(Please refer to the devotional on 1 Tim. 2:4 and the last two devotionals dealing with questions arising from that devotional. We began the response last week and continue it now…)

But if all people on earth who have ever lived, who live, or ever will live be in view, and God sovereignly wills their salvation, then we would have universal salvation.  If not, we would have a God who is either unwilling or unable to effect what he wants, in fact, what he has decreed.  If he is unable, then he is not God at all, and if he is unwilling, then he is an evil and deceptive god.  I think when two unbiblical and in fact absurd alternatives result, then we should back away from such an interpretation.

As far as your choosing is concerned, I would ask why you feel uncomfortable.  The answer you give to that question is important.  I would ask that you think about Jesus' statement to his disciples in John 15:16, "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit."  I realize there is great concern in the Christian world about protecting the integrity and efficacy of our choice, but it is also true that the New Testament says absolutely nothing about man choosing Christ, and certainly nothing about that choice effecting our salvation.  (John 7:17 does in NIV speak of one choosing to do the will of God.  But if we consider Jesus' words in Matt. 11:25-27, we would have to conclude that God would first do a work in a person's heart to enable him to make such a choice.)

What Scripture does say is that when the Holy Spirit makes us alive, gives us new birth, we SEE the kingdom of God (John 3:3), when God lifts the veil from our eyes and shines his light in our hearts we have knowledge of the glory of God (2 Cor. 4:6), and when God makes us alive he gives us faith by grace and we are saved (Eph 2:1-10).  Of course, although the Bible doesn't use the word, it would be true that when we put our faith in Christ we exercise a choice to do so, but both of us understand that that faith is a gift given to those whom God has regenerated.  Regeneration precedes knowledge of God and faith in Christ, and thus regeneration must precede any kind of choice on our part.  Thus God must take the initiative.  I feel great peace and joy knowing that God chose me for eternal life (Eph. 1:3-5), and understand full well that I would never have chosen him if he had left me in my sin and darkened heart. 

(more next week)