hymn of the day

"Tis Not That I Did Choose Thee" [Josiah Conder]

Tis not that I did choose Thee
For Lord that could not be
This heart would still refuse Thee
Hadst Thou not chosen me
Thou from the sin that stained me
Hast cleansed and set me free
Of old Thou hast ordained me
That I should live to Thee

Twas sovereign mercy called me
And taught my opening mind
The world had else enthralled me
To heavenly glories blind
My heart owns none above Thee
For Thy rich grace I thirst
This knowing if I love Thee
Thou must have loved me first

happy predestination day

Today and tomorrow in Systematic Theology class we are going to be discussing election. One of my main points is going to be that it was never really an issue of contention or debate. It was often a comfort through trial [Romans 8] or grounds for praise [Ephesians 1].

So, just as Eph 1.3-14 is hymnic in nature, I've tried to find some hymns that express humble gratitude for God's election of His people. Needless to say, this is a tough task. Aside from the classic "Tis Not That I Did Choose Thee" [you can listen to my wife and me sing a version we wrote here or read the lyrics here], I could only find a couple others. I think I like the following because I don't know who wrote it, I only found one verse of it, and I can mysteriously hear myraids of people belting out the "Hallelujah!" part. It is called "Sons We Are Through God's Election."

Pause, my soul, adore and wonder

Ask, "O, why such love for me?"

Grace hath put me in the number

Of the Savior's family

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Thanks, eternal thanks, to Thee!

predestination ponderings

• If you're a Christian and believe the Bible, you believe in predestination. Actually, you get to believe it. It's in the Bible. God has revealed it. However, what you believe about it is another story altogether.
• As far as how the NT readers and writers understood it, it was never an issue of contention or debate.
• In the NT, the doctrine of predestination is grounds for praise. Ephesians 1.3-14 is one huge sentence in Greek that praises/blesses God for his electing love and grace.
• In the NT, the doctrine of predestination was a comfort for Christians. When Paul gets to the height of his discourse in Romans 5-8, he explains that present suffering and tribulation bow in comparison to future glory. He then says that this future glory is based on God's predestinating love. Cherishing this brought peace to Christians, not ignorant anger or arrogant apathy.
• Obviously it leaves us now with tons of unanswered and unaswerable questions [the two are different you know]. We seem to collapse because we can't have every conclusion served on a simple, silver, intellectual platter. This is partially due to the fact that you are a product of Western post-Enlightenment thought. Why can't we just accept that the parts of this we don't understand that are intended by God to grant us great humility. This is of course easier said than done.
• Lastly, the doctrine of predestination is not fair. Not a single one of us who are His deserve to be His. Our pride is so thick, our lusts are so strong, our minds are so bent, our passions are so misplaced. We all deserve terrible judgment, which He would be just and holy to give. Why He chooses to love anyone is not fair. We are pretty rotten, but He is rich in mercy.