Does God have a plan ?

[darren]

Thanks to you ,the B.T. family for all the great replies.  I take these hard times as a test. a test on my personal growth in my faith and trust in The Lord. As I stated in my early post that I am just a meer mortal who falls short in many things in life. I am very bless and greatfull to The Lord for what He has giving me. I come to understand that there are many things that I might never understand. This is when I come to understand it is best to let go and let God. That said, I am a husband to my wife. I am a Father to my children. I am a man who takes the role of protector, and head of my family with the up most responsibility. I failed in many things in my life. In this matter I will not fail unless it is Gods Will. If that is the case I will go down in death fighting all the way. I do believe God does have a plan and I will have trust. Not to say, I will do whatever is in or I think is in my power to do what I must in-order to make sure they have shelter, clothing, food and most importantly LOVE and SURPORT. Listen I am the head my household, I am the king of my castle. ( well my wife lets me think so )  I know without her there is no me. She is the rock in witch our house is built upon.   

[loretta]

Nice sharing there, Darren.  This morning, during my quiet time, I was rueing the fact that I have not been as successful as some of my contemporaries - good careers, marriages, exciting lives etc...  Then again, looking back on the last 30 odd years, it has been nothing but the sovereign hand of God that turned and twisted my life.  I was in my twenties, use to sing in the church choir, when one Sunday morning, a lady walked up to me and said that God had great plans for me. Great plans? I couldn't discern any! I had sensed God's call upon my life, but uptil then I chose to control the outcome of my life.  It was a only decade later that I conceded defeat and let God be God in my life.  And another decade before I learnt the precious truth that I probably am of the elect, being prepared through the twists and turns in my life, to reign with Christ in His Kingdom. I am learning that the great plans God has for me will be revealed not in this age, but in the age to come.

[AK4]

Really? From the title of the thread, we should know the answer. Just saying

[Ian 155]

Really? From the title of the thread, we should know the answer. Just saying

ftp://

[AK4]

The anwer is yes. Thats it

[The Professor]

For human beings to achieve anything of significance they must have a plan. That's why the intelligent ones always do...

All successful businesses have business plans...and these are checked DAILY and followed through METICULOUSLY.

They say: "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail"...or "A business with no plan, is a business with no future".

Now imagine Him, who is Greater than all of us...so Greater is He, that we are not even at a stage to call ourselves His children (I believe the human race is the Spiritual equivalent of the human fetus).

"For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength." (1 Cor.1:25)

Not only does God have a plan, it is a perfect one...perfect because God is in absolute control (sovereign), bear in mind God created His own adversary...that's how much in control He is.

[darren]

I see where some here say they know their part of God's elite. Many will be called, few will be chosen. personally I think it is a bold statement to say one knows they are part of the few chosen. How does one know for sure. I believe Ray stated that we would not know until the first Resurrection whoever is in that number is the elite the few.

[Rhys 🕊]

Agree with you Darren.

Here is a bit from Ray on it:

http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,2059.msg16747.html#msg16747

Ray,

Thank you for your work.

Is there an article or book I can look at which will discuss "The Elect" found in the new testament from the universal salvation perspective??

Are "The elect" the sheep that Jesus talks about which will be seperated from the goats??

If so can someone be one of the elect(sheep) and then lose his way and then at the judgement be placed not with the sheep but with the goats??

Sorry, I don't write very well but hope the above makes a little sense.

Thank you again for your work.

Kelly


Dear Kelly:
Those whom God has foreordained to be the elect will always be the elect. The chosen elect cannot be lost.  But you and I do not know exactly who is and who isn't an elect. Only God's knows those who are His, and therefore, we can never let down our guard, because we might only think that we are elect.  I have seen and witnessed this with my own eyes where those who appeared to be elect, turned and now blaspheme the name of the Saviour they claimed to worship a short while back.
Sorry, don't know of any books that you can read on this subject.
God be with you,
Ray

I know for myself that God is doing a work in me but what that is in His hands. I know that I'm secure in Him and His will is going to be done whether elect or not.

I look at it like this too - God knows what is best for us. Often we think if I only I had this or that then I would be better off but would we and how do you know that. I've seen a lack of things to be a blessing later on. If I had all the money would I be here with a hunger for God's truth.

I'm sure whatever we go through God has a reason and it may not be the reason we think or hope for but it will be what is best for us.

Rhys

[Joel]

A scripture that keeps coming to mind while reading this post is;
2ND Corinthians 13:5
Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves, Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

Joel

[Ian 155]

veering slightly off topic Rhys/Darren ...there is a place of obscurity with me when referring to the elect .... see what Paul has to say about his "crown"

2Ti_4:8  Now, a prize is waiting for me--the crown that will show I am right with God. The Lord, the judge who judges rightly, will give it to me on that Day. Yes, he will give it to me and to everyone else who is eagerly looking forward to his coming.

in Rays word "we can Know"

Ian

[Nathan]

veering slightly off topic Rhys/Darren ...there is a place of obscurity with me when referring to the elect .... see what Paul has to say about his "crown"

2Ti_4:8  Now, a prize is waiting for me--the crown that will show I am right with God. The Lord, the judge who judges rightly, will give it to me on that Day. Yes, he will give it to me and to everyone else who is eagerly looking forward to his coming.

in Rays word "we can Know"

Ian

The following passage of Scripture makes it clear what it takes to make our calling and election sure. We all need to continually examine ourselves to make sure we are not lacking these virtues.

2 Peter 1:

5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

[onelovedread]

12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

[Kat]

Yes it is God that does it all, nobody questions that... but it is "God who works IN YOU" so that it is possible that "WE work out your own salvation with fear and trembling."

Php 2:12  Therefore, my beloved, as you 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;
v. 13  for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

2Co 7:1 Having, then, these promises, beloved, we should be cleansing ourselves from every pollution of flesh and spirit, completing holiness in the fear of God."

Heb 10:24  And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,

Eph 2:10  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God afore prepared that we should walk in them.

Mat 5:14  "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
v. 15  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
v. 16  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Yes we give God all the glory that by His Holy Spirit we can have good works.

Eph 3:20  Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,
v. 21  to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

mercy, peace and love
Kat

[loretta]

God alone is the Power behind what we do.  We can't even find our way to the bathroom without God's direction, much less making our calling and election sure.

Trust JfK to come up with such an analogy!

Which reminds me of my demised father who suffered from Alzheimer's.  When he would visit with us, he'd sleep in a room with an attached bathroom.  Yet, each morning, I would find puddles all over the house but during the day he would find his way to the bathroom.  Guess, we're like that, disoriented in the dark.  That is why we're commanded to walk in the light, that we may be children of the light.

Ephesians 5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

Yes, there are moments when we 'can know' our calling and election.  Other times we will not be so sure.  This is also of God, to keep us on our guard. But God will be All in All and in that confidence I rest. Rather I try to rest.