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Was I Chosen Or Did I Choose?

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Jesse2014

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I am just curious, did God choose me or did I choose God? I came to God in fear of his judgment.

Before I came to him, I spent my days looking at ungodly material, watching unclean movies, and looking at porn. But the fear of God hit me out of nowhere. I cried for his mercy. I even made a public confession to Jesus' Lordship.

Was choice involved?
 

graceandpeace

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This topic is so heavily debated & argued about in Christianity, so individual theology & tradition will color the responses you receive.

I affirm something along the lines that God's grace reaches out to us, yet we must choose to respond.
 
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tturt

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Both - He choose you then you choose Him.

Yahweh knows who will agree to His plan for all such as -

"For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren." Rom 8;29

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16
 
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Ark100

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God chose you, not the other way round.
Romans 8:29-30
For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.


He knew you before you were conceived cause you came from Him.
 
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Shattered-Reflections

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I suppose the bigger question is dose it matter? But it's clear that God choose us first to be his people, that He seeks us out, and we cannot even begin to want God unless the Holy Spirit is working in us. But it's also an active choice to respond, to accept, to follow, to love Him.

I personally believe it's a paradox And a beautiful one at that, knowing that the Lord loves me and wants me is greater comfort than believing only I am needy and desperate for Him.


Romans 8:28-39

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.

What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
 
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parsley

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Think back through the whole process of how you came to that decisions. There were little conversations, comments in movies that triggered something, flashbacks, people praying for you, realization of need for change, watching friends go through rough or good times, books that convinced you to see things slightly differently. All of these came together in your decision.

God can pull things together to enhance your experience that leads toward understanding. He can prompt people to invite you to something, lead them in prayer for you, toss you a hint to see a certain movie. It will not be the loud rumbling voice that gets to you, but the logical sequence of rationale and inner desires for something more.

God knows where each person is at a given time, what books are on what shelves... and can steer and persuade in discreet ways. Have you ever worked with graphics software? It reminds me of the "nudge" function, or smear brushes--where all the pixels are in place, but here and there a little shift pulls some together with others.

You still make the choice, you are still you, but God continually calls you in small and large ways.
 
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Lightly hope

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I think some are called upon by God for reasons he wants them in particular to serve.
And the ones that don't, need to find out about him on their own.

Growing up, I went to Sunday school. My mother and grandmother were Christians.
One day, the devil said to me at night "you're going to hell!". I never understood why.
Since then God just became part of me. I don't know why. I didn't choose it.
I have abandoned God many times and I've felt he has abandoned me many times (sure he did many times). But I still come back to him.
I don't feel like I'm meant to be a Christian sometimes. I am so bad at it. I feel like the devil is right... I think about it sometimes...
My faith is so selective. I still am struggling to love God and Jesus and believe and accept everything. What I find most hard is a God loves everyone. I just feel hurt by that. I know that is great. But it just doesn't make me want to accept God and Jesus in my heart.
 
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