Adopted Children

 Eph 1:7
Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.

Predestination basically says that God is sovereign, He is in control, knowing all of what will happen in the future, and therefore is able to predetermine what man can and will do beforehand. There are two main thoughts in regard to how God predestined the outcome of human behavior. Either man has no say in what will happen, and therefore their fate is sealed before they are even born, or because God is all knowing, He already knows the choices that man will make and therefore salvation is predestined based on the fact that God knows whether a person will choose to believe or not believe.  All of this can be confusing to a person who is seeking God and desires to live pleasing to Him. I don’t claim to know or have any insight into the mind of God, but I know that it is God’s  desire that all who are born in this world come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. I am also convinced that God does not determine the choices we make. History is made by the choices made by man and the effect of these choices can change the future. It is God’s good pleasure that all be saved and not perish. God has given us the gift of choice, we are free moral agents to do good or to do evil. The scripture is full of verses that support this. “ And let him who is thirsty come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” (Rev. 22:17) It is not just a select few who are predestined to come, but whosoever means anyone, anybody, leaving no one out. The message is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Come to Jesus, He has the answer to all our needs. Jesus speaks, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” God desires that we all become adopted into the family of God, and not only be a child of His creation, but a child through Christ.” But ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.” (Roman 8:15). The joy of being part of the family of God, being adopted for His good pleasure. We are His children, He is our Father. Thank you, Jesus, for making this possible!

Whosoever Shall Be Saved

 Roman 10:13
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

What do we need to be saved from? Why do we need to be excused? We, creatures of humanity, born of Adam, inheriting the Adamic nature from the fall of Adam and Eve are a fallen race. Sin abides in our heart and the wages of sin is death. But, Jesus came to save us from death. He took upon Him the sins of the world, died on the cross and paid the debt that we owed. Everyone who will believe, and accept this work of Christ will be saved. Believing and accepting implies that we know that we are sinners and recognize that Jesus alone can forgive our sinful way. We confess with our mouth our depravity, and believe in our heart that Jesus took upon Himself our sins, we can be saved. The core of equity is made clear in scripture. “Whosoever” means every human being born on earth has access to this salvation. God is no respecter of person, regardless of the color of your skin, the identity of your birth, the culture of your land, or the genealogy line you come from, we all have the opportunity to be saved. God so loved the world, that He gave Son that we may be saved. We confess, We believe! We are saved.

Who Shall Be Saved

 Romans 10:13
 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Salvation is not automatic. Christ dying on the cross for the world does not save the world, but it provides a way for the world to be saved. The world is lost in darkness and sin remains lost and without hope, unless it calls upon the Name of the Lord. The Gospel is no respecter of people. Salvation is not restricted to a selected few or some elect hand-picked by God. All people from all lands, all cultures, all languages have access to this great salvation. It is truly for whoever will. We are not born Christians, or even raised Christians, we become Christians when we call on His Name, confess with our lips that we are sinners, and make Him Lord of our life. 

Unto All People

John 3:15 “ that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.”-

Luke 2:10 “And the angel said unto them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.”-

The gift of God is to anyone who is willing to accept the Salvation of the Lord. He died for ALL, but all are not saved. The provision is given to all walks of life. The poor, the rich, the sick, and the healthy are part of the “whosoever”. God is no respecter of person, He desires only that we give to Him what He gave to us, our life. Those who choose not to believe and accept this gift will not have eternal life. They will spend eternity without God, in darkness and suffering. Their souls will perish in hell. The invitation has been given, “whosoever” is you and me. Regardless of our past or our station in life, He invites us to believe in Him and accept Him as our Savior.