We are so excited to be back with you today on Resident Strangers! Steve, Sarah, and Rich are continuing the conversation about the Calvinist view of predestination, specifically the order of salvation. Have you ever thought about the process of how people are saved? Does God call us to respond to the gospel message and be made alive by the Holy Spirit first, because we cannot do it on our own? This idea is known as total depravity and regeneration, which the Calvinistic view says are crucial steps in the order of events in salvation. Our hosts go over what the Bible means to be dead in sins and being born again, along with the biblical order of salvation. At what point does faith occur in the order of salvation, and who initiates it—God or us? As you listen to this episode, we encourage you to think—which order of salvation best reflects the character of God as both just and merciful? Which one is best supported by the Bible?

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Welcome back to part 4 in our predestination series! Today, the team breaks down the meaning of the sovereignty of God and compares it to the determinist belief. As Christians, we often hear phrases like “God is sovereign” or “God is in control,” but how should we understand those statements in light of what Scripture teaches? Is God's sovereignty the same as determinism? Determinism is the idea that every single detail of our lives is already pre-planned by God, including our choices. From what we eat for breakfast to where we are right now, was it meticulously planned by God in advance?

Steve, Rich, and Sarah notice that this belief can have much larger-scale implications, like all our sins would be determined by God, and the mass destruction of people throughout history was caused by God. But that doesn’t sound like the loving God in the Bible. If determinism is true, it is impossible for us to choose between two things because God has already planned the choice that we would make. Even throughout the Bible, it shows us that we can choose between two alternatives and are free to do so. The biggest choice is to sin or to obey God. How can we make sense of these things? How can we grapple with the idea that a perfect and loving God can cause sin? Listen to this episode to find out!

Watch Resident Strangers on YouTube 🎥 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5zN34EnMKLqzHCct_ijPFQbhlrQApKgO

Interested in studying Greek with Rich? Email residentstrangers@dscchurch.com.

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Links Mentioned:

64 | Does God Cause Suffering?

57 | The Sovereignty of God

58 | Further Discussion on Sovereignty

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Welcome to Part 3 of the Predestination series! Before you listen, make sure you are caught up with the rest of the episodes! Last week, Steve and Rich dove into the context of verses commonly used in the discussion of predestination. Today, they discuss what election is, analyzing Romans 9 to provide us with context. The traditional Calvinist view holds that God elects Jacob, not Esau, for salvation. But Steve and Rich bring up another perspective: the context of the passage does not imply election for salvation. ‘Election’ simply means to be chosen to do something. Whenever the Bible uses election, we must ask, “who is being chosen/elected for what?” When people are chosen or elected, it is not for salvation, but for service — to do a specific task that God calls them to. If you like this series, let us know! We’d love to hear your feedback! Email us at residentstrangers@dscchurch.com! Stay tuned for next week as we continue with this topic!

Watch Resident Strangers on YouTube 🎥

Interested in studying Greek with Rich? Email residentstrangers@dscchurch.com.

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Questions or comments? Email residentstrangers@dscchurch.com

Would you please subscribe and leave us a review? This will help our podcast reach more people! We’d love it if you’d share this podcast with your friends on social media and beyond. Join us next Tuesday as we continue the discussion on how to think like a Christian in this foreign world.