CHOICE NOT CHANCE DETERMINES DESTINY
How many of you have ever said I bet? It could refer to many things. I bet you I can fly an airplane. How many of you are willing to make that choice to take a chance that I could fly that airplane? We all have said something along those lines. We like to bring “chance” into our lives. I refuse to wear a seat belt. By doing so, what am I doing? I am taking a “chance” that I don’t get caught.
Well, let me tell you something, CHOICE NOT CHANCE DETERMINES OUR DESTINY. The definitions of these words say many things about their effect on our eternal destination.
CHOICE is an act of selecting or deciding when faced with two or more possibilities.
CHANCE is something that happens unpredictably without discernible human intention or observable cause.
DESTINY refers to the events that will happen to a particular person in the future.
We and all people are faced with two distinct destinies. One is an eternal relationship with God Almighty in paradise. The other destiny is eternal torment and damnation with Satan and his followers.
CHOICE NOT CHANCE DETERMINES OUR DESTINY. Can I share two situations where choices and not chances affected destiny.
AHAB:
1 Kings 22: 29-38
29 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead. 30 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle; but you put on your robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle. 31 Now the king of Syria had commanded the thirty-two captains of his chariots, saying, “Fight with no one small or great, but only with the king of Israel.” 32 So it was, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, “Surely it is the king of Israel!” Therefore, they turned aside to fight against him, and Jehoshaphat cried out. 33 And it happened, when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him. 34 Now a certain man drew a bow at random and struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. So, he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn around and take me out of the battle, for I am wounded.” 35 The battle increased that day; and the king was propped up in his chariot, facing the Syrians, and died at evening. The blood ran out from the wound onto the floor of the chariot. 36 Then, as the sun was going down, a shout went throughout the army, saying, “Every man to his city, and every man to his own country!” 37 So the king died, and was brought to Samaria. And they buried the king in Samaria. 38 Then someone washed the chariot at a pool in Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood while the harlots bathed, according to the word of the Lord which He had spoken.
What can you say about Ahab? He married an outsider. He killed Naboth. He stole Naboth’s vineyard. He freely CHOSE to worship Baal. He tormented God’s prophets. Ahab had been confronted many times by God’s prophets. He had been given many opportunities to “CHOOSE” to follow and obey God’s will. We instantly think of Ahab and Elijah. Well in this situation, he was confronted by Micaiah.
Just a little background. Ahab was King of Israel and Jehosaphat was King of Judah. The two kings wanted a piece of land that should have rightly belonged to Israel anyway. The piece of land was being held by Syria. For 3 years, Israel and Syria had not been in a state of warfare.
Ahab calls in all of his prophets. These were false prophets of God. They told Ahab what he wanted to hear. Just like so many preachers today tell churchgoers exactly what they want to hear and not what God the Father wants them to hear. These false prophets told Ahab that victory was sure.
Ahab wanted to be convinced even more that he was going to be successful, so he his messenger to bring Micaiah, the true prophet, to him. Ahab’s messenger tried to convince Micaiah to tell Ahab the same thing the false prophets were telling him. Micaiah tells the messenger that he would tell Ahab the truth.
Micaiah proceeds to tell Ahab that he saw Israel scattered upon the hills. Ahab responds by saying to Jehoshaphat “I told you he would wish us ill well”
Ahab orders Micaiah to be placed in prison. It is now the day of battle. Ahab convinces Jehoshaphat to put on Ahab’s armor. Ahab knew he was hated by the Syrians and was trying to disguise himself. Look back at verse 31. The Syrians were out to kill Ahab. The Syrians track down who they thought to be Ahab. When they saw that it was Jehoshaphat and not Ahab, one of their soldiers in disgust shoots an arrow in the sky and it comes down and pierces Ahab in a place where he wasn’t protected by his armor, and he bleeds to death. They take his body to the place of Naboth’s vineyard and wash it out and dogs come and lick up the blood. Ahab had been told by Elijah that this would happen.
The world would tell us about how unlucky Ahab was. But CHANCE had nothing to do with it. Ahab had CHOSEN to worship BAAL. Ahab had CHOSEN to ignore the warnings of God’s prophets. Ahab had CHOSEN to desire what belonged to another (THE VINEYARD) and Ahab CHOSE to be a part of the plot to kill Naboth. CHANCE had nothing to do with Ahab’s destiny. Ahab’s CHOICES determined his DESTINY.
THE THIEVES ON THE CROSS:
Luke 23: 39-43
39 Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.” 40 But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” 43 And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
Y’all may have heard of Jesus Christ, the Son of God who came to Earth to die for all of the sins ever committed. I hope you have made the CHOICE to accept him as your personal savior. Jesus had been battered, beaten, and bruised. Jesus “CHOSE” to cover your sins and my sins. What did Christ pray in the Garden? Let your will be done. Do you know what Jesus was saying? He was saying GOD, MY FATHER, I CHOOSE to do what is necessary.
Our Lord and Savior was hung between two common criminals. It is obviously the last opportunity for them to make the right CHOICE. One of the criminals, verse 39, joins the crowd making fun of Jesus. If you are the Son of God, save yourself and us. The key word spoken by the thief in verse 39 is “IF”. He denied Christ’s divinity. There is so much in such a short two letter word. I can see that thief really acting out and shouting IF. Can you not picture the scene? This thief had cast his lot. His CHOICE had sentenced him to condemnation. CHANCE would not be able to help him.
Notice the other thief. In verse 40, he says “Dost not thou fear GOD? In verse 41, he says we are getting what we deserve. What was this thief saying? He was saying we are guilty. He was confessing his sin to the Son of God. In verse 42, he calls Jesus “LORD” and asks will you remember me? This thief had made a CHOICE to call on Jesus as Lord. There was no IF in his statement. HE KNEW JESUS as LORD. He had made the right CHOICE. Christ responded by saying you will be with me today in paradise.
I will tell you this when I get to Heaven, that thief will be there. That thief like hopefully all of you have done made the CHOICE to proclaim Jesus as LORD. He did not rely on CHANCE to determine his destiny.
Every human being comes to the point in life where they have to determine if they are going to make the CHOICE to accept Christ’s atonement for their sins or to take a CHANCE that it is all a hoax. The Bible talks about two roads. One is straight and narrow and not taken by many and the other is wide and well-traveled, and I would dare say very windy with many opportunities to CHOOSE to turn around and find the straight road.
I have used this comparison many times and Mrs. Hall from 10th Grade English at Dyersburg High School would be so proud. There is a little poem from Robert Frost:
THE ROAD NOT TAKEN:
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
When it comes to your decision on your eternal destiny, will you CHOOSE the road less traveled, or will you rely on CHANCE to lead you to your DESTINY?