Chosen but Free

There are many differences between the Calvinist and Armenian views. The major difference is the one stated that the elect are chosen by God ahead of time to be saved, while the Armenian view is that we choose to be saved by Jesus to go to heaven with God. Geisler makes a distinct difference though when he states “According to this view (Calvinism), God’s predetermination is done in spite of His foreknowledge of human free acts. God operates with such unapproachable sovereignty that His choices are made with total disregard for the choices of mortal men.” Here it is supposing that God knows what free choices we will make and plan accordingly. Honestly, it is hard to understand how you can think like that, but most people simply say it is only for God to understand. However, if we have no free will, our decision to worship God cannot mean any more than the forced worship of the angels in heaven. If that was all God wanted from us (forced worship) then he could have simply stuck with his previous angels he had before he created us.

He did create us though, and this is what keeps the free will choice alive; the decision to worship God over all other Gods. For, as Geisler said, “If free choices were not considered at all when God made the list of the elect, then irresistible grace on the unwilling follows; that is, man would have no say in his own salvation. Accordingly, the fact that all men do not choose to love, worship, and serve God will make no difference whatsoever to God.” If it were not for this simple choice, then there would be no point in the creation of humans. However, this is not to say that God did not predestinate a certain number of humans to worship him, while condemning the rest to hell. This is shown in the statement: “If not for irresistible grace upon the elect, all would forever be in this state of resisting the Holy Spirit and Jesus’ statement that ‘All whom the father gives shall come to me...’ (John 6:37) would make no sense whatsoever.” It is a very fine line between chosen to make the free choice to worship God, and simply choosing to worship God out of our own free will.

The statement, God’s grace is irresistible is also semi-confusing with faced with the previous dilemma. Geisler says this succinctly by stating: “But if God’s grace can be resisted, then it is not irresistible.” How can humans believe this but still believe we have the choice to worship God without any predestined choice by God in the first place? I believe that it is a valid point, and it is one we need to study carefully. Armenian’s theology is good, but has its faults along with the staunch Calvinists. Geisler does well by carefully choosing a theology in a gently balanced middle, and seems to consider both sides evenly and carefully. I have a hard time not choosing his argument.  

Worship

There are many types of worship in the world, and even in America. You can worship silently, singing and dancing, or simply absorbing the words sung around you. It is easy, however, to fake your worship, or not truly give your heart over to God while you are in that time. One of the easiest types of worship to do this in is where others are singing and dancing around you, caught up in the song, and you are not. It is easy to pretend and get by, but your heart is not in it, and you are not truly worshiping your God. Some types of worship really encourage this, especially really modern worship including dancing and loud bands playing up front with lights and bass. Hymns and more traditional worship tend to turn the focus onto the Lord, and keep you focused on the words and their meaning to your life.
Worship has really changed focus more and more, and I don't think it's in a good way. It seems now to focus on attracting people to it, and getting more follewers to God, when it should be about growing closer to God and learning more about him. Many types of music are catered to the young crowd, which can be successful, it just takes away from the true meaning of the worship. Evangelism and other advertising means should be used to attract crowds, whereas worship should be used to turn the attention to God and prepare our hearts for the sermon and fellowship with others in the body of Christ.

My Change

My life was changed at a very young age. My parents were missionaries overseas, and every day they would speak to the locals about Jesus and God, and what they could do in your life. As a small child, it was hard to understand, until one day I made the concious decision to lie about something. When I was caught lying by my father, I got in pretty big trouble. However, after a punishment, I felt horribly guilty about it and wondered if that guilt would ever go away from my mind. My dad noticed me feeling down and asked what was the matter. I asked him about it, and it was then that what he had been teaching the local nationals all along about God and his son Jesus finally clicked in my head. He explained that my feeling of guilt and my knowing I had done wrong would never really go away. They don't go away until you realize that Jesus, God's only son, was sent down from heaven to earth to die for our sins. He literally took the blame for every sin we ever commited or will commit, so we can look to the end of our life on earth with hope and promise. Though this is a simple sin compared to ones I have been committing later on in my life up until now, this promise Jesus made by dying holds true in my life until I die, and I never need to sit and wallow in my sin again.