tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63535302771376344.post5150640967900813418..comments2023-06-25T06:07:14.706-05:00Comments on O-L-I [Opinionated Layman's Input]: God is NOT RecklessTim Laitinenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07659772910035894952noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63535302771376344.post-80075542557196990922011-11-06T17:22:35.222-06:002011-11-06T17:22:35.222-06:00Thank you for your feedback!
Perhaps I should cla...Thank you for your feedback!<br /><br />Perhaps I should clarify that although I don't like Keller's choice of words, I don't believe that predestination itself is unBiblical. In fact, I believe that God does choose those whom He will save.<br /><br />Predestination doesn't devalue Christ; in fact, it hinges on His substitutionary death, burial, and resurrection to attone for the sins of God's "elect." When you realize that you are not your own; that you have been bought with a price (1 Cor. 6:20), you cannot help but worship the One who paid that price.<br /><br />Please think about it: if God does not call His people to Himself, how can He be considered sovereign? His deity demands that He control everything, whether we want to live in that reality or not.<br /><br />It's precisely this sovereign control of God's that means He cannot possibly take risks. He is not sloppy or careless - in fact, the Good Shepherd will not lose one of His sheep! (John 10:28). He will go and bring His people to Himself, and He will rejoice when a wandering son comes home.<br /><br />Tim Keller is a teaching elder in the same denomination as the church where I worship, the Presbyterian Church in America. If this brief explanation of predestination causes more questions than it answers, please feel free to contact me and discuss it further!<br /><br />I praise God that He predestined me for adoption as a son through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will! (Ephesians 1:5)<br /><br />In Christ, Tim LaitinenTim Laitinenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07659772910035894952noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63535302771376344.post-6450438382102908722011-11-06T10:38:14.656-06:002011-11-06T10:38:14.656-06:00When my daughter called me yesterday to tell me ab...When my daughter called me yesterday to tell me about this book ("the prodigal God"), I'd never heard of it. During our conversation I told her that I thought that TK probably used that title to get the readers attention (and she agreed). I downloaded it on kindle (free excerpts). I was excited reading it (and about to purchase it) until I got to the term: "God's reckless grace." I couldn't believe my own eyes, so I researched Tim Keller. On his site I found a question and answer portion. There was a question about predestination (I think it was question 3 or 4). He explained that God knew that no one would ever come to Him on their own and so He selected [only] some to be saved (I guess by force). After I thought about it, TK's agenda scared me. [IMO] This man is saying that we don't need Jesus...that Jesus died for nothing, because it has already be predetermined who will and will not be saved. This morning, I was looking at Luke 15; there are two parables in that chapter...lost sheep and lost son. You can't be lost if you don't belong to anyone. No one goes out and looks for sheep who doesn't belong to them; and no one is happy to see you coming, if they don't know you or if they have disowned you. (Yes, the Good father was happy to see his lost son return.) IMO, Tim Keller is misusing God in order to strengthen his selection view. I think he's aaying: ignore the biblical invitations to accept Christ. I hope that I'm wrong about TK.BJ Bankshttp://www.rhymingbibletruths.comnoreply@blogger.com