Recently, I was informed of someone who asked why people should dedicate themselves to God to go to Heaven if He already knows who is and who isn't going to hell.
That's a question that doesn't fully consider the real tension between two true things: God's sovereignty and free will. Dr. Ken Ham writes, "Now, all through Scripture we see man's responsibility and God's sovereignty work hand in hand, even though as finite humans we will never totally understand this" (Answers Insider, August 2022, Vol. 29 Iss. 8, p. 3).
I explored the question with one of my children. The saying is "Out of the mouth of babes" as if echoing Psalm 8:2. He said, "Why would you want to dedicate to a god who didn't know everything?"
I would further respond to the question with, "Why not dedicate to the One who knows all of history -- past, present and future?" What do you have to lose? And if He knows everything and you are believing on Him in faith, He knows that, too. I'm not implying salvation by what we do, but making a point. Why not move toward God?
Even when one wins the lottery, one still must live. I want to do something still. Do the right thing, come what may.
While God is an eternal being Who sees all time as an object in its totality, we are finite beings in linear time. We have an eternal future in Heaven or hell, but we had a starting point. We are in time and God is outside of it. What are we doing in that linear time? And though we don't see the outcome, we can move towards an outcome. Why not move towards the ideal outcome -- with God? And that is made possible through the work of Jesus Christ.
All of us sin and sin is what separates us from God. Yet, God came in the flesh as Jesus Christ and was crucified as the perfect sacrifice, paying the penalty for sin due us. For those who place faith in Christ, He takes our sin debt and imputes (transfers) His righteousness to us.
Matthew 7:24-27 (NASB) states the following:
Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts on them, will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell-and its collapse was great.
Build wisely. Shrugging one's shoulders due to God's omnipotence is unwise. Why not be on the right side of things?
2 Peter 1:10 (NASB) says to make one's calling and election sure. We cannot lose our salvation once we are truly saved, but we are to live in a way that make our calling and election sure. We are to live in a way so it is undeniable that our faith is in Christ.
You don't know what the future holds, but you can build wisely on Christ -- the Rock -- and make sure your calling and election are sure.
Yes, God knows! However, that doesn't mean you just shrug off life. Live it! Pursue Him! And He already knows, yes, but you don't. Pursue Him as you go forth into the future in faith. Otherwise, you fail to live abundantly and build on sand.
Today is the day of salvation1, 2. Build on Christ. Maybe this is the moment God has seen you come to Him in faith. Why not dedicate yourself to Him today?
Where to?
Ichthus Library 
No Porn! 
Links of Interest 
Ministries 
Personal Links 
Singleness 
Calendar 
Genealogy 
Agora 
Portal 
