GOD ORDAINS THE ACTIONS, DECISIONS &ULTIMATE DESTINIES OF ALL PEOPLE by Saint Tuese Ahkiong

GOD ORDAINS THE ACTIONS, DECISIONS &ULTIMATE DESTINIES OF ALL PEOPLE

by Saint Tuese Ahkiong

The “freewill” of man vs. God’s Sovereignty/ Predestination debate has gone on for ages.  The "freewill" camp believes that man has the ability to come to Christ by his own volition.  Scripture does not teach this. In fact, it teaches that God is the one who initiates salvation beginning to end. “Freewillism” is an insult to the majesty of God! It is the exaltation of man’s “freewill” over God’s Sovereignty, Glory, and Holiness.

1.      John 1:12-13  But as many as received Him, to them Hegave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in Hisname, WHO WERE BORN, not of blood nor of the will ofthe flesh NOR OF THE WILL OF MAN,but OF GOD.

*How does one become a child of God?  Is it because of blood? no.  The will of theflesh? no.  The (FREE) will of man? nope.  Or is it because of God’s will?  YEP.

2.      Romans 9: 14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God'spart? By no means!15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy onwhom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 Sothen IT DEPENDS NOT ON HUMAN WILL OREXERTION, but on God, who has mercy. 17 For the Scripturesays to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might showmy power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18 SO THEN HE HAS MERCY ON WHOMEVER HEWILLS, AND HE HARDENS WHOMEVER HE WILLS.

**Does this verse demonstrates human willhas no say in God’s choice of who will receive mercy and who will be hardened?  NOPE.

3.      1 Peter 1:1-4 3Blessed be the God andFather of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy HAS CAUSED US TO BE BORN AGAIN toa living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4toobtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fadeaway, reserved in heaven for you,

**Who does the Scripture say CAUSES oneto be born again?  Is it the "freewill" of man?  NOPE.  Is it because of GOD?  Yep.

4.      Psalm 65:4 HOW BLESSED IS THE ONE WHOM YOU CHOOSE AND BRING NEAR TO YOUTo dwell in Your courts We will be satisfied with the goodness of Your house,Your holy temple.

5.      Eze 36:26-27 "MOREOVER, I WILL GIVE YOU A NEW HEART AND PUT A NEW SPIRIT WITHINYOU; AND I WILL REMOVE THE HEART OF STONE FROM YOUR FLESH AND GIVE YOU A HEARTOF FLESH. 27"I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT WITHIN YOU AND CAUSE YOU TO WALK IN MYSTATUTES, AND YOU WILL BE CAREFUL TO OBSERVE MY ORDINANCES.

6.   Jer. 24:7, "‘AND I WILL GIVE THEM A HEART TO KNOW ME, FOR I AM THE LORD;and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Mewith their whole heart."

7.      1 Cor 1:24,30 but to those whom God hascalled, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God… 30IT IS BECAUSE OF HIM THAT YOU ARE INCHRIST JESUS, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, ourrighteousness, holiness and redemption. 31Therefore, as it is written:"Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."

8.      2 Cor 5:17-18 Therefore, if anyone is inChrist, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18ALL THIS IS FROM GOD, WHO RECONCILEDUS TO HIMSELF THROUGH CHRIST and gave us the ministry ofreconciliation:

**Who chooses to be drawn near to God;the “freewill” of the creature or God? God. 
Who enables a person to know God?  God.
If a person does not know God intimately as his or her Father, could it bebecause God did not give that person a heart to know Him? Yep.
Is it because of a person’s great “freewill” that they are in Christ?  NO.  Ofis it because of God’s Sovereign grace? YES.

9.      . Acts 11:18 When they heard this, theyhad no further objections and praised God, saying, "So then, GOD HAS GRANTED EVEN THE GENTILESREPENTANCE UNTO LIFE."

10.    2 Tim 2:24-26 And the Lord's servantmust not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, notresentful. 25Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope THAT GOD WILL GRANT THEM REPENTANCELEADING THEM TO A KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH, 26and that they will come totheir senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captiveto do his will.

**Who grants repentance?  GOD. So, does repentance originate in the “freewill” of the creature?  NO. Repentance is a gift of God’s grace.

11.    Phil 1:29 For it has been GRANTED TO YOU ON BEHALF OF CHRIST not only TO BELIEVE on him, but also to suffer for him,

12.    Acts 13:48 When the Gentiles heard this,they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and ALL WHO WERE APPOINTED FOR ETERNAL LIFE BELIEVED.

**Accordingto God’s Word, who believes in Christ? Those who have been granted or appointed to believe in Christ.

13.    Exod 4:11 "And the Lord said tohim, "WHO HAS MADE MAN’S MOUTH?OR WHO MAKES HIM DUMB OR DEAF, OR SEEING OR BLIND? IS IT NOT I, THE LORD?"

14.    Proverbs 21:1  The king'sheart is a stream of water in the hand of THE LORD; HE TURNS IT WHEREVER HE WILL

15.    Exodus 4:21And the Lord said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do beforePharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. But I WILL HARDEN HIS HEART,sothat he will not let the people go.

16.    Deuteronomy 2:30 But Sihon the king of Heshbon would not let us passby him, FOR THE LORD YOUR GOD HARDENED HIS SPIRIT AND MADE HIS HEART OBSTINATE, THAT HE MIGHT GIVE HIM INTO YOUR HAND, ashe is this day

17.    Joshua 11:20  FOR IT WAS THE LORD'S DOING TO HARDENTHEIR HEARTS THAT THEY SHOULDCOME AGAINST ISRAEL IN BATTLE, IN ORDER THAT THEY SHOULD BE DEVOTED TODESTRUCTION AND SHOULD RECEIVE NO MERCY BUT BE DESTROYED, just as the Lordcommanded Moses.

**If the heart of a king is in the hand of God todirect it wherever He chooses, and God is the one who makes man’s dumb, deaf,seeing or blind, what does this say about God’s control over a person’s life?

18. Gen. 45:7-8 7 But God sent me ahead ofyou to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a greatdeliverance. 8 “Now, therefore, ITWAS NOT YOU WHO SENT ME HERE, BUT GOD; AND HE HAS MADE ME A FATHER TO PHARAOHand lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt.”

19. Gen 50:20 "As for you, YOU MEANT EVIL AGAINST ME, BUT GODMEANT IT FOR GOODin order to bring about this present result, topreserve many people alive.

**Did Joseph’s brothers really wanted tohurt and even kill Joseph?  YES.  Did God mean

20.   1 Sam 2:22-25 Now Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons weredoing to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who served at the doorwayof the tent of meeting. He said to them, "Why do you do such things, theevil things that I hear from all these people? "No, my sons; for thereport is not good which I hear the LORD'S people circulating."  If one man sins against another, God willmediate for him; but if a man sins against the LORD, who can intercede forhim?" BUT THEY WOULD NOT LISTENTO THE VOICE OF THEIR FATHER, FOR THE LORD DESIRED TO PUT THEM TO DEATH.

**Whywouldn’t Eli’s sons use their “freewill” to listen to their father?  The Scripture says God desired to put them todeath via their disobedience.

21.    Judges 14:1-4 1Then Samson went down toTimnah and saw a woman in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines. 2Sohe came back and told his father and mother, "I saw a woman in Timnah, oneof the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore, get her for me as awife." 3Then his father and his mother said to him, "Is there nowoman among the daughters of your relatives, or among all our people, that yougo to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?" But Samson said tohis father, "Get her for me, for she looks good to me." 4HOWEVER, HIS FATHER AND MOTHER DID NOTKNOW THAT IT WAS OF THE LORD, FOR HE WAS SEEKING AN OCCASION AGAINST THEPHILISTINES. Now at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel.

***Why was Samson getting all horny overa Timnah hottie?   Because God was usingSamson’s horniness for an occasion to throw down with the Philistines.

22.    Job 14:5 Since his days are determined,The number of his months is with You; YOUHAVE APPOINTED HIS LIMITS, SO THAT HE CANNOT PASS.

23.    Job 23:13-14 "But He is unique, andwho can make Him change? And whatever His soul desires, that He does. 14 FOR HE PERFORMS WHAT IS APPOINTED FORME, AND MANY SUCH THINGS ARE WITH HIM. THAT IS WHY I AM TERRIFIED BEFORE HIM;WHEN I THINK OF ALL THIS, I FEAR HIM.16 God has made my heart faint;the Almighty has terrified me.

24.    Acts 17:26, “and He made from one, everynation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, HAVING DETERMINED THEIR APPOINTED TIMES, AND THE BOUNDARIES OF THEIRHABITATION,”

25.    Ps 139:1-6 O LORD, you have searched meand you know me. 2 YOU KNOW WHEN ISIT AND WHEN I RISE; YOU PERCEIVE MY THOUGHTS FROM AFAR. 3 YOU DISCERN MY GOINGOUT AND MY LYING DOWN; YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH ALL MY WAYS. 4 BEFORE A WORD IS ONMY TONGUE YOU KNOW IT COMPLETELY, O LORD. 5 You hem me in—behind andbefore; you have laid your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful forme, too lofty for me to attain.

26.    Ps 139:16 your eyes saw my unformedbody. ALL THE DAYS ORDAINED FOR MEWERE WRITTEN IN YOUR BOOK BEFORE ONE OF THEM CAME TO BE.

27.    Proverbs 16:1 The plans of the heartbelong to man, BUT THE ANSWER OF THETONGUE IS FROM THE LORD.

28.    Proverbs 16:9 The mind of man plans hisway, BUT THE LORD DIRECTS HIS STEPS.

29.    Proverbs 19:21 Many plans are in a man'sheart, BUT THE COUNSEL OF THE LORDWILL STAND.

30.    Proverbs 20:24 MAN'S STEPS ARE ORDAINED BY THE LORD, How then can manunderstand his way?

31.    Acts 2:22-23 "Men of Israel, listento this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles,wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.23THIS MAN WAS HANDED OVER TO YOU BYGOD'S SET PURPOSE AND FOREKNOWLEDGE; AND YOU, with the help of wickedmen, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.

32.    Acts 4:25-28 "who by the mouth ofYour servant David have said: 'Why did the nations rage, And the people plotvain things? 26 The kings of the earth took their stand, And the rulers weregathered together Against the LORD and against His Christ.' 27 "For trulyagainst Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and PontiusPilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together 28"TO DO WHATEVER YOUR HAND ANDYOUR PURPOSE DETERMINED BEFORE TO BE DONE.

33. Psalm 80:6 YOU MAKE US AN OBJECT OF CONTENTION FOR OUR NEIGHBORS, and ourenemies laugh among themselves.

34. Isaiah 63:17  O LORD,WHY DO YOU MAKE US WANDER FROM YOUR WAYS AND HARDEN OUR HEART,SO THAT WE FEAR YOU NOT? Return for thesake of your servants, the tribes of your heritage.

**According to thisverse, do not the people of God cry out to The Lord as to why does He make themto wander, why He hardens their hearts so that they do not fear Him?

35.   Rom. 11:8 "just as it is written, 'GODGAVE THEM A SPIRIT OF STUPOR, EYES TO SEE NOT AND EARS TO HEAR NOT, DOWN TOTHIS VERY DAY.'"

36. 2 Thess. 2:11 "And for this reason GOD WILL SEND UPON THEM A DELUDINGINFLUENCE SO THAT THEY MIGHT BELIEVE WHAT IS FALSE."

**Canthe creature’s “freewill” overcome God giving them a spirit of stupor thatblinds and deafens the creature?  The “freewiller”will answer yes.  God’s Word says NO.
Can man’s “freewill” overcome God’s will to make certain people believe what isfalse?  “Freewillers” will say yes.  God says NO.