― R.C. Sproul, Chosen By God: Know God's Perfect Plan for His Glory and His Children
God is sovereign. That's a fact. Meaning nothing happens apart from what He has determined.
Psalm 115:3 Our God is in heaven, He does all that He pleases.
Isaiah 45:7 I am the Lord, and there is no other. I am the one who creates the light and makes the darkness. I am the one who sends good times and bad times. I, the Lord, am the one who does these things.
Proverbs 16:33 We may throw the dice, but the Lord determines how they will fall.
Proverbs 21:1 The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.
The second fact is that we are all spiritually dead men and women.
We are zombies. That's right. We are dead men walking. And as you know, a zombie wants nothing but to serve up the flesh on a silver platter. Zombies are as free as you and I to make their own choices. His choice will always be wrong, because his nature is dead. So something outside of the zombie must enter in and give him a new nature. He will not go for it first. The first move will have to be another source. We all start out spiritual zombies.
Ephesians 2:1 And you He made alive, who were dead...
John 5:21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will.
John 15:16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you..
Now after He touches our zombie hearts and takes the cataracts out of our eyes, then we can have the right faith and make the right decision. And all who are touched by God WILL come to Him.
John 6:37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me...
So the question is: Does He decree for everyone to be saved? The answer is: No.
Acts 13:48..and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.
Romans 9:18 Therefore he has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.
John 6:65...no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to Him by My Father.
This is enough to take in for one reading. This is not a complete answer. You should have more questions that will naturally arise and I welcome them.
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