Love Requires a Choice
God could have created a world without sin. He could have made us like robots, programmed to always say "I love You." But a robot cannot love. Love, by definition, must be freely given. So God took a risk; He gave us the power to say "No" to Him, so that our "Yes" would be real.
The claim that love has to be freely given runs through Genesis 3, Deuteronomy 30:19 and John 6, and it is the hinge of the whole Christian account of sin. Catholic/Christian Pro carries in-depth Bible studies on those passages, audio devotionals, guided prayers for anyone trying to break a habit that has stopped feeling optional, worship playlists and offline access. $49 one-time, lifetime access, no subscription and no recurring charges. Start today.
Get Pro for $49 One-time payment. Lifetime access. 30-day money-back guarantee.The Church teaches predestination (God knows everything and has a plan), but rejects "double predestination" (the Calvinist idea that God creates some people specifically for hell). God "wills everyone to be saved" (1 Tim 2:4). If anyone goes to hell, it is by their own choice, resisting God's grace to the end.
Romans 8 and 9 are the chapters the Calvinist and Catholic readings both stand on, and 1 Timothy 2:4 is the verse the Church sets against double predestination. Working through them properly takes a fortnight. Pro gives you in-depth Bible studies on Romans, on grace and on the will, audio devotionals, guided prayers, worship playlists and offline access anywhere. One payment of $49, lifetime access, no recurring charges, 30-day money-back guarantee. Start today.
Get Pro for $49 One-time payment for lifetime access. No subscription, no recurring charge. 30-day money-back guarantee.Modern society thinks freedom means "doing whatever I want." The Church teaches that freedom is "the capacity to choose the good." A drug addict does what he wants, but he is not free; he is a slave. True freedom is breaking the chains of sin.
Knowing that freedom is the capacity to choose the good changes nothing until it becomes a practice, and the practice begins on a weekday with no one watching. Catholic/Christian Pro carries in-depth Bible studies on Romans, John and the Wisdom books, audio devotionals for the commute, guided prayers for examining your conscience, worship playlists, offline access and early access to new studies. It is study material and audio. It does not affect your salvation or your standing before God, and confession and the Mass are free at any parish. $49 one-time, lifetime access, no subscription, 30-day money-back guarantee. Start today.
Get Pro for $49 One-time payment. Lifetime access, no subscription. 30-day money-back guarantee.Prefer to support the work instead? Make a donation.