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God’s Great Salvation ICB Sunday School - Session 6
6: Predestination
Preamble We’ve previously thought about salvation accomplished: the once-for-all-time and wholly-sufficient work of Christ. We’re now turning to think about salvation applied: how it is that we can benefit from all that Christ has done. In our last session we thought about the doctrine of union with Christ – how it is that I might be joined together with Jesus in order to benefit with all that he has done. Over the next few weeks we’re going to consider several dimensions of the salvation that Christian people enjoy in Jesus.
As we begin let’s pray – a prayer of John Calvin: May the Lord grant That we may contemplate The mysteries of His heavenly wisdom With truly increasing devotion, To His glory And to our edification, Amen. [This is the prayer Calvin prayed before each exegetical lecture which he gave. Cited in The piety of John Calvin, transl. and ed. by Ford Lewis Battles.]
Let’s read Romans 9:6-24, 11:33-36. Having read those verses please keep that passage open – we’ll be returning there frequently in this session.
1. Introducing “predestination” (a) Basics Key words: “predestination” and “election” What do these words mean? Election means “choosing” – just as it means “choosing” when we vote in a general election. Predestination is another bible word that means the same thing: choosing – but additionally has a time in mind when the choice was made, namely “pre” or before.
In the bible “election” and “predestination” are always things that GOD does. He chooses. He predestines. He elects. But on what basis does God choose? That’s the big question that will concern us now. When WE elect or choose a government we vote on the basis of their past or future performance. But on what basis does God choose people?
Let’s get a definition before we go any further:
A definition of predestination “Before the foundation of the world God chose to save a fixed number of individuals. He chose them purely for his own glory, because of his loving mercy, and not because of their foreknown faith, good works, or perseverance.”^1
That’s what we’ll be looking to unpack in this session. Before we go on, let me mention a few other introductory points:
(b) Predestination and the sovereignty of God Questions about predestination fit into the wider context of the sovereignty of God. Predestination and election are a subset of the bigger issue of the sovereignty of God in all things.
(^1) This is a slightly modified version of Dr. Garry Williams’ definition.
God’s sovereignty is ability to do whatever he wants. The Bible teaches that God is utterly sovereign – he works out all things in conformity with the purpose of his will (Eph 1:11).
So, if God is sovereign over everything, then we’d expect his sovereignty to extend to who gets saved. There are no holes in the sovereignty of God – praise God!
Or to put it another way: WHO God is (– he is sovereign) must match up with WHAT God does (- save people, sovereignly). If we have a Biblical doctrine of God, then what we say in this course about how God saves will be very familiar.
(c) Asking questions about predestination It’s not wrong to have questions. It’s not wrong to find the Bible’s teaching hard. And for many of us “predestination” raises a whole bunch of questions…
For some, they’re intellectual questions. “But how about THIS, how about THAT.” And that’s great! Because the Bible does not despise the mind. And whilst there’s mystery about the things of God, there is no nonsense or contradiction in the Bible.
For others though, their response to God’s sovereignty in salvation is personal and emotional. It is something that is FELT, and felt very deeply. If that’s you, or someone you know: please be encouraged by this: there is not a single unrighteousness or unholy or bad thing in any of the deeds of the Lord.
But just a little caution as we kick off: there’s a right way and a wrong way to ask questions about our Lord and of our Lord. We remember that we speak to Him and about him always as small and sinful creatures talking to and about a great and holy God.
I remember an old and wise pastor saying this: Loving the power of God… loving the God who predestines and chooses is actually a mark of growing up in the faith. It’s a mark of Christian maturity. And so I hope as we look at the word of God today, that God’s Spirit will teach us clearly and – for each of us – grow us up in the faith.
A final introductory word…
(e) Predestination in church history: Calvinism vs. Arminianism You may know that the areas we’re touching on today have figured large in church history, particularly over the last 400 years. We’re touching on one of the issues at the heart of the dispute between Calvinism and Arminianism.
We’ve not time to go into the story right now. But if you want the conclusion in a sentence: “Calvinism = Good! Arminianism = Bad!”
That’s slightly cheeky a conclusion to draw. And of course we don’t want to follow any human individual or party – we want to go wherever the Bible leads us. However, it’s impossible to engage with the topic of God’s sovereignty in salvation without touching on this historical debate. It’s also profitable to engage with it, as the wisdom of our fathers in the faith, as they are often full of wisdom and truth. Also, it is necessary for a church to decide in which stream of historical theology it is located.
We are all by nature Arminians. However, it is our belief that a Calvinist outlook more faithfully reflects the teaching of Scripture.
So here’s a brief historical sketch...
- it’s easy to remember: why not try learning it!
- and it shows the logic of the gospel: each step builds on the one before…
See the logic:
- we are unable to save ourselves: totally depraved
- therefore God chooses us unconditionally: not because we are good, not because we choose him. (We’ll see that in a minute.)
- if God is free to save whom He will, then it is for those that Christ died on the Cross.
- if Christ died for them, then the Spirit will irresistibly call them to faith.
- if salvation is God’s work at the beginning and in its application, then it will certainly be so at the end.
2. Predestination explained Remember our definition. We’re going to unpack the definition given above now:
(a) Before the foundation of the world God chose The simple point we’re making here is this: it is GOD who chose. He is the subject. He does the choosing.
Ephesians 1:3-5, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will…”
Notice in Eph 1: God does the choosing. And God is praised for his choosing – so it must be his work. Otherwise, praise is due to me!
John 6:37-39, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.”
See in Jn 6: the Father gives Christians to the Son. We’re a gift from Father to Son. If WE are responsible for being in Christ, then we’re not a gift from Father to Son. And the Father’s love for the Son is lessened, and glory must go to us.
Lastly a doctrinal point: Total inability requires that GOD chose if any are to be saved. For there could be NO faithful response for God to fore-know. This is really key: if total depravity is true then salvation must be down to the free choice of God.
(b) God chose a fixed number of individuals Does God choose a people but not specify the identity of the members of that group? (= corporate election, taught by Barth.). No. God chooses individuals
If God is sovereign, then of course election must be individual. Otherwise individual Christians would be responsible for their own salvation.^3
Scripture speaks of the election of specific individuals in many different places.^4 For example:
(^3) Plus, corporate election is illogical in that you cannot have a body or society unless it has members. (^4) See also Acts 13:48,
- in our reading from Romans 9 we met Jacob, Esau. Real children of Rebecca who were distinguished by God before their birth.
- we also meet Pharoah a real man, who is contrasted with “those on whom God has mercy. Real individuals.
- in Romans 11:4-5 we read of Elijah’s day when God reserved “7,000 people” for himself.
- in Revelation we meet the lamb’s book of life. A book in which “names” are written. (Rev 13:8, 20:11-15, 21:27. Also see 6:11).
(c) God chose some for salvation When he sets his electing love upon someone, it’s for the purpose of salvation. We can put it like this: “Those to whom God applies the blessings of salvation IN TIME, are those whom he has chosen BEFORE time.”
Listen to God’s word from some texts we’ve already dipped into:
- Romans 9:23 teaches that the elect are “prepared in advance for glory.”
- Eph 1:5, “he predestined us to be adopted as his sons.”
How about 2 Thessalonians 2:
- “But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.”
Or how about Acts 13:48. Paul and Barnabas are preaching the gospel, and some gentiles become Christians. See how it’s described: Acts 13:48, “When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.” Those gentiles become Xns. They receive eternal life. Why? Because they were “appointed” – they did not appoint themselves. God had decided before time that on that day they would hear and believe the Gospel.
(d) God purposes not to save others But in a universe where God is sovereign, we’d also expect to find the opposite. God elects to life and salvation. He also eternally purposes “reprobation.” This is an awesome truth, where we see the depth of the Godness of God.
“Reprobation” speaks of God’s eternal decision concerning those sinners whom he has not chosen for life. It is a decision not to change them. But to leave them to sin as they already want to. Giving them over to their sins. And finally judging them.
Here are some relevant scriptures:
- Romans 9:22, speaks of those whom God has “prepared for destruction.”
- 1 Peter 2:8, "A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the message-- which is also what they were destined for.”
- Proverbs 16:4, “The LORD works out everything for his own ends-- even the wicked for a day of disaster.”
Other texts include John 6:64-65, 12:40, Romans 1:24, 11:7-8, Mark 4:12, Deut 2:30, Acts 2:23, 4:27-28, Luke 22:22.
The Bible does teach that judgement is God’s “alien” or strange work (Isaiah 28:21). It teaches that he shows love and grace to a thousand generations and judgement to the third and fourth (Exodus 34). We
(ii) scripture excludes human reasons: God doesn’t choose because his people are numerous, wise, influential or of noble birth. (Deut 7:7-8, 1 Cor 1:26-31). (iii) scripture excludes human boasting (Eph 2:9, 2 Tim 1:9): it’s God’s work. (iv) Arminianism makes man’s choice and works determinative: what’s the difference between a Christian and a non-Christian? According to Arminians it is something in us – not in God. That flies in the face of (ii) and (iii) (v) specific election texts are emptied of their meaning (vi) election causes holiness, not the other way round. Eph 1:4, “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.” Notice what Paul’s saying here: Yes: Election holiness No: Holiness election
Here’s a helpful quote from J.I. Packer to summarise: “This divine choice is an expression of free and sovereign grace, for it is unconstrained and unconditional, not merited by anything in those who are its subjects. God owes sinners no mercy of any kind, only condemnation; so it is a wonder, and matter for endless praise, that he should choose to save any of us; and doubly so when his choice involved the giving of his own Son to suffer as sin-bearer for the elect (Romans 8:32).” (Concise Theology, p149).
Before going on here’s a question: What about God’s “foreknowledge” in Romans 8:29- In your Bibles have a look at these verses. Sometimes this is said to mean passive foresight on God’s part of what individuals are going to do, without his predetermining their action.
Logically it couldn’t mean that: since we’re all dead in sin, no-one who hears the Gospel will come to faith without God moving them.
But even more importantly that’s not what “foreknowledge” means in the Bible. “Knowledge” in the Bible has to do with personal relationships.^8
- Eg. Gen 4:1, “Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain”. Knowing does not mean “intellectual knowledge”, it means “personal relationship.”
- Eg. Gen 18:19 “I have chosen him” is literally “I have known him.”
And God’s “foreknowledge” is simply God’s determination of a personal relationship in advance: - “those whom God has determined to know and love” is what it means. Another example of this would be the prophet Jeremiah, of the Lord says in Jer 1:5, “Before I formed you in the womb I KNEW you…”
So in Romans it’s talking about knowing people, not about knowing decisions.^9 It’s just another way of saying “predestine.” (But perhaps with added personal connotations.)
(^7) Classical Arminians believe in “universal prevenient grace”: although bound in sin, God liberates all people such that
they can freely choose to believe or reject the Gospel. There is no Scriptural basis for this belief. (^8) Note: the Greek verb ginosko is the key verb in Romans 8:29-30. In the LXX it translates the Hebrew verb “to know”
( yada ), establishing a useful link. (^9) Douglas Moo, Romans, p532: “Paul does not say that God knew anything about us but that he knew us. ”
3. Answering questions (a) How is it fair? Look at Romans 9:14-18. How does the apostle Paul answer the question of fairness here? God is God and we are not.
Because God is God, he is free to have mercy on anyone he wants. And he’s also free to not have mercy on anyone he wants. Or as v18 puts it he’s free to harden whoever he wants – i.e. to stop them believing in Jesus.
To illustrate what he means Paul looks back to the Exodus from Egypt and to Pharaoh, the King of Egypt who would not let God’s people go. Time and time again Pharaoh rejected the word of God, spoken by Moses. And the book of Exodus tells us it was because he had a hard heart…
But it also tells us – and Paul confirms it here – that the reason for his hard heart was that God had hardened it. [Ex 4:21] Before Moses even said a word to Pharaoh, God had promised that he would make it so that Pharaoh would reject the word of God and refuse to let Israel go. And that’s fair, says Paul, because God as God can have mercy on whoever he chooses.
Actually, the truth is: we all deserve to go to hell with Pharaoh. The amazing thing is not that some are condemned, but that any are saved.
(b) Don’t we have free will? Doesn’t predestination make us robots? I hope you know by now that we do NOT have free will. Totally depraved people who are bound in sin are NOT free. We are not able to do good or choose Christ on our own.
But this does not mean that the unregenerate person who is bound in sin is a robot. Why not? Because they enjoy sin.... they choose sin, even if they cannot choose the opposite. (Remember John 8:34, 44? We looked at it in session one: unbelievers are slaves to sin, yet it is their “will” to follow Satan’s ways). The unbeliever is not able to choose to follow Christ, but they do choose to go the other way.
And what about the regenerate person? Are THEY robots when they turn to Christ and follow him? Not a bit of it! One of the beauties of salvation is that God takes bound wills and frees them, and causes us willingly to choose Christ. We’ll think in coming weeks about God’s work and our involvement in the application of salvation.
(c) What about those who appear to stop being Christians? We all know the tragic phenomenon of those who seem to start the Christian life only to give up. Were they really elected? If so, can they really fall away?
Later on we’re going to think specifically about the issue of perseverance in the Christan life – the issue of staying saved. To cut a long story short:
- the Bible DOES teach “once saved always saved.”
- we don’t know what’s going on in other people’s hearts
- we don’t whether someone was a fake Christian, who was never elected... or whether they were are a real Christian who’s going through a long period of serious sin and backsliding.
- We don’t know… and the key thing for us and for that person is “am I trusting Christ today?”
(d) Why does God chose A and not B? We do not know, because God does not tell us. Deuteronomy 29:29 tells us that “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.” The Bible reveals all we NEED to know. But not all we would like to know – it doesn’t satisfy our curiosity about everything.
RECOMMENDED READING
R.C. Sproul, Chosen by God
A HYMN BY A.M. TOPLADY ON GOD’S SOVEREIGN LOVE
How vast the benefits divine which we in Christ possess! We are redeemed from sin and shame and called to holiness. Not for the works that we have done- all these to him are owed; but he of his electing love salvation has bestowed.
To you alone, O Lord, is due all glory and renown: praise to ourselves we dare not take, or rob you of your crown. You were yourself our guarantor in God’s redemption plan; in you his grace was given us before the world began.
Safe in the arms of sovereign love we ever shall remain; not all the rage of earth or hell can make your promise vain. So none of all your chosen ones shall fail your heaven to gain; here they will share abounding grace, and there with Jesus reign.
Augustus M Toplady 1740-78 and Dewey Westra 1899-1979 / Praise! No. 711
Postscript: How do we teach predestination? Those of us involved in Bible teaching won’t want to bang on about it the whole time. But we’re not to be ashamed of it. It’s like a bedrock that runs under the whole of Scripture: sometimes largely invisible, but sometimes sticking well above the surface.
So, yes, we do teach and talk about predestination. But how?
We teach it to God’s people for all the reasons given above: to humble us, move us to holiness, move us to praise and worship. See above.
But Jesus goes further and even deploys it evangelistically! This shows that preaching predestination can’t hinder the call which is itself grounded on election:
- Matt 11:25-30, but issues general call to “come” in v28 and v7 suggests a public context
- Jn 6:35-44speaks of election and preservation to non-Xns (see vv24-25, 64-66)
Appendix: Some bible texts on predestination / election – both re: salvation and reprobation
Romans 9:10-24 Not only that, but Rebekah's children had one and the same father, our father Isaac. 11 Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad-- in order that God's purpose in election might stand: 12 not by works but by him who calls-- she was told, "The older will serve the younger." 13 Just as it is written: "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated." 14 What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! 15 For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." 16 It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." 18 Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden. 19 One of you will say to me: "Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?" 20 But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?'" 21 Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use? 22 What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath-- prepared for destruction? 23 What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory-- 24 even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?
Romans 11:1-10 I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don't you know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah-- how he appealed to God against Israel: 3 "Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me"? 4 And what was God's answer to him? "I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal." 5 So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. 6 And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace. 7 What then? What Israel sought so earnestly it did not obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened, 8 as it is written: "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes so that they could not see and ears so that they could not hear, to this very day." 9 And David says: "May their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them. 10 May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever."
Romans 11:33-36 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! 34 "Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?" 35 "Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?" 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.
John 6:37-44 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." 41 At this the Jews began to grumble about him because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven." 42 They said, "Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, 'I came down from heaven'?" 43 "Stop grumbling among yourselves," Jesus answered. 44 "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 6:65 He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him."
John 13:18 "I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the scripture: 'He who shares my bread has lifted up his heel against me.'
John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit-- fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.
