“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10)
“Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.” (Romans 8:30)
I must pose a question to you before this short letter unfolds, do you believe that all those that are lost will be found by the Lord Jesus Christ?
There is a tenet in Calvinism that has been debated long before he extoled those concepts, Calvin was not the first as many believe to speak on these matters. The question is beyond pertinent, for it either accepts or denies the sovereignty of the Living God.
If He finds all the lost and saves them, then He is Sovereign, if He does not, then He is not.
Our opening verse is clear and indisputable, all the lost that are sought will be found, and everyone of them will be saved. These are the predestined spoken of in the second verse offered, but the debate centers around these questions, do those who are lost and will be saved have free will, and do those whom the Lord is not seeking, those who also have free will, have the opportunity to be saved, even though they are not predestined?
The entire crux of this endless debate rests upon this singular precept, which I personally believe will never be answered by anyone ever alive on this planet, and it is this, if the Almighty has predestined some for heaven, has He predestined some for hell?
Some will attempt to use Romans 9:22 here as validation for this statement.
“What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:”
But we must balance that verse with this one.
“Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die” (Eze. 33:11a)
Every contemplation on this subject, every verse offered in either defense against or standing with it must be based upon our opening verse, “to seek and save.”
They are lost, they will be found, and they will be saved.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.” (Isaiah 55:8)
“For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” (Romans 9:15)
Sovereign, completely and totally, without question sovereign over all reality, over everything.
We do not know, so we are sent out amongst all mankind, we cannot at first glance tell the wicked from the lost, and only after a few well placed questions can we tell if the one we are speaking to is one of our brothers or sisters in Christ, for they will joyfully fulfill 1st Peter 3:15.
“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:”
And we who have been born-again, all of us, recognize this truth, it does not matter to us whether or not the one we are speaking to has been predestined, it makes no difference to us what the Most High has determined on this matter, it is not for us to know in this lifetime, we have been commanded to go into all the world to preach the gospel, to offer the good news of salvation to all we meet.
Where our free will begins and ends is of no concern to us, we serve with a humble heart, knowing full well that we do not deserve the gift of salvation that we have received by His grace.
You will meet people who will want to debate this topic, and no matter which thought they perceive to be the truth, they will be adamant about it. Offer them this truth, it is not for us to know, and then ask them this question, would knowing cause you to stop seeking for the lost?
“Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” (Matt. 10:16)
Gentle with all of them, wise among them.
If you have been born-again, then you are to seek the lost, the words of truth are to be hid in your heart. Do not let anyone drag you into those foolish and vain questions that are not for us to know. You preach Christ.
