David facing Goliath

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Chapter: 14.55
(Section 14: Selective Salvation)
Copyright © Michael Bronson 1998 -2005
BibleHelp.org

The Bible says David was a man after God’s own heart. Why did God call him this? Basically, it was because David chose to follow God with all of his heart. David deliberately put God first above everything else. David made it a point to keep his heart pure and devoted to God. It appears the choices he made produced a heart that was rare.

How does this fit in with the doctrine of selective salvation? According to selective salvation, all of our hearts (mindsets) have been molded by God. They are exactly the way God wants them. If this is true, all of the elect should be people after God’s own heart. The comments about David’s heart suggest to me selective salvation can’t be true.

In addition to the above, there is also the verse about God seeking someone who has a pure heart. Before David came onto the scene, the Bible says God "sought a man after His own heart." If selective salvation is true and God preprogrammed all of our hearts, there was no need for Him to look. God already knew who had the right kind of heart. Once again, this indicates to me selective salvation can’t be true.

Some may counter my argument by saying, "Even if selective salvation is false, an omniscient (all-knowing) God would know everyone’s heart. Therefore, there still is no need for God to seek someone after His own heart.

This observation, of course, is true. God’s "search," however, had nothing to do with His not knowing the hearts of men. People often think this verse is saying God was doing a person-to-person search of people’s hearts. In reality, this verse is saying God desired a man after His own heart.

The word "seeking" often means desiring or wanting, not the actual act of seeking. For example, when I was single, people would often ask me, "What kind of girl are you looking for?" or "What kind of girl are you seeking?" Basically, they were asking, "What kind of girl do you desire?"

Yes, it is true; God desires a person after His own heart. He is looking for people who will choose to be pure and wholly devoted to Him. Will you be one of these people? Listed below are verses talking about David’s heart:

• 1 Kings 11:4 God said Solomon’s heart was "not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David."

• 1 Kings 14:8 God said David "followed me [God] with all his heart."

• 1 Kings 15:3 The Bible said Jeroboam’s "heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his forefather had been."

• 1 Samuel 13:14 The Bible says after Saul’s failure, God had "sought Him a man after His own heart."

• Acts 13:22 God said, "I have found David … a man after My own heart."

Other Chapters in this Section

Home
Up
PART 1: What is Selective Salvation?
PART 2: What Does the Bible say about Selective Salvation?
PART 3: Problems with Selective Salvation
PART 4: “Choice” –The Achilles’ Heel of Selective Salvation

Choice 1: The Contradictions of Selective Salvation
Choice 2: Can You Force Someone to Love You?
Choice 3: Is Choice Really a Choice Without a Choice?
Choice 4: Do We Really have a Free Will?
Choice 5: Can Prayer Change Things?
Choice 6: Can God be Grieved by Our Sins or Moved by Our Repentance?
Choice 7: The Choice to Sin
Choice 8: Are We Incapable of Choosing God?
Choice 9: Choice and the Moral Standard
Choice 10: The Purpose of Choice
Choice 11: The Suffering of Job
Choice 12: Why is God Pleased with our Obedience?
Choice 13: The Rich Young Ruler
Choice 14: Why was God so Excited when the Lost Sheep was Found?
Choice 15: A Man After God's Own Heart
Choice 16: Choose You this Day whom You will Serve
Choice 17: Appointed as a Ruler over many Cities

PART 5: Difficult Questions Answered
Appendix: Foundational Documents used by Selective Salvationists

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