God DOES Choose

Everyone can have private parties but God!

The Doctrine of Election has been confirmed, consistently throughout Scripture. He who has an ear…

"While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light." When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

"Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?"

Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,

"He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them."John 12:36-40

When God hardened the heart of Pharaoh in Exodus, many people walk away with the assumption that Pharaoh was given an unfair chance. Many, unsettled and uncomfortable, Christians will argue against the Sovereignty, and Timing, of God by stating the tribes in the remotest areas of the world, who do not have access to the internet, nor Bible. There are many other examples put forth to reject a Key, and Fundamental, Characteristic of God.

Christians mistaken their roles in ministry as saviors to humanity because "one seeds" and "another waters!" But they fail to recognize the key part of the verse, "But God gives the increase!"

Farmers have hired hands, or equipment, to plant and harvest their crops. When the yield is considered, is it named after the hired hand or equipment that was used to plant or harvest? Last time I checked, John Deere wasn’t stamped only each kernel of corn nor grain of wheat. So, why do we foolishly assume that our endeavors determine the harvest?

Which leads back to the "hardening" part of Scripture and God giving the increase.

looking to Jesus, "the founder and perfecter of our faith" (emphasis added), who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.Hebrews 12:2

The increase or softening of a person’s heart to hear the Gospel message and respond to Grace is not because of our works! It rests solely on the Righteous Shoulders and Conscience of God. But Christians arrogantly assume that the conversion would not have happened without their intervention. It’s like the foolishness that calls Mary, the Co-Redemptrix (equally responsible for the salvation of mankind).

Protestants are equally guilty in assuming their endeavors were/are softening the hearts of men and women.

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.Romans 10:17

Is it possible that the hardening is just God choosing not to soften a heart?

so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. "For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust" (emphasis added).Matthew 5:45

Over and over again, God is the Author, the Ink Writer in the Book of Life. We are but agents foolishly claiming an honor, and distinction, we do not deserve. Just maybe, the hardened heart of our pride is heaping up judgment for ourselves.

Maybe our struggle of faith, and following the Lord, stems from our refusal to loosen our grip of the reigns. It is clear that those who reject Christ, who reject the Gospel message, have clung, sternly, to the belief that they are the masters of their destiny. Maybe they are, and God has chosen, by Grace and Sovereignty, to not make their journey, and destination, easier.

Seeing really isn’t believing because there are a lot of people without physical sight that are denied the visual burdens/evidences of truth. Not even hearing serves as a guaranteed measure because there are many that are deaf. Then there are those who are both blind and deaf.

So, how does one know and learn of God unless He softens their heart, mind, soul and spirit to receive the Truth? As God spoke creation into existence, so does He speak our faith into existence. It is done in a way we cannot explain but a glorious moment by which we exclaim His glory.

He who has an ear…