predestination and relationships

recently, i've been thinking about predestination. and relationships. and predestination and relationships.

every relationship is predestined by God.

indeed, everything is predestined by God. of course, the fact that every relationship is predestined by God does not remove the impetus to work things out, any more than the fact that salvation is predestined by God removes the impetus for evangelism (it doesn't). not that we should practice missionary dating...

every relationship which happens or does not happen is part of God's best possible world.

even as every relationship is predestined by God, 'we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose' (Romans 8:28, NIV). to this end, every relationship which happens or does not happen is part of God's best possible world.

going mysteriously forward, there is no place for regret in moderate "middle knowledge" calvinism. there are no other possible worlds which could have been brought about, only one particular world which has been (freely) brought about. there are no "what ifs", only "what is".

i don't know why God doesn't create a world in which every relationship works out. but i know that this particular world (ie. the world we live in) is the best possible world - from God's perspective. if it were not so, then God would not have created it.

every relationship points towards the profound mystery of Christ and the church.

above all, every relationship declares God's love for His people, Christ's love for His bride - the church.

"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church - for we are members of his body.

""For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." This is a profound mystery - but I am talking about Christ and the church." - Ephesians 5:25-32 (NIV)

"Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: "Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear." (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)" - Revelation 19:6-8 (NIV)

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."" - Revelation 21:1-4 (NIV)

link: more on predestination and relationships (1 jun 09)