept Christ as Savior anyway? If God wants to save me, He will. Even if I decide not to accept it, I can not change God's mind. These are not flames! As I have said, I am looking into this whole issue. I am trying to keep an open mind and heart. I see these as being problems as far as your point of view goes. I am hoping that you might be able to explain this, or show me where my logic is flawed. I would also appreciate the prayers of this group as I try to determine God's truth with this issue. Peace, Lance -- Lance A. Beckner INTERNET: lab@fibercom.com FiberCom, Inc. UUCP: ...!uunet!fibercom!lab P.O. Box 11966 FAX: (703) 342-5961 Roanoke, VA 24022-1966 PHONE: (703) 342-6700 [Note by the way that these questions are appropriate for anyone who believes in predestination, not just Dave. Believing in predestination does not necessarily commit you to Dave's position. The classic answer to 1 is that in predestination God uses secondary causes. That is, when God decides that someone is going to be saved, he also sets up the way that this will happen. Although some of this involves a direct presence of the Holy Spirit, people are also involved. That is, God may have predestined that someone is going to be saved through your teaching. God doesn't strictly speaking need us to do his work. Think of it as a privilege he has granted us. As to why you should respond to God when things are predestined: again, predestination does not eliminate choice. It simply says that God has arranged sufficient influences -- both through the direct intervention of his Spirit and otherwise -- that the elect will choose him. A real choice is still made. I guess somebody's belief in this doctrine could cause his mind to get into a recursive loop such that he doesn't choose, but this certainly isn't a to strategy that I would recommend to anyone! --clh]