You can listen to or watch Gateway Podcast Episode 71 here.
Lightning Round
What are your thoughts on The Passion Translation of the Bible? (1:35)
Right before Jesus raises Lazarus back to life in John 11, Jesus and Martha talk about resurrection. Vs 25 makes sense to me and lines up with what I’ve always believed. Can you explain what Jesus means in vs 26? (Seems like it could be taken to mean no physical death for Christians, but that obviously is not what He is saying.) - 2:55
What is Sheol? (3:45)
Predestination Questions
Was Josh claiming that God does not know what choice people will make about belief in Jesus or non-belief? Doesn’t God know everything about each person - past, present and future? (6:45)
We received many questions from several different listeners all asking about similar topics. What follows are those questions lumped together into 4 Big Ideas. We tackle Ideas #1 & 4 in part 1 of our Predestination Q&A and will address #2 & 3 in part 2.
Big Idea 1 - Predestination: It is my understanding that God wants all people to be saved (1 Tim 2:4), but we know that not all people are saved. If salvation is 100% up to God with zero human involvement, why doesn’t he choose to elect and save everyone? Does the word “all” actually just mean “some?” Similarly...if God predestined some to be saved, then he must have also predestined some to be condemned to hell. Why would God predestine humans, whom he created in his image and loves, for eternity in hell?
Order of Salvation: Predestination/Election - Call (outward & inward) - Regeneration - Conversion (faith & repentance) - Justification - Adoption - Sanctification - Perseverance - Glory (14:45)
Big Idea 2 - Losing salvation: Back in Romans 6 we learned that God gave us freedom from sin and he also gave us freedom for righteousness. So how does this relate to the example of the person who was resuscitated by God's grace after being dead, drowned at the bottom of the sea. Can that saved person then, refuse life by wading back into the mire? What about the basketball player in your sermon...was he saved based on committing his life to Christ when he was younger despite his change later in his life?
Big Idea 3 - Free Will: Is it Gateway’s belief that a person has no choice or free will in accepting the call of God? I have always believed that all who God creates are chosen and all are called but some do not accept the call and therefore do not have salvation. You did mention at the end of your sermon that how we respond to God's call to salvation is important, but you didn't really expand on that. What are we actually doing when we “accept Christ into our hearts?” It feels like there is some free will in our response to God's call.
Big Idea 4: Why evangelize? If the golden chain of salvation is unbreakable, and those he foreknew, he predestined, called, justified, and glorified, then why do we need to share the gospel? Are some people doomed hopelessly to deny Christ no matter how much they hear about him?
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