There are many believers who will not grasp the truth as it is in Christ. "The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law." Deuteronomy 29.29. (emphasis mine).
What are these "secret things"? If we knew these "secret things" would we not be as God?
Adam and Eve were in a most blessed environment! they were in the "garden of Eden", which of us have been in such a sphere? "And the LORD God commanded the man saying , Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." Genesis 2.16-17. (emphasis mine).
It is a fact is it not, that God created Satan? read Ezekiel 28.15. Satan through his enormous pride did indeed fall, for "iniquity was found in thee." The prophet confirms this in verse 17; "Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty." (my emphasis). Satan is the "day star" in Isaiah 14.12 (RV) Lucifer (AV). God put our first parents in the garden; Calvinists and Arminian's are at least agreed on this! But, the grand question is; who is the author of sin? God or Satan? Satan's apostasy was before man, and God allowed Satan to enter into the garden, as he did also grant him permission to "smite" Job in Job 2.6-7. Why then would God do this? But then, who can say to Him "What doest thou?" Daniel 4.35. Nevertheless, of the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil." God expressly commanded Adam and Eve to "not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." Genesis 2.17 (my emphasis).
Is it not clear then, why we have been subjected to this test? The "elect angels" (1 Timothy 5.21) know nothing of redemption other than the "spectacle" (Gk. theatre) that they see going on down here below, See 1 Corinthians 4.9. God in Christ "gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a people for His own possession, zealous of good works." Titus 2.14. Without redemption, would we be anything other than automatons? Of the gospel, it is written "the angels desire to look into." 1 Peter 1.12? Why do they "desire to look into these things"?
Can we not but wonder at their astonishment that the Creator became incarnate only to die on that cross? God "saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began." 2 Timothy 1.9 (my emphasis). Clearly God had a predetermined plan, otherwise known as predestination and election, not only did He know what would come to pass (foreknowledge), He is the author of all that has happened, is happening, and will happen. Yet He is NOT the author of sin, for "God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all." 1 John 1.5. "All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8.28 (emphasis mine). Are not these "all things" every thing, bad as well as good? Though man is a free agent to do what he will, it is God's unseen hand which orchestrates all events; even "The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: He turneth it whithersoever He will." Proverbs 21.1. Man is a responsible creature with a God given conscience, more so the believer, so it is incumbent on us to live according to the Law of Christ, walking by the two great commandments, Matthew 22.38-40, on this Peter said "make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye will never fall." 2 Peter 1.10.
In the garden of Eden, it was the arch deceiver Satan who "beguiled" the woman (Genesis 3.6, 1 Timothy 2.14. Eve gave the fruit to Adam and "he did eat" Genesis 3.6. Adam and Eve only had to obey God's command and all would be well. But it was Satan who tempted man to sin against His maker. Did not God have a right to put that tree there? This was surely telling the federal head of our race Who it was that owned the place, was it not?
God created Satan "perfect", so why or how did he apostatise? Certainly he "was full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty" Ezekiel 28.14; it is written that God's ways are "past finding out!" Romans 11.33.
But, even to think that God was caught unawares by Satan's apostasy; could He then be called the omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient One? Some may speculate that even without the serpent's presence in the garden, Adam and Eve may still have sinned (though they may have took longer to do so!) James 1.14 says "every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed." They may have kept looking at that fruit until it drove them to distraction, finally to cave in! But this is speculation, for what was predetermined by God actually happened. His plan came to pass.
Some treat the crucifixion as an afterthought, almost as if the devil got the better of the Almighty, and God put 'plan b' into place by sending His Son to die on the cross to save us! But the Scriptures reveal otherwise, that "the Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world" Revelation 13.8, and as 2 Timothy 1.9 puts it "before the world began." God is outside of time, but He predestinated the events to the tiniest minutiae that led to the cross some 4000 years ago, or did all these events happen by chance? Think on these things! The Lord Jesus even "chose a devil" John 6.70 to do the wicked deed, yet Judas did what he did, of his own volition! How do we explain these things? Do we have a plumb line to fathom them? Yet "it is written".
"God calleth His own sheep by name" John 10.3, He is calling them out one by one, "My sheep hear My voice" John 10.27, they will come. But why do they come? "No man can come to Me, except My Father which hath sent Me draw him" John 6.44 (my emphasis). The Gospel call is universal, for He "commandeth all men everywhere to repent" Acts 17.30 (my emphasis). But only the elect (My sheep) hear His voice (John 10.16 & 27).
Arminians will use Acts 7.51 to support 'free will', but this verse is merely telling us that the "stiff necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears" resisted the testimony of the preached word of God, that is to the external work of the Holy Spirit. "My Spirit shall not always strive with man" Genesis 6.3. 1 Peter 3.18-20 shows us that it was the Spirit of Christ in Noah that "strove" with the antediluvians when the patriarch preached to them.
I believe in what is known as Reformed Calvinistic theology; which upholds the "doctrines of grace" aka "TULIP" and pre-destination/election, because I see them very clearly taught in the Scripture of Truth, not because I am a follower of any man, only THE Man!
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