"I am
wondering about
predestination. Are some people predestined to be saved and the rest
predestined not to be saved?"
Thank you for asking! The doctrine of predestination is
sometimes referred to as "election," in the sense that God chooses
people for
his own purposes. For example, Abraham was chosen, or elected, by God,
as were
his son and grandson, Isaac and Jacob. Other chosen ones included Moses,
Joshua,
David, the prophets, and of course, the Israelites were the "chosen
people."
"OK, I see that I can
rest assured in my salvation in Christ. And I can't tell you how great it is to
trust God's word and stop worrying that I'm not good enough for him to save me.
Now I am wondering about predestination. What does it mean in Romans 8:29 that
`those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his
Son'? Does that mean that I will be saved no matter what because God predestined
me to be saved? Are some people predestined to be saved and the rest
predestined not to be saved?"
Theology, simply stated, is "God
knowledge." Our personal understanding of theology consists of whatever we
believe to be true about God.
In one way or another, we all have
a theology. And certainly every church and denomination has a theology. It’s the
framework that undergirds and informs their doctrines and practices.
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Program Transcript (click to view):
J. Michael Feazell: Welcome to You’re Included – the unique interview series devoted to practical implications of Trinitarian theology. Today we’re talking with Jeff McSwain, founder of Reality Ministries of Durham, North Carolina. Jeff earned his Masters of Theology degree studying with Allan and JB Torrance at St. Andrews University in Scotland. His passion is to combine sound theological teaching with the everyday practice of youth ministry.
Thanks for joining us, Jeff.
Jeff McSwain: My pleasure, Mike, thanks for having me.