Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: jygabler@ucdavis.edu (Jason Gabler) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: None should perish (was Re: Williamson's Regulative Principle) Message-ID: Date: 8 Jul 89 04:22:03 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: University of California, Davis Lines: 32 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu [Quotes Lance Beckner, Dave Mielke, and me about predestination and election. --clh] Yes, this is the old "elect" debate. As usual I have another one of my long prayed about rational fusions of such "opposite" arguments. On one side we see God that loves everyone, and desires that they come to Him and never ends to "stand at the door and knock". Then we have the God who "chooses" who gets into the Kingdom. TO me, one view (the first) makes out a loving God, and the second ( I know its terribly condensed) showa a God who truly loves only a few of His creation. BOTH! of these are in the Bible. Both MUST hold the same amount of water in Christian eyes, or else we say that the LORD contradicts Himself. This is how I "fuse" them. God IS a loving God. He does "stand at the door and knocks" CONSTANTLY. But He DOES choose those whose doors He knocks at. Not out of preference, not out of a more righteous soul. But out of the fact that He knows our hearts. He know who has the proper heart for salvation. I believe He grieves at the thought of knowing the hearts of people; knowing exactly how many do not love Him at all, and never will. So He makes a decision: The short time this Earth is around, I believe God concentrates his "door knocking" on the doors that He sees will be opened to Him. He chooses those who have a capacity for loving Him. Jason Gabler ccjason@castor.ucdavis.edu jygabler@ucdavis