IF
YOU BELIEVE THE BIBLE
THEN YOU MUST BELIEVE IN PREDESTINATION
by
Curtis Pugh
&nb
Almost every religious group claims to believe in salvation by grace, but
few teach how God saves sinners. Bible
words such as “foreknown,” “elected,” “chosen,” “predestinated,”
“called,” “justified,” and “glorified” describe some of the things
God does in saving sinners. The word
predestination is in the Bible so if you believe the Bible you must believe in
predestination. Twice the word
appears as “did predestinate” and twice as “predestinated” -
always in the past tense. Being
in the past tense means that it is already accomplished.
God is not predestinating people now.
He finished that work in the past – in fact, before the world was
created. Here are the first two
places this word is used in your Bible: “For whom he did foreknow, he also did
predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the
firstborn among many brethren. Moreover
whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them
he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified” (Romans
8:29, 30).
Notice five things that are clear in these two verses : (1).
God foreknows persons. This does
not mean that He just knows about them. He
does know about them and all persons and things, but that is His omniscience.
Knowing things about people beforehand is not “foreknowledge.”
In the first verse quoted above it is clear that God foreknows
individuals. The Bible says “whom
he did foreknow.” God gives us
a very specific instance of foreknowledge in Jeremiah 1:4, 5 which says: “Then
the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Before I formed thee in the belly
I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee,
and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.”
God knew Jeremiah and all His chosen ones before they were conceived.
The Bible says, “Known unto God are all his works from the beginning
of the world” (Acts 15:18). In
a special way, “...The Lord knoweth them that are his...” (2
Timothy 2:19). In contrast, there
are some religious people to whom the Lord will say, “...I never knew
you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:23).
(2). Those whom God “foreknew” He “did
predestinate” to be like Jesus Christ. This
conformation begins here on earth and will be completed when His chosen ones see
Him for the Bible says, “we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be
like him; for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2).
(3). After they are born naturally and reach maturity those
whom God predestinated He then calls. Jesus
said, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw
him: and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:44).
While the general call goes out to all who hear the gospel, there is an
effective call by which the Father draws His chosen ones to Christ.
God does not force men to come to Christ, although He could do so.
Rather God changes the wills of His chosen ones, “For it is God
which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure”
(Philippians 2:13). (4).
The next thing listed in the verses above is this: God justifies His chosen
or elect individuals. There are
three important things to remember about justification which is being declared
to be righteous in God's eyes. First
of all justification is all of grace, requiring no works on the sinner's part
for the Bible says, “Being justified freely by his grace through the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24).
Second: sinners are justified by the faith which God gives for Bible
says, “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith
without the deeds of the law” (Romans 3:28).
That sinners are saved by the faith that God gives is clearly stated in
Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace are
ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of
God.” Third, God's
children are justified by the blood of Christ – His finished work – for the
Bible says, “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we
shall be saved from wrath through him” (Romans 5:9). (5).
Next in Romans 8:29 & 30 as quoted above we learn that God's chosen ones
are glorified in that He speaks of them as already inhabiting their new bodies
and fully conformed to the image of Christ.
The things God says are true will be done: “For he spake, and it was
done; he commanded, and it stood fast” (Psalm 33:9).
The Bible speaks of “...God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth
those things which be not as though they were” (Romans 4:17).
It is that sure. God is in
absolute control.
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Next read the two places where the word “predestinated” appears: “According
as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should
be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us
unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good
pleasure of his will.” “In
whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according
to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own
will” (Ephesians 1:4, 5 & 11). Take
note of two very important truths taught in these verses: (1). God
chose (past tense) in Christ those individuals whom He predestinated (past
tense) “before the foundation of the world.”
God is completely in control of all things.
His choices were not based on the creature's past or future good works.
This is made clear by the following verses which speak of God choosing
Jacob and refusing Esau: “(For the children being not yet born, neither
having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election
might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) It was said unto her,
The elder shall serve the younger. As
it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated” (Romans
9:11-13). God's choice of whom He
would save was “not of works.” It
was according to “the purpose of God according to election.”
Again the Bible says, “For he saith to Moses, I will have
mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on
whom I will have compassion. So
then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that
sheweth mercy.” “Therefore
hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth”
(Romans 9:15, 16 & 18). (2).
Notice next that God is sovereign, i.e. God does as He pleases without
constraint or influence from sources outside Himself.
Only if that is the case can it be said that God acts “according to
the good pleasure of his will” and that He “worketh all things after
the counsel of his own will.” His
will is always done. He is in
control.
&nb
The Bible teaches that God is in absolute control of all things – both
good and bad. Those who sinned by
killing Christ did God's will. Christ,
“...being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of
God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain” (Acts
2:23). And again, “For of a
truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and
Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered
together, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before
to be done” (Acts 4:27, 28). The doctrine of
God's “counsel,” “determinate counsel” or “predestination” is
true because God is in control of every detail of life: He saves whom He wants
to save when He wants. “...I am
God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and
from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall
stand, and I will do all my pleasure: (Isaiah 46:9-10).
“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for
thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created”
(Revelation 4:11). About God it was said, “And all the inhabitants of the
earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the
army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his
hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? (Daniel 4:35).
“And our God is in the heavens, All that He hath pleased He hath
done” (Psalm 115:3). “All
that Jehovah pleased He hath done, In the heavens and in earth, In the seas
and all deep places” (Psalm 135:6).
“For Jehovah of Hosts hath purposed, And who doth make void?
And His hand that is stretched out, Who doth turn it back?” (Isaiah
14:27). “Declaring from the
beginning the latter end, And from of old that which hath not been done, Saying,
‘My counsel doth stand, And all My delight I do'”(Isaiah 46:10).
Because God is in absolute control of all things, Jesus could and did
say, “All that the Father
giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast
out. And this is the Father’s
will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose
nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day” (John 6:37
& 39). God is in control of and
is the cause of all physical evil such as storms, earthquakes, etc., for the
Bible says, “...shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done
it?” (Amos 3:6). Jesus said
His followers should rejoice because their “names are written in heaven”
(Luke 10:20). About others it is
said “...whose names were not
written in the book of life from the foundation of the world”
(Revelation 17:8). Is your
name written in the book of life from the foundation of the world?
Only predestination could have arranged this.
If you believe the Bible, you must believe in predestination.