Today we continue in our study of what is probably the most controversial topic in the Bible, namely the doctrine of predestination, so maybe you would like to hold onto your seats as we delve deep into the Word of God to determine exactly what this wonderful doctrine teaches us regarding our salvation and of course God’s sovereignty.
Last week I made the observation that every church and every Christian that has ever lived, has been brought to a point where they have been forced to come up with some understanding of the doctrine of predestination. I also mentioned that the reason for this was the undeniable and irrefutable evidence that Scripture gives us with regards to the reality of the doctrine of predestination.
What we are going to do today is we are going to answer the question: what is predestination? I wish I could tell you that this is a simple and easy definition, but the reality is that this definition is anything but easy, so we are going to spend some time defining what predestination is.
To begin with we are going to look at the word ‘predestination’ itself. Now remember that the Bible was not written in English, so to understand the word/s used in Scripture we need to go back and see what the Greek means.
Now in many instances where the teaching of predestination comes up, the word used is the word ‘pro-oridzo’. Let’s consider that word for a moment, and we begin with the prefix which is ‘pro’, or if you want to translate it, we speak of ‘pre’. When we speak of ‘pre’ we speak of something before. The concept the writers used when writing the Bible, carried the idea that this ‘pre’ is even before time. (Eph 1:4 clearly spells this out for us – “before the foundation of the earth”) If we continue and look at the main part of that word which is ‘oridzo’ we see that it means ‘to determine’.
So now, without getting too technical and difficult, our word in English which is predestination quite simply means ‘determined before’, and then also remember that it is determined before time! So, taking the meaning of the original language into consideration we can clearly and irrefutably say that God determined something before the foundation of the earth. The question that remains now is: what did God determine before the foundation of the world.
Before I answer that question, and as part of my answer to that question, we need to consider another Greek word, and that is the word for ‘elect’ or ‘chosen’. The Greek word is the word ‘eklektos’. This word means: ‘select’; ‘by implication favourite’; ‘picked out’; taken in preference or finally ‘chosen by God to obtain salvation through Christ’ which also gives us a hint as to the what.
So, with both the words used to describe election or predestination considered, it should be quite clear by now that God has determined before the foundation of the world to select or to choose individuals to receive His wonderful gift of salvation.
Ok, there is one more very very important word that we still need to consider, and just like predestination and election, this word is frequently found in Scripture, and it is often found in the same dialogue where predestination and election is discussed.
The word is foreknowledge. The Greek word is pro-ginosko. Once again, ‘pro’ referring to before, and ‘ginosko’, where we get our word knowledge from. So the idea is that God knows what will happen before it even happens in the finest of details. (We saw this in some detail in our series on providence).
Now once again, with all these words in our minds, I think we can all agree at some level at least if we say that God somehow, and in some way decides who will get to heaven and who will not.
The big debate comes in when we start to discuss how God will decide who goes to heaven and who does not. It is exactly here that churches and believers alike have great difficulty in understanding this doctrine.
While there are many views regarding this doctrine, time does not allow us to go into them all, but what I am going to do is discuss the two main views regarding predestination. (The other views fall far short of a clear Scriptural principal, and that is why I have basically ignored them)
The first view, and in many circles the predominant view is the view regarding foreknowledge. What this view teaches is that God, in His omniscience, has the ability to look down the corridors of time, and that He can then see, and know in advance who will respond positively to the call and Gospel of Christ, and who will not respond positively to the gospel. In other words, the gospel will be preached to man, and some people will respond to the gospel by saying ‘yes’ to Christ, and some will respond by saying ‘no’ to Christ.
So, what God now does according to this view is, He looks into our future, and He sees who will come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ, and God then predestines those people to receive the gift of heaven. To put it as it is, God then predestines believers to heaven.
The supporters of this view appeal to verses such as Rom 8:29 and 1 Peter 1:2 as support of their opinion.
The second view, (going to give you both views and then refute one and support one), the second view is the view revolving around Gods sovereignty, and this view goes far beyond what the first view teaches.
What this view says is that God from all eternity does not predestine those who will believe, but He predestines certain people to believe! Hear the difference? This view says that people are so morally corrupt, so removed from God, that if it were left to people, that no-one would ever believe, and therefore there would be no-one for God to predestine to heaven!
Let’s put this view as it is. Before the foundation of the earth, God out of His sovereign will decided if He would bring you to faith, or if He would not bring you to faith. In other words, your eternal destination was rooted and founded in, and originated from God’s predestining and amazing grace.
Now I need to say this, because this is exactly what this view teaches, so I will be misleading you, and creating misunderstanding if I don’t explain this completely. What this view says then, is that if God has not predestined you to receive His grace, then you will not receive His grace, and your destiny will not be in heaven with God and the angels and the saints.
Ok, that’s the 2 predominant views of today. Before I support one and refute the other, let me sum it up very quickly.
With the first view that says that God predestines those who He knows will believe, we see that our ultimate destiny and the most decisive, the most crucial decision that determines a person’s ultimate destiny rests with us!
In the second view, the most decisive, the most crucial decision that determines a person’s ultimate destiny is made by God.
A world of difference in that isn’t it?
Right, now let me very briefly give you my answer with regards to which view I support, and then I will begin to discuss these, but unfortunately we will only conclude this part of the study next week, otherwise I will be sharing too much information and it is vitally important that we understand and take in what Scripture is teaching us, that we go home and think about these things, pray about these things and also study these things, and for that reason I’m not rushing to any sort of conclusion merely to get done.
Right, which view do I support? I support the second view that teaches us that God predestines people to believe, and I reject the first teaching that says that God predestines people because they believe.
Now, just in closing, and for the simple reason that I can’t leave you without something to consider for the week to come till next Sunday when we get into the argument on a much deeper level, let me tell you why I don’t support the foreknowledge teaching, and why I do support the sovereignty of God teaching.
Ok, so firstly, in a nutshell, why do I reject the foreknowledge teaching? I need you to think logically for a moment, and I know that that is a dangerous thing, simply because our logic is flawed when it comes to God, but because foreknowledge is a human understanding of the doctrine of predestination, we can use logic to dismiss the teaching.
If it is so that God predestines those who will believe, what is God actually doing? He is doing nothing! He is not making any decisions, He is not exercising His sovereign providence, and He is not in control, because if God is predestining me because He knows that I will believe, then I need to ask: who then is in control? And of course the answer is, I am! So basically what that teaching is saying is that God looks down the corridors of time, He sees that I will believe, and then in an attempt to maintain His Godliness, He predestines me to heaven. (Sounds ridiculous when I say it like that, doesn’t it?)
Now there is another logic which flows from this: if I am in control of my life, and my ultimate destiny, the next question we need to answer then is: who is sovereign? And the answer? I am! And if I am sovereign, according to the teaching of the Bible which tells us that there is only One Sovereign Being, then God is not sovereign, and if He is not sovereign, He is not God.
Just to end this part of the discussion for today, and then we’ll get into more detail next week, if the teaching which supports predestination based on the foreknowledge of God is true, then Scripture is not true! Romans 3 says? There is no-one righteous, there is no-one who does good, no not one, there is no-one who seeks God! If it is because of my choice to serve God that causes Him to predestine me, the Romans 3 is incorrect, and to be very frank and blunt, I believe Scripture over mans opinions any day of the week!
Right, like I’ve said, we’ll get back to that next week, but then quickly, why do I believe the doctrine that says that God decided before the foundation of the earth to whom He would give the grace to receive His salvation and redemption and adoption as sons and daughters, and which says that God decides whom He will save and whom He will not save?
Let’s go back once again to Ephesians chapter 1, and verse 5. He predestined us, in other words he determined before the foundation of the world that He would choose or select us for what? For adoption, which we saw last time refers directly to salvation.
Let’s stay in that verse, and let’s see why He predestined us. According to the purpose of ... His will!!! Verse 11 says pretty much the same thing: who works all things according to the counsel of his will.
John 15:16 says it very clearly as well: You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you.
Romans 9:15-21: For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.
You will say to me then, "Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?" But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is moulded say to its moulder, "Why have you made me like this?"
Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honourable use and another for dishonourable use?
There are 2 verses that very feebly support the teaching of foreknowledge, and by the way they are used in isolation and out of context as well as we’ll see next week, while there are over 80 verses in the New Testament alone which support the view which places the power and the decision in the hands of a omnipotent and sovereign God.
Not scary, but wonderful, and places God on His throne as King of kings, as sovereign, as omnipotent and gives Him power over His creation to do with it what He deems fit.
More on that next week.
