1. Paul warned Timothy to take heed to doctrine - 1 Timothy 4:16
2. He warned Timothy of those who subvert whole households - Titus 1:9-11
3. John warns us about false teachers - 1 John 4:1
4. Brethren, WHAT we believe is important
5. Recently, someone asked me to do a sermon on the topic of PREDESTINATION
6. Before we get started, we need to understand that PREDESTINATION is a Biblical doctrine
a. The Bible, as we are going to see, talks about predestination
b. The problem is that there are many who hold to false views about this doctrine
A. Consider - Ephesians 1:3-12
B. Consider - Romans 8:29-30
C. Some believe that John 6:37 teaches predestination - John 6:37
A. The Presbyterian Westminster Confession of Faith. "By the decree of God, for the manifestation of His glory, some men and angels are predestinated unto everlasting life, and other foreordained to everlasting death"
1. According to this statement, God predestines (chooses before hand) who is going to be saved
2. In so doing, He also chooses who will be lost
B. The follow is an answer to the question, "What is predestination? Is predestination scriptural?" On the website: www.gotquestions.org
"The words translated "predestined" in the Scriptures referenced above are from the Greek word proorizo, which carries the meaning of "determine beforehand," "ordain," "to decide upon ahead of time." So, predestination is God determining certain things to occur ahead of time. What did God determine ahead of time? According to Romans 8:29-30, God predetermined that certain individuals would be conformed to the likeness of His Son, be called, justified, and glorified. Essentially, God predetermines that certain individuals will be saved. Numerous scriptures refer to believers in Christ being chosen ( Matthew 24:22, 31; Mark 13:20, 27; Romans 8:33; Romans 9:11; Romans 11:5-7, 28; Ephesians 1:11; Colossians 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 1:4; 1 Timothy 5:21; 2 Timothy 2:10; Titus 1:1; 1 Peter 1:1-2; 1 Peter 2:9; 2 Peter 1:10). Predestination is the biblical doctrine that God in His sovereignty chooses certain individuals to be saved. The most common objection to the doctrine of predestination is that it is unfair. Why would God choose certain individuals and not others? The important thing to remember is that no one deserves to be saved. We have all sinned (Romans 3:23), and are all worthy of eternal punishment (Romans 6:23). As a result, God would be perfectly just in allowing all of us to spend eternity in hell. However, God chooses to save some of us. He is not being unfair to those who are not chosen, because they are receiving what they deserve. God’s choosing to be gracious to some is not unfair to the others. No one deserves anything from God; therefore, no one can object if he does not receive anything from God. An illustration would be a man randomly handing out money to five people in a crowd of twenty. Would the fifteen people who did not receive money be upset? Probably so. Do they have a right to be upset? No, they do not. Why? Because the man did not owe anyone money. He simply decided to be gracious to some. If God is choosing who is saved, doesn’t that undermine our free will to chose and believe in Christ? The Bible says that we have the choice—all who believe in Jesus Christ will be saved (John 3:16; Romans 10:9-10). The Bible never describes God rejecting anyone who believes in Him or turning away anyone who is seeking Him (Deuteronomy 4:29). Somehow, in the mystery of God, predestination works hand-in-hand with a person being drawn by God (John 6:44) and believing unto salvation (Romans 1:16). God predestines who will be saved, and we must choose Christ in order to be saved. Both facts are equally true. Romans 11:33 proclaims, "Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!""
1. The person who answered this question does not know what to believe!
2. At the beginning, he defends predestination by saying that all of us deserved to be lost so God is not unjust by choosing just some individuals to be saved.
3. But then he says that anyone who chooses to believe will be saved and that we have the ability to make the choice to be saved!
4. You see, when you espouse this unscriptural doctrine, it is impossible to stay consistent
A. As we have already seen, the Bible does teach predestination
B. However, nowhere does the Bible teach that God chooses certain individuals to be saved before hand
C. The key to understanding predestination is straightforward
1. "just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love" - Ephesians 1:4
2. The key to understanding predestination are the words "in Him"
3. God has chosen beforehand that those who are "in Him" are going to be saved
D. God does not choose certain individuals to be saved
1. He chose a certain group who would be saved
2. That group is those who are "In Christ"
3. Those in Christ are those who have obeyed the gospel - "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ" - Galatians 3:27
A. Remember, the Bible does not contradict itself
B. These scriptures refute the false doctrine that God predestines certain INDIVIDUALS to be saved
1. Consider - 1 Timothy 2:3-4
2. Consider - Romans 2:11
a) If God chose only certain individuals, He would be showing partiality
b) Even the apostle Paul had to make the decision to obey - Acts 22:16
3. "Greet Andronicus and Junia, my countrymen and my fellow prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me" - Romans 16:7
a) Notice that Andronicus and Junia are said to have been "in Christ" BEFORE Paul
b) If the false doctrine of predestination were true, then this statement would be impossible
c) This implies that there was a time when Paul was outside of Christ
d) Therefore, He had not been in Christ since before the foundation of the world
4. "Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. 9 And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him" - Hebrews 5:8-9
a) Jesus is the author of eternal salvation to ALL who OBEY Him
b) Those who choose to obey will be saved
5. "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God. ’Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me." - John 6:44-45
1. Predestination is a Biblical doctrine
2. It simply means that God chose before creation that it would be only those who are in Christ who will be saved
3. We all have the freedom to choose whether or not that is where we want to be
4. Have you chosen to accept His Salvation His way? Are You Saved?
-- Ralph Price at Streetsboro, February 2011 --
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