Can man's free will control or affect the eternal plan of God?

Can man's free will control or affect the eternal plan of God?

QUESTION:

Does our free will in this temporary earth have control over God’s eternal purpose or will?

ANSWER:

From God’s point of view, his eternal purpose is set. Nothing will ever be able to change the outcome of God’s plan because the Word says, “for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name”, Ps 138:2, and, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”, Mat 24:35. Thus, God’s word is settled, and from its pages we know that at the end of God’s plan there is a new heaven and a new earth, and we know there is an eternal lake of fire. The plan ends with two final outcomes, salvation and restoration or wrath and destruction. 

As grace believers, what is our primary objective? (Part 4)

Paul’s Encouragement to Increase in Knowledge and Understanding

Start this series of posts with: Part 1

Paul’s letters are full of statements that encourage one to learn, to increase in one’s knowledge of God’s Word, and to gain understanding of it, so that it embeds in one’s heart and becomes part of the outflow of one’s life, in thinking, reasoning, speech, and actions. You cannot go far in Paul’s epistles and not read statements that encourage growth and increasing in knowledge and understanding.

In Romans, the foundational epistle that establishes us in ‘the faith’, Paul immediately starts to fire up our minds, compelling us to think upon things, or to know things, coercing our learning and understanding. Have a look at the following statements that we encounter so early in the mystery curriculum,

Redeeming the time on things of eternal value

Redeeming the time on things of eternal value

Do you realize that the vast majority of what happens in time is irrelevant. If it has nothing to do with God’s Son and living by His Word, it counts very little in the utter vastness of eternity. This small vapour of a life we have in this body is NOTHING compared to the eternity we will spend in one of two places. If you believe in Jesus Christ and His cross work, then you are called to an eternal, heavenly vocation, Eph 4:1, and you should be giving serious consideration to that life and purpose in the ages to come, which is being affected by what we do today. Read 1Co 3:10-15 for some details.

In the Book of Ecclesiastes Solomon says,

Ecc 2:11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.

What does ‘working out our salvation in fear and trembling’ really mean?

What does ‘working out our salvation in fear and trembling’ really mean?

Php 2:12-13  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.  13  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

To keep this short, let me get straight to the point. “Working out our own salvation” is not us doing good works to justify our salvation. It is not acts of kindness. It is not giving money to the church. It is not activities of any kind that make us feel we did something right or good. To put it bluntly, it is not any type of ‘physical’ actions that we do in this world that ‘works out our salvation’. How can I know this and confirm this? Well, consider this to start with. If our salvation is ALREADY SECURE in Christ (Rom.3:21-28), just by us believing in Jesus and trusting His death, burial, and resurrection (1Cor.15:1-4), then what is this ‘work’ I must do in fear and trembling? What can this ‘work’ do to contribute any more to a salvation I have that is ALREADY 100% SECURE? That does not make sense! In this regard, the ‘work’ being mentioned here has a different context than, to earn, or contribute to, or justify, salvation.

Life, death, and the timing and meaning of the cross of Christ

Life, death, and the timing and meaning of the cross of Christ

QUESTION:

What will happen to the souls of those who died before Jesus Christ? Did they go to the nothingness or hell if they didn’t know Jesus’ name. They died before Him. So where are they now?

If the time of Jesus death have no meaning, then what meaning has it? Why was His death needed? If He did not die, would we go to hell?

I don’t get it. If they will be saved even before Jesus’ death, then His death is pointless. If it has any meaning and value, then why would those who died before Him be damned? Isn’t that proof that we aren’t equal before God at all?

ANSWER:

The doctrine of death and the afterlife is wide and there are many different theories. Some believe in “soul sleep” which means while the body is 6-feet under at death, they are aware of nothing. No consciousness, no thinking or experiences, but just waiting in ‘sleep’ for their resurrection in their order. The Bible has many references that can suggest this.

The Destinies of a Man

The Destinies of a Man

At the very moment you believed the grace gospel, you were regenerated in spirit, and you were placed into Christ, becoming an adopted son, seated with Christ in the heavenlies. What a contrast to what you were before this! Before salvation by God's grace, you were a dead sinner, living out a vain existence that would end with the wrath of God. You were of no value to anything going on in this earth. Paul said,

Ephesians 2:1-3 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others [who are outside of Christ].

Didn't Jesus say that God didn't send Him for Gentiles?

Answer Request:
Didn't Jesus say that God didn't send Him for Gentiles (Matt 15:24)? 

Yes! That is 100% correct. It might come as a surprise to many denominational Christians, but it is true! Jesus clearly tells us that He did not come for the Gentiles. Let's look at the verses and explain this fact,

Matt.15:23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. 24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. 26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. 27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.