Bible Truth #255 - Amos 3:1-2

Amos 3:1-2

1  Hear this word which the LORD has spoken against you, sons of Israel, against the entire family which He brought up from the land of Egypt:

2  “You only have I chosen among all the families of the earth; Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.”

Keeping in line with Arminian thought and belief, the Israelites had a choice whether to accept God’s favor and discipline. Here God said that He chose them, and them alone from among ALL the families of the earth. I guess the nation of Israel was unanimous in its vote to accept it?

Something else to consider... was God being unfair to all the other families of the earth? I mean, is it just and legitimate for God to pick only the Israelites? From all appearances it seems that by choosing only the nation of Israel, the rest of all the families on earth were consigned to spending an eternity in the Lake of Fire. Is that Just?

YES! God is just (Isaiah 45:21), therefore anything and everything He does is just.

Because of Adam EVERYONE deserves Hell and the Lake of Fire, no one is righteous (Romans 3:10). That is where each and every one of us were headed until God, at some point in the lives of those He has chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4), quickened our dead spirit by His word (Romans 10:17) through faith, the faith that God gave us (Ephesians 2:8, Romans 12:3) as a gift. God then gave us belief (John 6:29, Philippians 1:29), repentance (2 Timothy 2:25), and understanding (Luke 24:45, 1 Corinthians 2:14, 2 Timothy 2:7). And please understand, the Bible says over and over that a lost man is dead and can do NOTHING pleasing to God (Romans 8:8) which absolutely includes believing or accepting Christ and repenting of his sins. Belief and repentance is the result of salvation, not the cause.

No man can come to Christ unless the Father draws him and if God draws him, Christ WILL raise him up (John 6:44). There is no free will in that passage nor in Amos 3:2.