Predestination (1)

This is, certainly, one of the most controversial topics in Scripture.  I believe this is due to the fact that our finite human minds cannot understand the infinite, divine, wise, all-knowing mind and purposes of God.  We try.  But we can’t.  Solomon remarks in Ecclesiastes 8:17 “then I saw all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However much man may toil in seeking, he will not find it out. Even though a wise man claims to know, he cannot find it out.”  Or as Paul says in Romans 11:33 “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!”  Or, my favorite, after Job questions God and God asks him if he was there when the foundations of the world were laid, Job replies

4 “Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you?
I lay my hand on my mouth.
5 I have spoken once, and I will not answer;
twice, but I will proceed no further” (Job 40:4-5).

Personally, I think that our finiteness is one of the main reasons for the aversion many have to the concept of predestination.  Yesterday’s topic, election, seems to be not as controversial.  It is predestination, the truth that God controls all, that causes many to cringe and say, “No, that can’t be true, so I think [blank].”  My finite mind can’t reconcile the fact that God controls all, knows all, and yet, still desires us to pray to Him; seek Him; share Him; commune with Him; confess Him.  Why?  How does it work?  I don’t know.  But I do know that God desires us to glorify Him in all that we do (Psalm 86:12; Luke 2:20; Romans 15:6; I Cor 6:20).  Ok, so on to what the Bible says regarding predestination.

Predestine is from the Greek word proorizō where it means to “ordain, in advance.”  So, when we speak of predestination, we are saying that God ordains things in advance.

We see predestination first in the book of beginnings, Genesis, when God curses the serpent (Satan) for tempting Adam and Eve.  God says, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (Gen 3:15).  This is the protoevangelium, “the first Gospel.”  God tells Satan that offspring will come from the woman (Christ) and he will defeat you, but you will cause him to suffer.  Here God takes initiative.  It is God that divides those who are children of Light and children of darkness.  Paul confirms this in Galatians 3:16.

In Acts 4:23-31 we see the early believers affirm the Sovereignty of God

23 When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, 25 who through the mouth of our father David, your servant,  said by the Holy Spirit,

“‘Why did the Gentiles rage,
and the peoples plot in vain?
26 The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers were gathered together,
against the Lord and against his Anointed’—

27 for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. 29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

However, the greatest discussion of predestination in the New Testament is undertaken by Paul in Ephesians 1:3-23.  I will cover that tomorrow.  For now, we can all take wisdom from the words of Jeremiah 9:23-24

23 Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, 24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”

Election

We have looked at grace, what it means, and how it is God’s means of providing salvation (faith in Jesus) to those whom he has called (Rom 8:29).  What about election and predestination?

In the Greek, election is from eklogē which denotes “divine selection.”  Ek is a Greek primary preposition denoting an origin/beginning and legō means to “set forth.”

The prophet Isaiah, speaking of the coming of the Christ in Isaiah 42:1-4 (KJV) says

1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.  2 He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.  3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.  4 He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.

Isaiah tells us that Jesus is coming and that judgement is coming to the Gentiles.  From this we see that Jesus is God’s elected choice for service and his “judgement to the Gentiles” is the Gospel message that will be the “true light, which enlightens everyone” (John 1:9 ESV).  His kingdom shall not fail and it will go to all the earth.  Jesus proclaims this with the Great Commission (Matt 28:18-20; Mark 16:15).  Isaiah continues in 42:5-7 (KJV)

5 Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:  6 I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;  7 To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

Here we have a grand picture of the Sovereign, all-powerful, all-knowing God, the God who merely spoke the Universe into existence speaks again, yet this time He speaks personally and intimately through His Son to do what John tells is in John 1:9–be a light.  This light will (v.7) “open the blind eyes” and free prisoners.  We see this echoed in the words of Jesus in John 15:16, speaking to his disciples, he says “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.”  Jesus is telling them that he has set them forth which he also does in the Great Commission, saying “go.”

The second letter that Beth wrote to me was while we were dating…

To My Husband (Dating)

Kevin,

On our wedding day.  First, I want to thank God in HIs glory, grace, love, and mercy that he has chosen to make me your wife.  As I prayed for a husband, I never imagined anyone like you.  You are so much more than I could have wished for or imagined.  Our God is so big, so great.  His plan is so amazing for our lives.  I pray daily that in our marriage we would put full trust in the Lord in every decision no matter how big or small.  I pray that he will build this relationship in his flory and continue to grow us into a Godly marriage, to give you the leadership to lead and the love to love me as the he loved the church.  I pray that he would teach me how to be a submissive wife, because I want what he wants because that is so much sweeter than I can imagine!  As I sit here on the beach I thank him for giving you the strength, grace, love, forgiveness to Love me despite my life before he gave me a new life, because that heart is no more, he has given me a new one, one that Loves him and one that desires to do good, one that Loves Jesus, trusts him, hopes in him.  I know that there will be times of Trouble, and I pray that we will always look to him in those times and trust in him because we deserve nothing and every breath we take is a gift from God and in his Sovereignty he may give and take according to his will and he still deserves all that Glory because he will use all things for good!

Love,

Beth “Robinson”

One very cool, awesome, amazing thing jumps out about the provision of God: my favorite verse (currently) in the Bible is Romans 8:28

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Beth and I hadn’t had that coversation yet.  I hadn’t used that verse.  God in his Sovereignty knew and provided and awesome “God rocks!” moment for us to look back on when we read these letters a few weeks ago.  AWESOME!!

Over the next couple of posts I want to share the wedding gift that my wife, Beth, got me for our wedding day.  Beth heard a sermon about two years ago about writing letters to your husband/wife during various stages of your relationship: 1) before you know him/her; 2) dating; 3) engagement; etc.  All I can say is: GOD IS AMAZING!  It is so cool to see how He works through all things.

To My Husband (Before I Knew You)

I have been praying for you, patiently waiting for Jesus to prepare us and mature us for the day that we are to meet.  By now that day has come and gone.  We have met and fallen in Love, deeper that I can fatham today.  But not as great as our Love for our Father, always keeping Him at the peak of our love triangle.  I pray that we have the strength to stand strong together as one in Christ no matter what obsticals might come our way.  I cannot help but dream about all of the firsts that the next few days/weeks/months/years have in store for us.  You are the man who compliments my weaknesses with strength.  Who shares my passions and who loves Jesus with all your heart and mind and strength as I do.  I pray that this day is all we have dreamed of.

With all my love, forever and ever,

Beth ______________

WOW!!