Matthew 13:11-12 He replied, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.”

Here we have the mystery of election, which Paul wrote about at some length in Romans 9. Actually, there is mention of election (or choosing, depending on the translation) in several places in the Gospels and in the letters of Peter and John, as well as in the majority of Paul’s letters. There are things we do not know and cannot know, and perhaps the chief of those is why God chooses people for salvation and the degree to which we influence that choice. Actually, two major camps exist over this issue, with Calvinists coming down heavily on the side of God’s sovereignty and Arminians emphasizing human choice. I have always seen points to each, and have come to terms with the fact that we live in a tension that human intellect cannot resolve, and being dogmatic about it creates rifts in the Body of Christ that benefit no one. That said, this passage at first glance seems very “Calvinistic,” but I don’t think it excludes human will at all. We must not forget Jesus’ famous parable of the talents, recorded in Matthew 25. The big issue there is not how much each person received, but what they did with it. Different people are given varying degrees of revelation of God, which is by God’s sovereign choice, but it is their choice what they do with the revelation they have received. Those who rejoice to act on it are given more and more understanding, but those who fail to act on it find that even the understanding they thought they had is taken from them. As Paul wrote in Romans 1, God reveals Himself to some degree to all mankind, so the question becomes how we respond, and that is where personal responsibility comes into play.

I have been aware of this tension for a long time, and I have seen quite a few discussions over it. When such discussions are honestly seeking more of God, they deepen the faith of all involved. When they polarize and get into real arguments, they are destructive to the Body of Christ. I am not to tear anyone down for the sake of a theological point! What we believe is indeed of great importance, but we are all dependent on the grace of God, and pretending otherwise sets us up for major deception. Having been raised on the Bible, I have been given a huge spiritual inheritance, but I have learned the hard way that if I am not acting on it, living it out, it is meaningless. On the level of Bible knowledge, I have a real problem presuming too much prior knowledge on the part of my hearers, so the truth I am trying to communicate doesn’t penetrate. As Jesus did, I need to adjust my presentations to fit my hearers, not holding back in any way for those who are ready to receive, but not dumping on people who have no comprehension of what they are hearing. I certainly need the wisdom and anointing of the Holy Spirit for that! I am to be faithfully obedient, allowing God to work through me to draw as many as will come to Him.

Father, thank You for the very clear clear, simple point You got through to me a few years ago, that You’re smart and I’m not. Help me remember that “knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.” (1 Corinthians 8:1) May I build up all with whom I interact, drawing them to You and so destroying the works of the enemy, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!