Predestination

What is Predestination?

Many people have a strong hostility to the doctrine of predestination. However, predestination is a biblical doctrine. The key is understanding what predestination means, biblically.

Predestination is God determining certain things to occur ahead of time.

• Isaiah 46:9b-11 “for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’ calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it.”

Yet the determination of predestination is not disconnected from the rest of God’s unchanging character (Malachi 3:6). It is connected to His foreknowledge (Romans 8:29, 11:2), His love (Ephesians 1:4-5), and His plan and pleasure (Ephesians 1:5).

• Malachi 3:6 “For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.”

• Romans 8:29 “For those whom he foreknew[G4267] he also predestined[G4309] to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”

• Ephesians 1:4-5 “even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined[G4309] us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,”

Can love exist without freewill?

Lexicon :: Strong's G4309 – proorizō

• to predetermine, decide beforehand

• in the NT of God decreeing from eternity

• to foreordain, appoint beforehand

What does it mean for God to Foreknew?

• Being fully aware before something has even begun to come about.

• When foreordained is used in the sense of God’s determining of events before they happen, we enter the tension between human will and God’s sovereignty, as played out in His predestination or election of believers. Volumes have been written about this tension, with the two main positions coming under the labels of Calvinism and Arminianism. Extreme Calvinism, or hyper-Calvinism, asserts that everything has already been determined by God and that human beings are little more than robots playing out our roles, making evangelism unnecessary. Extreme Arminianism, on the other hand, places all decisions in human hands and renders God as little more than a spectator, lacking omniscience and the power to do anything without our permission. Most Christians understand that this tension between God’s sovereignty and human will is only resolved in a supernatural combination of both positions, the truth being somewhere in the middle.

Lexicon :: Strong's G4267 – proginōskō

• to have knowledge before hand

• to foreknow

• of those whom God elected to salvation

• to predestinate

What did God Predetermine ahead of time?

That certain individuals would be conformed to the likeness of His Son.

• Romans 8:29-30 “For those whom he foreknew[G4267] he also predestined[G4309] to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined[G4309] he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”

Those who would be saved (the elect).

• Mark 13:20 “And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days.”

• Matthew 24:22 “And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.”

• Romans 8:33 “Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.”

• Romans 9:11 “though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls—”

• Romans 11:5-7 “So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace. What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened,”

• Colossians 3:12 “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,”

• 1 Thessalonians 1:4 “For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you,”

• 2 Timothy 2:10 “Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.”

• Titus 1:1 “Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness,”

• 1 Peter 1:1-2 “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.”

• 1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

• 2 Peter 1:10 “Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.”

• The adoption of the elect.

• Ephesians 1:5 “he predestined[G4309] us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,”

• Ephesians 1:11 “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined[G4309] according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,”

He predestined further revelation.

• 1 Corinthians 2:7-9 “But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed[G4309] before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”—"

Isn’t this unfair?

• The most common objection to the doctrine of predestination is that it is unfair. Why would God choose certain individuals and not others? We must remember that no one deserves to be saved. We have all sinned (Romans 3:23) and are all worthy of eternal punishment (Romans 6:23). As a result, God would be perfectly just in allowing all of us to spend eternity in hell. However, God chooses to save some of us. He is not being unfair to those who are not chosen, because they are receiving what they deserve. God’s choosing to be gracious to some is not unfair to the others. No one deserves anything from God; therefore, no one can object if he does not receive anything from God. An illustration would be a man randomly handing out money to five people in a crowd of twenty. Would the fifteen people who did not receive money be upset? Probably so. Do they have a right to be upset? No, they do not. Why? Because the man did not owe anyone money. He simply decided to be gracious to some.

• Romans 11:2a “God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew[G4267].”

• 2 Timothy 1:9 “Who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,”

• Proverbs 16:4 “The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble.”

• Psalm 131 “O LORD, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, hope in the LORD from this time forth and forevermore.”

Doesn’t that undermine our free will?

• The Bible says that we have the choice—all who believe in Jesus Christ will be saved (John 3:16; Romans 10:9-10). The Bible never describes God rejecting anyone who believes in Him or turning away anyone who is seeking Him (Deuteronomy 4:29). The truths of God’s sovereign predestination and also man’s responsibility are not mutually exclusive. Somehow, in the mystery of God, predestination works hand-in-hand with a person being drawn by God (John 6:44) and believing unto salvation (Romans 1:16). God predestines who will be saved, and we must choose Christ in order to be saved. Both facts are equally true. Romans 11:33 proclaims, “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!”

• 1 Peter 1:17-21 “And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown [G4267] before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.”

• John 15:16 “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”

What is double predestination?

• The belief that God creates some people whose purpose in existence is to be sent to hell.

• The first theme is the righteousness of God. It is the gospel message itself that reveals God’s righteousness (Romans 1:16-17). It is the truth contained within the gospel message that by faith declares a man righteous before God (Romans 4-5). It is the central figure of the gospel message—Jesus Christ—that enables a man to be righteous (Romans 6-7). It is the gospel message that shows man the way to live in a righteous manner (Romans 12).

• Romans 1:16-17 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.””

• Another theme found in the book of Romans is that of wrath. God’s wrath has been revealed—and is being revealed—against all sinful actions (Romans 1:18). Mankind knows about God, but rejects God in their thinking and in their actions (Romans 1:21-22). The wrath of God, therefore, is the giving over of man to live his life as he pleases (Romans 1:24, 26, 28), which apart from God leads to destruction (Romans 1:28-32). Man rejects the God of the universe, and God, in turn, forsakes man. Only a personal intervention from God can alter the destructive path on which man finds himself while he hardens himself in sin.

• Romans 1:18-32 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.”

• Romans 9:22 “What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,

• Many people think this verse teaches that God has made certain vessels for His wrath. But this is not the point of the verse. Reading above, mankind has already experienced God’s wrath. Mankind has fitted himself for destruction. It is God who endures these vessels—vessels who have prepared themselves for destruction because they would not leave their sin and turn to God.

• Romans 9:23-24 “in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?”

• Notice that God elects certain people beforehand for His glory. In other words, before the foundation of the world God chose certain people to be His children in order that He would be glorified (see Ephesians 1:4). It does not say that God chose people to damnation or predestined people to wrath. The Bible never speaks about a double predestination where God elects or predestinates some to hell, others to heaven. Those who are under God’s wrath are in that position because they have rejected God. Those that have the righteousness of God are in that position because God has chosen them to be His children.

Conclusion

• What we can know for certain is that God has foreordained the way of salvation for “whosoever believes” in His Son, Jesus Christ (John 3:16–18, 36; Acts 10:43). God has foreordained that believers will be adopted into His family as children of God (John 1:12) and that He will take the responsibility of transforming us into the likeness of Jesus (Romans 8:29–30). God has foreordained that all those born again by grace through faith will spend eternity in heaven with Him (John 3:3; 17:3; Ephesians 2:8–9). We can rest in the knowledge that we have a Father who is in charge of His universe and that His plan is perfect. “Is there injustice with God? Absolutely not!” (Romans 9:14).

Other Resources

• What is predestination? https://youtu.be/rKwYhUFAefo

• https://www.gotquestions.org/predestination.html

• Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God https://www.christianbook.com/evangelism-and-the-sovereignty-of-god/j-i-packer/9780830837991/pd/837991?event=AFF&p=1011693&