The_Encouraging

Family Life Connections

May11, 2008:

In Shakespeare's play, As You Like It, his character Jacques speaks this famous line:

All the world's a stage,

And all the men and women merely players:

They have their exits and their entrances;

And one man in his time plays many parts,

His acts being seven ages....

In many Christian circles today, it is being taught that Jacques was correct, that we are really just playing out God's script for His pleasure like actors on a stage, unable to vary the lines, indeed, unable to make choices that were not preordained for us. These people teach that God predetermined every thought, word and action of every person.

THIS IS NOT A BIBLICAL POSITION.

Consider King Hezekiah, who became ill and God expressly told him through the prophet Isaiah that he should put his affairs in order because it was time for him to die: "In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live." (2 Kings 20:1). Hezekiah prayed that God would heal him and extend his years, and God said yes: "Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD. And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake." (2 Kings 20:5-6).

God spoke the truth when He told Hezekiah he was fixing to die, and God spoke the truth when He said He was adding years to Hezekiah's life. If Hezekiah's life was completely scripted from before the foundation of the world (as many teach), how is it God could add years to his life? The answer is that God has not scripted our lives, but given us free will and volition. And our volition came at a high cost. Adam and Eve exercised free will when they defied God in the Garden of Eden. The high cost of our volition is that Jesus, the Son of God, would die on a cross to provide for the redemption of sinners. We should exercise the volition God gave us, first to trust in His Son for our salvation, and then to serve Him who first loved us, knowing that our prayers and our service matter because God has not scripted our lives.

May God richly bless you.

Hutson Smelley

INSTRUCTOR

Hutson Smelley

BEREAN BAPTIST

10250 North Freeway @ West Road
Houston, Texas 77037
Tel: (281) 447-8484

CLASS LEADERS

Richard Hunter Tom Bailey

Don Milbourn