"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
