A lot of preachers teach that "Freewill" is your choice to believe or disbelieve in God. Of course they also teach that we are all God's children and everyone can be saved.
These are great talking points for filling the pews and collection plate...but they're not true.
Remember, just because everyone believes something is true, doesn't make it truth.
Everyone believes in God (there are no Atheist's in foxholes)...even demons believe in God (James 2:19).
Yes, God made us all, even the wicked to serve his purpose; "The Lord hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil"
Proverbs 16:4
Do Not Be Deceived:
We are not all God's children and not everyone can be or will be saved.
Life and blessing come from obedience, not belief...you won't obey until you have been reborn Spiritually. The temptations of this world are simply too great to overcome without the Spirit of God helping you.
God' didn't give us commandments and statutes to punish us or make life hard, but to insure a good life.
Everything God does is for our benefit. I mean, c'mon...he created everything. He knows if you will "walk in his ways and obey his voice," you will have a happy, healthy, wealthy life. If you choose to disobey, expect a life of misery.
Note:
I'm talking about God's kids; the devil's kids have a different game plan and rule book.
God is not an egotistical ogre looking for a way to "thump" you. It pains him to see his children disobey. It is his sincere desire for his kids to listen to wisdom and obey the rules for living as he intended; but like sin, obedience and disobedience is a choice we make willingly. People disobey for one reason...they just don't believe God is real.
Oh, they hope he's real, but they don't know he's real because they haven't been born again. They haven't been born again, because Preachers assure them they are born again when they say a little prayer and confess that Jesus is Lord...it's a lie from the pit of hell. Believing in God won't save you...obedience is the only way to eternal life.
So how do you know if you've been reborn Spiritually? You will have an insatiable hunger and thirst for God and his word; and an innate desire to please God. Pleasing God through obedience will be the priority of your life.
If this doesn't describe your life, irrespective of what you hear from the pulpit, you have not been reborn Spiritually.
Until you're reborn Spiritually...nothing else matters.
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