The text-only issue.
Is it possible to rationalise predestination? One suggestion put to me is that it shouldn't be rationalised to the point where we make logical presumptions on what the Bible does not say. In support of this view I have sought to redirect the question: “What is the revelation of predestination?”
The Bible is certainly plain about predestination. Difficulties in understanding it lie in the inseparability of predestination and other doctrines like salvation, justification and the Trinitarian nature of God. Writing this exposition has made this clear: isolating predestination from, say, salvation is not only extremely tricky, but impossible.
We will examine whether predestination is a biblical doctrine or not, and then discuss the implications of this as revealed in the word of God. One needs not to look further than from the lips of Jesus of Nazareth. Far from being a “Pauline doctrine”, shrouded in mystery and deep understanding, predestination is discussed at length by our own Lord and Saviour in John 6.
Jesus clearly makes it known that God works in humanity (sovereignly) to save those he has chosen (John 6:37, 39, 44-45):
37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.
In a statement which seems, in isolation, to contradict predestination, in v.40 he infers that we make the choice for salvation:
40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.
But follow the “flow”: God has those he has chosen, and those he has chosen will be raised up by Christ (v.44-45). Where does v.40 stand then? I commend that it should be in the middle of the “flow”. We can only be saved by Christ if the Father has willed us to be. Later on in v.65, he confirms this: in those God has chosen (v.65), he sends his Spirit to give eternal life (v.63):
63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is of no avail. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.... 65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
So God is sovereign in salvation.
So why can't we be in control of our destiny (our salvation)? Mainly because of what Romans has to say about us—about humanity in general and therefore us individually. Romans 1:21:
...For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened...
Romans 3:10-12:
...as it is written:
“None is righteous, no, not one;
no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”
This is again noted in Romans 8:7:
For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot.
Without God's direct intervention we will be headed for destruction.
So is it fair that although God wants those who seek Him to be saved, only a few will remain in the body of Christ (even amongst those who follow him currently)?
Paul addresses the topic of fairness in relation to sovereign salvation in Romans 9:14 by asking:
What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part?
His immediate response is:
By no means!
His decisiveness is drawn from the Old Testament which Romans quotes as saying:
For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”
A mistake one can make (indeed I made) is inferring the negative of this is also true: God predestines eternal death. Here it only states that God's mercy rests on those he saves: not any more and not any less. God's revelation of his election power shouldn't attract the ire of undue reason.
The fairness of “selective” salvation cannot be called into question. Paul supports this by drawing on his own experience: the torment he feels for the lost amongst his own people, the Israelites (Romans 9:2-3):
...I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.
Another reason is the cold reception of the Good News amongst them (Romans 9:6-7):
But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.”
Generalising this to humanity as a whole, we are all guilty of rebellion against God through our sinful lives. We are not worthy of the salvation God graciously provided through Christ on the Cross. It is immensely loving of God to save even one of us. Hence we have no right to question God's fair and just character (Romans 9:20):
But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?”
Everything occurring in the world is such that it brings salvation to those he has elected to be His own (Romans 9:22-23):
“What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory”
If we have problems coming to grips with this idea, it is natural. Indeed Paul was very emotional about this. But like Paul, we should have faith in God's eternal plan of bringing those he chooses under Christ.
It must also be said that no-one except the Father knows who the elect are. In fact, like some of Jesus' followers in John 6:65-66 we may be destined to desert Christ:
And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.
This is not a comforting thought. However the reality is that not all those that we see at Church week in week out are God's elect. For the word of God does teach us that followers of Christ fall away (Hebrews 3:12):
Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.
However, we can remain confident in our salvation if we hold onto the word of God with unfailing faith (1 Peter 1:13, 24):
...Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ for
“All flesh is like grass
and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
and the flower falls,
but the word of the Lord remains forever.”
Herein lies what seems to be a contradiction: if God predestines those whom he saves, why do we have a role in maintaining our faith? Mainly because we are responsible for our sinful desires and the outworking of these desires (James 1:13-15):
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
The responsibility for sin lies with us (we face death after sin is full-grown). What the Bible also says is that God is good and gracious and provides certain salvation to the elect amongst humanity (James 1:17-18):
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
So where do non-Christian's stand? Do they stand neglected by a picky, choosy God? No! For how should we know if they are God's elect or not? It is not our role to determine the elect; this role belongs to the Godhead. Our role is to make known the sovereign power of God which brings salvation to those who God fore-appointed.
We should be satisfied with what the Lord God has revealed in His word. We understand predestination not with our reasoning ability. In fact it is dangerous to say we can. Inferring what may not be true or what the word of God doesn't say can be dangerous (and even sinful). Our reasoning should be bounded within the confines of revelation; not extrapolated to ideas beyond those given voice in God's power (His word).
Imanuel Costigan has a fetish for straining his brain. He thanks Mike, Rich, Rod and last but not at all least Steve for their insightful suggestions, criticisms and time.
Comments
Is this the Imanuel Cositgan from CCHS of two years ago? Good to see you’re going strong.
Jonathan Rae on 02 September, 2002 8:31 PM
yes it is...how’s it going jonno?
Manny on 09 September, 2002 8:11 PM