Samuel D. High
sdhigh@aristotle.net
-----Original Message-----
From: Apostle Tom <pressingon@hotmail.com>
Sent: Sat, 8 Mar 2008 16:52:08 -0600
To: <pressingon@hotmail.com>
Subject: Morning Manna (Mar. 9); BP: Eph. 1:3-14; RBTTY: Mk. 11:19-33; Dt.
March 9 “The Good Pleasure of His Will”
“Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.”
Ephesians 1:5
It’s neither whimsical or capricious, but it’s always loving and beneficial.
God’s will.
How many books have been written and heated debates conducted over this subject! The Calvinist says “It’s set in stone! God ‘predestined’ or determined beforehand who would be saved and would be lost,” while the followers of James Arminius cry, “Ridiculous! It’s all about ‘free will,’ don’t you know?!?”
The question is: Which one is right?
Could it be that the answer is “Both” and “Neither”??
Today’s Manna on “The good pleasure of His will” is definitely one on which we need to be enlightened—especially when we read words like “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated” (Mal. 1:2-3; Rom. 9:13) and “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and compassion on whom I will have compassion” (Ex. 33:19; Rom. 9:15).
Why should we grapple with such things? Aren’t they beyond us and trying to understand them is like trying to explain the Trinity? Wouldn’t we be better off simply baking some cookies and taking them over to a friend’s house for an afternoon snack?
Yes, that’d probably be a good thing to do. . .UNLESS that friend has a child who’s been deformed from birth. . .or his child died while another neighbor’s child was healed with the same friends praying for both. In that case, “understanding” is much more important than cookies and milk—for the cookies will never digest very well until the parent’s inward perplexity/pain is replaced by the Father’s abiding peace (Phil. 4:9).
So, back to the question about “the good pleasure of His will:”
What does it mean?
The Greek word “eudokia” is used here for “good pleasure” and also means “satisfaction, delight, wish, kindness, purpose, what seems right, etc.” And, in its context, today’s Manna must include how the Father “has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Heavenly places in Christ” (v.3b). . .how He has “chosen that we be holy and blameless before Him in love” (v.4). . .how we should live “to the praise of the glory of His grace” (vv.6, 12). . .how He might “gather together in one all things in Christ” (v.10a). . .and how the only way this can happen is when we’re “made acceptable in the Beloved, in Whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. . .and are sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise” (vv.6-7).
To accomplish this, does that mean the Calvinist is right—i.e., that God determines beforehand whom He’ll use to fulfill these things? No, not at all; He knows who’ll respond to Him, but doesn’t cause them to choose the way they do. May the Holy Spirit help us to better understand what it means about “God’s goodness leading us to repentance” (Rom. 2:4b) in relation to “the good pleasure of His will.”
No comments:
Post a Comment