Election is not that God chooses some people to be saved, and others to be lost. God did not produce robots. He created His beings to REASON FREELY, both in heaven and on earth.
Lucifer, a covering cherub, coveted the glory and honor that only belongs to God.
Man was made in the image of God. So God placed a tree in the Garden of Eden to test Adam and Eve's Reasoning.
Now before this, Lucifer, one of the covering cherubs, rebelled against God with 1/3 of the angels and was tossed out of Heaven. He must still stand before God to give his accounts, and he always asks God permission to hassle the saints and create his own kingdom.
One of the hallmarks of God's great wisdom and power is that He can steer all of those zillions of free will decisions and their bad consequences to fulfill His own purposes, perfectly.
God has not hidden the penalty for disobedience to God. That penalty is the Lake of Fire burning with sulfur and brimstone forever and ever; where the maggot never dies.
People say all the time, "God is a God of love and He will not throw us into hell."
God is love. His love is holy. There is no one who loves us like God loves us. He freely sent Jesus to die for our sins. As many as receive, believe and commit to Him with a heart determination to walk with Him are saved.
God looks for WILLINGNESS in us. Sometimes we give that willingness piece-meal, but in the end we all come to submission to our Lord, willing to do His will. It is all by His grace that works in us this desire to do His will. All glory belongs to Him, but our rewards in heaven will be based on our submission to His will.
In this life we all have our struggles, but the Lord is ever faithful giving us what we need every step of the way. He develops our faith in our hearts. And we are saved by this faith. Salvation is a gift of God but we are on that path, believing. God does it and I marvel at what He has done in me.
I obey God especially in examining myself daily, and confessing sins as the Word and my heart convicts me. I truly know that Jesus Christ is right now at the right hand of the Father, and coming soon. I am only making it into heaven by the blood of the Lamb, which the Love, Mercy and Grace of God gave to us. I have no merit in myself. None, zippo, nada. To Jesus belongs all the glory. All.
Jesus is my ticket to heaven, and no one else. Get to know me, the Lord says. This is eternal life, to know YOU, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom YOU sent.
Beware lest the enemy of our souls beguiles us to depart from our God. No, no, no. They that endure to the end shall be saved (Matt 24:13: But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
God is our Helper who will guide us to the end. God is faithful and perfectly GOOD.
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