A : "i have problem understanding Matthew 22:14. 'for many are called, but few chosen' if not everyone is called, and not everyone is chosen, are there people who have been predestined not to be saved?"
B : "well, if any of us has come to Jesus, we come because He drew us, which none of us deserves and you if you never come it's because the Father did not draw you which all of us deserves." this is a really inconvenient truth, but i find great comfort in it... which needs a bigger time & space than this little conversation.. how about this, if there is this one person, whom in our eyes is impossible to be saved, impossible for him/her to believe then we go to God and ask for him/her to be given to Jesus then it's up to Him to draw that person, so nothing's impossible and the burden is lifted off our shoulders to become Jesus' marketing rep & the punishment we inflict ourselves when people refuse to believe in Him or even leave Him... but again, maybe it will take years to really grab this truth instead of the romanticised version we like to hear... take as much time as it's necessary :)"
A : "the only thing that i can grasp firmly at the moment is how grateful i am that He has chosen me, it’s not me you see but God himself chose me to be saved. how great is that? this is real solid food and it might take a lifetime to comprehend and maybe not even to the full extent but i chose to just live by faith, on the basis of what i have experienced, i need no other reason to live in JC. dear me... i think i just have found the answer to our cell's concern that we shared to eachother yesterday... what can we do to improve cell, to get everyone excited in God... now i think we don’t need to frustrate ourselves so much thinking abt it. just do our part, all the best that we can and when we see result, it is not us, it is Him. the burden is indeed lifted."
B : "personally i've gone thru this... when someone very close to me stopped coming to church 2 years ago i felt really condemned... i asked stupid questions like, "was it something i said, was it that time i forgot to pray for her, was it something i did?" then as a cell we asked even sillier questions, "was it cos we didn't meet her every need? was it cos we don't take her out to dinners & outings enough? was it cos someone forgot to wish her happy bday?" sounds very pious, huh? carryyy all this burden on my shoulders in hope God will take pity on us and she will return.... let's reverse this, if there is someone in our cell who comes diligently, really listened to the Word of God, excited to go to church, ministers and gives him/herself to be baptised... is it cos of us? our efforts & methods worked? must be because we've been such great leaders tat they believe? was it tat wonderful song choice or tat particularly moving prayer that did it?? then this truth comes slamming down like a fresh wind... Psalm 115, the glory is not to us but to His name... "God is in the heavens, He does whatever He pleases" and all these verses abt it's Him that draws us near, He won't let anyone get out of His sight once they're His... mannn...wat relief...how liberated i felt.... T_____T my zeal for preaching & teaching also increases cos i know it's not my works, not my song choice, not any particular illustration, BUT WHEN GOD works in the hearts of His flock. that's sovereign grace."
this might interest you too~
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