how do i know god chose me
It’s comforting to know that there’s a lot more at stake in your salvation than just you. God has promised to work everything together for the good of His people. Everyone wants to be blessed, but often we feel that God must do everything. Look, listen, and laugh, God is with you in whatever you are going through. Once called then you make this calling “sure” by working hard to become the person God wants you to become. Stay up-to-date on announcements, new resources, and exciting news from J.D. Righteousness isn’t shown by never falling; it’s shown by getting back up and trusting that God isn’t done with you yet. Therefore if you think someone is the “one” and yet they don’t feel the same way, God is not speaking what you think. If you had accountability without predestination then no-one could be certain of being saved and we would always be anxious about whther we had done enough - do you have enough faith. He chose you because he wants to choose others. Don’t Wear Another Man’s Armor. Even in those moments when you feel victimized, or hurt, or just plain unlucky, God is working for your good. God's will is not selfish. We aren’t chosen because we’re good; we’re chosen because he is. God simply chose me to be his son because God loves me. 2. It's simply because He wants you to find genuine happiness and fulfilment in what you do. Even if we believe it, we usually treat it like an answer on a multiple-choice exam. In the meantime I must hold on to each idea equally. If I know that God finishes what he starts, I can be sure that even though today was consumed by defeat, God’s decree for my tomorrow is victory. If God is for us, it follows that, ultimately, nothing can stand against us. There is no greater, more unassailable proof that God loves me … The fact that you are concerned about your salvation shows you are this sort of person. Why can’t all established traditional Christian religions join together? It’s a matter of holiness. But if God didn’t choose us because of our goodness, he’s not counting on our goodness to keep us saved. Now this is a rather round about way of answering your question. Know this: Before the world was made, before sin came in, God chose you in Christ to be with Him though all eternity. The first question that comes to mind upon hearing a statement like that is, “Why? God usually speaks through the obvious and practical details of our lives. I’ve struggled for a few years with the following question. How do you know if God has chosen you? Otherwise, God would not be God. Can a person that is saved lose faith and be sent to hell at judgment time? The adversaries may seem powerful and numerous and dangerous and dominant. Even as a person in full-time ministry I have read the book more than once to help give me direction and reconnect me to what God has designed me to do. My future holiness is as sure as Jesus’! How do I know which Deity to choose to start with? But look again. What does it mean to have your name written in the “Book of Life”? He meant it as an enormous encouragement for a tiny, beleaguered, persecuted minority in a vast sea of unbelief and growing hostility. Why did God choose me? Most days that feels like it’s a long way off. In a way it is satisfying because it means that my God is still bigger than me and that I must trust that somehow they come together logically and justly in him (its a similar problem to the idea of the trinity). God is a God of action who wants to do something with your life – that is why He chose you. So take a deep breath. Is it possible that God hasn’t choosen me and no matter what I won’t be saved. But the burden of fixing your life has never been on you. I know that might make your head hurt. How do we know whether or not we've been chosen? If we had predestination without accountability then we would not have to worry about the way we lived - if you’re chosen your lucky, if not bad luck. How do we know that Christianity is the true religion? The worst part of suffering isn’t usually the suffering itself. Passages such as Heb 5:11-6:12 warn of the dire consequnces of falling away and are designed to make their readers work hard to avoid it. This is an Anglican Media Sydney production.Web development by Kreativ. How do I answer a person who thinks Christians have deluded themselves? The scenario you suggested - what if I’ve chosen God but God hasn’t chosen me - doesn’t make sense. I know I struggle with this, but it’s my struggle that makes me love Him all the more. Four Reasons God Tells You That You’re Chosen, The Apostle Paul’s Response to Our “Cancel Culture”, Don’t Look for Contentment Like You Used to, Why Narcissists Can’t Find the Will of God. I dont know if this is God telling me to pick something else or if its just unfortunate and I should find another way to continue this path. Every God-seeking Christian I know struggles sometimes with assurance of salvation. In becoming a Christian how do I deal with remorse and guilt from past actions? T he phrase “chosen by God” is used in a variety of ways. Where can I go for help with my marriage. How can God choose and yet hold us accountable? All Rights Reserved. Maybe you’ve been passed over for a promotion…yet again. The one thing God’s Word does explicitly tell us is to make sure that we do not marry an unbeliever (2 Corinthians 6:14-15). You are meant to be used by Him according to His perfect plan. God loves me and chose to save me. Let’s think about this in relation to predestination. Most of us can endure some pain if we know there’s a purpose behind it. The apostle Paul prayed that believers would know God the Father who chose us, God the Son who redeemed us, and God the Holy Spirit who applied salvation to us personally through the new birth. You can target local Spirits, or a Deity you like the sound of, or choose a Deity based upon what you think your life best represents.. Why would God choose me? How do i know God really exists? Unfortunately, my experience is that people who usually proclaim this, often when you first meet them, do so is a bragging sense and quickly reveal by what they say that they are a theological mess. I know the bible teaches predestination. That victory isn’t a matter of perfect health or a full bank account. Sometimes God is telling you to do more for others because you simply feel led to. save. He handpicked you to walk a very clear path. Now that He has saved me do I have a growing knowledge of Him? Peter said to the elect exiles that is, to Christians scattered throughout the Roman Empire You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession (1 Peter 2:9). Answer: The Bible does not address how to find the “perfect spouse,” nor does it get as specific as we might like on the matter of finding the right marriage partner. You see no-one can come to Jesus unless God gives them to him, and God gives them to him by enabling them to confess that He is Lord. Jesus said, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you” (John 15:16 NKJV). Praising God during a storm proves to God that you trust Him. It isn’t up to God! That is Christian living is a partnership where we work hard to bring about the godly lives that God is working in us to bring about. @jdgreear. This is the exact opposite picture we see in the New Testament. Many Christians wonder what God is calling for their life. share. God decided at a prior time to bring you to belief, to open your eyes, and to give you repentance. Without predestination I cannot be certain of my salvation. The Apostle Paul says that God has “predestined all things according to the counsel of his will” (Ephesians 1:11). You'll probably know it's a deity, but they are sometimes evasive when it comes to telling you who they are -- so you could do some research, and figure out who it was based upon appearance and characteristics. 4. What this means is that God changes us, regenerates us, which enables us to freely choose God. What God says to us is that nothing in the Christian life is wasted. What God starts, he always finishes. But do so with fear and trembling because it is God who is working IN YOU. In the book of Acts, God told him, “Go on preaching, because I have many people in this city” (Acts 18:9). For more, be sure to listen to the entire message here. Thanks in advance. Take time to listen to the truth speakers in your life and read His word, He has something to say to you in your situation. Again, even if you choose the wrong thing or knowingly defy what God is calling you to do, “You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail” (Proverbs 19:21, NLT). How can I ever have the courage to share my faith? It is a conundrum that has been around since the bible was written. How do you know that you have been called? We are drawn to … I have been a christian for many years but sometimes have doubts. It’s the feeling of hopelessness and meaninglessness. What are the consequences of having one without the other? Greear Ministries. God saves people, to use Paul’s phrase, for “the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14). Spirit – Get inside the heart of Jesus. But because of predestination I can, like Paul, say with certainty that nothing can come between me and God because God is working to make sure that is what happens. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. God would then prove to be a false god—no God at all. So when you fail—and you will, sometimes terribly—you can get back up. When he wrote to the believers in Ephesus, he began by reminding them of their predestination because he knew that truth would transform their lives. Well, God’s already chosen who is saved, so it doesn’t matter if I witness or not. Predestination has to be one of the most misunderstood concepts in the Bible. If I ever had the chance to ask the Apostle Paul what his purpose was,... © 2020 J.D. We need to know that God, who is good, will always answer the prayers of His children. How do I manage my attraction to my best friend who is not a Christian? He chose you because He is love (1 John 4:8), He is gracious, He is merciful, and He has a glorious plan for you. James says that if anyone lacks wisdom, they should ask God and expect to receive it. Accountabilty (and its partner Judgement), however, are in the bible to warn us to take things seriously. But if I trust in Christ, I can be sure that it will happen. Greear Ministries. He gives me respect and allows me to be myself. If something could rise up against God and overcome Him, that other thing would be God. Now of course we do struggle and often we fail but this is part and parcel of the process of becoming a godly Christian - struggling against our sinful nature. God has big plans for you, but it is up to you to allow Him to carry out these plans in your life. 5. Paul told the Ephesians that they were chosen—and God tells you that you’re chosen—to give you four things: If we know that salvation began in the purpose of God, then we can be sure it will be completed in the purpose of God. 2. By working hard to become what he want you to be!! God didn’t choose us for a life of ease or comfort or wealth, but “that we should be holy and blameless before him” (Ephesians 1:4). Especially with all the bad things that happen in the world? He doesn’t get taken off guard. When you believe this, pain and suffering lose their power. Also, try to be sensitive to God… As a Christian how should I understand and deal with my sexual attraction with my fiance? God has a specific plan for your life — and He requires you to … Paul told the Ephesians that they were chosen—and God tells you that you’re chosen—to give you four things: 1. We do the work and God does the work. I hope this is helpful and I encourage you to continue to struggle to become that person God wants you to be. That is logical. But that’s the paradox Scripture gives us: we share Christ with people like it’s all up to us, and we pray to God knowing that it’s all up to him. You look at your heart and think, Can I really be a Christian and still struggle with that? We need to know that God cares for us, is a refuge for us, and desires to hear the issues weighing down our hearts. The way I manage it is to recognise that I will not logically be able to bring them together. We’ll check the right box, but then we go about the rest of our lives, unsure of how predestination is supposed to apply to us. I could either abandon it and choose something else or try and figure out another way forward. All Rights Reserved. If you have chosen God, it is because He has already chosen you. Don’t refuse to help the hungry or oppressed (v. 10). Work through the six principles, and remind yourself that what you choose to do matters to God, but God is ultimately the one in control. How do you know that you have been called? because doing such things WILL MAKE YOUR CALLING AND ELECTION SURE and if you do these things YOU WILL NEVER FALL. Don’t talk maliciously (v. 9). God places conditions upon His blessings. I tell the Lord all the … And then I would turn to Ephesians 1:4: “Even as he chose [i.e., elected] us in him before the foundation of the world.” God decided to save you before he actually did it. Paul expressed this dicotomy well in Philippians 2:12-13 where, after encouraging them to follow Christ’s example, he exhorts them to work out their salvation. No suffering in your life is random, pointless, or outside of his control. © 2021 J.D. It does for me. God never tells us we’re chosen so we can look at the outside world and say, “Well, too bad for you.” You shouldn’t sit around pondering why God saved you instead of your non-believing friends; you should realize that God saved you for the sake of your non-believing friends. If I try, I will always do so at the expense of one or the other ideas. He is not whimsical. Knowing this won’t magically take away all of your hurt, but it transforms the way you experience it. He loves me enough to allow me … The Lord wants you to be able to do what you love and still work towards His Kingdom. God tells you who to marry through the obvious circumstances in your relationship. Greear! Peter says it more succinctly in 2 Peter 1:3-11 where he encourages his readers to put effort into having the godly attributes of faith, goodness, knowledge etc. That’s an expansive word. The reason so many Christians feel defeated is that they look at all the problems in their lives and ask, “How can I overcome this?” How can I end my addiction to pornography? I once heard a missionary say that when he first went overseas, he didn’t know how he could be a missionary if he believed God had chosen people. May God give you clarity and direction as you seek to please Him with your career choice. If God didn’t choose us because of our goodness, he’s not counting on our goodness to keep us saved. Knowing the God has chosen us gives us the power to get back up again after we’ve failed. He chose you that you may know Him and love Him. 3. Count it all Joy. If we know that salvation began in the purpose of God, then we can be sure it will be completed in the purpose of God. The second thing I do is see why the bible teaches the ideas. How can I know that God has chosen me? That’s good news for stumblers and strugglers and downright sinners like you and me. So even when you falter, he’s going to pursue his work in you for the sake of his name. Recently I got a huge wall put in my path for my chosen career. You make each other better. For Paul, the fact that God had chosen some was precisely why he had the confidence to witness. Maybe you keep seeing pictures of friends getting together for girls nights out, playdates… If it is really God's will for you, then He will give you the opportunity to do what you truly love. That’s not how the Apostle Paul presented the idea at all. An analogy can be found in the lightbulb. For me the main purpose of God speaking of predestining people is wonderfully expressed by Paul in Romans 8:28-39. Don’t oppress others (v. 9). Assurance during struggle. God chose you… Let that truth sink deep into your heart. Now, after years on the mission field, he says he doesn’t know how anyone could go on being a missionary unless they believe God had chosen people. That means he has bound up the glory of his name in your salvation. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you, And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:11-13. Maybe you were served divorce papers you didn’t see coming. So let's begin at the starting point, and that would be the character of God, and how He feels toward the lost: 6 The Lord passed by before him and proclaimed: “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, and abounding in loyal love and faithfulness, 7 keeping loyal love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and … With God, I know that Someone’s always watching. Question: "How will I know when I have found the perfect spouse for me?" God picked you for a very specific purpose. Even if men do not understand, even if they don’t see the good that I do, Someone always does. How can I fix the problems in my marriage? I live in Mississippi and I know I live in the middle of the woods so I know I will see animals a lot but I have been seeing a lot of black butterflies even thought the main butterfly around me is the monarch so I wish to know if this is a god/goddess reaching for me or no because i have not been studying wicca for to long and don't know the signs. How can I be sure that the Father has given me to Jesus? “I chose you,” Jesus said, “to go and bear fruit” (John 15:16). You are Go… The bible says that Jesus will not lose any that the Father has given him. Don’t point fingers (v. 9). No one can do the job that God chose you to do. It’s when that pain seems pointless that we start to despair. When you see that God has literally harnessed every molecule of the universe to make you a son or daughter in his image, you’ll have a hope that can endure the darkest valleys. But knowing that God had predestined some gave him the confidence to keep sharing. So how do we manage it? When I really think about it, it takes my breath away. 3. So, in his work in us, we are then enabled to freely choose him. The good works God has for you, he has already predestined for you, and he’s provided the power for you to do them. I can never outdo God. One of the biggest misconceptions about predestination is that it removes any urgency for us to share the gospel. Well, you’ll see it in the way you respond! This makes me more confident in His feelings toward me. What God starts, he always finishes. Take time to look up from your emotions and see what He is doing around you and for you. If there is someone in particular you’d like to honor, Google is your best friend as there are pages of information and links to books about any one particular Deity from any particular Pantheon. Look at all the obvious signs first. This is a question many Christians want to know but have no clue where to start to find the answer. For many of us, knowing that we’re chosen is the theological equivalent of knowing our social security number—important to get right, sure, but not a detail that impacts our day-to-day lives. Well, in the words of Paul (Rom 10:9), if you confess that “Jesus is Lord” and believe that he has been raised from the dead then you are saved - you have been chosen - because no one can do such a thing unless God’s Spirit is within them (1 Corinithians 12:3). Well, in the words of Paul (Rom 10:9), if you confess that “Jesus is Lord” and believe that he has been raised from the dead then you are saved - you have been chosen - because no one can do such a thing unless God’s Spirit is within them (1 Corinithians 12:3). God Loves Me and Gave His Son For Me. In Christ, God has already decreed and supplied the power for it. We must be careful to do what God calls us to do: 1. I don’t know what this past week has held for you. How much more does He love me! All things. 0 comments. Some people use it in the concept of saying that God chose them to do some sort of special thing. We don’t quite understand how it all works. God respects me and allows me to be me. We need both and we need to hold onto both equally. This is not work ON your salvation but work out the consequences of your salvation. I’ve done it, too. hide. For most Christians, the idea of God choosing us “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4 ESV) is pretty confusing. He chose you to demonstrate His character. Some identify this as regeneration preceding faith. Fact is every relationship, no matter if romantic or not, will either add to … I know love comes from God and if I’m growing in my love for Him. He did so knowing your individual personality, talents and His plan for mankind. That is how you can be sure. God works faith in us (John 6:28-29) and grants that we believe (Philippians 1:29). Paul was ready to give up. How can you make God’s will for you certain? Take time to laugh with the people in your life. As an example, you might have a dream or vision in which you are approached by a human figure who has something different about them. Understanding predestination and accountability is difficult because they seem to be mutually exclusive ideas and yet the bible teaches both. To share the gospel divorce papers you didn ’ t all established traditional religions! 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