“CHOSEN AND PREDESTINED”

 

Text: Ephesians 1:1-6

Suppose an ad appeared in the newspaper announcing a cash giveaway at a certain department store. “Come and pick up your money!” the ad announced. When you arrived, there were thousands of people in the parking lot. A voice was heard over a loudspeaker calling out several names, and then the voice ceased. Finally, it was announced that those names called out had been chosen before the ad appeared in the paper. They were the only ones who would receive any cash.

Did the department store have a right to give away cash? Certainly. Did they have a right to pick out individuals to receive the cash? Yes again. But was it fair to advertise the event as if anyone could come and receive money? In a nutshell, this is the issue surrounding the Calvinistic doctrine of predestination. But in this case, we not only ask, “Is it fair?”, but we especially ask, “Is this true?”

The Calvinistic Concept Of Predestination – John Calvin was a reformer of Christianity in the 16^th century in Geneva Switzerland. He was especially sensitive to the teachings of Roman Catholicism that works play an important role in one’s salvation. He was convinced he saw an entirely different picture in the New Testament. He wrote, in book 3, chapter 21 of his Institutes of the Christian Religion: “By predestination we mean the eternal decree of God, by which he determined with himself whatever he wished to happen regarding every man. All are not created on equal terms, but some are preordained to eternal life, others to eternal damnation; and, accordingly, as each has been created for one or other of these ends, we say that he has been predestinated to life or to death.”

Ephesians 1:4-5 – Paul seems to agree with Calvin. “Predestined” suggests that our destiny was set in “pre” times, i.e. before we were born. This was because we were chosen in Jesus “before the foundation of the world”. In this respect, our salvation owes only to His grace.

Romans 8:28-30 – Another passage pointed to is this, which teaches that some are “foreknown” by God, i.e. known by Him before their birth. These are predestined, called, and justified. But if a person has not been foreknown, they cannot obtain justification under any terms.

1 Peter 1:1-2 – Peter also speaks of God’s foreknowledge and His act of electing some to sanctification in the Spirit. (Israel is produced as an example of God’s election. Of all the nations on earth, God chose Israel to be His special people, simply because of His grace.)

Acts 1:16-17 – Another example is that of Judas. Could he have chosen to do differently? Or was it predetermined that Judas would fall, and nothing could possibly have been done to change the outcome?

Does God alone make the choice on man’s salvation? Do humans have no choice in the matter? The Bible is very clear on man’s ability to choose salvation. Whatever the Bible means by “predestination” must be decided in view of this doctrine.

~ John 17:17 - We sanctified through the word that the Spirit has revealed, and through our obedience of that word.

~ Acts 10:34-35 - Peter learned, by being called to the home of a Gentile, that God shows no partiality. Anyone who fears God and works righteousness is accepted by God.

~ Acts 17:30 - Paul declared that God commands all men everywhere to repent. Why repent if we are not among the elect?

~ 2 Thess. 2:13-14 - God chooses based on those who are willing to submit to sanctification through the Spirit and belief of the truth. We receive this calling through the gospel - a calling that extends to anyone anywhere.

~ Titus 2:11-12 - The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all.

~ 1 Peter 1:1-2 – God’s foreknowledge doesn’t mean that He has Himself assigned us to whatever fate we reap. It means that He knows the past, present and future; all is clear to Him. Here, it is applied more generally, meaning that God foreknew as children all who would submit to the sanctification of the Spirit and who would obey.

~ Rev. 22:17 - The offer of the waters of life is for anyone who desires to come.

Guy N. Woods wrote: “The thoughtful reader will easily discern that election extends to character, and not to individuals. God has ordained, ‘from the beginning’, that those possessed of a certain disposition or character are elected to salvation; those who submit their wills to him, in obedience to the gospel, possess this disposition; therefore, those who obey his will are elected.” (Questions and Answers, vol. II p. 95)

Conclusion: A form of predestination in the true Biblical sense occurs every day in every large city in the world. Airlines have predetermined that certain airplanes will carry passengers to various destinations. But are individuals predestined? No, not until they board that plane. But when they satisfy the conditions by buying their tickets, they are “predestined”.

The character of the elect is described by Paul: “a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving each other, if any man have a complaint against any; even as the Lord forgave you, so also do ye” (Colossians 3:12-13).