Predestination and Free Will

Is Everything Planned Out, or Does God simply Know What's Going to Happen?

Does Man Have Free Will?

Can Man Freely Choose To Follow God?

But We are Spiritually Dead. So We Still Reject God.

Predestination (Election)

God Wants  Everyone to be Saved.

What if Adam and Eve Had Never sinned?

Does God Predestine Some to Go To Hell?

Why Is the Doctrine of Predestination (Election) important?

Application for Our Lives.




Eph.1:4-5, "For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will."

The concept of predestination is challenging for us because on one hand, we read a verse like this one and it seems to imply that it was already a foregone conclusion that we would be adopted as his children. But then we also see verses like Deuteronomy 30:19 that tells us we have to make the choice to follow him.

"This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.”  

And so a tension exist between the sovereignty of God and man's abiity to choose, either to follow God in obedience, or to reject him.
          

In this essay I am going to try to unpack the concept of predestination (election) as it relates to man's ability to choose, in as simple and short a way as possible. The only actual quotes I am using are from the Bible NIV version. I have gained a lot of the information for this essay from Wayne Grudem's "Systematic Theology", and Jonathon Edwards, "Freedom of The Will". So this will constitute my bibliography. Also all capitalized words are my caps. and done to emphasize the word or phrase I want to highlight. I don't know if that's exactly the right way to acknowledge sources but these are the sources. Hopefully there won't be any copywrite infringements.




 Is Everything Planned Out, or Does God simply Know What's Going to Happen?

This bring into question the reliability of prophesy. If man truly has free will; is it possible that someone might change their mind on a very important event and change the course of destiny, possibly causing the prophesy to fail? Take a look at Jesus' prediction of Peter's denial in Mark 15:30;

"Today--yes tonight-- before the rooster crows twice you yourself will deny me three times." 

Now if Jesus had said, "Peter, I know you. You will crack under pressure and deny me", we could say that it was God's intimate knowledge of Peter's character that made it possible for Jesus to predict what would happen . But what Jesus said required much more than that. There would be three occasions for Peter to have to answer. That means others are involved. What if they change their mind? That would have changed everything. Not only that, but Jesus had to know that there was a rooster nearby and that it would crow once before Peter's denial but not a second time until Peter had completed his third denial. 

For Jesus' prediction to be true, many things had to work together. And what of Judas? What if he had changed his mind and not gone through with his plan? Jesus might not have been betrayed. Keep in mind that all of this was going to happen on this one particular night—Passover.

Because so many things had to work together for God’s plan of redemption to work, all of this gives strong evidence that it was pre-ordained even to the smallest detail.

Which brings us to the first question.

Does Man Have Free Will?

Man has free will in the sense that he can make choices and exercise his choices. That does not mean that the will is self determining. That would make the will is its own cause and effect. Not only is that view incorrect but it would defy logic. The will would be completely out of control. While it may seem that we go along freely making choices at random, if we really make a study of ourselves, we would see that there are determining factors that set very firm boundaries on the choices that we make. This is by no means an exhaustive list but these are some of the major determining factors that direct our will.

    1. Our Inate Abilities.

We make choices based on what we can or cannot do. If we are of sound mind we have a basic understanding of what we are capable of. Because it is impossible for a man to fly by flapping his arms and jumping off of a building, we make the choice not to do that. If someone actually tries it, we correctly assume that the person is insane because they don't have a firm grip on reality.

Another example would be a man or woman going to the gym to workout with weights. While the individual can put as much weight on the bar or machine as they want, they will CHOOSE to put on the amount of weight that is within their ability to lift and still give a proper workout. For me, there would be no point putting 500lbs on the bar because it's impossible for me to lift it. No matter how much will power I have, I cannot lift that much weight. Therefore, if I am going to do a workout, I am going to make a free choice to set the weights or machine within my ability.

    2. Our Knowledge and Beliefs determine our will.

Dr. Todd Mullins, (lead pastor Christ fellowship church, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida) said in a recent sermon, "What you listen to determines your choices." This covers a fairly broad area. We are a product of our background, education and beliefs that we've developed during our lifetime. And we make choices based on these beliefs. We run into problems when we have misinformation. 

A simple example is a person getting up in the morning and listening to the weather report. Depending on the forecast they will make certain choices on how to dress and plan their day. If the weatherman accidently gives the forecast from several days ago, (before a major storm was imminent) this person may make a poor choice, based on the bad forecast. Keep in mind, the person can wear anything they want and plan their day anyway they like. But they will make their decisions on the information they have available.

I find it amusing and I really don't pay attention anymore to the "New Studies That Show...." In my lifetime I have lost count of how many times we've been told, "Coffee's good for you; no wait! Coffee's bad for you!" Nope! It's good. Not so fast...." Through it all, I have continued to get up and enjoy my coffee with a little cream, just to take the edge off. But I'd be curious to know how many folks have stopped, started, stopped, and started again with the “cup-o-jo” in the morning based on the "latest studies". As Pastor Mullins said, and it's true, what we listen to determines our choices.

    3. Our Habits

By habits I am not referring so much to vices (although they definitely affect our choices) as I am to our routines that we perform out of habit. We perform these same things over and over and over again. The only time we don't is if something interrupts the routine.

For example, every day as you drive to work you pass a house where a retired but not elderly couple are always sitting on the porch drinking coffee and reading the paper. One morning they aren't there. Your mind may go to a number of reasons why they aren't there. (Hopefully one of them didn't die during the night) One thing that will not cross your mind as a possibility is that their "free will acted up on them." That's because we know that people don't operate like that. We would think of more logical reasons like, maybe they had to go somehere early or, maybe they had a late night and were sleeping in, etc. In short, we know something caused them to change their routine because we don't actually have "random acts of the will". This is even true in things that we are indifferent to. We still have a pattern for how we make those decisions: Even if it's, "eeny, meeny, miney, moe", or flipping a coin. The will doesn’t act in a purely random way.

    4. Our Preferences (Nature)

This is undoubtedly the most significant determining factor in causing our will to act in the way it does. Our likes and dislikes and things that make us feel a certain way, good or bad, lie at the heart of who we really are as humans beings. One only has to sit in a coffee shop in the morning to see this demonstrated. 

As far as I know, there are four "basic" ways to have a regular cup of coffee. 

Black 

Just cream 

Just sugar 

Cream and sugar. 

As you sit in the coffee shop you will see customers come in and order coffee in any of these four ways. If you come back the next day, you will observe that the same customer ordered their coffee the same way. And they will do it the same way every day. (of course, there is that unusual person that enjoys coffee in several ways and will change it up, but even that is according to their preference). Now we all will agree that they are not forced to order their coffee in a way that violates their preferences. They are completely free to choose to have their coffee the way they like it. And that is key: "The way they like it." While nothing external is forcing them to have their coffee a certain way, they are bound to make their choice based on what they like. Now the simple answer is to say, that's how they like it. The question, "why do they like it the way they do" demands a much more complex answer. That goes to the actual makeup of the individual.
          

Our preferences, which are determined by our nature, actually make up the single determining factor that directs the will. The man or woman who goes to the gym to lift weights does so because they have a desire to do so. The couple who sits on the porch, drinking coffee and reading the paper, do so because they enjoy that as their morning routine. Knowledge and beliefs somewhat have their causes in our upbringing and the culture we were raised in. But to a large degree we believe what we do because we want to. Most of the time, we make choices of where to attend college and what to study based on our personal interests and desire. We attend a particular church (or don't attend) for the same reasons. In this area there are exceptions because sometimes people are coerced into doing things they don't want to do. Then it goes up the line to, either parents or in the case of totalitarian regimes, dictators who enforce their will on you. Then it is their nature and will that's acting.

          

So as we can see; we do have free will in the sense that we are not forced to make choices against our nature: However, "OUR WILL IS CONTROLLED BY OUR NATURE!" We are obligated to make choices according to who and what we are as human beings. Which now brings us to the all important question.

Can Man Freely Choose To Follow God?

 Romans 8:7; 

"The sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, NOR CAN IT DO SO."

 It is completely against our fallen nature to obey God. This verse not only deals with the fact that our nature is against God, but it also explains that is not within our ability to be obedient. In Joshua 24:15, Joshua challenges the Israelites to choose whom they will serve and declares that he and his household will serve the Lord. In vs. 16-18, the people affirmed their decision to serve the Lord as well. Then in vs. 19, Joshua makes a rather surprising statement;

 "You are not able to serve the Lord. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins." 

Although the people repeated their vow to serve the Lord, the next 1,400 years would prove that Joshua was right. Man cannot obey God.
        

After the flood (and before, Gen. 6:5) God said in Genesis 8:21, that EVERY inclination of man's heart is evil from childhood. Paul tells us in Romans 3:9-12;

"...We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are ALL under sin. As it is written, 'There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, NOT EVEN ONE.' "

There is not a single person who from, his own heart desires to follow God. Eph. 2:1-3; 

"As for you, you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of the sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were BY NATURE objects of wrath."

 There are two things in this passage;

    1. Before God saved us, we were no different than anyone else. 

    2. The word dead in verse 1 (and verse 5) is the Greek word, "nekros". 

The word means...DEAD: Non-living, non-responsive...Dead! We were actually dead. We couldn't respond to the call of the gospel because dead people can't hear. Dead people can't do anything.
         

And so 2,000 years earlier a man by the name of Bildad asked a simple question that would loom until the time of the Messiah. Job 25:4; 

"How then can a man be righteous before God? How can one born of woman be pure?" 

The answer? 

HE CAN'T! It is absolutely impossible. 

It is no more possible for us to choose to follow Christ than for a corpse to get up out of his grave.  Because spiritually, that is exactly what we are: "Dead men walking!" But God can raise a dead man to life, and that is what must happen to us.

Romans 3:23-26, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished--he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.”

When it says we are justified, it means we are declared "legally innocent". Not that we actually are innocent but that (2 Cor. 5:21) "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

But We are Spiritually Dead. So We Still Reject God.

Not only does God have to remove the death penalty by satisfying his holy demands for justice himself in our place: he literally has to raise us to life. 

Eph. 2:4-5; 

"But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved." 

Again, the word dead means dead. We were non-living inanimate objects before he raised us to life. How does this happen? Ezekiel 36:26-27; 

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws." 

The word stone means stone. It is hard, cold, inanimate, non-living, and non-responsive. It is a dead heart. Flesh in this case is not refering to carnal. It is contrasting that which is dead with that which is alive. The heart of flesh is soft, warm, and responsive. It is alive. God is actually going to give us life, and that life will "move us to follow his decrees  and keep his laws. 

This new heart will actually compel  us to follow and obey him. Jer. 32:40; 

"I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me."

The word fear is different than in verse 39 although in the NIV it's translated the same way. In 39 it's in the verb form but in 40 it's the noun form of the same word. The King James version says that he will “put his fear” in us so we will not turn away from him. That is the true biblical meaning of "once saved; always saved". Those who have been truly saved will not turn away.

In John 3:3, 

"Jesus said, 'I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." 

And in John 6:44, 

"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him...." 

The word "draw" is the Greek word "Helko". It means to pull or draw. It's the same word in John 21:6 & 11, refering to hauling in the nets full of fish. It never means to lure or entice. It literally means that God is pulling us toward himself. 

Eph. 2:8;

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God." 

This affirms the same concept that even the faith we now have in Jesus is something that he placed in us. God, in placing a new heart in us, even gives us the faith we now have in Jesus Christ. This is further stated in Heb. 21:2; 

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith." 

Notice that it does not say, "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the OBJECT of our faith." He is the source of our faith.
         

I've spent a lot of time on this section about how our salvation is accomplished because I wanted to establish a firm foundation that every single aspect of our salvation is accomplished by God through Jesus Christ. There is no "divine weave" in which we cooperate with God. The fact that we can freely choose to follow Jesus is only because he replaced our dead heart  With a living one.

Predestination (Election)

The best way to handle this is to quote the section from Romans 9. But first I want to go to Romans 8:29; 

"For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters." 

Some hold to the view that this verse is saying that God knew which ones would respond to the gospel and those are the ones who are predestined. This verse can be understood that way as a stand-alone verse. It could also be understood to mean that God knew which ones he was going to put the new heart in. (regeneration). The former view negates God having to recreate us in order that we would have a nature that is willing to follow him in obedience.
           

This next section of scripture in chapter 9 is rather lengthy and it makes very clear that we make absolutely no contribution to our salvation (esp. vs. 16);

"...Rebekah's children and one and the same father, our father Isaac. Yet before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad--in order that God's purpose in election might stand: not by works but by him who calls--she was told, 'The older will serve the younger. Just as it is written, ' Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.' What shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! For he says to Moses, 'I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.'It does not, therefore depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy. For the scripture says to Pharoah: ' I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.’  Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden. One of you will say to me: 'Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?' 'But who are you O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?' Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?' "

A couple of things really stand out. One is verse 16, "It does not therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy." If you look back to the account of Jacob and Esau back in Genesis (ch. 25ff) you see that Jacob was no perfect little angel. He took advantage of Esau's hunger to get the birthright, and then deceived his father into giving him the blessing. But that isn't why God chose Jacob. It says he did it so his purpose in election might stand. It's all because of God's mercy. But it's also clear that God doesn't save every one.
        

That leads to another interesting point in this passage. The concept of predestination (election) is hard to grasp for a number of reasons. One of them is that there exists a tension between God's sovereign choice and our responsibility. Paul anticipated the objections that people would have to election in vs. 19, "One of you will say to me, "Then why does God still blame us?  For who resists his will?" That is the argument that everyone who objects to this view has made. If it's already been determined by election who will and who will not be saved, where does that leave us. Paul's answer is that it's not for us to question God. God is the creator and he can do as he wills.
          

This is actually the whole point of the book of Job. If you read the book, in the beginning you see a "righteous" man who truly feared God and shunned evil. He is blessed tremendously by God with fabulous wealth and a great family. Suddenly, everything is taken away. Job has three friends who try to tell him that he must have committed somemajor  sin for God to have punished him. Job claims, and rightly so, that he had done nothing specifically to warrant God treating him this way; even alluding that God was being unjust. At the end of the book God finally shows up and asks Job a large number of questions that Job has no answer for. 

The point was that, yes, while Job had committed no specific sin that justified his blessings being taken, he had done nothing on his own merit that obligated God to bless him. When God blesses someone it's because of his grace, not because we deserve it. As someone said, God blesses us in spite of ourselves, not because of ourselves.

God Wants  Everyone to be Saved.

"Who wants all men to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth." 

1 Tim 2:4

"...not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

2 Peter 3:9

These verses and Ezek. 18:23;25 tell us that God wishes all would repent and live. 

That fact is, not everyone will be saved. So there must be something God considers more important than saving everyone. Here is a major difference between Calvinism (Reformed) and Arminian theology. Calvinism believes that God deems it more important that his glory is displayed in extending his mercy against the background of his perfect justice. Arminianism (named after Jacob Arminius, Dutch theologian, 16th century) teaches that God deems it more important to preserve our free will to choose or reject his offer of grace. Both views agree that something takes precedence over God saving everyone. So which is it! Rom. 9:22-24; 

"What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known bore with great patience the objects of his wrath--prepared for destruction? What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory--even us who he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?"

This clearly affirms the reformed view. If (Universalism) all men eventually get saved, it diminishes his mercy because there is no contrast between mercy and judgement. Like a candle in a dark room is brilliant, but is unnoticed in a room full of light.
          

Some may ask, is God really that egotistical that he cares more about his glory than in saving people? I would ask: Is God really so uncaring that he will allow men to make stupid choices that have eternal consequences in order to preserve their freedom to choose? Responsible parents don't allow their children free exercise of their will.

 

Child: “I want to stay up until midnight and watch TV”.
Parent: “Bedtime is at 9:30. Lights out!”
          

Parents do this because they know what's best for their children. Parents who allow their children to do what they want are considered irresponsible. By this standard we could say that God is irresponsible and that he really doesn't care. OR, we could conclude that he has a much greater purpose. When we talk about God glorifying himself, it really means he is making himself known. We cannot even begin to comprehend just how great he is and how glorious he is. As much as I have a hard time wrestling with these things, I must trust that one day when I finally see him, I will understand that it could be no other way.God had to do things just the way he did. If mercy were not extended amidst judgment, we would never really know God.

What if Adam and Eve Had Never sinned?

I really think a better question is: Is it possible that they might not have sinned? Earlier in this essay we saw that a major determining factor in our free will choices is our knowledge and beliefs. We also saw what can happen when we act on bad information.1 Tim. 2.14 and 2 Cor. 11:3 both confirm that Eve was deceived. She listened to bad information. 

Many people look at this account and have said that they would never have been deceived. They are right. None of us would have. We know too much. Satan knows that and he has never done the talking snake trick again, but we've all been led astray by him (Rev. 12:9). God told Adam that if he ate the fruit he would die. What could that possibly mean to a person living in a world in which death wasn't a part? Explaining death to Adam and Eve would be like explaining a beautiful sunset to someone born blind. It wouldn't mean anything.
        

You will notice that the serpent went after Eve and not Adam. Eve hadn't been created when God gave the command not to eat of the tree (see Genesis 2) So in Gen 3:1, the serpent asked Eve if God had said they couldn't eat of the tree. Eve really didn't know first hand what God had said. But she did say that they weren't to eat it of or even touch it. (possibly something Adam added) Satan then deceives her by accusing God of lying and having ulterior motives. Now much has been made of the fact that Adam was there and did nothing. But we cannot miss the fact that God was not there. He didn't jump in and call the serpent out on his lies and plead with Eve not to listen to him. And so Eve believed the serpent and the fruit looked good so she ate it.

        

Now Adam was not deceived, but Adam knew 2 things that Eve didn't know. 1. He knew what God had said.  2. He knew what it was like to be alone. We don't know for how long, but for at least some measurable amount of time, Eve was fallen and Adam was not. Choosing not to eat the fruit means he loses his companion and is alone again. Remember, they were both sinless so they had a perfect marriage. The serpent no doubt knew that because Eve had second hand information about what God had said, she would be an easier target. And if he got Eve, he'd get Adam as well.
        

I will concede that I am speculating somewhat and as such the answer may be inconclusive. But as I look at the evidence and the dynamics at play, my opinion is that Adam and Eve were freely going to make the wrong choice; making it a foregone conclusion from the very beginning that God was going to implement his plan of redemption. It stands to reason that if God's purpose is to display his great mercy and grace in contrast with with his perfect justice. He had to allow sin to enter the world. If he had not, his justice and grace would have been completely unnecessary and much of God's charactor would never be known.

Does God Predestine Some to Go To Hell?

Isa. 59:2, “But your iniquities have separated you from your God”

The simple answer is no. In John 3:17-18;

 "For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." 

Man is condemned because of his sin. God's proactive role is in saving people. It is not accurate to say that he determines that one man will be saved and one will not in the same way. (double predestination) Man is condemned already and the Bible is clear that man is responsible for his condemned state. Matt. 23:37;

"...how often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, BUT YOU WERE NOT WILLING." 

John 5:40;

"... You refuse to come to me to have life." 

It is man's refusal to obey God that condemns him, not God predestining him to hell. It must be understood in this way:
Man is completely to blame for his sin.
God is completely responsible for our salvation.
God predestines those who are saved. Again, Rom.9:16, "It does not depend on man's desire or effort but on God's mercy."

Why Is the Doctrine of Predestination (Election) important?

Rom. 3:27, "where then is boasting? IT IS EXCLUDED. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith." Eph. 2:9, "not by works, so that no one can boast."

         If the final determining factor in our salvation is our decision to follow Christ, then we would have a reason to boast. We could take credit for our decision. But we cannot take credit because the only way we could make the decision was because God replaced our stone hearts with hearts of flesh. That gives us the new nature that now desires to follow God. That's regeneration. Jesus called it being "born again" John 3:3;

...no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." 

He's not even talking about entering it. Just to be able to see or perceive the kingdom of God requires a man to be born again. We cannot see it otherwise. Remember that the faith we have in Jesus is a gift from God—it’s not something we can come up with on our own. Therefore we must not look to ourselves. Rather, we must fix our eyes on Jesus--the author and finisher of our faith.

Application for Our Lives.

 The doctrine of election should make us understand that we are absolutely helpless and totally dependent on God for everything. Rather than being filled with pride that we were chosen while others were passed over. It should humble us because we know that the only reason he chose us was because of his love and mercy. Not because we had any merit and not because we were wise enough to make a right choice. It's only by his grace. Our response should be everlasting worship and praise.
         

It should also affect how we approach sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. God doesn't tell us who he has predestined to be saved. Some who appear to be zealous may not really be regenerated. (Matt. 7:21-23) and who knows how many will be regenerated at the very last minute. Like the thief on the cross. He simply tells us in Matt 28:19-20,

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

One thing that is not in our job description is getting people saved. That's God's job. Our job is to preach. 1 Cor. 3:6; 

"I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow." 

That gives great comfort and caution too. Comfort in that we are not responsible for the results. Caution in that we take care to preach the word accurately and not do anything as far as making the word more appealing in order to gain more converts. Jesus said to teach EVERYTHING he commanded. (Of course don’t be offensive.)

So to recap very quickly: We perceive ourselves to have free will because we are not forced to do things we don't desire. But our will is controlled our nature. Without regeneration (a new heart of flesh) our nature is sinful and therefore hostile towards God. Therefore our free will choice will always be to reject him.
            

We contribute nothing to our salvation because even the ability to make the choice to follow him was brought about by his resurrection power in our lives.
God’s purpose in election means that some will be saved and others will be passed over and allowed to face judgment. This is very hard to grasp but we have to trust him.
And finally;

    * We are to preach the gospel in it's entirety to everyone.

    * We preach.
    * God saves.
    * We disciple.

God gives us the job of sharing the good news and then, after he saves them, the job of making them into disciples. We are not responsible for the results. We are only responsible for being obedient to what he has commanded us. 

Now may we all go and live out who we are as children of God in Christ.