2 Doors
In old game shows on TV the contestants play for prizes. There is usually the possibility of winning nothing or some joke prize. Sometimes the contestant is required to pick a door. They are free to choose any door but they do not know what is behind the doors. They make their choice and then what is behind the door is revealed to them and to everyone watching. Sometimes it is a fabulous item or sometimes it is nothing or maybe even an item that is a sick joke.
One of the most important aspects of the human creation is the ability and responsibility to choose. This is invaluable to God. He did not create men to serve Him automatically. He made us to freely choose to serve and love Him. God did not want mindless creatures that would serve God because they did not have any other option. He even arranged things that these new creatures would have a pre-loaded tendency (sin) to choose against Him. Those who choose to love God in spite of a sin nature really do want to serve Him.
The Bible gives us a slight glimpse into the fact of the foreknowledge of God. This has given many the idea that the “sovereignty” of God overrides our choice because He is bigger than we are. This is one example of an aspect of God's nature that is true but that we humans cannot reconcile with our limited understanding. It is not easy being God. When we consider God, we inject infinite and eternal qualities. These cannot be reconciled by us finite time-creatures. Despite the nature of the Eternal God, His purpose in requiring choices from us does not go away. God is sovereign (in the Bible sense) and we are responsible. One word of God does not negate another word from God.
In the Old Testament God required His people to make a choice.
15 See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;
19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: (Deut 30)
God wanted a people that would choose to love and obey Him, not pre-programmed beings that would serve God whether they wanted to or not. But how can we know what is involved in choosing one door over the other one? It is not really a choice if we do not fully know our options, is it? God requires two things: that we freely have the choice to love Him and that we have trust in God beyond the natural senses.
God does not ask us to choose blindly. Beside giving us the responsibility to choose, He also gives us the answer. To the ancient Israelites He said,
...therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: (v.19)
Life is an open-book test. God requires us to choose but He also gives us the answer. Amazingly, most people, faced with the options, will choose death. A child can grasp this. It takes a good amount of indoctrination to mess this up.
We are faced with the same dilemma the ancient Israelites were. We are required to choose. Door 1 or Door 2. Life or death. This is serious. This is for forever. We can choose either door we want but we cannot choose what is behind that door. We can make any choice we want but we cannot determine what the consequence of that choice is. God does not leave us helpless.
He says to pick one. Door 1 or Door 2. Pick one. Pick one. Pick ONE!
“Should I pick 1 or 2?”
PICK ONE!
“Yes, I know. I wonder what's behind Door number 2.”
People go to heaven or hell. Everybody gets what they want. Everybody gets what they choose. Everybody get their way, again. Everybody's happy.
Wait a minute! Almost no one is happy. We can make any choice we want but we cannot determine the consequence of our free choice.
7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. (John 10)
There is no excuse for failing this open book test.
Dec 28, 2024