Understanding Your Religion
7 Major Doctrines that Define Christianity
Error and Consequence
The Sub-Doctrines of Election and Predestination
Estrategia pedagógica
The focus of this lesson is on the various consequences of the false teachings of election and predestination. Of special note in this lesson is an explanation of the biblically accurate doctrine of reconciliation.
Resultados del aprendizaje de los estudiantes
- Know: Understand the doctrine of reconciliation.
- Feel: Value that God has put in place a way that we can be reconciled to Him.
- Do: Submit to the process God put in place to bring us back to Him.
Cuerpo de la lección
Preguntas de discusión
A continuación se sugieren preguntas para utilizar durante la parte de debate guiado de la lección. También se sugieren respuestas a las preguntas para ayudar a los alumnos a comprender los distintos conceptos. Se proporcionan para ayudar al debate y no se consideran respuestas "correctas o incorrectas".
- Original goodness (the ability to choose) – Man is created good and he is responsible and able to choose to do so.
- The fall of man through sin – Man chose to disobey God that resulted in suffering, death and condemnation but retains the ability to choose right from wrong and to respond to God.
- Reconciliation to God through Jesus Christ – God's plan to offer reconciliation through the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Election means to choose. God chose to make a way of reconciliation to Him. He did so because of His love for us. He accomplished this through Jesus.
Many believe the Calvinistic teaching that God chooses to save some and not others. This belief stems in part from the teaching that all men are born guilty of sin and thus lack the ability to choose right or obey the gospel. God, therefore, is required to choose those who will be saved and those who will not.
- I Timothy 2:4-5
- I Peter 2:4
- Hebrews 10:5-7
- Matthew 28:18-19 / Mark 16:16
- Galatians 3:26-27
- Ephesians 1:3-4
These verses point to Jesus as the one through whom we are saved. God saves all who choose to be in Christ.
Predestination means knowledge of a result. Another Calvinist teaching that God knows in advance who He would choose to save and who He would condemn.
These verses point to God's predestination of the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus.
Through Jesus all can receive salvation if they obey the teachings of Jesus to be granted eternal salvation. We turn to God through Jesus and are saved by our response of faith to His offer of grace (which we are fully capable of doing – Acts 2:37-38).
Scripture clearly teaches that God does not want any to be lost (I Timothy 2:3-4; II Peter 3:9). The plan that God put in place from the very beginning was that His Son Jesus would die for our sins thus bringing about the possibility of salvation. It is not through any action on our part that we earn it, only God's grace and our faith expressed in repentance and baptism (Acts 22:16) completes our salvation.