Destined
"…You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him.”
John 17.2
Introduction:
Destiny is an awesome thing. Some years ago a platoon of Marine trainees was double-timing out to the rifle range at Camp Pendleton, California. It was qualification day, a test of marksmanship that all Marines have to pass in order to go to the next phase of training. As the drill instructor was calling cadence he interrupted and asked, “Which private thinks he will be the platoon high shooter?” Immediately, fifty privates yelled out their names. All had hopes of gaining that honor. All except one... The drill instructor noticed that one private had not yelled out his name. “How come I didn’t hear private Rehtlaw’s name?” He barked. There was a pause. Then the drill instructor said, “I guess Rehtlaw doesn’t think he’ll be high shooter. He knows he’ll be high shooter.” He was more than right. Rehtlaw was not only platoon high shooter, not only company high shooter (four platoons), he was battalion high shooter (four companies). Destiny is an awesome thing.
I want to talk to you today about one of the most important teachings of the Bible, the teaching of predestination. This is a teaching found throughout the Scriptures. Yet it is often ignored, or misunderstood, or undermined. But the correct teaching is powerful and is one of the greatest gifts the God has given to His people.
1. This Doctrine is Found Throughout the Scriptures.
The teaching of predestination or as the Lutherans prefer to call it “election” simply means that God has chosen ahead of time all who are saved. Here are just a few examples of this teaching in the New Testament:
Jesus said, “For many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 20.16 & 22.24). In our text this morning, Jesus is acknowledges the work that the Father has given Him, “that He (the Son) should give eternal life to as many as You (the Father) have given Him (the Son)” (John 17.2). The Apostle Paul instructs us in Ephesians 1.4-5: “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself...” Peter affirms this same thing in His first letter: “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people...” (1 Peter 2.9). These are just a few examples. In fact the doctrine of predestination appears on virtually every page of the New Testament either directly or indirectly. And this is why: The doctrine of predestination is an essential part of the Gospel of salvation. Take it away, and you destroy the doctrine of salvation!
2. Correcting the Misunderstandings
One of the reasons people dislike this doctrine is because it takes away human free will when it comes to the question of salvation. Human beings instinctively feel that they have a role to play in their own salvation, and so they have developed the idea of “cooperation.” It usually comes in two forms. The medieval idea of cooperation is that God gives you a little faith which is not actually able to save you. That’s the first part of salvation. The second part involves your efforts of trying to obey God. If you cooperate enough with God’s grace, then eventually you might be saved. This is why people with a medieval faith are never sure of their salvation. The modern teaching of cooperation is that God offers you full and complete salvation if you’re willing to choose it. One really bad way this is explained goes like this: Satan casts his vote against you. God casts His vote for you. But you have to cast the tie-breaking vote in order to be saved. (W. Brian Wheeler, Sermoncentral.com) This undermines our confidence by placing that confidence in ourselves.
In either case the doctrine of predestination has to be toned down. It can’t be that God really chooses people or destines them to be saved. All those passages I quoted earlier have to mean that God simply knows ahead of time the ones who will either do enough good works (medieval) or who will choose to accept His promise of salvation (modern). But the passages that I quoted do not speak of God simply knowing. They clearly speak of God choosing.
To say that we cooperate with God in anyway in our salvation undermines the doctrine of salvation, robs our confidence in God, and tempts us to pride. It is like the man who collapses from a massive heart attack and is rushed to the hospital. The doctor doesn’t ask, “Sir, would you accept my help to save you by performing heart surgery?” Nor does the doctor ask in the middle of the surgery, “Sir, I need you to cooperate with me a little here.” No. The doctor is doing all of the saving, and the doctor gets all the credit for doing so. After the surgery the man can surely say, “Doc, you saved my life. I will be forever grateful.”
This is exactly what Paul was saying in the passage, “And you He made alive who were dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2.1). This is what David meant when he said, “Salvation belongs to the LORD” (Psalm 3.8). And again this is what Solomon was saying in Proverbs “The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but deliverance belongs to the LORD” (21.31).
To say that we are destined for salvation is not to say that we will try hard or choose well and therefore succeed to be saved. It means that God has miraculously brought us from death to life in Jesus. It means that we have nothing to boast of, nothing for which we deserve any credit. To God alone belongs all the glory (Psalm 115).
3. Finding the Comfort
Why is this doctrine of predestination so important and so comforting? Let me give you three examples:
Predestination has a tremendous impact on our moral life. Many a Christian parent has given this advice to their teenager going out on a date or on a trip with friends: “Remember whose child you are!” When temptations come, when the pressure is on to conform this world; it helps us immensely to remember our destiny. This is what Paul meant when he said, “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy...” (Ephesians 1.4). No one becomes a child by their efforts or by their choice. We become children by someone else’s choice.
Another blessing of predestination helps us with our witnessing. In our First Lesson today we heard again the account of the Ascension of Jesus. What did Jesus tell the disciples to do until He returns again? He told them to be witnesses to Him. Being a witness to Christ can be very difficult. Sometimes it seems like we are completely surrounded by unbelievers who will never change. We might get discouraged and give up. But it is at times like this when we need to remember what happened to the Apostle Paul when he went to the extremely pagan city of Corinth. God assured Him with the doctrine of predestination. Even before he started telling anyone about Jesus, God said, “I am with you... for I have many people in this city” (Acts 18.10).
Thirdly, and most importantly, this doctrine comforts us in our deepest spiritual battles. Recently we have seen communities destroyed by tornadoes. These violent winds rip off roofs, collapse walls and smash vehicles. People survive tornadoes by retreating to the foundations of their homes, to the basements and cellars. When spiritual tornadoes come that rip apart our lives - temptations, bad choices that bring bad consequences, persecutions - Then we also need to take cover in the foundation of our faith. What is that foundation? Is it our good life? Is it our choice to follow God? No. It is God’s good life in Christ. It is God’s choice for us in Christ. It is when we are in that crucible of spiritual crisis that we need to remember what Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice... neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand” (John 10.27-28).
The importance of predestination comes when we face the greatest spiritual battles of life. As challenges arise, we meet them with the confidence that we are destined to salvation. This is not a destiny based on anything we have done. In that case it would always be tainted with human weakness. But it is God’s destiny for us. There are many things that could shake my grip on God. But there is nothing that can shake God’s grip on me!
Conclusion:
I’d like to conclude by addressing two questions people often have about predestination. The first is, “What about all those people who aren’t saved? Did God predestine them to damnation?” The Bible only speaks of predestination of the saved. For example in Acts 13.48 Luke tells us “As many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.” He doesn’t add “As many as were appointed to damnation did not believe.” The Bible always teaches that those who are lost are lost because of their unbelief (See Matthew 23.37-38). It is a mystery that God wants all to be saved, and that He is the one who saves, yet many refuse. But in all honesty, I would rather live with that mystery than to mess around with the doctrine of salvation. It’s not worth trying to figure out.*
The second question is this: “How do I know that I am predestined?” A few years ago a movie came out about a boy in Vietnam who’s father had been an American GI (The Beautiful Country). His life was miserable because no one in Vietnam accepted him. He was a half-breed. His mother wanted him to try to escape to America to find his father. But how, the boy thought, how could I ever find him? Then his mother showed him a copy of their marriage certificate. This was the proof he needed. He went through a terrible ordeal trying to make it to America, and all along the way he would pull out that wrinkled marriage certificate to inspire him to keep going. You and I have a similar certificate. It is called the Holy Bible. If you question whether or not you are predestined, I simply urge you to take out your Scriptures. Read the promises therein. Do you believe them? Do you believe that Jesus is God’s Son and that He died for your sins? If so, then you are part of that divine destiny. May God bless you in that awesome destiny. Amen.
* Another question that could have been considered here is whether or not a predestined person could fall away from the faith. This doctrine does not pertain to those who only temporarily believe. We have several examples of this in Scripture. In the Parable of the Soils, Jesus speaks of those seeds that start growing but then die (Luke 8.13). Paul tells us of Hymenaeus and Alexander who made a shipwreck of their faith (1 Timothy 1.19). In Hosea, God admonishes the temporary faith of Judah (6.4). The mystery here has to do with “temporary faith.” What is it? Were they hypocrites? These passages are all to be taken as encouragements on God’s part for us to cling to Him through His word.
Other Readings for the Seventh Sunday of Easter
John 17.1-11 Jesus’ Finished Work and Glory
1 Peter 4.12-19; 5.6-11 Suffering for Christ, Resisting the Devil
Acts 1.12-26 Matthias Chosen to Replace Judas
Psalm 68.1-10 Praise to the LORD Who Rides Upon the Clouds
