PREDESTINATION,
MORE INDEPTH
March 5, 2001
Now the doctrine on
predestination is in no wise contrary to the Scripture that reads:
“Who-so-ever-will.”
We begin where the LORD
GOD set the mode for this study on predestination where He said: “For as the
heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my
thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:9
Yea the Holy Scripture
presents the ALMIGHTY GOD as:
He
is Omnipresence: meaning He is
everywhere-present
He
is Omnipotence: meaning that He is all
powerful
He
is Omnisapience: meaning He is All-wise
He
is Omniscience: meaning He is
All-knowing
Infinite God is not
subject to any limitations.
The doctrine on
Predestination serves to show the greatness and splendor of our wonderful GOD,
the FATHER and GOD of our LORD JESUS CHRIST while at the same time it sets the
stage for our Doctrine on Predestination.
When speaking of the
all-knowing, all seeing and God without limitations,
The Psalmist said: “Thou knowest my down sitting and mine
uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.” Psalm 139:2 That’s not all the psalmist said: “There is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O
Lord, thou knowest it altogether.” Psalm 139:4
Now we’ve been made to
know that there is nothing that our GOD can’t do. This includes knowing how the sinner would
respond after hearing the truth of the Gospel, whether they would embrace it or
spurn it and that He was aware of this before He created the world.
And on that basis Paul
told the saints at Ephesus: “Accordingly as he hath chosen us in him before the
foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in
love: Having predestined us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to
himself, according to the good pleasure of his will." Ephesians 1:4 and 5a
The Apostle also said:
“For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the
image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he
also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified,
them he also glorified. Romans 8:29-30
While those whom He
foreknew would refuse His offer, said Jude.
There were those “…who were before of old ordained to this condemnation,
ungodly men, turning the grace of our God, and denying the only Lord God, and
our Lord Jesus Christ.” Jude 1:4
To those who have a
problem with the doctrine on Predestination consider this: What if GOD knew
before He created man in His own image, that he (the sinner would) after
hearing the truth of the Gospel would not repent and be saved. (This He knew before He created the worlds.)
For said Jude: “There are
certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this
condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness,
and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.” Jude 1:4
According to Peter the
responsibility of being predestinated before the creation of the world deepened
on his or her response to the Gospel, therefore he told them that whether he or
she is predestinated before the world was depended on whether they accepted on
what they would do with the LORD JESUS CHRIST.
Peter wrote: "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to
make your calling and election sure…” 2 Peter 1:10
Although I did not take
issue that the sinner must first meet GOD’S demands of repenting and believing
on the LORD JESUS CHRIST and be saved prior to his being predestinated. Thus Peter said: “… brethren, give diligence
to make your calling and election sure…”
Paul gave us a classic
example of the predestination of God. He
wrote: "God, who quickened the
dead, and calleth those things that, be not, as though they were." Romans 4:17
Yet, another example is
where the GREAT I AM said of Himself: "I have declared the former things
from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I shewed them; I
did them suddenly and they came to pass." Isaiah 48:3
Hopefully this
presentation has shown that Predestination and who-so-ever-will complement each
other rather than being at odds, one with the other.
May God be blessed
forever, Amen!
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