I have been hearing 2 different things about what God knows. One is that God knows everything, He knows our thoughts, what we will do, what we will say, and the decisions we will make before we make them. The other is that God knows everything except what choices we will make. He does not know if a person will accept Christ as Savior or not until they actually do it. What is your opinion and what Scripture do you have to back it up?
I believe that God knows everything and has known it from before He formed this world. Psalm 139:2, Job 12:22, Psalm 147:5, Proverbs 15:3, Acts 15:18, I John 3:20, and many more.
I believe there are two types of sorrow: One is earthly: shame, guilt, convicted, judged, desperate and hopeless leads to death. The second is GODLY sorrow which leads to repentence. (2 Cor 7:10)
I believe it is the Holy Spirit through the Spirit of Grace and Supplication in conjunction with the Spirit of Truth that bring's forth a desire to "repent" (turn from sin).
I believe shame, guilt, and convict are not for the believer; but prior to faith or those who refuse to believe. Shame is really heavy like an anchor in water or ball and chain keeping people in a deep pit and often not even caused by your sin; like a woman raped. Guilt is generally related to your own behavior, but Jesus is the satisfaction of the guilt offering from the old testement for sin. If a christian remains guilty, they aren't believing God for forgiveness, obeying HIm to confess, holding onto favorite sins or perhaps not forgiving themselves.
"And when He (the Helper) has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me;...John 16:8-9
I don't believe Scripture instruct us to shame, guilt, or be convicted but to repent.
Acts 2:38-39 Then Peter said to them, "repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission (forgiveness) of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.
Paul speaks of his anguish over his sinful carnality in Romans 7 But:
Romans 8:1 "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit."
For me, when I sin, I don't receive shame, guilt, and condemnation in fact I fight them. I get Bible verses coming-up in my head, or some other method God chooses like a friend, an article, a comercial, or witness (Like what happened to David over Bathsheba). I feel bad, really bad but the process has hope through repentence and confession.
I hope this makes sense? I am feeling really inadequate in the explanation because the earthly sorrow comes close but misses the mark resulting in no cleansing. It is really sad.
I'm really going to have to beg to differ ever so slightly from you on this issue. But thats okay, its about our agreement in our salvation thats important :)
Ever slightly, that's Okay, yes, salvation through the Lord Jesus.
I really see them as opposites. Better than those (s,g, c) check out
1 Corinthians 5:4-5 4 "In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus."
My heart is one of compassion and mercy for those who lives have been torn-up and bound by shame, guilt, and the type of conviction which feels like judgement/condemnation--death.
I have seen others and personally experienced the beauty and redemption which comes through repentence and confession--life.
Blessings and thanks for engaging the conversation!
