The Will Of Man And The Will Of God:

THE WILL OF MAN AND THE WILL OF GOD: Eph.1:1-5 2-21-09

Today I want to talk for a little while to do with “the will of man, and the will of God” so I want you to pay close attention.

Listen as I read today’s text found in;

Ephesians 1:1-5 1Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: 2Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

4According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

5Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, --

Some might be saying that this sounds like God is only going to save certain people, that there are some that can be saved and others that cannot be saved.

God is not saying that He elects some to heaven and consigns all others to hell. There is no scriptural doctrine of election to damnation any where in the Bible.

God’s infallible Word plainly states, Rom 10:13 “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved”

God had predestinated [predetermined] before there was ever any thing ever created that there would be a called out body of people that would make up “the Church” for His Son Jesus Christ. And God knows the exact number of believers to make up His Church.

He has determined it. This refers to the saved—remember that God never predestinated anybody to be lost. He predestinated us that are {IN CHRIST JESUS} vs 1- to receive an inheritance in verse 11.

If He had not predestinated us to receive an inheritance, because we’re in His Son, we wouldn’t receive it, God willed it to be that way, and we had nothing to do with Him “willing it to be”

Of our own accord we don’t deserve this inheritance. It is a reward out of His grace and not out of our merit. This is God’s will, and that is the only basis on which it is done. God has purposed it to be so, He willed it.

I’m afraid that a lot of people think that “man has a free will”. –Listen--

Man does not have "free-will," because within himself man does not have the power to choose between good and evil. –Listen, hear me out--That ability is instilled in man from God, God has willed for man to see the difference.

This is evident from the very fact that not a single person in all of the world’s history has ever been saved apart from divine grace.

God has always had to initiate and complete salvation for man. Not only is man unable to be saved apart from divine grace, but also even after he is saved, it takes divine grace to keep him in that state of salvation; if it wasn’t for the grace of God, every saved person would be lost again before he had been a believer for one whole day.

Man can not just “will” something and it come to pass.

For a lost sinner to say, “I will not go to hell” won’t keep him from going.

But let me say that just because man does not have free will, does not mean that man is not responsible for his sin, man is responsible, for he is a sinner not only by nature, but also by choice.

By Adams fall in Eden, man became a sinner; he committed moral and spiritual suicide.

Let me give you this little illustration; and remember we’re talking about “mans will & Gods will today”

~When I was in the Marine Corp many times we would get on helicopters and be transported to other places, and the side doors were kept open on both sides so we could exit fast, often the helicopter would make a sharp turn and as we looked out the door the ground would be strait down.

It was our “will” to get on the helicopter, and if any of us had suddenly decided to jump out while it was still away up in the air, there was nothing to keep any body from doing so if we so willed it.

But if some one had jumped out, he would have put himself in a situation that if he then has a change of mind, “or will” it would be too late, because he willingly jumps out can not change the fact that he made a bad mistake. ~