The Deception Of Destiny

It seems that every new generation has a growing desire to know their purpose in life and to understand why they are here on Planet Earth. Even within the church, there is growing desperation for Christians to know their destiny.

Many religions in the world teach that all major events in a person’s life, such as birth, marriage, illness, accidents, and death are pre-destined and a result of fate. The enemy is hell-bent on rendering every Christian powerless. If he can get them to think that everything is a result of some predetermined cosmic reason and events in their life are beyond their power, then he has won a decisive victory with far-reaching consequences because he has persuaded them to experience life as a victim rather than as a victor with the freedom to make choices.

The idea of destiny or fate forces a person to think or dream about tomorrow. It causes disillusionment and discontent because of unfulfilled dreams and aspirations that are deeply rooted in the selfish sin nature. Jesus commanded every Christian not to worry about tomorrow. He wants then to live for today (See Matt 6:34).

The truth is that destiny is not a “future” issue but rather a faith issue. Wondering about what the future holds, or seeking after a prophetic word, is no different than worrying about tomorrow. In reality, there is no tomorrow because when tomorrow comes, it is today!

Trusting-faith is not about when, or what could or should have been, it is about living in the moment - breath by breath - depending completely on Jesus to take care of everything (See 1 Pet 5:7).

The person I was discipled by as a teenager burned an important truth in me - You can’t breathe enough air today for tomorrow, and you have used up all that was needed yesterday – so you must learn to live your life day by day – breath by breath in trusting faith of Jesus. Christians need to plan their life like Jesus isn’t coming back for 100 years, but live their life like He is coming back today.

The Purpose of Predestination

Those who receive Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior are predestined to spend eternity with Him, and those that do not receive Him are predestined to spend eternity separated from Him. Plain and simple - life is what you make it – It is really self-fulfilled prophecy determined by every choice made and the consequences of those choices.

Predestination does not mean that God has the moment-by-moment existence of every person completely planned out for them and that He unveils it each day. That is called fatalism and is not a trusting-faith concept.

The Call of God

Some also believe that Predestination means that God has already determined the outcome of everything as well as who will go to Heaven and who won’t.

God knows everything, both actual and possible. He knows the beginning from the end because He is omniscient. He knows what choices a person will make, yet He waits patiently for them to make their choices.

When a person chooses to receive Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior, they receive all of the promises of God. He is not "slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Pet 3:9 KJV).

God foreknew mankind because He determined to save them in spite of their future sins and failures which He has known from eternity past. Christian’s are called and were "chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance" (1 Pet. 1:2 NIV).

This call of God is an expression of divine grace. It alone doesn’t save. However, not everyone answers God’s general call by calling upon Him.

"But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently." "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified." (Rom 8:25, 28, 30 NIV)

The chosen are those who are objects of God’s effectual call. They are the called according to His purpose. It is God’s direct will that these called receive all that is involved in His gift of salvation.”

God has predetermined that, “..everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Rom 10:13 NIV). He has not determined that the destiny of some people would be separation from Him. But rather, He: