Tim Maas Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

The most important choice that any individual can make during his or her earthly life is the choice not to resist or reject God and the offer of salvation and eternal life that He makes possible through justifying faith. This choice is presented throughout the Bible. Moses made it clear to the people of Israel as they were about to enter the Promised Land in Deuteronomy 30:19. Jesus spoke of it in the Sermon on the Mount as a choice between a narrow gate and wide gate (Matthew 7:13-14). And Peter pleaded with his listeners at Pentecost to save themselves from a corrupt generation by believing in Christ (Acts 2:38-40).

Once that fundamental choice has been made, believers routinely face a multitude of additional choices in regard to day-to-day situations that they encounter or actions that they can take, for which the Bible provides a wealth of guidance as to God's expectations -- not as a means of being saved, but in gratitude to Him for salvation that has already been received through faith in Christ. And the choices that they make in that regard will serve as the basis for the reward that they will receive from God in eternity (1 Corinthians 3:10-15).

July 26 2020 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Grant Abbott Child of Father, Follower of Son, Student of Spirit

Every page of the bible shows believers and unbelievers making choices. The bible is God's book, so it tells His message to human beings. The theme of the bible is Spiritual Life. God offers us this life as a free gift, but we have to make the choice to receive it. Every account of someone's life in the bible shows us the choices they have made. Some people, who had faith in God's revelation, chose to do what was pleasing to Him, and we get to see the blessings from God that flow from these God-pleasing decisions. Other people were rebelling against God's will for their lives, rejecting his commandments for living a God-pleasing life. We also get to see the evil and wickedness that ensued from an absence of God's presence and blessing.

God makes it crystal clear in the bible that we have some critical decisions to make. Look at God's word in these verses from Deuteronomy 30:11-20:

"Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. 

"See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. 

"This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now CHOOSE life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob."

I believe Christians have 3 critical decisions to make in order to fully enjoy all our God's blessings and experience the abundantly fulfilling and deeply satisfying life that Jesus promised:

Decision 1
Believe in Jesus Christ as the unique Son of God and universal Saviour of the World. Included in this decision is confession and repentance of sin, and acceptance of Jesus as our personal saviour. This is a one-time decision.

Decision 2
Surrender to Jesus Christ as the Lord of our life. Included in this decision is to obey His teaching and follow His example. This decision involves bible study, prayer, worship, thanksgiving, and service. In the process Jesus will train and equip us so we can become the people that God our Father created us to be. This is a daily decision every Christian has to make. 

Decision 3
Walk with the Holy Spirit so He can give us wisdom, guidance and direction. Then we will accomplish all the good works that God our Father has prepared in advance for us to do. The Holy Spirit will transform us to exhibit the character of Jesus Christ, so our lives will glorify our Father in Heaven. This is a daily decision that every Christian has to make.

In my view, every other decision we see Christians make in the bible, flows from these three decisions. So it is not that complicated to make decisions that lead to a God-pleasing life.

July 26 2020 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report

Jack Gutknecht ABC/DTS graduate, guitar music ministry Baptist church

The Bible has a lot to say about a believer making wise choices. See the following 5 selected verses. 

Psalm 16:11 "Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore."

Proverbs 3:5-6 5 "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

Isaiah 30:21 "And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left." --Isaiah 30:21

5 "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." (James 1:5)

The Top Bible Verses about Choices in Scripture include James 1:5); this can be found under biblestudytools.com.

S. Michael Houdmann says on his other website, "If we should pray in all situations, we should certainly pray in times of decision-making. As we pray, we ask for wisdom (James 1:5)." --gotquestions.com

August 09 2020 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report