Destiny

 

    Destiny are events that will necessarily happen to a particular person or thing in the future.  It is basically set in stone.  God gives you free will, but there are certain things that are destined no matter what.  One thing that is destiny is eternity.  You will have an eternal body, but you chose where you end up: Heaven or Hell.

    Predestination is God's sovereignty in your life.  He created you for a purpose.  He made a direct and personalized path to Him.  You have choices.  You can follow the path or forge your own, but He has already cleared a path for you that gives you fulfillment.  

    Election is the destiny of those who choose to follow Jesus.  Only Christians get to embrace this destiny because they are set apart by God and serving His purpose.  There is some controversy on this.  The fact is God knows everything, so He knows who is going to follow Him.  He has opened the door for everyone, but He knows who will reject Him.  It doesn't mean that He doesn't still love them or care.  He still pursues them like everyone else.  He just knows that they are going to reject Him.

    Conditional election is based on faith.  You choose God or you reject God.  God knows the circumstances.  He knows the opportunities He has given you.  He knows what you will do with those opportunities.  On judgment day you will face Him and answer for good or evil what you did with the time and opportunities that He gave you.  You live by faith and salvation or you reject God's gift of eternal peace.

    Unconditional election is believed to be that God elects unconditionally without a person's choice.  People who believe this believe God chose you before you were created and you have no choice in the matter.  You are either saved or not saved.  It is your destiny to choose salvation.  It does highlight God's sovereignty, but it takes away free will.  

    Corporate election is God chooses select groups like a class system.  Everyone in a certain church or religion will have salvation.  It basically says there are the born Christians in Christ, but it takes away the individual or personalized aspect to salvation.  This group will be blessed through Jesus and ties more into the old testament.  Some believe this from stories of whole families being saved.  The stories do not got into detail, so it is unclear.  All we need to get from them is that families united in the decision to follow Jesus.

    Your destiny is tied up with God's sovereignty, but you do have free will to make your own choices in your life.  Theology gives you options on how to follow Jesus, but it does not force you to follow him.  Salvation gives you assurance.  If you have salvation, then your destiny is with God for all eternity.  God will not force your to repent.  He will never remove the gift of free will.  However, if you choose to follow Jesus in faith and repentance, then your salvation is guaranteed.  Once saved, always saved because your identity is stamped by the Holy Spirit as an adopted child of God.

Matthew 11:28-30, 13:1-23, John 3:18-21, 5:39-40, 10:25-30, Romans 8:26-39, 9:10-13, 11:5-7, Ephesians 1:3-8, 4:30, Hebrews 6:4-8, Jude 24-25, & Revelations 13:5-8