July 8, 2008
Re: Evangelism verses
Predestation
Dear Tom:
You wrote:
"Your
writing on
predestination made so much sense. I don't subscribe to the
belief myself but have encountered three people who do believe
it to be true. Not to degrade them but they all were proud
people exercising very little humility. They did not have an
interest in evangelism but were prone to argue and a desire to
have the last word. They were not that willing to answer my
questions but were full of their own for me to answer. Needless
to say, our discussions went nowhere. Has this been your
experience? If predestination is true and valid, why did Christ
suffer and die on earth? Why do we evangelize today? Why did
Paul make the journeys he did? Why do we need a bible?"
Tom: People who choose to
believe in this teaching do so in order to justify their
disobedience to Christ. When someone tells me they are a
predestinationist, as an excuse to not do evangelism, I do not
argue with them about the rightness or wrongness of their
belief, I ask them this question: "Are you predestined to be
saved or lost?" If they say "Predestined to eternal life." I
then will point out to them that God's word states in:
1 John 2:3-4 "By this we know that we have come to know
Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, ‘I have come
to know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and
the truth is not in him."
We are saved
by faith in the death and shed
blood of Jesus Christ on the cross. However, the Bible teaches that
if a person is truly saved it will be evidenced by their obedience
to Christ. I then will tell that person "If you are predestined to
be saved, Jesus' Word states plainly that it will be evidenced by
your obedience to Him. It will not matter whether you believe it
will do any good since by your belief you believe those who will be
saved has already been determined by God, that is not your concern.
If you are then the predestined you will show this by your obedience
to Christ by going out and sharing His love and forgiveness in the
Gospel with humanity. If you argue against that, then 1 John 2:3-4
states plainly that you are a liar and those destined to be lost."
These things are
never about what people believe but about the rebellion in their
hearts they are justifying.
Sincerely in Jesus,
Dale P. Kruse
Pastor Evangelist
Bible
Internet