What Does Predestination Mean?

"Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself..." Ephesians 1:5

This week we want to look at a word in the Bible and that word is "Predestination". First, I believe it would be best to get to know the word and what it means and then we will see how the scripture uses the word. The Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words defines the word predestination as - to foreknow; it has special reference to the person's foreknown by God. - However, it does not only refer to persons but to everything in existence also. A.H. Strong's defines it this way - to limit in advance - but he also has it defined - to be marked out beforehand -. Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament says - To decide beforehand; God decreeing from eternity; and He added to foreordain, appoint beforehand. - With this being said we must conclude that "predestination" means that God foreknew and what He foreknew He had ordained it to be, and what He ordained it to be He also brought it about in order to not be wrong. Now we want to look at another scripture "Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world." Acts 15:18 Therefore we must conclude that if God predetermined people, things and events, then He must have also known all this before the creation of the world. Now we want to add one more scripture, "God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?" Numbers 23:19 If known unto God are all His works before the foundation of the world and if God has foreordained all thing or predestinated all things then it must also be concluded that God will not change His mind, He will not because He cannot! If God is Omniscience then He cannot change, can He? If God has already predestinated everything then it must happen as He foreordained it without fail. Now in out text scripture Ephesians 1:5 it clearly says that God has "...predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself..." meaning that God has pre-determined us to be His children by Jesus Christ, which is exactly how one becomes a child of God. If God is the "potter" and man is the "clay" then can't He mold one as He chooses? Some people want to talk about our will and they say "God can't change our will" but if God does not change our will then it will never be changed. God does not function on chance, therefore He must bring conclusion to all things. Ephesians 1:5 concludes with "... according to the good pleasure of his will," which is why He has predestinated and brought about everything, because it has pleased Him, even delivering His blessed Son Jesus Christ to the cross. People want to look at what pleases man, but God is not one who desires to please man, He desires to please only himself. People will ask, "why do we ask God if His mind is already predetermined?" Because He wants us to visit with Him. We are not going to change Gods mind or will because we pray, but we pray because He has commanded us too. The things of God do not have to make sense to man because man only knows what God manifest to him. This is why science does not have to conclude what God has done. This is how the world can be six thousand years old rather than billions as the scientist believes. God owes man nothing; therefore, He can confuse them if He chooses too. People believe God owes them things like explanations, or proof, but He owes man nothing, He does not have to prove anything. God does not have to make things fair and right in man's sight; therefore, He does not owe it to every person to allow them the opportunity to be saved. Besides God said if salvation was our choice we would never choose Him. "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: (11.) There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God." Romans 3:10 - 11

True Believing

"Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God." 1 John 4:15

The scriptures are very clear that salvation comes through Christ Jesus and Him only. Works of any sort will always fall short because no merit man does is good enough to satisfy God the Holy and Righteous. God will only accept perfection and man falls well short in anything they try to do except through Christ. God reminds us through John here that confessing the Son (Jesus Christ) is proof that the Holy Spirit dwells in you. However, it is not as simple as some have made it out to be, for the Holy Spirit to dwell in you means He must have come in to start with. It is evident that the Holy Spirit does not enter every heart because not everyone is saved, and some will never be saved. Some would have us to understand that salvation is a choice or decision on our part but the scriptures prove much different. Paul in the book of Romans says, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." Romans 8:14 Paul leaves no room for error here; he leaves no room to accept or to deny the Holy Spirit. Let us use this thought here, if the Holy Spirit enters a person's heart and that person decided they did not want to accept Christ and be saved then they have just denied God's will for them to be saved, and beloved that is imposable. God never fails, whatever He wants that He gets. Paul said, "as many are led...they are the sons of God" Salvation is not as simple as believing it entails the work of God and not just one part but the entire Godhead. This is why Paul told young Titus "God is our Saviour" three times. First, the Father had before the world gave to the Son a remnant and made a contract with the Son that His death as the Son of man was required and the Father accepted this payment. Second, the Son died to pay for sin as a payment in full. Third, the Holy Spirit enters a person's heart, walks them to Christ, leads them to believe, and remains in their heart the rest of their life on this earth. This brings us back to Romans 8:14 "as many as are led...are" There is no room for maybe or for rejection because there is no choice on man's end. With all this being said we must conclude as Paul did in Ephesians 1:4 - 5 " According 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: (5.) Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,". Making salvation as Jonah shouted in Jonah 2:9 "...that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD." This is the blessing here that the Spirit of God never leaves, once He enters a person's heart and saves them then He never leaves. God dwells in you, and for the rest of your days. Therefore, while some days may seem that you are alone please remember that you are not, God is in your heart. John reminds us that "No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us." 1 John 4:12 that if God dwells in us we should love one another because God is love. This is evidence that God is there in our hearts. Our works will be to bless God and not as a merit for salvation. As James told us, we will show our faith, our heart, the Holy Spirit in us by our works. Faith in Christ is nothing without the Holy Spirit dwelling in our hearts. However, where the Holy Spirit dwells there is faith in Christ, love for God and the brethren, and works that blesses God and not us.