Joe Morgan Posted September 22, 2007 Report Share Posted September 22, 2007 Q2. (Ephesians 1:4-5) What is scary about predestination? What is comforting? Why does Paul bring up predestination? Why do you think he praising God for it in the "hearing" of the Ephesians? The scary part of predestination is that in simplistic form it seems to take free will out of the equation. The comforting part is that although we all sin and fall short of Gods glory, He STILL choose us! I think that Paul is trying to convey to a group of gentiles that would have known their status set apart from their Jewish brothers and sisters that they too are chosen and were chosen from the begining of time. I think he is truely grateful for the work that God is doing in the church at Ephesus. I also think that he is setting a tone with the rest of his letter, one that is going to call gentiles to greater depth and understanding in Christ because of our status with the Father. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VictoryN Posted September 24, 2007 Report Share Posted September 24, 2007 It really isn't scary to know that one is predentine; it is more scary not knowing because at least you know what is your perpose in this world. I feel more comfort than un-easy. I think begining this up so we may know that God had our live already design before the world was form. Paul praises God because he knew that he was chosen to be part of his family Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amsterdamse Posted October 1, 2007 Report Share Posted October 1, 2007 It is a comforting feeling for me, because He is the one that will mold us and form us, because He chose us before we were even formed. Also it takes away the feeling of striving, but I come to the place of surrendering to His will and let Him work out His purpose for me. But it does make it very clear that we can only please God by submitting to His will and trusting His plan for our lives, so it is important again to remain in Him. If we only work for Him according to our ideas and do not seek Him, then we are missing the goal. So it is a warning not to live in our own vanity as Christians, because God is mercifull but in the end He does not relent to our own plan for our life. We can only bear fruit if we remain in Him and He commands us to bear fruit. I guess since the Ephesian church has pagan past, the fact that they were predestined helps them to keep on looking forward to Gods plan for them and not to look behind. They are not a coincidence of pauls evangelism, but God had chosen them before the creation of the world to worship Him. He praises God so to fix their eyes on the Author of their faith, because they did not chose Him, but He chose them, us:), to bear fruit. Living a life of being content and gratefull in Gods plan and destiny even at moments when their worldly desires seem more appealling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suellen Posted October 10, 2007 Report Share Posted October 10, 2007 what is scary about predestination? Just the idea that I might not have all the control I believe I should have. What is comforting? The fact that God is the one in control. As long as He is the one in Control who cares about the rest? The cool thing about Paul is he was always praising God. I believe that Paul was excited seeing what God was doing and knowing that God loved the Gentiles just as much as the other guy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlmowery8 Posted October 22, 2007 Report Share Posted October 22, 2007 God knows what you are going to do before you do. He loves us in spite of ourselves. So they would be comforted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piper Posted November 12, 2007 Report Share Posted November 12, 2007 hmmm what is scary about predestination? I dont think anything really. I think it is comforting. comforting to know that I was chosen by HIM! That if i continue in return to chose Him then I am a part of that plan and purpose that He has, the one that He had all planned out before the world began. That shows a lot of love, individual, specific love for me (for all, but i relate it personally). He was creating this earth and all in it, and He thought of me... that is amazing. The plan that He intended to carry out with this world, includes me. Hard to comprehend, but what bit of it I grasp is beautiful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle G Posted December 17, 2007 Report Share Posted December 17, 2007 Q2. (Ephesians 1:4-5) What is scary about predestination? What is comforting? Why does Paul bring up predestination? Why do you think he praising God for it in the "hearing" of the Ephesians? It is not scary to me. But yet comforting to know that God has had a plan for us all the time. I believe that Paul brings up predestination to allow us to understand that we have a part in Gods plan. It was his purpose for us. Paul praises God because we are apart of his family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIM AUSTIN Posted December 18, 2007 Report Share Posted December 18, 2007 Predestination would be scary only when one adopts the theory or theology of Calvanism. His belief that God has predestined certain humans to eternal life or death. I believe it is heresy to believe that. Jesus wouldn't have given us (Christians) the great commission if that were so. The apostles wouldn't have spent there entire lives furthering the gospel if it were so. It is a "who soever will" thing. The gospel is preached & then it depends on how the heart responds. One will show penitence or have a stoney heart. It is about the seed & what type of soil it falls on. God is a gentleman. He gives us all a choice. Gods plan of salvation is what was predestined. Because he is omnicient he foreknows who will recieve the truth & orchestrates his plan. What is comforting about predestination is that God is in control. It is refreshing to know that! All I have to do is obey & resist the enemy. Then & will God be able to use my life when ever he desires. It's about him getting the glory! I believe that Paul was praising God because by revelation he understood what he had done for those who were of the house hold of faith. Gods plan was to redeem us from the beginning. Paul believed he would recieve the end of his salvation & those at Ephesus if they could endure to the end. That is something to praise God for. Lisiten, the life that you lived before Christ, think back & remember where he brought you from. I don't care who you are. If you truly believe you should constantly have a praise in your mouth. We should be a praise in the earth! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtibbetts Posted February 4, 2008 Report Share Posted February 4, 2008 Q2. (Ephesians 1:4-5) What is scary about predestination? What is comforting? Why does Paul bring up predestination? Why do you think he praising God for it in the "hearing" of the Ephesians? I think many people misconstrue predestination as being already chosen and having no say in the matter. I like to think of predestination as more of the fact that God is omniscient. Therefore, he knows what we will choose before we do. We all have free will. But he would not be God if, in fact, he was not all knowing. Does this definition make sense? or am I theologically amiss? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
searching for truth Posted March 24, 2008 Report Share Posted March 24, 2008 I believe what the scary thing about predestination is that God has choosen those who will enter hell just as He has choosen those who will go to heaven. The comfort is knowing I am choosen to go to heaven. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidjjj Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 Q2. (Ephesians 1:4-5) What is scary about predestination? What is comforting? Why does Paul bring up predestination? Why do you think he praising God for it in the "hearing" of the Ephesians? Q2. (Ephesians 1:4-5) Eph 1:4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love Eph 1:5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ladymicah Posted May 5, 2008 Report Share Posted May 5, 2008 What's scary about predestination is according to my understanding you're either in or out. What comforting is that at this writing I'm SAVED. I know that God called my name before the foundation of the world to receive salvation and to be reconciled back to God. Paul realized from his Damascus Road experience how much Grace and Mercy he had been shown. As persecutor of the Church and an enemy of God he realized that it is due to predestination that his own life was spared. As for the Ephesians, Paul also realized that because of predestination the Saints in Ephesus had received salvation. That was the mystery God delivered to Paul in his revelation --he was to carry the salvation message to the Gentiles. This was a new revelation --according to the interpreters of the Jewish Law the message was for Jews alone. Because of the revelation Paul knew that gentiles were called too and because of predestination God had intended to reconcile both Gentiles and Jews back to God under on Spirit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mags Posted May 18, 2008 Report Share Posted May 18, 2008 Predestination is both scary and exciting. To think that my life was mapped out before time is huge - that God would care so much about me to do this, but also that God knew that I would stuff up the things I have. Paul is showing the Gentiles that it is no accident that they are there, that they are a part of God's perfect plan and that they are important. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VendeMar Posted June 10, 2008 Report Share Posted June 10, 2008 Q2. (Ephesians 1:4-5) What is scary about predestination? What is comforting? Why does Paul bring up predestination? Why do you think he praising God for it in the "hearing" of the Ephesians? Mmmmm, I really don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John.Hawkins64 Posted June 15, 2008 Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 The scary part about "Predistenation" is two fold; first not knowning if you will make it to live out that predestined part of your life and second, but more importantly, not knowning if you will live up to the expectations of your predestined life.(in other words failure) The comforting part (or parts) is you know you have something to live for, you also have some tools that will aide you in reaching your predestination. Of which the most important tools you will have at your disposal will be your faith in God and your trust in God to help you to reach your predestination. Paul brings up predesitnation to inform the believers (Christians) that the life that you will live. will be like the one that I have and do live now(Acts 15 -28). I who was predestined to be "..an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God." The Ephesians received and accepted message of Jesus Christ resurrected and received the Holy Spirit. Their change was immediate and the evidence was displayed in their change of heart and character, as Paul writes "... faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints." Eph 1:15. The Ephesians became one of "us", as Paul expresses in his praise towards God for there salvation. The change must have been, as night and day. The Paul reaction was to immediately praise God (Eph 1:12-14), because by the power of the word of God the Ephesians gave their life to Christ and received the Holy Spirit. Beloved, it is this immediate response of praise that all who serve and witness the change from sin to salvation would do well, to remember. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John.Hawkins64 Posted June 15, 2008 Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 I think many people misconstrue predestination as being already chosen and having no say in the matter. I like to think of predestination as more of the fact that God is omniscient. Therefore, he knows what we will choose before we do. We all have free will. But he would not be God if, in fact, he was not all knowing. Does this definition make sense? or am I theologically amiss? You are right about the ability of choice for we human beings. Your are right on with God is all knowing, but we do not know our "...coming out nor our going in.." God is all knowing, but He left it up to us to make the right choices with our free will. Exercising our free will to choose includes the things that effect our free will to make the right choice or even to make a correction of the choices that we are, have or will make to reach the predestination that God has for us. If I may elaborate. It is Satan who uses three things to keep us from reaching (yes, I said "reaching", because Satan is here to "...to steal, to kill and to destroy.." the Christians' faith, life and physical being) God's predestination for us. Now, Satan uses a lot of things, but Jesus identified these three as sure fire "keep-em from reaching the predestination tatics" of Satan, they are as follows "The **** of the eye, the **** of the flesh and the **** of the things of this world." These three most assuredly effect our free will to choose doing right and wrong, or "wide is the gate that leadeth to destruction...and narrow is the way that leadeth to life everlasting..." or towards our predestination. The first is what we see, this effects our mind, with which we asess and reason with to make choices with our free will. The second is what we feel when we look at things, places, events or women or men. This effects our hormones which are directly interwoven with our sense of smell, sound and touch. Thus, a prime environment for **** is always present. Things that could make our life easier promotion, power which results in money becoming an idol without us knowning it. A bigger house, a better car, being able to do whatever we want. Money also attracts women or men to us, that will not have our best intrest in their heart. Most of all the desire to have better or more things. Thes are just a few thoughts that I had on your question. I hope that I have helped you out in some small. Be blessed and not stressed. To God be the glory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
llenroc34 Posted June 16, 2008 Report Share Posted June 16, 2008 I think predestination is scary b/c we now know that our futures, what we WANT FOR OURSELVES, is not in our hands but in God's hands. Scary stuff, especially for me being a control freak sometimes and wanting to plan everything according to the way I would like it to turn out and be. Well, what is comforting is that God protects and will not give us anything that we can't handle or despise. So he may have us doing something that is not necessarily glamrious, but it ends up being fulfilling and exactly what was meant for us. Honestly, I don't know why Paul is bringing predestination up, maybe because he wants us to know that we have already been given a plan for our lives and instead of walking without Christ, we should walk with and in him so that we may receive the ultimate gift that God has created for us before we were even born. Maybe he is praising God for it because he knows what God has in store for him/us will be extraordinary and something that is meant for us to fulfill us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sister Pauline Kelly Posted July 7, 2008 Report Share Posted July 7, 2008 Predestination...God has ordained all that will happen. What is scary about that...is that we are scary about the unknown. God knows but I don't. What is comforting about this is that there is already a plan set out for me and that if I follow this plan set out for me I will be taken care of. Paul brings up predestination to comfort us with the assurance that God chose us in him before the world began. (I am chosen by God how comforting!) He wants us to be holy and blameless in his sight...to be full of love. His is praising God for it in the hearing of the Ephesians so that we ourselves will be full of love, full of praise for all the wonders of God. Q2. (Ephesians 1:4-5) What is scary about predestination? What is comforting? Why does Paul bring up predestination? Why do you think he praising God for it in the "hearing" of the Ephesians? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petalsandy Posted August 5, 2008 Report Share Posted August 5, 2008 [color="#000080]Q2a. (Ephesians 1:4-5) What is scary about predestination?[/color] [/size]its beyound our understanding of life can you imagine if god did not guide our life where would be now. It is scary to know that our lives could of been in another way but god made the world and made us of his image so we could have life. He send his only son to free us from sin so it won't distroy us but to give us a chance to have eternal life. [color="#000080]Q2b. What is comforting?[/color] It is comforting to know that god is in every movement of our lives. He is in control of our plans and future only that we follow in his footsteps. Q2c. Why does Paul bring up predestination?[/size] To remind the church, that we were no accident that there is a purpose in gods plans for us. He made us of is image to be as him and every decision and detail he made it for a purpose n our lives. Q2d. Why do you think he is praising god for it in the "hearing" of the Ephesians? so we are aware how special we are to be called by god and to do his will. But also knowing he has a plan for us and we are special to him as he is to us. That we answer his call and do his will as he is there for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellkept1020 Posted October 7, 2008 Report Share Posted October 7, 2008 The scary part of predestination is that it is unknown, and we as humans are afraid of the unkonwn. I beleive paul brings it up because it is something the people had to understand and except, and learn to embrace that what God has for them was already set into place and it was bigger that they could think. The comforting part of predestination is that fact the God has everything already figured out the only thing we really have to do is stay in his will. I dont relly underestand the last part of the quesiton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elisabeth Posted October 11, 2008 Report Share Posted October 11, 2008 Q2. (Ephesians 1:4-5) What is scary about predestination? What is comforting? Why does Paul bring up predestination? Why do you think he praising God for it in the "hearing" of the Ephesians? The scariest thing that predestination presents to me is, that God may not have chosen me, and there would hav been now way that I could be saved. That God chose me, and His promises are truth, and I can rely; depend completely on His truth; and that I cannot be lost. It is overwhelming, because I can hardly take it in, that He loves me, and alway did, and always does and always will. I think Paul brings up predestination to encourage the readers to trust in God, and that to remind them that they were a special people. Paul was praising God for this. How can we not praise God for this? The whole passage is one is which Paul is extolling the magnitude of blessings the Lord has bestowed on us, and not only that, that God predestined for them to be His people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tokajulo Posted November 10, 2008 Report Share Posted November 10, 2008 Q2. (Ephesians 1:4-5) What is scary about predestination? What is comforting? Why does Paul bring up predestination? Why do you think he praising God for it in the "hearing" of the Ephesians? I believe that predestination would be very scary for those who believe that they have no connection with Jesus and therefore no hope of salvation. For me, it is comforting to know that I (among all men) was predestined to sit at the right hand with Jesus in heaven. My only duty to fulfill my destiny is to believe upon His precious name. I think Paul needed to remind the gentiles that they had a place reserved for them in heaven and he praised God for sending Christ to die for them and adopt them (and me) as sons and daughters of the Holy Father! Of course, the Ephesians had to hear the good news and accept in faith their place with the Father. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna K Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 Q2. I don't think predestination is scary. It brings me confort to know that God knows everything and has the ability to work within such a framework. I believe Paul addressed the subject of predestination in Ephesians to help them and to help us today to understand that we are not an accident, but part of God's plan which was determined before the world was formed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wunway4u2 Posted January 12, 2009 Report Share Posted January 12, 2009 The scary part of predestination is a fact that God didn't choose you to be in his kingdom. He decided eons ago who would be part of his kingdom and who would not. The most comforting part of that same scenario is that since we've heard the gospel and have responded that you may have assurace that you will not be at the "Great white throne of judgement." Paul's praise of God is due to his (Paul) knowledge of those people that he was looking at, associating with and praying for and over were going to be with him in heaven. That his friends would be with Jesus Christ and himself for all eternity. Now with that all said. I believe that God knows who will respond to the sacrafice of his son and Jesus' work on the cross and accept Jesus as savior and those who would reject this worderful salvation through none belief. God's will allows us also to have free will. Because we have knowledge of our acceptance or rejection of salvation in Christ Jesus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wunway4u2 Posted January 12, 2009 Report Share Posted January 12, 2009 The scary part of predestination is a fact that God didn't choose you to be in his kingdom. He decided eons ago who would be part of his kingdom and who would not. The most comforting part of that same scenario is that since we've heard the gospel and have responded that you may have assurace that you will not be at the "Great white throne of judgement." Paul's praise of God is due to his (Paul) knowledge of those people that he was looking at, associating with and praying for and over were going to be with him in heaven. That his friends would be with Jesus Christ and himself for all eternity. Now with that all said. I believe that God knows who will respond to the sacrafice of his son and Jesus' work on the cross and accept Jesus as savior and those who would reject this worderful salvation through none belief. God's will allows us also to have free will. Because we have knowledge of our acceptance or rejection of salvation in Christ Jesus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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