Every event that took place at the
crucifixion was directly brought about by the Hand of God acting upon the
hearts and minds of the people (Acts 4: 27-28, Acts 2:23).
Judas was one of the instruments
by which God carried out what God Himself predestined, and the scriptures
tell us that both God and Satan (Lk 22:3) worked in concert to induce Judas
to betray Jesus.
Martin Luther, Middle Age Reformers, and
the Protestant Church – condemnation of the use of Reason.
When confronted with a
difficulty, the solution is not to surrender one's power of mind, but
rather, to re-examine the manner in which one is thinking.
Pre-ordination and the pre-destination of
events in the life of man. How can we be responsible for our actions when
the events are controlled by God? The importance of examining Biblical
Paradoxes.
Christian doctrine of salvation – from this
perspective, God has the power to save all people but he selectively chooses
not to (we are not "saved" by works, faith, or even deeds, but rather,
seemingly random selection). According to the Bible, no matter what your
station, your position in life is the work of the Hand of God in your life –
from the saint and sinner, to the likes of Hitler. From the perspective of
Christian doctrine, mankind is nothing more than mere play toys in the hands
of God. In addition, we have no rights to question these motives.
The Bible teaches that we
do not choose God, but rather God chooses those among us who will be saved -
regardless of their moral standing.
The belief that all things transpired
because God wished to show his absolute authority and power. All of life was
pre-ordained since before Creation (vessels of honor and dishonor) – Acts
17:26, Daniel 4:35, Isaiah 46:10, Rev 17:8 – and all events in this world
are orchestrated by God (Matthew 10:29). Is God unjust or irrational?
Modern Christians ignore the Biblical
accounts and have created a softer, kinder “god” that suites their view –
rather than attempting to delve further into Scripture and perceive a higher
understanding of the Will of God