Hi Sorin,
Pro 16:9 A man's heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.
Eph 1:11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to
the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,
Indeed what you say is true, we can not look down on anyone at all because of their circumstances in this life.
1Co 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am...
Also, Ray said that a person can not commit suicide unless that is what God pre-determined that they would do, and when they would do it, not sooner, nor later.
Here is an excerpt from the Nashville conference transcript that you referred to.
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,4472.msg34384.html#msg34384 -----
He is in control of EVERTHING, through circumstances. He doesn’t make anyone kill themselves against their will, no. But He puts them into situations where they can’t tolerate life anymore and their own will becomes, I want to kill myself.
[Someone ask the question: is that why Christ was always in prayer?]
Well yes, it’s like the old saying; act like it all depends on you and pray like it all depends on God. That’s the way you should live your life. He could not help but pray.
What appears to be contradictions are not contradictions, when you have a higher spiritual understanding of what it’s talking about.
Let me show you a perfect example and it sounds like a contradiction, but it’s not.
Phi 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.”
Doesn’t that contradict this whole thing, we’re saved by grace and not of works? And now we’re to work out our own salvation? What is that? How do you explain that? “ Of Myself I can do nothing…” (John 5:30), and he said YOU can do nothing (John 15:5), He said to the apostles. Then Paul says “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” Well it does sound like a contradiction. Read the next verse, He tells us why. ‘For,’ now that word always means ‘because,’ it’s another word for because.
Phi 2:13 “For(because) it is God who works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.”
Some of you probably still don’t get the answer, but it is there. Work out your own salvation, is not the jest of that saying, He is not saying, work out your own salvation(.) No, he’s saying “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, that’s where the emphases is, on fear and trembling, not on work out your own salvation. You work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, why? Because it all depends on God. If God doesn’t do it, it won’t happen, IT WON’T HAPPEN. So we live in fear and trepidation.
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You think, I shouldn’t have done this or that. That’s right you shouldn’t think that way. You should think, that I shouldn’t have done that, because then your learning. And when you learn, you will then put that into practice. Because God doesn’t have you learn things so you can’t put them into practice. He has you learn things so you CAN put them into practice. But the only way you will learn them, is if you see how stupid it was, and you say if I had it to do over, I wouldn’t have done that. So you had to do them, because that lead to a lot of trouble and pain and sorrow. But did you learn your lesson? Well yea. Then don’t do it again, Ok, now their back on track.
But the whole human race does not comprehend, they do not have free-will. They have a will based on everything, that everything makes them do. That’s there free-will.
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mercy, peace and love
Kat