“You have landed on the toughest question we have all wondered about” I told a college freshman. “It has stumped people of all eras and centuries. I chewed on this question 45 years ago.” When I was in seminary, all of us young theologs debated this hot topic. So did people in the time of the Apostle Paul. We know that because he addresses it in Romans 9.
Why are some people redeemed and some not? Why does God elect (select) some and not others? Why did God love Jacob but hate Esau (Romans 9: 13).
Katelyn, our granddaughter, asked, “I was talking about this with some of my college friends—do you have an answer Grandpa?”
No, I don’t. But over the years, the following thoughts have put my mind at ease about it.
The Lines Don’t Cross On one hand we see in Scripture that God is sovereign and reigns in the affairs of people—especially in the matter of salvation and redemption. Jesus said, “You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you . . .” John 15:16
“. . . no one knows the Father except the Son, and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him” (Matthew 11:27). We are lost, and dead in our sins with no ability to believe. No capacity to respond. Dead. Alienated. Angry with life, God and everyone. Blind (II Corinthians 4:4). Only God can awaken us, giving us saving faith (Ephesians 2:8 & 9).
On the other hand, we are charged with the responsibility of believing.
How do we reconcile this? Having no ability to respond, but charged to do so. During my seminary days, I did not find anyone who knew. My professors did not know. No book I read could explain it. We simply do not know how these two diverging lines cross. In our minds, they can’t meet. Cross. Be reconciled. Ain’t gonna happen.
God is God Psalm 115:3 puts it to humanity stiff and straight: “Our God is in heaven; He does whatever pleases Him.”
Older people can live with more mystery and contradictions than younger people. More unanswered questions. Scripture is clear that God cannot be fathomed (Ecclesiastes 3:11) or searched (Romans 11:33), be tracked, followed, or understood except as He Himself reveals Himself to our fallen minds and lives.
Be-Attitude How are we to grapple with this mystery? What are we supposed to do? What is our attitude to be? All humanity is cursed by sin. We all—born-again evangelicals too—have a fallen nature inside us that resists God.
We resist accepting that we deserve to go to Hell. I certainly do not like believing that I deserve damnation. I am a good guy. If / since you are sufficiently interested in such a topic as to read this, very likely are you, too. We do not see sin for the enormity it is.
Something that has helped me see and sense the enormity of sin is that for one act of disobedience (Adam & Eve), the whole world was plunged into the misery of this present world. That’s how seriously God takes sin. We don’t. We think, “Oh, sure, we needed a little forgiveness and changing, a little cleaning up, but God did not have to do much when He redeemed us. We’re the good guys.”
No! Until we see ourselves as serious sinners we will have a God-owes-me attitude. And to the degree that we see ourselves as serious sinners (Paul: “I am worst of sinners.”), we will escape that attitude.
We deserve God’s judgment. So our attitude should be, “It’s so wonder-filled that God would redeem any of us.” That is, instead of putting God on trial in our minds for not redeeming everyone, instead of thinking, “God should not have hated Pharaoh (Romans 9:17),” we should be overwhelmed that ANY are redeemed. And amazed that we are in that number.
It took me many years to come to this conclusion Katelyn, so do not let it trouble you if you do not yet share this perspective. God has been patient with me; I am confident He will be with you also . . .
. . . which leaves us us and God God.
Love, Grandpa K
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