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>> Dear friend, thank
you so much for watching
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"It Is Written Canada."
We are continuing our journey
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on understanding this God of
love. The Bible says, "God is
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love," but what does that mean?
And I am absolutely thrilled.
Here again with me is
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Dr. John Peckham to help in this
journey. Dr. Peckham, thank you
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so much for joining us again. >>
Thank you for having me, Chris.
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>> Now, Dr. Peckham, we left off
last week talking about God's
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love for humanity. We looked at
John 3:16-17, "For whosoever,"
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that word whosoever, exploring
God's love for humanity.
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Any other Bible texts that
really talk about this love that
God has for humanity?
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>> Yeah. There are so many.
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I want to go
directly to 2 Peter 3:9...
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>> Okay. >> ...one
of my favorite verses
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in the Bible, 2
Peter 3:9. >> And what
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does 2 Peter 3:9 say? >> 2 Peter
3:9 says, "The Lord is not slack
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concerning his promise, as some
count slackness, but is
long-suffering toward us,
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not willing that any should
perish but that all should come
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to repentance," and you see,
those two words there, right?
Not willing thatanyshould
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perish... >> Yes.
>> ...but thatallshould
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come to repentance. That means
everyone. >> And let's unpack
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that a little bit now.
All, that's everybody, right? >>
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That's right. >> And so this is
now giving us a picture because
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one of the things we were
talking about is that there are
some Bible teachers
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that teach the idea that God
actually only has a select few
that He desires to save.
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>> Yes. >> But
this text... >> Yes.
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>> ...directly says the opposite
of that. Any other texts that
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would help us understand more
about this love that God has for
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everyone? >> Yeah. I want to
take you to 1 Timothy. >> Okay.
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>> So this is, of course, Paul
writing to the young Timothy,
and what does 1 Timothy
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have to say about this
love of God? 1 Timothy...
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>> 1 Timothy 2... >> Okay.
>> ...beginning in verse 4.
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>> All right. >> 1
Timothy 2, beginning in verse 4,
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backing up to verse 3, "For this
is good and acceptable in the
sight of God our Savior,
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who desires all men to be saved
and to come to the knowledge of
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the truth." How
many? All men. >> All men.
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>> And if you keep going, in
verse 5 and 6, "For there is one
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God and one mediator between God
and men, the man Christ Jesus,
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who gave himself a ransom
for all to be testified in due
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time." So there's many other
texts that talk about God
desiring to save everyone.
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One of the reasons that some
people think that God only
desires to save some
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is they think that God has only
elected some people to save,
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and I think one place to see
very clearly that I think
there's been a misunderstanding
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of the biblical concept
of election is to go over to
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Matthew 22. >> Okay. >>
In Matthew 22, you have this
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parable, a well-known parable
of the wedding banquet and the
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invitation... >> Yes. >> ...to
this wedding banquet, and it's
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striking what we find there,
and we find there actually
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solidifies what you would find
if you were to go and look
through every single verse,
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every single use of the language
of calling and election, or
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choice, of God in the Old
Testament and the New Testament.
You would find that some texts
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are ambiguous. They don't
tell you whether somebody could
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reject the election or not, but
there are other texts that tell
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you that you can accept God's
calling or not because actually,
the word "calling" could be
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translated "invitation."
>> Okay. >> In fact, it is
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translated "invitation" in some
places. >> All right. >> And the
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one who is elect consistently
throughout Scripture is the one
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who responds to God's
invitation. >> Okay. >> And we
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see that in Matthew 22. >>
Okay. >> I won't read through
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the entire parable, but if you
were to begin in Matthew 22:1,
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you would see this parable
of an invitation sent out by a
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master's servants to bring in
all of these people to the
wedding feast, and many people
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respond to the invitation
saying, "No. I'm too busy. I
have something else going on.
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I just can't make it." Then,
after hearing those rejections
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of the invitation to the feast,
the master sends the servants
out again and says,
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"Go into the highways and byways
and invite everyone and bring
them into my house,"
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and those people accept the
invitation, and they come to the
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wedding feast, and after Jesus
tells this parable, which is
showing that you can
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accept or reject the invitation,
what does He say? Verse 14 in
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Matthew 22, Matthew 22:14, "For
many are called or invited, but
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few are chosen." >> Okay. >>
Now, what does that mean in the
context of the parable,
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"Many are called but few are
chosen"? Well, the parable tells
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you what Jesus means. You have
this invitation that goes to
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many, but only those who accept
the invitation are those who are
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chosen or elect, and that's a
consistent theme throughout
Scripture. The elect
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are those who love God. God
invites everyone to love Him,
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but the elect are those who
respond to that properly. >>
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Okay. So that helps now this...
understanding this a little bit.
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So we just read... We left off
last week with John 3:16-17. We
just read 1 Peter 3:9.
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We also ready 1 Timothy 2:4-6,
which clearly, explicitly say
that God loves everyone.
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>> Mm-hmm. >> And here, Jesus
says, "For many are called,
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but few are chosen," few
are elect. That chosen, that
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election is actually not
dictated by God... >> Yes.
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>> ...but actually dictated by
the response of the individual.
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>> That's right. >> Okay.
Now, we're seeing that God
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loves us freely, but does
He have to love us freely?
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I mean, doesn't His very nature,
I mean, some people will say, "I
mean, okay. That's fine.
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God loves us, but He has to love
us. There's nothing else He can
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do." >> Right. >> Let's
talk about that a little bit.
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>> And we want to be very
clear on this point because even
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though I would argue that God
does not choose who can receive
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His love and who cannot, it is
true that God's love is
something that He wills
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Himself, not entirely -- there
are aspects of God's love that
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are responsive, relational,
contingent upon the way a human
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responds to Him -- but God
chooses to love, and He doesn't
have to love everyone freely.
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In fact, He didn't even have
to create a world in the first
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place. >> Okay. >> He would have
been entirely happy, entirely
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fulfilled. There's no need in
the divine Being to make
creatures, although it is
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congruent with God's love that
He would want to make creatures.
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>> Yes. >> But He didn't have
to. So I want to go to John 17
first, and then we're going
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to go over to the Book of Hosea.
>> Okay. >> But John 17:24,
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very important passage for us to
understand. When we talk about
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God, even though He wants
to have a relationship with us,
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this is entirely out of His
grace. It's not because God
needs something in the strict
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sense of need that we have to
provide that He would be lacking
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without. >> Okay. >> It's that
He wants to have a relationship
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with us. John 17:24 reinforces
what I was saying before about
this need. John 17:24, Jesus is
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speaking, "Father, I desire that
they also, whom you gave me,
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may be with me where I am, that
they may behold my glory which
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you have given me for you loved
me before the foundation of the
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world," and this shows that
there is a love relationship
among the members of the Trinity
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even before creation. So
it's not as if God needs others
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or creatures in order to love,
but He chooses to create the
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world freely. Now, even more
explicitly about the free nature
of God's love we see in Hosea
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14. >> Okay. >> So if we
go over to Hosea chapter 14,
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and Hosea is a beautiful book.
We could spend many programs
just on the Book of Hosea.
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>> Yes. Yes. I
often say this section
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of the Bible is referred to
as the Minor Prophets. >> Yeah.
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>> But these minor prophets have
a major message. >> There's
nothing minor about
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the message they're giving.
That's right. Hosea 14:4, and
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this book is about God's love
relationship with His people
using metaphors of a parent and
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a child and a husband and wife
and people that have fallen away
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from God, and what is He going
to do with them to try to bring
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them back to Him? Hosea 14:4, in
that context, the verse says, "I
will heal their backsliding.
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I will love them freely for my
anger has turned away from him,"
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and by him, he means
Israel corporately. >> Yes.
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>> That word, freely, when you
read it in English, you might
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think it means, "I will love
them without cost," and
theologically, that would be
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true. God's love has no
cost, but the word in Hosea 14:4
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doesn't mean freely in that
sense. It means freely in the
sense of volitionally,
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of His own will. How do I know
that? Because that same Hebrew
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word is the same word that is
used in the sanctuary of the
freewill offerings,
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that same root, and the
word means to give of your own
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freedom, of your own volition.
So what is He saying? "I will
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love them because I choose to
continue to bestow My love on
them, continue to be with them
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and redeem them." >> Wow.
So, Dr. Peckham, where we began,
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we talked about this trying
to define what is love. What is
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God's love? What is His
character all about? >> Yes. >>
We've looked at several texts
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where we see first God loves
everyone, and now what we are
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looking at is that not only does
God love everyone, but it's that
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God choosesto love everyone.
Let's talk about... That almost
seems like a nuanced,
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but that's an important
clarifier there. Talk a little
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bit more about this free choice
that God is making to love us.
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>> Yes. So to be clear on this,
it's not as if God is
arbitrarily choosing.
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It's congruent with His
character of love and His nature
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of love that God is love that He
would do this, but He didn't
need to create a world
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in the first place at all. He
freely does it, and then when
Israel falls away from him,
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they've broken the covenant, the
agreement between God and His
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people, and there's no
covenantal obligation for God to
continue with them as His chosen
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people, but He does anyways, and
that's what He's talking... "I
will love them freely.
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I will redeem them." Another
passage that's very important
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here is Exodus 33. >> Okay.
>> Exodus 33, and this is one of
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those passages that is sometimes
misunderstood, but it's so
powerful, and whenever we're
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reading these kinds of texts or
other texts, it's very important
that we read these texts in
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light of all of what Scripture
says. >> Yes. >> You can often
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read a text here or there, and
you can interpret them one way,
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and some texts, you can
interpret more than one way. The
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question is, which
interpretation fits with the
rest of Scripture without any
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contradiction? >> Yes.
>> So Exodus 33:19, "Then he
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said"...This is... Actually,
we're going to back up to the
context. This is in the
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aftermath of the rebellion of
Israel with the golden calf. >>
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Okay. >> Moses went up on
the mountain to receive the Ten
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Commandments. >> Yes. >> And
while Moses was on the mountain,
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the Israelites decide to make a
calf, an idol to worship, out of
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gold, and they do so. The
covenant is broken, which is
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symbolized by Moses throwing the
Ten Commandments down when he
comes off the mountain.
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The covenant appears to be
shattered. Then you have this
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back-and-forth in Exodus 33
between God and Moses, where
Moses is interceding
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on behalf of the people, and
just before this, God has told
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Moses He will continue to go
with the people. He will
continue to be their God,
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and then Moses says,
"Show me your glory." >> Yes.
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>> And it's in this context that
we have verse 19, "Then he said,
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I will make all my goodness pass
before you," which by the way,
00:14:00.14\00:14:06.84
Moses says, "Show me your
glory." God's glory is more than
this but not less than this.
00:14:06.84\00:14:11.81
When Moses asks to be shown
God's glory, God shows him His
00:14:11.81\00:14:16.08
goodness. >> Mm-hmm. >> You
see a close association here.
00:14:16.08\00:14:17.62
>> Yes. >> "I will make all
my goodness pass before you,
00:14:17.62\00:14:20.42
and I will proclaim the name
of the Lord," the name Yahweh,
00:14:20.42\00:14:24.86
"Before you. I will be gracious
to whom I will be gracious, and
I will have compassion
00:14:24.86\00:14:29.23
on whom I will have compassion,"
and those two roots in Hebrew,
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grace and compassion, are
very... Compassion is just
another word for love,
00:14:35.04\00:14:39.07
and it is one of the
major words for love. >> Okay.
00:14:39.07\00:14:41.88
>> And here, we have God saying
basically, "It's not that these
00:14:41.88\00:14:46.85
people are deserving of My
love." It's not that the
covenant needs to continue.
00:14:46.85\00:14:51.05
They've broken the covenant.
It's been shattered, right? >>
00:14:51.05\00:14:54.22
Yes. >> "But I will continue to
show them grace and compassion."
00:14:54.22\00:14:59.13
Unfortunately, some people have
thought this text means that God
is arbitrarily choosing
00:14:59.13\00:15:04.13
to have compassion on some and
then arbitrarily choosing to not
00:15:04.13\00:15:09.84
have compassion on others, but
actually, in context and in the
Hebrew, many Hebrew scholars
00:15:09.84\00:15:13.54
have seen a good translation of
this would be, "I am the God who
grants mercy or compassion.
00:15:13.54\00:15:21.38
I am the God who gives grace,"
almost as if he is to say,
00:15:21.38\00:15:25.75
"They've broken the covenant.
They don't deserve it, but
00:15:25.75\00:15:29.69
because I'm Yahweh and because I
have the right to do it, I'm
going to be compassionate
00:15:29.69\00:15:33.09
to them anyway, and the covenant
will continue not because who
00:15:33.09\00:15:37.77
they are, but because of who I
am." And this is God's free
choice to continue to love His
00:15:37.77\00:15:43.91
people. >> And I think what's so
important, one of the very vital
00:15:43.91\00:15:46.94
takeaways here, is that
an individual may have turned
00:15:46.94\00:15:52.11
their back on God, may have
wandered away from God, or maybe
an individual never
00:15:52.11\00:15:57.89
grew up in the context of really
understanding who God is, and so
00:15:57.89\00:16:03.56
they're watching right now
saying, "This is not the God
that I've seen on TV.
00:16:03.56\00:16:08.26
This is not the God I've read
about in books. This is a God
00:16:08.26\00:16:12.03
actually, One that chooses to
love me freely, that I want to
00:16:12.03\00:16:16.77
get to know." >> Yes. >> And the
important takeaway of this is
00:16:16.77\00:16:19.61
that because of God freely
choosing to love us, all of us
have the opportunity,
00:16:19.61\00:16:25.68
then, to return that love. >>
That's right. >> Now, let's talk
00:16:25.68\00:16:29.35
about that, though, because
we're talking about this whole
00:16:29.35\00:16:32.42
issue of free will and things
like that, so, I mean, are we
00:16:32.42\00:16:37.29
truly free to respond to that
love of God? >> Yeah. >> Are we
00:16:37.29\00:16:40.33
truly free to love
God back? >> Yes. Yes.
00:16:40.33\00:16:43.93
The short answer is yes, we
are, and I want to show you some
00:16:43.93\00:16:46.20
texts. Before I do that, some
people who are watching might be
00:16:46.20\00:16:49.57
thinking, "But I've always
thought Exodus 33," and they're
00:16:49.57\00:16:53.17
probably more familiar with it
from Romans 9. Paul quotes it in
Romans 9, and that's a passage
00:16:53.17\00:16:56.48
that I think we're going to come
to in this show or in a later
00:16:56.48\00:16:59.51
show... >> Sure. >> ...to try
to look at some of that and what
00:16:59.51\00:17:01.82
Paul was really getting at
there, but they think Exodus 33
means something different,
00:17:01.82\00:17:05.09
the God is choosing some and not
others, but if you look in the
context of Exodus 33,
00:17:05.09\00:17:08.69
right before, after the golden
calf incident, God didn't say,
00:17:08.69\00:17:12.13
"Okay. You all rebelled with the
golden calf. I'm going to save
00:17:12.13\00:17:14.63
these people, and I'm not going
to save these ones." Now, what
00:17:14.63\00:17:16.90
does He say? He says, "Whoever
is on the Lord's side, come to
00:17:16.90\00:17:20.84
this side," and so they have a
decision to make even in the
context, which shows He's not
00:17:20.84\00:17:24.84
making an arbitrary choice
between people. What about us
00:17:24.84\00:17:29.28
having the ability to respond to
God freely in love relationship?
Well, there's a number of places
00:17:29.28\00:17:35.45
we could go for this, but let's
go to Deuteronomy 30 first of
00:17:35.45\00:17:38.99
all. >> Okay. >> Deuteronomy
chapter 30. >> As we're turning
00:17:38.99\00:17:43.36
to Deuteronomy, Dr. Peckham, I
just want to tell you that it's
00:17:43.36\00:17:48.43
important as we're studying the
Bible that our viewer, as we're
studying, we're really all over
00:17:48.43\00:17:53.03
the place in the Bible here.
We're in the Pentateuch right
now, the first five books.
00:17:53.03\00:17:56.81
>> Mm-hmm. >> We were
in the Minor Prophets.
00:17:56.81\00:17:58.34
>> Mm-hmm. >> We were in the
New Testament. This is not just
00:17:58.34\00:18:02.08
selections. We are really
exploring this love of God and
the love that God has for us,
00:18:02.08\00:18:08.65
so Deuteronomy chapter 30 and
what verse? >> Deuteronomy 30
00:18:08.65\00:18:11.85
beginning in verse 15. >>
Okay. >> And everything that
00:18:11.85\00:18:14.09
I'm sharing with you today comes
out of my investigation of what
all of what Scripture
00:18:14.09\00:18:17.89
says on love... >> Yes.
>> ...which is not to say
00:18:17.89\00:18:20.06
that I've mined everything that
Scripture says but that I tried
00:18:20.06\00:18:22.73
to. >> Yes, yes. >> Deuteronomy
30:15, this is what it says,
00:18:22.73\00:18:28.37
the words of God Himself, "See,
I have set before you today life
00:18:28.37\00:18:34.04
and death," "life and good,"
rather, "death and evil, in that
I command you today
00:18:34.04\00:18:39.48
to love the Lord your God, to
walk in his ways and to keep his
00:18:39.48\00:18:44.92
commandments, his statutes and
his judgments, that you may live
and multiply, and the Lord your
00:18:44.92\00:18:50.63
God will bless you in the land
which you go to possess." Then
we drop down, and it says,
00:18:50.63\00:18:59.93
verse 19, "I call heaven and
earth as witnesses today against
you that I have set
00:18:59.93\00:19:04.74
before you life and death,
blessing and cursing. Therefore,
00:19:04.74\00:19:11.78
choose life, that both you and
your descendants may live, that
you may love the Lord
00:19:11.78\00:19:15.52
your God, that you may obey his
voice and that you may cling to
00:19:15.52\00:19:19.05
him for he is your life and the
length of your days, and that
00:19:19.05\00:19:23.79
you may dwell in the land which
the Lord swore to your fathers,
to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to
00:19:23.79\00:19:28.93
give them." Now, of course, he's
speaking to the nation of Israel
00:19:28.93\00:19:31.87
in these verses. >> Yes. >> But
the principle here is that they
00:19:31.87\00:19:35.07
have a choice to love God and
respond to Him and be in a
relationship with Him.
00:19:35.07\00:19:39.31
>> And this is important because
when we talk about kind of this
00:19:39.31\00:19:43.65
idea of God predetermining, it
gives the idea that there's no
choice in the matter,
00:19:43.65\00:19:48.02
but here, Deuteronomy chapter 30
is clearly emphasizing that we
00:19:48.02\00:19:53.86
have a choice to respond to
God's love, and I'll go back to
something that I have said
00:19:53.86\00:19:57.43
throughout my ministry, is that
in order for love to truly be
00:19:57.43\00:20:02.13
love, it must give us the
ability to say, "Yes," or to
00:20:02.13\00:20:07.00
say, "No"... >> Right. >>
...because if it does not, then
00:20:07.00\00:20:10.91
really, it is God forcing His
will upon us. >> Yes. >> I see
00:20:10.91\00:20:15.01
you turning in your Bible. There
must be another text. Let's go
to another text and...
00:20:15.01\00:20:17.31
>> There is. >> ...talk about
this. >> Following up on that
00:20:17.31\00:20:19.58
is in Matthew 22. >>
Okay. >> In Matthew 22,
00:20:19.58\00:20:22.45
Jesus is asked, what is the
greatest commandment? And we're
00:20:22.45\00:20:27.82
going to see this commandment
that Jesus prescribes, which is
00:20:27.82\00:20:31.66
actually already in the Old
Testament, which is the love
commandment. >> Yes.
00:20:31.66\00:20:35.06
>> Now, if human beings did not
have any freedom with regard to
00:20:35.06\00:20:40.14
love, I want us to ask
ourselves, would this command
make any sense, right?
00:20:40.14\00:20:45.54
Matthew 22 beginning in verse
37, Matthew 22:37, "Jesus said
00:20:45.54\00:20:51.81
to him, 'You shall love the Lord
your God with all your heart,
00:20:51.81\00:20:55.48
with all your soul and with
all your mind. This is the first
00:20:55.48\00:21:02.02
and great commandment, and
the second is like it, you shall
00:21:02.02\00:21:06.86
love your neighbor as yourself.
On these two commandments hang
all the Law and the Prophets."
00:21:06.86\00:21:11.77
Now, Jesus is giving a summary
of the entire law and the
prophets, as He says,
00:21:11.77\00:21:15.97
and both of those commandments
are in the Old Testament
00:21:15.97\00:21:18.34
actually. He's quoting from
Deuteronomy 6:5, which is love
00:21:18.34\00:21:20.88
toward God... >> Yes. >> ...and
Leviticus 19:18, which is love
00:21:20.88\00:21:23.14
towards your neighbor, but what
sense would it make if you
didn't have any freedom
00:21:23.14\00:21:27.62
with regard to reciprocating
God's love... >> Yes.
00:21:27.62\00:21:30.59
>> ...to say, "This is the
greatest commandment, love God
and love other people."
00:21:30.59\00:21:35.09
Now, at the same time, it's not
because we have it in our own
00:21:35.09\00:21:39.16
natures to love. The Bible tells
us elsewhere in 1 John 4 that we
00:21:39.16\00:21:43.37
love because God first loved us,
right? So it's not that it's
something we're generating,
00:21:43.37\00:21:46.50
but it is something that we have
freedom to respond to God in
love that He is calling us
00:21:46.50\00:21:52.21
and giving us this commandment
to do so. >> So this is
00:21:52.21\00:21:55.14
phenomenal. So the first piece
of understanding the love of God
is that first God loves us
00:21:55.14\00:22:02.68
freely. He loves, and
when I use the word us...
00:22:02.68\00:22:06.72
>> Everyone. >>
...everyone. >> That's right.
00:22:06.72\00:22:08.62
>> He loves everyone freely. He
chooses to love us and then
gives us the invitation
00:22:08.62\00:22:16.80
to return that love.
>> Yes. >> So in the last,
00:22:16.80\00:22:23.97
you know, 5 minutes that we have
left here today, let's talk
about this, though.
00:22:23.97\00:22:29.74
For the person that's there
saying, "But no, no, no. There's
00:22:29.74\00:22:33.65
election and predestination and
predetermination, and it's not
00:22:33.65\00:22:38.79
about"... How might you respond
to that person saying, "Okay,
you know, I understand
00:22:38.79\00:22:43.36
in the context that this may be
what you grew up learning. This
00:22:43.36\00:22:47.30
may be what you've heard at
church or wherever it may be,"
how wold you respond to that,
00:22:47.30\00:22:52.03
the person that's really
wrestling with that saying, "No,
00:22:52.03\00:22:54.40
no, no, but it's predetermined."
>> That's right. >> "I'm having
00:22:54.40\00:22:57.37
a hard time with this God freely
choosing and me freely choosing
00:22:57.37\00:23:01.28
to respond"? >> Yeah.
Yeah. This is such an important
00:23:01.28\00:23:02.78
question. So I'm going to go
rapid fire in a couple of texts
00:23:02.78\00:23:05.25
if we can here. >> Please.
>> But the important principle
00:23:05.25\00:23:08.52
to understand is what reading
makes sense of all of these
00:23:08.52\00:23:12.75
texts. The texts that some
people think teach that view
make sense if you understand
00:23:12.75\00:23:16.36
the distinction between God's
ideal will, that's what He wants
00:23:16.36\00:23:19.76
to happen if everyone always
did what He wanted, and God's
00:23:19.76\00:23:23.57
remedial will -- that's what God
does in response to the free
decisions of others. >> Yes.
00:23:23.57\00:23:27.60
>> Now, how do I know the Bible
teaches something like this?
Because if you ask yourself
00:23:27.60\00:23:30.14
a simple question, does God
always get what He wants? If the
answer to that question
00:23:30.14\00:23:34.81
is no, and yet God is
all-powerful, that means there
00:23:34.81\00:23:37.61
must be some other factor other
than what God Himself is
causing. So I want to go to
00:23:37.61\00:23:41.82
Isaiah 30. >> Okay. >> And then
we're going to go to another
chapter in Isaiah...
00:23:41.82\00:23:43.99
>> All right. >> ...and then
two in Luke if we have time.
00:23:43.99\00:23:46.12
>> Sure. Let's get some
rapid-fire sequence going.
00:23:46.12\00:23:49.39
>> Isaiah 30... >> Yes.
>> ...because I don't want
00:23:49.39\00:23:51.33
to leave this kind of as a
question in people's minds that
00:23:51.33\00:23:55.86
we're just pulling this out
of thin air. We're getting this
00:23:55.86\00:23:58.57
from the Bible. Isaiah 30:18,
"Therefore, the Lord will wait
that he may be gracious to you,
00:23:58.57\00:24:05.01
and therefore, he will be
exalted that he may have mercy
on you for the Lord
00:24:05.01\00:24:09.88
is a God of justice. Blessed
are those who wait for him."
00:24:09.88\00:24:13.11
The Lord will what? >>
He'll wait. >> He will wait.
00:24:13.11\00:24:15.82
He wants to have mercy. He's
waiting. Flip over to Isaiah 66.
00:24:15.82\00:24:19.62
>> Okay. >> Isaiah 66:14,
and then we'll go to Luke.
00:24:19.62\00:24:25.66
Okay. So Isaiah 30:18 says this,
"Therefore, the Lord will wait
00:24:25.66\00:24:30.27
that he may be gracious to you,
and therefore, he will be
exalted that he may have mercy
00:24:30.27\00:24:35.34
on you for the Lord is a God
of justice. Blessed are those
00:24:35.34\00:24:39.01
who wait for him." It says the
Lord will wait. He longs to have
00:24:39.01\00:24:44.08
mercy on you, some versions
translate that verse. I want to
flip over to Isaiah 66
00:24:44.08\00:24:47.82
in the same book. >> Okay. Yeah.
00:24:47.82\00:24:49.55
>> Isaiah 66:4, this is what God
says at the end of that verse,
00:24:49.55\00:24:57.99
"When I spoke, they did
not hear," even before that,
00:24:57.99\00:25:02.13
"Because when I called, no one
answered, and I spoke, they did
00:25:02.13\00:25:06.60
not hear, but they did evil
before my eyes and chose that in
which I do not delight."
00:25:06.60\00:25:12.74
So God called, but they
didn't answer. He spoke.
00:25:12.74\00:25:14.81
They didn't hear. They
chose what He didn't delight in
00:25:14.81\00:25:18.45
or what He didn't choose. Then
we go over to Luke 7. >> Yes.
00:25:18.45\00:25:21.65
>> Some people think that God's
will is always fulfilled, and
00:25:21.65\00:25:25.02
there's some texts that speak
about God's will that is
fulfilled, but then there's text
00:25:25.02\00:25:28.69
where He does not get what He
wants. Luke 7, Luke 7:30 is just
one of many examples
00:25:28.69\00:25:33.96
we could look at. It says on
Luke 7:30, "But the Pharisees
00:25:33.96\00:25:38.57
and lawyers rejected the will of
God for themselves, not having
been baptized by him."
00:25:38.57\00:25:43.27
>> Wow. >> So they
reject the will of God,
00:25:43.27\00:25:45.47
and then finally, Luke
13:34, Luke 13:34. This is Jesus
00:25:45.47\00:25:52.01
overlooking Jerusalem, knowing
what is going to happen with
regard to some therein
00:25:52.01\00:25:57.09
who reject Him. Luke
13:34, and when I read this,
00:25:57.09\00:26:02.02
I always imagine the
tears in Jesus' eyes. >> Yes.
00:26:02.02\00:26:04.43
>> "Oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
the one who kills the prophets
and stones those who were sent
00:26:04.43\00:26:09.83
to her. How often I wanted,"
and that's the same word
00:26:09.83\00:26:13.70
for will throughout the New
Testament, a different than the
00:26:13.70\00:26:17.37
one in Luke, but the other major
word for will, "how often I
wanted to gather your children
00:26:17.37\00:26:20.78
together as a hen gathers her
brood under her wings, but you
00:26:20.78\00:26:25.75
were not willing." So Jesus
wanted to gather them, and they
were not willing, same exact
00:26:25.75\00:26:30.52
Greek word. >> Yes. >> You see,
God does not always get what He
00:26:30.52\00:26:34.29
wants. He wants to save
everyone. He invites everyone,
but we have a choice.
00:26:34.29\00:26:38.63
>> And that is a powerful
message that we will leave this
00:26:38.63\00:26:43.50
show on. First, God chooses to
love us freely. Second, He gives
00:26:43.50\00:26:51.71
us the ability. He's granted us
as a part of who we are the
opportunity to freely choose Him
00:26:51.71\00:26:59.31
so that this relationship is
truly a love relationship
between a God who is loving
00:26:59.31\00:27:07.56
and a people who responds. That
is powerful, Dr. Peckham. As we
close off this program,
00:27:07.56\00:27:14.83
Dr. Peckham, would you mind
praying to end our journey here
00:27:14.83\00:27:20.14
this program? >> Absolutely.
Let's pray together. >> Dear
00:27:20.14\00:27:23.54
Father in heaven, great God of
love, we are so thankful to You
that You have loved us freely
00:27:23.54\00:27:28.21
and that You have called
us and invited us to come into
00:27:28.21\00:27:31.38
fellowship of love relationship
with You. We ask even now that
You would open our hearts
00:27:31.38\00:27:36.89
so that we may come into
this relationship with You or
00:27:36.89\00:27:39.85
continue in it and come to know
You even better and reflect the
love that You have given to us
00:27:39.85\00:27:44.86
onto others. In Jesus'
name we pray. Amen. >> Amen.
00:27:44.86\00:27:49.96
My dear friend, God freely
chooses to love you. He doesn't
00:27:49.96\00:27:56.17
have to, but He chooses to, and
today, His invitation is that
00:27:56.17\00:28:02.44
you, in turn, would choose to
love Him back. It is a
phenomenal thing to know that
00:28:02.44\00:28:09.48
God doesn't arbitrarily choose,
but He chooses everyone, and
He's looking toward you
00:28:09.48\00:28:16.86
wanting a relationship with you.
Today I want to offer you two
00:28:16.86\00:28:21.93
things to help you in that
journey of a love relationship
with God. First is the booklet
00:28:21.93\00:28:27.87
"God's Love for Man." You won't
want to miss out on this little
00:28:27.87\00:28:32.57
booklet as it guides you
through that journey with God
00:28:32.57\00:28:37.15
and helps you to understand His
love more completely and respond
00:28:37.15\00:28:42.22
to it. Secondly, I want to offer
you the Discover Bible Lessons
that you would study the Bible
00:28:42.22\00:28:48.82
to see that love of God and be
transformed by it. Here's the
information you need
00:28:48.82\00:28:55.33
to receive today's offer.
>> To request today's offer,
00:28:55.33\00:28:59.10
just log on to
www.ItIsWrittenCanada.ca.
00:28:59.10\00:29:04.11
If you prefer, you may call
toll-free at 1-888-CALL-IIW. >>
Dear friend, I hope today
00:29:04.11\00:29:12.68
that you have gained just a
glimpse of how deep and how wide
00:29:12.68\00:29:19.39
God's love is for you. So
thankful for my guest, Dr. John
00:29:19.39\00:29:23.46
Peckham. Thank you so much for
joining us. >> Thank you, Chris.
00:29:23.46\00:29:25.79
It's been my pleasure. >> Dear
friend, I invite you to join us
00:29:25.79\00:29:29.80
again next week. Until then,
remember, it is written: "Man
shall not live by bread
00:29:29.80\00:29:34.74
alone but by every word
that proceeds from the mouth
00:29:34.74\00:29:39.71
of God." ¤¤
00:29:39.71\00:29:51.22