Decision or Destiny?

Thursday, 03 February 2005

By Jon Lee

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At the heart of many believers theology is the issue of predestination. Predestination is absolutely biblical. The bigger question is what is predestined? To the Calvinist, predestination is really pre-determinism, in that our salvation was pre-determined by God before the foundation of the World. Some were chosen to be saved while others were not. The real problem is not a question of "Is God not sovereign?" but a question of "Is God not just?". Could God be just and relegate individuals to eternal conscious punishment by means of exclusion? How do we answer No to this question yet still leave room for God's sovereignty? It simply lies in the fact that God's sovereign plan was for humans to respond, positively or negatively, to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Any verse that is used to try and support predestined (predetermined) salvation is a flawed interpretation of the verse. The bible simply doesn't say it nor does it allude to it! Perhaps the largest problem with challenging Calvinism is the automatic assumption that if your not a Calvinist you must subscribe to Arminian theology, which has a host of its own problems. To clarify, I posit to subscribe to neither Arminian theology nor any one of the five points of Calvinism. I simply believe the Bible means what it says and leave it at that.
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When the Bible speaks of predestination it never speaks of salvation – that's a foregone conclusion since predestination deals with things that accompany salvation, namely Sanctification and Sonship.

Ephesians 1:5 "He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will."

Paul is clearly writing to believers in this verse, the US refers to believers (the elect). What did he predestine? The adoption as sons through Jesus Christ. God clearly could have "Saved" us without adopting us as Sons.

"For those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son" Romans 8:29-30

This verse speaks of our Sanctification being predestined. So we are predestined to be adopted as sons and conformed to the image of the only begotten Son of the Father!

Ephesians 1:11 "also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,"

What did God predestine according to His purpose? Our (believers) Sonship – through which we have also obtained an inheritance!

God is not a respecter of persons – How could he choose one person and not choose another? God has chosen the elect as a group. We become "elect", a member of that group, when we place our trust in Jesus Christ for eternal life. Everyone that has ever lived has been given the opportunity to become a member of the "elect" through a simple decision for Christ. That's how the Bible can proclaim that "Christ takes away the sin of the world" John 1:29 and Christ "gave himself a ransom for all" 1 Timothy 2:6, yet only "he who believes in me (Christ) has eternal life" John 6:47. The victory Christ won over death is offered to all but given to only those who believe.

Acts 2:23 "this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death."

Ephesians 3:11 "this was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out IN CHRIST Jesus our Lord."

2 Timothy 2:9 says God "…has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us IN CHRIST Jesus from all eternity."

Christ's victory over death was predetermined, God's eternal purpose was carried out IN CHRIST and granted to believers IN CHRIST.

Ephesians 1:3 says God "…has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places IN CHRIST"

Ephesians 2:4 "..he chose us IN CHRIST before the foundation of the world,"

Ephesians 2:13 "IN CHRIST, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation – having also believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise"

We are IN CHRIST the moment we believe and are then sealed with the Holy Spirit.

How can we reconcile man's responsibility with God's sovereignty in a verse like Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast"

Faith isn't the "gift of God" spoken of here. Faith is only made possible through God's grace. The "gift of God" is ultimately grace. God's grace (which is gifted to us) through faith. Notice that faith is contrary to works. Faith is not a work!

Romans 10:17 says "faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ."

We hear the Gospel, we trust in Christ for eternal life; no works, no wage, nothing to boast about but everything to be grateful for!

In conclusion, if God chose specific individuals for salvation then he also chose specific individuals for damnation – if not by an act then by omission.

1 Timothy 2:4 says God “…desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” If an individual has no “effectual” response in the matter it seems illogical that God would desire all to be saved but decide to save just a few.

If we recognize God’s sovereign plan through His Word, the logic comes back and the tension fades away.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that WHOEVER BELEIVES in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”