Opting for God’s choice

Published in Pasugo, Oct 2000

IN ALL CREATION, there is but one human race. But humans have sub-classified their own race, for instance, according to the color of skin or to the community of the nation to which one belongs. In his epistle, Apostle Peter introduces one blessed race, the chosen race, the holy nation – God’s own people (I Pt. 2:9). It is the same race Apostle Paul mentions in Ephesians 2:19 as members of the household of God. This is the race of God’s children.

On the other hand, the Lord Jesus Christ calls a particular group of people as “snakes and sons of snakes” (Mt. 23:33, Today’s English Version). He says that they are of their father, the father of liars whom the Bible describes as “that serpent of old, the devil and satan, who deceives the whole world” (Jn. 8:44; Rev. 12:9, Ibid.). According to Christ, these people are “condemned to hell” (Mt. 23:33, Ibid.).

Cursed race – victims of lies

Theologian John Calvin (1509-1564) held that God ordains some to everlasting life and others to everlasting punishment not because of the good or evil He sees or foresees in men, but because that is according to His sovereign will. This corresponds to some degree to the fifth-century Catholic Church Father Augustine’s definition of predestination “that God predestinates from all eternity the number of elect, that He bestows the grace needed to obtain eternal life without any respect to merits on their part, either before or after the grace is conferred” (Catholic Dictionary, p. 668).

However, the predestination that the Bible mentions is that among all creatures, men alone were predestined by God to be His own children (Eph. 1:4-5). This has been God’s will and plan since the beginning. Indeed, the Bible calls Adam, the first man created in His image, son of God (Lk. 3:23-38; Gen. 1:27-28). The Almighty Father created all men to be His and for the purpose of knowing and serving Him (Ps. 100:2-3).

Why then are there people who belong to the devil when in truth God created them? They became of the devil because they were deceived by him, just as the first couple was deceived and corrupted by his craftiness.

This corruption is made manifest in many people’s conception regarding the Divine Being. Apostle Paul teaches that “since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold, or silver or stone – an image by man’s design and skill” (Acts 17:29, New International Version). Apostle Paul points out that such manner of thinking is ignorance (Acts 17:30). While those who think that God is like gold, silver, stone, or wood are ignorant, those who bow down and pray to or worship graven images are absurd (Is. 46:5-7).

Since nobody would ever want to be counted among the devil’s minions, the devil uses guile to deceive and turn man away from the true knowledge about the Creator, making him believe in graven images. Apostle Paul warns that the wicked one comes with the power of satan, performs all kinds of false miracles and wonders, and uses every kind of deceit on those who will perish (II Thess. 2:9-10).

Idolatry and the devil’s deception

People who call themselves Christians look down at pagans as the ones misled into worshiping idols. But there are certain groups of people who, nevertheless, introduce themselves as Christians yet adore graven images, too. They even claim that their metal, stone, and wooden statues perform miraculous signs. They claim that their so-called “saints” have wept and shed tears of blood, or suddenly appeared on trees, or have rained flowers. The undiscerning who were swayed to believe these claims or, more aptly, deceived, continue to worship these images.

But the Holy Scriptures is very explicit on its stand against idolatry, condemning it as a grave sin punishable by death in the lake of fire (Exo. 20:3-5; Rev. 14:10). In spite of this, many people refuse to listen to the words of God written in the Bible.

The devil also uses people to perform his evil tricks. Hence, one should beware of people who may claim to be iconoclasts or idol-haters but would attract people with miracles and wonders. More often than not, they also are false religious preachers.

The reason God allows people of this world to be deceived was explained by Apostle Paul:

“Because they did not welcome and love the truth so as to be saved. And so God sends the power of error to work in them so that they believe what is false.” (II Thess. 2:10-11, TEV)

God allows people to listen and follow deceitful lies because they do not love the truth. For this, they will surely perish.

Man’s hope – the regeneration

Every living person can be restored to his original race and become a member of God’s household according to His plan. This is because God invites man to return to Him (Mal. 3:7) by following Christ in the regeneration (Mt. 19:28).

Christ recognizes those who follow Him in the regeneration as being united in Him. Apostle Paul explains that among the sons of God, there “is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male or female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:26-28, New King James Version). Oneness in Christ transcends cultural, political, and socio-economic barriers. There is only one race in Christ – His race – the race of God’s children. This is the regeneration: from being of the devil to being reborn or becoming God’s child through Christ.

The people who follow in the regeneration become one in Christ because they “are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another” (Rom. 12:4-5, Ibid.). This body of Christ is the Church of which Christ is the head (Col. 1:18). Thus, those who follow Christ in the regeneration are the members of His Church. They do not simply profess faith in Christ. Their faith moves them to obey Christ’s commandment of entering the Church which He built. Christ said during the early part of His ministry:

…I will build My church.” (Mt. 16:18, NKJV)

This is the Church of Christ (Rom. 16:16). Thus, it is of utmost importance that man join the Church of Christ or Iglesia ni Cristo. To whom do the members of the Church of Christ belong? Apostle Paul made this conclusion:

“Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” (Eph. 2:19-22, NKJV)

The members of Christ’s Church have become God’s children and members of His household. They have been chosen from the world and taken away from the devil when they followed Christ in the regeneration. Thus, if man wants to belong to the chosen race of God in these last days, he must join the true Church of Christ. By doing so, he will be fortunate to be freed from punishment on the day of Judgment when this world and its ungodly people shall face their inevitable end (II Pt. 3:7, 10). On that fateful day, the cursed race – those who belong to the devil – shall be utterly destroyed; hence, only one race will remain (Mt. 25:31-34, 41). In hopeful encouragement to all who belong to God’s children, Apostle Paul asserts:

“We, however, are citizens of heaven, and we eagerly wait for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come from heaven. He will change our weak mortal bodies and make them like his own glorious body, using that power by which he is able to bring all things under his rule.” (Philip. 3:20-21, TEV)

The proper choice

While it is the unchanging policy of God to choose people for Himself (Rom. 9:11), we humans have been given the gift of free will. But we should remember that we can never escape from the consequences of our choice because God is a just God. The ungodly who reject the will of God will receive His vengeance, that is, eternal punishment (II Thess. 1:8-9). But the righteous or obedient will receive the crown of righteousness – the everlasting life.

We are to choose whether or not to be in accord with God’s will. God’s will is to gather all men in Christ as members of one body, the Church of Christ (Eph. 1:9-10; Rom. 12:4-5; Col. 1:18). We are given two choices, whether to join the chosen race by following Christ in the regeneration – by joining His Church – or forever let go of the chance God has given everyone before He puts and end to evil.

God has chosen, let us opt for His choice.