Basic Biblical Principles 12
This month’s Shepherd’s Pen is a collection of four short articles. There is no particular connection between these articles, except that each subject, has been at one time or another, a matter of controversy.
Predestination
There is a dangerous concept called “predestination”. It states that God predestined some people to be saved and predestined the rest to be condemned. How does this effect us? Well, if we are predestined to be saved, it does not matter how we live, we will be saved. On the other hand, if we are predestined to be lost, there is nothing we can do to avoid it, no matter how hard we try. This is especially dangerous, because of the tendency to give up trying to live a Godly life.
This concept comes from a misunderstanding of Romans 8:29-30 and Ephesians 1:4-12. The word translated “predestined” means “limited in advance”. We know that God established His plan of salvation before the world was created. And that His salvation was “limited in advance” to those who would follow His commands. So, these verses are not talking about individual predestination, but predestination for any and all who believe in God and follow His principles. 1 Timothy 2:3-4 tells us that God wants “all men to be saved”, not just a select few. Joshua 24:15 tells us that we must choose who we will serve. If we choose to serve God, we are predestined for salvation. If we choose to serve ourselves, we are predestined for condemnation.
Once saved always saved
There is another dangerous concept called “once saved always saved”. This concept teaches that once we reach that “saved” state, there is nothing we can do to become “unsaved”. What is dangerous, about this kind of thinking, is that once we have been “saved”, we no longer need to be careful to live by God’s laws. We can cut corners and take chances with the way we live, because we are “guaranteed” to be saved. I have no idea where this concept comes from in the bible. I have found no verses that support this concept. On the contrary, there are many verses that contradict this concept. See Galatians 5:4, Revelation 2:4-5, 2 Peter 3:17, 1 Corinthians 10:12, and 2 Peter 1:10. To be fair, it is my understanding that those who subscribe to this theory believe that someone who falls away, was never “saved” to begin with. But even that does not seem to agree with what the bible has to say.
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is a hot topic in today’s news. It has also become a very controversial topic in religion. We need to weigh what we hear on the news and what is talked about in everyday conversations, with what the bible has to say about the subject. Homosexual acts are consistently condemned in the bible. The towns of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed (Genesis 18:16 - 19:29) because of the grievous sin of homosexuality. The New Testament also tells us how God feels about homosexuality. Romans 1:24-32 condemns all forms of sexual immorality, by equating it with idolatry. Included in this is homosexuality, which God refers to as unnatural. God also warns us not to approve of those who participate in all manner of sin, including sexual immorality. The only sexual activity that the bible approves of, is that between a husband and his wife.
How then should we treat homosexuals (or any sinner, for that matter)? We are to have care and concern for them, to love them, without condoning what they do.
Sorcery
Sorcery would seem not to be a major problem in this “enlightened” world of today. Yet, our newspaper carries a horoscope section, there are advertisements for psychic hot lines on TV, and there are several listings in the yellow pages for psychics and palm readers. The Old Testament strongly condemns all forms of sorcery (Leviticus 19:26 & 31 and Deuteronomy 18:10). In fact, in Deuteronomy it is listed with child sacrifice as a forbidden practice.
Reading your horoscope for fun may not be a problem, but taking any of these things seriously is a sin. John 14:1 says we are to put our trust in God and in His son Jesus, not in horoscopes, palm readers, and psychic hot lines.
Steve Truman