By Chaplain (Col) Stephen W. Leonard, USA, Ret.
“The mind of a person plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps.” Proverbs 16:9
Free will appears to be exactly that to the heart of man, but the Lord is always the One who determines the full outcome. We choose to have cereal for breakfast at 7:30 am sitting at the breakfast table, but the Lord directs that such is so. Whether or not we call that free will is a matter of perspective. From man’s perspective it is a “free” choice from your heart, that is, cereal for your breakfast, but from God’s perspective He directs every step you take.
This is what Proverbs 16:9 indicates to you. Man makes his choices from his heart, but God directs what steps we actually take. Our wills apparently choose what our heart tells us, but God is there to actually direct the path you take.
Reformation Day honors such a viewpoint. It celebrates the five points of TULIP. Total Depravity of man’s heart, or man is not inclined toward God in any way, he is a sinner as are all men and we always fall short of the glory of God; Unconditional election, or God elects men unconditionally, neither good nor bad, there are no conditions; Limited Atonement, the Savior dies only for those whom He elects from the foundation of the world, and He saves everyone of those for whom He dies, Jesus does not die for any that are not saved, his death is truly efficacious for everyone for whom he dies; Irresistible Grace, no one of the elect ever resists His grace, we are made by his grace favorable toward his will; and Perseverance of the Saints, you will persevere in the faith to the very end, because He perseveres in you.
Reformation Day says that this “TULIP” truly blooms. It is, therefore, true to the tenets of THE faith. It is the sacred Gospel of Christ and it teaches God’s Word. Reformed Theology is, hence, correct theology, because it is the theology of God’s Word.
So November 1st honors Reformation truth. Free Will always follows God’s Will. It is theocentric, not anthropocentric, in other words, it is God-centered, not man-centered.
The end of October presents a day celebrating man’s holiday or Halloween, if you will; the first of November honors God-centered theology, or Reformation Day.
May such a November 1st celebration always reflect your thoughts and your heart’s commitment. God is! And thanks be to God that He forever and always is!
Encouragement
“What-e’er my God ordains is right: His holy will abideth; I will be still whate’er He doth, and follow where He guideth. He is my God; though dark my road, He holds me that I shall not fall: wherefore to Him I leave it all.”
(1st verse of Samuel Rodigast’s hymn, “Whate’er My God Ordains Is Right,” 1675)
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