The Predetermined Election

By D.D. Evans

The concept of "freedom" is over rated, in that no one is ever free. We are contained by a variety of forces that keeps us constrained; physically, mentally, and spiritually. God satisfies all of these constraints, through His earthly representative, Jesus Christ. The Predetermined Election reviews the evidance for the sovereignty of God's choices that define our freedoms, in Christ, and answer some of the questions, as to why bad things happen to good people.

 

About the autheor: Born in McCook, Nebraska in 1950, I have spent the last 60 years walking with the Lord. The last thirty eight years have been in ministry, as teacher, music minister, clinic devotional leader, and hospital Chaplin. I received my ordination in 1989 and have served as a church bishop for twenty years.

The College of Biblical Studies in Houston Texas has provided me with formal education in teaching.

 

In my 60 year walk with the Lord, I have experienced the ups and downs, in and outs, along with the doubts, of the Christian life. I know what it is to be redeemed, healed, and delivered by a gracious loving heavenly Father who loved us so much that he sent Jesus to come, dwell among us, and take our place in judgment, so that we may say with Job, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust him". (Job 13:15)

 

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: D.D.Evans
• Release date: May 31, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393051749

D.D. Evans

D.D.Evans has been in ministry and counseling for over 38 years and currently serves as a hospital chaplain in the Houston, Texas area. Married for 48 years he is the father of two daughters and the grandfather of three granddaughters and one grandson.

Book preview

Prolog: Who’s in Charge?

The common concept of freedom is inaccurate. We are not free to do what we want; when we want and a life without rules only leads to chaos. None of us are ever free, without boundaries. Freedom is predicated upon compliance with a set of rules. We are contained by a variety of forces that keeps us constrained; physically, mentally, and spiritually. God harmoniously satisfies all of these constraints, through His earthly representative, Jesus Christ. To violate the universal laws of God, leaves in a perpetual state of turmoil

Knowing who we are in Christ Jesus is crucial, peace and responsible freedom. When we have proven ourselves responsible to Christ, we can be trusted with spiritual weapons, which are essential, to the pulling down of strongholds and the defeat of Satan in our lives. (2Corinth 10:4-6) When we know who we were created to be, in Christ Jesus, we set ourselves on the path to an eternal relationship with our creator and deny Satan the power, to rule over us.

However, Satan is not, always, to blame; sometimes we are the enemy. In the book of Job, he never once mentions the existence of Satan, although Satan was the one destroying Job. To imply, that Satan is to blame for everything that happens in our life, is to deny our part in those events. In other words, we deny our place in God’s eternal plan and His sovereign will, to develop His design, in His time, and using His methods. It has been said that, Perception is reality. To deny God’s sovereignty in the events of our life is a perception that is not true; but becomes our reality as we believe it to be truth. In other words, we really think that we can control our own lives and destiny.

So, if this is my Father’s world and He’s got the whole world in His hands, then why is there, so much, chaos and evil, in it and in my life? In 1Corinthians 14:33 we read that God is NOT the God of confusion, therefore, statements about chaos existing, in the world, are false or chaos and confusion is part of His plan. Not that God is confused; but that we are without understanding. If we are walking in the straight and narrow path of God’s directive then we are not confused, by definition, even though we may not understand, we are in trust of his sovereign outcome.

Da 9:7 O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee. [8] O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee. [9] To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him.

We are confused, because of sin. God has delivered us from sin, through trust, in Jesus Christ, that we should not fear; but be bold as lions and be lead by peace given to us by the Holy Spirit.

Pr 28:1 ¶ The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.

1Ch 28:20 And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.

Col 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

Jas 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

The answer, to the question of wide spread evil and chaos, may very well lie in our misunderstanding of the sovereignty of God and our unwillingness to accept the fact that our God is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29; 10:31) , who will not long endure sin.

This expose’ makes an effort to address those misunderstandings and provide hope, to those who have put their trust in the hands of the Almighty. Herein you will find many witnesses to testify of the sovereignty of God, who makes all things for himself, yes, even the wicked for the day of destruction. (Prov 16:4)

Chapter 1

The quintessential example of Job

What is the answer to the age-old question, If God is love; why is there evil in the world? God either caused evil or is powerless to stop it. If He is the power of the universe and unwilling to stop evil; then He is complicit, in it. The only satisfactory answer is the understanding of His sovereign demonstration of love, through mercy and grace. Consider the witness of Job.

Job 1:6 ¶ Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. [7 ]And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. [8]And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? [9] Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? [10] Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. [11] But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. [12] And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So, Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.

Who started the discussion about Job; God did? Everything was great, until God began the discussion. God started bragging, about Job, to Satan the destroyer of mankind. Herein is the old cliché, With friends like that, who needs enemies? Satan then challenged God and God went for the challenge commanding the devil to do whatever he desired to Job, within limitations. The law of inertia states that a body in motion will remain in motion until acted upon by an outside force. If God would have not said anything; nothing would have changed. Before there is movement or change, a force must be applied.

Job was like a high-powered athlete, who doesn’t do anything. Athletic clubs do not pay their high dollar athletes to sit on the bench. Job was a mighty man of faith who remained untested, until Satan’s challenge. Satan was the force that God applied to create change.

Job 2:1 ¶ Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.  [2] And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. [3] And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause. [4] And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. [5] But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face. [6] And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.

NOTE: Hold it. I thought that Satan was the one doing the action; but God takes credit for moving against Job. Satan moved (challenged) God "to destroy Job, without a cause." There was no reason for Job’s suffering, other than Satan’s challenge. Many times, we attempt to find out what we did wrong to deserve our troubles; not realizing that we are a trophy of God; used, to demonstrate his will in the earth.  God does not need a reason to test us, even destroy all that we have, to expose who we truly are inside. Our purpose, in life, is to glorify him, by trusting and following Him; knowing that he will guide us, in our education, along the way, to bring us to an expected end. (Jere 29:11) Yes, we should always, examine ourselves and, with a clear conscience, trust God’s leadership throughout all of life.

It is a misconception, about God, that He will never hurt anyone. He is the one who commanded that all humanity must die, before and after Noah’s flood. (Hebrews 9:27) Is it right that our Savior Jesus and his Apostles are the only ones, to suffer wrong? The Apostle Paul wrote:

2Co 4:8 ¶ We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; [9] Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; [10] Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

How is the life of Jesus revealed in us; by bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus.? The way that others, including angels, see the life of Jesus in the earth is through our response, to suffering.

2Co 4:11 For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

Through our experiences and the Holy Spirit, we comfort others, in any distress.

2Co 1:3 ¶ Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; [4] Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

2Co 11:24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. [25] Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; [26] In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; [27] In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. [28] Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. [29] Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? [30] If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.

Does that sound like the preaching of modern-day ministers? Where is God in all this suffering of his people? Because we truly believe that our lives are in God’s hands, when something evil happens, to us; we must conclude that God is in it. As a chaplain, I always would ask people, in any tragedy or distress, Where is God right now, in this situation?

Job 2:10 But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.

We must also remember, that there are limitations placed upon the evil one, to protect us in the process of testing.

Job 1:12 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand.

Job 2:6 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.

Joh 19:10 Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? [11] Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.

Again, the words of the Apostles.

1Co 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Jas 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

Who is providing the testing? God is faithful who will not allow you to be tested above what you are able to endure. Why would God allow us to be tempted, at all; so, that we might receive the crown of life. Obviously, He has a reason for testing us and we must wait upon His reason, to unfold in our lives. As with Job, the result, at the end, is better than at the beginning. With God things are always better, on the other side of the testing.

De 8:16 Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end.

Job 8:7 Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.

Job 42:12 So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses.

Isa 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Ro 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

2Co 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. [10] Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

We are called to suffer that we might learn how, to trust and grow. Growth requires struggle.

AXIOM: Whatever we face; our response is, always opposite or opposing the struggle. We are to overcome: hardship with prayer (Lu 18:1; John 16:24), evil with good (Ro 12:22), discouragement with joy (1Thess 5:17; Jas 1:4; Psalm 100:4), and fear with love (1John 4:18).

In reference to Jesus, we read:

Heb 5:7 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears (in the